I promised you I'd return with a distinctly more sad chapter. I can't have you guys thinking that I'm not writing angst. While I definitely can't hold this update rate for long, because I have life responsibilities, I am very much enjoying writing so much right now. So enjoy this while you still can ;)
Previous Chapter
And Artemis watched her go, before she walked quietly to the hearth and took a seat next to Hestia. The eldest Olympian regarded her with kind eyes.
"You look tired," Hestia smiled.
"I feel tired too," Artemis groaned, her legs shaking slightly, a deep soreness washing over everything.
"You know, I didn't quite understand what you were going through," Hestia spoke, "a few years ago when you lit up the hearth.
Artemis just hummed, the cool marble absorbing her body heat. It was comfortable.
"But now, knowing you held such a flame for so long?" Hestia glanced over at the remaining individuals in the room, "You can let go now. You can rest."
Artemis didn't hear her because she was already asleep.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
She heard the water first.
Something sparked in her brain, registering a shift in her environment. She remembered—the sound of a fire crackling in her ears, the cool stone under her back, and the calming presence next to the hearth—Hestia?
But none of that was here.
Instead, there was the sound of wind rustling around her. The smell of pine and soot, and the gentle lapping of water. She felt a shiver run through her, as the biting air crept down her spine.
It was the cold that finally woke her.
Artemis blinked her eyes open, registering a soft cushioned pad beneath her, almost swallowing her, nothing compared to the hard cot she was used to.
As her vision adjusted, she found herself in a small room. Warm gray walls were painted with a yellow morning light from three windows on one side of the room. A small breeze came from the middle one, which was cracked open slightly.
Above her head was—a bunk? She was in a bed, a soft sheet draped over her. Her armor was gone, as she only wore a stained silver tunic
She tried to sit up. Her muscles pulled and it was as if her body had been set on fire as everything strained.
"Ugh," Artemis winced as she came upright, her core burning, her back stiff and locked. Another breeze blew through the room, causing her to shiver at the winter air.
Sitting upright, she saw more of the room. Murals of bronze hippocampi dotted the ceiling in swirling designs. Two more beds rest against the same wall, both empty, their sheets made and tucked neatly. Small tables were set against the wall in between each bed, with a small lamp on top of each one. 'Where was she exactly?'
And more importantly, how had she gotten here? Her armor was missing and a quick glance around the room showed that it was nowhere in sight.
Looking out the window from her sitting position she saw sunlight and a glistening body of water. The shore was pebbled, and a number of canoes lay a fair distance away, near a long row of stalls and a slanted roofed building.
'Wait.'
Artemis pushed herself to her feet, her legs screaming at the effort. She had to duck to avoid hitting her head on the top bunk. She knew where she was.
The lake was familiar enough to her, along with the canoes and makeshift looking buildings along the shore.
Camp Half-Blood.
It took her a minute to stand fully as she flexed and stretched her muscles in a slow laborious process of trying to loosen her muscles. The only reason she wasn't confined to her bed was probably because her healing ability had likely worked overtime after her stint under the weight of the sky. Perhaps that was why her powers were so depleted.
Still though, she felt drained over trying to stretch, and the bed she had been lying on looked awfully comfortable… Until she remembered the events of the previous day.
"Perseus."
Artemis instantly perked up, the solstice meetings events flashing by in an instant. And then the hours before that. She was in Camp Half-Blood. The Hunt was here. Where was Perseus?
Resolved to answer that question, Artemis glanced around, finding her sandals underneath the bed after a second's search. In the process, she felt a chill shake through her again. 'Did someone really deposit her here in the middle of winter without winter clothes?!'
That damned window, she crossed the room and slammed it shut, looking out to gauge her bearings for a brief moment. The lake was in full view, with a temple and volleyball court across the expanse of the water, distant trees dotting the background. That was the camp border, the treeline where Thalia had been a tree.
On the near side of the lake, was the line of canoes, pulled out of the water in a varied number of racks next to stalls that were all lined up next to one another. Behind that, Artemis saw the cabins. Each unique to the deity in which the campers were sired from. They were lined up along a small path, which led around towards the building she was in now.
The hippocampi solved the mystery for her. This was the Poseidon cabin. It explained the empty bunks. And if she was here then…
The door on the far side of the room suddenly swung up in a quiet creak.
Artemis turned, her hands still resting on where she had shut the window as Perseus came into view.
The sight took her breath away. On Olympus, her memory had him dressed in armor that resembled his gear from the Expedition. But now, he stood in front of her, dressed in a casual jacket over a faded blue hoodie with dark jeans. His hair was a bit damp, and it fell down framing the grin he wore, a dimple just hidden behind his beard.
She barely registered the folded clothes in his hands.
"Artemis? Are you awake?" Perseus stepped into the room, glancing over to the bed in the corner before he quickly noticed her standing next to the window.
"You're here," Artemis said dumbly.
Perseus frowned, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I—" Artemis stepped forward, glancing over his clothes. It was different. She was used to seeing modern clothes. The Hunt wore similar jackets. Mortals did. Demigods as well. But Perseus?
