Rise of House Neptune

The Battle of Mount Othrys Part 1

Chapter 42

The weight off Jason's shoulders when he saw his cousins enter the Praetoria was immense. The hug he offered the two was all the relief he could manage though in the face of what was coming. He informed the two that the legion was ready, and a preliminary scouting party had already been sent forward with Michael Kahale leading them. The pegasi corps under Reyna's guidance was already running flyovers, and the reports were not inspiring confidence. It seemed the Titans were preparing for the invasion of Rome, but this mattered little to legions leadership. There was after all no other choice in what came next.

Retired members of the legion around the country had also been called upon to drive trucks, busses, suburbans, and armored vehicles to the base of their invasion to help transport the invading force. Transporting the five cohorts to the Black Fortress was the priority. Their force needed to be well rested, and not coming off days of marching. Regardless of that they didn't have the time to march. They were on the clock and the survival of Olympus was on the line.

Percy was turning his trident in his hand methodically the next morning as he waited for his Command staff to arrive at his tent. Bianca stood with her arms crossed looking at the map before them with a determined expression on her face. They had spent most of the evening going over their battle plans with Jason, and the other Praetorians. Their plan was sound, but every good leader knew that a battle plan rarely ever survived the initial encounter.

The legion had arrived at the foot of Mount Othrys merely an hour ago. Being the invading force there wasn't much of a chance to take the Titan's fortress by surprise. They had set up camp, and the legions engineers were digging, entrenching the lines in case the need to retreat fell upon them. It wouldn't be the best work the legion was capable of, but given the time that they had it would have to do. Jason stepped into the tent with Michael and Reyna at his back. Shortly following behind him were the Praetorians and what remained of the Centurions. They all gathered around the map without a word, and Percy snapped his trident in his hand, and placed it on the magnets on his back that were supplied by his brother. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes for a moment taking in the inevitable battle.

In the day it had been since he bathed in the River Styx his body had been thrumming with energy. It was almost as if his body was begging to release the power within him upon his enemies. A part of it was certainly his own nervous anticipation of what was to come, but another part of him knew he was worried that he had not had the proper time to test the curse of Achilles in battle. Every mortal person in the world that he cared about was going to be participating in this battle, and they were all counting on him to get them through this. For a moment he didn't even want to glance at the table that held the map, and their battle plans. Because around it were the people he cared about most, and it was almost a certainty that not all of them would live to see the end of this battle. If any of them would at all. Steeling his nerves, knowing they were all depending on him, he turned, and walked to the table to a spot that Jason and Bianca had left for him, "You all know the plan. The Praetor's and I will be leading the head of the assault force into battle. The pegasi corps will be led by Reyna, and they will be doing their best to make sure we encounter no aerial assaults, as well as destroying any type of long range weapons they may try to use on us. We can expect heavy fortifications around the walls, and we will be treating it just like War Games. First to get over the wall, breach the perimeter, and survive can expect military accommodations when the battle is over. We should be expecting a wide variety of enemies to come spilling out of the gates once we reach the top as well. I have it on good authority that we are expecting no issues from the Oceanfront of this battlefield. Olympian Intervention is doubtful, and barring something unforeseen we are on our own."

The assembled group had grave looks on their faces at his words, but he took a deep breath, and plunged on, "We have all trained our whole lives for this. Praetorians...all those extra hours...all those missions, they prepared us for this moment. Protect each other, and I swear to you as long as there's breath remaining in my body today I will do what I can to protect each of you."