A Scripta

Grim stumbled and fell to his knees. "For God's sake, Kalius, have mercy!"

Kalius, jogging in place, turned around and returned to Grim. Grim had fallen over and lay on his back, staring up at the sun of the Earth they had teleported to. "Be thankful I didn't tell you to go take a swim in the stream."

"We've been running for hours! Uphill!"

Kalius stopped jogging and looked with a smile at Grim. "Raina told me last night you're out of shape."

"No, she said I need to work on my footwork and my speed."

"Which means you're out of shape." He put his hands on his hips and studied him. "Magic's made you lazy."

"Been talking to Mareo?"

"You've been relying on your own magic and Raina's blood to get you by. Time to stop relying on magic."

"You do."

"Sometimes. But I can still fight without it. C'mon, get up."

Grim groaned and rolled to his knees, then stood up. "What's going to happen after this?"

"Breakfast."

"You cooking?"

"No, you are."

Grim whined. Kalius gave him a look, and Grim stopped. "You enjoy this."

He started jogging again. "I enjoy training men to the best of their ability. C'mon, Grim, I know you're better than this." He took off at a leisurely pace.

Grim watched him for a minute. He supposed he was right. He ran to catch up.


Grim stumbled into the base. He looked up to see Priest standing there, and Kalius walking by him nonchalantly. Priest gave him an amused look and sipped his coffee. Grim glared, though there really wasn't any menace behind it, and picked himself up to walk past him. He looked longingly at the couch and headed toward it.

"Eh eh," admonished Kalius. Grim, dejected, headed to the grotto. Jack and Raina, both looking like they just got up, were sitting on the couch together, feeding the babies. Grim looked again at the other couch and took two steps. Kalius grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to the kitchen. "No more sleeping until eleven o'clock for you," he said, and Raina chuckled.

Grim whirled on her. "This is all your fault!"

"You're the one who got his ass kicked."

"And I still don't know why."

"Probably something you said, Grim," said Kalius.

Grim went into the kitchen and got a cup of coffee, making it the way Kalius liked it and handed the mug over to him. Then he made his own. "Pancakes?"

"You're on a diet."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Kal!"

Jack laughed. Grim glared at Kal. "What, granola?"

"I'll get it." Kal went to the fridge, and thought for a minute. He pulled out a plate with a bagel and cream cheese, an apple and eggs with cheese.

Grim looked at it. "Oh, that's not so bad." He put the eggs in the microwave and Kal got his breakfast as well.

Mareo came in, carrying a black leather jacket over his arm. "Grim, you left your jacket on the couch near the fireplace."

"I didn't have a jacket yesterday."

"Well, it's not mine, it's too nice." He chuckled and came around to the kitchen, handing it over to him.

Grim took the jacket, and flicked it out. He noticed something on the breast and folded the jacket to look at it more closely. Kal looked over his shoulder. "It's a Gorgon's head," he said. It did look like what he pictured Medusa to be, a woman with snakes as her hair. It was embroidered in dark blue thread, so it wasn't very noticeable unless he looked at it directly. "Athena's symbol," Kal continued, and looked at the coat. "Aegis."

"What?"

He lifted the coat. "Aegis. Athena's shield."

"But Hades..."

"Put it on."

Grim shrugged into the coat. It didn't feel any different. Kalius turned from him, rummaged around in the utensil drawer and came up with a knife. Grim watched as he held the knife up, as if to stab him. "Kal!"

Kalius stabbed at Grim's shoulder. At hitting the jacket, the knife bent and broke at the hilt. Mareo stood, his arms across this chest. "Hm."

Kalius gathered the knife parts and tossed them in the trash. Grim took off the coat, and gazed at it. "Maybe this is the gods' way of saying 'I'm sorry'?"

"The apology needs to come from Hermes," Kalius said angrily. "And he will apologize." He looked at Grim, eyes blazing.

Grim didn't think an Aegis could protect him from Kalius' wrath - and possibly Dmitrius as well.