Atlas's Burden

What if Atlas wasn't holding the sky?

In this story Chelsey is 11 and questioning the world she lives in. A Greek world. Basically, she's sure that Atlas isn't holding up the sky. Read about Chelsey Triz in the Background Information story so I don't have to do extra stuff when writing these stories. Or make your own guesses on what the powers of the daughter of Artemis would have. Also, if you have read the background info, Chelsey doesn't have her dragon arm yet.

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I am a child nomad. A vagrant soul. A wanderer. And with all this time on my hands, I might as well clarify what myths are true and what's false. Let's start with Atlas and the sky. We got rockets into space. I think Artemis would've told me how the gods tricked the humans into thinking they went to space when I was her prisoner still. 

The hardest part of being a wanderer is not being able to change clothes as often as I'd like. At least I have these nice boots. I'll need to get them made bigger or something soon though.

This is going to be a journey. To Sicily we go.

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One week later

My shoulders are still sore from all that flying. I don't know how those birds do it. Anyway, climbing up this stupid mountain now. I'd fly but these stupid ordinary people are for some reason climbing as well.

How am I gonna do this anyway? Atlas has to be holding something heavy, real heavy so it'd make an impact on the surrounding area. Specifically the ground. Probably be smarter to do this at night. It's about six anyway, I can wait a few hours. Buy some dinner, maybe mess with some of Artemis's huntresses if there are any around.

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Five hours later

So I'm right where Atlas is and my only idea is to shove him and run as fast as I can. But I gotta figure out what exactly this thing is and if it's worth messing with Atlas. So I brought paint to try to paint the dang thing to give me a better picture of what it is. I grow dragon wings and fly around the thing, painting as I go. 

Atlas looks just freaky. His muscles are huge. His face has muscles. And he's naked. Very naked. A perverted women would've looked but I won't cause I'm not perverted and I have better things to do.

After a few minutes, I know it's circular and goes about twenty feet in a circle. Also the thing has wing ornaments on the side cause I flew into a wing and nearly died right then. It has some weird lettering on it, I doubt it's Greek but if it was I wouldnt be able to read it regardless. I don't know how everyone gets Greek so easily, I only know omega and beta I think. Luckily my handy dandy stolen phone has a translator on it so I take a picture of the letters and come up with...

Nothing.

Maybe if I painted where Atlas is holding it I'd find the entrance to this tube.

Let's do it!

I carefully paint around his hands and find a slit that appears to be the closing point of the tube itself. Like with most old stone doors it has that slit that immediately says "I'm a door, try to open me!"

So now it's time to get Atlas out of the way.

First to wake him up to ask nicely if he would drop.

I grab a nearby log and smack him across the mouth.

"There was no need to do that, I was already awake, little godling,"

"I'm sorry but I have a question,"

"No."

"But I didn't even ask!" I say, stomping my foot.

"You've been painting this stupid thing, how wouldn't I know the question?"

"Please, I beg you,"

"No."

"Fine, have to do this the hard way then."

"Go ahead, many have tried, what's the difference with you?"

"This."

I morph into a small dragon and ram him with my strength and much heavier mass.

My neck hurts and he didn't even budge.

"Whose child are you? Pan?"

"None of your concern." I growl.

I pull out my bow and shoot him in the groin right in the most vulnerable place.

The stupid arrow bounced off of him. I should just burn him until he drops the thing.

I morph my insides into a dragon's and use the dragon's flame to cook him.

"You are full of surprises aren't you? I think I know whose kid you are. It'd explain the huntresses behind with their bows level at you and why you're here. Eh, daughter of Artemis," he says with a grin.

I choke on the flames and gag. Now this day just got worse.

"Sorry Atlas, but I'll have to kill you unless you drop the damn tube."

"Sure, why not? Artemis will be here to kill you soon now that someone knows if I know her well enough. Or anyone in her position anyway. Might as well let you see him."

"Who?"

"Not even Zeus knows whose in here. He still thinks I'm holding the sky. Fool. Hercules figured it out and told me what it really was."

