Jason Grace: After the Burning Maze

Rosalie

Scarlett stared blankly at the dried out grass. Mindlessly, she pulled out strands of it one by one like she had been doing for the past 40 years. Day after day, she wasted away in the fields of Asphodel with her shaky limbs and hollow eyes. Night after night, she shuddered underneath Hylla's burial shroud. Though her soul was captured by a deep sadness and sense of emptiness, she could no longer consciously acknowledge it. No matter how hard a particular night was, or how many times I explained the story of her life to her, she shrugged and left me alone to my own thoughts. Month after month, year after year, decade after decade, I waited for Hylla's help to come. Could she have forgotten? Filed for rebirth? Given the task to the wrong person? Doubts plagued my mind as I desperately watched for a sign.

One morning after helping Scarlett cough out her daily dose of blood, a whispy shape flew right through me. No matter how many times this had happened in the past, I never got used to the tingling sensation and feeling of exposure that came along with it. In a fit of impatience, I grabbed at it with my hand and pulled it back, ready to question why a spirit in Asphodel was rushing away so quickly. To my surprise, he withered and squirmed with such surprising force that I let go. Feeling utterly confused, I followed its path with my eyes and landed on a dark, looming figure traveling above the fields. In its path, radiating fear and power. As it traveled, spirits bowed down and mumbled inaudible words. At this sight, a distant memory tugged at me, teasing my mind over and over about something I should, but couldn't remember.

It wasn't until the looming figure was 10 feet away from me and looking me straight in the eye that I finally took the hint and understood. The mysterious presence radiant fear and power because that's what it was. The strange presence was non-other than that of the Ghost King—Nico di Angelo.

Realising that I had found out too late, I frantically waved my hands and tried to get his attention. Shouting silent shouts over and over and frantically waving my arms. I needed to get his attention.

"Nico! Nico!"

He was almost above me now, not bothering to spare me another glance.

"NICO!"

The traveler glided above me, not sparing my pleas another second.

"NICO DI ANGELO!"

But I suppose the Ghost King had more important places to be that day as he glided off out of sight. Running frantically and sobbing in desperation, I chased and chased until I was in serious danger of losing my way back to Scarlett. Throwing myself down in exhaustion and foaming at the mouth, I heaved and coughed for hours until I curled up in a ball of despair and let my own anger and misery at Scarlett, myself, Apollo, Nico, Hylla, Jupiter, Midas, and Charon wash out through my eyes.

A sharp cry interrupted my pity party. Over and over, a whelping noise made the same ear-piercing shriek as another voice hushed it. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I made my way towards the source of noise and pushed aside some especially tall grass. In a small clearing sat a young woman holding a squirming bundle. Almost as if to a rhythm, it wailed loudly as a tired woman gently sang a lullaby. Feeling especially awkward on having walked in, I turned to find my way back to Scarlett.

"Wait!" The woman cried. Letting out a puff of air, I turned and put on the most friendly smile I could as the baby's wails rang in my ear.

"Can I help you?"

"Please," she cried desperately, "I don't know you and I terrified but I have no choice but to trust you. I love my daughter but I just need some time alone from the screaming to catch up on some much-needed sleep. Would you be so kind as to-"

"Say no more." I reached for the bundle and picked it up. Even at Camp Jupiter, Reyna used to tease me about being a 'softie' because of my way with children. As if on cue, the little girl stopped screaming and began to trace a finger over my face, before deciding that she liked my upper-lip scar. I bounced up and down with her while the mother curled up into a small ball and crashed right away.

As I entertained the little bundle for a full day, I let myself forget about all my problems. Children have that way of using their innocence to calm you down. As I drifted my thoughts over my messed up recent 50 years and my fingers played around with the little child, I found myself unconsciously forgiving Scarlett. Sure, she was still a selfish brat who was too caught up in her own world to understand the meaning of 'sacrifice'. Sure, if I had never met her then I'd probably be approaching the end of my 2nd life now. No matter how responsible she was for my misery, I couldn't blame her. At the end of the day, it was my choice and I intended to honor that. I owed it to myself to protect her.

"How long has it been?" The young woman sat up. She was extremely pretty, around her early twenties. In an odd way, she reminded me of Sally Jackson in her tenderness and soft-spoken nature.

"A couple of hours. I'm not so sure." By now the little girl was already starting to get squirmish and I passed her back to her mother.

"Thank you."

"I'm Jason. Jason Grace."

At this, the young woman almost dropped her child on the grassy floor.

"Excuse me?" I asked, confused by her reaction.

"I'm sorry," she smiled, "It's just, well, the father of my child had wanted to name it Jason if it was a boy. He said it was after his own late half-brother whom he spoke of a lot. I'm just a little bit shocked to hear your name, that's all."

"No, of course." I smiled. Though her story was strange, I decided to nod and accept it.

"How did you die?"

The young woman chuckled and tickled the child's neck softly, "Yesterday during childbirth. Along with little Rosalie here." She brushed her cheek softly, "She came out stillborn and I fell into an 'unexplainable coma'. Sad thing is, her father wasn't even there for the half of it. To busy being the lead singer of an a cappella group." she grinned at her own memory.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I died fighting a Roman Emperor and saving a girl and my half-brother." As soon as I said it out loud, I realized how insanely cliché and stupid that sounded.

"True Love?" She smiled,

"Something like that."

A familiar shriek broke the comfortable silence between us. Turning my head in awe, there on the grass, was a pale girl with dark brown hair and blood-red lips. Since the only possible explanation would be that I had chased Nico all around the island, I cursed my bad luck and gestured to the young woman and started making my way towards Scarlett.

"There's this girl who I found who is," I paused a bit, "Troubled. She's been through a lot and barely made it here. I've been staying around with her for the recent couple decades and maybe you'd like to stay with us too?"

The young woman nodded, "I have nowhere else to go so I graciously accept your offer."

"Great," I smiled, bending down next to Scarlett. "Scarlett, we have some new friends who are going to be living with us for the next bit."

Scarlett stared blankly up at them and fixed her eyes on the bundle. She reached her hands out hungrily and the young woman, all too trusting, handed Rosalie to Scarlett.

"Umm, I'm not sure that's a good id—"

A blinding flash of golden light flashed before my eyes. In a moment, all was back to its original state but both the young woman and I had been knocked off our feet. As spots danced in my eyes, an arm grabbed me and propped me up. Scarlett brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face,

"Jason? Are you okay?"

I'm sure I must have looked very confused before I passed out.