One:

Hemithea

She was born on the island of Naxos in what came to be called the age of myths. Named Hemithea, she was a princess, one of three daughters.

Her childhood was mostly a blur. Mother was never seen much since she was so very busy with her own affairs. As for Father . . . well, like a proper child of Dionysus, the most important thing in his life was his wine.

Hemithea's oldest sister was named Rhoeo. A perfect portrait of beauty, she had lovely hair, teeth, and eyes that sparkled in the sunlight by the water. Rhoeo wasn't bad, as sisters go. She offered advice and played games when asked. The main difference between them was in their hopes and dreams.

"What do you want to do someday?" a young Hemithea asked her sister one night as they gazed up at the stars.

"Find love," Rhoeo said.

"That's great," she said, smiling. "But what about after? Don't you want to go somewhere?"

"Maybe someday." But it was clear in her tone that travel was not high on Rhoeo's priority list. That was fine, but it made it difficult for them to relate to each other. Rhoeo was happy to be, while Hemithea always saw what could be.

That was what made her relationship with Parthenos different. Only born a year apart, they looked similar enough that they could have been mistaken for twins. Their island had many of the pantheon that were exalted, including the Lord of the Sky himself, Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, and Dionysus . The two sisters respected and worshiped all of them gladly, but their utmost admiration and piety went to Artemis.

To Hemithea and Parthenos, Artemis represented all that they wished they could be: Free to travel. Powerful enough to stop enemies. And, most importantly, to have all the time in the world.

"We should join her Hunters," Parthenos often whispered to her.

Hemithea agreed, but often whispered back, "But will she be impressed with us?"

The goddess probably cared little whether they were royalty. So they worked on their archery with their instructors and climbed up and down the mountain's peak. Parthenos was the better shot between the two of them, but always said, "Emmie's got the better eyes." So they tested this out, with Hemithea being in charge of judging trajectory and Parthenos the one doing the actual shooting. Practicing kept them busy and allowed them to distract themselves from Rhoeo.

Their sister had truly been looking for love in any place she could. She claimed to have found it more than once, but always broke things off. As of late, she was seeing a young man with golden hair and a brilliant smile who loved to play the lyre for her. It wasn't that Hemithea wasn't happy for her sister. She just preferred not having to observe them stare at each other like no one else existed.

It was one of those days that they escaped to practice their archery when fate caught up with them. Perhaps they had angered the goddess Tyche at some point, but one of Hemithea's arrows somehow wound up going in precisely the wrong direction and ended up knocking into their father's amphora of wine. It shattered upon impact with the floor. How this had happened, neither of them knew; Hemithea was far from a bad shot, but they were too busy running from their father's wrath to contemplate the likelihood of this incident.

Father was having one of his especially bad days and had had his fill of wine at the first available opportunity. As soon as he heard the noise, he'd somehow found them, chasing them in his drunken rage. A crowd had been attracted, eager to observe the chaos.

Hemithea's heart broke when he insisted that she and her sister die for their transgression. Their father had never been the most stable king and he had never been the most respectful of women. Still, it hurt to know that they were so disposable to him.

They cried to the gods for help, in particular Lady Artemis. If any god were to step in on their behalf, it would have to be her, right? Hemithea wondered. She was the protector of maidens and they had grown so much stronger. Surely she would answer their prayers.

Hemithea and Parthenos charged to the precipice. No response from the gods thus far, but they would continue on. Better that they choose their own deaths rather than let it be decided by their drunken father. Hemithea grabbed her sister's hand and they leaped to their fate.

She never felt the impact of the water. Instead, she saw Parthenos light up and disappear in a golden flash and felt herself do the same. They floated upward until they found themselves face to face with the god Apollo.

Hemithea felt a smile come to her face.

Apollo apparently had not come because of Artemis, but they were grateful all the same. They would miss Rhoeo for sure, maybe Mother and a few others, but this was their chance. They were alive, they could feel new power flowing through their veins, the power of the gods, and they were free. It would take time to get used to being goddesses but they had eternity now.

Hemithea disappeared with her sister, ready to find their lady and begin anew.

Finding Artemis took some time, but when they finally came across her, they were awed.

