AN: I am SO SORRY YOU GUYS! I have been so busy and just haven't found he time to update... But anyway: Aww... Thank you guys! :) 6 favs and 11 follows within the first day! Thank you bunches for reading! And just so you know, Percy isn't joining the hunt and slowly earning the hunters' trust and so on. I'm trying to make this as unique as possible. Oh, and Zoe won't be speaking Old English because I don't speak it... Big twist in this chapter too... So... Enjoy! :)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own PJO! Rick Riordan does! :)
Perseus grumbled," I can't believe I have to stay in this stupid hunt with discriminating and injustice girls."
Artemis spun on her heel," Well I certainly didn't ask for this! Go persuade your father because I'm not in control of this!"
Perseus huffed and said with gritted teeth," Since I have to stay here, at least try to be somewhat polite and kind."
Artemis paused for a minute and then sighed," I'm not going to argue with you every step of our lives, but I'm not in control of my hunters. You have to endure whatever they throw at you."
Perseus must've been daydreaming, but he thought he heard a dash of concern in her voice. He shook it off as mere foolishness and kept trudging along.
When they entered the hunters' camp, 34 pairs of eyes snapped to attention.
A girl wearing a silver tiara, probably the lieutenant, snarled," Lady Artemis, what is a boy doing here? He lost the bet didn't he? Is he going to be our target practice?"
She smiled evilly, and the other hunters smirked.
Artemis's grin dropped from her face, and the lieutenant's smug smile dwindled," Lady Artemis, you couldn't possibly have lost, have you?"
Artemis lowered her head, finding the ground to be very interesting.
The girls gasped, and looked at Perseus with analyzing glances, slightly suspicious.
Perseus cleared his throat," Now, as you can tell, Lady Artemis lost the bet, but this wasn't even my choice. My father, Poseidon, forced it upon us, so none of us want me to be here."
The girls glared at him," This is a hunt for girls! It's never allowed boys to join!"
Perseus sighed. This would take a while. Artemis saved him from the silence," Girls, he is here to help us with sword fighting, while we help him with close-combatting with hunting knives."
Before the girls could groan, a high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the forest. Perseus and Artemis made eye contact. Perseus nodded his head slightly and they made a temporary truce.
The hunters and Perseus ran towards the sound, sprinting to their limits. They came across a broken-down house, where the screams were echoing from.
Artemis slowly crept forward, and gently snuck into the house. She couldn't risk teleporting so close to the hunters.
What she saw made her cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger. There stood an young boy, about three or four, without any clothes on. He had cuts all over his body, as if he had been tortured.
He whimpered," Not hit me, pwease."
Artemis's heart broke at the poor boy. He may be a boy, but he was young. Too young to be tortured.
Artemis took a step closer, but the boy let out another shriek. She backed away carefully and motioned for Perseus to come in.
He gently stepped over the room, and to Artemis's surprise, the boy didn't even flinch. She watched intently, wondering how Perseus was able to calm the young child.
Perseus squatted down next to him and said, with a little bit of anger," My name is Perseus. What's yours?"
The little boy replied," Hi Pewrcy, my name is Timaffy (Timothy) , but mommy called me Timmy."
"Timmy, tell me, what happened to your mother?"
Timmy broke into sobs again," Mommy left me in the mowrning, but last wight, she was there wif me. But then, somefing gwey hit her and she fell down. Pewrcy, what happened to my mommy?"
Perseus inferred that his mother had been killed and Timmy had dreamed about it again. There goes the nightmares from Morpheus. If only the Dreamweaver could give him a delicately formed utopian society.
He noticed Timmy called him Percy, and he quite liked that name. It was much less formal and sounded fitting for him.
"Timmy, your mother isn't going to be here anymore. She's sleeping, so you have to come with me okay? I'll take you to a very safe place."
Timmy nodded his head and Perseus gently picked him up and whispered in his ear," Timmy, who did this to you?"
He thought about it for a second," Mommy said he was my step-fafer (step-father) , but I don't know what that means."
Perseus burned with anger," Well I'm going to take you somewhere you won't ever be hurt, okay?"
He nodded again and they walked out of the room.
Artemis's jaw dropped. "Hmm... Percy, " she mused," Who knew he had such gentle side."
Perseus and Artemis walked out the door to the other hunters.
"No need to be alarmed girls. This is Timothy and he will be staying with the hunt. Well, more like where ever Percy goes."
Everyone froze. Lady Artemis just called Perseus, Percy?!
She blushed after realizing what she said, but recalled her cool demeanor," What? Timothy is going to follow Perseus. As soon as he leaves, we'll finally be boy-free."
The hunters cheered, but less enthusiastic than usual. Timothy, hearing the cheering, burst into tears. Perseus glared at the hunters and walked away in a rush.
The hunters immediately shut up, but they knew they had to get rid of Perseus in order for the hunt to be returned to its original glory.
