Zoe Nightshade was not in a good mood. Not in any sense.
A few days ago she was with her sisters, the hunters of Artemis, hunting down a group of Cyclopes who had made their residency in the city of Las Vegas.
So far everything is correct. But it was during the hunt for her that everything seemed to go wrong. By the time they reached what appeared to be the monster group's lair, it had already been razed.
The blood splattered on the walls and the cut marks indicated that there had been some kind of fight. From the trail left it had been some demigod. The smell said it all, but even if she tried she couldn't tell which god it belonged to.
It was then that he returned to inform his mistress that all that Zoe Nightshade lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis in her more than two millennia of service and for the first time in all history discovered that Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and one of the three virgin goddesses according to Greek history, had a son.
Flashback
"My lady forgive my rudeness, but what the fuck" The hunter addressed the goddess with the only thing that was going through her head at that time
"As you have heard Zoe, I have a child. Who until recently I thought had perished about eleven years ago" The goddess of the hunt began "First of all, no one but my sister, Athena, knows about this. Zoe, I ask you for maximum discretion about this "
The huntress couldn't help but nod. She was unable to put her thoughts in order enough to form coherent sentences without having to apologize each time.
"Second, I'm still a virgin, at no point did I break my vow" The hunter nodded again. That statement took a weight off the hunter's shoulders. She wouldn't know what to think if her lady were to break her vow. A sigh of relief escaped the lips of the hunter, her posture relaxed and she sat more comfortably in her mistress's tent.
"Now the point that concerns us, my child"
"I can assume that it was a process similar to the one that Lady Athena does with her children"
"Yes, it was a similar process. But it was not the point I wanted to get to. Apparently, the essence that we found in the Cyclops' lair was similar to mine. But that should be impossible as I have never been there before"
"May I ask why?"
"Because as far as I know, the child should be dead."
The sudden statement caught Zoe off guard, but she quickly pulled herself together and let her lady continue.
"Belen, my chid, was considered dead when a fire was in the city where I left him. When he was three years old, I left him in an orphanage in Japan. The ancient laws did not let me take care of him, so I sent him where other gods would not know of his existence." The goddess tried to keep a serious face for most of the time.
But Zoe had spent a long, long time by her side and had learned to read her lady's micro-expressions. She still felt sorrow and pain due to the disappearance of the child.
"From time to time I kept a look at him to see if he was okay. Everything seemed normal, he grew up without much worry and he wasn't very fussy about anything." Her lady's face seemed to brighten up a bit as she told the story, but then she turned gloomy
"Then one day when I went to see how it was, the orphanage had been consumed by flames, a serious fire had consumed a part of the city"
Zoe noticed the lady's fists clenched tightly. She could see some of Ichor come out of the palm of her hands.
"I searched and searched the remains of the orphanage, but found nothing. Until after a while, under a large steel beam I found the body of a child Belen's age. He had the scarf that I gave him when I left him. in the orphanage around his neck "
Her fists clenched even tighter and this time she closed her eyes tightly as well.
"My lady ..." The hunter didn't know what to say to the situation, it wasn't something she was trained for. So she decided not to comment and just be there for her.
"At that moment I didn't think about it anymore, everything was before my eyes. A child about my own's age, with the scarf that I gave him crushed and unrecognizable under kilograms and kilograms of steel" He tried to hold his breathtaking long and deep breaths but they didn't seem to help her.
"After that, I just left the place. I'm sure you remember that time" Artemisa told her hunter.
It was then that she remembered, about eleven years ago. Her lady disappeared for a few days. When she returned, after two weeks, something had changed in her but no one dared to ask and it remained as one of the greatest mysteries for the hunters, until today, at least for her.
"That's why Zoe, I'd like to ask you a favour" The goddess bowed her head to her lieutenant.
"My lady! Please raise your head, you don't need to bow to ask me for anything" Zoe had never felt so embarrassed in her life ... her lady didn't need to bend down to ask her for something. And to anyone, if she could help it.
