This Fire Burns - Chapter 18

[July 13th, 2007]

After dropping the girls off at the Wolf House, we took a bus down south from Sonoma, skipping right past Oakland where Camp Jupiter was hidden. There was a place I wanted to visit before we went back to our not-so-normal lives at camp.

Walking through the familiar suburban streets of my San Jose neighborhood, I felt a sense of anticipation. Everything looked the same, yet it all felt so different. Or maybe I was the one who was different? After all, this would be my first time home in over two years.

As we approached my house, I saw Cecille’s car in the driveway, so I knew she was home. Good. It would be awkward breaking into your own home.

Going up the porch steps, I pressed the doorbell.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been in an actual house,” Jason mused. “Or at least one I can remember.” 

“Yeah? Well, just relax,” I said, grinning. “Mi casa es su casa.”

He straightened, as serious as ever. “I will make sure to treat it with respect.”

“Right…”

The door opened, and Cecille stood there. She took one look at me and said simply, “You’re home.”

“Hey, Cecille. I brought a friend with me, hope you don’t mind,” I replied, equally nonchalant.

She stepped aside to let us in. “Of course not. You’re always welcome here.”

Her lack of reaction didn’t surprise me. That was the way our dynamic had always been. Even when I would stay out late as a kid, she’d trust me to be fine. And in this case, she knew exactly where I had been, so there was even less worry.

I led Jason inside. The place felt as welcoming as I remembered. Well, for some reason it actually felt better today than ever before, more than even Camp Jupiter.

As we made our way into the living room, I saw a woman sitting on the couch. She was in her late twenties, wearing a brown cloak, her light brown hair was almost identical to my own. She looked familiar.

I thought back, and the memory clicked. She was my first customer from when I’d started my cookie business back in the summer of 2005, just one day before Lupa found me. She was easily my most enthusiastic customer, not that she had a lot of competition since I only did it for two days. Now that she was here, I realized why she was so memorable. Sure, she gave me nice tips, but it was that instinctual, comforting pull I’m feeling from her that really mattered. 

Realizing that I was staring, I decided to start introductions.

“Alright,” I said, gesturing between everyone. “This is my friend, Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter. And this is my guardian, Cecille.” I pointed to the woman on the couch. “And this is…” I trailed off, waiting for her to introduce herself.

When she just smiled warmly at me, Cecille stepped in. “She’s an old friend of the family, Serif.”

That made me pause. Cecille never let anyone in the house. 

I thought about it more. 

That pull I felt toward her definitely meant something. It was much stronger than what I felt from Jason or anyone else at camp, so she had to be more closely related to me. Family. And the fact that Cecille was completely at ease with a stranger in her house only supported my theory. I remembered Cecille was the daughter of Fortuna, and I came to the obvious conclusion. This woman was my grandmother. She felt like family, and giving me money for my cookies was kind of close to her domain of luck and fortune.

While I was thinking, Cecille turned to Jason. “It’s a relief to finally meet Serif’s friend. Thank you for looking after him. I imagine that’s not an easy job.”

Jason shook his head. “Ma’am, I’m the one who should be grateful. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for him.”

I smirked. “That’s right. Keep the praise coming. I am the greatest.”

Jason rolled his eyes, but Fortuna immediately agreed.

“That’s a given,” she said, her voice soft but filled with an unshakeable certainty. “You’ve accomplished so much in such a short time. I’ve been hearing wonderful things about you.” She sat forward slightly. “Please, tell me about your recent adventure. All of it, if you don’t mind.”

Naturally, I couldn’t ignore a request from my first fan.

Over the course of the next thirty minutes, I told her everything about the quest. Cecille listened too, but there was something about Fortuna’s focus, like I was the only person in her world. She kept leaning forward, asking occasional questions about every minor detail, giving me her undivided attention. It was nice, honestly. Really nice.

When we finally finished, I gave Jason a tour of the house. He paused by the framed photos and the trophy cabinet in the hallway.

“Your mom must really adore you,” he commented.

