Hey guys! I don't have any homework for tomorrow, so you know what that means? New chapter! \(^^)/
Yes, I'm weird. Deal with it.
This chapter is also going to reveal a tinsy winsy bit of what happened to Luke but it also asks more questions so please just wait for the next chapters so please be patient with me! The characters are a bit OOC but I'm trying to work on that... thank you for reading!

Chapter 1: The Search for the Harpe

The Hunters of Artemis were camped on top of a hill in the North-West of Staten Island. They'd been staying there for a few days, waiting for the patron goddess to come back from her meeting in Olympus.

All of Thalia's fellow immortals were eating dinner by the campfire while the daughter of Zeus stayed in her lonesome in the corner. She was wondering how to ask Artemis for her life back without insulting the goddess. It wasn't like she was going to call Artemis a bitch or anything but say one wrong word to a god, and a war would be on your hands.

Artemis came back a few minutes before eleven. She was greeted by her followers and once she made sure that everything was all right, she retreated into her tent.

The Hunters were still laughing around the fire. Thalia made sure nobody was looking at her when she followed Artemis into the tent.

Inside, the goddess was rearranging some of her ancient looking books and turned around when she heard someone come in. The sides of Artemis's mouth curled upwards.

"Thalia," she said. "Glad to see you're back from your… vacation. We were lucky we did not run into anything too dangerous while you were gone."

The demigod was silent for a moment, clasping her hands around each other. Gods, she was more nervous than she'd anticipated.

Artemis seemed to notice Thalia's nervousness and put the book she was holding down. She stepped closer towards her lieutenant. "Thalia," the goddess said. "Is there something wrong?"

The Olympian usually wasn't the kindest of beings but Artemis seemed to have a soft spot for her Hunters. Thalia was grateful for that.

"I've been thinking lately," Thalia started. "And I've been reminiscing the old days at Camp Half-Blood and I was wondering if… if there were any Hunters who gave up their immortality."

Thalia was surprised by how formal she sounded, at least for her. She'd never thought that she'd use the word "reminiscence" in a sentence. Though, it didn't seem to matter that Thalia was starting to sound like the other Hunters. Indifferent, Artemis stared at her with a tiny spark in her eyes. Thalia could only hope it wasn't the fire burning inside of the goddess, ready to burn the demigod into ashes.

"No," Artemis said flatly.

Thalia sighed. She already felt defeated, hopeless. It wasn't in her nature to be so, but she'd wish that there was a chance to get her life back.

"Why do you ask?" Artemis said.

Thalia gulped. "You must know that I enjoy being your lieutenant although…I haven't even lived two decades on this earth, not to mention that I spent most of it as a tree. After being turned back, I felt like I belonged at Camp. Though I love the adventure that follows the hunt, I have to be frank, and it doesn't feel quite right. I only got to be at Camp for so long before taking Zoë Nightshade's place as your lieutenant."

Thalia paused, biting the inside of her cheek. Artemis was staring at her curiously. During her years beside the goddess, Thalia had learned to read Artemis whenever she didn't show her usual indifferent face.

"Why the sudden need for mortality?" Gods, Thalia thought, this woman loved to ask questions.

When she opened her eyes, Artemis was still staring at her.

"I know you went to see the son of Hermes the other day," Artemis noted. It was like she was reading Thalia's mind. "You know, not many people reject immortality. It's what most people crave."

Thalia couldn't say anything, she felt ashamed. She was given this gift and all she wanted was a way out.

"Most of these people who refuse this offer are stupid—stupid in love," Artemis continued, her voice neither too loud, nor too low. It made it hard for Thalia to read her. "Most heroes refuse because they do not want to leave their loved ones behind, not unlike your friend, Percy Jackson. He could have been a god. However, he cared for Annabeth Chase too much and rejected the utmost gift the Olympians could give him. It was stupid and rash."

Thalia suddenly felt angry towards the goddess, which had never happened before. Percy was one of her dearest friends and so was Annabeth. The fire inside of the daughter of Zeus grew but she managed to keep it inside.

"However," Artemis continued. "I also understand. I understand that your body and soul is still learning and yearning for him. Your feelings for Luke Castellan have grown, I can feel it whenever you close your eyes and think of him."

Wait, did she really having feelings for Luke? Thalia forced her eyes closed as she remembered his breath on her neck from a few nights back. It gave her goose bumps. She attempted to push the thought away but the smell of him lingered. Even after being immortalized, the hormones were still raging inside of her.

Thalia added, "It's not just…the boys. But I miss my sword and I miss eating burgers and watching TV and I…" Her voice failed her. There were endless reasons why she wanted her mortality back, she could make a list and it would go on forever. But the last one was caught in her throat. She'd never let anyone know she was that kind of girl, the one who dreamed of a happily ever after.

"You want to grow old," Artemis continued for her, "and get married and bear a child and raise them and love them and grow old with your husband and live the typical human life."

Thalia's eyes knit together. Yes, she wanted that and so much more. For the first few years of her life, she thought she would always end up like that—normal. And then she wished for adventure and that eventually bit her in the ass. She learned that she was a demigod and that they rarely saw the day of adulthood, but still, she thought of it in the wildest of her dreams. Thalia had lived as a tree for years, saving her friends—her family until the Golden Fleece had worked its magic. Then, she was a typical demigod for half a year until BAM! she became Artemis's lieutenant and became immortal and all those hopes and dreams were torn down in seconds.

