Slavic Huter [OC PJO Crossover]

CHAPTER 5 - Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!

 14th December 2007

    I left the Big House and headed for the cabins: the clearing on which these small buildings were built, arranged in the shape of a horseshoe and numbered from 1 to 12, assigning to each another patron from the Olympic Council: one – Zeus, two Hera, etc. I was interested in the so-called "eight", where usually there was no one. But now this was not the case, for the Huntress had taken over the building; that's where I directed my steps. On the way, I passed a basketball court where several Huntresses played said sport while their companion argued about something with one of the campers. Judging by their expressions and the fact that the boy had his hand on the pommel of the sword, I could safely bet 10 in any currency, that it would end with at least one cut wound.

     I came to cabin no .8 and knocked on the door; they opened with Bianca, standing in them. She looked at me and let me in. Closing the door, she turned to me
- Zoe told me to tell you that she's leaving you an empty seat by the stairs to the roof; Apparently you know what she meant about. - I smiled
- Yes, I know. Thanks you. - I replied, as I went to mentioned bed: a comfortable alcove, separated from the rest of the room by a silver curtain. I took off my backpack and turned to Bianca
- Where's Zoe?

     Bianca pointed her finger at the ceiling without a word. I nodded in thanksgiving and walked up the stairs. Originally, there was no entrance to the roof of the houses, and the one I was using right now appeared during one of my first stays in the Camp, still as a member of the Hunt, and the reason was very simple – originally I slept on the roof... Which I didn't complain about. Why? 2 reasons: one – because I was the only guy in a group full of teenage girls, and two - because thanks to that I could see the night sky: the Milky Way, all the constellations, billions of stars.

     Going up to the roof, I looked around for the Huntress; she sat on the edge of the roof and watched the Camp grounds, as if a general was watching the battlefield before the two armies were about to clashed. Which, given the history of meetings between Hunters and Heroes, was not far from the truth. I sat down next to me.
- How doth thee liketh the lodging to catch but a sleep?- she asked, continuing her observation of the Camp.
- Not bad, thank you very much; memories returns. - I said, which she commented with a snorting. I continued, - Anyway, I'm not staying here for long: I have to be in Washington in 48 hours.

     She nodded.
- I still und'rstand not wherefore thee pref'rr'd to becometh a soldi'r instead of returning to the Hunt. Or coequal liveth thy owneth life, hence from t all: monst'rs, gods, goddesses, h'roes ...
- I could cut myself off from your world, but... What kind of life would that be? My family is dead, and you know that well; similarly all my friends, and to return to my homeland... I don't dare: everything would remind me of what happened back then.
- Then wherefore the army? Wherefore...
- Because I don't know anything else Zoe. - I sighed - I didn't have the opportunity to go to high school, let alone college. And I couldn't sign up either, because officially in almost all papers I am listed as "dead".
- Almost? - she turned her head and looked at me with inscrutable eyes
- UN files... After all, somehow they have to pay me: there is no way to survive on this planet without money.

     She again nodded.
- What doth thee actually doth? Except to baby-sitting Chiron's pupils? – she asked with some interest.
- Actually: the same as you. The difference is that we don't focus solely on Greek monsters.
- Waiteth, "solely on Greek"?
- Yes.. It turns out that every country is a different kind of monsters... and sometimes there are several types of culture for one land.
- If 't be true t wasn't f'r what we did see recently. I wouldst chuckle at what thee hath said anon...
- And what was it?
- T's hard to sayeth: t did look liketh a human, t cameth out of the wat'r. I wouldst has't bethought t wast a naiad, if 't be true t hadn't been as like a toad, ugly and venemous as seven hells: bulging eyes, a membrane between mine own fing'rs and toes.
- I think I know what you're talking about... This description... It seems familiar to me, but I can't place it... Not yet.