“Hm, probably.” I shrugged, joining him to look at them. “Thinking back on it, those trophies weren’t very fair, though. I was outclassing all the other kids with my divine strength and all that. Kinda feel bad about it now.”

“You were still a child. You couldn't have known.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

With nothing else to do, we decided it was time to say our goodbyes and head back to camp. As I was on the doorstep, I wondered how many other demigods actually got to meet their divine relatives. Especially one who was genuinely interested in their lives. I really enjoyed being able to interact with my grandmother. Even if I never met my father, this was a nice experience. 

At camp, we sacrificed food to the gods all the time. I should do the same for Fortuna to show my appreciation for visiting me.

“Yo, give me a second,” I told Jason, then stepped outside into the front yard.

I didn’t have any proper food for an offering, but I really wanted to do this right now. Guess I’ll just have to make do with what I have. Digging into my backpack, I pulled out an unopened bag of chips I bought for the ride back.

Opening the bag of chips, I lit my palm on fire, and flipped the bag upside down, dropping them in my golden flames. As they turned to ash, I sent up a silent prayer.

For Fortuna. Love you, gran.

Glancing back at her through the window, I saw her body visibly shaking, her hands clenched by her sides. She must have been really moved by the gesture. I smiled and gave her a big thumbs-up. The moment I did, her shaking stopped and she returned a warm smile of her own.

Maybe I really made her day.

------------------------------

Bruh, we’re literally right outside of the entrance to camp. 

Are the guards slacking off? Or do these monsters lack survival sense in general? Seriously, why would they ever think getting so close to camp is a good idea? They’re not even hiding with disguises! And I thought we killed every monster in the city two weeks ago when we first left on the quest. 

Ah, fuck it. I don’t care enough to think about it anymore.

I thrust Sol Aeternus out, making a wave of fire erupt from the tip, piercing through the cyclops’s head. It barely managed a confused grunt before dissolving into gold dust.

“Holy shit, bro,” I said, turning to Jason, “this sword is real damn nice.”

He glanced over from where he’d been dealing with a hellhound. “Aren’t you able to do that all on your own?”

“Yeah, but now I can see why you like using Ivlivs to channel your lightning even though you could just call it from the sky. It’s got that extra flair that makes you feel so fucking cool in the heat of the moment,” I admitted, giving the blade another experimental swing. “I swear, I’m gonna cut the next monster I fight in half, and both sides are gonna catch fire at the same time.”

He grinned right back at me. “Sounds fun, sadly you’ll have to hold off on that for a while. Caldecott Tunnel is right ahead.”

I looked over at it. The statues of ancient Romans flanking the dark passage loomed before us. 

As we approached, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. A heavy pressure weighed down on us. Jason immediately dropped to one knee. That should’ve been my sign to do the same, but my first instinct was to get ready to fight whatever was coming at us, so I raised my blade.

Before us, the air solidified, revealing a woman wearing a plumed helmet, a spear that hummed with dangerous energy held in her hand. She glanced at my sword and raised an eyebrow, which made me sheepishly lower it as I realized this was probably the goddess who gave us the quest in the first place. 

“Rise, son of Jupiter,” she commanded.

He got to his feet. “We have completed your quest, Lady Bellona. Your daughters are safe at the Wolf House.”

“Well done,” she said, turning back to me with an unreadable expression. “I have come for the blade you claimed from Blackbeard. Give it to me.”

Fuck! I thought I was going to keep Sol Aeternus. It’s such a nice blade too.

“With all due respect, Lady Bellona,” I began, keeping my tone even as I tried to come with something convincing to say. “This blade is a spoil of war. Do I not have the right to keep it?”

She paused, assessing me like she was deciding whether to be impressed or offended that I cited her own domain to her.

“I am aware of how you acquired it,” she finally replied. “I recognize the value of such a weapon in the hands of a capable warrior.” She glanced at Jason. “That boy’s coin is an extension of his will, always ready to be turned into a weapon. I will grant your sword a similar boon, allowing it to take a form of your choosing so that it may always remain with you.”

