Just a Request

by RoyalEnigma

Three guests arrive at the hotel. Short story set in the universe of Minotaur Hotel, a Greek mythology inspired visual novel, where the main idea was playing around with a master who is only ruthless towards protecting Asterion.

"Rise and shine, my lord!" said Asterion cheerily, pulling back the curtains to let the early morning sunlight into the room. Jason, who had been sound asleep on the couch only moments before, groaned and threw his arm over his eyes, shielding them from the bright sun.

"Can't I sleep just a few more minutes?" he mumbled.

"You were the one who asked that I wake you up early today, but if extra time to sleep is what you want, then yes," the minotaur replied. "Simply give the order, and you will have all the sleep you desire."

Jason sighed and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "You're supposed to say that I have a busy day and can't waste it by sleeping." He glanced at the papers on the coffee table, remnants of last night's work. The hotel was making progress, but more progress meant more papers to deal with and more nights he stayed up late to make sure he got as much finished as he could. Looking at some of them, it was obvious when he had started to doze off as his handwriting on guest logs had become increasingly sloppy, and the ones detailing ideas for contracts or the hotel became less and less coherent. He picked one up, a single sheet of paper with nothing but the word "spunch" on it, and squinted as though looking at it intensely would reveal what in the world he was trying to get at. Unfortunately, neither he nor the hotel's translation seemed to have any clue as the word refused to change or divulge its secrets.

"You do have a busy day ahead of you, but that doesn't mean you have to overwork yourself, sir," Asterion said. He gently took the paper Jason was holding and looked it over. "...ah. Spunch. I see."

"Listen, it's a great idea. It's just that no one else gets it because I'm ahead of my time," Jason grinned, organizing the other papers into a neat pile and moving them off the coffee table. "Is it okay if I take my breakfast in here? I'm still half asleep and don't feel like moving."

Asterion smiled and left the room, reappearing a moment later with a tray of warm, delicious breakfast. He bowed his head and set it down in front of Jason, who raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"...and what would that be?"

"Asterion, didn't I say I wanted you to eat with me from now on?"

The minotaur paused. "I admit, I didn't forget. It's just...I was not entirely sure if you were serious about wanting to every day. I have had masters who wished for me to dine with them before, but there were times when I assumed they wanted me around for a meal, and yet they did not, so they would become angry. A few took away the food they had planned to give me. One made a point of eating my food while I watched."

Jason stood up and moved over to Asterion, reaching out his hand. "Is it okay if I touch you?" he asked. Asterion winced slightly at the gesture but nodded. Jason gently placed his hand on the minotaur's arm and continued in a soft, soothing voice. "If there's one thing I want you to believe about me, it's that I'm not like that. I agreed to let you call me 'sir' and 'master' occasionally because I know that's what makes you feel comfortable, but you need to understand that I will never treat you like I actually am your master. You aren't a slave or an object, you're a person who deserves respect, and if I ever come across any of these previous masters either in this life or the next, I swear I'm going to-"

"Jason, please. Don't," Asterion muttered.

"They aren't your masters anymore, Asterion. You don't have to protect them."

Asterion averted his eyes. "I...I know. They're gone, and I am no longer bound to them, but you can't spend an entire human lifetime serving someone and then simply forget everything they taught you, every rule they imposed upon you. This is to say nothing of the contracts they created that very much do still bind me, but even beyond that, sometimes I...never mind. It's not important."

"No, no. If it's bothering you, it matters," Jason frowned. "Talk to me. Please."

"Is that an order?" he asked.

Jason shook his head. "It's not an order. It's just a request."

When Asterion finally responded, he chose each word carefully. "In that case...I do not wish to talk about it. Maybe I'll feel up to it later. For right now…" he forced a smile back onto his face, though instead of appearing happy, he merely looked rather strained. "...how about we eat and get to work?"

"Only if you eat with me," Jason replied. Asterion nodded and retrieved food for himself, and the two sat in silence. Still, time shared with a friend doesn't need spoken words. The simple act of being there and sharing the moment is all the communication necessary.

Once they were done, the two went downstairs to begin greeting guests. Although the hotel was just starting up again and they were lucky to have more than a few people checking in each day, they agreed that appearances were everything, and if they wanted their reputation to grow, they could not slack off or make excuses. Thus, Asterion manned the front desk while Jason sat at a nearby table to continue with his paperwork. As the day dragged on, however, and with hardly a single soul entering, the two could not stop themselves from finding distractions. Jason would occasionally begin reading from the book he had brought with him, and Asterion sometimes poked at his tablet for a while.

"Hey Asterion, do you like to read?" Jason asked without looking up from his book.

"I do, though I haven't done much of it lately," Asterion answered, also keeping his eyes glued to his chosen distraction. "If you have any recommendations, I would be more than happy to give them a try should the hotel's translation allow it."

"If I can read it, you shouldn't have any trouble. It's not like I know any languages you don't speak...or that the hotel can't translate," said Jason.

Asterion nodded. "True. Still, there are occasionally things that feel as though they are not translated even though they are, or words I can read but do not recognize. New words, typically, or phrases unique to the era. The hotel or my understanding of the language translates the words, but not the meaning, so I am often left in the dark. Oh!"

He glanced up at the minotaur. "Something happen?"

"Maybe! I've found a website that has a list of animals on it, presumably with information about them, and one of the categories is 'minotaur'! Do you think it'll have anything useful?"

"I doubt it could tell you anything you don't already know," he shrugged, going back to his book, "but it might be interesting, if nothing else. How'd you find this website?"

Asterion pushed the "back" button to see what he had searched for (which he was quite proud of himself for thinking of; he was getting better at this "internet" thing every day!) and said "well, I started by simply looking up websites on animals as I was curious if any major species had gone extinct or been discovered while I was...away. It has become a habit of mine, you see. In the 19th century, a guest staying at the hotel was a rather prestigious scholar, and he admitted he was quite taken with species of birds. To impress him I mentioned that I, myself, had been quite taken with the dodo upon learning of it and asked if he had ever seen one." Asterion's ears drooped. "He...informed me that the dodo had become extinct sometime around 1700, which I did not know, and said this just proved I was an uneducated beast."

"How were you supposed to know it was extinct? That's not your fault. He should have been impressed that you were trying to become educated," Jason growled.

"Most things I learned prior to the invention of modern forms of communication were from whatever books my masters brought with them," he explained. "There was, of course, a book more recent than the one I read that explained the dodo had not been seen in some time and was likely extinct. The last known documentation of one was by a man named Isaac Johannes Lamotius, though it's impossible to tell whether he truly saw one. Unfortunately, I had not read it yet, and not all of my masters were keen to teach me things, so my ignorance showed...and I paid for it."

Keen to switch the subject to something more pleasant, Jason pressed him to continue with his point. "...so, you were searching for extinct animals. Is that how you found the website?"

Asterion shook his head. "As I was searching, I had an idea and added a qualifier to search for particularly fluffy animals as I have always thought they were quite adorable, and it worked! As I scrolled, I came across this website. The top part of the main page reads: 'the internet's top site for furries!' A strange term for animals, but each era has its peculiarities with words, I suppose."

Never had Jason's head snapped upwards as quickly as it did at that moment. "What."

"I know! I was surprised as well. I'm going to look at the minotaur page now. If I find anything interesting, I'll let you know!"

Jason leaped to his feet. "Asterion, wait!" he exclaimed, but before he could take a step, three people entered the lobby: a tall fox woman, a shorter cat woman, and a man whose species he could not identify but that looked like some kind of dog. All were dressed rather plainly, and while this would not normally be unusual, every guest so far had arrived in a rather unique state of dress that showcased their personality or travels. Some wore incredibly thick clothes and were obviously confused at having suddenly arrived at a place with no snow at all, meaning they had come from somewhere far to the north. Some were carrying large packs, meaning they were traveling before finding themselves at the hotel. One rather attractive man arrived in a torn up shirt and pair of shorts, suggesting he had been wandering in the wilderness for some time (he was, predictably, whisked off by Luke who had suddenly developed an interest in "making sure each guest is given a perfect hotel experience"). These three, however, gave no indication of their background or interests; they wore plain t-shirts with plain jeans, or a skirt in the case of the shorter woman, and plain shoes. Even the watch worn by the fox was a rather average-looking model. He knew this shouldn't technically be suspicious, but he couldn't help feeling something was off.

"Ah, hello there! Are you in need of lodgings?" Asterion asked. The three stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond. The fox woman finally spoke up.

"We are, actually. We'd heard rumors about this hotel, but we honestly didn't think it really existed," she said. "...nor did we think it was truly run by a minotaur, to be honest. Didn't take long to find, though; one minute we were driving, and the next, here we were."

Asterion nodded. "Yes, the hotel is known to attract some people like a magnet. I will not inquire as to your situation, but know that while you are here, you are safe from whatever troubles you. If you don't mind, could you fill out this paperwork? I promise it will not take long, we just need to keep our records up to date. Oh, I'm Asterion, by the way! It is a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Lindsey," she replied. "Pleasure." She took the paper from Asterion and began writing.

"Monica," said the shorter woman gruffly.

"Steve!" said the man, a large grin on his face. "You really are a minotaur! I thought it must have been metaphorical when I heard about it, but it's literal! That's so weird!"

Asterion raised an eyebrow. "Weird?"

"Yeah, weird!" Steve laughed. "I mean, how many minotaurs are there in the world? Not only that, but I've gotten the chance to meet one! That's so unlikely, isn't it?"

"I...suppose you aren't wrong," he muttered. "I am rather unique."

Steve walked up to Asterion and raised his hand, presumably to clap Asterion on his shoulder in a friendly gesture. Jason, who had moved to the counter while the minotaur was speaking with Steve, immediately stepped forward. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Jason." Steve grinned even wider and bounded forward to shake his hand.

"It is nice to meet you! Are you a guest as well, Jason?" he asked.

This guy needs to tone it down by about ten notches. "No, actually. I help Asterion run the hotel."

"So you work for a minotaur. Must be nice," Monica grumbled, now writing down her information. "The rest of us would never get to do something like that."

Jason was about to explain that no, he and Asterion were actually partners (even if the minotaur seemed unwilling to accept that), but he didn't feel like getting into an entire discussion, so he simply forced a smile. "It's definitely a unique experience. Would you like me to show you to your rooms once you're done here?"

Steve, who had taken Monica's place at the desk, looked back and nodded enthusiastically. "This is more hospitality than we expected, particularly from a hotel supposedly run by a minotaur. Thank you!"

