209 Goddess vs Titan

Percy did not miss this moment of distraction.

"Now," he said to the rest of the group.

Together, they charged.

Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lighting erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

As for Percy, he did the stupidest thing in his life. He attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

He laughed as Percy approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armour. "Go on, then!"

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

Percy knew what she was warning him about. Chiron had told him long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve. Once Percy attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might.

Percy swung his sword, and Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. Percy flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

The mention of Ares sent a jolt through Percy. He shook off his daze and charged again. If he could get to that pool of water, he could double his strength.

The javelins point slashed toward him like a scythe. He raised Riptide, planning to cut off Atlas weapon at the shaft, but his arm felt like lead. The sword suddenly weighed a ton.

And Percy remembered Ares' warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago: When you need it most, your sword will fail you.

Percy tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground, his head spinning. He looked up and found he was at the feet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky.

"Run, boy," she told him. "You must run!"

Atlas was taking his time coming towards Percy. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning cracking around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.

"Die, little hero," Atlas said.

He raised his javelin to impale Percy.

"No!" Zoe yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas' armour.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned towards his daughter.

Percy remembered the words of the prophecy: The Titan's curse must one withstand. He couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance.

"The sky," Percy told the goddess. "Give it to me."

"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"

"Annabeth took it!"

"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."

"I'll die anyway," he said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"

Percy didn't wait for her answer. He took out Riptide and slashed through her chains. Then, he stepped next to her and braced himself on one knee—holding up his hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For a moment, Artemis and Percy bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing he'd ever felt as if he were being crushed under a thousand trucks. He wanted to blackout from the pain, but he breathed deeply. He can do this.

Then, Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and Percy held it alone.

Every muscle in his body turned to fire. His bones felt like they were melting. He wanted to scream, but he didn't have the strength to open his mouth. He began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing him.

Artemis fought directly with Atlas.

Atlas, in his full battle armour, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change forms as she maneuverer. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Zoe shot arrows at her father, with the help of Bianca, aiming for the chinks in his armour. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just went madder and kept fighting.

Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

��Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "We'll see, my old friend."

Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leapt over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward Percy.

"Get ready," She spoke in Percy's mind.

"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Atlas' javelin swept around and knocked Artemis' legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

"No!" Zoe screamed. She leapt between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage.

He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.

"Zoe!" Bianca shouted as she ran towards the huntress.

Then, Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face.

Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.

As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin staff. It hit the earth right next to her, and she pulled backwards, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her. Percy saw him coming down on top of him, and he realized what would happen. He loosened his grip on the sky, and as Atlas slammed into him, he didn't try to hold on. He let himself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all he was worth.

The weight of the sky dropped on Atlas' back, almost smashing him until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still, they fought on, next to the golden coffin.

Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest, and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia, and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but there was fear in his voice.

Thalia trembled with fury.

Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"

"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He… he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please you—"

Luke couldn't finish his speech. An arrow was shot right into his shoulder. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.

They rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken from on the rocks.

Then, they heard a voice from behind.

"Argh, I came late to join the fun."

They looked behind just to find Drako in his human form with his bow in hands.

"At least, I could shoot down a bigshot," he said carelessly.

Before any of them could say anything, one of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"

"Oh, so we still have some more preys!" Drako said cheerfully.

He was so against the mood right now. Thalia and Annabeth were crying, and Percy wasn't happy. But here he was, smiling like a little child.

Thalia was stiff with grief at the border of the cliff, tears streaming down her cheeks. Percy had to pull her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads. The three of them ran for the rocks, ignoring Atlas and leaving Drako back.

"Hey! Anyone of you wants to fight me!" Drako shouted. "I just killed Ladon, and I want to fight a little more."

He let all of his aura out, intimidating the little monsters. They cower in fear, and they didn't dare to take a step forward.

"Then," Drako let out a creepy smile. "Fuck off."

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I decided to post this chapter since they end the battle against Chrono's forces. Since I posted 5 chapters this week on webnovel, and I only posted 3 on P@treon, you guys will have to wait until I recover this 2 chapters there.

I'm 100% sure that there are not going to be any chapter until Wednesday or Thursday next week.

Hope you enjoyed!

You can always go to P@tren to give me mone--Cough- support my great work. :)