A/N: Before you all grab your torches and pitchforks and prepare to string me up, I apologize for my week of absence. The past few weeks have been hectic at school with my professors shoving tons of last-minute projects and assignments down my throat, as well as online finals and finals prep. It was a nightmare. But the semester is done, and I am back with a new chapter, so yay.
As always, thank you so much to everyone who left a review! I love reading each one, and they fill me up with determination, so keep leaving them! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any affiliated works. All credit goes to Rick Riordan. Please support the official books.
Chapter 12: Curiosity
ARTEMIS
2 Weeks Later
Artemis leaped alongside her hunters as they…well, hunted.
After their brief visit to Camp Half-Blood for their Capture-the-Flag game, they moved their camp to New Mexico, where they had received another request from the gods to track down and capture a certain species of monster.
They were currently in Santa Fe, launching themselves across the orange, Pueblo-styled rooftops of the city. It was mid-afternoon, with the sun dipping its toes below the horizon, casting gentle yellowed waves across the skyline.
The mood of the town was peaceful, and the mortals below paid no mind to the dozen girls (and guy) that were moving so effortlessly across the architecture that it seemed as if they were walking on the air itself. The Mist proved that ignorance truly was bliss, because if they saw what was really happening, "freaking out" would be an understatement.
A trio of antelope-like beasts with large horns were barreling through the streets, most likely looking like a group of out-of-control cars with terrible drivers to the humans. The Hunt had found them grazing in an old woman's garden and went into a frenzy when they realized they had been discovered.
"Percy!" she called out to the sole male of the group. "Identify these monsters from the journal!"
"Seriously!? You want to quiz me now!?" he shot back as he made an impressive 2-meter jump across building ledges. He turned his landing into a somersault, popped back up on his feet, and kept on sprinting without breaking a stride.
"What can I say? I love torturing you!" Artemis glanced around briefly to see that the rest of the hunters she had brought along were keeping pace just as well, showing off what they had learned in their parkour training. She saw them vaulting with their hands, launching themselves off railings, and flipping over walls. Any acrobatics team who saw them would get insanely jealous.
She was most impressed with their newest recruit, Kenna. She sensed a fiery determination in the young girl when she first joined, but assumed that most of it was from idealistic fantasy and would drop out after three days of training. To her amazement, she held her own from day one, explaining how she had previous training experience from her military mother and never neglected her training at camp.
Kenna ran alongside the rest of the girls, looking like a true hunter as Artemis waited for her answer from Percy.
"Don't you think it could wait until after we capture them?" Percy shouted back at her.
"Wrong. Knowledge of the beasts may aid us in pinning them down in the first place. Now answer or I'll turn you into a tapeworm," the goddess threatened.
Even when running at practically full speed, she saw him pale with fear. She found it incredibly amusing to bring down the hero of Olympus with a few measly words. It reminded him of who was on top around here.
"Fine! Those things look like…Yales?" he answered as the creatures in question rounded a particularly sharp corner, causing a handful of mortals crossing the street to scream out in panic.
"Correct! And why do we need to capture them instead of killing them?" she pressed on, making sure he took his duties seriously with her Hunter's Journal.
"They're endangered! It's illegal to kill them!" he replied, matching the sharp turn himself without slowing down.
"Well done! Which means it's the Hunter's job to do this!" Artemis let out a shout as she hurled an immobilizing wire towards the legs of one of the beasts with deadly accuracy, causing the Yale to stumble over its own legs, tumbling into the road.
"One down, two to go," she noted to herself.
The second Yale was taken down by a well-placed tranquilizer dart shot by Siri, but the third and final monster was more elusive than its previous companions. It took them through alleyways, through tight streets, and under narrow arches, making use of their equipment difficult.
"I got it!" she heard Kenna yell. Out of the corner of her eye, from the origin of the voice, Artemis saw a net fly through the air and successfully land on the remaining creature.
All the hunters collectively stopped and lowered themselves to the ground, taking a moment to catch their breath as they gathered around it. It thrashed and bucked wildly within its constraints, meaning that no one could get close without a hoof to the face.
"So, how do we transport it? I'm sure you'd love to make me carry it, but…" Percy looked on at the huge beast, knowing fully well that he couldn't lift something that large.
Artemis almost laughed. "You're right, it would be funny. But you should know the answer to this, considering you spent a year doing the same thing with the Amazons."
She saw confusion in his eyes before it turned into realization. "Hermes Express?"
"Bingo," she affirmed as she walked over to the Yale fearlessly. Being a goddess of nature, the animal calmed as she drew near. With its rampant thrashing settled, she placed a sticker on the netting with Hermes' signature caduceus symbol on it, letting the messenger god know that it was ready for pick-up.
As they walked over to the second Yale who was fast asleep thanks to the tranquilizer, Percy spoke up yet again. "Where do they go from here? Old McDonald's magical farm?"
"Close, but not quite. It's a place you're familiar with, as a matter of fact. You told me the story not long ago. A place known as 'Triple G Ranch?'"
A grimace flashed across Percy's face as the bitter memories resurfaced. "Oh, yep. Lovely place. Ten out of ten would visit again."
"Let me guess, you fell into a pile of cow poop and it traumatized you?" Kenna taunted, walking behind Percy.
"I hate that you're close to the truth," he said as he shivered.
Kenna roared with laughter. "Oh my gods, that's amazing! I would have paid anything to see the look on your face!"
"My face might have been funny, but the smell sure wasn't. I don't think my nose ever fully recovered."
"There, there," the girl said with fake pity, patting him on the back in a mocking gesture. "I'm sure it was a valuable learning experience."
Percy snorted. "Like you're one to talk. I declare it absolutely unfair that you were able to go on a hunt after two weeks when I had to wait two months."
"Be grateful you're allowed to go on hunts at all," Artemis shot back. "Besides, your circumstances were a tad more…unusual."
