Truth Becomes Legend

Chapter III

Something was definitely wrong. Sure, when Thysia had left, things were pretty messed up. But at least people still remembered who they were. The Soldiers of Chaos followed Jason and Nico, the rest of "The Seven" behind them, and the weary campers trailing behind. It felt a bit like they were prisoners, and Thysia was very tempted to put his hand on the hilt of his sword at his hip. He never liked the feeling of being prisoner; he had felt like that one too many times.

Jason was talking with Nico in front of them when Thysia noticed something. The mark from the Twelfth Legion that should have been a prominent burn on his skin was just a slightly darker patch. There was still the same number of lines as there were when Thysia left. Something more was definitely happened after he had gone that he clearly didn't know about.

"What's that?" Anikitos questioned, pointing to Jason's forearm. He was obviously having the same thought as Thysia.

"This?" Jason held his arm up. "My mom told me that some crazy guy kidnapped me when I was little and cut it into my arm. Some psychopath obsessed with Rome."

Anikitos threw a confused glance to Thysia, who looked deep in thought. "Why didn't your dad help you? If you're Greek, surely Zeus isn't too happy about his son having a Roman mark carved into his arm?"

Jason gave a bitter laugh that reminded Thysia of his second so many years ago. "I've never met my dad. None of us have." He shrugged. "They are gods though. There are things more important than us.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Its getting late. You can sleep in the Big House. Do you mind sharing a room? We're a bit short on space."

Thysia nodded as they approached the Big House, but he wondered why they would be short on space. The Big House did have 'big' in it's name for a reason.

As they got closer, Thysia began to see why Jason had said they were short on space. The Big House had been converted into a wartime command center. Weapons covered every available surface on the walls. However, there wasn't just celestial bronze, but other metals like iron mixed in as well. "Why do you have weapons that can kill mortals?" Thysia questioned, an underlying anger laced in his voice.

Jason looked pointedly at Thysia. "Well, we have to keep the mortals away somehow, don't we?"Jason nodded to Nico and went through another door.

"Follow me, I'll show your to your room. There's two beds and a connected bathroom. We'll have a meeting in the amphitheatre to explain the situation to the camp." The trio approached a door and Nico gestured inside. "Here's your room. Be downstairs by 7:30. Don't be late."

With that statement, Nico retreated back downstairs and the two soldiers stepped into their room. Thysia threw his backpack on the floor and tossed himself on the bed which protested with a loud creak at the sudden weight.

"If you keep doing that you're going to break the bed."

"Do I seem like I care?" Thysia grumbled with his face buried in his pillow. When Anikitos didn't respond, he sat up and threw his hood off. "Why would they want to hurt mortals?"

"I don't know, Thys. You knew them better that I ever did." Anikitos took his hood off as well revealing sandy blonde hair and a jagged scar running across his face. "Something big obviously happened after you left. Sleep on it. Maybe something will show up, you never know." Anikitos walked over to the window and hung his cloak over it to both block the light and curious eyes.

Thysia watched his friend lay down in his bed and started the routine he'd been doing since he and Anikitos had become friends. Listening to the steady breathing and soft snores being emitted from the bed next to him, Thysia closed his eyes and his mind slowly wandered into the realm of Morpheus. 

The thing about dreams, Thysia's in particular, is that they're never just dreams. They were either messages, nightmares, or memories. Sometimes they were all three. Most of the time he didn't have to relive anything and only watched as an invisible stranger. Thankfully, this time he was just an observer.

He saw the ruined landscape of Camp Half-Blood. Orange and yellow flames licked the base of Thalia's tree and two armies marched towards each other to meet at the crest of the hill. One group was led by a scrawny blonde in full battle armor. He had what Thysia bitterly recalled as an imperial gold spear. He stood next to a young teenager with a hard look on his face (that no teenager should ever have to have) carrying a majestic golden eagle. Lightning danced across the eagle's wings and thunder shook the earth.

Behind the boy bearing the eagle, what looked like hundreds of soldiers were lined up. The soldiers were divided into five cohorts, each with two people on horseback trodding in front of them. A low drone started from somewhere in the middle of the army and it soon rose to an almost deafening chant of "twelfth legion fulminata!"

Before Thysia could turn and analyze the Greek army, a massive battleship appeared over the horizon. The ship broke through the clouds and Thysia had to bring his arm up to block the blinding light reflecting off of the bronze hull. The two armies didn't seem to notice the Argo and the Romans began their advance on Half-Blood Hill.

Thysia knew that this was when Nico, Coach Hedge and Reyna should have shown up with the Athena Parthenos, but, for some reason, the entire scene froze and black smoke began to cover the ground. The dark fog swirled around Thysia's feet as he looked around wildly. This was not supposed to be happening.

The world shook below Thysia's feet and lightning flashed across the sky. "Stand down, Commander of Chaos," a voice thundered. "Leave this planet, or we will be forced to make you."