Welcome to Lord of Alaska! Sorry if this fanfic has mistakes. I will try to revise and edit as much as possible. Disclaimer: The characters and places that you know belong to Rick Riordan, everything else is mine.
Thank you so much for all the followers, favorites, and reviews!
Pittsburgh was cloudy and cold. Aster liked it. It was his domain. He had been away from it for very long, and he could feel the strong thrums of power coursing in his arms. Those monsters were going to be a breeze. He was walking through some street near the river, taking in all the blistering, cool air before he had to intervene with his sister's charges.
He sniffed the air. Something smelled different. He could smell human blood. Stymphalian birds had a thirst for blood, and when they didn't eat for long enough, they consumed the blood of the mortals they killed. You could then smell the blood on their breath. Had the birds already arrived? Impossible. Last he checked, they were at the border with West Virginia. Aster turned around. He opened his ears. He could hear crowing and sharp screeching in the distance. He saw masses of red and bronze flying. They had arrived. Shit. He was going to have to end his stroll and get the daughter of Demeter and her father out of their hotel room.
He turned around, walking faster than needed. He opened the door of the Holiday Inn moments later, giving a charming smile to the staff. He had changed his form to a man in his twenties to fight better, and the mature looks didn't hurt. Getting in an empty elevator, he switched his clothes with the ones the employees wore, and he knocked on the door of room 429.
A man a few years older than him opened the door slightly. Aster couldn't see the daughter of Demeter yet. "Can I help you?" the mortal asked.
"Yes," he replied. He checked his memory; this was the right room. "A large family is coming for a wedding and we underbooked them, so we will need for them to use your room. The hotel would like you to leave as soon as possible."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, we'll be fine on our own schedule. The hotel can find itself another room. We'll leave whenever we want."
The mortal closed the door. Aster stuck his foot out. He let his eyes flash gold, saying, "I do not have time for bullshit you mortals pull. I am trying to help you, and your species always rejects that help, and then complains about your 'suffering'. I have altered too many memories recently, so be grateful I am leaving your mind intact and allowing you the choice to leave."
The man gulped. Aster stepped away and wiped his uniform black shirt. "Are you a god?" the mortal sputtered.
"Yes. I was brought by your daughter's mother. Now get her out of here so you can leave safely."
The mortal nodded and cleared his throat. His shoulders were still rigid, still scared from the confrontation. Fucking humans. "Meg, we have to leave now! No arguing!" the man shouted. He turned back with a grimace. "It's going to take a few minutes, my lord."
"The packing is done," said Aster, snapping his fingers. "Let's leave."
The man and his daughter exitted the door seconds later. She was so young, not even past the age of eight. She had a pink bow tail in her short hair and bright pink sneakers. Two of her front teeth were missing. How were monsters chasing her that young?
The windows crashed. Glass splintered onto the floor. Aster saw female faces with bronze teeth smiling wickedly just before closing the door of room 429.
"Follow me," he said. He heard quick footsteps behind him. The monsters had to have broken into the hotel room, but breaking through the door would be another problem. He had added extra shields. But this safety only applied in the hotel. The daughter of Demeter would have to leave.
All three had arrived at the lobby. Aster stopped walking. "Listen, girl," he said, crouching down to her level. "Do you know what you are? Who your mother is?"
"She's the farming goddess. Dada told me when we left California. She gave me this flower," the child answered, showing him a red rose. The petals were wilting.
"Very good. There are enemies of your mother who are chasing you right now. They are birds of red and bronze feathers. Your mother sent me to help. I am not allowed to kill them, but I can give you a weapon to kill them."
"I won't kill. Killing's bad," the child replied, pouting.
"Meg," the father said. "Be polite. And these creatures return in a few months. Don't you remember the lessons on the plane? They're like zombies."
"Sorry, mister," the child said after a second of contemplation. "How do I kill them?"
Aster summoned two short celestial bronze axes. The child was too young for a sword and too unskilled for a dagger. She needed something powerful that could be easily handled. "Here. Slash them hard with the sharp part to kill them. Hard."
The child took them with a small smile. "Thank you, mister."
Aster stood up and faced her father. "I want you and me to exit first, followed by your daughter. I'll cover our scent until we are at a place without mortals. Then the birds will attack. Are you ready, Meg?"
The child nodded. Aster and the father started walking out of the revolving doors until a small side road appeared with a Starbucks shop. They waited for the daughter of Demeter in the chill.
"My lord, what is your name?" the man asked.
"As–" the god paused. Aster was the demigod name he had taken up, but in Pittsburgh he was not a demigod. He could say Perseus, but then his existence would be known. He thought of Demeter's scorn. "My name is Perseus."
"I have never heard that name before." Aster gave him a glare. "Sorry, my lord. My name is Philip–"
"I know your name. When you have proved yourself, I will call you that. Until then, be happy with my help for your daughter."
The mortal flushed. His daughter skipped across the road to meet them, twirling her bronze axes around.
Aster let go of the smell-proof shield around them. "Be brave and strong, child," he whispered to her. He let out a small smile. "I will be watching."
