It feels be meant to be
Time is still for you and me
Soon as your spark lit me up in the dark
I knew for sure
I wanna burn in your firelight

3rd Person POV

As the dainty snowflakes drizzled from the dark sky on the Winter Solstice, rendering the night cold and gloomy, the mood on Olympus was quite the opposite. Dazzling lights from all over the city of Gods illuminated the nightscape but none more than the throne room itself and the arena, which had been converted into an open roof gathering hall. All of Olympus was in full party mode. This was the one day of the year where all immortals were free of their duties, apart from the ever-important Solstice meeting. Once the meeting was dismissed, the Olympias would signal the start of the party. Deities major and minor would mingle, talk, dance, host their personal parties at their residence, and so on. Some would party at the arena, modified for the day for the sole purpose of hosting the biggest social gathering on Olympus, while others would spend it silently, with their family or inviting friends who were not in the arena. Though snow still drizzled in the chill night, magic prevented it from settling and accumulating.

Artemis usually never attended these parties, flashing out as soon as the Solstice meeting. She generally spent it with her huntresses who would be at her palace at that time. One reason, the most obvious one at that, was the presence of so many males who would look hungrily at her, and things worsened as the drinks were passed and those filthy males got drunk. Things got pretty hairy once when Apollo had forced her to attend a party. A minor deity, drunk beyond oblivion, had forgotten his limits and groped Artemis's chest, catching her off guard since she was talking to Athena, and it didn't end well for the god. Artemis cut him into pieces so small that it would be another millennium before he could reform. The other reason being her lack of friends. Athena did count as her friend but she herself avoided most parties, sharing the same reason as Artemis to avoid them.

But that was before she met Percy. He had become her closest friend and gave her a reason to attend these parties. It was during the third year he was with the Hunt that he attended his first Solstice party at Olympus. It was only the two of them though, the hunters still choosing to stay at her palace still uncomfortable around the males. After the meeting, she had flashed out, which was normal for her but she shocked literally everybody when she returned half an hour later with Percy to attend the party, her first in almost a millennium. What surprised everyone even further was the fact she was actually smiling and laughing with Percy, signifying that she indeed came of her own accord, that too with a male no less. They talked to the council members but kept to themself, not talking to anyone else but seemed to enjoy the party, even going on to win the best couple dance award, which they accepted albeit blushing like idiots.

Alas, it was not without any incident. Percy for the most part of the party stuck close to Artemis. She had already told him why she didn't attend these parties and Percy had promised to stay close to her. Sometime during the party, Artemis excused herself to go to the toilet, having finished her plate of food while Percy was still stuffing himself with what seemed like his 5th serving. The toilets, to Artemis, were construction blunders, having been constructed outside the arena, the only access was to walk about a hundred meters from the exit of the arena, not to mention that the path to the toilets had no light and was very dark and shady at night.

So while Percy was eating, she went to the toilet to relieve herself. She was as it is uncomfortable with the lightless path and was not at all happy to find that not a single other soul was near the toilets. What she certainly didn't expect when she exited were 7 minor gods high on booze, waiting for her. They tried to pounce on her, thinking that they would subdue her with numbers. Now Artemis wasn't an Olympian goddess for nothing, also it was night, which was when she was the most powerful. She could have kicked them into the next eon if she wanted. But unfortunately, she also inherited her father's theatrics. She just called out for Percy mentally, who immediately appeared, donning his unique armor and as luck would have it, fireworks started in the background.

That day the partyers saw an uncannily large flash of light and a blast near the toilets but merely dismissed it as a rogue firework that had strayed and were surprised to hear 7 deities had disappeared overnight. They would come to know the truth centuries later when the 7 had reformed. Percy had scared the shit out of them as soon as he appeared in his armor and then he and Artemis proceeded to whack them into godly pulp before combining powers and summoned moonlight strong and bright enough to disintegrate them and causing the boom where the light hit them. Afterward, they returned as if nothing happened and promptly participated in the dance.

As the years rolled by, Percy and Artemis continued to attend these parties and for once, the citizens of Olympus were grateful to Percy since she actually managed to bring out a cheery Artemis from the shell of an ever stoic and cold-hearted virgin goddess, though males mysteriously disappeared during these parties if they were unfortunate enough to approach Artemis while being drunk or flirty. In his 30th year with the Hunt, Percy actually managed to coax the hunters to join the Solstice party. Apart from a few unfortunate experiences with drunken males, the hunters actually enjoyed the party, staying in their own circle. Over time, everyone realized that the Hunt, along with their mistress and protector, were not ones to mess, drunk or sober, males or females.

