It was a clouded night, the wanning moon was barely a celestial flotsam in the sky and the forest was as silent as one should be in the grave. The twisted, dark branches blocked the little moonlight, there was a chill mist covering the floor of the woods.
Tonight was a night for the Hunt.
The hooves of a boar padded softly on the cool earth. Only a trained ear would be able to pick it up, even on such a silent night as this. The young huntress pressed against the bark of an elm tree, her fingers poised on the edge of an arrow, ready to string her bow at a moments notice.
She heard the creature's soft snorts and heavy rumbles. She took a sharp breath and glanced back at the boar. It was twice the size of a regular boar; it had an inky black hide and sharp red eyes. Its' tusks were yellowing and stained with the blood of its' former prey. Longer and more pointed then any other natural boar. This was a monster. This was something that had risen from Tartarus.
She leaned against the tree harder. The autumn breeze was a constant factor that was chilled the young huntress to the bone. Her fingers began to fumble on the bow and she clenched her jaw so her teeth wouldn't clatter. Glancing around, she couldn't see the rest of the hunters.
She exhaled and in one fluid motion drew her bow and leaped out towards the boar. It jerked around and began to snarl and grunt. She closed her eyes and released the arrow with a 'plung'.
The arrow blindly hit the side of the boar. The swell of hope in the huntress's chest disappeared when the arrow fell to the side, not even wounding the beast.
The boar, uninjured, felt the arrow and began to charge at her. Its red eyes had ferocious fury in them as it stampeded towards her. She tried to grab another arrow but her hands were shaking too much to get a firm grip. She had nothing to do but start to run. The boar was huge but incredibly fast, it was at her heels. She could hear the snarls and snort and smell its rancid breath. In a mad attempt she tried to scream in vain attempt to draw the others out of their personal hunts.
"THALIA! LADY ARTEMIS!" Tears were welling in her eyes. Her adrenaline from the terror was wearing off.
She was growing tired.
The boar's snout was covered in a foam-like drool. Its teeth were disfigured and pointed. It had a wild anger and a wild hunger. Its prey was slowing, it attacked.
Her pace only faltered for a fraction of a second. But that was all it took. The boar sprang on her, its weight causing her to crash on the ground. Her head snapped against a root and she saw stars as it dug its tusks into her side.
She let out a shriek of pain, but as it intensified she found her self nauseous and nearly blinded by pain. It throbbed in her side as the creature twisted into her and another holler of pain escaped her lips. The pain in her side became numb she placed her hand on her side when she brought it back up she her hand was drenched in her own blood.
"L-Lady Arte…" She managed to say before her vision faded out.
"THALIA! LADY ARTEMIS!" Thalia turned towards the cries. She had been tracking a stag through the woods, an easy target, especially for the lieutenant of Artemis. She lowered her sword; the cries were from a novice hunter. That meant trouble.
"Shit." She mumbled as she took off in direction of the cries. In the corner of her eye she saw the stag bounding off. "She'd better be freaking dying." She muttered under her breath. She continued south at a comfortable pace. She thought the voice to belong to Giana, a very easily frightened girl.
As the huntress came into view, Thalia wished she could take back her words.
The young girl was lying on the forest floor, the side of her face purple and yellow with bruises. Her side had a large, mangled whole in it and sticky dark red blood was still flowing from the wounds.
"Lady Artemis!" Thalia cried as she rushed to the girl's side. She knelt beside her and tried to prop her up. She was nothing but dead weight and slid right off her leg. She could feel no heartbeat. Thalia brushed her fair hair out of her face to see her clearly.
"What happened?" Lady Artemis had appeared a spear in her hand and hunting dogs by her side. Her eyes had a deadly silver glow to them. Thalia shook her head.
"I wasn't here…I…think she's dead." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"She is." Artemis's voice was dark but hushed. She could sense the death of the youth. Even more so the death of one of her hunters. "Was no one with her?" Her voice was louder, directed at the others that had been drawn by the cries. They shook their heads.
"Giana!" A girl that was particularly close to her exclaimed before she collapsed into tears.
Sorrow fell over them all. One of their sisters was dead. Artemis observed the body closer. The deep wound was that of a boar. No ordinary boar either. Artemis narrowed her eyes.
"What's wrong my Lady?" Thalia asked. Artemis stood up, picking up Giana's body.
"Take the girls to Camp Half-Blood. It's not safe out here anymore."
Just a little prologue. I hope you guys like it! Review please.