"Thank you Zoe" Artemis returned to her original position "Although I imagine you already know, I want you to travel to the city of Fuyuki in Japan and look for my child"
"It is understood!" The huntress nodded her head fervently at the request "After sorting my things, will I leave right away, anything I need to know about the child?"
"He has reddish-brown hair like mine and his eyes are golden. You will recognize him right away" The goddess explained "Also if you have his scent you should be able to find him"
"Yes ma'am" The hunter gave her last affirmation before proceeding to leave the tent. But when she was about to leave she stood at the door, Zoe stopped in her tracks and asked Artemis
"Any problem Zoe?
"My lady ... Is it possible that your child is a boy?
At first, Zoe had dismissed the thought because of the name Belen, a name of Hebrew roots and associated with women. But it was at that moment that the idea of her hit her like lightning. What sense did it make for a Greek goddess like Artemis not to use a Greek name.
It was then that she remembered another meaning for the word Belen. Arrow. A name Artemis could have used for her descendant.
Also, she had been referring to the boy with 'him' the whole time. Even she had said it herself but it seems that her brain simply refused to accept it.
It was then, when her mistress nodded, that Zoe didn't know what to think. Zoe left the tent without saying anything more and went to prepare for her mission.
Flashback End
Now here she was, in the land of the rising sun. The lieutenant of the huntresses of Artemis, in search of a boy of all things.
She disguised herself as a normal mortal and took a direct plane to Fuyuki City.
The city had a beauty superior to that of many other cities she has visited in her long life. It maintained its contact with nature despite being a relatively large city.
The mountain and the forest that surrounded it seemed excellent hunting grounds.
The city was divided by a river leaving a newer and more modern part and on the other side a more traditional area where most of the population seemed to live.
She could also see from her position a European castle deep in the forest. Although no one seemed to live there.
It was certainly a beautiful place. Worth a visit, but she hadn't come on vacation. She had a mission and was planning to complete it.
So she decided to investigate the city. She started by heading to the modern part of town where she thought she could gather information from passersby.
It certainly seemed like a modern place, but Zoe couldn't shake that feeling that the place seemed too artificial. Many of the buildings were practically the same and were used as work offices.
Zoe walked for half an hour, surveying the place. But it was when she got to the centre of the modern city that she discovered it.
At first glance, it might seem like a normal park, somewhat abandoned, but a park after all. But it was the sensation that ran through her body that sent chills through her body. It looked like an entrance to Tartarus itself.
The moment she stood at the entrance to the park. She noticed how everyone seemed to avoid the park.
"Even mortals know that there is something wrong with this place."
Zoe controlled the mist to envelop the entire park, prepared her weapons and bow for whatever was outside and entered the park.
Almost as if she had entered another plane Zoe could perceive that the air around her had changed. The feeling of general malaise had been amplified and it was no longer a feeling of discomfort that enveloped her but something much worse.
Her head ached, the spirits in this place were not angry, there were no spirits. It was something much worse as if the world itself was hating this place. Negative feelings lived in this place. There was no room for anything other than negative feelings.
Zoe came to think that not even the powers of the goddesses Hestia and Demeter combined with the magic of the goddess Hecate could save this place.
There was nothing in this place, but at the same time there was something that produced this feeling and it was not something that she could fix. So she took her weapons and prepared to leave the park. She would have to inform the lady of her when she returned. Leaving the place like this would only invite trouble.
"What are you doing around here young lady? Aren't you too young to be dealing with this kind of thing?"
Zoe reacted quickly and moved several meters away in one movement. Someone had positioned themselves on her back without her noticing.
A blue-haired man with red eyes. His hair was tied in a rattail that reached halfway down his back.
The man was dressed simply, a white shirt along with pants and a black jacket.
Despite appearances, the man had been able to position himself on her back without her noticing. She also perceived a beast scent coming from the man along with some divine powers "A matured demigod"
The man calmly advanced with his hands in his pockets until he was a prudential distance.