Fast forward some years, rumors started to spread that the maiden goddess was dating and none were unfamiliar with the Orion fiasco. Rumors turned into gossip and gossip turned into news which spread like wildfire around Olympus. Some were outraged, mostly males who had been forever trying to find ways to court her, but majorly people were shocked. Things started to go out of hand and Zeus, with the permission of the two, made it official that indeed Artemis, goddess of the moon, was dating the newest Olympian, Perseus 'Percy' Achilles Jackson. Once they got to know who it was that she was dating, they turned indifferent. It was actually quite obvious since Percy was practically the only person she had shown emotions other than what she normally showed to others which also included other females and he was the only male she physically touched and allowed to touch her. They were always seen together and it was only some time before they started dating. Now that it was official, Percy and Artemis were often spotted holding hands or showing small gestures of public affection like hugging or chaste kisses. Which brings us to the present, another Winter solstice and the 5th year of Percy dating Artemis.

"PERCYYYY!" an angry Aphrodite screamed as Percy was chased around her palace. Percy on his part was muttering apology after apology as he ducked and dived to avoid the things thrown at his head by the love goddess. He was quite surprised she would scream and chase him for such trivial matter, for him at least, because he may or may not had dropped a glass of water on her makeup set. For his defense, it was entirely not his fault, he had stubbed his toe on the dressing table with a glass of water in his hand. His original purpose was forgotten as his sole focus to survive the wrath of the angry goddess whose makeup set he had just ruined.

It was noon and the meeting Solstice meeting started in 4 hours. He was here to ask Aphrodite to help him find a good apparel to wear at the party later since when it came to fashion sense, he had none. While he did consult Aphrodite every year for what he would wear at the Solstice party, or any party for the matter, this year was different. It was a Hunt vs Percy challenge. Between Percy and Artemis, the one who would be better dressed for the party (or would be the better head-turner) would be granted a wish by the losing side. Since both of them were absolutely clueless about fashion, it was decided that while the Hunt would dress up Artemis, Percy would be helped by Artemis. The judge would be the people attending the party and the winner would be declared at the end of the party.

Percy was now sitting on Aphrodite's couch, holding an ice pack to the bruise forming on his lower back after Aphrodite literally there him across the hall of the palace. Aphrodite had gone to fetch a variety of clothes for him while he was waiting. What seemed like hours later which was actually one hour in real-time, she returned with 5 sets of clothes. 3 were instantly rejected, being too plain while he had a killer headache choosing between the two others. Finally, he chose the one that seemed a fraction better than the other. A few moments later, he returned from the changing room wearing it. It was a two-piece, the upper part being a turquoise shirt with 3/4 sleeves reaching his elbows, accented with emerald sea-green at the neck, hem, and cuffs which perfectly matched with his eyes. The lower half was a simple beige trouser and sandals with gold lacing covered his naked foot. To match the attire were silver bracelets on his arms. Percy attracted women even when he was at his shaggiest, now Aphrodite was sure he would attract them like flies attracted to sweet. Artemis was in for a stiff competition and a long session of annoyance when girls would practically stick themselves to Percy. Instead of giving him perfume, Aphrodite sprayed a clear liquid on him which according to her enhanced one's own smell. Inwards, she giggled evilly, she was going to have quite the show today in the form of Artemis' reaction seeing her boyfriend like this.

As Percy was busy with Aphrodite, Artemis was busy with her hunters. It had taken the hunters 2 hours to find the dress and another half an hour to convince their lady to wear it, who had downright refused it saying it was revealing since she was always going with conservative clothes. The hunters had to explain that while conservative did the job, it could not win her a competition since Artemis and the hunt were practically the only ones with super conservative clothing. Eventually, though, they settled for another less revealing dress which Artemis still felt was too much. Right now, standing in front of a mirror, she stripped down to change into her dress. She was staring at her figure in the mirror, self-consciously thinking if Percy would like her body or not. She chuckled at herself, never in her 3000 years had she ever thought she would be trying to look attractive for a male, then again, it was Percy, a one in a million guy, who loved her for her character.

