Chapter Two
Percy fell for what felt like forever. The wind whistled in his ears. A couple of times his hair fell in front of his eyes, which was annoying, because he wasn't able to move it out of his face.
Luckily he could reach the knife Artemis had given him, since she placed it right below where his hand was tied to his body. He grasped the handle and used his other hand to pull the chain closer to the knife.
Slowly he started to saw through the metal. It was difficult, and at any moment he could lose the knife, which would suck. He finished sawing through the link in the chain. He sheathed the knife, making sure he didn't lose it.
He was able to unravel the chain from there, freeing his hands, which made it easier to get out of the chain. The chain fell next to him, free falling with him.
Percy twisted himself, so that way his back was facing the direction he was falling. He placed his hands behind his head. If he was viewed from the top, it would look like he was laying down, having a great time.
He could no longer see the underworld, having been falling for a while. He honestly thought he would die from boredom. Maybe he could take his own life with the knife. It would certainly beat going through Hell again.
But no, he was going to come back to the surface. He was going to show them that even Tartarus couldn't hold him down.
He turned around again, facing the way he was falling. He straightened himself, like he was diving into a pool. He started to speed up, gaining speed from his new aerodynamicness.
The smell of rotten eggs started to attack his nostrils. His vision started to get a red tint. He knew that he was close to the bottom now. The red clouds were starting to show up.
The hole opened up and the ground came into view. The black obsidian glass shone in the light of the Phlegethon. Percy aimed for the River of Fire, hoping that his fall damage immunity would work in a river that wasn't technically water.
The fiery river came closer. Percy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A second later he landed in the river. Good news, the impact didn't hurt. Bad news, the river was so hot that it felt freezing cold.
Percy swam up, breaking through the surface of the river. He took a breath, allowing himself to open his eyes. He swam to the river bank. He climbed out of the river of fire, forgetting that the ground was made of broken glass.
The glass dug into his palms, cutting his flesh and drawing blood. Percy stood up shakily, not wanting to cut anymore of his skin. It would be harder to heal down here, so he wanted to avoid getting hurt in the first place.
He remembered that he and Annabeth had used the river Phlegathon to heal faster when they were down here. The Underworlds version of Nectar and Ambrosia he remembered. He knelt down before the river and stuck his hands in. He cupped his hands and brought the out of the river, the fire sitting in his hands. He raised his hands to his mouth and drank the fire.
Percy coughed as it went down. It still tasted like gasoline. But once it was down he looked at his hands. Slowly, the cuts began to close. He stood up and breathed in. He decided he would follow the river, but to where?
He closed his eyes, spun around and held out a pointed finger. He stopped spinning and opened his eyes. He was pointing to the right. So he went that way.
He was off to see the rest of Tartarus.
LINE BREAK
Artemis wasn't used to dreams. Gods never got them. It was just a part of their nature. They didn't need sleep that often, and again, when they did, there were no dreams. They closed their eyes, and opened them a couple of seconds later to see that it was later in time.
So when she opened her eyes and knew that she wasn't awake, she was confused. Then she felt a huge weight on her shoulders. She looked up to see a giant ball sitting on her shoulders. The ball glowed with the light of stars and stormy clouds. She recognized it. She had been here before.
She was stuck under the sky again. The ruins of Othrys came into focus a moment later. The black walls were slowly resurrecting themselves. Atlas stood a few feet away. The blond-haired boy, Luke, stood with him.
"I want her after we're done. She'll be mine." Atlas was saying. "My reward for helping."
"You can have her, and others if you wish." Luke said. "Kronos holds no stake over her."
Atlas turned to look at Artemis. "I can't wait to feel what that virgin pussy will feel like. Two thousand years ought to make her feel so tight."
Artemis growled. "I'll cut your dick off when I get out of here."
Atlas walked over to her. He cupped her chin. "We need to gag you. Maybe I should use my cock. It'll shut you up."
Artemis tried to bite Atlas' hand.
"Alas, the demigods will be here soon. Maybe I'll reward myself after their destruction."
The scene shifted to later that night, after her rescue. After her dear friends death. When she was sitting in a garden on Olympus, staring at the newly made constellation. Tears started to fall, before a sound came from beside her.
Artemis turned to look at what caused the noise. Someone had sat next to her, also staring at the sky. She recognized the windswept black hair that sat on the male's head. The son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, deciding that she could show him something other than disdain. He did help save her after all.
He shrugged. "Had to get away. Music was loud. And Mr. D was drunk. What are you doing here?"
"I'm not in a partying mood."
"I don't think anyone really should be. But then again, when do most of the Gods do anything that they should be doing." Percy said. Artemis cast a glance at him, before narrowing her eyes. "Besides you, of course." He amended.
"That's better." She said, before turning back to the stars.
They were silent. There was no discomfort in the silence. They found peace in it. Eventually, Artemis forgot that Percy was even there. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. She sniffed quietly.
Percy took notice and risked a glance at the Goddess. "Are you okay?" He asked. "What kind of question is that, of course you're not okay." He muttered.
Artemis found that a little funny. She sniffed again as more tears fell.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy asked softly.
Artemis was silent. How could she explain how she was feeling? Did she even want to? Why was she being this open with a male? All of these questions ran through her head. She was a man hating Goddess, and yet here she was, sitting next to one like he was her best friend. Slowly, the words started to come to her.
"I knew her for millennia. She was one of my best Huntresses. And now, she has been replaced by a newbie, one who has no experience."
"Thalia? She'll learn quickly. It's how she is."
"Maybe, but she can't replace what Zoë was."
"She shouldn't. Thalia should be her own thing to you. She shouldn't be a replacement for what you lost. Don't think of her like that, and keep Zoë with you. They can coexist." Percy said.
Artemis turned to Percy. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, she studied the boy. His hair was messy, like he stood in a hurricane. It was as black as a raven, and came down in front of his eyes. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, reminding her of bioluminescent algae. His eyes showed nothing but concern for her, like all that mattered to him was that she was okay. His mouth was set in a straight line, like he was determined to make her feel better. The thought did made her feel better, but why?
She wasn't the only one studying the person they were facing, as Percy was noticing things now that he was so close to her. He could see every strand of hair as it was done in a braid. Her eyes shone like the moon, the same silvery-gray as the lunar object. With the tears in her eyes, they seemed to sparkle. Strange, such sadness can cause such beauty. Yes, Artemis was beautiful, she was a Goddess after all. He wasn't sure what Aphrodite was talking about, calling her a lost cause. Her mouth was still open, and Percy noticed that her canines were sharper than a normal canine was supposed to be. It was then that Percy saw that she was in a form that seemed to be the same age as him- 13.
Finally, words came out of her. "Thank you." It was almost inaudible, but Percy still heard.
"Of course. I just want you to feel better."
That was the final straw for Artemis. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him. She started to sob heavily. Percy instantly wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Maybe he should have stopped, after all, she broke down after his words. He was about to let go when she squeezed him tighter, like she didn't want to let him go.
Percy squeezed her a bit tighter, letting her know that he was staying right there. She buried her face in his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. He didn't mind, he could just dry it when she was done anyway. Besides, she obviously needed to let it all out.
He placed his chin on her head, letting her rest her head on his chest. He stared at the night sky, specifically at Zoë's constellation. Percy didn't know if it was a trick of his mind, but the stars seemed to glow brighter above them.