He sets it down like it was nothing on its side. Then he stomps the ground in the direction of some bushes and I see a group of huntresses fly away. Eh, not my problem.

"Come on, Miss..."

"Chelsey. Chelsey Triz."

"Nice last name. More original than most demigods your age."

"Thank you."

He gestures to enter the tube. I walk inside and find something strange.

A grave. The stone depicting who it was amazed be though.

Uranus.

Decorating his grave was a sky blue suit of armor and a short but broad blue sword, barely seen amidst the various blues in the room.

"Atlas? Would you mind if I took this armor and this sword? It'd give me a fighting chance against Artemis." I ask timidly.

"I doubt you could. It's very heavy and I haven't been able to pull it out. I sometimes wondered if the words on the walls told you how to make the things lighter or something but I can't read the elder language. Only Gaea could and I'm not going to tell her what this really is."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes, you can."

I pull on the sword first and fail. Then I try it with the strength of the dragon, because it's the only useful creature in my repertoire of creatures.

And fail.

I am going to die. So I'm mad. I'm gonna break that ugly statue of a tiny man.

I pull out the grave stone and throw it as hard as I can at the head. It sails across the room and knocks the head off.

The room begins to glow.

What did I do?

"What did you do!" Atlas yells.

The armor and sword begin to glow and rise into the air. They begin to spin around the room. I hear whispers, thousands of whispers. And images. So many its hard to tell what they are. Except one. Chronos killing Uranus.

Then a whisper rises above the rest.

"I assume you are here, Artemis child, to take this armor and sword to aid your fight against your mother. But it is too heavy, is it not? There is a way though. But it'll require a sacrifice on your part. You must lose your arm and grow a new one. The armor I can make light enough for you to wear but the sword I can not. Are you ready, Chelsey Triz?"

"Who are you?"

"The killer, who else?"

I feel my arm chopped away in an instant. Pain fills me of such degree I can't speak.

"Now. Grow a dragon arm. The dragon is the king of air and land. It alone has the strength to wield this weapon."

I don't know how. I just envision the strength of the dragon in my arms and then it happens. Pain so fast and fierce it doesn't register till it's done.

My arm is gone. And in its place, is a huge muscled creature of green scales.

A dragon arm.

The room is done glowing. I don't see my arm. I stand up and test the new arm.

"Chelsey, I don't know what just happened but I see your mother. Please hurry, she can't see this place."

I grab all the armor and the sword and walk out. I put on the armor as Atlas places the grave back on his shoulders. I swing around the sword with ease.

Tonight my mother's tyranny ends. And my new life begins.

My mother walks up the hill in plain deer skin. She doesn't seem sad. She seems happy. Happy that this secret she made will end.

She pulls out a hunting knife and her bow. I pull out my bow and fire a shot. She uses her own powers to hold back the arrow and redirect it at me. I do the same.

For a time we play this game till we are nearly five feet away from each other. Then I swing my blue sword at her with brutal force. It nearly cuts her head off and ends up cutting off some of her long red hair.

I smile evilly and swing again. She nimbly dodges and tries to cut me. I pull up dragon skin to block her blow then level the blade at her neck.

"Continue and you will die." I say evenly.

"Where did you get this sword? And what happened to your arm?" she replies, stumbling on her words.

"None of your concern. If you wish to continue fighting, you will die. As of now, I am something else entirely. A lady of the dragons, or something. It's better than being your daughter. At least I'd live."

"One day they'll find out. And we'll both die."

"I don't care. Let them find out. They'll have a war."

"And we'll die regardless. And be tortured in Hades."

"Go before I kill you and begin the war."

She gives me one last begging look and leaves. I think I might get some cigarettes. Always seems to help messed up people not kill themselves. Well, what will I do now that I can walk the world in peace? Maybe find a way to keep my arm hidden and get adopted. Go to school. Fall in love. Get married. Have kids.

Or I can just go and try to find a way out of this world of Greek gods and goddesses. I like that idea actually. Only problem is that we're blocked off from the unimensions to avoid war. Might be a good idea to look into portals.