Child of the Huntress Master of Heroes

by Weirdo03

An anomaly. An unexpected entity. That's what he was. He didn't like what was happening in the world. So he sets out to change it. His birth mother didn't want him but that's fine. The one that raised him. That's who he consideres his mother. And with the heroes of every age at his side as his allies, he has nothing to fear. I only own my OC's.

7. Chapter 6

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school. We picked up my friends Annabeth and Thalia on the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbour, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Annabeth, Thalia, and I hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much.

Except for my mom. She talks more when she's nervous. By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about me.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."
Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the grey churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" my mother asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," I said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

I hoped I wasn't blushing. It was bad enough I had to depend on my mom to drive me to my battles.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her grey eyes were the same colour as the ocean. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

My mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most level-headed demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps me from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

"All right, dears," my mom said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

She looked a little hurt, and I was sorry about that, but I was ready to be out of that car. If my mom told one more story about how cute I looked in the bathtub when I was three years old, I was going to burrow into the snow and freeze myself to death.

Annabeth and Thalia followed me outside. The wind blew straight through my coat like ice daggers.

Once my mother's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," I admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

As soon as I said it, I wished I hadn't. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewellery, the black eyeliner, and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gave me now was a perfect evil "ten."

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

I stared up at the dark towers of Westover Hall. "Nothing good," I guessed.

The oak doors groaned open, and the three of us stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

All I could say was, "Whoa."

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, I knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.

My hand went to my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide. I could already sense something wrong in this place. Something dangerous. Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet, her favourite magic item. I knew we were thinking the same thing. A fight was coming.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—"

The doors slammed shut behind us.

"Oo-kay," I mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

I could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music. We stashed our overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. We hadn't gone very far when I heard footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us.

They both had short grey hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a wispy moustache, and the guy was clean-shaven, which seemed kind of backward to me. They both walked stiffly, like they had broomsticks taped to their spines.

"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Um..." I realized I hadn't planned for this. I'd been so focused on getting to Grover and finding out what was wrong, I hadn't considered that someone might question three kids sneaking into the school at night. We hadn't talked at all in the car about how we would get inside.

I said, "Ma'am, we're just—"

"Ha!" the man snapped, which made me jump. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance without their inviteour with them! You shall be eee-jected!"

He had an accent—French, maybe. He pronounced his J like in Jacques, He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colours—one brown, one blue—like an alley cat's.

I figured he was about to toss us into the snow, but then Thalia stepped forward and did something very weird.

She snapped her fingers. The sound was sharp and loud. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a gust of wind ripple out from her hand, across the room. It washed over all of us, making the banners rustle on the walls.

"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," Thalia said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth and Percy. We're in the eighth grade."

The male teacher narrowed his two-coloured eyes. I didn't know what Thalia was thinking. Now we'd probably get punished for lying and thrown into the snow. But the man seemed to be hesitating.

He looked at his colleague. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

Despite the danger we were in, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. A teacher named Got Chalk? He had to be kidding.

The woman blinked, like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I... yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at us. "Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium, I thought that it was made clear that if you invited anyone from outside the school you are to arrive with them?"

Before we could answer, I heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, breathless. "You made it! You-"

He stopped short when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

"What is it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. His tone made it clear that he detested Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made... the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"

Dr. Thorn glared at us. I decided one of his eyes had to be fake. The brown one? The blue one? He looked like he wanted to pitch us off the castle's highest tower, but then Mrs. Gottschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!"

We didn't wait to be told twice. We left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" and a couple of salutes, just because it seemed like the thing to do. Grover hustled us down the hall in the direction of the music.

I could feel the teachers' eyes on my back, but I walked closely to Thalia and asked in a low voice, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"

"You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"

An uncomfortable lump formed in my throat. Chiron was our head trainer at camp, but he'd never shown me anything like that. Why had he shown Thalia and not me?

Grover hurried us to a door that had GYM written on the glass. Even with my dyslexia, I could read that much.

"That was close!" Grover said. "Thank the gods you got here!"

Annabeth and Thalia both hugged Grover. I gave him a big high five. It was good to see him after so many months. He'd gotten a little taller and had sprouted a few more whiskers, but otherwise he looked like he always did when he passed for human—a red cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt that took me a few seconds to read. It said WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. I wasn't sure whether that was, like, Grover's rank or maybe just the school motto.

"So what's the emergency?" I asked.

Grover took a deep breath. "I found three."

"Three half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed. "Here?"

Grover nodded.

Finding one half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, scouring school s from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. We were losing campers. We needed all the new fighters we could find. The problem was, there just weren't that many demigods out there.

"A brother and a sister, as well as another boy," he said. "The siblings are ten and twelve and the boy is most likely twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

"Monsters?"

"One." Grover looked nervous. "He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!"

Grover looked at Thalia desperately. I tried not to feel upset by that. Used to be, Grover looked to me for answers, but Thalia had seniority. Not just because her dad was Zeus. Thalia had more experience than any of us with fending off monsters in the real world.

"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Thalia said. "Who's the monster?"

"Oh," Grover said, and looked around nervously. "You just met him. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn. Weird thing is, he seems to be almost scared of the boy, I don't know why. Apparently, he's the son of the school's largest sponsor."

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Weird thing about military schools: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. I guess it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.

There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly coloured pants and shoes that looked like torture devices.

Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face. Some of the older guys looked more like me—uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. Of course, in my case, it was true...

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids talking and laughing in the bleachers. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo. And the third one is the boy next to them Mihaly Echidnason."

The girl wore a floppy green cap, like she was trying to hide her face. The youngest boy was obviously her little brother. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked. They were both smiling, the sister keeping her brother close with one arm as he excitedly shuffled a deck of cards and showed a few to the other boy.

Speaking of him.

"Hey, didn't we see him at CC's spa?"

Annabeth narrowed her grey eyes into a glare. Her face going into analysis mode.

"And at Medusa's lair."

It was weird. Like he hadn't changed at all within three years' time. He still had black hair with fiery auburn tips that cascaded down his back. He had two coloured eyes like Dr. Throne, except his left was a shiny silver and his right was a gleaming gold.

Was having different coloured eyes some sort of fashion now?

"Aww, he's adorable!" Thalia cooed. Cooed! She had this strange smile on her face and looked like she wanted to go over there and hug the poor kid to death.

He was talking to both siblings, making the sister laugh while also paying attention to the brother, picking out cards and the boy started to excitedly chat about whatever was on them.

Annabeth said, "Do they... I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

He looked at me, and I nodded. I'd never really understood what half-bloods "smell" like to monsters and satyrs, but I knew that your scent could get you killed. And the more powerful a demigod you became, the more you smelled like a monster's lunch.

"So let's grab them and get out of here," I said.

I started forward, but Thalia put her hand on my shoulder. The vice principal, Dr. Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings and the other kid, not too close though cause when he saw the kid, he flinched and backed away a bit. He nodded coldly in our direction. His blue eye seemed to glow. Judging from his expression, I guessed Thorn hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who we were. He was just waiting to see why we were here.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"He's not the only one…" Muttered Grover, looking away to the left.

"What? I you said that there is only one monster!" Annabeth's whisper sounded more like a hiss, a hiss that caused Grover to whimper slightly.

"I don't know what she is…but she's dangerous. Even Dr. Thorne stays away from her."

"Who?"

He pointed to the left corner of the room, next to the three demigods. There stood an odd woman, with tanned skin and red eyes, wearing some sort of business suit and a white veil over her head. She looked like she came from the middle east and was really beautiful too.

She was looking at the siblings and the boy, a small smile on her face. But when she turned to Dr. Thorne, her smile vanished and was replaced by a frown. He seemed to notice and took a few steps away from the kids.

When she turned to us I immediately felt in danger. When I looked into her eyes I felt as if I was staring at some sort of natural disaster that not even dad would have been able to protect me from. As if civilization itself would collapse because of this woman. I felt like I was going to die here and now. I-

Thalia whacked the back of my head and snapped me out of whatever trance I was put into and quickly looked away from the strange woman.

"Who is she?" Asked Annabeth, going over to the punch bowl.

"Mihaly's bodyguard apparently. She follows him around everywhere and I can't get close to him. The only reason I know his name is because of the register."

"We need to make it seem like we're not interested in the kids for both of them then." Thalia said after downing her punch.

"How?"

"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse the monster. As for the woman… Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"

"Green who?"

"Never mind. Let's dance."

"But I can't dance!"

"You can if I'm leading," Thalia said. "Come on, goat boy."

Grover yelped as Thalia grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor.

Annabeth smiled.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."

Annabeth had grown taller than me since last summer, which I found kind of disturbing. She used to wear no jewellery except for her Camp Half-Blood bead necklace, but now she
wore little silver earrings shaped like owls—the symbol of her mother, Athena. She pulled off her ski cap, and her long blond hair tumbled down her shoulders. It made her look older, for some reason.

"So..." I tried to think of something to say. Act natural, Thalia had told us. When you're a half-blood on a dangerous mission, what the heck is natural? "Um, design any good
buildings lately?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up, the way they always did when she talked about architecture. "Oh my gods, Percy. At my new school, I get to take 3-D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program..."

She went on to explain how she'd designed this huge monument that she wanted to build at Ground Zero in Manhattan. She talked about structural supports and facades and stuff, and I tried to listen. I knew she wanted to be a super architect when she grew up—she loves math and historical buildings and all that—but I hardly understood a word she was saying.

The truth was I was kind of disappointed to hear that she liked her new school so much. It was the first time she'd gone to school in New York. I'd been hoping to see her more often. It was a boarding school in Brooklyn, and she and Thalia were both attending, close enough to Camp Half-Blood that Chiron could help if they got in any trouble. Because it was an all- girls' school, and I was going to MS-54 in Manhattan, I hardly ever saw them.

"Yeah, uh, cool," I said. "So you're staying there the rest of the year, huh?"

Her face got dark. "Well, maybe, if I don't—"

"Hey!" Thalia called to us. She was slow dancing with Grover, who was tripping all over himself, kicking Thalia in the shins, and looking like he wanted to die. At least his feet were fake. Unlike me, he had an excuse for being clumsy. "Dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered. "You look stupid just standing there."

I looked nervously at Annabeth, then at the groups of girls who were roaming the gym. I suddenly spot that the scary woman from before was nowhere to be found.

"Well?" Annabeth said.

"Um, who should I ask?"

She punched me in the gut. "Me, Seaweed Brain."

"Oh. Oh, right."

So we went onto the dance floor, and I looked over to see how Thalia and Grover were doing things. I put one hand on Annabeth's hip, and she clasped my other hand like she was about to judo throw me.

"I'm not going to bite," she told me. "Honestly, Percy. Don't you guys have dances at your school?"

I didn't answer. The truth was we did. But I'd never, like, actually danced at one. I was usually one of the guys playing basketball in the corner. We shuffled around for a few minutes. I tried to concentrate on little things, like the crepe-paper streamers and the punch bowl—anything but the fact that Annabeth was taller than me, and my hands were sweaty and probably gross, and I kept stepping on her toes.

"What were you saying earlier?" I asked. "Are you having trouble at school or something?"

She pursed her lips. "It's not that. It's my dad."

"Uh-oh." I knew Annabeth had a rocky relationship with her father. "I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?"

Annabeth sighed. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War I book. In San Francisco!' She said this the same way she might say Fields of Punishment or Hades's gym shorts.

"So he wants you to move out there with him?" I asked.

"To the other side of the country," she said miserably. "And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that."

"What? Why not?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. Maybe she thought I was kidding. "You know. It's right there!'

"Oh," I said. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I didn't want to sound stupid.

"So... you'll go back to living at camp or what?"

"It's more serious than that, Percy. I... I probably should tell you something." Suddenly she froze. "They're gone."

"What?"

I followed her gaze. The bleachers. The three half-blood kids, Bianca and Nico and Mihai, were no longer there. The door next to the bleachers was wide open. Dr. Thorn was nowhere in sight.

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"I don't like this."

"Neither do we but it is his will."

"Unnecessary risk."

"It is necessary in order to fool them, for now at least."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Lancelot is in the area. Our master will be safe Altera."

Her displeasure was palpable. The vary air seemed to be choked out of one of the many hundred faces.

"Very well." She relented, looking at her master one more time before walking off.

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"We have to get Thalia and Grover!" Annabeth looked around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!" She ran through the crowd. I was about to follow when a mob of girls got in my way. I maneuvered around them to avoid getting the ribbon-and-lipstick treatment, and by the time I was free, Annabeth had disappeared. I turned a full circle, looking for her or Thalia and Grover. Instead, I saw something that chilled my blood.

