Artemis wasn't sure what to expect when she approached Mt. Tam. But she definitely wasn't expecting the Titan to be free from his prison. Neither was she expecting the sarcophagus. Things were far worse than even she herself had imagined.

The last thing she expected though, was to see the missing daughter of Athena bearing the burden of Atlas. She was kneeling at the base of the huge cloud that represented the lowest point of Ouranos' realm. Surely the girl must have been tricked by the traitorous son of Hermes. Artemis had heard the two were close before the boy's betrayal. The boy himself had looked frail. Weakened. Devoid of life. Not in the average health any demigod should possess. Why? She didn't know, but it couldn't be anything good.

The maiden had a brave heart no doubt, but she wouldn't be able to bear the curse for even a few more minutes, Artemis could tell.

She voluntarily took the curse from Annabeth and buckled under the weight. It was much heavier than she had expected, and that was saying a lot. The goddess knew this couldn't be done indefinitely. Atlas was one of the strongest Titans, the Titan of Endurance. He was built for this job. Artemis wouldn't be able to carry on for more than a year if she was lucky. Although, if she really was lucky, she wouldn't be stuck here for long.

She had been expecting help, in the form of a quest. While Apollo definitely wouldn't let her stay in this state, she also knew of her brother's belief in prophecy. He wouldn't make a move himself if there was one involved. Also, with the Titans marking it as their territory, Artemis doubted the gods could get into the mountain at free will anymore.

Everyone around her seemed to be preparing to trap her rescuers whenever they would arrive. There was no way to warn them, although there was no stopping her hunters, especially Zoë if Artemis was in trouble. By the time they would be here it would be too late.

The goddess didn't know for how long she was bearing the curse, but sometime soon, the questers had arrived. The introductions took some time and the demigods refused to back down, despite the visible threat of Atlas.

Artemis was quite shocked to see Percy's protectiveness over Zoë. It appeared the two had become friends over the quest. Huh. It was interesting to see Zoë start a friendship with a male in the space of a single quest. Maybe the boy possessed better character than she assumed. Or perhaps he was far more charming than she had thought. Artemis wanted to dismiss the latter idea, but she couldn't deny being intrigued at the possibility.

What followed soon was chaos. Thalia and Luke clashed at one end of the summit, and the idiot approached the Titan. Does he really believe he could defeat Atlas? Sure enough, the boy could barely fight. Although… it seemed some external force was interfering. The boy couldn't lift his sword at all. Anaklusmos. Zoë's sword. He was almost killed, if it wasn't for Zoë, who was uncharacteristically protective as well. Despite the situation, Artemis was proud of her huntress, for moving on from her past. It takes a lot of mental toughness to do so.

While Atlas looked dazed from Zoë's arrows, Artemis noticed Perseus approaching her with a determined look to himself. He no longer resembled the awkward, clumsy boy that she had met just a few days ago. Instead he looked like a god. No, a man. A confident, self-assured man. In her distracted state, her mind wandered and found more flattering terms for what he appeared to her at that moment.

"The sky," he said "Give it to me".

"No, boy," Artemis said. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"

"Annabeth took it!"

"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long". Even as those words left her mouth, Artemis knew she was wrong. The determination he was displaying was evidence that he had spirit to him. Perhaps even more than the girl.

"I'll die anyway," I said. "Give me the weight of the sky!". Artemis wanted to tell him off again. In spite of the fact that she understood him. Her brain agreed with Perseus. It was the most rational, logical move they had. She didn't know why, but she just didn't want him to go through this torture. He didn't wait for her to answer though. He slashed the chains that bound her indefinitely to the point, and knelt next to her. She exhaled a little in relief at the ease he provided her by sharing the burden.

Though Artemis had no choice now. There was no point in holding it together - Perseus wouldn't last more than a few extra minutes with her help. She slipped out and proceeded to her objective. Atlas. There was no way she could actually beat the Titan of Endurance. Even the Big Three struggled to defeat him together - she was a lone goddess. All she had to do was force the sky onto him. Atlas was one of the only beings who could be forced to bear it.

The battle was difficult. Atlas dealt with Artemis as if facing a young girl. Which in all fairness was appropriate considering her appearance. She certainly held the advantage of agility over the Titan, but for his massive size he wasn't as easy to exploit as the Giants of old. The goddess focused on avoiding being hit instead of trying to land them. That was the better strategy against someone who found anything aggressive to be little more than a nuisance. Zoë assisted her in battle, with arrows finding the right spots through Atlas' armour.

