Chapter 33
We are going to die.
WHEN JASON'S LANCE BROKE, and Vivian was getting tired, she knew they were dead.
The battle had started well enough. Vivian's instincts kicked in, training with Ares was a big help. Size and strength equaled slowness, so Jason and Vivian just had to be quicker—pace themselves, wear out the opponent, and avoid getting smashed or flame-broiled. Determination was in Vivian's eyes as they fought.
They rolled away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabbed Enceladus in the ankles. Vivian's sword and Jason's javelin managed to pierce the thick dragonhide, and golden ichor—the blood of immortals—trickled down the giant's clawed foot.
Enceladus bellowed in pain and blasted them with fire. Jason and Vivian scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and struck again behind his knees.
It went on like that for seconds, minutes—it was hard to judge. Vivian heard combat across the clearing—construction equipment grinding, fire roaring, monsters shouting, and rocks smashing into metal. She heard Leo and Piper yelling defiantly, which meant they were still alive. Vivian tried not to think about it. They couldn't afford to get distracted. They were fighting a giant that can crush them.
Enceladus's spear missed Vivian by a millimeter. Jason and Vivian kept dodging, but the ground stuck to their feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster. Plus the heels weren't really helping. Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. He began anticipating their moves, and their attacks were only annoying him, making him more enraged.
"I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellowed. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! Your little gold toothpick can't kill me, boy."
Jason and Vivian didn't waste energy replying. They were already tired. The ground clung to Vivian's feet, making her feel like she weighed an extra hundred pounds. The air was full of smoke that burned her lungs. Fires roared around them, stoked by the winds, and the temperature was approaching the heat of an oven.
Jason raised his javelin to block the giant's next strike—a big mistake. He managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed his shoulder, and his arm went numb.
He backed up, almost tripping over a burning log.
They had to delay—to keep the giant's attention fixed on them while their friends dealt with the Earthborn and rescued Piper's dad. They couldn't fail. Or they would have gone all this way just to die.
Enceladus could sense their weariness. The giant smiled, baring his fangs.
"The mighty Jason Grace," he taunted. "Yes, we know about you, son of Jupiter. The one who led the assault on Mount Othrys. The one who single-handedly slew the Titan Krios and toppled the black throne."
Jason's mind reeled. He didn't know these names, yet they made his skin tingle, as if his body remembered the pain his mind didn't.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. He realized his mistake when Enceladus breathed fire.
"JASON!" Vivian yelled. She ran as fast as she could and pushed Jason out of the way. The fire missed Vivian by centimeters. Vivian might be fireproof, but the fire still burned. It left no scars thankfully.
Jason managed to stand with the help of Vivian.
If they could only summon one good blast of lightning—but both Jason and Vivian were already drained, and in this condition, the effort might kill them. Electricity might cause more harm to them then the giant.
One last try: Jason and Vivian took a deep breath and charged.
Hey, if you are going to die. Die fighting.
Enceladus let them approach, grinning with anticipation. At the last second, Jason and Vivian faked a strike and rolled between the giant's legs. They came up quickly, thrusting with all their might, ready to stab the giant in the small of his back, but Enceladus anticipated the trick. He stepped aside with too much speed and agility for a giant, as if the earth were helping him move.
He swept his spear sideways, met Jason's javelin—and with a snap like a shotgun blast, the golden weapon shattered.
The explosion was hotter than the giant's breath, blinding Jason with golden light. The force knocked him off his feet and squeezed the breath out of him.
Good news: Vivian had her sword.
Bad News: Jason did not have a weapon now.
When Vivian regained her focus, she was sitting at the rim of a crater with Jason beside her. Enceladus stood at the other side, staggering and confused. The javelin's destruction had released so much energy, it had blasted a perfect cone-shaped pit thirty feet deep, fusing the dirt and rock into a slick glassy substance. Vivian wasn't sure how they'd survived, but they were out of energy. Jason had no weapon. And Enceladus was still very much alive.
Vivian tried to get up, but her legs were like lead. Enceladus blinked at the destruction, then laughed. "Impressive! Unfortunately, that was your last trick, demigod."
Enceladus leaped the crater in a single bound, planting his feet on either side of Jason and Vivian. The giant raised his spear, its tip hovering six feet over their chests.
"And now," Enceladus said, "my first two sacrifices to Gaea!"
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The Lost Hero
FanfictionJason has a problem. He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she's his girlfriend Piper, his best friends were two kids named Leo and V which was short for Vivian, and they're all students...
