Blind Sun

Chapter 17 (59) Sightless Hold

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The horrible thing was: I could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold, proud look in his eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it just looked evil. He was all the things I’d originally disliked about Zoë, with none of the good I’d come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you’d like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! 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. Then suddenly a cookie hit Atlas in the side of the face and we all turned to see Y/N ready with another cookie.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled as he dusted cookie crumbs off of his suit. "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 centre of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell me something. She motioned her head towards Luke. But all I could do was stare at her. I hadn’t noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her blonde hair was now streaked with grey.

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, as if she’d read my mind. "The weight should’ve killed her."

"I don’t understand," I said. "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."

"Oh then simple enough." Y/N shrugged as he walked towards Artemis... was he gonna take the sky? "Now how to do this..."

Atlas ignored Y/N and approached us, studying Thalia, Bianca and me. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," I 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."

"Big talk for someone who gets assaulted with cookies," I said.

Atlas’s eyes glowed with hatred. Without responding he turned his attention to Y/N who was poking the sky with his cane as he tapped his chin with his other hand.

"So that is the blind listener." Atlas mused staring at Y/N.

"Shush, you aren't important." Y/N waved off, and despite the situation I couldn't help but smile, Y/N will always be Y/N.

With difficulty Atlas 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 looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If I didn’t hate his guts so much, I almost would’ve felt sorry for him. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"