So during the Titan's Curse, Thalia and Zoë mentioned a meeting that had taken place while Thalia, Annabeth, and Luke were running away. What exactly is that story? Read to find out!
I shivered as the warm fire crackled in the dark. The flames reached for the stars in it's orange reddish flames. Sure the fire was small, but it was still something. The millions of stars lit the sky up with constellations everywhere. A beautiful night.
I brought my nearly ripped up army jacket closer, my teeth nearly chattering.
Annabeth grumbled in her sleep then turned her back at me, shivering.
What a harsh winter.
I smiled despite myself, staring at Luke in the eyes.
"It's hard, isn't it?" he asked me. I frowned, leaning closer toward the fire. The flames seemed to reach for me. "I mean running away. All that."
Oh, that.
Believe me, it's hard running away while you have an army of monsters after you.
It's time I introduce myself.
I'm Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. I'm the "Forbidden" child. If I was so forbidden, don't you think I would have never been alive?
Exactly.
See, the Big Three (Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades) made a pact to have no more kids because we were causing way too much trouble. After all, War World II was caused because of us.
Then Zeus met my mom. Daughter of a bitch. Apparently a starlet too.
Though, I can tell you, I have no clue how she got an agent. She can't act for her life.
Anyway, I was the result in the end. And don't you would think my mom would respect me since I was daughter of the King of Gods and her kid. Right?
She didn't.
In fact, she was a complete jerk.
Anyway, when I was ten, I had enough. I ran away.
While running away, I met Luke who was running away from pyscho monsters too. So we became a duo. Then we met Annabeth, only seven, yet she still ran away.
And that's how we became a trio.
We all had horrible families, one connection that kept us alive and bonded.
I shrugged, poking a stick into the fire. A breeze rustled Annabeth's blond hair. She hugged her legs and leaned closer to the fire.
"Sure worth it though."
Luke laughed nervously. "Yeah." He fidgeted while his eyes drooped. Gods, he must be exhausted.
"I'll take first watch, okay?" I told him. Luke started to nod, his blond bangs covering his eyes, when then he stopped and shook his head vigorously.
"No, Thalia. I'll take first watch," he stood up shakily, and slowly started to walk toward the nearest tree, where he would be able to watch the forest for any monsters.
I frowned. "You've been taking watch every night! What's wrong with you?!" I brushed some pine needles off my pants as I stood up.
Luke faced me, his eyes, sad.
"It's that you might fall asleep and then the monsters come–"
"Stop," I said firmly. What a lame excuse. He knew I could handle a couple of hours without sleep. I planted my feet where I stood and placed my hands on my hips. "That's a complete lie. That's not the reason why. If we're such good friends, don't you think we both should know the truth?"
Luke sighed. He walked back toward the fire, the moon's reflection in his eyes.
He sat crossed legged across from me and grabbed a stick. He cleared some grass and started to draw pictures in the dirt.
"It's dreams," he started, drawing a long face. I recognized a woman. He looked up and stared at my eyes. "I've been having dreams."
I frowned. "What? Don't we all have dreams?"
Luke's eyes became wide with fear. "No, Thalia. You haven't had my dreams. They can't be as horrible as mine."
I rolled my eyes. "Uh huh. Prove it."
Luke shivered, this time, not from the cold. "My mother, she has these fits–"
"So does my mom," I interrupted.
Every time some monster would attack, which was often, she would have a huge fit. It was always the same excuse, endangering the "family." Seriously, the only people she considered family were herself and her actor boyfriend. I was out of the picture.
Luke shook his head, a grimace on his lips.
"My mom is... different. Her face is unnatural. And when she has these fits... Her eyes change colors and she speaks in a different voice." I shivered, wondering what he meant by unnatural face. Creepy by the sound of it.
And different voices and eyes? That was not normal.
Luke stopped drawing and placed the stick to his side. On the grounds was a clear sketch of a woman with an unnaturally long face and tufts of hair.
"She also speaks to Medusa dolls and–"
"Stop," I said, flinching as images of a woman talking to Medusa dolls seeped into my mind. "That is creepy," I admitted.
Luke smirked. "Thought so. Well now you see why I hate sleeping."
"But you can't avoid it!" I cried.
"Avoid what?" said an erie voice from behind. A gruff voice with heavy breathing.
I saw Luke pale as he looked above my head.
The breathing was shallow, a beat.
I flinched, no human could have such a gruff voice. I slowly turned around.
Towering over me, was a ten foot cyclops. He wore overalls and had sandals. In his hands was a huge club.
Oh gods.
I inched away as the cyclops crouched, looking at me in the eye.
"Tasty half-blood!" he boomed. "Come closer tasty half-blood!"
"Uhhh?" someone said behind me.
Oh no. Annabeth had woken up.
I reached for my spear, which lay close to Luke.
1, 2, 3. I jumped and rolled grabbing my spear.