She appeared in the form of a girl who looked close to Hemithea's own fourteen years; she was very beautiful. Her silver gaze was sharp and focused. The first several times Hemithea saw her in battle, she couldn't keep her eyes off of the goddess. She commanded attention with no effort.

Hemithea thanked all the gods that Parthenos was with her, since she was always better at speaking under pressure. She explained to Artemis about why they were here and their past with their father.

The goddess agreed to their request, insisting that they certainly deserved far better than they'd received from the awful man who had sired them. She also got an expression Hemithea couldn't interpret when Parthenos explained that they'd been made immortal by her twin Apollo. Surprise, perhaps? Interest?

That thought was forgotten quickly when they finally were able to say the oath:

"I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

They were such easy words to say, Hemithea thought, considering they were the words that would forever define her.

The early days with the Hunters passed in a blur. Lots of training, hunting, learning their way around, and adjusting to being around the others. Most of the other Hunters were reluctant to share their full histories but there were some recurring themes: poor relationships with men, their lives winding up in danger, and a desire for freedom.

The two sisters were an instant team and Artemis often paired them together. It was a struggle when they had their first missions without the other. Having to kill a monster without Parthenos's support was the most harrowing experience of her life. In time she grew used to the other Hunters and began to form friendships, as did Parthenos. However, they were always closest with each other.

"You're my best friend, Emmie," Parthenos told her many times when they first joined the Hunt.

"You're mine, too," she said as they helped clean up the camp.

Parthenos got a familiar expression of mischief on her face. "Last to finish starts the tents next time."

"You're on!" Hemithea laughed. "Oh, Parthenos . . ."

The consequences of immortality didn't set in for many years.

It was easy to forget such things when she had to watch some of the other Hunters die in battle. It didn't happen often but when it did, it was quite the tragedy and even Lady Artemis shed tears in grief.

Hemithea noticed the way she and Parthenos looked just the same as they had the first day they'd taken the oath. As they were both minor goddesses, they sometimes liked to modify their appearances to pass for older but their default forms closely resembled their fourteen and fifteen-year-old selves, with some differences: they were more muscular than they'd been before joining the Hunt and had far better skill, instincts, and reflexes. The other Hunters also remained young maidens; some admitted to having lived several decades or centuries.

Despite this, Hemithea still found herself floored when news reached them that Rhoeo had passed.

Her oldest sister had never been far from her mind. Though they hadn't met in person in decades, she still had managed to hear about her. Rhoeo was still royalty and so very well-known. Other Hunters had passed word to Emmie and Parthenos about who she'd married, her children, and her current health. Her death had technically been coming for a while; Rhoeo had been ill for months, and in her sixties those kinds of ailments were much more fatal.

Yet it still felt unreal.

Hemithea and Parthenos had been given a day to grieve but were expected to return to their duties immediately after.

A hot rage rose up but she stamped it down. During their day of grieving, other Hunters in the camp had expressed their condolences. And it wasn't as though she hadn't seen anyone else grieve in the Hunt—all of them had. So why did this feel different?

Because she was my family, Hemithea admitted to herself. They had never been particularly close, true, but she had many fond memories of her sister in her youth.

Part of her felt traitorous for such a thought. When she'd said the oath, she chose to leave the world of mortals and men behind. The only family she had were her lady and the rest of the Hunters. But she could not change her feelings. Why had she even joined the Hunters? She'd been young. It hadn't occurred to her that she'd have to watch people die and keep moving, like they'd never mattered. Lord Apollo had not blessed them when he'd made them immortal that day so long ago—the god had shared his curse with them. Hemithea felt the burden of immortality for the first time.

Weeks passed. Parthenos had expressed similar thoughts. Even so, she'd offered her best advice and to be a shoulder to cry on. Still Hemithea had a hard time continuing. Eventually another Hunter spoke to her when they were working together.

"It's the hardest part," she said, "outliving your loved ones."

Hemithea remained silent.

"I love everything about being one of Lady Artemis's Hunters. I have no regrets. The adjustment took some time, though."

"How do you keep going?" she finally asked.

"You remember how much better things are. And you thank the gods, especially Lady Artemis, that the Fates weren't crueler to you."

She thought about that for a long time, not speaking.

