Fighting a small army

A/N: Was gonna cut these chap into two but I said what the hell you guys deserve a reward.]

[Route 495, December 21st 2005]

The road stretched out before me, cracked asphalt leading off into the distance as the bus disappeared from view. The lingering roar of its engine faded, replaced by an eerie silence that set my nerves on edge. I knew what was coming, but the anticipation was always the worst part.

"Well looks like they're gone, already." I murmured cracking my neck for the imposing battle.

I looked once more at the small army gathered in front of me, two bronze Colchis bulls stood like living statues, their massive forms glinting in the sun. Steam billowed from their nostrils as they pawed at the ground, ready to charge.

Behind them, empousai sneered with their fiery hair flickering like torches, their mismatched legs – one bronze, one donkey – making their movements unpredictable and eerily graceful. Looming above them all were the Laistrygonian giants, their beady eyes fixed on me with murderous intent.

And then the ground itself seemed to come alive. Myrmekes swarmed forth, their mandibles clacking hungrily as they advanced. The sheer number of them was staggering, like a living carpet of chitin and pincers.

I sighed, tapping my spear against the ground. The familiar weight of it in my hand was reassuring. "Lailaps, Swiper," I commanded, my voice steady despite the churning in my gut. "Take care of the bulls. I'll handle the rest."

The two massive mammals at my side growled in unison, their forms nearly blending into the shadows. Without hesitation, they launched themselves at the bronze automatons, moving faster and more ferociously than ever before. All those months of training were about to be put to the test.

The bulls barely had time to react before Lailaps lunged at the first one, his powerful jaws clamping down on its metallic neck. Sparks flew as teeth met bronze, the sound of grinding metal filling the air. Swiper circled the other, snarling and snapping at its legs, forcing it to stumble and pivot awkwardly.

With my pets occupied, I turned my attention to the rest of the army. The hood of my jersey lifted on its own, sliding over my head as if guided by magic, which it actually was. I felt the cloth made from Ladon's hide slide over my shorter hair, a comforting embrace that brought with it an eerie calm. The world seemed to slow down for a moment as I took a deep breath, centering myself for the chaos to come.

I tapped my spear again, and the shadows of the nearby trees began to ripple and twist, extending towards me like tendrils seeking their master. With a flick of my wrist, I guided the shadows to encircle the battlefield, forming a dome of impenetrable darkness that blotted out the sun. The air grew cold, the oppressive weight of the shadows pressing down on all who stood within.

The sudden darkness threw the monsters into disarray. The empousai reacted first, their wings flaring as they attempted to lift off the ground. But I was quicker. With a thought, the shadows converged on them, wrapping around their legs and pulling them back down. They screeched in frustration, their flaming hair flickering wildly as they struggled against the darkness.

"Not so fast," I muttered, stepping forward. The shadows at my feet coiled around my legs, feeding me their strength. I could feel the power surging through my veins, my muscles expanding slightly like a bodybuilder intaking his daily supply of creatine.

One of the empousai hissed, her eyes glowing as she tried to use the Mist to confuse me. I could sense her illusion taking shape, the air around me beginning to distort. But I was ready. I reached out with my own command over the Mist, countering her attempt with one of my own. The illusion shattered like glass, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

"Nice try," I said, my voice low. "Maybe something original next time?"

Before she could react, I teleported through the shadows, reappearing right in front of her. She barely had time to register my presence before I plunged my spear into her chest, the blade cutting through her like butter. She let out a strangled cry, her body disintegrating into ash before she hit the ground.

The other empousai screeched in anger, their wings beating furiously as they charged at me in unison. I summoned shadowy tendrils from the ground, shaping them into spikes that shot up to meet the approaching monsters. Two of them were impaled mid-air, their bodies dissolving into golden mist as they died.

But as I focused on the empousai, I nearly missed the Laistrygonian giant bearing down on me. His war cry shook the very air as he raised his massive iron club, the ground trembling beneath his feet. I barely had time to dodge, the club smashing into the ground where I had just been standing with enough force to shatter the asphalt.

