Chapter Five
'You want me to do what?' Puck exclaimed and Dean was sure that he never ever saw his eyes being so enormous before.
'It's not like it would be difficult for you' Dean told him.
'Someone hit you on the head bucko? I don't care why or how you're involved in this, but I ain't going anywhere near that archangel' the sprite said firmly.
'He's not here to destroy us I told you that' Dean insisted. 'Besides, I need your help, I'm the one asking you.'
'No, he's not here to destroy us, but for some reason he has to be hidden… from everything. Don't you find that just a tiny bit suspicious?'
'Listen to me Puck, for some cosmic coincidence he landed here in this backwoods valley and he is not our enemy, but who is?' he asked while raising an eyebrow.
'Leomas' Puck grumbled quietly while crossing his arms.
'Leomas' Dean confirmed with a stern look. 'So I don't care if you don't like this or if you're scared of him, you will suck it up, put on a grin and help. This can be very good for me, and what's good for me…'
'Is good for all of us' Puck finished with an almost growl. 'Oh, you lewd little miscreant, you will get me killed one day.'
'It won't be today, Puck' Dean laughed as he clapped his friend on the shoulder.
x~x~x
'Creide is not ready with preparing the spell so I don't see how we could move on' Gabriel said.
'Hey who's the expert here?' Dean asked. 'And besides it's not enough to look like a god and feel like a god. You have to act like one, or at least like something that's actually… alive' he finished as he took in the angel's straight posture and stern look. Oh this was not going to be easy.
'I'm listening' Gabriel prompted.
'So in order to get things quickly into your angel-brain, that somehow not always manages to understand the importance of delicate details' oh and then some. 'My good pal Puck here' he continued as he put his arms around the sprite's shoulder, who just stood there staring at the archangel, but succeeded in looking not-scared out of his mind. 'Will help us out.'
Gabriel frowned at him and Dean started to think that it was the only look besides rage and annoyance the angel was capable of expressing. That had to change.
'Help us how?' Gabriel asked as he shifted his golden gaze at the faun.
'Puck, you took a good look?' Dean asked.
'Sure, let's start this catastrophe' he answered with an eyeroll, and then he stretched his neck and arms and promptly morphed into an exact copy of Gabriel's vessel. The archangel seemed interested… a little. 'So you and I are going to make a little trip now, big guy' Puck said to the angel and Dean as always was impressed how perfectly the sprite could pretend confidence. His voice was of course the same as the angel's, but he spoke in a much lighter tone in contrast to Gabriel whose every word was like he was announcing the impending doom of the world.
'A trip?' Gabriel asked, and Puck hummed in confirmation.
'Can I trust you to do what I ask of you?' he asked then as he walked closer to the angel. 'I can promise I have better manners then chucklehead over there' He nodded his head in Dean's direction and the demigod huffed in exasperation.
'I am capable of following instructions' Gabriel said pointedly and Dean could hear the "unlike someone" perfectly clear. The angel was learning real fast in regard of backhand insults, but his style still sucked.
'Brilliant' Puck grinned; the expression suited the archangel's face surprisingly well. Then he grabbed Gabriel's shoulder and both of them suddenly slipped over the vividly blue passage appearing next to them. Dean was actually very curious how Gabriel would do over at the Fairy side of things, but that place made his skin crawl and he pissed off enough Fay folk to last him for several lifetimes, so he had to sit this one out.
Having the archangel out of his hair also meant that he had some time to make a quick run to town.
x~x~x
He was just out of the valley when he noticed that he was being followed, he was not in an animal form as he never shifted when going out among humans. He slowed down his pace to figure out who and what it was. He wanted to curse when he realized.
'You better show your face Patrick, I know you are here' he said out loud as he crossed his arms.
'Well blast it' Patrick said as he got into sight. 'I really started to think that I got better at this.'
'You're mortal' Dean explained.
'Not for long' Patrick smiled.
'What is it lad?' the demigod asked then.
'Ah, ye know, I saw ye heading this way and I thought… aye it's been a while since I was in town, sure the good Deandalon wouldn't mind some company.'
'I am in me wick! You're Mother would skin me alive' Dean exclaimed. 'I may be a god but I just know she would find a way to kill me nice and slowly.'
'Oh come on Dean! I'm turning bloody mad in this valley; I am old enough to get out to that blasted town now without her' the young witch fumed.
'You're nineteen' Dean pointed out.
'Exactly, that is adult for humans ye know' Patrick said.
'She just wants to keep you safe' Dean told him.
'I can take care of myself, ye know I can. And I would stay with ye the entire time' the young man insisted. 'Ma doesn't have to know.'
'I swear kid you are getting more annoying every year' Dean grumbled as he continued his walk out of the valley, Patrick stepped in line with him with a smug smile on his face.
'I just had the best to learn from' he said with a laugh. 'Ye should be proud.'
'Yeah it's bleedin' deadly' Dean shook his head with a chuckle. 'I should've known it'll come back to bite me in the arse.'
x~x~x
They were not far away from town when Dean remembered why it was a cosmically bad idea to have Patrick with him when he was out of the valley. And the reminder turned out to be a very bad one.
'Hey Dandelion!' he heard from not that far away from them and he immediately cursed his bad luck. There were not many who dared to make fun of him by calling him like that and this was a really bad timing for someone that strong to show up, especially since he recognized the voice.
'Stay behind me kid' he told Patrick quietly. He knew it was not easy to scare the young witch and Dean knew he had enough power to hold his own against a foe, but he was mortal regardless. 'Good day to you Kovas' he turned towards the god with a bright smile. 'What can I do you for?' he didn't let the worry show on his face, but the war god had his two servants Kaukas and Baubas with him. The two were both lower spirits, but still strong enough to keep up with Dean if it came down to it. Bloody weak-jawed hedgehog, because of course this would be the day when the god came down from the mountains for whatever reasons.
