I needed cloth. The only reason I'd left my beautiful forest and teleported halfway around the world to India was because of cloth. Hundreds of years ago, I could have snapped my fingers and half a dozen nymphs would be pawing at my sides trying to hand me delicate strips of cloth. I'd given that up. I had run from Olympus and I was happy. There were no rules in the wild. No responsibilities and no evil step mothers that gave daily attempts at beating you to death. Unfortunately that also meant I had to shop. The reason I teleported to India was simple. I was incognito, trying to avoid attention lest my siblings snatch me up. It had happened before. I was going to make a new chiton for one of my hunters, she had ripped hers when she was hunting with me.

So I weaved gracefully between the mass of people, my feet padding silently on the dirt. Already I could feel stares
boring into my back. No matter how small and unimportant you looked, no one could ignore the presence of a
goddess. I continued picking my way through stalls. Automatically my brain began zeroing in on targets, my gaze
panned smoothly across the markets, choosing the most efficient way to kill. A cow, 13 meters to my left was old and
sore. An easy target. A hen held in the hands of a male mortal. An arrow through the neck would be almost too
simple. And it wasn't just animals, the humans milling around me were all potential threats. I was constantly deciding new plans of action and at the same time, acting as though I was interested in every product.

Finally a stall came into view, with strands of cloth folded neatly and draped across the small table, a man stood facing
away from me. Something bothered me about the stall. I kept my distance, slowly circling it while still managing to
look interested in every booth. The man continued to face the opposite direction, turning with me. I was losing my
patience and was about to march over to him and demand to see his face when a low and strangely familiar voice
spoke.

"Are you lost?" I spun around to face a tall and heavily muscled man. Even I, a virgin goddess, could appreciate how
attractive he was. He had black hair, the same as me but mine was impossibly darker, that curled in. His skin was
lightly tanned and his face was chiseled and beautiful. He wore a leather jacket and sunglasses, looking severely out of
place among the poor men and women all around.

"Who are you?" Apparently my question is amusing because he chuckles. "You did not answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine." He says. I glared at him. "No I am not lost, now if you will excuse me, I am leaving now." I turned to go, but a
hand on my shoulder swung me back around to face him.

A cold shiver ran through my spine. "Who are you?" I asked again. But even as I asked I already knew.
"You don't recognize your own brother?" Ares asked, still clearly amused.

I could teleport away, but he would no doubt grab me and I would have to transport us both. That would tire me and
he would still be right next to me. There may be more of my siblings here, if I attack him it would undoubtedly attract
attention. So I ran. As I shot off into the crowd with as much speed and agility as ever, I heard Ares shout out for help.
I only caught a glimpse of a pair of shockingly blue eyes before the crowd swallowed me again.

I ran until I sighted a gap in the crowd, where I could teleport without any chance of being grabbed. I dashed towards
it. Closing my eyes, I concentrated, ignoring my pounding heart. I felt my body begin to drift away and had begun to
think I had gotten away when I was tackled to the ground. The air exploded from my chest, and I landed badly,
jarring my wrist. I cursed in Greek and shoved my twin's body off of me. I twisted around and got the first good look og my brother in hundreds of years. He looked the same and yet so very different since I last saw him. His blonde hair no longer reached his waist, instead it fell in soft waves to his shoulders.
His face looked more gaunt and strained, but the main difference was his eyes. They were the same vivid blue, but
now they were full of pain and didn't belong to the bright and happy sun-god I knew.

I snapped out of my memories. I had to get out of here. I sprang to my feet and whirled around, coming face-to-face
with a very solid Ares. Then to my left the shop keeper walked forwards. He had bright, spring green eyes and wind-swept sandy blonde hair. Hermes. I was surrounded.

Apollo stepped forwards with his hands raised in a placating gesture. Exactly how I would approach a cornered animal,
and at the moment I was feeling very much like one. "It's okay, sister. We won't hurt you." He took another step
forwards. Too silver bow appeared in my hands and in one smooth motion almost too swift to follow, I had plucked an equally silver arrow from my quiver, notched it and, ignoring the pain in my wrist, pulled it back to full draw. Wisely, Apollo froze. Ares, however did the opposite, grabbing me from behind and shoving me to the ground. I panicked and an instant later we both appeared in my forest.

There was a blinding flash of silver and I was dragged through space, still holding Artemis. We appeared in a
bright forest that was no doubt full of all kinds of violent creatures. Cool. I was brought back to reality when Artemis
began thrashing underneath me. I held onto her until she shoved a knee into my groin. Groaning, I slid down her back.
Artemis staggered to her feet. She was puffing heavily and her cheeks were flushed. Obviously the teleport had taken
more out of her than I'd first thought. Artemis was still standing close-by. I had to act now. Without hesitating, I lunged at her, launching
from the mossy floor. This time I straddled her stomach, making sure to constrict her legs and arms. Suddenly she
went still, all the fight left her limbs and she began to weep.

"I can't go back, Ares." She sobbed. Her body shuddered and more tears spilled out. "I-I can't."
She stared up at me, begging me with those beautiful, silver-green eyes.
"Why don't you want to go back?" Olympus was great, slave-nymphs, a training room and hundreds of willing
women (not that I had ever cared whether they were willing or not). Sure there were downsides, mostly just having to
put up with family members.
Her sobs stopped abruptly and for a moment anger flashed through her eyes and they became unfocused. "I hate it
there! Everybody is cruel, they stab you in the back as easily as I would raise the moon." Her eyes focused on me and
she glared. "Hera is especially cruel. She beats me and torments me. I cannot stand her!"

"We will sort it out." I said. Her glare darkened. "I will not go back!" I chuckled. "You don't have a choice," then, still straddling the huntress, I
teleported us to the throne room of Olympus.

This cannot be happening! I had tried so hard for so long to avoid Olympus. I started hyperventilating and Ares'
weight on my chest was not helping.
A deep voice I recognized as Zeus' spoke, "Ares."
"Yes?"
"Get off Artemis."
"I'd rather not," he looked down at me and grinned. "You love it when I'm on top."
I groaned. Why did the most annoying Olympian have to want me? Ares bent down so his lips brushed my ear and whispered. "Don't try to deny it." Then, his weight flew of my body and in his place stood Apollo. He still had that fragile look in his eyes, that made in look like he hadn't slept in a millennia, but now there was a hopeful glint. I bowed my head. "I'm sorry brother."

Suddenly the doors of the Throne Room were thrown open and a very angry goddess walked in.
Hera. Damn everything.

I hope you enjoyed R&R

Godsabove18