The Roman Shadow

The Arrival

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Percy watched in horror as the Minotaur's giant hand caught one of the guards and he was slammed into the wall, his pilum falling onto the floor beside him. The other guard seemed to overrule all protocols and he recklessly stabbed the back of the half-bull's knee, resulting in a damaging but not fatal blow which ended up rendering him defenceless.

The Minotaur roared in agony and he stalked the guard, completely ignoring Percy for once. The guard crawled back as it limped forward towards him, its killing intent shining in its hideous eyes.

Percy was not about to watch his fellow Roman fall right in front of his eyes if he had anything to say. Percy eyes quickly darted around looking for something anything that might help. The pilum of the other guard was still too far away and even if he was able to reach it, Percy knew he couldn't possibly deliver a fatal blow to the Minotaur, not now at least. In other the situation reckless plan would have been a go without a thought but not now, not while there was someone else's life on the line.

So Percy's eyes darted around for anything that he might use. Just as he thought of going onto his primary choice of reckless plan his eyes caught something just near the legs of the Minotaur.

On the wall, directly to its left there was a large electric wire attached in a large divider box which spread the electricity into many different wires all over the walls. The divider box was vibrating a little. The shaking of the tunnel, caused by the giant's heavy footsteps was letting the wires go a little loose.

Okay, time for one of Percy's famous so-stupid-that-it-actually-might-work plans. Percy dashed in their direction and lunged for the large electric wire. He put his hands around the thick wire and pulled hard. Nothing happened. He pulled again but the nine year old couldn't possibly have mustered enough strength to pull out the thick wire. The large wire was attached firmly to a hook. He needed something else, something powerful enough to pull out the entire hook from the wall. Percy glanced at the monster which had gotten close enough to kill the guard. Suddenly Percy's mind clicked and he shouted out loud.

"Hey beefhead!" The monster turned and glared at him angrily, probably because he interrupted it's lunch. "You wanted me, look I'm here. You can try to catch me beefhead. I'll make a very tasty smack for any meat-eater. Oh, wait a minute, you wouldn't possibly know. You know why?. Because you are a cow. And you know what cow's eat, it's grass. Growing in the ground. Why don't you go around and trace the fields. Or even better, why don't you go to the farm and help the old man with some dairy ." He taunted.

And Percy got the intended result. The monster, feeling heavily insulted forgot all about the guard and charged at the nine-year old.

Not now. The monster was about ten yards away.

Wait. Five yards.

Just a little more. Three yards.

Two.

NOW!

Percy jumped out of the way as the giant monster crashed into the wall and its left horn embedded into the wall. The force rocked the entire tunnel .The wall cracked and the hook dropped out of the wall onto the ground.

Percy didn't waste much time and he ran to the wire. The Monster tried to pull out his horn from the wall but it was stuck hard. It put both of its giant hands on the wall and pulled out hard, roaring in agony as its horn broke off, still in stuck in the wall. It looked around wildly for the kid.