Chapter 4(Dakota)

Bobby and I were lugging that boy down to the dungeons, which were under the Principia, which was the main building that hosted our most important functions. It was a two-story building that Lupa lived in. All meetings were held at the Principia.

As we headed to the Principia, we had to pass the praetorium, where the legatus legionis of each legion lived. Bobby is the legatus legionis of legion two. Jason is-was the legatus legionis of legion one, I reminded myself sadly.

In the distance I could see the thermae, the recreation and exercise center.

By now we were at the Principia. Bobby and I climbed the steps to the front door.

"State your business." the guard at the door barked.

"We have a prisoner for the dungeon."

"Under whose orders?"

"Reyna's." Bobby answered.

Reyna was the second in command for legion one. With Jason gone she became the legatus legionis. That left her pretty high on the food chain.

"Proceed."

I caught the girl's eye through the helmet as we passed through the doorway. Kaleidoscope brown, blue, and green. A daughter of Venus. I was surprised she signed up for guard duty on the Principia. They usually left that sort of thing to children of Mars, or Belladonna.

When I walked into the main hall as always, I was stunned, though I tried not to show it. The hall was absolutely beautiful. There was hand painted ceilings and colorful mosaics, depicting demigod battles. The latest mosaic to show up was our battle at mount tam. I can still remember the stink of battle and the horrible cries. I had no time to stop and ponder old times; I had to get this guy to the dungeon and tied down before he woke up.

Bobby tried to hide his expression, but I could tell he was thinking of mount tam and all the lives lost.

I sighed and nudged him, bringing him back the problem at present. The guy.

I didn't know his name, so I just decided to nickname him 'Guy.'

We left the main hall, walking through a bunch of smaller hallways until we arrived at a plain wooden door. Inside the door was a swirling staircase that led down to the dungeon.

We climbed down the stairs and put Guy in interrogation room one for Reyna's questioning. As we tied him with chains to the chair that was nailed to the floor, my eye caught on something tied on his neck.

A necklace? A warrior like him didn't seem the type.

I finished tying him up and inspected the necklace. It had four beads on it, each with a hand painted image.

I puzzled over them for a moment and Bobby noticed.

"What's that you're looking at?"

"Oh, just this weird bead necklace that he's wearing."

"Bead necklace?" Bobby paled for some odd reason.

"yah, why?"

"No reason." his face turned emotionless.

Bobby was hiding something from me!

"What is it?" I asked, annoyed.

He put his hands up in a 'surrender' position "Bring it up with Reyna. I don't want her to kill me for telling you something you shouldn't know."

I sighed, unsatisfied with his answer. What could Reyna be keeping from me that was so important and deals with a random bead necklace? I'm no child of Minerva but I'm pretty sure there aren't any myths that included beaded necklaces.

"I'll guard the door" I said to Bobby. I wanted to question Reyna when she came. I also wanted to be there for Guy's interrogation. Who knows? He could have something to do with Jason's disappearance.

(still Dakota)

About two hours later, I could hear movement inside the room. I peaked around the door to see what he was doing.

He stared straight back at me with startling emerald eyes.

I jerked my head back, but it was already too late. He had seen me.

"Hey!" he shouted.
"What am I doing here? How did I get here? Who are you?" He sounded so confused.

I refused to answer him, or even look at him.

"I know you're there! Why won't you answer me?"

This process continued on for several more minutes and he was starting to get on my nerves.

Reyna descended the staircase. "You can hear him all throughout the Principia."

Guy heard the other voice.

"Help! I've been kidnapped by crazy people!"

I sighed. "Please make him shut up."

Guy yelled for help again.

"Oh don't worry, " she said giving an mischievous smile, "I will."

Reyna turned and entered the interrogation room, with me right behind her.

Guy had opened his mouth to shout again, but seeing Reyna he closed it in an angry scowl.

"I demand to know where I am!" he said in a commanding tone.

"You demand?" Reyna said in a voice that just barely kept from laughing.

"Fine." he sighed. "Will you pretty, pretty please tell me where I am and why I am being held?"

"You are in the Principia, which is inside the City." she said, ignoring his sarcastic tone.

"A city? Which city?" Guy asked, wearing a confused expression. It looked so natural on him, I almost laughed.

"Not A city, THE City, with a capital 'C.'" She replied in a matter-of-fact tone that usually came from Minerva kids. She grinned suddenly. "Now it's time for you to answer my questions."

"Firstly, Who are you?" I was wondering that too, maybe he'd tell us a name so I wouldn't have to call him 'Guy.'

"I told you I don't remember!" he said frustrated.

"See, I have a hard time believing that."

"I don't even know my own name; do you know how frustrating that is? To have everything on the tip of your tongue, yet not recall anything?" he pleaded his gorgeous sea-green eyes wide with honesty.

If what he said was true, then I could only imagine what he must be going through. But there were still so many unanswered questions. Did someone steal his memories, did he fall in the river Lethe? (A/N: I don't if there is a roman equivalent.) Did someone dunk him in the river Lethe on purpose? If so, there must be a reason why. A more sensible part of my brain told me he probably just hit his head really hard on a rock and forgot everything.

I tuned to Reyna. She was still trying to determine if he was being honest.

"I think he's telling the truth."

"Thank you!" Guy said. "Someone is listening to what I say!" he glanced gratefully at me.

"I don't know." she was still unsure.

"Forgetting everything would just make me more suspicious, wouldn't it?" he did prove a valid point.

"Yes...but it still doesn't explain how you know about demigods."

"I can already tell I'm going of tired of saying this, but I DON'T KNOW."

Reyna walked closer to him about to yell back in his face, when she stopped and gasped.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently. Reyna didn't gasp often. She was much more of an emotionless mask.

"Where did you get those beads?" Her voice was deadly serious.

"Are you people deaf? I said-"

"Reyna , " I interrupted him, "What is with the beads? Bobby refused to tell me earlier, I want to know!" Gods I sounded like a whiney kid.

"Wait, what about my beads?" Guy asked.

Reyna shot me a look like see-what-you've-done and exited the room with me on her heels.

Guy shouted in frustration as we left, wiggling at his bonds.

As soon as the door closed behind us I turned on Reyna.

"Please tell me! " I whispered to avoid being overheard. " I hate being out of the loop."

She sighed loudly.

"Juno visited me."

"What?" I said, trying to keep my voice to a whisper.

I was shocked. A goddess? Visiting the City? It was unheard of.

"What did she say?"

"She told me to look for a boy with beads, that he would be the answer to my problem."

One word ran through my mind: Jason.

"And you thought it was Jason." It wasn't a question.

"Yah," she said, consumed by unhappy thoughts. I could tell she was holding something back; I'd get it out of her later. Right now we needed to deal with Guy.

"So what are we going to do with Guy?"

"Guy?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"We have to call him something, don't we?"

"Fine. I don't see how Guy can be the answer to our problem when he can't remember anything."

"Well he remembered sarcasm."

"For now let's keep him as a newbie, but keep an eye on him. If he remembers anything maybe it could lead us to Jason." Her eyes now had a hopeful gleam, the first time in two months.

"What if he doesn't make it past the test?"

"I'll think of something." she said simply.

A/N: Someone review! Please!