She pulled on her dress and once again observed herself in the mirror. It was a long silver dress that reached her feet. The color matched perfectly with her pale skin and her vibrant silver eyes. It was a simple strapless dress that exposed her shoulders and part of her back, something Artemis didn't like at all as she hugged her bare shoulders. The dress accentuated her lush curves perfectly, though she had made sure to buy a dress that didn't show more than necessary. An emerald sash, the same color as Percy's eyes, held the dress at her waist. She was wearing sandals similar to Percy except her lacing was silver and reached till her calves. Now Artemis was never one for jewelry but she proudly wore the pearl charm Percy had given her all those years ago to protect herself. She also put on crescent moon earrings and after much coaxing, a tiara with a crescent moon on it. Quite forcefully, the 4 daughters of Aphrodite in the Hunt made her wear light makeup, though restricted to lip gloss, very light eye shadow, and eyeliner. Now all she had to do was wait for the meeting to start.

LINE BREAK

When Zeus and Hera appeared in the throne room, it was empty, as was usual on Solstice meetings. Firing his Master bolt, he called the council. One by one, all of the deities flashed in. While all other meetings were done in casual wear, Olympians not bothering to think too much about what to wear, this meeting was quite different. All the deities showed up extensively dressed for the meeting in sophisticated ball gowns and dresses for females and suits and togas for males. Poseidon was in a navy blue suit while Zeus had a similar suit in sky blue. Hades wore a pitch-black shirt with brown trousers. Hermes and Apollo were in matching golden tunics while Dionysus had a purple one. Hephaestus and Ares were in formal togas. Hera and Demeter were in expansive, flowing gowns which swept the floor behind them, white for Hera and green for Demeter. Hestia and Athena had simple red and grey dresses respectively that reached to their calves.

Now the council was waiting for the 3 members left. While it was common for Aphrodite to be late, dressing up too much, it was quite a surprise for them to see Artemis and Percy missing, especially since they were the most simple ones when it came to dressing up. A pink flash marked Aphrodite's arrival, dressed in a maroon dress similar to Hera's, and with her was Percy. Now Percy was quite the shock for them. He was literally dressed up to steal hearts. Everyone was staring at him mostly with jealousy, none more than Apollo and Hermes who called themselves 'Ladykillers' of Olympus. That is until Artemis flashed in.

Never, never had they ever thought there would be a day when Artemis would be seen in a dress, sophistically dressed up. The duo of Percy and Artemis was stunning. Gorgeous would have been an understatement at the level of a crime. The Olympians other than these 3 almost passed out, and Apollo actually did mumbling about the power-couple of Olympus making him feel bad. Both had the gift of natural beauty which they always tried to conceal, much to the confusion of the Gods who would flaunt their bodies at any given chance. Now the Olympians got to know why. They were the literal face of what one would call raw beauty, enough to make Eros and Aphrodite feel bad. If they looked like this every day, any female laying eyes on Percy would never want another man, and any male looking at Artemis would lose all interest in any other woman.

Meanwhile to Artemis and Percy, the world around them had already faded into hindsight. With hitched breaths, they regarded each other with wide-open eyes. Neither could believe that the other could indeed appear more beautiful than they already seemed. They stared open-mouthed for some more time before realizing that indeed the other was his/her own boyfriend/girlfriend. Smiling towards each other with blushing faces, they tore away their gaze, knowing there would be enough time later on to compliment each other. Gracefully, they reached their thrones and signaled the still shocked Zeus to start the meeting.

"Uhm...yes since everyone is here, we should start this meeting especially since there is a very important topic to discuss" Zeus said as one by one all the gods started making reports. All through the meeting, Artemis and Percy ever so subtly kept stealing glances at each other, blushing whenever their eyes met, which still didn't go unnoticed by Apollo who deftly made the suggestion mentally "get a room, you two". This certainly got him the desired result as both blushed deeper than ever thought was possible but the other Olympians were truly intrigued as to why he suddenly had two arrows, one silver and the other crackling with electricity, right by his crotch.

"Since we are done with the reports, I now have some grave news to share. The Gigantes have risen. Our operatives have confirmed that they have successfully raised their base and even at this very moment planning their siege which we believe will be somewhere by summer. Alas, our spies could manage only this much" Zeus said in a very serious tone. "We have to bring together our own army. We have to bridge the gap." Everyone figured out what he meant. Greek and Roman demigods existed separately and due to their different lifestyles, found it difficult to cooperate.

