Life was slow going out in those woods. No one besides me and what little animals decided to flock around me. Woodland foxes, red and white, puffy and small, who seemed to love fresh meat.

They were useful that have around. Often times, when a storm brewed or a predator ventured close by, they hid in the small shelters I built for them, and it gave me a heads up to put things away or go hunting for whatever predator was around.

They provided good comfort too.

There was this one fox, Eden I named him, after the Garden of Eden… because his fur was exquisitely beautiful. A rare shade of auburn and golden-orange that allowed him to blend in perfectly with his environment… when it was sunset. Otherwise his fur stuck out like a sore thumb. He often joined me on hunts, not contributing in any way and most of the time causing me trouble, but I couldn't get him to stay at camp. So he accompanied me whenever I left the boundaries laid around the camp.

Overall, there were maybe twenty to twenty-five foxes, and so I guess I became the cat lady of the woods, taming foxes and unable to let them go.

…

Nothing changed as months passed. Those nightmares never left, still plaguing my sleep, but nothing else happened. I never saw Artemis and her hunters. The foxes never changed, though they came and went, some older ones dying from natural causes, some disappearing. Many of them found a mate, had pups, raised them, and when the parents were old enough, they would leave the pups with me and venture into the woods, and I never saw them again.

By the eighth month, my tent became a haven. Skins from a trip or two to the mountain Artemis mentioned before gave me multiple furs from male mountain goats (all had been craving that mineral). Furs from bears, wolves, and elk lined the floor, walls, and my bed, which had once looked like a small cot with some moss, then became stuffed with cotton from sheep of a nearby pasture, lined with thin pelts, and covered with blankets of mostly bear and wolf fur.

A crude bedside table, hollow and filled with rabbit skins for Eden, sat next to the elaborate cot and held a few books (in Greek of course) that I had brought with me all those months ago.

…

Now, one day, I can say, can change everything. And it was one peaceful day as I worked off a particularly bad nightmare, an unexpected voice called out my name.

"Percy!" the voice shrieked.

I hadn't heard someone else say my name in so long that I didn't even respond until a black haired, blue-eyed cousin of mine burst through the trees.

She tumbled onto the ground and I quickly scanned her.

She was covered in blood, and her hunters uniform, topped with an all natural parka—it had been fairly cold that morning—was torn in places.

"Thalia?" I whispered. "What the hell?"

"It's… the hunt." She breathed heavily.

"What happened?!"

"Swarmed… by monsters…" She huffed and fell to the grass in a heap.

"What?"

I don't know why I never noticed, but as I looked around my camp for a second, I realized that all the foxes were hiding in their shelters. It scared me, because often times Eden and his prodigy, Alee, were out with a few of the brave foxes despite the worry. Yet, at that time, Eden was the only one out, sitting on a stump next to the fire pit, whining softly and staring in the direction Thalia emerged from.

I turned back to Thalia. "How did you find me?"

"Artemis… told me you were here… and it wasn't that far…"

"Shit…" I muttered.

It took me only a minute to throw on a parka and mask I made for when I went on hunts. The colors blended with the woods and the parka and mask were thick enough to function as very weak armor. I grabbed Anaklusmos as well and a few simple stakes that served well as distractions.

I pulled Thalia to her feet and quickly said, "Take me," to which she took off through the woods, Eden quickly sprinting to catch up with us.

As we ran, I sporadically wondered what would be there for me when we reached the hunt.

It couldn't have been any worse.

Thalia, when we appeared to be getting close, made a quick gesture to me. I split off from her and she gave me a confused look.

It took only a minute of running with Eden, who split off with me, to see the fight that was going on ahead. Monsters began to show up on the outskirts, and I took down any of them that I could find. As we neared, I leapt into a tree. Eden quickly tried to scurry up with me and made it only to the lowest branch, something I had never seen him do.

I stared out into a clearing, occupied by the hunters, laying on the grass, torn and bloody. They were clearly suffering a horrible fight. Artemis, Phoebe, and Thalia—just entering the clearing—were the only ones standing, though barely. Phoebe's knees were weak, I could tell, and she hunched over slightly, bracing herself on her left knee to keep from falling. Artemis was slightly better, weak in the knees also but standing straighter. A gash scarred her left eye, bloodying up her whole face and dripping down onto her shoulder and collar-bone. Thalia, having just ran all that way with me, was definitely tired, but pulled out two knives and stood slightly in front of Phoebe and Artemis.

Their opponents:

Iapetus and an array of other monsters.

I had hardly any time to think, but I came with a plan… that most likely wouldn't work.

