Chapter 29: Pandora's Box Part II
The wind whistled in Jason's ear as he soared through Olympus' night sky. Frank, in the form of an eagle, flew next to him as they both aimed for the palace's highest tower. The celebration had already begun and Poseidon was already waiting for the clock to strike 12:30 AM before he could face Zeus, meanwhile the demigods would ambush the guards at the back of the palace. Then, they would be on their own.
Jason landed on the balcony of the highest tower as Frank settled down next to him, as his form changed from an eagle to a mouse. Jason waited in silence as Frank entered the palace, checking if there were any guards in the area. When he made sure all was clear, he called for Jason to come inside. They sprinted down the hallway and descended down a flight of stairs leading them to come face to face with huge golden doors. "We wait till midnight, then we attack the guards posted outside." Jason explained as he and Frank hid behind a statue.
~
Hazel dared to quickly glance from behind the bushes to spot the seven guards posted at the palace's back gates. "How long till midnight?" She asked, looking back at Reyna and Leo. Leo examined his watch and said. "Five minutes, exactly."
Reyna pulled her sword out from her belt, her dark eyes seemed to reflect the stars in the night sky. "Steady yourself." Reyna reminded them. "This will be nasty." Hazel and Leo nodded in response as the silence filled the air around them as time moved on.
After five minutes, the peaceful silence was interrupted when the enormous clock situated at the highest tower struck twelve at midnight, causing a ringing sound to fill the air. Following the clock's strike of midnight, the palace's back gates flew open as Jason and Frank stormed out armed and ready. "Now!" Reyna yelled as she ran from their hiding position and joined the fight, followed by Hazel and Leo.
~
Once midnight had fallen, Poseidon took action. He stood at the center of the throne room, his ancient green eyes fixed on his brother who was busy flirting with some minor goddesses. "Zeus!" He yelled, his voice silencing the other gods.
Zeus turned to face him, with a glass of wine in his hand. "What now brother? Can't you see we are celebrating?"
"The only person who will be celebrating will be Percy if you don't start acting like a king you old dramatic useless drunk." Poseidon stated. Gasps and whispers broke out amongst the gods, Poseidon could've sworn he saw Hades smile and Hermes giggling.
Zeus threw his glass at the wall behind him, causing the shattering sound to fill the silence. "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?"
Poseidon shook his head and spread his hands. "Look at the state we are in, look at it!" He yelled. He could see the astonished looks on every god's face, including Zeus's. Poseidon was always a quiet god, even when the council would meet he never cared of what they did. But this was his son on the line, and Poseidon did care for him.
"We are here tonight celebrating a war we will lose because we are too blind to see the truth." He sighed deeply before continuing his plan, he had to buy Jason and the others time. Time was their one important variable that they needed to control. "Tomorrow Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter marches for war, and instead of using any second to prepare you are getting drunk."
Zeus broke out into laughter. "Oh brother, I'm a god, I don't get drunk."
Poseidon rolled his eyes, but he had begun to worry. By now Zeus would've blasted him or have him punished. The fact that Zeus hadn't acted yet meant that the king of the Olympians was truly lost, fear had taken over him. "Really? Because you've definitely lost you mind. Never mind, you were always like this."
Zeus's eyes turned darker and a lightning strike echoed from outside. Despite that, Poseidon smiled, he wanted to fight if it meant giving Percy a chance for redemption, he was willing to be punished for it. Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand. "Be careful brother, you're crossing the line."
"I only want to win this war, just like all of us. We should end the celebration now and prepare to march. Nothing else matters!" Poseidon explained.
"Poseidon, I hereby banish you from Olympus and your spot at the council is diminished, for good. And after I destroy that son of yours that I should've killed from the beginning, I will come for you. Leave!" Zeus bellowed. "This celebration will continue, with or without you."
But before Poseidon could leave, he threw in the wild card, his last trick. "I will leave, and for those of you who wish to join me your welcome. There are two ways this would come down. We will either win this battle by preparing and taking it seriously other than letting the demigods risk their lives, which was what drove Percy to madness. Or, you can stay here and rot with our drunk king." He made his way to the golden doors that led outside, he had done what he can, buying the demigods time.
