Chapter Text
Pat wheezed a little as he slipped away from the claws of an adolescent wolf, an older pup of Lupa's, who was tasked with several other wolves to hunt Patroclus down. It was a rather morbid and deadly form of hide-and-seek-tag that the pack did on a weekly basis to keep the fourteen-year-old on his toes. While this was technically a life-or-death situation, Pat couldn't help but grin at the exhilaration of the thrill of the chase.
In the last three years, he had been living and thriving under the watchful gaze of the she wolf who consistently preached an animalistic view of society. Lupa was all 'Survival of the fittest' and 'There's no place for the weak.' Surprisingly, Pat did more than just survive under this mentality. He had grown and matured in many ways, mostly physical and in terms of surviving off the land, but it wasn't like there were a whole lot of demigods in Lupa's pack.
In fact, Lupa had sent the last three demigods in her pack off to survive their trek to New Rome two weeks before Lady Vesta had dumped him on her. No other demigods had joined in his time at the Wolf House. He didn't really mind, anyways, because despite being relatively well-liked in school, Pat was not fond of conversation. It was exhausting to be polite and rather grating at times when he'd rather just be left alone.
While his time with Lupa had been peerless, that didn't mean he got to skip out on random pleasantries. Lord Neptune had frequented the Wolf House on three separate occasions. The first time had been shortly after Pat's older twin had been claimed by Poseidon, the version of their father that Percy would have to deal with in the East. Neptune had spoken briefly with Pat before unlocking an additional weapon in the magical coin that Lady Vesta had left him, adding a trident and net to Pat's arsenal. Neptune had also encouraged him to name his magical coin weapon as Neptune and Vesta had personally had it forged for him. Pat had eventually settled on the name Opprimo, the Latin word for suppress, crush, and drown. Neptune had then spent the afternoon training Pat how to use his new trident and teaching him the history of Retiarius gladiators. It had been nice, and easy, and for a moment Pat had let go of his bitter resentment of his father. The next two visits were on his thirteenth and fourteenth birthdays. Neptune had been careful with how he snuck news of Percy and Sally, but the letters left in his bedroll were handwritten by both Pat's bother and mother, letters that were written over the year with anecdotes and well wishes. He would burn a similar letter with an offering to Lady Vesta on the eve of Percy and his birthday as Lady Vesta had instructed when she had visited off and on to check on him.
That was another thing. Lady Vesta checked on him almost monthly and would spend an evening with him beside the campfire, Lupa's pack circling close to them as Pat and Lupa divulged that month's events and Pat's progress. This would be when he would receive better insight on Lupa's true feelings about him. He knew she liked him, liked him a little more than the average demigod that stumbled to the Wolf House. That fact that Pat had thrived and flourished under Lupa unlike many other demigods had earned him her favor. He wasn't at the bottom of the rung in the pack, being one of the first few to get to eat after each hunt and getting to sleep closer to the fire at night and even being given responsibility over younger pups when the older wolves leave for longer trips and patrols. He had even gotten to run next to Lupa on a few full moon runs. All of which were rewards and tests that Pat had earned.
Lady Vesta was always pleased with Lupa's observations and would leave a baggy of Sally Jackson's famous blue chocolate chip cookies, that were somehow still warm from the oven. Pat would guard that baggy viscously; he had learned early on that magical wolves were not in any danger of consuming chocolate like he had assumed. He wasn't opposed to sharing, and had done so many times, but recalling that first night he'd come back from a run to find all of the cookies gone, not having gotten a single bite had been devastating, he had even cried, but Lupa, harsh as ever with all her tough love had just snorted and rolled his bed roll to the very edge of the pack circle, designating him to the very bottom of the pack that night. Not only had he lost out on the first thing connected to his mom and brother, but he had been humiliated at the demotion and indifference. Lupa hadn't even spoken to him. He never made that mistake again.
Awwooooooooooooo!
Pat skidded to a stop, the group of wolves that had been chasing him circled him, panting and alert. Lupa had just called and early end to the chase. Another chilling howl rattled through the forest. She was calling them back.
Without a second glance, Pat and the pack began running back to the Wolf House. Branches whipped his arms and face, but he pressed onward, keeping up with the wolves until they broke through the clearing where the rest of the pack was alert and on edge. Pat slipped through the group and made his way to the dying fire, a feeling of apprehension settling in his stomach. Lupa sat staring at the burning embers, but the flicker of her ear told him that she acknowledged his presence.
