I stared blankly at the cup sitting in front of me.
After… well, everything, getting the chance to sit down and relax should’ve been nice. I’d gotten a hot shower and a change of clothes. Mr. Strada had even made me a cup of hot chocolate and told me to take it easy after I introduced myself.
The little back room in the church he’d brought me to was small, but it had a homey feel to it.
All in all, it should’ve been the perfect way to de-stress.
But I kind of hated it because it gave me space to think.
And there were a lot of things I didn’t want to think about right now.
The crack of a neck snapping echoed in my ears.
My nails dug into my palms.
No.
They weren’t dead. Just gone for a little while.
“Are you feeling alright?” Mr. Strada asked as he stepped into the room.
“Yeah…” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
He was holding a tray with a few small sandwiches on it. My stomach grumbled at the sight.
Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.
Mr. Strada seemed to notice, because he quickly placed the tray down on the small table in front of me. “Help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
I grabbed one and dug in.
The towering priest simply smiled as I proceeded to devour the entire tray. A comfortable silence settled over the room, and Mr. Strada seemed content to let me eat.
But I had too many questions to let the chance slip by.
“Is, uh, Mr. Shotgun gonna be okay?”
“Brother Andrew has some minor injuries, but he will make a full recovery with a few weeks of rest,” Mr. Strada replied with amusement. “He has you to thank for that, young Percy. Again, you have my gratitude for saving his life.”
“Uh, it’s no problem.” I scratched my head. “Anyone would’ve stepped in if they could.”
“Humility is a fine virtue, young man, but one should also accept credit for one’s deeds when they can,” Mr. Strada chuckled. “Besides, I doubt just anyone could have pulled off such a throw under pressure. Your little trick with the water was quite impressive as well. I do wonder where you learned it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Should I be answering that?
I wasn’t sure how things worked in this “moonlit” world Loki had mentioned, but I’d seen enough police dramas to know you weren’t supposed to just spill the beans.
The smart thing to do was probably say nothing. I didn’t want to risk telling some huge secret to a crazy guy.
But… on the flip side, did I really have anything to lose?
There probably wasn’t anyone better for me to talk to about this. Plus, I got that same overwhelming feeling of power from him that I’d gotten when I met Loki, but weirdly enough, I couldn’t imagine Vasco Strada ever hurting me.
“Uh, it’s a long story,” I said. “And it’s a bit weird.”
“Trust me.” Mr. Strada gave a small snort. “I’ve heard it all.”
“Well, basically…”—
It felt good to actually talk about all the crazy stuff I’d dealt with.
Having someone acknowledge it instead of dismissing me felt like a godsend. The fact that I was talking to an actual priest made it a nice bit of irony too.
Was this what confession felt like?
I could see the appeal.
Still, as nice as it was to have someone to talk to, I kept my mouth shut about a couple of things. The Questboard and my encounter with Loki both seemed like things I shouldn’t spread around. So I kept those parts vague, and thankfully, Mr. Strada didn’t press me for answers.
“I see.” Mr. Strada wore a hard stare as I finished telling my story. For a second, I was half worried he was going to punch something in anger before he let out a long sigh. “You’re a strong young man, Percy.”
“Obviously not strong enough.”
The memory of running for my life an hour ago was still pretty damn clear.
“Strength of character is a mighty thing, Percy.” Mr. Strada placed a hand on my shoulder. “Never let anyone tell you otherwise. In a world like ours, you’ll find that too few have the heart to do good the way you have.”
“Thanks.” I ducked my head. It was weird getting praised instead of berated. “But I’d like to hear more about this ‘world’ of ours you’re talking about. Monsters are real, and one of them called me a demigod. Which should obviously mean…”
“Gods,” Mr. Strada said with a nod. “I don’t wish to lie to you, Percy, so I will be frank. It is not a business I believe a young man like you should involve himself in.”
“A little too late for that,” I replied bitterly. “They made it my business, and from what it sounds like, plenty of other kids too.”
Grover and Mom had been talking about some camp, so there had to be others like me.
Mr. Strada kept silent at that as he leaned back in his chair.
“…The basics, then,” Mr. Strada muttered before shaking his head. “You might’ve already guessed it, Percy, but yes. Gods are real, and with them, very nearly everything humanity has ascribed to legend.”
I blinked at that answer.
“Wait… all of it? Even…” I waved a hand around the church.
“Yes.” Mr. Strada chuckled as he touched the cross around his neck. “Even Him.”
Okay, finding out God was real was not on my bucket list.
“Vampires?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Unfortunately… yes.”
“Wow.” I racked my brain for every crazy legend I could remember. “The Loch Ness Monster?”
Mr. Strada blinked and scratched his cheek. “I’m… actually not sure about that one. Scotland is home to many a monster, so something may have inspired the legend.”
