CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
MONSTERS AND MEN

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COACH HEDGE'S TREE CLUB smacking against Kit's shoulder was not how he expected to wake up the next morning.

"What the fuck?" he groaned, clinging to the stinging patch of skin as he blinked confusedly around the room. "Who...?"

"Coach is awake," Leo informed him just a minute too late. He was grinning obliviously in the face of Kit's glare, a hand shrouding his eyes from the sun that bathed into the room from a nearby window.

"You don't say," muttered Kit through gritted teeth.

Leo went to respond but was interrupted by Gleeson swinging his club through a delicate china set that laid on the table. "Die," the satyr shouted, then whirled around to where Kit was sitting. He swung again, Kit narrowly dodging the hit as it landed on the cushion he'd been lounging on.

"Would you stop it?" he hissed like he was speaking to a toddler throwing a tantrum.

In response, Gleeson narrowed his eyes and raised his club higher.

"Coach," Jason shouted then, having been woken up by the yelling. He was clearly in some kind of sleepy daze, but was coherent enough to command Gleeson into silence.

If he'd slept another moment, Kit would've lost his head.

For a moment, Hedge's wild eyes tracked the room, searching for some kind of enemy. When nothing stood out, he turned to point his club at Jason's nose, glowering at him like he was a monster in disguise.

"You're the new kid. Jason."

When Jason merely raised his hands in surrender, his gaze flickered to Leo and Piper.

"Valdez, McLean, what's going on?" he demanded. "We were at the Grand Canyon. The anemoi thuellai were attacking, and--"

Kit made the slightest movement and almost immediately, Gleeson spun around and smacked his other shoulder with his club. "Die!"

"What is wrong with you?" Kit spluttered as both his shoulders throbbed. "It's me, Gleeson, it's Kit Dempsey."

Gleeson didn't respond, though, for he'd noticed the cage of storm spirits and was fully prepared for a fight. He surged forward, but much to Kit's surprise, Leo chose to step in his path.

"Whoa, Coach," he exclaimed, raising his hands to catch the club as it swung through the air. "It's okay! They're locked up! We just sprang you from the other cage..."

"Cage? Cage? What's going on?" he growled, teeth bared like a rabid animal. "Just because I'm a satyr doesn't mean I can't have you doing push-ups, Valdez."

Leo, affronted, turned to Jason with a stare that screamed 'wanna help me out here?' Jason looked like he wanted to do anything but; however, with Leo focusing on him, he didn't really have much of a choice.

"Coach... Gleeson... uh, whatever you want us to call you. You saved us at the Grand Canyon... you were totally brave."

Gleeson scoffed like that was obvious. "Of course I was."

"Then the extraction team came and took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we'd lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their... operator, Medea--"

Gleeson heaved in rage. "That witch. Wait -- that's impossible. She's mortal. She's dead..."

Leo let out a laugh, sounding amused at the thought. "Yeah, well, somehow she's not dead anymore."

For a tense moment, Hedge took in the information, club hanging limp at his side. Kit didn't dare get close in fear that Hedge would just see him and lose his shit again. That was the last thing they needed, especially in an unfamiliar place like this.

"So," he exclaimed at last, a strange tinge of pride appearing in his voice. Kit raised a skeptical brow, wondering what he was thinking. "You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!"

Kit failed to smother a snort. He hadn't expected that.

Piper shot him a pointed stare, shaking her head as Gleeson searched around for the source of the sound. Plastering on an uneasy smile, she cleared her throat, Gleeson raising a furry brow at her. "Um, actually, Glee--" She trailed off at the mention of Hedge's first name, wincing at the foreign nature of it. "Can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong." When Hedge just shrugged, unbothered, Piper continued. "We're on a quest for something else... We kind of found you by accident..."

"Oh..."

The sheer disappointment that twisted his features made Kit grin again. Perhaps he was so sleep deprived, he could laugh in the face of danger and not feel the least bit phased.

"But there are no accidents, not on quests," he defended, gathering up the last bits of his dignity so he could hold his head up high. "This was clearly meant to happen!" With that, he turned to observe the room, brows furrowing with faint confusion. "So, this is the witch's lair, eh? Why is everything gold?"

The question confused Kit. Gold? It didn't sound possible. But upon following Gleeson's gaze, he found the satyr wasn't kidding. Everything, from the pillow he'd been sleeping on to the velvet curtains, was a shimmering shade of gold. Not a single bit of furniture, even the floorboards, stood out among the hue.

Whistling appreciatively, Leo wandered up to Kit's side. "No wonder they got so much security."