But as Poseidon left, many gods, including Hades, Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Artemis, Hestia, Demeter and Apollo followed behind him.
~
Atlanta was used to the darkness. Atlanta was born in the darkness. She grew up in it, raised by its shadows. Atlanta was born in ancient Corinth of Greece. Her mother was a well respected merchant who travelled the seas to spread her trade. Her mother had met Poseidon when her ship had crashed onto a deserted island.
Nine months later Atlanta was born, but she was born to the darkness instead. While her mother was pregnant her ship was attacked by pirates and she was forced to work with them. For the first eight years of her life, Atlanta was raised by the pirates who treated her and her mother horribly.
Atlanta's world was destroyed when one of the pirates killed her mother for trying to escape and since then Atlanta wanted one thing. Revenge. She wanted revenge on all of those who invoked terror on others. And she only knew one way to do this: she had to learn how to survive, how to adapt to her surroundings and act like a pirate. She had to act like she served only evil. Then, she could have her chance for revenge. Atlanta stayed with the pirates, trained with them and became one of them when they finally accepted her.
At the night she became a pirate. She killed the man who killed her mother, the captain. No one dared to question her, they rest of the crew accepted her as their captain and they obeyed her orders. She was still a young girl at the time, only sixteen when she became well known across all Greece as the 'Pirate of shadows'.
She was given that name because she was like a shadow, she would lead her crew and rob hundreds of kingdoms at night. But Atlanta always kept one thing in mind. She wasn't evil, she didn't want to be associated with the villains she always heard of. The only reason she ever stole was because she wanted to collect enough money to diminish all the other pirates from Greece.
Atlanta despised pirates because of what they've done to her and her mother, and yet she was one of them. As her rule of the seas grew, rumors of a new heroine grew as well, Atalanta. Atlanta had begun to worry when new rumors spread about the heroine coming after her, to take her to the forest of blood and lock her up there for good.
Atlanta tried to better her image, to prove that she is good. She wanted to reveal her true self that she had always hid in people's eyes, but that plan backfired and when she stumbled upon Atalanta one night when she was hunting, she surrendered, not wanting to battle a hero who had only done good.
After she was locked up on the island, she fought for thousands of years, trying to gain the throne. Her plan all along was to change the villains of the island, to make them good. But then Percy came and she was forced to extend her plan when he beat and gained the throne. Atlanta didn't hate her brother, but she was aware that he couldn't rule over Olympus, he would turn the world into z warzone while he watched.
How Percy managed to find out that she was the traitor? She didn't know. But she knew that he was always tricking her and when he had gathered all the suspects of the fire and questioned them, he did it to play with her emotions and thoughts, to trick her into thinking she was safe only to destroy that and let her fear him even more. It was a dirty trick, but she should've expected it.
"Enjoying your stay?" Annabeth asked as she came into view when she stepped into the light glow the moon casted from the cell's window. "Did Percy send you down here?" Atlanta asked as Annabeth stepped closer to the iron bars.
"No." She instantly replied. "I just decided its appropriate to come down here and bid my goodbyes before you're executed at dawn." Her grey eyes glowed in the darkness, it made her appear more stunning than she usually was. Atlanta pushed herself up from the cold dusty floor and came to a halt right behind the bars. "Annabeth, you know what is right and what is wrong. Deep down you know you shouldn't be on Percy's side; you know who you need to stand with." Atlanta explained.
"Do you honestly expect me to free you from your cell? You betrayed your brother, you need to be killed." Annabeth said.
"Annabeth, listen to yourself. Seriously, listen! You're wiser than this and smarter. Percy's brainwashed you. Do you honestly think he loves you, truly? He's using you because of your friendship with Camp Half-Blood." Atlanta said.
"You know nothing about me and Percy, don't you dare think you're defining our relationship." Annabeth warned.
"But I know my brother and he will dump you and never care for you the minute he is on his throne." Atlanta explained.
Annabeth laughed and shook her head. "You're hilarious. Good bye Atlanta." Before Annabeth could leave, Atlanta grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Tears flowed down her face as she begged Annabeth. "Please Annabeth, I'm not asking you to let me out. I'm begging you, don't let my death be for nothing, don't let Percy win. And if he does, make sure you never stop fighting."
End of Chapter 29