Dangerous Gifts
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover arrived at the same restaurant as before; the place where Ares was waiting for them in the parking lot with that smug bastard look that came so naturally to him. Percy, of course, wasn't going to let that emotion show on his face as he glanced at him.
"Well, looks like you didn't get yourselves killed," he said, as if that were a complete disappointment.
"Here," said Percy, tossing the shield toward Ares. The god caught it with one hand, as if it weighed nothing. Immediately, the shield transformed into a bulletproof vest that fitted itself onto his body.
With those two shotguns slung on his motorcycle, the vest, and that face… Ares looked less like a god and more like a thug about to rob a corner store.
"Bet that delusional blacksmith was stunned to see a bunch of dumb kids fall into his trap," Ares said mockingly while watching them.
"We did our part; now, how are you going to get us to Los Angeles?" Percy asked, staring right at him. He didn't want to talk much to that guy; his emotions felt ready to explode just by being near him. And even if he liked pissing off gods, he wasn't idiot enough to do it right to their face. Well… he had been an idiot many times, but he wasn't about to give any god the chance so easily.
He already had enough with the constant lightning attacks Zeus hurled at him along the way.
Ares barely looked into Percy's eyes. Of course, he understood Percy's mind; he knew his almost indifferent behavior was only because he was holding back all his emotions with force. That's why he grinned, amused.
"You know, at times like this you remind me of old seaweed," Ares said, looking at Percy, trying to spot even the slightest reaction in his face.
"Good for him, then," Percy replied simply, waiting for Ares to stop fooling around and tell them how they'd get to Los Angeles.
"Tsk," Ares clicked his tongue and pointed behind them. "That'll be your ride. You should feel grateful."
The trio turned around to see a huge semi-trailer with a cheesy advertisement painted on the back. Something about international kindness, zoo and human transport, or something similar. None of them really felt like reading it completely while staring at their so-called transport.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Percy, unable to hide the frustration in his voice.
"Free ride, idiot. Stop whining. And take these for completing the stupid quest," Ares said as he pulled a blue nylon backpack out of who-knows-where and threw it at Percy.
Percy opened it slightly. There were some dollars, a pouch full of gold drachmas, and a pack of double-stuff Oreos.
"No thanks," said Percy, closing the bag and tossing it back at Ares. The god didn't take it; he just stared at Percy. Grover and Annabeth held their breath. Neither of them was fast enough to stop him. Both were pale. Rejecting a god's gift was one of the most disrespectful things someone could do.
But Percy only had two things on his mind. The woman who had spoken to him in the Mississippi River and warned him not to accept gifts… and what his teacher had repeated so many times it would've been weird if he hadn't memorized it. Sometimes a simple gift, a weapon, or a random object found during an adventure could bind your soul forever to a Daedric Prince. And from the way Miraak—who didn't even seem to fear the gods of this world—spoke about those entities... there was definitely a strange respect there, almost protective. He didn't even like saying their names.
It was ridiculous that that was why he refused to see cheese placed in a certain way.
"Are you refusing a gift from me, worm?" said Ares. His sunglasses were beginning to melt from the expression of fury on his face. Smoke rose from them, carrying the smell of burning plastic, as tiny sparks fell.
"Yes," said Percy. But before he could say anything else, Grover and Annabeth pounced on him, covering his mouth.
"Thank you, Lord Ares. We gladly accept. It's an honor," Grover said, nearly trembling, while Annabeth nodded rapidly and pinched Percy's sides. Even with his mouth covered, Percy kept staring at Ares like his words were already spoken.
"You…" Ares began, but was interrupted when a hand grabbed the bag right out of Percy's hand. Even Ares' eyes—now literal flames inside his sockets—went wide with surprise at someone appearing without him noticing.
The trio also turned to look at the figure standing there. The man held the bag, inspected it briefly, then smirked as he tossed it back at Ares.
It was Miraak.
After throwing the bag at the god, he ignored him completely. He looked straight at Percy and extended a hand forward, as if expecting something.
The moment Percy saw him, he grinned instantly. And all the negative emotions he'd built up from dealing with Ares evaporated at once.
Percy reached into his own pouch, the one he always carried tied around his waist. He opened it and pulled out a massive sack far larger than the pouch itself. Even the pouch opening expanded on its own to let something that size through. The bag began rattling instantly; it was so full of metal it sounded like there was a small army inside.
