If Sunna and I didn't make it in the next hour we weren't going to make it today. The light was fading and we had gone for almost 12 hours straight of running or flying. I had got off and done my fair share of running and fighting. If my quiver wasn't an endless supply then I'd have run out in the first hour or two. It felt like every single monster on this godsforsaken island was coming at me. I was exhausted from sustaining an almost constant burn or heat shield. I was more bloody and scratched then ever. Celtic monsters ripped through the Curse of Achilles like it was tissue paper. My iron and silver axe was the only thing that kept them at bay, they would scream and explode in a dark smoke.

We had made it into the city an hour ago, but trying to find the old Roman pub was almost impossible. Dawn said by the docks, but we had gone up and down the docks a few times, and no one knew what I was talking about, a few of the shop owners and restaurants gave me leery looks. I'm sure a few had the police ready on speed dial. Everything was starting to close up now, it was late and the sun had set a while ago. The Sluagh only stayed back due to the lights of the city, but now with everything turning off and closing, they were getting bolder, I could hear their shrill horrifying scream. I was about to give up and find a place to stay and try again tomorrow when I heard some wild laughter and what sounded like thumbs of fists on tables. Sunna and I glanced at each other and turned towards the noise. It was coming from down an old coble stone alley way. Nothing about this section looked Roman, maybe old medieval era, but I got off her back and we crept through the back alley, I winced when her hooves clipped clopped along the stone. My bronze knife held tightly in my hand. Light flickered along the old stone builds that lines the alley, like fire in a braziers. Shadows jumped along the wall, all my nerves were fried, the screams from The Sluagh still haunted me. And when the form of a man appeared standing between the two sides of the old wall I raised my knife and froze ready to fight. He was short and squat, a big barrel under one arm. 

He froze.  No one moved. "Well, would ya looke here! A Viator! A traveler." He laughed loudly. He was loud and boisterous. His belly jiggled as he laughed. "Come! Come!" He placed the barrel down by the opening and waved me in. I slowly and cautiously stepped through the gape in the wall. 

On the other side of the wall was a big open court yard, in one area there was an open stone kitchen and bar top.  Behind the old stone counter top, it looked like a modern day bar, shelves of different bottles of drinks and barrels of on tap drinks. Some kind of soup or stew cooking in big pots over open fires, a pig was roasting over a fire, and it smelt delicious. A few Roman clad woman were running around with trays of wine and ale and other drinks in pottery jugs or silver goblets. Some of the woman had platers of different kinds of food. All kinds of people were sitting around picknick tables or lounging at low laying tables or on couches draped with all kinds of silks. Some shimmered like the Roman ghosts, some were mortal enough; some looked like they were more recent mortals, some looked like they had lived from back in the Roman occupied Britain.

"Welcome to The Popina!" the short man grinned, he was missing a few teeth, but his eyes were kind enough. "Off to the counter with ya, my granddaughter will help ya out. I need to get this bare of wine to the cellar! Your Pegasus can clip clop her way to the staples, there is fresh feed and water, and looks like an attendant there will fix her up, hard travels these days." 

"Umm, ya. Thank you." I stammered.

He waddled off and I was left standing in the middle of the open court yard. Sunna nudged my back and I took a few hesitant steps. She trotted off towards the staples where I could hear other horses or Pegasus. I'm positive I saw a Unicorn in the back as well. I walked to the bar counter, I looked around, some of the people around the area looked up curious, but went back to their food and drink. 

I looked around, it was an odd mix of Roman, medieval and modern. There must be some kind of strong mist with a place like this. I figured there were a lot of legacies here. I felt a shiver run down my back and I turned around ready to slash whoever got to close but I cried in surprise. 

"Are you serious!?" 

"That is not a way to greet a General of Roman, you know." General Titus sniffer. 

"What the hades are you doing here?" 

"Just because I'm a General in the Roman army doesn't mean I don't get days off." 

"And you though coming half way across the country to the very place I needed to get to was the place you needed a night off?" 

"The Popina has the best drinks in the country. Everyone knows that!" He said with a sniff and lifted the drink in his hand and took a huge gulp.

"But I'm fighting for my life and you keep showing up. Like can you not just poof me to Greece. Stop following me!" I growled. This general was really getting on my nerves. 

"No. That would be very improper." Titus cried like I had asked him to wear a wedding dress and tap dance on the bar top. 

"Whatever. But I'm trying to find someone." 

"You are an insolent child, you know that?!" 

"Yes. I did know that." I rolled my eyes. 

"You would make a horrible Roman solider!" 

