𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓! [pjo]

V; the first fight

───frank's pov

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．

    After dinner, the war games started. Frank marched toward them with the Fifth Cohort, his head spinning with everything that had happened during that day and his life. They followed after their centurions, Dakota and Gwen, in two lines. Ahead of him, Percy and Cal were walking side by side, whispering between each other. They were heading to the Field of Mars, a big flat part of the valley where they played War Games. At the north end stood the fortress, their target. It was a big stone fortress, lined with all different kinds of weapons and battlements.

    They marched to the center of the field and formed ranks. The Third and Fourth Cohorts assembled as far as possible from the Fifth. The centurions for the attacking side gathered for a conference. In the sky above them, Reyna circled on her pegasus, Scipio, ready to play referee.

Eagles sailed above them.

Frank propped his pilum against his shield and checked Percy's armor. Every strap was correct. Every piece of armor was properly adjusted. Cal was just the same, standing behind him.

"You did it right," he said in amazement. "Percy, Callahan, you must've done war games before."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Frank, please call me Cal" Callahan piped up, "I don't like Callahan, it feels weird."

Frank nodded, happy with the change.

Both Percy and Cal wield unregulated swords. Both of them glowed bronze, Percy with the leaf-shaped blade and Cal with her short twin blades, that curved up at the end and were double-edged. They were shorter than normal swords, about the length of her forearm, with round and open bottom hilts. Frank wondered what that was about. Cal noticed him staring at the ends of her blades,

"I know, hilts are really weird. I can't figure it out either." She smiled at him.

Percy frowned. "We can use real weapons, right?"

"Yeah," Frank agreed. "For sure. I've just never seen  swords like yours."

"What if I hurt somebody?"

"We heal them," Frank said. "Or try to. The legion medics are pretty good with ambrosia and nectar, and unicorn draught."

"No one dies," Hazel said. "Well, not usually. And if they do—"

Frank imitated the voice of Vitellius: "They're wimps! Back in my day, we died all the time, and we liked it!"

Hazel laughed. "Just stay with us, you two. Chances are we'll get the worst duty and get eliminated early. They'll throw us at the walls first to soften up the defenses. Then the Third and Fourth Cohorts will march in and get the honors if they can even breach the fort." Horns blew.

Dakota and Gwen walked back from the officers' conference, looking grim.

"All right, here's the plan!" Dakota took a quick swig of Kool-Aid from his travel flask. "They're throwing us at the walls first to soften up the defenses."

The whole cohort groaned.

"I know, I know," Gwen said. "But maybe this time we'll have some luck!"

"First-line with Dakota," Gwen said. "Lock shields and advance in turtle formation to the main gates. Try to stay in one piece. Draw their fire. Second line—" Gwen turned to Frank's row without much enthusiasm.

"You seventeen, from Bobby over, take charge of the elephant and the scaling ladders. Try a flanking attack on the western wall. Maybe we can spread the defenders too thin. Frank, Hazel, show them the ropes. Try to keep them alive."