"Come on!" I yelled. Luke was at my side with Annabeth on his back.
We froze as three more cyclops appeared from the forest, each grinning at the sight of us.
"Oh shit," Luke muttered. Annabeth took out her knife, a determined expression on her face.
Problem, there were four of them, three of us.
Luke gently placed Annabeth on the ground and unsheathed his sword.
"Ready?" he asked me.
I gulped then nodded.
"Yeah."
"WATCH OUT!" screamed Annabeth. I rolled out of the way just in time as a club came crashing down an inch away from Luke.
Luke whirled around and stabbed the cyclops in the shin, but it probably didn't hurt him more than a bee sting hurts us.
My spear sparkled with electricity as I brought it crashing down on the cyclops foot.
Problem, there were three other cyclops advancing toward us.
A cyclops behind me knocked Luke off his feet and sent him flying toward our nearly destroyed camp.
"LUKE!" Annabeth screamed. I dodged a cyclops' hands, which left a mark on my cheek.
Annabeth suddenly screamed in horror as a cyclops sent her flying across the camp. She landed with a Thund!
Now it was one vs. four. Oh gods.
I edged toward the fire, where I could see them better.
There they were, grinning at me, knowing I was about to die.
A horn blew in the distance.
Wait, a horn?
About twelve girls around my age stepped away from the trees, each wearing the same outfit of white polo shirts, silvery camouflage pants, and black shiny combat boots. Each girl had a sword at their side, a bow slung behind their back and a quiver of arrows also behind their back.
They seemed to glow in the moonlight, as if they were a part of it.
A cyclops grunted at the sight of them.
"We eat Hunters too," he proclaimed to the other cyclops.
"Euge!" they said in harmony.
A girl stepped forward. She had auburn hair that flowed with the wind and eyes the color of the moon itself.
"Not so," she stated. "Monsters have no mercy with the Hunter of Artemis, and for that, you will be destroyed." She turned toward the other girls. "Arrows!" Each girl, with amazing speed, placed an arrow on their bows and tightened the strings. "Fire!" The girl commanded.
With amazing accuracy, the arrows consumed the four cyclops. And the only thing left, were overalls, sandals and clubs.
Annabeth moaned, sitting up slowly. Her left eye was swollen and her arm was starting to turn green.
Some girls ran toward her with rolls of bandages while others ran to Luke, warily.
The lead girl walked toward me, with another girl behind her.
The other girl had a silver circlet in her jet black braided hair. Her copper skin glowed in the light and her dark eyes shown with admire toward the girl in front of her.
"Thalia Grace, do you know who I am?" the girl asked as she approached me.
I shook my head wearily. Gods I was tired.
"I, am Artemis, goddess of the Hunt. This is Zoë, my lieutenant." I nodded.
"Thank you for our help, Lady."
Artemis nodded. "Thalia, we have heard many things about you. Mainly that you are a good fighter," she started. "The Hunters of Artemis are all good fighters, maidens with good hearts."
I nodded again, getting worried. "I can see that."
"Would you like to join the Hunt?" Artemis asked calmly. "You would become an excellent Hunter."
I knew it would be something like that. I frowned, trying to remember what I knew about the Hunters of Artemis. They traveled all over the country fighting monsters. They got cool weapons. They were a family and were respected.
That was what I wanted in life. Respect.
I already had an amazing family, I just wanted respect now.
Suddenly a fact flashed in my mind. They despised boys. They rarely had contact with boys.
Luke was a boy.
No way I could leave Luke. No way.
"Lady, I can't," I said in a rush of words.
Zoë stepped forward. "May I ask why not?" she asked coldly, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Because I would have to leave Luke," I said in the same tone as her.
"Boys are nothing in the world. They leave thee heartbroken again and again, thee must learn that now."
"What?!" I said, what an absurd thing! Maybe that happened to Zoë, but then again, if I were the guy, I would probably do the same thing. I did not like her for one minute. "Luke would never leave me!"
"The boy will let thy down one day. He will not be the same. And when thy look for him all over the place, he will not be there. And thee will be all alone. Mark my words."
What was she thinking? She didn't even know Luke!
Hatred for that princess brat surged through my veins.
"Luke will never let me down!" I nearly shouted.
"Boys change. He will let thy down, Thalia Grace. There will be a time, when he is not the same boy he was. Take heed of my warning, girl." Zoë turned around and walked toward the Hunters.
I froze in place, watching her go. Luke let me down? Luke wouldn't do that.
Right?
Artemis looked at me sadly. "Do not get disturbed by Zoë, she's had a bad life." I brushed a tear from my eye and stared into Artemis' eyes.
"Are boys really that bad?" I asked her. I felt like a fool, but I had to ask that question.
Artemis started to walk toward the Hunters, but suddenly turned around and regarded me kindly. "It is for you to decide that, Thalia."
What do you think? And no it isn't the same cyclops as the one in Brooklyn. Reviews!