Hi again! It took me a while to sort through the mess I'd made, but here you go: Chapter 2! I really hope you guys like it! Also: I welcome any and all comments you guys have for me (even flames), so don't hesitate to say anything.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ideas I have used and/or altered in the making of my fanfic (unfortunately).


2/

"Alice! Wait up!"

Bethany and I were running through the forest, chasing a sly rabbit. The rabbit had trotted far ahead of us, its tail bouncing wildly as it went. I shot an arrow toward it; it simply dodged, then dived into a bush, pricking my temper annoyingly. I skidded to a stop as Bethany called my name.

"What?" I said. It sounded harsher than I'd meant.

"Lady Artemis just called us back," she panted. "Aren't we moving camp today?"

I felt the sudden urge to slap myself on the forehead. How could I forget? "Let's get back," I said immediately. "Race you?"

A competitive smile grew across her face. "You're on. Ready…Getsetgo!" She took off into the trees.

I followed after her, calling, "No fair!" As I ran, I thought I saw something dark flashing through the leaves, running alongside me. I stared at it uncomprehendingly, my eyebrows furrowing.

I was so focused on the…thing that pretty soon I forgot I was running. My foot suddenly caught on a root and the ground swirled up toward my face, my head smacking on a rock and the world going dark.


I was dreaming. I could see that almost immediately. I felt a pang in my chest as I realized I was standing before my old home, before I'd joined the Hunters of Artemis. It seemed I had gone back in time, to just after I'd left.

I jumped as a glowing pair of eyes appeared in the bushes to my left. A girl stepped out, but she didn't appear to see me. She was pretty, with long black hair, green eyes, and pale skin. Suddenly her hair burst into flame, the color drained from her skin, and her teeth turned to fangs. Her left leg shifted into a hoof-tipped furry limb, the other to bronze.

A shimmering image appeared before her, slightly transparent and solid at the same time. I realized it was Hecate.

The demon/girl knelt at her feet. "There is no sign of her, my lady," she said. "It appears she has left with the goddess Artemis."

Hecate hissed. "You must find her, Caterina," she insisted. "We must prevent her fate."

Caterina nodded, baring her fangs in an evil grin. "I shall only fail in death, my lady," she vowed.

Hecate somehow smiled. "Good," she murmured. "Good."


I sat up abruptly in my sleeping bag, breathing hard. My body was covered in cold sweat, my heart thumping in my chest. A thin line of sunlight streamed through the cloth door of the empty tent. I quickly ran a hand through my damp hair, strapped my sword to my side, and ducked outside, gnawing absently on my lower lip.

I went to Artemis's tent, which bore the golden Greek letter alpha. I brushed aside the silvery cloth. "My lady?"

Artemis smiled at me from her throne, her somehow-silvery gaze warming. "Yes, child? Are you feeling better?"

I nodded, then told her hesitantly about my dream. Her eyebrows grew closer and closer together as I continued until her face was dissolved in worried wrinkles.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

"Empousai," she growled. I still must've looked confused, because she went on to explain. "They are demon servants of Hecate. She must have sent them to find you. What did you say her name was?"

"Caterina," I replied, still confused.

Artemis groaned. "Caterina is the worst of them all. Think of her as Hecate's top general, leading all monsters under her reign."

"She sent Caterina to find me," I said, fear creeping into my voice.

"Do not fret, child," Artemis told me. "You are safe here." She got to her feet slowly, stretching. "Come. It is time for the Council." She started toward the tent's door, me close behind her.

Sitting outside the tent were two giant timber wolves. Timber wolves were the Hunters' companions for eternity; they never left our sides, so it was not unusual to see them lumbering around. I myself did not have one, as one hadn't chosen me. Until today.

Artemis ruffled the fur of the larger one, who huffed at her and licked her hand. "This is Polydeuces," she told me. "And that's Castor."

