For the few of you who've been here from the beginning, I'm so sorry for the unexpected hiatus and the change up in this story (if you even remember it). I took down the original second chapter of this story because it was just OrionArchis's original story copied and pasted here and our writing styles are very different. From now on, I will be taking breaking up and editing OrionArchis's original story to fit more cohesively into my writing style. This entire story is mapped out and will be about 21 chapters, however, OrionArchis's writing will only play a part until about chapter four (but I will always place a note after my disclaimer stating whether any of OrionArchis's original work is in a chapter). My hope is to post about once a week until this story is complete, likely on Fridays like my current Harry Potter story. Thank you so much for being here, you are so appreciated whether you're a new or old reader. Hope you like the updated chapter two!
Love always,
Adrien
Disclaimer: I sadly don't own the PJO world, that very much belongs to the freaking awesome Rick Riordan, and OrionArchis was the original owner of this story. I just like running with their ideas.
Important Note: Because I was given personal permission by this author when I first adopted this story and because readers of my other stories have commented on how distracting it is to read, I will not be highlighting the sections of the chapter that are directly quoted from OrionArchis's original draft of this story. Just know that a good portion of this chapter was written by OrionArchis, I just tweaked it to better fit my writing style and to flow better with the prologue I wrote when I originally adopted this story.
Chapter Two: A Wrench In Our Gods Given Plan
Artemis had never cared for doing her father's bidding. Especially when doing his bidding could cost a young maiden their life. But Zeus, she hadn't thought of that monster as her father since she's taken one of his many victims into her hunt barely a century into the formation of her hunt, was a vindictive man and she had her hunters' safety to think about.
That's why she was currently leading her girls through the scarce amount of woods in Bar Harbor, Maine instead of camping out in one of their favorite national parks.
She didn't expect to see three familiar campers and a satyr trying to protect the two demigods she was hunting.
Raising her hand, she calls her hunters to a halt. They won't interfere until they know the entire situation. It was a hunter's instinct to look at everything from a distance, to take in all angles so that you could find the best approach. This angle just happened to look pretty bleak for those not currently hidden in the trees...
Where a manticore has the son of Poseidon, who had been nothing but a massive headache to Olympus since his entrance to the Greek world, and the two demigods Artemis was meant to be hunting backed up to the edge of a cliff.
"Face me!" the manticore demanded, and the trio gradually turned. He pulled out a phone, and spoke quietly into it.
The son of Poseidon shoots what Artemis considers a cowardly glance toward the edge of the cliff that has a scowl tugging at the goddess's lips. It was so like a boy to run away from his problems.
The manticore laughed, "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump. There is the sea – save yourself!"
The three demigods mutter among themselves, their conversation too far away for even Artemis's godly hearing to pick up, but the boy doesn't jump. In fact, he stays firmly planted in front of the two younger demigods. A surprising and stupid decision on his part if Artemis is being honest with herself. But brave, nonetheless.
The manticore finished it's conversation and spoke to the demigods in front of him, "Unfortunately, you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead-" it turned and glared at Percy, "just like you will be before you can jump."
The son of Poseidon looked down, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat.
A helicopter's blades were faintly audible in the silence, and the manticore grinned. "Here is our ride, little brats."
The son of Poseidon's back straightened once more as his head snaps up, a dangerous gleam in his eye that had Artemis's eyebrows shooting up at the sheer audacity of that movement.
"You work for Luke, right?" The son of Poseidon questioned, his gaze unwavering as he eyes the monster in front of him. What Artemis can't understand is why the boy would ask that question. What pertinence could that traitor have in this moment?
The manticore's look of distaste and curt nod is the only response given before the son of Poseidon and the two undetermined demigods are forced to ground by an invisible force.
Blonde curls and tan skin become visible as a hat falls to the ground, revealing the daughter of Athena as the invisible force before all four teens are scrambling to their feet.
The manticore let out a brief exclamation as its first volley of spikes whistled over the teens' heads, and it spun around at the sound of the demigod daughter of Zeus's shield cranking out into the spectacle that was Aegis. The demigod daughter of Zeus charged at the monster as its hand became an immense orange paw with gleaming black claws, which it swiped at her shield. The sheer force of the blow made the girl stumble as the satyr appeared and began to frantically play its reed pipes, causing vines to sprout from the ground, binding the monster's legs.
