The Adventures of Atlanta Johnson: The Golden Arrows

Chapter 16: I Clearly, Need Help.

My hippocampus had met Me and Drake at the surface. Harmony had finally woken up. She looked frail and sick.
She hugged me weakly, "You saved me."
I smiled. "We did Harmony." I promised to fill her in later, because we had to go return the arrows.
I gave Harmony some ambrosia and we were on our way.
"Good thing we are that far away from Olympus. We are just off the coast of Long Island." Drake said.
I was surprised. "We didn't go that far."
He shook his head, searching through his pack. "Anyone got cash?"
I scuffled through my pockets, pulling out a couple fives, surprised I even had any.
Drake handed the arrows to Harmony, who just stared in awe at them.
We followed Drake and caught a cab to the Empire State Building. We stepped out of the cab, gazing up at the tall, bland building. It wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be, as the entrance to Olympus. It was tall, had lots of windows, and had a pointy top. That's pretty much it.
Drake asked for the arrows back.
"Why?" Harmony asked, groping onto them.
"So I can get us a pass too the 600th floor."
"Wait, I thought there were only 102 floors." I said.
Drake shook his head, and walking toward the desk, the arrows swinging in his hands.
The man at the desk was short, and plump. He barely had any hair. And the hair he had, was pushed back, in a greasy, pale combover.
Drake and the man whispered for awhile. Then the guy shuffled through the drawers, and handed Drake a shiny green plastic card. He jogged back toward us.
"Come on."
Drake made sure we had the elevator to ourselves, then put the card into a bronze slot.
The smaller elevator buttons moved aside, and a large red one pushed through the back. It read: 600. Drake pushed it.
Immediately we shot up. Soft Mozart played over the speakers.
The door opened, and I'm pretty sure my jaw was dragging on the ground.
Large, shiny marble statues of the gods covered the garden. Men on the left, women on the right. Millions of all kinds of colors and kinds of flowers were scattered around them. When we walked by, I stared at the one of Poseidon. His right hand was raised, and water was dancing on top of it.
"Wow." Drake muttered.
"Wow is an understatement." I mused.
Drake led us to the throne room. Actually, the throne palace was a more appropriate name for it. The place was hundreds times bigger than Central Park.
Twelve thrones were lined up in a half circle. The empty one was obviously Ares'. The rest were filled, with quietly talking, anxious gods and goddesses. Someone said, "Hush hush! Heroes approach."
All three of us knelt in front of all the thrones. My hands were shaking.
Ever since we left the ocean I was getting weaker and weaker. The slice on my face twitched.
"Lord Apollo, we present you your arrows." Drake said, no looking up.
I nudged Harmony. She stood and stumbled nervously toward her father. Apollo held a large hand out, and Harmony placed them in it. The arrows glowed.
Apollo chuckled and grinned. "Well down, my child. I knew you kids could do it."
Harmony blushed. "I did nothing. I was kidnapped."
Apollo nodded grimly. "I know. I'm sorry you had to go through that. But you never gave up on your friends. You never showed fear. That, showed courage in itself."
I smiled when she looked back at me. Drake and I stood and she walked back to stand by me.
"Well." Zeus stated, petting his beard. "Perhaps we have another set of great heroes." Zeus looked at the man sitting next to him, uneasily. I barely heard him whisper, "Another Poseidon hero."
I looked at the man in the throne on Zeus' right. In a bright blue button up short sleeve, and beige shorts and sandals, he looked like a fisherman. He lounged on his throne like it was a beach chair, trident in hand. When he smiled and winked at me, you could see the lines by his eyes. They held a bright light of pride.
"We do have another hero of mine don't we?" He stated proudly.
"Don't get too cocky." The woman said next to him. I could only assume it was Athena.
Poseidon shrugged. "It's a time of all heroes, not just mine." Poseidon looked around.
While he did, I lifted my hand to my face, where my cut was.
Drake looked at me. "You okay?" He whispered.
I felt myself sweating. "I'm fine."
He stared at me. "No your not."
"Worry about it later." I turned back without waiting for a reply.
The gods had started speaking to one another, in low, whispers, debating about something. I didn't know what. I waited.
Zeus stood. "Children. You have done well. But we have won the battle, not the war. We need as much help as we can get. As much as I hate to admit it, we need the help of heroes. I saw that in the wars we had many years ago. We cannot act alone." Zeus looked around anxiously. "I will see you soon enough."
He waved his hand, and was gone in a flash of light.
That made my head spin.
I fell to the ground, landing on my hands.
Drake grouched next to me. "Atlanta! I told you that you weren't alright!"
I heard someone of the gods shuffle, some even stood. My dad took a couple steps towards me, and lightly touched the cut. I shook.
"Where did she get this?" He asked. I didn't know if he was worried. If he was, I couldn't tell.
"I don't know sir. She came back from fighting and it was there. The water didn't even heal it. I tried giving her ambrosia-" Drake explained.
"The water could not of healed this, nor the ambrosia." My father interrupted. "Someone aid me-"
My elbows dropped. "I'm fine. Help me up."
I tried pulling my body up, but Drake pushed me down. "Your not fine. Stay down."
I shook again. I started feeling tired. Something was making me tired, probably to ease the pain in my left cheek. I dazed out. This time, with total blackness.

I woke in the Camp Half-Blood infirmary. In the same bed by the window as when I first arrived. Drake was leaning on the door post, talking to Chiron.
I swung my legs around and planted them firmly on the floor. I laid my head in my hands.
Drake chuckled, and walked towards me, his hands on his hips. "What are you doing?"
I shook my head, with an amused smile. "Trying not to pass out."
Drake held his hand out. I grabbed it.
"Thanks." I said.
He nodded.
Chiron cleared his throat. "Welcome back Atlanta. I heard you did well. I told you you'd succeed."
I smiled. "It was good." I touched the side in my cheek where the cut had been. A long, jagged line lay right under my left eye.
Drake touched it. "Wicked, isn't it?"
I laughed. "Yea."
"A wicked gift, for your day Atlanta." Drake smiled.
I got the clue immediately. "It's July 2nd already?"
Chiron smiled. "Happy Thirteenth Birthday Atlanta."
I clapped. "Thank you!"
Drake looked at Chiron, and Chiron nodded.
Drake slung his arm around me. "Come with us. We want you too meet someone."