"Patroclus Jackson," Pat knelt at the sound of his name coming from Lupa. She rarely addressed him by his full name, the last time being when she had formally accepted him into her pack two weeks after he had come to the Wolf House. "As you are aware, the Titan of Time seeks to rise and conquer the gods. All demigods have worked to either aid him or to defeat him for the last two years. I have selfishly kept you here by my side, but I can no longer protect you from the oncoming war."
"Is this Lady Vesta's command?" Pat asked, is it his time to make his way to New Rome?
"The Lady of the Hearth has been taken," Lupa's blue eyes glow in the moonlight, piercing Pat with a somber gaze. "As her champion, you are burdened with the responsibility of returning the Eternal Mother to New Rome and rekindling the Sacred Flame of Vesta before the end of Vestalia on June fifteenth. As of right now, the Sacred Flame has fallen to embers as the Eternal Mother's captors have hidden her deep in the Labyrinth." Lupa stands and circles the dying fire. "The Praetors are unconcerned with the dying flame, but if the Sacred Flame dies, Rome shall fall. You must enter the Labyrinth and seek out the Munera where you shall fight for your Patron's freedom." Pat wasn't sure what the 'moon era' was, but he definitely didn't like the sound of having to fight to free Vesta. Lupa stood before him now. "You will face many battles, but the fate of New Rome depends upon your success. Once you free Lady Vesta, you must make haste to Camp Jupiter with her to restore the Sacred Flame before June fifteenth ends. You have shown great talent and instinct in battle, felling many enemies on your own and with the pack, but now you must make haste into enemy territory. On June first, the Pack will travel to New Rome to report your quest to the Praetors and to grant you entrance to New Rome. As a son of Neptune, you will face many trials in Camp Jupiter, many will be against you joining the Cohorts, but you shall prevail Patroclus Jackson, Son of Neptune and Champion of Vesta. Do you accept your fate, Hero?"
Pat met Lupa's gaze unwavering, "I accept, Lupa. I will free Lady Vesta and return the Sacred Flames to New Rome." A glimmer of pride sparkled in her eyes before she threw her head back and howled triumphantly, as if she was declaring victory even though a battle hadn't even been fought. That's how confident Lupa was in him. The pack quickly joined Lupa and Pat threw his head back and howled alongside his wild family.
"You leave at dawn's first light, so rest beside the fire, Champion of Vesta." Lupa declared as the pack began to settle for the night. Pat nodded and laid down next to the glowing embers, just before he fell asleep, he whispered a prayed to Vesta.
"Hold on, I'm coming."
It was dark all-around Pat. The kind of darkness that is inky and sticky and even though you can feel your eyes blinking, you can't really tell if your eyes are open or not.
"Find me, Patroclus," a soft voice whispers weakly. "It's so cold."
"Lady Vesta?" Pat calls out, turning, searching, but he has no sense of direction. He loses his footing and he's falling, the ground disappearing beneath him. He blinks and is nearly blinded by the brightly saturated colors of the sunlight breaking through the trees.
He sits up and takes note of the pack stirring around him. He begins his morning routine of packing up his bedroll and backpack, taking extra care to count his cash and birthday 'money' Neptune, Vesta and Mom had sent him. It added up to about two hundred dollars in tens and twenties with a few ones and fives and American coins, five drachmas, thirteen denarii, and two sand dollars. Mom had explained that the drachmas were Greek demigod currency and probably wouldn't do him much good unless he was further East, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. Neptune had given him a sand dollar and two denarii for his birthday alongside sparring lessons and general father-son time. Vesta had gifted him a denarii infrequently, but it usually was because she was especially pleased with his progress report, like a mom who reward her kid for getting an A on a test.
Pat takes his hygiene kit out and begins to finish up his morning routine of brushing his teeth and brushing through his long hair before pulling it back into a ponytail. He'd continued to grow it out, not bothering to cut it since he'd been at the Wolf House. It was just past his shoulders now in inky waves, but he usually kept it tied back with a piece of cotton ribbon he'd scrounged up on one of his few trips into civilization to fight monsters under Lupa's orders. Percy had been the one to gift him the compact brush on their last birthday after Pat had complained about the tangles he struggled to get out with his fingers. What had been a cheap, blue plastic brush, Percy had taken time to carve waves and a trident symbol on the back. The gift had been a pleasant surprise that left him smiling each morning. Now he stared at it with nervous trepidation. Today was another step closer to returning to his own hearth. He just had to succeed.
"Are you ready, Son of Neptune and Champion of Vesta?" Pat looks up to find Lupa studying him. He nodded and stuffed his hygiene kit back into his pack before shouldering it. It was time to go and face his fate.