riley doesn't think it's so bad to go down fighting
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zoë looked like her dad.
he had the same regal expression as zoë. this proud and cold look that she sometime got when she was mad. it was slightly disturbing.
percy looked absolutely shocked. i knew this already, simply because zoë was one of the hesperide, and their father is atlas. if he payed attention in the history lessons at camp, he'd remember.
"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 (my respect for artemis shot up immediately).
"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 looked back at annabeth. she was desperately trying to tell me something about luke. i looked up, and tried to see what she was talking about, but i couldn't. i looked back at annabeth and noticed something for the first time. a grey streak running through her hair.
"from holding the sky," i muttered, out loud. "the weight should've killed her."
"i don't understand," percy 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."