The monster let out a furious roar, and melted away into its true form, revealing a six-foot tall lion with a human head, and a long tail reminiscent of a scorpion's. When it began shooting several spikes at the rising demigod daughter of Zeus, making her fall back to the ground, Artemis gave her huntresses the signal to shoot. The daughter of Athena let out a gasp as the vines were clawed to pieces and the manticore's head turned towards her while Artemis's huntresses took aim. The son of Posiedon clambered to his feet, despite the poisoned spike clearly embedded in his shoulder. He dove in front of the blonde girl and tapped his wristwatch, deflecting the deadly spikes sent toward the duo as a shield sprung to life. The manticore advanced onto them, taking advantage of their situation, as the first of Artemis's huntresses' arrows sprouted from its back. It roared in anger, whirling around to glare as the huntresses made their entrance, stepping out of the forest as a single unit.
"You cannot interfere! It is against the Ancient Laws!" the monster roared.
Artemis resisted the urge to roll her eyes. After all, hunting was her domain. She could choose to hunt whatever she pleased and this monstrosity was interfering with her mission.
The demigod daughter of Zeus looked sick as the hunt approached and Artemis had a feeling it wasn't just from the poison running through her veins. After all, Artemis remembered what had happened the last time they had met.
Sea green eyes darkened as they connected with Artemis's silver gaze. Clearly, the son of Posiedon remembered what had happened the last time they met as well.
Zoe, Artemis's lieutenant and best friend, stepped forward and asked, "Permission to kill, my lady?"
"Not so, filthy monster – the Hunt kills wild beasts, and that is exactly the category you fall into. Permission granted," Artemis replied to both her second in command and the monster.
"If I cannot have them alive, I will have them dead!" The manticore lunged at the demigod daughter of Zeus and the daughter of Athena (who had crawled over to the demigod daughter of Zeus as the Hunt approached).
Artemis's eyes widened, she was too far away even if she flashed over. There was no way she would make it in time.
And then the demigod son of Posiedon was leaping onto the monster's back, hanging on for dear life, as the manticore turned in circles, trying to throw the boy off.
"Fire!" Zoe commanded, trusting the aim of the girls she had helped train.
Shock colored the daughter of Athena's face as she screamed, "NO!"
But the arrows continued to fly, and the monster screamed in pain, before hurling himself with the sin of Poseidon on its back off the edge of the cliff.
Artemis's eyes widen as she watched them fall, unable to pull her gaze away from the horrifying sight. Unconsciously, she flashed to the edge, her eyes trained on the two figures falling toward the water...unable to do anything because they weren't in her domain.
The male – Perseus Jackson had sacrificed himself for his friends. He had acted... honourably. For a male. When the figures finally vanished into darkness, she knew that neither had died, and so discarded the blonde girl – Annabeth's – distraught wailing, and motioned for a few huntresses to talk some sense into her. Turning her attention back to the sea, she let out a sigh of relief. She had always found peace in the way the moon reflected against the sea.
A distant moon made Artemis freeze, her attention snapping to an all too familiar speck in the sea. It was the perfect excuse not to do Zeus's bidding, after all her oath to Olympus's safety outweighed any power Zeus held over her. It gave her the opportunity to save the two young demigods but it also spelled trouble to come. Not to mention, she'd have to call in a favor from her brother.
A tentative tap on the goddess's shoulder drew her attention to her lieutenant.
"Milady, I apologise for interrupting, but-" she started, but Artemis anticipated her worry.
"Thalia, correct? Was Helen unable to assist at all?"
"Unfortunately, she hasn't dealt with manticore poison before." Zoë quickly replied.
Artemis sighed and reluctantly gave in to the inevitable, shooting a mental prayer to her brother before responding, "It would have been necessary to call my brother anyway, this just means he arrives earlier than expected."
Artemis took a few steps forward, as if returning to reality, and immediately got to work. In a few swift strides she was at the door of the recently reassembled main tent, and another few later she was seated on a silver rug, followed roughly thirty seconds later by Zoë leading the young demigoddess they had originally come to retreive inside. The goddess nodded at a huntress standing in the doorway who promptly exited the tent and returned a while later with the demigod daughter of Zeus and the daughter of Athena– the latter pale from poison and only walking while supported.