She had only seen him in tunics and armor.
But this suited him.
"I brought you some clothes," Perseus stepped into the room, shifting his arms as he held out what looked to be a hoodie along with jeans and a pair of sneakers and socks.
The clothes suddenly seemed very unimportant.
She took them and immediately threw them in the general direction of her bed.
"What—" Perseus snorted.
Artemis stepped into his space, placing her hands up against his chest, silencing him. She looked into his eyes, feeling the heartbeat beneath her fingertips.
Perseus stayed still, his hands at his side.
Slowly, she moved her hands over towards his shoulders, her touch lingering on a long ago wound. He was solid. Present.
"You're here," Artemis laughed, her hands gently moving up to frame his face. His beard was soft beneath her touch, unlike the coarse hair the Perseus had during the Expedition. His skin was flushed in a golden tint mixed with his fair complexion. His eyes were clear, unmarred by exhaustion and the worry lines that surrounded them.
"I am," Perseus leaned into her touch, his own hands coming to rest on her waist, the weight grounding her in so many ways.
"I—" Artemis flicked her gaze to his lips.
Perseus tensed and she felt him flinch beneath her hands.
"Wait," Perseus breathed, his eyes finding hers full of regret.
"Oh," Artemis murmured, her hands pulling away. She remembered that he was a god. That Perseus wasn't only just Perseus, but another as well.
"I'm sorry," Perseus said quickly, "I want to, gods I do, but I'm still…"
"Of course," Artemis shook her head, willing herself to focus on anything but the sting of rejection that bloomed in her chest, "I can't even imagine. Is everything alright?"
"Artemis," Perseus pressed, his hands squeezing her hips slightly, "You have no idea how hard it is for me to not kiss you right now, but I have these memories. Of the quiet nights we shared in Babylon… and the times I met you as a fourteen-year-old kid."
Artemis couldn't help but let out a laugh at that, seeing the worry on Perseus's face.
"Don't laugh!" Perseus cracked a grin, "It's a lot! I have my friends here in camp and I'm literally almost thirty years old! I'm trying to adjust."
Artemis sobered at the continued anxiousness that Perseus's face was painted with. She refused to mar his peaceful expression with any semblance of stress and concern.
"Perseus, it's alright. You were Percy for fourteen years. That's a lot. You had a life. Friends, family—crushes. I'm… I won't lie and say I'm not disappointed, but I know it's still you."
Perseus sighed with relief, "Thank you for—understanding…"
Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Did you just…"
"Oh wait, that was an accident, an accident!" Perseus frantically waved his hands.
"I should hope so," Artemis smirked, "That was revenge for leaving the window open." She turned and padded over to where she had thrown the clothes Perseus had brought, finding them scattered against the floor and bed, shows somehow tangled by their laces in the rung ladder that was attached to the top bunk
"Ah," Perseus turned looking to where she had been standing when he first came in, "Sorry, it was a late night, and you were kicking me in your sleep."
"I was not!" Artemis laughed, grabbing the clothes into a bundle, finding that there was a shirt with the hoodie as well, "I was your perfect roommate."
"Of course," Perseus agreed, "Minus the snoring."
"You snore!" Artemis retorted, a smile forming at their exchange. She sat back onto the bed, hiding a wince as her muscles protested the movement.
Her smile cracked as she once again thought of the Hunt.
"What has happened?" Artemis said softly, "Since I fell asleep?"
"You didn't sleep for long," Perseus looked at her, "After Hestia noticed you had fallen asleep, Athena took you and my friends to camp. I believe here was chosen because it would only be me and would allow you to recover before you went back to the Hunt. Thalia is also waiting for you in her cabin."
"And where were you?" Artemis glanced at the perfectly made beds that were definitively untouched in the night.
"Ah, I was with Poseidon," Perseus laughed, waving at his damp hair, "Believe me, practicing to use 'godly' strength is a lot to handle."
"Oh," Artemis murmured, "How did that go?"
"Well I flashed myself into the ocean a few times," Perseus grinned, "And I sparred with Poseidon—Dad. That's still weird too if I'm gonna be honest."
"And your powers?" Artemis prompted, genuinely curious, the image of Perseus accidently flashing himself underwater amusing all the same.
"I still have my ability to control water," Perseus shrugged, "Didn't really find out more. I'm stronger. But my connection to the sea is… sluggish in a way."
"What do you mean?" Artemis sat up, the doubt in his tone making her tense.
"Well my father mentioned it first," Perseus continued, "I could still talk to the sea life, a whale scolded me for almost hitting her calf when I fell into the water for instance, but it's like the sea doesn't answer my call with the force it used to. Poseidon sensed that my 'aura' was weaker than before.
"But you are a son of Poseidon, a god!" Artemis frowned, an inkling of the problem suddenly popping into her mind. Was Perseus a son of Poseidon? Or was Percy?
"That's what I said," Perseus shrugged, "but Poseidon said that though I'm his son, Perseus isn't. Not exactly sure how it all shakes out. He was puzzled as well. Said he'd talk to Athena about it."