For a moment, the five of them stood in amazed silence. Hedge picked up what would've been a wooden carving of a bird and chewed curiously on its head. Piper poked at a nearby cushion like she expected her own body to mould into the material. As for Kit... Kit had a very bad feeling, somewhat like recognition, and boy did it make him anxious. With Leo's weary eyes locked on his face, he crossed the room to strap his sword to his hip.

At last, Piper turned to address Hedge. "This isn't Medea's place, Coach," she murmured. "It's some rich person's mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here."

"It's destiny, cupcakes," Hedge reinforced. Kit highly doubted it. "I'm meant to protect you. So what's the quest?"

Kit was on alert the second he heard a pair of footsteps in the hallway that didn't belong to one of them. Ignoring Leo calling him back, he took a cautious step closer. At first, there was nothing, just the emptiness that followed one's presence. Then the door swung open and a round-bellied man came prowling out, a white robe tied around his torso and a golden toothbrush hanging from the corner of his mouth. In an instant, Kit had unsheathed his sword, the bronze blade stark against their completely golden surroundings.

"Son?" the unfamiliar man shouted the second he spotted Kit's weapon. "Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the Throne Room."

Throne Room. Kit's uneasy feeling worsened.

What kind of regular mortals had a throne let alone an entire room that was dedicated to it?

As Kit knew he would, Hedge was quick to attack at the sight of a potential threat. He swung his weapon like the whirling blades of a helicopter, shouting 'die!' over and over. In an instant, Leo and the others had latched onto him, their eyes wide and nervous.

Jason whirled around to Kit then, scoffing out, "A bit of help would be nice."

"Eh," Kit snickered, thoroughly amused by the red tint of exhaustion on the other boy's face. "I think I'm good right here."

Jason rolled his eyes and turned away. "Coach," he yelled at the satyr. "Why don't you bring it down a few notches?"

Hedge merely grunted and lurched at the man again, fruitless but foolishly hopeful. It was then that a younger man came charging into the room through the open door, his hair curly and dark, face scarred from what looked to be a dagger. His arms were lean but muscled, jaw sharp and angular. Kit would've found him attractive if he didn't have a sword in his hands.

The man, who Kit assumed was Lit, was quick to charge at him and Jason. Kit was prepared to go sword-to-sword with him, but Piper bravely stepped in the firing line before he could.

"Hold on," she exclaimed. "This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine!"

Piper's charmspeak was like a tidal wave. It washed over Lit, but as quick as it came, it returned to the ocean, leaving him glancing with uncertainty between his father and the brunette girl. To the right of him, Gleeson had stopped struggling against Leo and Jason, resorting to grumbling and baring his teeth at Lit and his father. The underlying threat was clear, forcing Jason to try and shout over him.

"Coach, they may be friendly. Besides, we're trespassing in their house."

At the reminder, the old man made a sound of triumph. "Thank you," he exclaimed, like he'd been waiting for someone to say it. "Now, who are you and why are you here?"

The tension in the air was almost visible. Kit hadn't lowered his sword, and neither had the old man's son. Gleeson was glaring at the duo like they'd murdered his firstborn, and Leo was panting with exhaustion from trying to hold him back. Jason and Piper looked caught in the middle, leaving a thoroughly messy situation to contend with. With great reluctance, Piper made the decision to step forward again, tucking her clammy hands into her pockets so that the old man and Lit wouldn't see them nervously shaking.

"How about we put our weapons down," she suggested, trying her best to sound calm when Lit turned his darkening gaze onto her. "Coach, you first."

Hedge pouted at the request. "Just one thwack?"

Piper's glower was enough of an answer.

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

Kit snorted at the same time as Piper's resounding 'no!' The sound made her whirl on him next, prompting Kit back a step.

"Now it's your turn," she said, eyes locked on the bronze blade. "Go on, Kit."

"Are you kidding?" he gaped at her incredulously. "Piper..."

"Go. On."

Kit's jaw clenched but he didn't argue, the sword clattering against the golden floorboards. Taking this as a sign of surrender, Lit sighed and sheathed his sword at his hip.

"You speak well, girl," he conceded. "Fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through."

Suddenly, Lit didn't seem so attractive. Perhaps it was his arrogance. Maybe, it was the fact their names rhymed, but Kit Dempsey did not like the look of this dude. Nor did he trust his father, who was yet to say much, too busy staring at his broken tea set with distaste.

"Well, since you're here," he sighed at last. "Please, sit down."