I caught a glimpse of Dr. Thorn. He was hurrying out a door at the opposite end of the gym, slightly pushing all three half-bloods.

I still couldn't see Annabeth, but I knew she'd be heading the other way, looking for Thalia and Grover. I almost ran after her, and then I thought, Wait. I remembered what Thalia had said to me in the entry hall, looking at me all puzzled when I asked about the finger-snap trick: Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet? I thought about the way Grover had turned to her, expecting her to save the day.

Not that I resented Thalia. She was cool. It wasn't her fault her dad was Zeus, and she got all the attention... Still, I didn't need to run after her to solve every problem. Besides, there wasn't time. The half-bloods were in danger. They might be long gone by the time I found my friends. I knew monsters. I could handle this myself I took Riptide out of my pocket and ran after Dr. Thorn.

The door led into a dark hallway. I heard sounds of scuffling up ahead, then a painful grunt. I uncapped Riptide. The pen grew in my hands until I held a bronze Greek sword about three feet long with a leather-bound grip. The blade glowed faintly, casting a golden light on the rows of lockers.

I jogged down the corridor, but when I got to the other end, no one was there. I opened a door and found myself back in the main entry hall. I was completely turned around. I didn't see Dr. Thorn anywhere, but there on the opposite side of the room were the Half-blood kids. Thee di Angelo kids stood frozen in horror, staring right at me, hiding behind the Mihai kid, who had a bruised cheek.

I advanced slowly, lowering the tip of my sword. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

They didn't answer. The sister held her brother close to her chest, their eyes full of fear. The other kid was oddly calm but kept looking behind me and nodding his head slightly. What was wrong with them? Where was Dr. Thron? Maybe he'd sensed the presence of Riptide and retreated. Monsters hated celestial bronze weapons.

"My name's Percy," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

Bianca's eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Only too late did I realize what her look meant. She wasn't afraid of me. She was trying to warn me. As was the other kid, who pulled a strange face and moved his head to the side as if trying to say, 'get lost'.

I whirled around and something went WHIISH! Pain exploded in my shoulder. A force like a huge hand yanked me backward and slammed me to the wall. I slashed with my sword but there was nothing to hit.

A cold laugh echoed through the hall.
"Yes, Perseus Jackson" Dr. Thorn said. His accent mangled the J in my last name. "I know who you are."

I tried to free my shoulder. My coat and shirt were pinned to the wall by some kind of spike—a black dagger-like projectile about a foot long. It had grazed the skin of my shoulder as it passed through my clothes, and the cut burned. I'd felt something like this before. Poison. I forced myself to concentrate. I would not pass out.

A dark silhouette now moved toward us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected the light of my sword.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said. "I hate middle school dances."

I tried to swing my sword again, but he was just out of reach. WHIIIISH! A second projectile shot from somewhere behind Dr. Thorn. He didn't appear to move. It was as if someone invisible were standing behind him, throwing knives.

Next to me, Bianca yelped. The second thorn would have impaled itself in her face were it not for the duel eyed half-blood, now using his whole body to cover the three of us. A spike impaled in his left forearm.

"All four of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw. And you won't be quick enough to save them next time, boy. "

I didn't know what kind of monster Dr. Thorn was, but he was fast. Maybe I could defend myself if I could get my shield activated. All that it would take was a touch of my wrist-watch. But defending the half-blood kids was another matter. I needed help, and there was only one way I could think to get it.

I closed my eyes.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!" I opened my eyes and kept shuffling forward.

"It's my shoulder," I lied, trying to sound miserable, which wasn't hard. "It burns."

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk! The other one is bleeding with a hole in his arm and you can't hear him complaining!"

He was right. None of the three has really spoken since. The Mihai kid pulled the wired stake out of his arm and wrapped some cloth around the wound. Bianca was quietly fussing over him, asking if he was ok while her brother just shivered.

Thorn herded us outside, and I tried to concentrate. I pictured Grover's face. I focused on my feelings of fear and danger. Last summer, Grover had created an empathy link between us. He'd sent me visions in my dreams to le t me know when he was in trouble. As far as I knew, we were still linked, but I'd never tried to contact Grover before. I didn't even know if it would work while Grover was awake.

Hey, Grover! I thought. Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!

Thorn inarched us into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamplights. My shoulder ached. The wind blowing through my ripped clothes was so cold that I felt like a Percysicle.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way.'" Nico said. His voice quivered, but I was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but I forced myself to keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive.

Meanwhile, I projected my thoughts like crazy—anything to get Grover's attention: Grover! Apples! Tin cans! Get your furry goat behind out here and bring some heavily armed friends!

"Halt," Thorn said.

The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. At least, I sensed the sea was down there, hundreds of feet below. I could hear the waves churning and I could smell the cold salty froth. But all I could see was mist and darkness.

Dr. Thorn pushed us toward the edge. I stumbled, and Mihai caught me.

"Thanks," I murmured.

He just smiled and nodded his head. Was he mute? I can never remember him speaking, like at all.

"Bianca, Mihaly, I'm scared." Nico mumbled. He was fidgeting with something - a little metal toy soldier of some kind.

"It's ok Nico. I won't let anything happen to you." Hushed Bianca, looking worriedly at Mihai and his injured arm.

A sudden caw made me look up. Two massive Ravens, the size of Harpy eagles, circled overhead. I shivered; something was not right about them.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

We turned.

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first I thought it was a switchblade, but it was only a phone. He pressed the side button and said, "The package—it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode. This seemed way too modern and creepy—a monster using a mobile phone.

I glanced behind me, wondering how far the drop was.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered.

"I'll explain later," I said.

"You do have a plan, right?"

Grover! I thought desperately. Come to me!

Maybe I could get the half-bloods to jump with me into the ocean. If we survived the fall, I could use the water to protect us. I'd done things like that before. If my dad was in a good mood, and listening, he might help. Maybe.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, as if reading my thoughts. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him, and another missile whistled so close to me that it nicked my ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn—like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a tail.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," I said. "You work for Luke."

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when I said the name of my old enemy—a former friend who'd tried to kill me several times. "You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" I asked. Then I realized I'd said it with a French accent. "I mean... who's the General?"

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

I turned and saw a light in the distance, a searchlight over the sea. Then I heard the chopping of helicopter blades getting louder and closer. "Where are you taking us?" Nico said.

"You should be honoured, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well... there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" I asked. Anything to keep him talking while I tried to figure out a plan.

"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Okay," Bianca whispered to me. "He's completely nuts."

"Nico, Bianca…" The two-colour eyed boy spoke for the first time. His voice soft and calm. "I promise that you won't be hurt, I'll keep you safe. Do you trust me?"

He turned to us. Looking at the siblings, his eyes almost shining.

"Yes." They both said immediately. I felt a bit annoyed for some reason, I was supposed to be the one protecting them!

"We have to jump off the cliff," I told them quietly. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too." Bianca replied, holding onto her brother as well as Mihai's uninjured arm.

I never got the chance to argue with her, because just then an invisible force slammed into me.

Looking back on it, Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she ploughed into the di Angelos and me, knocking us to the ground. But she missed the last kid. Fortunately, Bianca was still holding his hand and dragged him down.

For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads.

This gave Thalia and Grover a chance to advance from behind—Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis.

If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modelled after one her dad Zeus uses—also called Aegis—a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa moulded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it.

Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.

Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"

I thought Dr. Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet.

A sudden caw screeched above us, and one of the massive raven's dived down like a bomb, but instead of going for us, it went for Thorn!

It cawed again, tucking its wings into itself and passing past Throne, the sharp beak ripping through his suit and chest like a bullet. Thorne roared, in pain and anger as the raven got away safely, its blood red eyes glowing ominously as it perched itself on Mihai's shoulder.

The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind me, but I didn't dare look.

Dr. Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Thalia, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail—a leathery, scorpion-like tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. The missiles deflected off Aegis, but the force of their impact knocked Thalia down.

Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play—a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd ploughed into us.

"Who are you people? Mihaly, what's happening!" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"

"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I didn't have time to worry about it. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned toward us with a snarl.

"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow.

Before I could even activate my shield, the second Raven, which eyes glowed a royal blue appeared in front of us, and flapped its wings once, knocking all the incoming projectiles out of the way and knocking back the monster, before soaring back into the sky with a mighty caw.

I heard a thwack and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud.

"Yield!" the monster roared.

"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster, and for a second, I thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs.

It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction.

"No!" I ran out to help her. I parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest. I raised my shield over us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Get down!" Mihai yelled crouching down as the raven on his shoulder cawed.

I didn't know why but I immediately did so, everyone did. The raven on his shoulder suddenly started to morph, elongating to almost twice the boy's height. In the end, the massive bird became a massive, wicked looking red spear, with veiny patterns along its shaft. It was suffocating, as if it wanted to gouge out my heart, as it were alive.

He then threw four small red stones around me and Thalia, which connected with blue glowing lines and made a transparent blue cube like form a si-ci movie.

A sudden bang and crash, then high pitched whirl. I look up, the gunship was in two pieces, on fire and spiralling out of control.

I covered my ears as a scream of jet engines roared above. An F-15 Strike eagle, jet black with weird red vein like markings flew overhead. It pitched up and veered away.

Shrapnel from the chopper hit the blue barrier, burning pieces of metal bouncing off harmlessly. Bianca screamed and dive onto her brother, trying to protect him with her body. But no shrapnel ever came close to them as the blue-eyed raven swooped down and knocked them away.

"What?" Thorn roared, sending spikes at the retreating jet. He missed obviously, but the jet flipped around unnaturally. Its beak was pointed right at us, and a series of flashes came from its nose.

Dirt flew up as bullets dug into the ground, the hail of death making its way to the manticore. Before he could even react, the bullets hit and shredded through him like Swiss cheese. Yet he somehow still remained alive.

But how did the bullets hurt him? Mortal weapons should have no effect on monsters. The jet veered off again, seemingly leaving for good. My eyes must have been playing tricks on my, but I swear that there was a black suit of Armor on the Strike eagle, visor flashing red.

Thorn was bleeding badly. His left paw was missing, laying at the side, ripped off by the bullets. We were about to push, but Thorn swung his tail, more missiles coming our way. Neither of us had the energy to block another blow.

A red blur wacked all the spikes away. Mihai stood in front of us, his wicked red spear glowing red.

"You?" Thorne demanded. "I knew you smelt familiar. What are you doing here traitor?" His crooked fangs bared, spiked tail ready to launch more missiles.

"Traitor? I don't know what you mean. If its about what happened two years ago…you shouldn't have insulted mother."

I don't know what was happening anymore. Did they know each other?

There was a pause, everyone was frozen.

Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods. The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"

His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder. He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in mid-air and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.

The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Then Mihai stabbed forward with the spear stabbing straight through Thorne's torso. He yanked it out and pivoted to the right, avoiding the swing of the massive lion paw.

Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery coloured skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, milady?" A scar going down the right side of her face, jagged claw marks that also made her look absolutely terrifying.

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon.

Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.

"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" I screamed.

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!

The monster leaped over the cliff, Annabeth still on his back and Mihai hot on his tail. Just before Thorne disappeared into the darkness. The dual eye-coloured demigod thrust his spear and caught the tail, ripping it off. It must have hurt, 'cause I could still hear throne roaring in pain.

"Annabeth!" I yelled. I started to run after her, but before I could jump after them, I was held back by Mihai. His strength surprised me, since he was smaller than me.

The Hunters advanced on us.

The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoe scanned the rest of us, her eyes lingering on Mihai. "Five half-bloods and a satyr milady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see." Her silver eyes also lingering on the young Half-blood.

"Annabeth!" I yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

"Not true." Mihai said still standing in my way.

All eyes immediately turned towards him. The red spear turned back into a massive red eyed raven. Perched upon his right shoulder. It was weird, seeing as the bird was just as big as him. The blue-eyed raven landed on his left shoulder, the beating of its wings being the only sound.

"Are you suggesting that I lie? What can you do to help her boy?"

He didn't say anything and plucked out a long feather from the red-eyed raven, the bird not bothered in the slightest.

"While I cannot help her directly, I can ensure that the manticore will stop being a danger, at least for a little while."

Before our very eyes. The feather started to shift and morph. Becoming some sort of black arrow. It gleamed, reflected what little light there was, looking as if made from black glass. Looking around, everyone was stunned. The Hunters, Thalia, Grover and the di Angelo siblings.

Actually, the only person not surprised was Zoe, who had a small smile on her face.

He walked up to the severed tail of the manticore, which didn't disappear in a shower of golden dust for some reason. A pool of blood came from the base.