Jason bowed his head. “We are grateful for your generosity, Lady Bellona.” 

I followed his lead, inclining my head. “Thank you, my lady. I’m honored.”

“Additionally,” she continued, “a debt was incurred when you saved my daughters. And so, I shall further bless the blade, honing its edge to cut through any defense. What form do you wish it to take?”

A coin like Jason’s? It would be cool, but it feels wrong. That’s his thing. A ring? Maybe. Or how about a luxury watch? Nah, I’ll just settle for something simple. 

I held Sol Aeternus out to her, hilt-first. “A simple chain necklace would be perfect. Thank you again, Lady Bellona.”

She took the sword. “I will return it to your cohort’s barracks when it is done. See that you remain worthy of its power.”

And then, she was gone.

“Well,” I said into the sudden silence. “That was interesting.”

Jason stared at me. “...A goddess just promised to personally enchant your weapon, and that’s your reaction?” He shook his head. “No, of course it is. I should have known better by now.”

“What can I say?” I replied with a shrug. “The gods know talent when they see it. Anyway, let’s get back to our barracks. I want to drop off my stuff and—”

“No,” he interrupted. “We have to meet with the Praetors at the Principia for the quest debrief. Protocol.”

“Right, right. Priorities.”

------------------------------

We were seated around a large table inside the Praetors’ office. Jason, as the official quest leader, handled most of the debrief. It was pretty quick, only taking about ten minutes for him to explain everything that had happened to Marcus and Serena. Afterward, we had to recap the prophecy. The first four lines were self-explanatory, the only new detail being that we now knew that the goddess’s “hope” referred to her daughters. There was a little confusion about whether the Keres or Sciron and his pet turtle were the “deadly snare” from line two, but since we beat both of them, it wasn’t actually that important.

“So what exactly was the captain’s greed and the final trial in the fifth line?” Marcus asked.

Ohhh, yeah! I knew I was forgetting something.

“Right,” I jumped in. “So the captain was Blackbeard, that much is obvious. His greed was that he’d stolen a sword that could absorb and redirect fire , which meant fighting him wasn’t a complete cakewalk. So that was my trial. By the way, I claimed the sword from him after I killed him. Lady Bellona has it right now ’cause she wants to bless it for me.”

Marcus looked a bit stunned. I guess being a son of Mars Ultor let him understand just how big of a deal having a direct blessing on a weapon from another war deity was.

“Well done,” he congratulated, recovering his composure. “I’m confident you’ll wield it well.”

I smirked. “Damn right I will. It’s practically made for me.”

Serena cleared her throat, getting us back on topic. “The meaning of the final line still eludes me. ‘For one will stay, and one will choose exile.’ Yet both of you are still here.”

“That line has been on my mind since I received the prophecy,” Jason admitted, his brows furrowed. “I don’t have an answer for it.”

“It’s possible the prophecy has not yet concluded,” Marcus suggested grimly.

Well, there goes the good mood from our successful return.

“Relax, you guys are worrying too much. Even if that line was about us, it would’ve been a dud. If we don’t want to leave, then no exile is happening. We’re just built different,” I stated with absolute confidence, making Jason bring his hand to his forehead as he shook his head, but I could see the exasperated fondness. Serena’s lips twitched, and even Marcus let out a short huff that could pass for a laugh.

I definitely broke the tension, at least.

Jason gave me a look, letting me know we were moving on to the biggest issue. “Praetors, I have one more thing to report.”

Serena gestured for him to continue.

“When we first left camp, we stopped at a public library to plan our route on a computer. We were there for maybe thirty minutes. When we came outside, there were over thirty monsters waiting for us.”

“He’s not exaggerating, either,” I added. “And that was just the immediate welcoming committee. We probably fought at least a hundred in just the first day.”

Jason nodded. “The sheer number and their proximity to camp is the most concerning part. We believe the area is being targeted, that demigods are being culled before they can even become legionnaires.”

