I do not own Percy Jackson or Fate/Grand Order
Somewhere in a forest in Colorado.
She couldn't stop thinking whether or not she made the correct choice. Now looking back, Artemis saw how foolish she was. It's been a month, and her thoughts were still plagued by the image of that child. Her child. By heavens that was an odd thought. She acted rashly. So what if her child was born a male? She could've done what she did with young Sipriotes and turn her 'son' into her 'daughter'. She realised her foolish mistake now. But alas there was nothing she could do now. The child was most likely dead by now.
"Is everything alright my lady? You've been awfully still for a very long time." Came the voice of her lieutenant, Zoe Nightshade, daughter of the titan Atlas.
She was quite tall, had copper coloured skin, brown eyes and a silver circlet braided into the top of her long, dark hair. On her right hip rested a silver hunting knife, on her back a silver bow. Truly, as beautiful as she was dangerous. Few knew that fact better than Artemis herself.
The goddess gave her lieutenant a small glance, before looking back at the flames of her own campfire, this December night seemed to be a very cold one. She took out her own silver knife and started to examine it. She took out a whetstone and started to sharpen in, absently gesturing for Zoe to sit down next to her.
The dark-haired hunter sat down next to her mistress. Not too close but not too far. She stared at the flames for a moment before her gaze once again fell on her goddess.
Artemis never once took her eyes off of the knife in her hand. "I trust you won't tell anyone of what you are about to hear. Is that understood, Zoe?" Her silver eyes hardened at her lieutenant, who shrunk back slightly, but nodded wordlessly.
Artemis huffed with slight agitation, not at Zoe of course, but overall at the entire situation. "A month ago, I was hunting a small pack of hellhounds. Simply to take my mind of things, the meetings have been getting more bothersome to deal with and my brother, as always, isn't helping. They were easy to eliminate of course, but as I fired the last arrow, a great pain spread through me body. It lasted for nine hours. I couldn't use any of my powers and the pain increased by the second. I managed to come to a rest at the foot of a great tree and waited for the pain to stop. No second sooner or later than midnight, at the dawn of November the sixth, I bore a child." Artemis paused and took a glance at Zoe.
The lieutenant of the hunt was stunned into silence. Surely, her lady was jesting. She tried to speak, but nothing but strangled noises escaped her throat.
Artemis admitted that seeing her lieutenant like this was amusing, but right now was not the time. "Worry not. I have not broken my oath. I am, and always will be a maiden. The process of which the child was conceived was similar to what my sister, Athena, dose with mortals who impress her with their intellect. By combing her essence with theirs causing a child form. The process is much more complicated than that but it's the simplest explanation. However. I myself did not consent for such an event." Finished the goddess. Sheathing the silver knife.
Zoe's face immediately turned red in anger. Who dared to defile her lady like this? What vermin dared to disgrace Lady Artemis in such a way?
"My lady! I beg of thee, allow me to hunt down this, this vermin! The one who defiled and disgraced you! Whoever they may be!" Yelled the ancient Hunter. Her hands already twitching and closing around her bow and knife.
Just as she was about to stand, Artemis grabbed her shoulder and dragged her lieutenant back down.
"That will be enough Zoe." Firmly stated the goddess.
Her lieutenant was about to protest but was cut off once again by Artemis.
"Calm yourself lieutenant! Calm yourself and think! The reason why gods are able to conceive children with mortals without sexual intercourse, is because we have both the divinity and higher presence, to enforce our will upon them. Resulting in a child in this case." Lectured the goddess. Removing her hand from the copper-skin-coloured girl's shoulder.
Zoe simply stared at her goddess, before her eyes widened in realization. Artemis smiled. "I see that you figured it out. Indeed. Whoever or whatever forced me to conceive a child, must have been more powerful and possessed a much higher divinity than I."
"But is such a thing possible my lady?" Zoe asked, slightly nervous. "The only being capable of anything like that would be the titans or even the primordial gods!" Exclaimed the girl, venomously spitting out the word 'titan'.
"Indeed. But it matters little right now. I am sure that the child is dead by now." Stated the goddess, a sliver of regret in her voice.
Both were silent for a moment, before Artemis stood up and sheathed her knife.
"My lady?" Inquired Zoe, also standing up, her back rigid and straight.
Artemis did not turn to face her, simply giving her the command. "Tell the others to lay to rest. We will set off at sunrise. We shall be starting a great hunt tomorrow. It has been quite some time since we hunted down the Mother of monsters."
Zoe stood still for a moment. She stilled her feelings and returned her face to a mask of indifference. "At once, my lady." She gave a short bow to Artemis before departing to inform the rest of the hunt.
Artemis stayed unmoving. Simply staring ahead of her for a few minutes before wordlessly looking up to the sky. It was a new moon tonight, a fragment of herself piloting the unseen moon chariot.
"What is this dreaded feeling? Why is it that I'm feeling hopeful? Could it be…could it be that my child still lives?" Absently asked the goddess before shaking her head.
