Flying is an incredible feeling.
It's better than riding front-seat on a roller coaster. Better than drifting in a sports car.
The feeling of total, effortless freedom is a greater joy than almost any other.
And, let me tell you, flying while made of air is at least a hundred times better.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am a wind spirit. My true name is too hard to pronounce, not to mention long, and so I left it forgotten to the sands of time, in an age long past.
I go by Percy, now-Percy Jackson. Percival Jackson, to be exact. There's no particular reason-it doesn't sound much like my true name, or anything of the sort. I did not name myself in honor of another, as Pallas Athena had. I simply enjoyed the way it sounded.
How was I to know the story behind the name? The story behind me? But that can come later.
My story begins after the Second Titanomachy ended, when I began my journey to Olympus, looking to reclaim my immortal power.
You see, I'm not simply a wind spirit. I'm an immortal wind spirit.
Or, I was immortal.
When the Second Titanomachy began, I knew I had to do something. The Ancient Laws prohibit direct interference from immortals, and I wanted very much to interfere directly. So I left my immortal power behind, in the care of Hestia.
Many others left their immortal power with her as well, as they went off to fight. As the goddess of the hearth, and hope, she gave us comfort-the belief that one day, we would return, victorious, and regain ourselves.
We became mortal, leaving within ourselves only enough power to maintain eternal youth. We did not know how long the fighting would last, after all, and the Ancient Laws mention nothing of the ever-youthful. Who would give that up unnecessarily?
While the Greeks and the Romans fought their battles, we acted to protect the mortals.
Not every monster was pressed into the Crooked One's service-most were left alone, free to roam the continent as they pleased. Though the Mist prevents the eyes of mortals from seeing monsters-that which they are unable to comprehend-it does not prevent monsters from seeing them.
Without the tempting scent of a demigod near, monsters will turn to mortal flesh.
I, and my brothers-in-arms, aimed to prevent that.
My greatest regret is that in leaving behind my immortal power, I had to leave behind my true form as well. Soaring through the air, unfettered and without a care, was a thing of the past.
When the monster attacks grew less frequent, word eventually reached me: We won. Kronos had been defeated.
Naturally, my preeminent wish was to return to Olympus and reclaim my immortal power. Perhaps it was selfish of me. Perhaps I should've stayed in California. Perhaps I should have helped the Romans rebuild. I retained my eternal lifespan, after all. There was no hurry.
But I was tired. I wanted to fly free, once more. It had been so long-and I did not like to be restrained.
It should have taken a couple of weeks to return to Olympus. Though mortal I was, wind I remained. Though I had never gotten used to the new forms of travel the humans created, my speed was not low-my own two feet were far fleeter than a horse's hooves. Perhaps that was another mistake.
Had I not been running through those woods, perhaps what happened would not have happened.
Or, perhaps, Destiny would have found a way.
The event that forever changed the course of my existence occurred very suddenly.
In fact, it occurred at the exact speed of my travel.
One moment, I was running through a forest, and the next moment, I collided head-first with an invisible barrier, and promptly knocked myself unconscious.
When I came to, whatever barrier I had encountered was clearly moving, and I along with it.
It pulled me along the ground at a handsome pace-faster than walking, but slower than running.
Jumping to my feet, I sought to distance myself from the barrier. I didn't know the strength of the force field, and I didn't want to find out by being between it and a tree while it moved. I was strong, but strong enough to knock down a tree with just my body? Such a feat was perhaps beyond me.
Though the barrier seemed to be forcing me southwest, the opposite of where I wanted to go, I had no choice but to acquiesce. I ran the direction the barrier pushed, hoping to find the source of the thing.
I expected to find some rare monster, or perhaps a mage playing a practical joke.
So perhaps it is unsurprising that I reacted poorly to running through a group of Huntresses.
The prudent thing to do would have been to stop running.