"Yes Olympians, we have to bring together our demigods" Zeus said changing into Jupiter. All the deities shifted into their Roman aspects. Unknowingly, Percy changed too. His ever-wild black hair was slicked and set while a cape now covered his clothes. His face hardened and his eyes lost some mirth. Seeing the council thrown into silence, Neptune broke the silence, "Son, did you realize earlier that you too have a Roman aspect?". He looked over himself, surprised as Diana looked on, pleased. "Father, I do not know how? I mean, I am just an honorary Olympian and still mortal. So the question of how is beyond me" he said, more formally than he had ever done. Vesta answered for him.

"Perseus here holds much power, surpassing many present here, and as such, it was only a matter of time. Since we all have different aspects, it subconsciously affected his being which automatically split him into two aspects, dividing his power among them" she explained as she shimmered back to being Hestia, as did the others. Greek forms were the ones they were born with and thus this was where they felt at home.

"Now back to more pressing matters, Perseus I need you to visit both the demigod camps and bring them together but before that there is something more important. I need someone to spy on the Gigantes first and provide information that our operative failed to gather. I know it is too dangerous since it will require one to infiltrate right into their base. I won't force it but rather request. Will the Hunt be able to do it? After all, they are known for their stealth" Zeus asked.

After much thought, Artemis spoke up. "I agree to it, Father. I, Perseus, and the Hunt will track down their base. But just one condition, I will do the infiltration alone. Under no circumstances will I endanger my hunters and let them face the giants. Also, infiltration is a work best done alone and not in groups." Zeus looked troubled. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Percy. "I will go with her. There is no freaking way she is going alone. I will go with her or no one will" he said with much conviction that made others nod their heads in agreement. After an intense glaring battle between the two in question, Artemis relented. "Fine! I and Percy will be the ones infiltrating the base. We will leave tomorrow" she huffed. "Alright then, since it is decided, the meeting has concluded. LET THE PARTY START!" Zeus said, yelling the last part as he fired his Bolt signaling the start of the party.

Percy POV

The start of the meeting, the reports made, my new duty, the ending of the meeting, all was a blur. Nothing was there which I could focus on with even a tenth of my concentration and I felt dizzy. No, I wasn't unwell. Dizzy because of her, the girl who had caught and pretty much locked my heart away, close to her own. The blur of nothingness around me converged on her, my center of attention, my soulmate, my Missy. She had sabotaged all my senses the moment she had flashed in the room. She was beautiful to an extent which I earlier thought was never possible but now she managed to break even that. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. Gods! That dress was more than perfect. Her slender shoulders and arms were beautifully showcased in the strapless dress and her naturally gifted figure was greatly accentuated. It took all my willpower to not stare at her all the time. The way she looked right now, one word: infatuating.

As the gods started flashing away, I walked over to Artemis's throne, kneeling down with one hand extended. "Would you care to be my date, Milady?" I asked in a mock-formal way. Artemis giggled at that, a melodic sound only second to her voice and her laughter, something I would treasure for eternity. She got down from her throne gracefully, immediately returning to her 19-year-old form, matching me. She took my hand, pulled me up, and kissed my cheek. "Does that answer your question?" she asked, still giggling. I smiled at her and looping our arms, we left the throne room to go to the arena, deciding to walk rather than flash.

"You look soooooo beautiful Missy. I feel like I am going to die just by looking at your form" I said, breaking the comfortable silence as we walked the path to the arena. She blushed and weakly punched my arm. "Thank you, Percy. And you know, you are pretty much having the same effect on me too. I so lucky to have you" she said, snuggling into my side. She shivered a little, the dress obviously bothering her. She never was one for dresses nor for clothing that was even a little revealing, going on to wear a dress and that too strapless, exposing all of her shoulders and part of her back, was a very daring thing on her part.

I simply pulled her towards me such that she was now walking in front of me, and draped my arms over her naked shoulders covering them while my front side acted as a cover for her back. Electric tingles were going rampant at points where her skin came in contact with mine. She smiled and rested the back of her head on my shoulder as I tightened my hold and brought her closer. "You always know what I want, don't you?" she chuckled, her shivers gone, absorbing warmth from my body, snuggling in even closer as I channeled the hearth through myself.

