Chapter Four: I Go On A Little Hunting Trip

Yeah, you guessed it. We were gonna go flying again. In his Maserati, a.k.a THE SUN CHARIOT. Gods, I'll never get tired of that. Except today it was a van. A large one that could probably fit around ten to eleven people. Yes, the amazing sun chariot can also shape-shift into whatever vehicle you want or need. Unfortunately, it's one of a kind and requires magic on a godly level, blah, blah, blah. Basically, you can't have one and neither can I. Anyway, Apollo wouldn't say exactly what his errands were but he said that they had something to do with red cows. Well, that's totally cleared up now, isn't it?, I thought, frowning as he said red cows. But then he mentioned that he still had one last errand to run.

"So-o-o," I said slowly. "Why am I coming with you again?"

"Because I want you to meet somebody," he replied happily, buckling his seatbelt. "I think you're going to like her. Plus, she's got great friends. I can totally tell that they adore hearing my artistic works."

"Yeah, um, that's great!" I wasn't sure what to say. If anybody on this planet actually liked his poetry, they were probably deaf people who are in denial of their inability to hear. I'm really, really sorry but I didn't like the way he thought that his creations were so good. It made me feel a little sorry for him. But then it also made me a little ticked off at the fact that he couldn't tell the difference between a good poem and a bad one when he himself had been branded the god of poetry. Then again, I hadn't the heart to tell him that he sucked at it. There are two reasons for that. One, I was a softie and two, he was the sun god, for Zeus' sake (Yeah, I am getting used to the whole Greek gods thing. I did some research, too. I get great reception up at thirty thousand feet!). I'm not stupid enough to just say something real mean like, Hey, my poems are better than yours by a long shot and mine suck! when he could turn me into a human French fry at will.

"This someone," I prompted. "Is she really as nice as you say she is?"

"Of course she is," Apollo said sternly, like I had said something really wrong. "I've known her for more than a hundred thousand years!"

I winced, remembering once again that he was immortal. It's hard to get used to but my brain was already putting together the Formula: immortal being+ godly powers+ some badmouthing= toasted Katherine with buttered ego on the side. So yeah, it isn't easy being friends with one of these guys but at the same time it was really fun. Not a single moment with them is boring. It's always, always interesting-whether or not they're trying to decide when to kill you. I sure don't speak from experience (and I hope I never get to) but I had a good enough memory to know how Medusa had gone from downright gorgeous to downright hideous by Athena's hand. And Athena was the goddess of wisdom not turning people into snakeheads. So if she could do that, what could the other gods like Ares or Poseidon or Hades do? I shuddered. I didn't want to know.

"Are you okay?" Apollo asked me as the van lurched up into the sky. He sounded concerned and at that assumption, my heart jumped. I told it to get back to work.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I managed. "Just a little tired, you know? What with work and all..."

"Oh, okay," he said but there was something about his tone that was kind of weird. It wasn't mad or anything like that. I guess... reluctant would be the right word. But reluctant about what?

Joanne, my brain whispered and a light went off in my head. I remembered our conversation back in Japan while we ate ramen. The way Apollo talked about her then... It was different. I thought maybe he had a crush on her but there was only one way to find out.

"Hey, um, Apollo?"

"Yeah?"

"You know something about Joanne, don't you?" I told him. "The way you asked me if I knew her really well... What do you know about her that I don't?"

Apollo tensed a bit, like he didn't want to go into the subject. But he sighed and said, "She's a demigod. A child of Aphrodite."

I drew a breath. Joanne? A demigod? A daughter of Aphrodite? It made sense but my brain was totally thrown out of whack. Joanne did always like to gossip about boys and relationships but she never struck me as 'Love goddess's kid' material. I mean, the woman could eat a T-bone steak like a lioness that hadn't eaten in three days. I wasn't sure that Aphrodite could pull off something like that. But something still didn't make sense. "But why don't you want to talk about her?" I asked him. It wasn't the right thing to ask because he suddenly turned hard of hearing and muttered something about how the clouds seemed fluffier today. I could tell that he didn't want to talk about it so I dropped it again. The first awkward silence EVER descended upon us and I shifted uncomfortably on my seat. Apollo cleared his throat like he wanted a change of subject. I complied.