"This is not a place where you go to take pictures, miss" The man looked at the bleak place around him "It is not a place which is good to be for a long time either"
"What happened here? Was it your doing?" Zoe wasted no time and asked the man for a long time
"Nah, pfff. Do I look like someone with the patience to do things like that?" The man laughed answering her question "I prefer the simple things. And also I like it when there is no feeling of depression around me"
"And do you know the cause of this? This is a serious problem that shouldn't be ignored." She already knew the man was a demigod, a trained one. But she couldn't say who his father is.
"It happened after the fire of ten years ago. It was one of the results of after the fire" The man replied "One hundred and thirty-four buildings burned and the lives of five hundred people were lost that day. We had someone trying to fix this but she died and no one can do nothing about it"
That little detail caught Zoe's attention, this man seemed to know about the fire.
"Do you know if there were survivors?" The question escaped Zoe's lips faster than she could control it.
"Why don't the two of us go on a date and I'll tell you?"
Was he really trying to flirt with her? Here? The man was playing a lot with his luck, Zoe thought.
"Answer the question, boy." Zoe's eyes blazed with fury and a promise of pain.
"You can't blame me for trying, sigh ~ I've been unlucky lately" The man sighed "Well if you're looking for the survivors you should ask at the church"
"Thanks for the information" Not even if she wants to try to use the fog to make him forget the conversation. The man didn't seem aggressive nor was he a monster, so he shouldn't worry about her spilling the secret. And she didn't want to incite a fight with him either.
"See you, miss. Try not to get in trouble" The man calmly left the park, leaving the hunter with thoughts of her.
"The church huh?"
Said building was not far from its current position and there was still time until nightfall.
Without thinking twice she Zoe she left the park, but not before looking at it one last time before leaving the area. This place had to be fixed, it was a promise that she was going to keep.
It took her half an hour to get to the church from the park. It was at the top of a hill and there was a cemetery next to it.
Without much thought, Zoe entered the church. At first sight, it seemed that no one was there.
"A visitor?" From the sides of the church, a young woman appeared "Please, make yourself at home"
Long light grey hair and golden eyes. She was wearing priestess robes.
"May I ask why your visit is due, traveller?" The priestess asked, calmly walking through the church walking towards Zoe.
"I came because I was told that here I could find information about the survivors of the fire of eleven years ago" She was straight to the point and bluntly.
A feeling of familiarity ran through Zoe's body, the woman gave off an aura similar to that of an Artemis' hunter. But she didn't remember ever seeing this woman.
"And why would you want to know that?" Her voice was calm and soft, but still, she remained friendly.
"I'm looking for one of the survivors someone told me that I would find information here" The black-haired woman had no reason to lie and this was her fastest way to find information.
"I'm sorry to tell you that all the survivors who stayed at the church are no longer here."
"And where could I find them?"
"You couldn't because they are no longer with us"
An answer. It was just enough for Zoe not to know what to say. How she was going to return and inform her lady, who had been so excited at the possibility that her son was alive.
"Now answer me a question, traveller," The priestess said breaking Zoe out of her thoughts. When she was close enough to her Zoe noticed the bandages on her hands. "What is a non-mortal like you doing asking about that incident?" Her eyes never stopped seeing her.
Zoe wasn't expecting that kind of question and she prepared for combat.
"What ... How do you know that? Are you clear-sighted?" That would explain some things, but since she knew she was not mortal, having clear sight wouldn't explain it.
"I don't know what you mean by that" The woman shook her head "But I have my methods to know when someone is more than what they show"
She rolled up the sleeves of her priestess robe, showing her that the bandages that wrapped around her hands stretched up her arms to her shoulders. Zoe took a look before the sleeves returned to their original position. "I know you're not a mortal, but I can also see that you're not looking for trouble. Which keeps us from being enemies."
These words made Zoe relax, but still, she didn't let her guard down. She did not know what this woman was capable of and nothing good could come from her if she has discovered that she was not normal at a glance.
"Now tell me, what do you want from the survivors?" The priestess sat on one of the pews in her church with her back to him.
Zoe mimicked her act but sat on another row of benches and behind her, where she could control her.