"You can say that again. Isn't that right, Wolfy?" Kenna grinned as Percy buried his face in his hands.
"First Thalia, then Artemis, now you. Why are so many of you so bent on teasing me until I break?"
"Because it's fun," Artemis and Kenna answered simultaneously, causing them to look at each other and let out a small chuckle.
Artemis was astounded at how naturally Kenna had fit in with the rest of the Hunt after being here for so little time. Most new recruits are intimated and alienated by the personalities of the other hunters, since they're drastically different from most girls their age. However, the daughter of Hermes' personality had been a perfect fit since day one, surprising even the goddess.
She was also the first recruit they've had since Percy joined them, and while she knew him prior to his incident, she wasn't sure how Kenna would react to having a male in the Hunt, considering one of the main premises of the group was 'No men." After learning the truth of Percy's past, she told him that her respect for him was back, and they seemed to be forming a healthy relationship as if they were brother and sister.
After the other two Yales were accounted for with stickers placed on them, Artemis officially called the mission a success and called for everyone to return to camp.
"Night is approaching, so you might want to get started on prepping for dinner," she told Percy, noting that the sun had lowered significantly from when they had first started their chase.
"Yeah, yeah. Nothing new there," he resigned. He had fully accepted the role of being the Hunt's personal chef. As much as she liked to tease him, she had reduced the number of chores given to him by a healthy margin ever since he became an official member, but cooking was the one task she refused to waver on. It wasn't only her, but the entire hunt found his meals to be delicious.
As they walked back to base, which was presently located in Carson National Forest, Hunter helped Percy pick some herbs and fruits off passing trees and plants within the foliage of the woods. As their leader, it made Artemis glad that the others had begun to stop isolating Percy and actively seek him out every once and awhile. Of course, not everyone had given him their full trust, including her, but steps like these were important for getting there in the future one day.
That being said, it wasn't as if she didn't trust Percy at all. She had made him the offer to join them for a reason after all. Though, there were just some lines she wasn't ready to cross just yet. Nevertheless, she valued his presence and attempted to treat him the same as all the other hunters, save the extra teasing that was reserved just for him.
Upon returning to camp, they were greeted by the handful of hunters that she had left behind to guard the area. One of which, being her lieutenant.
"Welcome back, Lady Artemis," Thalia welcomed. "I'm guessing the hunt went well?"
"Swimmingly," she responded. "Your student did quite well for herself."
Thalia grinned. "I told you she had potential. Thanks for letting me personally take her under my wing."
"How could I refuse a request from my right hand? Don't sweat it." Artemis turned to find the son of Poseidon to ask him what was on the menu for this evening, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Are you looking for Percy, milady?" Thalia questioned, to which Artemis nodded. "He went into his tent right after returning, so he's probably still there. If he's asleep, wake him up with a good punch, cause I'm getting hungry and he can't afford to be caught slacking."
Artemis smiled. "Oh, he'll get more than a punch for snoozing on the job. Thank you, Thalia."
They parted ways as she made her way over to his tent. It was easiest to point out, because there was a large blue streak across his entrance flap, done by his own hand. His reasoning was that so his tent could be easily identified so no one wandered in by mistake, hopefully making the girls more comfortable with him being there, something she greatly appreciated.
She stopped just before the flap and spoke loud enough for him to hear her through the fabric. "Perseus? Would it be alright if I came in?"
"Oh, uh…" he trailed off, and she thought she heard traces of muffled whispering. What could he possibly be doing in there? "Yeah, go right ahead."
Artemis, now flowing with curiosity, entered without a moment's hesitation to find that Percy was not alone. Next to his head floated the misty image of a beautiful blond girl that she recognized instantly.
"Calypso?"
"Greetings, Lady Artemis. It's nice to see you again," Calypso expressed with a neutral face, so Artemis couldn't tell if she actually meant it.
"Oh, do you two know each other?" Percy asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
"Yes and no. We've only met briefly, back when I was imprisoned on Ogygia. She visited me only once," Calypso answered with a faraway look in her eyes, clearly not pleased to be remembering her days on the island.
"When I heard a peaceful Titaness was being held on an island, my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to see if she would be interested in the hunt, but she wanted nothing to do with our, what did you call it? 'Violent ways?'" Artemis said, slightly miffed. Being turned down like that was just a bit offensive at the time.
"Apologies for my crudeness back then but fighting like that was not in my nature. Until recently, that is" There was a sparkle in her eyes. "I've even spared with Kenna on more than one occasion."
"Really?" Artemis inquired, somewhat impressed. "That's quite the feat."
"Well, I never won, but I've learned that magic can only get you so far in combat."
"Speaking of," Percy interrupted. "I'm assuming you IM'd me about the favor I asked you?"
Artemis recalled during their talk of when Percy's identity was revealed like an idiot, he had asked Calypso to do something for him. He couldn't tell her the details because they ran out of time, but luckily, she would get to find out right now.
"Would it be alright if I remained here to listen?" Artemis asked Percy innocently, but sent him a look that was anything but. One that said "You don't want to know what will happen if you say no."
But it seemed Percy didn't mind in the slightest. "Yeah of course. I was going to tell you after we finished here anyway."
Artemis was satisfied by this and stayed put. This would serve to not only answer her question of what Percy wanted of Calypso, but also to show her if Percy was being completely honest about his relationship with her.
If she found out that he had broken his vow only a month after becoming a hunter, all the Olympians combined wouldn't be able to shield him from her wrath.
"Percy asked me if I could use my magic to get into contact with Hecate," Calypso explained. "It's something I've done before back on my island, so he was wondering if I was still able to do it now."
"Huh," Artemis expressed. "I have to say, that was a smart thing to do, Percy. Maybe you do have a brain up there after all."
