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

Chapter 24 - Alex - Sorting

He reached the shrine. "Hey, Nico..."

"Frank." Nico smiled. He seemed to find Frank amusing, maybe because Frank was the only one at camp who wasn't uneasy around the children of Pluto.

"Reyna sent me to get Percy, and Alex," Frank said. "Did Octavian accept you?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "He slaughtered my panda."

"He...Oh. The augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster."

"You're right," Hazel said. "We'd better—"

"Frank," Nico interrupted, "why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon."

"That's—that's a good idea," she said. "Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up. "

Percy looked at Nico one more time, as though he was still trying to place a memory. "I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling—"

"Sure," Nico agreed. "Later. I'll be staying overnight."

"You will?" Hazel blurted.

"Go on, Percy," Nico said. "Settle in." He turned to Hazel. "My sister and I need to talk."

Frank rushed us, finally, to the place where we wanted to be. THE BATH HOUSE. He left us to clean up and get dressed.

When we came outside, Percy was dressed in a large purple shirt and blue jeans, and I wore black joggers under my shirt. My sneakers were still really good looking, and their orange details now glowed purple to match with the shirt. I smiled. There's nothing more satisfying than a good hair day, clothes day, and sneakers day. It is so very rare that the three things happen at the same time. I was practically skipping out of the bath house when we met Frank again.

Percy's hair was wet from the baths. He'd put on fresh clothes, but he still looked uncomfortable. Frank led us to the 'war games and sorting thing,' as Frank called it.

The demigods all piled into the place, and the centurions took a roll call. Hazel arrived just in time to be 'technically not late'. Nico joined us. Percy and I stood quiet, too uncomfortable to speak. Too many demigods. All of them were staring at us, and I did not like it.

The Lares were the last ones to fall in. Their purple forms flickered as they jockeyed for places. They had an annoying habit of standing halfway inside living people, so that the ranks looked like a blurry photograph, but finally the centurions got them sorted out.

Octavian shouted, "Colors!"

The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skincapes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole with absolutely nothing on top. The job was supposed to be a big honor, but Jacob obviously hated it.

Reyna brought her pegasus to a halt.

"Romans!" she announced. "You've probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by our newcomers, Alexandra Marine and Percy Jackson. Juno herself guided them here, and proclaimed them children of Neptune."