Castor eyed me suspiciously, but rubbed his nose against my palm affectionately at the first sniff. I climbed on his back, a little nervous. As soon as Polydeuces took off, so did he. The world flew by in a disorienting blur of colors, going so fast my face felt as if it was peeling off. In less than a second it was over, though I still had shivers going up my spine.

I looked around. Castor seemed to be standing on...clouds. I looked over the edge fearfully, then moved Castor away from it. I was deathly afraid of heights. He seemed to laugh at me, butting my foot with his head. I yanked on his fur to shut him up.

Before us were the magnificent golden gates of Olympus, glittering in the light that had no source. The winged guards caught sight of Artemis and opened the gates quickly; I got the feeling that they were afraid of her.

Inside the gates, there were small mansions everywhere, shining unbelievably. Satyrs, nymphs, and minor gods were walking around freely, their laughter and talk filling the air. As we passed the agora, the center of the city, I saw the nine Muses sitting by the fountain, playing intoxicating music on various instruments. One of them, whom I somehow recognized as Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry, looked up from her lyre and nodded at me. I managed a smile, running to catch up with Artemis, who was already inside the palace.

The throne room was indescribable in its divine beauty. It was impossibly big, seeming the size of thirty football fields. Twelve gigantic thrones of every shape and size stood in a U-shape around a blazing hearth. I caught sight of a young woman in the flames, wearing a plain brown dress and her hair in a bun. She smiled at me before disappearing.

There was a sudden blinding flash of light. Polydeuces and Castor were gone. The twelve thrones were full. I was standing beside Artemis's throne, decorated with engravings of girls hunting, deer grazing, and boars running in the forest. She was now over twenty feet tall, as were the other gods.

In the center was Zeus, with his black beard shot through with silver and his fancy golden robes. Beside him sat Hera, her chocolate hair tied in a Greek hairstyle and a rich crown on her head. Next to her was Ares, his scarlet plume nodding as he flirted with the beautiful golden-haired goddess at his side—Aphrodite.

The rest of the gods appeared similarly, all divinely beautiful and radiating power. Demeter with her grassy throne, Dionysus with a glass of red wine in his hand, Hermes hurriedly writing a letter and taking notes on what Hephaestus was telling him at the same time.

My eyes fell on the god sitting next to Zeus, a glowing blue trident by his left hand. I felt my eyes popping.

Father? I mouthed. His eyes flashed to me and he smiled. He was wearing robes seemingly made of water, his eyes identical to mine. He was clean-shaven with black hair like mine, his teeth as white as paper.

Zeus pounded his fist on his throne. "Silence!" he roared. All obeyed his command "Hermes."

Hermes stood up, a clipboard appearing in his hands. "The Council is called to order," he said. "Ares, we need to discuss the matter of the half-blood you nearly killed and the destruction of half of London."

Ares scowled. Aphrodite patted his hand reassuringly. I watched in amazement as the gods decided to confiscate Ares's magical items for six months.

"Anything else?" Zeus said gruffly.

Hermes consulted his clipboard. "Quite a lot."

It turned out Apollo had cursed one of Artemis's boars. Artemis glared at him. "That was my favorite boar," she sniffed. "I can't believe you turned him into a pig."

"Pig, boar, what's the difference?" Apollo shrugged.

"There's a big difference!" Artemis sounded unusually childish.

"Apollo! Artemis!" Athena called. "Calm yourselves!" She glanced at Zeus. "Father, I suggest Apollo be punished for cursing one of Artemis's sacred boars."

Apollo scowled at his sister. "What about you Athena?" he said. "Haven't you done anything wrong since the last Council?"

Athena sniffed. "Of course not. I am not as childish as you two."

The twins opened their mouths in unison, but Hermes shot them dirty looks. "Please," he scoffed. "We have more important matters at hand. All in favor of punishing Apollo?" Eight of the gods raised their hands, including Artemis, who made a smug face at her brother.

