At the top of the mountain were ruins, dozens of them, fallen columns, collapsed roofs, randomly distributed lumps of granite and marble, half melted statues larger even than Ladon. "The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia said. We were all on edge, me especially, Mount Othrys had always been a place that the very name scared me as a child, it was like the Greek bogeyman, if you were bad you would get taken away to Othrys and eaten by Atlas.

"Yes," Zoë said, paling at the sight, "it was not here before, this is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoë said, "in the first war, Othrys and Olympus were the two rival capitals of the world, Othrys -" she winced and clutched her side.

"You're hurt, let me see," Percy said.

"No! It was nothing, I was saying… in the first war Othrys was blasted to pieces."

"But how is it here?" Thalia asked as she jumped as Percy's shadow shifted over her face as we secured the area.

"The same way Olympus is here," I said, as we cautiously made our way past blocks, broken arches, random columns and dead trees, "it moves, like Olympus. Normally it stays on the edge of civilisation, last I heard it was somewhere up in the frozen wastes of Northern Canada. The fact it has moved is bad, the fact it is here is even worse."

"Why?"

"This is Atlas' mountain, it's where he holds up the sky, held up the sky," I amended. We had reached the summit, ahead of us was Artemis holding up the sky. She still looked twelve, she looked tired, her face red from exertion, her dress was ragged and she was bound in chains.

"My Lady," Zoë called as she rushed forward to her side.

"Stop, it's a trap," Artemis called, "it's a trap," her voice was strained, and she was drenched in sweat, I had never seen a God in pain before, but obviously the pain of holding the sky was too much. Zoë rushed forward and tugged at the chains.

"Ah how touching," rumbled a deep booming voice, a battlefield voice, the voice that is used to being heard and obeyed. Atlas was standing behind us in a brown silk suit, he was huge, well over eight foot tall and heavily muscled. His shoulders were so wide if you did not realise who he was you might have assumed he was wearing shoulder pads, his hands looked like they could snap an old oak tree without any difficulty. His face looked like he had been beaten repeatedly with a frying pan, his nose had been broken so many times it had been squashed almost flat, his eyes were hard and purely black, not black irises, black everything, like the Hesperides, he had military style brown hair, cut close to his scalp. By his side was Luke and half a dozen Dracaenae snake women carrying the sarcophagus containing Kronos. At their feet was Annabeth bound and gagged, Luke had the point of his bronze and steel sword to her throat, she had gained a grey streak in her hair from holding up the sky.

"Luke," Thalia called, "let her go."

"That is the General's decision Thalia, but it's good to see you again," Luke said smiling. He looked awful, not just because he was Luke, but also because he was so wan and pale and his smile was weak and sickly. Thalia spat at him.

Atlas laughed, "so much for old friends, and you Zoë, it's been a long time, how is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis hissed through gritted teeth, "do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy shouted cutting off Atlas, "you're Atlas?" He sounded a little confused, bless Percy, he means well, but he is not the brightest banana in the bunch.

Atlas barely glanced at Percy, "so, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out." Percy blushed whilst frowning angrily at Atlas, although, it made me think a rat trying to stand up to a rottweiler, a little funny, but ultimately the stand-off lasted until the rottweiler grew bored. "Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods, congratulations, I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoë," Percy said as he raised his sword and slid into a sword fighting position, "I won't let you."

Atlas sneered contemptuously, "you have no right to interfere little hero, this is a family matter."

Percy lowered the tip of his sword and frowned in confusion, "a family matter?"

"Yes," Zoë said glumly, keeping her glare on Atlas as she tried to burn holes in his head with her eyes, "Atlas is my father."

"That doesn't matter," I said, everyone turned to me, except the ever glowering Zoë, "we are all family, Atlas you trying to take over the world is a family matter. You are trying to kill my cousins and destroy my Mother, these are family matters, we are all entitled to take part in this."

Atlas laughed, "little witch, you are going to have a part in all this, your lifeblood and that of your friends will increase the rate at which my brother returns from the Pit."

"Let Artemis go," Zoë shouted.

Atlas walked to Artemis' side and stared at her in creepy fascination, made worse by the fact she still looked like a tiny twelve year old girl, and he was a massive man who was well over eight foot tall. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth, but Artemis shouted first. "No! Do not offer Zoë! I forbid you." Atlas smirked in amusement as he crouched next to Artemis, he tried to stroke her face, she almost bit his fingers.

Atlas chuckled, "you see daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I'll have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again of course, and this is the centre of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

There was a slightly awkward pause as his eyes glazed over at the thought of power, "I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?" He asked, Thalia and I facepalmed whilst Zoë rolled her eyes.

Atlas laughed, "how little you understand, young one, this is the point where the sky and earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans." I thought about that for a moment before shuddering in revulsion at the implications. "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," he smiled insanely, "unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached us and stared intensely at Percy and Thalia, "so these are the best heroes of the age eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy growled, "and let's see."

"Have the Gods taught you nothing?" Atlas thundered, "an immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly, it is beneath my dignity, I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So, you're another coward then?" Percy taunted the Titan, Percy's ability to say the wrong things to the wrong people had always astounded me, but this was a new level of stupid.

Atlas' eyes literally glowed with hatred as he turned to Thalia, "as for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke said, he looked and sounded horribly weak, the scar over his left eye looked like it had been reopened recently as it was swollen and red. "Thalia, you can still join us," he pleaded, "call the Ophiotaurus, it will come to you, look," he waved his hand and pool ringed in black marble appeared, it looked like an old fashioned reflecting pool, it was just large enough for Bessie. "Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus, and you will be more powerful than the Gods."

"Luke…" Thalia said with tears in her eyes and a voice that sounded like she was in physical pain, "what happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the Gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us, they have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head, "free Annabeth, let her go."

"If you join me, it can be like old times, the three of us together, fighting for a better world. Please Thalia, if you don't agree…" his voice faltered and he swallowed nervously, "it's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree, please!" Luke sounded genuinely scared, I had no clue what he meant and I was not going to use legilimency this close to a Titan to find out.

"Do not Thalia," Zoë commanded, "we must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again and a lit brazier appeared, its fires burned green, it was a sacrificial fire, the kind outlawed in almost all magical communities.

"Thalia," Percy said, his voice faltering a little, "don't do it, please."

Behind Luke, Kronos' sarcophagus began to glow and the mists, both magical and mundane started to shift around and form into the shape of columns and arches. Slowly but surely, a misty palace formed, it was both terrible and beautiful, brutal and delicate, warlike and peaceful, it scared me. "We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised in a strained voice, "once more it will be stronger and greater than Olympus, look Thalia, we are not weak by any measure." He pointed down at the beach, we all looked, there was an army. The army was formed from a nightmare, Cyclops, Harpies, Demigods, Dracanae, Dwarves, Hellhounds, Laestrygonians, even some Dementor like creatures, and more things than I could put a name to. "This is only a taste of what is to come, soon we will be ready to storm Camp Halfblood, and after that Olympus itself, all we need is your help."

Thalia stared at him, her eyes wet with tears, "you aren't Luke, I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded, "please, don't make me… don't make him destroy you." We had no time to talk anymore, if the army got to the top of the hill this was all over, Percy met our eyes.

"Now!" Percy called, we charged.