"There is one thing, though," said Lindsey. Unlike the other two, her personality showed no signs of swaying in either direction. Not unfriendly, but not pleasant. Warm enough to be approachable, but cold enough one would not want to stay near her for very long. "We heard something even more outlandish than a minotaur running a hotel. Supposedly, this minotaur is capable of magic and can create objects from nothing. Is this true?"

An awkward silence fell over the room. It was not uncommon for guests to have heard about the hotel's capabilities before arriving, especially as news that it was running again spread. Most were not as direct, however, and only asked about it once they had been settled in. Asterion clearly thought it was rather abrupt as well, but he answered anyway.

"...yes, it is. There are limits, but within those limits, I can create objects and food at will." He hummed, and the hotel's lights flickered for a few seconds. When they stopped, the new guests saw that Asterion was holding a polished white stone.

"Fascinating," Lindsey whispered, taking the stone and examining it. "What are the limits, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Rather inquisitive, aren't you?" Asterion laughed, though Jason could hear just a slight hint of nervousness. "It would take too long to explain them fully, but the short version is I cannot create money or certain valuable materials such as silk."

"So nothing actually useful," Monica grunted.

"Well, no. I can make anything that is not currency," he explained, "so materials, some food, and precious stones are possible but not dollars or coins. There are also limits on how many valuables I can make, and exceeding that might cause the hotel to stop me from making more for a while."

"How can you make anything, then? Basically everything has been used as currency at some point. The Chinese once used currency in the shape of knives during the Zhou dynasty, so are knives out of the question?" Lindsey asked.

Asterion shook his head. "You have quite an interest in history, I see. No, knives are fine. The rules...admittedly do get a little vague at times, but I believe what matters is the specific object that is, or was, used as currency. Certain spices were used for trading, for example, and it is not like there are endless variations of the same spice. Salt is salt, and that is the end of it. Knives, on the other hand, are not inherently worth anything and have many variations. It is the same with tools like shovels that were sometimes used for trading in Africa; a shovel itself is acceptable as long as the materials I am using are acceptable, but if I wanted to make the specific kind of knife used as currency during the Zhou dynasty or the kind of shovel used for trading in Nigeria by the Eloyi, that may be an issue."

"Got it. And history isn't my thing, I just remembered seeing a knife from the Zhou dynasty in a museum I visited once," she shrugged. "You also seem to know a lot about history, Asterion."

He laughed nervously again. "Yes, when you've been around for as long as I have, you pick up on a few things."

Monica eyed the minotaur carefully. "How old are you, exactly?"

"Okay! If you're all finished here, I'll take you to your rooms. There are some open ones on this floor," Jason interjected, hoping to stop the conversation before it made Asterion uncomfortable. The three new guests, although surprised at Jason cutting in, waved to the minotaur and followed Jason out of the lobby.

"We didn't get a chance to say what kind of room we wanted. Or discuss rates," Lindsey pointed out.

"No need. The only thing I need to know is whether you all plan to share a room or require separate ones. As for rates, there is no charge. However, if you would like to lend your services to the hotel as payment, that will work just fine. We can even compensate you. Like Asterion said, we can't make money but other valuables like gems are possible in small quantities," said Jason.

The three of them whispered amongst themselves for a second. "We'll all share a room."

"Oh, it'll be like a sleepover!" Steve grinned. "How exciting!"

"You're very easy-going, aren't you, Steve?" Jason chuckled.

Steve shook his head. "Oh, not really. I'm just quite excited to be here with my two best friends! The three of us have known each other almost our entire lives, you see. We even work in the same business!"

"And what business would that be?"

"Are we close to our room?" Lindsey asked suddenly. "Sorry, I'm just a bit tired and would like to lie down."

Jason stopped walking and gestured to the door in front of him. "Yes. Here you are. Breakfast is served in the lounge from eight in the morning until noon, and dinner is at seven each evening. Oh, and one last thing: this hotel is a little different than ones you're used to. It always gives you exactly what you need, so treat the hotel and everyone here with respect, and you will find the same grace returned to you tenfold." Jason gave a small bow and began walking back down the hall. He turned his head and looked directly at Lindsey one last time. "I look forward to hearing all about your business at another time."

"...does he know?" Monica asked once he was gone.

"How could he?" Lindsey replied. "Still, best to keep an eye on him for now. Who knows, he might even be useful to us. We need to be careful, though; I doubt he can use magic like the minotaur can, but if the boy alerts anyone, we'd be kicked out in an instant. Or worse."

"I agree! As a matter of fact, I've got the perfect idea involving the young man!" Steve grinned. "Now, where to begin…"

The three huddled together to discuss their grand operation, whatever that may be. One might call it ironic that, in a hotel designed to be a respite, there were dark deeds being plotted right next to those who were fleeing from oppression or suffering. One might also say it is merely a return to the hotel's original purpose, something that should be expected from a creation of the same gods who sentenced a prince to eternal torture. Who would become the victor in this game? The god among humans, or the humans among a god? Would human tenacity win out over godly power? Or would the god crush the resistance as a message to all who would oppose him?

As with all things, the answer is never immediate, but it makes itself known when the time is right.

Jason reentered the lobby and approached Asterion who was once again poking at his tablet, albeit this time with a slight frown.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"That website I was on has disappeared," the minotaur sighed. "When I looked back down at the tablet after you left to check in the new guests, I found that the internet application had closed itself. I'm trying to retrace my steps to remember exactly how I found it."

"Damn, sorry to hear that. Can't imagine how it could have happened. Here, let me try," said Jason, taking the tablet from Asterion and taking a step back so he could not see what was being done. "You said something about searching for fluffy animals right?"

"Yes, I believe it was that."

He immediately went to the browser's history, thankful that the minotaur had not yet learned of the feature. He went directly to the site Asterion had found and blacklisted it, then searched for the same phrase he had seen in the list (which was not "fluffy animals" but "furry animals", which explained a lot) to make sure it was no longer in the search results, cleared the browser history, and handed it back while pretending to frown in disappointment "Sorry, but I can't find it either. That happens sometimes with the internet, you get used to it."

Although Asterion seemed quite disappointed, he let the matter go. "Would you mind checking on Luke and Kota? They seem to be getting along better these days, but I get worried if they're left alone for too long. I will stay here and greet any new guests."

"Sure thing." Jason turned from the minotaur and headed in the direction of the lounge. "See you in a bit, and let me know how the new guests are settling in."

"Of course, sir."

Jason found Kota in the lounge as usual, still serving some guests a late breakfast. The dragon smiled as he entered, folding his hands behind his back and bowing.

"Ah, good morning, Jason. How are you?" he asked, exceedingly polite as always. Resisting the urge to bow back sarcastically, Jason smiled in return.

"Not bad, how are you? Given your good mood, I assume Luke hasn't been here in a while," he said, seeing no sign of the gryphon in the lounge. At the mention of Luke, Kota tensed up and his smile became slightly forced.

"No, he hasn't," Kota replied. "I admit that he is starting to grow on me, and I was far too rude to him at first, but I just cannot get used to how he is so…so..."

"Scandalous?"

The dragon sighed. "That makes it sound like I am uptight or obsessed with some strange concept of 'purity', and that is not the case. It is not that I have anything against sexuality, or even against someone enjoying it, but my issue with Luke is that he flaunts it in public like some kind of…"

"Harlot?"

"Will you please stop making me sound like a fifteenth century clergyman?"

"Got it. How about a sixteenth century clergyman?"

Kota closed his eyes and rubbed his temples lightly. "I say this with as much respect as I can muster, Jason, but sometimes you are as much of a handful as Luke."

"I take offense to that," Jason grinned. "But you're right, I shouldn't mess with you so much. I'm sorry. Speaking of Luke, though, I actually came here to talk to you about something important. I'm going to speak to him about it afterwards."

"Please tell me Luke didn't use a picture of me to set up a fake profile on one of those romantic phone apps again," Kota groaned.

Jason paused. "...he definitely did not do that, and you definitely do not have a group of men who will be waiting for you in the lounge at ten tonight. If you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to a number of guests about changing their evening plans."

"Jason."

"Kidding, kidding," he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "Seriously though, he didn't...as far as I know. But it's not about something Luke did, it's about some new guests that checked in today."

"Special accomodations?"

"I...guess you could say that. I need you to do something for me." After making sure no one was paying attention to them, he motioned for Kota to lean in. Once he was close enough, Jason whispered his instructions to the dragon: "They're mythicals: a fox, a cat, and...some kind of dog, I think? I need you to keep a close eye on them. Pay attention to what they talk about, who they talk to, everything. If they do even one thing that seems suspicious, let me know." When he was done, he leaned back in his chair. "Think you can do that for me?"

"I believe I can, yes. If you don't mind my saying, this is quite unusual. I've never known you to distrust a guest like this. Are you sure it is necessary?" said Kota.

"I am. You've never had a bad feeling about someone before?"

"I have, indeed," Kota nodded. "Whether it's simple intuition that everyone has access to or something deeper, I have certainly come across individuals that I feel as though I cannot trust. Still, that feeling is not always correct. Take you, for example."

"What? Me? What'd I do?" Jason asked indignantly.

"Nothing, and that's precisely why I now trust you completely," said Kota, closing his eyes. "Hmm...how do I put this? When we first met, I had my suspicions about the nature of your relationship with Asterion, as most people would. Many claim to be a kind and just master, but few ever prove it. I consider myself a fair individual, so I was willing to give you a chance, and eventually you showed that you were not only a kind master, but a good friend to Asterion."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What would you have done if I wasn't?"

Kota opened his eyes, and the smirk he gave Jason was far from filled with joy or kindness. "Well, at the very least, I would immediately leave the hotel and do what I could to ensure no one else came here. If you had proven to be exceptionally cruel...well, I am not particularly powerful anymore, but I feel like I have learned a few tricks over the years. I may not have been able to stop you, not with both you and Asterion against me, but I would not go down easily."

"...but you know I can be trusted now, right?"

"Oh, yes. You've proven that you are more than worthy of my trust. You are worthy of my friendship, as well," the dragon replied. "Power is a treacherous thing, Jason. It lures you in by promising to remain under control, then slowly wraps its tendrils around you until it is the one in control, not you. By the time you realize it, the damage to both you and those around you has already been done. I cannot say what you will do in the future, but you have wielded immense power with nothing but grace so far, thus I have no reason to distrust you at this time. However, if this hotel does cause you to fall, know that, as your friend, I will do my best to catch you and set you upright once more." His eyes narrowed, and Jason felt a chill run down his spine. "Also know that if you succumb to your power and use it to hurt Asterion, the one who has the most to lose from you abusing your position, neither Luke nor I will hesitate to bring you back down to earth. By force, if we must."