Hemithea remembered all the stories of Hunters she'd picked up over the years; she had seen girls join the Hunt herself. All of them had been wronged somehow, would have continued suffering had they not joined their lady.

"Thank you," she said. Her heart burned with emotion but she managed to control her voice. "You've reminded me why I fight."

And she continued. It still hurt—would always hurt—but now she knew her pain would be her reminder, her strength to keep her going. Hemithea fought for herself, for Lady Artemis, for all of the Hunters, and for anyone who had ever felt trapped. It wasn't instantaneous. But with her loved ones supporting her, she began to heal. Eventually, her heart felt lighter.

Hemithea came to know her lady rather well as the years passed, decades turning into centuries.

Her original feelings on Artemis were generally proven correct. She was strong-willed, powerful, kind, and wise. On the other hand, the goddess surprised her in some ways. While she knew Artemis was the protector of maidens, it impressed her just how non-discriminating she was with who she recruited. Mortal, Titan, nymph, demigod—it was irrelevant to her. All that mattered was that she was willing to pledge herself to the goddess.

Another thing she learned was that her lady's feelings on men were more nuanced than she had assumed. While Artemis definitely wasn't the type to assume men were innocent victims, she was willing to hear them out if they weren't obviously committing wrongs.

What changed the most was her assumptions regarding her lady's relationship with her twin. Apollo was someone she had met very briefly before joining the Hunt. That had been more than enough time to see just how different they were. Apollo was loud, smiled so widely, and loved reciting poetry to whoever was in the vicinity to hear it. Artemis often got a special frown or sigh when her brother was around, which tended to happen every few months if she wasn't being summoned for some sort of war or battle. Even so, the god was welcome to camp with them and whenever Apollo was away for more than a certain amount of time Artemis would reach out to him. Their relationship was different than Hemithea's had ever been with her sisters, but there was certainly an odd form of love between them.

As time went on, Hemithea's respect for Artemis did nothing but grow. How she could continue on despite it seeming like a never-ending cycle. It inspired Hemithea to keep going herself

I may have been young, she told herself, but even in those days I made the right choice. If only to serve my lady.

One of the main reasons why Hemithea had wanted to join the Hunters was to be able to travel. She might have been able to travel if things had gone differently back at the palace, but nothing would've compared to what she could see now. The Hunters followed their lady everywhere. When she was busy she'd send them messages, often through dreams, about where to go. They never stayed in any one place that long; they were always on the move.

Even then, Hemithea never could have guessed how much of Gaea's world she would have been able to see when she'd dreamed of joining Artemis as a girl. At first they stayed in the same territory that Greece ruled over, as the gods themselves ruled on Mount Olympus. But eventually the gods moved to Rome.

That transition had been unexpected. Hemithea had never thought she'd see the day Greece was supplanted by another civilization. It had seemed as eternal as the sun.

"Do you think Lady Artemis will still be around?" she asked Parthenos one night when they couldn't sleep.

"Of course," her sister whispered back. But her usual nervous habit of rubbing her left eye betrayed her.

All of the Hunters were relieved when their lady remained, as did the rest of the pantheon. Her name became Diana in Rome. Some parts of her personality changed—she became more war-like. Thankfully for them she was always Artemis. The Romans gave her a new domain: the moon. This gave her less time to be with them but she was still there for her Hunters at every available opportunity. Had it not been for the rest of the world, it was like nothing had ever changed.

It was difficult to come to terms with what the world had turned into. Languages were changing, including Greek, and new ones were taking the place of the old dialects. Hemithea often had to work to learn new languages, especially due to Artemis recruiting from places where these new tongues were spoken. In general, the Hunters were a multilingual tribe but their primary language changed depending on what was the official language of the current center of what came to be Western civilization.

The days in Rome felt so short considering the empire technically stuck around for another millennium. After Rome, they moved to another country in what came to be called Europe. They continued to Hunt. There were always monsters, always enemies, always nature to protect. And, of course, always young maidens to recruit.

The mortals made new technology, new civilizations, and they always seemed ready for a new way of living. The longer Hemithea lived the more she saw that only certain things changed. People still refused to look at each other as equals, disrespected the gods, and over time they came to really lose respect for the Wild. She and the other Hunters were horrified enough as is as they watched pollution become bad enough to be visible in the air. It had to have been torture for Lady Artemis.

