Update: 26/1/2021
Happy Australia Day Everyone!
But it is also a time to remember the past and learn from it.
Chapter .2.
Nico groans as he comes too. He looked to see they were on a tropical island. He looked at his husband and friend and found only Malcolm near consciousness.
His husband looked too be injured. But he couldn't tell how badly.
"Where are we?" Malcolm asks groaning in pain.
"I have no idea. Are you ok?" Nico asks.
"A rib or two hurt but I think I'm mostly ok", Malcom replies, "You?"
"Broken arm and my ribs hurt. And I'm exhausted. But were alive that is a plus for what we just been through", Nico replies wincing in pain.
"Will?" Malcolm asks.
"Can you check? I can hardly move. I'm worried because he hasn't woken", Nico asks worriedly looking at his husband of 495 years.
Malcom moves to Will and checks him over.
"Well?" Nico asks anxiously.
"Alive. Head wound, arrow through the thigh and maybe internal injuries from the sword wound. He needs help and medical attention. Have you got any supplies?" Malcolm asks.
Nico looks around for their supplies of food, clothes and medical supplies and only finds a few clothes and little food.
"They are mostly gone. Including the little ambrosia, we had and the container of nectar", Nico replies grimacing,
"What are we going to do?" Malcolm asks.
"Your the son of Athena. You do plans", Nico points out.
"Well your Crown Prince of the Underworld and a God", Malcolm replies
"So?" Nico asks.
"So you out rank me. So your in charge", Malcolm retorts.
"But...", Nico doesn't finish as he was interrupted.
By a voice they thought lost to them.
"Nico di Angelo? Malcolm Pace? Wi...Will Solace?" a female voice asks in disbelief.
The two conscious boys turn to look at the woman in equal disbelief.
"Lady Artemis", they stutter out shocked to the core to see the supposedly dead Goddess alive, breathing and well.
Well not exactly well. As they saw the long scars down her face and neck. Also a bruise on her face. From what looked like a hand.
Artemis looked just as shocked as them. This was the first-time familiar faces graced her shores.
She felt Hope rise in her chest.
And quickly squished it. They would forget like everyone else she helped.
But they were family.
She shook her head to be rid of those thoughts. There was work to be done.
"I don't know about Lady Artemis. Call me Artemis. As I am not much of a Lady or Goddess anymore. But I AM Artemis", Artemis jokes but is also deadly serious.
"How are you alive? You fell into Chaos", Nico stutters out.
Artemis gives them a wirily grin.
"Did you see me fall?" Artemis asks drily.
"No", the boys reply.
"Did you see the breath leave my body?" Artemis asks drily.
"No", the boys reply.
"Then it stands to reason I'm alive", Artemis replies with a slight grin on her scared face and lips at their gobsmacked expressions.
They were speechless.
Neither side moved. Until Artemis decided to break the stalemate.
"Enough of the staring. Let's get Wi...Will to my home and healed before he loses anymore blood", Artemis decides.
"Your home?" Malcolm asks shocked.
"Yes this island is my home. Anymore questions can wait. Lets go boys. I'll help Will with Malcolm can you manage on your own Nico?" Artemis asks coming closer.
That's when the boys notice a thin gold chain around Artemis's right ankle and a thin gold chain leading to the ground on her wrist.
"I can manage", Nico stutters out still in shock.
Artemis nods and limps to Will's side.
"Help me get him up", Artemis orders Malcolm.
Who hurriedly comes over and pulls Will up. Artemis pulls one of Will's arms around her shoulders.
"Lets go boys. You all look dead on your feet", Artemis tells them, "Keep close"
They stumble along through the island.
Malcolm and Nico were tired but they did notice just how…empty this place was.
"Not far boys", Artemis breaths noticing their struggle.
Soon they come across a small like cottage that looked pretty small and run down.
"It is not much but it is…home", Artemis mutters the last part.
She leads them inside. Nico and Malcolm see the handmade furniture. Only a single tatty old couch with handmade thread bare blankets. A small kitchen of the living room but it didn't look like it had modern appliances. There was a fireplace. But what got them was that there were no personal effects anywhere. No pictures. No trinkets. No nothing that showed Artemis lived here.
She leads them through the only other door in the living room/kitchen and too a bedroom.