She turned around and headed back into the camp.
Three years later
Artemis was livid. No, scratch that, she was absolutely seething with rage. Three years. She started the hunt for Echidna three years ago. And nothing. Not a single track or clue, not one little scale or hair. No sighting or scent. As if the mother of monsters had faded.
Artemis knew that was not the case. If it was so, then Olympus would be holding a month-long celebration no doubt. Echidna still lived. And yet she couldn't track her for the past three years. There was no way to describe the anger the goddess felt. This was unacceptable! She needed to calm herself. If she remembered correctly, there was a lair of cyclops that they passed a few hours ago.
She turned to her hunters and gave her command. She had gained two new hunters in the past three years. Both young. Samantha was a clearsighted mortal fifteen years of age. With short brown hair and blue eyes. The other girl, Victoria, was a daughter of Nike, and only twelve years old. Artemis couldn't help but laugh slightly at the irony of her name. With black hair and brown eyes. Samantha was an orphan since the age of six. From what Artemis got out of the shy girl, her father died in a car accident when she was five and her mother decided that she wasn't able to raise a child on her own, leaving young Samantha at an orphanage in Kansas City. She stumbled into their camp one night, holding a flimsily made bow and a handful of sharpened sticks that barely could pass as arrows. After finding out she was clearsighted, they offered her a place in the hunt and she accepted, albeit hesitantly.
Victoria, on the other hand was found fighting off a small pack of hellhounds that the hunters were tracking. They we're impressed with the girl's ferocity and will to fight. After they dispatched of a few retreating hellhounds, Artemis offered the daughter of victory a place among them in the hunt. The girl thought about it for a bit, but ultimately decided that she would join. The goddess of the moon soon found out that young Emily She was abandoned by her father since birth. Being adopted by an elderly couple that lived in rural Tennessee. But after her demigod scent started to attract monsters, she decided to leave, not wanting to be a burden on the elderly couple who took care of her.
Artemis couldn't help but stop for a moment. Both girls we're abandoned in a sense. And she helped them. Took them into the hunt. Her sisters-in-arms as well as people she could consider her daughters. Yet she abandoned her own child. Not because of the ancient laws, but because of spite.
She placed her hand on her chest, where she felt a great ache. 'What is this feeling?' She wondered, wincing slightly as an image of the child appeared in front of her, its silver eyes looking pleadingly at her. 'Am I feeling…regret?' She took her hand away from her chest, knelt down and reached for the image of the child. Only for it to disappear. Her hand balled into a fist as she retracted it and left it limply at her side.
"My lady, we have spotted three cyclopes at the lair, they have yet to notice anything. Shall we proceed?" Inquired Zoe, standing slightly behind the goddess. Her question almost not reaching Artemis.
The goddess stood there for a few seconds. She took a calming breath and turned around to face her lieutenant. "You are free to engage. I shall be observing the new hunters and will only provide assistance if necessary." The goddess replied in an even tone.
"At once, my lady." Zoe bowed and walked back to the rest of the hunters, relaying the orders.
Artemis looked up and sighed. The summer solstice is approaching. Another boring meeting. Another day that she'd have to deal with her annoying sibling. But then, a thought came to her head. 'Maybe I can ask Athena next time I see her. Whether there is a way for the parent to know if one of their demigod children has met their end, without seeing the body itself. No, not yet. I need to think this through more thoroughly.' Mused the goddess before turning to find a vantage point to observe her hunters in battle.
Summer solstice, two years later
Artemis sat in her throne in the throne room of Olympus. Trying to drown out the noise that was being caused by her father arguing once again with his brothers. Well, it was more like arguing with Poseidon. Hades mainly sat quiet, only participating when something was said directly to him, or when an opportunity arrived to rile up or insult his brothers. Mainly Zeus.
Honestly, the meeting was about to finish too. Looking around, she spotted everyone was doing what they always did. Apollo was talking with Hermes, who was only paying half attention, while the other half was directed at his phone. Dionysus was looking through a wine magazine, which Artemis couldn't help but think that her father forced him to do in addition to the punishment. Demeter was mumbling about wheat cereal and occasionally yelling at Hades for the abduction of her daughter, which Hades simply ignored. Hephaestus was tinkering with some contraption that Artemis didn't even want to begin to understand. Hera was simply sitting in her throne, though one could see her subtle glare at her Husband if they looked very closely. Athena was noting things down in a large book, pausing from time to time before writing again. Aunt Hestia was tending to the hearth as usual, a troubled expression marring her gentle face as she watched her family fight amongst themselves once again, Hestia noticed Artemis looking in her direction and gave a small wave and a gentle smile, which Artemis returned. Much to the surprise of Artemis, however, was that she didn't find Aphrodite and Ares shamelessly making out. Instead, she saw Aphrodite simply staring off completely unfocused, while Ares was trying to get her attention, and obviously failing.
It was an odd sight, there was no doubt about that. But Artemis didn't have the time, nor the patience to ponder on it. She turned her attention back to the bickering brothers, and just as the next round of verbal combat was about to commence, she cut in.
