Love & Chaos 2: A New Pharaoh for Egypt

Chapter 18

Raising an Army

Liz

"Is it just me, or are these muffins really stale?" She was trying to down a somewhat healthy breakfast - they were about to start training an army - but the food she summoned to her plate didn't taste right.

"You shouldn't summon meals while distracted," Percy advised, digging into some blue waffles and eggs.

"Aren't you uncomfortable when your eggs are that color?" Liz asked her brother, but he simply looked at her, frowning. "Right. Inside joke with Mom. I know."

"What's the training plan?" Reyna asked, at the ready, per the usual. Liz had a feeling that woman could single handedly complete the entire quest herself without a scratch if she wanted to.

"I'm thinking we split the main things into three days. Today, we focus on swords, tomorrow on hand to hand, and the next day, people can choose a weapon they do best with to learn more about using. Alex," she added before she forgot, "I want you with me on sword training, okay?"

He looked up from his cereal, mouth full and eyes wide. "What?" he mumbled through his food.

"You're going to learn, and I'm going to make sure of it."

Even with special bullets that should  hypothetically kill non-human assailants, any battle against ancient creatures would be most effectively fought with ancient weapons. Celestial bronze to the heart was a sure way to win, and she wanted to keep him safe. She had to keep him safe.

Sure, most people hadn't been training with a goddess since they were eight, but Liz knew the value in all that Artemis had taught her back then. These were the main skills they would need, even the spies.

"And Sarah, I know you're our medic, but I'd really feel better if you let me train you, too."

She looked up from her book. "Why? I do just fine in the field with my knife."

That girl was surprisingly hard core. "It would make me feel better."

"No need. Apollo has a charm over me to keep me safe."

"That's a thing?"

"Sure, why do you think Will never got killed in battle?"

"Please?"

Sarah sighed. "Fine, I'll train."

"Thanks!" On top of her being an old friend, Liz knew that Abigail would kill someone if anything happened to her.

"Am I helping you train sword?" Percy asked.

"Depends, are you rusty from using water powers?" She laughed. "That was a great accidental pun, please tell me you got that."

"I got it, but I'm not rusty. Why do people keep thinking I'm rusty? I'm not rusty."

"Okay, Percy, if you say so. What are the rest of you doing?"

"Helping?" Hazel guessed.

"Exactly! But Octavian, um. Just, stay there. And don't murder and stuffed animals while we're gone."

"Shouldn't someone babysit him?" Leo whispered.

"He's just a literal lost soul, I think he's okay. He can't do much."

Of course, she didn't mention how uncomfortable the kid made her, but she figured it wasn't too big of a deal. She had a dream that showed his end in Rome, and she was fine with that. He got to feel like he saved his city, and then bye-bye creepy dude. Hades assured her that his next death would be more permanent. He was putting Aunt Seph in charge of it.