𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ! [jason grace]¹

C H A P T E R ⬩ F I F T E E N

O C E A N U S

C H A P T E R   F I F T E EN

( heart felt good-byes )

⟶⬩⬥⬩⟵

          WHEN JASON'S LANCE broke, he knew he was dead.

The battle had started well enough. Jason's instincts kicked in, and his gut told him he'd dueled opponents almost this big before. Size and strength equaled slowness, so Jason just had to be quicker—pace himself, wear out his opponent, and avoid getting smashed or flame-broiled.

He appreciated Malia helping him. She's battled Titans before, so fighting a giant shouldn't have been too different when it came to size and strength. Plus, working by her side made it easier for him to concentrate on killing the giant so that she wouldn't get hurt trying to do the same.

He rolled away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabbed Enceladus in the ankle. Jason's javelin managed to pierce the thick dragon hide, and golden ichor—the blood of immortals—trickled down the giant's clawed foot.

Enceladus bellowed in pain and blasted him with fire. Jason scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and stuck him again behind his knee right as Malia slashed his calf, creating a large gash in the skin.

It went on like that for seconds, minutes—it was hard to judge. Jason heard combat across the clearing—construction equipment grinding, fire roaring, monsters shouting, and rocks smashing into metal. He heard Leo and Piper yelling defiantly, which meant they were still alive. Jason tried not to think about it. He couldn't afford to get distracted.

Enceladus's spear missed him by a millimeter. Jason kept dodging, but the ground stuck to his feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster. Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. He began anticipating Jason's and Malia's moves, and their attacks were only annoying him, making him more enraged.

Jason thought they would stand a chance when Malia managed to create an earthquake (which had been insanely cool), but he forgot that they were challenging a son of Gaea, who was the goddess of the earth. Despite the crack in the ground making him fall, it did nothing but irritate him and tire out Malia.

"I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellowed, standing. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! Your little gold toothpick and bronze Q-tip can't kill me."

Jason didn't waste energy on replying. He was already tired. The ground clung to his feet, making him feel like he weighed an extra hundred pounds. The air was full of smoke that burned his lungs. Fires roared around him, 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. Don't fight force with force, a voice chided him—the wolf Lupa, who'd told him that long ago. He managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed his shoulder, and his arm went numb.