Marcus drummed his finger on the table. “A force that large forming that quickly implies a command structure. Monsters don’t coordinate naturally, not on that scale. For them to have a leader means that eventually, Camp Jupiter itself could face an organized assault.”

He turned to Serena, lowering his voice. “Do you think this is related to that feeling? It’s been getting stronger day by day.”

That feeling?

Demigods getting strange tingles or urges weren’t exactly uncommon. I had my share of them too. Whenever I was face to face with a monster, even if they were disguised, my skin prickled and I immediately knew what the creature in front of me was. It wasn’t perfect, since there were times it had been thrown off, but more often than not I could sense them.

I was about to question him on it, but Serena narrowed her eyes and spoke. 

“This cannot wait. I’m calling an emergency session of the Senate. Tonight. We will present this intelligence and vote on future operations.”

I raised my hand. “Do you need us there? We’re the ones who saw it directly.”

Serena shook her head. “Centurion Grace is already a part of the Senate. His formal testimony will be sufficient,” her voice regained its formal authority as she continued. “Your success on this quest has brought honor to the legion. You two may go back to your barracks and get some rest. Dismissed.”

With our debrief finished, the two of us left the Principia and started heading toward our barracks.

“Hey,” I said as we walked. “Back in there, did you catch what Marcus said to Serena? Right before she called the Senate meeting, he muttered something about having a strange feeling.”

Jason’s stride slowed. “Yeah. I heard it too. I don’t think we were supposed to.”

I shrugged. “Probably, but it’s still something to be concerned about. Have you ever gotten any kind of weird feelings? Like, I can sense hostility, which lets me track down monsters through it. You’ve seen it with the Keres in the quest. I guess I also have a sixth sense for how safe a place is.”

“I understand what you’re talking about, and I get them too. But mine are different from yours.” 

“How so?”

“I can tell when something is disrupting the order. Like the air would feel heavier. I actually felt it when you first joined the Fifth Cohort,” he replied, pausing to think. “I can also tell when the weather is about to change, but I don’t think that’s what you’re asking.”

“So you’re an actual weather boy, nice to know,” I teased. “Anyway, let’s assume your feeling is tied to being the son of the king of gods, and mine is tied to… well, whatever mine is tied to. That means Marcus’s feeling should be related to war. And Serena clearly felt it too. Who’s her godly parent?”

“Pax, the Goddess of Peace,” Jason answered, his eyes going wide as he connected the dots. “The two of them are getting similar feelings about the same thing, which means a major conflict is imminent. A threat so large it disturbs both war and peace.”

“Shit, bro,” I muttered. “Things are getting dangerous, huh?”

“HE’S BACK! THE DIVINE COOK IS BACK! LET HIM COOK!”

Our conversation was put on hold as we turned to see Dakota charging toward us with the rest of the Fifth Cohort right behind him. 

“Oi!” I yelled as they swarmed us. “Is that all I am to you?!”

Gwen pushed past Dakota with a smile on her face. “Ignore him. We heard you guys were back and had to see it for ourselves!”

“Glad you’re back, dude!” Lee added, clapping me on the shoulder. “We gave it our all in the war games without you.”

“Well don’t leave me hanging,” I said. “Did you win?”

Harris laughed. “Pfft, no. It came down to the wire when we were teamed with the First against the Second, Third, and Fourth, but we still lost.”

“Is that right? Well, we’re gonna get ’em back on Sunday!”

“We’ll be on the training field first thing tomorrow morning and get even stronger,” Jason added like the dutiful Centurion he is.

“Hell yeah! We can’t let the legion forget which cohort is the best!”

As we all started walking back toward the barracks together, as a group of friends instead of a military unit, my thoughts drifted.

Visiting my literal home felt especially nice today. But this place, the home I had lived in for the last two years, felt just as good. Could a person have more than one home? Of course. And I would never have to choose between them. If the world ever put me in that situation, I would just force it to let me have both.

And if there’s ever a threat to any place I call my home, I’ll stop them no matter what. God, monster, whatever it may be, I’ll burn them all down.