Chapter 30: Doing an errand for a god

Have you ever been in an Iris pocket? I have, and I seriously don't recommend going into one if you are prone to seizures or mind-breaking visuals.

Upon entering said pocket, we were immersed in a blinding flash of light, moving through time and space. History itself rolled by in flashing images, with World War 2, the Dust Bowl, and the beginning of the universe just a few examples.

It only lasted a few seconds, the state of Indiana disappearing as we were teleported. In front of us was a long street and a sign to the right that read "Welcome to Washington, the Evergreen State". Behind it, another sign read "Entering Walla Walla County".

"That was… breathtaking," I said. I had literally just seen the beginning of the universe and its history within the span of a few seconds.

Arthur nodded, looking stunned. "Yeah, it really was."

I turned around, surprised to see that the rift wasn't there anymore. "Wait, where'd it go?"

"From what my mother told me, Iris pockets will often disappear after use," Arthur explained.

"That's freaky," Kai said. "Anyways, what are we supposed to do? Walk to Walla Walla? In fact, what even is Walla Walla?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "What is Walla Walla? It sounds like someone got the name out of an online generator."

"Walla Walla's a city in Walla Walla County, Washington," Arthur said. "My mother had a meeting there recently, so we got to learn a little bit about the place."

Kai's eyes widened. "Wow. Lightning Wheels is a bit of a nerd. But answer my other question, are we going to have to walk to Woola Wakan?"

"Afraid so," Arthur said. Kai groaned as we began walking to the city of Walla Walla.

As we walked on the side of the road, Kai gasped. "Guys, I just saw a Lamborghini driving on the road. Who has a Lamborghini in Waka Waka?"

I highly doubted that he had seen a Lamborghini, so I ignored him. After an agonizing ten minutes of walking, we finally made it to the city.

The city was mostly quiet, with only a few people around and cars driving. We were in a downtown area, with shops and convenience stores along the sides of the road. From there, the street stretched out into even more roads that led to small buildings and stores.

"So, what are we going to do first?" I asked.

"Obviously, we need to get a lead on where the mask is soon, because we don't have a lot of time," Arthur said.

Kai furrowed his brow. "Hold on. In the event that we're stuck here for another day or so, where would we sleep?"

"You have a point," Arthur told him. "We have no camping supplies, let alone food or water to stay here any longer than a day."

"So what?" I asked.

Arthur pointed to a large store labeled "Sportsman's Warehouse". "We'll head there, get some supplies, and then scour the city for the mask."

I nodded as we walked towards the store. The parking lot was relatively empty, with a few cars parked there and a few people entering and exiting the store.

Arthur set down his backpack. "You two stay here. I'll go in and buy the supplies we need."

"Actually, can I go with you?" Kai asked. He was bouncing up and down, clutching his groin. "I need to pee pretty badly."

Arthur nodded as the two headed towards the store, leaving me to watch our supplies. I sat down on the pavement, watching the birds as they flew by. To the right of me, I saw a man jogging toward me, which brought up some pretty bad memories.

I stared at him warily. "What do you want?" If this was the same empousa that killed my sister, I was about to go hammer time on his face.

He gave me a smile. "It's okay, Rose. I'm Hermes, the god of messengers, traveling, sports, thievery, merchants, roads, and other things."

"You're a god?" I stared at Hermes with surprise. From what I could see, he looked like a pretty normal man. He had a slim, athletic figure and had salt and pepper hair. He was also wearing a NYC marathon T-shirt, nylon running shorts, and oddly enough, winged shoes. (Yeah, pretty strange if you ask me).

"Yep," Hermes confirmed. "Anyways, I've come here to ask you for a favor."

"Aren't you a god? I'm sure you could fix whatever problem you're having by yourself." I hadn't meant it to come off as rude, but thankfully, Hermes didn't take offense.

"I wish I could," Hermes said. "I usually carry this caduceus that I use to make calls and do other important things."

I furrowed my brow. "You have a caduceus that can make calls?"

"It's not just a caduceus," Hermes said. "It can become a phone, a pen, an iPod, a staff, or even a tracker for my jogging times. Anyways, the point is, I lost it while I was making my way out of Washington to a Titan named Koios near a factory called Derailed."

"And you want my help to go get it?"

Hermes nodded. "Uh-huh. I wish I could go myself, but I have to watch this nearby triathlon and go to six different business meetings in person since I don't have my phone."

"Oh," I responded. This Hermes guy was definitely one busy dude.

"Yeah," Hermes said. "I know it's a huge favor to ask, but there is a reward if you're able to bring back my staff.

"Reward?" I asked.

"Yep. I know that you and your friends are going on a quest to find the four masks and stop Ares from attacking your camp."

"How do you know that?" I asked, stunned.

Hermes grinned. "I'm a god. It's my job to know.

"I guess," I said. "So what is the reward exactly?"

"Well, if you successfully retrieve my staff, I will tell you the location of the fourth mask," he answered. "I would go and get it for you guys, but I can't interfere in demigod affairs or join a quest."

"You can't just tell us?"

"I would, but I have to make sure I get my caduceus back," Hermes said. "Without it, I can't really do anything."

"I understand. However, how are we going to beat a Titan? From what one of my friends told me, Titans are extremely powerful."

Hermes reached for his pockets. "Don't worry about that. I've gotten you three a few gifts to help with your mission."

He pulled out a pen and a yo-yo from his pocket. "Here they are."

"What are we supposed to do with a pen and a yo-yo?" Was Hermes crazy or something because last time I checked, most titans aren't beaten by children's toys and a writing utensil.

Hermes handed me the pen. "Snap it forward, as if you were about to strike something down."

I did as he instructed, and the pen transformed into a three-foot long, shining gold sword. "Whoa!"

"That sword, crafted by Hephaestus, will help damage Koios. It's made out of Imperial gold and is enchanted with a couple spells, so the sword should help you greatly."

I swung the sword around, testing it. "Thanks. Now, how do I put the sword back?"

"Just press the bottom of the sword," he answered.

I again did as he said, the sword transforming back into a pen. I slipped it back into my pocket. "Now, what does the yo-yo do?"

Hermes snapped it forward, becoming a large black rope that extended all the way across the parking lot. "It's a Stygian iron rope that will help you trap Koios in case of an emergency."

He retracted the rope back, pressing a button on the side that turned it back into a yo-yo. He handed it to me. "Hopefully, those two items should help you beat him."

"Thanks," I said. If we could just get his staff, then we could finally be able to retrieve the last mask.

"No problem, kid," Hermes said. "I wish you and your friends the best of luck on your quest. Oh, and if you do get my staff back, meet me back here in an hour. And another tip: don't get too offended by what George might say. He's not the smartest tool in the shed."

Before I could say anything, he waved goodbye and ran off into the distance, suddenly gone from sight. As I stared at the ground, processing what the heck had just happened, Kai and Arthur came back, the latter pushing a cart filled with bags.

"Hey guys," I said. "So, um, weird story but, Hermes just came by and well, talked with me."

Kai stared at me like I had two heads. "Hermes? Like, the god?"

"Yep." I explained to them the whole encounter with Hermes.

Arthur nodded towards my backpack. "Can I see the two gifts he gave you?"

I handed him the yo-yo and the pen as he studied the items curiously. "Well, this will help massively."

Kai took the pen from his hand and summoned the three-foot long sword. "Nice. I call dibs!"

"You already have a sword," I pointed out.

"That's true. Here, Arthur." Kai handed Arthur his Celestial-bronze sword.

"Thanks," Arthur said. "Well, we don't have a lot of time, so let's find where Koios is and get the staff."