The Child of the Hunt
A/N: Ok so this is my first real try at a fanfiction and I hope people will not want to throw it in a fire. Also please don't write stupid comments like my story sucks it's not useful information and if you have any suggestions just write it, because I WANT criticism and helpful comments just not flames ok? Thanks, and please enjoy my story!
Chapter 1: The boy in the Forest
Artemis POV:
The hunt was out tracking the Minotaur and some other monsters and we had split up to cover more space when Zoe called out my name from somewhere in the forest. I immediately flashed down to where she was standing her bow aimed at a baby child.
"Put the bow down, Zoe"
Apologizing, she put it down. I knelt down to check if their was anything written on the basket and there was:
"Dear Artemis,
I know you will not like what I am about to tell you, but I have to. The boy in the basket is my son seeing as I will not be able to hide it from Zeus that I am no longer a maiden I thought you would be the only person trusting enough to take care of my son seeing as you manage to hide the Hunt from Zeus anyway. Please don't kill my son you can raise him into the perfect man just please don't act to quickly.
Love,
Hestia"
"Zoe, this is a demigod!" I told her stating the obvious.
"So? He's a boy why should it matter if he is mortal or a demigod?" She answered, making me proud that even in this kind of situation she stands to her oath.
"Well he is a baby, with no outside influence except that he is the son of Hestia", I told her, muttering the last bit.
"HESTIA BROKE HER OATH?", she basically screamed out into the night. The gods could probably here her from Olympus.
"Well apparently because otherwise we wouldn't be here right now, but do you understand what this means? I can finally raise a boy to be the perfect man and be my son whilst still being a maiden!" I told her hoping she would understand where I was going with this.
"I know that you want to keep the boy and I'm ok with it as long as he doesn't turn out to be like the typical male, though I am not sure how the rest of the hunters will take it."
Line Break
Still Artemis POV:
Zoe and me went back to camp with the basket in my hands. No one had returned from the hunting yet so I prepared everything for my new son. When I finished almost everyone had returned from chasing the monsters and succeeded in killing each and every one.
At the campfire I stood up to tell everyone about my son.
"Everyone listen up, this is not up to discussion since I already made my choice we are going to have a new member in the hunt. He is a son of Hestia and still a baby so don't even think about touching him. If anyone hurts him they will not only face the wrath of Hestia, but also me seeing as I will be adopting him. His name shall be Perseus" I could hear the hunters whispering to one and other.
"Did she just say HIM?"
"Hestia broke her oath? With whom?"
"I don't know the details of how Perseus came to be, but the only thing that matters that he will NOT be treated with disrespect. Once he is old enough anyone that wants to can help me with training him, and I repeat WANTS to help me. Everyone raise their hand who would willingly help me with raising Perseus" I asked everyone.
Surprisingly Zoe and Phoebe immediately raised their hands, but very few others wanted to help raise a boy. Had it been a girl most likely everyone would have wanted to help.
Line break
(Time skip 10 years later)
Percy POV:
Life is great in the hunt, at first some of the hunters despised me and just ignored me, but some of them really seemed to like me being at the Hunters camp. Phoebe had become something in the role of my sister, Artemis obviously took on the role of my mom, and Zoe and I had become best friends. There was never really a time when you didn't see Zoe and me hanging out of training. Today was my test so I could officially join the hunt. All I had to do was beat someone of my choice in archery, climbing, and hunting. Even at the age of just 10 I could take on most hunters, but I wanted a challenge so I picked Zoe as my opponent. It was going to be tuff, but I thought I could do it.
Zoe and me stood 100 meters away from the archery targets, whoever shot better would win the first discipline. If we both shot the same it would come down to checking who shot quicker.
Phoebe pulled out a stopwatch and nodded at me to start. I wanted to impress my mother so I tried my strategy to win this part of the challenge. I pulled the drawstring back only a bit and shot the arrow up. Notching another arrow in the blink of an eye I had shot my second arrow at full power straight through my first shot arrow pinning it sideways at the target. I did the same procedure three times every time in a different position. After I finished I looked over at Zoe who was grinning thinking I had not gotten anything good. On our way to the targets Zoe and me talked quickly about the challenge.
"You obviously lost, you never even hit bulls eye."
When my only reaction was a smirk she started frowning as our targets came into view. On Zoe's every single arrow was in bulls eye, but when they looked at mine everyone's mouth dropped open. All my arrows had spelled out a big Z. Even Artemis was impressed.
"I guess I'm leading 1-0 currently." I told her purposely acting like Apollo.
The next competition would be a lot harder. Climbing in the trees against a 1000 year old huntress. This was going to be difficult.
The track was set up to where the tree branches were set up like 200 meter long Monkey bars. Eager to start I warmed myself up. Phoebe nodded at us again and we started. Already in the first few meters Zoe had a considerable lead. She managed to finish in one minute and 20 seconds. At that time I was still in the middle of the course wondering how she was already there. A minute late I finished.
"1-1 now isn't it?" She said rubbing it in my face that I haven't already beaten her and the final challenge was about to start.
The final competition was going to be hunting. Even though Zoe has been a hunter for quite sometime now I liked my chances. The challenge was whoever could kill the hardest monster and bring back a trophy that person would win.
Once again Phoebe nodded and started the challenge. I raced off into the woods to quickly find a monster. Not sure if it was luck, but I soon found a Hydra. I lit my one hand on fire (A power I got from being a son of Hestia) and in my other hand I took out my sword Anaklusmos, a gift which I got from Zoe for my eighth birthday. I quickly swiped up at one of the heads and cutting it off and shot a flame out at the head. I proceeded to do this to the other seven heads that were left.
When I finally had killed it I was surprised as to what the spoil of war was, a claw had dropped down. I picked it up, hoping it would be enough to prove that I had killed a hydra.
I turned around to go back to camp. When I arrived, Zoe was already the center of attention. I cleared my throat to let them know I was here. I saw what Zoe had in her hand and was slightly impressed; she had a minotaur horn in one hand and her hunting knife in the other. Artemis walked over, "Hello Perseus what did you kill?"
"I managed to kill a hydra and I have one of its claws to prove it. Artemis looked surprised, "A hydra you say, let me see the claw." After a long minute she proved my claim as correct saying it was indeed a hydra claw and that I had officially managed to be the first man to fully join the hunters.
I was celebrating with the Hunters when a voice came from behind me, "Well done Percy, you did well facing off against Zoe." Guessing who it was I turned around, "Hello mom, I honestly didn't think you would come to the celebration." "What mother misses her only sons success?" She said a little shocked I would think such a thing from her. Hestia turned around looking in something that looked like a handbag. "Now, I got you a gift for officially joining the hunt." She handed me a pair of knifes that were red and decorated with moving flames so it looked like the blades were made out of pure flame. I stared at them in awe for a couple of minutes until I noticed Hestia was trying to stifle a laugh. "You know that is not the only thing special about the blades right? Think of them as a bow. And then just wait." A bit confused I did. I felt the blades shifting into something longer and a bit heavier. It was a bow and it was beautiful. "The bow is enchanted to never run out of arrows just pull the string and a arrow will be notched." Hestia said sounding a bit proud of her work. "Thank you, mom." She hugged me goodbye saying she had to go back to Olympus.
Just when she was gone a rustling was heard from around the camp. The Hunters drew their bow. As the rustling got closer the Hunters formed a tight circle to make sure no one could be attacked from the back. I looked back into the woods to try and see what was there just as a giant shadow appeared in front of the assembled hunters.