-climb through the trees

-get behind Iapetus

-stab him

I really didn't even know if a measly sword like mine would kill him, but it was worth the try and I didn't mind the risk if it meant saving the hunters.

So I attempted my plan, quickly and silently jumping from tree to tree to my best ability, Eden watching as I began to get farther and farther from him. At some point, he jumped quietly back onto the ground and started to follow me from the grass. I continued on and as I did so, I heard Iapetus speaking to Artemis, who I assumed was still where she was before.

"You insolent goddess!" he said. "Can you honestly believe this?" (he must have been speaking to one of his soldiers) "Artemis thinks she can win against all of us!"

"I don't think that!" she cried out. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to lose to a pitiful titan like you without putting up a fight!"

I almost laughed.

Iapetus countered, "Ugh… I will crush you!"

By then I had made it close enough to him that just a short jump would allow me to stab him with my sword and, if I had time, a couple of stakes for good measure.

I waited only a moment for him to take a step forward and gesture to his soldier to follow, and as they all began to surge forward, things seemed to slow down for me. Their bodies slowed, and I focused on a spot on Iapetus' shoulder where his armor didn't reach. I aimed for that weak spot and, leaping from the tree, drove my sword through the flesh there as hard as I could.

He screamed.

Something took over me.

He crumbled to the ground, clutching his shoulder, and I stabbed one, two, three stakes into other weak spots I suddenly became aware of all over his body.

I smiled.

Then laughed.

And then everything went black.

…

"Perseus, you can't lose yourself," a familiar female voice whispered.

…

When I came to, I was standing over the mangled body of Iapetus, his form flickering ever so slightly. I could feel a smile on my face.

I don't remember anything that happened that day from the time when I laughed at the pain of Iapetus and the shock of finding myself having killed him. Nothing at all, and to this day it has worried me, but at that time, I couldn't handle it.

I remember ripping off the mask and crying, crouching on the ground and crying as hard as I have ever remembered crying. No one came near me, not Thalia, not a hunter, not Artemis. Only Eden, who leapt from the trees the second I hit the ground on my knees and began licking my arms as I covered my face with them. The soldiers left running, from what I could hear, and eventually Iapetus faded, probably to be reborn at some point.

I kept crying.

My face hurt afterwards.

When I had finally stopped, I sat up, staring at the ichor and blood stained grass around me, and I sadly realized that it was everywhere. My sword, the grass, some trees, and mostly… myself. I was covered in blood, most of it mine, and ichor, all of it Iapetus'.

I cried again.

Only when I stopped a second time did someone approach me.

It was Artemis, who hesitantly pulled my parka off of me and placed a clean one on me.

I assumed it was hers, judging by the clear smell of wolf and forest that clung to the dense fur.

I attempted to stand, but only fell back down, supporting myself on my hands.

"Fuck…" I muttered.

"God damn…Percy, don't make me help you up."

I looked up to find Artemis staring down at me, concern surprisingly taking root in her gaze.

"No…" I said. "No… I don't… need help."

I struggled to my feet, taking it one level at a time until I stood at full height, swaying ever so slightly.

"Jesus… you're going to pass out aren't you?!" Artemis yelled at me.

"I'm sorry."

She stared at me for a second. "Get yourself together…" I noticed her glance at all the gore around her. "I don't know if it's fine with you… but we're camping near your place tonight. After what we just witnessed, I think it's best my hunters and I don't travel anymore today."

I nod.

After wounds are tended to and my eyes are no longer blotched red, Artemis tells me to lead them to my camp. I pick Eden up, who squirms at first before I place him on my shoulders, where he stands comfortably as I walk.

I pretend not to noticed the snickers, comments, and questions that fade into my ears from behind me.

When we make it, the sun is going down, casting a surprisingly beautiful light upon everything despite the dismal atmosphere that seemed to have taken over our group. The other foxes have realized that danger no longer threatens them and are playing, wrestling, and whining.

They haven't eaten all day.

Without saying a word to anyone, I walk over the the meat storage I built, cooled by frozen water (courtesy of Poseidon's powers), and grab a few slabs of meat, toss it onto the hunk of blood stained wood I usually fed them on, and let them go at it.

Eden seemed uninterested in all of it, surprisingly, and only months after did I realize he was acting like that because of whatever it was that he witness that day.

I said nothing to anyone, and quickly lit a fire and gathered stumps of wood for the hunters to sit on.

"Percy…" Artemis whispered after I had given everyone a place to sit comfortably and began cooking some meat by the fire.

"Yes?" I asked.

"What… how did you make this place so… homey."

I narrowed my eyes, and took a seat next to where she had sat herself. I ignored the obvious glares I received from the hunters, and replied, "I was expected to live here right?" —she nods— "So why would I live in a place that doesn't feel like home?"

