Last Hero
Chapter 07: Special Request

That is, the one in his head, Jason realized, was not a lump. That's horn.

“Father of a faun,” says Jason.

“Satir!” snapped Hedge. “Faun is a Roman. But we'll talk about that later.”

Hedge jump over fence. He jumped towards the canyon wall and landed with his cleft nails first. He escapes the cliffs with astonishing agility, finds a footing no bigger than a postage stamp, avoiding the whirlwind that tries to strike him as he struggles to get to Leo.

“Manic!” Dylan turned to face Jason. “Now it's your turn, Boy.”

Jason threw the club. It seemed to be a futile act due to the strong wind, but the baton flew right towards Dylan, even swooping as he tried to dodge and hit his head so hard that he fell to his knees.

Piper doesn't seem to be either. His fingers were clenched to the club when it slipped beside him, but before she could use it, Dylan stood up. Blood—golden blood—push from his forehead.

“Usaha good, Boy.” He glared at Jason. “But you have to try harder.”

Titian shook. A fine crack appeared on his floor made of glass. Inside the museum, the children stopped banging on the door. They retreated, watching in horror.

Dylan's body decomposed into smoke, as if his molecules were being scattered. His face was still the same, his brilliant white smile was still the same, but his entire figure was suddenly composed by the swirling black steam, his eyes were like electric sparks amidst the clouds of a living storm. He raised black wings as thin as smoke and loomed over the titian. Had there been an evil angel, Jason decided, his face would have been exactly like this.

“You are a ventus,” Jason said, though he had no idea how he could know the word. “Spirit storm.”

Two winds**the pickaxe landed on Dylan's left-right and turned into a ghost-like ventus—cowok with smoke-thin wings and eyes that glittered like lightning.

Piper remained drooping, pretending to be in a daze, his hands still clutching the club. Her face was pale, but the girl gave Jason a determined expression, and Jason understood her message: Keep distracting them.

I'll beat them in the back.

Sweet, clever, and fierce. Jason wishes he remembered he had a girlfriend like Piper.

Jason clenched his fists and prepared to attack, but he did not get the chance.

Dylan raised his hand, an electric arch running between his fingers, and shocked Jason in the chest.

Hiduprak! Jason found himself on his back. His mouth felt like burning aluminum paper. He raised his head and saw that his clothes were smoky. The lightning strike ran through his body and hit his left shoe until it was dislodged. His toes were black with soot.

The storm spirits laughed. Wind raging. Piper shouted menacingly, but his screams sounded grunting and far away.

From the tail of his eyes, Jason saw Coach Hedge climbing the cliff with Leo on his back. Piper was standing desperately swinging the baton to ward off the other two storm spirits, but they seemed to be just toying with the girl. Piper's truncheon pierced through their bodies as if they weren't there. And Dylan, a dark winged tornado that had lightning eyes, loomed over Jason.

“Stop,” says Jason raucous. He woke up staggered, and he was sure who was more shocked: himself or the storm spirits.