νεκρός || Annabeth Chase x Fem!OC

Vol. 2-25: I finally get to narrate again

ANNABETH

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I stared at Tempest, terrified. I could barely seem to stay awake, yet the adrenaline coursing my body refused to let me close my eyes. Her red eyes fixated on me, never once breaking eye contact. Luke chuckled, pressing his sword closer to my throat. Tempest's fists tightened around her swords and I noticed a flex in her legs, like she was ready to charge, but I shook my head.

Not yet.

Percy seemed to be struggling to handle the idea that Zoe was the daughter of Atlas. He looked disgusted as he glanced between the two, seeing the family resemblance.

"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 bit 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 rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I stared at Tempest, motioning my head towards Luke. Disarm him. Fight him. Divide and conquer. But she just stared at him, blinking rapidly like her mind wasn't working.

"I don't understand," Percy insisted. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little 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 yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached my friends, studying Thalia and Percy in particular. "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."

"So you're another coward," Percy said.

Atlas's eyes glowed 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, his uneasy breathing echoing in my ears. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. Even though he wasn't speaking very loud, his voice hammered my head. I closed my eyes, fighting back tears. I knew I should hate him and plead for his death, but when someone you love sounds like that, it twists a knife in your gut. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. Percy stared at it, almost fondly.