The two sat in silence for a second, Kota's glare making Jason deeply uncomfortable. The dragon was a gentle soul, that much he knew, but the gentlest souls were often the ones who could provide the harshest retribution. As for Luke...even with god-like powers, he'd rather not fight a military-trained mythical who is as stubborn as they come.

Finally, Kota broke the tension. "Regardless, I believe you have something more important to attend to. As promised, I will keep an eye on these guests of yours. Just keep what I said in mind; you may be right about them, but you may also be dreadfully wrong. Make your choices carefully. You only need one bad decision to lose someone dear to you."

He nodded. "You're right. I really do feel like something is up, but until I've proven it, I can't go out of my way to distrust them. For now, I'm going to go find Luke. Oh, and if you see Asterion, don't say a word to him; if we tell him I'm worried about these guests now, he'll just become anxious about upsetting them...and about me getting hurt. He's already anxious enough on a daily basis, and I'd rather not add to that."

Kota stood up and bowed. "Perhaps it is against my better judgement, but you are the master of this hotel, and so I will follow you on this matter...including keeping Asterion in the dark. I just hope your fears are unfounded."

"Thanks. I hope I'm wrong too, Kota. Just keep in mind that if you do tell Asterion, there actually will be a group of men waiting for you in the lounge tonight," he grinned. "All hand-picked by Luke himself."

Leaving the dragon with that terrible and frightening thought, Jason left the lounge. There were several places Luke could be: his room, helping a guest in the hotel, helping a guest in their room, outside...the gryphon could be anywhere. He decided to check Luke's room first, which turned out to be the correct choice as he answered the door seconds after Jason knocked.

"Oh, hey!" Luke said excitedly. "Ain't this a surprise? The hotel's master come to visit lil ol' me! Come in!"

Jason entered Luke's room for the first time since the gryphon had checked in and was mildly surprised as the room was quite clean compared to what he had expected. Luke only seemed to have a few possessions, mainly clothes, but any dirty ones were thrown into a pile on a chair, leaving the floor mostly spotless. Less surprisingly, a few posters had been put on the walls and, not surprisingly at all, not a single one of the men depicted on them was fully clothed. Finally, a large American flag had been hung up on the wall directly above Luke's bed which was also tidier than expected, even if it would still make Kota cringe if he saw how poorly it was made.

"Wow. I expected your room to be a complete disaster just like its owner, but it's actually not bad," Jason grinned.

"Ouch! That one hurt me right here!" the gryphon replied, pointing to his heart. "To be called a mess by the fine master of this hotel! I will never recover from the disgrace! How'd you like my impression of Kota? I've been workin' on it!"

"Don't quit your day job. Mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all!" Luke ushered him over to the bed and sat down next to him. "But you're always welcome to lie down if you want," he added with a wink.

"You're going to have to work a lot harder than that to win me over, Luke," he said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'm completely devoted to another man." He formed his hands into a prayer gesture and looked up at the ceiling. "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only man I'll ever need."

Luke gave him a light punch on his shoulder before lying down, his arms behind his head. "Jason, yer a gay man running a hotel filled with shrines to the Greek gods that's partially occupied by non-humans. The church would have yer head in an instant! Then again, so would I if you'd let me!"

"...how would that work when you have a beak? Actually, never mind. I'd rather not go down that rabbit hole. As I was saying, though, your room is pretty nice. I figured you'd be the kind of guy who has every inch of his space taken up with something or other."

"Eh, never really liked clutter," Luke shrugged. "If I think somethin's cool, I'll put it in my room. Otherwise, I won't bother."

Jason glanced at the flag above the bed. "That why you have a giant flag? You were in the military, so I assume it must be pretty important to you."

Luke took a moment to answer. When he finally decided to, he sighed and looked at the giant piece of cloth above him. "...I got that flag back when I was still in the military. It's the one thing I always keep in my room that I don't really like."

"You hate the American flag? I wasn't expecting that one. Why keep it around if you hate it?" Jason asked.

"I don't...hate the American flag itself," he muttered. "I just hate that one specifically. I mean, I love what it represents: a country of incredible people, love, strength...it's just…" he sighed and sat up, positioning himself against the headboard so he could no longer see the flag. "Sorry, I know ya probably don't wanna hear all this shit."

"That depends on if you want to tell me. If you do, then I want to hear it. If you don't, then I don't want to," Jason replied softly.

"It's not that I don't want to, I just...look. When I was in the military, I did some not so great shit. I think I mentioned this before."

Jason nodded. The two had talked about Luke's experiences during the second World War, though he did not go into great detail. Given the nature of the subject, he didn't want to push the matter and always let Luke say only what he wanted to say.

"I'd rather not talk about it a lot, but I don't mind just a little. Lots of men have gotten a taste of old Luke here, but not many have gotten a taste of my past, so you should feel real special," he said with a humorless laugh. "I'm sure you can guess the sorts of things I might have had to do in the military, 'specially now that you've got yer fancy internet. Hell, even I was able to find out about things I didn't know were goin' on at the time, and all I'm good for on there is hookups and memes. Heh...you know, sometimes I think that's all I actually am good for. I mean, since no one remembers me once I leave the room n' all."

"Luke, you know that's not true," said Jason, scooting closer to the gryphon. "You're smart, incredibly funny, handsome as all hell, and the hotel would be infinitely worse off without you. This place started to light up the moment you got here, and I haven't met a guest yet who isn't delighted to have you around. Even Kota is warming up to you. People only forget because of your charm, but if that wasn't the case, I can guarantee not a single person would ever forget you."

Luke gave a half-hearted smile. "...thanks. Even if it's hard to believe, I appreciate it."

"I'll keep saying it until you believe me, and then I'll say it again," Jason replied with a smile of his own.

"You gotta be careful, Jason. Keep this up, and I'll actually end up fallin' for ya! Anyway," any trace of happiness that had entered Luke exited just as swiftly as he continued, "the more I learn about what we did, what the military still does, the more I wonder what the point of it all was. They tell us we're fightin' for freedom, that we're protecting our loved ones, but...are we? Was it really spreading freedom by droppin' bombs on innocent people? Does it really help spread democracy when we invade other countries for wars we never win? Even when I was dealin' with other people like me, I sometimes wondered if they felt the same way as I did: scared, and confused, and...angry. Damn, I was so angry sometimes, but I didn't know why." Luke turned to look at the wall. He pulled his legs towards his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and his voice became shaky. "Sometimes, I can't help asking why. Why'd the people I knew have to die? Why did I have to nearly get blown to hell? If I stayed and died later, would my death have brought some sense of freedom to whatever country I was fightin' in? Did killing some poor kid who was in the same situation as me, just on the other side, really make things better? I mean, shit, the Nazis were pure evil and all, and of fuckin' course we had to stop 'em! If I thought my death would do that, I'd sacrifice myself in an instant to take out every one of those bastards! But when you see everything I have, all the innocents that died along the way, all the lies you only discover decades later, and it finally sinks in how little one person's life matters and how few things one person can change...you can't help askin' what the hell it was all for. There's still evil out there, America has still failed to bring peace to the world, and the people I knew are still dead."

Jason let him talk, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him but saying nothing. Luke continued: "That's why I hate that fuckin' thing and why I keep it around anyway. It represents all the things I will never stop believin' in, but it also represents the pain I've caused. I don't deserve to forget all the things I've done, so I keep it above my bed so I can't. Kinda ironic, ain't it? People forget me the moment I leave the room, yet I'll always have to remember what I did to other people. Guess that's what I deserve."

"Is that also why you wear a flag bandana?" Jason asked.

Luke wiped the tears from his eyes and chuckled. "Nah. I just think it looks badass."

"Well, I think you're badass," said Jason, taking Luke into a tight one-armed hug. "You've been through a ton of shit, and you're still an incredible person who tries to make everyone around him happy. Sure, you've done some bad things, but so has everyone else. Even if we can't truly make up for it, we just have to do our best to be better. We're only human. I mean, you aren't, but...you get what I'm saying."

Luke returned the hug, almost crushing Jason's arm in the process. "Thanks, Jason. I'm not one to feel sorry for myself, it just gets to be a lot sometimes, ya know? That aside, I'm probably more like a human than you at this point. You're the closest thing to a god that anyone can be in this hotel."

"Hell, no!" Jason exclaimed. "I get that I can do stuff most people can't, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't cool, but the very last thing I'd ever want is to be a god."

"Really? Why? Gods are awesome! They can do whatever they want, and get laid whenever they want," Luke replied with an exaggerated wink, his old charm quickly returning.

This time, it was Jason's turn to take a moment to answer. "Like I said, I'm not complaining that I can force things into existence or change stuff around as I see fit. What makes me okay with this is that it's temporary. People always say they want to live forever, but I've always worried that if I never died, I'd eventually become something else entirely. I'd forget what made me...well, me. It's even worse now that I'm here and have the powers of a god. I think if I lived here forever and essentially became a real god, I'd lose myself in that role, and that's something that has always scared me far more than dying. It's fun to let myself pretend sometimes, but every once in a while, I'll forget to remind myself it's temporary or that I'm just a regular human. I'm afraid that one day I won't remember at all, and the me that I am right now will disappear forever."

Luke stared at him for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "Wow! You're just a kid, but that's somethin' I'd expect old-ass Kota to say!"

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Jason huffed.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Luke waved his hand dismissively. "For a human, you're all grown up. Still, you're real young compared to this ol' geezer, so hearing you say somethin' like that was just...different. That's all. You ain't wrong, though; if you live forever, how will you know when you've stopped being yourself? I think that's a good way to look at it! If you can't trust you to be you, then you can't trust anyone!"

"Oh! Speaking of trust, that reminds me why I came here in the first place," said Jason. Luke pretended to frown in great disappointment.

"Aw, so you weren't here to see me? Damn shame, and here I was ready to pick up some chocolates and wine later. Well, what's up?"

Jason explained the situation, asking him the same thing he asked Kota. Unlike the dragon, however, Luke did not seem apprehensive about it at all.

"Yes, sir!" he said with a salute. "Scouting is my specialty! After all, these beautiful eagle eyes ain't just for seducin' men!"

"...you aren't going to say I'm being paranoid?" Jason asked in surprise.

"Nope! I'm used to takin' orders, both on the battlefield and off of it! If your commanding officer says you gotta do somethin', you do it! If it's somethin' stupid, pretend to do it and tell them you actually did while giving 'em a rude gesture behind their back!"

