LoSP Ch.66: Golden Waters

PERCY POV

I felt a ripple of dread sweep through me as I stared into Atlas’s cruel obsidian eyes and his savage smile. Behind him, the orb of starlight pulsed in Asteria’s hands, growing brighter with every heartbeat, before I heard a deep, colossal roar that rattled my very bones, echoing in my chest.

“Asteria, complete it,” Atlas rumbled, before shoving me with his titanic strength. I staggered backward but retaliated on instinct, my sword tearing through the air only to meet his spear. Atlas tutted. “Now, now, Perseus Jackson. Lord Kronos has been benevolent to me. He has freed me from the shackles your wretched gods put me under and given me a chance to avenge my pride.”

“I pity whoever replaced you under the sky, then,” I said, glancing at the searing starlight behind him. “Who is it?”

A smirk curled on Atlas’ lips. “Astraeus benevolently gave me this chance, Perseus. He chose to take the burden of the heavens instead of having to face you. He was afraid, trembling at your very name.” Something gleamed in his eyes. “Despite our differences, I must admire one thing about you before I kill you today. You’ve struck fear in the heart of Titans and everyone following the Titan Lord. Not even Zeus made them so afraid.”

“I’m glad that they’ve some sense at least. And if you did too, you wouldn’t have come here yourself.” I spun my sword, leaving a blur of flames in the wind, which Atlas blew away. “Astraeus has some sense, I suppose. I would’ve killed him the moment I faced him. Under the sky, he still has a chance to survive for longer, and get enough mercy to be replaced, given that if he were too afraid to face me, he doesn’t have long anyway. The burden isn’t for the weak of heart.”

Atlas inclined his head. “It isn’t. I suppose you’ll know, despite how briefly you bore it. You have courage, Son of Poseidon.” He glanced over my shoulder, where I knew Annabeth was, fighting monsters. “And you know how to pick your companions. But do not worry about Astraeus. The moment I hang your corpse on my spear, I shall reclaim my burden until the time Olympus falls, and your precious gods can take my place. And it shall fall soon enough, after you heroes perish today.”

“You can attack only me.” I snorted. “The Ancient Laws—”

“Are no problem for monsters, Perseus Jackson.” He turned to glance over his shoulder as the orb floated upward, swallowing the sun in a tide of starlight, and I felt my heart twist. 

“What are you doing?” I yelled, summoning the storm within me and fixing my gaze on the burning light, though it scorched my eyes.

Lightning lanced toward the orb, but its thunder was smothered beneath a deafening roar that cracked the ground and sent ripples across the lake’s surface.

“Behold, Perseus Jackson!” Atlas boomed with laughter. “The beast so terrifying that even Hercules fled from it. The monster whom Artemis battled for weeks to put down. The beast she had to put him in the stars out of honor, for even she feared it being reborn. The creature whose name Zeus buried beneath the legend of Ladon, just to protect his son’s pride.” He stepped closer, eyes alight with cruel satisfaction. “Behold the truest and the first of the dragons. The mighty Draco!”

I turned my eyes away as the orb shattered like brittle glass, releasing a light so blinding it set the world ablaze for a heartbeat before darkness surged in its place. A shadow swept across the clearing, vast and terrible, and I looked up, feeling my heart drop into my stomach.

A dragon—an actual, ancient dragon, the likes of which I had only seen in Alexander’s memories, rose into the sky, its colossal wings eclipsing the sun.

‘Alexander?’

#Percy,# Alexander said slowly. #Get your friends the hell out of here. You can’t fight all of them.#

“RETREAT!” I bellowed, breaking away from Atlas, summoning my shield to barrel through a giant toward Annabeth. 

She nodded, holding a thumb up to show she had dropped the shield, and I grabbed her around the waist, calling to the sea, willing myself to whisk away like an ocean current.

The mist rose and fell, and we stumbled, sprawling on the ground.