"I'm looking for one of those survivors" Said Artemis's lieutenant "I understand that he has to be in the city" She was not going to act rashly and reveal everything to this person. "As far as he should be a teenager in his eighteen or nineteen years"
"I can think of about five people who meet those conditions" The nun replied, obviously asking for something more concrete "Oh by the way where are my manners, my name is Caren Hortensia" The priestess, Caren, introduced herself.
"A pleasure Caren, my name is Zoe Nightshade" The hunter introduced "I am looking for a teenager between eighteen or nineteen years old, with reddish-brown hair and golden eyes"
From her position, he could see how Caren reacted to the mention of reddish-brown hair and golden eyes.
"I can assume you know who I mean"
"Yes, I think I know who you are looking for" The nun got up and approached Zoe "Leave me your map, I will mark the area where she lives" As she extended her bandaged hand to him.
"I don't have a map", replied Zoe, she didn't need one of those for the city "Just tell me the general direction and I'll search the area"
After Caren told her that her wife's child lived in the other part of town, Zoe thought it best to rest at the hotel she had booked and continue the search the next day.
Zoe left the church to go to her hotel. Her hotel was in the other part of the city whereby she would have to cross the long suspension bridge known as the 'Fuyuki Bridge'.
The bridge was being crossed by many people going to or leaving work.
Zoe started across the long bridge. The view was pretty good, the sun was setting and the sea was glowing orange. Zoe thought of her home for a moment, but she quickly forgot that thought and continued her walk.
Before she could start over on her way a woman passed her by. Long purple hair that reached down to her feet. And that was saying a lot considering her height.
Zoe was one of the tallest hunters, being second only to Phoebe. But this woman was more than a head taller than her. She wore
She wore a black polo neck top and blue jeans. And she wears glasses upon a pair of brown eyes.
"Excuse me, have we met before?" Asked the hunter. The essence of her was very similar to one she had already felt before. She smelled like snakes but couldn't say where has she smelled a similar essence before. She could swear that she also noticed a faint level of divinity but it was so feeble that she wasn't so sure about it.
"No, I don't think so." The woman simply glanced at her before continuing on her way.
Zoe watched the woman go. And she decided to follow after her. They were both going in the same direction after all.
At some point in her journey, the woman decided to stop at a pub called Copenhagen.
Zoe just decided to go to her hotel for the night. Every time she spent more time in this town something strange happened. First that cursed park, then the blue-haired man. The priestess and the woman with that familiar essence.
After a while of walking, he finally reached his hotel. She paid for her room and went to rest. This place tired her far more than her usual exercise routines.
The night passed quickly for the weary hunter. She got up the next day to search for her target. Her day yesterday, despite her strange situations, had been quite productive.
So without thinking twice she left her room prepared for another day of searching.
The old part of the city was her target. The house of her mistress son's should be in that area.
Zoe left the hotel and took a look at the busy streets. Now that the sun was in the sky, there were more people on the streets than at night.
She, too, noticed that while the area on the other side of the bridge was a work area, this area was more rural and livable. People were talking on the streets in contrast to the fast pace of work on the other side.
The buildings in this area were, for the most part, houses, as opposed to the offices on the other side of the river.
They were definitely like two completely separate towns. Zoe came to what was a shopping district and from what she knew her goal was on the other side of said district.
She then perceived an essence. Her target seemed to be in the shopping district right now. Although she couldn't be completely sure, her essence was mixed with that of many others.
But at least she was sure he had been here recently if he was not in. Her target was close.
She entered the shopping district. And she used her trained senses to chase down that little trail that she had detected.
The trail led her through the streets of the district. Zoe saw all kinds of food stores in the district, and she had to admit that she had gotten hungry seeing it.
"It's close" The hunter stopped in the street. If her senses were correct, her target would be around the corner.
The moment she went around the corner, she heard a voice
"Ohh, a strange couple is approaching my store" The voice said in a cheerful tone. Zoe recognized the voice as the blue-haired man she met yesterday.
"Lancer, you don't need to cause such a show" she replied another voice more calmly.
"Don't be like that Saber" Zoe leaned a little behind a wall to watch the conversation.
What she saw was the blue-haired man from yesterday in an apron. He was talking to the long purple-haired woman and another woman.