She thought back to the throne room, where Hades had mentioned that Perseus's new divine soul had taken on the daimon of protection. That was his Domain. The seas were not.
"I think you are at your best when you are helping people, Perseus," Artemis murmured, "You always have been. I think that's where you'll find your strength."
"I think I'm strongest when you are by my side," Perseus smiled at her.
Artemis groaned internally, shifting away from him.
"I need you to leave so I can get changed," Artemis said shortly, her thoughts left unspoken:
'Before I lose control and kiss you regardless of what reservations you have.'
But Perseus, damn him, seemed to sense the flush she felt crawling up her neck.
"Of course," he laughed, "I'll be just outside?"
"Alright," Artemis nodded to him, quickly shedding her tunic and sandals after he closed the door on her way out. Part of her had wanted him to stay, but then she remembered that the conflux of memories that Perseus was dealing with and thought better of that.
Slipping on the jeans and t-shirt felt foreign, but none more so than the sneakers and socks, as she hadn't followed many of her kin in the modern trends of fashion, especially when her divinity shrugged off most adverse temperatures when she had traveled with the Hunt. The socks felt restricting, the closed shoes even more so.
But when she held the hoodie, she felt the soft fabric in her hands. The worn texture. It wasn't new like the other items had seemed to be. It was like her armor in a way. It made her feel safe. It felt lived in. And she could guess who the hoodie originally belonged to.
She pulled it over her head, letting the sleeves drape down over her arms. She caught a partial reflection of herself in one of the windows where the morning sky had fully begun to shine over the lake, winds creating ripples in the water which in turn caught the newly glowing rays of the sun.
The girl in the window looked thin, an unnatural pale clinging to her skin, while her hair was tangled and frayed. Sniffed down at herself, he was happy she at least didn't smell horrible, but she hardly looked like a goddess. Instead, she was a camper. An older camper, but a camper, nonetheless.
She stood at the window for a minute, her mind going through the day that lay ahead of her. Though the solstice was over, and the threat of war quelled for the moment, the ramifications of what she had seen in the west remained. The Hunt too was here, staying at her cabin, which was just a few minutes' walk down from where she stood now. And despite her joy and warmth in her heart, the sorrow returned.
Artemis walked to the simple door, pulling it open, revealing a number of scallop shells pressed into the front of the door. A small porch with an overhang was nestled against the front of the cabin, with a stout wooden bench sitting against the gray stone exterior of the cabin walls.
Perseus was on the bench, staring out across the row of cabins that lay stretched down the path to his left, Poseidon's cabin being the last in the row. To their right, the currently empty dining pavilion with its long benches and tables were arranged in rows that corresponded to cabins.
And though the path and cabins did not yet stir with campers on their way to the dining pavilion or other corners of the camp, Artemis flinched at the sudden prospect of walking amongst so many demigods.
"Yeah, I'm not too keen on the questions today is going to bring," Perseus looked over to her.
"You know me so well," Artemis murmured. She had, long ago, accepted the fact that Perseus had a pretty good indication of her thoughts on things over the years they had spent together. It was indescribable how it felt to just be in his company once more. To sit and stare at him, no longer a figment of her imagination. No longer a shade of a memory.
"I have to say, it's weird to see you wearing that," Perseus remarked after a moment had passed between them in silence.
And then he said things like that.
"How do you think I felt when I saw you," Artemis scowled, "I hate these shoes. And the socks."
"Would you rather have your toes freeze?"
"Yes."
"Right," Perseus stood up, and looked at her, "Are you… going to see the Hunt?"
"I think I'll collect Thalia first," Artemis gestured over to the Zeus cabin, which was quite literally across the way from where they stood on the porch.
"I'd like to join you," Perseus began, "if that is alright?"
Artemis could only smile, "Perseus of course, but I think you might need to let Chiron know that—"
"Ah," Perseus scratched his beard, "Right, that's another conversation I need to have. I also plan on visiting my mom later today."
There was a pang in her chest, as Artemis recalled they had once planned to visit his mother in another lifetime. Together.
"Go to the Big House, and meet me at my cabin afterwards," Artemis said, glancing down the path for any signs of movement, "I will probably have…broken the news to them by now."
"I can come with you," Perseus looked around before he came up next to her, "Just say the words and I'm there."
"No, they will be shocked enough," Artemis shook her head, "Best to introduce you separately."
"It feels surreal. I've waited so long to meet them, but I already have memories of them. I'm…I'm so happy I got to meet Zoë and Angelina."
"I know," Artemis responded softly. She reached out and grabbed his hand, "It is such a comfort that the youngest and oldest of my hunters… heard my retellings of our travels and made peace with me. And then got to meet you."
"I will meet the rest shortly," Perseus smiled at her. Before he looked down the path where the Big House was visible tucked away deep into the campgrounds, the vast strawberry fields spread in the distance beyond the cabins, the winter cold leaving them barren at the moment.
