Warning: Torture hinted at, though I won't actually write horrific scenes.
Disclaimer: Don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Ch. 10 Artemis gets her answers
Artemis turned to Zoe and motioned for her to explain how she was brought back to life. The former lieutenant frowned and looked at the floor.
"Lady Celeste hinted that I still resided in the stars." Nico nodded. "She lied. Krios, the titan of the stars forced me out and into Tartarus."
XXFlashbackXX
The sky is peaceful. The huntress thought. As much as she loved her family below, the sky was warm and happy.
The palace up her resembled a peaceful castle. It hung on clouds and sparkled silver. Training was recommended and she often fought with various mortals that were killed. She fought her best but her favorite opponent was the fallen hunter Orion.
They often had archery matches and fought with hunting knives. They also sat and chatted about Artemis and the other Gods. The son of Poseidon mentioned his dislike of Apollo and both connected more and more.
Zoe knew that she was no longer a huntress and therefore could break her oath, and she often considered it, and knew that the possibility was open for her. She was happy here. She could fight and get rid of her hatred at her own pace.
That shattered, though, when night fell on Percy's birthday. Percy had just won the war, or so she assumed. She had watched the battle, but chose to watch Thalia and pray that she was safe rather than watch Perseus, as she knew that Orion would be studying that particular battle and inform her exactly what occurred.
With Thalia safe, Zoe began to allow herself to mourn over the fallen girls she loved so much.
The many other fallen mortals that resided now in the stars had all gone to sleep. Zoe assumed that Orion was among them.
"Why so forlorn, Traitor?" The girl whirled and came face to face with a ram-horned Titan. He stood there as though he belonged with a self-centered smirk on his face and Zoe started to retreat, knowing her only hope was to get the palace where aid would be available.
"Krios." She hissed, backing away. He laughed at the alarm in her eyes.
"Yes, my dear. Come with me peacefully, or I shall force you to come." He stalked forward confidently, and lunged for her when he was about three strides away.
Naturally, Zoe resisted. She knew it was futile though. This was his domain and thus the place that he was strongest. Here, he would be unbeatable.
A quick slash to Zoe's ribs, after a few feints and missed strikes on her part, and she fell. He laughed cruelly and grabbed her wrist, transporting her to Mount Orthys, where her father held the sky.
Krios threw her down. "I have brought her as you requested, General." Zoe felt the blood drain from her face as she stared at the man who killed her.
Though he was still trapped, the girl would be a fool to deny that she feared him more than any other.
"Leave us, Krios. This is a family matter." The other titan obeyed with a cruel smirk in Zoe's direction. "You will take my burden, huntress." Zoe gave a weak laugh, her hand on the wound at her side.
"I politely decline. If you don't mind." Zoe started backing up, only to be stopped by her father's glare.
"Where are you going, pretty one?" Zoe spat in her father's face. Atlas called for Krios angrily and Krios returned pinning the girl's arms at her side and returned her to a kneeling position. The spirited lieutenant of the hunt simply glared and tossed her hair back, her eyes on the Titan before her.
Her options were limited and all of them knew it.
The silence was shattered when a cold voice entered their minds. Atlas and Krios paled, but Zoe attempted to fight, struggling against her captor.
Bring her to me, brother of the stars. Krios bowed low.
"As you wish, my Lord." Krios transported them into the Underworld in a second. Zoe prayed immediately to Lord Hades and Lady Artemis, but neither answered as Krios dragged her to the pit.
"Let me go." She snapped, pulling at his strong grip on her arm.
Krios laughed and lifted her above the Pit to Tartarus and let her go. As she fell, she heard a slightly insane laugh. "As you wish, Little Girl." She landed at the bottom at the feet of a second Titan.
Hyperion towered above her and Zoe immediately rose to her full height, facing him with as much bravado as she could muster. He didn't seem impressed as he just laughed at her attempts.
"My master has summoned you. Come."
XXEnd FlashbackXX
"Krios stole you from your resting place and cast you into the pit?" Artemis fumed, her silver eyes flashing with righteous anger. Zoe nodded a bit sadly.
"Yes, milady. May I continue?" Artemis nodded.
XXResume FlashbackXX
As he turned away, Zoe darted past him and towards the dark veil that she remembered Artemis discussing once. From the story, Zoe knew that a goddess resided behind it and no Titan would dare cross the borders else they incur her wrath.
She got about half-way there, when a group of hellhounds caught up and she was forced to fight. Thankfully, when she returned, she had the outfit on that she wore in the sky, complete with bow and hunting knife.
Hyperion snuck behind her and managed to grab her from behind and pin her arms together, twisting them roughly.
"You certainly live up to your father's abilities, Zoe Nightshade. Now stop fighting. It is useless to do so." Of course, that just made her fight more and finally, Hyperion threw her to the ground and pinned her beneath him.
