Percy noticed that the tunnel was was a lot like a maintenance tunnel, it was about the size of a school corridor more or less. There were pipes running along the walls with wires and pressure meters built in. The ground was concertet, but slowly it turned mosaic. Percy noticed that the pipes and wires had stopped running and the walls were now covered with Roman paintings and the such. The walls were lined up with torches that gave off no smoke and the tunnel was growing bigger and bigger.
Just then something caught Percy's eye. It was a blue triangle etched into the side of the tunnel, it was a delta symbol. This was an entrance to the Labyrinth!
Percy was surprised to discover this, but it did make sense, after all there was one Labyrinth entrance inside Camp Half-Blood, hence there should be on in Camp Jupiter as well.
Percy quickly approached the delta symbol and;
Ping!
You have spotted the entrance to the Labyrinth: Dungeon Lv-20
Do you wish to enter?
YES/NO?
Or
Do you wish to fast travel to another known Labyrinth location?
YES/NO?
Percy smiled, with this he didn't have to run across the country to reach Camp Jupiter, a five minute walk through this and he would be back in Camp Half-Blood in no time.
Percy dismissed the box and quickly caught up to Thalia and Donny. They had quickly reached the end of the tunnel and the small dark corridor had opened up to sun light and open space.
The area before them was huge, Percy had a hard time believing they were anywhere near the San Francisco area anymore. There were Oak trees everywhere along with golden fields around them. The entire area was inside a bowl shaped valley, they right now stood on the edge of the valley looking down at it all.
Percy could see a light blue river cut across the from of the valley in a semi circle before it moved inland getting collected into a lake forming what looked like a giant 'G' shaped structure. Percy saw the path before them lead down into the valley and towards a military base of sorts. The base was guarded with tall wooden walls and gates with sentry towers on all four corners.
Behind that military base was a city in the far distance along with a small hill to the side where a bunch of temples were located. Over all the Camp was very impressive, not as great as Half-Blood, but impressive.
Donny smiled, "welcome to Camp Jupiter new recruits. Impressive isn't it?"
Thalia was just as amazed as Percy, "it's...it's beautiful."
Donny girned, "I know. Come on, I'll give you a private tour," he then tried to move closer to Thalia but Percy got between them.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Percy said putting his arm around Donny's back and dragged the boy forward.
"W-wha-" Donny stammered out by the time he realised what was happening Percy had already taken him out of the tunnel exit and down the valley road towards the military encampment.
Thalia chuckled, 'guess even Percy can get jealous,' the daughter of Zeus told herself. If she was being honest it kind of felt nice having Percy feel jealous, it reminded her that he was in fact human and not some perfect being that fell out of the heavens.
Donny was stuck with Percy as the son of Poseidon dragged the Roman down. "Dude! What gives?" Donny hissed out under his breath, "you totally just cock blocked me!"
Percy narrowed his eyes, "really? I'm so sorry."
Donny huffed as he shrugged Percy's hand off of his shoulders, "it's fine. Just...could you tell me something about Thalia?"
Percy was really trying to pull in his temper. His left eye was twitching like crazy, a small part of him was amused by all of this, but it was a very small part.
"Why? Do you like Thalia?"
Donny nodded, "yeah, she's hot!"
Percy wanted to say something but by that time Thalia caught up to them and Donny shut his mouth. They quickly reached the river that Percy saw before and just beyond its banks was the entrance to the military encampment.
Donny stopped at the banks, "this is Little Timber, the river that flows around the camp. We basically use it for everything we need, drinking water, fishing, some we use for our baths. It's supposed to be a reminder of the original Timber back in Rome, but I say it's better."
Thalia nodded, "right, so how do we get across?"
"Well usually new recruits have to walk across the water. It's kind of an initiation thing. New blood have to bath in the waters of Little Timber and emerge reborn as a Roman. But I don't really think you can afford to get that jacket wet so you can just use that bridge over there."
Donny pointed to the side and sure enough there was a bridge there. He turned to Thalia, "I'll take you. You know if you want to get into a good Cohort you're going to need a good recommendation letter, if you want I can-"
"-No thanks," Percy but in again, "we got this."
"Dude! We talked about this!" Donny hissed out again while Percy ignored him.
The son of Poseidon carried Thalia with both arms like a bride and he jumped clearing the river and landing on the other side with the grace of a ballet dancer. Percy let Thalia go and turned to Donny, "see you soon!"
