Soul of Olympus

Chapter Twenty

IT TOOK ALL FOUR OF THEM to hold back the satyr. 

"Whoa, Coach!" Jason said. 

"Yeah, bring it down a few notches, old man." Ariadne added. 

A younger man charged into the room. Jason guessed he must be Lit, the old guy's son. He was dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said corn-huskers, 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 it wasn't also sliced up. Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat, and stalked toward him, swinging his sword overhead. 

"Hold on!" 

Piper stepped forward, 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 Hedge was screaming,

 "I'll get them! Don't worry!"

"Coach," Jason pleaded, "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. "Just one thwack?"

"No," Ariadne stated.

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

"No!" Piper insisted.

"Meh." Coach Hedge lowered his club.

Araidne gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile, while Piper glared at the coach. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day-old clothes, AJ looked extremely cute, and Jason felt a little jealous she was giving Lit that smile. 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."

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed.

 "Well, since you're here. Please, sit down."

Lit frowned. "Your Majesty—"

"No, no, it's fine, Lit," the old man said. "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 King Midas."

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

They were sitting on the sofas now, while the king reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and Jason kept worrying the old guy would forget and uncross his legs. Hopefully he was wearing golden boxers under there. Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at AJ and Piper while flexing his muscular arms just to be annoying. Jason wondered if he looked ripped holding a sword. Sadly, he doubted it. Piper sat forward. 

"What our satyr friend means, Your Majesty, is that you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago."

"Interesting." 

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