He pointed the black-glass-feather-arrow thing at the small pool of blood.

It happened then. I started to breathe heavily. The arrow started to glow. Just like the spear. It glowed red. Just like the blood. The glow crawled up. From the tip to the butt.

Looking around, I wasn't the only one affected. Grover had passed out, yet his body still shivered. Thalia was frozen up, clutching her spear close to her. Most of the Hunters pointed their bows at the kid. The auburn-haired girl's eyes were wide. Her hands ready at her bow.

He walked up to us. To Zoe specifically. The hunter's trailing him with their bows their bows. I panicked, what were they doing? He's just a kid!

"I'm sorry. Could I borrow your bow for a moment?" His smile was charming, in an innocent sort of way. And it seemed to work, because Zoe was smiling back.

"I'm happy to see that you are in good health, Raven." She said, handing him her bow.

Raven? Wasn't his name Mihai or something?

All the hunters gasped and started to whisper to each other, lowering their bows as they looked at the two with wide eyes and mouths open. If mom was here, she would have scolded them.

He took the bow and placed the red glowing, black glass arrow onto the silver glowing string. The jagged spiked along it looking sharp enough to cut through my fingers by just touching it.

"The hunt begins."

The ravens cawed and jumped off his shoulders, circling overhead.

The bloodlust came back. But it was worse. I scurried back to the siblings and Thalia. The darkness seemed to shift and warp behind him. Two mad red eyes manifested behind him. A massive black hound.

I felt dread crawl up my arms and spine. What was a hellhound doing here? Where did it come from?

Mihai pulled the string back to its limit. I could hear the string trying to keep itself together and the wood groaning like I do when it's too early to get up.

The hound growled, its teeth showing in its evil grin. Even though it wasn't looking at me, it felt as if it wanted to tear my throat out and eat it like smelly Gabe used to eat his three-day old greasy pizza.

"Chase them down. Chase them to the end of the earth. And then chase them further."

Was he talking to the hellhound? Did he tame it?

The wind suddenly picked up. Howling.

"Chase them down. O' hound of the red plains."

The hound disappeared, like it melted into the darkness around us. The wind stopped. As in, there was nothing. Like whatever god controlled the wind just stopped breathing altogether.

"Hunt to your evil heart's content, Hrunting."

With a bang the arrow flew. No not a bang. It was like all those times Zeus threw a lightning bolt down on us. So loud that I though my eardrums were busted. But it wasn't done. As the arrow flew, leaving a red trial behind, looking like a red comet in the night sky. Leaving behind a boom, boom, boom as it broke the sound barrier over and over.

It was howling. Like a mad wolf, the howling on the wind as it flew over the ocean and disappeared over the horizon.

No one dared to move, except for Zoe. She walked up to him and ruffled his hair. This seemed to knock most of the Hunters out of the daydream, cause they stared talking to themselves, something about her getting corrupted by a 'filthy male'. What the Hades was their problem? He was just a kid for gods sake! A kid with scary red glowing weapons, but still a kid.

"I'm sorry." Mihai said, giving the snapped-in-half-bow to the hunter. "I broke it…"

The Ravens floated back down and perched themselves on his shoulders again. The blue eyed one nuzzling its beak against his cheek, as if approving the breaking of the weapon.

For a second, I thought she was going to smack him. And so did most of the hunters, because they started to smile and nudge each other.

But Zoe just laughed. "Tis' fine. I knew what would happen when I saw that arrow. I can easily make myself a new one."

Again, the hunters were stumped, and so was Thalia, who didn't even bother getting up from the snow-covered ground.

Before the half-blood could walk away, the Hunter grabbed his arm, the one which got impaled with one of Thorne's spikes and brought it up to inspect.

"Thou are injured…" Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she was frowning. Again, that scar made look terrifying, and the kid only looked at her, confused, mouth slightly open. "And yet, thou fired that cursed arrow?"

"Ah…"

She sighed. "Boys…"

He laughed. "I don't think you can say anything about being reckless Zoe. Remember what happened in Salmon, Idaho?"

She suddenly looked away. "Thou promised not to mention that." She let go of his arm.

"But what about your promise?"

"I'm trying…" She looked down, her expression becoming saddened.

He smiled at her. He seemed to like doing that.

"It's good to see you, Zoe." He hugged her and she froze for a moment.

There was a shuffling noise, looking back another hunter readied an arrow and was about to shoot, but was stopped by the auburn-haired girl.

The two-eye-coloured half-blood broke the hug, his red eyed raven tapping his cheek with its beak and pulling at his ear.

He started walking towards us.

Annabeth! I suddenly remembered.

I tried to struggle to my feet and head towards the cliff, but a couple of the girls held me down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

One of the hunters next to me came to smack me, the same one who was about to shoot an arrow at Mihai.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Amelia. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

After seeing Dr. Thorn turn into a monster and plummet off the edge of a cliff with Annabeth, you'd think nothing else could shock me. But when this twelve-year-old girl told me she was the goddess Artemis, I said something real intelligent like, "Um... okay."

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Mihaly," Bianca di Angelo said. "What's happening?"

Everyone looked at her. She looked like she was on the verge of tears looking at her…friend? She pointed her finger at all of us, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are they?"

Artemis's expression softened. ""It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

"Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..." She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian... athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!" She clutched onto Mihai; the situation must have been overwhelming.

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"

"Nico…" Mihai voice was as calm as ever, but Nico immediately stopped talking. "Calm down please. I know it may seem like something to be happy about but…please think about it for a moment."

"Um…ok. Sorry Mihaly, Bianca...I..."

As anxious as I felt about Annabeth—all I wanted to do was search for her—I couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. I remembered what it was like for me when I first learned I was a demigod.

Thalia must've been feeling something similar, because the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell."

Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" I asked.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

I still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for her, but I had a feeling that Artemis was right. Annabeth was gone. If she'd been down there in the sea, I thought, I'd be able to feel her presence.

"What about Dr. Thron? You shot him with that weird arrow Mihaly, is he dead?" Nico raised his hand, looking up at the older boy as he tubbed his sisters back to comfort her, who hugged him in return.

"He was a manticore Nico. Very strong. But Hrunting will chase him down. Monsters don't truly die. They come back again and again." Mihaly said.

"Or they'll hunt us." Thalia added.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC, but Mihaly and Miss Altera scared them off?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," I said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. I thought Bianca was going to faint right there, were it not for Mihai holding her.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," I said, "we came here to help you. You, Nico and Mihai need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "It' s where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

They both looked uncertain, looking up to Mihai, who seemed unfazed by all this.

"There is another option for Bianca." Artemis said.

"No there isn't!" I was surprised by Thalia yelling at the goddess. I was afraid that we'd get turned into some wild animal and get shot at by the hunters, who glared heatedly at the daughter of Zeus. And she glared back.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, milady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

She didn't seem to want to move. I could see her trying to hide behind Mihai.

"It's ok. I'll take care of Nico for when you go with the goddess. I'll be close. Remember? I won't let either of you get hurt."

She nodded after a while, giving one last hug to her brother before walking towards Artemis.

"Actually…You boy. Your name is Raven correct? Come with us. I wish to speak to you as well."

Everyone froze on the spot. The hunters were either laughing and nudging each other or staring wide eyed. Zoe was the one who looked the most surprised…and worried?

Mihai grimaced. He seemed to really not want to go. Like he had to go to visit the principle and his parents were there.

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis seemed to consider the boy and was about to say something, but Mihai beat her to it.

"Nico." He gave three stacks of cards to Nico. One bronze, one silver and one gold. Nico's eyes lit up and Bianca seemed to be slightly jealous.

"Oh! But I picked last time." Despite this, he greedily took the cards.

"You know the rules. Pick three cards. You can choose all three from one deck or one from each. And after you've chosen, I'll tell you their story."

"But Bianca always helps me choose…"

"I'm sure someone here could help you." He looked over all of us, not even looking at the Hunters. He turned to Thalia, charming smile and all. "Excuse me. But could I bother you to help him choose three cards? I know this is a bit…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of the little guy for you two." Thalia said. Ruffling his hair as she walked up to them. That weird smile back on her face.

Zoe seemed slightly annoyed by this but didn't say anything.

As they walked away, I could swear that I saw something in the woods, a small figure in the treeline. It was probably one of the hunters.

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They landed with a thud against the floor of the Princess Andromeda. Annabeth was quickly restrained by one of the monsters, a Scythian Dracea, while Thorn writhed on the floor in agony. Returning to his human form.

"Did a few half-bloods give you this much trouble? You're weaker than I thought." A large man said, scoffing at the monster at his feet.

"That damn huntress! Next time I'll…"

"Oh? So you ran into her? Is that why you brought me some…daughter of Athena instead of the children of Hades?"

"She will be useful General. To lure the huntress. She'd never let a maiden suffer." Luke offered, cringing slightly when he looked at Annabeth.

"Hmm…" The General inspected the girl. Grinning evilly. "Very well."

Thorne staggered to his knees. His knees shaking.

"What's that noise?" The general suddenly asked. Turning his head.

"What noise?" Luke strained his ears.

It was faint. The boom of thunder. Growing closer by the second. And a howl. Like a rabid hellhound. A crimson glow on the horizon.

"An attack?"

"To battle station-"

It was of no use.

Before anyone could react, the crimson glow grew unbearable. And then it Stopped.

"Gha…."

In the chest of the Manticore. A twisted black arrow. Piercing his vile heart. The beasts blood travelled up the shaft before disappearing. As if drinking it. Thorn writhed on the ground in agony, spasming as he tried to take the arrow out. But it only twisted itself in deeper.

He wasn't disappearing in a shower of golden dust to be reborn in Tartarus. As if the arrow was keeping him alive until it was satisfied.

Meanwhile, the General looked at the display with a twisted fascination. While all around him, Monsters and Demigods panicky looked around and strained their ears. Preparing for any more twisted crimson glowing arrows.

It was only a few seconds. But it could have been hours, until the arrow finally stopped drinking Thorn's blood and disappeared. Thorn turned to golden dust not long after.

"What was that?" Luke demanded. His sword, Backbiter, drawn.

"Something we should be thankful for that didn't break."

A cloaked figure appeared in the crowd. Earning the attention of the entire ship.

"Thankful? Should it not be the opposite? Why should we be thankful?" One demigod asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Because…" The cloaked stranger started, not even turning to the one who asked the question. "If that 'arrow' broke, either from the beginning or mid-flight, it would have hunted down anything with beast blood and promptly explode. It would happen with such speed and power, that the only to survive would be myself, the General, and possibly the little vessel. The rest would either be caught in the hunt, killed in the explosion, or be at Poseidon's mercy, which I doubt he has a lot of."

Murmuring broke out through the ranks. Uncertainty apparent in some of the troops.

"Quiet." The General ordered. His voice drowning everything else.

The cloaked figure scoffed and disappeared.

The general looked at the golden dust as it was taken away by the wind.

He grinned. "How interesting."

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Despite trying to maintain my outwardly calm appearance I felt my heart hammering in my ears. I sat in the tent of Artemis, opposite said goddess, Bianca choosing to sit next to me, despite the goddess gesturing to sit next to her at the beginning.

The tent looked like one would expect from a leader of a group of hunters. Hunting trophies lined the walls and pelts lined the floor.

Zoe was smiling at me. I would have smiled back if we were not in the presence of the goddess. Who regarded me with cold yet curious eyes.

I feel something poking my cheek. It was the red eyed crow, Muninn, was poking my cheek gently. I scratch under her beak. She seemed to like it.

"I understand that you are very surprised Bianca. As one often is when exposed to our world."

"Umm…" She looked at me before turning back to Artemis. "Yeah. I still find it hard to believe that this is real."

"It's very real girl, I assure."

"Well…"

There was some sort of pressure bearing down on me. Barely noticeable. Like a cleaning cloth haphazardly thrown onto your shoulders. The warmth that spread on my back told me everything I need to know.

"Mihaly. Please…" I looked at her. She was tired, it was easy to see. Her shoulders sagged and she sat with a bit of a hunch. "Please tell me that this is some stupid dream. Or at least that its some prank by your security company."

I shook my head. I highly doubt that anyone except BB would be up for a prank of this scale. I could see that the last bit of hope died in her eyes. Perhaps a jolt will do the trick?

"Bianca…" She turned to me, as did the heavy eyes of Artemis. "What would I have to do to prove that this is real?"

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think that anything can surprise me at this point Mihaly."

"What if I set your hands on fire, but it won't hurt you?"

Everyone was staring at me. Zoe and Bianca had wide eyes and mouths slightly agape. I didn't look to see what sort of expression Artemis made.