Lit frowned like the idea was ludicrous. "Your Majesty--"

"No, no, it's fine, Lit," the old man insisted as he waved him away. Kit watched him back up, struggling to put a name to the face that was becoming more and more distinct by the second. "New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. There's no sense in observing formalities."

The group watched as the man lowered himself into his throne. Kit hadn't noticed it in the dark, but it was almost impossible to miss in the early morning sunshine. Made out of pure gold and encrusted with jewels, Kit would've stopped to marvel at it had its owner not just introduced himself.

"Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas."

Well, fuck. Kit supposed it made sense, really, he'd heard the myths. But there was something about these important figures starting with the letter M. First Medea, now Midas. It would've been terrible luck if they both of them turned out to be monsters...

"Midas?" Hedge scoffed at the mention of the name. Midas raised an inquisitive brow, curious to hear what he had to say. "That's impossible. He died."

By then, everyone but Kit was laying around on the lounge opposite the throne. Leo had tried getting him to sit, but his body refused to budge from its spot guarding the trio of friends and Hedge. Every piece of him was on edge, watching and waiting, ready at a moment's notice. When Piper sat forward to address Midas and Lit, his body moved too.

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

To Kit, this so-called King looked amused. His face remained freakishly calm, unmoved by Piper's declaration bar the tiniest quirk of his lips. "Interesting," he muttered, as if he was seeing them in an entirely new light. "You know, I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's quite strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?"

Lit nodded like a dutiful soldier, head bowed low. "A very long dream, Your Majesty."

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

Kit rolled his eyes at that. "I think most of us do," he deadpanned. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how he looked at it, Midas didn't seem to hear him.

"But how?" Piper questioned from beside him. "You don't happen to have a... patron?"

Midas clearly hesitated with his answer, and that was everything that Kit needed to know on the matter. His hand itched to grab for his sword and run him right through before any chance of a Medea repeat happened.

"You know, we could kill them again," Hedge piped up with what he must've thought was a helpful suggestion. Kit had to smother a smirk as Jason frowned.

"Coach, you're not helping," the blonde boy huffed. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard?"

Hedge seemed all too eager, but Leo wasn't so sure. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security..."

For a brief instant, grief returned to Leo's face like someone had sucker-punched him. Sensing Kit's gaze on him, he looked up from the floor, shaking his head when the other boy raised an eyebrow. The grief went as soon as it came.

"Oh, yes, sorry about that," Midas chuckled as if the whole thing was one big joke. "But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country."

All too aware of their keen stares watching him, he reached into a pocket on his bathrobe and plucked out a tiny device that was no bigger than a remote control. Already gold from previous touches, he pressed a few buttons then shoved it away again, smiling with glee.

"There. Safe to go out now."

"Fine," Hedge muttered, though he paused to send Jason a meaningful glance as he added, "But if you need me..."

The message was clear from the second he pointed at Midas and Lit, then sliced a flinger from one side of his throat to the other like he was cutting open the skin. Kit snickered in amusement as Jason laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, thanks..."

Now that Hedge was gone, there was no need for Leo or Jason to restrain him. Something was still... off about Midas, in Kit's opinion. He had started to think that it was Hedge making things tense, but the old man (or was he a monster? Kit didn't know what to call him) had taken to lounging in his throne like the guiding hand at an execution. Lit paced behind his chair, brawn and no brain.

"So," Piper tried another diplomatic smile. If Kit could feel the charm-speak radiating from her, it would've been easy for Midas to pick up on it too. "You don't know how you got here?"

"Oh, well, sort of..." the King replied, but not before turning to frown at his son. "Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather."

At least that was something he and Kit could agree on.

"The oracle," Lit prompted, to which Midas' eyes gleamed.

"Aha! Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha. Apparently, I was mistaken, but this is a rather nice house, isn't it?" He waited, almost like he was expecting them to jump at the chance to agree with him. When they stayed silent, wary, he continued. "Lit -- it's short for Lityerses, by the way, a horrible name, but his mother insisted -- Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice for his swordplay. He has quite the reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days."

"Oh," Piper mumbled, caught somewhere between forced enthusiasm and terror. "That's nice..."

Kit, on the other hand, was almost positive he could take him and win. Perhaps it was over-confidence, but something about Lit's sneer kept rubbing him the wrong way.

Again, the furthest thing from attractive. Kit had to have been delirious when he thought that.

"So," Jason began, turning in a circle to analyse the room around them. "All this gold--"

Like an addict when his favourite drug is mentioned, Midas sat forward eagerly in his chair. "Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!"