#Shit. They’ve prevented it. And you cannot break it. Not if it is made by Atlas, which it likely is.# I heard trepidation in Alexander’s voice. #The only way out is through Atlas.#

“A quick response and a correct one, too.” Atlas’s laughter echoed in my ears. “Most heroes or gods would still be frozen upon seeing the mighty Draco. You were not. But you will not run from me, Perseus Jackson.” Atlas strode through the splattering of monster remains, dragging his spear across the ground. “Today, you and your friends shall meet your end. So stand and fight me like a hero, for it would be a shame if you died running.”

Above us, Draco roared, spewing blue fire into the sky. 

“Well, I would say that’d be a mistake on your part.” I rose to my feet, helping Annabeth up. Extending my senses, I felt lightning well in the clouds above as a familiar power thrummed through the air. “Over half your army is in shambles, and for your big lizard, well…” I gave him a smirk. “Why don’t you look up?”

Atlas did, and a bright flash lit the sky as a massive bolt of lightning struck the ancient dragon head-on, followed by a thunderclap so loud that it set my ears ringing. A moment later, Greek-fire missiles slammed into the dragon as my chariot opened fire on Draco, sending it spiralling downward, toward the lake.

Before the monster could hit the ground, it frantically flapped its wings and flew up, only for a lightning-wreathed comet to slam into its wing, sending ichor raining into the lake.

I looked at Atlas, who watched the fight with impassive eyes, before looking at me. “As I said, you know how to pick your companions well, Perseus Jackson. So, before I get on to delivering your impending death sentence, I, Atlas, the General of Titans, Bearer of the Heavens, will say this: You’re the worthiest foe I’ve faced, in mind, in spirit, and in weapon. And I shall give you a worthy death.”

“Thank you.” I rolled my eyes, drawing on my power. “That was almost kind.”

“It is the way of the warrior to treat a worthy foe with respect before they’re killed.” Atlas spun his spear. “And to ensure that they die a death worthy of one. So, Perseus Jackson, come if you dare.”

So, I obliged.

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THALIA POV

I shot up from my seat, feeling my heart pound in my chest as I peered at the humongous dragon flying across the sky, its shadow darkening the very day. Its roar throbbed in my bones as it let out a breath of fire, that seemed to warm the very temperature of the city before its massive wings flapped hard enough that I felt the winds change with every beat of its reptilian wings. 

Beside me, Clarisse watched wide-eyed from behind the wheel, her face going pale as the dragon’s shadow fell across her face. 

“That’s a big fucking dragon,” Clarisse whispered. “I haven’t seen a monster this big. Not even Charbyllis was this big.” 

“I’ll take your word for it,” I muttered, glancing down at the field. Scores of monsters still stood despite all the attacks we had done, and there were two Titans in the field. One of whom was Atlas. The General of Titans and the only person whom I knew had fought Percy to a real standstill— alongside Nemesis, but she had done it by cheating. 

Atlas, on the other hand, had outmatched Percy in strength and endurance by a scary margin. Percy even had claimed that the Titan was better than he was at fighting, which was a terrifying thought. Why? Because most gods who weren’t Artemis or Athena relied on their powers rather than their skill to defeat their opponents.

Being demigods, when we fought them, they couldn’t use the said powers and thus, usually ended up losing to us in a contest of pure skill, which, I had to admit, was still a dubious statement for anyone not specially trained by the gods to take down other gods. And even then, it was a stretch for all but the most powerful of demigods.

Fortunately, I was one of them. So was Clarisse. And Percy— or Annabeth, had put us away, up on Percy’s chariot, for that very reason. We were two demigods who could change the tide and deal with any situation that arose, as long as we could hit something. 

And this was, as Clarisse put it, a big fucking dragon. We could definitely hit it.

“Clarisse, I’m going to make you a very happy woman.” I picked my ax, its blade cracking with lightning. “That big fucking dragon? We are going to send it to Tartarus.”

“That’s my kind of talk,” Clarisse muttered. “It is not like we’ve a choice. Percy’s squaring off against Atlas, and there’s another Titan in the field. Not to mention, a small army of surviving monsters. Percy put us up here for this sort of shit.” Her eyes glowed a faint red. “So if this is a fight they want, I will bring them a war.”