"Hey, my brain and I take major offense to that. It may be small, but it's up there," Percy defended. Artemis didn't think she would ever tire of teasing him.
Calypso giggled at their bickering. "Anyway, while I may have been able to do it back on Ogygia, much of my power faded when I left, so it was no longer possible."
Percy looked visibly downcast from her words, but Artemis picked up on something. "Did you say 'was?'"
The Titan nodded. "Yep. Past-tense. That's why I called you in the first place. After spending the last two weeks building up my magic and practicing…I did it. I contacted the goddess of magic."
Percy's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you so much Calypso! This means the world to me."
Artemis narrowed her eyes, suspicion growing. Such a wholehearted gesture of thanks. For some reason, she didn't like this. It unsettled her to see Percy so…excited talking to a girl.
"Did he truly break his vow?" she thought to herself, becoming worried and angered at the same time.
"Don't even mention it Percy. I delivered your message word for word, just like you asked. She said she'll be able to contact you within the next couple of days," Calypso finished.
"What was your message?" Artemis questioned.
"Essentially, it was the same things I told you: I wanted to know about the professor, and who was connected to him that also encountered Lamia."
Artemis nodded. "Good. I'm glad you're finally going to get some real answers."
Percy smiled brightly. "Me too. It's still so hard to believe that someone had it out for me this badly…"
"Can't say I blame them. You can be pretty annoying sometimes," Artemis teased. Percy sighed as Calypso laughed.
"Oh, Calypso. I know I asked you not to tell him…but how's Leo doing?" Percy turned back to the IM to ask. At the mention of the name, Artemis saw her expression shine.
"He's great! Almost as annoying as you, but in a much more endearing way. We're in the final phases of setting up our shop, and he has all of these new ideas that we're implementing…"
Artemis tuned her out as she rambled on about her plans for the future. Leo? Who is Leo? She had an incredibly fuzzy recollection of the name…perhaps she encountered him as Diana?
"Artemis!"
Percy's shout brought her back to reality. She looked up to see that the IM was gone, and it was just her and Percy standing inside his tent together.
"Hm? I'm sorry, I must have been lost in thought. Where's Calypso?"
"Leo started calling for her, so she had to go. It was great to see her again and I'm glad she managed to pull off my favor," Percy told her.
"Would you mind refreshing my memory on who Leo is?" she asked, hoping her instincts were true.
"Calypso's boyfriend. Lights himself on fire sometimes. Has one heck of a mouth. How could you forget his, uh, 'colorful' personality?" He furrowed his brow, confused by her question.
She cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed. "I must have met him as Diana. We don't share many memories between us. Thank you."
She tried not to let the relief show on her face that Percy hadn't broken his promise. That said, the relationship they had was still deeper than she'd thought. Her curiosity burned to know more, but she kept it to herself for now.
"No problem. Anyway, what did you need me for?" He must be talking about why she sought him out in the first place. In another moment of embarrassment, she had nearly forgotten.
"Right, I was simply wondering what you were planning on doing for tonight's meal. I wasn't expecting to be dragged into your conversation, but once again, I'm happy you've finally got some more news on the incident."
"I am too…I'm getting closer, I can feel it. I just hope Hecate comes through with the information. The gods can be really tricky and unreliable sometimes," he remarked, crossing his arms in frustration.
"Oh really? Please, do tell." She glared at him, almost hoping he would continue so she could have some fun.
"Oh, uh, I meant everyone except you, Lady Artemis," he stammered out. A wise thing to say.
"That's what I thought," she placed a hand on her hip. "Alright, I've wasted enough of your time. I'll just find out what you're making when you actually make it."
She turned to leave, but she heard him call to her before she left, "Something with chicken."
One Day Later
THUNK!
The sound of arrow impacting fabric rang throughout the forest. Roughly 24 hours have passed from Percy's IM with Calypso, and the sky was the same shade of blue, orange, and yellow that signified mid-afternoon.
Artemis stood next to Percy, watching his form with a trained eye as he drew back another arrow into his bowstring. The only things that could be heard were the occasional insect, the creek in the distance, and the rare sound of an arrow meeting a target.
When Percy found out that Artemis wanted to continue their archery lessons beyond the first one, he was devastated. He thought that he had scared her away due to how poorly he performed, but it was just the opposite. Seeing how much skill he lacked only made her passion for archery fire up even more, and she was determined to make Percy see the glory in the sport.
"But somehow, he has exceeded my every expectation in just how terrible he is."
It took weeks and weeks of practice, but they had managed to progress to the point where Percy can hit the outer ring of the target every one out of four shots. It was big progress!
"Percy, why do you correct your foot stance when I point out it's wrong and then immediately put it back the next shot?" Artemis asked.
Percy paused, looked down, shifted his feet a little, and looked back up towards the target. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Artemis almost chuckled at that one. Against her better judgement, the son of Poseidon's humor was slowly growing on her. Like a parasite.
"It's not just your feet, you know. The arch of your back, your breathing, the tilt of your head. All of it could stand to be adjusted to some capacity," she noted.
Percy lowered the bow and sighed. "Alright then, miss-know-it-all. What am I doing right?"
"You realize I am the goddess of archery, right? I literally do know it all."
"One day I'll successfully tease you back. One day," he said ruefully.
She chose not to bring up the one time he actually has done it, hoping he would forget about the horrid nickname he'd given her, and continued. "I can say that the one thing you're doing right is the look in your eyes. You've managed to learn how to focus on the target in front of you for an extended period of time. Lots of improvement from back then, when you would look at any bird that happened to pass overhead."
"What good is focusing on the target when I can't hit it?" He complained.
"A fair point, but it's irrelevant. I would rather have you hit a target 1 out of 5 tries while focused than 4 out of 5 times based on luck. Let's not focus on accuracy just yet. Right now, what we're aiming for is consistency," she elaborated. As much as she teased him, she genuinely wanted to see him improve.