     There was a moment of silence where each of us looked into space, digesting the information received. It ended when footsteps rang out of the stairs. As if on command, we turned our heads in that direction, where the sounds turned first into the face and then into the rest of Phoebe's body.
- Can you join in, do I disturb? - she asked
- Aye, thee can. - Zoe replied – If't be true I liketh thy rep'rt.
- The report reads: none of Chiron's pupils were hurt,- you could see that Phoebe tried not to add the word "yet" - each of the Hunters has their own place to sleep; other than that, nothing else to report.
Zoe and I looked at each other, and she nodded to me, so I turned to the Huntress,
- Report approved, you may sit down with us.
- I am extremely grateful for your permission. - Phoebe replied, pretending to be a courtly bow excessively as she sat down next to us.

- Sparrowhawk h're wast telling me, - Zoe said - about wherefore that gent and his squad did want to consume us out of business.
- Do not "consume", but "bite you off" and no: we do not bite you off, but we act where you cannot go.
Phoebe shook her head.
- I see that when it comes to conversations between you, nothing has changed.- she said, smiling.
- Not a bit. – I confirmed, laughing.
– What do you have on the patch? - Phoebe pointed to my left shoulder.
I looked where she was pointing. I smiled.
- This is bagde of our regiment. Kind of nothing big, even unnecessary, but the Administration persisted, and people liked it, so it stayed. 

     After these words, I unhooked the emblem from my arm and handed it to the Huntresses. The badge had the shape of a shield, where on a red background there was a globe, behind which a sword and a bow crossed. At the bottom of the dial was the large number "501" in white, six words on the sides of the dial, and above and below the globe: a Latin sentence.
- Writtings in as many as 4 languages? Ambitious. - Zoe commented.
- Yes, well... It must be in French, for our superior is a Froggy-addict; English so that everyone understands, Polish – for obvious reasons, and Latin – because of the motto.
- Semper in Custodia ... it actually fits. - Phoebe commented.

     - Bogumił, bid me- Zoe began - has't thee hath met, during thy travels, with some... int'resting situations?
I frowned,
- You mean situations like what I did in '95?
- Aye.
- What are you talking about? - Phoebe asked,
- If you mean I've verbally abused someone... It's not. – I answered the Lieutenant's question.
- I wouldst not calleth yond situation "v'rbal berattle". T almost sound'd liketh a declaration of war.
- You're exaggerating; I was just irritated by that man's behavior.
- Aye... "irritating."- Zoe continued, slightly mockingly - if 't be true t w'ren't f'r Hecate and Lady Artemis' presence, thee'd belike has't hath used a whole quiv'r of arrows on that gent
- I wouldn't use it: primo, I'm not a murderer and secundo - a corpse always looks bad in a report; not even saying about a dozen of them.
- Admiteth t: thee hesitat'd then - thee w're so did tempt to reacheth f'r the bow.
- I...

    - Could you kindly tell me what you're talking about? – Phoebe inturrupted.
Zoe and I looked at each other, having a silent conversation.
- Do we tell her?
- We can.
- Are you sure?
- What? Art Thee asham'd?
- A little...
- Well, bid h'r.
I sighed heavily, then turned to the Huntress.
- Zoe refers to the last time Lady Artemis left the Huntress in the Camp, and she took us with her for ... a mission.
- Wait, wait, summer '95? Just before You...
- Yes, just before I left the Hunt. See... what happened then... Then, for the first time, I began to think more seriously: not only about my departure, but also about what to do next. And then there's the fact that for the first time in decades, I lost my patience.

     - One thing at a time! August 1995, Artemis leaves us on Half-Blood Hill, then takes Zoe and You, and You disappears into the glow of light. Where...
- To London - I replied grimly - to a neighborhood near King's Cross. Hecate was waiting for us there....

End of Chapter 5

(A/N) Yep - I'm back. I was gone mainly because of exams at university and begining of the new semestr. But I returned with two chapters, so bon apetit.
Oh btw - 2 important things: one - yes - I made Zoe speaks Shakespearean English with using this page: https://lingojam.com/EnglishtoShakespearean
And two - so sorry to any French here for "froggy-addicts", but I had to think about some nickname to a guy, which our hero doesn't like...

Oh - and the badge is in media, I tried to draw it, but I don't think I'm good at it.
See you later... 











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