Game of War (Cashby)

Chapter 6

Someone had tapped my shoulder, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I looked up at the boy who stood in front of me. He wore an off-white tunic that went to his knees and had bright orange hair.

"Sorry," he said. "I- I didn't mean to scare you, but uh, who are you? And what are you doing here?" He looked behind him nervously. I stared at him, stunned. What was I doing here?

"I'm in trouble," I said slowly. He frowned and took a step back.

"What kind of trouble?"

I grimaced and looked down at my torn and dirty uniform. My body ached and I had a deep cut only side. In the sunlight though you could see the shining blue and green beneath the grime. He followed my gaze and his eyes widened.

"I know what you are." His eyes met mine once again, and I could tell he was worried. I didn't say anything, not sure how he would react. A smile slowly spread across his face. "Neptune."

I nodded.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Austin."

"I'm Alan. It's nice to meet you, demigod."

-

Alan took me inside and snuck me into his room. He told me his parents were still asleep, and never went in his room, anyways, so I should be fine. I still wasn't sure if I trusted him, or why he had decided to help me, but I wasn't about to refuse his help. I could only imagine how hard it would be to get out of the city now.

"Um, Alan? What are you doing?" I said. I was sat on his bed in the corner of his room, watching him scramble about sorting through his clothes.

"Looking for something that might fit you," he said. I looked at his small body, then at mine.

"I don't think you're gonna find anything." He turned to face me and frowned.

"Then I'll have to go out and buy you something, what size are you?"

"Whoa, wait a second you're gonna leave me? And why do I need new clothes?"

"Well you can't come with me looking like that!"

"Why not? What the hell's going on around here?" I said.

"Everyone will know who you are in those clothes. You're a Legionary, and right now, that's not a good thing," he said.

"Does this have to do with Pompeii?" I asked, remembering Oli's warning.

"Pompeii?" He didn't know.

"What's going on here?" At this point I was so lost, we had never had resistance before. After all we were here to protect them, and that's usually something people want.

"A few important Roman citizens here have decided the Gods are against them. They've got it in their heads that the Legions come here to spy on us and report back to the Gods our every move. That you guys are going to raid and kill us all one by one. Most of us know better than that, but we don't have very much power." I suddenly remembered Vic's words back on out first day at Olympus. He said the people in his city hadn't wanted them.

"So that's why we're were attacked." His eyes widened, I guess he didn't know about that part either.

"Someone attacked you?"

"How do you think I got into your backyard? My Legion was sleeping about a mile from the city when we were woken up to an angry mob at our doorstep." I got choked up at the memory of last night. I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't afford to feel grief right now.