Harry Potter, Squatter

By Enterprise1701_d

Chapter 79

Harry closed his wheelie bag, and stood up from where he'd been crouching next to it. He threw a look out the window, at the incredible vista of the mountains.

He smiled happily. The Overlook Hotel had done its very best to distract him, and he'd had a lot of fun thinking up various threats he could use in retaliation. It felt like the Overlook had enjoyed it as much as he had.

He saw something move from the corner of his eye. Quick as a demigod with lightning-fast combat reflexes, his head snapped around to look.

He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, once more from the corner of his eye, something moved. Once again, his head flashed around for a look. Once more, nothing moved.

"Am I becoming paranoid, or are you getting really good at that?" Harry asked out loud. The hotel felt… smug. Then, it felt like it was teasing him. "Yeah, could be both," he agreed, getting really good at interpreting the murderous hotel's moods.

He grabbed the handle of his wheelie bag, and took a step toward the door of his suite.

Something behind him laughed creepily, and Harry released his bag, Godslayer materializing instantly in his now free hand, and he spun around.

The divine weapon clashed with a chef's knife.

A chef's knife being wielded by a creepy-looking doll, a doll that was laughing maniacally as it repeatedly attempted to stab him. Godslayer shrunk, allowing him a quicker and wider range of motion, and his lightning reflexes were put to the test as he spun, ducked, and deflected the murderous doll's attempts to eviscerate him.

Finally, he saw an opening; his instincts were already taking advantage of it while his eyes and brain were still registering it.

The doll's head separated from its body, and it fell to the ground, immobile once more.

"Did you just try to 'Chucky' me?" Harry asked delightedly.

The 'smug' of the hotel increased, signaling not only agreement but that it was proud of that one, too.

The young demigod chuckled as he put Godslayer back, the mystical weapon giggling at having beheaded a figment of someone's imagination.

Excalibur never beheaded a fictional character. Oh, boss, the things that happen to you are going to catapult me to the top of the 'Most Badass Swords in History' list. The sword giggled some more, then added, I'll mention you in my victory speech. I promise.

Harry snorted at his weapon's over-the-top acting.

First of all, I would like to thank my Boss, Harry Potter, without whom I'd never have encountered dragons, alien monstrosities, and fictional characters…

Harry snorted again as he wheeled his bag out of his room. He reached for the door to close it, when it slammed shut on its own, making him jump.

The hotel felt… petulant.

"You know I can't stay," Harry told it as he patted the nearby wall.

A wall that suddenly was covered in blood, causing Harry to look at his bloody hand. A minor application of magic cleaned the appendage, and he chuckled. "I know you don't want me to leave, but I can't stay here forever. First of all, I have a life outside your walls, and second of all, Mel would get tired of me and throw me out."

The hotel audibly and physically gasped in outrage at the mere thought that Melinoe would do something like throwing him out.

"No, I wouldn't," Mel said, suddenly standing behind him, a note of humor in her voice. "So you're the reason the hotel feels like someone killed its puppy."

"Hi Mel!" Harry greeted the Goddess of Ghosts. "And you mean, it feels murderous, vengeful, and hurt to the depth of a heart it doesn't actually have?"

"Yup," Mel said, popping the 'p'. "I didn't think I'd see the day when the Overlook would bond with someone."

"Why not? The Overlook's great fun," Harry said, patting the wall again, and snorting when, once again, his appendage was covered in blood. Wait… no, it wasn't.

He sniffed it. Then licked it. "Raspberry jam?" he asked.

The Overlook felt giggly.

"You silly hotel," Harry said, affectionately, patting the wall again – this time without cleaning his hand so it left raspberry jam imprints on the wallpaper.

The hotel felt like it laughed, then cleaned its wall. "Too bad permanent marker isn't actually permanent when dealing with magic," Harry commented, half to Mel and half to the Overlook. The hotel felt smug.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Mel said. "It's weird how you bond with everything. The Overlook is meant to scare people, and it's very very good at its job. Christine is meant to be my car, and yet she likes you. Somehow. Not enough to let you drive without me there, but enough not to try and kill you on sight."

Harry pouted. "I love Christine, and I wish you'd let me drive her," he pouted. He knew he was getting to an age where 'pouting' was become less effective, and he was determined to exploit it for all it was worth while he still could.

"Mine," Mel said.

"I know," Harry retorted. He pressed the button for the elevator. He watched the numbers go away from his floor.

"The Overlook is not going to let you leave without a fight," Mel said with a snort. "Seeing as I know where this is going, I've got people to scare. See you if you can ever make it to the ground floor."

"You mean 'when', right?" Harry asked.

"Nope. If. The Overlook is very good at scaring people, like I said, so it's more than capable of rearranging its layout and keeping you here when it wants to," Mel replied over her shoulder as she walked away.

Harry looked at the indicator of the elevator. It was stuck on the highest floor.

"I can take the stairs," Harry threatened.

The door to the staircase vanished, causing the demigod to snort. "I can jump out of a window."

All the windows suddenly had shutters. Closed ones. That were obviously and visibly locked.

Harry shrugged, once more materialized Godslayer, and used it to pry the doors to the elevator open. "You know, sometimes a joke can go too far," he said. "Trying to keep me locked up is one of those times."

The hotel seemed to ponder that as Harry pried the doors to the elevator open. He looked down the empty elevator shaft, and started to build a 'featherfall' spell in his mind.

Then, the elevator started moving again, so Harry snapped his head back and allowed the doors to shut. "Thanks, Overlook," he said.

The hotel still felt petulant.

The elevator dinged and the door started to open. The next moment, a wave of blood encased Harry, dragging him along the hallway. He tried to catch a breath, only to catch a mouth full of sludge instead, sludge that started to choke and drown him.

Panic set in as Harry struggled against the tidal wave of blood that threw him against walls, corners, and furniture. Finally, the wave seemed to come to an end, leaving the coughing and hacking demigod on the floor.

Emptying his lungs of viscous fluid was not easy, but he finally managed to do so.

"Tomato soup?" he asked, his voice raspy. "You tried to drown me in tomato soup?"

The hotel felt huffy, then sent him a complex web of emotions and impressions.