The rest of the Council went on like this, most gods being sentanced to punishments for doing one thing or another to each other. Hades for trying to push Hera into Tartarus after an argument, Demeter for burying Dionysus under an apple tree, and Dionysus sending leopards after Demeter's planting grounds for revenge.

Finally Hermes said, "That's all for this year." He clicked his pen. "Are there any comments or concerns from members?"

Artemis stood up, slow and graceful, her childish demeanor gone. "A few days ago I was visited by one of Olympus' greatest threats."

Even before a name was mentioned, the tension grew in the room as the gods shifted angrily in their seats.

"Hecate has threatened all of Olympus in the open-"

Zeus's fist boomed on the arm of his throne. "Enough!" He glared at the members of the Council. "We must do something about this!"

Artemis met his gaze calmly. "Father, we all know who Hecate will destroy first: our children."

Everyone stiffened at the words.

Artemis continued smoothly. "I believe we should put that camp we built for our children to use."

Aphrodite shot up from her throne. "Who will watch over them?" she demanded shrilly. "Who can we trust?"

"Artemis," Zeus growled, "as this was your idea, I command you to give up one of your best Hunters to take up the job."

The goddess seemed surprised, and she hesitated. "I choose Alice," she said finally.

I stiffened in shock and blinked up at her in bewilderment; she paid no attention to me.

"Very well," Zeus said grimly after a while. He glanced at me. His power made my skin tingle. "You, girl, are hereforth appointed guardian of our children. A list containing names will be provided."

"Council adjourned," Hermes announced as soon as his father had finished speaking. A gavel-like sound echoed around me.

Another blinding flash. When I could see, the throne room was empty, save for Artemis. She was holding a sheet of parchment in her hand, her expression serious.

"Here," she gave me the paper. I glanced down at it; it was covered in names that I didn't bother to read. "Take Castor," Artemis urged. "He knows where to go." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Please be careful, Alice. Keep them safe." Then she began to glow. I turned away, knowing if I looked at her in her true form, I would burn. Even still, heat slapped the side of my face, somehow rough and gentle at the same time.

She had vanished. I folded the list carefully, tucking it into the leather pouch at my belt. When I turned I found I was not alone. My father stood across from me, a smile playing on his face. He was at human height now, but still managed to tower over me.

I bowed. "Father."

Father took my hand and pressed something into my palm. "I am proud of you, my daughter," he said. "I always will be." Then he was gone as well, leaving only the faint scent of the sea.

I opened my hand. Sitting there was a silver bracelet and a gilded watch. I picked up the bracelet. It was delicate, engraved with a pattern in which sea tides danced. I slid it onto my wrist, tapping it gently. To my surprise, it glowed bright and shifted into my bow, which had been missing until then. Thank you, Father, I thought. I tucked the watch into my pouch, saving it for later.

Castor was waiting for me outside, huffing. As soon as I climbed onto his back he began running; within a second we were there. Castor curled up immediately to sleep.

'There' turned out to be…a camp, as Artemis had mentioned. I was standing in front of an enormous four-story farmhouse. A happy-looking creek ran by the west wall. Upon approaching the house, a grimy plaque on the door read 'The Big House'. I felt my brow furrow.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," a voice called out suddenly.

I jumped, turning. A young girl stood at the bank of the creek, her arms crossed over her chest. Her flowing blue dress matched the blue ribbon in her black hair neatly. Her blue eyes danced.

"I'm Harmonia," she told me, flashing me a smile. "This is my creek." She pointed at the water. I realized suddenly that she was a naiad; a nymph who lived in water. She lunged forward and took my hand. "Come on. I'll show you around." She dragged me past the house and to a group of cabins—twelve of them, arranged in a U-shape around a blazing campfire.

"These are where all the demigods will be staying," she announced, stopping so quickly I ran into her. She opened the door to the silver cabin next to us, bearing a silver deer over the door. It was larger than it appeared, with comfy-looking bunks in rows all over the giant room, along with several different hides tacked on the walls and a bear skin complete with head serving as a carpet.