Meanwhile, Perseus was planning on how to revert Morpheus to the Dreamweaver. Unbeknownst to him, Artemis was thinking the same thing. But how they fix this?
Zoe paced her tent angrily. When did the hunt allow boys to join? We are maidens and we vowed to turn our backs against the company of men!
She motioned for the other hunters to come over," Hunters, we are all girls. We vowed to avoid the company of men, and now, we must get rid of Perseus and Timothy. Any plans?"
Phoebe spoke up," What if we..."
The hunters spent several hours tweaking Phoebe's plan until it was flawless. The hunters smirked evilly. They had just the plan to get rid of Perseus.
Zoe, the biggest man-hater in hunt and also the lieutenant, crept ahead to Perseus's cabin, which is where Timothy is staying.
She snuck to the window, peering in. She saw Perseus sleeping soundly on the bed and Timothy sleeping on the bed next to him.
Zoe carefully tugged an arrow from her sack and pulled the bowstring back slowly. She aimed for Timothy's heart, but a millisecond after she released, Timothy rolled over Perseus.
It flew straight into Perseus's heart instead. It didn't worry her that he was injured, but she was afraid of the wrath of Poseidon.
Perseus screamed and writhed in agony. Suddenly, he relaxed and Timonthy started crying. This is when the cold feeling spread from Zoe's heart to everywhere in her body. The only thought in her mind was: What have I done?
The hunters saw Zoe frozen in place, not even smirking, and immediately knew something was wrong. Zoe was supposed to kill off Timonthy and force Perseus to leave. It's not like he could've gotten revenge anyway.
Suddenly, Timothy started crying. The hunters knew Zoe shot the arrow, so why is Timonthy still cry— Suddenly, the truth dawned on them.
Fear spread throughout the group. The wrath of Poseidon is feared even by Zeus himself. The hunters wouldn't stand a chance.
Artemis's tent rustled and she rushed out to see her hunters in their uniforms when they should be sleeping in more comfortable clothing.
She saw her hunters crowded around Perseus's cabin and peered through the window. The sight made her blood turn cold.
Poseidon. Was. Going. To. Murder. Them. All.
Artemis paced the hunter's infirmary. Perseus could still live, but she had no idea what Poseidon would do.
To make it worse, a blue flash filled the room. An icy tingle traveled up her spine as she looked over. Poseidon appeared looking angrier than Zeus when someone treated him poorly.
He boomed," I thought I told you that he better be 100% safe!"
Artemis flinched, but held her ground.
"You realize Perseus was my—" Poseidon's voice broke, filled with sorrow rather than anger.
Artemis's heart clenched, unable to speak. Poseidon regained his composure," You have two days to heal him. I'm taking your hunters as hostage. But I might still kill one specific one."
Poseidon's gaze hardened," If you cannot save him, you will face my full wrath."
Artemis wondered why Poseidon wouldn't just heal him. As if he read her mind, he clenched his teeth and said," Have you not heard the prophecy?"
Artemis turned red from embarrassment," Err... What prophecy?"
Poseidon rolled his eyes," Your brother is Apollo and you don't even know there was a prophecy? Go ask him."
He flashed away abruptly and the chatter outside the infirmary disappeared.
There was still one question Artemis was afraid to ask. How could one arrow from Zoe harm him so badly? She was a powerful hunter, but even when Perseus was asleep, she couldn't have injured him so severely.
She decided the only thing she could do was ask Apollo for help.
"Apollo!" Artemis flashed to her brother's temple. To her surprise, she quickly found him sitting on the couch looking the complete opposite of how he normally looks.
He slowly rose his head," Yes, Artemis?"
Artemis froze in shock. Apollo didn't even call her that horrifying nickname!
"Apollo, was there a recent prophecy I need to know about?"
Apollo's gaze hardened and spoke through clenched teeth," Go to the oracle at Camp Half-Blood. I do not wish to repeat it."
Apollo was acting weirder and weirder. But Artemis didn't push him. He was in a rare serious mood.
She flashed to Camp Half-Blood and went straight to the Big House's attic. Murmurs were heard around, but Artemis ignored them.
The green smoke swirled, but unlike the previous times, the green smoke rose and formed the mummy's old form.
In a rather young voice, the smoke said," Come. This will be easiest just to show you."
Artemis walked straight into the smoke and her vision turned black. She panicked, but the darkness disappeared. Unfortunately, the vision she saw wasn't any better.
Dark smoke covered Camp Half-Blood completely. A man wearing a suit of black and a black mask. Not an inch of skin was showing.
His voice echoed," Artemis, oh Lady of the Moon. I'll crush Olympus like a bug. You've got no hope. I'll take your loved ones, one at a time. You'll never win! No one will ever wake for this endless nightmare!"