The crowing and screeching became audible for mortal ears. The Stymphalian birds and the harpies turned the corner the next moment. Aster grabbed the father and pulled him under Starbucks' awning. A harpy flew straight at Meg. Without hesitation she slashed up with her ax. The harpy fell into a sparkle of golden dust. He smiled.
"My lord, what are you the god of?" the man asked.
"The ice, snow, color, anything with the cold really," he replied. "But I am not here for you to learn about me. In return for my help, I will need the seeds you've been hiding."
His eyes widening, the mortal stepped back against the door. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play coy. Demeter asked for the safety of her daughter, not of you. I could freeze your arteries in a snap. Where are the Meliai seeds?"
"I swore I would never give them away," the mortal said, glaring, "and it won't change because you are the one who's asking for it."
Aster clicked his fingers. The left ring finger of the man froze off. That nail was now purple, the finger inflated. The mortal screamed. "Give them to me now or I will–"
"Be careful, mister!" a shrill voice screamed from behind. He turned around swiftly, seeing a Stymphalian bird flying straight to him. He moved his arm forward, extending it with a large icicle. The bird flew straight into it, disappearing into golden dust-speckled ice.
The harpies and the Stymphalian birds were not flying to the daughter of Demeter. They were flying towards him. But monsters never attacked gods. And why would they attack a mortal–only if the mortal had magical items. The monsters wanted the seeds. It was never about Meg's mother being Demeter. It was about her father growing the Meliai seeds.
Aster cursed. He turned around to protect the father, but only the open Starbucks door was visible. Aster ran through the door through the shop to the employee-only exit door that was just closing. The mortal had decided to escape him and the monster. But he had the speed of a god. Outside, he grabbed the running mortal's shoulder and twisted. He screamed and fell to the ground. Aster saw the birds trying to enter the first Starbucks door. It wouldn't be long until they reached Meg's father.
"Listen, mortal," Aster said gruffly, "I will fight these monsters off, and you will not leave. Those seeds cannot be grown. Stay put." He pushed the man against the ground again.
The birds couldn't enter the door, so they decided to fly over the building. Aster pushed the Starbucks' public door open with a push of godly energy to signal to Meg that she should run over and fight the birds. He wouldn't mind killing all of them, and he certainly could, but if the birds wanted the Meliai seeds, they had to have been sent by a god. And that god would not like another god's interference. The birds now had coalesced in front of him. Well, in front of Meg's father whom he was guarding. Aster summoned his rhomphaia. He could kill some of the birds, but not all. The daughter of Demeter had to get here. A bird flew with its claws open to grab Meg's father. He slashed his sword straight through.
Boom! Thunder rumbled across the cloudy sky. Aster stepped back against the building, covering himself up with a shield. Zeus was watching. It was him who had sent the Stymphalian birds and the harpies to destroy the seeds. Of course. Who else controlled birds and didn't want mortals to gain power? He could not interfere now, or the solitude he had in Alaska would be ruined.
Meg ran out of the door. A harpy came at her father again. The demigoddess screamed and threw her ax at the harpy's neck. Red feathers and golden dust fell.
MEG, Aster shouted. The daughter of Demeter looked in his direction, noticing him. She waved. The monsters want your father. An important god is watching, so I cannot kill them. I might be able to help, but you must kill all of them. Go!
She nodded. Aster leant back against the wall. Now he could destroy the Meliai seeds. He took the mortal's jacket. He couldn't sense the seeds. He searched through his backpack. Nothing. He searched through the man's pants, the other suitcases, and Meg's backpack. Where was it?
Meg screamed. He turned around. Her right shoulder was bleeding heavily; her right arm wouldn't work soon. There were still ten or so birds left. They flew straight at her, quicker than before. Zeus was giving them more speed. Cheater. If he wasn't playing fair, Aster wouldn't either.
He froze the birds' claws. The birds screeched in pain, falling down to the floor. With frozen claws, they couldn't grab things like Meg's shoulder. The demigoddess took the opportunity to slice down a couple lying birds, but the monsters recovered quickly––they still had beaks. The next bird that she sliced down with her ax sent a shock of electricity through her. She dropped the ax. Aster saw Zeus upping the game. He brought his hands together to send an ice blast–
Perseus! someone screamed into his head. He recognized Hestia's voice. He smiled; it had been a long time since they talked. Zeus knows a god is interfering. He will discover your identity if you don't stop using your powers. Reign them in and let Meg McCaffrey fight.
Aster sighed, leaning back against the wall. The power in his hands dissipated. He looked at Meg's father, who was sweating heavily and mumbling prayers with clasped hands. The god of ice could finally search for the Meliai seeds. But the only magical energy was coming from the man's head. Did the mortal pull a Zeus, where he captured the seeds like Metis inside his head? Impossible.
Aster walked over to the mortal and roughly grabbed his chin. The man squirmed. He grabbed the mortal's short brown hair and pulled. The hair fell off. It was a wig. And taped to the wig's underbelly was a ziploc bag. Containing seven small seeds. He smirked.