"Yeah, well I want to aim for the target too." He let his arrow fly, watching in disappointed as it soared over his intended mark.
"You'll get there one day. I'll make sure of it," she promised him.
They continued a little while longer in silence, with a few comments from Artemis about fixing his posture, all the while in inner conflict with herself on whether she should ask the question that's been burning inside of her since yesterday evening.
Unable to hold herself back any longer, she spoke. "Percy?"
"What's up?" he answered while pulling back the bowstring to launch another arrow.
"Tell me how you met Calypso."
"Ah!"
Percy flinched, and in a startled mess, released his arrow much too soon without any regard for his fingers, letting out a sharp yelp as he winced in pain.
"Oh, Percy, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She rushed over in a worry, prepared to treat his hand, but he quickly brushed her off.
"I'm fine," he insisted, his eyes lost in thought. "You just surprised me is all."
He flexed his fingers a few times, making sure they truly were okay, before sighing and sitting down cross-legged.
"Why do you want to know?"
She shrugged. "Call it curiosity, I guess. You're my second-newest recruit, not to mention the first male I've had in centuries. I want to know more about the famous Percy Jackson."
"Infamous, now…but alright. I'll tell you. No secrets."
Artemis sat down as well, prepared to hear his tale.
"Back when I was still a member of Camp Half-Blood, we were tasked with exploring the labyrinth. This is how the whole thing with the ranch happened," he started.
"Ah yes, the incident that you refuse to talk about," she said with a small smile.
"I will take it to the grave," he confirmed. "Anyway, I ended up in the center of Mt. Saint Helens, in one of Hephaestus' forges. Long story short, I blew it sky high."
Artemis looked at him dubiously. "You blew up a volcano? Seriously?"
Percy let out a light snort. "Are you really that surprised? Stuff like that is just a regular Tuesday for me."
"True, your life seems to be in danger much more often than most demigods."
He shook his head in wonder. "At long last, an Olympian has noticed that my life isn't all sugar cakes and rainbows. It only took over twenty years…"
She was frustrated by his underhanded statement and gave him a well-deserved punch on the shoulder. "Any more off-hand remarks like that and my next one won't be so light. Continue your tale?"
He rubbed his shoulder, raised an eyebrow, and raised up his lip in half a smile. "You call that light? Anyway, fifteen-year-old Percy became a human missile, and I crash-landed right off the coast of Ogygia."
"I'm assuming you survived due to your godly lineage?"
He nodded in response. "If I'm allowed to be completely honest, she took my breath away when I met her. Over time, we gradually got to know each other a bit more and she showed me the way she had been living there for centuries."
Artemis rested her arms on her legs and furrowed her brow. She faintly recalled the first time Percy had wished for the girl's release after the Second Titan War. Naturally, Zeus had agreed on paper, putting on a spectacular show in front of all the demigods on how he would follow through with the hero's request. Once they were out of sight, he turned right around and began listing off all the reasons and loopholes on why he actually couldn't follow through with his word. Typical.
Artemis had stayed silent at the time as she was still grieving the few members of the Hunt they had lost during the battle, as well as the fact that she had to close ties to Calypso, and saw no reason to step in on her behalf. Defying Zeus outright like that is considered a Herculean task. Of course, they get into the occasional argument, but Artemis had never been able to change his mind on anything before. The consequences for denying him what he wants…she knew it all too well.
"Callisto…I'm sorry…"
"Artemis?"
She snapped out of her thoughts to see Percy about a foot away from her face, a worried expression evident as he locked onto her eyes. "Are you alright? You look –"
She shook her head, causing him to back off and end his intense staring. "I was just lost in thought. My apologies, but your concern is…appreciated." Never before did she think she would say that about a male, but the Fates certainly have a funny way of working.
"If you're sure, then I'll keep going," he continued. She gestured for him to do so, so he obliged. "As time passed, I think she grew feelings for me? I'm not one hundred percent sure…we never really talked about it face to face. It was just an awkward tension that we both knew was there, but never acknowledged."
Artemis crinkled her nose at that. Is that what romance is like? How confusing. The realm of Aphrodite was one that constantly bewildered her. She has seen her relatives up on Olympus wage war on one another in the name of love. To her, it was unsightly.
"Eventually, she made the offer for me to stay. An eternal paradise on an island; I have to admit, it was a little tempting. But I couldn't. I had to get back to my quest, my friends, my home, and Anna –"
He cut himself off, but Artemis knew what he was about to say. Pain flashed across his face as he took a few long breaths to steady himself. She remained quiet, giving him the time he needed.
This was what she could never understand about romantic relationships. If they didn't work out, they tended to leave a permanent scar on one's heart. She had seen it happen to foolish mortals for millennia, but never quite as up close as this. As she watched Percy struggle internally with his past, an uneasy feeling rose in her stomach. She didn't like watching any of her hunters in pain, including him.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologized, his head facing towards the ground. It seemed he was somewhat ashamed to look at her right now.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. Think nothing of it and carry on." She wished she could help him more, but this was far outside her area of expertise.
"Thank you," he told her as his composure became less tense. "I chose to leave the island, and I hadn't seen her since. Until I got caught at camp, that is. It was the right choice, and I don't regret my decision. To this day, though, I think she will remain my biggest 'what-if.'"
Artemis pondered his words, puzzled by his actions. As he stated, he was offered an eternal island bliss with a beautiful Titaness. Just about every male she knew would have taken that offer in a heartbeat.
"You truly don't regret it?" she asked tentatively, knowing she was treading on unknown waters. "You have suffered greatly ever since you returned. Knowing that it could have all been avoided, would you still make the same choice even now?"
"Without a doubt," he answered unwaveringly. "Like you told me all those weeks ago, I've been shifting my thinking away from the lives that I couldn't save to the lives that I did. About how much I appreciate every single one of them. If I had to throw myself in Tartarus to guarantee their safety, I would."
