Austin Cooper 1: Son of Athena

I hate hiking

"Glad you could join the fun!" Alice yelled as I run into the thick of the battle. "Me too!" I respond, my arms flexing as I swing my blade to take down a skeleton.

"Bella's safe!" I yell, ducking as a skeleton swings to make my head a bowling ball. "Let's get out of here!"

Tyler yelled back something between a scream and an "OK" and flys to the floor.

He quickly grabs Alice's hand and they start to sprint as fast as they can towards the exit of the cave.

I almost yelled at Tyler to come back and take my hand but I didn't think this would be the best time to tease my friend.

I ran to catch up with them, but with the mob of skeletons attacking and the distance of the door, I know we can't make it.

  One of us needs stall.

My forehead wrinkles in concentration as I connect with Alice and Tyler's minds.

"I'm going to stall,"
"What?! We're not leaving you!" Alice's voice responds in a slightly broken up connection.

I'm still working on keeping the voices clear.

"Yeah dude, not going to happen," Tyler's voice adds.
"If I don't then we will all be captured. I will get out and meet you at camp."

I turn around, wiping sweat off my brow and tightening my grip on my sword.

"Go!" I yell out loud.

They both give me a glance of protest, but Tyler sweeps up Alice and begins to fly out the cave before she could object to our decision.

Time seemed to freeze as I watched Tyler and Alice fly farther and farther away from me.

I don't have any backup. All alone.

The thought made my stomach turn and my heart clench but I would rather have them safe then stay in danger with me.

Staying behind was the logical answer.

So why do I feel so helpless?

I turn and face the three dozen skeleton warriors running towards me.

I do what feels natural, I attack.

Skeletons faces began to blur as I took down one after another. My vision seemed to go red with raw anger and I felt as if I had just drank five extra power energy drinks.

At the time I thought I could take down every one of those skeletons, I was dully aware of my strength leaving me, when a voice cut through my train of thought.

"Enough!" The familiar high voice yelled.

The few skeletons left from the battle turn their attention away from me and file behind Bones as he approached me.

  He was dressed in armor, ready for a battle and going to go in style, and had a double edged blade gleaming in his boney hand.

He walked up to me casually and laughed, as if we were sharing a secret joke, but I see the angry red light in his empty eye sockets.