XIV - Westover part 2

Suddenly the boy from before showed up wearing a cloak and drawing on an amazing sword slashed through the spikes saving Thalia's life.

The boy was beautiful. He had disheveled black hair swept to one side. He had a few scars that gave his face a bit of a roguish look. His dark purple eyes had become brighter so that they almost glowed, and the sea-green, blue, black, and gold seemed to be constantly moving. Finally, he was muscular but had more of a swimmer-type body. He was definitely taller than Luke.

Annabeth couldn't help but blush as she looked at him, and Alex glared at the boy's jealousy as she did so.

The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades. The monster stared at the Boy in front of Thalia, fear evident in his eyes.

"No," Dr. Thorn said. "I'm..."

Then they heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods.

His sentence was cut short when something shot past Annabeth like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

He staggered backward, wailing in agony.

"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but Annabeth's eyes must've been playing tricks on her. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy.

Two of the spikes flew towards the boy, but his hands suddenly grabbed them out of the air. Thalia gasped. Nobody, absolutely nobody, had such reflexes. Even then, the spikes were sharp all around. And while it cut his hands a little, he didn't seem to notice. Even the hunters faltered for a moment when they noticed the boy.

The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Alex tried to swipe at him with his sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged his attack and slammed his tail into the shield, knocking Alex aside.

Then the hunters came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe twelve. The oldest, about nineteen, about four to five years older than Alex. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to Alex, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

He didn't have a chance to ask what she meant.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery-colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

He couldn't tell who she was talking to because she kept her eyes on the manticore.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. Alex was surprised to find this girl looked twelve. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. But even at her young age, her figure was so beautiful it made Alex catch his breath, his perverted mind going elsewhere, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoë, permission gran—."

Before she could complete her sentence, the manticore was half a foot off the ground. The boy who had saved Thalia had impaled the manticore with his sword. Annabeth noticed that after the hunters had arrived, the boy had pulled up the hood on his cloak.

Dr. Thorn's eyes bulged out, trying to comprehend what had happened. Black Blood, the blood of monsters, seeped from his wound and from his throat. The manticore burst into yellow dust.

The boy pulled out a silver shuriken and sent it at one of the hunters. The girl gave a shriek, but the shuriken went past her and lodged itself in the eye of a Colchis Bull. A second passed, and suddenly the bull was consumed by greek fire.

Everyone stopped to stare at the boy. But apparently, their enemies weren't done yet. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopters—the sound of gunfire.

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.

The one called Zoë stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.

"Zoë Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoë scanned the rest of them. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady...and a boy". She said curiously at the last part when she saw the boy approach them.

"Who are you, boy?" snapped Artemis.

The boy lowered his hood, and both Annabeth and Thalia noted that he was more attractive than even Luke. Annabeth also thought she saw a flash of recognition in Zoë's eyes.

"My name is Perseus m'lady." He said, bowing.

Artemis nodded at the respect he showed her, "Are you a demigod?"

"Yes, m'lady, I am a son of Thanatos. I was sent here to protect these two." responded politely.

"By whom?" Artemis asked cautiously.

"I can not say m'lady, But what I will say is they are an immortal I have much respect for and who want to keep them safe."

Artemis stared at Perseus suspiciously, but instead of asking more questions, she simply nodded. She did not understand why but she felt she could trust this boy.

"You saved my huntress boy," she did not say thank you, but Perseus could tell that is what she meant. "It was surprising when the Colchis Bull showed up. I know one attacked the camp before, but it was being controlled then. I wonder who is controlling it now."

Perseus nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps it was Dr. Thorne."

"Perhaps." She looked at the campers. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow, you're beautiful!"

Thalia wasn't the least bit impressed with Grover's behavior. "Get up, goat boy!" She snapped. "We still need to take the kids to camp...". She crawled on, hoping Annabeth would get the hint. She really didn't want the hunters taking away Bianca and ruining her life.

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of them in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are you, people?"