Meanwhile, Grover and Annabeth were staring at Miraak in person. Grover had seen him before in the Big House; although, to be fair, he hadn't seen much back then. The auras that Mr. D and that man emitted were so overwhelming they'd nearly crushed him.
But for Annabeth, it was the first time seeing him. She stared at him… then looked at Percy, who in that moment seemed like a normal child, happy, as if nothing in the world could go wrong now that his master was here.
"Master, I found a lot of materials that might be useful for you. They were shaped like spiders, but they weren't very strong. I organized them in this bag on the way here," said Percy, clearly expecting praise for his good work.
"Hmm. Well done," Miraak said, nodding while taking the bag and storing it inside his coat; something that should've been impossible, since the bag weighed at least fifty kilos in metal and was almost as big as Percy himself.
But well, he was the one who had given Percy that magic pouch, so maybe it wasn't so strange after all.
"I'll make some throwing daggers for you. Do you want anything else?" Miraak asked with that hard yet somehow comforting tone only he could pull off; stern and kind at the same time.
Percy's eyes lit up instantly. Last time, his master hadn't let him choose anything, though what he received had been incredible. This time meant something: it meant Miraak was proud of him.
"Could you make something for my friends?" Percy asked softly. He knew perfectly well that Miraak held no respect for anyone else. Maybe for him, because he was his disciple, but Grover and Annabeth were still, to Miraak, just simple beings following Percy around.
Miraak turned his head slightly toward the two youths. First to Grover, then to Annabeth. Both felt that with that single glance, the man knew absolutely everything about them. And at the same time, they felt a strange nervousness, as if they were standing before someone who saw them like plants at the side of a road; he didn't hate them, nor did he care… they simply existed, and he'd just remembered they were there.
"Fine," said Miraak calmly. And that made Percy even happier.
At that moment, a hand suddenly landed on Miraak's shoulder. The ground beneath their feet cracked slightly, as if that hand had used too much strength just to touch him.
Miraak didn't move; he merely turned his head a bit, glancing sideways at Ares.
The god of war stared at him with fury, wearing a violent grin. The aura emanating from his body began to spread like a wave of chaos. The people inside the restaurant started holding their heads; their eyes turned bloodshot. They began pushing each other, fighting, falling into a frenzy as if possessed by pure rage.
But none of that touched the three standing beside Miraak. The man snapped his fingers, and a wave of calm washed over Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. Their hands, their bodies, glowed for an instant, and all anger, fear, and tension evaporated as if it had never existed.
"Why are you interrupting my conversation, vagabond?" Ares said to Miraak. He spoke as if interrupting him were the worst sacrilege imaginable, completely ignoring that Miraak had moved to his side without the god of war noticing until he chose to reveal himself.
Miraak looked back with that same dangerous indifference. He let a sliver of his aura leak out; not anger, but something older, more disciplined, more lethal. Then he barely moved his hand.
In an instant, the back door of the truck swung open, and the three teens were flung inside as if pushed by an invisible force that wanted to ensure their safety.
At the same time, the two truckers nearby snapped out of a trance. They looked around, saw the chaos, and sprinted toward the cab in sheer terror, as if they had seen a monster. They needed to escape. Now.
Ares, still being ignored, watched as multiple spells flowed from Miraak's hands in succession. One for the kids; another for the truck; another for the drivers. All while Ares still had his hand on Miraak's shoulder, as if he were invisible.
It enraged him even more.
"I told you once, you filthy bastard… how dare you interrupt my conversation?" Ares said, moving his hand toward Miraak's throat.
Miraak, who had just finished ensuring the kids were out of harm's way, breathed calmly.
"FUS RO DAH."
The god of war was blasted away at a ridiculous speed, leaving behind only a destructive trail. Everything in his path was demolished by his own body, which couldn't even be seen clearly because of how fast it flew.
Miraak brushed off his shoulder, clearing the dust from the exact spot where Ares had touched him.
For a moment, his eyes revealed genuine excitement for battle. But then he clicked his tongue.
"Not yet. I told the brat I'd make him those weapons," he muttered, annoyed. Then he whispered calmly: "FEIM ZII GRON."
His body turned to mist. He vanished as if he had never been there at all.
Just in time, because Ares fell from the sky a second later. His impact shattered the concrete, creating a massive crater. He had two swords in each hand and a face twisted with pure fury. He looked around… but Miraak was gone.
"Damn filthy vagabond!" Ares roared before disappearing in a golden flash, along with his motorcycle.