"Alright, the 'river of blood from the elevator' is a cliché, and so you wanted to try something new," he agreed, turning over so he was on all fours. "That was a tough one. I nearly drowned."

The hotel felt over-the-top sympathetic, silently asking him if his fragile constitution would prefer the hotel to hit him with foam next time. Harry snorted, and pushed up to his knees. "No, that was my fault for not paying attention," he said, finally managing to fully catch his breath. "Nice one."

The hotel felt smug again.

Harry cleaned himself, and walked back to where his wheelie bag had been thrown against the wall by the tidal wave of tomato soup. He cleaned it, as well.

Silently, the Overlook asked him a question.

"You made yourself dirty," Harry said. "So you can clean yourself."

The Overlook snickered as the tomato soup clinging to walls, floors, ceiling, and furniture vanished.

0000

Harry stepped out of the fire in his room at Bilskirnir, Thor's palace. Suddenly he stopped and looked back. Was it strange that a sadistic haunted hotel like the Overlook felt like a puppy abandoned by the roadside when he left?

Harry shook his head. It probably was, but it was Mel's kicked puppy, he just played with it and then gave it back when things got out of hand.

His grin widened. He'd had a lot of fun with the Overlook, though. The constant attempts on his life had generated a lot of nice and tingly adrenaline, and it had forced him to learn situational awareness.

Bordering on the paranoid, probably, but who cared about that, right? He was a demigod that got into plenty of strange situations, so some paranoia was to be expected. And it would probably extend his life.

He shrugged, whistled off-key to himself, and started unpacking. He had a week of rest, relaxation, and training to the death to look forward to.

Someone knocked on the door. Continuously. Relentlessly.

"Hi Thor!" Harry said, before opening the door.

"My young friend!" Thor boomed. "Good of you to visit, Roshilde has been moping!"

Harry found that hard to believe, because his Valkyrie was perky, upbeat, cheerful, and didn't look at all like 'moping' was part of her vocabulary. Except for those moments that she looked exceedingly dangerous, of course.

Seeing the look on Harry's face, Thor relented. "Well, she looks like she would have been moping if she weren't so cheerful, you know what I mean," he protested. "Come, let us feast on your arrival before she comes and steals you away for some training!"

The extraverted god somehow got him to come along, despite the fact that he hadn't finished unpacking just yet, and he soon found himself in the feasting hall.

Fortunately for Harry, it was lunchtime rather than dinnertime, so the huge hall was virtually empty. Sitting himself at his usual place at the head table, Harry silently ate his lunch while Thor regaled him on stories old and new, bringing him up to date on the happenings on Asgard.

While this was going on, a cat climbed a tree, launched itself to a wall, before walking along its top and entering an open window.

0000

Harry smiled to himself as he wheeled in a croquembouche that was as tall as he was, decorated with fine-spun caramel, and enough fresh fruit to keep several gods happy.

Since the tower of profiteroles was as tall as he was, he'd built it on top of a small cart, and he now wheeled it to one side of Thor's pok – maths party – room.

"Yum," Thor said as he stole himself the top cream puff, taking some caramel and fresh fruit with it.

"You know, your head chef offered me a spot again," Harry said conversationally.

"He knows talent when he sees it," Thor replied without missing a beat. "And am I imagining things, or is this puff even better than usual?"

"I got some lessons from Granny Rhea, and something else happened to me that will have to wait for the rest of the guys to get here," Harry said. "Short answer, yes, yes it is."

Thor snickered as he sat down. A couple of minutes later, Triton, Hermes, and Bai had all joined them. Each of them had gone straight for the croquembouche, and each of them had commented on Harry's level of baking skill.

"So, we're all here, now tell the story!" Thor said as he dumped a stack of gold bullion on the table.

The three other gods laughed, grabbing their own money, and adding their agreement to the question.

"Well, tied to that, I'm playing with someone else's money today, rather than with the lunch money I won off of you guys," Harry said, grabbing Bastet's silver from his Hammerspace pocket and stacking it in front of him on the table.

Immediately, the jovial atmosphere of the room vanished, and four deities stared at the stack of metal chips.

"Guys?" Harry asked, recognizing a change of atmosphere when he encountered one.

"Where did you get that from?" Bai asked, his voice flat and demanding.

"It's silver, I won it during the story I'm about to tell," Harry said, trying to hide his sudden nervousness.

"That," Bai said, "is not silver. I should know. My elemental is metal. I know every metal native to this planet." He looked at Harry, and repeated, "That is not silver, and that is not from this world."

"This is going to be an epic story," Hermes said with forced joviality. It didn't come out right. "Harry, please tell the story."

So Harry told them the story of how he went to explore the Temple of Karnak, and how Bastet had tried to force him into servitude.

If the atmosphere had been heavy before, it was ten times heavier by the time he was done.

"Someone attempted to force a Friend of Asgard into personal bondage!?" Thor thundered, his voice crackling with repressed lightning and rebounding off the walls like thunder.

"I did manage to get out of it," Harry reminded them.

"Doesn't matter," Bai stated, an undercurrent of steel in his voice. "If this Egyptian Cat-Goddess thinks she can bully you, she has another thing coming."

Harry managed a smile in Bai's direction. "Thanks, Bai."

"Sheesh, Harry. You really put everything in the worst light," a female voice stated. Harry froze as he recognized the voice, and its mysterious accent.

"Miss Bastet," Harry said.

A cat jumped on the table. "We just played a couple of games of Senet," Bastet's voice said, coming from the Egyptian mau. The cat sat down and started washing one of its front paws. "There's no reason to send your personal hit squads after me."

"Ahem," Thor said, not at all subtly. Actual clouds were gathering near the ceiling of the room, and his eyes with filled with lightning. Harry swallowed; he'd seen his math's buddies be godly before, but even that paled to their current behavior.

Suddenly, with a heavy thump, Thor put Mjölnir down on the table, and crossed his arms. The heavy wooden table, made from centuries-old oak, groaned as the mythical weapon settled its weight down upon it.

At the same time, Bai shifted into his alternate form of a large white tiger; a white tiger that licked its chops and glared at the mau seated on the other side of the table.