The goddess of the moon gazed at him admirably. She was taken aback by the sense of conviction in his words; she could feel that they were far from empty, and that he meant each one.
Once again, Perseus Jackson had proven himself to be different from any other man she had ever known. There were not many people who could declare what he just did without a shred of hesitation, and it filled her with reassurance that she had made the right choice in letting him join her Hunt.
She could also feel her curiosity for him burn even deeper than before. There was something inside her that wanted to know what made him tick, what the driving force was behind his numerous selfless actions. She knew that he was different, but she wanted to know why.
"How interesting," she said, breaking the silence between the two of them. "You're a very confusing man, you know that?"
He grinned. "I've been called worse."
"I don't doubt that for a second." She stood up from the ground, dusted herself off, and offered her hand to help him do the same. "Thank you for indulging my selfish request."
He stared at her outstretched arm for a second before accepting it, allowing her to pull him up. "It's fine. You're right, there is a decent amount of suffering in my past, but I always like thinking about the good memories. They helped keep me going during my few years on the road."
"You view your time on her island as a good memory? I thought you just said she was your biggest 'what-if?'"
Percy looked thoughtful for a bit, then responded, "Well, the island was beautiful, she had these wicked cool invisible wind servants, and she lived in a cave filled with multicolored crystals. I have to say, it was a pretty good time."
Artemis hung her head. Will his childlike demeanor ever cease?
"…and," he resumed. "She gave me a plant called Moonlace from her garden. I took it home and gave it to my mom, who took care of it while I was out on quests. It became a prized possession and a hobby of hers in no time at all. So, whenever I think of Calypso, there may be some thoughts of lingering regrets or awkwardness, but I am mostly filled with gratitude for my time spent there and being able to share even a piece of it with my mother."
He looked off into the distance, his face turned towards the targets ahead of him but his eyes clearly somewhere else entirely. Just this single story had given her much to think about, and it dawned on Artemis just how little she truly knew about him. However, despite her lack of knowledge on the son of Poseidon, he had already made a lasting impression on her. There haven't been many people throughout history who have been able to intrigue her like this, especially males.
And, for some reason she couldn't quite place, she was looking forward to finding out more.
"It's nice to hear that you still keep your family first and foremost in your mind. I sincerely hope Hecate is able to break the curse on your mother soon," she expressed to him.
He nodded solemnly. "I do too. Hopefully, it won't be much longer. I really could have used my mom during these past couple of years…"
He trailed off, but Artemis understood where he was coming from. "Having no family to rely on is a trait the two of share at the moment, I suppose."
Percy gave her a quizzical look as she cursed herself for her mistake. She found it incredibly irritating how easy it was to lower her guard around him, and all this talk of family instinctively made her think of her own.
"Anything you want to share, Artemis?" He asked it sincerely, but she couldn't help but think that he was viewing her as a young child in a classroom.
"No, forget I said anything," she retorted with a huff.
"What, am I going to be the only one to spill something tonight?" he asked with a semi-serious tone.
"You should know better than to prowl into the personal lives of the gods. Now, I once again thank you for hearing out my request, and let us resume our archery lesson," she commanded as she sent him a glare that let him know that she meant business.
She hurriedly walked over and grabbed him a new arrow to begin practicing with, eager to change the subject. She understood the unfairness of having only Percy speak of the past tonight, but the life of a half-blood compared to the life of a goddess was like night and day. Some things…were better left unsaid.
Percy threw his hands up in a sign of defeat. "Fine, fine, I give. Let's pick up where we left off…Arrow Head."
SNAP!
Artemis looked down and opened her palm to reveal a few splinters of wood with no arrow in sight. In a blind rage, she had snapped it in two.
"How perplexing," Artemis said, subdued rage laced in her words. "It seems that the arrow that I was previously carrying has disappeared."
She saw Percy gulp. "Yeah, ha-ha. Weird. I can just go grab –"
"What ever shall we do now?" she questioned mockingly, viciously interjecting him. "We still need an arrow to practice with so you can defeat the enemy known as archery!"
She stared at him intently until she saw him squirm. "And you know what they say about strong enemies, don't you Percy?"
He backed a few steps away. "What-what would that be?"
"If you can't beat them…join them!"
PERCY
Percy had a splitting headache.
He walked back into the main camp, his fingers monotonously rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to lessen the pain. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone in the hunt had a different idea.
"Percyyyyyyyyyyy I'm starving! Cook us something already!" he heard Kenna shout from the fire pit as she tended to the flames. Since she was a new recruit, her chores were on the less-taxing side, which was yet another thing Percy found unfair regarding their treatment.
He winced at her volume, but replied nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah, it's coming soon."
"Good! The rest of us can go for some grub right now too!" Siri said from behind him, causing him to jump and clutch his head as a sharp pain racked through his brain.
He quickly retained his posture and nodded. "Got it, coming right up. How does deer sound?"
While some members of the hunt nodded vigorously at the thought of meat, Thalia walked over with concern written on her face. "Are you okay Percy? You look like you're in some serious pain."
He sighed, wondering why he tried hiding it in the first place. He knew she would notice. She always did. "It's nothing major, just a headache that feels like my skull is being torn in two."
"Oh gods, that sounds rough," the daughter of Zeus commented as she threw him a square of ambrosia. "You're coming from your archery lesson with Artemis, right? What did she do to you this time?"
Percy chewed on the medicine thankfully, savoring the taste of homemade chocolate chips as the pain in his head subsided. "Oh, nothing much, just turned me into an arrow and shot perfect bullseyes for twenty minutes."
"Only because you deserved it!" Artemis called out from behind him, joining them all at the main camp.
The girls all looked at each other briefly before bursting out into uproarious laughter, which would have made Percy double over if not for the ambrosia. Although, he would have much preferred the headache to the massive rush of embarrassment that he felt at that very moment.