Perseus laughed and Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who you are. Who are your parents?"

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"

She faltered. Thalia guessed she could tell from everyone's faces that they didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"Yes, you do believe you are telling the truth, but I hate to break it to you. One of your parents is a god. Judging by your aura, an Olympian even." Everyone looked at the boy. Artemis narrowed her eyes. There were too many mysteries surrounding Perseus regarding his powers. She decided to question him later.

"An Olympian… athlete?"

"No," Zoë said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

Thalia couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. She remembered what it was like for her when she first learned she was a demigod. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… Our lives are dangerous."

"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead? And you!" He looked at Perseus. "How fast did you go? What is your sword made of? What about that throwing star? Where did you get it? How did you throw it so fast? That was so cool!"

Perseus smiled down at the boy fondly.

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully, he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They're-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said.

Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," Annabeth said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. Annabeth thought Bianca was going to faint right there.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca," Annabeth said, "We came here to help you. You and Nico need the training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," She said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico.

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoë said.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

Thalia and Zoë glared at each other. Annabeth knew exactly what they were talking about, and she didn't want that bad history to resurface now.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoë, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Nico asked.

Artemis considered the boy, "Perhaps..." she glanced at Grover and Perseus.

Perseus nodded in understanding, " Of course, m'lady, Nico, how about you come show Grover and I your card-game, and maybe I'll let you look at my sword."

Artemis looked undecided between glaring at the boy or thanking him. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

"Oh, and before we go," Perseus reached behind him into his cloak and brought out a familiar green cap and stack of trading cards. First, he gently gave Bianca her green cap before flashing a grin at Nico and landed on one knee, presenting the trading cards to the gleeful young boy. "Your trading cards, good sir."

Nico took the card happily, and Perseus and Grover, with Nico almost skipping next to them, walked toward the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.

Zoë gave Thalia one more evil look, then left to oversee things.

As soon as she was gone, Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so… Argh!"

"I'm with you," Alex said. "I don't trust..."

"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him furiously. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Alex? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster!"

"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. I had almost died saving your stupid ass. Did you think of that?"

His jaw clenched. "Well, maybe if you weren't such a weak bitch we wouldn't have to be saved!". Alex retorted.

Annabeth looked back and forth at the insults. Both of them had gotten angry at this point.

"You're calling ME a bitch? Look at yourself, Alex! You could barely walk when you got grazed by a spike! Sometimes I wonder if you're even Poseidon's son. At least I CAN use my father's powers properly."

Alex glared at her. "AT LEAST I'M NOT AFRAID OF MY OWN FATHER'S DOMAIN!"

Annabeth winced. She knew that Alex had hit a nerve. Thalia had always been very sensitive about her acrophobia. Thalia, at this point, looked genuinely hurt, which was then replaced with anger. She punched him in the gut, HARD, with an electrified fist, which made the impact large.

Alex fell to the ground, coughing and holding his stomach. Pain exploded in his gut as he desperately tried to get up. Thalia rained blow after blow at him. Finally, he had enough.

He shifted his head, so she missed the next punch, and thanked the gods he did so when he saw it crack the ground slightly. He kicked her off with all his might and was satisfied when she landed a couple of yards away, groaning from the sudden attack.

Alex stood shakily, Riptide in his hand. Thalia expanded her spear and held Aegis firmly in her other hand. Much to Annabeth's horror, they charged each other. However, just before their weapons clashed, a black blur sped into the middle, becoming the point of contact.

In the middle of both of them stood Perseus. In one hand, he held the tip of aegis, and in the other, he held the blade of Riptide. He glared at them both. "Daughter of Zeus, do not let your pride and anger get the best of you; it is unbecoming and foolish." His voice sounded almost like a teacher's. He then turned his glare to Alex. "I have been watching you kid, The entire time, I have been watching you. You are a bully, you are selfish, and you are a pervert. You are just a child who can't even begin to comprehend what you are dealing with and never will until you act like a true hero and not some immature little brat." Perseus spat; Perseus ripped their weapons away from them and threw Aegis back at Thalia. He looked at the riptide with a flash of a pained memory. Then he growled. He grabbed Alex by the neck and lifted him at least a foot and a half from the ground so that he reached his eye level. Holding Riptide, he capped it and put it in his pocket. "How are you in possession of this weapon?!" Alex went to answer, but Perseus cut him off. "No matter, you do not deserve this sword. It will no longer return to you." He dropped Alex, who then scrambled away from him but still in hearing distance.

