Artemis PoV
I was back with my hunters, helping the younger recruits with various skills, whether it be archery, stealth, skinning animals, or a number of other things.Around ten in the evening, I called it a night and returned to my palace.
As I prepared for my shower, I thought about the sexual experiences Percy and I had shared.
I questioned myself about my morals. I wondered if it was wrong to have slept with Percy.
Pushing the thought away, I laughed at myself. We were married and both fully consenting adults. There was nothing wrong with it.
Thinking of my husband and our sexual encounters aroused me, but he was not there to sate me.
I made a quick trip to my closet to grab a few things before making sure all doors were locked and there were no unwanted spells.
A bath served much better than the shower as a place to complete the task I had in mind.
Sliding into the hot water, I began thinking back to early that morning. And later that morning.
With the click of a button, I was being bombarded with waves of pleasure.
A few minutes later, I had been relieved and continued with my routine as though nothing had changed.
I got the feeling that would become a part of the routine over the next months.
Percy PoV
Infiltration proved much easier than I had expected.
The monsters were under the impression that none would attack them, and had become unable to fight well.
Three quick shots from my bow, and the guards of the back gate were down.
There were more guards inside, but none of them looked to see what was above them.
Instead of killing them, I just hovered above them quietly until I made it to the throne room of the strange castle the monsters had taken over.
The lead monster was alone in the throne room, and I took him out easily.
I began to wonder why this monster nest was considered so dangerous.
After locating and fully sanitizing the lead monster's, now my, chambers, I found an adjoining room with information on what they had been doing.
I scanned the papers and sent them back to Olympus, adding that there had to be a more powerful being involved, or extremely powerful monsters had awoken.
Artemis PoV
Since my husband's departure, many gods had courted me, under the impression that since gaining a lover, I had become weak and needy.
Breaking that image had been fun. Lots of ichor, but quite fun.
I was having lunch with Athena at a cafe type restaurant, discussing what had happened.
My sister laughed. "Well, they certainly won't be messing with you anytime soon."
The phone in my pocket began to buzz with Percy's pattern.
I put it on speaker, setting the device on the table. "Say hi to Athena."
"Uh," my lover replied. "Hi."
The goddess rolled her eyes. "He called because he wanted to talk to you. Let him talk in private."
Percy cleared his throat. "Actually, while you're on, I made a rather interesting discovery. Did you receive the scanned documents?"
"I did," Athena replied. "Do you have any idea where they came from?"
"Not sure," my husband answered. "These monsters, I think they've been taught how to read and write. Some even to strategize. Despite actions to keep the demigods with Olympus, I've seen several within the nest, unharmed at that."
Athena nodded, puzzled.
I took the phone off speaker. "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"
He sighed. "I miss you so much. I love you, and I just want to hold you. I don't know how I'll survive for four months without seeing you."
"Don't be over-dramatic," I scolded.
Athena looked up from her book. "If he's saying he misses you to the point of it hurting, he's not exaggerating. When Perseus accepted godhood, his fatal flaw increased and warped instead of
disappearing."
"I've got to go now," Percy said. "I love you."
I smiled. "I love you too, Percy."
Percy PoV
The monster forces, which had apparently been out on various missions, returned.
Seeing the numbers and types of monsters, I understood why this group was feared.
A cyclops addressed me. "Lord, I bring good news. We have spotted the huntress camp."
"Have the huntresses seen any of you?" I asked.
"No, my lord," the monster replied.
"Good. Do not attack," I ordered. "If they are attacked, their patron goddess will come after us. Even if we can take her, we cannot take the full force of Olympus. Retreat."
The cyclops nodded and went to deliver instructions.
In the meantime, I contacted Artemis and informed her of the nearby monsters.
Later, as I poured over strategic documents drawn up by what seemed to be demigods of Athena or Ares, I received a call from my wife.
Ensuring the doors were locked and the room was soundproof, I picked up. "Hey, Artemis. How are you?"
"Good," she replied. "Thanks for the tip on the monsters. A few of the younger ones are a bit shaken up, but there were no injuries. We managed to capture a cyclops general as well."
I smiled. "That's great, but be careful where you detain him and who guards him. The monsters here are all quite lustful, and I don't want any of you hurt."
Artemis snorted. "I'm aware, Percy. This isn't the first time I've detained a monster."
"Sorry," I replied. "Anyway, how are you?"
She sighed. "I'm fine. I miss you, and I want you back here with me. Athena is to interrogate the cyclops, and she already has all those documents, so you probably won't be there for the whole four months. How are you?"
"It's pretty boring here. I miss you too, and talking to you makes me feel better. When I see you again, I'm going to hug you and hold you and kiss you until you forget what it's like to be left alone."
There was a crash in the background. "I have to go. I love you."
"I love you too," I replied sincerely.
My wife hung up and I put my phone away.
There was a knock on the door. "My lord, it's Vanessa. I'm here to provide my services as per usual."
"Which services would those be again?" I asked in the voice of the lead monster.
"Oh, my lord, you must remember. If we were of the same species I'd be pregnant a hundred times over by now!" Vanessa exclaimed.
"Your services are no longer required," I snapped.
Returning to the files, I noticed a crack in the wall. It was more of a slit, and when I knocked on the wall, it sounded hollow.
Pressing the stone, it swung inward to reveal files on every demigod in the castle and how demigods had been recruited.
I grinned, knowing that after I sent this back I'd definitely be brought home.
I got to work, opening boxes and taking pictures and scanning through the information.
Some demigods still felt abandoned. Some were under spells. Some were under the impression it was a demigod hideout due to the Mist.
After sending all the information, I received new instructions.
I was to weaken the monster ranks in any ways possible for the next two weeks, after which the stronger and more intelligent monsters would be captured by Olympian forces and taken for questioning.
Thinking back to my time in the labyrinth and the colosseum where the cyclops pitched monsters against one another, I decided it would be an effective way to rid the nest of the large numbers.
After drawing up a bracket plan, I distributed it to the various generals, who then informed their soldiers.
It was seen as both a purging of the weaklings and a competition.