"So... your dad's Zeus, huh?" I said, remembering what I'd read online.

"Yeah," he said, obviously relieved that I hadn't decided to pursue the topic of Joanne. "He's okay."

"And your mom is-"

"Leto," Apollo answered.

"Was she... mortal or...?"

"Most people think that she is but others know better," he said cautiously. "Dad never wanted anyone to know that he had, ah, an affair with a Titan."

Lightning crackled somewhere below us, like Zeus was irritated that his son was sharing something that he ought not to. And from what Apollo said, I was guessing that he was. But if what Apollo was saying was true, then it was a something Zeus should be embarrassed about. I mean, he was the one who led the gods against the Titans in the first place, right? And he was the one who led the council thingies that ended in their eternal punishment. Sure, there were some Titans who had sided with the gods like Prometheus but even they were punished. So if Zeus himself was found out for dating a Titan, it would be the worst scandal ever.

"And who are the... others?" I asked tentatively.

"Ever check the Internet?" he said. "It's all there. Whoever wrote the stuff about Mom being the Titan of motherhood wasn't kidding."

"So..." I opened my cell phone's Internet server and checked it out. Sure enough, under Other Titans, Leto was there, described as "The Titan of Motherhood and mother of Artemis and Apollo". But then that totally differed from another site that called Leto a mortal from a Greek island called Delos. Apollo was right-not everybody knew the truth. Nor was anybody sure what was the truth. The only way one would know was from Leto's kids themselves: the twins Artemis and Apollo.

"Artemis," I said.

"What?"

"She's who you're taking me to now, right?"

"Mm, yeah," Apollo said. "I figured you two would need to meet each other."

"Why?"

He shook his head. "Can't really say. But I thought you'd understand it if I reminded you that I am the god of prophecies, too."

"That absolutely made everything much clearer, thanks," I said sarcastically. We laughed. It was a nice thing to hear. We began to descend. The van glowed bright and I covered my eyes, knowing somehow that if I watched the light, my eyes would burn up and my brain would turn into stew. Not a very nice way to die.

Eventually, we landed on solid ground and we unbuckled our seatbelts but Apollo told me to wait in the bus while he "went through the formalities" so I stayed but opened my door so I could at least try and hear what he'd be talking about. I looked around first and realized that we had landed in a clearing in the middle of some woods. The usual sizzling black ring encircled the place where we had landed. A few yards away from the van was a small group of young girls between nine and fifteen that gave off a distinct silvery aura. Every one of them wore ski parkas, jeans, and hard, determined faces, like they'd seen more battles than they would've liked. All of them were beautiful. But one girl stood out. One with an aura much, much brighter than the rest. A twelve year old girl with auburn hair tied back into a ponytail and eyes that looked the colour of the moon. Artemis, the goddess of the Hunt.

"Sis!" he cried gleefully, his arms spread. "It's about time! I've been waiting for you to call on me for decades! And the girls are as beautiful as ever, I see." He winked at them and all of them-save Artemis who frowned with distaste-glared at him like he'd committed a unforgivable sin. I didn't avoid looking at Artemis because her glow was soft like the moon's light. Unlike Apollo's real glare that burned like the sun, Artemis' was embracing yet mysterious like the moon. I would've loved to be her BFF except her expression also held the look of a several millennia old deity who'd seen lots of horrific times but had also seen lots of splendour.

"Hello, brother," she said irritably. "You're early, considering the fact that winter draws near. Why is that?"

"Well, I couldn't wait to see you!" he said and from the tone of his voice, I guessed that he was grinning. "And guess what? I went to Japan and got some new material: haikus! Five-seven-five and all about nature! They're awesome! Want to hear one?" He cleared his throat and held up his hand the way people usual did when they were going to say To be or not to be-that is the question.

