Respect was hard to buy, and especially so here, but Alabaster was respected. He was respected in a place where he could get far using respect alone, so this was vital.
There was reason behind it. He was strong, he was smart and he was already well-known. His siblings would take his word above Luke's. His incantations were helpful to the army beyond measure, and they were frightening, too. Nobody wanted to fall out with somebody who could set their most beloved possesions on fire.
This respect was also vital in hiding the fact that he did not now enough to completely protect the ship. He had a lot to learn in this aspect - protecting houses, vessels, even small vehicles. It never worked as well as he should have. He was looking for a way to keep track of all of the incantations he'd cast. He could make up a plenty, and they rarely failed, but there was no way so far to keep track of them. He held on to one in his head, and the other was forgotten and dismissed.
This was what happened on the night of the explosion, too. He'd barely made it out alive. His incantations protected him and a few select others, but he didn't protect the whole ship. Because of him, countless demigods and monsters died that night. Because he couldn't keep track. It still plagues him, in nightmares, the magical fire catching to everything except him. Faces melting. Screams. A lot of people were screaming in that explosion. For just a few seconds, because greek fire caught fast, but they screamed. He heard them well.
He was even more respected for surviving and saving so many people now. Luke never pointed out he was meant to save the ship. The greek fire seemed to trigger memories that plagued Luke even more, to the point he was causing Lord Kronos a menace with his struggling. He wasn't so much, before, but something about the greek fire seemed personal to him.
Alabaster's siblings weren't as forgiving, though. They knew. Some died. They weren't many to begin with, and some were in Camp Half-Blood anyway. They held him half-responsible. They said that if it ws concentration alone, he should have tried harder. He took it upon himself to protect the ship. He should have known his boundaries.
And now he was being asked to take even more responsibilities. It was the army's respect for him, of course, that led to the sudden offer of promotion. He wasn't sure if he could take it up, but he had to prove to his siblings he was good at something. He had to maintain this respect.
"Lord Kronos is waiting." Ethan was harsh.
Alabaster thought that he was much more anxious to hear his answer than Lord Kronos, but he didn't say anything. Ethan was a mean fighter, and a great believer in honour. He was also certain that Lord Kronos wasn't sitting around waiting in the mean time. Luke wasn't giving him a break for a second. He made sure that his body was hard to adapt to and took concentration to maintain in Lord Kronos' control. Alabaster wondered what made him suddenly fight. He used to be on their side. "I haven't made up my mind."
"Well, do it quickly, then. Lord Kronos doesn't like waiting." Ethan glared at him with his one good eye.
Kronos waited for eons in the pit. Alabaster was sure that the titan of time shouldn't mind waiting two days for a reply. The titan proved anxious to destroy Olympus, though, and his plans were rushed and even flawed. Alabaster had to give an answer now, or the titan may get angry.
He knew which he had to pick, anyway. He had to contribute to the fall of Olympus. Ethan knew for a fact that he would, but nothing Alabaster will do was set in stone. He had to make the greatest efforts now so he could contribute later. If he had to see loss, then that's what will happen. A few losses of life were vital in any war. Ethan Nakamura would argue that only by having losses on their side can they cause losses to the enemy, to create a balance. But nothing was balanced yet. As far as he knew, none of Chiron's or Lupa's demigods were dead, but dozens of their comrades were already. This is why he had to fight. To ensure there were more people dead on the other side than on his, and to make sure the Olympic Mafia felt that loss. That they knew how it felt. "Tell him I agree to his offer."
Ethan smiled, then gestured to a statue they used as a tray holder, currently holding Subway sandwiches. These creepy statues were their tables, shelves, and any other mode of storage they used. "I'll tell him when I get called back this evening. Want to eat something? I'm starving!"
"Think about it, though. In a couple of days, we'll be able to eat in any restaurant we want. The food world will be ours!"
Ethan laughed, and they both bit into their sandwiches.
A couple of days passed, and then more, and Alabaster couldn't eat in any restaurant he wanted at all.
