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𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍!

𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃!
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄
𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐃!
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IT TOOK THREE OF THEM TO HOLD THE COACH BACK. Charlie's help would've been nice, but not only was she injured, but completely unbothered, watching the goat try attack with an amused smile on her face. ''Whoa, Coach!'' Jason said. ''Bring it down a few notches.'' Charlie wanted to complain about it, but she was interrupted by another guy running into the room.

He must've been Lit, the old guy's son. He was dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said CORNHUSKERS, and he held a sword that looked like it could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly dark hair, would've been handsome if not for the countless scars that adorned his face. That's what the others thought anyway, Charlie appreciated the scars quite a lot.

Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason, like he was the biggest threat, and stalked towards him, swinging his sword overhead. ''Hold on!'' Piper stepped forwards, trying for her best calming voice. ''This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine.'' Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary.

It didn't help that Coach was still screaming, ''I'll get them! Don't worry!''

''Coach,'' Jason pleased, ''They may be friendly. Besides, we're trespassing in their house.''

''Thank you!'' Said the old man in the bathrobe. ''Now, who are you, and why are you here?''

''Let's all put our weapons down,'' Piper said. ''Coach, you first.''

Hedge clenched his jaw and is was then that Charlie figured something was up. Coach might've been a bit hot-headed, and her friend Grover might've been a scardey-goat, but normally it was for good reason. They could smell monsters and sense things that not even she could pick up on. ''Just one thwack?''

''No,'' Piper said.

''What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologise.''

''No!'' Piper insisted.

''Meh.'' Coach Hedge lowered his club.

Piper gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day old clothes, she looked really cute. Charlie wondered if Lit would still think that if he had heard how loud she snores.

Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. ''You speak well, girl — fortunately, for your friends, or I would've run them through.''

''Appreciate it,'' Leo said. ''I try not to get run through before lunchtime on most days.''

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed. Charlie held her breath, but he didn't seem to realise that a cup was missing. ''Well, since you're here. Please, sit down.''

''Well, I couldn't stand even if I wanted to, but thanks I guess.''

Lit frowned. ''Your majesty—''

''No, no, it's fine, Lit,'' the old man said, waving his hand in dismissal. ''New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities.'' He did his best to smile, though it looked a little forced. ''Welcome to my humble home. I am Kind Midas.''

''Midas? Impossible,'' said Coach Hedge, ''He died.''

Charlie propped herself up on her elbows. ''Don't be rude, Coach.'' She turned to the King. ''Forgive him, sir, he can be a fool at even the greatest of times. And I wouldn't worry about your clothing choice, you look as magnificent as I'm sure you would in your royal dress, your majesty.'' She nodded her head in a low nod. ''I would bow, but you'll have to excuse me on this occasion.''

Was it a bad idea to point out she was injured in a potential threat? Most definitely, but if Charlie had read them right, and if they really were the Midas she suspected they were, lowering her guard would mean that they lower theirs. If she could get the both of them to think she wasn't a threat, it might buy her time and get them to lower their own. Besides, she had used a formal tone, that was sure to get her friends, or at least her, on his good side.

They were sitting on the sofas now, while the King reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and Charlie kept wincing every time he fidgeted, worried he would uncross his legs. Hopefully, he was wearing golden boxers under there.

Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at them all and flexing his muscular arms, just to be annoying.

Piper sat forwards. ''I agree, sire. We must be confused, you see, King Midas lived thousands of years ago.''

''Interesting.'' The King gazed out the windows, at the brilliant blue skies, and the winder sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children's blocks — way too clean and small for a regular city.

''You know,'' the King said, ''I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?''

''A very long dream, your majesty.''

''And yet, now we're here. I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better.''

''But how?'' Piper asked. ''You didn't happen to have a... patron?''

Midas hesitated, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that let Charlie know everything she needed to. ''Does it matter, my dear?''

Charlie needed to sit up, now. She needed to— she bit her lip, holding in a grunt as to not alert them of what she was doing. A little bit of exercise couldn't hurt. Besides, she could always take more ambrosia later.

''We could kill him again?'' Hedge suggested, keeping his eyes trained on the King, afraid that if he were to even glance in Charlie's direction, he'd give it all away.

''Coach, not helping,'' Jason said. ''Why don't you go outside and stand guard?''

Leo coughed. ''Is that safe? They've got some serious security.''

''Oh, yes,'' the king said. ''Sorry about that. We had a near break-in, a few weeks ago now, was it? But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!''

He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons — a pass code, Charlie guessed. She'd have to remember it.

''There,'' Midas said. ''Safe to go out now.''

Coach Hedge grunted, but he couldn't break character. ''Fine. But if you need me...'' His eyes wandered over to Charlie, making eye-contact for a split second before he moved on, winking at Jason meaningfully. Then, he pointed at himself, pointed the same one at their hosts, and then dragged it across his throat. Very subtle — if you didn't know the code.

