Opening my eyes, I was immediately confused.
I was in a car, strapped into the passenger seat, but it felt wrong. Looking around, I spotted the broken glass scattered across the roof and immediately figured out what was amiss.
The car was upside down.
"Puck damn it!" I muttered, groaning as I shifted, and the seatbelt dug into my shoulder. Slowly, I reached up, unbuckling it, only to tumble from the seat, wincing at the sting of glass as it cut into my palms.
Crawling out of the car, I stood, grimacing at the cuts and the wave of lightheadedness. I was on a deserted stretch of highway, and looking around, all I could see was carnage.
There were three other cars, black SUVs like the one I'd crawled out of, except all in worse condition. Slowly, I staggered up onto the road and glanced inside the closest, only to grimace at the sight.
The hood was crumpled, the windshield was white from cracks, and sagged inwards, only held in place by the laminate. Inside, the driver and passenger were dead. By the looks on the passenger's face, he'd died in agony. His legs were crushed, although, it seemed like he'd managed to open the door in an attempt to drag himself out. The driver had died on impact, slumped in his seat. The airbag hadn't gone off.
Slowly, I backed away, turning to glance at the vehicle in the middle of the carnage. An eighteen-wheeler truck. It was on its side as well, with a huge hole torn through the trailer, like the Kool-Aid man had punched his way out.
Shaking my head, I turned away from the wreckage. I was in shock. That much was obvious. I was also thinking strangely. I'd been in the wizarding world for five years… how in Puck's name did I even remember about laminate and the Kool-Aid man?
Stretching out my hands, I wordlessly dispelled the glass from the wounds. At least my magic still worked, although, I needed something to help with the bleeding.
Pulling off the black suit I was wearing, I dully noted the golden armour underneath, even as I tore off the sleeve of my white dress shirt underneath, wrapping swaths of the material, around my bleeding hands. That done, I tossed the bloody black suit to the side and took stock of my situation again, still in disbelief.
Last time, I'd been dumped into the world during the Hogwarts sorting ceremony. A place that was familiar to me from the Harry Potter books. Looking out once more over the four mangled SUVs, the tipped truck, and the surrounding fields, I felt lost.
What now?
"Puck damn it all!" I muttered again, glancing down at my swathed hands. It was then I noticed the mark on my left forearm.
It was small, about the size of a coin. A triangle.
I stared at it, confused.
In this world, the Roman demigods get marked on their forearms, but they get branded with an SPQR tattoo, not triangles. The only triangles I could think of for the Percy Jackson series were the Delta symbols, used as the logo for Daedalus the inventor… but in the books, they weren't on people's arms.
Curious, I walked back over to the open door and the dead man in the passenger seat, reaching into the car to pull his left arm over, idly noting the briefcase handcuffed to it.
Rolling up his sleeve, I saw he had the mark as well.
What in Puck's name?
As I stepped away from the car, I had so many questions. What had happened here? Who were these people? What did the mark mean?
Turning around, I glanced at the scenery, ignoring the smell of the corpse behind me.
The road was deserted, surrounded by fields and trees. It probably wouldn't be long before the police, or whomever this gig belonged to, showed up…
Shaking my head again, I turned back to the crumpled SUV, looking at the dead guy for the third time. The suitcase handcuffed to his wrist probably had something important in it, and I didn't have the luxury of being picky.
Sighing, I pulled at the guy's suit, hauling him as far out of the car as I could, before straightening his rigored arm to bring the suitcase onto the tarmac. Wordlessly, I flicked the lock, and with a burst of magic, it clicked open.
Inside, nestled in a foam casing, was a tiny silver flashlight. The sort of thing you'd see attached to a keychain.
I pocketed it quickly, snapping shut the case and glancing around. I'd have a chance to figure out what it was later. For now, it'd probably be a good idea to clear out-
The bellowed roar was the only warning I had. On instinct, I shot up into the air, as metal shrieked and rubber skidded across tarmac.
I glanced down to see a beast, a mass of grey flesh, as it flicked its head, sending the crushed SUV flying off the road before it glanced up at me with dark eyes.
It was massive, easily twice as large as an elephant, with a horselike head, and three black spikes jutting from its forehead.
It bellowed, eyeing me angrily as it stamped its feet.
I watched it, floating high above. This was probably the thing that'd escaped the truck.
The monster bellowed again, pawing the ground, and kicking up chunks of tarmac as it watched me.
I sighed. It couldn't get me, but I couldn't just leave. The thing would likely go on a rampage, and I didn't want to be responsible for the deaths it would cause.
"Puck damn it!" I muttered.
I didn't know where my wand was. The ROB had said I'd be able to bring items with me. At least I still had my magic.
"Bombarda!" I said, and instantly, light flew from my outstretched hand, glancing off the beast's back and cratering the road next to it in an ear-ringing explosion.
Grimacing, I tried again.
"Diffindo!"
The cutting jinx flowed around the monster like oil on water, gashes forming in the road on either side of it, even as it snorted in rage.
"Puck damned bastard!" I swore. It was like the werewolves all over again. "Igneus Labus!"
The tarmac blackened and bubbled, and a thick cloud of black smoke blossomed, swallowing the beast whole and rising up to meet me. I glided back, away from it, even as, with a choked bellowing, the monster charged out of the smoke.
Gritting my teeth, I watched as it snorted and sneezed, pawing up clods of earth in the field next to the road, as it watched me balefully.
Teeth bared, I pulled out the silver flashlight. In this world, monsters could only be killed with a few rare metals, and often, the weapons were disguised as common items. I'd hoped to examine what this was in private, but if I wanted to finish this thing, I didn't really have a choice.
As soon as I clicked the flashlight on, a beam of silver sprung forth, coalescing into a lance.
I stared at the weapon incredulously for half a second, before turning to grin at the monster.
Fuck it!
The three-horned beast bellowed again, as I released my hold over flight and dropped like a stone, lance levelled at its exposed back.
I struck. The tip sunk deep into its flesh, and with a final keening roar, the three-horned monster exploded into a shower of golden dust.
I pulled up, grinning. My magic didn't work on these fuckers, but that just meant I had to play it smart, and with my new toy, and the ultimate high ground, I'd manage.
Now, I needed to get gone before whoever was transporting the beast and the silver spear decided to check on their convoy.