Perseus turned towards the two girls and Grover and Nico, who had followed him after he had sped away and arrived to see the commotion. Nico was carrying Perseus' sword in its ring form. Perseus also noticed Zoë had watched the exchange but was walking away.

The Hunters set up their camping site in a matter of minutes. There were seven large tents, silver silk curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle, and a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, completely unafraid, but Annabeth decided she would stick close to the tents. Falcons watched them from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and she knew they were on guard duty, too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess's will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down, and the snow stopped falling, so it was almost pleasant sitting by the fire.

Grover noticed Alex's wounded arm and his face. He winced as Grover dressed the wound, but the ambrosia square helped. It tasted like a homemade brownie, dissolving in his mouth and sending a warm feeling through his whole body. Between that and the magic salve Grover used, he felt better within a couple of minutes.

Perseus wiped his bloody hands on his pants, and Annabeth quickly rushed over with some bandages. Reluctantly he let her bandage his hands, and she blushed as she stared up at him.

"How long have you known you're a demigod?" she asked.

"I was six," he responded bluntly. While that was true, he hadn't been six for a couple of thousands of years, so he decided not to mention that.

The hunters soon brought them their respective bags that they had left in the school.

Nico gave Perseus back his ring then rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him, though how they'd snuck into Westover Hall unseen, Alex didn't know. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. He recognized Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, Apollo with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," Perseus said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?" Perseus asked.

"Just this year. Before that…" He knit his eyebrows.

"What?" He asked, but the way he asked was as if he already knew the answer.

"I forget. That's weird."

Perseus gave a sad smile of understanding. "I'm sure you'll remember soon,"

Zoë Nightshade came up to them.

"Perseus and Alex..."

She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. With her silver circlet and her proud expression, she looked so much like royalty that Alex had to resist the urge to sit up straight and say, "Yes, ma'am." She studied him distastefully like he was a bag of dirty laundry she'd been sent to fetch.

When she looked at Perseus, the scowl was replaced with a look Alex couldn't place. She looked away.

"Come with me," she said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

Zoë led them to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved them inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who Alex still had trouble thinking of as Artemis.

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. On a polished oak display stand, behind the goddess was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others Alex didn't recognize. He figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. He thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her and then realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.

"Join us, Perseus...and Alex." the goddess said.

He sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied Perseus and Alex, which made Alex uncomfortable. She had such old eyes for a young girl.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.

"Uh… a little.". He said.

"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters and all young maidens for whom I am patron before they go astray."

"Go astray?" He asked.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

"Oh," Alex replied.

Zoë sat down at Artemis's right. She glared at him as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was his fault.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said coldly. "They are well aware of the type of person you are, and besides, It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp…" She looked at Zoë. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoë said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, By, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the… mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

And so he told her.

When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoë sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" He asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at him intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"

"No, no, you stupid boy. After that."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoë's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.

"Go on, Alex," the goddess said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot..."

"Stirring." Bianca corrected.

"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"

The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.

"Maybe he was lying," He said.

"I do not believe so," Perseus said

Artemis shook her head. "No." She said, agreeing though looking at Perseus oddly. "He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoë looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoë. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis..."

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As… as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I do." responded the goddess bluntly. "Zoë, I want you to go to camp half-blood."

What?" Zoë blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there..."

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoë muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," Alex said. "Thinking about what?"

"They… they've invited me to join the Hunt."

"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive.". 'And also I want to fuck you, which I can't do if you're a hunter,' Alex thought, but he didn't say it out loud.

