Chapter 69: Atlas starts singing

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Next chapter, sorry for the cliffie; but you guys will forgive me.

Also to answer one of the most asked question now, Why did Percy not ask Chaos to save Despina.

First of, she had a hole in her chest, that's something beyond healing, second it was meant to happen.

In the cannon Artemis didn't tried to heal Zoë either, and she had poison in her blood which is a lot less lethal then a gaping hole in your chest.

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' Percy '

...

I glared at Atlas, I've never hated anyone as much as I did right now.

'You can't kill him.' Hemera spoke with a comforting tone, and it worked, I kind of felt better. Knowing I had primordials who backed me up.

"I really want to kill him." Nyx said.

Atlas was now covered with a thin layer of ice, his feet was still stuck in an ice spike.

"Let's push him back under the sky." I said and Zoë nodded.

I pointed Frostsilver at him and set in on fire, "Sadly we can't kill you.' I told Atlas, though I was not sure he could hear me from under the ice.

"Ready Artemis?" Zoë asked, Artemis nodded from under the sky.

"Let's get over with it." Thalia sighed, I saw that pushing Luke over the edge had taken a toll on her. Annabeth told us she had the feeling Luke was still alive and I saw that Thalia had to resist the urge to tell Annabeth.

We had positioned ourselves so Atlas lined up with Artemis, that way we could push him in one straight line back.

"3...2...1." I counted down and at, Frostsilver pointed at Atlas like a gun or want,

A beam of fire shot out of the tip of my sword and hit Atlas in the chest.

Within a second Atlas's frozen body was lit on fire, orange flames burned away the ice and then began burning his flesh.

Atlas roared and howled in pain, but we wasted not a second.

Thalia and I charged towards Atlas and bashed our shields at him.

Zoë shot a volley of arrows at Atlas's chest, and he stumbled backwards and tripped over the tripwire that Britomartis placed.

He almost fell on his butt but Rebel, with Nyx on his back, leaped forward and head butted Atlas. The impact of the Nemean lion was too much for Atlas.

Atlas slammed backwards and crashed into Artemis who dropped the sky at the same time.

She skillfully rolled away from under the sky.

The sky dropped on Atlas's back, he bent through his knees and struggled under the weight.

The ice stopped forming on his skin, the result of Despina's curse.

"Noooooo!" Atlas yelled, his voice almost shook the mountain, "Impossible!"

Artemis got up and glared at Atlas, "You fool, you really thought you could escape your burden."

Atlas gritted his teeth, "Curse you, if it wasn't for that stupid winter Goddess we would have succeeded."

I charged at Atlas and slammed the shield of winter in his stomach. The edge of the shield magically sharpened itself and slashed open his stomach.

"Don't you dare to talk about my sister like that." I yelled.

I wanted to hit him again, this time on his neck, but Zoë pulled me away from Atlas and led me to a somewhat private spot.

Artemis was checking on Britomartis and Bianca.

Bianca was already healing especially with the help of two goddesses.

Thalia was talking to Annabeth and Nyx cuddling Rebel in her kitten form.

I sat down on a black rock and stared at the shield of winter. The shield almost weighed nothing except if I wanted to use it for attacking someone.

The shield was now on my right arm, though I could make it switch from arm to arm with merely a thought.

Zoë saw me looking at the shield and said, "It looks beautiful."

I nodded, "Yeah, though it's kind inconvenient."

I tried to smile, but I only managed a bitter smile.

"What do you mean?" Zoë asked.

I knew Zoë was trying to help me with Despina by doing small talk, but it didn't work.

"Well," I said, "It's kind of inconvenient to wear it on my arm all the time."

"Can you not strap it to your back. Like Despina did." Zoë asked.

"No, I don't feel comfortable walking around with a shield on my back." I joked.

Zoë frowned, "Can't you turn it into something else? It's a magical weapon after all."

"I haven't tried that." I admitted and then stared at the shield of winter, "Could you please turn into something smaller?"

I meant it as a joke but to my surprise the shield disappeared, like it never existed. Instead, I wore a watch made of ice.

It had roman numbers instead of regular ones and two celestial bronze dials.

