The extra cash was nice.
Kaiser smiled as he glanced at the passenger seat. Multiple rolls of hundred-dollar bills sat there alongside a revolver and extra bullets, all conveniently taken from the bodies he'd left behind.
In the back was a duffel bag stuffed with the results of a late-night shopping spree at Target. Clothes. Food. A new sleeping bag.
He'd left Salt Lake City under cover of night, sticking to the interstate west toward San Francisco. He drove until exhaustion caught up to him, napped, then pushed on again.
He made it as far as Wells before the fuel gauge dipped too low to risk it. So he took the exit, found a back road, ditched the van, and continued on foot.
He caught a few short lifts along the way, avoided any talk about family, and eventually ended up in the back of a long-haul truck. He slept in fragments, drifting in and out while keeping one eye on the driver.
By the time he woke properly, the truck was slowing outside Sacramento.
"Good luck, kid," the driver said. "Chaotic city."
Kaiser nodded and hopped down as the truck merged back into traffic.
Now what.
No convenient satyr in sight to give directions. As he headed deeper into the city, an idea surfaced.
Why not hunt demigods? Satyrs would come looking for them eventually. He could just tag along. Bonus points if it put him in a divine parent's good books.
All he needed was a monster that understood speech and was easy to deal with.
He was still thinking when—
SCREEEE!
Kaiser looked up. A cluster of large birds circled in the distance. Moving closer, he saw them dive-bombing a Greyhound bus.
Griffins.
Sleek, black beasts slammed into windows and clawed at the roof as the bus screeched to a halt a block away. Passengers spilled out, screaming.
"And here I thought I'd have to work hard to find demigods," Kaiser muttered. "Fate really is shining on me."
He started toward the bus, eyes scanning the crowd. Then he saw them. Two girls running, metal daggers flashing in the sunlight as several griffins peeled off to chase them.
Found them.
Kaiser picked up his pace.
He skirted the edges of the fight, scooping up a handful of pebbles as he followed the screeching toward a nearby park.
The girls were holding their own, but barely. The griffins dodged most of their strikes, staying airborne.
Kaiser paused, clicking his tongue.
Why would you fight flying monsters in an open area?
Leaning against a tree, he watched for a moment, assessing. Good instincts. Poor execution. No obvious elemental control yet. Apollo kids, maybe. Or something less flashy.
When he'd seen enough, the pebbles in his hand lifted into the air.
They shot forward like bullets.
Two griffins squawked and dropped out of the sky, dissolving as the rest scattered.
"You want to get out of there?" Kaiser called.
The older girl stepped in front of the younger one, dagger raised, light brown eyes locked on him.
"Who are you?"
Good.
"Your savior."
"…Your humor needs work," Kaiser muttered as the remaining griffins circled back.
He glanced at the girls. "You want to deal with that?"
"Fuck," the older one said.
They ran. Kaiser fell in with them, ducking under bridges, doubling back through alleys until the griffins finally lost interest.
"That should do it," Kaiser said.
He sheathed his sword.
The older girl immediately drove her dagger into his stomach.
Kaiser didn't react. He looked down at the blade, then at her.
"Put the dagger away."
"No," she said tightly. "Thanks for the help, but we're fine on our own."
The younger girl mirrored her stance, dagger shaking but steady.
Kaiser sighed. "I just want to reach camp. If we travel together, you'll be safer."
Silence.
"You can't protect her alone," he added, eyes flicking to the younger one.
"Why should I trust you?"
Kaiser met her gaze. "You'd be dead if I wanted it."
That did it. Her jaw tightened. Cold resolve flashed in her eyes.
"Swear it."
Kaiser smiled.
"I, Kaiser Alaric Ward, swear on Olympus to do my utmost to keep you both safe until we reach camp or am attacked by you."
Distant thunder rolled.
The daggers lowered.
"Now then," Kaiser said lightly, "care to introduce yourselves?"