“Good,” I said, feeling my gut twist. 

Trust Clarisse to never back down from a fight, even if it was against a dragon that looked like it could eat Godzilla for breakfast. 

“What’s the plan?” Clarisse asked. 

“I’m going to start the party,” I breathed. “You stay here and use the weapons in this ship. We keep that thing airborne until it can no longer be. Because if it falls the wrong way, I doubt anyone but Atlas and Percy would survive. And that is still a slim chance for Percy.”

“I understand.” She flicked a switch on the dashboard and grinned. “I’ve always wanted to see what Percy’s fancy ass car can do.”

“Then go crazy. Just make sure that you don’t hit me.” I opened the door, summoning the winds and taking a deep breath. “Clarisse, one last thing. If it seems like we’re losing, you get everyone except Percy and me out of here. I don’t care what happens, but you’ll do that.”

She nodded solemnly, and I gave her one last smile before I jumped out of the car, letting the winds pick me up. I poured my power into the sky, which darkened, and the scent of ozone tingled my nose, carried away in the billowing wind.

‘Please, Dad,’ I prayed, pointing my ax toward the dragon, feeling my gut wrench painfully as the power in the clouds welled. ‘Help me.’ 

With a yell, I called the power down, and the clouds answered my call. 

A blinding pillar of lightning dropped from the heavens, striking the monster with a deafening crack that split the sky, echoing through the world around me.

I saw Greek-fire lit blurs whiz past me and slam into the reeling dragon, the blasts shattering through the air, as loud as my lightning. A grin curled on my lips as the dragon reeled and fell, shrieking a guttural sound that rang in my bones, aching in my teeth. 

As the dragon spiraled downward, I drew onto the winds and pushed myself downward after it, feeling arcs of electricity sweep over my body, dancing across my skin. 

With a sharp twist, I slammed my ax onto the dragon’s wing-joint with every ounce of strength I had, pouring all the lightning over me into the strike. Ichor spurted from the wing, drenching me as the creature jerked midair, banking away, straight into another volley of Greek fire launched by Clarisse.

Letting out a wild whoop, I flew away as the dragon jerked and spiraled down, flapping its wings hard while Ichor rained down on the ground.

Below, I spotted a colossal burst of Greek fire go off, followed by a shockwave powerful enough to disrupt the winds around me. Hastily, I pulled them back, avoiding plummeting to my death, several hundred feet below, and cursing Percy under my breath for not pulling his punches.

Then again, I couldn’t blame him. He was facing Atlas, and anything less would barely tickle that bastard— something I knew from experience. It also reminded me that the humongous, ancient dragon, Draco, as Percy’s car had informed me, wasn’t the biggest threat around, despite its size. 

Which meant I had to deal with the creature fast and help Percy if I could. 

A big part of me said that even if I wanted to do that, I wouldn’t have enough strength left after dealing with this monstrosity of a dragon. Unless I scored a lethal blow right away. 

Suddenly, my instincts screamed and I dropped, pushing myself down using the winds like a cocoon, watching as a stream of fire as wide as a building shot through the air from the dragon’s mouth, singeing the hair on my arms from its heat, despite me being several meters below.

I reigned in the air and floated back up with a scowl, summoning all the power I could and raised my ax, which cracked with condensed lightning, like a miniaturized thunderstorm. With a deep breath, I aimed and threw the ax with all my strength. 

The weapon my father had gifted me shot toward the dragon, leaving a faint sonic boom and the crack of thunder in its wake, tearing across the air like a lightning-wreathed comet, aimed straight for the dragon’s head. At the last moment, the dragon moved like a snake, my ax missing its colossal head and screeching off its scales in a burst of electric sparks that scattered across its body. 

It roared, billowing another jet of fire at me, which I weaved away from, hissing as I felt the heat of the flames crawl through my armor and hunting gear, feeling like someone had doused me with almost boiling-hot water.