"Can I just go jump in the lake and never come back out? I think that would be best," he remarked with gloom in his voice. Kenna walked over and patted him on the back in a comforting gesture.
"There, there. You should be proud! You finally got your first bullseye!"
Her joke triggered another round of laughter, but Percy couldn't help but join in. "Thanks Kenna, I'm feeling better already. Deer got a positive reaction, so let's go with that."
After an hour of meal prep and cooking, everyone was happily munching on a wilderness-styled deer meat stir-fry with added ginger and herbs from the surrounding forest. Percy had obtained the honor of sitting at the head table with Artemis and Thalia, with the goddess claiming that she could "keep an eye on him" during mealtimes.
Percy had a sneaking suspicion that it was just that she could make him grab her seconds without her having to yell across the lunch area.
"Seriously Percy, how come you never cooked like this back at camp? It's annoying that I've been missing out on this," Kenna stated as she walked over to the cooking pot for a second serving.
Percy pointed his fork at her accusingly. "Don't give me that. Do you think I learned to cook for fun? It was a matter of life and death!"
Kenna snorted as she returned to her seat. "Big deal, those happen like every other day for you. You absolutely should have learned how to do this sooner."
Percy looked up at the sky, exasperated. "I swear, your stubbornness rivals even mine sometimes."
"I'm not too sure about that," Artemis chimed in. "You've never had to deal with yourself during archery lessons."
"What is this, 'Everyone-gang-up-on-Percy-day?' Did someone tape a target to my back while I wasn't looking again?" He asked rhetorically but turned his head to try and peek at his backside anyway. He wished he were joking about what he just said, but Thalia had somehow managed to affix a drawing of an archery target when his back was turned just the other week.
It wasn't a very fun day.
"No, 'Everyone-gang-up-on-Percy-day' is tomorrow. Today is 'Everyone-tease-Percy-day.'" Siri clarified.
"What's the difference when they both end up with me getting hounded by you all," Percy grumbled under his breath.
"You should be grateful for our teasing! Just about every other male that ends up in our camp gets shot full of arrows. So, feel free to take your pick," Hunter said nonchalantly as she rested her hand on her quiver.
Percy bowed his head to her in an overexaggerated gesture. "Ah, yes, I can't believe I've been so blind! The pranks are done out of the goodness of your heart! Thank you for enlightening me."
"You're welcome!" Hunter responded enthusiastically. Everyone who had been listening to their bickering burst out into various fits of laughter and giggles, Percy included. Nights like these are what made him most grateful to have been able to join the Hunt.
It reminded him of camp, but in the best way possible. Joking around and enjoying each other's company like a family, it was something he thought he wouldn't be able to experience again for a long time.
Naturally, since the gods seemed to hate it whenever Percy was having fun, something came along at that exact moment to ruin it.
The jovial atmosphere that was full of laughter and fun times was suddenly interrupted by a bright flash of light, which caused every hunter to immediately shield their eyes and unsheathe their weapons in case it wasn't friendly. Percy was no exception to this, as he leaped backwards and uncapped Riptide in a single swift motion with his eyes shut tightly.
Once he saw the light dissipate through his eyelids, he cautiously opened them to see a tall figure draped in a flowing white dress, covered in golden jewelry. Golden crown, golden earrings, and a golden necklace at the base of her throat. Percy thought it seemed a bit gaudy, but he also thought that it was fitting, since she had the beauty of a queen. He knew immediately who it was, but someone spoke up first before he got the chance to open his mouth.
"What are you doing here, Aphrodite?" Artemis inquired with a frown. It was obvious to anyone looking that she didn't care much for the love goddess' presence.
"Oh, hello Artemis dear! It's been so long since we've spoken face to face, and that's all you have to say to me? My, I'm quite offended," Aphrodite spoke with a flowery voice that matched her appearance.
Artemis sighed as she called out to her hunters to stand down, and then rephrased her question with a pained expression of forced kindness. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, my fellow Olympian?" Her teeth were gritting together so hard, Percy thought for sure that one would crack.
"Much better. Don't get your arrows in a twist, I won't be here for very long. Just had to pop in for a few moments to deliver a message for…" her eyes traveled across the plethora of hunters until they landed on Percy. He didn't like the excited look on her face when she found him. "…you!"
Percy grimaced. "Hi, Lady Aphrodite."
The goddess pouted, causing Percy to instinctively think of a crying puppy. "Why don't you look happy to see me, dearest? I thought I gave you an offer to look forward to when you were last on Olympus."
He shuddered, remembering her invitation to her palace. "You're probably misremembering. Moving on, you said you had a message for me?"
Aphrodite pouted even further, not enjoying the change of subject. "Fine. It's a message from Hecate that she asked me to pass along to you. I owed her one, otherwise I would normally never bother with something as trivial as this. She said she was much too tangled up in her own mess to come down here herself. Something about a missing ferret."
Percy's heart pounded loudly in his chest. This was it. This was the moment he would finally get some answers. He glanced at Artemis to see she was looking at him reassuringly. They were ready to hear this.
"And what did she have to say?" Artemis questioned.
Aphrodite placed a finger on her chin and looked up, acting as if she was replaying the events in her head in a cliché fashion. "Let's see. Of the two questions you asked, she could only answer one of them."
His hopes sank a bit, but he pressed on. "Which one?"
"The boy that's associated with the professor who also fought against Lamia is named Alabaster C. Torrington. However, she has no idea if he is connected to this incident."
Percy could hear his blood flowing. He knew otherwise, thanks to his dream and the info he got from Lamia. After all these years, he finally had a name. A starting point. In Lupa's hunting terms, he at last had a Sighting.
He racked his brain for any memory of someone with that name but came up empty. He thought for sure he would remember a name as flashy as that. That just begs the question, though, who in Hades is he? And what did Percy do that made him want to ruin his life?