"I should go before breakfast is served," Perseus sighed, "I'd like to not explain myself to every camper individually today, at least the ones who are here in winter anyways."
"Should I expect a meeting at the Amphitheater today then?" Artemis asked.
"Gods I hope not," Perseus muttered, "But that'll probably be the best way to get it out there."
"I'll see you soon," Artemis promised, letting his hand fall from hers.
"Soon," Perseus promised in return, before he turned and began walking up the path at a brisk pace.
She watched him go, striding up the path, quickly passing all the cabins by until he reached the end and continued on towards the Big House visible in the distance. It was only after he had left the cabins behind that a few campers emerged from the Hermes cabin not far from where Perseus had just passed.
They didn't seem to notice a figure walking in the opposite direction. But their emergence was like a horn blast as more and more campers emerged from their cabins, yawning and stretching in their dozens. Some dashed out of the cabins, immediately going for runs. Others dashed in the direction of the climbing wall and the other arena's across the lake.
But a majority shuffled towards the dining pavilion, where breakfast awaited their arrival.
Artemis huffed and she wasted no time in striding off the porch of the Poseidon cabin, walking over to the front door of the Zeus cabin.
She bundled her fist in the sleeve of the hoodie she wore and knocked on the solid door three times, looking over the marble exterior of the cabin with no small amount of disdain.
"I'm coming," a voice groaned from the other side of the door.
A moment later, the door swung inwards revealing a scowling Thalia, dressed in ripped black pants and a worn leather jacket, her blue eyes squinting against the sunlight.
"Ah, Artemis," Thalia straightened, blinking rapidly, "I suppose this is my last night in this cabin?"
"Quite right," Artemis nodded, "Hope you didn't like the space too much.
"Are you kidding? It's the worst!" Thalia laughed, "Excuse me a moment." And the girl ducked somewhere within the cabin for a moment, leaving Artemis at the front door.
Campers were passing by now, already beginning to settle into tables in the dining pavilion huddled near the several crackling hearths for warmth, many giving her looks as she stood there. She was noticeably older than a good portion of the campers, with only the oldest amongst them coming close to how old she looked. Even then, they wouldn't have been over seventeen, eighteen.
She wholly ignored the stares and the snippets of conversations that hung in the air.
"Who is that at the Zeus cabin?"
"She looks kinda old to be a camper."
"I swear she… oh gods!"
"Jennifer are you—"
Artemis immediately perked up and she whirled around at the familiar sound of a girl's voice. 'She heard a voice say…'
A figure bounded forwards, dressed in a puffy jacket and dirt-stained jeans, with a thick red scarf wrapped around their neck. She recognized the kind eyes and long blonde-brown hair instantly.
"Jennifer!" Artemis smiled, quickly meeting the girl in a fleeting embrace. Even as she did so, she tensed as she glanced over Jennifer's shoulder, seeing campers give them curious looks. It wasn't summer, so there weren't a large number of campers, but there were enough that a small crowd's worth of attention was thrown her way.
"My—" Jennifer faltered, her eyes flicking back in the direction of the campers behind her, "It's good to see you safe and sound, Cleo! Thank you so much for helping me settle in!"
"I—" Artemis quickly caught Jennifer's meaning, "Of course, I hope you've settled in well… you look great." And that was genuine as Artemis looked Jennifer over. The girl had aged a bit, but she was glowing, her cheeks rosy against the cold
"Thanks, I—" Jennifer paused as another girl stepped up beside her.
"Jennifer you coming?" the girl said.
The new arrival was Jennifer's same height, wearing a orange Camp Half-Blood hoodie and a pair of patched jeans, with sown repairs over a series of slashes and stabs in the fabric. The girl had her dark brown hair tied back in a braid, highlighting her sharp jawline and light hazel eyes.
"Oh! Uh," Jennifer paused.
"I'm Cleo," Artemis introduced herself, putting out a hand to shake, "I brought Jennifer here to camp some time ago, I was just catching up with her."
The girl's eyes bulged, and she looked as if Artemis's offered hand was gold plated.
"I—I—" She stuttered, before Jennifer swatted her on the shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," Jennifer looked at the girl at her side with a warning glance, "Cleo, this is Rebecca, in the Ares cabin. She's my girlfriend."
Rebecca looked at Jennifer with betrayal in her eyes, before she turned her attention to Artemis, her eyes immediately darting to avoid eye contact. "I—yes, hi! Uh, nice to m-meet you… Cleo." The girl took her hand lightly in a shake.
Artemis rapidly understood from both Jennifer's quickly growing grin and Rebecca's internal combustion that Jennifer had indeed told this girl who had actually brought her to camp. And likely that she was a former hunter.
"You as well Rebecca," Artemis smirked, squeezing her hand tightly, "I'm so happy Jennifer had made such connections here. I can only imagine that you treat her the very best, right?"
"Of course!" Rebecca squeaked, her ears burning red, likely not from the cold.