"Well…"

"You guys are always traveling, training, and doing stuff, so what's the point of making things comfortable. I, however, have made no plans of moving."

I gesture quickly towards the foxes. "I've got a family out here… so moving would be a waste."

Then I pointed to Eden, who had planted himself at me feet, staring intently at the hunters, most likely making sure they didn't do anything that would risk the safety of others. "And this guy… he's my best friend… and even though he'll follow me wherever I go (I'm sure of that), I wouldn't want to take him away from his friends… and his prodigy." I smiled as Alee sauntered up to us, her face dirty with blood, and began rubbing herself on Eden, who remained sober until he smelled the grime on her, and began furiously cleaning her face.

I turned back to Artemis, who smiled at the two foxes.

"Of all the things you could do out here… you tame wild foxes…"

"I don't do anything…" She stares at me. "I tamed a few foxes, Eden being one, and as other got older and had kids, they were raised by me and so they I think they automatically associated themselves with me. So I never tame foxes, they just think I've normal."

She chuckled. "So you tame foxes."

I huffed and stood up, grabbing the finished meat and tossing it lightly onto the table nearby. I gestured for the hunters to do what they wanted with the meat and began to walk away.

"Are you not going to eat?" a voice called out.

Without looking back, I waved a hand over my shoulder and replied, "That meat's only enough for seventeen."

There were eighteen of us, and I didn't want food anyway.

Eden and Alee followed me to my tent, which I entered, quickly throwing off my boots and roughly sitting on the edge of the cot. I stared at the boots, torn and bloody.

Alee jumped onto the cot and sat pointedly next to me.

I smiled. "I think I'm in need of some new boots, huh Alee?"

She whined in response.

I fell onto my back on the bed, and Eden jumped onto my chest while Alee curled into a ball next to my side.

I don't remember when I fell asleep, but suddenly my name was being called quietly, and I opened my eyes.

Someone was outside the tent.

I mumbled "gimme one sec." and stepped into my boots, taking a few steps and stomps to get them fixed onto my feet in their usual manner. I walked the few feet to the door and opened it.

Artemis was leaning on it and fell back onto me as I opened the door, clearly not expecting me to be ready so quickly. I was forced to grab her shoulders and steady myself, turning my feet and digging into the rough pelts on the floor.

"Holy shit…" she mumbled. "Sorry." And she pushed me away slightly, regaining her footing (and attempting to regain her composure). I watched her quietly as she straightened her shirt and parka.

She stopped and realized the insanity of my room.

"How often do you hunt?" she asked.

"As often as needed. The foxes need food, you know."

She shushed me. "I know that much, but I mean bear furs. Wolf furs. Why do you even kill wolves?" She glared at me.

Taking a few steps back, I sat on the cot, which caused Alee and Eden to bounce up slightly and both growl at me. "Sometimes they get too close, and threaten my camp." I smoothly gestured to the pelts. "Most of the bears and wolves are from when I first settled down here. They weren't used to me, but now they know better than to bother me." I look at her. "I haven't had any problems with them for weeks."

"Huh…" she breathed, still gazing about the room.

I watched for a moment, before asking, "So why are you here anyway?"

"What?"

"Why are you here? What did you need from me?"

"Oh right."

Gods, she was so spacey back then.

"We set up camp on the other side of the clearing, and I saved some meat for you, if you wanted any…"

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat something."

"What are you my mother?!"

"Don't give me that tone, boy! Remember who you're speaking to!"

I stopped. "I'm sorry."

She stopped too. "It's fine."

"Milady?" a voice called out.

"Thalia?" Artemis replied.

I hardly even recognized that it was her, having not heard her voice in a long time besides just earlier, but even then it was full of tiredness and urgency.

"Um… sorry," Thalia mumbled, sticking her head through the open door. "I was coming to speak with Percy, but I heard raised voices and… was kind of worried."

Artemis turned fully towards her, glancing at me quickly. "Everything's fine. I was just leaving anyways, so you can speak to him if you want." She began to walk out the door, pushing past Thalia, before turning back slightly but not looking at me, and said, "It's on the table by the fire… if you want any."

She left.

Thalia and I talked, mostly about what I had been up to and how much she missed me.

I honestly don't remember much of the conversation.

I was too focused on thinking about earlier that day… what happened when I blacked out?

Yes yes... it is CONTINUING BECAUSE WHY NOT.

Sorry sorry I have no life XD.

Anyway, this chapter might have been a little messy. I'm still trying to figure out the major plotline of this story, so if I don't get the next chapter out soon, it's cause I'm trying to get that sorted out.