𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢━━Nico di Angelo

97

They made it to the first onager just as chaos broke loose in the legion.

On the far end of the line, cries went up from the Fifth Cohort. Legionnaires scattered and dropped their pila. A dozen centaurs barreled through the ranks, yelling and waving their clubs, followed by a horde of two-headed men banging on trash-can lids.

"What's going on down there?" Lou Ellen asked.

"That's our distraction," Nico said. "Come on."

All the guards had clustered on the right side of the onager, trying to see what was going on down the ranks, which gave them a clear shot to the left. They passed within a few feet of the nearest Roman, but the legionnaire didn't notice them. Lou Ellen and Ajax's Mist magic seemed to be working. Nico remembered a few months ago when Ajax had seemed so demoralized when he couldn't conjure a large scale illusion. He couldn't help but look at him with pride.

They jumped the spiked trench and reached the machine.

"I brought some Greek fire," Cecil whispered.

"No," Nico said. "If we make the damage too obvious, we'll never get to the other ones in time. Can you recalibrate the aim – like, towards the other onagers' firing lines?"

Cecil grinned. "Oh, I like the way you think. They sent me because I excel at messing things up."

He went to work while the others stood guard.

Meanwhile the Fifth Cohort was brawling with the two-headed men. The Fourth Cohort moved in to help. The other three cohorts held their positions, but the officers were having trouble keeping order.

"All right," Cecil announced. "Let's move."

They shuffled across the hillside towards the next onager.

This time, the illusion faltered when Will tripped over a rock. the Mist didn't work so well. One of the onager guards yelled, "Hey!"

"Got this." Will sprinted off – which was possibly the stupidest diversion Ajax could imagine – and six of the guards chased after him.

The other Romans advanced on Nico, but Ajax appeared out of the Mist and muttered a few words in Latin.

Two of the romans got surrounded by green fog and when it cleared, there stood two green pigs.

"Transformation?" Lou Ellen gaped, "Holy Hera you're good"

Ajax grinned sheepishly, trying to hide the soreness of his arms. He felt infinitely more tired now.

Lou Ellen handled the rest, vanishing into nothingness and then appearing behind the romans, hitting them hard on their heads, knocking them out.

"Nice work," Nico said.

"And, uh-" Cecil pointed – "somebody better help Will."

Even in their armor, the Romans were starting to gain on Solace. Nico cursed and raced after them. 

He didn't want to kill other demigods if he could avoid it. Fortunately, he didn't need to. He tripped the Roman in the back and the others turned. Nico jumped into the crowd, kicking groins, smacking faces with the flat of his blade, bashing helmets with his pommel. In ten seconds, the Romans all lay groaning and dazed on the ground.

Will punched his shoulder. "Thanks for the assist. Six at once isn't bad."

That was hot  some crazy part of Ajax's head provided.

"Not bad?" Nico glared at him. "Next time I'll just let them run you down" yes he was still salty Will held Ajax's hand.

"Ah, they'd never catch me."