Daughter of Wine

Callida

I'm so glad that we didn't run back to the ship, because the Romans know how to eat. 

Sets of low couches and tables are carted into the forum until it resembles a furniture showroom. Romans lounge in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits, aurae, swirl overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies. They move so fast, you have to watch your head before you stand, or you'll get reamed with platters of food. Drifting through the crowd are purple ghosts, which Jason tells me are Lares, in togas and legionnaire armor. Around the edges of the feast, fauns trot from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change, which seems so wrong to me. In the nearby fields, the war elephant frolicks with Mrs. O'Leary, and children play tag around the statues of Terminus that line the city limits. 

Now this is a party. The chaos of my surroundings is exactly what I love. Ten thousand different things happening at once. Conversations, foods, drinks, laughter, good times. I may not be a huge fan of the ROman way of living, but this I could get used to. 

Reyna and a few of her officers, including Octavian, who I am sure is freshly back from burning a teddy bear for the gods, sit with our crew. Percy joins us with his two new friends, Frank and Hazel. 

I greet everyone with a smile, the energy of the crowd giving me a new wave of confidence. I don't feel as uncomfortable as I did before, and the part of me that loves to entertain is taking over. I greet everyone who walks by, much to their surprise.

Everyone falls silent as Reyna calls a toast to friendship. 

I find myself leaning back on the sofa, spreading out and making myself comfortable with a goblet of wine. This is how it must have felt to be a Roman officer way back when. Not too shabby if you ask me. 

Everyone goes around introducing themselves. Centurions introduce themselves to us, including a new sibling of mine, the centurion Dakota, son of Bacchus. Reyna introduces herself as a daughter of Bellona. Octavian is a child of Apollo. Frank, a son of Mars. Hazel, a daughter of Pluto. I jump up to introduce my friends, surprising Jason. Annabeth smiles warmly. I get the feeling she can tell how comfortable I am. "This is Piper, she's a daughter of Aphrodite. And Leo-" I nod to my friend, who is staring at the chaos around us with wide eyes. "-is a son of Hephaestus, and the, erm, Supreme Commander of our ship, the Argo II." Leo notices his name, and turns, smiling at his title. "Annabeth here is a daughter of Athena-" Multiple Romans frown and mumble something, much to my annoyance. They seem to feel that it bothers me though, and immediately shut up. "And you guys know Jason, obviously. Son of Jupiter, Superman, the eagle that soars-"

"Calli." Jason is trying not to laugh, but he gives me shut up gesture. 

"Right." I grin. "And that leaves me. I'm Callida, friendly daughter of Dionysus, and granddaughter of Athena." 

Reyna smiles softly at me. I know I have a magnetism that makes people want to be around me, but I had worried that the Romans would be super sticks in the mud. Luckily, I think that my charm is working. 

"It's nice to meet you, Callida." Reyna offers me her hand, and I shake it firmly. Her officers do the same, much to my surprise. 

We begin to exchange stories. Jason explains how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo to rescue Hera. I jump in and explain how I got sent on the same quest, and met up with them in Chicago. Jason tells them about the Wolf House, and the battle we fought there. 

"Impossible!" Octavian breaks in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there-"

"They would've destroyed her." Piper interrupts. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."