Thalia snickered as the Donny looked at Percy in shock. His mouth was hanging open, he couldn't believe what he just saw. That Percy kid had cleared at least 13 feet of water in one leap and had reached a max height of 24 feet! That was some Olympic level shit right there!
Percy and Thalia ignored Donny after that and turned to the large wooden doors of the encampment. They reached the door and knocked, just then the shutter in the center opened up and a young teen was seen on the other side.
"What do you want?"
"We need to get into camp," Thalia explained.
"Why?"
"Because we are demigods and we are on an important mission from the Gods."
The eyes behind the door rolled, "yeah, haven't heard that one before. Look if you're a fresh blood then just say so, I don't have time for this, 'quest from the Gods bull shit'. And where's your gaurd? He's supposed to be with you right now. It's tradition."
"Look can you please just open the door?" Thalia asked nicely, "it's really important that we speak to your Praetor. We really are on an important mission."
"Look kid for the last time wait until you gaurd gets here and then you can enter and see the Praetor or whatever, okay?"
"Do we have to?" Percy whined, "Donny is kind of a dick."
The person behind the door chuckled, "yeah, I know. But those are the rules man. Sorry."
Percy and Thalia sighed and waited for Donny to show up. The Legionnaire was quickly crossing the cold waters of the Little Timber and quickly caught up to Percy and Thalia. He huffed from the strain of the walk, the current was really strong and the armour was weighing him down.
"Y-You jumped across," Donny said panting in disbelief, "how did you do that?"
Percy shrugged, "I have great legs."
"Yeah you do." Thalia replied checkley.
Percy blushed but ignored it, he turned to the person behind the door, "dude, our gaurd in here, open up."
The man nodded and he stepped back opening the large wooden doors. The figure behind the door stepped forward, he looked around 15 with black hair and black eyes. He stood off to one while Donny stood on the other. The spread thier hands open in welcome and said together with a smile, "Welcome to Camp Jupiter."
Percy and Thalia smiled at sight before them. The encampment was filled with life. The building there were ether armories or barracks. There were several people walking around wearing a purple shirt with the name of the camp printed on, with the words, 'SPQR' written below.
Everything looked normal, until Percy spotted a ghost.
It was a legitimate, I shit you not, translucent, wall walking, pale as fuck kind of ghost. There were so many of them Percy wondered how he didn't notice all of them before. Each one looked like a human. Some were normal enough, there was a child walking around playing with his ball. There was even a ghost that was covered from head to toe with blood, but he was playing a merry tune on a harp acting like everything was normal.
"Ah, why are there Ghosts here?" Percy finally asked.
"They are called Lares," Donny explained, "they are basically house Gods."
"So does that mean they are smaller than real gods but bigger than apartment Gods?"
Donny rolled his eyes, "they are the spirits of our ancestors, most of them are harmless."
Percy nodded, "they aren't so bad, right The-" Percy turned to his girlfriend and saw her scared stiff by the ghosts. She was growing paler and paler by the second. Percy quickly wrapped his hand around her own giving Thalia a reassuring squeeze, "it's okay Thalia. They're harmless."
"Thanks," Thalia muttered as she drew closer to Percy. Just then a Lares popped out of nowhere screening Thalia into grabbing Percy's jacket with her other hand and pressing up to him all the while keeping an eye out on a ghost that just passed them. "This is so creepy!"
Donny looked at the way Thalia held onto Percy and he felt liked of betrayed, after all the guy promised not to cock block him and here he was holding onto his, potential, girl!
"You know if you want I can help you with them," Donny said with a smile, "I'm great with Lares."
Percy nodded, "thanks, but I think we'll manage. Right?" Percy asked Thalia giving her another reassuring squeeze.
Thalia finally managed to calm down, "yeah-yeah. They aren't so tough. Quick question, are they weak to godly weapons?"
Donny nodded, "yeah."
"Good."
Percy smiled at Thalia and then turned to Danny, "right, now where is this Praetor of yours? We still have a quest to complete."
Donny and the gaurd raised an eyebrow, "why are you so curious to meet the Praetors? Usually new recruits take a bath and a shower before anything else. Heck most of us don't even get to meet the Praetors unless we are in trouble or because we are being rewarded."
Percy nodded, "sure. But when did we ever say we came here to join camp?"