Charlie got a different message.

''Yeah, thanks,'' Jason said.

After the satyr left, Piper tried another diplomatic smile and Charlie was sat up, almost crying at the pain. ''So... You don't know how you got here?''

''Oh, well, yes. Sort of,'' the king said. He frowned at Lit. ''Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather.''

''The oracle,'' Lit said.

''Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha.'' The king shrugged. ''Apparently, I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn't it? Lit — that's short for Lityerses, by the way — horrible name, but his mother insisted — Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the all days.''

Charlie couldn't wait to be called the 'Reaper of Reapers', it sounded pretty badass.

''Oh,'' Piper tried to be enthusiastic. ''How nice.''

Lit's smile was more of a cruel sneer.

''So,'' Jason said, clearing his throat as he shuffled to the edge of his seat. ''All this gold—''

The king's eyes lit up. ''Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!''

Jason looked at the brochures on the coffee table. The title said GOLD: INVEST FOR ETERNITY. ''Um, you sell gold?''

''No, no,'' the kind said. ''I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!''

Leo frowned. ''I've seen that commercial.''

''Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators!'' The king said. ''I assure you, I can best any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice.''

''But...'' Piper shook her head in confusion. ''Your majesty, did you not give up your golden touch?''

''Gave it up?'' The king looked astonished.

''Yes,'' Piper said. ''You got it from some god—''

''Dionysus,'' the king agreed. ''I'd rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch.''

''But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold,'' Piper remembered. ''And you realized how greedy you'd been. So you repented.''

''Repented!'' King Midas looked at Lit incredulously. ''You see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I'd lost my magic touch?''

''Oh, well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life.''

''That's all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents'' — he gestured towards the statues, not noticing that a raccoon replaced Charlie, a blanket drawn over him — ''But we chose to live next to a river, just in case. Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back—''

Lit retreated a few steps. ''I hate that.''

''I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?''

''Well...'' Piper looked truly lost now. Charlie couldn't step in to help, she'd give up her position, (behind the couch, where she had stopped for a breather). ''Isn't that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?''

Midas laughed. ''My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here.''

Piper hesitated, but she wasn't eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to golf, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still looked flexible and soft, but definitely still gold. The king tossed it back.

''As you see, I can still turn anything to gold,'' Midas said. ''That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead the different types of pathogen that can cause communicable diseases in plants and animal put your little spirit enemies in there.''

''Seriously?'' Leo was suddenly interested. He took the back from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. ''Gotta admit, that's pretty cool.''

''You see?'' Midas said. ''My golden touch, a curse? Please. I didn't learn any lesson, and life isn't a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue.''

''She talked a lot,'' Lit offered and rolled is eyes, and Charlie realised — with budding sadness — that she wasn't his type.

''Exactly! And so, I turned her back to gold.'' Midas pointed. There, in the corner, was a golden statue of a girl with a shocked expression, as if she were thinking, 'Dad!'

''That's horrible!'' Piper said.

''Nonsense. She doesn't mind. Besides, if I'd learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?'' Midas pulled off his oversized sleeping cap, and Charlie took a peek over the sofa's back, not knowing whether to laugh or throw up. Midas had long, fuzzy grey ears sticking up from his white hair — like Bugs Bunny, except they weren't bunny ears. They were donkey ears.

Charlie bit down on her lip, Fucking plot twist.

''Oh, wow,'' Leo said. ''I didn't need to see that.''

''Terrible, isn't it?'' Midas sighed. ''A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilá. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing.'' Midas pointed out another golden statue — a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. ''That's him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again.''

The king smiled. His eyes had a merry glow to them — the look of a man who knew he was and, and accepted his madness, enjoying it. Charlie needed a plan. ''Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh, Lit? To bankroll our patron.''

Lit nodded. ''That and my good sword arm.''

That spiked a small amount of interest within Charlie. Whilst she was sure she could easily defeat any man, she was still injured. She'd have to settle for maiming him, and hope that Piper finished him off instead of Jason — although, now that she thought about it, it would add to the enlarging backstory of Jason being a misogynist.

''So you do have a patron,'' Jason said. ''You work for the giants.''

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. ''Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all.''

Charlie had shuffled all the way over to a golden statue, carefully wiggling a golden throwing dagger out of a golden hand. ''The last group?'' She distantly heard Jason ask.

''Hunters,'' Lit snarled. ''Blasted girls from Artemis.''

''When? What happened?''

Lit shrugged. ''Few days ago? I didn't kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod — I don't recall.''

Midas scratched his donkey ears. ''Very unpleasant ladies, those Hunters,'' he recalled. ''They absolutely refused to be turned to gold. Much of the security system outside was installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors.

