𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜

Fighting a Giant. So Much Fun

WHEN JASON'S LANCE BROKE, I knew we were screwed.

I hadn't seen much of the fight, but the way Jason was being chased by Enceladus made me think that Jason had been doing the same thing for so long, it became predictable.

"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 didn't respond. He looked tired. But that would make a bit of sense, because of the way the ground was eating our feet, and the smell of smoke burning in our lungs, I imagined that Jason was exhausted. And I felt terrible that I didn't know exactly how to help him. It's not like some arrows or throwing knives would do much harm to a giant with swords woven into his hair.

Enceladus looked like he was about to strike, and Jason raised his javelin to block the giant's next strike—a big mistake.

Don't fight force with force, that ends in the force being pushed in the direction with the weaker force, physics, woo.

Jason managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed his shoulder. He backed up, almost tripping over a burning log.

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."

What? I thought. Is that what happened on the west coast while we were fighting Kronos?

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked.

Enceladus breathed fire, he had distracted Jason from the fight for just long enough to catch him off guard. Jason didn't get out of the way quite fast enough, just fast enough to not get hit by fire, but I knew that you could still get burned from fire, even if it didn't actually touch you. He probably had some light burns on his back. Jason slammed into the ground, his clothes smoldering. He scrambled back as the giant's spear cleaved the ground between his feet.

Jason managed to stand. He thought for a moment, before he took a deep breath and charged. Enceladus let him approach, grinning with anticipation. At the last second, Jason faked a strike and rolled between the giant's legs. He came up quickly, thrusting with all his 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, which is actually believable, considering it was trying to eat the rest of us alive. 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 everyone with golden light. I watched as the force knocked Jason off his feet, and over to the side of the crater that was created from the blast.

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.

I wasn't entirely sure how Jason had survived, but his clothes were steaming. He had no weapon. And Enceladus was still very much alive. Jason tried to get up, but failed.

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. The giant raised his spear, its tip hovering six feet over Jason's chest.

"And now," Enceladus said, "my first sacrifice to Gaea!"

I watched in horror as the giant lifted a weapon.