The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

seventeen

FRANK BECOMES A FIREBALL

The most embarrassing thing? As Apollo wheezed and huffed up the hill, he found himself humming "Ride of the Valkyries."

By the time they reached the summit, Apollo was dizzy and drenched in sweat.

The hills were a scarred wasteland of trenches, shattered armor, and broken war machines. A hundred yards down Highway 24, the emperors' troops had formed up in columns.

Instead of thousands, there were now a few hundred: a combination of Germanus bodyguards, Khromandae, pandai, and other humanoid tribes. One small mercy: no myrmekes remained.

Frank's strategy of targeting the giant ants had apparently worked.

At the entrance to the Caldecott Tunnel, directly beneath them, waited the remnants of the Twelfth Legion.

A dozen ragged demigods formed a shield wall across the inbound lanes. A young woman Ariana didn't recognize held the legion standard, which could only mean that Jacob had either been killed or gravely wounded.

The overheated gold eagle smoked so badly Ariana couldn't make out its form. It wouldn't be zapping any more enemies today.

Hannibal the elephant stood with the troops in his Kevlar armor, his trunk and legs bleeding from dozens of cuts.

In front of the line towered an eight-foot-tall Kodiak bear-Frank Zhang, Ariana assumed. Three arrows bristled in his shoulder, but his claws were out and ready for more battle.

Ariana's heart twisted. Perhaps, as a large bear, Frank could survive with a few arrows stuck in him. But what would happen when he tried to turn human again?

As for the other survivors...she simply couldn't believe they were all that remained of three cohorts.

Maybe the missing ones were wounded rather than dead. Perhaps she should've taken comfort in the possibility that, for every legionnaire who had fallen, hundreds of enemies had been destroyed.

But they looked so tragic, so hopelessly outnumbered guarding the entrance to Camp Jupiter and it didn't help that Ariana's ears had been ringing since the battle started.

Death after death after death.

Ariana lifted her gaze beyond the highway, out to the bay, and lost all hope. The emperors' fleet was still in position-a string of floating white palaces ready to rain destruction upon them, then host a massive victory celebration.

Even if they somehow managed to destroy all the enemies remaining on Highway 24, those yachts were beyond their reach.

Whatever Lavinia had been planning, she had apparently failed. With a single order, the emperors could lay waste to the entire camp.

The clop of hooves and rattle of wheels drew hee attention back to the enemy lines. Their columns parted.

The emperors themselves came out to parley, standing side-by-side in a golden chariot.
Commodus and Caligula looked like they'd had a competition to pick the gaudiest armor, and both of them had lost.

They were clad head to toe in Imperial gold: greaves, kilts, breastplates, gloves, helmets, all with elaborate gorgon and Fury designs, encrusted with precious gems.

Their faceplates were fashioned like grimacing demons. Ariana could only tell the two emperors apart because Commodus was taller and broader in the shoulders.

Pulling the chariot were two white horses...No. Not horses. Their backs carried long, ugly scars on either side of their spines. Their withers were scored with lash marks.