I 016. I
𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒔
❝ burden ❞
IT WAS A SHOCK FOR ARIADNE. But the horrible thing was: she could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoe, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoe sometimes hot when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil.
"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.
Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."
Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."
Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess but at him, almost taking off his fingers.
"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos riles again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."
Ariadne looked at Annabeth. She was trying to tell her and Percy something, motioning her head toward Luke. But all they could do was stare at her. There was now a streak of gray in her blonde hair.
"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, as if she could read their minds. "The weight should've killed her."
She didn't like the sound of that. But Annabeth has always been stronger than her, and this just proves it.
"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"
Atlas laughed. "How little do you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still years to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon the place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything weighing a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."
H approached them, studying Thalia, Percy, and Ariadne. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."
"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."
"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."
Ariadne suppressed her smile. Atlas didn't know that Ariadne taught Luke, and that she was much better than he was. "So you're another coward," she said.
Atlas's eyes flowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.
"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."
"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He spoke as if every word was painful. It wasn't the Luke she knew. But then again, he hadn't been the same since his own quest, and it was the Luke she thought of as her brother. "Thalia, you can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"
He waves his hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared: a pong ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. She was sure she could imagine Bessie in the pool.
"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."
"Luke..." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"
"Do you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"
Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth. Let her go."
"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree..."
His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."
Ariadne didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. She believed Luke was in danger, but most of her brain was overlooking her heart and knew nothing good would come out of this.
His life depended on Thalia joining his cause. And she was afraid Thalia might believe it, too.
"Do not, Thalia," Zoe Warner. "We must fight them."
Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp, so similar to the one where she has tossed part of her food in for years. A sacrificial flame.
"Thalia," Percy said. "No."
Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, she saw images in the mist all around them: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them, made of fear and shadow.
It was as if she was in a worse version of Hades' castle in the Underworld.
"We will raise Mount Othrys right here, "Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."
He pointed towards the ocean, and Ariadne's heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army.
Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hellhounds, harpies, and other things she knew Annabeth would know. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, even more than last summer.
And they were marching towards them. In a few minutes, they would be there.
"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."
For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."
"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me... don't make him destroy you."
There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed.
For a moment, Lunacy and Riptide slightly hit one another, and a glow surrounded the blades.
Percy looked at his friends, his eyes meeting Ariadne's and needing confirmation. She nodded and he took a deep breath.
"Now," he said.
Together, they charged.
Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. He tossed Annabeth to the side, the girl hitting the ground harshly.
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, crying the air with yellow tendrils of power.
Ariadne knew Thalia could hold her own. She ran off to help Annabeth, who was attempting to stand up in her cuffs. The girl dropped to the ground and looked at her friend. "You miss me?" she asked.
Annabeth nodded. "Definitely."
The brunette took a deep breath. "Hold still," she said, standing up. With a quick and calculated swipe, the chains connecting the blonde's hands snapped in half.
"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"
Ariadne whipped her head around to see Percy charging at the Titan Lord Atlas. The Titan's huge javelin appeared in his hands, his body covered in full Greek battle armor.
Percy swing his sword, and Talad knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. He flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real.
"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"
The mention of Ares sent a jolt through him. He shook off his daze and charged again.
Ariadne looked at Annabeth and they both had a mutual understanding. "You stay here, try to find something you can defend yourself with, I have to go save him."
The javelin point slashed towards him like a scythe. He raised Riptide, planning to cut off the weapon shaft, but his arm weighed down.
She cursed. Ares's warning from their first quest cane to mind.
Percy tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground, at the feet of Artemis, who was struggling to hold up the sky.
Riptide has skittered over the edge of the cliff. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them.
"Die, little hero," Atlas said.
He raised his javelin to impale Percy.
"No!" Zoe and Ariadne yelled. The Hunter sent a volley of arrows into the armpit chink of his armor.
"ARGH!" he bellowed and turned to face his daughter.
Percy found Riptide in his pocket and smashed through Artemis's chains. And to her horror, he knelt next to the goddess and braces himself on one knee—held up his hands—and shared the weight of the sky with her. For a short moment, Artemis and Percy bore the weight together.
Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and he was left alone.
Ariadne was dodging the enormous weapon in the Titan's hands. She was angry. Angry at the fact that Percy was carrying the sky on his shoulders, when he wasn't meant to.
Atlas laughed insanely as he fought. And Artemis, nothing but a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered.
She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.
Ariadne has made it past the weapon and slid across the ground. She looked at Zoe and Artemis, yelling, "Watch out!"
Her hands pulled large vines from the ground, letting them coil around the Titan's legs. He scowled before cutting them loose, but more were erupted.
Atlas looked at the girl who's purple eyes were glowing brightly. She then waved her hand and a purple force lashed out, slamming into his head. He felt the smallest urge to sit down and never stand back up.
But he fought through it, only to feel a sharp pain in his calf. She slashed her sword against his leg only to be catapulted at Percy's feet.
She crouched next to him and shook her head, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. The girl whispered, "Hold on, Perc."