"Wow." Zoë said in awe, "That's a cool watch."

"Yes," I muttered flabbergasted, "It actually displays the time too."

I then tapped the watch, trying to make it return to shield form but nothing happened.

I tapped a few times again, but it still didn't work.

'Try a mental command.' Chaos suggested.

I listened to her advice and thought, 'Open.'

Immediately the watch unfolded itself, to fast to actually see something, a second later it had turned itself into a ice shield again.

Zoë whistled, "That's some powerful magic, you're lucky to have it."

I nodded, "Yeah but what was the price?"

Zoë scowled, then her eyes lit up like she had an idea. She took out Riptide of her pocket.

"That's Riptide." I said.

Zoë nodded and handed it to me.

It was still in pen form, resting on the palm of her hand shining like it never had before.

"Take it." Zoë demanded.

"What?" I asked confused, "I gave it to you."

Zoë rolled her eyes, "And now I'm giving it back to you."

'The legend is true,' Hemera joked, 'Riptide always returns to you.'

I raised a brow, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes, I think you should carry it."

"Me, it was your sword." I pointed out.

"And I gave it away to Hercules, that was one of the biggest mistakes I made," Zoë said, "But now I give it to someone else, you."

"But why me? What makes you think I should have it?" I asked.

"Except that you are exceptional good with it?" Zoë said with a smile, "Because I want you to carry my weapon, my only male friend."

I blinked, 'she called me male?' I thought, then I thought, 'She called me a friend?'

"Are you sure?" I asked still uncertain.

She nodded and gave me Riptide, "I am sure."

I smiled and felt grateful for having friend like Zoë.

Out of nowhere Atlas began laughing, his laugh filled the entire room and made the mountain roar.

Zoë scowled at her father. "What's so funny?" she sneered.

Atlas kept laughing, I saw Artemis had a worried look on her face and gestured Zoë to ignore her father.

Zoë didn't obey, she leaped over a dead wolf and made her way towards her father, knowing that he was trapped under the sky and couldn't attack her.

"What's so funny?" Zoë asked when she was face to face with a kneeling Atlas.

"You my traitorous daughter," he boomed,"You thought you had won?"

"We did." Zoë snapped, "You are stuck under the sky and as a bonus, your cursed to lift it forever."

Atlas smiled cruelly at Zoë, "Is it? Or are you missing the bigger picture?"

Zoë scowled but before she could ask what he meant Atlas had begun to hum a song.

It sounded like a lullaby but the tones and phase was unlike any I ever heard before.

I did not recognize any of it but Zoë did, she was glaring at her father. Her eyes were filled with rage, and it looked like she wanted to kill Atlas.

"What was that?" I asked when Atlas finally stopped humming.

Zoë glanced at me, "That's a lullaby song my mother used to sing before she put me to sleep."

Atlas grinned, "Indeed, now goodnight my daughter."

To late a question popped up in my mind, 'Why didn't have the wolves combusted to dust? Instead, they were lying everywhere, eyes closed and wounds on their bodies.'

Then I realized the mistake. They were not dead.

As one, all the wolves jumped up from their spot where they had been playing dead and charged at Zoë, their fangs bared and claws unsheathed.

Zoë had not even the chance to scream before seven wolves lunged at her and began tearing her flesh apart.

She screamed in pain but it was too late, none of us had seen this coming, we could only scream as the wolves bit and scratched her.

I uncapped Riptide but the wolves had already retreated to the cliff edge, deciding their job was done, one wolf, a bigger one, morphed into Lycaon.

He had a grin on his face, his red eyes filled with madness, and he was looking at me, "This was just the beginning, the Emperor of the West is gathering his troops,"

I was frozen in place, unable to think or say anything.

"Not that you live enough long to see that." he added.

Then he leaped from the cliff, followed by the rest of his pack, howling cries of victory.

As one, we turned to Zoë, her flesh was torn apart. Limbs had been bitten off, and I instinctively knew she was dead.

One shall be slain by a parent's hand.

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Plot twist, yay. You guys love them, don't you? But don't worry about this cliffhanger. More are coming.

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