'Don't play dumb with me' the war god growled as he stomped closer, and damn he was just as huge as Dean remembered him to be. 'You have something that belongs to me' he said menacingly.
'Why would you think that Kovas?' Dean asked curiously in return. He really wished he had a better reputation, the other deities would believe him to be innocent easily then.
'Enough of your blather, you either give me back what's rightfully mine of I will make you pay for it.' And somehow Dean had the feeling that he wasn't talking about paying in gold.
'Are you calling me a thief now?' he retorted. 'I don't have what you're looking for' he said with certainty. And he was even telling the absolute truth, he only borrowed Kovas' helmet with every intention of giving it back a day later, it was in no way his fault that it broke to pieces. That was the troll's fault.
'I have warned you before you little half-breed bastard, this was the last straw' the god spat with a thunderous face.
'Patrick' Dean said slowly while keeping his eye on the war god in front of him. 'Run.'
He didn't have to say it twice and the young witch was already gone from his side, Kaukas and Baubas turned and ran after him when Kovas nodded, but Dean couldn't do anything for now but trust that Patrick would hold his own if the spirits caught up with him, luckily they were not the fastest ones. He held the dark gaze of the war god for long moments, before he had to dodge when the god lashed out to strike. Kovas had no special powers on his display, but he was a strong and skilled warrior Dean had to be very careful with. He also didn't want to leave Patrick on his own for too long either.
He couldn't do anything but get out of the god's way before with sudden thought he took his rare black wolf form. It was his largest and strongest animal form, he was faster like this and better at dodge with his increased agility. Kovas growled in frustration when Dean easily jumped out of his way and he roared in pain when the demigod managed to sink his sharp teeth into the muscles of his upper arm. He shook the wolf off his arm and Dean almost hit his ribs to a nearby rock as he got tossed to the ground, but he was on his feet a second later. He knew that this could go on for hours and he could not leave Patrick to deal with the two spirits on his own. So he swiftly turned around and started running the way the witch ran off too. Kovas cursed and followed him, but Dean was much faster with running on four legs especially since the god's enormous body was a disadvantage now.
He knew that none of the gods were allowed to cause ruckus in the towns around the mountains. Leomas punished every single deity that went against his will fiercely and someone like Kovas would never dare to go against him. Patrick was a smart one so he of course ran towards the town. Dean could still hear the war god running behind him, cursing his name and calling him a coward for running when he noticed Kaukas in the distance. The spirit was on the ground, doubled over and howling in pain in the dirt and not even moving an inch when Dean dashed past him. Dean would've grinned if he could've in wolf form, because the lad really could take care of himself. The spirit would not get rid of that curse easily.
It didn't take much more to catch up with Patrick and Baubas and even the town was only a bit away. He easily overran the spirit that too cursed at him as he closed up at Patrick.
'Nice of ye to join us' Patrick remarked, but the young man was panting heavily and Dean knew now he would not be able to ran that much more and spirits didn't get tired.
'Just don't pass out on me before we get into safety' Dean told him. Patrick glanced back over his shoulder then he closed one of his hands into a tight fist in front of his chest. He seemed to focus – as much as he could while running, which must've been hard – for a few moments then he stopped and turned around swiftly with the hand raised and held out. Dean too stopped and turned back just in time to see as the ground before Baubas feet shifted a little making the bulk creature trip and fall heavily and in addition making the god Kovas right behind him crash into his servant and slam to the ground with a loud thud.
Patrick grinned at his clever trick but was running again a second later with Dean right next to him.
'Now I'm real proud lad' Dean told him, because damn no one could've done this in a more perfect way. 'Grab that cloth' he said next and Patrick's eyes shifted to the clothes hung up to a string at the first house of the town. The witch tore down the gray material in their run as they finally reached the town border.
'Are they gonna follow us?' he asked and he was sweating and panting heavily, his voice only came out in short gasps.
'Maybe' Dean answered. They turned the first corner they could see.
'Shift' Patrick said.
'To what?'
'Something small' Patrick answered as he draped the cloth around his shoulder and Dean shifted to his smallest animal form before they reached the next corner. Patrick grabbed him in his hand and he finally stopped when he pulled the cloth over his head after the next corner to hide himself with Dean clutched to his rapidly rising chest. He only looked down after a few second of heavy breathing.
'Ferret, eh?' he chuckled when he took a good look at the demigod.
'Not a word kid, not a word' Dean grumbled, he hated how his voice got lighter the smaller form he took so his warning only caused the young with to chuckle some more while he tried to catch his breath.
'Is coming to town with you always this… life threatening?' he asked then as he started to walk down the street. Again he headed towards the crowds without Dean having to tell him that, clever boy.
'More often than not' Dean answered while he kept his senses sharp not wanting to be surprised if Kovas decided to wander into town after him despite Laomas' rules.
'I should come with ye more often' the young man chuckled again. 'I could use some excitement once in a while.'
'If your Mother ever gets wind of how you got chased by a war god and his spirits because of me I'm good as dead' Dean told him, and that was so very true even if he didn't like to admit it.
'Oh and she would lock me up for at least a decade' Patrick added and that was even more true.
'Our secret then boy, now head to the Green Man' he instructed then. 'We got things to pick up from that old geezer and I had just enough of you carrying me around like this.'
'Good, and ye can invite me to a good ale since I more than deserve it.'
'That you do Patrick, that you do' agreed Dean with a laugh.