Jennifer couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Ok, that's enough Cleo!" Jennifer snorted, shaking her head, "You've terrorized her enough, I want her very much alive and unscarred. At least, the current amount of scarring, you klutz." Jennifer bumped Rebecca with her hip
Artemis released Rebecca's hand with a smirk before she looked back at Jennifer.
"I hate to ask this of you, but are you free right now? I need to go chat with… my companions. I'd like it if you joined us for a bit."
"I can be, if that's okay babe?" Jennifer looked at Rebecca.
"Yeah!" Rebecca nodded heavily, "I'm just gonna, yeah. I'll see you later at the sword fighting arena?"
"It's a date!" Jennifer grinned
"JEN," Rebecca hissed, but her panicked expression morphed into a smile when Jennifer cackled at her response.
Jennifer gave her a parting hug, before she turned back to Artemis.
"It's so good to see you! By the gods, the Hunt will be so relieved to know you are ok! I assume the hunt freed you? Is Thalia here?"
"Yes," Artemis confirmed, glancing back at the Zeus cabin. As if Jennifer had summoned her, Thalia was walking towards the open doorway, a bag slung over her shoulder.
"Alright I'm ready," Thalia announced before she saw Jennifer standing next to Artemis, "Oh, Jennifer! It's good to see you!"
"You as well, you look—" Jennifer frowned, narrowing her eyes, before Artemis watched her expression flare in recognition.
"Oh gods! Congratulations!" Jennifer leapt forward to give Thalia a hug.
"Ahh! Thank you, it's uh—it's exciting, just nervous I suppose" Thalia laughed, patting Jennifer on the back quickly. Artemis looked around, thankfully noticing that most of the demigods had already dispersed for their morning routines, as she hadn't considered that the quest returning to camp would also draw attention.
"Well I have to come now, just for protection. Where is the rest of the quest? Angelina will be sure to crow at you—she told me she likes not being the youngest anymore."
Artemis froze and Thalia cleared her throat, her eyes going misty as she seemed lost in the memories of the quest.
"Jennifer," Artemis shook off the grief that welled up inside her, "They—didn't make it."
"No," Jennifer whispered, taking a step back, "My Lady, I—oh gods—Angelina… and Zoë…"
Artemis stepped forwards and grabbed Jennifer to pull her into an embrace. The girl sniffled into her shoulder, gripping her upper back.
"It's ok," Artemis whispered, "They are resting in Elysium now, with their fellow sisters."
"The Hunt!" Jennifer squirreled her way out of Artemis's arms, "They don't know!"
"We are heading there now," Artemis looked to Thalia, who had sobered considerably. Jennifer, who had been so full of joy when Artemis had watched her bound over, looked as if she was watching Winifred's life in danger once more.
The three of them walked the short distance down the row of cabins to the very last cabin, which had been added specially for the Hunt when they stayed in camp.
There was silence between the three of them as they approached the exterior of the Artemis Cabin. It was a simple structure when compared to the other cabins. In many ways it replicated the look of the Hunt's tents, with white canvas and stretched cloth creating a veranda around the perimeter of the square building. Wooden beams kept the covered areas up, and the walls were painted a light beige, with silver stars imprinted into the walls.
Artemis approached the door, hearing an assortment of voices from within.
"Alright you lot listen up," Phoebe ordered, "Three laps around the Camp, then we get into combat drills at the arena. I don't want to hear you complaining Mara! Your ankle is fine, alright let's move!"
She rapped the door three times.
She heard Phoebe swear, before the door swung open, "You knock again, and I'll break your—"
Artemis smiled sadly at the sight before her eyes.
The interior of the cabin consisted of a ring of cots surrounding a central hearth, where a meat spit rested above the small fire, the smoke escaping through a small hole in the ceiling.
And the room was filled with hunters. Phoebe stood, a surprised expression on her face at the door. Over her right shoulder, Elizabeth, Kathleen, and Victoria were in the final stages of putting on their boots and parkas. Directly behind the hearth Artemis saw that Emily was stretching with Sarah and Winifred, while Mara sulked on the ground, wrapping her left ankle in a tight binding. On Phoebe's left, Anna, Christina stood talking with the three newest hunters: Naomi, Olivia, and Celyn.
"Hello hunters," Artemis softly began, before she glanced back at Jennifer and Thalia, both of their expressions betraying somber news.
Artemis turned back to Phoebe, who took a half-step back, her surprising morphing into worry, which quickly shifted to a gut-twisting fear that Artemis had never seen Phoebe wear before.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"NO!" Phoebe raged as she threw her cot against the wall of the cabin, the flimsy wooden beams shattering against the wall in a crash of wood splinters and tattered cloth.
In a storm of fury, Phoebe grabbed the door and threw it open, stalking outside the cabin. The noise of the door slamming again, sending the cabin into silence once more.
Artemis sighed, standing up as she moved to follow Phoebe, looking at the Hunt with a critical eye.
She had told them what happened, with Thalia interjecting with details, her expression cracking as she recounted Angelina's death, before Artemis told the details of Zoë falling to Atlas.
