The Hidden Follower

27.

  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.

  He swept his spear sideways, met Jason's javelin—and with a snap like a shotgun blast, the golden weapon shattered.

  Delta looked back at Piper and Leo making sure they were okay, then looked at hedge making sure he was still safely passed out before running into the battle to help Jason.

  Jason tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't bend, Delta stood in front of him sword brandished. 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, flinging Delta away toward the others in the process but, she had managed to almost cut off his finger. Delta landed face down, everything hurt and she couldn't bring herself to move enough to look at the scene a little ways away from her, she did hear Enceladus yell 'my first sacrifice to Gaea!' Delta thought it was all over for Jason until she heard Leo.

  "Heads up!" He yelled.

Delta forced herself to gather enough energy to flip over and get up as a large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! The giant toppled over and slid into the pit. Kicking up her sword with her foot, catching it she started walking over to the others ready to kill the giant for almost ruining her IPod.

  A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! The giant toppled over and slid into the pit.

  "Jason, get up!" Piper called. He sat up, his head groggy, while Piper grabbed him under his arms and hauled him to his feet.

  "Don't die on me," she ordered. "You are not dying on me."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  About a hundred-twenty feet away from Delta, Leo was standing over a piece of construction equipment—along with a cannon-like thing with a single massive piston, the edge broken clean off.

   In the crater Enceladus was struggling to rise, an ax blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate. Amazingly, the giant managed to pull the ax blade free. He yelled in pain and the mountain trembled. Golden ichor soaked the front of his armor, but Enceladus stood.

  Shakily, he bent down and retrieved his spear.

  "Good try." The giant winced. "But I cannot be beaten."

  As they watched, the giant's armor mended itself, and the ichor stopped flowing. Even the cuts on his dragon-scale legs, which Jason had worked so hard to make, were now just pale scars.

  When Delta got to others Leo ran up to them, saw the giant, and cursed. "What is it with this guy? Die, already!"

  "My fate is preordained," Enceladus said. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes. "

  "Only by both," Jason said. The giant's smile faltered. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."

  "You will not live long enough to try!" The giant started stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides.

  "oh my gods, you can see the fear in his eyes, look at him." Delta laughed.

  "Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asked.