"Father, perhaps it's time for the meeting to end? I believe we have discussed all relevant topics already and there's not much need of prolonging this meeting." Calmly stated the goddess of the Hunt. Wanting for this to end as soon as possible.
The king of gods coughed into his hand and looked around. He stroked his large beard before summoning his master bolt. "Very well. If no one else has nothing to add…" He gave a slight pause, flinching slightly at his wife's glare. "then the meeting is adjourned!" With his yell, he slammed the master bolt down and teleported away. Artemis couldn't help but inwardly groan at her father's theatrics.
Immediately most of the Olympians, including Artemis, teleported out of the throne room. Artemis appearing outside of a great temple, mainly grey in colour with an owl hovering over an Olive tree carved beautifully into the large door. Athena's temple was not the most extravagant or eye catching, but it was still impressive.
Artemis pushed the doors open and walked inside. She notified Athena before time that she'd be visiting her after the summer solstice. The inside of the temple regularly changed. This time looking like a grand library. Bookshelves upon bookshelves of Scrolls, tomes and books. Both old and new. Some complete and in perfect condition, while others were barely written and looked as if they would disintegrate any second. There was not a book that Athena didn't preserve in her temple. It didn't matter whether she liked it or not. Athena always argued that all knowledge should be preserved, even if she herself thought that some would be better off as fuel for a fire.
Artemis absently looked around, silently wondering if she could find a book on the topic she wished to discuss with her half-sister. As she got to the centre of the temple, she unsurprisingly found Athena reading a book. Artemis didn't bother to see more details on the object, merely approaching her half-sister and sitting down across from her.
After a few seconds Athena closed the book and sett it down. She looked up and Artemis could make out a subtle upturn on the face of the goddess of wisdom. "How long has it been since you visited me like this Artemis? A hundred years, two-hundred-fifty-seven? What could have happened to bring around this occasion?" Asked Athena, a slightly amused sparkle in her fierce grey eyes.
Artemis snorted. "Do not pretend like you don't know Athena. You probably know every date and time I interacted with you ever since I came to Olympus with my brother. And do I need a reason to visit my sister and talk with her in an environment which is not filled with yelling and shouting of father and our uncles about who grandma Rhea loved the most or other nonsense like that."
Athena gave a small chuckle. Their father's love for drama and theatrics wasn't exactly a secret. "True enough. But honestly Artemis, why did you want to meet with me?" Asked the goddess, her grey eyes turning sharp.
Artemis stayed silent for a moment. Athena was no doubt the most preceptive being she knew. It took her two years to finally think of a sound enough plan in order for this not to turn into a disaster. "I was wondering about something." She started evenly. "I was wondering whether there is a way for a parent to know that their child is dead without seeing the body?"
The silence that followed was ear piercing. Athena studied Artemis with her calculative grey eyes. "Why the sudden interest?" Asked Athena. Her voice frigid.
Artemis said nothing for a few seconds. Discreetly taking breaths to steady herself. "I'm sorry. I should have said it differently. What I meant to say is, that I've been experiencing an odd phenomenon. One that only noticed a few decades ago. When one of my hunters perish, I receive a small portion of divinity. My own divinity. I could only assume that it was divinity that I myself gave them when giving my blessing to join my hunt." Explained the moon goddess. "And recently I happened to be a part of an unfortunate event. And I wanted to know. Whether it was possible for gods to feel their children die like I can my hunters."
Athena sat rigidly still. Almost as if she were a statue. She blinked once. Twice. And after a third time she closed her eyes, seemingly in concentration. "I see." Stated Athena quietly. Taking a moment to think to herself. Soon she opened her grey eyes, which had a much gentler look to them. "You are right in you're assumption. Indeed. We can 'feel' our children die. We feel the divinity they held return to us. Depending on the connection and bond that we have with our children, sometimes we can tell which one of them died and in what manner. However, even though we receive more divinity, it doesn't empower us. If it did, I have no doubt that gods such as Ares would start to have children just to kill them a few years later." Finished Athena with a scoff.
Unseen to Athena, Artemis gained a somewhat hopeful gleam in her eye. 'That means there's a chance that my child still lives. In that case I should be able to find it.' Thought the goddess. Deciding to draw out the conversation a bit longer to avoid suspicion.
"You give our brother too little credit. He may be a pig, vulgar as well as me hating him for many reasons. But he is not so heartless as to do that to his children. At least, not unless they turn against him." Calmly stated Artemis, her face remaining neutral.
Athena could only make a noise that resembled a chocked laugh. She looked down slightly, with almost a sad look in her normally piercing grey eyes.
Artemis decided that it was time to leave. She got the information she wanted. "It's time I take my leave. My hunters will no doubt be wondering why it's taking me more than usual to return." She stood up and walked over to the temple doors.
"Artemis!" Called out Athena from behind her.
She turned around slightly, indicating her attention being caught.