Hermes was silent, but picked at his fingernails with his harpe, an ancient Greek sword that Harry had only ever seen in pictures. Triton, seated at the other side of the table, was glaring audibly while fingering a trident that he'd pulled from somewhere.

Harry blinked at the Messenger of the Seas, never having expected to the able to hear a glare.

Bastet's feline form opened her eyes wide and fully dilated her pupils before cocking her head, doing her best to trigger every instinct in the human race.

Unfortunately for her, only Harry was a member of that particular race, and while the demigod had to restrain himself from petting her, the four deities at the table had no so compulsion.

Bastet gave them all a superficial look, then turned back to Harry. "I received the telling-off of a lifetime, and being an ancient goddess, that doesn't happen very often," she told him.

"What do you mean, Miss Bastet?" Harry asked, feeling confident with his four heavy-hitting friends in the room. "I didn't send anyone after you."

The cat looked chagrined. "Then why did Lord Anubis dress me down?" she asked. "Also, there was this very strange Greek Goddess that approached my mortal form." She lifted her front paws as if to demonstrate which mortal form she was talking about. "She didn't as much yell, she merely expressed her displeasure and disappointment. For some reason, that cut deeper than Lord Anubis' speech did. It was very odd."

Harry grinned. "I think Mel and Mister Hades talked with Mister Anubis. He's great, I learned a lot from him. Including about the 'Ren' and why it needs to be protected. And it sounds like Hestia found you, too."

Bastet looked like the cat denied the canary. "That explains why Lord Anubis' speech included the fact that you were a 'respectful and inquisitive boy' and that 'my actions gave the wrong impression of our pantheon to foreign dignitaries' and such."

"Mister Anubis is cool," Harry said, grin widening.

"And now I find you at a table with four gods from three different pantheons, about to gamble away your winnings," Bastet said.

Harry looked at his pile of silver. "We usually use gold, but I figured that I may as well use the silver I won off of you."

"You're still calling it that?" Bastet asked with a catty grin.

"Sure," Harry said. "After all, it looks like silver."

Bastet snorted, a strange sound from a cat. "I'll repeat my offer, you'd do well in my service. After some lessons in metallurgy, because you seem to be lacking in that area."

The clouds hiding the ceiling thickened and glowed in the light of otherworldly eldritch lightning. Hermes and Triton tensed in their chairs. Bai's white tiger form growled in a way that shook Harry's midriff without actually being audible.

"I still have the super-suit on offer," Bastet continued, as if the other four deities were nothing of import. Harry swallowed, resisting the urge to be impressed by Bastet's level of bravery in doing so. "Remember, it'll be black, form-fitting, and have cat's ears and claws. I'm still thinking up a name."

"I'll still have to decline, Miss Bastet," Harry said, hoping to come across as respectful.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Bastet purred. "Catman just sounds stupid, and 'Black Cat' makes you sound like a cat-burglar, but imagine being called something impressive like 'Black Lion' or 'Black Tiger'."

The inaudible, subsonic growl from Bai became audible and sonic, and it made the cups on the table rattle.

"Sorry," Bastet told the White Tiger. "Maybe not the best example. Anyway, plenty of other cats – Black Leopard sounds cool."

"No, thank you, Miss Bastet," Harry repeated.

The cat looked dejected.

"Besides," Harry continued, "You tried to force me into servitude, so even if you come up with the coolest name in existence, I'm still going to decline because if you tried to force me once, what else will you force me to do?"

Bastet's cat-form cocked her head. "That is fair, I suppose," she said. "And while I may have heavily hinted at it, I wouldn't have actually forced you. Had you stood up and tried to walk away, I would have let you. Although, I suppose, my word does not carry much weight."

"You said I'd have to fight your servant," Harry said.

"Did I?" Bastet asked. "I asked you if you thought you could walk away, then materialized my servant, and then I distracted you by claiming he could take you in a fight. Remember, I continued to try and tempt you."

Harry blinked, and remained silent. "A Ren is not something taken easily," she said. "It is given, it is offered, it is traded, and it may even be hidden and found – but it can't easily be taken. You had to agree to the bargain." Bastet's feline form purred the words. "So, while I may have implied, omitted, bargained, tempted, and wagered, I never actually could have forced you."

Harry pouted. "That's still not very nice," he said.

"And you made out like a bandit, with enough Vibranium to buy a small country, and a boost to your senses that will put you at the top of human abitity."

"That's why I'm suddenly even better at cooking," Harry said to his friends. They, apparently, weren't listening.

"Vibranium? That's Vibranium?" Bai asked, staring at the silver. "So that's why I didn't recognize it, despite my element being metal. That's from a meteorite, rather than from Earth."

Bastet nodded. "Indeed. I used to have an army of servants enhanced by my power and empowered by its properties, but alas, those days are past." She slyly looked at Harry. "Unless you'd be willing to join my service? I don't have the power I used to, so I can only have half a dozen in my service at this time. I have an opening."

"No, thank you, Miss Bastet," Harry repeated.

"Do we believe her?" Hermes asked, his angry stare drilling into the cat's form.

"She smells honest," Bai declared. "As much as I don't like it."

"Even if she is honest, she is breaking the rules of non-interference by being here," Thor stated.

Bastet snorted, a strange sound coming from a cat. "Which is why three different pantheons are gathered at this table, not including harmless little old me? I can barely make this cat talk from this distance, we Egyptians really don't have a lot of power left in the world."

Hermes and Triton looked at Thor. "Much as I hate to say it," Hermes said, "the Egyptian does have a point."

"Of course I do," Bastet said. "I'm both female and feline. I have two legs up on you."

"Ahem," Bai said, rather than actually coughing.

"And only one leg up on you, Lord Bai," Bastet deferred. "Still. I only came to set the record straight. And try and tempt Harry one last time." She looked at him. "Are you sure? You could even play superhero in the suit, I promise. Call yourself Black Cheetah or something."

"No, thank you, Miss Bastet. How about you play some poker with us instead?" Harry asked.