As we walked into the arena, all the voices, laughing, chatter, all stopped. People were staring at us with no shame. I do get the attention of many ladies, but I don't know how they don't understand the fact that I have no interest in them. Same with Artemis. The attendees of the party were mostly males, the reason Artemis never came to these. And sadly, almost all of those males were straightforward drooling, even those who had brought along dates. I wrapped my arm around her protectively as she was visibly uncomfortable under the lustful gazes of so many men. An involuntary growl escaped me as 2 minor gods approached us. "Wannnaa dump this shiit and have good timmme with ussss?" one slurred, drunk when the party hadn't even started. Both Artemis and I got ready to kick their nuts in but before we could, 2 silver arrows found their place up their butts. They squealed and turned around only to have some more arrows in sensitive places.

Once the gods ran away screaming, everyone wisely returned to whatever they were doing. We were met with a very innocent group of hunters in matching silver dresses with bows out and quivers on their back whose lieutenant just gave us a simple"'sup?". We chuckled at that. "Totally unseeing what happened right now, we are fine. Though the meeting was kinda eventful and we need to discuss much" I said as we all moved across the arena to the corner where Dionysus was serving drinks.

After grabbing whatever beverage we preferred, which was white wine with nectar for Artemis, a light cocktail for me, and various mocktails for the rest, we hijacked a spot a little away from the music to discuss what had transpired in the meeting. "Girls, get ready for a new mission. We have been tasked to track down the base of the Gigantes. We will leave tomorrow morning" Artemis said, sipping from her drink. As we explained our plan they grew restless and worried. "Milady, we are going too. You two aren't going alone" they protested. "My answer will remain a solid no. So I say you utilize tonight enjoying yourselves rather than trying to change my mind" she said. So for the next hour, we sat there, chatting and laughing away the evening, drinking and eating together.

As the Muses started playing a tune I found exceptionally good, I got up from the bench I was sitting on. "My lady, may I get the honor of dancing with you?" I said too dramatically, extending my hand. The Hunt giggled as Artemis rolled her eyes but took my arm. Soon we were in the middle of the dance floor, swaying and waltzing to the song. Making eye contact, we got lost in our own world, for us, it was just the two of us in the room. What seemed like minutes to us turned out to be 1 and a half hours. We looked around and saw that the hunters had already left and decided to stay for a little more as the Muses started playing the last track of the day. Artemis and I slow danced at the new song, relishing each other's company. My grip on her waist tightened, bringing her closer as she rested her head on my chest, her arms firmly holding my shoulders.

As the party finished, we left the arena, some stragglers like Apollo and Dionysus staying back for an afterparty. Outside, the snow had stopped falling, giving way to a clear night sky, though a patch of clouds did hide the Hunter constellation. The moon was shining brightly, reflecting Artemis's elated mood. While walking, we reached the ledge at the side of Olympus, looking down from the top of the mountain. We stood there for some time in silence. I glanced towards Artemis and a mesmerizing picture burned into my mind. Artemis was glowing in the moonlight. Her skin appeared to be like silver as her majestic auburn hair was blowing in the nightly draught. Moonlight permeating the gaps in her hair gave her an ethereal look.

I gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her around finding myself to be falling for her all over again, only this time, the intensity was much higher. Her beautiful silver eyes, resembling a full moon, were something I could stare at for eternity to come. Drawing her to me I looked back into those eyes. "I love you Missy. More so than words could ever comprehend" I whispered but she heard it all. She leaned in until our faces were less than an inch apart and stopped. "And I love you too, Percy. And I am ready to give up my maidenhood to you anytime you want" she said, her breath tickling my face. She wrapped her arms around my neck before her lips finally found mine. The nature reacted to our feelings as the wind picked up