Athena was silent for a few seconds. Her expression neutral yet fierce at the same time. "I do hope that it wasn't one of my children you killed, sister. For both our sakes."
Artemis said nothing, simply turning back around and going through the giant doors. 'She thinks that I killed someone's child? Hmm. While that's not what I hoped for It's better than her knowing that I have one. At least I know that he's alive.' Thought the goddess to herself as she teleported back to her hunters. 'Now all I need to do is find him.'
Five years later
She couldn't believe it. Five years she has searched for her son. Five years and nothing. And to add insult to injury, she still hasn't found Echidna! How could something like this happen? She's never struggled to find anything this much. But to not be able to even find a trail? A simple clue to where any of her prey would be? Even when she rode her moon chariot, she couldn't find anything. It's as if the fates themselves were mocking her status as both the goddess of the moon and hunt.
Artemis would have continued stewing in her silent anger, but a sudden boom echoed from the sky as if a great lightning bolt had struck the ground somewhere in the distance.
She looked up to the sky and muttered. "An emergency meeting?"
She quickly disappeared in a flash of brilliant silver light, slightly startling some of her hunters. She reappeared on her throne and noted that most of the council has already assembled, with only Hermes and Ares missing. They both appeared a few seconds after, with Ares looking agitated and Hermes putting away his phone.
Seeing that everyone was present Zeus slammed his Master bolt down onto the ground, his dramatic display got many to roll their eyes.
"Now that all have assembled, who was the one that called the meeting?" Asked the king of gods, his voice booming across the council room.
No one said anything, all were looking around from one to another, wondering who called the council meeting.
Zeus's face turned slightly red with anger at not being answered straight away. As he was about to speak again. A set of three voices cut him off. "We did."
The Olympians turned their heads to the centre of the room, where stood three withered old hags. One holding string, another holding scissors and the last attending to a spindle.
Zeus' face visibly paled. As did everyone else's. The fates were never a good sign. The king of gods regained his composure as best as he could. Coughing into his hand and leaning back into his chair. The last time the fates were present was at the time the great prophecy was spoken. Seeing them now was not a good at all.
"What could be so important that you'd call us here?" Asked the god of thunder quite rudely. Absently stroking his neatly trimmed beard.
"Watch your tone Child of Rhea." Hissed Atropos. "Our patience is already thin as it is. We don't need you to make it worse. Unless, of course, you'd like us to cut your string?"
Zeus paled once again, tightly gripping his armrests.
"If I may ask, what is the cause of your Ire?" Asked Athena, her face neutral and cold as ever, yet one who knew her close enough, could tell that she was nervous.
The fates turned their heads to her. Before turning to everyone else, as if scanning them for something. It was quite unsettling to the gods. The fates stayed silent before Clotho took her turn to speak.
"There has been something interfering with fate." She said evenly, but all could feel the agitation coming off her. "And we have been losing strings of fate. We have decided to see for ourselves. Now. What have you done?" She asked. Not really pointing the question at anyone.
The room was in silence. Not even Ares or Apollo made any snippy remarks. Once again, Athena was the one who spoke. "You said that strings of fate have been vanishing. Is it known to who they belong?" Asked the goddess of wisdom, trying to buy more time for herself to try and figure out what on their names could be causing such a phenomenon and why they were being held responsible.
Lachesis took this opportunity to speak herself. "Medea, Circe, Medusa, Heracles, Pasiphae's son, Ares' son Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard as well as the Mother of Monsters, Echidna. All of their strings have disappeared."
All gods had a certain degree of shock displayed upon their face. Sudden cries of outrage erupted from the room. Mainly from Zeus, Athena, Artemis and Poseidon. Others simply sat in shocked silence.
In a dramatic fashion, Zeus lifted the master-bolt up and smashed it down with great aggression. "What is the meaning of this? You blame us for stealing the strings of faith? Preposterous! The Ancient laws forbid us from doing so, and even if they didn't none of us are powerful enough to do so without exposing ourselves!" Yelled the outraged god of thunder. His voice booming across the room.
A sudden chill went up everyone's spine, as the temperature of the room suddenly dropped.
"Watch. Your. Tone. Zeus." Slowly hissed the Fates in unison. Pulling out a golden string from which lightning seemed to spark ever so often. "We have no patience for your immature tantrums. Another outburst and the string shall be cut."
No one dared to say or do anything. Hera simply gripped her husband's hand tightly in hers. Poseidon watched silently, gripping his trident. The rest of the gods simply sat with wide eyes and sweat pouring down their faces.
Content with the effect of their threat, the fates withdrew the string and scissors, which were about to cut through it.
"What we are saying, is that someone is responsible for this. Someone here, that much we know. We do not mean that someone simply took our strings of fate. What we mean is that someone with great power and influence has done something to cause this. Mayhap, even, sire a child that was never meant to be?" Stated Atropos, her gaze falling and lingering to Artemis, who froze riding in her seat. Only Athena noticed this however, before the fate did so with every other Olympian before stopping again at Zeus.