This, I decided, wasn’t going to be quick. Which meant Percy was on his own.

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PERCY POV

The ground around us was torn apart as my sword met Atlas’ spear, sending a shockwave ripping through the clearing. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Annabeth weave through the decimated ground, charging at Asteria, who summoned a crooked sword made of starlight.

“You can surrender. We’ll get you immunity,” I said, parrying the spear, while skidding back from the sheer force of the blow. “You could stay with your daughters! Lead a peaceful life!”

Atlas chuckled. “Men like us would die of peace, Perseus Jackson. We thrive in war, for it is what we are made for. You know that as well as I do.”

He drove the butt of his spear into the ground, causing an earthquake which sent me stumbling away. I barely spun away from his fist that came to nail me in the head, before shooting a powerful jet of water at the Titan, drenching him from head to toe. Anyone, even a god, should’ve been blown off their feet by the force I put behind that jet of water. But Atlas hadn’t even budged an inch. 

Thankfully, I hadn’t expected him to anyway. 

I darted back, summoning my second sword to my hand, pouring Hestia’s power down one blade and my father’s down the other. As Atlas wiped the water off his face, I brought both my swords together, unleashing a massive, Greek fire blast that rocked through the field, hitting Atlas straight in the chest.

The Titan flew off his feet, carried with the blast that reduced the forge in the distance to rubble, burying Atlas under. 

I took a shuddering breath as stumbled feeling an ache settle in my gut, as bile rose in my throat and the world slid out of focus. 

#That was some blow. You nearly passed out doing it.# I felt the nausea gutter away as Alexander spoke, before I felt strength surge back into my body from my sword. Above me, I heard the crack of thunder, followed by a loud roar, which drowned away in my throbbing ears. #I’ve taken off a bind from the Thyella Kavalaris. Atlas isn’t going to let you escape, even if you could. The anti-teleportation field stretches for miles and is probably covering the entire city.#

‘I have my car.’ I straightened, surveilling the battlefield, watching as Annabeth went toe-to-toe against Asteria, who already had ichor dripping from her wounds.  ‘We could use it to get out.’

In the distance, Nico and Bianca waded through the battlefield, keeping the monsters at bay, who were focusing on them, while Grover stayed between them, playing his reedpipes, their sound drowned out by the thunder and explosions above as Thalia fought against Draco, while Clarisse kept its attention divided.

#The car is occupied, as are most of your friends.# Alexander said. #Strategically, it is not sound to get back to a single car or pick them up. Not to mention, they have an ancient dragon that took Artemis over a week to put down, even in her moon chariot. And I’m pretty sure Asteria can control it.#

‘Then get me a way out.’ I scowled. ‘Even if I could kill Atlas— which I am not sure about since you gods failed the last time around— killing him would just lead to more problems. Like the freaking sky collapsing for one.’

Alexander snorted. #Let Kronos worry about that. If the sky falls, his rule and power will be the first to go, even before it touches the mortal world.# He paused as I absently beheaded an opportunistic hellhound, the size of a pickup truck, reducing it to dust. #As for killing Atlas… I will help. But to even get in something close to a lethal blow, you have to get his armor off.#

Above me, the dragon roared as the sky lit up with lightning again, the boom of thunder drowning my thoughts. At least Thalia was faring better than I was. But I needed a plan to do as Alexander had said— get off Atlas’ massive armor before putting in another lethal blow— one like the one I just had.

#Oh, no,# Alexander said, reading my thoughts. #You need a more powerful one. That blow was good. Heck, it’d have vaporized seven out of ten gods. Atlas… nope.#

Alexander was proven right a moment later as Atlas burst out of the rubble like it was dust, the molten remains of the forge sliding off his skin like oil. His breastplate was scorched and cracked near the edges, the designs melted, but still very much intact. 

Atlas’s dust and soot-covered face was devoid of his mocking smile, replaced by a scowl as he retrieved his spear, shaking off the dust, his obsidian eyes glowing darker.

Great. I had pulled off what was probably the most powerful attack I had ever done, and it barely pissed the Titan off.

