The Wolf of Mars

A Matter of Time

The nightlife was always bustling and in New Rome, there was no party like a Roman party. The elite, roman legionnaires, and retirees partied all the way to the streets. From their bars to their arcades, all was luxurious and lavish as the people who used them. Protected by Terminus, the God of Borders, and most importantly, the Twelfth Legion in Camp Jupiter, there wasn't much to worry about.

Except for the Auger, Chen Mei, as she hustled around her apartment suite in the middle of New Rome, making sure the thick oak door was triple locked and secured. It took a long time to get most of the materials under the table, because she couldn't be too sure these days.

Perhaps it was a little overkill since who in the right mind would attack the Auger, the third most important person in Camp Jupiter, in the middle of New Rome?

But like an old friend once said, there is no such thing as overkill and Chen couldn't take any chances. Haggard, stressed, and just plainly a mess, Chen wasn't sure if she could take anymore. Her life was spiraling into chaos and Chen was close behind it.

The only thing really keeping her up was the fact that her nephew was undergoing his journey from the Wolf House and would be arriving any day. In fact, she had high hopes for him, even though he wasn't really her nephew, and wanted to see him be accepted into the Twelfth Legion. It would certainly help her feel safer with him around.

Especially since she no longer felt safe in Camp Jupiter, even if she was in the Temple of Jupiter conducting her auguries. Of course, safety was just a relative term since there weren't many safe places for legacies and demigods like her, and Chen felt like her world was getting smaller by the second.

Her penthouse, while supposed to just be a vacation home, was one of the few places where she could feel safe. In the middle of New Rome, protected on all sides, who wouldn't? After making sure everything was secured and locked, Chen collapsed on the couch, gazing up at the ceiling window at the twinkling stars of the night sky, and took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that everything was fine and okay. Unsuccessfully unfortunately, but dropped her heart rate several beats helped.

After pouring herself a hot mug of coffee, Chen turned on the TV and tried to relax. The first channel of course was the news as retired legionnaires, Brick and Mary Austin, reported live. They were a lovely team with years of experience both on the air and in the field, so they were ideal to deliver the latest news on the fronts.

"Things on Mount Tam seem to be riling up as reports of increased monster activity has sparked concerns among the soon to be deployed Fourth Cohort," Brick reported while the screen flicked to blurred pictures of monsters running in the forest and some being fought off by legionnaires.

Since electronics were pretty much flares for monsters to find demigods and legacies, the intelligence units had to use old-fashioned film instead of digital. It took a while to develop, but still it gave news crews something to work with. Then Chen frowned as she saw what looked like a seal dog hybrid running away from the action. "A telkine?" Chen muttered, unsure if she was seeing the sea demon right, but the screen switched to the co-anchor before she could get a better look.

Mary laughed and nudged her husband, reminding him, "Oh don't worry. Those mythological rejects are nothing more than a mob, hon. They will wash against Roman shields like water against a cliff."

"Indeed, baby," Brick agreed heartily, "for what's a mob against the Might and Glory of New Rome? So don't worry, brothers and sisters. The gods smile upon your deployment and you will be safe in their hands." "In other news, Praetor Lucas Seongju returns home triumphantly this morning from his quest," Mary continued and Chen's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "He's back!?" she shouted to no one in particular.