"We are simply here to warn you Olympians, as we have everyone else. If you are found responsible tampering with fate, the consequences will be dire." Hissed out Clotho.
The three hags were about to leave, but Athena, much to the dismay of all other gods present, stopped them. "Please wait! You said that Heracles was amongst those who's thread had vanished. We can summon him here and possibly find an answer to this." Her voice held a hint of desperation which seemed to go unnoticed by the gods and fates.
Those who sat close to the Queen of the gods could faintly hear Hera whisper: "Hebe did say that he was acting strange lately".
The fates took one look at each other before turning back to the goddess of wisdom. "Very well." They agreed, their tone slightly agitated. "Call for him and question him. We shall only speak once we've decided our verdict."
Zeus didn't hesitate and immediately threw the master-bolt into the sky. Thunder boomed dramatically in the distance and only a few seconds later, the grand doors opened and came through the legendary son of Zeus, though his appearance came as a minor surprise to the gods, though Dionysus and Demeter seemed like they could care less. Artemis had to restrain herself in order to not immediately sneer in the direction of the swine that dared to betray her lieutenant.
Heracles' posture was very large, but still retained a certain degree of 'mortal' size, standing at about two hundred and thirty-five centimetres tall. He was heavily muscled, with his biceps being the size of an average man's head. His hair was very dark and quite long, reaching the man's upper back. The man wore a barely fitting black tuxedo that went well with the, by human standards, giant's bronze skin. His face seemed stuck in a neutral snarl.
He kneeled in the middle of the Throne room. His deep, gruff voice clearly heard throughout the room. "You have summoned me, father."
Slightly bewildered by his son's appearance, not counting the tuxedo, he made Heracles a glorified doorman after all, and mannerism Zeus cleared his throat. "You have some explaining to do, Heracles."
The 'god of bravery' didn't seem fazed by his fathers' tone, simply staying in his kneeling position, seemingly awaiting some sort of order.
The king of gods narrowed his eyes but spoke anyway. "We have been informed, that your string of fate has been lost." Evenly stated Zeus, looking for any sort of reaction, no matter how minor, yet he found none on the stone-faced man. "Did you know of this?" He asked sternly.
Heracles didn't move, his whole body was as still as possible, to the point where it slightly unnerved some of the gods, including Hera and Zeus, at the odd behaviour being displayed by the former demi-god.
"I was not aware of such a development. I was attending to the duty that you have assigned me to this whole time, father." Evenly Replied the son of Zeus. Not looking up or moving once.
As Zeus was about to ask another question, he was cut off by the fates.
"We have seen enough. He is telling the truth. He has no knowledge of his own string, never mind the others." Hissed Clotho. "We shall be leaving now. Remember out warning Olympians."
Before anything else could be said, they vanished in a blinding light. As if never there. Zeus leaned back and gave out a tired sigh. He felt as if he fought his father once again. An unpleasant thought that he quickly dismissed.
Looking down he saw that Heracles had yet to leave the council room. Zeus made a sound that seemed to resemble a frustrated grunt. Before he turned his attention back to his son.
"Leave us Heracles, and you shall speak nothing of this, lest you wish your punishment prolonged." Commanded Zeus, his master-bolt sparking to life.
Heracles simply bowed his head and left through the grand council room doors. Ignoring the glares of disgust and suspicion that was being sent his way by both Artemis and Athena respectively.
As the doors boomed shut, Zeus straightened his back and cleared his throat. Turning to the goddess of the hunt and one of his favourite daughters.
"Artemis, for the good of Olympus, you must hunt down Echidna and Medusa. Find them and question them, we must know how it's possible for them to lose their thread of fate. Then eliminate them before they become a threat to Olympus!" He boomed with a dramatic flair, as lightning and thunder appeared behind the lord of the sky.
Most of the council rolled their eyes at the actions of their leader, even the serious Athena showed her displeasure in the form of a sigh.
Artemis suddenly couldn't help but feel ashamed and enraged at the same time. "Father, I'm afraid that there will be a problem with Echidna." She started, getting the attention of most gods. "Ten years ago, I started the hunt for the mother of monsters. Wanting to see if my hunters are still up to par. However. As much as it shames me to admit it, I have not been able to find even a single trace of Echidna in these ten years." As she spoke through gritted, her temper grew as Ares started laughing hysterically.
"Seems like you can't even do your job correctly! Can't hunt down a single monster! Ha ha ha!" Exclaimed the god of war slapping his right leg as he laughed.
Artemis growled like a rabid wolf. Her hand instinctively going to on of her knives on her right thigh, but she quickly regained control of her temper and continued to speak. "But now that we know of this…predicament, it might explain to a certain degree to thy I have not been able to find her. I shall double my efforts as soon as the meeting is over."
Zeus idlily stroked his neatly trimmed beard as he listened to the moon goddess speak. If not even Artemis…no, she said that she'd try harder. There's no reason to panic yet. 'Damn the fates!' He raged in his head. 'Now I have to worry about this as well as the great prophecy. Brilliant! I wonder how Thalia and Jason are doing. Thankfully Hera has yet to find them. Hopefully neither Poseidon nor Hades find out about them.'