"Sure." Bianca laughed hollowly. "It's not like this can get any worse."

"Hold out your hands please."

I quickly write two runes on each hand.

"Algiz, Kaunaz."

Immediately fire sprouted from her hands and travelled up her arms. She screamed and jumped up, waving her arms around to try and put the fire out. I heard a bowstring being drawn. But I didn't bother looking, instead focusing on Bianca, who was slowly calming down, shivering, and looking at her burning arms in disbelief.

"It doesn't hurt…but it's warm." She whispered. Holding up her arms and inspecting them in amazement.

"Of course it doesn't." I said, slowly cutting off the mana supply to the Kaunaz rune.

The fire started to flicker and fade, until there was nothing left, revealing uninjured skin. There was an uncomfortable silence as Bianca kept looking at her hands and then at me. Looking around the room, Zoe was standing up, her back slightly towards me, looking past her, Artemis was holding her bow, an arrow on the bowstring.

It quickly disappeared. The goddess cleared her throat and brought the attention back to herself.

"Now that we've established that this is real. I have a few questions to ask of you."

Bianca sat back down next to me. I could tell that she was still slightly amazed at the fact that her hands were on fire not that long ago.

"The manticore…" Her eyes were focused on me. "Has he told you anything?"

I looked at Bianca, she seemed to want to say something, but couldn't for whatever reason.

"He was mainly talking about the di Angelo siblings, and the son of Poseidon. That they'll have 'the great honour of joining a great army.' And mentioned someone called 'the General'." Zoe and Artemis looked at each other briefly, slight panic in Zoe's eyes. "as well as 'the great stirring of monsters'."

Artemis rubbed her chin. "Most disturbing news. Can you confirm what was said by Raven, Bianca?"

"Huh?" She suddenly looked up, as if awoken from a trance. "Oh, uhh…Yeah. He also said that they'd soon have the monster that will bring down Olympus."

There was another pause, Artemis turned to Zoe. "Bring the son of Poseidon. It will not hurt to have another confirmation."

"Yes, Milady." She bowed and left the tent. Giving me one last look of concern as she left.

"Now, onto another matter…" She turned to Bianca, with a smile that I guess was supposed to be comforting, but I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that, that expression didn't belong on her face. I saw Bianca herself shudder.

I felt Algiz rune activate and I tensed slightly, before supplying it with mana.

"You, my dear girl."

"Me?"

"Yes, you have an important choice to make." A deer with glistening hair and silver horns suddenly strut into the tent. It started to walk up to Artemis but stopped to sniff me. I remained masking me emotions as well as I could.

It laid down next to Artemis, its head being placed in her lap.

"You could go to camp half blood. Or. You could join me, as one of my hunters." She said, looking proud of herself.

Bianca stayed silent. Looking at Artemis with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Pardon?"

Artemis just smiled at the girl. Muninn cawed, ruffling its black feathers in agitation. The blue eyed one, Huginn, stayed silent.

"Join me, become my handmaiden, one of my hunters. We are a far better choice for you. I assure you, that you will be taken care of. We will not hold you down. And free you of the chains that have been placed on you."

I felt another dip in my mana reserves. A warmth spread through my arms and neck as my magic circuits activated suddenly.

Bianca still looked uncertain. Good. She was holding out.

"I…" Bianca's voice was quitter then usual, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"I will give you time to think about it. Now as for you boy." The difference was easily visible. Her smile was lost, and her voice was harsher.

I turned my head slightly, but didn't stop pouring mana into the Algiz rune.

"Zoe speaks of you highly…" There was slight suspicion in her tone, her eyes slightly narrow, not that I blame her for that. "There are some things I'd like to know. First of all, that arrow. What was it?"

I scratched Muninn under her chin. She crooned softly. "Just that. An arrow. One that won't stop until it catches its prey."

She didn't seem to like my answer, her silver eyes glaring into my own. "Do you know your divine parent?"

I shivered slightly; her gaze was truly terrifying. "Yes."

"And they are?"

"Why does it matter?"

Her silver eyes shone. "I expect you to answer my question demigod."

I didn't look away. Challenging her gaze with my own. Which only seemed to agitate her further. "They are no one you need to worry about. Or someone I wish to speak about, rather, I don't recognise them as my parent. I am willing however, to tell you my patron."

Her frown didn't disappear. "Patron? So you are someone's champion?"

"Yes. I am the Champion of Lady-" A rose suddenly sprouted from the ground, its barbed shaft wrapped around my arm. "Aunty Persephone." The vine returned to the ground below, but not before placing the flower in Bianca's hair.

Artemis seemed slightly amused when looking over to Bianca, who felt around the area where the flower was placed curiously, but the expression quickly reverted to a frown when she focused back on me.

"Persephone's champion, are you? Very well."

Just then the tent flap was opened by Zoe, who waved someone inside. That someone was the son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson if I remember correctly. He looked a bit lost. He stared at Artemis, probably not being able to accept that a 'little girl' could be a fearsome goddess.

"Join us, Percy Jackson." The goddess said, her attitude changing to a more tolerating one. I guess she doesn't want to upset Poseidon too much.

He sat down next to me, moving away slightly when Muninn leaned over to look at him.

"Are you surprised by my age?" Artemis asked, petting the deer on her lap.

"Uh…Aa little." It was obvious he was stressed, his shoulders squared. The kidnapping must have taken its toll on him.

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

"Go astray?" Percy asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh."

"You consider them growing up going astray?" I couldn't help but ask.

She glared at me for a moment. "Yes. Because they forget their place."

Zoe sat down next to Artemis's right, a bit further away than last time and closer to us, well, closer to Bianca and me.

"You both must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said, turning to Percy and then to me. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

I looked over to Zoe. When she noticed, she looked down, avoiding my gaze as her eyes were cast down in shame.

"The boy in Colorado." She said, voice hollow. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied.

"What was his crime?" I ask before she could continue.

Both Artemis and Zoe turned to me, Zoe flinched slightly and looked away again, while Artemis simply glared.

"What?" She asked, clearly displeased that I interrupted her.

"What was his crime?" I repeated. Zoe looked like she wanted to say something but held herself back.

"Boys are not allowed to witness my hunt, nor interact with my hunters. I make exceptions, which is why you are here in the first place. But that is a very rare privilege."

"How old was he?" I asked, despite my outwardly calm appearance, my agitation was building. And so was the anger of the two ravens perched upon my shoulders, who started to shift around, Huginn inspecting her talons.

"What difference does it make?" Artemis asked coldly.

I turn to Zoe. Who still would not look me in the eyes. "Zoe, how old was the boy?" I asked calmly.

She looked at Artemis briefly, before turning to me and looking back down.

"I do not know. He looked to be of similar age to Bianca's brother."

I heard Bianca gasp next to me. I turn back to the goddess.

"So you killed a ten year old boy for accidently coming across your camp?"

She sneered. "I did not kill him. I merely turned him into something more useful than what he was. And even if I did, so what? It's just one boy."

A sudden pain erupted in my right hand, my command seals burning. Seems like they were listening, and they were not happy.

"And if it were a girl?" I asked, ignoring the pain.

She didn't answer me. Instead turning to the son of Poseidon.

"At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca and Raven have reported some of the... mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But I'd like to hear them from you for confirmation."

So Percy recited what happened from his perspective and when he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward slightly. "The scent, milady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" Percy asked

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at him intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

Had it been a different situation, one in which I was not trying to calm down a plethora of angry voices inside my head and numb the burning of the command seals, I probably would have smiled, perhaps even laughed, but it wasn't.

"No, no. After that."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe's face paled, just like it did when I mentioned the general. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"

"Stirring," Bianca corrected with a quiet voice, evidently still quite shaken up from the conversation earlier.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.

"Maybe he was lying." Percy suggested.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away my lady. Raven, would you be willing to help?"

Before I could even answer, Artemis did, throwing a glare my way.

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As... as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Percy asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" Percy asked.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?" I'd stop it before that could happen.

"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

Zoe's head suddenly shot up. "I don't believe that is a wise idea Artemis. The hunters hate that place. And the last time we stayed there-"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe simply sighed in acceptance.

"Perhaps it will not be that bad." She said turning to me, offering a smile. "You have a talent to calm people down Raven. Might I ask for your help for when I'm unable to stop an unnecessary confrontation from occurring?"

I smiled back. "Of course. But hopefully there will be no need for that."

I don't think Artemis liked me talking to Zoe like that. She was once again glaring at me. But quickly returned her expression to neutral.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," Percy said. "Thinking about what?"

"They… they've invited me to the Hunt."

"What?" Percy visibly started to panic. And I saw Artemis adopt a smirk of satisfaction on her face. "But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."

"It is not the only way for a maiden." Artemis said. Apparently enjoying the poor boy's panicked state.

"Bianca, camp is cool!" He tried desperately. "It's got Pegasus stables and a sword-fighting arena and… I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"

"Immortality." Artemis said.

Percy stared in disbelief.

"My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal… unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely, or break their oath."

"What oath?" Percy asked, my neck was starting to ache slightly from this back and forth.

"To foreswear romantic love forever." Artemis said proudly. "To never grow up, never get married, to be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?" I asked.

The goddess nodded. I could only stare.

"So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods-" Percy started.

"My apologies for interrupting, but not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honour the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"

"Which one are you then?" Percy asked.

Zoe paused for a second. "I would rather not say."

"The point is…" Artemis stressed. "That Bianca may join if she wishes."

"Bianca this is crazy!" Percy pushed. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

"Hey!" Percy protested. And again, Zoe seemed to want to say something, but refrained from doing so.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counsellors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."

The Algiz runes on Bianca's palms were now glowing dully, but only i noticed. My magic circuits began to heat up.

"I…" Bianca started, unsure. I poured more mana into the runes as the pressure on my shoulders increased.

"Bianca you can't do this!" Percy said. "It's nuts!"

She turned to me. "I don't know what to do. Mihaly…what should I do?" Her voice was almost desperate.

Artemis seemed surprised. Seems things didn't go as she expected.

I smiled at Bianca, hugging her for reassurance. "Bianca. This is your choice. I can't make it for you. I can advise you, but the choice will be your own. Are you ok with that?"

She nodded.

"Ok. Well. I can safely say, that even if I was a girl, I doubt that I would ever join the Hunters."

Artemis scoffed. "A typical answer for a boy."

"No." I immediately cut in. "It has nothing to do with the fact that I am a boy. Rather, it is the way I was raised and my way of thinking. If the people who raised me did it in the same manner if I was a girl, which they likely would have, I doubt that I would turn out any different."

The goddess glared at me, but I ignored her. Turning back to Bianca instead.

"Apart from that, think Bianca, what do you know about them? They are strangers, all they did was say who they are, tried to make themselves seem like they know what's good for you, and are now trying to separate you from Nico. Can you really trust them?"

"No…" She said quietly.

The pressure increased again, Artemis's silver eyes glowed faintly.

"Stop messing with her mind boy."

I ignored her.

"And there's the whole thing with the young boy who she turned into a jackalope. Tell me, was that the correct thing to do."

"No." She said, clearer this time.

"And if you join the Hunters…" I continued, again ignoring Artemis, and Zoe who I could faintly hear say 'milady?'.

"This will most likely be the last time you see Nico."

Her eyes widened. Tears started to form in her eyes. "What?" She croaked. "But… but she said…"

"Bianca, quite often, after a girl joins the Hunt, and meet their male relatives again, brothers, cousins. They often kill them, or another member of the Hunt does."

Silence filled the tent, Bianca stared wide eyed at me, tears flowing down her face.

A silver arrow zipped past my face.

"Milady!"

I turned to where the arrow came from. Artemis was holding her bow, another arrow rested on the bowstring ready to be fired.

"That is enough boy. I will not allow you to further manipulate her and slander me and my Hunters."

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Do not test me boy." She seethed.

I didn't move. Not because I was scared, but because I wanted to somehow diffuse this situation as well as well as sticking to my goal.

The two ravens on my shoulders cawed. But the noise was low, as if a warning.

"Huginn, Muninn. Calm down, its ok." I said, petting them slightly.

Artemis's eyes widen slightly. No doubt the names are familiar to her.

"Muninn." The red eyed raven turns its head to me. "Am I lying?"

She opened her beak. "No."

Instead of a 'caw' one would expect from a raven, she answered with a voice of a human. An almost emotionless voice of a woman.

There was a stunned silence, the son of Poseidon was gaping like a fish out of water. Zoe wasn't surprised, already used to the fact that the two abnormally large ravens could talk, Artemis had wide eyes, lips slightly parted. Even Bianca was knocked out of her trance.

