Rising Heroes Book Four: The Sands of Ouroboros

Chapter Twenty-Three: All the Stars

Disclaimer: I don't own HOO or VE

Chapter Twenty-Three: All the Stars

Mount Othrys, sometime in the past

Everything went to hell as soon as Atlas said it was time to fight.

Percy, of course, rushed at Atlas. Zöe wasn't far behind, shooting arrows at the chinks in his armor. With every arrow he wailed but kept swinging his sword.

Thalia and Bia took on Luke. Thalia used her shield to drive him back, going spear against sword. Dustin knew he was the best swordsman, like, ever, but Thalia was able to keep him at bay. Bia swung a dark blade Dustin recognized as Nico's Stygian sword, but had to turn to fight Kronos's forces when they tried to attack their backs.

James and Dustin held off the rest of the troops while Chessy tried to free Artemis. Meanwhile, Raina was protecting Rudy while trying to take on as many forces as she could. She was a force to be reckoned with, but she didn't have the natural strength or speed advantages that the Grigori and demigods had.

Bia used her powers to plunge one group into darkness and then blind another. Ciara was desperately working at her bonds, and when Raina got the chance she scooped up Rudy and used her free hand to drag Ciara and Annabeth over. Cutting through their ropes, Annabeth gasped and began rooting around the marble pillars.

"What are you going?" Raina asked as she slashed at a Cyclops. Her Grigori blade cut through his body, turning him to ashes.

Annabeth pressed at the marble of the pillars. "Looking for something," she said.

"Well, duh," Raina rolled her eyes, then groaned when Ciara started to search the pillars too. "Not you too!" she groaned.

"No, Annabeth's right," Ciara said. "Our ticket home is here."

Meanwhile, Chessy had finally managed to saw through the first of the chains. "It doesn't matter," Artemis said to her. "I cannot leave unless someone replaces me."

Suddenly Percy was thrown to the ground in front of them. He stood up, dazed, looking at Atlas and then at Artemis. He seemed to come to the same conclusion as the goddess.

"Let me take the sky," he said.

Artemis shook her head. "That is madness," she told him. "You will not survive."

Chessy left them to discuss, turning back to Atlas. Her and Zöe fought together, her with her dagger and Zöe with her arrows. Finally Atlas came with a cutting blow, smacking Zöe with a heavy backhand and striking her into a column. She sank to the ground, motionless.

Atlas advanced on Chessy but was interrupted by a flash a silver. Artemis had been freed, and she moved around the giant with the speed of a deer and the grace of a gazelle. Wielding double hunting knives, she moved with incredible speed that Chessy never would have been able to match. She watched as she manipulated the giant before finally pushing him into Percy, who let himself be pushed out from under the funnel of the sky and to the ground. A gray streak of hair was now woven in with the black, and he laid on the ground for a moment before Chessy went and pulled him to his feet.

"Found it!" Annabeth cried out. They turned to see her holding a strand metal and orange circle aloft, the gears of it bent and ticking. Chessy recognized it as the Kronos Immortie, but Percy just looked confused.

The noise was enough to distract Luke, and Thalia was able to push him towards the cliff-face. "It's over!" She yelled.

Luke lunged at her, and reflexively Thalia kicked. They watched as he fell over the edge of the cliff, landing forty feet below on the sharp rocks.

Annabeth cried out, rushing over to the cliffs. Percy held her back, staring grimly at the twisted body below.

"Bigger problems here guys!" Dustin called out. They had just vanquished the last of the troops, but more were heading up the hill.

Suddenly a plane swooped down from the sky, shooting bullets at the monsters which instantly disintegrated them. Mr. Chase peeked out from the pilots seat.

"Dad?" Annabeth cried out.

"Get back from my daughter!" Doctor Chase yelled. He came in for another run, but the monsters were already retreating back to their boat. Dustin watched them go, then turned to Ciara.

"Hi," he said, cradling her face in his hands. Then he kissed her before pulling back. "I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too," Ciara touched her white streak self-consciously, and Dustin twirled it through his fingers. "I like it," he said, and Ciara blushed.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" She asked.

Dustin nodded and kissed her again.

"Um, guys," Bea said. "I hate to interrupt this, but..."

"Zöe," Thalia cried out. The Huntress was lying on the ground, Artemis already beside her. The rest of the group gathered around her.

"My lady," Zöe said softly.

"You were a good and loyal huntress," Artemis said. Zöe caught her hands and looked at Thalia.

"We could have been sisters," she said.

"I know," Thalia was crying. "I was so stupid."

Zöe fixed her gaze upwards. "I can see the stars again, my lady," she said.

Her eyes closed and Annabeth began to cry. Dustin put one arm around Ciara and one around Bia, while James reached for Chessy. They were silent for a moment, and then Artemis waved her hand and Zöe's body dissolved into stardust. The silver specks moved upwards into the sky.

"Live forever in the stars," Artemis said.

When they finally moved away, Annabeth handed Ciara the Immortie. "I don't know how to use it," she confessed.

"Our was broken," Bea said. "We only followed you because Chiron was a son of Kronos."

"Well, since we're going to the winter solstice anyway," Artemis said, "Shall we see if my father would like to give you all some help?"