"Which is why I'm not." 

He sputtered and slammed his drink on the counter top and huffed. He floated away sputtering about how he would like lock me up and flog me, make me learn some respect. I shook my head and looked around again.

"Good evening young lass."  A woman in ripped jeans, an old Betels band t shirt under a leather jacket stood at the counter, a bar keep apron around her hips. "What can I do for ya?" 

"Umm, I'm looking for someone...I was told she would be here, somewhere." 

"Oh...well might be able ta help ya out. What's the name?" 

"Savannah. Sorry no last name..." 

The young woman smiled. "Well good news, your lookin' at her." She swept her arms out wide and bowed.

"Oh!" I grinned in relief. "The first stroke of good luck!" 

"Oh, don't go jinx it, lil' lass!"

"Ain't that the truth." I grumbled. 

This was one of the few people I had met who had an actual British accent. Her long pastel purple hair was pulled up onto a high pony tale. She blew a big purple bubble with her gum. It smelt of grapes, even from the other side of the counter it was a strong smell. As I took in her appearance she had violet eyes, and they reminded me of someone, and I frowned, trying to think. Subtle purple eyeshadow and she had a natural flush to her face. But it was the violet eyes that got me. 

"Before ya go askin' I'm the granddaughter of a demigod. My grandmother caught the eye of Bacchus. She had revitalize this here lil pub. It had fallen into ruins for a while, and then she started karaoke and her own winery."

That's when I remembered, like the memory clawed its way free. "Pollux!" I cried.

"'Scuse me?"

"Sorry, you reminded me of someone, it took me a second to remember. His name is Pollux." 

She hummed and popped another bubble, she leaned her elbows on the counter, her eyes traveled up and down my very bloody and beat up body. She frowned for a second, and then looked back up at me concerned. I could see the wheels in her mind turning. 

"Now where are ya off to lil' hero?"

"I'm trying to get to Greece." 

Savannah tapped her chin, and I saw even her nails were painted a bright purple. "To Greece, eh? That's pretty risky. I can get ya across the Straight, and into France for sure. I'd have ta' double check some things...anything with ya?" 

"I have a Pegasus. And me that's it. I have a backpack..."

The girl dressed in purple and black blew a bubble again and then nodded. "Sit tight. I should be able to help ya. You got letters if recommendation, I'm guessen'?"

I nodded and pulled them out of my backpack and handed them over. She scanned the scroll nodded and humming.

"Mithras?" She glanced up at me a little more interest now, and whistled. She looked back down at the paper and finished reading. "Perfect. All's in order. Give me about an hour. An' I'll have ya ready ta go in wee hours. In the mean time, eat have a drink, relax. I'll have the girls bring ya some water and cloth to clean up."

"Thank you. Dawn said you'd be helpful, but you've been amazing. Thank you."

"Awww. Dawn! She's great. Haven't seen her in a while. She good?"

"I didn't see much of her, I'm on a time crunch, but she seems happy. She was cozy with a guy named uhhh Mike? I think."

"Oh! He finally made a move did he?! Good for him!" She smiled at me one more time and then she was gone again, going into the back rooms, where I'd assume the offices and kitchens were. I looked around and slid over to a table in the shadowy corner by the back wall. A young girl brought over a tray of food and a bowl of warm water and cloth, and a jar of disinfectant, from the smell and asked if I wanted anything to drink.

"Coffee?"

The girl nodded and went to the bar. I slugged off my backpack and got out what I could from Nana Calantha as well to clean up my injuries. I really needed a shower. I had old scratches and scraps under new fresh ones. I definitely needed stitches for one on my arm. I dug out my first aid kit and started patching myself up. I was so tired, and my nerves were so fried, I was more jumpy then ever. But my eyes were also so heavy. I was trying hard not to just curl up and cry. I did place my head on the wall beside me and close my exhausted eyes for a minute trying to just breath, my breathing was shaky. I missed Raph, and this place would be a fun place to go on a date with him. I looked away and blinked back a few tears, I used the back of my dirty hand to wipe the few tears away, I gave up trying to make the tears stop and went back to trying to reach the long cut on the back of my shoulder when someone appeared beside me.

"Looks like you could use some help."

I jumped, not having hear the guy approach.

"Oh...I'm okay. Thanks." I said, quickly sniffing and wiping the tears aggressively. I was hoping he would go away. I wasn't in the mood, but I felt something run down my spin, my internal uncomfortable meter started to go off. 

"Really? Looks like you could use some extra hands. You're struggling with that nasty looking cut on your back." He chuckled.