"Is your Ren-" she cut off when four deities growled at her. "And wait? Poker? During our game you stated 'you heard good things about poker'. You little cheat! You tried to swindle me!" She sounded amused and delighted rather than upset, and Harry took that as a good sign.

"I implied something," he said. "I never said I never played before. Just like someone implied I'd have to fight my way out."

Bastet burst out laughing, a laugh that cut off, leaving a very confused-looking cat on the table. It caught sight of four deities, flattened its ears, and tried to slink away. The next moment, the cat blinked.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Bastet said. She looked at Harry. "No, I won't be joining you." She lifted the cat's front paws. "No opposable thumbs."

"That means no mahjong, either," Harry said.

"Real men play with tiles," Bai declared with a chuckle.

Bastet bared the cat's teeth. "I'd hiss at you if it would do any good," she declared. "Still, thanks for the offer. Sure I can't tempt you?"

"I'm sure, Miss Bastet," Harry said, once more.

"Alright, can't blame a cat for trying," Bastet said. "I gotta go. Night all. Harry, don't gamble away all your Vibranium. It's worth more than just gold."

"I'll be careful, Miss Bastet," Harry assured her. The cat gave a final nod, jumped off the table, and jumped at the door's handle. The door creaked open, and Bastet's feline form existed expeditiously.

His four math's buddies relaxed finally, and the clouds covering the ceiling vanished. When Harry looked, it was as if their weapons had been never there, and Bai looked as if he had never shifted into his tiger form.

"I honestly thought you were going to blast her," Harry said.

Thor grinned. "Due to the non-interference laws, such a thing would be a cause for war," he said. "Even if she did enter another pantheon's domain, she made no threatening moves. Rest assured, I would have blasted her had she tried to force you into anything."

"There was a time you would have blasted her anyway," Hermes teased.

Thor grinned wider. "Father made sure that lesson sunk in. As Crown Prince of Asgard I need to take such things into account. Even if she deserved it."

"And that, my son, makes me very proud," Odin said, suddenly there.

"Father?" Thor asked, while the foreigns gods seated around the table froze.

"A foreign goddess sneaking into Hotel Valhalla does not go unnoticed, even if she took the form of a cat," the King of Asgard declared. "However, I am proud of your reaction; you demonstrated that we would not take her actions lightly, while at the same time, restraining yourself from starting a war. As your friend so aptly stated – there was a time you would have simply vaporized her, consequences be damned."

Thor, for the first time since Harry had known him, looked bashful. "Thank you, Father."

Odin graced his son with a smile. "However, it seems you are busy with your mathematics lessons. I should let you return to your work," he said, simply walking to the door and exiting normally.

Silence reigned over the table for a few moments.

"Well, that was something," Bai said.

They all nodded, Thor included. "Did Mister Odin just tease you about your supplementary math's lessons?" Harry asked.

"That joke will never get old," Hermes declared proudly. As source of the joke, he was more than willing to play along for as long as Harry was able to keep it going.

"Seeing Thor teased is always fun," Bai stated, drawing a chuckle and agreeing nod from Triton.

"Is this 'pick on Thor' day?" Thor asked, not looking at all put out.

"It could be," Hermes said. "Shall we put it to a vote?"

Harry snorted a laugh.

Deciding that he'd better quit while he was behind, Thor looked at Harry, and asked, "So that enhancement to your senses is why your culinary creations have improved?"

The young demigod nodded. "You wouldn't believe how much it helps if you have a better sense of taste and smell."

"Nice save," Bai commented. "So, shall we play? Personally, I just have to win one of those Vibranium chips; with my element being metal it rankles that I don't know about it."

"Would you even be able to create more if you get one?" Hermes asked, sounding honestly curious.

"Nope," Bai answered. "Not part of this planet, so it's out of my reach. But at least I'd be able to study what it feels like, and be able to identify it next time I see it."

Harry pondered that, thought about the fair stack of the chips he'd won off of Bastet, and ended up flipping a single coin at each of his godly friends. "We're all friends, and I have enough to be able to give you one," he said. "But keep it quiet, alright? I don't have enough to just hand them out willy-nilly."

Bai clenched his in his fist. "I will not forget this," he declared.

Three other gods nodded seriously, but it was Thor who spoke first. "A metal rare enough to be unknown, even to us gods, and you simply hand us each a sample. Had you not already been declared Friend of Asgard, this would have certainly done so. The dwarves of Niðavellir will offer most handsomely for a mere glimpse of this."

"You're welcome," Harry said with a grin, trying to hide how awkward he felt and hoping this was the end of it. Really, his friends shouldn't make such a spectacle of things.

"You already have a spot here, now and forever," Thor went on, telling Harry that no, this was not over. "Should you ever have need of Asgard, its resources, or its people, you have only to ask."

"Way to be over-dramatic, Thor," Bai teased.

"As Prince of Asgard, it's a requirement," Thor replied, managing to sound as if he actually meant it.

"Still," Bai said, looking at Harry. "Thank you, my young friend. Should you ever find yourself in need, call upon me."

Harry shuffled awkwardly. "Thanks, Bai," he said, hoping that the whole awkward thing would be over soon. Honestly, he just wanted to play cards. Or tiles.

"We of the sea will remember this gesture," Triton declared. "Do you still have the conch that you won off me a few years back?"

Harry remembered the conch, the one that would quell a single storm at sea. He'd never used it. He nodded. "Yes, I do, Mister Triton."

"Good," Triton said, cocking his head as if thinking about something, his gaze unfocusing as if looking at the same thing he was thinking about. "It is now permanent. Should you ever find yourself at sea in a storm, the conch will quell it when blown."

"Whoa," Harry breathed. "Thanks, Mister Triton. But honestly, I just wanted you guys to have them, you know? You don't have to repay me, just 'thanks' is enough."

"And that is what makes it even more impressive," Hermes said. "That is the rarest, most valuable metal upon this planet. And, when you come in possession of it, your first thought is to share it with your friends. Such kindness is rare. And, it deserves reciprocation."

"Ooh, big word from the God of Thieves," Thor teased.

Hermes flipped him off without taking his eyes off Harry, causing the other gods to burst into laughter. "I must think about this," Hermes continued. "For now, I will honor your request. Thank you, Harry. However, should I ever think of an appropriate reward, I will surprise you when you least expect it."