"I'm not your commanding officer though," he pointed out.

Luke shook his head. "Maybe not, but you are the master of this hotel. Plus, I respect ya! Lots of people would have taken advantage of this place or good ol' Asterion by now, but not you!"

"Kota told me the same thing and said he didn't trust me at first. He even said if I abused my powers to hurt Asterion, he'd stop me by force if he had to. Does everyone really think I'd do that?"

The gryphon seemed horrified. "Wait, Kota and I agree on somethin'!? If that ain't a sign from the gods, I dunno what is. Well, cat's outta the bag! I didn't trust you much when we first met either, too many ways you could turn out to be a shitbag." Luke's expression then became completely serious, something Jason had rarely seen in the entire time he had known him. "But no, we don't think you would. Well, not anymore. Can't say I've met a single person that wouldn't have raised themselves into a god by now and demanded worship. Hell, I definitely would. I think even Humble Harry over in the lounge would after a while, but not you. Somehow, it feels like you've lowered yourself and raised everyone around you instead." He got up from his bed and gave another salute, this one a completely genuine sign of respect. "That's why I'll follow you until the end, no matter what. It may not be much, but you've earned this soldier's loyalty. Like Kota, though, if you get too big for yer britches, I have no problem slapping you around until you snap out of it. That's part of having someone follow you; they're willing to die for you, but they're also willing to die to stop you from doin' something yer gonna regret."

As Jason left the gryphon's room a few moments later, he couldn't help pondering what Kota and Luke had told him. They did not trust him at first, and he couldn't blame them, really. He certainly wouldn't trust the master of the hotel if the situation was reversed. Could he trust himself, though? He was positive he'd never hurt Asterion on purpose, but beyond that...no, he still could not imagine himself becoming like the other masters, much less like a god. It just wasn't something he'd ever wanted, and now that he had been given god-like powers, he wanted it even less. Surely that meant something?

"Ah! Hello, sir!" said Asterion cheerfully, waving to him as he reentered the lobby. "We had no new guests while you were away! As for the ones you told me to look out for, they did indeed come back here for a moment. I explained the hotel's compensation policy in more depth, and they said that receiving gems as payment will suffice. I'm not sure where they are now. Exploring, perhaps?"

Jason nodded. "Thanks, Asterion. Did they say anything else? Where they're from, or what they did before they came here?"

Asterion thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm afraid not. They spoke for a bit after stepping away from the counter, but they didn't say anything interesting. Steve was just telling the other two about how he wondered if the person running the lounge needed any help with cooking, Lindsey said something about decorating, and Monica mentioned organizing events for guests. They seem like they'll fit right in!"

And fit in they did as the three of them worked tirelessly alongside the other guests over the next few days to keep the hotel running. Steve, as it turned out, was almost Kota's rival in the kitchen and created dishes that even managed to impress the old dragon along with every guest who tasted them. Monica, despite her gloomy disposition, was somehow quite skilled at thinking up fun things for the guests to do in their free time. Their first night at the hotel, she handed Jason a long list of potential events for the next month complete with catering options from Steve and decoration tips from Lindsey. Luke was delighted to see that she had planned for some stargazing around nine in a few days and offered to help her set it up. As for Lindsey, it only took her a few hours on the first day to draw up concepts for a new lobby, a slightly altered lounge that she said would "improve traffic flow", and even decorations for the outside of the hotel. Jason quickly began to feel silly for distrusting them as they showed no signs of doing anything harmful...for the most part. The first time, he thought little of it; he had just gotten up and was heading down to the lobby to greet new guests for the day when he saw the three of them talking to each other. The moment he entered the room, they all looked at him and stopped speaking until he had settled himself behind the desk, upon which they resumed talking about mundane things like the weather. It hardly meant anything, he thought, but then it happened again a few hours later, and once more the next day, and then again the day after. They clearly were discussing something they did not want him to know about.

"No, I am afraid I have not noticed anything odd about those three," Kota said when asked. "Certainly nothing like you have described. If anything, they often seem eager to have me join in their conversation."

Luke, unfortunately, had a similar experience: "Nope, nothin' weird to report! Steve's a little annoying, but so is Kota, and we keep him around. I like Monica though, kind of a downer but her community stargazing idea was real smart!"

Jason had just reentered the lobby on the fifth day since their arrival and was starting to wonder if he was being paranoid when he heard the sound of Lindsey's voice, and she was clearly not trying to hide her words. He quickly went over to the desk and pretended to be busy with some paperwork. Although he didn't want to risk looking up and showing them he was paying attention, he could just barely see that the four of them were alone in the lobby, and they were sitting with their backs mostly in his direction.

"I can't believe no one's said anything yet," she half-whispered. "I mean, we're good but we aren't that good."

Monica gave a sound of disgust. "I know, they're total idiots. Especially that minotaur. I wouldn't want to take him in a straight up fight, but in a battle of wits, he seems to have forgotten his weapon."

Jason clenched the pencil he was holding tighter.

"Monica, that's not fair to Asterion," said Steve. "It isn't his fault he has the head of a bull. He probably can't help it."

"Yeah, well, when are we going to get on with it? I'm tired of waiting around," Monica groaned.

"Patience, Monica," Lindsey replied. "What's a few more days? Besides, I'm actually enjoying myself. This place is nice, especially for being run by a beast, and because he's a beast, he'll be easy to take advantage of...so what's the rush?"

Jason's pencil snapped clean in half. The three of them looked up in clearly fake surprise.

"Oh, Jason! Such a pleasure to see you! How are you doing?" asked Steve, getting up and dashing over to him. For a brief moment, he considered calling them out and demanding they explain themselves. However, something in him said to wait, and so he forced a smile in return.

"I'm doing well, thank you. How are you doing?"

Steven, either not noticing the hint that Jason had injected into the word "you" or choosing to ignore it, he said "Very well, very well! We were just discussing how much we love this hotel! Please tell Asterion he's done a fine job. Oh, and of course, you've done a wonderful job as his assistant!"

"I'll make sure to let him know." So they still think Asterion is the one in charge. Interesting.

"Did you get a chance to look over my suggestions? Particularly for the lounge. It's already decorated pretty well, but it's kind of a mess in terms of layout. Once you have more guests in there, it'll become a problem when dinner is over and they all try to leave at once," said Lindsey.

Jason nodded. "We actually brought that up with Kota the other day, but he was insistent that we leave the lounge alone. We gave him free reign over that area, so if he says no, there isn't much we can do."

"What about the lobby? Or the outside decorations?"

"I've brought those up with Asterion, and he said he'd take a look over the next few days. He seemed impressed, though."

Lindsey joined Steve at the counter, resting her arms on it and facing Jason directly. "Is Asterion gifted with interior design? I'm sorry if it sounds rude, but I've been doing this almost my entire life. I know I'm good at this, so what reason would he have to hesitate?"

"Asterion is the one who makes the decisions, as I'm sure you know by now," Jason stated, returning Lindsey's glare. "This hotel has been his from the very beginning. If he chooses to keep things the way they always have been, that's how it will be."

The two stared at each other for a moment, each wondering if the other knew what they were up to and how much they were aware of. Regardless, Lindsey turned and motioned for Monica and Steve to follow her. "I'm getting hungry. Let's go eat, you two." She gave Jason one final glance and said "it would be in Asterion's best interests to go through with it, wouldn't you agree?" before the three left the lobby, and in that instant, it clicked:

Ending conversations only when I'm in the room, being so obvious about planning something in front of me, threatening Asterion so blatantly...they want me to confront them.

And then, a plan hatched in his mind. Was it wicked? Or was it doing what's necessary? Action speaks louder than words, young master. Prove to everyone what the true owner of the hotel's will is, and end the facade once and for all. Act, and be truly revealed for the first time.

If that's what they want...that's what they'll get.

Jason did not have to wait long. A little before eight the next evening, he caught the three once again muttering to themselves in the hallway, and they quickly stopped once they saw him approaching.

"Hello, Jason," said Lindsey. "You seem pretty serious. Is there something you want to talk about? Oh, but if you can, make it quick. We haven't eaten dinner yet, and we want to make sure we get to that stargazing event Monica planned."

Jason stood within inches of Lindsey and crossed his arms. "That can wait. You've all been acting really weird the last few days, and I think you're up to something. If you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to Asterion and-"

He felt a sudden pressure against his stomach. Looking down, he saw that Lindsey had pulled out a pistol and had pushed it against him. "Gotcha," she said.

Man, we really need to start checking people's luggage. "H-hey! W-what are you doing!?" he asked, taking a step back and hoping his fake stammer wasn't too obvious.

"Don't you get it, kid? We wanted you to ask us about what we're planning," Monica chuckled. "You fell right into our trap. Moron."

"But...but why? I don't understand!" he wailed.

Lindsey sighed and shook her head. "Might as well tell you. Already here, after all, and there's no going back now. I'm sure you can guess what kind of business we're in; extortion, robbery, break-ins, you name it. Doesn't always work out, but when it pays, it pays, and we've worked together long enough to become a pretty good team. We even expanded our skill sets to appear more legitimate."

"I always loved to cook, so having an excuse to learn more about it was wonderful!" Steve laughed.

"Then why not just become a cook instead of resorting to crime?" Jason asked.

Steve gave a tired sigh. "I tried, once. Do you know how hard it is to be a cook and still make the kind of money I'm making now? No, it's far easier to do it this way. I get paid well and I still get to work with food, so it works out rather well!"

"Anyway," Lindsey continued, "we were told about this hotel a while back from an associate who had heard about it from their grandmother. Apparently, she had been a guest of the hotel ages ago, and from what she said, the minotaur running it could make valuables appear out of thin air. We didn't believe it at first, but when you've been in our line of work long enough, you don't ignore leads. That said, we ended up finding it completely by accident. The job we were on had quickly gone south, leaving us with nothing to show for it. As we were starting to get low on money, we were heading back home wondering what we'd do when we suddenly found ourselves here. Later, we realized that the real treasure wasn't the gems: it was Asterion. Sure, we could just get him to make us some and be on our way, or we could work for them, but why bother? Why not force him to make gems for us forever and not have to put in the extra effort?"

"Well, the hotel won't allow-" he began. Lindsey took the grip of her pistol and smacked him across the face with it, not hard enough to break anything but hard enough to send a message: shut up, I'm talking.

