"Far as I can go," The cab driver they had hired said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."
He was telling the truth. The closer they got to mount Diablo, the slower the cab went. It also made weird noises. It must have been Gaia messing with them.
Layla was half-expecting someone of her friends to say 'No, we were kidding. Could you please take us back to the city.' But this quest had to be done.
"We're sure." Leo replied on behalf of all of them. When they stepped out of the cab Layla noticed that the wheels of the vehicle were sinking slowly as if the road was made of quicksand. One of the many thing Gaia could do.
Unfortunately for them, their shoes were sinking too. They would have to move constantly, unless they wanted to be stuck there forever.
"Keep the charge. And get out of here. Quick." Leo said as he paid the driver a generous amount of money. The driver had gotten himself in so much danger by driving them there and this was Afrodite's money, so why not?
Layla looked below as the cab disappeared in distance. The view from up there was amazing. The daughter of Zeus looked at the little houses of the nearby towns. She found herself wondering how would life be like if she wasn't a demigod. If she was just a normal teen that lived with her family in a house like this unaware of the fact that the end of the world was approaching.
Jason voice interrupted her thoughts. "That's Concord. Walnut Creek is below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way-" He pointed a ridge of golden hills completely hidden by a thick layer of fog. "-that's the Berkley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Fransisco."
"Jason?" Piper eyes lit up. "You remember something? You've been there?"
"Yes... no." He said. "It just seemed important."
"That's Titans land." Layla remembered. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to Frisco as we want to get." Jason just stared at the place she had pointed at. He looked as if he recognized the place.
The way he looked towards the Titan land made Layla wonder who he was before he lost his memory. What if he wasn't a friend? What if he suddenly remembered everything and realized that he actually hated them?
She waved the thoughts aside. Jason wasn't like that. He was their friend. Her brother. She trusted him. Still, the gleam in his eyes was starting go creepy her out.
"Hey, guys." Leo said. "Let's keep moving." Only then did Layla realize that her foot up to her knee was completely buried in the ground.
"Gaia is stronger here." Jason said. "We have to move while we still can."
"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked him.
"Smoke equals fire. We have to follow the smell." Layla said. "But we'd better hurry. We don't have much time."
Until that day, Layla had considered herself to be in shape. However, hiking presented so much a challenge to her that she began to doubt it.
The jeans Afrodite had given her wasn't the best for the situation, pretty but not at all practical. Still, Layla felt grateful she wore that and not Leo's pinstripes trousers. They weren't yet halfway up the mountain and he was already sweating like crazy.
Finally, after what seemed years of climbing Jason, who was first, crouched behind a rock. He had seen something. Layla, Piper and Leo followed his example.
"Oh gods." Leo whispered to Piper. "My shirt got dirty, your mother's gonna be so pissed."
"Shut up!" Piper warned him.
Layla chuckled silently as she turned her head to see what Jason was looking at. A clearing at the size of football field where the giant had set his camp. A purple bonfire stood in the middle. In one side there were some tolls and construction equipment the Layla couldn't name (and I can't either so let's just refer to them as tools).
One thing caught her eye. A creature as tall as the tallest tree in the forest with naked humanoid upper body and scaly green legs. It took her a while to realize that she was facing Enceladus himself. The giant was looking at the bonfire intently chantting in a low voice.
"Look." Jason pointed at the other side of the bonfire. There was a man tied in a pole. He looked unconscious.
"Dad." Piper chocked a sob.
Layla swallowed hard. "Come on, don't be afraid. There's four of us and only one of him." She said. Pathetic attempt to lift the spirits.
"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asked.
"Just a minor setback." Layla replied yet with less conifidence than before. "So, we should try to distract him while Piper frees her dad." They all turned to Jason for confirmation.
"What?" He protested. "I'm not the leader."
"Yes, you are." Piper said. They've never discussed it but Layla couldn't think of anyone better. He always was so calm and took control of a situation so easily as if he was made for being in charge. She could even trust him with her life.
"Layla's right." Jason said at last. "A distraction is Piper's best chance."
They didn't stay to talk about it. There was a deadline ahead and their legs had already sunk a few inched deeper into the earth.
Leo looked at the construction equipment and his eyes lit up. He had an idea. Knowing Leo it was probably really bad, crazy and with little to none chances to success. "Let's boogie. Before I come to my senses." He said and went for the construction equipment. Layla walked towards the giant hoping to distract him long enough for Leo to do his thing. A brave thing to do. Or just plainly stupid.
"Hey there, oversized idiot!" Layla yelled.
