Nico was running. His chest burned, his legs burned, his arms burned. He felt like he was on fire. However, there were Laistrygonians chasing him, so he had to keep running.
As he took the next step, a chasm opened a few feet in front of him. He ground to a halt, arms flailing to avoid falling. Wonderful, he thought. Nico turned and drew his sword.
The Laistrygonians advanced on him. Nico didn't know if he could fight them off. He was ninety-nine percent sure he couldn't kill them on his own, with just a sword. He'd only been in Tartarus for what seemed like an hour, and his energy had almost been completely sapped.
He coughed and choked on the acidic air, then brought up his sword, just in time to block a Laistrygonian's hand.
Rolling away to his right, Nico stabbed the Laistrygonian in the foot, dove between his legs, came out behind him, and slammed into the monster as hard as possible. The giant stumbled forward into the chasm. Its angry shouts shook the ground until it hit the bottom with an audible thump.
Nico turned, happily surprised that he actually managed to kill one. Thank the gods there was only one more. He stood about 200 feet away from the second Laistrygonian.
The ugly red monster lumbered towards him, an evil grin on its stupid face. It hefted the bronze sphere it held. Why it hadn't thrown the explosive at him at the beginning of the fight, Nico didn't know. Laistrygonians were stupid. They made up for it with strength. And ugliness.
Nico felt his heart sink. If that sphere got within twenty feet of him, he was done for.
Helplessly, he threw his sword at the Laistrygonian. It hit the monster in the forehead and sunk in hilt deep. In its pain, the Laistrygonian dropped the sphere on the ground between its own feet.
Nico barely had time to be surprised before the sphere exploded. The world was red, then white, then black.