Here's chapter three, from Orion's point of view this time.

Warnings: Internalized monologuing, anachronisms

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Thank you and enjoy.

Amusement.

That was what Orion sensed from his supposed worst enemy as he begged for mercy. Dry amusement, coupled with mild perplexity. She must have found this situation ironic.

It was terrifying.

Part of him wondered what took her so long to strike. The other part wished she'd just get it over with.

Perhaps he might be allowed to go free, since Delos is sacred ground and no one's allowed to die there. Although, considering that said ground was sacred to Artemis, there was every possibility that she would allow an exception. And turning him into an animal wasn't off the list of options, either.

He didn't want to fight the gods. There was a reason he refrained from participating in the Giant War. He had come into the Earth, taken one look at his vengeful brethren, bloodthirsty and consumed by a hatred of something they've never even known, and yeeted out of there. He valued his free will far too much to follow someone blindly, which is ironic, because he was now blind.

(Though sometimes, he wondered why his mother still allowed him to roam the earth, considering what she did with the other disobedient child for something far less).

He took a deep breath, wondering if he could talk his way out of this one. It hadn't worked effectively on Merope. It worked even less effectively on her father. But the silence was getting uncomfortable, and if she was going to turn him into a wild animal anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try.

He was working up his best "I come in peace" speech when the goddess spoke.

"Do you know where Mount Etna is?"

"Y-yes, my lady." For a moment, he wondered if she was planning to work around killing him on Delos by pitching him into a volcano. It seemed rather inconveniently distantly located for an execution site, compared to, say, Mykonos, which was practically next door.

She must have heard his thoughts, because her next words sounded exasperated, "I am not going to kill you. I reserve that fate for those who have transgressed their boundaries with intent, which you have not done. I was merely suggesting that you go to Hephestus. Tell him your story, and perhaps he would sympathize with you enough to help you with your...visual disability," she said those two words like she thought that he at least somewhat had it coming. "After that, you are to come back to Delos. While your actions are unintentional, I cannot let it go unpunished."

Come back to Delos? His first instinct was to shout "So long, sucker!" and run away as far as possible the moment he got his sight back. He was a hunter. With insanely refined instincts even if first impressions suggest otherwise. Which were all screaming at him to run away, or attack, or both. It would have worked too, if he was dealing with anyone else.

Unfortunately for him, Artemis is the immortal goddess of hunting. And if the stories are true, she could just aim at him the moment he took the first step edge wise and let the arrow fly. Or send a wild animal to maul him, if she was feeling particularly vexed. Or turn him into an animal. Or turn him into an animal and send a wild animal to maul him-

"Are you quite done?" she asked. There was definitely exasperation in her voice now.

He nodded. "I am, my lady. Thank you, Lady Artemis, for sparing my life. And for aiding me."

He waited for a response. Then he realized that she was already gone.

Wow, my worst enemy is actually a nice person! She didn't even try to kill me, which was more than I could say about King Oinopian of Chios.

Artemis wasn't what he expected. And he was most definitely fascinated by her.

Now which way was Mt. Etna again?

Mwahahahaha. Yep, Artemis left him to find Mt. Etna by himself, which, by the way, takes nine days on foot according to Google Maps. And that's if he does nothing but walking. You didn't think she'd let her join his hunt by going easy on him, do you?

Mykonos, by the way, is supposedly the battle between the gods and the giants took place. It is very close to Delos, and since Orion is a giant...yeah.

Thank you for making it this far, and as I said before, please review!

Stay tuned for next chapter.