Kit wasn't sure what he meant by the brochures that read Gold: Invest for Eternity and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out either. Especially after Jason asked if he sold gold and Midas laughed like it was some sort of inside joke between them.

"No, no," he said at last. "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 made a noise of recognition, frowning at the man. "I've seen that commercial..."

Midas scoffed. "Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators. I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice."

Now, that confused Kit. He could've sworn that the stories of Midas mention him choosing to give up the gold touch... maybe he was wrong, for when Piper questioned it, Midas let out a cackle.

"Gave it up?" he exclaimed, as if the idea was stupid and Piper should've known it.

Her face flushed. "Well, yes, you got it from some God--"

"Dionysus," Kit and Midas voiced at the same time. Midas regarded Kit for a moment, glancing from the harsh clench of his jaw to the sword lying at his feet. Eventually, he turned away, but Kit was left with the urge to raise his sword and run Midas through with it. Maybe Hedge was right about this; kill first, ask questions later.

"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 recalled, to which Midas nodded like the topic was no more important than the weather. "And you realised how greedy you'd been, so you repented..."

The last bit was news to Midas. He let out a snort, angling his head towards where Lit had stopped his pacing to gape at Piper. "Repented... you see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around." Piper went to protest but was silenced by an almost threatening wave of Midas' hand. Once again, Kit had to fight the urge to reach for his sword. "My dear girl, did those stories ever say I lost my magic touch?"

"Well, I guess not," Piper conceded. "They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water and you brought your daughter back to life..."

"And that's all true," Midas surprisingly agreed with her. "Sometimes, I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents, but we chose to live next to a river just in case."

Accidents... suddenly, the statues behind Midas' throne, the ones Kit hadn't even thought to spare a second glance at, seemed far from normal. They were real people, he realised. Victims of Midas captured in time. Kit's stomach twisted with a familiar feeling of horror. He wanted to run. Everything in him screamed they needed to get out of there. But his feet remained rooted in place, eyes locked on the shocked face of a girl who couldn't have been older than he was.

Midas continued on like he hadn't just admitted to... Kit didn't know what to call it. Murder? If he wanted to be technical, Midas was taking these people's lives by turning them into gold... "Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back--"

Lit shuddered at the reminder. "I hate that," he informed his dad with a bitter pout.

Midas sighed. "I told you I'm sorry, son. But at any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?"

"Isn't that the point of the story?" Piper muttered, looking utterly lost. She turned to the boys helplessly, but none of them knew what to say. Both Leo and Kit shrugged, Jason frowned like he was trying but failing to think of a way out. Something told them that Midas wasn't going to easily let go of four potential statues to add to his collection. "That you learned your lesson?"

Midas laughed, a hearty sound that had him throwing his head back. "My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here."

Piper hesitated. Kit wanted to tell her not to do it, to snatch the bag into his own hands, but with another dangerous gesture of impatience with Midas' hand, Piper was quick to cave. Holding the bag upside down, she let its contents spread out across the couch. Then, after making sure nothing important remained inside, she tossed it towards the King. He caught it with ease, smiling gleefully as the material re-stitched itself into a glistening golden hue. Pleased, he tossed it over to Kit, who caught it like he was holding a bomb. He gingerly passed it to Piper, whose eyes were wide, almost curious at the magic (or was it a curse?) they'd just witnessed.

"As you see, I can still turn anything into gold," Midas smirked, proud to see their stunned faces staring back at him with a growing sense of fear. "That pack is magic now, too. Go ahead. Put your little storm spirit enemies in there."

Kit didn't like how he knew so much about them, but no one else questioned it as Leo snatched the bag from Piper with sudden eagerness. He unzipped it, then turned towards the cage that shook with the intensity of the spirits' winds. The second the bag got close, the bars of the cage seemed to melt into mist. For a heart stopping second, Kit feared the spirits would escape, but like a magnet was calling to them, they flew straight into the pack. They didn't even fight as Leo zipped it shut. The boy in question grinned with amazement.

"I've gotta admit, that's cool," he breathed out.

Kit scowled, muttering with a low voice, "Cool is one word for it." Terrifying was another.

"You see?" Midas beamed. "My golden touch, a curse? Oh, 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."

The King spoke of his victims in past tense, like they were nothing more than a distant memory for him. To Midas, and now to Kit, becoming one of the King's golden statues was a death sentence, one that Midas was all too willing to dish out.

"She did talk a lot," Lit justified his father's actions.

"So I turned her back to gold," he said as he pointed in the direction of a familiar statue. Kit followed his gaze to the girl from before, the one who couldn't have been older than him.