"As I was saying...if we could just get the minotaur to do whatever we wanted, we'd be set for life. But how do we do that? Steve came up with an idea pretty quickly involving you. Asterion seems very fond of his little assistant, so he figured we could use you as leverage. It's not like we could just whip out a gun in public, so we needed an excuse to take you hostage while you were alone and decided to make our guilt obvious to you and only you. You wouldn't confront us in front of the others, obviously, because we could just feign ignorance and make you be seen as the bad guy. So, like Monica said: we set a trap, and you fell right into it."

Jason covered his mouth and pretended to look horrified. "Are you...going to kill me…?" he asked.

Monica shook her head. "Not right now, anyway. Later, well...depends on if your boss cares about you. If he does, he'll sacrifice himself to let you go free. If not…" she mimed a gun shooting the side of her head. "Anyway, Linds. You talk too much. Let's just get this over with."

"You're right. Sorry, I can't help getting carried away sometimes," she laughed. She jabbed the gun to Jason's stomach again, signaling for him to start moving.

"Where are we g-going?" he stuttered.

"We're going to take a trip past the lobby, first. You're going to tell the minotaur that you're showing us around the hotel some more, and then you're going to take us somewhere the other guests won't find us. Once we're in position, Steve is going to go get him. Maybe say you got hurt or something, I don't know. Whatever happens from there depends on your boss," Lindsey explained.

Jason raised an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be acting scared. "Why not just tell Asterion what's going on as we pass him and get him to follow us?" Lindsey responded by hitting him with her gun again.

"Because if we do that, the minotaur could just run off and hide or get some of the other guests for help, or someone could stumble upon us right in the middle of it. Like I said, kid, you're going to take us somewhere that we won't be bothered before we do anything else. Know any place like that?"

"Well…I guess the fourth floor could work. The hotel master's bedroom is there, and no one can get in except Asterion...a-and me. So guests have no reason to go up there," he muttered, rubbing the area where he had been struck.

"Perfect. Lead the way, and don't even think of alerting the minotaur or any guests," Lindsey growled, hiding her pistol. Doing his best to appear nervous, he led them back into the lobby where Asterion was sitting behind the desk and scribbling on some papers.

"Oh, hello!" he grinned, waving to them as they approached. "Where are you four off to? Wait...are you okay? Your face is a little red."

"I just fell earlier, don't worry about it," he lied. "I'm showing them around the hotel. Lindsey said she's got some more decorating ideas, but she wants to see how the rest of the place looks to make sure it matches. The other two figured they'd come along as well."

Steve nodded enthusiastically. "Unfortunately, we haven't had much time to look around since we've been so busy, but Jason here offered to take us all on a little tour before dinner!"

Asterion clapped his hands together. "Ah, a wonderful idea! Perhaps I could go with you!"

Feeling the eyes of his three "captors" on him, he declined. "Sorry, but you probably shouldn't. There's another guest you need to attend to, actually. We stopped by the lounge first so I could mention it to you."

"Oh? Who would that be?" Asterion asked.

"I'm afraid it's Ms. Spunch again," Jason sighed. "She's making all sorts of demands, saying 'unless there's some magic door I can use, my own room is impossible to get into', and now she wants one on the first floor because climbing the stairs is too hard. As if we didn't suggest it when she first arrived for that exact reason."

Asterion cocked his head to the side slightly. "Ms. Spunch?" He was clearly about to ask what Jason was talking about when he saw the young man's eyes flick to the side where Lindsey was standing just behind him.

"Yes. I'd leave as soon as we're done here. It's getting pretty serious."

It took him a few seconds, but finally appearing to understand what Jason was trying to tell him, he nodded. "...ah. Yes, Ms. Spunch. Of course. Thank you for letting me know, I'll be sure to head off as soon as possible."

Jason met Asterion's eyes while waving goodbye and gave a tiny smirk, which he returned. He then led the three up to the fourth floor as slowly as possible to ensure it was easy for Asterion to follow them. Once there, he briefly considered opening the door to his room and simply closing it up again after they were inside, but the thought of these three left alone to wreak havoc in his room was hardly an enticing thought, so he simply stood by the wall.

"You're sure no one will come up here? Keep in mind that we have no issue blowing your brains out if you're lying," Lindsey growled.

"I p-promise! No one comes up here but me and Asterion," he said meekly. Satisfied, Lindsey turned to Steve.

"It's time. Go get the minotaur."

"Wait! If Asterion finds out about this, he's gonna get mad! You'll really regret it!" Jason exclaimed.

Lindsey took out her pistol again and pointed it at him. "Did I ask for your opinion? Get the minotaur, Steve. Now."

Steve hesitated, glancing between Lindsey and Jason. "...maybe it's best if we hear him out on this one. We can't take any chances, not in a place like this."

"Did I stutter?" she growled, now pointing her pistol at him. "Get. The. Minotaur."

"Hey! We're working together, you know!"

"We won't be for long if you don't shut it and do what I'm telling you. I love you, man, but you're being a real pain in the ass. Stop worrying and stick to the plan. It'll be fine."

While the two argued, Jason kept his eyes on the end of the corridor. He knew he needed to stall for time, but how long would it take? Would Asterion even be able to find him? He clearly grasped that something was going on and that he should follow them, but how long did he wait to do so? What if he couldn't keep up and didn't know where they were? Jason had dropped a hint about his room, but he couldn't guarantee the minotaur had picked up on it. Either way, perhaps there was a way he could speed things along using the hotel's magic.

"U-um...can I s-say something…?" Jason stuttered. The three stopped bickering and glared at him.

"We're kind of busy. What do you want?" Monica growled.

Willing the hotel to carry his voice to the lower floors, Jason said the first thing that came to mind and hoped it wasn't too obvious. "Like I said, I really don't know if you want to do this. Asterion would get really mad if he found out you're holding me hostage to force him into making gems for you forever, especially if you're doing it by the master's room. He's...very protective of it. Like you said a while back, Monica, you don't want to take him in a straight up fight, do you?"

Lindsey brandished her gun. "We've got this, dumbass. Even someone like him would be taken out if we shot him in the skull. I'd rather not do that, obviously, but I don't feel like having my face caved in today. Between life and endless gems, I'm taking life."

Jason's fists clenched, the memory of his very first day at the hotel coming back to him. Finding the discarded gun, seeing Asterion sitting in the dark, withered away to almost nothing with a hole in his skull where he had been shot, knowing it was about to happen again if he didn't stop them-

No. I have to focus. Calm down.

At that moment, Asterion appeared at the other end of the hall. He and Jason locked eyes for a second, and on the same page as his friend, the minotaur began creeping towards them while Jason continued speaking as slowly and loudly as possible so as to cover the sound of Asterion's hooves.

"I mean, uh, yeah that would definitely do it! But what if you miss, or what if it takes a few shots to finally take him down? I'm really saying this for your own good, you know, because if you keep this up Asterion will get really mad and making a bull angry is never a good idea!" He silently pleaded with his friend to hurry up and continued talking: "That said, if you promise to spare me, I could tell you Asterion's weakness! There's one way to definitely take him down for good, and it won't even kill him so you can still use him to get gems and stuff later if you want! Just tell me you won't hurt me, please!"

"What the hell is your problem?" Lindsey asked, clearly confused by his sudden outburst.

With Asterion still a few feet away, Jason forced himself to begin crying. "I'm just s-so scared! I don't w-wanna die, I'll do anything just don't h-hurt me! I'll do whatever you want, even h-help you capture Asterion, and…" he glanced up to see Asterion was now in position and giving him a thumbs up. "...alright, I'm getting tired of this," he sighed, straightening his postur and wiping his fake tears away. Lindsey, Steve, and Monica all looked at him in confusion. He ignored them and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking directly at the minotaur. "Asterion, we don't need to play around with these goons anymore. Let's get this over with."

"Right away, sir," said Asterion. Panicking, Lindsey whirled around and drew her weapon on Asterion, but before she could fire, he grabbed her hands and forced her to aim the weapon upwards. She struggled to free herself but was not even close to being a match for his nearly inhuman strength.

"I'm afraid we don't allow weapons in the hotel," he said calmly. He hummed, and when lights had finished flickering, the gun had vanished. Ignoring Lindsey's mixture of horror and confusion, he then turned to look at Jason. "Well? What should I do with them?"

Before Jason could answer, Monica and Steve charged at the minotaur. Every so often he was reminded Asterion was...or is, a trained warrior, and this was certainly one of those times. Even though he had less than a second to react, he quickly lifted Lindsey by her arms and swung her into Steve, sending the two crashing into the wall where they became still. He then dodged Monica's lunge and, with a swift strike to the side of her neck, knocked her unconscious as well.

"Wait, that neck thing actually works?" Jason asked, examining Monica's unconscious form. "I thought that was just in movies!"

"Yes, I read about it in a book once. A strike to the vagus nerve can reliably incapacitate weaker people," he explained. "Admittedly, that was the first time I've done it to someone, so I'm almost as surprised as you are that it worked."

"Weird...and speaking of things I didn't expect to work, I honestly wasn't sure if the hotel would carry my voice like I wanted it to."

"The hotel will always bend to your desires if you let it, even if you ask it to do something that should be impossible. I caught the hint about your room and would have found you regardless, but your voice certainly helped confirm my suspicions, so thank you for that." The minotaur gave a deep bow. "That was quick thinking. You are constantly exceeding my expectations, master. Speaking of which, I was not aware you were able to cry on command. That is quite impressive."

Jason glanced at Lindsey's watch which showed the time as 8:10pm. "What can I say? I'm a man of many talents. Anyway, we aren't done yet. One thing I do know that movies are wrong about is that people only stay unconscious for a few minutes at most, so we need to move quickly. I need you to go to the lounge and find Kota and Luke. Tell them that it's time. They'll explain what to do next, I've already discussed it with them. Afterwards, meet me in the lobby. There's one last show to put on for our esteemed guests, and I plan to make sure it's a good one."

Asterion bowed again and turned to leave the hallway.

"Wait, before you go…" Jason muttered, closing the distance between them slightly. "I just...wanted to say thank you for saving me."

"Of course, my lord," said Asterion. "I will protect you even after I have given my dying breath."

Jason couldn't help smiling. "...thanks, Asterion. But I still plan on repaying later. Now let's get this show on the road before Team Rocket over here catches on."

Although he had no idea what a "Team Rocket" was, Asterion nodded and took off down the hall, the sound of his hooves quickly growing fainter. Jason immediately crouched down and changed Lindsey's watch to read 7:50pm, roughly the same time as when they took him hostage. He finished just as she let out a groan and began to stir. The other two regained consciousness almost at the same time, wincing at the pain throughout their bodies.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jason asked, feigning great concern and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Lindsey sat up, clutching her head.