Artemis was slowly leading him towards the vortex above Percy, whom she made sure to warn. If Atlas was in his right mind, he would have seen the trick coming a long way out. But Artemis had purposefully driven him mad during their scuffle, his pride refusing to see anything other than retribution. However, somewhere along the way he improvised. Feinting a thrust, he swept her legs from under her. Artemis hit the ground with a thud. He would have killed her immediately if Zoë hadn't interfered with an arrow to the forehead. Atlas retaliated by quickly smacking her across the mountain in rage. No!

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas stated, with such pride that one would never guess Zoë was his daughter. Artemis had to restrain herself from trying to face him head on. She had the advantage, exactly where she wanted him to be. She lay as if she were critically wounded, her body twitching pathetically. Atlas looked towards her and stabbed his javelin down towards her.

Yes! She dodged in a split second, grabbing the javelin and bringing herself upwards with it. She placed a powerful kick at him, which sent him flying to her intended target. Now she just hoped the son of Poseidon would be able to relieve himself. The manoeuvre would require perfect timing to escape and force Atlas onto the burden.

Artemis couldn't properly see what transpired, but Atlas' loud complaints were more than enough to satisfy her curiosity. She looked around and saw the young hero getting up, still dazed from carrying the entire weight of the sky. The fact that he could still stand was impressive. The hero had many admirable qualities about him. Character, strength, skill, spirit, humility. Empathy too, apparently. He deserved a hero's reward after this was over. That Artemis would personally make sure of. She helped him steady as he stood. He was too dazed to even notice her. Satisfied with his state, she shot off towards the one who really needed her - Zoë.

Artemis could feel the life seeping out of the former Hesperide; her connection with her huntress weakening every passing moment. She found the cause to be Ladon's poison, buried in the wound at her side. The goddess was about to take measures for treating Zoë but she suddenly heard her name being yelled by Perseus.

Artemis looked up to meet his eyes. He immediately looked over at Zoë with concern. Her eyes must have given way to her grief.

"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.

"Atlas poisoned her?" I asked.

"No. Not Atlas".

She showed the wound, and it seemed he understood. Throughout this encounter, he had proved far smarter and perceptive than Artemis had initially given him credit for.

"The stars," Zoë murmured. "I cannot see them".

Oh Zoë, my poor huntress. I wish you would see another day. She wanted Zoë to survive. Her lieutenant seemed to have finally freed herself from the demons of her past. It would be unfair if she couldn't enjoy life the only way you truly could: without care, without the burdens that hold you down. The Goddess of the Hunt could feel that Zoë wouldn't last long. It was too much for her. She could hear a male's voice, but Artemis couldn't be bothered to listen at the moment.

But suddenly, she heard… mortal gunshots? "Get away from my daughter!".

"Dad?!" That was the daughter of Athena. Artemis looked up towards the sky. A mortal aeroplane could be observed in the sky. One of those early planes from the World Wars. She looked towards the line of fire. An army of monsters was approaching them. She had completely forgotten that Atlas had initially set up a trap for the demigods. But a lot of them had seemed to disintegrate from the mortal's attacks. That was a novelty.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

"A brave man," Artemis had to admit. It seemed Athena's choice in this instance was a good one. Usually, it was brilliant minds with no heart. "Come. We must get Zoë away from here". She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and blew into it.

Artemis could feel her chariot coming towards their location. The plane performed another sweep, taking down many monsters. Annabeth certainly seemed amazed at her father's heroics. Artemis smiled. Not many could claim to have heroic mortal parents.

Soon enough, her silver chariot appeared from the sky, landing right next to the small party.

"Get in". Artemis instructed as she grabbed the reins on her reindeer. It was quite surprising that the boy helped everyone on board after going through what was possibly the most gruelling experience any being could go through. He truly is one of a kind.

"Like Santa Claus' sleigh" he murmured as he got on board with some difficulty. Artemis looked back at him, amused. One of a kind indeed. She should have expected someone, especially Perseus, to make a comment about her chariot. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?", with that she turned her attention forwards again and she commanded her reindeer to move away from the mountain.

