Have you ever been in the car, and rolled the window down to stick your head out? You know; the feeling of the wind on your face, the feeling of freedom that never fails to lift your spirits at least a little? Well, that's exactly how it feels to run at superspeed; well… after you get over the fatigue and get used to it. The hunters of Artemis were moving at incredible speeds through the forest themselves; but they just couldn't keep up with superspeed. I would run ahead about 50 yards or so, then stop and wait for them to catch up. After we travelled for most of the daylight, Artemis told us we were setting up camp, the hunters putting up their tents so quickly you would have thought THEY had the super speed. A few of the hunters…. Ok, so MOST of the hunters, were grumbling about a boy being even near their camp; I really didn't understand it, but they were acting like I had the bubonic plague or something. They set Brody and I up a camp about 20 yards away from all the other tents, complete with sleeping bags and everything. After we all got settled in, Artemis told her hunters that they were not permitted to leave their tents for the rest of the night, except to use the bathroom of course. For about a half an hour, I laid there in my sleeping bag, listening to the sounds of nature; the crickets chirping, a tiny spring gurgling softly…. Brody snoring like a freaking chainsaw. It was one of those deafening snores that literally makes your ears ring and makes you forget your middle name. I tried to ignore it, but after a while I just couldn't take it any longer. I threw off my sleeping bag and snuck outside. The night sky was clear and bright, and the stars seemed to be shining just a little bit brighter than usual. I sat down next to the stream, leaning back on my palms and staring up at the sky.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A voice called out from beside me, making me literally jump. I whipped my head around to see Artemis sitting there next to me, gazing up at the constellations herself.

"Man, you scared me, Artemis! Warn a guy next time!" I laughed, but instantly stopped. I kept forgetting that she was an immortal goddess with the power to kill me in about 2000 different ways as she sat there.

"I'm sorry, Lady Artemis… I didn't really-If I offended you I didn't mean to-" I started to explain, but was cut short when I noticed her laughing; a real, hearty laugh. I pouted a little bit, my eyebrows furrowing.

"You're laughing at me. Why are you laughing at me?" I asked. After she calmed down, she finally looked over at me with a smile.

"You are not like other males; you are so timid and nervous around me and my hunters." She said.

"Well, you're a goddess! And they've all been trained to kill with pokey, stabby things; I just joined the "Hey-the-greek-gods-are-real" club like… yesterday! I don't know how to use a sword or knife, or shoot a bow and arrow. And I'm 99.9% sure that the emo one wants to kill me!" I squealed, my voice an octave higher than it usually was. She raised an eyebrow at me, studying me as if trying to make a decision. Finally, she must have made up her mind. She stood up, spreading her hands like she was holding something. For a minute, it was all silent, but just as I was about to speak up, a bright flash came from her palms, forcing me to look away. When the light was gone. Artemis was holding what appeared to be 2 blades in a crossguard; the kind that you wear around your waist like a belt, and the 2 sheaths cross and form an X shape. The handles themselves were made of a dark almost black wood, but when she pulled one of them out, it glowed a bright silver color.

"Whoa… those are beautiful." I admitted. My eyes must have been pretty huge, because Artemis actually smiled, admiring the blades herself.

"Do you know what kind of blades these are?" She asked curiously. I shook my head; I literally had zero clue.

"They're called pugio; Roman foot soldiers used to carry them. They were used for fast, precise strikes." Before I could even respond, Artemis held the blades out to me.

"I can't take these from you!" I insisted. She looked a bit shocked at my response, but not in a bad way; she looked almost impressed.

"Take? No; these are a gift. And you'd be careful not to refuse a goddess' gift." She said, as though reminding me exactly who she was. I carefully took them out of her hands, just standing there and admiring the designs on the handles. After a minute, I carefully strapped the belt on, making sure the blades were settled right on my lower back, where I could easily reach down and pull them out. I unsheathed the blades, holding them up in the moonlight and admiring the way it shined off of them.