"Nngh...that really hurt-AAH!" she yelled, scooting backwards. "Y-you! What did you do!? Where's the minotaur!?" She felt around for her pistol. "Where is it!? What'd you do with it!?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I was looking for you because it's almost 8 and you never showed up for dinner. After a while, I found you three unconscious up here! What happened?"

Lindsey stared at him, her eyes narrowed. "What…? But wasn't it already past-" she glanced at her watch which showed the time as 7:51pm. She slowly looked back up at the confused young man in front of her.

"Like your watch says, it's only 7:51. Are you sure you're okay? I think we should have someone take a look at you-"

"I'm fine!" Lindsey exclaimed. Her face turned a light shade of pink as she looked to her companions for backup. They merely shrugged, as confused as she was. "I...I mean...I think we're okay. Maybe we just...fell, or something. I don't know."

Although he clearly didn't believe them (not that he'd tell them why), he shrugged and stood up, starting to head down the hallway. "Well, if you say so. Come on, then. Dinner's still going, and you won't want to miss it." He stopped and briefly glanced back at them. "I promise: this one's about to be an experience you'll never forget." He bowed to the three of them to which Lindsey gave a half-hearted wave in response. Once he had left, they shakily got to their feet, still groaning.

"What the hell happened…?" Monica grunted. "I thought we had taken the kid hostage, and the next thing I knew, we were getting beat to hell by that minotaur. Was I dreaming…?"

Steve's eyes widened. "Wait, you had the same dream? I thought I must have imagined it when Jason was showing concern for us, but if you experienced the same thing...did it really happen?"

"No, I definitely remember the same thing happening," said Lindsey, "but my watch says it's not even eight yet, and I know we got up here after eight. Any of you know what the hell is going on?"

The other two shook their heads, their memories still hazy after being knocked out.

"You think the kid changed the time to mess with us?" Monica suggested.

"No way to know for sure, but I doubt it," said Lindsey. "What would he gain from doing that?"

Monica thought for a moment. "It shows the same time that we took him hostage. Maybe he wanted us to think it never happened so we'd give up on trying it again?"

"Even he has to have known that wouldn't work. Besides, we were knocked out, right? It'd be way easier to just carry us out of the hotel or even kill us but instead, he just left us up here. If it did happen, that wouldn't make any sense."

"Well, what about your gun? Looks like you don't have it on you anymore, and I remember the minotaur making it vanish somehow."

"We've never heard about Asterion being able to make objects disappear, so maybe she only took it with her in this shared dream we had," Steve suggested.

Monica scoffed. "Shared dream? Sounds kinda far-fetched."

"Monica, we're in a magic hotel run by a minotaur that can make gems appear out of thin air. Do you really think something like that is impossible?" Lindsey grunted. "For all we know, the hotel realized what we were trying to do, knocked us out, and put us up here as a warning. Then again, it's also possible the minotaur can make things disappear, which means he really did take us out. Ugh, my head is spinning. Look, let's...let's just go eat, and we'll talk about it later. Even if it actually happened, we're still here so Jason clearly doesn't plan to have us thrown out. Once we know what's going on, we'll figure out what to do next."

"Do you really think the hotel was trying to warn us? Assuming it actually was a dream," Steve said as they returned to the lower floors.

"Maybe, but what does it know? It's a hotel," Monica replied.

"I feel like if a magic hotel tried to warn someone that they were in danger, most people would listen. Maybe we should-"

"No!" Lindsey interjected. "We've come way too far to stop now. Maybe it was a warning, but that just means we'll have to switch up our strategy."

The three discussed ideas until they got to the lobby, though none seemed particularly effective.

"Well, what if we took one of the guests captive and...wait. Does it seem weirdly quiet to you two?" said Monica suddenly. The other two stopped walking and listened, hearing nothing but their own heartbeats. At this time of day, they could always hear chatter coming from the lounge or other guests moving around in the hallways, but now there was absolute silence. They glanced at each other and wordlessly moved to the lounge, peeking behind the door. For once, they hoped to see Kota and have him reprimand them for being late, or even to see the minotaur with his annoyingly infectious cheerful attitude. What they saw, however, was a completely empty lounge. No plates, food, Kota, or Asterion. Not even Jason.

"Did everyone go out for the stargazing event you planned?" Steve asked.

Monica shook her head. "Impossible. I scheduled it for nine, plus it's way too light out for that at the moment. Even if they chose to set up early, it wouldn't require everyone in the hotel to go out there. Kota probably wouldn't allow it even if they tried, you know how he gets."

They crept into the room as though making a sound would wake some horrible sleeping beast, moving past the tables and to the back where the kitchen and staff room were located. Both were as empty as the lounge.

"What do we do now?" Monica asked. Just then, the hotel's lights flickered briefly.

"What was that? D-did Asterion create something?" Steve stuttered.

"I don't know. None of this makes sense, but let's go outside for now. Maybe they really are out there," Lindsey suggested. With no better ideas, the two followed her and left the lounge, but when they exited through the doors, they did not come out into the hallway leading to the entrance of the hotel. Instead, they were now in the hallway for the guest rooms, albeit with the lights much dimmer than usual.

"What the hell is going-" Lindsey began, but she was cut off by a familiar, pleasant voice.

"This hotel draws in those who are lost. Tell me. Are you lost?"

Right beside them, as though he had been standing there the whole time, was Asterion. He beamed at them as though nothing unusual was happening, leaning down to match their height. He straightened up and beckoned for them to follow, going down the hallway without waiting for them. The three of them glanced at each other, nodded, and huddled together as they followed.

"Where are you taking us?" Monica asked, her voice uncharacteristically high.

"You are all quite lucky, indeed. My master no longer wishes to hide his identity and has granted you the special privilege of meeting with him. It is beyond an honor," said Asterion.

"M-master? But aren't you… I mean...who are you talking about? I don't understand, why would...but..." Lindsey said, her words flowing out of her mouth uncontrollably before fading away.

"Here we are," Asterion stated, ignoring her confusion. They apprehensively looked at the door in front of them. It was their room. Before they could say anything, Asterion opened the door. Their mouths fell open at the sight: the cozy hotel room they had become used to over the last few days was no more, replaced by a large room with a floor made of grey stone and deep red walls with a field of white flowers painted on that stretched around the room. The electric lights had been replaced by small torches lit with dim flames, leaving the area relatively dark. In the middle of the room was a large stone basin set upon a small bed of rock, and behind that was the most shocking sight of all: a beautifully carved throne of stone upon which sat Jason, though he did not look remotely the same as they remembered. Instead of modern clothes he now wore a crown of white flowers upon his head, the same kind that were painted on the walls, along with form-fitting pitch black shorts that stopped a little above his knees and red cloth tied around his waist, fastened on the left side and formed into a half-skirt that left his leg exposed while covering most of his right leg. His chest and feet were bare save for a single anklet while his arms, hands, and right ear were adorned with golden bracelets, rings, and a small hoop respectively. Finally, he wore a band around his left bicep, though for whatever reason, the black armband around his other bicep still remained. Even his expression had changed, and had they not known better, they would have thought he was now a completely different person than the helpful but cowardly hotel assistant they had come to know. He looked at them with a mixture of boredom and disdain, leaning forward slightly with his right elbow on his leg and his head resting on a closed fist.

"Well, what have we here?" Jason said slowly. Still huddled together, they all felt each other shake slightly at the young master's voice, now void of all pretense. It was clear, powerful, the voice of someone who knew exactly how much strength they commanded, someone that knew the people in front of him were but mere specks compared to his magnificence, matches compared to his sun-like radiance. "Thank you for bringing them to me, Asterion. You may go."

"Thank you, my lord. I am glad to have been of service to you," the minotaur said with more respect than they had ever heard someone give. He bowed and left the room. Although he had been instructed earlier to close the door behind him, his curiosity got the better of him, and so he left it open just a crack, allowing him to hear everything going on and even peer inside.

"But...but…" Lindsey stuttered. "But...I thought Asterion was-"

Jason laughed, sending another chill down her spine. "You thought Asterion was this hotel's master? Cute." He closed his eyes and hummed a short tune. The hotel's lights flickered briefly and the stone basin in front of them erupted with fire, bathing him in a soft glow. When he opened them again, the fire in his eyes rivaled that of the basin's. "This place, this hotel, is my domain, and I am its god. You three, who have come to this place of refuge for personal gain, who not only sought to endanger the lives of others to satisfy your greed but who dared to bring harm to me and Asterion...there is no justification for what you have done."

Lindsey, Monica, and Steve fell to their knees, bowing their heads. "So we weren't dreaming! P-please don't hurt us!" Steve pleaded. "We didn't mean-"

"I did not give you permission to speak! Be silent!" Jason ordered, doing his best to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth from giving such a command. Steve immediately stopped talking, and he could see the man was now trembling even more fiercely. Although Jason did not know it, Asterion was peeking through the crack in the door, his eyes wide at the sight of his master acting so...different. The same man who refused to give orders to anyone, especially Asterion, was now demanding respect and obedience. Not only that, he was doing it so naturally, as though he had been doing it his entire life. "What you meant is of no concern to me. The fact of the matter is that you tried to bring harm to Asterion and me in my own domain. There is no greater insult to a god than to have mortals who live in the realm they watch over rise up against them. I have given you everything: food, water, shelter, kindness, and how do you repay me? With violence and lies. Thankfully, I figured out your plan rather quickly and devised one of my own before any serious harm could be done. Of course, this would all be different if you had felt truly wronged and were just resisting such oppression. Tell me. Did you feel wronged by me or Asterion at any time? Know that I am not merciless; if you truly did feel this way, I want you to tell me about it."

They muttered something under their breaths, but he was unable to hear them clearly.

"I did not ask for such a pathetic response." He hummed again, and with a quick burst, the fire grew larger. "Answer me properly! Did you feel wronged?"

"N-no!" they stuttered in unison. The fire returned to its normal state.

"So am I to understand that you acted this way without good reason? Speak!"

"Yes! We're sorry, we're so sorry! Please, forgive us! We didn't know you were the true master!" Lindsey begged.

"Yeah, it totally wasn't intentional! If we knew you were a god, we wouldn't have tried to take you hostage! We just wanted your servant, the minotaur! We didn't want to hurt anyone important!" Monica added.

For a moment, there was silence save for the crackling of the fire and the three's uncomfortable shifting.