“What about—”
A raised hand stopped me short.
“While I would love to answer all your questions, Percy, there is one question I feel we should answer first.” Mr. Strada looked me straight in the eye. “Do you have anywhere to go?”
“…”
“I see.” Mr. Strada frowned.
“I can figure something out,” I said. “…Probably.”
“If you have nowhere else to go,” Mr. Strada said carefully, “would you like to come back with me to Italy? I will not be remaining in the States for long. There is a foster home nearby that I help oversee, and I could always use the help.”
“That’s…”
[Quest Received!]
My eyes widened as the notification appeared.
[Exorcist Path]
You’ve garnered the gratitude of Vasco Strada, one of the strongest humans alive. Widely acknowledged as one of the most preeminent exorcists and Holy Sword wielders in the Church’s history, there is no better teacher to learn the secrets of being an exorcist from.
Study the ways of Exorcism and become an acknowledged exorcist.
Reward:
[The Blessed]
|Rare|
You become a genius at wielding the Holy Power of God. Channeling it comes as naturally as breathing, allowing you to forge holy weapons and develop entirely new ways to wield it.
Unlocks the quests [Inheritor of Durandal], [Search for the Grail], and [Revival of ???]
Warning: Completing certain quests may disqualify you from others.
That was a lot to unpack.
I knew Mr. Strada was strong, but potentially one of the strongest humans alive? That didn’t sound like a title I could ignore.
Plus, the reward seemed pretty good too. I wasn’t sure what Holy Power was, but if it was what let him punch like a truck, sign me up.
Getting more quests was also a good thing. The stronger I got, the better chance I had of completing the final quest and bringing them back.
Now… if only it weren’t for that last line.
“Percy?” Mr. Strada said worriedly.
Not the best time to get lost in my head.
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “It’s just… a lot.”
“I understand.” Mr. Strada nodded as he stood. “Take your time, Percy. Perhaps get a breath of fresh air. Even should you choose not to come with me, I’ll make sure you have a place to stay at the very least.”
“Thanks, I mean it.”
Mr. Strada gave me a small smile before leaving the room.
I just stared at the floor because I had no idea what to do.
Following Mr. Strada seemed like the obvious choice, but… I needed to deal with the gods.
I had to. If I wanted to bring them back.
And I couldn’t imagine Mr. Strada letting me do that. Figures I’d get potentially one of the nicest and best teachers ever, the one time I didn’t need it.
I threw my hands up and left the little back room. It was built a little apart from the main church, so I went through a side door and came out into a small courtyard. There was a water fountain nearby and a little garden tucked off to the side.
There was a stone bench sitting right between the two, so I plopped myself down onto it.
A couple of ducks were pattering around in the water, and there was even a fox sitting at the edge of the garden.
“Follow him, don’t follow him, follow him, don’t…” I raised both hands and weighed the choices. Learning from Mr. Strada would probably be safe, and I could gain a lot from it.
But… I’d have to leave and spend who knew how long trying to become an exorcist. Plus, I’d lose my chance to earn Loki’s favor and the reward from his quest.
But if I couldn’t become strong enough to deal with gods in the first place, how was I supposed to herald the new age?
“Dammit.” I kicked one of the stones hard.
The noise startled the ducks, and they quickly took off into the sky.
“My, my. It seems you’ve gotten yourself into quite the dilemma, haven’t you?” a squeaky voice said.
My eyes snapped up to find the fox sitting in front of me, the familiar scent of ash and smoke wafting from its form.
“Loki!?” I nearly stumbled off the bench.
“In the flesh,” the fox said as it licked its paws.
“…You’re a fox, though?”
Despite lacking a human face, I could tell he was looking at me like I was an idiot.
“Gods are not bound to forms as strictly as you mortals are.” Loki rolled his eyes as he jumped up onto the bench beside me. “Best you learn not to impose your silly mundane sensibilities onto gods.”
“…Okay,” I said. “Why are you here?”
“How rude. I come to congratulate you for a task well done, and this is how you treat me?” The fox scoffed. “I’ve half a mind to forgo your little reward. A pity, as I quite enjoyed how you played that old lizard and even managed to lure that brutish dog of the church into doing your dirty work.”
[Quest Achieved!]
Now it was completed?
Why?
Was it the favor part, or did I need to meet Loki again for it to finish?
No, I could figure that out later.
This was perfect. I could finish Loki’s quest and then leave with Mr. Strada.
“What’s the reward?” I asked.
“Oh, have I got your attention now?” the fox smirked. “Fine. Be grateful, because I bestow upon you the grand favor of gifting you some wonderful news, Percy Jackson.”
Doubt it.
Not like I had much to look forward to these days.
The fox stared at me with a devious grin, a chittering laugh spilling from his mouth.
“Your mother is alive.”