After landing, Artemis, along with Thalia, lay Zoë on the grass and tried to fix her wounds. Her hunter was gradually losing her life. She could feel her life slipping away.

"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia called out to them. They approached them, faces etched with concern.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" Perseus asked Artemis. "I mean… you're a goddess".

Artemis was troubled. Divine Intervention wasn't something her father would tolerate in this instance. Not many understood this, and the gods preferred to keep it that way. But there was a reason why Apollo was the god of healing, even though magic could be used at any time almost effortlessly. Still… "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She was about to proceed, but Zoë gripped her wrist. As Artemis looked her huntress in the eye, she understood why. Zoë had accepted that she would die on this quest. She would die in peace. She had fulfilled her life, moved on from the pain of the past. And if Zoë wished to finally depart from this world, then Artemis would grant her this last wish. The goddess could feel her eyes water. It was difficult to prevent tears from falling off.

"Have I… served thee well?" Zoë whispered.

"With great honour,' Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants".

Zoë's face relaxed. "Rest. At last".

She then looked towards Thalia and took her hand. "I am sorry we argued," Zoë said. "We could have been sisters".

"It's my fault," Thalia said, also trying not to cry, just like her. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men – everything".

"Perhaps not all men," Zoë murmured. She smiled weakly at the boy. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?". The boy brought out the sword, and handed it to her. Zoë held it in her hand for a while, looking at it tenderly "You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like… like Heracles. I am honoured that you carry this sword."

She shuddered. "Stars", she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady".

A tear finally found its way down Artemis' cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight".

"Stars," Zoë repeated lifelessly. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.

Artemis cupped her shaky hand above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke came out through Zoë's lips, which the goddess caught in her hand. Zoë's body shimmered, slowly fading in the most glorious and enchanting fashion.

She went through the ritual she had practised many times, releasing it into the sky.

"Let the world honour you, my huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars".

Soon, she could see Zoë finally appear in the sky. Artemis was now lost in thought. Her most faithful lieutenant was gone, never to return again. The goddess thought of the day she first met her, when she was moving about the forests as a nymph. Zoë was brave, courageous, adventurous. A true female warrior, one for young girls to look up to. To Artemis, she was her only confidant in the Hunt. Sure, Artemis didn't share everything with her, but she did share a lot. The only person she was more open to was Apollo.

Perhaps what was most impressive about Zoë was her complete aversion to the opposite sex. Other hunters, including Artemis herself had at some point felt something was missing. Many left the Hunt to pursue a life which they considered "fulfilling". Those that remained had sometimes longed for it. Some just felt curious what a life with a man would feel like. Zoë never felt so. Heracles, and her father, had scarred her so deep she couldn't move on. Until now.

Artemis' thoughts now drifted to Perseus. He was incredible. A man of great honour and valour. A true hero, she could tell. Not like the arrogant, boastful men who use their reputation and skills to seek pleasure and wealth. He was still too young and pure to make such a judgement over, but there were no seeds in him that searched for such glory. Artemis hoped he would remain this way. The world needed more like Perseus Jackson.

The goddess didn't know exactly what Zoë felt for him, but he had helped her achieve peace. Move on. For that she owed him her gratitude. Yes. She will have him rewarded somehow. He deserved as much for her closest friend. Having calmed down, Artemis noticed the others were looking at her fearfully. Perhaps she must have lost control of herself in grief. Composing herself further she said, "I must go to Olympus immediately. I will not be able to take you, but I will send help".

Artemis set her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. You will do what is right". Artemis would accept any decision. The boy was certainly someone worth choosing the Hunt over. There was plenty of time for her to return if she wished so.

Then she looked towards Thalia, who seemed reluctant to look at the goddess. When she did finally look up, Artemis understood that the girl wished to join the Hunt. That traitor had crushed her hopes regarding men, and she now seeked the best refuge for girls like her. Artemis's gaze softened with sympathy. She only hoped that Perseus was an example for her not to fall into the hate trap like Zoë did. The Hunt was healing slowly after Orion, their views regarding males becoming better. And perhaps Thalia could help accelerate the healing in that regard.

Finally she turned towards the boy himself. "You did well," she said. "For a man".

He suddenly became indignant but stopped, seeing through the veiled compliment. Not as dense as he appears to be.