"I see," Jason finally said. He slowly got to his feet and stretched his hand out towards them. They instinctively flinched. "So you have learned nothing. Were I not a god, you'd have gone through with your plan. Were I not anyone special, you would have gladly risked my life or the life of Asterion to achieve your selfish goals. On top of that, you still truly believe Asterion is my servant? You think he's nothing more than a beast that can be discarded when you're done with him!?"

Steve looked up at him with pleading eyes. "No, that's not what-"

"Shut up!" Jason snapped. The hotel's lights flickered as it began to make the master's will reality. The fire grew into an inferno within the bowl, threatening to spill over and envelop everything in the room, and at the same time, the ground beneath them began to shake, softly at first but gradually more violently. A genuine, terrible rage began to build in his heart, fury over these worthless creatures trying to hurt him, hurt his Asterion. Keeping his hand outstretched, his eyes flicked down to the inferno between them. A string of fire shot out from the basin and surrounded the three as they groveled, growing upwards into a thick wall of flame. "I won't let you hurt Asterion ever again! You are not his master, you are not his torturer, and he is not an object to play with or harm as you please!"

"If you'd just give us a chance-" Lindsey began. Jason slowly began to close his hand, and the ring of fire around them grew smaller. "P-please! I will personally ensure we cause no more trouble! We'll even apologize to the minot-I mean, Asterion! Even as a god, there must be some mercy in you! Please give us another chance!"

Jason gave a short, cruel laugh. "You're asking for mercy now, after all you've done? Pathetic! King or commoner, priest or heathen, anyone who would even consider taking advantage of another person, especially Asterion, doesn't deserve a shred of forgiveness!"

As he spoke, he began to lose sight of what was his acting and what was him speaking his mind. Both fused together in a chaotic dance that refused to stop, twisting faster and faster with each beat of his heart. He was angry, and he could never forgive anyone who tried to hurt Asterion. That much was from him, he was sure. What about the rest? Was punishing them like this his own judgement? Did he really think he was any better than them?

Better than most people? No. Better than these lowlifes? Yes. They have to be dealt with. I can't let them endanger Asterion again. I don't have a choice.

Jason's hand closed slightly more, and the ring of fire shrank until it was mere inches away from them. He spurred himself on, pushing himself to do what he knew was necessary. It was for everyone's sake, not even just his own or Asterion's, as they could just as easily hurt another guest should he let them go free. No, he could not allow that. This was his domain, and he promised to keep everyone safe while inside. He promised to keep Asterion safe. This had to be done. But even as he tried to force his fist to close, Asterion's face, in turn, forced itself into his mind. He could not shake the image of the minotaur's horror at seeing what Jason had done, and unbeknownst to him, the minotaur was still watching with almost the exact expression the master was imagining.

Is this...who Jason truly is? Even if it is to protect the hotel, to protect me, would he truly end someone's life so easily?

Asterion did not have to wait long for an answer. Jason let out a sigh and lowered his (now shaking) hand. The ring of fire vanished, and the flames within the bowl became little more than embers. "Be thankful, for I have decided to give you one last chance. I will not end your lives, but I will also not allow you to bring harm to my guests, and particularly not to Asterion. Therefore, as the master of this realm, I banish you! You will not come to this hotel again until you have truly realized the error of your ways!"

"Yes, yes! Of course!" Lindsey said, scrambling to her feet and bowing. She glared at the other two to do the same, and they quickly followed her lead. "I promise that you will not regret this!"

"For your sake, I hope not. Leave, before I realize my mercy is wasted!" The lights flickered one last time, and the door behind them swung open with a bang. All three immediately bowed once more and, nearly tripping over each other in their haste, bolted out of the room. Jason let out a sigh of relief before sitting back down on the throne, thankful the ordeal was over. He was especially thankful that he had the foresight to ask Asterion to stand outside when explaining his plan and that he did not see how close Jason had come to losing himself. He called out, telling the minotaur it was okay to come back inside. Asterion slowly entered the room and closed the door behind him. He approached the young master, a flood of thoughts entering his mind now that the distraction had ended. As he looked at him, sitting on the throne dressed just like a king, like a god, and so naturally commanding others to do as he pleased, so ready to hand down divine punishment to the foolish mortals who dared stand against him, the minotaur felt a tug-of-war in his own mind.

This is right.

This is wrong.

This is how it should be.

No, it doesn't have to be this way.

That throne...he belongs there. You don't.

Maybe, but he's still my...my friend.

No, he isn't. Stop fighting and give in, it'll be easier that way.

It may be easier, but will it be better?

"...are you okay?" his lord asked. He reached out to touch Asterion's shoulder, pausing for permission. This time, though, it was not given. Asterion backed away slowly, looking incredibly stressed. Finally, his expression resolute, he moved forward again and got down on one knee with his right hand over his heart.

"I cannot fight this any longer," he said, closing his eyes and facing the floor. "Forgive me, but I could not help watching what just happened. Such a scene is beyond anything I could ever hope to describe, and it has given me many things to think about, but there is one thing I know for sure: you have been so kind to me, more kind than any master I have ever known, and that is precisely why this has to end."

"...what are you talking about? What has to end?"

Asterion sighed. "All of this. You being so kind, acting like I am your equal...it cannot continue. Perhaps you truly do feel that way, or perhaps you are only playing with my emotions as an exceptionally cruel torture. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that it does not matter. Would it hurt more for me to figure out you never truly cared, or for you to realize that I am not your equal and stop caring? Both bring me a feeling of agony I cannot begin to describe, so I am stopping this right now. You've always said I should be free to make my own choices, so here I am, making my choice. I am going to do what is best for us both." He felt his eyes burn and streams of tears began flowing down his face, but still he refused to open his eyes and look up at his king. He was not worthy, he never would be worthy to gaze upon someone so perfect, even with permission. "Please, my master, my king...just end this facade. I cannot take it anymore, this constant wondering if one day you will become like the others. If you truly do care for me, you will honor the request of your most loyal servant and let me go back to being an unworthy prisoner. At least then, I will not stay awake at night afraid that the next day is the last I will see of your kindness, and if you are truly the pure man I want to believe you are, you will not have to waste your time on someone like me who was such a coward that the very gods themselves decided to intervene. Do you remember the conversation we had several days ago about previous masters, and I said I did not want to speak about my feelings?"

"...I do, yes."

"What I did not mention was that I dislike speaking badly of them because I know I deserve what they did to me. The gods would not impose such a horrible punishment upon someone who did not have it coming. I proved I was the most despicable person they had ever seen, and you showing me such mercy is not fitting for someone like that. So I promise that if you do this, I will do anything you ask without complaint. I will serve you day and night, I will even agree to help you convince Kota and Luke to nullify the contract preventing you from sending me into the valley if that is what you desire, for no pain I will experience out there could compare to the hell I would find myself in should your kindness turn out to be temporary. You have proven yourself to be a worthy and powerful king, so please. Before it's too late, before this goes too far, I'm begging you...please stop..."

For a moment, the young master said nothing. When he finally spoke, it was short and direct: "Alright. If you want me to speak the truth, then I will. Asterion..."

So that was it. He never actually cared. He did not think his lord was an evil man, so perhaps he did it out of pity, but pity can only go so far. There would be time for crying later, though. Right now, his master wanted something, and it was his duty to answer. He wiped the tears away with his arm and tried to steady his breathing.

"Yes...my master? What is it?"

He heard a short hum, and before he could wonder what it was for, he felt someone wrapping their arms around him, pulling him into a hug. He opened his eyes in shock to see that the room had turned back into a normal guest room, and the one hugging him was Jason, now crouching down to be on his level.

"Here's the truth: I'm sorry," he said quietly. "God, I'm so sorry. If I knew this would happen, I never would have came up with this stupid plan. I only wanted to teach those assholes a lesson, and when I found out they were planning to take advantage of you, I panicked. I got even more scared just now when I thought they'd hurt you again, and I...I lost control. The thought of them hurting you was too much, and I was prepared to do anything I had to in order to keep you safe, but I guess I was the one who ended up hurting you in the end."

"M-master…? What are you…?" Asterion muttered, unsure if he should return the hug or not. The man currently embracing him was the closest thing to a god that a mortal could be, and he had just proven it. He even looked the part now, yet here he was humbling himself. It made no sense.

Jason hugged Asterion even tighter. "I screwed up. There was probably some other way we could have dealt with them if I had just talked to you about it instead of doing whatever I wanted, but I didn't want you to worry, so I kept quiet. I was only trying to protect you, but you still ended up suffering because of me. I knew damn well the bullshit I just pulled would scare you after everything you've been through which is why I told you to stay outside, but I did it anyway because I'm so fucking smart, apparently, and it's just not possible that things wouldn't go how I planned. God, I'm so fucking stupid...but I hope you can forgive me. I'll say I'm sorry a thousand times if that's what you want, and even if I don't have your forgiveness, I promise I'll try to do better in the future. I'm not your master, Asterion, I'm your friend...and I'll do anything to make this right."

What a strange sight. The king, the lord of the hotel, the minotaur's master, on his knees with tears in his eyes, admitting he was at fault and asking the prisoner for forgiveness. Such a distortion of the rules, such a bizarre thing, and surely not something even the gods could have anticipated, much less understood had they seen it happen. Perhaps they could learn a thing or two. Perhaps, even, mortals are the ones with lessons to teach the gods, not the other way around.

They stayed that way for a while until, starting to cry again, Asterion wrapped his arms around Jason and held him as tightly as he could without breaking the man's spine. "Never, not in thousands of years, have I met someone like you and never will I again."

"Does this mean...you forgive me?" Jason asked apprehensively.

Asterion nodded and pulled back to look at Jason's face, now with red cheeks and bloodshot eyes. This was not like earlier when he had forced himself to cry; these tears, Asterion knew, were genuine. He almost looked like an upset child playing dress-up, and the minotaur couldn't help smiling. "Of course. Do you forgive me for acting so foolishly? I cannot help feeling some measure of distrust, but I allowed it to get the better of me. You have done nothing but show the purest kindness to me and everyone you have met, and yet I still doubted you. On top of that, I should not have looked when you told me not to. You did it out of concern for me, and I ignored you. I have no one to blame for that but myself. I will say I'm sorry a million times if I must...and I, too, promise I will try to do better in the future."

The two stared at each other, and at the same time, both burst out in laughter.

"What a strange pair we are!" Asterion said with the widest grin Jason had seen in some time. "Both convinced we know what's best, yet I know we both did what we did out of care for the other."