Enceladus stopped chanting and turned to her with a toothy smile. "Well. What a nice surprise. Well, not exactly a surprise since I had been expecting you." That didn't sound good. Layla decided it was time to take her sword out. The giant opened his mouth wide.
"Duck!" Leo yelled having realized what the giant was going to do bofore she did.
Layla dived at the side as the giant blew fire that would've made their bronze dragon jealous. Layla flew and attacked the giant from the left side. Jason did the same from the other side.
They didn't get close. Enceladus raised his spear and hit the ground so hard that it started shaking. Layla fell from the sky.
As she was about to charge a again the giant bellowed. "I see you Piper McLean." He turned around and blew fire to the bush the girl was hiding behind. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"
Layla froze. They had come there supposedly to surprise the giant what they ended up doing exactly what he wanted them to. Suddenly she didn't feel so confident about the plan they'd made.
Her expression must have been really funny because it made the giant laugh. "That's right, daughter of Zeus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, she can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"
Layla still stood frozen. She wanted to charge but she was afraid the giant might kill Piper or her dad if she tried. Besides, she couldn't do much by herself and Jason was still trying to stand up while he kept sinking depper in the ground.
"Let him go!" Piper said to the giant.
"Of course, dear," Enceladus rambled. "The others will have to die, of course, but you shouldn't let that affect you. Just swear loyalty to me and he's free. I'm just as good as my word."
"He's not good and neither is his word." Leo warned Piper. "Don't trust him! He'll kill you."
"Oh, come on now." Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaia made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular God. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compacted to some of my brethern- I'm small. But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!" Layla refrained herself for saying something about him being small, or clever for that matter.
Enceladus roared and it was so loud that even the demigods at camp must've heard him. From the earth rose six orge-like creatures. They were about seven feet tall and each one had six arms.
"What- what are those?" Leo came forward.
"Gegenees." Layla said stepping forward as well.
"In English?"
"The Earthborn. Six-armed giants who fought Jason- the first Jason." She said.
"Very good, very good!" Enceladus laughed as if he found their fear entertaining. "They used to live on a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment-"
"Vroom, vroom." The eartborn said moving their hands as if holding an imaginary steering wheel.
"Yes, thank you for the demonstration, boys." Enceladus said. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."
"Yay-son!" The eathborn agreed. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"
"You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father or try to save you friends and face certain death."
Piper stepped forward her eyes full of rage. "You will not take the people I love. None of them."
She said it with so much courage that the Earthborn backed away. "Okay. Okay, sorry."
"Stand in your ground, fools!" The giant bellowed. "This is why we want you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Eartborn! I will show you Jason."
Layla stood in front of Jason with her sword ready to protect him but what Enceladus did surprised her. Instead of pointing at Jason he pointed Piper's dad. "There is Jason. Tear him apart!" The eartborn charged at the movie star.
And the weirdest thing of the day. With one look in the eye from Jason, Layla knew exactly what she had to do, without any words being exchanged. Her role was simple. Distract or even better kill the earthborn while Piper goes for her dad.
"Hey." She shouted. "I'm Jason. Come kill me." The monsters looked between the two 'Jasons' confused. Finally, four of them charged Layla while the other two continued going towards Tristan McLean.
Having six hands turned out to be very useful. The Earthborn were able to throw rocks, charge with spears and wave two hands stupidly above their heads at the same time. The spears weren't really a problem since the monsters haven't yet come close enough to stab her but she found it really hard to dodge the rocks they threw. She constantly had to roll to the ground to avoid them and that slowed her down.
However, this great weapon had a great disadvantage. Every time the Earthborn bent over to pick a rock they were vulnerable. Layla managed to stab two of them in the back as they did. The other two seeing their friends' fate, ditched rocks and decided to charge only with their spears.
Thing were about to get nasty. Layla could probably beat one of them but when both of them attacked at the same time there wasn't a lot she could do.
The it hit her. Lightning. She snapped her fingers and the Earthborn that was about to attack from the right disintegrated. She cursed herself for always forgetting she could use her cool powers.
After that little victory, however, she let her guard down a little. The other Earthborn took that opportunity and got his spear ready.
He was about to throw it and Layla would've been dead for sure. However the monster disintegrated before he got the chance.
Layla looked behind only to find Leo with a woodcutter.
"Thanks." She said.
"Don't thank me. We are even now." He replied.
"You wish, Valdez. I've saved your ass more times by far."
"Whatever. I'll go help Piper. You go help Jason."
Layla nodded and turned around. Jason was still fighting Enceladus and things were not good for him.