"This is Cabin Eight, Artemis," Harmonia said, sounding giddy. "One cabin for each god. The bathrooms are by the Big House, for both boys and girls. Everything has been readied for your arrival. It's been abandoned for decades, ever since the Trojan War, you know. Chiron used to work here, but he was so devastated he took a leave of absence. He'll be gone for a few millennia. Outside there's also a beach, an arena, a forest, a lake, and even some stables. The boundary line runs along that ring of hills by the forest. Mortals and monsters can't cross it without special permission, so everyone should be safe here."

"Um…thank you?" I said.

She smiled at me. "Now," she said, "Io lives in the lake at the center of camp, Leda in that little pond by Io, and Electra lives in the spring at the northeast corner of the woods. You know where to find us if you need anything!" Poof! She disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.

I looked around in awe. Something suddenly grew warm in my leather pouch; I pulled out the list of names and unfolded it. The writing was in swirling calligraphy. The first name was Anne Grey, daughter of Athena. Glowing gold by her name was an address.

I whispered the words into Castor's ear. He snorted, butted my hand, then ran. We were in front of a run-down school, seemingly deserted. A bell rang within the walls, and within minutes mortal children were pouring out in groups.

Castor scooted into the shadows of the alley across the street, plopping down on his haunches and laying his head in his paws.

A sudden scream ruined my peaceful thoughts, slicing the air like paper. I jumped out of the alley immediately. The mortals were scattering like mice, shrieking as they went and followed closely by a group of empuses.

In the middle of the street was a cowering girl, a tall empuse towering over her menacingly. The girl screamed.

My arrow whizzed by the demon in a blur of silver. She looked up, and my heart jumped into my throat. It was Caterina.

I shot another arrow at her; she dodged, then leaned into a feral crouch, baring her fangs in a hiss. Quickly I sprayed her companions with silver. They exploded into yellow powder.

Realizing she was alone, Caterina snarled at me once more, then stood straight, lifting her face to the sky. A black cloud curled around her, its evil fouling the air. Then she was gone, leaving only the smell of sulfur.

"Come on!" I said, surging forward and grabbing the girl by the hand. I dragged her back to Castor and we returned to the camp.

The girl, Anne, was quiet when we stopped. She seemed to be in shock, her gray eyes staring blankly and her dark hair wild. She was so distracted she didn't notice the owl that popped above her head.

I shook her shoulder. "Anne? Anne Grey?"

She blinked, turning her gray gaze on me. "What? Where am I?" Her eyes narrowed, her terror vanishing. "Who are you?"

"You are at Camp Half-Blood," I said, jumping off Castor's back. "I'm Alice." I started toward the house.

"Wait!" she called. "Why am I here?"

I whirled to face her. "You are here, Anne, because you are like me. You're a half-blood."

Her eyes widened into saucers. "Half-blood?"

"Yes! Half mortal, half god," I said. I went on to explain. "The Greek gods who ruled over most of Europe and especially Greece are alive today! They are watching us now!" I jabbed a finger at the sky. Her eyes followed my finger and widened still. Her mouth became a round O.

"The gods…are real," she whispered.

I nodded.

"That makes so much sense!" she exploded suddenly, making me jump. She laughed. "Oh, my god-"

"Gods," I corrected quietly.

"—I've been living a total lie my whole life! How could Dad never tell me about this?" She rambled on and on. I tuned her out and took the opportunity to feed Castor.

"Alice?" She seemed to stumble over my name.

I looked up. "Yes, child?"

"What happens now?"

I sighed. "Well, you are the first demigod besides me to be at this camp, but there are many more." I shook out the creased and wrinkled list to show her.

She took it gingerly, studying the carefully drawn calligraphy. "Why is this one glowing?" she asked.

"The name that's glowing is the demigod we have to get next," I replied.

"Hmm. So, how does my life change from here on?" she said.