The giant's attack sent chunks of road flying in all directions. I felt a sharp pain as a piece of debris sliced across my cheek, warm blood trickling down my face. The taste of copper filled my mouth, and I spat, my saliva tinged red, quickly I created shadowy threads that stitched the wound shut.

"Cheap shot, you aren't getting any more."

I quickly countered by summoning my short blade from the shadows, as a small tendril passed over my hand. The weapon materialized in my hand, the hilt shaped like a serpent with twin tails. I slashed at the giant's exposed side, the hooked end of the blade catching on his leather armor and tearing it open. He howled in pain, swinging his club wildly in retaliation.

I teleported again, reappearing behind him. Before he could react, I drove the blade into his back, twisting it for good measure. The giant let out a choked gasp, green blood oozing from the wound as he fell to his knees. I finished him off with a swift stab to the heart, his body collapsing into a heap before disintegrating into a golden puff of smoke.

But there was no time to catch my breath. More Myrmekes swarmed around me, their acidic venom spraying from their mandibles. I quickly summoned dual jitte knives from the shadows, as I turned around letting the acid hit my clothes. The sizzle of the venom against the monster fabric filled the air, along with the acrid smell of chemicals.

The Myrmekes' exoskeletons were tough, but not invulnerable. I lunged at the nearest one, jabbing the jitte into its joints and twisting until the exoskeleton cracked. The creature screeched as it fell apart, its insides spilling out onto the ground, and turning to ash soon after.

One of the Myrmekes managed to land a hit, its mandibles biting into my jersey but unable to penetrate it. I felt the pressure of its jaws, a reminder of how close I was coming to serious injury. Gritting my teeth, I turned around and struck down with my knives, impaling the ant's brain and turning it to ash.

The battlefield was chaos. Lailaps and Swiper were still engaged with the Colchis bulls, the sound of metal grinding against metal mixing with snarls and bellows. Empousai darted through the air, their attempts at charm-speak creating a disorienting buzz in the back of my mind. Giants roared and swung their clubs, creating miniature earthquakes with each step.

And through it all, the Myrmekes kept coming. For every one I cut down, two more seemed to take its place. Their mandibles clicked incessantly, the sound grating on my nerves and making it hard to focus.

Taking a split second to assess my surroundings, I noticed a large boulder at the edge of the shadowy dome. With a grunt of effort, I reached out with my powers, wrapping tendrils of shadow around the massive rock. Using every ounce of strength I could muster, I lifted the boulder and hurled it towards the densest cluster of Myrmekes.

The impact was devastating. Dozens of the ant monsters were crushed instantly, their bodies bursting into puffs of golden dust. The survivors scattered in confusion, their formation broken.

But my moment of triumph was short-lived. A searing pain exploded in my side as an empousa's claws raked across my ribs. I stumbled, nearly dropping my weapons it hadn't cut through my cloth but it still hurt like hell.

"You'll pay for that, half-blood," the empousa hissed, her eyes glowing with malevolent glee.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I spun to face her. "Let's see who will pay," I growled, channeling my anger and pain into my shadow powers.

The darkness around us thickened, tendrils of shadow wrapping around the empousa's limbs. She shrieked in surprise and fear as I lifted her off the ground, suspending her in mid-air.

"Let me go!" she wailed, her charm-speak washing over me ineffectively.

"As you wish," I said coldly, and with a flick of my wrist, I slammed her into the ground with bone-crushing force. She exploded into dust on impact, leaving nothing behind but a fading echo of her scream.

The battle raged on, seeming to stretch into eternity. My muscles burned with exertion, and my breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat stung my eyes, mixing with blood from various cuts and scrapes. But I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop.

I lost track of how many monsters I'd slain. My world narrowed to a cycle of dodge, strike, teleport, repeat. The shadows responded to my every thought changing from, tendrils, barbs, shields, spears, spikes, and anythig else I could think off.

At some point, I became aware of Lailaps and Swiper rejoining the fray. The Colchis bulls lay in ruins, reduced to scattered piles of bronze scrap. My loyal companions tore into the remaining monsters with renewed vigor, their snarls and howls adding to the already chaotic battlle.