Piper gasped at the pure fear that stared back at them. "That's horrible..."

"Nonsense," Midas scowled. "She doesn't mind."

Kit was almost certain she did, but the King had it in his head that he was doing them a kindness. He didn't care who got in his way, even if it was his own blood.

"Besides, if I had learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?"

Kit's first instinct was to laugh but the sound was smothered by a suffocating ache of terror that Kit Dempsey should've been accustomed to by then. He'd seen a lot in his seventeen years, but the ache always struck him hard. Beneath Midas' sleeping cap, the King had fuzzy gray donkey ears growing from his head like devil horns. The curse was obvious, probably from a God he had bested.

But where the demigods made sounds of horror, Midas sighed like they were nothing more than a passing nuisance. "Terrible, isn't it?" he pursed his lips into a grim line. "A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, a sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà! This was my reward for being truthful." The story was comedic at first, but Kit could feel the turning point barrelling towards them like a steam train. It struck as Midas continued. "I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing. That over there is him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again."

The statue beside Zoe was a barber. A pair of shears in one hand, he looked helpless, like he never would've thought that Midas could turn on him like this. The thought had Kit finally reaching for his sword, but the King didn't seem phased by the movement. In fact, he seemed to relish in the shrieking sound of metal, like it was some kind of beautiful melody.

"Yes, gold has many uses," he murmured. "I think that must be why I was brought back, eh, Lit? To bankroll our patron."

Lit, who was busy eyeing Kit's sword, paused to nod dutifully at his father. "That, and my good sword arm."

For an instant, Jason caught Kit's eyes, the two sharing a meaningful glance before Jason moved on to Piper. "So you do have a patron," the blonde said. Kit noticed his hand wandering to his pocket, curling around the golden coin hidden inside, but neither Midas or Lit paid it much attention. The sudden turn of conversation was far more interesting for the two. "You work for the giants." It wasn't a question.

"Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course," Midas clarified. "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 very unfriendly. They just wouldn't cooperate."

"The last group?" Kit questioned his wording, the first thing he'd said aloud since Midas revealed himself. The sound of his voice had Lit's eyes catching his, suspicious. Kit glared back just as harshly. "What do you mean by 'last group?'"

"Hunters," Lit scoffed, hand gripping the hilt of his sword like he was imagining the room drowned in blood. "Blasted girls from Artemis."

"When?" Jason demanded an answer, probably thinking of his sister, Thalia, standing in this very spot. Was she one of Midas' statues now, swathed by the shadows? Or did she somehow get free? "What happened?"

"Few days ago?" Lit estimated, unsure. "I didn't get to 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..."

Percy Jackson, Kit thought as he shared a grim glance with the others. The hunters must've picked up a scent, but why would Percy Jackson be so far out here? It didn't make sense.

"They were very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," Midas grumbled, failing to hide his disgust. "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside, I 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," Kit cleared his throat with a forced laugh. "This has been... so fun..."

"It has been a great visit," Piper nervously agreed. "Uh, welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag."

"Oh, but you can't leave," Midas protested. Kit had known this would happen, but it didn't make it any easier. "I know you're not serious investors, but that's alright. I have to rebuild my collection."

With that, he stood, like a lord making a decree. Leo and Piper, the ones closest to him, stumbled back with shaky limbs.

"Don't worry," Midas tried and failed to assure them of their safety. Holding the blade tight, Kit began to inch closer. "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 Lityerses. Really, it's good either way."

"I really doubt that," Kit scoffed.

Lit bared his teeth in response, body angling towards him when Piper bravely stepped back to Midas, putting on her best sweet like honey smile despite her obvious terror. "Your Majesty, you can't--"

All of a sudden, Midas' eyes narrowed. Kit barely had time to blink before his hand lashed out and circled around Piper's trembling fist. A triumphant smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as Jason yelled helplessly. In sheer disbelief, Kit watched as Piper's whole body was enveloped in shimmering gold, a stark contrast to her deer in the headlights expression now frozen in time.

Kit was smart enough to back up, sword raised between him and Midas, but Leo wasn't so lucky. Kit noticed before he did. "Leo, move," he exclaimed, arm wavering, but it was too late.

Hand still raised to summon a power he'd forgotten he lost, Leo Valdez transformed into another statue in Midas' collection. Kit's rage was undeniable. It came on out of nowhere, encouraging him to swing his sword, a promise of death on his lips.

"You'll pay for that," he said.

Midas only laughed.