CHAPTER 2

Cassandra

Cassandra looked flabbergasted. When Percy explained that he had a new ability, that was not what she was expecting. She literally saw him take down a monster, something straight from the bowls of Tartarus, with an arrow covered in his self-styled version of a terminal illness.

Cassandra's legs moved on their own, discreetly planting her behind Percy. Then in an instant, her gloved hand came and smacked the back of the blonde boy.

Thalia, Annabeth and the rest of the assembled company watched shocked and confused.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Cassandra hissed out, her sea-green eyes glaring at the shocked boy.

"What do y-"he hardly got to finish as he was met with a slap across his face. Percy's eyes widen as he stared at the now raging girl.

"Don't you even start with me!" Cassandra screamed, as she glared at Percy. "First you ran off without the rest of us. Then, you decide to pick up a fight with that thing! Didn't you see it! Or were you too busy trying test out your powers on it."

Percy looked shocked. He'd never seen Cassandra act like this, not even when the faced a sea monster a few months back.

"What if your arrow didn't work and it killed you!" Cassandra whispered, tears threatening to spill from her green orbs.

There it was.

Cassandra had lost her mom, Sally Jackson, at the age of three. Aurora, being Sally's closest friend and living family, was named Cassandra's legal guardian in her will. Aurora took to Cassandra like a sponge in water, making sure to care for her every need. And having Percy as her sibling made the transition into her new homestead easier.

"I'm sorry Cass." Percy then went on to wrap his hands around his sobbing sister. When Cassandra calmed down, Percy gave her a quick kiss to her forehead as he let go.

Thalia, Annabeth, and the brown-eyed kids shifted awkwardly, feeling like they were intruding on a sibling moment, while the silver-clad girls glared at Percy with upmost hatred.

"Sorry to interrupt such a dear moment, but we have things to confer." The goddess said, drawing everyone's attention. "Zoe, set up camp. We'll discuss these things within the camp," the goddess told the girl with the silver circlet.

"W-woah…h-hold up!" the brown eyed girl next to Annabeth cried out. Both Jackson siblings felt bad for her. Her first entry into the world of divinity wasn't so warm. Getting kidnapped by a monster posing as your principle isn't fun, they were both sure of that.

"What the hell is going around here…a-and what was thing!" The girl was now full-on trembling. If it wasn't for her brother clutching her hand, Cassandra was pretty sure she would have fainted on spot. "And who are you guys!?"

"Relax child. I am the goddess Artemis, leader of the hunt and patron to maidens. That thing, that boy just killed was monster straight from Tartarus."

"Does that mean it's gone for good?" her brother timidly asked.

Artemis eyes landed on the boy and softened a little. Before she could reply, a snort disturbed her.

"I wish. No matter how many times you kill those hell spawns, they'll just keep on reforming to come and kill demigods like us," Thalia explained, her voice bitter.

"Yes, exactly what Thalia explained."

"Hold up. You mean were demigods…like children of gods…" She looked around in disbelief, trying to find if all that was happening to her was a travesty. Unfortunately, she was met with faces that said everything was true.

"Awesome!" her brother cried out. "Does that mean I get cool powers like the blonde guy?" he asked, jumping around.

"Nico! This…isn't awesome"

"But Bianca!"

The goddess, seeing this wasn't going anywhere spoke.

"Hush children," her voice commanding, instantly silencing the siblings. "Bianca, please come with me. You to daughter of Poseidon," the goddess commanded, authority dripping from her voice and aura. "Zoe, please follow."

Percy gave his sister a 'go-ahead' smile, reassuring her that it was fine. He hundred-percent sure that Artemis wouldn't smite…well unless Cassandra angered her. Something she was good at.

"If I die, hide my stash away from mom," Cassandra whispered half-smiling. "I don't think mom would be interested in your…toys," Percy said, holding in a laugh. Cassandra's face went red with embarrassment. "I'm not talking about that stash!" she hissed as she ran up to the goddess.

Nico on the other hand looked excited as hell. "What about me? Can't I come with"

Zoe scowled while Artemis looked contemplative.

"You can stay with the other demigods while I speak to Bianca and Cassandra," Artemis said, as she turned around and made her to a giant silver tent with the rest slowly trailing behind her.

"Time to familiarize you into the world of gods, monsters and Titans. The only place where demigods are screwed!" Percy said as he slung his arm around Nico shoulder, giving the younger boy a grin.

"Let's do it. Is it anything like mythomagic?"

"I…guess," Percy said, unsure what mythomagic was.

Percy squeaked as he felt someone slap his rear. He turned around and came face to face with the daughter of Zeus.

"Stop flirting sunbeam, I need to rest from this little jaunt of ours," Thalia said, walking towards the hunter camp, leaving a scowling Percy, a blushing Nico and an amused Annabeth.

"I'm not flirting," Percy grumbled as he trailed behind Thalia, Nico and Annabeth following them.


Cassandra ducked under the tent flap to find herself in a room of myth. Silk carpets and pillows covered the tents floor. A golden fire burned in the middle without fuel or smoke, permeating the air with warmth and scent of cooked meals. Behind the goddess sat a polished oak display stand, her mighty silver bow atop it, the symbol of her power. The walls hung with animal pelts of stags', bears, and tigers, as well as many other skins.

