Child of Time

Chapter Twenty: Infirmary Dancing

PERCY

I can hear voices. They seem so faded as if they are talking far away but they sound muffled. Like I'm underwater and can't make out anything.

The voices get louder and louder and I can barely make out the words.

"Impossible... how... break... hope." I hear pieces coming from two different people until a third one speaks up.

Something about them are familiar. I just can't place my finger on it. I try to open my eyes only for them to feel like they've been sown shut. I slowly pick up my finger until realise that I'm not laying down but instead being carried. My arms are lazily behind me and my head is leaning forward.

After what feels like hours I can hear more clearly and I slowly begin to open my eyes. I look around to find darkness with light shining from the sky. I lift my head up from the shoulder I was leaning on and the person looked back at me.

"Oh, good, you're awake." It takes me a few moments to remember who the man was.

"He's awake?" I heard someone call from the front.

"Yeah." Atlas gently puts me down on the ground, leaning against a tree and a girl with dark hair and punk clothes comes up to me along with another girl with auburn hair and someone with brown hair, the two girls wearing silver. I stare at them blankly until the memories of them clicked in. Thalia, Artemis, and Zoë.

"Where are we?" I get out, my voice groggy and hoarse like I haven't spoken in days or I had screamed my lungs out the day before.

Thalia hands me some water which I quickly chug down. "We're almost to Camp Half-Blood. Only a few more hours then Atlas is going to leave." I zone in on Artemis and Zoë in confusion.

Thalia must have known it and decided to explain. "Every time Atlas leaves they forget he was even walking with us. They only remember what you allowed them and I guess that includes thinking that Atlas is still holding up the sky. Once we reach camp Atlas will leave and they'll just forget."

I nodded slowly. "Where's Grover?"

"Right here." He said from behind Zoë. "Making sure no one wanders off."

"And the sky. What happened with that?"

Thalia smiled slightly. "Well you did some weird blood ritual that formed rock columns mixed with godly powers to allow them to hold the sky. As of right now the mist is doing its best to hide the columns' true powers along with making it appear like Atlas is still holding up the sky for those who can see through the mist like gods and demigods. The mist around the columns is so thick that once you collapsed we couldn't see them or feel them anymore and I highly doubt the gods would be able to see."

"Okay. Good, that's... good." I say drowsily. I think I'm just going to go back to sleep. My eyes close until the darkness consumes me once more.

********

This time when I wake up I'm being carried by Thalia, Atlas no where to be seen and Zoë and Artemis are talking like they forgot he was even here. Grover was whispering with Thalia about something. I let out a small groan as I shift on Thalia's back. They stop talking and look back at me.

"Morning, Sleepyhead." Thalia greets.

I grumble and jump off Thalia's back. I lost my footing and nearly tipped over but Grover and Thalia grab onto my arms. They helped me walk by putting their arms around me as we walked. I noticed the pine tree that shows the barrier around Camp Half-Blood.

Artemis and Zoë look back at us with concern in their eyes as they see them holding me up. Putting one foot in front of the other I can feel myself slowly getting better. I nodded at Grover, silently telling him that I'm good. He cautiously lets go and allows me to hang off Thalia. My cheek pressed to her arm that she has around me.