Novum Byzantium: Chapter 1



I

John

“So, Alizebeth, how 'bout that lunch we talked about yesterday? At Lukas'.” I watch the golden haired girl sitting next to me, who is just relaxing, acting as though this is a normal day. Which, of course, is anything but that. Her beautiful, blue eyes study the lake below us, as sailboats move around the shining water at amazing speed. Waves are kicked up at the far end of the sight, as surfers ride them. A city rises in the distance, opposite from us. She begins to open her mouth, but a huge gust of wind silences her quickly, drowning her voice out. We let out a small laugh, knowing who is doing such a thing. She shakes her head, pulling her senses back together, and tries again, but the wind quiets her again. She stares up, towards the sky, and seems to ask “Why?” to the clouds. She sighs, and continues trying. At about the 6th time, she stands, and clenches her fist. She going to fight the wind? Yeah, good luck with that, my dear. But she sits back down, just as wind blows her locks of hair into my face. Laughter breaks out from us as we get her hair under control. I watch as she begins to say something, but this time, a leaf flies into her face. I try stifling a laugh, but it gets the best of me, and soon I am lying back on the hillside grass, gasping for the air that rushes by us. She glares daggers into me that seem to read 'think this is funny, huh?' “Whatever do you not speak about. I would never laugh at such a predicament, my dear puella' 'amicus. ” I can tell by her expression, that she is about to hit me, but instead, she opens her mouth to speak, the wind blows her over, head first down the hill. I stand, and snowboard (without the snow, or the board) down the slope at high speed to catch her. She seems to be belly sliding on thin air (which she is), and I know that the winds would never hurt their master's child.

The wind slows, and we end right at the bottom. Again, she looks up at the sky, but this time, Latin comes out of her mouth. (I'll translate for those who cannot speak it. Your Welcome.) “Really Dad? Down the hill? Any more, and I'd be having a bath!”, and as if on cue, the wind throws us both into the water, landing about eighty plus feet in the frigid cold lake. Yep, definitely not your average Friday morning. Winds shoving you off hills and into water. I love camp (although, the food could be better). I wave a boat down, and after a few minutes of laying on my back, it comes by and picks us up. On board is Diana Le Rinda, a good friend of ours, and Arthur Zentram. They start sailing us back to the docks at high speed. For once, the wind is helping us, air drying both Alizebeth and me, and pushing us towards the docks. It seems like it could work out for the rest of the day.

 To say “docks” would be an understatement. Think more along the lines of naval yard. One that could give the US Navy a run for it's money. The dock raises up when boats approach that want to go into the boat house, which lies underwater until it is raised. Don't ask me how it works, I am no genius. OK, maybe I am, but not any sort of naval genius. But the boat house is the place of holding for nearly 40 Triremes, 9 Quinqueremes, and a 18 th century British Ship-of-the-Line, the HMS Minerva. We got the warship from the War of American Independence (where, of course, the demigods fought also), when we were allied with the Roman (French) Camp Jupiter. At that time, we were Castra Gallia, a French Demigod Camp. Poor Britain. Sucks for them.

 But yeah, when we got onto land, we immediately left for the City. It just might give St. Louis a run for just about anything, except population. Nearly 3000 demigods or descendents there-of live in the city, and have carved an amazing, carefree life there. New Byzantium has grown larger than the Roman city in Berkeley, and has a much better defense team. But anyways, in the city lies our favorite restaurant, Caesar scriptor popina, a popular, relaxed cafe in the Roman Forum that is the hot spot of many demigod couples (like me and Alizebeth!). It has numerous dishes from the old Roman Empire and even some Greek entrees, while still keeping numerous modern meals on the menu. Like usual, I get the frixum vitulina escalope cum passae, and Liz gets the  aliter baedinam sive agninam excaldatam  , both of which are some of our favorite meals to get here. Lukas makes sure to feed us well, as his son is in the army (not that we would treat him any worse if he didn't give us good food. But hey, his choice). We begin to relax a bit, as Liz goes to sit at the table. I walk, on the other hand, out onto the patio, and watch the scene in the City Center.

