Jason dreamed vividly of a hooded figure, its robe a cascade of shadows, eyes of an otherworldly glow hovered imposingly above a jagged black obsidian throne. The monstrous chuckle that escaped its mouth brought upon an eerie silence. Alarm bells rang in Jason's head, but he steeled his resolve and looked up at the towering figure. "Fear me and what's to come, Son of Jupiter", it bellowed. And with that delightful and slightly ominous message, Jason gained consciousness.
The earth shook fiercely, disrupting any semblance of peace Jason still had left. He looked up at the stars that illuminated the night sky and sighed. Something big was coming. The wind held its breath as if in warning, and after a chorus of wails and a deafening scream heard from within the forest, Jason leapt up into action.
Jason flipped IVLIVS and caught a double-edged, two feet long pure imperial gold gladius. He weaved through the forest that seemed devoid of life but in the heart of the forest. Standing over seven feet tall, its muscular frame covered in a coarse, dark fur that rippled with every movement. The creature's head was that of a bull, complete with sharp, curved horns that glinted menacingly. Hoofed feet crushed the undergrowth as it moved rapidly intending to kill its prey.
A boy around 12 (a few years younger than Jason) stood, cornered by the beast, shoulders slumped with exhaustion, yet an undeniable aura of power radiated from him as he tightly gripped his glowing bronze sword. His raven-black hair, tousled and slightly damp with sweat framed hollow sea green eyes with a depth far beyond his years.
Jason called upon his lightning, his eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. Suddenly, a blinding flash split the sky, accompanied by the strong smell of ozone, a jagged bolt of lightning arced down onto the huge beast. It roared with primal anger and instead of the minotaur crumpling down as the sea serpent had many years ago, it grabbed the boy's neck and lifted him upwards, undeterred and seemingly invincible. Jason ran towards the beast, forcing the wind to boost him forward, but it was too late.
The boy struggled, and the ground began to tremble. Cracks spider-webbed through the soil, trees swayed violently. Jason felt rooted to the ground as the guttural groan of the earth being wrenched from its slumber filled the air, and with an agonizing scream, the earth erupted.
Once a symbol of raw strength and indomitable will, the minotaur was now helpless as it found itself caught in the turmoil. The ground beneath its hooves buckled and split open, throwing the massive creature off balance and dropping the boy. With a swift, agile movement, the boy sidestepped the creature's powerful horns and swung his sword in a wide arc. The blade, gleaming in the dim light, sliced through the air with a sharp, deadly precision and connected.
As the boy's sword struck deep into the minotaur's hide, the creature let out a final, guttural roar. Instead of collapsing in defeat, the minotaur began to shimmer, its form flickering as though caught in an otherworldly light. The wound, rather than bleeding further, glowed with an intense, radiant gold.
The minotaur's massive body seemed to dissolve from the point of impact, the dark fur and muscular flesh disintegrating into fine, golden particles. The boy stepped back, watching in awe as the minotaur's form lost all solidity, leaving no trace of the fearsome creature that once stood there.
Jason flew above the fissures while the boy's adrenaline began to wane, replaced by an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. Before his legs buckled and gave out, Jason caught the frail boy in his arms and noticed a faint ethereal glow above the boy's head. "A trident," Jason whispered, "Poseidon. Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of horses."