"It is not the only way for a girl," Zoë said.

He couldn't believe he was hearing this. "Bianca, camp is cool! It's got a pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and… I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?". 'You can have sex with me too!' He thought.

"To begin with," Zoë said, "immortality."

He stared at her, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"

"Zoë rarely... kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal… unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."

"What oath?" He asked.

"To forswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

"Like you?"

The goddess nodded.

He tried to imagine what she was saying. Being immortal. Hanging out with only middle-school girls forever. He couldn't get his mind around it. "So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods..."

"Not just half-bloods," Zoë interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals..."

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoë's eye; however, Perseus beat her to it. "Alex..!" there was a clear warning in his voice, "shut up. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice, do not think you have any sway in this; if she chooses to join the hunters, it does not matter what you want." At the end, his eyes met Zoë for a second, but she turned away from him.

Alex flinched, and appreciation crossed both Artemis and Bianca's faces. "Thank you, Perseus," Bianca said.

"Bianca, this is crazy," He said. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."

Perseus rolled his eyes discreetly.

"Hey!" Alex protested.

"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."

"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."

"Bianca, you can't do this," Alex said. "It's nuts." Alex felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Perseus's icy glare. He gulped but said no more.

She looked at Zoë. "Is it worth it?"

Zoë nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

"Say this," Zoë told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I… I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

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

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"

Zoë nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel… stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoë said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

"How are we going to get to camp?" Alex asked, trying not to feel sorry for himself.

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoë, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

Zoë didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of me. "I'm sorry, Alex. But I want this. I really, really do."

Alex gulped as he was left with Perseus and the man-hating goddess. "Alex, I wish to speak with Perseus alone."

Alex nodded, slightly relieved, as he walked out of the tent. They stood in silence for a moment.

"I do not understand you, boy." She said. "You seem to know more than you should and seem more powerful than your average demigod, especially as a son of a minor god. And to be honest, I feel we have met before."

"There is more to me than meets the eye Lady Artemis; I have been around for a while."

"You are immortal?"

He nodded.

"I will share some of my story with you, Lady Artemis if you swear on the River Styx not to share this with anyone."

Artemis couldn't help wanting to know more. "I, Artemis, swear on the river Styx to not share Perseus's secrets with anyone unless he wishes for it."

Thunder could be heard outside,

Perseus nodded. "First, I am the first son of my father Thanatos, I have met primordial, and the Fates themselves have granted me partial immortality, though not willingly." He added the end part under his breath. "And I am a legacy of one of the big three; Poseidon actually is my grandfather." Artemis stared at him with shock. However, what he said next shocked her to her core. With a slight sadness to his voice, he said, "According to the Fates, I am eligible for the great prophecy. Who knew that "a half-blood of the eldest gods" could also apply to a grandchild."

She stared at him, confused, awed, surprised, and a little bit fearful.

"Yeah, I felt that way too when they first told me." he gave a lopsided grin before turning serious, "trust me though when I say I will not betray Olympus even if I do end up dying in the end."

Artemis simply nodded. "You are quite the conundrum Perseus."

Perseus nodded in return. "Now let's go see your brother… good luck with the Ophiotaurus."

"You know what I am hunting?"

He sighed "yes, I do, the creature, an innocent, who can turn the tide of the war against us when killed."

Artemis nodded. They both exited the tent and found Bianca and Alex waiting.

So," Alex said glumly. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"

Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."

"Eh, he's not that bad," Perseus said.

Everyone looked at him oddly.

A.N: Hey Everyone, been a while hasn't it. I have missed working on this story. School has been busy and to be honest, I had so much to do that working on this seemed to take away from time with family and homework and all of the other stuff in my life. A lot has happened in my life but I have not forgotten this story. I can't promise you regular updates but I hope you enjoy this chapter. True there are parts I wish were better but I'm going to post it all the same.

Happy Spring Everyone!

-Lightningwolf18