"Muninn. Please tell me, the deaths caused by the Hunters of Artemis, in regards to male family members of the Hunters. From the past Century."

There was a short silence. Muninn straightened herself out.

"Adam White aged 35, England, younger cousin to Elizabeth White. Cause of Death: Shot by Elizabeth White after seeing each other for the first time after 20 years."

"Samuel Anderson aged 12, England, brother to Amy Anderson. Cause of Death: Shot by Phoebe, Hunter of Artemis, shortly after he tried to get his sister to leave the Hunters. Amy left the Hunters shortly after finding about his death and its cause."

"Jaques Petit, aged 65, France, nephew of Amelia Petit. Cause of Death: Stabbed to death by his aunt after Jaques wished to hug her to celebrate their reunion."

"Alexander Swift, aged 22, United States of America, brother to Alison Swift. Cause of Death: Shot by three Hunters after being turned into a Jackalope by Artemis for coming across the Hunters and attempting to escape them with his sister after rejecting the invitation from the Hunters. Both killed."

"Hans Schmidt, age 14, West Germany, nephew of Elora Himmer…"

"Richard Smith, age 17, Scotland, brother of…"

"Arnold Helinski, age 15, United States of America, cousin of…"

"Sam Slater, age 11, United Stated of America, Nephew of…"

"Harry Helios, age 16, England…"

"Adam Oliver, age 12, Canada…"

There was seemingly no stop to it. I stopped paying attention after the tenth name. I wasn't the only one. Bianca looked like all she could hear was ringing in her ears. The son of Poseidon was frozen in place. The only who seemed to be still listening were Zoe and Artemis.

Zoe just stared with a blank face. But she was listening. With every name she flinched slightly and gained an emptier gaze, as if she remembered every boy that was caused pain by the hand of her sisters, her goddess and herself.

Artemis on the other hand. Her face had been transitioning between surprise, confusion and anger. It was a constant circulation of those three emotions and a few more. But unlike Zoe, she didn't seem to feel guilty.

I don't know how long it lasted, but Muninn eventually finished.

…

…

…

"Bianca?" I ask, a bit worried that she hasn't even blinked since Muninn had started to recite the list.

"No." She suddenly said. "I won't join your Hunters. Never." She glared at Artemis, who looked both surprised and disappointed.

Bianca stormed out of the tent, tears going down her eyes.

"How disappointing." Artemis said. She turned to me. "Seems like you cost me a hunter boy. Percy Jackson, I must ask you to leave."

He did so quite quickly. I don't blame him.

"How do you know all that information? And what are those birds?" She demanded. Eyes glowing silver. "And why should I not kill you?"

"Milady!" Zoe sprung up and got between me and her. "Thou are not thyself. Please calm yourself."

"You forget your place lieutenant. Is this you going back on your oath?"

Zoe shook her head. "No milady. But you are being far too intolerant."

"Lady Artemis." I said, their attention turned to me. "I'm sorry that I made you angry, but I am not sorry for telling the truth and for helping my friend make a choice from her own free will."

"What are you talking about boy? You've manipulated her against me." She sneered again. Silver eyes glowing.

"When demonstrated to Bianca that this is not a dream, I wrote two runes on her palms. Kaunaz, meaning fire or knowledge. And Algiz. Meaning Divine protection. But I modified it slightly to mean 'Protection against the divine.'" Her eyes widened, divine power rising. "And whenever you were speaking with Bianca, that rune would activate. The only one that was manipulating her was you Artemis."

Another deafening silence settled down on us. The crackling of the fire as well as Huginn and Muninn grooming themselves were the only sources of any noise.

"As for Huginn and Muninn, they are gifts from two of my teachers from when they considered my tutelage under them completed. And they have been my traveling companions ever since."

Artemis seemed to ignore what I said.

"I only wanted the best for her." Artemis said. "Maidens are only safe in my Hunt. Here they don't have to worry about being under the constant prejudice of men. About being trophies. About having responsibilities forced upon them. But I don't expect a boy understand."

I didn't respond, there was no need for me to nor did I want. At least she calmed down somewhat.

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoe bowed and left the tent. I was about to follow bot Artemis stopped me.

"Pray that you do not get branded as a threat. Because if you do, I'll strike you down before my father ever gets a chance."

I left the tent after that, again ignoring the burring in my right hand. I walk past all the Hunters who glare at me and head straight to where Nico, Bianca and the group from Camp Half-Blood are.

Bianca was clutching onto Nico and glared at any Hunter who got close to them, even if they were just walking past.

Nico was struggling in his sister's arms, holding three cards in his right hand. One silver, tow golden. He looked a bit pale and red at the same time.

Meanwhile, Thalia and Grover were talking to Percy. Thalia looked over to Bianca and smiled at her with approval, meanwhile Grover looked a bit disappointed. Percy still looked shellshocked. I doubt that her told them about what Muninn said. Probably for the better.

I walked up to Bianca. She glared at first, but when she saw it was me, she immediately hugged me too. Earning a muffled 'Hey!' from Nico.

"I'm sorry I left you in there…" She muttered. Pulling away from me, but still holding onto Nico.

"It's ok. Nothing happened to me. But are you alright?"

She nodded her head. "I can't believe… that they…"

I hugged her again. "It's ok. I won't let them do anything to you or Nico. I promised."

Nico suddenly found the strength and managed to escape Bianca's clutches.

"Ok, what's going on?" He demanded, trying to act upset as he looked at the both of us.

Bianca looked at me, I shook my head. It's better If he doesn't know.

"Don't worry about it Nico. So, what cards did you choose? Did Thalia help you?"

He smiled again, and presented the cards, returning to his old ever-happy self.

"Yeah! She's really nice, she helped me pick them and said that she also wants to hear their story. I even let her pick! She chose this one!"

He handed me a silver card, on which read Cu Chulainn. A young man with long blue hair in a rattail. Wielding a cursed red spear.

"Well, I'll start telling his story first and I'll call Thalia over…" I look down at the other two cards, trying to see what other cards he picked out, but I saw something that made my heart stop. "Nico. You only get three cards remember? What are you hiding there?"

He turned red with embarrassment. I held out my hand and waited for him to give me.

"I just wanted to ask you about it. I've never seen it before. Is it a new card?" He asked, giving me it.

The card was almost all black. With red markings looking like an odd corpse flower. I quickly take it and put it in my pocket.

"Yes. I don't know what character it is though…Nico, where are the rest of my cards?" I ask, noticing that he didn't have them in hand or his pockets.

"Oh, Thalia took them. She said that she wanted to keep looking through them…I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

I ruffled his hair. "It's ok Nico. I doubt she would steal them."

It seemed to cheer him up slightly. I took the other two cards and take a quick look. I felt myself smile.

"Very good choices Nico. These are probably some of my favourite stories." I put the two cards in my pocket for later.

The camp was broken as quickly as it was put up. The Hunters stood off at one end, openly glaring at us. That is, until Zoe had ordered them to 'Behave presentably.' The group from Camp Half-blood was next to us. Shivering slightly. Thalia walked up to us.

"Hey. Just wanted to say, good job not joining them." She said to Bianca. "They offered me the same thing a few years ago. Turned them down. Trust me, it's the better choice."

"Oh...um, sure." Bianca said, not really paying attention. Instead, she kept looking around, mainly at the Hunters, and had an arm around Nico, who tried to squirm out of her grasp.

The daughter of Zeus didn't seem offended. Instead, she turned to me and handed me three stacks of cards.

"These are quite interesting. Where'd you get them?" She asked, friendly smile on her face.

I smiled back and took the cards. "My mom gave them me when I was young. She sends me some new ones whenever she finds some."

"She seems nice."

"She's the best. She's my mom after all." I reply.

Percy and Grover came up to us, huddling around each other for warmth.

"Hey." Thalia suddenly said, pink dusting her cheeks slightly. "You don't mind if I come along and listen to one of those stories, do you? Really wanted to hear the one about the blue haired man who has a spear similar to yours."

Muninn perked up slightly and cawed. Percy flinched. No doubt still remembering the list. I wonder if he told them about it. No. probably not. Otherwise, Thalia might have attacked some of the Hunters and Grover probably would have passed out.

"Sure, I don't mind."

Artemis suddenly walked out of her tent, which suddenly disappeared in a silver light. She walked up to the cliff face and looked at the horizon.

To think that she…

No. Better not think about that.

"Mihaly." Bianca suddenly said. "How long have you known."

I turn to her. "About what?"

She seemed angry for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. "About…this." She gestured around, at the Hunters, at the campers, at their weapons, at Huginn and Muninn.

"Since I was five. After…a certain event, my mom told me everything about the world of the gods."

She nodded and looked down at Nico, who was shivering slightly. She wrapped both arms around him and pulled him in close. Nico stopped shivering and looked up at his sister, before hugging her back.

"You…never went to this camp, did you? And you couldn't have joined the Hunters…" Bianca said. Looking back at me. "How did you get strong? How did you survive out here?"

A few Hunters perked up as well. Except for Artemis, who kept looking at the horizon, and most of her Hunters who dismissed us entirely.

"My mom hired a security company." I said. "There's a lot of them. They're all very strong. They always protected me. Even if I never see them."

I paused for a second. Bianca nodded. And now I seemed to have almost everybody's attention.

"Mom and I travelled a lot. But I still had to get an education, but I couldn't really go to school. There were former teachers who still had their licenses who were in the company. They got put as my 'private tutors' by my mom. They also had people from armies around the world. They taught me how to fight."

There was a brief silence. Looking around, most Hunters were scoffing at the notion. While Thalia looked slightly intrigued.

"Would…" Bianca hesitated. "Would it be possible for us…for me and Nico. To get their protection?"

I smiled. "I'm sure I can talk about it with mom."

"That black plane." Nico suddenly perked up. "Was it a part of the company?"

I nodded.

"So cool! You have a private army!" Nico jumped up and down. Bianca didn't seem to mind much.

"It's not a private army Nico. I don't tell them to go and hurt people and di have no control over them. Miss Altera is also one of them. She's really strong, isn't she?"

Nico nodded.

The sun started to rise slowly over the horizon.

I could faintly hear Artemis mutter, "About time. He's so lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for the sunrise?" Percy asked.

"For my brother. Yes." Artemis replied, not even turning back to face us.

A sudden burst of light on the horizon almost blinded me. I shut my eyes. But I opened them realized that it didn't even happen yet.

"Don't look." Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

After making sure that both Bianca and Nico have closed their eyes, I did as well. The light died down almost as fast as it appeared. The biting cold ceased. Replaced by warmth.

I opened my eyes. A glowing red Maserati Spyder convertible was parked just shy off the cliff face. The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, with sandy blonde hair, tanned skin, an all-around general handsome appearance. His smile bright and playful. Wearing jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"He's quite handsome." I say, earning odd looks from all around me. I instinctively tilt my head in confusion.

"Little sister!" Appollo called. Teath so white they might as well have been the white cliffs of Dover. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first." It was obvious he was teasing, but she took it in offence.

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue-"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on
archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favour. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. I suddenly felt a chill go up my spine as I recalled my last visit to Japan.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis Pleads for my help.

I am so cool"

He grinned at all of us. I don't know if he was waiting for applause, because he got none.

"The last line was only four syllables." Artemis pointed out. Why was she giving him more fuel?

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about, I am so big-headed?" Artemis mocked.

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself. Trying to find a verse that fits.

Meanwhile my right hand started to warm up. No doubt many Japanese servants checking in on me were taking great offence.

Zoe turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this Haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There was once a goddess from Sparta-"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. " I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo said turning to us. "Let's see... Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at the son of Poseidon, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean... yes, sir."

He just stared at him for a bit, not saying anything.

He then turned to me. He seemed surprised. My heart beat nervously and Huginn shifted on my shoulder.

"And…you are?" He asked slowly. Which seemed to get Artemis's attention.

"Mihaly Echidnason, lord Apollo."

He kept looking at me. He nodded his head once. "Right…right." He seemed to want to say something but decided against it.

"Well!" He suddenly said about to turn away.

"Lord Apollo, if I may." I interrupt him. He turns back to me. "I advise that you do not go to Japan in the nearest…no please do not go to Japan at all anymore."

Artemis turned her head in slight interest, as did most of her Hunters.

"Why is that little guy?" He asked. Not offended.

"Because the beloved child of the sun is still quite angry after last time."

He froze. Tanned skin paling rapidly. He coughed into his hand. Smile returning quickly.

"Ah, well. Thanks for that little guy. I'm make sure not to make the wrong turn. By accident." He winked. He seemed unbothered, but a cold sweat gathered on his brow, which he quickly wiped away.