The man made a motion to grab the bag. The god of snow grabbed his wrist and pushed him against the window. The mortal whimpered and looked down in fear. Forcing his chin up, Aster let his eyes erupt. The mortal's spirit had to have broken down by now. The god squeezed the mortal's wrist and infused cold into it. The sad excuse of a father paled.
"Listen to me, you disgusting mortal," whispered Aster. "I have the seeds. You don't. You never will. Don't even try. Instead of being a pathetic man who wants to harvest power, focus on your daughter. Protect her. Be her father first." The mortal nodded, his mouth opening then closing. "I will give you a knife. Use it against those birds. Do you understand?" the god continued.
The man nodded, his eyes hardening. Aster smiled and let go of the cold wrist. He pushed the mortal out onto the street with a celestial bronze knife. He joined his daughter in fighting the remaining five birds, who had gotten a lot more scared as their companions died.
Aster looked down at the plastic bag he held. He could destroy them. Demeter told him to destroy them. But the Meliai seeds held unimaginable power as the first trees and dryads. They commanded all plants. He would not destroy them. The god duplicated the bag and sent the original to his palace in Alaska. He glared at the duplicate bag, disintegrating it into fine sand. Separating the seeds' remains with a strong gust of wind, Aster sighed. He fulfilled his mission.
The seeds were thought to be destroyed, so the harpies received no further help from Zeus. Without the extra endurance, Meg and her father quickly dispatched the two remaining Stymphalian birds and harpy. They looked at each other and high-fived.
Aster smiled, walking over. "Congrats on killing those monsters, Meg," he said. "I knew you could do it. More monsters will surely come for you, so you may keep the axes. They will not let a half-blood live, so kill them first."
The daughter of Demeter smiled widely, her missing teeth showing. "Thank you, mister!" she shouted. She ran up to him and hugged his waist. He smiled and patted her back. He longed for hugs like these, from those who knew only the good he had done and liked him for that.
Aster pulled away. "You are an interesting demigod, so I will grant you one object, any object, when you ask me for it. But this only happens once. Choose that object wisely, and when you need it, call out my name. Perseus." The girl nodded.
"And, your mother asked me to give this to you. Keep it safe." He summoned the plump red rose from his dream and handed it to Meg. She smiled. She didn't quite understand the severity of his favor or the rose, but young children never did. In the future, she would.
"And you, Philip McCaffrey. You are undoubtedly brave, for standing up to a god and fighting multiple monsters. You are unique among the parents of demigods. I wish I could give you something, but the thing you want most has been destroyed. They were too dangerous, so the seeds could not exist. But, you can keep the dagger and a healthy body," the god finished, clearing away the cold on the man's wrist and finger.
Philip's eyes welled up with tears. Kneeling on the ground, he said, "Thank you, my lord. I am sorry for fighting against you. Thank you."
Aster smiled. "I will bid you two farewell. Your journey to New York should be safe. Be brave and strong, Meg. You will become a fine monster slayer, I am sure. You have made your mother proud."
Aster waved, saying goodbye. He threw this instance of his essence into Chaos, going back to the train wherein the questers were traveling. Now was a time for a good godly sleep.
6 years later, near Camp Half-Blood
The nosoi spirit had been chasing Meg McCaffrey around a peach tree for what felt like hours. She did not want it to curse her with a deadly disease like Ebola, but she was losing breath. The world was getting heavier, but the spirit was not slowing down. The others were fighting their own spirits, unable to help her. She could not die like this, next to the now-mortal Apollo and Percy Jackson. She had to go back to Nero.
Percy Jackson. That name reminded her of something. Percy… Parsing… Porky… Perseus! That god who had helped her and her dad when they crossed the country. He was pleased with her killing of monsters that if she wanted one object, he would grant it to her once. She needed saving. Maybe some spirit from the peach tree could save her. Perseus, she pleaded, I want a spirit from that peach tree. Right now. Please.
She kept running around the peach tree. Nothing happened, and she was slowing down. The nosoi grabbed ahold of her collar––
The peach tree erupted. Dozens of peaches whirled around in the air, striking the three nosoi spirits. She collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavy air. She was so dizzy.
But the spirits rose again. "Not strong enough," said the second nosos. "We will finish you now."
The third nosos sneered. "Your guardian would be so disappointed."
Blood rushed up her ears. Nero would not be disappointed. He would be proud. She would prove them wrong. She stomped her foot, her ears popping, and screamed, "NO!"
The peaches coalesced slowly into an orange baby-like creature. It attacked the nosoi, killing them one by one. Was this the peach tree spirit Perseus gave her? Thank you, she said to Perseus, for saving me. She smiled. If this peach tree spirit was hers, she could use it to protect Apollo from attacks, so he would trust her more. Nero would be proud of her.
Here is my eleventh chapter of Lord of Alaska!
I feel really proud of my characterization of six-year-old Meg. Many authors write young children as very mature and able to say words like 'ambidextrous'. Nope, they are impressionable young children, but they are young children who can talk without stuttering or lisps. I'm happy with this version of Meg.
The last two chapters have been great chapters for me to write because of the imagination needed and because Aster could be a god. This side quest has come full circle with the karpos Peaches from Trials of Apollo, and I hope you've liked it.
Have a great day and let's all Mystify!