"No, thank you, brother," said Artemis as all the Hunters started protesting but Apollo wasn't listening.

"The leaves are golden.

Artemis so needs my help.

I am just so cool."

"Only the first line was about nature," Artemis sighed. "Anyway, my Hunters need to-"

"But it is in a younger sister's nature to need her elder brother's help," said Apollo, frowning as he defended the poor logic of his haiku. "And one can't help the fact that I am indeed very cool."

"We're twins! We were born on the same day!" Artemis said angrily. "This is the three thousand four hundred and twenty second time I've reminded you of that!"

"Actually you've told me more times than that," said Apollo, raising a finger as if to chide his "younger sister". "So where do your Hunters need to go this time?"

Artemis scowled as if waiting for Apollo to make some smart remark but he didn't. "Camp Half-Blood," she said finally. "A few of my Hunters including Zoë and I must attend to some... unfinished business." A girl I figured to be Zoë stepped forward from the group of girls and bowed her head respectfully yet stiffly-like she didn't really want to-to Apollo.

"Lord Apollo," she acknowledged a little coldly. "My lady Artemis wishes for a hunt to only be carried out by the most experienced of us. The others must stay at Camp Half-Blood for their safety." Some of the younger girls behind her shifted uneasily as though they really wanted to go and wouldn'tve agreed to stay at this camp thing if they could help it.

"Camp Half-Blood? No problem! I can get them there faster than you can say Apollo, you rock!!"

Artemis frowned again. "You remembered to change the car into something else before you arrived," she said pointedly. "Is there something wrong, dear brother?" She said dear brother like idiot brother but I guess it was the same to her. She narrowed her eyes and I realized she was looking right at me. I looked down at my lap and started twiddling my thumbs like crazy. If her gaze made me nervous, it was nothing compared to what she said next. "Is that your latest suitor? Is she why you have been so thorough this time?" I blushed fiercely and felt the need to tell her off as she said this but kept my head down. No need to be rash, I told myself. Remember she's a goddess, too. An Olympian no less. She could transform me into a worm without giving it a moment's consideration.

Apollo sounded much better than I felt but I could still sense a distinct trace of embarrassment or nervousness. "Um, no, not really. We're just friends and I... I figured that you get to meet her or something." I looked up just in time to see Artemis raise an eyebrow like she wasn't convinced. She looked at me again and I re-averted my gaze to the dashboard.

"It seems that the unfinished business must wait for a while," said Artemis.

"My lady!" I heard Zoë protest. "The monster mustn't get away with such heinous-" Someone cut her off. Most likely Artemis.

"Apollo," she said. "I will take the woman with me for a... discussion. Return and fetch my Hunters tomorrow." I looked back at them and saw Apollo tense like he was about to argue but he sighed, saying, "Alright. I'll go tell her."

"Do not," ordered Artemis. "She knows. Let her come forth herself."

All eyes turned on me and I gulped. I caught Apollo's eye and he nodded reassuringly though stiffly. He smiled. I got out of the van and though my legs felt like lead and my face was burning, I traipsed toward them. The short walk seemed like it took forever but finally, I ended up before Artemis. I bowed awkwardly. "Lady Artemis," I said respectfully. It seemed weird bowing to a twelve year old but I knew that gods and goddesses were to be respected. If I had done otherwise, I would probably be a pile of bear poop.

"Rise, maiden," she ordered. I obeyed. She studied me carefully but said nothing in addition. She turned to the girls and told them to pitch their tents in the clearing for tonight and to wait for us in the morning to which they reluctantly, every now and then glancing at me in interest and maybe even some awe. Obviously their mistress didn't ask for private day-long audiences with just anybody. Zoë, however, wasn't impressed. She glared at me but not with the same intensity as she had Apollo.

After Artemis explained what they were to do, we bid farewell to Apollo (which I secretly wasn't so happy about-yes, laugh, all of you) and the Hunters (which I was fine about seeing as they kept training their eyeballs at me).

Then we were off into the woods.