He strode out from the rubble, barely paying attention to Annabeth and Asteria, who were still caught in battle, the latter bleeding from a nasty wound in the shoulder while the daughter of Athena only seemed to be out of breath.

“You have grown in power, son of Poseidon.” Atlas slammed his spear on the ground, and a gong reverberated through the field. Every monster snapped up in attention again, pulling together and pointing straight toward Bianca, Nico, and Grover. “The last time a blow hurt this much was when young Zeus unleashed his masterbolt upon me for the first time. Commendable. But it was a mistake.” He glanced at my friends, and I felt my heart twist.“Now, you choose, Jackson. Between surrender and the lives of your friends.”

“I thought you wanted to fight?” I let the storm-tamer disappear, summoning my shield into my left hand. “Or are you scared now?”

“No, merely a strategist. So, you either save your friends,” Atlas waved his hand, and the horde of monsters charged. “Or yourself.”

I smirked, knowing what was going to happen next. Across the field, Grover put his reed pipes to his lips and a horrible, shrill tone rang through the battlefield, its sound drowning out the crack of the storm and the roar of the dragon above, its notes drumming in my bones, the magic smothered away by the Warrior’s helm.

The monsters closest to Grover exploded while the rest turned on their heel, fleeing away, unbothered by the other monsters they crushed.

“The power of Pan.” Atlas’s whole body tensed, and his scowl deepened, his knuckles whitening against the shaft of his spear. “I should’ve known. Why else would a satyr be on a quest to kill the greatest enemies of Olympus?” He glanced at me, his eyes hardening. “I suppose there’s no more need to make the choice.”

Atlas lunged, his spear flickering through the air like a lightning rod. I barely raised my shield in time to catch the blow, and even then, the impact nearly buckled my knees. I pushed back with a yell, slashing my sword low, the blade drawing a line of ichor across his thigh. The Greek flames burned through his flesh as the ichor sizzled against the flaming blade.

It didn’t even bother the Titan as he spun his spear up like a cyclone, bringing it upon my shield with the force of a hundred battering rams, sending me airborne. 

I flipped in mid-air, landing on my feet, calling to the storm within me, feeling the clouds above rumble louder as winds picked up around me. My sword blurred through the air, leaving trails of fiery green fire, each blow crashing against Atlas’ spear with the force of a literal earthquake, sending shockwaves quivering through the air, shaking the field.

In the distance, trees were uprooted, while my friends hit the ground, avoiding the barrage as I attacked Atlas, power and desperation burning in my veins.

Unfortunately, Atlas was no slouch, as he met every strike with his own, his grip not even faltering despite the power I was putting behind my blows.

I felt a painful twist in my gut as I brought my sword down, only for Atlas to block it, sending me stumbling back as a shockwave rippled through the ground. I felt Alexander pour power into my limbs as I continued my barrage, nicking the Titan twice, once deep enough to expose the bone.

It didn’t even slow Atlas down as he spun, slamming his spear against my shield, which glowed a brilliant blue, and I grinned. Tightening my grasp on it, I slid through his lunge like water between rocks and delivered an upper cut, releasing the power in my shield in an explosion of blue that sent Atlas staggering back. At that moment, I spotted the intricate clasp work on his armor, and my eyes widened.

In that second of distraction, Atlas slammed his fist into my abdomen, ripping the wind from my lungs, sending me flying. 

As I rolled around, I saw a pillar of dirt erupt, and shadows lunged at Atlas, pulling him in as the dirt consumed him, hardening like a cocoon. Across the field, Nico and Bianca stood, hand in hand, their sword glowing a deep black like their eyes, the edge of the blades buried in the earth. 

I slowly got to my feet and regained my breath, wincing as cracks began to spread in the pillar. ‘I have a plan to get the armor off,’ I dropped my shield and removed Hestia’s knife, gulping in a fresh breath of air, feeling the pain in my stomach dull. ‘I am not sure how well it would work, though.’

