"In Latin my name, Aurelia, basically means 'the golden one.' My mother literally named me her golden light through the storm that was her life. That is my job. To be everyone's light at the end of the tunnel. And I got stuck worrying so much about...
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Aurelia hated war games.
Especially recently. Because of the Fifth Cohort's unpopularity, even more so since Jason disappeared, their Cohort was everyone's first target. She was a good fighter and was able to hold her own, but she couldn't hold up her Cohort.
There were times she was so tired, she would join Reyna on Scipio and just help her referee.
Aurelia stood with her Cohort. The first four cohorts, each forty kids strong, stood in rows in front of their barracks on either side of the Via Praetoria. The Fifth Cohort assembled at the very end, in front of the principia.
Everyone was dressed for war, including Aurelia. Her polished chain mail and greaves gleaned over her outfit—and was also decorated with an assortment of medals. She opted out of the sword-and-skull helmet design that many other campers had, but still kept the leather combat boots with thief iron cleats.
In front of the legionnaires, like a line of giant dominoes stood their red and gold shields, each the size of a refrigerator door. Every legionnaire carried a harpoonlike spear called a pilum, a gladius, a dagger, and about a hundred pounds of other equipment. If you were out of shape when you came to the legion, you didn't stay that way for long. Just walking around in your armor was a full body workout.
Hazel and Nico's late arrival was very obvious. The two jogged down the street as everyone was standing at attention.
Hazel ran past Reyna, who was cantering back and forth on her Pegasus Scipio—nicknamed Skippy because he was the color of peanut butter. The metal dogs Aurum and Argentum trotted at her side and her purple officer's cape billowed behind her.
"Hazel Levesque," she called, "so glad you could join us."
Hazel was smart and didn't respond. She was missing most of her equipment, but she hurried to her place between Aurelia and Frank who both stood at attention. The Fifth Cohort's lead centurion, a big seventeen year old named Dakota, was just calling her name—the last on the roll.
"Present!" Hazel squeaked. Technically she wasn't late. Hazel felt a small sense of calm and met Aurelia's eyes next to her. The daughter of Pavor offered her a small smile.
Nico joined Percy Jackson, who was standing off to the side with a couple of guards. Percy's hair was wet from the baths. He'd put on fresh clothes, but he still looked uncomfortable—which was understandable considering he was about to be introduced to two hundred heavily armed kids.
The Lares were the last to fall in. Their purple forms flickered as they jockeyed for places. They had an annoying habit of standing halfway inside living people, so that the ranks looked like a blurry photograph.