The daughter of Athena looked around in amazement at the number of animal pelts, and was drawn towards the central fire, seemingly burning without fuel. But when the demigod daughter of Zeus groaned, the blonde girl immediately refocused on her attempts to help the dark haired girl to Artemis, who nodded her head before stating,
"A brave maiden, I am obliged to help. Alas, our healers are not as proficient as they would like to admit " Helen, a daughter of Apollo with hazel hair, found the floor fascinating at this mention but Artemis continued, "so I called my brother. Atlanta, if you will?"
A bulky, black haired girl stepped forward, took the injured girl from her friend and carried her out of the tent, presumably towards the medical tent. Those left behind sat in a comfortable silence until a gargantuan golden gleam blistered in the campsite, and a faint row could be heard, until a yelp resounded through the cold air, and Atalanta stormed in, her cheeks flushed with anger.
Artemis sighed, because her brother never did learn and her huntresses had yet to realize that he was not serious in his flirting (despite his many terrible qualities, her brother would never hurt her by going after one of her girls), and spoke directly to the daughter of Athena, "What did the manticore talk about?"
The daughter of Athena shrugged, and gestured towards the unclaimed demigoddess at her side, who looked slightly panicked at the pressure, and squeaked out something resembling, "Great Stirring and wanted us alive!"
This revelation made dread pool in Artemis's stomach, but it faded quickly as a familiar pull tugged at her gut. The tug the fates had gifted her when she presented the idea of her hunt, the one that told her when she was in the presence of someone destined to be apart of her patchwork family.
"Listen, Bianca... from what you know of the godly world, and your parentage, and life so far... I would like to extend an offer to join the immortal Hunt." It wasn't her best sell of her hunt, even she had to admit that, but it was the best she could do at the moment.
The young girl's jaw dropped but it was easy to tell she was extremely tempted.
The daughter of Athena, on the other hand, looked furious...though Artemis could also detect a hint of jealousy.
"I, uh... c-can I think ab-about it?" the unclaimed demigoddess stuttered, and Artemis smiled gently.
"Of course, you can have until-"she was cut off by her twin barging into the tent and reciting a haiku – or attempting to, over the groans of annoyance.
Apollo complained playfully, "Honestly, I'm just trying to greet my baby sis and this is how I'm treated?"
"For the last time, we're twins! AND DO NOT CALL ME SIS!" Artemis snapped, beginning an almost mindless argument with her brother. She really had seen far too much of him in the past few months and he was really getting on her nerves.
As the two continued to argue in their typical fashion, Artemis saw her newest possible addition slightly prod Zoë in the shoulder to attract her attention. Artemis's eldest huntress turned, her look softening as she saw how nervous the demigoddess was. By the relieved slump in the younger girl's shoulders as their quiet conversation progressed, Artemis could only assume they'd reached a decision.
"-nothing but a fiery ball of gas!" Artemis finished, only realizing that the tent was completely silent after she finished ranting, a slight golden blush appeared on her face, only to the great amusement of all spectators, as shown by the subsequent echoing laughter.
After they had calmed down again, the unclaimed demigoddess walked over to Artemis, far too well aware all eyes were upon her, and stated with more confidence than the goddess had yet seen from the young girl, "I choose to join the Hunt."
Applause rang through the tent. Artemis grinned, nodded and let the applause die down before congratulating her.
"Well done, sister. Now, repeat after me: I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." The young girl, Bianca, parrotted the goddess, and Artemis confirmed her pledge, "I accept your pledge. Welcome to the Hunt!"
Jealousy completely contorted the daughter of Athena's face at the evident joy and relief on the new huntress's face, but she didn't have much time to react before Artemis's voice cut through the tent,
"Now, girls, I reluctantly am forced to leave you at Camp Half-Blood, with the campers. I know," she raised a hand to hush her hunters' mutterings, "But I doubt that Dionysus will bear a grudge on you after a simple, ah, misunderstanding. Apollo, you are to take them to Camp, and you must NOT flirt with any hunter, am I understood?" She continued without waiting for a reply, "There is something I must hunt in places too dangerous for you all to follow me." She swept past all, and melted into the woods.