Artemis flashed herself back to Olympus, now to report her findings to the Council. If her father possessed even an ounce of wisdom, he would finally act. It would be too late to ignore the signs now. But first… she made her way towards Apollo. He would be worried sick for her.

Artemis spent the next few minutes crying as Apollo held her. He was the only one that ever saw her in such a vulnerable state. Not even her hunters, not even Zoë had been allowed to see her cry. Her thoughts went to Bianca, the young girl that died just after joining the Hunt. It was Fate, she understood. The girl was fated to die. But it didn't ease the pain. Nor the guilt. It was difficult to avoid the guilt of separating the siblings now, with her brother by her side comforting her. She thought of the poor kid, Nico. He probably hated her now, blaming her, and Zoë, for the death of his sister.

Alas, he would have to deal with it. Nobody can change fate, nor interfere with it. May Bianca be granted Elysium. She most likely would, since she was a child of Hades. Hades would not overlook the accomplishments of his own children at least. He wasn't that unfair to begin with. Not like her father had become over the years.

"Come on, sis", Apollo said softly "We need to get prepared for the demigods to show up. The Council needs to be informed beforehand. We'd all look like idiots if we haven't done anything before they arrive".

Artemis pulled away and nodded through her tears. It was time to inform the council.

Artemis was glad that the Council voted in favour of acting. Although not everyone was on board (the drunk being at the forefront, obviously). They were already quite late, thanks to her father's indecision regarding the Crooked One. Every second wasted was a step closer to their collapse.

The Council also decided to kill the Ophiotaurus. The beast needed to be killed in order to minimise the things that could bring about their downfall. The satyr, Grover Underwood, protested the matter, but Dionysus shut him down.

"They're coming". Apollo could be heard commenting.

The doors opened as the children flew in on their pegasi. The boy appeared to be conversing with his pegasus. The black one that needed to be taught respect.

"Welcome, heroes". Artemis said as they started approaching them. The satyr ran towards them, hugged the girls (in a completely friendly way, Artemis noted) and then started talking seriously with Perseus. Most likely asking for help with the Ophiotaurus. Time is just being wasted…

'Heroes". Artemis called as she slid down from her throne and turned to human size. The goddess made sure to guard her emotions as she caught sight of them. Each demigod building a different one in her chest.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds. They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act".

There was some mumbling and shuffling behind her.

"At my Lord Zeus's command, my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…"

She turned to face the other gods in challenge. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

Not a sound of disagreement could be heard.

"I gotta say,' Apollo broke the silence, "these kids did okay". He cleared his throat and began to recite:

"Heroes win laurels –"

"Um, yes, first class", Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry. They all were. Even the demigods looked like they wanted to avoid it and they barely knew the idiot. "All in favour of not disintegrating them?"

Demeter and Aphrodite raised their hands. She already knew Apollo and Hermes approved of them. Poseidon and Zeus wouldn't have their children killed.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed towards his cousins. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here –"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits".

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well".

Hera's face soured a bit, but she didn't say anything. Artemis had to admit her stepmother could look past her squabbles when required. It didn't change her opinion by much though.

Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here, with the other two".

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you –"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia and Percy… are dangerous. As thick-headed as he is, Ares has a point".

Artemis could not believe this. How could Athena be so heartless? The moon goddess could never understand her half-sister. While the two were quite close, Artemis and Athena only really shared two things with each other- the virgin goddess status (emphasis on 'status') and father. They were different in almost everything else.

""Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin' –"

He started to get up, but a grapevine grew round his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later".

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at them wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?".

"I do not pass judgement," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide".

"I will not have them punished," Artemis finally said, agitated at the behaviour of these ungrateful beings. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favour, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it".

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up".

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them". It was kind of embarrassing. She was whining like a little kid. But they were all acting like jerks towards the very children who served them. The same ones that rescued her. That went against her honour.

"Well," her father finally decided to intervene. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

Everyone nodded.

"Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?", suddenly Perseus decided to enter the conversation. All the gods stared at him.

"You have named the Ophiotaurus 'Bessie'?" Poseidon asked incredulously.

"Dad, he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him".

