Fallen From Grace

by Macbeth Mouse

Thalia Grace was one of Artemis's Huntresses, sworn to the hunt and to maidenhood for all of eternity. Awash on strange shores and separated from her fellow huntresses, Thalia may have face that she's not America anymore, or perhaps even her world.

The silver arrow was nocked right in the perfect angle to hit her target. Steady, she breathed, steady. Thalia pulled back the to the anchor point on her face, her nose twitching at the fletching. One heartbeat passed, then another, and as her prey moved into position, she released the string from her grasp, letting the arrow fly freely into the night. A thudding sound echoed in the forest, leading her to believe her target had been hit. With the patience only a 937-year-old girl could have, Thalia stalked forward into the clearing shrouded by moonlight.

She couldn't sight her fallen adversary with a few quick glances, which was the first thing that alerted her that something was wrong. When her feet pawing at the ground below made not a sound, she knew she could not attribute it to her unearthly skills, and that was the second thing which was wrong. Trouble always came in threes, but she was far from prepared for when a blinding flash of light illuminated night and sent Thalia falling toward the distant forest floor.

Oddly enough, the ground had felt much more firm beneath her feet.