Another slow chapter, sorry about that, I kind of have an idea of where to go with this story now, hopefully you'll like where I'm going with this.

I was walking behind the hunters, I think I was about fifty feet back, there are a few reasons why I'm all the way back here, the first and biggest reason is because I actually thought it was best not to join the hunters. But the hunters see men as monsters, and so does Artemis, but she's taken an interest in me, I don't know why but I can use that and try to get her to get the rest of the hunters warmed up to me and men that aren't so…Horrible.

The other reason is because I still haven't recovered from…My fight with all those monsters. And the last one is because I've actually been thinking about Zoe, is she taking what I said to heart? Did I remind her of something or someone by saying what I said? My unlikely reason for wondering why she's taking my words to heart is that maybe she realized I'm not a bad guy. Ever since I became a hunter of Artemis, I started noticing that my senses are getting better and I can see in the dark a lot more than before.

I have no wounds, but my body aches, just what did I do? I was struck by lightning more than four times…Maybe even more I'm not sure, but what I'm saying is that I should be dead, why didn't it affect me? Gods…Titans…Half-bloods…Monsters…Immortal beings, no matter what, nothing should be able to stay alive for more than a hundred years, they shouldn't be playing god with our lives, the gods I assume only help mortals when it absolutely matters, but when it's a small matter, they'll let those mortals die, whether it be their own family or friends, they'll let them die.

I have no love for the gods because one has already shown me that they don't take their children seriously, instead they run straight back to their home and watch from afar as their child goes through hell. I'm speaking about most gods, but I do know anything about most gods, so for now all that is pointed towards Zeus, the king od the gods. Artemis has shown me that she'll always be there for her hunters, no matter what. But I feel like that won't be the case with me, since I am a man and the son of a god that wasn't supposed to bare anymore children. With me as a hunter, will that complicate things? Will more monsters attack us because I'm here? Questions…I have so many, but none of them will be answered, because I have no one to actually talk with. As I was overthinking things, a faint voice was calling to me, my vision was blinded with a bright light, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Someone demanded, who is that? Where am I? Questions again…

Everything focused and Artemis was standing behind me with her bow drawn, and her hand on my shoulder, I looked down and realized I was standing on the edge of a cliff, I stumbled backwards, how long have I been out of it? Thinking about the gods won't do me any good, so why am I so focused on them? I took a shaky breath, "I-I'm sorry…I got distracted." I said and tried to steady my breathing. "What is it, boy?" Artemis said sternly, this isn't something they can answer, "Questions that I need answers to, but these questions are not the kind I can ask you, or the hunters, it will only anger you…" I muttered.

There were some glares thrown towards me as I said this, some even hateful, Zoe on the other hand, didn't have a look of concern nor a look of hatred, but she had a look that meant she has questions she wants answered as well. "Why is it that you dislike my hunters?" Artemis asked.

"I..." Damn I can't tell her I don't dislike them, because I've already shown her I dislike them. "I'm sorry lady Artemis, I don't hate or dislike them, I just don't want to make them hate me anymore than I already have." I said carefully, I made the decision to not care what others think about me, but I realized if I do that I'll ruin what they've built, Artemis nodded like that was a suitable answer. "I see, then I suppose it's best that you keep your questions to yourself."

I nodded, and said nothing else. I did say I would follow all of her orders, and without saying anything we started moving again, I stayed in the back again, because I know I'm not wanted up front, from both the hunters and Artemis. She wasn't entirely sure she should let me join her hunters. We kept going for at least a few hours, whenever I traveled this long I got tired pretty fast, but since joining the hunters of Artemis, my stamina and physical strength have increased and also my senses are sharper. Another hour and I felt like I was on my own again, where I was fighting monsters and looking for a good place to sleep. But instead there was people with me.

I didn't ask anyone anything, I just did as Artemis asked, follow her orders, it's been two hours been since my birthday...Every birthday I never felt older, which includes this one. My body is finally back to normal, well...I guess it's not really back to normal, it's better than before, I feel more flexible, and more at ease. A few weeks passed and Artemis asked me to show her my abilities or my talent with the sword and bow and arrow. "I've been using swords for years, I pretty much mastered that, but the bow and arrow is difficult for me. But I will show you how much I've learned." I said and bowed to Artemis, she nodded to her hunters and they started moving things around and out of the way, until there was a circle around us. Kind of like a little arena.

A couple minutes later the hunters sat down all around us and Artemis was sitting in a chair that seemed to be too high for her, but she got up there no problem, she nodded to Zoe and then to me. "Do not go too far, you will fight until one of you gets a clean hit, remember this is just a match to see how strong he is and how much he can handle on his own." Artemis finished and lifted her hand, "Whoa now?" I asked, she her fingers and yelled, "Begin!"