My brain practically melted through my body as we kissed passionately. I could taste the wine on her lips and in her mouth but her forest taste still overpowered everything, a taste I had come to love. We kissed until we ran out of breath, resting our foreheads together as we panted lightly, big smiles across our lips. Too tired to walk the rest of the way, we flashed right up to the door of her palace. Seeing that the girls had fallen asleep already, we tiptoed to our room. I quickly changed into more comfortable clothes and was ready to jump onto the bed but Artemis came back from the bathroom still in her dress. "Uhm...I could use a little help...can't pull down the zipper" she said, flustered and I too turned red at having to help her undress. Still red, I reached Artemis as she turned around for me to pull down the zipper. I shut my eyes, pulling down the zipper, the dress coming free and hitting the ground. As much as I wanted to peek, I was a man of principles and dutifully kept my eyes closed until she told me she was clothed. Together, we climbed into the bed, Artemis on top of me, as always. Tired after a long day, I kissed her forehead as we fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning, I was the first to wake up. A head full of scattered auburn hair, a sight which had become a common occurrence in the last 5 years. I gently stroked her hair as I watched her sleep peacefully on me as if it was the softest bed in existence, which to her it was. I smiled as a small line of drool trickled from the corner of her mouth, her chest rising and falling in harmony with my own breathing. She slept for another 5 minutes before stirring and waking up. When she opened her eyes, she saw me looking at her, Smiling, she put small kisses all over my chest. "That was for being the best pillow in existence" she said, burying her face in my chest once again. "Since you always sleep draped over me, should I kiss you all over for being the best blanket?" I teased, softly kissing her neck. "PERCY!" she squealed and slapped me upside the head. We both chuckled at our own antics.

Our attention was brought back to reality by a knock on the door. "Milady, we are ready for breakfast" Zoe's voice came from the other side. "Wait for some time" Artemis replied as Zoe walked away, dragging herself from on top of me and into the bathroom. Once she came out, I followed suit. In 15 minutes, all of us were seated in the hall, eating breakfast. We discussed our plans for some time and once ready, we flashed to our campsite. At 10, we started on our new task, leaving for the Peloponnese, the whereabouts given by the operatives.

LINE BREAK

A week later, and 2 days after we reached the target place we finally got some results. The Hunt was already tired, having ground the task at hand, which was of utmost importance to Olympus. Day and night, we scouted and searched the area, trying to find the trail of the giants. We had almost no rest, sleeping only 6 hours each night before pushing again. That day, while scouting the nearby area, Phoebe found some traces of the Giants in a clearing leading to a very dense forest, giving a clear indication that they were in that area.

With that, we entered the forest. The forest was strange, and not in any good sense. It was literally giving off bad vibes. Trees were tall, allowing little to no sunlight to reach the floor. Bent at crooked angles, and sporting unconventional growth of branches around them, they were an abomination to any sane eye. Then there was the outgrowth that littered the floor of the forest. For every yard we walked, we had to hack and slash at obstacles the size of a bull. Clearings were scattered and scarce.

As we continued to trudge onwards for what seemed like 6 hours, I walked up to Artemis. I could sense her nervous energy from miles away. As soon as I slipped my hand through her, a small smile graced her lips. "Percy something's wrong, I can feel it" she said. That, indeed, was the truth. There was not a single soul around us. Not a rodent that scurried the ground or an animal that rushed away seeing us. Heck, there weren't even any birds in the canopy or even bugs and critters around. The atmosphere was horribly off.

I squeezed her hand, powering the hearth into her. "Don't worry Missy. Whatever happens, nothing will keep us apart. Whatever we do, we do it together." I encouraged her the best I could though it resulted in an unsatisfactory nod. Walking another mile, she signaled us to stop in a clearing, and truly, the signs of the Giants just vanished from the area. Artemis looked at me expectantly and I knew what she wanted. I concentrated around the area's moisture. As I searched the underground area, I gasped loudly.

"Missy, there is a chamber the size of the Throne room underneath. I think we found their hideout" I said. She nodded grimly, "Hunters set up camp here, now it 's our part of the task." We sat there for a while, me and Missy, drinking nectar and keeping a piece of Ambrosia with us. When the girls had set up camp, we stood up to leave, kitted out with things that would help us escape if things went south. Wordlessly, we turned towards the entrance which happened to be in the next clearing. Turns out, it was underneath a giant banyan tree.

With a skeptical nod, holding hands, we lowered ourselves into their hideout, expecting to be attacked at once. What was unexpected was the emptiness of the room. It was too good to be true. Something was seriously off. Walking down the corridor, our walking and the torches crackling were literally the only things we could hear. We walked into several small rooms, no doubt living quarters, with absolutely no signs of anyone occupying it. Yet, the stench of reptiles and monsters rendered the air toxic. Towards the end of the corridor was the giant room.

