The Forgotten Olympian |BOOK 1| PJO X HP | Alexandra Marine

Chapter 19 - Alex - Talks With The Praetor

We stopped at the center of camp, where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T.

A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as via praetoria. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled via principalis. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like 'Berkeley 5 miles'; 'NEW ROME 1 MILE'; 'OLD ROME 7280 MILES'; 'HADES 2310 MILES' (pointing straight down); 'RENO 208 MILES', AND 'CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!'

For certain death, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals—eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that looked like a hamster.

Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals.

At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building—a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.

"Your headquarters?" Percy asked.

Reyna faced him, her eyes still cold and hostile. "It's called the principia."

"Ah," I said understandingly. "How could I not have known that? Stupid me."

She scanned the mob of curious campers who had followed them from the river. "Everyone back to your duties. I'll give you an update at evening muster. Remember, we have war games after dinner."

The crowd dispersed reluctantly. Some muttered comments about Percy's chances.

"He's dead," said one.

"Would be those two who found him," said another.

"Yeah," muttered another. "Let him join the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and geeks."

"What?" I muttered quietly, unable to understand anything.

"Hazel," Reyna said. "Come with us. I want your report on what happened at the gates."

"Me too?" Frank said. "Percy saved my life. We've got to let him—"

Reyna gave Frank such a harsh look, he stepped back.

"I'd remind you, Frank Zhang," she said, "you are on probatio yourself. You've caused enough trouble this week."

Frank's ears turned red. He fiddled with a little tablet on a cord around his neck. I hadn't paid much attention to it, but it looked like a name tag made out of lead.

"Go to the armory," Reyna told him. "Check our inventory. I'll call you if I need you."

"But—" Frank caught himself. "Yes, Reyna."

He hurried off.

Reyna waved Hazel and us toward the headquarters. "Now, Percy Jackson, let's see if we can improve your memory."