"Please girls, take a seat," Artemis said, drawing Cassandra from her thoughts. Both Cassandra and Bianca took seats on the pillows while Zoe stood next to Artemis like a sentry on duty.

Both girls shifted uncomfortably on the pillows, each varying in reason. Cassandra wasn't used to being that close to a goddess while Bianca was plainly muddled.

"Are you surprised by my age?" Artemis questioned; her gaze settled on both girls.

"Um…a little," Cassandra replied. Artemis gave both of them a slight smile.

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire," Artemis began, "But I favor this, the age of a 12-year-old, because it's the middling age of which most girls join, and the average age of most of them, whom I patron, before the go astray."

"Go…astray," Bianca voiced this time.

"Become preoccupied and silly with males," Artemis instantly replied. Both girls seemed to understand what the goddess meant.

"Anyhow, Cassandra, Bianca, I'd like to find out what the Manticore spoke about," Artemis demanded.

And so, Cassandra and Bianca told her. They gave out every info the Manticore managed to spill while rambling on about the Titans great conquest. Oh, how he loves the Titan.

When they finished, Artemis' hand caressed her bow in thought. "I feared this was the answer."

"The scent milady?" Zoe's voice rose to ask.

"Yes."

"Wait, what scent? Does this have to do with the Manticore's transformation?" Cassandra asked, biting her lower lip.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis replied in concern. "Regarding the Manticore, that was all new to me. Never in my entire immortal life have I seen anything of that. It seems the Titan of time has more tricks up his sleeve."

"That's saying something," Cassandra commented dryly. "Considering how old Greek mythology truly is."

Artemis then stared at Cassandra intently. "We came here tonight detecting the Manticore, but he's not the target that I seeked. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"He said somebody named the General was going to explain things to us," Cassandra said.

Zoe paled instantly, something that both Cassandra and Bianca took notice of. She moved to talk but Artemis silenced her and motioned for Cassandra to continue.

"Well then, Thorn was talking about the Great rousing, an important monster that could bring the downfall of Olympus, and allies that the Olympians wouldn't expect."

It's funny what a monster can say when the think they're going to win.

Artemis was silent.

"Maybe he was lying," Bianca suggested flatly.

The goddess of the hunt shook her head. "No. he was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked frightened, but seemed to ignore that fear. "We'll leave right away, milady."

"No Zoe, I must go alone," Artemis said.

"But-"

"You will not go with me Zoe, is that understood," Artemis said, staring at her lieutenant.

Zoe bit back a reply and stared at her goddess.

"As…as you wish milady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis swore. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the council to take action in this war."

"You know the monster?" Bianca asked.

"Let's pray I'm wrong," Artemis replied.

"Can a goddess pray," Cassandra asked, her face turning to something of cute-curiosity.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis' lips. "I have an offer for both you girls."

"An offer," both girls simultaneously replied.

"I'd like for you to both join my hunt."

Both girls stared wide eyed at the goddess.

"Okay, say that we choose to stay in the hunt. What would we get out of it that we can't get at camp?" Cassandra questioned. She was just curious; she'd never leave her brother for a group of teenage girls…no matter how much she loved the gender.

"For one thing," Zoe said. "Immortality."

"And sisters and family," Artemis concluded. "You'll get to travel the globe as my maidens, hunting monsters with your sisters in arms, free from responsibility."

"Responsibly…?" Bianca asked.

"Yes, my dear. All that if you swear an oath to me."

"What is the oath?" Bianca timidly asked.

Cassandra stared at her like she was crazy. She'd leave her brother for a group of…sexy, delicious, pretty…no, stop it. You can't leave your little brother alone…even if it's for a group of sexy girls.

"Say this," Zoe said. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"I…I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," Bianca began tentatively.

"Then, 'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Bianca repeated the lines, then glanced at Zoe. "That's it?"

Zoe nodded. "If Artemis accepts your pledge, then the oath is binding."

Artemis nodded. "I accept it."

The flames in the brazier brightened, the air becoming lightly bathed with silver light. Cassandra turned to Bianca, biting her lower lip. She'd noticed the girl was beautiful before, but right now she was stunning. Her olive skin seemed to glow with a silver hue around it, while her eye looked to have tinges of silver.

"What about you?" Zoe asked, turning to Cassandra.

Cassandra let out a laugh before facing both goddess and lieutenant.

"As much as I would love to join you beautiful ladies for all eternity, I have mom and brother to look after." Bianca visibly cringed when the word 'brother' was said.

"You'll can all leave except from Zoe. I'll call for Apollo to pick you at dawn."


Felt like dishing out an extra chapter. Expect the next one in four days time.

I'm working really hard to make my dialogue and descriptions better...so as to give a better reading experience and to obviously better myself.

Expect more things like what happened to the Manticore to be more often. The Gods, Titans, Monsters, half-bloods and any other Celestial being are going to be far more powerful...far more divine. Demigods won't be able to fully stand up to Immortals...the Gods will be far more godly and less of hormonal teenagers.

Thanks for reading...and if it isn't too much to ask, share this story to your fellow readers