"Ok, this is freaking sweet!" I said, swinging them around a little bit. They felt much lighter than I originally expected; like they were made of aluminum.

"What are these made of?" I asked curiously, looking up to see that she had materialized a sword for herself. She examined her own blade, which looked to be made of the same metal as mine.

"A special silver, forged by the cyclops and cooled in the River Phlegethon; it will kill any creature you may come across." She explained. I smiled, resheathing the blades

"Thank you. Now, all I need to do is learn how to actually USE them." I laughed. Artemis nodded, a smile growing on her face.

"Yes you do, Dak." She said, placing her hand on my shoulder. Suddenly, a bright light flashed all around us, forcing me to close my eyes. When I opened them, we were standing in a large, open field. I whipped around, honestly more than a little disoriented.

"What the-where-?" I stuttered.

"I took us to the clearing just beyond our camp; far enough away that we won't wake the others." She explained. I shook my head, still feeling a bit dizzy.

"Wake them doing what?" I asked. Even slightly blurry-eyed, I could see Artemis sigh and pull her blade out of its sheath.

"If you are to survive out in the mortal world, you will need to know the proper way to defend yourself against attackers." She stated. For a minute, I didn't understand; that is, until she charged at me, swinging her blade. I barely had enough time to duck as her blade passed right over the spot where my head used to be. I whipped out my Pugio, looking more than a little bit shocked.

"You-you could have sliced my head off!" I cried, but Artemis shook her head.

"Your mind is hard-wired for battle. Look at your stance; the way you hold yourself even though you lack any formal training." She said, gesturing at me. I looked down hesitantly; my feet were spread perfectly, and I felt ready to either stand my ground or duck out of the way. Again she sprang at me, and this time I ducked out of the way, but not before she was able to knick my arm, and little trickle of blood finding its way down.

"What you lack is finesse; you need to learn proper bladesmanship." She continued. This time I stood my ground. I was able to barely deflect the first strike with the smaller knives; Artemis may have looked 13, but blocking her swing felt like the equivalent of trying to stop a freight train; I could feel my teeth rattle as metal met metal.

"Where's that inhuman speed you were using earlier?" She questioned. I tried to focus on that certain feeling, but in the heat of battle while trying to fend off a goddess, I just couldn't seem to find it; my brain was moving way too fast for me to focus on even a single thought, much less summon my speed. She attacked yet again, charging at me head on. This time, her movements were more calculated and precise; each swing hit my blades just right so that I had to really try to recover. I was wearing down quickly, and she could see it.

"If you are to stand any chance, you must channel that power I saw earlier." She commanded. Again, I tried to focus on that feeling at the base of my spine, but it just didn't seem to be there. She swung downwards, and I was too slow to react, rolling off to the side and feeling another cut on my other arm. Artemis stood still, not looking the least bit fatigued as I huffed and grabbed at my arm.

"Dak." She said softly and almost kindly. "I know that you are scared. Even I feel fear when going into battle. But you must not let fear control you; instead, use this energy to guide you. Let it fuel your thoughts, making you think faster and process faster. Channel it into focus." She explained. I closed my eyes, and took in a deep breath. Yes, I'm in a battle; a battle I'm going to lose if I don't focus. I could hear Artemis charging me once again, but I didn't care. I kept my eyes closed, forcing the fear into focus. When I opened my eyes, Artemis looked like she were frozen mid-charge. I looked around, realizing that I was moving at superspeed once again. Smirking, I ran straight past her, stopping on the other side of the field. Artemis swung right where I was standing, clearly more than a little bit shocked and confused, but instantly realized what had happened, an actual smile spreading across her face.

"Well done, Dak; let's see how you fair when I do not hold back." She said, my eyes growing wide. For a moment, I almost wavered, and I could feel that buzzing feeling going away, but I shook my head. Focus… I've got to channel my fear into focus. I shifted my feet, and gripped my daggers a bit tighter.

