Indigo Eyes

Chapter 61

At the top of the mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"I didn't think anything remained after the war," Cressida added.

"Yes," Zoë said. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked but not even Cressida was in the mood to make fun of his ignorance which worried him greatly.

"You know how Mount Olympus is the home of the gods?" she said, not waiting for an answer. "Well, Mount Othrys was the home of the Titans."

"Was?" Percy questioned.

"In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was –" Zoë winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," Percy said. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying... in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces."

"So then... how is it here?"

"Greek History class, Barnacle Brain," Cressida said as they made their way through rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves with Olympus and the gods."

"It always exists on the edges of civilization," Thalia added. "But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good."

"Why?" Percy pressed.

"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoë said. "'Where he holds –" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."

And then they reached the summit.

A few metres ahead of them, grey clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. This is what Percy had described in his dreams. It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world. Artemis was holding the sky.

"My lady!" Zoë rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now!"

Her voice was strained and she was drenched in sweat, Zoë was in tears as she disregarded her mistress' warning and ran to tug the chains at her feet as Cressida drew her weapon. She didn't like this, not one bit.

Then a booming voice spoke behind them: "Ah, how touching."

They turned to face the General who stood in his brown silk suit.

"Annabeth!" Cressida cried but Percy had to hold her back as he spotted their friend, her hands cuffed behind her back, her mouth gagged and Luke holding the point of his sword at her throat. And the bastard had the audacity to smile.

And all Annabeth's eyes said was 'RUN!'

"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoë. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy interrupted and Cressida looked as if she wanted to kill him instead of their enemies. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at me. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

Cressida banged her spear on the ground as it turned into a thyrsus, the sound echoing. "If you want to hurt Zoë, if you wanna hurt Annabeth, you gotta go through me first," she threatened, her eyes fiery and the half dozen dracaenae that bore the golden sarcophagus of Kronos seemed nervous.

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, daughter of Wine. This is a family matter."

"A family matter?" Percy frowned.

"Yes," Zoë said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

And one shall perish by a parent's hand.