"Get off!" Zoe demanded, but her heart rate sped up. After all, this was a very compromising situation for a huntress to be in and there wasn't any way for her to get him off without a lot of luck and stupidity on Hyperion's part.
Hyperion laughed at her blush and captured her mouth in a kiss. Zoe bit his lip roughly and the Titan growled.
"You will come with more or I will continue, little hunter. And, if I'm not mistaken, you must be a maiden to follow Artemis and her band of silly girls." Zoe felt tears prick her eyes at the absolute hopelessness of the situation.
XXEnd FlashbackXX
"He wouldn't dare." Artemis snarled, her teeth bared and eyes sparkling with barely contained rage. Zoe couldn't help but laugh at her mistress' expression.
"Milady, you will find out soon what happened if you keep quiet. I promise, he got what he deserved."
Artemis nodded for her to continue.
XXResume FlashbackXX
"I wouldn't consider hunters silly. Especially given that many have more power than thine." Hyperion whirled. A woman with pitch black hair and red eyes stared at him emotionlessly.
"Lady Celeste. You cannot interfere for the first month and you know it." Hyperion stated, standing before her. Zoe sat up behind him, inching away as quietly as possible, trying not to aggravate her wound any worse than it already was and listening with curiosity. Was this the goddess that her mistress had absolute respect for?
"I am aware of this fact, Titan. However, even Primordials make exceptions. As Zoe Nightshade was cast down here for no other reason than her parentage, Lord Tartarus allowed me to interfere. Leave, Titan. I have much to do and have no interest in talking longer with thee." She moved past him and knelt beside the huntress, her hands glowing with dark power.
Any pain that Zoe felt dissipated and she shifted into a kneel. The goddess laughed.
"No mortal should kneel to me unless the respect has been earned, hunter. But come. You are most certainly welcome in my domain." Hyperion shifted out of the way as the goddess and the hunter passed. He grabbed Zoe's arm.
"I won't forget this, girl." Zoe glared and pulled away, following Celeste into her realm of night.
The goddess led her past beautiful gardens. Zoe paused, studying the gardens full of exotic flowers, tropical and beautiful and colorful. However, for every flower of a color other than red, there were three red flowers. The goddess paused, watching Zoe's curiosity with a soft smile.
"Why so much red?" Zoe couldn't help but ask. Celeste shrugged.
"I simply like the color."
The path that the two women were on was surrounded on all sides by flowers, save for a few places where a separate path split off. One in particular held her interest.
It led to a rose garden, in a circle with three benches arranged in a triangle in the center. There were three different colors of flowers: black, blue and gold. Each one had slightly different shades and a few had outlines of red or silver or sparkled brightly.
"That's the Garden of the Gods." Celeste spoke, and Zoe whirled to face her. "It is a memorial for all the children of the big three that have died. The ones with silver outlines are thine sisters and the ones with red outlines died in duels. If the rose sparkles, that means the person was immortalized or granted godhood."
"My sisters?" Celeste nodded, with a small smile.
"Yes. Thine would be surprised at the amount of my father and uncles children that have joined Lady Artemis' hunt."
The goddess stepped forward and entered the garden, careful to only step on the path that circled the garden. She pointed out Heracles' flower with a sneer and pointed out other famous heroes. Finally, she came to the center and pointed at a particularly bright blue flower that had smears of dark blue. The flower had a red outline but sparkled with brilliant hues of many different colors, included black, gold, silver, pink, grey, and red.
"Milady, whose flower is that?" The goddess kept her back to the huntress.
"A hero whose fate I pity more than any." Zoe gave the flower a confused glance but the goddess finished her circle and returned to the main path. With a final glance at the sparkled rose, Zoe darted off and caught up with the goddess.
Many side paths sprouted off but Celeste ignored them, and offered no explanation to where they went.
When they entered a throne room, Celeste swept into her throne and a second one appeared. "Sit, please." Her command was gentle, but her eyes were sad.
They sat in silence, before Zoe looked up at the palace ceiling. "I cannot leave, can I, milady?"
The goddess shook her head kindly. "I am sorry. Not without outside interference," She added with a frown. Zoe lowered her head to stare at the tiles, which had beautiful sketchings of Hades, Zeus and Poseidon v. Kronos and each other. All of them seemed pictured equally, Zoe noted.
The goddess rose and stepped forward, crouching in front of the daughter of Atlas.
"You have a choice, Zoe Nightshade." Zoe met her eyes. "I can brand thee with a mark which will keep you safe." The hunter tensed immediately but the goddess held up her hand to stop any comments. "I said, I would give you a choice child."
Zoe waited impatiently. Celeste whirled and began to pace, her eyes on the ground. "I have eyes and ears, everywhere, Miss Nightshade. I am the deity, the ruling body and the queen."