She really is wise, I thought to myself. "You should avoid going into the mortal world," I said. "Your scent will draw in countless monsters that will all try to kill you in one way or another." I hesitated, trying to decide if I should explain Hecate to her, but I resolved to wait.

"So...do you want me to wait until you get back?" she asked.

I shook my head. "It is better you come with me. I don't want you alone here."

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised. "Okay then. That means we get..." She squinted at the list. "Peter Montgomery, right?" She started to climb on Castor's back.

I reached out and stopped her. "Wait. You'll need this." I pulled the silver dagger from my boot, pressing it into her palm. "This is Hephaestus-brand silver, guarunteed to destroy every monster that crosses your path." I helped her mount Castor and we left, following the directions on the gods' list.

The school was similar to Anne's, but far more deserted.

Anne wrinkled her nose. "Ew. So, how do we know which one's Peter Montgomery?"

A feminine scream rang out.

I tapped my bracelet. "That's how."

The mortals were fleeing the school in waves, screaming as they went. I dashed past them and into the school, Anne hurrying to catch up to me. I almost slipped and fell on my butt when I saw the monster threatening the poor boy. A hydra.

"Peter!" I screamed. I threw my sword toward him.

The red-haired boy stared at me from behind a row of lockers, his blue eyes growing as he reached out and caught my sword by the hilt. Anne, wise though she was, ran past me clumsily and stabbed the hydra in the foot. It roared in pain and kicked her through a window. Peter Montgomery ran forward as well, my sword in his hand, slicing the air in a deadly angle.

Before I could stop him, he sliced off one of the hydra's heads. "No!" I shouted. Within a second two heads grew back, hissing and spiting poison. Surprisingly, he grabbed the nearest flagpole and somehow set it on fire.

Good thinking, I thought.

He lopped off another of the hydra's heads, then seared the neck shut with his flaming flagpole. I shook myself awake and helped him, shooting the hydra wherever I could. The crunching of glass signaled Anne's return; she ducked under the hydra's flailing heads to its feet, where my knife hilt stuck out. Soon she was climing on the monster's back, searching for a weak link feverishly.

Suddenly, an idea. I stopped shooting arrows and threw out my palm. The water fountains by the locker rooms exploded.

"Holy crap!" shouted Peter Montgomery.

The water built itself into a colossal groaning wave, crashing over the hyrdra and tossing Anne to the ground sopping wet. The monster screamed and thrashed, fighting to free itself, but I tightened my hold until I was sure it had drowned. When I released the water finally, I felt drained.

Quickly I whistled. Castor squeezed through the door almost immediately and offered me his back, panting.

"Oh my god!" Peter was as hysterical as Anne.

"Gods," Anne and I corrected.

I patted Castor's muzzle affectionately. "Anne, would you like to do the honors?" She opened her mouth. A bang sounded from somewhere else in the building and the hissing speech of dracanae, or lizard-women, reaching us clearly and becoming louder every second.

"Quickly!" I said. We all piled onto Castor's back, disappearing just as the first demon-lady made it through the doors.

Anne started talking as soon as my wolf stopped running, seeming at ease with Castor's means of travel. "...ever heard of the Greek gods? Yeah, guess what? They're real, and apparently we're they're kids." She said this all very fast.

Peter's eyes glazed over. "Gods?" he repeated hollowly.

Anne glanced at me, then back at Peter sympathetically. "Yeah. I know it's a lot to take in, but let me show you around!" She jumped off Castor's back and took off, with a dazed Peter following behind her absently.

As I watched as Harmonia leapt out of her stream suddenly, causing Anne and Peter to shriek, I felt more at home, as if I were meant for this job. I shook my head at my cousins' ignorance. They had no idea what else was in our world, waiting for them. I wondered if rescuing my relatives would be this easy. How wrong I was.


So, what'd you guys think? (Please don't hesitate to tell me!) Can Alice really dare to hope for a life of leisure? How many more monsters can she take head-on? And how can she even try to shake off Hecate? Check back soon to find out!

Kisses! -Alice