Beyond that, as a male, there would be no more prudent things left to do, but it would have been better than what I actually did. Which was, of course, to run right through the group, and keep on running.
At least I discovered that there was another barrier on this side of the Hunt.
"Please don't tell me…" I mumbled, as I began sprinting to my right.
I kept my hand against the barrier as I moved, and as I predicted, the barrier was continuous. At least, I assumed it was. There were trees in the way at times, but the chances there was an exit where a tree happened to be were rather small, in my estimation.
Which meant I was trapped. With the Huntresses.
I, a man by every definition, was now trapped with a group of women who had sworn off the company of men forever.
Which sounded fine, on the surface. There was nothing in their oath about wanting to kill men. But, as it turned out, most women who joined the Huntresses of Artemis did so because they were not exactly fond of the less fair sex. Most Huntresses, in fact, did want to kill men.
I didn't know what I was going to do.
'Do I hide myself until the barrier goes away?'
Who knows how long that would take.
'Do I announce myself to the Hunt, and hope they don't kill me on the spot?'
I was rather fond of my privates, so that option was out for the time being.
'Maybe the barrier can be circumvented via height?'
It was worth a try, but with the damn thing still moving, it would be extraordinarily difficult to climb a tree and attempt to jump over the barrier before it moved too far from me.
I ran to the forward-moving edge of the barrier, and groaned. I hadn't thought of anything in the time that had taken, so I really didn't have a choice.
Giving up, I heaved a huge sigh and plopped down, sitting cross legged on the forest floor.
Removing my scabbards from my belt, I laid my swords across my lap as I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again a few minutes later, an arrow was trained on me.
The arrow was nocked on a bowstring, which was part of a bow, and that bow was wielded by a Huntress.
"What are you doing here? Explain, now, or die!" the woman said, very unpleasantly.
She herself was not unpleasant, with pleasing proportions and a charming face. She seemed 17 or 18, the average age of the Huntresses. It was also the age I chose to remain at, when I gave up my immortal power.
Remaining seated, I said calmly, "I seem to be stuck."
She let go of the arrow she was holding and I gasped in pain as it buried itself in my thigh, dangerously close to my unmentionables. Luckily, it was aimed such that it missed both my femur and any major arteries. The arrow was meant to cause pain, but not lasting damage.
"Explain exactly what you're doing here, or this time, I will kill you," she repeated, completely unfazed.
Gritting my teeth, I managed to say, "I was on my way to Olympus. A few minutes before I ran through your group, I ran into an unseen barrier. It was travelling opposite my direction. I soon realized it to be moving your direction, when I ran through the Hunt."
I took a deep breath and continued, "I soon met the other edge, and running for several minutes seemed to prove its circular nature. I surmise there is some kind of force field around here that prevents me from moving outside of it. My guess is that it is somehow tied to the position of the Huntresses."
"Bullshit," she said, as she shot my other leg, mercilessly.
I gasped in pain a second time.
"I, too, find it hard to believe, but it is the truth. I swear on the Styx."
Thunder rumbled to acknowledge the oath.
"And if I still don't believe you?" she said, ever-skeptical.
It wasn't the first time someone disbelieved my oath, nor would it be the last.
"Please, think this through. Why would I want to stay anywhere near the Hunt? I'm trying to return to Olympus and regain my immortal power. Why would I risk my life here now, when in a matter of weeks I could be immortal once again?"
The woman seemed to consider this, before retorting, "So you're saying, you would return here once you regained your immortality? You mean to see the Huntresses' great beauty for yourself once more, as an immortal?"
I almost couldn't believe my ears, and the blood loss was getting to me.
I lost my temper as I nearly shouted, "What?! Dear gods, no! If I never see a Huntress again, it'll be too soon! I'm only saying that if my goal was to get closer to the Hunt, which it isn't, I'd never do it before regaining my immortality."
Considering this for a long while, the Huntress finally nodded, "That makes sense. I'll have to bring you before the Elder Sisters. They'll decide your fate."
Letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, I said casually, "Great. Mind if I lay down here for a minute?"
My mind went dark before my head met the ground.
When I came to, I was in some sort of tent, lying on a bed. When I looked down, my legs were bandaged expertly, though the wraps remained red with blood. I was in my underpants, as I had been shot very high up. My thoughts slowed as I wondered just what happened to me.
The tent flap opened, and a different woman than the one who shot me came inside.
"How are you feeling?" she said tersely.
"Like I got shot in the legs," I replied, equally tersely.
"Your glibness will do you no credit here. Of that, I can assure you."
As I looked at the woman more closely, I saw that she was just as pleasing to the eye as the first. I could see why the Huntresses were so famed. It seemed they were all gorgeous. It was not hard to imagine the suffering they might have faced from men of low morals.
"I thank whoever tended my wounds. I am grateful."
The woman stared at me. There was no hatred in her eyes, but no mirth, either. It was an analytical look-like she was trying to decide if I was a monster or just a man. That is, if she believed there was a difference.
"Noted. But your gratitude means nothing to me. I healed you because your death would be troublesome. That is all."
I could tell she meant it, too.
"Even so, I thank you."
She stared at me some more.
"You will have to put your bloody shorts back on. We do not make a habit of carrying spare male clothes."
I nodded in understanding. I could have said something about how this wasn't a problem, I'd dealt with worse during the war, but this woman was not likely to care. I simply did as she asked, covering myself once again.
Once I finished re-clothing myself, the doctor-type said, "You'll be meeting with the Elder Sisters soon. I'd suggest you prepare yourself."
With that, she exited the tent. In just a few moments, another woman took her place.
She was far more beautiful than the others, with curves that some men might literally kill each other over. A more beautiful body I'd never seen. Nothing too big, nothing too small, just the right amount of everything to get my blood pumping. Her long black hair poured over her shoulders, caressing her copper skin, but the cruel look in her volcanic black eyes made me think she was here to torture me.
I quickly forced my heart to slow its pumping. Getting attracted to a Huntress could only mean death. I could admire her beauty, but if I started to lust after her, my demise would not be far.
The woman smiled, but in her eyes was pure hatred.
"Well, boy, get on your knees and grovel," she said, and her smooth, regal tone almost sent me into a state of shock.
Everything about her was perfection.
It was like she walked straight out of my dreams, but the words she said belonged in a nightmare.
"Beg me for your life, you worm. Beg me properly and I may just decide to let you live. You don't deserve to draw breath, but my Lady said something about information. Even so, if I decide to kill you, I won't be punished. So if you want to live, you should start doing as I command. I told you to grovel!"
As much as I desired this woman as a man, I loathed her equally as a person. I may not have agreed with the ideals of the Hunt, but on a fundamental level, I respected its members. This woman… I did not respect in the least. Causing trouble for her family, disobeying her Lady, knowingly performing actions that would hurt those she cared about.
She clearly knew Artemis wished to speak with me, she had said it herself. And yet here she was, apparently intent on killing me.
"Selfish," I thought loudly in my head.
I managed to crawl out of the bed, but as soon as I put any weight on my legs, I knew I wouldn't be able to stand. I fell to my knees, just barely managing not to writhe in a combination of pain and fury.
"Please, spare my life," I couldn't manage to say with conviction. My pride hurt beyond belief at even this much, prostrating myself before a girl like this one.
An angel's laughter drifted from this devil's lips.
"You amuse me," she said lightly. Suddenly serious, she commanded, "Lick my feet!"
Looking forward, I noticed she had no shoes, her delicate toes on display. Her adorable, dainty feet aroused me more than I was willing to admit, but I had far more pressing concerns.
"Absolutely not," I growled, looking up as the woman's playful smirk turned furious.
"What did you say?!" she screeched, and yet somehow even that sounded like a precious melody.