"Well." He turned to everyone. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way: west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

Everyone turned to the two seat car. The Hunters collectively groaned.

"Cool car." Nico said, still in his sisters grasp.

"Thanks kid." Apollo said, winking at Bianca, who gave no outward reaction.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose..."

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. Chirp, chirp.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

She kept her pack away from him and sighed. "I do not require help with such a menial task Lord Apollo. Thank you."

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

I had to pause momentarily. To ensure that I heard that correctly. After a moment I got on the bus. But Apollo stops me.

"Sorry, no pets onboard. Cool birds and all but…yeah no."

Huginn and Muninn were obviously irritated by this, as they both hissed at the god, but I calmed them down.

"Follow." I said.

They looked at me, before taking off, circling overhead.

The Hunters cramped themselves into the back. No doubt to be as far away from Apollo as well as the boys.

In turn, Bianca insisted on sitting as close to the front of the bus as possible, away from the Hunters. Nico briefly slipped out of her grasp and was jumping up and down in the driver's seat.

"This is so cool!" He said excitedly. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumour probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun... er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

The satyr, who was sitting near us next to the Son of Poseidon, put his hand up excitedly, but was quickly dismissed by Apollo.

"Mm, no. Too hairy."

He immediately skipped passed over the son of Poseidon and looked at both me and Bianca but decided not to say anything. He finally looked at Thalia, who sat in the seat behind ours.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

"Yeah, still no thanks." Thalia insisted. Scooting a bit closer to the window.

Apollo was about to say something but was cut off.

"I believe Lady Artemis said to get us to Long Island as soon as possible. It would be unwise to test her patience, Lord Apollo."

Zoe stood next to us. Her face a perfect mask of indifference.

Apollo smiled. "How about you then sweetheart? Artemis let you take the Moon chariot for a spin a few times didn't she? C'mon. It's not that much different, but my sun chariot is at least ten times better."

Zoe just stared blankly at the sun god.

"Alright, alright." Apollo mumbled, siting in the driver's seat and putting the keys in the ignition. "Jeez, can't have even a bit of fun."

Instead of going back to sit with her fellow Hunters, she turned to us. More specifically to Thalia.

"May I sit here?" She asked, gesturing to the free seat next to the daughter of Zeus.

Thalia scowled. And was no doubt about to say something rude. But her words died in her throat. She looked at Zoe, then at me.

"Sure." She finally said, moving her bag out of the way.

"Thank you." Zoe said, sitting down directly behind me.

Nico, who was sitting between me and Bianca, slightly on her lap, tugged at my sleeve.

"Mihaly. Can you start the story?" He asked, pulling the three cards from my pocket.

"Nico! Be patient." Admonished his sister. Pulling his ear lightly.

"Ok, I'll start now. You said you wanted to hear about this one, right Thalia?" I asked, holding up the silver card with the depiction of Cu Chulainn on it.

"Yeah, that's the one." She said, leaning forward slightly. "Also want to know why his spear looks like yours."

By now we were already flying quite high. So I probably would finish the story by the time we land.

"Cu Chulainn, born as Setanta, is know as Ireland's child of light. And was doomed to a short life, yet one full of glory…"

X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX

Ever since I laid my eyes on him I knew there was something wrong. It was a sense of familiarity. Much like when I see my former Hunters, those who left my protection. Yet why did I feel it towards him? A boy?

I know that I never met him before…or did I? No. Otherwise he probably wouldn't be alive by now. And his appearance is far too unique to just forget. His eyes, silver and yellow. What an odd combination.

I came to a slight clearing in the forest. Next to a small stream. How odd, why does the scent and tracks completely stop here?

I knelt down. The presence was most prominent at the water.

My thoughts wander back to that boy. Zoe called him Raven, and the rest called him…Mihaly? How odd.

Why was it that my chest hurt when I argued with him? Why was it that something seemed to die inside of me when he looked at me with those apathetic eyes?

A flock of birds suddenly jumped up from the trees. Startled by something.

I heard it faintly. The clicking of chains.

And before I could even react, I was ensnared in golden chains. My strength immediately sapped from my whole body as the cold metal dug into my skin.

"Well, that was quite underwhelming." I heard someone say, behind me. Their voice deep and mocking.

I turn my head just slightly and seethed. "You…"

His smirk was infuriating. "Seems like the mighty huntress found herself caught in a net. Karma much?"

I struggled, despite knowing it was pointless. This feeling… just like that woman's touch.

Monsters started to surround me. Scythian Dracaenae, Laestrygonians and a few demigods. Of course, most of them boys.

My consciousness was waning, but I held on. I could no longer hear what they were saying, even as they dragged me I could barely feel anything.

How could this happen…

X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX XXX X XX

"…and only when a raven landed on his shoulder did his enemies believe him dead. Lugaid approached Cu Chulainn's body to cut of his head, but before he could the body of Cu Chulainn was surrounded by light and moved and his sword falling and cutting off Lugaid's arm."

I finish retelling the story to my audience, which slowly grew as I went on. Apart from Zoe, Bianca, Nico and Thalia, the rest of the Camp Half-blood party also started listening, even a few Hunters sat a bit closer to listen.

"Wow…" Nico said. "So cool!"

Looking around, Thalia held a thoughtful expression. So did Zoe.

"What a sad, tragic story…" Bianca said looking slightly upset.

"Most 'hero' stories are." Said Zoe. "But I would not call it sad. He died with his honour intact and died without regrets. I doubt that someone like him would ask for anymore."

"What's this? A Hunter of Artemis showing some positive consideration for a man? The world must be ending." Thalia remarked snidely.

Zoe frowned; her lips pursed. "If it is all the same to you, I'd like to speak with thee."

Thalia scoffed. "Sure. Once we get off."

I did not know why they were so hostile to each other. No, more like, I did not understand Thalia's one way aggression towards Zoe, but I could take a guess. No doubt a meeting in the past that didn't end well. Before Zoe met me.

"Can you tell us about the other two now Mihaly?" Nico asked, handing me the two cards.

I could feel us start to slow down and start to descend.

"I will a bit later Nico. There's no point in starting now. We're about to land, see?" I point outside. A snow covered sand bank slowly passes as we land on the snow covered ground, next to a semi-frozen lake.

"Well, here's your stop, Camp Half-blood." Said Apollo. Opening the bus doors.

Immediately, all Hunters piled out of the van. Some giving me odd looks. Zoe followed after them.

I looked around. This was my first time in Camp Half-blood. And I couldn't help but notice… that it was rather small.

Of course, there was the canoe lake and forest. As well a chariot racing track. I saw a climbing wall that spewed out lava every so often. There were only twelve cabins, covered lightly in snow and little twinkling lights.

Further back, a massive barn like building. Also coated in a thin layer of snow. Inside one of the windows, most likely the attic a dull light flickered.

The snow around us had melted, and a nearby area of the lake, that was previously covered with a thin sheet of ice, was steaming like the hot tubs in Circe's spa resort.

"Whoa!" Nico said as he jumped off the bus, Bianca following closely behind him. She hasn't allowed him farther than she could reach ever since walking out of Artemis's tent. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah." Said Percy as he looked over the camp.

"Why is there lava pouring down it." Bianca demanded, grabbing Nico as he tried to get closer.

"Little extra challenge." Was his reply. As if that justified it. Odd. From what I heard; their Chiron was a lot more…mellow compared to the one I know. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met him?"

"Indeed, I know Chiron." Zoe said, adjusting her pack slightly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way." The satyr practically jumped in front of them and started going towards the cabins.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don' t"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!" Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover.

She turned to me. "Raven. When thou have time, come to Cabin 8. I wish to speak with thee."

I nodded. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins.

"Take care sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He then winked at Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies…" He suddenly stopped and swayed as if he was about to fall over and faint.

"Are you alright, Lord Apollo?" I ask, about to walk over to support the god.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. No problem. Later Thalia, be good!" He said with a wicked smile as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was steaming. The sun chariot back in its convertible sports car form soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

"Who's Chiron?" Nico asked "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director." Percy said, walking towards the barn-like building. "He's...well, you'll see."

Percy walked in front of us, leading me and the siblings through the cabin area towards the 'big house'. Thalia behind us, as if making sure that we wouldn't escape.

When we walked past the cabins someone ran up to our group.

A young girl, older than the son of Poseidon by about two or three years and about the hight of the daughter of Zeus. She had free flowing blonde hair and brown eyes. Her hands slightly covered in fresh soil and a flower clip holding her fringe out of her face.

"Hi Percy, Thalia." She said with a friendly smile and then turned to us, her accent slightly drawn out. "How's it going? Showing new campers around?"

"Yeah, just taking them to meet Chiron." Siad Percy.

"You mind if I tag along?" She asked.

Pery looked at Thalia, who shrugged.

"Sure." He said, a bit uncertain.

The blonde turned back to us. "Hiya. Name's Katie Gardener. Head counsellor of the Demeter cabin." She gestured over to the cabing with a garden on its roof and tomato vine covered walls. "Welcome to Camp half-blood."

She looked at me. Scanning my face like a terminator. "You're Mihaly, right?"

I nod. Percy and Thalia seemed to be surprised by Katie seemingly recognizing me. "Mom told me about you. Said to keep an eye on you if you ever end up here. So if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Ah, that would explain it. I wonder if Demeter told all her children about me, or just the head of this cabin.

"And you two are?" She turned to the siblings as we renewed walking.

"Bianca di Angelo. And this is my younger brother. Nico."

"Undetermined?" She asked our guides, who both nodded. "I see."

We arrived at the barn like building. It too was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate, and I was instantly reminded of the back when my mother was raising me. To the cold winter nights.

In the parlour sat two men playing some sort of card game.

One was in a wheelchair that shimmered slightly. Some sort of magical item? With a shaggy brown beard and long curly hair. Wearing a fuzzy sweater with hoofprint design on it, that also looked extremely itchy. He had a blanket over his lap that almost hid the wheelchair completely, were it not for the massive wheels. Most likely Chiron.

The second was a slightly pudgy man. With dark, almost purple hair and some stubble poking out in a few places. He wore a bright, neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and purple running shoes. A golden laurel rested on his messy hair, tilted sideways. A purple haze wafted off of him slightly as well as a faint smell of grapes and wine.

The wheelchair prone man smiled as we approached. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, hello to you too Katie." He turns to me and the siblings. "Ah, and these must be-"

"Bianca and Nico di Angelo. And Mihai Echidnason. Half-bloods." The son of Poseidon said, and I cringed slightly when I heard him say my name.

"Excuse me, but it's Mihaly."

"That's what I said?"

I shook my head. "Your saying it as you think you're hearing it. Your saying M-I-H-A-I. And my name is spelt M-I-H-A-L-Y. It sounds different, no?"

He looked puzzled.

"Anyways. You succeeded them." The wheelchair prone man breathed in a sigh of relief.

Thalia suddenly looked angry and Percy looked disappointed and unsure.

"Well…"

"What's wrong? And where's Annabeth?" Chiron's smile melted.

After a moment of silence the wine smelling man, Dionysus if I was correct, slumped slight in his chair and shuffled his cards.

"Oh dear," He said in a bored voice. "Not another one lost. How terrible."

It was clear that this only angered the son of Poseidon and daughter of Zeus, Thalia however noted another detail that seemed to grab her attention.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just as Chiron was about to say something, the Satyr from earlier, Grover trotted into a room with a wide grin, a black eye and a large red slap mark on his face. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at us. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friends to the den and show them our orientation film."

"But... Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Bianca asked. "Is it G or PG?"

"It's Pg-13" Grover said.

Bianca looked slightly conflicted. "Nico is too young to watch those."

Her brother groaned. "Come on Bianca…"

She looked down at him, her lips pursed, she looked at me for a moment before her shoulders slumped. "Fine. But If I see something that I don't think is appropriate I am taking you out of there."

As Grover led them away I stayed behind, earning a confused expression from Chiron.

"I'm afraid I won't be needing the presentation." I said. "I have long known about all this."

Chiron ran a hand through his beard. "Is that so?" He looked over me. "Please show me your hands young man."

I held out my hands, palms up. He inspected them for a moment. "You're used to holding weapons. Likely morose than anyone else here."

The senior campers seemed to be surprised at this statement.

"Very well." He concluded. And turned to the daughter of Demeter. "I still have some things to discuss with Percy and Thalia. Would you mind showing him around the camp and taking him to the Hermes cabin my dear?"

"Actually. Mom said that she wants him to stay in our cabin."

Why was I not surprised? Well. Chiron, Percy and Thalia surely were. Even Dionysus looked up from his cards in interest.

