"What are you?" Jack whimpered as massive hands closed around his body.
As he was lifted up towards the creature's face, Jack fought back a scream. He had to squeeze his eyes shut for the sake of his sanity. Dread filled his body, killing any thought of trying to free himself from its grasp.
The hand that picked him up came to a stop. Gulping down his terror, Jack slowly opened his eyes. But that brought him face to face with the monsters' eye. Its only eye. Smack on the middle of its face.
This can't be real, he desperately thought to himself. I'll wake up sooner or later
The massive eye glared at Jack, but he wasn't sure it could see anything through them. From his close proximity, Jack could tell the eye was milky white. He wasn't sure how he could tell, but the eye didn't seem to have any life in it. The eye didn't stare at Jack with an angry and murderous look. Instead, it gazed through him. It was almost like he wasn't there.
"Smell like food," the beast grumbled, it's low voice sending vibrations up Jack's body.
Writhing in its arms, he leaned away from its horrendous breath. Jack gagged as the smell filled his nostrils. It smelt as bad as the landfill a few blocks behind his school. Thinking back at it, the garbage dump smelt much better. Looking at the cyclops with disgust, he felt a little spark of strength return to his body. He had to get out. Alive. And quickly as well, before the beast decided it was time for his meal.
"Quite the contrary actually," Jack said, mustering as much courage as he could manage.
Clearly not expecting its food to speak, the cyclops, at least that's what Jack thought it was, widened its blind eye in surprise. Grunting, it brought Jack closer to its massive nose, sniffing hard and fast.
"Human," it growled, grimacing. It threw Jack to the floor, but he managed to roll upon contact and avoid any broken bones. "No human, crush you instead."
Paling, Jack scrambled to his left as the monster brought its right foot down on where he formerly stood.
"Wait!" he yelled, springing to his feet. Jack knew he could only evade the beast for so long. If he couldn't find an exit or alternative, he would get tired and crushed.
"Steropes no wait," the cyclops replied, growling. "Human scum."
Jack easily rolled away from the incoming stomp this time. Flipping through his memories, he tried to remember any book or article on greek mythology he had come across.
"Steropes, Steropes," he muttered under his breath. Jack assumed it called itself Steropes and the name lingered at the back of mind.
Still trying to remember, another foot came down again, which was dodged as easily as the previous.
"What on earth is a Steropes." Jack was beginning to get frustrated.
"Steropes can hear you," it announced, shutting Jack up. "Steropes is a great blacksmith."
That answers one question, Jack thought. He was starting to patch up the little knowledge he had.
"I'd love to see your work Steropes," Jack's mind was working fast. If it had called itself a great blacksmith, it was expected for Steropes to have a sort of prized creation. Any blacksmith would pride in his work. But there was always that one thing he'd hold above the rest.
Steropes ceased trying to crush him and sat down, irritated. As the floor vibrated, Jack was scared he had angered the beast.
"Gone," Steropes grumbled. "Stupid god destroyed it."
Stepping further from Steropes, Jack tried to sympathize. "It must've meant a lot to you huh."
Slamming its massive fist on the ground, Steropes' growl deepened. "Steropes spent centuries forging it."
I must be quite mad, Jack shivered, still moving further away from the agitated cyclops. The fear of his premature death still weighed heavily on him, but he concealed it well. His brain had slowly started to grasp the reality of the situation. He had somehow survived a thirty-foot drop into some deadly rocks, woken up in a -, whatever this place was and now he was talking to a twenty-foot tall cyclops. Either that or he hit his head really hard and was safely in a hospital somewhere.
Jack's foot hit something, sending it clattering backward. His whole body tensed as Steropes' head snapped up to locate him, though he was quite sure the cyclops' sense of smell was keeping him well informed.
"Human try kill Steropes?" The giant stood up.
Cursing his unawareness, Jack glanced behind him to see the silver sword he dropped earlier. "No no, I would never," he stuttered.
Steropes ignored Jack as he tried to placate it, lumbering towards him. It stood over Jack, breathing heavily. Grunting, Steropes lifted its feet over the petrified Jack.
"Human scum," its voice boomed, its feet dropping down over Jack.
As fear slammed down into his body, Jack desperately lunged for the sword. The foot barely missed him. Jack tried to grab the sword, but the pressure foot Steropes foot sent it away from Jack. Scrambling on all fours, he managed to pick up the sword as Steropes' prepared to turn him into a pancake.
Kneeling, Jack held the sword above his head as Steropes went for the finishing blow. He turned his head sideways and shut his eyes, fully prepared to be flattened by Steropes' massive foot.
"What is this human," Steropes questioned, its foot stopping mid crush.
Confused, Jack looked up and yelped, dropping the weapon in his hand. Bringing his palms up to his face, he searched for any burns or bruises. Alas, he found none. His hands were perfectly fine despite just holding what seemed to be a six-foot lightning rod. Electricity hummed all over it, sparks randomly shooting off. The smell of concentrated chlorine finally hit him, but unlike the monstrous breath he took in earlier, it had no effect on Jack.
Lost in his own world of wonder, Jack crawled over to the rod and picked it up. Like before, it left his hands intact. Although covered in what he assumed was pure electricity, it was still giving off a dull silvery glow. Jack would've probably stood there for a long time if the forgotten Steropes didn't speak up.
"Not human," Steropes shook his head. "Sorry my Lord."
Blinking out of his trance, Jack tilted his head upwards to look at Steropes. The cyclops was hunched over in some sort of bow.
"My Lord?" Jack asked, realization dawning on him. Steropes and his three brothers had been given the ultimate task. Jack recalled reading the first Titan war and how the three Cyclops brothers forged the weapons of the three elder gods. And Steropes, the beast that was now bowing to him, had created the most powerful one of all.
"You hold the master bolt," Steropes replied, a hint of respect in his tone. "Welcome back, Lord Zeus."