Last Hero
Chapter 09: The Assault

“Please!” shout Piper. “Whoever!”

Then he slipped, screaming as he fell.

“Jason, there!” shout Hedge. “Save Piper.”

The Coach launched a ferocious goat kick towards Dylan—, kicking him with his fingernails, freeing Leo from the clutches of the spirit. Leo fell safely to the floor, but Dylan instead grabbed the Coach by the arm. Coach Hedge tried to head him over, then kicked him and called him a soft boy. They soar into the air, the faster.

Coach Hedge shouted down once more. “Save Piper! Let me handle this one!” Then the satyr and the storm spirit turned into the clouds and disappeared.

Save Piper? Think Jason. Piper is gone!

But again Jason's instinct won. He ran to the fence thinking, I'm crazy, and jumped off the edge.

***

Jason is not afraid of heights. He was only afraid of his body crumbling as it smashed into the bottom of the canyon a hundred and fifty meters below. Jason figured he wouldn't be able to do anything but die with Piper, but he put his arms together and swooped down with his head first. The side of the canyon flashed like an accelerated film. His face seemed to be peeling.

In an instant, Jason had already caught up with Piper, who was flapping his arms wildly. Jason grabbed Piper by the waist and closed his eyes, waiting for his death. Piper screaming. The wind whizzed in Jason's ears. He wondered what it was like to die. He thought, maybe not good. He hoped somehow they would never get to the bottom.

Suddenly the wind stopped. Piper's scream turned into a gasp sound. Jason thought they must be dead, but he didn't feel any collisions.

“J-J-Jason,” Piper managed to get the words out.

Jason opened his eyes. They didn't fall. They floated in the air, about thirty meters above the river. Jason hugged Piper tightly, and the girl fixed her position so she hugged Jason too. Their noses are close together. Piper's heart was pounding so hard, Jason could feel it through the girl's clothes.

Piper's breath smells like cinnamon. She said, “How do you—“

“I didn't do anything,” said Jason. “I thought I'd know if I could fly ... “

Jason imagined his body floating upwards. Piper squealed as they sped several feet higher. They're not really floating, Jason decided. He could feel the pressure under his feet as if they were balancing themselves over a burst of hot water.

“Air sustains us,” said Jason.

“Yeah, tell the air to support us even more! Take us away from here!”

Jason looked down. The easiest thing is to slowly descend to the bottom of the canyon. Then he poked. The rain has stopped. The storm clouds did not look as scary as before but were still roaring and gleaming. There is no guarantee that the storm spirits are truly gone. Jason has absolutely no idea what happened to Coach Hedge. And Jason left Leo up there, barely conscious.

“We have to help them,” said Piper, as if reading Jason's mind. “Can you—“

“Let's see.” Jason thought up, and they shot into space.

The fact that Jason was riding in the wind might have been cool in different conditions, but he was too shaken. As soon as they landed on the footbridge, they ran towards Leo.

Piper turned Leo's body to the side, and he groaned. His army jacket was soaked in rain. His curly hair was golden-shiny as it rolled around on the monster dust. But at least he's not dead.

“Goat ... ugly ... bego,” muttered Leo.

“Where did he go?” ask Piper.

Leo pointed straight up. “Not down. Please tell me he didn't save my life.”

“Two times,” says Jason.

Leo groaned even harder. “What happened? The tornado guy, the golden sword .. My head hit. I-so, right? I'm hallucinating?”

Jason forgot about the sword. He walked up to the sword and picked it up. The sword felt right in his hand. Based on instinct, Jason threw the sword. In the middle of the round, the sword shrunk back into a coin and landed on Jason's palm.