The Underworld's Child

34 | The Weight of The Sky

Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

As for Percy, he did the stupidest thing. He attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

I am convinced he has a death wish.

"Go on, then!"

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

She tuned out the world and focused on killing Luke's bodyguards. They were easy to catch up to and even easier to kill. Once she turned them all to dust, she went near the cliffs and traded her swords for her bow. Skillfully, she shot the monsters in sight hoping to buy her friends time. Here and there Greek fire burned. They ran across the horde of monsters. Electric arrows fried monsters to dust. Arrows multiplied and rained down.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully. That grabbed her attention. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

The javelins slashed toward Percy like a scythe. He raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but he was slow at it. He looked tired?

He tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground.

Screw it.

Elora knocked an electric arrow and shot at the titan's neck. The arrow sailed true and embedded in the titan's neck and shot up a high voltage of electricity.

"Argh!" The titan bowed and twitched at the sudden shock. He lifted a twitchy hand up to his neck and ripped it off. He turned to where she was and scowled. "If the princess wants to play, then so be it."

Elora took Percy's place and battled the titan lord. With her swords raised, she ran into battle hoping for the best.

The titan laughed in glee. "Is this your best?" He looked at her. "Not so impressive for someone so powerful." His arms were thrown wide. "Where are your shadows? Did they get lost in the way?" he mocked.

Naturally, that angered her. And an angry Elora is generally also a stupid Elora.

Elora did something she's read about before. Theoretically it was possible.

She summoned the dark to her. The dark obeyed and she engulfed the titan in it. To be honest, she didn't know what she was doing. At this point instinct starts to take control. Logic flew out the window.

With the shadows swirling around her palms, her swords rescind back to a bracelet.

For a moment, the titan was lost in the dark. She summoned the same skeletons that tried to kill her before and made them fight the titan.

As the titan was busy, she ran to Annabeth. Freeing her arms, she helped her get up and set her somewhere partially hidden.

"Stay here, Annabeth," she said.

"Thank you," Annabeth said. "Nice seeing you, shadow girl."

Elora smiled at her best friend. "Likewise smartie."

☀︎︎☽︎☾︎☀︎︎

By the time she went back to the titan, her skeletons were missing and the titan was gone.

A sudden wave of pain tore through her body.

"Running away?" the General asked. "Tsk."

Elora braced her hands, palms flat on the ground and tried to lift herself but at the same time, the titan kicked her down and left his foot up on her back.