"Whenever you're ready." I called confidently, her smile growing as she charged at me. She was moving way faster, to the point where she almost looked like a blur. But when I started running, the blur slowed down, until she looked like she were moving in semi-slow motion; definitely faster than being completely frozen still, but not quite fast enough to be moving normally; at least, that's what it looked like to me. Her first swing was a horizontal swipe which would have sliced me in half, but I sidestepped out of the way. She flew past me, the blur coming to a stop. Artemis turned around, looking almost shocked, but hid it immediately, charging again. This time she moved even faster, and was barely slower than normal, even time slowed down. Still, I was able to dodge out of the way of her vertical slice, raising my blade to block it. This time, it didn't hurt; it felt more like an unstoppable force meets an immovable object; I knew that our blades clashed, but it felt more like fighting with Nerf blades than metal ones. Again, time went back to normal, the two of us standing there, our blades still locked. Artemis looked more than just impressed; it was almost confusion.

"You are very skilled, Dak… and very fast. I have never locked blades with a mortal who could move at such speeds." She admitted. I felt really weak and trembly, like my arms were noodles and my legs were jelly.

"Thanks… wow, I am spent. I think...I think I need to sit down." I announced, collapsing onto the ground. My vision was going blurry, but the last thing I remember seeing before I passed out was Artemis sighing and reaching her hand down towards me.

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I woke up back at the camp, in my tent. Brody was still sawing away, and for a moment I thought that last night had all been a dream. I mean, sparring with a goddess, who tells you that you've done a really good job? It had to be a dream. That's what I thought at least; until I saw the familiar leather belt sheath with the 2 twin blades tucked away neatly inside. I reached over and gently felt the familiar smooth, wooden handles of the pugio blades Artemis had given me.

"So… it was real." I whispered.

"What was real, lil' homie?" Brody asked, scaring the crap out of me. I'd like to say I screamed a manly war-cry, but… it sounded more like a 5-year old girl.

"What the HECK Brody?! You gave me a freaking heart attack!" I cried, but he was too busy rolling around and sounding like a dolphin call to hear me. I stood up and stretched, still feeling a little bit sore and tired from last night…. Ok, a lot bit. I felt like I had just gotten hit by a truck after waking up at 2am. Everything ached; my bones, my muscles, my legs especially. It was like moving that fast had drained me a thousand times faster than normal, and I hated it. I followed the scent of food to a large tent in the middle of the camp, standing just outside of the entrance.

"Um… Lady Artemis?" I called. For a moment, no one answered.

"Dakota, you may enter." She called, sounding amused. I slowly stepped inside, all of the hunters already sitting around a massive table. They were all looking at me, but their glares were slightly less pointed, like I was a blind squirrel who had somehow managed to find itself a nut.

"Hi everyone. So… would it be alright if I-"

"Sit and eat, Dak. I give you permission. I can't exactly let you starve to death before we make it to camp." Artemis interrupted.

"Thanks. I'm really hungry!" I admitted. I scanned the seats for a place to sit, deflating when I realized that the only place that was open was next to Emo. She was already glaring at me like I was her annoying little brother, and I didn't have the slightest clue why. I walked over, sitting down slowly, a plate materializing in front of me.

"Whoa! Cool!" I said, emo rolling her eyes. Out of habit, I glared at her, but stopped just as quickly. There was something about her that radiated power; like 'if you cross me, I WILL kill you' My plate filled with eggs, bacon, and pancakes with syrup, a glass of orange juice appearing as well. So, have you ever had that feeling of hunger, where your stomach actually starts growling and you feel like you could literally eat forever? Yeah, imagine if that feeling just wouldn't go away, no matter how much you eat. That's pretty much how I felt as I ate plate after plate of breakfast, and chugged at least 5 glasses of orange juice. I could almost feel every eye in the room on me as I ate; and to be honest I don't really blame them. When a tiny little 11 year old looking boy eats enough food to feed a family of 5, that pretty much warrants the stares. Finally, my stomach started feeling like it was filling up normally again, and after a few more plates I was completely stuffed.

