Half-Blood Hill

[ Gale never exactly looked like the most fun-loving, free-spirited kind of guy, and today is no different. He's just as stoic as ever, especially considering that he has a few serious announcements to make. ]

Two things.

First of all, the remaining legionnaires in camp should be aware that the Praetor left a message before she took off on her quest. I've recently been told that I've been promoted to Centurion of the Fifth Cohort.

[ Thank you, Annie Cresta, for informing him. He still isn't sure what to think of it, and he looks mildly uncomfortable just talking about it. But there is still one other thing to be addressed. ]

Secondly, Chiron mentioned there's to be a quest to the Red Room base in Farmville, Virginia. I'm going to lead it. It will mostly be an information gathering mission, and we don't expect much trouble, but we'll have to be ready, just in case. I'll need one or two people to accompany me, so if you'd like to come, now's your chance to speak up.

[ Rainbows seem kind of impractical, if you ask Gale. Quicker than the messengers they'd used in New Rome, at least, but there's so much that could go wrong with these IMs. If you're hunting when you get one, you could kiss your prey goodbye. What if you're in a life or death situation that relies on stealth? Good luck getting out of that one. What if you just so happen to be taking a bath - or if you're in any other sort of compromising situation - when someone decides it's time to sit down for a nice chat? And on top of all that, you have to hope there's a rainbow nearby, or you can't even send your message.

All in all, he prefers the messengers. There's less risk involved, as far as he's concerned. So when this IM goes out, he's looking rather unimpressed with it. ]

So. Camp Half-Blood, huh. Nice place, I guess.

[ Not as nice as New Rome, even if he didn't get to see the nicer parts of it very often. It's still better than what he and his family had, being on the poorer side of the Fifth Cohort. ]

But you can't stay here forever, right? Where do you go when you leave? How do you expect to keep your families safe outside of these borders?

[ As he mentions families, his expression darkens. Gale still hasn't found his own family. But he keeps silent on that end, bottling the anger and frustration up and letting it simmer for a while longer. He'll find them, no matter what. And when he does...

After a moment of silence, he shakes his head almost imperceptibly and continues. ]

I know I can't be the only one from the Fifth left. Has anyone else made it here?