The last thing Phoebe remembered was the rage building up inside of her at the sight of Celyn and Naomi's still bodies on the floor. Then a sharp pain spread throughout her as an arrow embedded itself in her gut.
Everything went dark as she crumpled.
Phoebe's eyes flickered open. Above her, she could see the silhouettes of two girls, both looking down at her. She blinked a few times, and their faces came into focus. Celyn and Naomi smiled.
"What in Hades...?" Phoebe began.
Celyn laughed. "'Hades' is the right term."
Phoebe felt a chill run through her. She surveyed her surroundings, noting the dark walls of Erebos. All around her, souls lingered, some of them flickering, others wailing and moaning. Before her, the waters of the Styx shimmered.
"I'm dead," she whispered.
'Dead'. The word was not an unfamiliar one. The Hunters hunted and killed wild beasts after all. The word was commonly uttered during every hunt. But 'I'm' and 'dead' just felt strange together for Phoebe. She had been a regular demigod, a daughter of Apollo, when she joined the Hunt. That was thousands of years ago.
But strangely, as she gazed at the Styx, at the approaching figure of Charon returning on his boat to ferry more passengers, she felt a sense of calm, of peace. It had been over a thousand years... Phoebe felt like she was going to sleep after a long day.
"Should we take this next one?" Naomi asked, as Charon docked. The Hunter bit her lip. Naomi was new to the Hunt, having been with them for only a few years. She wasn't all that ready to die, but there was no turning back.
Phoebe closed her eyes for one moment. This was it. "Yes," she said.
"Wait up!"
The three Hunters turned, their eyes widening at the sight of several other Hunters and Amazons, including Kinzie, walking up to them. Some looked rather upset that they were dead, but most of them were beaming and waving. Phoebe understood. Though they had not had the privilege of living for over a thousand years like she did, some of them have been around for hundreds. And they were happy enough to know that they went down fighting Orion.
"We're taking this one together," Kinzie said. "Hopefully Charon will have enough space in his boat for all of us."
#
Phoebe had heard a lot of stories about Elysium in her lifetime. But nothing prepared her for what she saw as she stepped through the gates. Hills rose in the distance, dotted with trees. Woods, just like the ones the Hunters always hunted in. Flowers of every size, shape and colour bloomed everywhere, spreading out for acres and acres. Streams glittering in the bright artificial sunlight snaked their way past gleaming mansions and villas. The sound of joyous laughter floated on the light breeze, and there was a slight whiff of barbecue in the air.
"Okay, this might not be so bad," Naomi said.
Kinzie beamed at the Hunters. "See you around," she said, before hurrying off with the other fallen Amazons.
Phoebe was about to suggest looking around, when she heard a voice.
"Hello, Phoebe."
The Hunter whirled around, and came face to face with Zoe Nightshade. Zoe hadn't changed in the least bit. She looked exactly like the fellow Hunter Phoebe had known for the past thousand years, with her shining black eyes and regal look. For one moment, both Hunters stood where they were, Phoebe staring at Zoe and Zoe merely smiling.
Phoebe threw her arms around Zoe, almost squeezing the breath out of her. Zoe patted her fellow Hunter on the back. "It's good to see thy, Phoebe. Welcome to Elysium."
Phoebe let go of her sister-in-arm, and took a step back. Her vision blurred as tears brimmed her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. "Lady Artemis put you in the stars."
Zoe nodded, looking a little wistful. "I miss her," she said.
Phoebe glanced back at the gates of Elysium. She sighed. "Lady Artemis was good to us. I will miss being a Hunter."
Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Oh, what makes thy think thy stops being a Hunter after death?"
Phoebe turned back to Zoe. A small smile spread across the latter's face.
Zoe glanced at Celyn and Naomi, who had been watching. Neither knew Zoe very well, as they had been under different lieutenants. Zoe held out a hand. "Come," she said.
#
They gathered at the foot of the hill. The silvery tents were so similar Phoebe nearly teared up again. Lounging around the campsite were about forty or fifty Hunters, some of whom Phoebe didn't recognise, others she remembered from the second Titanomachy.
"Phoebe!" Several girls flung themselves at their sister-in-arms, tackling her to the ground. Celyn and Naomi received equally enthusiastic responses from other Hunters they knew. All of them were still dressed in silver hunting tunics, quivers of arrows on their backs and bows strung over their shoulders.
"Is that new girl, Bianca, here?" she asked Zoe, getting to her feet as she managed to free herself from the tangle of arms.
Zoe shook her head. "She chose to be reborn a while ago." The former lieutenant glanced up at the hills. "Anyway..."
"There aren't monsters to hunt in Elysium, are there?" Phoebe asked.
Zoe's eyes sparkled. "In Elysium, we're supposed to be eternally happy. Thus, it provides us with what makes us happy."
"Like monsters to hunt."
"Precisely."
An angry roar echoed from the hills, startling several Hunters. All of them immediately grabbed hold of their weapons, their eyes gleaming. The familiar sound of the hunting horn that came next sent thrills through Phoebe.
Zoe smiled, as she and Phoebe nocked their arrows. "Just like old times?" Phoebe said.
"Just like old times." She turned to face the hills. "For Artemis!" Her call rang out through the company of Hunters.
"For Artemis!" the girls echoed. The Hunters of Artemis raced up the hill and into the woods, their shouts and laughter echoing all the way to the Isles of the Blest.
I just think Phoebe and the rest of the Hunters deserve more love.
I'm also not sure if there is ever night in Elysium, as the sunlight is artificial so there isn't that usual cycle... and some souls could be afraid of the dark.