"We really are a mess! Maybe instead of stewing in our own thoughts every night until they drive us to insanity or temporarily ascending to godhood, we should just talk to each other," Jason chuckled. "I feel like that'd solve a lot of our problems."

The minotaur nodded. "Indeed. Perhaps we could have one of those talks tonight? Possibly with some tea and a few sweets?" he asked almost pleadingly.

"Sure, my friend. We'll have some tea and sweets and talk for as long as you want," Jason replied. "But before that, we have a stargazing event to go to. It should be almost time, and Luke will kill us if we make him wait. He refused to put it off when I told him about my plan yesterday, saying that even if Monica sucked, her ideas were fantastic." He stood and offered his hand to Asterion who, after a moment's hesitation, took it and stood as well. With a wicked grin, he quickly picked Jason up and set him into the crook of his left arm.

"Hey, what did I just tell you? I'm not your master, so you don't have to carry me around," Jason huffed.

"You may not be my master, but dressed as you are and having sat on that throne, you are most certainly royalty. So I am sorry, my king, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to walk. Someone like you should never have to dirty his feet by touching the ground," he said with a wink.

"Oh, you crafty bastard!" Jason laughed. "Alright, fine. For now, I'll deal with it. To the great outdoors! Your perfect and exceptionally humble king commands it!"

"Very well, if that is what the kindest and most beautiful king in the world desires, that is what he shall have." For a moment, their eyes met and Jason knew he had meant every word he just said. He felt his cheeks go red again and pointed towards the door, wrapping his other arm around Asterion's neck.

"Onwards!"

They arrived outside just as it was beginning to get dark enough to see the stars. Most of the hotel's guests were sitting on blankets and looking up at the sky while others ran back and forth making final preparations. A few stared at the two of them as they passed, but none said anything (whether it was because they didn't have time or didn't want to know was anyone's guess). They found Luke tinkering with a telescope, and he only noticed them when they had gotten within a few feet.

"Aw, hey there! Where've ya-" Luke's mouth fell open as he saw the man Asterion was carrying. Jason unwrapped his arm from the minotaur's neck and hopped down.

"Hey, Luke. Everything good to go?" he asked.

"I-wha-" the gryphon stuttered. "What in the Sam Hill happened to yer outfit?"

Jason looked down at himself in mock surprise as though he had forgotten about it. "Huh? Oh, you mean this. It's nothing. Just...an idea I had. You like it?" He spun in place once, letting the cloth flow around him. Luke's mouth opened even wider.

"Hell yeah, I do!" he finally managed to say, regaining some of his composure. "God damn! I'd worship you all hours of the day and night if you were dressed like that more often! Yo, Kota! Come see this!"

"Is it really necessary to yell? My hearing is perfectly-" Kota grumbled after he had walked over to them. His eyes fell on Jason and became as wide as Luke's. "I...um...may I ask why?"

Jason shrugged. "Like I told Luke. Just an idea I had. He said he liked it, so what do you think?" He twirled around again for the dragon who seemed just as stunned as Luke was.

"I...I think it's, um...very nice," he said, coughing nervously.

"Uh-oh! Looks like Kota's got a lil crush!" Luke exclaimed, nudging Kota with his elbow.

"Oh, please! You were probably fawning over him too!"

"So you admit you think it's hot!"

"That is not what I said!"

"So you don't think I look attractive…?" Jason muttered, pretending to look downcast.

"Don't even start," Kota sighed. "More importantly, how did you get your adornments? Surely they are not gold."

Jason glanced at Asterion. "It's pyrite. Let's just say I got the idea from someone far more clever than I'll ever be."

Kota knelt down and gently touched the cloth around Jason's waist. "And your clothing? It can't be silk, but it's still rather soft."

"Yeah, it's just cotton made to look and feel kinda fancy like silk by using a satin weave...as long as you don't look too closely, anyway. Took me ages to get it how I wanted last night, turns out weaving isn't my thing even when using magic. The shorts are the same thing. At first I considered just having the cloth around me, and that is exactly why I added the shorts," he added, pointing at Luke whose face had immediately lit up. "But yeah. Everything went well overall."

The dragon nodded. "I would expect no less from something you thought up. When you told Luke and me of your plan yesterday, I admit I was a little surprised; sealing off the true lobby and hallway that lead to the lounge while creating a fake one in order to corral them was a rather unique idea."

"I really didn't want them running off and hiding deeper in the hotel or coming across a guest and hurting them, to be honest. I'm glad you three managed to do it."

"I told him and Asterion that if they didn't hurry it up, I'd get on a table and start dancin'! The longer it took, the more clothes would come off! That got them movin' real fast!" Luke grinned.

"Yes, well...that horrifying image aside," Kota grunted, "we could not have done it without Asterion's help. We were mainly there just to make sure it looked correct. Like you said, they might have become bold and attempted to harm someone else, so separating them from everyone quickly and convincingly was crucial...though your natural aptitude for psychological warfare is definitely noted."

"Oh, come on. I'd probably never do anything like that to you," saidJason incredulously.

"Your use of the word 'probably' does not fill me with confidence. In any case, while I don't remember you mentioning the wardrobe change..." he gave Jason another once-over. "...I am glad everything went as you had planned and that those three will no longer trouble us."

"It didn't go perfectly," he shrugged. "Ran into a few...missteps, but they were sorted out."

"All has turned out as it should. Anyway, that's enough time on the ground, my king. You are already getting far too dirty," Asterion grinned, picking Jason back up again. "You may stargaze while in my arms."

Luke laughed rather boisterously, causing Kota to flinch. "I dunno what you did, Jason, but I can't believe you already got Asterion treating you like royalty! I'm jealous of both you and him! Not that I wouldn't worship you if you gave me the chance."

"Let's get out of here and find a spot before Luke starts offering himself to me," said Jason in an exaggerated whisper so that the gryphon could hear.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you're dressed so regally, your highness," he said. "But you're right, we should get a move on. It's almost time." The one thing he loves as much as men now distracting him, Luke began fiddling with the telescope again. Asterion bowed his head to them and left them alone, finding a secluded spot for himself and Jason. As the sky grew darker and the stars began to steadily appear, the two occasionally found their gazes wandering from the cosmos back down to earth, specifically to look at one particular man. They would occasionally catch each other looking and both grin while muttering an apology, only to do it again a few moments later.

"Asterion?" Jason asked after an extended period of silence.

"Yes, my king?" he replied happily.

"Actually, it's about exactly that. I know we kind of went over this earlier, but you don't have to call me your king or treat me like one."

Asterion shook his head. "You do not understand. This time, I am not doing it out of obligation."

"...so you're just messing with me."

"No! Well, okay. Maybe a little," he laughed. "Mostly though, I want to. When I say that you're my king, or my lord, I say it out of respect. If there is anyone on this planet who deserves to be treated like a king, it's you. So, with your permission, I would be genuinely happy if you would allow me to refer to you as such. To make it fair, I will make a greater effort to call you by your name every once in a while as well."

"...fine. But only because I've met you and know there's no arguing with you," Jason grunted.

"Thank you, my...I mean, Jason. You have no idea how much that means to me. In my eyes, you are the king of kings, the most worthy ruler of them all. I might even dare to say that you...you...no, I cannot say that, it borders on blasphemous."

Jason reached up and, after receiving a nod, stroked the minotaur's face lightly. "Aw, come on! Say it! Please? For me?"

The minotaur let out a soft moo and caved in, his words becoming quieter with each he said. "I would say that...you deserve to...maybe...be treated like one of the...g-gods…" He looked around as though expecting divine punishment to appear out of nowhere and strike him down for his insolence. However, nothing happened save for Jason smiling reassuringly.

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Do you really mean that?"

Asterion nodded, still afraid to say anything more lest the gods come down from Olympus to smite him. Noticing this, Jason continued stroking the fur on the side of his friend's face.

"Hey, it's alright. They won't hurt you. Even if they tried, I'd protect you," he said. Asterion's head whipped around, his body shifting in surprise and almost causing Jason to fall off.

"...would you really do that? For me? Do you even understand what you're saying?"

"Of course I do." He jumped down from the minotaur's arms again and reached his hand up before pausing. Asterion nodded without a second thought, and Jason put his hand behind Asterion's neck, looking into his eyes and gently pulling his head down so that their foreheads touched. "For you, I would do anything. I promise I will use every ounce of my power to protect you as long as I live."

"Yes. You, um...proved that quite well earlier," he said, laughing nervously.

Jason shook his head. "That wasn't me. That was my anger that I let control me, and I promise, that will never happen again. That said, as long as I'm doing so with a clear head, I will never hesitate to protect you with everything I've got, even if it means fighting the gods themselves. I will travel through every hell, endure the torment of every one of the Greek gods, and fight each one of them back if it means keeping you safe."

"I...I appreciate it, but you shouldn't talk like that," Asterion muttered. "The gods are not known for being particularly understanding of one's circumstances or reasons for acting. To you, fighting them off would be an act of heroism and friendship, but to them, it would be an act of defiance and betrayal, and whose viewpoint are they going to believe? The eyes of a mortal, or the eyes of a god? I was subjected to an eternity of torture just for my cowardice, so it's not unlikely they would see fit to do it again if they thought you were plotting against them."

He enveloped Asterion in a tight hug. "I need you to understand something: your cowardice wasn't what caused this to happen. I know that's what they told you, but surely other people have shown far less of a backbone and were far worse, but they weren't sentenced to this. From the moment you explained your situation to me, I've always felt like something was off about it, and I think it was because I've been asking the wrong question. I shouldn't be trying to understand why you deserved to be put here, I should be trying to figure out why they needed to put you here. Once I do, maybe I can get you out of this for good."

"But what if you are not strong enough to fight off the gods?"

"Then I will die knowing I protected someone dear to me."

"And if the gods decide to condemn you to the labyrinth as well?"

"Then what bliss, to spend eternal damnation by your side."

Unsure of how to respond, Asterion looked back up at the stars. Jason joined him, and the two simply enjoyed each other's company for a moment.

"By the way," Asterion said, "you claimed you would repay me for saving you. You could do it by wearing that outfit more often."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that an order?"

"No." The minotaur beamed at the young man standing next to him, the man who had gone from stranger, to master, to king...to friend. "It's just a request."

"In that case," Jason smiled, "...maybe I will."

The two said little for the rest of the time they spent stargazing, but that was just fine. Time shared with a friend doesn't need spoken words, only understanding and the willingness to grow and learn with each other. They knew they had both, and come what may in the future, whatever struggles they may have with themselves or with the gods, at that moment, staring up at the infinite amount of stars above them, they were happy.

And that was more than enough.