"Very well, daughter. Hunt them down and use whatever method necessary to find out how they lost their strings of fate. For it may decide the fate of Olympus!" Dramatically yelled Zeus. "Meeting adjourned!" And before anyone could say anything, he was gone in a flash of lightning.
The rest of the gods could only roll their eyes and also disappeared in flashes of light. Before she left, Artemis could see Athena giving her a questioning look, before she too disappeared in a flash of grey light and owl feathers.
At her camp, the face of the moon goddess was one of determination as she regained a spark of hope.
'It's possible that the one's who lost their string of fate know something about my child. If so, it's even more crucial that I find and question them. Time to ready the hunt and re-double our efforts, first we'll hunt for Medusa, some of the newer hunters will have to stay back for this one. Then we'll re-new our hunt for Echidna. Unless we'll find a trail of her first. Then we'll put all our focus on her. Right. Let the hunt begin.' Declared the goddess in her mind, pulling out her bow and aiming at the sky. A silver arrow materialised on the bowstring, Artemins bulled back her arm, the bow creaking slightly under the strain. She let go of the bowstring and the arrow launched, whistling as it raced through the sky, the sun setting in the background.
The arrow suddenly exploded like a firework, a strong silver light blinding the entire area.
Three years later
Finally. They have finally found the mother of monsters after all these years. Their hunt for Medusa was unsuccessful, but that didn't matter right now. They had Echidna cornered now. They found the mother of monsters walking around Las Vegas in the form of an admittedly attractive woman. She noticed them quite quickly and purposefully went to a secluded area. Even though Artemis found it suspiciouse, she still followed the mother of monsters, her hunters right behind her.
They got into positions around Echidna and prepared to strike. And then everything went terribly wrong for Artemis and her hunters. Almost instantly, Echidna grew spikes from her forearms and launched them at a group of hunters above her, managing to hit two in the legs and one in her arm. Causing the hunters to either scream or groan in pain. The injured girls quickly retreated while gritting their teeth at their blunder.
Artemis quickly gave her command to attack, and a hail of silver arrows filled the sky and soared down onto the mother of monsters, who grew wings out of her back and used them to cover herself from the deadly arrows.
"It's been quite some time since you've come for me. I was beginning to think you forgot all about little old' me!" Laughed Echidna as her lower body started to become a thick serpentine tail. "I have a bit to discuss with you little girl." She hissed, her amused face turning into a glare.
Echidna stopped shifting, her upper body was still that of a very attractive young woman, her lower half was that of a serpentine tail, covered by jade green scales that glistened in the sun. On her back were draconic wings, coveting her body in a protective cocoon. She towered above the hunters and looked down at them with disdain.
Artemis kept her face schooled into a neutral expression, but she could feel her lips twitching upward into a smug expression. "Oh? Do you now. I don't care. I have questions I must ask you myself but that can wait. Thirteen years. You have managed to avoid me for thirteen years. You have mocked me enough and I am going to put you down, I do enjoy a good hunt, but you became an annoyance very quickly. I shall make you suffer, and I am going to enjoy every second of it."
Echidna said nothing. Only scowled and used her snake-like tail to knock down a pair of hunters who tried to flank her, once again bringing her arms up an launching the newly formed black spikes, this time straight at Artemis.
Said goddess quickly jumped to the side and launched three arrows simultaneously. Echidna once again used her wings to protect herself from the arrows. Unfortunately, one managed to pierce through her scaly wings. She hissed in anger.
Spikes started to grow out of her wings, albeit slower than the ones on her fore arms.
Artemis motioned for the hunters behind their target to shoot, only for the pair to be smacked aside by the powerful tail of the monster.
"Seems like your hunters have gotten worse over the centuries, overconfidence prolapse?" Taunted the mother of monsters, the spikes on her wings and forearms fully grown now. "That reminds me. Tell me Artemis, any new children lately?" Asked Echidna smugly, the emphasis of the word children caused Artemis' heart to stop for a second.
'Could she-No! That's impossible, there's no way she could know.' Thought the panicking goddess, instead chalking it up to Echidna referring to some of the younger hunters. She steeled her feelings and notched another arrow, pointing at Echidna.
Said monsters' smile widened crookedly, seeing the reaction that Artemis gave, her heightened senses could detect the erratic heartbeat of the goddess.
Another hail of arrows came towards the mother of monsters, who adapted a bored look and spread her wings out, launching the spikes that formed on them, effectively knocking down the arrows and injuring another two hunters.
A sudden pain tore through Echidnas' right arm, causing her to release a pained sound that was reminiscent of a hiss and a scream. She looked down to her right arm, where she saw a silver arrow that managed to lodge itself in between a few spikes and puncture her skin. She looked back up and noticed Zoe Nightshade smiling triumphantly and launching another arrow at Echidna, who knocked it aside with her long tail, her yellow eyes glaring at the nymph.
