FLOWER POWER ─ percy jackson

xxxi. flower power

"RAAAR! " he bellowed.

The good news: he dropped Annabeth. The bad news: he dropped her head-first onto the rocks, where she lay motionless as a rag doll. Polyphemus charged Percy, but Aster could only stare where Annabeth had fallen.

"For Pan!" Grover rushed in from the right. 

That certainly got Aster's attention. He threw his sheep bone, which bounced harmlessly off the monster's forehead. Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops just plucked out the shaft like a large splinter and kept advancing on Percy. Aster tried slowing him down by throwing knives at his torso, but they just stuck in his skin like candles on a birthday cake, harmless.

Aster tried to get to Annabeth, but Polyphemus was in the way. So she stood at Percy's side, gripping her dagger tightly.

"Together?" she said, glancing over at him.

Percy nodded, "Together."

The monster made a grab for them. Aster went right, slicing along his ankle. Percy rolled left, stabbing him in the leg.

Aster was hoping to see him disintegrate, but this monster was much too big and powerful.

"Get Annabeth!" Aster yelled at Grover.

He rushed over, grabbed her invisibility cap, and picked her up while Clarisse, Percy, and Aster tried to keep Polyphemus distracted. Aster felt panic gripping her throat at her friend's lifeless form, but she had bigger issues to deal with.

Clarisse charged Polyphemus again and again, just as she was trained to do as a daughter of Ares. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. As soon as she made an attack, Percy and Aster followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.

But they couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually they would tire or the monster would get in a lucky shot. It would only take a single hit to kill one of them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aster saw Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge. Aster immediately knew it would be a bad idea, given the man-eating sheep on the other side, but at least he was getting her away from the cyclopes. Just then, Percy's gaze caught on the two of them and his eyes lit up like they did on the rare occasion when he had a plan.

"Fall back!" he yelled at Aster and Clarisse.

Clarisse rolled away as the Cyclops's fist smashed the olive tree beside her.

The three of them ran for the bridge, Polyphemus right behind them. He was cut up and hobbling from so many wounds, but all they'd done was slow him down and make him mad.

"Grind you into sheep chow!" he promised. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"

"Faster!" Percy urged them.

They tore down the hill. The bridge was their only chance. Grover had just made it to the other side and was setting Annabeth down gently. They had to make it across, too, before the giant caught up to them.

"Grover!" Percy yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"

His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops following them in close pursuit, but he nodded like he understood. As Clarisse, Percy, and Aster scrambled across the bridge, Grover began sawing at the ropes.

The first strand went snap!

Polyphemus bounded after them, making the bridge sway wildly.

The ropes were now half cut. The three of them dove for solid ground, landing beside Grover. Aster made a wild slash with her dagger and cut the remaining rope.