He cackled and the smoke suddenly rose. Words formed in the air with dark, as if poisoned, water.
Artemis squinted her eyes and whispered the prophecy out loud.
"The one with nightmares shall rise in power,
To possessive spirits the world will cower.
The weaver is the only hope,
To be returned by the love of the moon's scope."
Artemis gasped. How would she ever have a lover? The prophecy isn't too vague, as if everything became the exact opposite of normal.
The dark water dropped to the ground and the voice boomed once again," Artemis! Your only hope is gone! You'll never succeed!"
The vision disappeared and Artemis collapsed to the ground. The green smoke's young voice echoed in Artemis's mind," You may heal young Perseus with an old, ancient spell. So ancient, it was far before the time of the Greeks. However, you must hurry. The only one who can help you will soon be executed. Lucky for you, I shall help you. I'm more than a mortal, child. The time here shall freeze as you time travel. Good luck."
Artemis's stomach dropped at her words as the floor disappeared from under her, as if she had stepped through a portal. She had never experienced time travel, and this portal was not helping her stomach.
Something hit her head and her vision darkened. Right before she was knocked unconscious, she managed to see she had hit her head on a pyramid.
An old man by the name of Iskandar walked past a bed, completely white. There lay an immortal girl, though compared to the man, was rather young.
He raspy voice spoke softly," It appears you have a godly essence, but I do not recognize this aura. Could this be a god, but not Egyptian?"
His cane clattered against the wooden floor as Iskandar walked to his study. "However, you fell through an unknown portal. Could it really be...? You were mummified, and sent to the future. Could this girl come from the future?"
His voice shook, drowning in his long memories. His eyes watered as he cast another glance at the girl.
He sighed and walked along a very long carpet. Surrounding them were exotic walls with frightening detailed images.
Back in the infirmary, the girl shot up. She rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. She put her hand on her head, wincing.
Another guy walked over to her," Hello. Welcome to the First Nome. My name is Desjardins. May I ask, where are you from? You fell from a portal and got concussion after hitting your head on our pyramid. Are you alright?"
The girl blinked and replied," I'm sorry, I do not remember what happened."
She shook her head but asked," I feel like I can only remember one name. Do you know Setne?"
The guy froze," Why would you only remember the name of our prisoner?"
"I feel like I need to ask him how to save someone. He's the only one who can."
Desjardins huffed," He is a prisoner. I cannot allow access to him."
The girl's eyes watered," Please Desjardins. I need to save Percy."
She gasped in pain and she held her head. A single memory flowed back, an image of a raven haired guy smirked at her.
Desjardins sighed," I'll see what I can do."
The girl fell back on the bed and writhed in pain as she tried to remember her past. A prisoner? A voice echoed in her mind," About to executed... Must hurry..."
The girl fought the pain and got off of the bed. She felt weak, but she still had memories of her power. Luckily, she could still teleport.
"Setne, you have committed yet another crime! You will be executed!" Osiris boomed.
"And no excuses this time. You shall never overcome the gods to spread your evil plans."
Setne smirked," Oh please, the world needs a balance of Ma'at and Chaos, does it not?"
Osiris scowled," Your evil deeds have gone to far. Anubis! Bring Ammit the Devourer."
"Wait!"
A girl shimmered into existence and everyone gasped. Anubis blinked a couple times and rubbed his eyes.
"Please, reschedule his trial for a week later. I must ask him for a spell. A healing spell."
Setne's eyes sparkled with curiosity," And may I ask, what injury is this?"
"An arrow through the heart."
"Just an arrow? That's not enough to force Osiris to let Setne have a week's time to get a chance to escape."
The girl choked back a sob," I don't know, but this arrow seemed to have a special type of poison in the tip, or something like that. No one I know could heal him."
Anubis gasped," Lord Osiris, could it be... Iskandar's d—"
"Anubis! That is not possible. Do not let me hear you say it again."
Setne chuckled," I know exactly what you guys are talking about. But why should I help you?"
The girl's head slowly rose and stared intently at Setne, a sharp pain running through her head as another memory returned.
As they made eye contact, Setne's eyes widened. He thought," She looks so much like—"
"Do you know what I am? I am the goddess of the moon."
Anubis spoke up," I don't seem to recognize you."
"Anubis, you may not know all the goddesses, but I assure you, I am not lying."
Osiris's voice boomed," No! He has committed countless crimes! But, I may allow one chance for Setne to redeem himself. And you, apparent goddess, shall help him, since you're so keen on having that spell."
Osiris grinned, rather evilly," Oh you guys will like this challenge."
AN: Oh I have big plans for this story. I hope you guys like a big Egyptian mythology in here... I've been rereading the Kane Chronicles. Sorry for the late update again, but I made this chapter extra long for you! :) I have these summer soccer practices, so I'll be fairly busy, but I'll try to update. Thanks for reading! ;)