He'd made his fair share of enemies growing up, but most of them were down in the pits of Tartarus, and others realized the error of their ways and are trying to do better for themselves. Did he really have people out there who still harbored such an intense grudge against him.
Aphrodite cleared her throat, interrupting Percy's train of thought. She had a smug look on her face. "Oh my, you can't be daydreaming about my beauty at a time like this. I understand that I'm enchanting, but there's a time and place for that, no?"
Percy closed his eyes, exasperated that his thoughts were disturbed by something as petty as that. "Please don't say misleading things like that, Lady Aphrodite. We both know for a fact that that wasn't what I was doing."
Her smile grew wider, much to his irritation. "No, but it would be a lot more fun if it were. I was also instructed to answer a question that you didn't ask, so I guess today is your lucky day. Not only did you get to see me, but Hecate also did you a favor."
Ignoring her crass commentary, Percy was stumped as to what she could be talking about. "A question I didn't ask? What do you mean?"
"About your parents, silly little godling. She was quite surprised you didn't inquire about them, but given that it's only been a few months, it's understandable. She wanted me to tell you that she is approaching completion on breaking the curse, and hopefully your mother will reclaim her memories of you by the year's end."
Percy's eyes widened at the prospect. She was right, he wasn't expecting an update on that so soon, but it completely turned his attitude around. His heart did a complete 180-degree flip and went from anger towards Alabaster to elation at the thought of reuniting with his mom.
He felt weak at the knees and brought himself down to the ground. He saw Artemis glance at him with worry, but he also saw warmth in her eyes. She seemed to also be glad to hear this piece of news.
"Please tell her that I am incredibly grateful for that. And thank you Lady Aphrodite for telling me this," he said after recomposing himself. It was the single best thing he's been told in a while, other than Artemis' speech on having him join the Hunt.
Aphrodite let out a movie-perfect giggle. "You're quite welcome, dearest. If I may be so bold, I know of a perfectly suitable way for you to thank me. We can discuss the details up in my palace on Olympus, perhaps? You've become quite the specimen over the years."
Percy looked up to see an almost hungry look in her eyes that nearly made him feel disgusted. He wasn't the only one though. He didn't even have to turn his head to see that Artemis was getting heated at Aphrodite's words; he could feel her hostile aura radiating outwards.
He needed to speak up before things got violent between the two of them. "I mean this in the politest way I can, Lady Aphrodite, but no. Your offer is one that I still will not accept and won't accept for as long as I live. I'm an official member of Artemis' Hunt, I've taken the oath swearing off relationships, and I've had no interest in romance ever since…well, you know."
Thankfully, Artemis' anger was quelled just a tiny bit as she backed him up. "He's right. He took the pledge and has proven himself over the past months nicely. Not once has he made a move on any of my hunters, and he has been nothing but courteous and respectful, especially during bathing hours."
Percy felt flustered at the sudden rush of compliments from Artemis, given that it was quite unexpected for her to praise him like that, but he was much more concerned about the look on Aphrodite's face. Her face was still wrapped up in a picture-perfect smile that oozed confidence, but her eyes glowed a sinister shade of pink. Percy didn't know that pink could be so intimidating.
"You do understand what you've just said, right? A mere demigod refusing my offer? My advances? You just blatantly told the goddess of love that you renounce it! Disinterested in love? How dare you!"
Percy's body tensed as Aphrodite's rage continued to grow. It wasn't just her, however, as Artemis' previously suppressed anger had come back in full force as she stood on top of her dining table. The air surrounding the two goddesses grew hotter and heavier by the second, as immense power emanated from each of them.
"You should be well aware of how each of us gods feel about our respective domains, Percy Jackson, and what you just said was a blasphemous blow to my pride that I cannot let slide," she threatened. "You will pay for this."
At those words, Artemis' power spiked to a fierce level, causing all the hunters present to back away. Her eyes shone a bright shade of silver, matching Aphrodite's level of intensity.
"You will do no such thing. You really have the nerve to make such a threat in my presence after what you did last time? Leave. Now."
Percy was in awe as the goddesses of moon and beauty were locked in a stare down, each refusing to yield to the other. Percy had never once seen Artemis get so frenzied, even in the face of a giant monster.
They glared at each other for about thirty more seconds, but it felt like an eternity to those surrounding them. Finally, Aphrodite ceased her aura and sighed, leading to Artemis to do the same.
"Fine, fine, I give. I understand how close you are to all the little members of your clique."
"It's. Not. A. Clique!" Artemis said through clenched teeth.
"Whatever. I can see when I'm no longer wanted. Percy!" She called out to him as she turned to face him. "For Arty's sake, I'll let what you said slide for today, but my doors will always be open for you if you change your mind!"
With that, Aphrodite vanished with a POOF, leaving behind nothing but the delicate smell of roses.
Percy shivered involuntarily before saying, "Nope nope nope nope nope. Absolutely not."
He picked himself from the ground and turned to check on Artemis and make sure she was okay after that outburst, but she wasn't on her table anymore. He took a brief look around the camp, only to find her figure already storming away in the direction of her tent.
He scratched the back of his head and looked around at his sisters in arms as they all recovered from the power of the gods. "Am I missing something, or did Artemis seem a lot more emotional than usual?"
"Nope, I'm just as confused too. I know I haven't been here for long, but I've never seen her like that," Kenna replied.
"I can't say I blame you. My Lady rarely ever has outbursts like that. It only happens in true moments of rage," Phoebe commented. "Only a handful of us know what caused it, since it stems from an ancient incident."
"An ancient incident? Like something from her past?" Percy asked.
Phoebe nodded. "She doesn't like to talk about it, but given the circumstances and the display she's just given all of you…I suppose the knowledge won't hurt."