Harry chuckled. "Thanks, Hermes. How about I call you 'grandfather'?" he asked.

"Oy!" Hermes shouted like he'd been stung while the three other gods laughed again. "Cheeky brat!"

0000

Harry eyed the she-wolf seated in front of his destination. The she-wolf eyed him like a tasty bit of meat. For several long moments, the staring contest continued.

Celyn nudged the wolf out of the way. The large white wolf whined like a small puppy, giving her the wolf-cub-eyes. The Huntress chuckled. "I don't know how you do it, Harry, but these wolves are vicous predators but they turn into harmless puppies when you're involved."

Harry grinned and scratched the panting wolf behind her ears. "That's because wolves are awesome and they know when someone's a threat and when they're not."

Celyn snorted. "This awesome wolf looked like she was getting ready to tear your throat out. Until I nudged her and ruined her fun."

"Exactly, she wasn't going to hurt me," Harry replied cheerfully. "Because you're a good wolf, aren't you?" he cooed. "Yes, you are. Yes, you are!"

"I should let My Lady know her fearsome guards turn into putty at your hands," Celyn teased. "Anyway, I should return to my duties. I don't want to end up on the Lieutenant's bad side, like Thalia."

Harry looked up from where he was giving the wolf a belly-rub. "What? Again?"

Celyn shrugged uncomfortably. "Thalia's nice, but she needs to learn to keep her mouth closed. The Lieutenant doesn't take back-talk."

Harry obediently kept his mouth closed about the fact that he and Zoë were regularly taking verbal jabs at each other during their lessons together. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was usually just the two of them, meaning Zoë could relax and not lose face with the other Hunters?

"Anyway, see you around, Harry," Celyn said with a cheerful wave. "Don't get bit."

Harry ruffled the she-wolf's ruff. "She's a good wolf, she won't bite me."

The wolf took a playful bite in his direction. Harry snorted as he yanked his hands back; his recent vacation at the Overlook having trained his reflexes. "Hey, careful or I might bite back."

The wolf didn't look like she was intimidated in the least. Harry materialized Godslayer. A Godslayer that was serrated. For added flavor, it looked like the mythical weapon had been put away well-used and uncleaned; it was rusty and dripping with thick, viscous liquids that were best left unidentified.

I totally look like I'm the starring lead in some torture-porn movie! Godslayer crowed. Excalibur was never in torture-porn. Take that, Excalibur!

Harry ignored his insane weapon.

The she-wolf whined softly. Harry vanished the blade, and scratched the wolf behind the ears. "You're a good wolf," he praised her. "And I really should see Artie now, before I spend the entire afternoon just playing with you."

The wolf looked like she wouldn't mind that at all, but after a final petting, the young demigod stood up and approached Artie's tent. He tried to make himself look presentable after his play with the wolf, drew a breath, and scratched at the flap of her tent to ask for entrance.

"Enter," he heard Artie say. Pulling back the tent flap, he stepped inside the spatious tent of the Goddess of the Hunt And Lots Of Other Things.

"Harry," Artie said, looking from her desk, where she was doing some kind of paperwork. Next to her, Zoë was standing up from where she had been leaning on the desk, assisting Artie with her paperwork.

Harry smiled at both of them, glad to see that Zoë was back in the swing of things. "Good afternoon," he greeted.

"I do not recall a session this afternoon," Artie said, seriously, as she eyed him. She leaned back in her comfy chair as she did so. "So I'm assuming this is not a social call, and you want something."

"I was actually hoping for your help," Harry said, suddenly realizing that it wasn't the best idea to start his request that way. Zoë's posture straightened. Artie pushed the tips of her fingers together and shifted her seated position.

"Oh?" the goddess asked. "And what kind of help would you be expecting?"

Harry's smile froze lightly, now very sure that he'd messed up his opening. "Well, you see, I had a bit of an encounter with a goddess from Egypt, and it left me with increased senses."

"Thou mayest wish to skip to thine request," Zoë said. "In the interest of brevity being the soul of wit."

Harry pursed his lips in an effort not to pout at her. Without speaking further, he put a container on the desk in front of the Goddess of the Moon and her Lieutenant. "I made some chocolate and I was hoping for an independent review," he said.

Artie was already half out of her chair and opening the box before he was finished speaking. "Hestia said that it was very good, but I was hoping for an outside…"

Artie had grabbed a bar of chocolate and had unceremoniously bit a chunk out of it. Immediately, her eyes closed, and she let out one of those sounds that made Harry uncomfortable.

"My Lady, please!" Zoë admonished. Artie did not speak, and simply broke off some of the bar she was holding and shoved it in Zoë's mouth.

Harry's gaze went hopefully from Lieutenant to Goddess and back to Lieutenant. Zoë's eyebrows lifted in obvious surprise as she moved the chocolate around her mouth, letting it melt, before swallowing.

"It is pretty good," Zoë finally said.

Artie let out an inarticulate grunt, drawing the attention of both Harry and Zoë. "Pretty good?" she asked her old friend. "Pretty good!? You're demoted. Send in Thalia. I'm sure she can properly appreciate the ambrosia that is this chocolate!"

Zoë looked like a kicked puppy, and let out a sound that sounded like one moments later.

"Fine, you can stay," Artie relented immediately, looking like she regretted her outburst. In an obvious statement to save face, she added, "But only because you made those eyes at me." She looked at Harry. "I have never had chocolate this good before. What did you do?"

Harry sighed with relief when it appeared his offering was acceptable. "Well, as I said, I came out of that encounter with enhanced senses, including the sense of taste, smell, and touch, which is something most people forget when they talk about enhanced senses."

Artie nodded and popped the remainder of the chocolate bar in her mouth, completely ignoring the fact that she was in her usual twelve-year-old body, and her mouth wasn't that big.

"So I was making a chocolate mousse, and suddenly it tasted completely different from what I was used to," Harry continued, completely ignoring the fact that Artie's mouth was bigger on the inside. "So I started tasting different bars of chocolate, and then decided I was going to make my own when they all tasted… not like how I expected them to taste."

