Here is chapter 2 I want to go ahead and apologize for how long it has taken to write this but hey the second chapter now lets start from where we left off. (I don't own any of the characters in the Percy Jackson series all belong to Rick Riordan)
As Thalia was drying off from her shower she was feeling quite relaxed and calm which is unusual for a hunter of Artemis because they're always on alert but the building it gave off this calming feeling basically saying that you are safe here so relax which made her feel on even more alert than before. But one thing through her off even more than all this including the "Keeper's" past was that Artemis the goddess of the hunt was currently taking a shower.
"This Doesn't make any sense," Thalia says laying on her bed which was the bunk bed right below the bed Artemis claimed.
"What doesn't make any sense." Artemis voice comes from the direction of the bathroom causing Thalia to glance and see Artemis in a bathrobe with a perfectly shaped hair dry thingy (I'm a dude I don't know what women call those things they use to dry there hair)
"All this I mean the building gives off a weird feeling one which I haven't felt in a long time and you are taking a shower."
"True this house does want you to relax I can feel that as well but this kind of feeling is less like the Lotus Hotel where it want's you to stay forever and more like it wants you to be safe from all harm including those from the outside world Also." Artemis gives Thalia a disappointed look\
"Whats wrong with me taking a shower."
"It's just you're a goddess you can be clean in an instant and can change your age, height, hair, and clothes in a flash why take a shower."
"Think of it this way." Artemis says walking behind a curtain hanging from the ceiling to change.
"It's a show of hospitality if you are invited from the outside into a house would you not take your shoes off or if you were dirty and given a way to clean would you not accept I am just honouring our host for giving us a temporary Safehaven." As she said that a magnificent aroma came floating throughout the whole house. It was a sweet smell of honey yet the delicious smell of cooked meat combined with the scent of freshly baked bread and melting butter.
"I guess dinners ready." Artemis says As she emerged from her room with Thalia right behind her she looks down the hall leading to other hallways and seeing the other huntresses peeking out of their rooms and coming out to investigate the delicious smell. Artemis moved to the archway leaving the hall and entered back into the main hall where the hallway, kitchen and dining room all connected and moved to the dining room. But what she saw made her stop and smile at what laid out in front of her as Thalia was right behind Artemis she looked past her into the dining room and gasped. What laid out in front of them was no dining room but a dining hall with a large arching roof with a large golden sparkling chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A table extended across the span of the hall which was almost as long as a buss but had enough space to fit all the hunters. Each chair had a unique design referencing each of the hunters ranks skills and areas they were strongest in. Some had carvings of a huntress with her bow pulled taught while in the middle of the back would be a bow and arrow crossing each other representing the person great skill in the bow while another had a huntress sneaking through a field and on the back showed a huntress with a cowl showing there great skill in sneaking. One of the chairs was decked our in arrows and bows with multiple types of beasts carved into it on the back was a bow with a crescent moon as the length of the bow and an arrow notched in it symbolizing the seat as the seat of Artemis. On the table was an extent of food from mashed potatoes to cut and buttered bread, green beans, peas, carrots, ham, roast beef and steak there was so much that it was overwhelming all the hunters were in the entrance in awe at all the food. The boy with no name came walking into the dining hall and seeing the hunters.
"I was just about to call all of you dinners ready leats eat." As they all sat down finding all there seats easily since they literally had their names carved in them there was hesitating none of them wanted to take the first move but as the first plate was filled and the first bite was taken the hall erupted with chatter and talk each of the hunters were no longer tense ready for anything they were a large family eating and talking which included challenges to each other about the carvings on the chairs to how delicious the food was. The boy was sitting at the head of the table being bombarded with questions laughing as stories were told and tales of failure were laughed at. Artemis and Thalia were sat on either side of the boy as all the chatter and laughing was going on Artemis sat there enjoying the food and smiling not just at the taste of the food but at the atmosphere how her hunters were so carefree in this moment how they were relaxed and having fun how not just the hunters and the boy seemed brighter but the whole building was brighter with the sounds of laughter bouncing off the walls small balls of light floated around the hall showing the bright and lively atmosphere. Artemis was probably the only one to notice but she saw multiple spirits at the entrance to the dining hall from the living room and they were ranging from all ages some young and others old but they were all smiling as if they are finally seeing happiness and laughter once again in their halls. Artemis noticed all the hard work this must have taken and how much the boy wanted to enjoy having people in his home. As they started to finish the food the boy invited them all into the living room from some pie, ice cream and some hot cider since it was starting to snow outside it fit perfectly. The hunters continued their conversations and the boy kept on answering questions but as time went on slowly the hunters started to trickle into there rooms to get rest and sleep until it was only the boy, Thalia and Artemis.
"Thalia you should retire to bed you seem tired." Artemis says
"No lady Artemis I'm good I will stay with you I'm not that tired anyway." She says as she yawns.