As Zoe launched another arrow, she was caught off guard when a clawed hand came straight at her, only realizing so when it was a few mere centimetres away from her. Adrenalin fuelling her actions, she quickly jumped back a few meters and quickly shot another arrow at the exposed shoulder of Echidna, only to wince as a searing pain shot through her entire body, causing her to miss her make just slightly, the arrow breaking off one of the spikes on Echidna's forearm.
As Zoe calmed down re-positioned herself, she felt something trickle down her face. Quickly reaching up to her face she felt a warm liquid, the metallic smell of blood quickly followed after. On the right side of her face were four deep gashes that were oozing out blood at an alarming rate. The gashes reached from her forehead to her chin, it was surprising that the ancient huntress didn't loose an eye.
She cursed in Ancient Greek and once again pulled on the bowstring, a silver arrow materialising. Echidna smirked. Had the girl truly gotten so arrogant? She could clearly see both her and the arrow.
The whistle of an arrow cutting through the air came from her right. Echidna tried to quickly once again shield herself with her wings, but she fond herself unable to do so when an arrow pierced the area of the joint that connects the right wing to her back, allowing the arrows to hit and pierce through her side.
Echidna hissed in pain, managing to bring her arm up fast enough to block the two arrows aimed at her head.
There were six hunters left counting Artemis. Who managed to calm down and once more smirked triumphantly at the now heavily breathing Echidna.
"Good work all of you." Praised the goddess, giving a proud smile to her hunters, her eyes slightly flashing with concern at the wound Zoe sustained. "Now, how about we finish-"
She was cut off by Echidna, who moved so fast that even Artemis had trouble keeping track of. The mother of monsters had pounced on the closest to her hunter, which happened to be the young and still quite inexperienced Victoria.
One of Echidna's clawed hands was wrapped around the girls neck, the other was holding the arm in which the girl held a silver hunting knife. All present hunters and Artemis herself drew their bows and almost immediately fired. Only to be stopped by the mother of monsters.
"Fire a single arrow and she dies." Said Echidna, oddly calm.
There was hesitation among the hunt, even Artemis herself faltered slightly. "I must say, I'm quite disappointed. If I wanted to I could've killed all of your little girls Artemis. You as well, Zoe Nightshade, as well as Phoebe, daughter of Ares. Very disappointing for the two of the oldest hunters. Truly you have grown arrogant!"
This earned Echidna heated glares from all except for Victoria, who shivered in the monster's grasp, Echidna's yellow eyes turning to the girl then back to Artemis. "I would have thought that you'd bring your more experienced hunters to hunt me. Not a little girl only a few years your handmaiden. How truly arrogant you have grown."
Artemis glared. "Says the coward hiding behind a shield. Is this how low the 'terrible Echidna' has fallen?"
Echidna stayed silent, simply tightening her hold on her captive.
Artemis was not amused and signalled her hunters to fire. Even as the arrows were let loose, Echidna kept still, the silver arrows struck and dug deep into her body, yet she didn't even flinch.
"I grow tired of this. I'm afraid that Tyche isn't on your side girl." Said echidna looking down at Victoria.
Before anyone could do anything, a sickening snap echoed through the deserted street. Then a thud. The lifeless body of the daughter of Victory laid on the street, unmoving.
Artemis saw red, she summoned her bow, her godly energy rising. She fired two arrows, one ripping off Echidnas right wing, the other tearing off her left arm. Echidna hissed in pain once again and collapsed. But smirked inwardly at the seething goddess.
Artemis regained her cool. Grabbing Echidna by the monster's brown hair. A knife placed at the throat.
"Leave us." Commanded the goddess, her handmaidens obeying and wordlessly retreated back to camp, all glaring at the Mother of Monsters, especially Zoe, who held her still bleeding face.
Once all the hunters left, Artemis started to question her captive, who had a smug smile for some reason. "How did you get rid of your string of fate?" Bluntly asked Artemis, her eyes cold. She saw a brief flash of puzzlement slash across Echidna's face, before it quickly disappeared.
"Who knows? Maybe the fates decided that have caused me enough suffering?" Laughed Echidna, her yellow eyes staring down the moon goddess. "I was not jesting with you back there. I know of it. Of your shame. I know of the child you gave birth to thirteen years ago."
Again, Artemis faltered, her eyes widened, and heartbeat became unsteady. "What do you know? Where is it?" Yelled the goddess, pressing the knife to Echidna's throat, causing black blood to ooze out from the small cut it made.
Echidna laughed. "It? Surely you wouldn't be so cruel Artemis? I'll have you know that he's grown into a quite beautiful, well-mannered boy. Oh! I understand now, it's because your child is a boy, a filthy, pig headed male, isn't that right?" Mocked Echidna, doing a rather accurate impression of Artemis' voice. "What a good thing that he found his way to me. Chaos knows what you would have done to the poor boy."
