Book Cult (New and Improved)

Jason XLIII

"Jason XLIII," Artemis read.

When Jason's lance broke, he knew he was dead.

"You're kidding me right?" Thalia said in disbelief.

"Didn't Medea say something bad would happen if an Imperial Gold weapon was broken?" Percy remembered.

Annabeth glared at him as Thalia visibly paled.

"Hey, he'll be fine." the daughter of Athena soothed, rubbing the other girl's back. "Leo and Piper are going to help him."

"Right." she said, letting out a shaky sigh. 

The battle had started well enough. Jason's instincts kicked in, and his gut told him he'd dueled opponents almost this big before. 

"He's fought something as big as Enceladus? Wonder what that could've been." Travis said.

"Could've been the sea monster." Connor suggested. "Or Krios."

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.

"That's the first good idea I've heard in a while." Thalia muttered.

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

"Wimp." Ares rolled his eyes. "I bet that barely even hurt."

and blasted him with fire. Jason scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and struck again behind his knee.

It went on like that for seconds, minutes—it was hard to judge. Jason heard combat across the clearing—...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.

"Oh my gods." Thalia stiffened, if possible she gripped her bow tighter.  "Now would be a good time for that rescue time to show up."

"Kinda busy with the whole 'save Mr. McLean' thing." Leo said, waving his arm.

"They'll be there soon." Annabeth comforted as if the son of Hephaestus hadn't spoken. 

Jason kept dodging, but the ground stuck to his feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster.

"This is just getting better and better." Thalia grumbled. "Why couldn't she be taking a nap during all this?"

"Because then it'd be too easy." Nico stated.

"But there is a way he can work past this." Percy said. "This is just like that time I fought with Antaeus in the Labyrinth. Maybe if Jason uses his wind powers to lift him off the ground, he can have some sort of advantage."

"I think that Enceladus is too heavy for Jason." his girlfriend informed him. She grimaced. "Besides he can't kill him without the help of a god remember?"

Percy grimaced as well. "Oh right."

Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. He began anticipating Jason's moves, and Jason's 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."