Stabbing through one last empousa, I realized something as my eyes darted around the battlefield. Then I saw it, one last Laistrygonian giant hanging back near the edge of the shadowy barrier, hitting it continuously with a desperate look in every punch he threw. He kept looking at the barrier and me, at the barrier and me, there was something else aside form fear in his eyes a feeling much more deep, I could see how his red aura continued changing, turning into a mix of purple and brown, I immediately knew what those colors meant fear and despair.

I slowly walked towards him, shadows swirling around my feet as I approached. My body ached, and I could feel my bones creaking after the cheap shots they had gotten in me, but I forced myself to stand tall.

"The barrier won't go away unless I die," I called out, my voice hoarse but steady. "If you want to get out of here alive, there's only one way."

The giant growled, his yellow teeth bared in defiance. "I'll kill you and break this barrier!" he snarled, but I could literally see the fear underlying his bravado.

I smiled, though there was no humor in it. "I'll make it easy for you," I said, letting the shadows retract slightly from my body. "No weapons, no tricks. Just you and me, mano y mano."

The giant hesitated, but then his aura changed back to rageful red, it looked like he had made up his mind. He let out a roar and charged at me, his massive fists swinging with the intent to crush. I stood my ground, the shadows infusing me with strength surpassing that of any demigod.

When his first punch came, I caught it with my hand, feeling the force of it ripple through my arm. Instead of breaking, I held firm, my enhanced strength allowing me to match his brute force. The giant's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what he was up against, but by then it was too late.

I twisted his arm, using his momentum to throw him off balance. He stumbled, and I took the opportunity to close the distance, driving my fist into his gut with enough force to knock the wind out of him. The giant coughed up golden blood, doubling over in pain.

I walked slowly towards the cannibal, he rose up once more, throwing a punch straight at me. I sidestepped to the left, quickly closing the distance between us and slamming my hand down on his elbow, a sickening crack echoing it.

"AAAAHHH"

The giant screamed as he held his arm which was twisted and limping towards the ground, a mixture of brown and red covered his aura. 'Despair and anger,' I thought.

He threw a right jab at me with his remaining arm, I ducked under it then I dashed under him before performing an uppercut onto his jaw, another crack resounding as his jaw dislocated and he fell to the floor.

But I didn't stop there. I stood over his eight foot tall body and started pummeling him with a series of rapid punches, each one stronger than the last. His face became a bloody mess, golden ichor flowing from his nose, mouth, and eyes. The giant tried to throw me off with his remaining arm, but his blows were weak, his body unable to keep up with the punishment I was dishing out.

Finally, with one last powerful strike, I sent the giant's face through the asphalt a small crater surrounding it with cracks that flowed through the ground.

He convulsed for a moment, his body trembling as if trying to hold on to life. But then, with a final gasp, he turned into a golden puff of smoke, disappearing into the air like the rest.

As the last of the monsters faded away, the oppressive silence of the aftermath settled over the battlefield. I stood there, chest heaving, as I slowly released my hold on the shadows. The dome dissipated, letting sunlight stream back onto the scene of devastation.

"That was for all the cheap shots you bastards."

Lailaps and Swiper padded over to me, their fur matted with monster dust and ichor. I reached out to pat them, wincing at the pain that shot through my battered body.

"Good job, you two," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. They whined softly, sensing my exhaustion and pain.

"Thank you master." They spoke in unison.

As the adrenaline began to fade, the full extent of my injuries made themselves known. Bruises and what felt like at least one cracked rib screamed for attention. Dark threads started to crawl across my body and entering through every pore they could as I began to fix myself. I had to heal fast and return to the group.

[Greek Myth Fact: Today's fact will be about the Laistrygonian Giants. The Laistrygonian Giants were a tribe of man-eating giants encountered by Odysseus on his travels. Homer appears to place them somewhere in the far north (this is also why Rick Riordian says that the Laistrygonian Giants live in Canada it's at the north of the America and it's lietrally called the Great North lol), a land where the sun rose shortly after it set. Their name ]was derived from the Greek words laisêion, "raw hide" or "skin" and trygaô, "to gather."]

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