Eventually the gods settled in a land known as America. It was what the mortals called 1860 in the year of their lord. So much had changed—almost everyone she'd known from the early days was gone.

Certain Hunters were still around. Ones like Phoebe and Zoe Nightshade in particular felt eternal. Fellow goddess Britomartis was also still here. Yet so many more had been lost.

But she forced herself to continue on. Her heavy heart was worth far less than those who benefited from the fruits of her labor. She fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves. She could do this.

Do I want to, though?

Parthenos was another one who had lasted with her for all these years. They had gotten to know each other so well that they could hold hours worth of conversation without even needing to use words.

Her sister gave her a look.

Hemithea sighed. "I'm tired, Theno." She spoke in the language of their childhood; they often did when alone.

"We all are. It's been a long time."

"I know," Hemithea said. "And I'm thankful the Fates have been so kind to us." To me, she said silently.

"Don't live just because you still have me, Emmie." Parthenos could always read her like a book. "The world is so much bigger than the two of us."

"I know! Just let me appreciate you for a moment. You're the best sister I could have ever asked for."

"Right back at you, Emmie."

And yet after so many years of good fortune, of blessing, it had to come to an end. After so many monster fights, it ended up being a powerful one that killed Parthenos. It wasn't immediate—the fight lasted for hours. Parthenos, ever the kind soul, had taken as many hits as possible. Most of the other Hunters had been away at the time. After all, the mission was simple.

In the end, it was taking a blow meant for Hemithea that ended it. Parthenos never breathed again.

It was almost poetic.

All Hemithea could focus on was the tragedy of it all.

She was a wreck in the aftermath. She couldn't focus, couldn't perform her duties. She'd lost so many sisters over the years, from Rhoeo to all the different maidens who had joined the Hunt. Even in that battle, several other Hunters had died.

But Parthenos had always been there. She'd been her best friend. How could she keep going without her? That had never been part of the plan. Hemithea had spoken with her sister about the possibility that their status as Hunters would mean they could die despite being goddesses but it had never felt real . Until now.

As time passed, a new fear arose: that Lady Artemis would kill her. Her performance had been so pathetic as of late. Lady Artemis needed—no, deserved strong attendants.

The day came soon after that the goddess requested to speak with her alone.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Hemithea . . ." Artemis got a longing look in her eyes. "I have lost so many Hunters over the years. Gods have faded. So much has disappeared since the ancient times. Yet none of it would compare to if I lost two people: My mother, Leto. Or my twin, Apollo."

Hemithea held back a gasp. While she knew the twins were closer than her lady liked to let on, it was still a surprise to hear her admit it aloud.

"I don't say those words often, since my brother has a big enough head as is. But I helped deliver him from our mother's womb. He's always there for me and I am there for him in turn. Knowing that they are always with me is one of the reasons I have to continue after having lost so many others."

"Lady Artemis?"

"I know what you have suffered is a pain no one should have to go through, but sadly even we gods cannot deny the Fates. What I will tell you is that I am proud of what you've done for all these years you've served with the Hunt. And I am there for when you need me."

"Thank you, my lady."

It wasn't enough to help her heal. Nothing would be. Artemis was who she'd pledged herself to, but truly it had been Parthenos who had been her anchor for all the years. What she took from the goddess was that Artemis would feel the same way if she'd lost her immortal mother and twin. Hemithea wasn't that lucky—anyone she formed a bond with other than Lady Artemis could, no would still die—but it would have to suffice. The Hunters were her family.

And she doubted that she'd live another millennium. It wasn't up to her to decide, but regardless she knew she would die someday. Because Lady Artemis was always right but she had especially been correct in one thing: No one, not even the gods could deny their fate.

She would continue on until her death came. And she would fight.

Author's Note: My tribute to these two lovely and fascinating characters. Thanks to FlightfootKeyseeker for betareading. Without her help, this would be a mess of awkward and overly long sentences. Also, I don't pretend to know what I'm talking about regarding the history or mythology. All constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

For future reference: I don't know if Parthenos or Emmie were capable of dying in battle like other Hunters since they were made into minor goddesses. They probably couldn't, in canon. This is just a take on the possibility that they were.