"I beg your pardon?" Asked Chiron. He looked at me for a second before looking back at Katie. "Is he her child?"

"Course he isn't." Dionysus suddenly said. "Good ol' auntie Demeter claimed every one of her brats the second they passed through the barrier the past few years. He wasn't claimed. Besides, his looks don't match."

He suddenly summoned a can of Coca Cola and started to sip it very loudly.

Chiron looked at me with a conflicted expression. "Without Lady Demeter claiming you as her own or direct confirmation, I'm afraid that I can't…"

An intense glow shined over my head almost so intense as to be considered blinding, as a few had to shield their eyes.

Above me shined a holographic circle, depicting a scythe cutting down a handful of wheat. The symbol disappeared shortly after leaving behind a heavy smell of soil.

I shivered. Suddenly slightly afraid for my safety from the Olympian goddess.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Well, since Lady Demeter is rather insistent, I believe it won't be a problem for you to stay in the Demeter cabin."

Before I could say anything, Katie started to drag me by the arm out of the building.

"C'mon. I'll show you around."

She seemed to be excited about something. She had a big smile on her face as she led me by the arm and showed me around. She showed me the dining pavilion, and I questioned why it does not have a roof. She showed me snow covered chariot racing track, telling me that it was added just last year.

As we were coming up to the Archery range, the sound of shouting became very clear. One of the Hunters was shouting at a younger boy, most likely the child of Apollo, judging by his appearance and sunny shimmer around him.

"Ugh, so the Hunters really are here." Katie scoffed. "C'mon. Better we don't get involved in that. I don't want my cabin to be burnt down."

I guess that was what Zoe was talking about when referring to their last visit to the camp. I was about to follow Katie and walk away, but then I remembered that I made a promise to Zoe that I'd help resolve any conflicts that occur.

I walk up to them, the girl still yelling at the child of Apollo, who looked to be younger than me as well as on the verge of tears.

Katie called after me and was about to grab my hand, no doubt to start dragging me away again, but I quickly slipped out of her reach and walked up to the pair.

When they saw us approach, the Hunter's glare locked onto me. Lessening slightly and being filled with slight curiosity. While the child of Apollo started to distance himself slightly.

"Is there a problem?" I smile and make myself be a small as a threat as possible.

The Hunter frowned. "It's none of your concern boy. Now leave." She twirled an arrow between her fingers turning back to the child of Apollo, no doubt about to yell at him for whatever reason.

I turned to the child of Apollo, who tried to quietly get away.

"What happened? Why was she so upset at you?"

"I only asked her if she'd help me improve my archery, since she's Auntie Artemis's Hunter. But she got angry at me and said that I don't deserve to even say her name." He cried out, hiccupping slightly as he shivered.

"Because you don't. A filthy boy like you, who's also the child of Apollo, only knows how to disrespect us and behave like an idiot." Said the Hunter, glaring at the young boy.

"Well ain't you lot as friendly as ever?" Asked Katie sarcastically, stepping up to the Hunter. "Can't go two seconds without picking on a boy can you?"

The Hunter sniffled. "I don't expect you to understand now, but you will one day. Boys are nothing but prideful pigs that will take advantage of you every chance they get."

Katie gave a loud and condescending 'Ha!' Putting her hands on her hips. "The only one who's being prideful right now is you! Like always when you come here, you think that just because you have a goddess at your back gives you the right to-"

I put a hand on her arm. She turned her head to me with a snap. "Katie. Please don't get angry. It will only make things worse."

She looked slightly offended. But complied nonetheless. "I'll be over there if you need me." She pointed to the entrance of the Archery range.

I turned back to the Hunter, who glared at me. Most likely because I told a girl to do something.

"I don't know what you did to trick my lieutenant into trusting you, but it won't work on me boy." She sneered. Continuing to twirl the arrow between her fingers.

I just smiled. "I didn't trick Zoe. I never did. And I just want us to come to a nice understanding where both of you can be happy."

She looked at me oddly. She started to snicker. She seemed to want to say something, but she suddenly burst out laughing.

"I'm happy your in such a good mood already."

She stopped laughing and glared at me. She seemed to like doing that.

"Are you a fool? No, don't answer that. You're a boy. Of course you're an idiot. Just like Apollo."

The boy that moved slightly behind me scowled.

"How about we start of slow? First, what are your names?"

"Archie Walker. Son of Apollo." Said the boy enthusiastically.

I turn to the Hunter and wait for her to introduce herself. She looked at me, Archie then back to me. "If you think that I'll play along with your little game then you are sorely mistaken. I won't fall for your tricks."

"There's no tricks. I just want to resolve this without needing to make the relations any worse." I kept smiling.

She seemed to calm down slightly. The Hunter simply looked at me for a bit. Her frown remained.

"Samantha Smithson." She said after a while.

"Wonderful!" I said, stepping slightly in between them so they can see both me and each other. "Now Samantha, please tell me, why were you angry at Archie?"

Her expression remined unchanged. "I have already told you why boy. If you're going to make me repeat myself then I'm afraid you're career as a 'hero' will be rather short."

"You never said why. You said. 'Because you don't. A filthy boy like you, who's also the child of Apollo, only knows how to disrespect us and behave like an idiot.'"

She narrowed her dark eyes at me.

"So please, tell me why you were upset at Archie."

She stayed quiet and kept staring at my face. Her eyes becoming unfocused.

"Because he is…" She paused, suddenly tongue tied. "Because…"

"Are you ok?" Archie asks stepping a bit closer to her.

She suddenly snapped her head in his direction and glared, rooting him in place.

"Because he insulted Lady Artemis and tried to take advantage of me!"

Archie looked at her in surprise. Yet I found her outburst unnatural. Like it was not her own.

"How did he try to take advantage of you?"

"He… he tried to make me…he wanted me to give away…" She mumbled. Her eyes becoming unfocused again. "To trick me…to give him…that prideful…"

"Samantha? Are you ok?" I asked and take a step towards her. She seemed to be in some kind of trance. One she herself was fighting.

She didn't respond at first. But now that I thought about it, this may have been an opportune time to try to defuse the situation.

"Samantha. I's sorry, but I have to disagree with you. If Archie really was prideful, he wouldn't ask you for help, would he?"

She paused, her eyes still unfocused. "No."

I felt bad. I felt as if I was taking advantage of her. I was in a sense.

"Did he ask for help, or did her try to also get something else, something that is important to you?"

"No. He just asked for help."

"Then why did you get angry at him."

She paused and did not respond for a bit. I took another step forward and her head snapped to the movement. But she did not bring up her loaded bow. Instead she just looked between me and the son of Apollo. She looked to be deep in thought, and her eyed were clear now. Focused.

She looked back to Archie. "I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier. If it's fine with you, I can show you a few things tomorrow." Her voice was very rigid almost like a robot.

"Oh! Yes! Please! Thank you!" Exclaimed Archie bewildered yet unimaginably happy.

The Hunter nodded and walked past us, giving me an odd look.

"Thanks for the help." Said the son of Apollo turning to face me. "But do you think she's all right? She was acting pretty wired there."

I look in the direction of the retreating Hunter, her back rigid. She didn't say anything to Katie when she walked passed her and towards the silver cabin 8.

"I don't know." I said back turning back to him with a smile.

"Well, thanks again. I'll see you later!" He said as he ran off further into the archery range.

I smiled and watched him run off with a hop in each step. After he was one, I moved slightly an look down where I was previously standing.

In the dirt the Algiz rune I drew during the conversation shone with a dim light. I frowned.

"So it's true. She really dose…"

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It was not long before the sun set again. Katie had introduced me to the members of the Demeter cabin, which was just a few more girls at the moment. Katie explained that the camp is usually busy during the summer and only year-round campers are there during the winter.

A loud screech of a conch horn brought me out of my musings, Katie said that it was the signal for dinner. I sat down with them at the Demeter table. I noticed the daughter of Zeus and the son of Poseidon sitting at their respective tables. By themselves. Why I asked about it, Katie said that we are not allowed to sit at the tables of those who are not our parents. That it would upset the gods.

I felt myself frown. Over something so small?

"But I'm not a child of Grandma Demeter." I said, looking towards the Hermes table, where I saw a pair of twins, talking heatedly with Nico about something. Bianca sitting next to her brother.

"Well, mom seems to like you. So she doesn't have a problem. She'd probably be upset if you didn't sit here." Laughed the daughter of Demeter.

I smiled. It was probably true. Something I have found out since meeting the goddess is that once Demeter finds an object of obsession, she does not let it go.

The Hunters arrived shortly after us. Zoe waving to me as she walked past.

The last to arrive were Chiron and Dionysus, the former having revealed his Centaur nature and the later sitting down at his own table, where two identical twins already sat and greeted him with great enthusiasm.

"Campers!" Called the centaur, gathering all attention on himself. Admittedly, there wasn't really many campers. Excluding the Hunters, there was perhaps fifteen camper's total. "As you can see we have some new faces as well as guests. The Hunters of Artemis have taken residence in cabin 8 and will stay here until their goddess returns. Meaning that tomorrow we shall host the traditional friendly game of capture the flag."

I heard a lot of groaning from the majority of the campers. When I looked to the Hunters, many of them were smirking. Zoe looked at me. A challenging gleam in her eyes. The message was clear. 'I'm coming for you.'

"Now, now campers. That's no way make a first impression!" He called again. Apparently, the campers haven't won a single game ever since they started. "As you can see we have three new campers… Mr. D, if you could."

"Uh, what?" It seems that the god of wine was just about to fall asleep. "Oh, yeah. I guess I should welcome them." He grumbled and cleared his throat. "Welcome. Nikki and Brandon di Angle and Michael Porcupine. There I said it."

I saw Chiron sigh. Some of the campers groaned while other laughed. Most of the Hunters rolled their eyes or scoffed.

"Nico and Bianca di Angelo and Mihaly Echidnason. I welcome you to Camp Half-blood." He lift up goblet. "Now. To the gods!"

All present except for me, Nico and Bianca followed his example. The Dryads came out of the woodlands and started to serve food to us. A few ruffling my hair and giggling when walking past me.

I got a half rack of ribs with mashed potatoes and a few different vegetables. Normally I would have something lighter, but unfortunately, they didn't have anything like that.

Before we started to eat, everyone lined up in front of the hearth and threw in a portion of their food. Kaite said that we sacrifice a part of our meals to the gods. That apparently, they like the smell of the burnt food.

When it was my turn there were only two deities that I could think of.

'To you, Grandma Demetre. And to you, Auntie Persephone.' I made sure to say the names in my head.

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair after that, with the main source of noise being the table of Hunters. Drinking, eating and laughing, looking like one happy family. It was quite a nice image admittedly.

Zoe sat at the head of the table and held a small smile on her face. She didn't laugh though. I think I've only heard her laugh once during the time I came to know her. But she looked happy.

After dinner we were told to return to our cabins for an early winter curfew.

"Raven," Zoe came up to Demeter table just as we started to get up. "I'd like to talk with thee."

Looking behind her, I noticed that the Hunters were making their way back to Cabin 8, some looking behind them and glaring at me.

"Sure." I immediately said, looking back at Zoe.

She nodded and started walking off towards the lake.

I turned to Katie, who was looking quizzingly at me. "I'll be back soon. Just need to talk to her."

"Alright. But come back soon. Before the harpies arrive." She said.

Harpies? I was made aware of the fact that there are some monsters in the forest, but I was also told those are the ones that have been captured and can't leave the forest. So why would there be Harpies in the middle of the camp?

I didn't think much about it and followed Zoe, quickly catching up with her. She didn't say anything and just continued walking, so I did the same.

When we got to the lake and gained some privacy, I noticed her expression was conflicted. As if unsure of what to say. I waited for her to gather her thoughts while I looked out into the lake.

"How are thou, Raven?" She asked after a bit of struggle.

I just turned to her with a smile. "I'm fine Zoe. Thank you. How have you been?"

She smiled back. It was hard to notice if you didn't know her. "I am fine as well. Thank you. But there has been much too many things to worry about as of late. The recent encounter with the manticore only increased to that. And… I'd like to apologize."

Her face was cast down in shame, yet she still looked me in the eyes.

"There's nothing you need to apologise for Zoe." I immediately said. "At least, not to me."

She didn't say anything for a moment. But she shook her head in what I think was dismay.

"No. I'm afraid there is much that must apologise for. I do not even know where to start…" She adjusted her circlet. "Perhaps about what happened today? Yes."

She started to mutter to herself. And while I was happy that she is so open with me, I wasn't happy to see her so upset.

