SERENDIPITY ~ a. chase

xvi ~ Cassie Shoulders the Weight of the World

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chapter sixteen ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
016. Cassie Shoulders the Weight of the World

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CASSIE SHOULD'VE SEEN IT COMING.

The family resemblance was impeccable. That regal expression Zoë always seemed to hold, Atlas had it too. Then the same cold yet proud gleam shining in the titan's eyes reflected Zoë's when she got mad. Though he had a way of making it look thousands of times more evil. He was everything Percy had detested about the huntress at first, and he had none of her redeeming qualities.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë insisted to her father.

Atlas chuckled, moving towards the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë went to reply, but Artemis interrupted, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."

The titan grinned at that and crouched, trying to grab Artemis' chin. Instead the goddess closed her teeth on his hand, almost taking off his fingers.

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo. 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." He explained, spilling his plans.

Cassie glanced to Annabeth who was hopelessly attempting to tell her something. She was tilting her head toward Luke, but Cassie could only stare at her. The daughter of Ares took in the girl's appearance, noticing a change. Her usual soft and fluffy blonde hair was grimy and streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Thalia mumbled, reading Cassie's mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand. Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?" Percy asked.

Atlas found hilarity in his confusion. "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." a sick smile grew on his face. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

Cassie's eyes flickered to the goddess, breaking out of her daze. Her gaze wandered back to Atlas who was nearing them and inspecting the three demigods.

"So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us and let's see." Percy remarked.

"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."

Cassie let out a breathy laugh, "So what I'm hearing is you're another coward."

Atlas narrowed his eyes and scowled with hatred. Warily, he shifted his attention to Thalia. "As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke denied. He was having trouble keeping himself upright. Each word seemed to cause him pain. Maybe if Cassie didn't want to just take her sword and run it straight through him, she might've felt bad but that wasn't the case. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"