Still not able to find her voice, the demigod nodded, again, she was ashamed of herself in some way. She had failed Artemis and every other Hunter, including Zoë Nightshade.

Both of them stood silence for a moment. They could hear the crackle of the fire outside and the faint laughter of the other girls and finally, Artemis sighed.

"Very well," Artemis gave in. "I will give you back your mortality, Thalia."

Thalia felt suddenly excited, and surprised. Was this really happening? But her hope was crushed with Artemis's next words.

"However, I cannot simply hand it back to you," the goddess said. "You must do something for me in return."

Eager, Thalia took a step forward and was ready to listen. She would do almost anything by now to go back to Camp Half-Blood.

"What do you wish of me, my lady?" Thalia asked.

The long fingers of the celestial creature intertwined. She was pensive. Being a goddess and being an extremely influential Olympian, she could have things go her way with the snap of her fingers.

Finally, Artemis made her demand. "You shall go on a quest. Within two weeks, you must come back and bring me the Harpe the first Perseus used to slay the gorgon, Medusa. It was also the same Harpe that Kronos used to castrate his father, Uranus."

"Wait, Kronos used a harp to castrate Uranus? Isn't it an instrument?"

Pouting her lips, Artemis glared at Thalia. "Harpe. H-A-R-P-E. It is a symbol of power and it has been lost for centuries since Perseus last used it. Bring it back to me before the Winter solstice, Thalia. If you cannot, then I will have no choice but to banish you into the Fields of Asphodel."

Listening to the last words of her patron goddess, Thalia shivered but kept her ground. She was determined to find the Harpe; this was her only chance to get her life back.

A few days after her "talk" with Artemis, Thalia took her own free time into visiting Luke back in Queens. Now, both demigods sat on the lumpy, brown couch discussing about the quest.

"But why do you want me to come?" Luke complained, sipping from his hot coco. "Seriously, you could take Annabeth or Percy or any one of my brothers. They'd all be glad to go with you."

For the past ten minutes, Thalia had been trying to persuade her friend into accompanying her on the search. However, Luke was determined to decline the offer at every chance he got.

Truth be told, Thalia had no idea why she was asking Luke. He did have a point. But like she had said the last time she was at the flat, Annabeth was too busy with the final reconstructions of Olympus and Percy refused to go anywhere without his girlfriend nowadays. She could ask anyone else on Camp, true, but Thalia didn't trust anyone the way she trusted Luke or Annabeth.

"Because," Thalia attempted to argue. "I can count on you."

Those few words seemed to have a bigger impact on Luke than Thalia had expected. His eyes darkened and the frown he'd been wearing since the Battle of Manhattan only became worse.

"Thalia." His voice was flat; the determination that made him look so alive years ago was no longer there. "I haven't gone on a quest in years."

"And so have I, not on a real quest anyway," she said, slamming her fist on the coffee table. "Look, I know you haven't been the same since…since you died but I need you. You're one of the only people I truly trust on this earth. I'm asking you this because you're good. You're the best swordsman I know, and the best one in centuries, as far as I know. You're amazing with a sword and I know you have my back." She paused. "Gods, Luke! When are you going to stop sulking over what happened? I know for a fact that I am one of your oldest friends and I need you right now."

Luke stayed silent, staring at the melting marshmallows in his mug.

"I agreed to this quest knowing that if I failed," Thalia continued, "I would die. So I need the best demigods I know to help me. And you, Luke Castellan are one of those few demigods."

Silence.

When Thalia came back to his apartment earlier that day, she was positive that Luke was going to agree. He had to, she was his friend. Well, not recently but how could he refuse her? She had sacrificed years of her life protecting him, Annabeth and Grover and the rest of the demigods at Camp.

She didn't bring it up though. She knew it would only upset him even more and that he'd feel even guiltier afterwards so she kept her mouth shut.

Not to mention that Luke saved the whole world three years ago. Her actions were nothing compared to what he went through. The price of Luke's sins was his life and he greeted death with open arms.

But still…

"Why does she have to kill you?"

The first words Luke had spoken in the last two minutes.

Thalia sighed. She had been trying to explain that for the past half hour. "Because, to Artemis, it would be humiliating. She would lose her lieutenant and no Hunter in history has ever even asked for their mortality back." Gulping down some more hot chocolate, Thalia burned her tongue. She continued anyway. "Artemis needs something in return, something that will show her power and cover up the humiliation."

Luke was staring at Thalia intently. His blue eyes were darkened by his expression. And ever since Kronos had taken control of Luke's body, the rings of his irises were now the color of gold. It was still stranger to look at but they had grown on Thalia. It reminded her that he, too, was broken.

"Did Artemis at least give us some clue where it's hidden?" Luke said, not taking his eyes off of Thalia.

At first, she hadn't noticed that he was talking to her. She quickly snapped out of her trance though and nodded. "She said that as far as she knows, it's somewhere in the Caribbean."

Luke raised a brow, looking not very pleased with the very little information that had been given to them. "There are over 700 islands in the Caribbean. Where in Hades are we supposed to start?"

Biting her lip, Thalia turned to Luke sheepishly. Trying to cover her face with her mug, she said, "That's why I wanted you to come. I need Hermes to help me."

More questions, more questions more questions that are yet still to be answered!
Yes, the relationship with Luke and his dad are still tense but I'm going to a bit more detailed in future chapters!
I hope you guys enjoyed and please review if you like!