Percy Jackson Fanfiction- The Stolls

Chapter Fourteen- The Romans Are Coming

Connor kneeled over his brother, Travis's name tearing from his throat, tears streaming down his face, he shook his brother viciously, he turned to Will.

"DO SOMETHING, YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE A HEALER!" He screamed. Will turned to him with sad eyes, he put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Connor..it's too late, Travis is gone.." Up came Lou Ellen running to the scene.

"What happened to Travi-" She stared down at his lifeless body. "Oh my gods...Connor.." She struggled, a lump in her throat, her hand covering her mouth. Connor gently touched Travis's pale face.

"You can't leave me Travis..I'm nothing without you.." He whispered, his head down. "This is my fault.."

"Connor don't you dare think that, I saw it all, it was the monster.." Will interjected.

"No you don't understand, that monster was meant to be a prank for almost crushing my brain, It was stupid revenge on you lot and it killed my brother!!" His voice raised.

"Connor.." Lou Ellen said gently, taking hold of his hand. Connor's voice died. He turned to Lou Ellen, who was now on her knees next to Connor, and he shrank into her frame, bursting into tears, he grabbed her screaming into her orange t-shirt. She rocked him and stroked his hair, a tear rolling down her light face. Other campers started to gather round, some of the Hermes campers whimpered and stood in shock, teary eyed. Even the dark side had come and all the rage of the camp died down, Clarisse stood and patted Connor on the shoulder. Out came Chiron and Dionysus. They observed Travis, blood surrounding him from his wound. Chiron stood still shaken by the scene.

"Oh my..." Dionysus spoke. Connor looked up hopelessly at the wine god.

"Get a shroud for Mr Travis Stoll.." Chiron said gently, and he trotted off.

Even after Travis had be taken Connor remained knelt in the same position for another hour. Lou Ellen embracing him from behind, her eyes blood shot from crying. Connor hardly spoke, except for the quiet repetition of Travis's name. Footsteps were heard behind him, he didn't move. A skinny frame knelt down next to him, the smell or grapes brushed Connor's nose.

'Connor?' It was Pollux. Dionysus's son.

'I don't really want to talk right now.' Connor replied miserably.

'Connor I know how you feel..' Connor forgot that Pollux was actually a twin and his brother Castor had died in The Battle of The Labyrinth. Connor lifted up his head to stare at the boy.

'When I lost Castor, I thought my life was over, I felt like I'd lost a limb, when infact I'd lost my other half. I don't want to sit here and tell you everything's going to be okay because I'm not entirely sure it will. All I'm saying is Travis would be proud of you, as Castor would be of me.' He paused, tears in his eyes. 'If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.'

'Thanks Pollux..' was all Connor could manage. Pollux patted Connor on the back and stood up. He stood there for a moment staring at him, as if Connor reminded him of his past. He faintly smiled and walked off.

At the campfire the fire always changed colour to accomodate the mood of the camp. Today it was black. Connor stood by his brother's body and threw an orange shroud of it, golden wings embroided in the centre. He took the torch and faced the campers.

"Travis.." he choked. "Travis was my favourite person in the world, we never spent a day apart, it was his positivity and humour that kept us both going through the hardest times.." He paused taking a deep breath. "Travis's last request was to forgive and forget, to forget this stupid feud and make a truce..and that's what we will do.." His body shivered. "And therefore...i-i- i shall never play another prank again." The crowd gently gasped. Connor turned around and lit the shroud. He watched as his brother's remains burn in the flames. He stared at the dancing colours, hardly aware of his surroundings, Travis spiralling in the sky and fading into the stars, something in Connor died that day..along with his brother and best friend.

Connor sat at the Hermes cabin for dinner the next day. His face pale, his cheeks caved in and hollow dark circles under his eyes, his expression broken. He had barely touched his food. His brothers and sisters tried to comfort him but Connor acted like he wasn't all there.

He sat by the lake a few nights later, staring at the stars and the constellations played out stories in the sky. Connor couldn't help thinking why Travis didn't deserve some sort of recognition, how come Travis wasn't a constellation, pulling pranks and stealing things from the other stars. Sure Travis wasn't any well known hero like Percy Jackson, but he sure was Connor's hero, and that counted for something didn't it?

Lou Ellen walked over and gently sat down next to him, even with the painful grief he was feeling, Connor couldn't help noticing how beautiful his girlfriend was, her wavy short hair pulled back with a heart clip, a flowery top underneath light dungarees.

"You look beautiful.." He managed quietly. She smiled and Connor's heart did a little summersault.

"And you look awful." She said blankly, she sat down next to Connor and rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you remember when I first brought you down here?"

"What, when you made those harpies unconscious, and disguised yourself so only I had to clean the stables?"

"But you told on me and i had to clean them anyway?" She laughed gently. Connor half smiled, it was the first time she had seen him slightly happy in a week.

"Yeah well you deserved it." he said. He looked at Lou Ellen and smiled. He cupped her face and lightly kissed her on the lips.

"Thank you.." He said, his hand touching her face and curling her hair around his finger.

"For what exactly?"

"For being here.." He rested his head on hers so their noses were touching. He held that position for a while, enjoying each other's embrace. They broke apart but then Connor sat against a tree, cradling Lou Ellen in his arms. She put her head in Connor's chest.

"Connor?" She said.

"Hmm?"

"Did you really mean it when you said you'd never play another prank again?" She asked.

"What's a prank without Travis.." he pointed out.

"He's proud of you Connor.."

"I know." he simply said.

Suddenly a loud horn sounded, it wasn't meal time and it wasn't session time either. Lou Ellen and Connor looked at each other confused. They got up and noticed the whole camp running to Thalia's tree, the camp borders. They joined the crowd of muttering demi-gods, all looking just as confused. Chiron and Dionysus parted through the crowd to the front. His face calm, Dionysus looking uninterested and bored. He stood staring at the horizon of the camp, his eyes squinting. The crowd went quiet.

"Whats happening Chiron?" Will Solace asked. Chiron turned around, with a hard expression on his face, a mask of stone. He took a deep breath.

"The romans are upon us." He said. "Prepare for war."