Atlantia's Beginning

Chapter 12: Who the Hades are you?

The following morning Tantalus was furious and had announced that Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson had been expelled for eternity. Mr. D decided that if they showed up at camp again, he'll turn them into squirrels and run them over with his obnoxious SUV which Tantalus agreed with but he was still furious and it made life at camp much, much worse for everyone. If anyone disagreed with anything he said, there life in camp became their own personal Fields of Punishment. I on the other hand was mostly left alone by Tantalus but he would sometimes come find me asking if he stays in power. I guess he heard I can see the future. I of course didn't tell him since a) I hated him and b) I didn't want to make life at camp any worse nor hurt the future in any way.

Thalia's tree everyday was  getting worse and the campers began to worry that Clarisse or Percy wouldn't make it back in time. It had already been a week since they left and the camp was beginning to lose hope.  They knew I couldn't keep the shield up for much longer. I was already losing my strength randomly allowing monsters to come and attack us everyday so it was a matter of time until I couldn't hold it up any more nor help fight the monsters. It was already showing up in my sword fighting class with the Ares Cabin.

"Atlantia, your arms are shaking," Johnny asked concerned.

"I-I'm fi-fine." I say my sword slipping from my hand.

"Atlantia?" Johnny grabs my arm before my legs give out. "ATLANTIA!" He takes the full weight of my small unhealthy body as I lean against him. I feel my hold on the shield release and immediately I hear shouts from the other side of camp.

"Shit," I hear someone say. "Get her to the sickroom, now!" I feel someone sweeps my feet off of the ground as the others rush toward the break in.  And that was the last thing I remembered.

Next thing I know I am waking up to Chiron standing by my bed. I try to sit up but I couldn't.

"What happened?" I ask my voice slurred.

"You idiot." I heard a voice said relief flooding into their voice. "You almost killed yourself trying to keep the shield up." Clarisse steps into my view. I try to smile at her.

"I'm guessing you succeeded." She nods her head.

"We arrived in time to see the shield drop and the monsters attack." Clarisse said.

"How long was I out? Were there any casualties?" I say guilt building up in me for not being strong enough to hold the shield. Clarisse glares at me.

"First, stop thinking you are to blame if there was any deaths, which there wasn't. You almost died!" Clarisse shouted stepping closer. She continued much softer then I expected from her. "You were prepared to give your life to protect the camp and you are guilty that you couldn't hold it any longer? Atlantia, I wouldn't have had a camp to come and rescue if you didn't have the shield up. Now, come on." She pulls a wheelchair out of the corner. I didn't even know the camp even owned a wheelchair. "I want you to join us for dinner since you are so in need of some food." I nod allowing her to lift me out of the bed and into the wheelchair. Clarisse frowns as my shirt rides up revealing more of the damage the shield did to my body. My stomach was concave and you could count each of my ribs if you so wanted to.

"Ok, we really need to get you some food." She pushes me out of the sickroom and through the rest of the Big House. When she pushes me outside, I got the first look of the damage. Some of the cabins suffered some minor damages but nothing that can't be fixed. To my surprise, that was the only real damage everything else is pretty much intact.

"See, I told you." Clarisse said proudly, "you saved the camp. We only had some minor injuries and damage. You shouldn't be guilty." I nod feeling better as she pushes me into the Dining Pavilion. Everyone was already there and the chatter stops as I came into view. Cheers and applause erupted. Percy and Annabeth came rushing at me with Tyson following me.