"Never let your guard down," Ares says. "That's how they get you." Ares pinned Mark against a tree who was currently struggling to break free and attempting to push him away, even though Mark believed his father was going to finish him. Ares stepped back and put away his sword. Sighing with relief, he put his own sword back. Glancing at his father's face, he saw how tired he was despite Ares not willing to explain his reasoning for testing his own son.

"Dad?" Mark said, suddenly causing Ares to stop in his tracks.

"Yes?" Ares responded. "What is it, son?" Mark struggled to find the words that he could use to tell his father how he felt without having to worry about facing his wraith. There was a fire in his father's eyes that made him shrink in size.

"Why are you so disappointed in me?" Mark worried. "Don't you trust me?" Ares rubbed his eyes and touched the bridge of his nose, and Mark immediately regretted ever talking to his father. He held his breath, expecting his father to yell at him or ground him. If gods could ground their children.

"Where are you going with this?" Ares questioned.

"Answer the damn question," Mark exclaimed. "What have I done to disappoint you?"

"It's not what you've done, it's what you might do," Ares said instead. "As of right now, this quest might prove to me you'll always be loyal, no matter what." Mark opened his mouth to say something but Ares held up his hand. He didn't want to hear anything that his father would say, let alone figure out what might happen. "Now I won't hear this anymore."

"I know you favor Clarisse over me!" Mark's stomach dropped as he saw his father's eyes glow blood red. In a flash, Ares grabbed Mark's sword arm, suddenly feeling a searing pain spread throughout his body. Mark looked at his arm. A long sword-like cut appeared on his arm, blood pooling out from the wound. Mark groaned in pain and it forced him to his knees. "Dad! Stop!" Mark held back tears, avoiding the showing of fear. No way was he going to make his father and angrier than he already was.

"Apologize!" Ares' voice grew deeper, anger spiling out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry!" Mark yelled as Ares let go of his arm. Mark pressed hard to stop the bleeding. "I didn't mean any of it!" pain ceased, and the cut disappeared, only leaving a scar. Ares nodded in approval, warning Mark to question nothing about favoring one child over the other.

"If you can complete this quest, then I won't be disappointed in you." Ares turned and walked away, never looking back at Mark until he vanished in a bright red light. Mark turned his head away so he wouldn't see his father's true form, but glancing back, he saw his father had vanished. There were still drops of blood left, so rather he walked over to the river and placed his whole arm in it, cleaning off the last of the blood. Tearing a piece of his shirt off, he wrapped it around his wound.

***

Sam and Colby finished setting camp for the night when Mark came stumbling back carrying fish. Colby had begun the fire when Sam saw a cloth wrapped around Mark's arm and that there was a tear like he'd ripped parts of his clothes and used it as a bandage.

"What the hell happened to your arm?" Sam asked. Mark stayed quiet and placed the fish on a rock, Mark started to clean the fish. "What happened?" Sam repeated and grabbed Mark's arm, Mark flinched as Sam looked at his wound. "Who did this to you?"

"My father." Mark said, pulling his arm away. He kept his eyes on the fish without looking at his friends.

"What? Ares would never abuse his children!" Sam exclaimed. Colby chuckled and shook his head.

"That's not true," Colby said. "How do you think Ares' children become stronger and more battle-worn?" Mark denied that his father would ever abuse him, but even though Sam was suspicious, Mark remained complicit and focused more on the fish. Rather than pushing it, Sam walked over to his bag and grabbed an ambrosia square. He shoved it into Mark's hand.

"Eat it." Sam ordered. Mark rolled his eyes and did as he was told. The wound on his arm vanished, allowing for Sam to relax. Sam turned back to Colby and sat next to him while Mark joined them. Even though they were supposed to be focusing on the quest and getting back to camp alive, he realized now that he was only dreaming.

***

Later that night, Sam and Colby fell asleep leaving Mark, the only one awake and deep in thought and staring into the fire. He wanted to sleep but knew that someone had to stay awake and keep watch. Mark pulled out his sword and stared at the blade at his reflection. Mark tore his eyes away when he heard the familiar clicking sound that appeared on the bus. Instincts took over, and he got up from the floor to follow the sound. The clicking grew louder, the ends of his hair stood. During his brief confrontation with his father, he remembered what his father had said. Never let your guard down. The forest was dark and anything could be there and ready to attack him or even his friends; he headed deeper into the forest until eventually he was lost and turned around like this was all set up to trap him.

"Hello?" Mark called out. "Who's out there?!" when no sound returned, he shook his head and started heading back to camp when out of nowhere the skeleton warriors attacked him. Mark fought them off, but no matter what he did, nothing could penetrate their bones. The only demigod that could defeat them would have been a child of Hades, but Sam was somewhere in the forest while he was here. He swung, cutting off the head from the soldier, however the soldier continued on without questioning it. The warriors grabbed him. He struggled to free himself, but a soft, soothing female voice spoke out.

"Don't struggle, my sweet." She said, stepping into the moonlight.

"Who are you?" Mark demanded.

"I am Medea," she answered and stepped close to Mark until she was in his face. "And you, son of Ares, will come with me." Mark only chuckled.

"Forget it!" Mark yelled. "I won't go with you! Don't try your stupid Charm Speak on me, lady!"

"I figured my charm speak wouldn't work on a child of Ares," she said nonchalantly. "But this might." She held up a glass bottle with pink liquid and a purple lid with a purple rubber pump. Medea pointed the bottle at his face and sprayed Mark with it. Mark coughed, but the forest spun, causing him to get dizzy, until everything went black.