He groaned in protest.
She crouched next to him and braved herself on one knee. Her hands touched the dark, heavy clouds and held them up with all of her might. Percy and her held the sky up together for a few moments, and he made a gasping sound as she helped.
But the girl wouldn't let him do this any longer or else he could die. Without thinking, a vine grabbed his waist and pulled him back, forcing him to move from under the clouds.
Ariadne was left to bear the burden alone.
She knew Percy would try to get back, but he was too tired and he was laying behind her.
She couldn't explain the feeling.
It was as if all her muscles were melting so slowly, but enough for her to feel them tear apart. The girl's shoulders felt heavy. And the strength was leaving her body.
Annabeth had helped it for hours, and if her best friend could do it, she could as well.
With a fuzzy vision, she could see glimpses of whatever was happening.
Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia presses Luke back with the aura of her shield. He was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.
"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."
He bared his teeth. "We'll see, my old friend."
Sweat was pouring down her face. Her hands were growing slippery. Ariadne's shoulders screamed in agony, but she was holding on with her life. For her brothers, for her father, for her friends, and for any other person out there who would have to feel the hate and evil if she didn't.
Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis has been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing. She was leading him right towards Ariadne.
'Get ready,' she spoke in her mind.
Her shoulders were screaming and her brain was fizzing out.
"You fight well for a girl," Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."
He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodge. Ariadne knee the trick was coming, it was something she had learned from fighting with Clarisse. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.
"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it was lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.
All Ariadne al wanted to do was throw the sky back into the Titan's shoulders, but that wasn't possible. Percy behind her was attempting to stand up, but his body's as giving out on him.
Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be sounded. She didn't get up.
"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.
Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled him backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying I've thee. Ariadne knew what to do next when she saw him coming down on top of her.
She loosened her grip in the sky, and as Atlas slammed into her she didn't try to hold. Her body's as pushed away and her arms wrapped around Percy, both of them rolling for all they were worth.
The weight of the sky dropped into Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he manage to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.
"Noooooo!" he bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"
Atlas was trapped under his old burden once more
Ariadne laud on her side. She faved the boy who was exceptionally pale, sweat dripping down his face. He looked barely conscious.
The ground seemed to sway under her body, and the girl took a gasping breath.
Percy opened his eyes, barely letting her see the sea-green. Neither of them could speak. He reached his hand out, attempting to not let it shake while pulling s strand of her hair forwards. Except, it was the usual dark brunette, it was a streak of gray, matching the one in his own hair.
Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but they still fought on, next to the golden coffin. If she could, Ariadne would help Thalia, but all her energy was gone.
Thalia has tears in her eyes. Luke has a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat. He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Well?" Luke asked. He was trying to hide it, the fear in his voice.
Thalia trembled with fury.
Behind her, Annabeth scrambled, pushing through her exhaustion and ignoring what Ariadne has told her. He face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't milk him!"
"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"
Artemis has run off towards the black rocks where Zoe has fallen.
Ariadne pulled herself up from the ground and helped Percy. She hobbled her way towards the trio by the cliffs.
"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He... he'll be useful."
"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Like sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"
Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab from her spear.
"No!" Annabeth shouted. Ariadne has finally reached them just as Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror in his face, and then he fell.
"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.
They rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form in the rocks.
Ariadne knew she hated him, she truly did. But seeing him there—seeing him lie along the rocks and having her heart wish he was still alive, it was all too much.
One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"
Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. Percy pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads. Ariadne grabbed Annabeth and they ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as they passed by.
"Artemis!" Percy yelled.
The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe laid in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still...
"The wound is poisoned,"Artemis said.
"Atlas poisoned her?" Ariadne asked.
"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."
She showed them the wound in Zoe's side. The girl had almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The but was much worse than Zoe had let on. Ariadne couldn't image having that wound and still charging into battle against her father.
"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."
"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."
No one moved. Grief hung in the air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. They might've met their doom right there, but then she heard a strange buzzing noise.
Just as the army of monsters cane over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.
"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.
"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbeliefs
"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainted as the biplane swooped by.
Artemis was shaken out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.
"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, we must get Zoe away from here."
She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes weeds fluttering.
"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be alright."
Ariadne gripped Zoe's hand in hers, never letting go even as the Sopwith Canel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the place, but the machine guns blazed.
How he got ahold of celestial bronze bullets was hey won her. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into a sulfurous yellow powder.
"That's... my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.
They didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.
Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer Ariadne had ever seen ( and she had seen a lot when she lived in Kentucky ). It landed right next to them.
"Get in," Artemis said.
Annabeth helped Percy get Thalia on board. Ariadne helped Artemis with Zoe. They wrapped Zoe in a blanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.
"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Percy murmured, still dazed with pain.
Artemis took her time to look at him. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"
Seeing them safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed like an honor guard.
Behind them, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.
Ariadne never let go of Zoe's hand. She sat next to the girl, in front of Percy who stood. He placed a hand on her head and twisted a piece of her curls around his finger, both finding comfort in his actions.