~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

We Lose The Romans' Trust

{Kiara}

Kiara turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum. A burning couch tumbled through the air. Demigods scattered in panic.

   "What's happening?" Hazel asked.

   "I don't know," Kiara said.

   She looked up at the Argo II just as it launched a second volley. Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jack-o'-lantern. If anyone had been in there...

   "That's not possible," Piper said. She turned to Percy, Hazel and Frank. "Leo wouldn't do that!"

   "Maybe it's Octavian," Percy suggested. "You can never trust that guy."

   In the forum, chaos was spreading. Crowds were pushing and shoving. Fistfights were breaking out. Someone swung a punch towards Kiara but she ducked and pushed the person away.

   "We gotta get out of here," Jason said. "Come on!"
  

If weapons had been allowed in the city, the Greeks would have already been dead. The rest of the Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob. Some threw plates, food, and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.

   Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck. Piper's charmspeak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds.

   He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters—nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.

   At some point they had gotten separated from Hazel, Frank, Kiara and Percy, and a few dozen angry demigods were blocking the way between them.

   "Shit," Percy cursed. "Look."

   Armed legionnaires were hurrying toward the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II.

   "We are so dead," Kiara muttered. She saw Reyna rushing off toward the legionnaires, her dogs at her side. "Is that Reyna?"

   "I think so," Hazel said.

   Romans tried to punch, pull, or push them, but the four of them made their way to a water fountain. Then Percy did something that shocked Kiara. She knew he was the son of Poseidon, she didn't know what she was expecting.

   He blasted water in the faces of the angry Roman demigods that were trying to grab them. The Romans staggered but they got up and lunged again.

   Kiara saw that the fauns had also taken advantage of the chaos. They swarmed the dining tables, grabbing food, plates, and cups. One trotted by the fountain with his arms full of tacos and an entire pineapple between his teeth.

   She heard Annabeth call out Percy's name as another explosion rocked the forum. This time the flash of light was directly overhead.

   One of the Roman catapults had fired, and the Argo II groaned and tilted sideways, flames bubbling over its bronze-plated hull.

   Kiara noticed a figure clinging desperately to the rope ladder, trying to climb down. It was Octavian, his robes steaming and his face black with soot.

   Percy blasted the Roman mob with more water. Kiara saw Annabeth running towards them, ducking a Roman fist and a flying plate of sandwiches.

   "Annabeth!" Percy called. "What—?"