"Oh really." Artemis says raising an eyebrow as the boy chuckles next to her
"I'll just go close my eyes for a sec." Thalia says as she stumbles to her room yawning and stretching.
"Well, I guess it's just to two of us now." The boy says
"Yes, it is now since it is just the two of us I would like to ask you some questions."
"Ok, what would you like to ask that has not already been asked."
"Why haven't you given yourself a purpose." At that, the boy's expression turned stern making the scar on his face darken giving him an ominous look.
"It's not that I haven't given myself a purpose but I have no purpose other than taking care of this house and those demigods that happen to wonder here."
"Have you ever thought of making this more useful." Artemis gestures to the whole building
"What do you mean?"
"I mean using your skills your resources to help and provide make this building less like a prison and more like a safe haven the demigods see it as." The boy looks around from the light of the fireplace he could see just how empty the building really was how lonely he has been since he was a child but he also sees the spirits there smiles there imitations of the guests how happy they all are that there were people other than family members in the house. One purple spirit comes running from a wall giggling and jumps onto the boy's lap. The spirit is a young girl with pigtails and a stuffed teddy bear she is surprisingly young for a spirit and she is not dressed in old-fashioned garment like some of the other spirits she is dressed in a dress that came down to her knees and what looks like a tutu. Artemis being a God can sometimes have an effect on how she sees mortals and demigods that they can die at such a young age even though they had such a long life in front of them. She looks at the boy and sees that he is crying but smiling at the same time but she knew why.
"Why hello there sally I haven't seen you in a while." The boy says to the spirit in his lap
"Hi, brother." Sally says back
"Where have you been all this time."
"Around it was getting sad here but you had fun you smiled so I decided to come give you a hug." She says wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him as hard as she could.
"You were crying brother but you had fun and I'm happy you were able to smile please stay like that." Sally says as she disappears.
"That was your little sister?" Artemis asks
"Yea she died when my parents died never made it past 5 years old." The boy says trying to wipe away his tears.
"I thought you said you never met your parents."
"I didn't I was always training working hard to be the best prodigy to inherit this house, in this house, there is no need for names all you need to be is strong."
"Maybe you should change that tradition." Artemis says as she stands up and stretches
"Having no purpose or no name is the same as being a ghost with no name no purpose just wondering around with no one to protect become different become better than your ancestor's goodnight." Artemis leaves the living room and heads to her room thinking how much torture it must have been living in a house where your family and little sister died being alone for so long.
As morning came around the hunters were welcomed into the dining room filled with bread eggs bacon and the works but the boy was nowhere to be seen. As they finished breakfast they moved to the back porch getting packed and ready to head out. As they were talking to each other about supplies and the distance they were also feeling a tinge of sadness that they could not say thanks and goodbye to there host. As they started to walk off the porch and down the hill they could hear loud banging coming from a forge next to the mine and as they got closer the banging stopped and the boy came running out.
"Hey hold up." The boy says as he runs to them shirtless and slightly burnt apparently longtime away from the forge affects your fire resistance.
"Well look who decided to show up." One of the hunters says causing all of them to smile and laugh which caused the boy to be kinda embarrassed
"Sorry I couldn't be at breakfast I was working on something." As he said that he walked up to Artemis and handed her a gold pendant. The pendant was a gold double door which had a slight magic embedded into it.
"What is this." Artemis asks
"That is a magical pendant that lets you and only you use it. It gives you access to the Safehaven it can become whatever you want a ring a bracelet or a tattoo you can even use it to give a person the mark that acts as the same thing allowing them entrance. It is also used as a tracking beacon glowing brighter the closer you are to the Safehaven."
"I see you took my advice." Artemis says as the bracelet forms into a tattoo of gold double doors on her hand.
"And what have you decided your name will be?"
"You may call me the Keeper or Sam."
"Well then thank you for your hospitality Keeper."
"It was my pleasure you are free to always visit whenever you are near."
"Thank you." At that the hunters part way from the Keeper and his Safehaven. As the hunters have made it a decent way from Safehaven Thalia brings up a question that has been on her mind since last night.
"Do you think Keeper will be different next time we see him."
"I think that the next time we see him he won't be the same person as last time." Artemis says with a slight smirk
Back at Safehaven, the Keeper is having the spirits push a hot metal into the middle of his back and when they remove the metal on his back is a large gold double door and in front of the door is a sword planted into the ground. The Keeper stands up from his knelt position and turns around pointing at the symbol on his back saying to all the spirits gathered in the main hall
"This is the symbol of the Keeper the guardian of the Safehaven it shall grow as Safehaven grows this is no longer our prison but our home."As he said that the front doors black wood changed and became gold the same happened to The Keepers door to his room. This was a new age for the Safehaven.
Hey I hoped you liked this chapter I would like to also say that typing this almost made me tear up which I must say was surprising but I would also like to say that the next Chapter will be set 3 years later and I will get working on that as soon as possible anyways if you enjoyed it but would like to give some advice or just a review or anything I missed please tell me in the comments see you next chapter.