#Any which way, you gotta draw Atlas’ attention back to you,# Alexander said. #You don’t want him to go after Nico and Bianca, do you?#

‘Okay.’ I gave him a nod, adjusting my grip on Hestia’s knife, watching as more cracks spread over the mud that held him. ‘Open another bind. I’m going to hit him hard, again.’

#That may not be a good idea,# Alexander warned. #But, well, you’ve got someplace to put all that power, so, what the hell.#

As I felt power flood from my sword, I glanced at Nico and gave him a nod. The siblings stumbled back, and I charged toward the pile of mud that had trapped Atlas. 

The pile shattered as I closed in, but I paid it little heed, skidding low as I jabbed my knife up, feeling it touch the metal of Atlas’ armor.

“Ανοίγω,” I whispered in Greek, and the knife glowed, the clasps popping open as I slid past Atlas, weaving out of his reach. I spun on my knee, leveling my sword at him and pouring all my power down the blade, calling to the storm, fire, and divine power at the same time, feeling it build as I let out a yell. 

A blast of Greek fire as thick as a tree trunk shot down the length of my sword, slamming into Atlas at point blank range, and the General of the Titans flew across the clearing like a smoking ragdoll, his armor clattering off him as he flew before he hit the ground, sending a cloud of dust in the air.

I staggered, feeling exhaustion ache in my arms and legs, as nausea clawed its way up my throat. I dragged myself toward the water, stumbling on the way, until Grover caught me.

“Percy!” he bleated, his face and clothes covered in dirt, his body trembling.

Blinking, I glanced around, recoiling at the state of my surroundings. The earth was cratered while the lake’s water was tinged gold with all the ichor that had dripped in it from Draco’s wounds.

“I’m okay,” I wheezed, even though my vision swam and I could taste blood. “I just— used a bit too much power.”

“I can see that,” Grover murmured and glanced over my shoulder. “I am pretty sure half the United States heard the blasts. And felt the earthquake and the storm.”

I forced myself upright, using Grover for balance. Across the cratered field, Atlas lay sprawled and unmoving, his cracked, melting armor scattered around him like the bones of a fallen colossus. Smoke rose from his body, the golden ichor hissing where it touched the scorched earth. But he was breathing.

“Don’t get close,” I said, gripping my sword tighter, feeling my arm tremble. “He’s not dead.”

Grover looked like he wanted to argue, but then a boom overhead rocked the skies. I glanced up.

A bolt of lightning split the clouds—and missed Draco by a hair. The dragon twisted in midair with terrifying grace, wings sweeping through the sky like thunderclouds made flesh. Across from it, Thalia blurred through the air, her ax returning to her hand in a crackle of lightning. For a moment, I wondered where Clarisse was, but then, I spotted the crimson glow that surrounded her body.

The daughter of Ares hung onto Draco’s back, her spear buried in its flesh, cracking with crimson power, while Thalia slammed her ax into the dragon’s muzzle, barely avoiding its breath of fire.

“He’s still flying?” I croaked, stumbling into the ichor-ridden water, feeling queasy as another shower of ichor fell into the waves. “The hell?”

The waves didn’t react to me as they usually did, but I still felt power surge through my veins as I sank in, feeling it heal away the ache and pain.

My attention was drawn across the field as a blast of starlight lit it up, and I saw Annabeth standing over Asteria, her spear poised at her throat. Asteria’s blade lay shattered at her feet as she pleaded.

Annabeth’s mouth moved, and Asteria shook her head frantically, causing Annabeth to scowl and stab her spear into Asteria’s throat.

“That’s a Titan for Annabeth,” Grover muttered as the Titaness crumbled to golden dust and Annabeth staggered back, falling to the ground, breathing heavily.

Nico and Bianca rushed to check in on her, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

We were winning.

The next moment, thunder crashed across the sky and Draco spiralled down, ichor raining onto the ground while Clarisse and Thalia stood on its head.

I felt a delighted laugh bubble in my throat as I relaxed, gulping in big breaths.