Zoe lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"I have never enjoyed this responsibility. Never have and never will. However, it must be done." Zoe shifted in her seat, trying to stop the eye roll that she was tempted to give. Celeste appeared a kind Goddess, but one never knew.
"Pardon, my lady, but what does this have to do with me?" Celeste turned from her pacing and stared at Zoe, letting a small smile pass her lips.
"In order to rule, one must have power, Miss Nightshade. Which I have. And soldiers, which I also have. However, there is one thing that I lack. The ability to interfere. Tartarus prohibits this because of the very nature of his pit. It is made for torture." Zoe nodded. "The only problem is that some are unjustly prosecuted here."
The former hunter lifted her brow coolly.
"You could do that, Miss Nightshade. Help, I mean. Those are the only choices I can offer you at this time."
Zoe considered.
"It seems, I truly have little option, my lady, for I refuse to be branded like a slave." Celeste frowned but inclined her head in agreement. After all, that was the brands purpose.
"Then you shall begin your training, Lady Zoe. Fortunately, a former hunter such as yourself has also agreed. Miss Atalanta, if you would?"
A flash of silver and a beautiful girl clad in silver dropped down from the ceiling. Her eyes were hard, but they sparkled when they spotted the beautiful girl before her. She inclined her head before whirling.
"Sister, why is Zoe here?" The girl asked, her 12-year old voice ringing through the air. The goddess gave a gentle smile and explained the situation. When she got to the part about Hyperion, the huntress nearly stormed out to face him herself.
Only Zoe and the goddess prevented her, both laughing all the while.
"Enough, young one. He shall be dealt with in time." The girl frowned but nodded.
"What is your will, sister?" Celeste smiled again.
"Train Lady Zoe to become a mistress of stealth. She will join in the hunt with you." Both former huntresses disappeared at the command.
XXEnd FlashbackXX
"Does that satisfy you, milady?" Zoe asked, and Artemis frowned.
"You should still rest in the sky, Zoe. I am also curious as to how Atalanta joined my cousin." She said, her eyes burdened with sorrow, but the gentle laugh of the former lieutenant brought her out of her sorrow.
"I am much happier here, with thee, milady. Atalanta did not tell me her story, said that it was unimportant and she was content." Artemis gave a second, happier smile and turned to the other newly resurrected huntress.
"How came you to the pit, Bianca?" The girl frowned and shook her head.
"I wasn't in the pit, milady, but in Elysium. Lady Celeste asked if I wished to be resurrected, as Bianca and not reborn. My answer was yes. She informed me that I was to go with her to the pit, and wait there. It wasn't very smart, I suppose, but I obeyed. But it all turned out well."
The goddess nodded and turned to Thalia, Nico, Katie, and Annabeth, who were standing to the side and listening.
"My lieutenant, you have done well." Thalia bowed in thanks. She thanked Annabeth and Katie as well, offering them places in the hunt, which they both declined. She turned to Nico and studied him. "I suppose I should thank you as well, boy." Nico shifted uncomfortably.
"Thank you, my lady." He murmured quietly and Artemis nodded.
"My pleasure, boy. I have summoned a ride for you in the morning. For now, we set up camp." Thalia and Zoe immediately began to issue orders and Bianca parted with a smile, going to help several hunters she had made friends with previously.
She gave Clarisse a similar offer and Clarisse gave a grin and a refusal. Artemis smiled back good-naturedly.
"Clarisse, Annabeth, Katie, if you would go aid. Nico as well. I desire to speak with the traitor if you don't mind." The others obeyed immediately and Luke shifted anxiously. Clarisse and Annabeth both shot mildly worried looks back but neither had the desire to argue with the goddess.
"Luke Castellan, why did my uncle allow you to leave his realm unharmed?" Luke shifted uncomfortably but answered with the truth. "You are bound to Perseus, then? Why are you not by his side?"
"Lord Poseidon asked that I return with Clarisse. He felt that it was dangerous to send only one half-blood to the surface without an absolute assurance that help would be present when they reached the surface." Luke replied. "But I did offer to stay, my lady."
Artemis' lip curled. "You betrayed my family, Luke Castellan. You betrayed Annabeth and you betrayed my lieutenant. I do not like you. Nor do I approve of my uncles' actions. But as long as you are bound by that particular bond to Perseus, I will not contest your presence outside of Tartarus." Luke bowed.
"Thank you, my lady." Artemis simply glared.
"You are still a traitor, boy." With that she whirled and walked towards her hunters. Luke hesitated but decided it was in his best interest to follow.
Two down, eleven more to go. He though grimly.
(A/N) Hey guys. I told you I'd try harder, and I think I succeeded. ;)
Next Chapter will include the gods finding out all of the torture that Percy went through, using Luke's memories. We will also find out what the other gods think about Luke Castellan returning. Till next time.
~DarkBlackHeart