Birthright (Forgotten Daughter part 2)

The Titan's Curse

The four teenagers stopped at the top of the stairs. Before them, a dark flat expanse mapped out the ruins of an old fortress. Crumbling bricks scattered the ground, a million tripping hazards sprawled across the stone floor. Near the center of the flat mountain top, the sky seemed to sag towards the earth. A bulge of starry night sky reaching longingly for the black stones; between the two, holding the firmament at bay, was a girl of about 12-years-old with auburn hair braided over her shoulder. Dirt smeared the girls face, which was plastered with a pained expression as she braced her knee against the ground.

Zoe gasped. "Lady Artemis." Her voice was barely audible, muted by shock and horror.

Ali stared at the young girl, trying to picture the battered child as a goddess.

Suddenly, Percy tensed beside her, instinctively grabbing her wrist.

Ali looked up to find Luke standing to their right. Annabeth was bound and gagged, kneeling beside him, a grey streak highlighting her blonde hair. Her eyes widened when she noticed Percy and the others.

Beside Luke stood a tall man in full armor. His piercing eyes seemed to stare right through them.

Zoe's fists and jaw clenched. "Atlas."

Ali reached for her bow. Atlas - the titan tasked with holding up the sky to keep it from crashing into the earth and destroying everything. A spark of anger flared in Ali's chest. This titan had given his burden to Luke, who had tricked Annabeth into taking. And now, Annabeth was only alive because Artemis had taken pity on her and relieved her of the burden, taking it on herself. Ali's fists clenched tightly as she unslung her bow from her back.

Atlas smiled arrogantly at her. "And what do you hope to do with that little hero?"

Zoe and Thalia shook their heads, urging her not to infuriate the titan, but Ali knocked an arrow. "Why don't you come and find out."

The titan charged forward. Ali, Zoe, and Percy met him head on while Thalia went after Luke.

Ali ducked a backhand from the titan and loosed an arrow up towards his face.

He batted the shaft aside then snatched her bow, shattering it in his hands, and tossed her across the ruins.

Her back hit a boulder and she crumpled to the ground. Groaning as she rose to her feet, she forced herself to stand. Her vision was blurred and for a terrifying moment it wouldn't focus. Then, the scene cleared and she could see Percy struggling to hold his sword up.

Zoe held the titan back.

Finally, Percy dashed over to where Artemis struggled with the sky.

Ali gasped and started running. She couldn't let him do this. He'd be crushed. Before she could reach them, Percy had taken the sky from Artemis.

Immediately, a streak of hair began to turn grey. He was on one knee, his arms shaking, but he held steady.

Ali slid to a stop beside him. "What were you thinking?" She tried to move in underneath the sky. "Let me take it."

He shook his head. "Th... need... you." He hissed through his clenched teeth.

"No." She held. "It'll kill you." She moved closer. "You have a lot more to live for than I do."

He shook his head again. "Curse..." As he spoke the sky seemed to press harder on him as if he couldn't spare strength. "...Ares."

Ali stared at him as realization struck. Two years ago, on the beach, Ares had issued a curse on Percy. Apparently, he'd decided to cash in. She met his gaze and nodded. "Just hang in there." She rushed back into battle, swords drawn.

Atlas wasn't expecting her return so she managed to get a few blows in before he backhanded her into another boulder.

She rose laboriously to her feet. To her right, Zoe's bow lay on the ground. She picked it up, drew two arrows from her quiver and aimed at Atlas' chest. Her eyes and arrows blazed silver and the bow glowed with a bright silver aura.

Atlas turned in time to see her release the silver flaming arrows. They sank into his chest and he screamed, golden blood leaking from the holes in his armor.

The bow slipped from Ali's hands and she collapsed unconscious to the ground.

An ear shattering angry scream snapped Ali awake. Atlas was back beneath the sky and Percy was stumbling away from the raging titan.

Thalia was fighting Luke with Annabeth, now freed from her bounds.

Percy ran over to help and before long, Luke had taken a nosedive over the edge of the mountain.

Annabeth looked shocked and sad; Thalia was somewhere between grief and relief; and Percy didn't seem to know how to feel.

Ali stood there unable to move. Her friends on one side, Artemis on the other, cradling a body in her lap. Ali waited for the others before moving towards the goddess.

"It was poisoned." Tears rolled down Artemis' cheeks as she held Zoe.

The claw marks on Zoe's side were hued green and oozing black blood. "I can't see the stars." Her voice was hoarse.

Artemis carried the girl onto her chariot pulled by reindeer, Ali and the others piled on as well, and flew to the base of the mountain. She lay Zoe on the ground.

The stars glittered above. Many were blocked out by light pollution, but they were still countless.

Zoe took a deep breath, an expression of contentment settling into her face. She turned to Percy. "You were right. You're... you're nothing like Hercules."

Percy hung his head.

"Aliana." Zoe croaked.

Ali knelt beside the dying girl.

Zoe reached up with a shaky hand and Ali took it. She looked at her goddess then met Ali's gaze. "You... will always be... a Hunter... to me." Her head lulled back and her eyes stared blankly into the night sky.

Ali let Zoe's hand slip through her fingers. She took a deep breath and stepped away from the body.

Artemis kissed her fallen lieutenant on the forehead. Zoe glittered and dissolved into silver dust, which floated into the sky. The stars shifted to form a new constellation - a girl running across the sky, a bow clutched in her hand.

Ali stared at the new stars, unaware of anything else. She finally snapped back to reality when Percy placed a hand on her shoulder. She whirled to meet his gaze.

"It's time to go." He nodded toward the three Pegasi waiting for them.

Ali nodded and followed him over to the others.