I had Riptide out while Artemis had unsheathed her silver hunting knives as bows wouldn't be an intelligent choice being stuck in claustrophobic underground structures. We peeked into the room, not entering it for the fear of our lives, and once again found it to be completely empty. We slowly pushed the doors open, finally entering. Among other things like thrones and weapons, in the corner of the room was a table, lying on it was what one could call the battle plan against Olympus. When I took the plans and put them in my bag, nothing happened. It was not right. This wasn't the way it should have happened.

Then it clicked. They knew we were here. They had known from the start. This was a trap, they had ambushed us. Hades, the stench of the monsters should have been an obvious giveaway, how did I overlook it? But then the question raised, where the ambushers? We had already taken their plans yet we weren't attacked. "Missy" I hissed. "This was a trap. We have fallen into it. We must find our way out. We should have known this. Fuck it." Artemis turned pale at what I said, "But then where are the ambushers?" DRIP! I was about to answer when something like a clear, gooey, and warm liquid fell right near my foot.

Oh hell no! I thought as I turned my head towards the ceiling. My worst nightmares came true. From the ceiling of the room, looking down at us with dripping mouths, were numerous reptilian-looking creatures with the lower body of a monkey and the upper body like a drakon. Artemis started shivering as their demonic eyes rippled from the fire in the torches, eyeing us like roast mutton. As I recovered from the shock, I grabbed Artemis's hand and ran with all I had, not wasting any time as soft thuds sounded behind us, signs that the monsters were now right there.

"Run Artemis. For the sake of Chaos, whatever you do, do NOT look back" I screamed. Artemis didn't need to be told twice. We ran like hell but the creatures were gaining on us, fast. When I thought we were done, we tumbled out of the banyan tree. The creatures hissed, refusing to come out, which was the best thing to happen today. We didn't stop until we reached the edge of the clearing, collapsing on top of each other, panting like anything. Slowly Artemis got up, helping me up too. We walked the rest of the way to our encampment in silence, but that was it. Things turned out to be worse than I had imagined.

"No, no NOOO" Artemis screamed in frustration and panic as she looked at our camp...or what it used to be. It had literally been razed to the ground. Tents were still burning while signs of the scuffle were still visible. Not a single tent or hunter was spared. No, they weren't dead but were captured in a giant net in the center, all knocked unconscious. I was about to run to them but stopped dead in my tracks when 3 men walked out from behind the trees.

"Orion, Gration, and Enceladus" Artemis and I spat out venomously. "My, my Arty...I thought you would be happy to see me" Orion sarcastically said while the 2 others sneered, staying in their human forms. "Release my hunters NOW" Artemis screamed. All 3 chuckled darkly. "What if we don't?' Do we look like we are at the receiving end of orders" Gration snarled. "And how did you find my trap?" Enceladus asked in a dark tone. Artemis got ready to rush at them but stopped when the 3 had weapons trained at various hunters. "Nh-uh Arty. We are the ones who make deals. You are the ones who ought to take it" Orion said, smirking. Artemis scowled at the nickname.

"What the fuck do you want?" I said, rage evident. "Always the hot-headed, overprotective brat arent you?" Gration remarked. "We demanded that in exchange for your hunter's safety, you two surrender to us. If you don't, you get to flash away while we keep the huntresses for many purposes. Of course, you can help them out. What you say?" Enceladus asked. Artemis and I shared a small look of hopelessness and acceptance. 'I love and will love you regardless of what happens to us now' she said in my mind, smiling sadly.

"We will give ourselves up, only if you swear on the Styx to safely teleport my hunters to my palace first" Artemis said defiantly, even in the face of uncertainty. "Fine" Enceladus yelled. "I swear." He snapped his fingers and the hunters disappeared. "Now back to the matter at hand. Let's see how long you stay strong. I am shaking in anticipation at the experiments planned for you two. Especially Artemis, after all, she is immortal " Gration said smacking his lips. Before we could comprehend what he said, a blinding pain erupted on the side of my head as I lost consciousness.

A/N: That's it for this chapter

The first half is kinda boring and it is actually a filler-type thing. But then there is the plot in too. Expect chapters to be this long only. I will only write longer ones if I feel like it or if I miss a week. Student life sucks, seriously.

See you next time. Stay safe everybody! And God-fucking-damn review!

Happy Pride Month

Ciao

-KK42069

6541 words (excluding bold)