This last person was the shortest of the three. Where the blue-haired man was around 180cm and the woman around 170cm. This last woman was around her height, 150 cm.
Blonde hair tied in an elegant bun. She had bright green eyes and smooth, fair skin.
She wore a knee-length skirt and a white jacket open over a white shirt. She, too, wore a blue scarf wrapped around her neck.
Zoe thought for a moment that it could be one of the daughters of love, but the idea was dismissed when she felt no divine power from her.
It was another essence of her that made her stop. The trail she had sensed came from the golden-haired woman. It was strange, she could perceive the essence that she was looking for but it was mixed with another essence. Sulfur and lizards?
"A dragon in human form ?!" She thought alarmed. She didn't make sense. What would a dragon do here?
More and more things were happening in this town that had no logical explanation.
"I've come to shop for dinner, Lancer" The blond woman said as she pulled a piece of paper from her jacket pockets "What do you have for fish today? Salmon? Bream?"
"Ohh, will the boy cook tonight?" The blue-haired man, Lancer, commented "Oh my, do you mind if I stop by for dinner, Saber?"
"Don't even think about it Lancer" The blonde woman, Saber, gave the man a deadly look "Tonight Shirou and I will be home alone. It's been a while since the two of us have been alone and I plan to enjoy tonight"
"Who would have thought that you would be so open with your feelings in public. How things have changed" The purple-haired woman laughed quietly "It has certainly been a long year and now there are only three of the original seven left"
"Man, stop raising your spirits so high Rider"
"Sorry, could you say that it's in my nature to make those kinds of comments"
"There it is, weird Rider in action" The man in the apron just rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the blonde-haired woman "Well, you were asking about fish, right? Today I have a sale on salmon, buy two you get one free. Also, I have bream that is quite good. Although lately, it is expensive "
"Then I'll take the salmon offer. Give me 4" Saber pulled out a wallet and handed the money to Lancer.
"Thank you!" The man put the money in the cash register and prepared the fish to give to the blonde. Then he looked at the tall woman, Rider "And you? Do you want something?"
The woman shook her head "I'm just accompanying Saber. My work shift doesn't start until the afternoon so I had the morning off"
"Heh, who would have imagined that you would end up working in a supermarket"
"Says the Celtic hero who works as a fishmonger"
What? A Celtic demigod ?! Here?!
"Hahahahaha I guess you're right" The man laughed out loud "It's not like there's anything more interesting to do around here anyway"
"You're right" Saber nodded "After the end of the war we were left without doing much. Although every now and then I miss a good fight"
War?! What war were they talking about ?!
"Oh yes, I understand how you feel. From time to time I have that itch to fight with someone, but apart from you around here there is no one to fight" The man with blue hair "Maybe you could lend me the boy so I can train from time to time, Saber "
"Shirou has improved a lot since the end of the war after all" Commented Rider "But I doubt that he will be able to keep up with you Lancer. These bodies have an advantage over human bodies"
These bodies? The conversation made less and less sense.
"As Rider says, Shirou is better than many and I feel that he still has a lot of room for improvement" Saber confirmed "Without the use of magic from him, Shirou couldn't face someone like you"
"It's a shame"
"Young man, what do you recommend today?" An elderly lady approached the fishmonger's post.
"We have a special offer today for salmon, young lady."
"Young lady says, ohohoh. I'll take it then"
The demigod in a swift movement prepared the fish and handed it to the lady who left shortly after.
"Well, since all is said and done, if one day you want a training fight you can find me I will be willing to do anything"
"Yes, it was a pleasure talking to you Lancer" Saber said goodbye to the blue-haired man. Rider simply nodded in goodbye.
The blue-haired man just waved his hand away and walked back into his shop.
Zoe saw the pair of women approaching his position and decided to hide. Using her abilities as a hunter she followed them. The blonde woman had the essence of her target so the best she could do was follow her.
She followed them throughout her purchase. Apart from the fish from the first store, they bought meat and vegetables, fruits and even rice. After a while, they left the shopping district. And they parted ways somewhere along the way.