"Wow, that was really good! Thanks, Artemis!" I said. Her response was a barely audible 'Uh-huh'; even SHE was staring in awe at the amount of food I had just consumed. I felt really uncomfortable, so I excused myself from the table, walking back to our tent.

"Hey! Foodfest!" I heard someone call, surprised to see emo jogging after me. At first, I was nervous, but when I saw her trying to hide a smirk I could tell I was ok.

"Sup…" I hesitated.

"Thalia." She supplied. I smiled, sticking out my hand. She took it without hesitation.

"Dakota, but my friends all call me Dak." I explained.

"Ok then, Dak. Lady Artemis instructed me to tell you that she is going to be teaching you some basic bladesmanship today." She explained, and I accidentally groaned.

"But my arm are tired! And my legs are sore!" I complained, but Thalia didn't seem to sympathise, raising an eyebrow at me. I looked right back at her curiously, before sighing and crossing my arms.

"Alright, alright." I finally gave in. Thalia nodded, like I was finally starting to learn something. She held out a brown paper bag I just noticed she was holding, her expression still stoic and hardened.

"And she also wanted me to give you this; she told me that she expects you to clean yourself up before you meet with her." Thalia ended quickly. Before I could even ask, she was already walking away. I don't know why, but for some reason my ornery acted up.

"Thanks a ton, emo!" I called. Thalia literally stopped dead in her tracks, and I took that as my cue to leave, sprinting off to my tent in a gust of wind. When I got there and calmed down a little bit, I opened up the brown bag, shocked and excited by what I found. I quickly pulled out the clothes, and put them on. A new pair of blue jeans, a black t-shirt that had a centaur on it and said "Centaur of Attention", and the coolest thing; a silver leather racer jacket, that fit me just right, cut just enough so that the blades I wore could still be reached. I stepped out of the tent just as Brody was coming back. He whistled lowly, a smirk already on his face.

"A-Broham Lincoln! Lookin' good!" He said, nodding his head slowly in approval.

"I know! How cool is this!" I practically squealed in excitement. The jacket felt extremely light weight, but it provided a sense of comfort; like wearing a suit of armor. A few of the hunters saw me, and looked quite shocked, like I was breaking some secret, unspoken rules. I was to busy enjoying the new clothes to really notice, speeding off to the same field Artemis and I had trained at the night before.

"Dakota. I'm glad you decided to finally show up." She said. She sounded like a school teacher scolding a child for being late to class. I smiled brightly and shrugged playfully.

"Sorry… I was getting changed. Thanks so much for the sweet clothes though! They are seriously awesome! And hey; I kinda look like one of your hunters! Well, I mean… aside from the awesome t-shirt." I added, Artemis nodding.

"Yes, I thought you would enjoy that. It's actually my brother Apollo's, but I'm sure he won't mind." She explained. For a second, I paused, looking up at her curiously.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, please don't misunderstand me, but… I thought that you kinda hated men, so-"

"You're trying to figure out why I'm being so kind to you." She ended, and I couldn't help but nod. She smiled at me a little bit, as though I had done something right and didn't even know it.

"Because you are just a boy; one who has had his entire world altered quite literally overnight. And because as of recently, I have met men who reminded me that not all men are pigs." She admitted, looking off into the distance reminiscently. After a moment, she looked back at me, placing her hand on her blade.

"Well, Dak; are you ready to resume-" She never got to finish as shouting erupted from the camp. Even from there, we could see a very odd looking cloud of smoke enshroud the base. I looked over at Artemis worriedly, but she looked every bit as confused and nervous as I was. She glanced over at me, and didn't even need to say a word. I took off running towards the camp, Artemis disappearing in a bright flash of light.