Apples of Immortality Chapter 1: Where life leads you

Chapter 1: Where life leads you
Life can lead you to some weird places. It can even lead you to grasping for your life on Ladon's neck. Being banged against the tree that grows golden apples. Before I go any further, I should explain how I got here.

I was laying on my bunk, looking at my arm, waiting for that SPQR, eagle, and one line. Richard, centurion of the Fifth Cohort, came through, and out of all the people here, looked at me. He pointed at me and said, "Jason, meet me at the Forum." With that, he left. They all looked at me and muttered things like, "I beat you it's a quest." and, "Why him?" or, "So what if he's son of Jupiter? He's lame." I crawled out of bed, with all eyes on me, and left. ​When I reached the gates one of the guards, Chris, looked at me suspicously and asked, "Where you headin'?" I looked up ahead, and said, "Forum." He just nodded and let me go. I walked on the Via Practoria, until I came to the Pomerian Line, Terminus, god of borders, stopped and said, "Hey Jason, drop your weapon." I sighed, mumbled, "Nice greeting." and dropped my pugio on a tray filled with other deadly weapons. I walked through any found my way to the Forum. I found Rick sitting at a table, looking at some papers and scribbling things down. I sat across from him and he barely noticed. Rick was a son of Mercury, he spends most of his time writing and sending letters to demi-gods on quests via giant eagles. It seemed rare for him to get a quest. He usually spoke in short sentences, that no one understood.

He looked up and said, "Jason, we're going on a quest." He looked down scribbled something. He put his pen down and asked, "Have you heard of The Garden of Hesperides?" That story always stuck in my mind, "When Zeus and Hera got married, Gaea gave them the garden as a wedding present." Rick sighed as if disappontied, "Ya, well, Mercury offered me to work with him, delivering messages, between the gods, and the mortals." For some reason, I knew what he was about to say, "But you need to be immortal, so instead of giving it to you, you got to get it, fair-and-square." He sighed, "Yes, and so far, that's the only place that can get me immortality." I asked him something that immediately popped in my head, "Do the other campers know about this?" He shook his head, "No, the only ones that know are you, me, and the praetor." The praetor was like the head of camp. If they told you to do something, you'd do it.

We walked toward the principia, there we meet with Anthony, the current praetor. We was scribbling notes, typing on his laptop, and taking the occasional jelly bean. I always wondered why those jelly beans were there, "We're sorry, you cannot enter the legion, you will eventually die on your own. How 'bout a jelly bean?" Anthony looked up and said, "Ah, our soon to be immortal. So, when are you leaving for The Garden?" Rick replied, "Hello, praetor. We are scheduled to leave tomorrow, before any one is awake." Anthony leaned back and placed his hands on his dogs, Argentum and Aurum, Silver and Gold, pure silver and gold, ruby eyes. They eat liars. He spoke as if he wanted to end to conversation, "Until you return, I will tell everyone you arr on a quest, and not specify with or what kind of quest." We bowed and as Rick led the way out Anthony said, "Jason, hold up." Great, I thought, ''I'm dead. ''"Yes, praetor." He smiled, "Call me Anthony for now. OK, When Rick leaves, someone will have to take his position as centurion. I want it to be you." "But, but, I don't have the tatoos. I've only been here a 2 years." I was gonna go on, but Argentum and Aurum growled, Anthony seemed irriated, "You are a son of Jupiter, the last one was over 20 years ago. His name was Jason, and he came from the Fifth Cohort, like you. He became praetor, and led this legion to victory. If he can lead us, so can you." He nodded, "Now leave, pack your things, and leave by tomorrow."

When I came out Rcik was there, waiting, "So, what did Anthony want?" I was stilled shocked, "When you're off to Olympus with Mercury, I'm the new centurion." He patted me on the back, "Congats man!" I looked at him, "No, you don't understand, he wants me to amount to praetor with him. I can't be praetor, or senator, or centurion!" Rick was as confused as I am, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold it. Praetor? That's amazing!" I looked at him, I wanted to slap him so hard. "NO! I can't be praetor!" He just smiled, "Just relax. Pack your things. Be ready by 5. In the morning." We winded our way to the Fifth Cohort. I started to pack, when someone asked where I was going, i just replied, "Quest."

Apples of Immortality Chapter 2: I meet an augur