Chapter 9 – Artemis

The slithering noises that could be heard from down the hall didn't put any fear into my heart. Neither the days we've been incarcerated, inside this dank rock. I have lost count, I can assume at least a week has gone by. Only concerning thing was the girls, struggling to keep their spirits unbroken. So far only the little ones were constantly crying, Zoe and the older girls remained steadfast. They were the true brave hearts right now, keeping our family safe and determined to outlast this army.

That's exactly what it was, an army. Consisting of dracanae, hellhounds, empousa, and that one fickle gryphon, this army had numbers over 500. More than enough to overwhelm our small group. I doubt the myrmidons with our same numbers could do accomplish this, maybe if they Achilles. Wait. I could be Achilles and they my myrmidons, but alas we were without our weapons and I risk all the girls' safety in order to escape.

"My Lady," There was a faint whisper from one of the other cells, "They are coming, it's more than the usual guards,". She was right, slithering down the elevated walkway were six dracanae.

Armored in plate and mail, these weren't the normal arrow fodder monsters. At the very end of the pack was a emerald colored one considerably bigger in height and girth.

"Ah, my little precsiss prissners" I could see her approach the cell holding three hunters. Her ugly tails slithering on the metal flooring. Zoë and Phoebe were in there, if the course they but my most thick headed hunters all in the same spot, gods love them.

"What do thou want, demon?" Zoë spat on the ground in front of her. That certainly won't piss her off, Zoë.

"Iss that how you treat your caretaker? Filth!" The lizard queen reached for a key and unlocked the cell. Three guards pulled each hunter out and knelt the moon the ground. Fear crawled into my throat and my thoughts went only to what could happened next.

"Get off!" Phoebe twisted a guard's arm and smashed the joint, breaking it. Zoë got up and kicked out ones footing as the other four serpents surrounded the Warriors. Bless them, idiotic heroes.

"Throw down your weaponss! You will never esscape thiss place alive," The queen tilted her spear toward Zoë. Zoë and her sister had a spear and greataxe in their hands, eager to draw blood. If they surrendered now, they would be punished for their attempt viciously. If they managed to slay these creatures than we all had a hope of getting out.

"Thy will have to come and take thee," Zoë crouched and put the spear point outward, her muscles tensing. Phoebe edged around sword in hand, breaking up the group into a two, two versus one scenarios.

One snake was tired of talking and slithered quickly toward Phoebe. Her swiped at the hunters left arm, but left just a scratch. Phoebe recoiled and engaged as Zoë spear went spinning in her hand. Poking and prodding at the enraged reptiles hybrids.

It's not like they were untrained but their movements were sloppy. Parries and thrusts, coming too slow, almost deadly too slow. Sparks were flying but the dracnae were losing their ground. Zoë and Phoebe pressed them as the hunters watched silently, the calm before the storm. After more parrying Zoë jammed the spear into the stomach of the creature and ripped out the tip as the snake turned into a shinning golden powder. Three more to go.

"Watch out!" Phoebe body slammed a guard who was attempting to sneak around Zoë and stealthy take her out. Or maybe wound her, the guards didn't want to kill us, but use us as bait most likely. They had bigger plans I needed to figure out.

Zoë shoved the bronze tip of the spear through the throat of the stunned enemy. Phoebe brought her sword down in a massive arc, at waist level, cutting the approaching snake in half. The last snake stood there unsure of how to go about this situation which did a complete 180. She ran. I could feel the smirks of my two lieutenants forming as Zoë planted her feet and hurled her wooden spear. Straight as an arrow it pierced the back of the fleeing monster and sent her dust back to Tartarus.

Cheers went up from the group of hunters as their sisters found the jail cell keys and unlocked everyone first and climbed the stairs to my cell. They both smiled at me and I gave them a hug. Nothing their battered and slightly bleeding bodies. I wish I could heal them, but this mountain did something to me. I cannot call out to the other gods. Heal or bless or do anything while under this magic absorbing stone.

"My Lady, what are we going to do now? We killed four. Four out of probably 500 or more," Phoebe didn't get worried about anything except odds not in our favor for war. She gets that from her father. I have no idea where her red hair came from, and she has never said.

"We need to scout ahead and find out what's going on. Us three are going to scout ahead, I want everyone else to find some cover. In case another patrol walks by. They are to hide and not attack unless they are forced to," I told them as we walked down.

I looked down the long metallic room. Either side of the massive rocky tunnel had exits, but which one would lead us to the correct spot. We needed our supplies, but they wouldn't possibly keep them unlocked. Under lock and key most likely, damn, it can never be easy can it?