Zoe looked surprised to see the blonde woman carry so many bags without a problem. She was strong and if the conversation from earlier had something to say, she might be stronger than she Zoe imagined.
Saber walked calmly through the streets of Fuyuki. They had reached the area where the house of her target was a while ago.
And it seems that they had already arrived. The essence of her aim here was the strongest she had felt since her arrival at Fuyuki.
Saber entered one of the houses. Although calling it home would be little. The house was big, bigger than the ones around it. It was made up of three different buildings.
What appeared to be the main building, quite large. It occupied about fifty per cent of all the land in the house. She could also see a small shooting range and a dojo at the back of the garden. Lastly, there was a small shed.
"Shirou! I'm home!" The woman, Saber, screamed as she walked through the door.
When Zoe saw her walk through the door, she decided to enter the residence. Just when she was about to step foot inside her, she noticed the barrier that enveloped the place.
It was not a dangerous barrier. She couldn't feel a strong power from it, but it was well hidden and until she wasn't in front of it, she didn't notice it.
Zoe passed the barrier and entered the residence. Nothing happened. She skirted the main building. It was a traditional Japanese architecture even more so than the houses around it.
She skirted the garden, hiding in the shadows that the surrounding walls provided. She reached the back of the main building. Where she had a vision of the small shooting range and the dojo.
There didn't seem to be anyone in the area. Then Saber came out of one of the corridors of the house. Who also took a look at the area before going out to the garden.
She was barefoot, as is customary in Japan, so she put on a pair of slippers that were there and walked up behind the dojo.
Zoe followed her, and when she got around the corner of the dojo. She saw that she was going to the shed behind it.
She slowly opened the shed door.
"Shirou are you in there?"
"Oh? Saber, are you back?" A voice answered from the shed. A voice of a young male.
A young male with reddish-brown hair and golden brown eyes emerged from the shed. He was wearing grease-stained blue overalls. In his hand, he carried a wrench.
Zoe knew he was her target when she saw him.
"Yes, Shirou I just came back from shopping. I met Rider midway and she came with me for a while. I have put everything in its place too" Saber smiled at the sight of the boy "Have you finished what you were doing?" He asked as she tilted her head slightly.
"Yes, I just fixed the kotatsu. It seems that one of the cables had frayed and I had to disassemble it entirely to be able to change it. Now all that remains is to leave it in its place"
"As there is still time until lunch. Go and take a bath because you are dirty with grease and I will move the kotatsu"
It seemed that the boy hadn't realized that he was dirty from his reaction, as he proceeded to look himself up and down with a surprised face.
"Yeah, it looks like I'm pretty dirty hahaha" He scratched the back of his head as he laughed a little. Saber laughed with the "Well then I'll leave it to you Saber, I'm going to take a bath"
"Yes, leave it to my Shirou"
Shirou then left for the house. And Saber walked into the shed. Leaving shortly after with a kotatsu. Zoe was impressed, if she wasn't completely sure before of how strong the blonde was, now she was completely sure that she was much stronger than any normal human.
She was able to lift all that and she didn't seem to be struggling. The woman entered the house and for the first time, Zoe followed her inside.
The woman reached what appeared to be the living room and she left the kotatsu there. She walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of tea. From one of the cupboards, she took out two glasses of tea.
She sitting on one of the cushions around the living room table. I fill both glasses.
"You know, it's rude to refuse someone's tea. Especially when you've followed them all morning and have entered their house without permission" Said the woman before taking a sip "So, I recommend that you reveal yourself before I have to explain to Shirou why there is someone in his house tied up"
This is my idea for the fic of Shirou being the son of Artemis. I had this almost ready when I published the AGINAC chapter and seeing that people answered saying they would like to see it, I decided to upload it. If more people like it maybe you can intersperse it with AGINAC and upload one at a time. Tell me what you think and we'll see.
I also saw someone saying that they would like a reading of AGINAC but after thinking about it I thought maybe a reading of F / GO by the Greek / Roman gods and demigods would be more interesting. Although to do that I would have to finish one of the two stories since the idea does not appeal to me very much either.
Anyway see you next month or so.
pat reon com /Ewent