I quickly went for my sword and blocked an arrow that Zoe shot at me, "I see thy reflexes aren't too bad. Now let us test thou speed." She smirked and fired arrow after arrow, at one point she shot five arrows in two seconds, which was difficult to block. Once I got the hang of it I advanced slowly. I was two feet in front of her and she pulled out her dagger, "Not bad." She said and pushed me back, I'm surprised she's strong enough to move me. I pushed her back and backed off, there's no opening, Artemis wants to see if I can force my opponent to make mistakes, and if I'm capable of fighting on my own.

I hate to admit it but she's faster than me, but good thing I found out that there are ways to contain people who are quick. Simply defend, she doesn't have this godly speed or anything, she just faster than I am, which means I can block anything she throws at me, but I can't attack or else she'll counter me and I'll lose and disappoint Artemis.

Zoe took a step back and drew an arrow and shot it up and then another one, a second later she took out her dagger and advanced, I intercepted her attacks, and we were at a standstill, "You're strong...And quick, but you won't win." I said and pushed her back, if there's anything I excel at, it's fighting with a sword.

I tried to advance, but my body reacted on its own, I took a step back and rolled to my left. I looked back at where I was and saw that her arrows would have grazed my arms. I see, so those shots earlier weren't random, she planned to hold me there until one of the arrows got me, not bad. I got back up and readied my sword, I grabbed the handle with two hands and charged Zoe, I brought my sword high and brought it back down with everything I had, Zoe twisted her body and my sword went past her before I could lift my arm to protect myself Zoe's foot connected with my cheek, my whole body turned and I fell to the ground, the hunters cheered and Artemis said, "Whether that was anger or not, you let her win with that attack, if this was an actual fight, you would've been dead. I guess you haven't mastered using a sword just yet, instead you're only a novice with the sword. Monsters are decent practice, but that won't get you far. They can't move like we do, always remember that."

I sat there holding my cheek, did I let her win? That wasn't really out of anger, I mean sure I felt like she was beating me, but it wasn't enough to make me lose sight of what I had to do…I…I took her speed into account and her strength…So why did I…Attack with everything I had? There was no need for that. I didn't intentionally throw that match…At least I felt like I didn't. She didn't do anything special, I read everything she threw at me, kind of, I shouldn't have lost so quickly. All I have to do is clear my mind, of course I knew they were nothing like the monsters I've fought, I knew there were better than the monsters. Just clear your mind Anthony, let you instincts take over. Enough being confused about the questions that will never be answered, enough with worrying that you'll hurt these girls, they had bad experiences with men, who cares, I'm not those guys that did wrong to them.

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"Can I have a rematch?" I asked almost robotically. No more questions repeated in my head, it was just thinking about winning, I'm not doing this because losing to a girls sucks, I'm doing it to show Artemis I'm not useless.

I stared at Artemis with no emotion, her expression towards me changed, there was no longer disappointment written on her face, or amusement. Instead there was confusion, a look I thought would never fall upon her face. I've been like this once before, it was back when I first found out my mother died. I was calm and…I forget what else I felt that day, maybe it was nothing, it just seemed like she wasn't actually gone, it was strange.

Artemis smiled and said, "No, you've proved that just because she is a female, you will not truly attack her. Of course I wanted to test your strength, but I also wanted to see how you would react if a maiden almost beat you in battle."

I nodded and bowed, "As you wish my lady."

The hunters of Artemis stared at me in stunned silence. Zoe, was giving me a skeptical look, but nothing else, she put her dagger away and her bow vanished into thin air. Artemis kept staring at me like she's known me for a very long time. After ten minutes of silence they set up camp and everyone went to bed. I laid down and stared at the tent's ceiling, after a few minutes, I got up and went for a walk. I'm sixteen and I should be dead. There are gods that keep those monsters and titans at bay, and those gods have children that seem to grab the attention of monsters, they are known as 'Half-Bloods' of those gods, three are not supposed to have any children, but one has ignored that rule and bore one. That is me, Anthony Ross, the son of Zeus.

I looked up at the stars and suddenly my whole body felt warm, like I was home…Next to me something red appeared, and then it started crackling. I looked down next to me, it was a little camp fire. One thing didn't make sense to me, there was a little girl wearing a black cloak and transparent veil, her eyes were closed, but I had a feeling that if she opened them, there weren't actually going to be any eyeballs there.

She opened her eyes slowly and I felt like I already knew who she was, in her eye sockets, was flames, they danced back and forth, those eyes didn't make me fear for my life, instead they made me take a seat next to her. She opened her mouth to speak, "Hello, Anthony."

As I stared at her, nothing changed I didn't move or say anything, I didn't feel fear or anything, but I still ended up feeling a single teardrop falling down my right cheek.

I don't have more to say, but somewhere in this chapter I kind of went off track, but I guess that's fine.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all have an awesome day!

Rilurz~