"Alright everyone, gather round," Zoë made a motion toward herself with her hands. The group of slightly starved hunters surrounded her in a semicircle. We were well fed, but it was enough to give us some strength, and I plan on using all of it.

"Here's the plan girls," I began, "You all are going to stay here and make sure you aren't found. Hide. Carefully, pick somewhere high and discreet. The cells need to stay unlocked and empty, maybe we can use them to our advantage," Zoë handed the keys off and held her spear in her

hand. Phoebe found the sheath and put the bronze sword back into it.

We crept along the walls, as we went I assumed was north, but I had no idea, everything was off while I was still under here. I had no idea was this place was. There was a slim chance of not making this onerous journey back to the girls. If we were captured again they would know the others were freed.

We heard hissing voices and the scrap of metal on the floor. Snarling even? What monster snarls? I could only picture Lycan and his psychotic werewolf pack, that reminds me he needs his annual hunt. Zoë nearly tripped when I stopped abruptly to listen what was snarling. It sounded like a fox, but deeper and more powerful. The door was sealed and made of steel, like an old mining door keeping air and anything else in.

Phoebe scampered ahead to see what was around the corner. Only two options, right or left. I could almost see Janus laughing at me while I decided on going right. What could possibly go wrong right? Luckily there was nothing but an arch way leading into a massive carved out room. Torches kept the room lit and two giants were gnawing on a leg and ribs of an animal. Probably a cow or some bird. Or human. Maybe it's that fucking gryphon they are eating. That really amused me, and my smiling seemed out of place when Zoë looked at me. Her face read utter confusion, but she didn't started at me for long, the Giants were on the move.

Laestrygonian giants, with their blue skin and hairy chest. Their arms were shaved oddly, I have ever seen that, but they had tattoos on their arms. Representing their clan with the sigil on their forearms down to their hands. A club with a fist clutching it, how…creative. Their clubs were in hand of course, as they stumbled and marched through the doorway to the left.

"Let's go see what on that table mistress," I didn't see it I was so concerned of what the Giants were doing.

"Those papers should say something" They had something but it was written by someone who has no hands I assume. The wooden walnut table, nice quality, had maps and notes written in, but this was a Language I never learned or was written so horribly I could never read.

"This is a delta, right here in the middle of the map. I don't see why the delta is in the middle of Kansas." I dragged my finger along the map towards the symbol.

"Look here's another one," Phoebe gently put her finger on the symbol near Los Angeles, " and another one in New York. But what's the point of putting these here, they don't correspond with the written notes."

Something was here, but I couldn't tap into anything. This damned magic barrier over our heads. "And this symbol, it's the one doctors use to identify women. A symbol of Aphrodite right in the Pacific Northwest. And Mars symbol in Oakland." This was bizarre, notes and symbols they all mean something.

"I say we take these plans, someone will know what it means,"

"No. We can't they will know. If there is time before we leave this hell hole," Zoë snapped at her. And smacked her hand away as she attempted to grab a small scroll with scribbling notes on them."

Phoebe's ambition subdued and she went off looking for weapons. Zoë kept her eyes in the map, probably trying to decipher the cryptic messages. I dug through the stacks of notes written in chicken scratch, still illegible words. A few spoke out to me, but it seemed every sheet was in a different languages, some of which I haven't seen in ages.

"My lady I found it!" Zoë was excited but kept her voice down. She thrust some crumpled notes into my hands and pointed on the paper. It was in English. A small miracle. A small article as well, barely 2 sentences. The writing even in English was sloppily done.

I read out loud, as Phoebe came back to hear the good news, "This one looks like trap or maybe catch. And this is group. Then possibly sword? I don't know this looks like mindless writings," There wasn't much, as I suspected.

"Here. This says two maidens and a dove, in Greek. This person writes like they have one finger. A complete mess of words," Zoë passed me some other crinkled papers. Two maidens and a dove? Two girls coming with peace?

"What's the point of the two maidens and a dove? Does it mean peace? Or are the two girls going to bring peace?" Phoebe asked, her face full of frustration. I could empathize this myriad of questions were still to be answered.

"I haven't the slightest clue, but we should head back. There is nothing here to helps us navigate out. Only information useful when we get out. There was a rumbling down the hallway, a place we have decided not to explore. We swiftly left the room, trying to put things back into their place. If we last in here long enough, we can revisit the table and see if anything has changed.

The hunters were all safely hiding when we returned, and everyone went back into their respected cells. We are going to stay alive. And I'm going to get everyone out.

Soon.

(A/N): What's going on guys? I hope you enjoy this short, but at least it's Artemis! Right? Ok...

So just remember the story is going to continue on no specific schedule, duh? And more Teenage Rivals, chapter 4 I believe, are also on the way! Read and Review!