 New Byzantium is unique. It is the first permanent city built by us since, well, Byzantium. But it holds the cultures of two factions: The Romans, and the Greeks. And it balances it well. The city is divided in two, right down the middle, with half of the Center being the Roman  Forum  , while the other half is a Greek   Agora   , or market. A large statue of Zeus/Jupiter stands in the middle, facing South flanked by statues of Athena/Minerva, and Hera/Juno, both facing North. Around them, fountains shoot water over the statues. On each side of the  factionis linea  , a single hill arises. One, in the East, is known as the Little Acropolis, has a massive temple dedicated to the Greek Pantheon of Gods, while in the West, the hill known as the New Capitoline holds the Roman Pantheon of Gods.

 Banners fly from every window sill, flowing Byzantine Purple with a golden Delta in the middle, and a bolt of lightning in that. The banners also read:  Romanorum Honoris, Graeca Libertatis . Children run about the Center, with small wooden swords and pans for helmets, playing a favorite game of theirs: Soldier. I've never understood their excitement to be part of the Army, as it is not all that great. One of them asks for my autograph (I'm flattered, really), and I oblidge the young kid. I'm not THAT special, just famous. A member of 'The Immortal Triad', or 'Savior of Olympus'. You know, nothing special (and I am serious. I am not special). I return to the table, just as the entrees we ordered arive. Liz and I both eat quickly, knowing that we have to get back to the Fort soon for Council, then prepare for evening games. I slide my dark hair out of my right eye, while Alizebeth's can't seem to stop falling down. Her eyes, though, hold back something. I can see that she is uneasy at the attention that she is still unknown to. “What's up Liz? You've been acting like this ever since we got back from Manhattan.”

 “It's nothing, John. Really.” Her sing-song voice is enough to relax anyone, but I know better. She has a gift from one of her ancestors that dates back a long ways. She is a legacy of Aphrodite, and the gift is charmspeaking. But by legacy, I mean deep  legacy. As in, 100X great-grandmother legacy. Granted, she apparently said that is was a dormant power until her mother, but I don't know. But the look in my eyes is enough to tell her that I don't believe her. “Really? Alright, fine.” Now, we're getting somewhere. “Ever since last year, you've been getting more distant, almost as if this last year in the Army is the last time I will ever see you. We worked hard, since I came here, to get to this point, and I don't want to lose you. I worry that this near superstar status of yours will carry over into your time away from Byzantium. I...” After that, she breaks down. Tears come to her eyes (slowly, but surely), and she can barely get a breath.

I walk around the table, and give her a hug. A real, deep hug, like you would give your significant other. And that is just what she is to me. That extremely significant other, the one who makes my day better. “Alizebeth, when I leave, I plan on returning as often as possible. But I have already decided that I am going to college at West Point. I will attempt to come back during Winter Break of the year you are eligble to leave the Army, and you can live with me in Cornwall. Trust me, it will be fine.” I kiss her, and she almost melts in my arms. Gods, she is a wreck right now. After the previous week's events, where she learned her mother died in a horrible car wreck, she has been a disastor, letting her emotions explode into a huge raindrop that won't falling.

And to make matters worse, Mikael Hallingway, my rival in the military, has been threatening rebellion against the Byzantine Council, the governing forces of the city. And Zeus knows, that he has a huge following. And to make matters worse, we have visitors arriving later in the day. One from Camp Jupiter, and one from Camp Half Blood, as well as a son of Hades, Diana's half brother.

“Listen, nothing is going to happen. Trust me. As long as I live, you will be absolutely fine.” And I know, that it will be a difficult promise to keep. But I must live, just to keep everything together. Civilized Byzantine life is in danger. Maybe the Gods now hate us. But I know that there is more.

Just then, a courier arrives, probably from the Council. “My Commanders, two demigods have been discovered, and it is suspected that they are Byzantine. The Council of Byzantium has summoned you to Legion Hall, at once!” Oh, boy, life just got interesting. October 15, a day for demigods.