The Hunt looked as though their world had been swept out from under them. They had looked organized, under Phoebe's guidance, a well-oiled machine that Artemis knew them to be.
But now? They were girls, frightened. Scared. Lost.
It was one thing to lose a friend, and Angelina's passing shook Emily and Jennifer, who shared a tear-filled embrace, for they were closest to the girl. But Zoë? The oldest surviving hunters were her trio from the fourteen hundreds, who sat together in frozen silence, tears pooling in their eyes. Zoë had been with them for their entire lifespan in the Hunt. Every hunter had that ever present connection. Now it was gone, and Artemis shared that soul wrenching pain alongside them.
Thalia stood next to the newest hunter's her eyes shining as she laughed, telling them about the jokes she had made with Zoë during the quest, something about a 'dam' which seemed to make them smile through their tears.
But Phoebe was a concern, especially with campers having seemingly already gotten under her skin. She would lash out against anyone. Artemis recognized the emotion, a devastating spiraling rage that had no cure, no soothing balm. Only one thing could be done.
Artemis quietly left the cabin, gently opening and closing the door, looking around for Phoebe. She caught sight of her old friend stalking past one of the cabins, avoiding the path, charging straight for the lakeshore.
She followed after her, watching as Phoebe reached the edge of the pebbled shore, her fists clenched at her side. The spartan picked up a stone in her hand. The silver light surrounding her form flickered, the soft glow darkening. There was a flash of red and Phoebe crushed the rock in her bare hand, flinging the fragments out across the lake.
Artemis rolled up her sleeves, her eyes narrowed. The blessing of Ares was dangerous at best. And that was when enemies were nearby to unleash yourself on.
"Phoebe!" Artemis yelled, bringing her arms up in a defensive stance, "You want a fight?! Fight me!"
Phoebe pivoted, her red eyes blazing. Bits of rock crumbling from her palm, unable to penetrate her skin. She looked almost feral, and Artemis would've thought she was in a mindless rage if there weren't tears rushing down her face.
Without words, Phoebe charged her.
The spartan girl was always aggressive, and Artemis exploited that. The red aura that pulsed around Phoebe's form acting like a blood moon, distorting the normal silver light. She moved fast, lunging forwards to tackle Artemis to the earth.
But Artemis merely slipped to the side, ducking beneath Phoebe's outstretched arms. She couldn't harm the girl, not with Are's blessing, which gave her more options.
Instead of slipping fully out of Phoebe's path, Artemis stooped down, driving her torso shoulder first into Phoebe's hip, planting her feet in order to lift upwards in the same motion.
Phoebe, caught off balance, was flipped in the air, her back slamming into the rough pebbles on the lakeshore.
But the girl just snarled, animalistic in her rage. She clutched a stone the size of her palm on the ground and leapt to her feet, hurling it at Artemis.
Barely dodging, Artemis lurched backwards as Phoebe advanced again, swinging a fist her way. Perhaps it was the surprise, or the fatigue, but Artemis couldn't block in time and the spartan drove a hook into her right shoulder. She followed up with another hook, but Artemis kicked Phoebe in the chest, driving the girl away for the moment.
Artemis hissed in pain, her shoulder twinging as she bobbed on the balls of her feet, desperately slipping and dodging Phoebe's repeated assaults, jabbing and kicking where she could keep the spartan angry and focused on her.
It might have worked too well when Artemis went to kick her away after dodging another errant hook, when Phoebe grabbed her leg and stepped inside her guard, pulling Artemis off her feet.
She covered the back of her head and Phoebe slammed her onto the ground, thankfully hitting mostly sand and dirt, the cold ground stinging as she broke the fall on her back and forearms.
Phoebe leapt on top of her, and all Artemis could do was squeeze her elbows together as Phoebe's fist came down towards her, as she tried to shield her face.
Only Phoebe didn't go for her face.
Artemis wheezed and subsequently gasped as Phoebe drove her fist into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, making her vision blacken and pulse and she desperately gulped trying to breathe.
"Don't hold back!" Phoebe shouted, as she tried to punch down again, but Artemis bucked to the side, catching Phoebe off guard. In trying to balance herself Artemis finally took a breath and grabbed Phoebe's forearm, holding her at bay
"I don't!" Artemis groaned, as blood rushed into her head, making her dizzy, "Have my powers!" She prepared to fend off the girl, frantically searching for a strategy to survive.
But it was as if she had smothered a fire with sand.
The red glow in Phoebe's eyes sputtered out, her red aura returning to its dim silver glow. Artemis saw that with her eyes revealed once more they were welled with tears.
And Phoebe sobbed, flinging her arms down at Artemis, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
It broke Artemis, seeing the spartan girl shatter like the stone she had thrown into the lake.
"I'm so sorry Phoebe," Artemis blinked, feeling the tears run down her face as the spartan buried her head into her twinged shoulder, "I'm so sorry."
They lay there for what seemed like an eternity, both of their heartbeats slowly aligning as time passed and the cold damp ground bled slightly into the back of her hoodie.