"Lets put Will on my bed", Artemis suggests out of breath.
Nico and Malcolm look at each other.
Her bed?
Artemis gently manoeuvres Will onto the bed.
"Rest here while I get some of my medical gear", Artemis orders them gently.
She quickly leaves out the bedroom door. Which Nico and Malcolm presumed lead to a bathroom or another bedroom. But it was unlikely given the state of the cottage that there was another bedroom.
"What is going on here?" Nico mutters wincing in pain.
"I don't know. But she is alive. How is she alive?" Malcolm asks.
"How come Apollo doesn't know?" Nico mutters his own question.
"And why doesn't she leave here and have that chain on her ankle?" Malcolm asks more questions.
"So many questions that need to be answered. But Will needs help first", Nico states.
"I agree. We will have time to ask her questions when we know Will, will be alright", Malcolm agrees.
Artemis returns with several bandages and a container of nectar and ambrosia. She also has a bowl of warm water.
"I will help Will first as he seems to be in worse shape than you two", Artemis decides.
She knew they had questions. She just didn't really want to answer them. Could she anyway? Even through they would never remember this?
She gets a cloth and wets it and begins to clean Will's head wound.
"What are your injures Nico?" Artemis asks as she works.
"Nothing serious", Nico says the Half-Truth.
"Don't lie to me young man. I may not be who I once was. But I am your only help at the moment", Artemis informs them.
"You have no contact from outside this island?" Malcolm asks surprised.
Artemis was silent for a minute as she worked and tried to figure out an answer.
"No I don't", Artemis murmurs snapping the arrow head off and gently pulling it out of Will's thigh.
Nico and Malcolm noticed the pain and depression on her face. Something was going on here and they wouldn't have to find out what.
"Broken arm and ribs hurt", Nico replies with a wince.
"A couple of broken ribs", Malcolm tells her.
"Take a square of ambrosia each", Artemis advices.
They take one each. But they notice there wasn't much in the container.
"Also take a small shot of nectar", Artemis advises gesturing to the small glasses she bought over.
"Thank you", they say
Artemis cleans the wounds on her…nephew. She knew he would make it. She had been able to help him in time.
"Will he be alright?" Nico asks anxiously.
Artemis eyes him and seems too be seeing everything about him.
"He will. How long have you two been married?" Artemis asks curiously even through the information would hurt her.
"495 years 496 next March", Nico replies fingering his wedding ring.
"Congratulations. Even through it is so late", Artemis replies with a small smile.
"Thank you. Do you know when he will wake?" Nico asks
"He has a concussion at the very least from the head wound. But he should wake up soon as I gave him nectar and ambrosia", Artemis replies with a gentle smile.
Which shocked the two boys.
They looked at her and they just didn't see only scars now. But one of her eyes was greyish-white. Her eyes held pain, helplessness, depression, sadness, concern and anxiety.
But what they also saw was the black collar around her neck. And there didn't appear to be able to come off as they couldn't see a clasp.
"Lady Arte…", Nico starts.
"As I told you Nico I am no 'Lady' anymore, I am no Goddess and I am definitely not an Olympian…and I'll never be again", Artemis says whispering the last part.
But they heard the last part and wondered why she didn't call herself 'Lady' anymore or a Goddess or an Olympian.
"We are just trying to understand", Malcolm tells her.
"You couldn't possibly", Artemis replies picking up the blood strained cloths.
"But…", Nico starts.
"I'll go and get you some food. You need all the strength you can get. Rest while I get you some food", Artemis interrupts him and quickly leaves the room.
"What do we do?" Nico asks the Son of Athena.
"We wait for Will to wake up then we try again", Malcolm suggest.
Nico nods and leans back to rest. As he got the feeling rest wouldn't be coming easy in the next few days…
Artemis leans against the wall outside her bedroom. Pain evident in her eyes and body language. But she didn't want them to see that.
She wipes a tear from her eye.
They were reminders of people she longed to see but yet wouldn't be able to.
Why were the Fates taunting her?
Was this a plot of her tormentors to get her to break?
She shakes her head she didn't have time for those thoughts now. She needed to get them some food. She had a stew she had made.
She may not have much but for the child of her…brother and his husband and friend she would give them everything she had to get them back to her…brother safely.
She owned him that much.
It was not about her.
It was about them and him…
Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)