Percy, Kenna, Thalia, and a dozen other hunters all gathered around Phoebe, waiting to hear the story of their leader.
"In the times of Athens, there was another man that had joined the Hunt. In fact, he was the last one before Perseus here. His name was Hippolytus, and he was the son of King Theseus."
The name rang a bell in Percy's head. He could have sworn Piper mentioning him before, but he couldn't quite place it.
"While he was in the hunt, he pledged his life to virginity and Lady Artemis, having no interest in romance whatsoever. For this, he incurred the wrath of Aphrodite, who heightened the tensions between him and his father during an argument, resulting in Theseus drawing his sword, and striking down his own son."
Percy shook his head. Despite having taken Greek Mythology lessons at camp for years now, each story he heard from ancient times still blew him away from how messed up and cruel they were.
"When Artemis heard, she immediately rushed to Hippolytus' tomb and took his body to her nephew Asclepius, the best physician in all of Greece. Using the Physician's Cure, Asclepius brings Hippolytus back to life. She took Hippolytus to Italy, where he became a priest of one of her sacred shrines and lived to old age."
"Ah," thought Percy, realization dawning on him. That's why he heard it from Piper; according to her, when they retrieved the Physician's Cure during their quest against Gaea, Asclepius mentioned the prince as a warning.
He also understood why Artemis had gotten so upset with the goddess of love. The exact same situation that had taken one of her hunters away had nearly happened again. It was no wonder why she got so enraged.
"Thank you, Phoebe. I appreciate you telling us all this," Percy told the eldest hunter.
"I'm her freaking lieutenant and I never even knew all of that. Man…" Thalia trailed off, disappointed in herself.
"Like I said, it's not your fault. My Lady's past is not her favorite talking point, but I felt it necessary to share that with you all. Don't expect me to say anything else, though," she warned.
"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm gonna go see if she'll let me talk to her. Wish me luck." He waved as he made his way to Artemis' tent, grateful that he wasn't stopped. He didn't want to be overbearing, but he also didn't want to leave things the way they were.
He stood outside her entrance flap and called out, "Lady Artemis? May I come in?"
"Granted."
He walked in, greeted by the familiar sights of skinned rugs, weapons, and candles. Artemis sat on her bed, fiddling with a bow absentmindedly.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" She questioned him with much more sincerity than she showed Aphrodite.
"I heard the story of Hippolytus," he admitted outright. Her hands froze.
"Phoebe told you all, then? I guess it couldn't be avoided."
"She did, and while I'm glad you were willing to defend me, you don't have to go so far for me. I'm still new to the group, and a male at that. There's no need to fight the other gods for my sake."
She looked up at him as if he had something stuck to his face. "Sometimes I wonder if there is anything up in that head of yours. I thought it used to be a rock, but now I suspect it really may be nothing at all."
"Hey!" Percy exclaimed, insulted. That was definitely not the response he was expecting.
"You know how much I hate repeating myself, but it seems that it's the only way to get something into that thick skull of yours, so I guess I'll make you an exception," she told him as she stood up to face him. "You are one of my kin. A hunter, just like Hippolytus was. I would go just as far for you as I did for him, and for any of my girls. You joked that we prank you out of the goodness of our hearts, but we do. You are valued here, Percy. We understand we're not the best at showing it, but…you are."
Percy's heart warmed greatly at her words. Words that he never thought possible of coming out of Artemis' mouth. "Yeah. I definitely made the right choice deciding to stay here."
"I should actually be apologizing to you," she continued. "My outburst of emotion was probably an unpleasant experience for you all. It's not something I like to do."
This confused Percy. "What? What's wrong with having emotions? Everyone needs a good outburst once and a while. A cry, a scream, whatever you need, go for it. In fact, compared to the craziness of everyone else on Olympus, I honestly appreciate your down-to-Earth nature and how you don't demand mortals to praise you at every turn. You dutifully hold your station as master of the Hunt and wilderness, and it's inspiring how seriously you take it."
He wasn't sure if his rant was given at the most appropriate time, but given that she had just done the same to Aphrodite about why she appreciated him, he figured that he should do the same to her. Besides, he truly meant every word that he said.
Artemis blinked at his unexpected speech. "Oh, uh, thank you. That was…most surprising."
"Well, so was yours, so we can consider ourselves even now," he offered. "So, we should probably head back to everyone else before Kenna eats my dinner.
To his amazement, Artemis chuckled. She actually chuckled at one of his jokes! History has been made!
"Yes, you're quite right, that sounds exactly like something she would do. Before that, I need to correct you on something."
"Hm? What's that?" he asked.
"You said that you are grateful for my 'down-to-Earth' nature compared to my fellow gods, but I used to be just like them, you know. Prideful, full of arrogance, and unaware of what true consequence was. At least, until…"
She trailed off, leaving Percy waiting for her to finish. But all she did was shake her head and give him a forced smile.
"Forget it. Thank you for this brief talk and for coming to check on me. I'll see you back at our table."
She walked out of the tent, leaving Percy alone and dazed. For some reason, he wanted her to continue. He wanted to know more. What did she mean by that? What was she going to say?
It dawned on him just how little he knew about her. He realized that, just as she had become curious about him, he had become curious about her as well.
A/N: There you have it! Chapter 12 is done and out of the way, and I thank you so much for waiting for my upload and for reading this chapter!
I'm almost at 100k words with my story now, and realized that Pertemis had barely developed, so that is what I decided to dedicate this chapter to (as well as helping Percy close in on a certain pair of troublemakers). I hope you enjoy their growing curiosity for each other and look forward for more to come. I want to establish their romance as naturally as possible, and I think I'm on the right track.
But enough about what I think, I want to hear what you guys think! Please leave a review on what you think! Any and all comments, questions, and criticisms are 1000% appreciated! And don't be afraid to PM me! I hope you enjoyed!