Artemis took to just running a hand over Phoebe's wild hair, until the spartan girl finally shifted backwards pushing herself off of Artemis.
Phoebe sat back; legs curled to her chest.
The sight transported Artemis back almost two and a half millennia, where she had found a frightened girl, sitting amongst the bodies of her family and a number of hellhounds, looking as though she had seen the darkest depths of Tartarus.
"I put her in the stars," Artemis spoke, glancing over the waters of the lake, "That's what drained my powers. I couldn't refuse her final request."
"I couldn't deny her anything," Phoebe shook her head, "There—there's no one. No one knew me like she did. She tore open my soul, Artemis."
"I know," Artemis smiled, looking down, "I know. Did you think I didn't know?"
"I watched you Phoebe. I watched you both forge a bond that I jealously followed for thousands of years. I knew that I wanted what you two shared. Two minds, two souls linked in a bond that transcended love. You were beautiful together, Phoebe."
"Part of me," Phoebe sniffed, looking up at Artemis "Wonders if I missed a chance to be more with her, by staying in the Hunt. Part of me hates that you took that possibility from me. But another part of me hates myself for thinking that. Because you were her world in the same way that she was mine."
"Oh Phoebe," Artemis murmured, "You will see her again, and then, you can be together, if you both wish."
"Maybe," The spartan girl replied, before she sighed. "I don't blame you. I can't, not when both of us didn't want each other in that way. We just… needed to be there for one another. There was never a moment she didn't know what I needed. And it was the same for me. I—she's gone, Artemis. She's gone."
Phoebe leaned her head back, seemingly searching the gray cloud cover for the constellation above, somewhere, invisible behind the clouds and the bright blue sky.
Artemis groaned, trying to get to her feet, but her left shoulder spasmed, and her core lurched spiking in pain.
"Mmph," Artemis huffed, shifting her weight to her other side.
But Phoebe suddenly came to her feet and held out a hand, which Artemis took, as the spartan hauled her to her feet.
"And Angelina," Phoebe murmured, cursing quietly under her breath, "I am so selfish."
Artemis stared at Phoebe incredulously.
She slapped Phoebe in the back of her head, ignoring the lancing pain that spiked through her shoulder.
"Ow!" Phoebe stared accusingly at Artemis.
But she only scowled at the girl, "I am only doing exactly what Zoë would have done in my place."
"Zoë may have been lieutenant, but why do you think she entrusted you with so much of the day-to-day organization of the Hunt's routine? You were as much the lieutenant of the Hunt as Zoë was. As a matter of fact. You still will be."
"I—" Phoebe, stopped, staring back at her, "It's too much. I don't want it."
"Phoebe," Artemis sighed, "I would never force you into the role, but don't you see, you will always be the lieutenant of the Hunt. Zoë knew that. I know it too. If you want the title, it's yours. If you don't, you are still my lieutenant in so many ways."
Phoebe was silent for a minute, as they stood on the shore, the waters creating a gentle wash of noise with the wind prickling their faces.
"I'll think on it," Phoebe finally replied, before she turned back to the cabin "I'd like to head back now."
"I would too," Artemis wrapped a arm around Phoebe's shoulders and together they walked back to the cabin looking up, Artemis saw a collection of about a dozen faces peering out at them from the cabin windows, which had been curtained off before. At their approach, the curtains were hurriedly pushed back over the windows.
"Oh those little shits," Phoebe swore.
"I wonder if someone would have helped me if you didn't snap out of your rage," Artemis wondered aloud, "Or if they would have just watched."
"That was a dangerous thing you did," Phoebe glared at her, "You were lucky I snapped out of it."
"I wasn't lucky," Artemis admitted, "I knew what you were going through since I had a similar break a long time ago."
"Oh," Phoebe murmured.
'I don't blame you," Artemis continued, "I wanted to fight you. I needed it as well."
"A beating?" Phoebe looked puzzled.
"I recall flipping you," Artemis retorted, "But no. I needed to fight something. I'm powerless. I didn't want to feel useless as well. I knew I could help you, why would I let my wellbeing restrict that."
Artemis got slapped in the back of the head.
"That is exactly what Zoë would have done," Phoebe smirked, the weight of loss gone from her eyes for the moment, as Artemis laughed in return.
As they arrived back at the door, Phoebe opened it slowly, finding the Hunt gathered within, regaling Thalia with stories.
"This one time—"
Kathleen was full on sobbing, and it took a good moment for Artemis to realize that she was crying of laughter instead of tears of sorrow.
"We were in London, in like," Kathleen hiccupped, waving her arms, "1599 or something, and me and Zoë are tracking this dracaena in the Globe theater. I don't remember the production, but we are in the crowd trying to find the monster and Zoë tells me that the girl on the stage is young enough to consider recruiting, because she looks like she had merit—" Kathleen snorts, interrupting herself. A horrible screeching noise comes from Victoria and Elizabeth where they cackled in the background. The Hunt looked on in varying degrees of laughter and worry, while others laughed infectiously at the three girls who were giggling uncontrollably.