Artemis was not amused; her eyes were unfocused ang her grip on Echidna's hair tightened. "I see. I must find it as soon as possible then. Before the corruption becomes too much."
Echidna snorted and looked slightly offended. "Corruption? They one who will be corrupting him is you Artemis. Your distaste for men blinds you." The mother of monsters glared heatedly at the goddess. "Know this Artemis. I shall do all that is in my power to keep you away from him. You may kill me, but I will simply reform in a few days. But truly, may whatever watches over you hear your prayers, because I am nowhere near the worst thing that protects him." She said with a smug smirk.
Artemis didn't even listen to Echidna and quickly slit her throat, causing the large body to disappear in a shower of golden dust.
The goddess sighed, the hunt was successful, but it cost her a hunter. She hated it whenever she lost any of the girls under her care. She turned to the body of Victoria; the daughter of Nike died much too young for her tastes. She had the makings of a great huntress. But alas, the fates decided that her time has come now it seems.
Crouching down next to the body, she closed the girls open, still tearful eyes. After a moment, the body glowed a faint gold, before being completely incinerated.
Artemis simply looked up to the sky, grit her teeth and returned to her camp, where her hunters were patching each other up, she spotted Zoe, who now had half of her face bandaged, feeding ambrosia to Samantha, the other huntress that she recruited at a similar time to Victoria.
The goddess of the hunt looked around; the hunters having taken notice of her presence. She gestured for them to stand down. The hunter, those who could, gave a small bow and continued to heal their sisters-in-arms. After all were healed, Artemis motioned Zoe to follow her.
The lieutenant of the hunt obediently followed her mistress, wincing from the random pains that the wound on her face caused her.
Artemis opened the flap to her tent and almost collapsed down onto the cushion. Zoe sat down a tad more gracefully, but still in an exhausted fashion.
They both sat silently for a few minutes, simply staring into to the freshly lit fire. Artemis was the first to speak.
"I have found a lead on my missing child." She stated calmly, pulling out the knife she used to kill Echidna, some of the black blood already being dry.
Zoe almost chocked on her own spit but managed to steady herself. "Great news milady! Where? I will set off immediately!" Exclaimed the ancient huntress with enthusiasm.
Artemis held up her hand and motioned for Zoe to calm down, slightly confusing the huntress.
"I am afraid that it is much more complicated than that. It appears that this has become a much more delicate situation than I originally thought. It seems that Echidna has somehow found my child and raised it. I am unsure how much she corrupted him and turned him against Olympus." Stated the goddess calmly.
Zoe could only gape like a fish out of water, the action causing her wound to sting more aggressively. "I do not know where it is. All I know right now is that my child is alive. And according to Echidna herself, something worse than her is guarding it."
Zoe couldn't stay silent any longer. "But that is precisely why you should allow me to go milady! The faster we find him, the greater our chances of securing his safety!"
"I will not send you on a suicide mission!" Exploded Artemis. Standing up abruptly. "I have already lost one huntress today. I will not send my lieutenant on a blind chase across America to just find one boy, even if it is my child! Do you understand, lieutenant?" Asked Artemis coldly.
Zoe was stunned into silence. Her form frozen on the spot. Regaining her voice, she asked. "My lady, don't you care about your child?"
Artemis paused, taking a breath to calm herself, she looked down. "It truly does sound like that, doesn't it?" She asked herself. "It is not that I do not care Zoe. But I will not risk the life of someone very close to me, for someone who I know nothing about. Do not misunderstand Zoe, I will find my child. After we find Medusa and question her, it will be our main priority to find my child, but tell no one of this, understood?"
Zoe nodded, not saying anything, having a better understanding of her mistresses' motives.
"In that case I shall start preparing myself milady. We were picked apart far too easily today, something like that must not be repeater." Said the copper skinned girl gently tracing the newest injury she got.
Artemis could only nod. Echidna was much more powerful than the last time they faced each other. Could it be that she gained more power through losing her string of fate? Artemis shook her head and turned back to Zoe.
"Tell the others to rest. We shall take three days to recover our strength, and then we hunt for medusa." Commanded the goddess, turning her attention back to the fire.
The lieutenant of the hunt stood up and bowed, leaving the tent in a brisk pace.
Being left alone, Artemis started to think to herself. 'My child. My son. Is alive. I never thought that I'd be happy to hear that a boy is alive. Maybe. Maybe I won't need to turn hum into a girl. Maybe, I'll be able to fix this mess. But first I must see how much damage Echidna has caused. I need to see if there is anything worth saving first.' Grimly thought the moon goddess.
Unseen by Artemis, in the shadow of the tent, a figure lurked. Dressed completely in black with very dark skin. Only a bone white skeletal mask was glaring out of the shadows at the goddess. Before disappearing entirely, as if never there.
Author notes
That's it for this chapter. You know the drill by now. Review if you want, if not don't all that good stuff.
Also, something I need to address. I won't be directly answering questions on what will happen in the future of this story. And even if I for some reason do give an answer it will be very vague. Spoilers and all that.
As always hope you enjoyed.