They were losing – badly.
The loss of fifty-three fighters the day before was not much compared to the number today, which surpassed one hundred. In total, the death count for the war was hovering just below two hundred, leaving them with just over half of their original number. An Aphrodite girl, Lacy, was keeping track of the numbers and names (it turned out that she was good at math).
Jason’s friends were falling dead at his feet, and he, the leader they expected to lead them to victory, was stuck at a crossroad.
He could go after Gaea. She was the focus of the campers and magicians, but they didn’t seem able to injure her. If he could get in there and destroy her, like the prophecy allowed, the war would be won.
But what if Jason wasn’t destined to destroy Gaea? What if that task had befallen to Percy or Carter? Then he would have to pursue Porphyrion, who’d run off to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Jason scanned the battle ground and spotted Percy running into the Theatre of Dionysus. Carter was running in that direction, too, right past Jason.
He grabbed Carter’s arm. “Percy’s got Gaea,” Jason explained. “We’ve got to get Porphyrion.”
“Okay,” Carter said, a challenged look on his face. “Where is he?”
“Odeon of Herodes Atticus,” he answered. “Panathenaic Way has an offshoot to it. Come on!” The two ran down the path, leaving monster dust in their wake.
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The Odeon was deserted, not a demigod or magician in sight. Porphyrion was alone with a witch’s pot. Whatever he was cooking, it didn’t smell good. He probably got the recipe from his mother.
“Where’s Polybotes?” the giant grumbled to himself. Or so it seemed, until a dracona stepped into view. “He should have been here with the staff five minutes ago.”
“He might have been held up by a pesky demigod, Master,” the dracona suggested. “He’ll be here as soon as he gets rid of the menacer.”
“He better be,” Porphyrion growled, “or I’ll use you instead of the staff.”
“I swear on the River Styx, he will be here.” Apparently she did not know the power of what she just did, because she immediately burst into flames.
“That’s our cue,” Carter said. They strolled out from behind the boulders, swinging their swords. Porphyrion seemed taken aback by their sudden appearance and he scrambled back for his sword.
“Why are you here?” Porphyrion asked. “Gaea’s awake. Go torment her!”
“Here’s a tip, P,” Jason said, feeling satisfied with the death glare Porphyrion gave him. “If you don’t want people following you, don’t run in the opposite direction of your mother. it makes people think something’s up.”
“And we definitely think something’s up,” Carter added.
Then the two struck. Jason didn’t know how him and Carter managed to start simultaneously, but Porphyrion didn’t see it coming, and they were able to get a slice right off the bat. Carter backed up and pulled a wax figure out of his bag, which came to life and started hacking at the giant’s feet with a tiny sword, which took the giant’s focus off of Jason while Carter prepared a spell.
Jason dived around Porphyrion and made a huge gash in his back. The little wax figure was doing a good job on his feet, which had little cuts all over them through the sandal straps. It was actually quite comical how Porphyrion was unable to crush the little wax person with no legs.
That was when it started going bad. Jason tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. He was just able to roll out of the way as Porphyrion’s sword came down, resulting in a large gash on his left arm that would have been in his chest if he hadn’t rolled.
Porphyrion lost his focus for a second as the wax figure got a particularly large cut on his feet. The giant stamped his foot down and was able to crush the pesky wax. He straightened with a triumphant smile on his face as Jason picked himself up off the ground. “Let’s see how well you do without your wax person,” Porphyrion declared smugly.
Jason was just able to parry his sword before it skewered him. He manipulated the winds to carry him up halfway to the giant’s face and stabbed at his stomach. Porphyrion slashed it away and sliced at Jason, who jolted out of the way and just missed the blade.
This was the difference between Roman and Greek swordplay. Greeks slashed and whirled in a maniac but effective way, and Romans calculated every stab in an equally effective way. With a mix of the two, you would be a fearsome opponent.
That is what Jason attempted: he threw in slashes along with his calculated Roman stabs, and somehow, he was able to become equal to Porphyrion.
It was like having Percy’s whirlwind. Jason felt a rush of power like nothing he’d felt before, and this adrenaline was able to keep him alive against his formidable opponent.
The power surge lasted just long enough. Jason sliced at Porphyrion with his sword swinging carelessly, and that was when Porphyrion finally managed to get a good hold on his sword. Jason’s gladius clattered to the stone ground.
Porphyrion held his sword inches from Jason’s chest, poised to deliver a death strike. “How does it feel, son of Jupiter, to be on the edge of death at the hands of the one you were to destroy? How does it feel to fail the mission your parents sent you on? The gods never thought about this in the first time. They trapped us in Tartarus, so close to our father, but never able to reach him. Now you will feel the same. I will send you to the Underworld, able to see your uncle, but never granted the pleasure of seeing your father, never able to figure out if he even tried to visit you after you failed him. How will that feel? When you know the sense of having all hope, even in your paradise, dead along with all your friends? I will personally make sure that the Underworld is second to fall, after Olympus,” Porphyrion snarled, and Jason would have felt remorse for him, had his sword not been aimed at his chest.
The giant raised his sword - and stumbled back due to the blue light that hit the ground between them. Jason swung his head to the source of the light and found Carter - how had he forgotten about his companion? - holding his staff and wand with blue energy spiralling continuously toward the cracking ground. The stones split open, the center ones falling into the giant crevice along with Porphyrion, who held on for dear life to the edge. His sword had fallen below.
Jason stepped back and grabbed onto a column to prevent the terrible pull of the pit. No bottom could be seen, but he knew what was at the bottom of it. How could he not when three of his friends had made a journey through it recently?
Carter had opened a hole to the pit himself, Tartarus.
He was unaware of the danger of his actions - until Porphyrion grabbed the young pharaoh’s ankle. “You idiot child! You could have just killed me, bringing on the same results, but instead you gave me an option: fall alone, or take one down with me!” The giant smiled evilly and said, “I would like a companion on the way down.” He tugged Carter into the pit and dangled him there by his ankle. The weight became too much for him, and he let himself drop, taking the first Egyptian pharaoh since Cleopatra down into hell with him.
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DUN DUN DUN!!!! This will be finished by December 15th because I entered it in the Watty's! So now's the time to pile on the votes and comments, people! No silent readers, please!
I have a Percy Jackson facebook coming up. I didn't want to completely give up fanfiction, and it's a lot of fun to write. Even though it's kind of overdone, I enjoy it, and I'd love it if other people enjoyed it. My compensation of ending this in a week. 3 CHAPTERS LEFT!!!
