Author's Note:
Saturday-update day!
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justapercyjacksonfan
Chapter 3
A hunter with electric blue eyes and spiky black hair crowned with a silver circlet snorted. "If it were any more obvious, we'd have a sign that says, 'We're the Hunters of Artemis! This is our goddess!'"
Artemis sighed. "Peace, little sister. We're here for a very specific reason. Take over while I speak with these heroes, set up camp."
"Yes, my lady. Ramirez-Arellano! Get your butt moving and help me with the tents!" The girl briskly walked away, causing her shouting to fade slightly, but they could all still hear her yelling for Carter and Darby to start the fire, and Ada, Peggy, and Lottie to do something. She was cut off by a dark haired girl swatting her, and giving a reminder that they'd all set up camp before, and knew precisely what they were doing, thank you very much.
Caleb's attention was snapped back to the literal goddess in front of him as she began speaking.
"My lieutenant is one of the best I've ever had but despite over fifty years in the Hunt, she's still a little...but that's not what we're here to discuss. Now, despite Zeus's 'goodwill' to speak to you, I only have a few minutes, so I need to - ah - expand my timeline. This is purely a formality, but my purpose here is to offer Jessica Tewers and Josephine Lynk a place in my Hunt."
Caleb's heart stopped, but her words weren't directed at them at all. Rather, she shouted the last bit toward the sky. There was a slight grumble of storm clouds, that swept across the sky and away from them.
"Now this meeting is within my sphere, although I doubt you'll join me. I'd actively discourage it, until such time as your fates are not tied to the future of Olympus."
"But Bri said that-" Jo interrupted
"Oh, I'd love to have you in my Hunt. But that would have to be at a later date. Now you-"
"Bri. Can you find her? We need her to complete our quest!" Jess cut in.
"Bri will be fine, at least for now. Now I'm here because you-"
"Fine? You said you couldn't take us as huntresses because that would mess up the prophecy or whatever, but what are we supposed to do if Bri leaves?"
"Josephine, my little sister's fate is painful to me as well to you. I would never ordain for a maiden to suffer as she will, but there is nothing either of us can do. It is as the Fates decide, and her fate is a decidedly sorrowful one. Nevertheless, it is a part of the quest that cannot be skipped."
A hunter jogged over. Not the lieutenant from earlier, but the one who had shut her up. "Lady Diana, everything is in order. What is the decision regarding these two?"
Her gesture made it unclear if she was gesturing to the two girls, or himself and Ian. Whichever way, Caleb didn't like it.
"They'll be allowed to leave."
Reyna opened her mouth to protest, but Artemis held up a hand.
"For the same reason the other two will not join our ranks today! You yourself have seen prophecies play out. For now, we will assist as much as the ancient laws allow. Go get Thalia, and meet us in my tent. Information, at this time, is our biggest gift to these heroes."
The tension among the four was palpable. Wordlessly, they followed Artemis towards the tents that had been arranged as a crescent moon. The largest was in the center and upon entry, it was full of furs, and chiefly occupied by a baby deer. The goddess sat down cross-legged, and the faun joined her, laying in her lap.
Caleb could feel how nervous he was, even more than any presentation he'd had to give in school, more than any time he spoke with Jess, even more than when Bri had left a few minutes earlier. He knew, from his bare-bones knowledge of the mythology, that Artemis didn't like boys at all. Straining his memory to the furthest it would go, he thought maybe she had turned guys into animals at some point. In a panic, he began to wonder if the deer was some man who'd said the wrong thing, and what she would turn him into.
"Sit." she invited
"My lady, I didn't think the gods ever sat with mortals….at an equal level." Ian said, shuffling his feet nervously, eyeing the pelts.
"Boy, as long as you continue to remember that I am always the hunter, you will be fine to sit in my presence."
Uneasily, they all sat, carefully scooting away from Artemis.
Daylight streamed into the tent as two hunters entered. The loud one with the silver circlet, and Reyna from earlier. With a nod from Artemis, they joined the circle, Reyna on her left, the other on her right.
"Heroes, this is Thalia, daughter of Zeus and Reyna, daughter of Bellona."
Jess gasped, her understanding of the meeting audible.
"Yes. I know you search for Growth. Everyone on Olympus watches your progress with baited breath. These two Hunters can best show you it's location. Only one other of our number might have known better, but she now lives among the stars."
"Lady Artemis." Thalia cut in "I have never heard of Growth or the pillars of creation before you told us of them. Why can you not just-"
"I have many work arounds for ancient laws, little sister, but this one I can not avoid."
"But Lady Diana," Reyna added, "Before our time as hunters, we have never quested together, How should Thalia and I know where Growth is?"
"Reyna, I cannot bend fate anymore before it breaks. This is as much as I can do." She turned to the other girl. "Thalia, once they have the information, give them some supplies and send them on their way. Continue to track the Eurythmanian Boar, and subdue it."
"My lady, you make it sound like you're leaving."
"I'm taking a short trip to Olympus, but I'll be back soon. Help them find Growth's location. That is your number one priority, little sister."
She shifted the deer off her lap, and walked out of the tent. Three steps later, she vanished in a column of silver light.
The tension only dropped marginally. Thalia gave them a hard look, before settling on Jess.
"You. You're with me. Let's figure this out. Reyna, can you take the others and hand them off to Lottie or someone? Have them supplied with the standard stuff, tent, some provisions, the works."
"Wait-why me?" Jess protested.
Thalia sighed. "Because you have Instinct's mark, and right now the clearest idea of what's going on. Let's walk and talk."
Author's Note:
I don't know what you're talking about, me procrastinating to write this chapter. That's silly.
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I liked writing Artemis, but she's so serious I'm afraid this one is super boring. I don't know. You'll have to tell me what you think.
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justapercyjacksonfan
