Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it. :)
Also, I just want to make it clear in the previous chapter, Will was NOT watching Artemis and Chiron. I tried to make a page break, but it didn't work.
"Kidnapped?" Chiron murmured in disbelief. His eyes were wide with surprise, curiosity brimming upon his face. "How could he have been kidnapped? And who would dare do such a thing?"
Artemis was silent for a moment, her eyes closed, her brows furrowed. She seemed to be debating something.
Finally, she opened her eyes. "Come with me, I will have to show you." While she uttered these words, Chiron noticed a silver chariot, led by silver deer, approaching them from the sky. It landed smoothly beside the goddess of the hunt. With the grace of a jungle cat, she boarded the chariot and took the reins. The centaur joined her, perplexed. His two rear legs were hanging out, as was his tail. They simply wouldn't fit inside the chariot.
"Ahem, my lady," he coughed, his tail swishing.
"Oh yes, of course. How forgetful of me." She snapped her fingers, and the chariot elongated, allowing all of Chiron's mass to board the vessel.
Their ride took to the air, zooming along so fast, that everything turned to a blur. When they stopped, they landed in a grassy meadow ringed with trees. Artemis and Chiron stepped off the chariot and headed to a small round pond that was in the middle of the clearing, glinting in the moonlight. The silver deer stayed nearby, grazing.
The goddess and the centaur reached the pond. Artemis, crouching down, gazed at her reflection, the bright moon shining behind her. Chiron watched her curiously, but did not comment, his eyes following even the slightest movement.
She backed away from the pond, so that only the moon was reflected onto its waters. Both of the figures stood still, aware that something was about to happen. Chiron stared at the moon's reflection in the pond, seemingly immobile, forever frozen in the dark sky.
Suddenly, it began to shimmer and waver slightly, although not a wind blew in that meadow. The water grew murky until nothing could be seen, then it cleared up, sparkling like crystals.
The reflection of the moon was gone by then, only to be replaced by that of a young man. He looked about eighteen, with sandy hair and a handsome face, though you could see he'd been through tough times. His face was smudged with dirt and decorated with various cuts and bruises, his clothes ripped and ragged. He was leaning against some sort of wall, but his surroundings were black and couldn't be made out properly. His eyes were closed, yet obviously not sleeping. Each breath was ragged and sharp.
"Brother," Artemis said quietly. Chiron couldn't decide if she didn't want to alarm him, or if she didn't have the strength to say it louder. The goddess, seeing her twin in this state, was looking pretty shaky herself. She was trembling, her hands quivering.
"Maybe it would be better for you to sit down," the centaur said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I am fine, thank you. It was just the shock of seeing him like this. He wasn't like this before."
Apollo finally opened his eyes, quickly scanning the room in which he was standing. "What's all this noise? Have you fools come to challenge me again? I am a god you know! I demand to be let go!" Then he noticed his sister.
"Sis! I knew you'd contact me again!" He attempted a smile, but it hurt too much, so he stopped.
"Yes, brother, I am here," she said quietly.
"Lord Apollo, do you have any idea as to whom your kidnapper might be?" Chiron asked. Apollo seemed to notice him for the first time.
"Chiron, what a sight for sore eyes!" he exclaimed, his lips slowly forming what smile he could muster. "I don't' know who it is. They've not revealed themselves to me yet. I think they're afraid of me, personally–"
Artemis placed a hand to her temple and closed her eyes. "Brother, please just skip to the end."
Apollo looked to his twin, and shook his head. "They're acting for someone. They've never said his name, only him. And they're strong, very strong. Some of the strongest monsters I've seen in a long time." He paused for a moment, running his hands through his hair out of habit. "They're very old, that much I can be sure of. And they certainly know how to rough a guy up." He motioned to his abused body.
At the news that her brother was being tortured, Artemis' eyes darkened. She hid it by asking a question. After all, there was enough time for revenge later. "Haven't you tried to contact your children?"
"I tried. I have no idea if any of them received the dreams I sent them." An anxious expression settled on his face.
"We can only hope," Chiron muttered.
Apollo sharply turned, and his back went ridged. "I hear footsteps. They're coming. Chiron, Sis, go. Now."
Suddenly, his clear sky blue eyes seemed to glow, and their color darkened into a deep sapphire. "One last word of warning: beware the full moon." His eyes turned back to normal again, and there was a mild look of surprise, followed by a look of understanding on his face. Artemis and Chiron wanted to question him about what he had said, but they could hear his captors drawing near as well.
With a wave of the goddess' hand and a few murmured words of Ancient Greek, their contact with Apollo was terminated. The pond became still once more, the moon resting peacefully upon its surface.
Chiron was even more worried than before. "Who could his kidnappers be? Surely there's more than one. And what are their motives?"
"I have my suspicions as to who his captors are, but I cannot say for sure. Although we know there are beings powerful and clever enough to capture a god." Artemis' gaze slid from the centaur's face to the sky, no doubt remembering the time the titan Atlas had taken her captive. "As for their motives… Other than the Titan War, there is not much to go on."
"Could it be Atlas again, or one of the other Titans? Maybe even Kronos himself?" Chiron suggested.
"Perhaps," she said. "Yet I have a feeling that it wasn't him, at least not directly. Chiron, promise me you will keep this a secret. It's the middle of the Titan War and we must get him back, quickly. We need all the help we can get against Kronos. And as you know, the Olympians aren't very… understanding of predicaments like these. It is very important to tell only those who are worthy, those who are involved, and those who you have confidence in."
"Yes, my lady." He wondered how much Artemis wanted him back because he was her twin, and how much she wanted him back to defeat Kronos.
"Not all of the gods and goddesses know about this. Only the ones I trust, or the ones that have found out. Either way, only a handful know. Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Hermes and Hades are among the few. I'm not sure how Hades heard the rumor, but if Hades knows, then we can be certain Persephone does as well. Then maybe so does her mother, Demeter…" The goddess trailed off, realizing how hard it would be to keep her twin's kidnapping hushed up.
"Don't fret, the half-bloods will find him," Chiron said gently yet firmly. "Have faith in them. They will find your brother before the rumors start getting too wild and before the secret gets out."
"Thank you, Chiron. I am confident in the young heroes' abilities. After all, I was saved by heroes myself." Artemis smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. "Now, let's go back to the camp. It's almost dawn, and some of your campers have a quest to prepare for."
Soon, the chariot landed lightly beside the pine tree on Half-Blood Hill. With many thoughts on his mind, Chiron got off and bid a quick goodbye to the goddess and made his way back to the Big House.
"Farewell, Chiron. Until we meet again," she replied. And with those parting words, the chariot took off into the ever-lightening sky, as quick as a moonbeam. The trainer of heroes followed its path with his eyes until it appeared as far away as the stars.
Sorry it's a little short, I'll make it longer next time. Review, review, review please! :)