The Son of Styx - Chapter Thirty-Three

Aaron POV:
We walked down the Washington airport ramp towards the road, Dustin hailed a taxi and we found ourselves heading towards Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Historic Park. The map told us that the Ice Stone was buried under one of the Mile Markers, it didn't however tell us which one.

So we found ourselves walking from marker to marker, checking each one till we were onto marker 12.

"Ugh, i hate walking..." Dustin said, he was lagging behind, his rucksack over his arm. Sara glanced at him and shrugged "You shouldn't have eaten all that food on the plane then" "Oh come on, those chocolate sprinkled donuts were just asking to be eaten" He moaned, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.

I chuckled kept walking, careful not to look at Sara. Ever since that night a few days ago Sara was not on speaking terms with me, we still talked but...she kept looking at me like she expected me to stab her in the back.

Soon we came upon the 15th marker and i stopped suddenly, someone was sitting at one of the park benches, a old man with a oak cane, he was staring at us, he wore black glasses and two of his teeth were golden.

I came next to Sara and whispered to her "You see that old man? I sense something off...cover me" Sara looked at me then nodded "Fine"

While Sara and Dustin unhuman stayed behind i approached the marker, the old man grinned and stood up, he approached me as i stopped in front of the marker.

"Who are you?" I asked, my hand sliding down to the hilt of my sword.

He laughed, his voice was deep and booming, almost unhuman.

"I think the proper question is "What am I? demigod" He took off his glasses, revealing the green eye in the middle of his face.

"Cyclops!"

I drew my sword just as the cyclops drew back his cane, which was now a 4 metre long club, and swung at me, I pulled up my sword and managed to parry it, but the blow sent me stumbling backwards from the cyclops sheer force and power.

He roared in laughter, I stepped forward, gripping Monachiko's with both hands, the small old man i had seen before was now a towering wall of tanned flesh, the old man's clothes had ripped in pieces till he looked like a very sun bleached Hulk with one eye.

Suddenly three arrows sprouted from the cyclopes chest, i looked behind me to see Sara drawing another arrow into her bow, Dustin was running to help, his dragon tooth spear in his hand. The cyclops roared as Dustin lunged forward, driving his spear head into the monster's stomach, it reared up in pain then it batted Dustin away like a fly with his club.

"Dustin!"

I jumped forward, standing in front of Dustin as he slowly got up, blocking the cyclops blows with the flat end of my blade, each blow sending painful shudders up my arm.

Then i made the mistake, I lunged, aiming a thrust for the creatures chest, the cyclops side stepped and landed a heavy blow to my head, sending me crashing into the ground.

I couldn't feel the pain, all i could feel was a white hot sensation on my temple, i also tasted something, a mixture of mud and blood.

I looked up to see the Cyclops laughing down at me, raising its giant foot to stomp on my head, killing me instantly. But suddenly Sara jumped in the way, shooting the cyclops in the sole of its foot, it reared up and dropped its club, grabbing at its foot in pain, jumping up and down in a way that was almost childlike.

Sare aimed another arrow and fired, the arrow struck home right in the cyclops big green eye, it stood there, dazed...then collapsed, dead.

Sara sighed in relief and turned to help me up, Dustin was already up and was digging out the marker with his spear, looking for the Ice Stone.

"Your such an idiot" Sara said as she handed me a piece of Ambrosia, i chewed on it and felt my wound heal "Yeah i've been told that" I chuckled andd for once in the past 5 days she smiled.

"Hey guys"

We turned to look at Dustin, who held a transparent rock of ice, the size of a mans fist.

"We got ourselves a Ice Stone"