"Commercial chocolate isn't always of the best quality," Artie offered, checking out the container to see if she'd missed some crumbs. She hadn't, and looked disappointed.

"I programmed the Simulator for a grove of cacao trees," Harry explained, "with a varity of trees and soils and stuff. Did you know that cacao, despite being the same species, will taste completely different from region to region?"

Artie nodded like an obedient schoolgirl. "I did know that, yes," she said, causing Harry to grin at her. Of course a chocolate addic – aficionado – would know that.

"I created my own blend from a variety of sources, then manually processed them into chocolate. I used the cacao pulp to help flavor it instead of using sugar," Harry said. "Hestia said it was very good, but sometimes I have the suspicion she's trying to save my feelings, you know? So I wanted your expert opinion."

"It is the best mortal chocolate I have ever had. It is better than most divine chocolate I ever had," Artie stated with conviction.

"Thanks, Artie," Harry said, with relief. "I'm glad you liked it."

The Goddess nodded, then looked disappointed at Zoë. "Your reaction, however, old friend, was quite underwhelming. I am quite disappointed in you for not recognizing this delicious chocolate for what it is."

Zoë looked uncomfortable. "While I do appreciate a good chocolate, My Lady, I am not the connoisseur that you are. My apologies."

"I should give you lessons," Artie said, as if thinking to herself. Zoë looked like she would rather be doing something – anything – else.

"Yes, My Lady," she replied, regardless of her feelings. Her tone made those feelings perfectly clear, however.

"You need to learn to appreciate the good things in life, old friend," Artie said.

"Yes, My Lady," Zoë replied on the exact same tone as before.

Artie merely looked amused at her Lieutenant, who did her best to present a poker face. Harry shuffled, suddenly uncomfortable. He hadn't thought his chocolate would trigger a discussion like this.

"I should leave," he said. "Maybe do some more experiments in the kitchen."

"Excellent idea," Artie decided, obviously thinking he was going to bring her more chocolate.

He offered her a smile, then gave Zoë a hopeful, supportive look. Artie's Lieutenant returned a smile easily, which removed all of Harry's misgivings. Apparently, they'd just been teasing each other and Harry hadn't picked up on it.

Feeling relieved, he left the tent and walked back to the camp's fire, ready to return home to Hestia's temple.

0000

Harry looked at Percy, both of them seated on a rocky outcropping along the river that ran through the forest at Camp Half-Blood. The spot was near to where Percy had fought Clarisse at the Capture the Flag game where the Hellhound had appeared. His probability instincts had warned him that he should be at camp, and Harry had assumed it had something to do with inviting Percy to the trip to Finland.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Definitely," Percy replied. "Stumbling through the woods looking for Bigfoot? Not really my thing, man."

Harry shrugged, now no longer sure that his instincts had anything to do with the Son of Poseidon, and wondering what else he was supposed to do at camp. Sometimes, his probability instincts made no sense at all. "Too bad, it'd have been fun to have you along," he said, drawing his attention back to the here and now.

Percy snickered. "So you keep telling me," the Son of Poseidon teased. "This makes what? Half a dozen times that you've tried to convince me?"

"Because I think you'd have fun," Harry answered easily. "But, I know when to take 'no' for an answer, just know that the offer's there when you change your mind."

"You mean 'if'," Percy teased.

"If, when, whatever," Harry breezily waved it off, ignoring the fact that Athena would glare one of her infamous glares at him for the impreceision.

The other demigod chuckled. "Whatever you say, man," he said. "Say, I hear some interesting rumors about your summer. Did you really get into a fight to the death with some Egyptian Goddess?"

Harry snorted. "This is why you shouldn't listen to rumors, Percy," he tried – and failed – to impart wisdom. "We gambled, and it wasn't life or death, it was about my servitude. In the end, she didn't know I was the Son of Tyche, so I walked away from the gambling table with a stack of precious metal and enhanced senses."

Percy snickered. "And you wonder why I keep saying 'no' when you ask me to go into the woods with you," he teased.

Harry playfully nudged Percy's arm with his elbow. Percy nudged him back. Harry nudged him harder. Percy nudged back harder.

Five minutes later, two demigods were having a friendly tussle, when a pair of feet appeared in their field of vision. "Ahem," the owner of the feet coughed. The two boys looked up, ankles, shins, knees, thighs, hips, torso, head – hey, it was Luke!

"Hey Luke!" Harry cheerfully greeted as he tried to exfiltrate himself from Percy's grip.

"Hi Luke!" Percy greeted, just as cheerfully, while trying to exflitrate himself from Harry's grip. They managed after a few seconds, and got to their feet.

"I was looking for Percy, but having you here helps," the Son of Hermes said amicably, holding up a six-pack of coca-colas. "Drinks are on me!"

"Woop!" Harry cheered. As nice as Hestia was, she also insisted on a healthy diet, and sodas usually weren't a part of that, so he rarely got to enjoy one.

"Thanks, man!" Percy said, gratefully accepting his own can.

Luke grinned. "De nada," he said, sitting down on the same rock the tussling duo had abandoned earlier. They all took seat in the shaded spot and looked over the tranquil creek as it meandered through the forest.

"I know better than to ask this of you, Harry," Luke finally began, before looking at Percy. "Do you ever miss being on a quest?"

Harry crossed his arms. He had only been on the one quest, the rest was just trouble finding him, that's all!

Percy replied snarkily and sarcastically, just as Harry has expected. "What? With monsters on my tail behind every turn? You kidding?"

Luke managed to raise an eyebrow before Percy continued. "Of course I miss it. Especially with superman here providing transportation and logistics."

Luke looked like he'd swallowed something sour. "Yes, I heard the story of the quest. You definitely lucked out there."

"Next time you're surrounded by a pack of Hellhounds, I'm only saving Grover, Annabeth and Thalia," Harry said, theatrically looking away.

"Good point," Luke said. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry grinned at him. A grin that was returned, but there was something… ephemeral… to it that made Harry's probability instincts ping. Something was wrong here. From the look on Percy's face, the Son of Poseidon seemed to be noticing it too.

