Was I scared about becoming Artemis's new lieutenant?

No.

Was I very scared about becoming Artemis's new lieutenant?

Not even.

Was I terrified about becoming Artemis's new lieutenant?

Absolutely.

So much for being courageous.

The funny thing was: I had survived through my mom's drunken rages, Jason's disappearance, scores of monsters sent by Corpse Breath, got turned into a tree for six years straight, fought my old best friend, and accidentally kicked the said boy down Mount Tamalpais.

And here's the best thing yet—I was scared of being the lieutenant of eleven girls in silver camouflage. Eleven girls in silver camo.

Why did I agree to do this?

Right after the winter solstice ended, Artemis just had to "drag" me out of the throne room to have a serious talk with me. I must say that I wasn't very enthusiastic about having a very private conversation with a goddess. I tended to aggravate them—them meaning the gods of Mount Olympus—very easily, and the last thing I needed was to be kicked out of the Hunt within the first five minutes I was sworn in. I would have set a world record, I bet, and the Hunters would never let me hear the end of it. Damn my personality.

Artemis took me through Olympus, and to say that the paths around the city were confusing is an underestimate. There were floating doors that the moon goddess took me through that gave me vertigo, paths winding in tight circles, and anti-gravity ones that flipped you upside down. By the time we had gotten to a little forest, my eyes were spinning around their sockets. I silently promised to myself that I would never, ever go to this forest glade again—and ended up breaking it the day after the winter solstice. In other words, my birthday was none too pleasant. My sixteenth birthday. Ah, well...there are only so many ways to wriggle out of a prophecy that predicts the end of Western Civilization.

"All right, Thalia." Artemis turned to face me, and I noticeably swallowed.

Dear Father: If I do not survive this incredibly dangerous conversation with my immortal half-sister, I will come from Hades and kick your skinny little butt down Mount Olympus. From: Your daughter. My mental obituary made me feel slightly better until Zeus's voice slammed into my head: You will do no such thing, Thalia Grace!

"I was being sarcastic!" I hastily said. Artemis raised an eyebrow as I talked into thin air. To many people/immortals, talking into thin air was the first sign of insanity. I couldn't resist to add in an undertone, "You do not know how much you sound like Mom right now, Father..."

I HEARD THAT! Zeus's voice thundered through my head. I hurriedly proceeded to raise my hands in surrender. Artemis interlaced her fingers. "Well, Thalia, you do seem to excel in the area of...angering the king of the gods, or your father, if I may, to the point when he would have blasted you if you weren't his daughter."

I winced. "You heard that?"

"The whole five-phrase conversation," Artemis calmly answered. "And no, Thalia, I will not incinerate you into a million fiery flames. Although, I will admit...you do have a serious attitude problem. You are reckless, insulting, irritating at times, and need anger management lessons."

After I had practically wilted into the ground with relief, I answered, "I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment. I kind of like being reckless, insulting, irritating, and out-of-control."

Artemis shrugged and said, "Take it as a compliment."

I fidgeted. "I don't suppose that your intention of coming here related to telling me off with all the bad traits I have?"

"Well, no," Artemis admitted. "I will get to the point right now...close your eyes, and clear your mind of all thoughts, worries, and fears. And please, try to resist the urge to kill anything that you see."

As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt like I was whizzing through the strands of time itself. It was sort of like a thousand volts of electricity arcing through your body in a good way—like a comforting tingling sensation throughout your whole body. Through my mind, I saw every single Hunter that had been sworn into her Hunt. I heard Artemis's voice, calm and clear: Open your eyes, Thalia.

My eyes flew open, drinking in my new surroundings. I inhaled the crisp, fresh, and cold air as I assessed the place I was in.

"You're witnessing the first Hunter who has ever existed." I turned around to see the twelve-year old version of Artemis standing next to me, watching her "younger" self place a silver circlet on a girl with brown hair.

"Who is she?" I asked. Artemis smiled as she softly answered, "Lilla. She was killed during a skirmish with a couple of chimera. Her successor, you will see in a moment."

Artemis took my hand and we sprinted through the strands of time again, this time stopping at a mountain that I knew so well and hated: Mount Tamalpais. I stifled a cough as I saw Zoë Nightshade kneel down and repeat the words that I myself had said only about an hour ago.

Artemis smiled at my dumbfounded expression. "Three is a powerful number, Thalia. You're my third lieutenant in the history of the Hunt. Come, follow me."

The moon goddess grasped my hand again and we were whisked to a very bloody scene where a war was taking place. I caught sight of towering brown walls, little figures in Greek armor pounding against it, clashing against more soldiers who were defending the walls. Amongst all the bronze and brown, I caught the flash of occasional silver from the Trojan side.

"You sided with King Priam," I said. "The Trojans, in the Trojan War."

"Yes," Artemis said sadly, "and lost many good Hunters during that war." She sighed as a Hunter fell from battlement. "Achilles slayed many of the Hunters, as well. Do you know your history?"

"Paris killed Achilles," I said, struggling to access the hazy memory. Artemis stared at the ferocious battle. "That is what many mythology books say, and they are all wrong. Homer himself did not read that part of the story clearly. I forbade it." She and I whizzed through a couple more years and we were standing besides Zoë, whose eyes were narrowed in concentration as she slowly nocked a wooden arrow, no doubt obtained from some Trojan soldier, into her bow. My eyes widened as I saw her eyes zero in on Achilles' heel, his mortal point. Zoë let the arrow fly, and it hit home. Achilles' gasped in pain and toppled, his knees buckling beneath him.

Artemis placed a hand on my shoulder and we flashed into the Roman times. There, I saw Artemis in a different form. She looked older and a lot more sterner, and a whole other band of Hunters that I did not recognize following her. Artemis looked at me, her eyes deadly serious. "You must not tell anybody that you saw this, Thalia Grace. I trust you to keep this secret." She gestured towards herself and the whole other band of Hunters. "I am in my Roman form, Thalia...and those are the Hunters of Diana. We were one of the two virgin groups in the Ancient Roman empire, although the Vestal Virgins were, by far, the better known." She swept her hand across the forest. "My Hunters of Artemis, on the other hand, went into hiding as I had suggested. They could not risk being caught by the Roman authorities, since they were scouring the empire for demigods of Greek origin. Only a few were able to escape their grasp by the end of the Roman Empire."

I was confused. "So, you have two distinct forms: Greek and Roman?"

Artemis wavered. "Yes, Thalia, but we need not to get into that. Let us go to present day."

We ripped through a couple more images and my eyes suddenly flew open in the real world. I was on the ground, breathing harshly through what I had just seen. I picked myself up and faced Artemis. "What was that all about, anyways?"

Artemis tilted her head. "Tell me, Thalia...are you scared?"

I started to say "Yes", but then stopped as I considered my feelings. Was I scared? Yes. Am I scared now? No.

Hmm...maybe bloody images really do help to keep me on my toes.