"Raven, please forgive me for the, less than desirable meeting you had with milady. I ask you not to judge her too harshly. She, she has not been the same since…"

"Her fault is not your own Zoe." I quickly said. "Pleas, don't blame yourself for what happened today."

She still looked conflicted. "Honestly Zoe. I'm afraid that if any of the Hunters or the daughter of Zeus were here, they'd no doubt pass out."

She frowned slightly at that, but her lips tugged up slightly. No doubt finding the picture amusing.

"Zoe. That was none of your fault. Now, how about we change topic?"

"Very well." She gave in. "There has been something that I've been meaning to ask you ever since I saw thee back at Maine, why,"

She was cut of by the loud flapping of wings. "The harpies? Surely they can't be here already." Zoe slightly panicked, reaching for her silver dagger.

After a second of watching the large, shadowy figures, I couldn't help but smile. "It's not the harpies."

A familiar weight settled on my shoulders. They were there, Huginn and Muninn were perched upon my shoulders and yet one would hardly see them were it not for their iridescent blue and red eyes.

"You managed to catch up." I said, gently petting Muninn.

Huginn cawed, shaking like a wet dog trying to dry itself off. But instead of water, golden dust splashed off of her black feathers.

And now that I looked closely, Muninn was also coated with a thin layer of golden dust, which she quickly shook of like Huginn did before.

"Monster dust?" Zoe asked. "Where could it have," She reached up to Muninn's beak and try to snatch it away, but the raven quickly moved its head away.

I opened my palm and placed it under Muninn's beak and wait for her to drop whatever she had in it. I didn't wait long and I couldn't help but be slightly surprised. Because in my hand lay a few red feathers and a pair of talons.

"Muninn, where did you get these?" I asked, handing the items to inspect.

"Harpies. Flying over the camp." She said in her usual emotionless voice. Much like her creator.

"Oh." Zoe said. Looking up to the clear night sky in slight panic. "That is not good."

I turn to Zoe, now scratching Huginn under her chin. "Why is that bad? Ah, I remember that I was going to ask you if you know why there are bad harpies in the camp, and why nothing has been done about them?"

Zoe looked back at me. Still slightly panicked. "The Harpies were put her by the Lord of the skies. From what I know, they are permitted to eat the campers after curfew has been called. They also wash the dishes and generally patrol the area. I'm afraid that I do not know much else."

For a moment I started to think that I lost my mind and was starting to hear things. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"The harpies, are allowed to eat the campers." I repeated slowly. Just to be sure. Just to be certain. "How is that acceptable? Isn't this a place where they are supposed to be safe from monsters? Where they don't need to be afraid of going outside? How…" I just stopped. I really couldn't understand.

"I do not know who allowed this, Raven. But seeing as they have been… disposed of, and we are still alive, I assume that we do not need to worry."

I nodded along, but I was still upset. And the giant ravens on my shoulders rubbed their beaks against my cheeks for comfort. "You said you wanted to ask me something since you saw me back at Maine, what is it?" I asked with a small smile as I rubbed the heads of the massive ravens.

"Ah, my thanks for reminding me." She sounded more upbeat now. "I was meaning to ask. Why is it thou look so young?"

I tilt my head slightly, her face went slightly red.

"What I mean is. That thou look just like thou did six years ago. If thou were twelve back then, then thou should be the dawn of adulthood. My point is, you should not be so young Raven." She finished, her back straightening itself as she looked me in the eyes.

I mulled over it for a second. My throat went slightly dry as I felt myself pacing on the spot.

I tried to calm myself. After all, she's, my friend. I can trust her.

"When I was twelve," I started, not looking away from her gaze. "I was tricked into drinking a potion of youth that was intermixed with some wine."

She stared at me for a few seconds, her mouth slightly open as she blinked something.

"What?"

I didn't say anything. No doubt repeating myself would anger her, something I'd rather avoid.

"A potion of youth. Intermixed with wine." She repeated slowly. Much like I did when I heard about the Harpies being allowed to eat campers.

"And a few other potions, but that one was the main one that caused this."

That didn't seem to help. She glared lightly my way, her arms crossed across her chest.

"And, pray tell Raven. Why were thou drinking wine at the age of twelve?"

I continue to pet Huginn and Muninn started to play with a few strands of my hair.

"I was given it by someone who would not take 'no' for an answer lightly I'm afraid. I had little choice."

Her gaze softened slightly. Nodding in understanding.

"Does It bother you?" I asked after a bit of silence, her expression immediately hardening.

"No." She immediately said. "Well, the fact that thou were forced to drink wine at such a young age and was tricked into drinking a potentially harmful potion does make me rather upset. But it does not change how I view thee." She reassured. A small smile on her face. "I might just prefer you this way."

"Do remember you have an oath, Zoe." I laughed.

She joined in very briefly, her expression returning to its usual frosty seriousness.

"Raven. You said that there were other potions mixed into the wine. Are any of them… harmful?" She asked slowly.

"No. Not that we know of. And I doubt my mother would allow the one who gave me it get away with just getting their arm cut off."

She looked at me oddly, taken aback by the apparent confession. "She cut off their arm?"

"My mother, I don't think many would call her a good person. She's done bad things in her life. And she will probably do more bad things. But she's my mother. And I love her."

"I understand." She said after a while. "I understand that this may be rude, but how old are you, Raven?"

"I turned forty-three this year."

Her eyes were wide, and for a moment I thought she stopped breathing.

She brought her hand up to her face and massaged her forehead. "It is much too late for this." She sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better. Mentally my growing up has been staggered. Sometimes I am twelve, but the most I can do is sixteen."

She just groaned. I laughed slightly, Huginn stretched out her wings and seemingly yawned.

"At least thou are safe."

There was a bit of an awkward silence following that. I looked up to the sky. How odd. I could swear that there was supposed to be a full moon tonight.

"It would probably be best if we go and rest now. We can continue this talk tomorrow." She said sternly. Turning towards the camp. "And I must be ready to face you tomorrow's game. I shall be looking forward to it."

Her competitive smirk was rather infectious. As I gave her one of my own.

"I'll be looking forward to it. Who knows. I might help the campers gain their first win against the Hunters."

She smiled. It made me happy that she could smile so much around me. Given how cold she used to be before.

"Goodnight Raven…I can still call you that, yes?" She asked, a slight flush on her cheeks.

"Yes, I don't mind. Rather, It would feel odd if you suddenly started to call me Mihaly. Goodnight Zoe."

She nodded and walked back towards the cabins.

I started to do the same once Huginn really started pulling my ear. I yawned slightly as I quietly knocked on the door of the Demeter cabin.

It was opened by Katie, who looked very relieved to see me. She instantly pushed me to one of the empty beds and told me to go to sleep, before walking off and collapsing onto one of the nearby beds, instantly falling asleep. I don't think she even noticed Huginn or Muninn, who perched themselves on the bedframe.

I yawned again and slowly drifted asleep.

What a tiering day.

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I glared at the filth in front of me. The two pigs that held me captured in cuffs of imperial gold that were previously my chains. They dragged me all the way to mount Othrys. The Dracaenae hissing at me the entire way and the demigods sneering at me. Typical traitorous boys.

"You will regret this. I will find a way to put you back in your place, under the sky."

"And how are you going to do that all chained up?" The giant vermin in front of me laughed. "How do you plan to do that when you were so easily captured in the first place?"

My anger rose. If only I could break these accursed chains.

"Oh don't worry." The filth said. "You'll be free from those soon enough. If you want to be that is." He started to pull me by the hair, past the garden of Hesperides and further up still, where the sky meets the earth.

There, on top of a small hill. Where the bastard titan Atlas should have been, was the young daughter of Athena who was lost back at Maine.

She was seemingly holding up a pillar made up of clouds. Sweat poured down her brow as she clenched her teeth. Struggling immensely. And even from the slight distance, I could clearly make out some of her hair beginning to turn grey.

"You bastards, you filth!" I feel myself snarl. "You dare to imprison an innocent maiden!"

They had the gall to laugh. If only I could enter my divine form, I could possibly disintegrate the traitors and monsters, possibly get Atlas back under the sky and save the daughter of Athena. She'd make a fine addition to my hunters.

"What's wrong little girl? I thought you believed that girls are equal to, no! Superior to men." Laughed the titan filth. Arrogant like the rest of his kind.

"They are superior, to you and your sex you pig. We'd never do something like this."

He stared at me with wide eyes and mouth. His shoulders started to shake. He suddenly started to roar with laughter. Dropping onto one knee as his voice boomed through the whole mountain. He started to wheeze yet still continued his obnoxious laugh.

"What is so amusing?"

He continued to laugh, all while the young girl was being slowly crushed by the weight of the sky.

"You…you truly believe that." He wheezed out, standing back up. He suddenly started to clap. "Amazing! Absolutely amazing! So it should be no problem for that brave and strong maiden to hold up the sky for a few more years yes?"

"She's a mortal you moronic, pig-headed man!"

"You have a choice Artemis." Said the traitorous son of Hermes, grabbing me by the face. "You can either take her place now and save her, or you can take her place after she gets crushed. It's your choice."

If I could, I'd turn him into a worm. It'd be quite fitting for someone like him.

I look to the girl. It's obvious she wouldn't last much longer. I thought about it. It would take me a bit of time to enter my divine form. And no doubt Atlas wouldn't give me that chance. And perhaps the girl would perish before then.

I couldn't allow that for happen. But I know that I wouldn't be able to get out from under the sky by myself.

"Fine…" My Hunters would most likely come to help me anyway. "Just get these accursed cuffs of and I'll take the girls place."

The titan grins. Having recovered form his laughing fit. He once again grabbed me by the hair and started to drag me towards the summit. I tried to stand and get out of his grasp, but was too weak to do so.

He dumped me in front of the girl, who was gasping for air yet simultaneously holding her breath.

I wait for the cuffs to be removed yet instead I'm simply shover into the girl. She gets pushed out from under the weight, but it gets pushed onto me. I quickly lift my hands and catch the falling pillar. I'm forced onto my knees and feel like my wrists are about to snap.

The weight quickly settles onto my shoulders and pins me in place.

"You bastard." I manage to wheeze out. The weight utterly crushing me.

The demigod next to me coughed and gasped for air greedily. Lying on the ground. Spasming in pain.

She was grabbed by a Laestrygonian and lifted into the air. The beast visibly salivating. "Well, that was easy enough."

"Damn you."

"I guess we can get rid of the child of Athena." The titan said, his face contorting into an evil grin.

"She may still be useful general." The vermin of Hermes suddenly said.

"Yes, as a light snack for the forces."

I watched as many of the gathered monsters grinned in excitement. Their vile kind only deserved to be exterminated.

"No. I mean she might be still useful to lure the children of Poseidon and Zeus. They are good friends to her. I'm sure they'll come." He almost looked desperate to keep the girl alive. How pathetic. As if he actually cares about her.

Atlas looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps I'll be able to get her to join us. It would make convincing the daughter of Zeus easier."

"Very well. Take her to the ship."

The cannibalistic giant looked down scornfully, yet complied with the command.

"Now." The vile bastard titan said, crouching down to my level. "As much as I'd love to start preparing the welcoming party for my daughter, I really don't want to miss this."

"Miss what pig?" I managed to hiss out.

Something cast a shadow over me. It could not have been Atlas. He was standing to my right and I could barely see him out of the corner of my eyes. The traitorous worm of Hermes had gone with the Laestrygonian to take the girl to the ship.

I look up. A cloaked figure. A bit taller than myself. Their face covered by the hood of the cloak. Their presence felt oddly familiar.

"I like the position you're in Artemis. It suits you." Their voice was familiar. Soft and calming.

"Who are you? You dare to insult me?" Why was my anger spiking so much? Why was this so familiar.

Despite most of their face being covered, I could see their smirk. It infuriated me to no end.

They pulled their hood back, and fully revealed themselves.

At first I could only stare in disbelief. Which quickly turned to anger and hurt.

It made sense now. The familiar feeling I got from them.

And seeing them now it was unmistakable.

Their familiar face shape.

Their unique eyes.

Their long hair.

It was unmistakable.

"You…" I managed to choke out. My lack of breath not caused by the weight of the sky, but of who was in front of me.

I shouldn't have let Zoe get my hopes up.

I shouldn't have listened.

I should have know that they couldn't be trusted.

Their smirk sickened me. They looked much too happy.

"Hello, mother."

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So yeah, that's chapter six. It was quite a fun one to write. A bit too long for my tastes though. But oh well.

Hope you enjoyed reading it.

Reviews are appreciated, both on what's good and what could use improving, but not necessary.

Stay safe.