Deciding that a change of topic was in order, Harry indicated Luke's new sword that was seated in a scabbard at his hip. "New sword?"

Luke smiled, and it was more genuine this time. He drew the blade, and immediately Harry noticed that it was different from most other weapons; it was made from two disparate metals, with both edges sharpened.

"It's called 'Backbiter'," Luke stated, proudly. "One side is celestial bronze, for immortals and monsters. The other side is tempered steel – for mortals."

Harry nodded. "Mortals are just as – if not more – dangerous than monsters," he said, remembering his past.

Percy looked unconvinced. "Sometimes you need to defend yourself offensively," Harry said. "I can see the utility in it." He most carefully didn't mention the fact that Godslayer was made from a blend of metals, a blend that worked on anything that would hurt him.

Luke grinned at Harry. "That's why I like you, Harry. You don't subscribe to this stupidity of 'a hero should not harm mortals'."

Harry grinned back. "It's why I'm no hero. I just do what's required."

Percy still looked unconvinced as the Son of Hermes sheathed his weapon. For a moment they all sat in silence, Luke looking like he was brooding on something.

"How about you?" Percy asked. "Do you miss being on a quest?"

Luke looked like he'd drank straight vinegar, his face twisting into something ugly. Both Harry and Percy realized that something was definitely amiss with the Son of Hermes. He no longer looked like the handsome Son of the God of Thieves. His blonde hair looked gray in the diffused light of the forest, and the scar on his face suddenly looked deeper and murkier than normal.

He looked old.

"I've lived at Half-Blood hill year-round since I was fourteen," Luke finally said. "Ever since… superman… brought me to camp."

Harry's face twitched.

"That's going to stick, just so you know," Luke said, on a tone that should have been cheerful but sounded threatening instead. "Anyway. I trained, and trained, and trained. I didn't get to be a normal teenager, out in the real world, experiencing real things."

Harry felt for Luke, realizing all of a sudden that the older boy was recounting the lives of everyone who stayed at camp year-round. He swallowed. And of himself. Luke was telling his story, too. He was quite aware that he didn't have a normal childhood, either.

"And then," Luke continued without realizing the turmoil he'd pushed Harry into, "they throw me a quest, and when I come back, it was like 'okay, ride's over. Have a nice life'." In a fit of anger, the older demigod crushed his empty coke-can and pitched it into the creek.

Percy looked shocked at the blatant act of littering. Harry, instead of shock, felt anger. Nature was his refuge, his place to get away from everything and everybody, a place to heal when he needed it. Seeing it littered just angered him.

With a snap-motion of his hand, he pulled the crushed can out of the creek. "When in nature, leave nothing but footprints," Harry snapped, stuffing it in his Hammerspace pocket for later disposal.

Luke ignored him. "To hell with laurels and trophies," the Son of Hermes continued. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty relics in the attic of the Big House."

Harry was confused, but Percy seemed to know what was going on, so he let it go. Instead, the Son of Poseidon turned back to Luke.

"You sound like you're leaving," Percy said.

"Oh, I'm leaving alright," Luke said. "Right now, in fact. I'd hoped to get you alone, but getting superman here at the same time is just plain luck." He snapped his fingers, and two small fires burnt a hole in the ground.

Harry instinctively recoiled from those fires; there was something alien and unnatural about them, something that both disgusted and terrified his Hestia-given boon.

Out of each pit crawled something black, about the size of a hand.

Scorpions.

"I wouldn't," Luke cautioned Percy when the Son of Poseidon went for his sword-pen. "Pit scorpions can jump 15 feet." he slowly stood up and brushed his pants off.

"You," Percy accused, trying desperately to keep his eyes both on the scorpions and Luke.

"Impossible," Harry said. "You cleared yourself under the influence of Hestia's Lasso!"

Luke chuckled. "Oh, Harry, Harry, Harry. So much trust in the gods, and so little common sense." The older boy turned fully toward Harry, who continued to ignore the pit scorpions. He'd seen and faced worse than scorpions. "You can't confess to something you don't recall, silly boy."

Harry blinked. Luke continued, "It's so easy when you know in advance what will happen. When Chiron put out the call, I realized what was happening. Don't you recall that it took a couple of hours to round me up? What do you think I was doing during those hours?"

Luke's lips twisted in an ugly smile. "It's so easy to temporarily remove memories, especially when you have… contacts."

Harry clenched his fists. "Traitor," he whispered, feeling angry and betrayed but managing to keep a lid on his emotions.

Luke ignored him and looked both boys over. "I saw a lot, out there, in the outside world. Don't you feel it? The gathering darkness, the monsters that keep growing stronger?"

He started pacing, but kept an eye on both boys, both wearily trying to watch both him and the scorpions. The Son of Hermes continued, "All the heroics, the lives lost, the blood that is shed. Pawns to the gods – they should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they hung on thanks to our sacrifices."

"Those are our parents," Percy managed to grind out, and Harry's respect for the Son of Poseidon grew. He certainly wasn't able to form a coherent response right there and then, feeling too much like burying Godslayer in Luke's chest for his blasphemy against Hestia. The other gods could take care of themselves, but Luke was talking about overthrowing Hestia – and that was an insult that Harry could and would not forgive or forget.

Luke laughed at Percy's declaration. "And that's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western Civilization' is a disease! It's killing the world, and the only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground. Let's start over with something more honest."

Harry drew a breath. Before he could say anything, Percy beat him to the punch. "You're as crazy as Ares." Harry wanted to defend his combat teacher, but kept quiet. This wasn't the time.

"Ares is a fool who didn't realize who he was serving. I'd explain it to you if there was time, but I'm afraid that neither of you will live that long," Luke replied. "Too bad. I liked you, Harry. I thought you had the right attitude. But then you had to turn to one of them."

"You mean Hestia?" Harry ground out as the scorpion spider-crawled up his leg, trying to buy time in an effort to find a way out.

Percy seemed to have the same idea. "You're serving Kronos," he accused. The air cooled.

"You should be careful with names," Luke said with a twisted grin.

"Kronos got you to steal the Master Bolt, and the Helm of Darkness. He spoke to you in your dreams," Percy said, still stalling for time.

Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too. You should have listened."

Percy scoffed. "He's brainwashed you."

"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up," Luke said, bitterly.

"You could have just asked," Harry grunted. "Miss Hera isn't as bad as people make her out to be."

"And get cursed!?" Luke snarled. "You're an idiot, Harry. I can't believe I ever thought you'd make a great ally."

Harry balled his fist.

"That's not an easy quest," Percy said, distracting the Son of Hermes. "Hercules did it."

"Exactly," Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this." He pointed angrily at his scar. "And, when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."

"I know you're the Son of Hermes," Harry said, determined to keep Luke talking. Like a James Bond villain, the older boy was monologuing, and you never interrupted those. "But stealing is wrong. You should have known better!"

"Son of the God of Thieves, idiot," Luke snapped at Harry.

The scorpions had climbed up to the knees of both Percy and Harry, staring up with their glittering eyes.

Percy spoke, his voice barely wavering, which impressed Harry but also revealed that the Son of Poseidon was feeling the stress. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"

Luke's smile wavered. "I...I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt. Artemis, Apollo, and my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence. Of course, Zeus closed Olympus soon after, and we returned to camp." Luke swallowed. "When the call came to return to clear our names, I put two and two together. Kronos wiped my memory – temporarily – using a potion. He told me what to put in it, how to brew it. I cleared myself. My memories returned, but for the life of me, I can't recall what went in it."

Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterward, the Lord of the Titans...h-he punished me with nightmares. And, there are gaps… gaps in my memory. I don't know what memories are gone. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half- Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way, from Ares down to Tartarus."

"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest," Percy accused.

"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."

"The flying shoes were cursed," Percy stated. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus. If Harry hadn't been there to save Grover…"

"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. And Harry messed up everything when he went blow-for-blow with Kronos. And held his own." The Son of Hermes sounded like he still couldn't believe that happened. He shook his head, as if to shake loose any thoughts and ideas.

Luke refocused on the here and now, and looked down at the scorpions, which were now sitting on the thighs of both demigods. "You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. And Harry – damn you to Tartarus anyway. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friends to set things right."

"You're being used!" Harry snapped before Percy could.

"I'm being used!?" Luke demanded. "What about you? Both of you? What have your parents ever done for you?"

"Hestia saved my life. And my mom got cursed by Zeus for trying to help me," Harry stated, calmly and coldly furious.

"Which is why I thought you'd make a good ally," Luke replied. "But, that goddess has you under her thrall. None of it matters. Kronos will rise. You've only delayed is plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest. The ones who serve him."

"That's not being strong. That's being a sycophant," Harry said.

"He's right. Call off the bugs," Percy said. "If you're so strong, fight us yourself."

Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

Percy and Harry shared a look, knowing the conversation was at an end and both realizing what was coming. Immediately, Harry mentally built a body-bind spell, threw Shen at it, and cast it on Luke. The older boy's eyes grew big as his arms and legs snapped together and he toppled over.

Harry materialized Godslayer and swiped at the scorpion; it dodged by indeed jumping 15 feet.

Next to him, Percy swiped the scorpion off his leg with the back of his hand and uncapped his pen to turn it into Anaklusmos – the sword known as Riptide. The scorpion jumped back at Percy, and he bisected it in mid-flight.

Harry turned toward Luke, and immediately felt like he'd been shot in the middle of his back. He spun around, and killed the scorpion that had just jumped at his back and was now on the ground. His mithril chainmail shirt had saved his life.

From the corner of his eye, he caught movement and spun around once more; evidently The Overlook Hotel had trained him well in situational awareness, as he brough up Godslayer and caught Luke's downward slash with Backbiter.

"You really do ruin everything," Luke accused, before a nasty smile appeared on his face. Harry glared at him, unwilling to ask how the Son of Hermes had managed to defeat the body-bind that quickly.

Luke's nasty smile turned nastier. "Surprised?" he asked, fishing a necklace from beneath his shirt. "Lord Kronos gave it to me, he knew I'd need an equalizer. Apparently, it just needs a few seconds."

Harry ignored Luke's gloating, and ignited Godslayer's plasma mode. He was determine to cut his opponent's blade in half, only to blink with surprise when Backbiter's celestial bronze half blocked the weapon.

"Celestial bronze. It doesn't melt that easily," Luke said, going from gloating to anger now that it seemed that Harry was going in for the kill. He started a complicated series of movements.

Luke really was an outstanding warrior, and Harry could feel his opponent's weapon slam into his side with the energy of a baseball bat. For the second time in just as many minutes, his silversteel mail shirt saved his life.

"What the-" Luke managed, seeing Harry's clothes torn and cut, but Harry's body covered with shiny mithril links underneath.

Harry didn't give his opponent the satisfaction of a reply, and asked Godslayer to add both Chimera and Hydra venom to its plasma state. He hoped silently that leaving the acids out of the equation would keep his blade intact.

Luke's eyes widened at the slash that came at him, and blocked using Backbiter – the mortal steel side, the side he'd used to try and bisect Harry with.

Godslayer cheerfully carved through the mortal half of the blade, only to be stopped by the back of the celestial bronze side. "NO! Do you have any idea what you've DONE!?" Luke raged.

Before he could reply, Harry heard a soft voice.

"Harry. Help," Percy managed. Harry risked a look; his friend's hand was swollen, red, and oozing yellow pus. He'd stumbled to the water, in the hopes that his father's gifts would help heal him.

It didn't seem to have worked, and Percy was now sagging to the ground.

"What'll it be? Kill me or save Percy?" Luke asked, already pulling half his sword back. Harry growled and turned away, completely dismissing Luke and delivering the gravest of insults by showing him his back. At the same time, he strained his senses, sight and mostly hearing, for any kind of backstab from the Son of Hermes.

Luke snarled at the insult, swung the remains of his sword and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

Harry pulled Percy over his shoulder. If Poseidon's gift of healing didn't help, there wasn't anything Harry with his limited first-aid abilities would be able to do. "We need to get you to camp," he whispered, casting some magic to help lighten Percy. "I'll be running. Hold on."