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!
Ares narrowed his eyes.
Aster knew Percy would rise up to the bait and insult Ares. It didn't help that the god of war's sunshades were making his negative emotions like anger and resentment stronger. Percy was forced into wanting a fight, and Ares was loving it.
Aster considered calming Percy's emotions down, but Ares would sense his power. The god just had to stay quiet and hope for the best.
Ares introduced himself and then said, "I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."
The waitress came back with heaping trays of food: cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes. Ares handed her a few gold drachmas to pay.
She looked nervously at the coins. "Sir, these aren't…"
Ares pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"
The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.
Disgusting. Aster was glad he didn't speak to Ares like they were equals. Who treated mortals, any type of creature, like that? So disrespectfully? It was disgraceful and sickening. Aster didn't remember Ares to be so violent before his banishment, but that was a long time ago. The god of war had changed. Did Poseidon change? Did Zeus change?
No. Zeus could not have changed. He was still a power-hungry asshole lunatic. The Olympians were still in power, and they were still hellbent on control.
Ares continued talking about his favor: a side quest to retrieve his shield left behind at a waterpark while with Aphrodite. Aster could sense something particularly fishy about the proposition, but he didn't really care. Ares was talking to Percy, not him. And this Percy demigod was getting annoying real quick with all his whining. Were all sons of Poseidon this entitled? At least the other two knew when to stay quiet.
Aster noticed through the window a young woman walking with a drink in a to-go cup. She tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, her coffee splattering all over the concrete. He had to counteract all the negativity that Ares was spreading. Aster instantly refilled the woman's drink, and just for good measure, paid for the drinks of tomorrow's customers at the local coffee shop. Smiling, he rested his head against the window.
Ares slapped the table, still looking at Percy. "You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Do not disappoint me."
Ares slapped the table again and got up from his seat. Aster looked back at the window, thinking that the god of war was going to obnoxiously leave.
"Who the hell are you?" Ares demanded.
Aster turned away from the window. The god of war was looking straight at him with his black shades. "Um, my name is Aster Strabo, my lord," he said, trying to sound as polite as possible.
"But who the fucking hell are you?"
"The son of Demeter. I was claimed yesterday, my lord," Aster replied. Thump. His hands started to sweat from where they were gripping the table. He looked around at the diner, where everyone was silent and frozen. Including the two demigods and the satyr. Shit.
"Bullshit. I've made everyone else freeze, but you can move. You're a god. Tell me the truth or else––"
"Or else what?" Aster stood up from his seat, reverting to his adult form to look at Ares at eye level. "I'll tell you what, if you don't keep your mouth shut, I will tell the demigods what's waiting for them at your waterpark. You won't get your shield back."
Ares swallowed. "I'll find other demigods to get my shield."
"You'll find other demigods in Denver? Ones that haven't been killed by monsters? Ha! Good luck."
The god of war huffed. "And who are you to tell me what I should do? I'll tell these demigods that you're not a demigod. They won't be happy with that. I don't think they'll let you stay."
Aster chuckled. "With what proof? They don't even know that we're talking."
"I knew I could smell something suspicious about your fight with Medusa. You used your powers to defeat her and hide it from Olympus. You altered the demigods' memories too."
"You don't even know what powers I may or may not have used. They won't trust you."
"Oh, they will. You're not part of the group. They're a trio, and you're extra. They'll trust what I'll say. Now, tell me who you are."
That stung. But he couldn't let it show. "Ares, you're smarter than what people think. You're the god of war, and war needs intelligence." Aster leaned in and whispered, "But I know what you've been hiding from the Olympians. I know about your big secret. The gods don't see it because they don't think you're capable of secrets, but I know. And if you blab about our conversation, I will tell the Olympians what your secret is. They won't be happy with that. And I don't think they'll let you stay."
Ares took off his shades. His bright-red eyes were bloodshot, but they were still piercing. "I don't know what you're talking about, punk," he said. "But if you spread lies, I will make sure that nowhere will be safe for you. You will always be on the run."
Aster had gone out on a limb to see Ares' true motives, and it worked. His power of direction told him that Ares was guilty but was sticking with his plan. Aster had the advantage now, and he would not be revealing his identity in this conversation.
"Oh, I'd like to see you try." Aster grinned. "And I'll only tell the truth. The truth about you betraying Olympus. You might feel guilty about it, sure, but you're happy. You want Olympus to fall apart. You want war."
"I always want war! But this war will be magnificent." Ares suddenly stopped talking. He blinked his blood-red eyes. "Look at you, getting me to talk. Now you know. But if you tell anyone, this quest will fall apart. Olympus will fall apart."
He was right. Aster wanted to tell the demigods and Hestia that Ares was a traitor, but that would open a giant can of worms. Were there other Olympians collaborating with Ares? Who was Ares allied with? Aster needed more information before telling others. If he just told Olympus now, there'd be immediate war against Ares, and Zeus and Poseidon would use that chaos to start their war. It would be another world war.
Sure, Aster would have loved to see Olympus collapse, but he didn't want another power rising to take its place or for Alaska to be destroyed. Olympus' collapse would be caused by him and him only.
He needed to end the animosity between his brothers before dealing with Ares. If only he could sneak into Ares' mind to find the complete truth, but he couldn't sneak into gods' minds. He could only use his power of direction and that didn't go far.
Aster slapped the diner table. "You're right. So how about we both stay silent about this?"
Ares smirked. "Deal."
"Swear on the Styx."
The god of war rolled his eyes. "I swear on the river Styx that I won't tell others about our conversation." Thunder quietly boomed.
"I also swear on the river Styx to stay silent about our conversation," said Aster. Thunder. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you, god of war. I'll find out who got you to betray Olympus."
"I'll be keeping an eye on you too, punk. I'll find out who you are and why you're on the quest."
Aster harrumphed and shrunk himself into the size of a twelve-year-old. He watched Ares leave and hop on his motorcycle, zooming past in a wind of red dust.
"Not good," Grover said, out of his trance. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."
The unfrozen demigods talked about their plan to retrieve Ares' sword in the waterpark.
Aster stayed silent, looking at the pink dusk sky hidden by majestic white-peaked mountains. It was ethereal. The blending and contrast were beautiful. It reminded him of ancient Greece, right after Kronos had been overthrown. The rebirth of society. He smiled ruefully. This was why he was in the quest, helping the demigods, trying to find the culprit. He was protecting nature and its inhabitants. He was protecting Alaska. He would stop his brothers. He would stop Ares and his accomplices. He would stop this war from ruining the world.
Aster had to think of a plan to outsmart Ares. In the meanwhile, he had a hunch to follow. Luke Castellan was hiding something.
Here is my fifteenth chapter of Lord of Alaska!
This chapter is super short, I know! I didn't want to start a new scene/plot point. We're going to leave the quest for the next chapter(s)!
While Aster was blanking, Ares told the demigods that Hades most definitely stole the bolt.
Have a great day and let's all Mystify!