Donny looked surprised, "what do you mean?"
"We told you Donny," Thalia spoke up, "we have a quest sent from the Gods. We need to meet up with the Praetor."
"Wait...if you guys aren't here to join up with the Legion...they why are you here?"
"We are from another camp," Percy explained, "we came here at the request, well more like deman really, of the Gods. We need to speak with the Praetor, so can you please get her for me?"
"Who are you guys?"
Just as Percy and Thalia were about to answer one of the Lares screeched out, "Graecus!" It was the ghost of the boy from before, and he was pointing right at them. Percy and Thalia turned to see all the Lares suddenly get spooked as they all went through the wall of the nearby buildings hiding away.
"What did that thing just call us?" thalia asked.
"Graecus," Donny muttered in a defensive tone, "it means Greek."
Percy nodded, "huh, I wonder how it knew."
"What?" Donny and the gourd asked.
"Yeah," Thalia said, "we are Greek. Didn't we tell you that?"
"What?!" Donny and the other gaurd shouted this time as they leveled their spears at Thalia and Percy.
"Put your hands up!" Donny shouted.
Percy and Thalia did just as they asked decided not to escalate the situation.
"Look just bring us to the Praetor and we'll explain everything to him or her," Percy said slowly.
Donny turned to the gaurd, "get Julia and Rob, I'll hold them off." The man nodded as he turned away running into camp.
Soon however a crowd came and all of them had their weapons leveled at Percy and Thalia. They were all Roman soldiers by the look of it. While most didn't have armour on they did look very fierce in the way they stood together shields locked and spears lowered.
"Who the fuck are you two," Donny asked, "why are you here?"
"We told you Donny," Percy said, "we are on a mission from the Gods."
"Why would the gods ever trust you sneaky Greeks?!" a voice from the crowd shouted out.
"Woah there!" Percy cried out, "that's a lot of hostility! You don't even know us man! Why do you think we are sneaky?"
"Because you're Greek!" The same voice shouted.
"That's racist," Percy crossed his arms.
"No it's not!"
"Yes it is. You think I'm sneaky because I'm a Greek!"
"Because You are!"
"Okay fine, let's say I was black. Would you say that I am good at Jazz and liked watermelons?"
"No! That's racist!"
"Exactly!"
"Percy shut up!" Thalia roared at her boyfriend, "you are so not helping!"
Percy gulped, "sorry."
"You two tricked me," Donny growled out, "I brought the two of you here, right to the doorsteps of my camp. I'm such a idiot!"
"Donny we mean you no harm," Thalia tried to calm him down.
"Shut up Geek Bitch!" Donny roared out, "don't you realise what this means for me?! I'm already on thin ice! I could lose my rank for this!"
Percy narrowed his eyes, "apologize Donny."
The roman looked surprised, "w-what?"
"I said apologize. You Romans do know how to do that right? Or did your culture exchange common manners for the extra lessons in spear polishing?"
Donny and the other blanched for a second. "S-shut up!" Donny roared.
"I will when you apologize," Percy repeated himself.
"I owe that Greek Bitch nothing! She seduced me into-"
BOOM!
A lighting bolt zipped across the air hitting Donny on the chest sending him flying back. The Romans behind him were pushed onto their backs form the force of the attack. And on the other side was Thalia with electricity running across her hands and a look of anger on her face.
"Who the fuck are you calling a bitch?" Thalia grumbled out.
Donny groaned out, "w-what the hell?"
"Oh stop acting. I barely hit you with enough energy to shock a mouse, let alone a human being," Thalia rolled out.
Percy and the Roman demigods blinked. "Thalia, I'm not going to lie, that was so scary," Percy said as the other Roman demigods nodded.
"W-who are you?" Donny finally got up and managed to ask.
"I am Thalia Grace. Protector of camp Half-Blood. I am the daughter of Zeus, or in your case, Jupiter, you know that guy whose names you have splattered across your t-shirt," suddenly the cloudless sky filled with the sound of thunder rumbling, "now. What exactly did you call me?"
"N-nothing. Sorry," Donny immediately back away, "please don't kill me."
Percy smiled, "and that is why you don't mess with the daughter of Zeus, ah, I mean Jupiter."
"Wait, did you say your name was Grace?" a soft voice called out from the crowd of Roman demigods. Slowly a figure moved from the back to the front, pushing past people before finally standing next to Donny.
