( Chiron POV )
New Rome
"—Yes, Lady Bellona," Chiron returned as the Iris Message faded, his shoulders tense as he got the latest report from the Olympian army.
The murmur of some re-instated legionaries, lares, and the few older demigods that stayed to watch over the city and camp went unacknowledged by the ancient centaur as he slowly walked out of the Senate House and into the quiet streets of New Rome as the night crept on.
Barely anyone was walking in the streets, and those who did were rather meek as they hurried to wherever it was, they were heading. His tired brown eyes swiveled from side to side as he moved, glimpsing into small café's and such that did have some occupation, but even then, they were unusually quiet.
He caught sight of the screens within one, his eyes dulling as more of the same news and images or recordings of the lunar battle. Even now he could clearly recall that overwhelming sense of power that flooded over the celestial body, chilling and all-encompassing to the point he couldn't help but shiver. At the time he had wondered what sort of monster could carry such a presence as his gaze had been nailed to the moon, watching as craters and ravines formed before his eyes before it was swallowed by the very darkness surrounding it.
Only to hear from the Olympian Army that is was his former students that undoubtedly caused it.
'Perseus … just how much have you changed?' he asked silently, wondering even now if by chance Percy could hear him at all. He shook his head as he picked up his pace to a canter, moving through the streets and out of the city proper. It took him only a few minutes to cross the Pomerian Line, nodding to a statue of Terminus as he did so, before he stopped on a small hill with his gaze falling to the army barracks beyond.
It too was quiet; the few active demigods and fighters having chosen to remain within the bounds of Terminus. He wondered if Camp Half-blood looked as cold and lifeless now that it was left deserted after the demigods were rushed here. However, his mussing was cut short as he heard the approaching footfalls behind him.
Turning back a worn smile formed onto his face as he looked at another of his students. 'How much has he grown,' Chiron thought as he watched Grover Underwood approach him. The young satyr had grown some in the last decade or so, filling out more both in stature and character.
Now nearly 6 foot and maturing, the satyr walked with a confidence that had been rarely seen before, his eyes finding locking with Chiron's without any nervousness. His senate robs billowed in a light breeze along with the leaves of the wreath on his had made of intertwined vines and Juniper leaves.
"Grover," Chiron greeted simply, knowing the satyr preferred to leave his 'Lord of the Wild' title alone when possible.
"Chiron," Grover greeted back much the same way as he stopped beside the centaur and looked out towards the Berkley Hills beyond the army barracks.
There was a moment of silence between them as they looked on together, letting the quiet of the night soothe them after the last meeting in the Senate House.
"So, we got more traitors and deserters," Grover said, his voice hard as he glared at the ground for a moment. "Think any are still left and waiting?"
"… I don't know," Chiron said after a moment.
As much as it pained him to think, he could see how the demigods were losing faith in the Olympians by the day. To hear about the kind of losses already suffered by the army only suited to demoralize them further. To what point could they be pushed before they willingly surrendered in hopes of being spared… And just what would the Olympians do if the demigods turned against them?
"They won't make it if they push forward," Grover said, his gaze shifting to Chiron. "It will be nothing but a bloodbath."
Chiron gave a heavy sigh even as he nodded before saying, "I know." His fists clenched at his sides as he thought of some many of the demigods he trained, some practically be raised within the camps, dying by the dozens as they faced a force simply beyond them. "But they're getting desperate and with the losses they've already taken, they're pride wouldn't handle a blow like being routed."
"Their damned pride," Grover snorted with derision. "And the demigod lives? Well I guess they're a dime a 'dozen for the great Olympians."
"Grover!" Chiron hissed sharply as he looked around while extending his senses for the presence of any possible eavesdroppers.
"We're clear," Grover said while crossing his arms and looking at the centaur.
"Still, you know better than to say things like that," Chiron chided as he looked down at the satyr, yet Grover didn't look repentant. "If a god or worse yet, an Olympian, were to hear you…"
"I know," Grover cut in as he broke the stare and looked instead to the night sky above them before sighing. "It's just, if things keep going like this, demigod loyalty won't be the only issue for the Olympians."
"The Cloven Council," Chiron murmured to which Grover nodded.
"The Senate aren't the only ones getting messages from the army. Plenty of satyrs have been Iris messaging back or using other means to communicate with us," he explained.
"And just what are they hearing?" Chiron asked as looked at the satyr intently.
"That they've found The Wild," he replied, a faraway look entering his eyes as he continued, "The forests around them are saturated with so much life and energy that they can barely stay still. It's so strong they barely have to use any of their own power to use nature magic on scales they've never been able to before." Grover's eyes came back into focus as he centered on Chiron. "Those reports alone are already circling around the council and satyr communities at large along with the other nature spirits and it's creating a major buzz. And that was before they discovered Rhea's the center of it."
Chiron sighed heavily as he heard that, knowing how important the aspects of The Wild and Nature were to such spirits and the satyrs. If push came to shove Chiron could see the Cloven council all too willingly deserting the Olympians in favor of serving Rhea and the Primordial Council at large. That meant several hundred satyrs watching over and helping protect New Rome could up and leave without any warning.
The Wolf House was deserted, the majority of active demigods were in the army leaving reserves and retirees in the city, and many of the warrior-like minor gods had deserted leaving few battle-ready gods in the city. If the satyrs were to leave as well, New Rome would be too weak to repel a concentrated attack. And given what happened to Ogygia, Chiron wanted New Rome's defenses to be a solid as possible.
"Any more reports on monster activity around the borders?" he asked, trying to shift his thoughts away from the council and instead to their security.
"Small bits here and there," Grover replied after a moment. "Nothing big or concentrated. The occasional solo cyclops, some groups of dracaenas, and some telchines too."
Chiron narrowed his eyes as he thought of those monsters, finding it odd to hear about telchines at all. And there was no mention of Hellhounds, one of the most common monsters that tended to prowl around both camps.
"Let me know if anything changes in the patrols," Chiron said definitively.
He'd been dealing with monsters for a very long time and sometimes monster scarcity could be as bad as them being overly frequent. Grover gave a steady look before nodding and then sighing as he turned away.
"Well I better get going … Juniper doesn't like me staying out late with how things have been lately," he said as he glanced back while waving at the centaur. "See you tomorrow Chiron."
"You too, Grover," he called back as he watched the satyr walk away before turning his gaze skyward.
He looked at the black canvas of the night, finding it too calm, too quiet. Even with all the mayhem, both in the mystic side just as much in the mortal, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread building in his gut. There was more to come, he just knew it, and it honestly terrified him to even guess what it might be…
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