"WHY HAVE WE NEVER HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE!" Elizabeth jeered, as she leaned against Victoria,
"I don't get it!" Thalia bawled, caught in the contagious laughter, while she pointed at the laughing at Elizabeth and Victoria in hysterics.
"SHE HAD NEVER SEEN SHAKESPEARE BEFORE AND DIDN'T KNOW THE WOMEN CHARACTERS WERE MEN!" Kathleen practically screamed, snorting uncontrollably.
The Hunt dissolved into laughter as Artemis felt her jaw drop in surprise, and Phoebe's shoulder's shook in laughter.
"Oh gods!" Phoebe cried, wiping her eyes, "I heard about this! Zoë had never looked so embarrassed! Didn't she swear you to secrecy!?"
Kathleen could only nod her head repeatedly, "Yeah!" Which set the Hunt off again.
And more stories were told.
Jennifer stood up and told a story about how Angelina had accidently gotten herself caught in a bear trap that had her hanging upside down for hours.
Thalia chipped in and told the whole assembled Hunt about how during the quest, Percy, Grover, and herself had founded the 'dam' jokes which had confused Zoë to no end, but had set off Kathleen again in particular.
Artemis smiled as Thalia integrated into the group, her blunt humor mixing well with everyone, as she repeated mocked Victoria and Elizabeth for having 'goose' laughs which they hotly denied until any funny anecdote told by Sarah has Elizabeth in stitches, when she very loudly honked, causing her whole face to turn red and Thalia to point, yelling "I KNEW IT!"
It was only after about an hour of these stories that Artemis found the time to bring up the next topic at hand.
"Oh gods," Mara moaned, "I've laughed so hard that I don't think I need to work out today."
"Nice try," Phoebe shook her head, "No run, but we are doing drills and sparring at the arena."
"I'll take it!"
"Gods I missed you Emily," Jennifer stuffed a venison jerky stick into her mouth.
"You idiot, I've been here at Camp with the Hunt for days!" Emily rolled her eyes, "You could've seen me at any time!"
"She's too busy making out with her girlfriend at the strawberry shack," Winifred accused, looking over to Jennifer with amusement, "I should know after that Rebecca girl tried to take my head off during the Capture the Flag game."
"Ugh," Jennifer sat up, looking over at Winifred, "Sorry, I told her we talked and worked things out, but she is just bull headed."
"Dam Ares campers," Thalia joked. Making Elizabeth snort.
"Like Phoebe," Christina nodded sagely.
"We can still run, you know," Phoebe threatened.
"Christina don't you ruin this for me!" Mara pleaded.
"Alright, alright," Artemis laughed, standing from where she had been resting in the corner of the room, "Training will happen at the arena later, but for now, I have some more news. It isn't bad… it's just… surprising. Especially for a few of you here." Artemis glanced over to the new hunters and Thalia.
"After the quest ended," Artemis began, there was a Solstice meeting on Olympus. Choices were made to ensure that the Great Prophecy didn't come to pass sooner than we could manage. Hence Thalia joining our ranks, in which we will have a dedicated ceremony later."
"Why not now?" Victoria asked, "We are all here."
"I also drained my powers, putting Zoë's constellation in the sky," Artemis stated.
Artemis continued before the hunters could dwell on that recent subject though.
"They will return, but it does mean that we will remain here for the time being, so that I can recover. However, that is not all that happened on the solstice. And to understand what happened, I need to share some information with you three."
Artemis gestured to Naomi, Celyn, and Olivia, who all looked confused.
"Uh…"
"Is it good news?"
"…"
"It is good news," Artemis replied, "It is just a little hard to say quickly… "It was long ago. In the fourth century B.C.—"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A knock came on the door right about when Artemis had finished her story up until the Siege of Tyre for the second time.
"This is crazy," Naomi murmured, "and you guys said you had met the demigod that was the reincarnation of this long ago—friend of Lady Artemis? It was that Percy kid? Wait, is that why we were following him!?"
"This has read like a fairy tale so far," Olivia laughed, "I mean at first I was a bit concerned about you know—this story being about love, but—"
"Trust me, I was with you there," Phoebe grunted from where she lay on her destroyed cot, which was somewhat put back together.
Celyn shook her head, "And there's so much more! You said this thing lasted twelve years. We barely heard of the two!"
Knock
Knock
Knock
"I swear—" Phoebe sat up.
"No," Artemis stood from where she had been telling the story over again, in a much more condensed form, "I know who this is."
"Let me preface this to you all," Artemis said, keeping her voice level, "I mentioned that Thalia became a hunter in order to delay the Great Prophecy. She wasn't the only one who took immortality to do so. And there were some… unintended revelations that came with that.
Artemis turned walking over to the door as she heard the Hunt muttering behind her.
But as she pulled the door open, she saw Perseus standing there, grinning awkwardly.
"Hey guys," Perseus smiled , shoving his hands in his jacket pockets, "I'm Perseus.
"…"
"…"
"I think Kathleen fainted," Thalia dryly remarked.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Thats right, cliffhangers are here to stay