#This seems good. Damn. Their trap failed.# Alexander said. #Oh, careful, by the way. Atlas is awake.#

In the distance, Atlas rose from the crater, ichor flowing from the wounds on his burnt skin, as he limped forward, glaring at me with hatred.

I stood up too, but suddenly I felt water wrap around my arms and limbs, tightening in a vice-like grip. 

“What the fuck?” I tried to wrangle the water back, yet it refused to obey, tendrils wrapping around me, holding me tight.

#There’s a water deity here. Which means Atlas and Draco weren’t the whole trap.# Alexander said in a worried voice, as I felt strength surge back into my limbs and I fought back, a wave rising toward Atlas as I willed it. #Be careful.#

“EURYBIA!” Atlas boomed, and I felt my wave sputter away, falling into mist, its control vanishing.

“Percy,” Grover bleated. “What’re you doing?

Behind me, I felt a figure rise from the water, and turned my head to see a beautiful woman, her eyes glowing a brilliant blue as the water formed her dress, her arms spread as power screamed through every drop, overwhelming my control.

Alexander cursed in my head. #He didn’t bring a normal water deity. He brought out a minor primordial, one perfectly suited to de-power your strongest element. He really made this a trap for you.#

‘Primordial?’ I felt my mouth go dry as I struggled. ‘Of what?’

#Mastery of the sea.# Alexander answered. #She is the daughter of Pontus and Gaea, which is why she’s sometimes considered a minor primordial or a titaness. She married Krios, the Titan of the South. She’s also the mother of Astraeus. And Pallas and Perses. Yeah, so she’s likely out for revenge.#

“Never in my life have I had to call for aid to defeat an enemy, Percy Jackson. Be proud.” Atlas rumbled, limping closer. “But now you’ve been a thorn for far too long. You must die.”

He raised his spear, and the bonds tightened as I felt a surge of panic.

The next moment, music rang through the clearing and vines sprouted around Atlas’s feet, seizing his arms and pulling away his spear.

I channeled as much power as I could into the water and refused to take no for an answer, calling the sea within me, summoning the storm. The bonds shattered like brittle glass, and Eurybia stumbled back as I took back the control of the water, slamming her into a wall of ice. 

“You cretin!” She shrieked, a trident forming in her hand. “I shall—”

She let out a strangled yelp and dove back into the ichor-tinged water as I shot a column of Greek flames at her, which vaporized several gallons of water, sending steam drifting through the air.

On the shore, Atlas ripped apart the vines and roared, his eyes narrowing at Grover. Suddenly, I felt my heart plummet as I realized what he was about to do.

“NO!” I yelled, willing the water to blow Grover away from Atlas, but it refused to respond as the Titan threw his spear. 

“GROVER!” I screamed as I saw the spear soar through the air, trying to get in the way. 

But I was too far. Too slow. The water—my water—still resisted me, sluggish, numb from Eurybia’s interference. I reached out, begging it to move, to help me, but it was like trying to command a storm in a dream.

It pierced through Grover’s chest, and I felt my heart stop as Grover gurgled, his body crumbling to dirt, which spilled into the ichor-ridden waters.

And somewhere, in my mind, the line of the prophecy echoed. 

‘By the golden waters, a brother shall fall.’

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

Whew, that was a tiring chapter to write. I mean 5k+ words of pure action… that is something that takes effort, especially when ending at such a pivotal moment— For which, you all are free to try and kill me because heavens know that I would have if I were a reader. Cackles maniacally.

Sorry for the death scene, but it was coming and you knew it. It was prophesied.

Now, we shall see the fallout and what a fallout it will be! Cackles louder. 

Seriously, though, the next chapter is going to be emotionally devastating from Percy’s POV because in this story, so far, he has gone out of his way to prevent the deaths of his friends.

A huge thanks to Mughil, Zaby, and Nanu for betaing this chapter! 

And thank you all for your patience. I know I’m a couple of days late but I couldn’t rush this chapter and had to take my time. Which is why I’m updating on Friday instead of Tuesday or Wednesday as I usually do.

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

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