''Well,'' Piper said, managing a smile. ''It's been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thank's for the gold bag. We'll be seeing you later.''

''Oh, but you can't leave!'' Midas said. ''I know you're not serious investors, but that's all right! I have to rebuild my collection.''

Lit was smiling cuelly. The king rose. Charlie held her breath. Piper and Leo moved away. Lit rolled the fingers of his right hand, and Charlie knew.

''Don't worry, the king assured them. ''You don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice — join my collection, or die at the hands of Liyereses. Really, it's good either way.''

Charlie briefly wondered if he'd let her pick the pose.

Piper tried to use her charmspeak and that was when it all went wrong. ''Your majesty, you can't—''

Quicker than any old man should've been able to move, Midas lashed out and reached for her. There was a swoosh. Lit yelled in pain. A small dagger had dug itself right where the inside of his elbow was, making it painful to move. Midas' hand was wrapped around a wrist.

Charlie still had that irritating 'I'm better than you' smirk, even in death. She was on one foot, having lent far forward to be able to intercept in time. One arm was still wrapped around her own wrist, but the other was extended, fingers outreached. She had been the one to throw the dagger.

''Charlie!'' — ''No!'' — ''Shit!''

The three were so horrified that they couldn't move. Their friend — just gone. And none of them had been able to stop it.

In a spruge of rage and bravery, (and perhaps a little bit of idiocy), Leo lunged, mid-air he raised his palm, planning on burning the kings face into a golden puddle. And then he remembered. His fire didn't work, and just before he could jump backwards, the king lunged too, grabbing the edge of his shirt, fingers brushing against his collarbone. A frost of gold covered him in a heartbeat, and once the king release his clothing, he fell onto the floor with a metallic thud.

Midas smiled apologetically. ''Gold trumps fire, I'm afraid.'' He waved around him at all the gold curtains and furniture. ''In this room, my power dampens all others: fire... even charmspeak.'' He narrowed his eyes at Charlie's statue as he passed it in a slow, taunting strut. ''Sleight of hand, however, isn't magic, I'm afraid.''

Sleight of— the dagger. Jason understood what Charlie was trying to tell him. Lit had only just dug out the blade from his arm, blood gushing everywhere. She had weakened him for him. All he had to do was finish him off.

Jason grabbed Piper's wrist before the king could go for it again. He dragged her behind him so frantically, that she tripped and landed on her rear, but she was behind him and out of reach, so Jason would have to apologise later. ''I choose combat.'' His breathing had gotten heavier, the fight hadn't even started yet. ''You said I could choose to fight Lit instead.''

Midas looked slightly disappointed, but he shrugged. ''I said you could die fighting Lit. But, of course, if you wish.''

The king backed away and Lit raised his sword, Charlie's golden eyes seemed to gleam when he winced. ''I'm going to enjoy this,'' Lit said. ''I am the Reaper of Men!''

''Come on, Cornhusker.'' Jason summoned his own weapon. This time it came up as a javelin, and Jason was glad for the extra distance he'd be able to maintain.

Piper watched from the floor, stone faced and angrily rubbed her clenched fist against her cheek, glaring through blurred eyes. ''Run him through,'' she said, figuring the javelin was the perfect tool to do so. Suddenly, Piper was understanding all of the revenge genre films she had ever watched.

''Ooh, gold weapon, very nice!''

Lit charged.

The guy was fast. He slashed and sliced, and Jason could barely dodge the strikes, but his mind went into a different mode — analyzing patterns, learning Lit's style, which was all offense and no defense.

Jason countered, sidestepped, and blocked. Lit seemed surprised to find him still alive.

''What is this style?'' Lit growled, flexing his injured arm. ''You don't fight like a Greek.''

''Legion training,'' Jason said, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. ''It's Roman.''

''Roman?'' Lit struck again, and Jason deflected his blade. ''What is Roman?''

''News flash,'' Jason said. ''While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time.''

Charlie's voice in the back of his head, Don't tell the English that, followed by Leo's laughter, spurred him on.

''Impossible,'' Lit said. ''Never even heard of them.''

Jason spun on one heel, smacked Lit in the chest with the butt of his javelin, and sent him toppling into Midas's throne.

''Oh, dear,'' Midas said. ''Lit?''

''I'm fine,'' Lit growled.

''You'd better help him up,'' Jason said.

Lit cried, ''Dad, no!''

Too late. Midas put his hand on his son's shoulder, and suddenly a very angry-looking gold statue was sitting on Midas's throne.

''Curses!'' Midas wailed. ''That was a naughty trick, demigod. I'll get you for that.'' He patted Lit's golden shoulder. ''Don't worry, son. I'll get you down to the river right after I collect this prize.''

Midas raced forward, Jason dodged, but the old man was fast, too. Piper kicked the coffee table into the old man's legs and