Havoc - Piper McLean

28: 0 stars, do not fight a giant

| 0 stars, do not fight a giant |

—The plan went wrong almost immediately. Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Camilla, Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than Camilla could've managed. She was thinking more along the lines of, "We are pathetic ants! Please don't kill us!"

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise."

Camilla didn't like the sound of that. Her hand gripped her spatha tighter.  

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the daddy goats go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at Leo and Camilla. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Camilla didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with Coach at the moment.

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

Before Camilla could say what the fuck? out loud, Leo yelled, "Scatter!" 

Jason, Camilla and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. When the three of them recovered, she saw Leo had dove to the right, to go through with his part of the plan.

Jason didn't waste a moment. Camilla had no idea where he got the bravery (idiocy) from, he just got to his feet and charged the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent Camilla sprawling. She blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, she saw Jason staggering to his feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees—a view Camilla really didn't need.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

Camilla's gut twisted. They'd played right into Enceladus's hands. She couldn't help but blame herself, for all of it. Maybe just her existence was enough to make everything descend into chaos. How could she have possibly thought chaos was a good thing? There was no way her existence was a good thing, she had seen the faces of the campers when she was claimed. 

She agreed with them now, she was just bad news. They survived this long purely through luck. 

The giant must've read Camilla's expression, because he laughed even louder. "That's right, daughter of Discordia. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean and you have sealed the deal. If you two betray your friends, I'm as good as my word. You can take your fathers and go. What do I care about a movie star and a convict?"