I glanced at him again. He was tall and broad. I did a quick double take, he looked like Raph for a brief second. Tall, dark and rather handsome. His eyes were bright in the moon light; a bright bronze brown. He had a rugged roguish smile. He looked like a country mountain man. His face seemed open and honest, but the intensity in his eyes and how close he was standing to me made me nervous. No one else seemed to have a problem with him, but it was getting later and the area was getting more crowded and a louder. My music was getting louder. He had a pottery cup in his hand. 

"I'm fine, almost done." I forced a small thin lipped smile.

He sat down on the bench beside me anyways.

"Looks like your alone and took a beating, I'm offering help, come in beautiful." He insisted and took the cloth and disinfectant from me.  I was nervous suddenly. Normally grown men don't bother me, I can take care of myself- I'm a demigod, mortal men are nothing compared to fighting a Titan... Other times I had Raph with me, and people left us alone, or Percy was beside me, and he also had a pretty mean wolf look when he wanted. 

"Ya know, if you weren't alone, this probably wouldn't happen. You need someone to protect you." 

"I can protect myself, just fine." 

"Really? These nasty scratches would say otherwise..." He chuckled,

I gripped my coffee tighter as he slowly started to clean up the blood from my shoulder. He sat too close to me and I could smell the drink on his breath, he gently patted the bloody cut, it stung and made me wince.

"When I'm all done, I can kiss 'em better."

"No." 

I sat stiff, I tried scotching away, but he placed his hand on my leg, just above my knee and I froze in fear. I had never been afraid of a man before. I wasn't even afraid of Zeus...or Kronos, but this guy with the big bronze coloured eyes made me feel small and scared, and wishing I had my boy friend and brother here. I clamped my jaw. They weren't hear, so I had to take care of myself. Mithras said Vlad would meet me in Dover. But I hadn't seen him yet, so I had to look after me. I ground my teeth together for a second.

"So, a foreign pretty girl like you, alone in Europe...seems like a good story."

"Who says I'm foreign?" I snapped.

"You have a different accent then the rest of the people here. From how you say some words, I'd say North America. New York area, specifically."

I narrowed my eyes, and clenched my jaw even harder. His eyes were glued to the claw marks on my shoulder, but his hands were touching me more then they should and I was feeling sick.

"I'm okay now. Thank you." I tried forcing a smile and pulling away, but this guy was sitting so close to me, his hand on my thigh, I was already squished in the corner of the wall. 

"I'm not done." His voice changed, and he was a more aggressive. But he kept a smile, "I can't let you walk around looking like this. You're pretty, and these claw marks take away from that."

"Well...my boyfriend is fine with my scratches."

"Boyfriend, huh? Where's this boyfriend. I should congratulate him on catching you dang your fine on the eyes."

"He's a little tied up at the moment." I said hesitantly. (Which was true on many levels) This guy didn't seem to get the hint. I felt his large hand sweep my hair and gently brush my skin. Tears prickles my eyes and my hands clenched, I was so stiff and tense, ever single muscle was coiled and ready, my hand was slowly inching towards the knife on my hip, my sliver one with the moon. 

"Such soft skin..." I heard him mummer in longing.

I jerked away. And scrambled to my feet, my knife held tight in my hand.

"Thank you for your help. I'm fine now."

He was also on his feet, quicker then a normal man should have been for his height and muscle mass. I was white knuckling the knife and I held it out, my hands shaking. 

"You need to back off." My voice shook slightly, but I raised my chin and glared. He just laughed. He threw his head back and laughed. 

"Oh little hero, do you know the story of the knife you hold?" 

"It doesn't matter. I'll use it." 

"After my help, you would hurt your rescuer?" 

"You didn't do anything but touch me, which I didn't want." 

"Don't be naive little hero," H growled as he stepped closer, "all girls need a rescuer. You are no different. All girls need to learn respect and to be grateful when-"

"You better not tell me I should be grateful for your unwanted help and attention!"  I spat. 

"You're just as terrible as Artemis!" He growled, he lunged at me, slamming me into the wall. His hand tightened around my neck, his glowing eyes bore into me, I saw his greed and lust in his bronze eyes. He licked his lips and I involuntarily whimpered. I felt like I was punched in the stomach, I knew who this was, and I knew who had been stalking me. I knew who Gaea had sent after me to hunt me down. 

"ORION!" 

A loud voice screamed from the roof tops. A silver arrow whistled through the air. It was just enough of a distraction to let me duck under his arm, grab my backpack off the table and dive under the table as more silver arrows rained down.  

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