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or –"

"You can't," he insisted. Then he looked at Zeus, staring him right in the eye. Artemis marvelled at the sight. Not even a bit of fear. Even Artemis often shrunk in front of her father, especially when he was stressed out like now. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess– the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as… as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"

Artemis had to admit the boy, no, man, had a point. It was wrong to kill innocent creatures when unnecessary. But the gods never gave any beings below them much thought. Guilt resurfaced again, as she remembered who she herself subjected mortals to punishments they didn't truly deserve. Callisto, Sipriotes, the daughters of Niobe, … She forced those thoughts away as usual.

Her father also seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Although he was probably thinking of his own father instead of his guilt. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says".

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them"

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?". They just saved us! How much more should they do before we trust them?

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoë Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately".

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. She spoke in his ear "Father, I wish to make your daughter, and my sister, Thalia, my new lieutenant. If you approve".

Zeus frowned and started stroking his beard "You wish to induct Thalia among your handmaidens? Is this because of the prophecy?"

"Partially, yes. She is strong, and I believe she is willing to join the Hunt. A good choice for a new lieutenant".

He considered this for a while.

"But that would mean the Poseidon spawn would be the prophecy child. I don't trust him", he grumbled.

"That shouldn't be a problem, father. I believe he is trustworthy. The boy seems to be very loyal to his friends. If he doesn't fight for us, he will fight for them. And he's extremely powerful. In two years, he should be powerful enough to tip the balance in our favour".

Zeus looked at her one last time. He didn't seem happy about a son of Poseidon getting the limelight, but nodded anyway in approval.

"If Thalia wishes, I shall accept. But I do not like this".

Artemis turned towards the demigods. "I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it".

She noticed that Perseus went stiff, a very panicked expression on his face. Artemis had to hide her sour expression at the reason. He didn't have anything to worry about here, though.

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Stunned silence filled the room.

"I will". Thalia said firmly after a moment's consideration.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well –"

"Father," she interrupted him. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won't let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again".

She knelt before the goddess and began swearing the oath,. " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis, to abide by her will, to be a maiden for all eternity and join the Hunt' "

Artemis felt the connection build between them and their bond strengthen. Thalia was truly one of the most powerful half-bloods out there. The goddess could feel it.

Afterwards, Thalia embraced all her friends, even the boys. She looked towards Apollo and Hermes who looked like they would laugh at the satyr. Artemis shook her head, as she was amused as well.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus". Artemis said, as Thalia stood beside her.

"This boy is still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy –"

"No. Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him".

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen. If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years".

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero".

"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated. Artemis was too. How do you expect him to be on your side, if you keep insisting on killing him?

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy"

Poseidon stood up. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed if I can help it. And I can help it". He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: his symbol of power. "I will vouch for the boy, and the safety of the Ophiotaurus".

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession".

"Brother, please" Poseidon sighed, looking tired of her father's paranoia.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand. Things were getting heated. Artemis looked at Apollo, who seemed ready to act if things escalated. She was too.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honour".

Zeus thought about this. "All in favour?"

Almost all hands went up. Only three people abstained. Dionysus, Ares and Athena. As Artemis expected, really. Perseus, on the other hand, seemed surprised.

"We have a majority", Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes… I imagine we should honour them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

Only her father could say such things without seeing the irony in them. She shook her head. For some reason, Artemis felt triumphant. Personally. Not on behalf of the demigods.

Speaking of… Artemis went over to congratulate each of the four, even the satyr. The goat seemed to find this to be the best day of his life.

She thought of today's Council meeting. Poseidon took a risk vouching for Perseus, but the gesture would help them in the long run. Loyalty was something the boy seemed to value a lot, and this will inspire tons of confidence in him - at least regarding his father and those that actively supported him. The goddess hoped she was one of them. After all, she was the most active support on the council. Now, let's enjoy the celebration…

The party was wild, as usual. Despite being a goddess of the wild, Artemis wasn't inclined to enjoy these sorts of parties much. She first talked to Thalia regarding the Hunt; nothing too serious - they were celebrating after all. Then she talked to some of the nymphs around. Some wanted to talk to her about the Hunt, some just wanted to talk to her about nature in general. There was always great insight when talking about things related to her domains.

After business was dealt with, the goddess walked around, mind half rattled with drink, listening to her favourite music, which was usually the songs of nymphs, with angelic voices. But occasionally she would indulge into modern, harsher ones. Like the one she was listening to right now.

Don't you want somebody to love
Don't you need somebody to love
Wouldn't you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love

The main chorus was just something that resonated with her, building a desire to attain something she always wanted; the powerful vocals adding to the effect. One of the downsides of eternal virginity was that it left a gaping hole in the heart, waiting to be filled. And often, you had to squash your feelings, your desires, your happiness.

Sometimes, Artemis wondered what would have happened if she didn't vow to be a virgin forever. Would she have been happier, more carefree compared to now? Would she have preferred to be with someone she loved, or would she just sleep around? Like her brother Apollo, or Aphrodite, or even her fellow 'virgin' sister Athena? It was something she was always tempted to find out, but would never commit to. There were times where she even regretted taking the vow to remain chaste, and times where she was thankful for it.

Contrary to popular belief (one she herself had ensured was popular), Artemis did feel attraction towards men. While the number of men she ever had feelings for could be counted on the fingers of her hand, they induced strong feelings within her. She still longed for them, even the bastard Orion. She longed to feel like she used to with them. And while there were other men she had been attracted to, it just was never the same after the betrayal. Orion was one of the reasons why she liked the song in the first place.

The goddess tried to forget him at the moment. They were supposed to be celebrating a victory. Why did she even start thinking about her non-existent love life at this moment? She was a virgin goddess. A proud one. Now she just needed to find her brother. He would cheer her up somehow.

She spotted Apollo talking to the hero of the day, Perseus. Perseus. She did need to reward him somehow. For rescuing herself from the mountain, for releasing her lieutenant from her burdens. Probably a lot more if she was honest. After a few minutes of conversation, he left the boy and approached her. "So sis, how's the party?"

"It's okay. You know how I feel about these raves".

"Come on, sis, you need to lighten up".

"I'm already feeling a bit light-headed. I don't need to lighten up further. That might lead to embarrassing situations". She looked over towards Perseus, who seemed to be talking to Athena. Artemis hoped Athena wasn't shooting down his confidence. She had a habit of putting people down if she hated them, which in this case, she did.

"Even with the drink in your head, you're still uptight", he said, sighing as if Artemis was a hopeless cause. "Try having some fun, sometimes". They both stood there for a while. Apollo started talking again. "Was just talking to your 'saviour' right now. Seems like a pretty cool guy. Shame he doesn't like archery. I even offered lessons, from aboard the chariot. Would have been a perfect reward for saving my baby sis, wouldn't it? But nope, he declined.".

"Really?" she said, dragging out the words "I can't imagine why".

"Right? But apparently he doesn't like archery and thinks he's horrible at it". He said, shaking his head.

"Well, he has poor taste in weapons, I suppose. Although maybe he would just prefer a better teacher".

Apollo just laughed "And who would be a better teacher than me? You?"

Artemis smiled "Definitely. Maybe I will teach him some hunting as well".

Apollo looked at her curiously "Are we sure he will go through the training session without being transformed into some furry creature?"

Artemis considered this for a while "Well, he seems pretty respectful. I doubt he will act out of line. I actually found his company a bit... pleasant".

Apollo raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything.

After a pause, she asked "Why were you even talking to him? Are you interested?"

Apollo gave her a very amused smile, like he knew something she didn't. "Why wouldn't I talk to my sister's saviour? Any guy who manages to do that must be awesome. And let me tell you, he'd be great to have around in the future".

Artemis did not like the sound of that. "Are you planning to take him out on your escapades? He seems like a decent man. Don't corrupt him" she said sternly.

"What, me? Corrupt him? Of course not", he responded, gesturing in an exaggerated manner. He then looked behind Artemis. "Well, I'm off to enjoy the rest of the night, sis. There's some hot babes 'interested' in me. Get some sleep, I should say. Good luck". He said, and set off to dance with some nymph.

Artemis glanced one last time at the son of Poseidon. He seemed to be dancing with Annabeth, the two looking very delighted and lost in each other. She smiled before turning away. She could reward him later, something given enough thought to be meaningful. Besides, letting him enjoy the day was a reward in itself. Now it was time to leave and get some rest. There was much to do from now on.

Too close to canon, but I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will cover the rest of canon all the way to HOO, and then I will finally get to the story.

As I said, the story will largely be about Artemis, and there's going to be a ton of insight into her character.

What do you guys think of it so far?