Resting on my knees, I roughly explained, "Huntresses turn their back on the company of men, forever. I will not lick your feet. I will not touch you, or any Huntress."
I had already ascertained this was some sort of test. This woman was strong-maybe as strong as me-and who knew what tricks she had up her sleeves. She was probably as old as I was. Which means she would not be so immature.
Once she commanded I lick her feet, it became obvious. No Huntress would ask such a thing of a man.
As a way of getting back at the woman, I couldn't help but to tease her in retaliation.
"Of course," I began. I tried to keep my tone as solemn as possible. I didn't want to die, after all. I continued, "If you ever reject the Hunt, I'm sure we can work something out."
I quickly learned her dainty feet were not so delicate as her toes caught my chin and brought my entire body into the air, landing back on the bed.
I had never been kicked so hard in my life, and even though it felt like I got run over by a herd of buffalo, damn if that display of strength wasn't sexy.
My instincts ran through my head, even as I tried to stop them. They had been there ever since I turned mortal. I supposed it was the call all mortals had to deal with at some point. The call to pass down our genes.
She is strong. Her children will be strong. Our children will be strong. Her body was built to make babies, and they will inherit her strength and mine. I will take her. She is mine!
I shouted at my instincts to shut up, and that she was a Huntress. I hated when this happened-when my instincts tried to control my actions.
I had never let that happen before, and I certainly wouldn't let it happen now. It was sheer folly to try to woo a Huntress. I would never try to encourage one to break their oath-even one as gorgeous as the one in front of me.
Even though I knew that it would bring me nothing but trouble... I truly wanted to take one last look at the enchanting woman. Unfortunately, I could barely open my eyes, much less lift up my head.
Just before I passed out, I heard her say calmly and quietly, "You pass. Barely."
At some point I must have entered a sort of semi-conscious state, as I could hear conversations happening, but I couldn't comprehend the words or who might be speaking them, and they all sort of blended together.
"So it is him. I thought he sounded familiar. This is terrible. Killing him is almost completely off the table for now."
"What do you mean, onee-chan? Is he important or something?"
"He isn't exactly, but there are some important people who might be very upset if he died."
"Oh. Is he a meanie?"
"He wasn't really mean, back when I met him. But I'm not sure how much he's changed. It has been over three hundred years, you know. And he's mortal, now."
"So he is a good guy?"
"I don't know if a guy can be good, but… If they can, he'd be on my list of suspects."
"Okay. Bye-bye!"
"Hey, don't tell anybody else about this, okay, Ayano? You're not supposed to be in here."
"So why are you sitting around waiting for that boy to wake up?"
"I'm making sure he doesn't hurt himself while he's asleep, and we need to know when he wakes up so the elder sisters and our Lady can interrogate him."
"But why do we care?"
"You foolish girl. Artemis can sense the existence of the barrier, but he is the only one who can physically interact with it. We need to know more about it so we can dispel it."
"But why do we ca-are?"
"We don't yet know if it was a one time thing or if every boy who gets near us will be trapped."
"But why can't we just kill all the boys who get near the camp? Why not just kill him now and get it over with?
"Come now, think, child. Can you really advise the cold-blooded murder of someone who has saved countless lives?"
"Huh? Countless lives? What are you talking about? Him? But he let himself get shot twice! How could he save anybody?"
Sigh. "I'll tell you in a minute, my shift is nearly over."
"So why do we care about this guy again?"
"It's not that we care about him. Rather, it would be troublesome if he dies. He is important to Olympus. They think they can use him."
"Well, let them, I say. He's trouble. If they want him, he must be strong. And that means he must be an asshole. Let's get rid of him quickly."
"I'm with you there. Men are all the same. Even if he is a war hero, he's still a man."
"War hero?! Him?!"'
"Yeah. He was an Independent. You know, the immortals who gave it up to participate in the war? This guy… Was probably the best of them."
"What do you mean?"
"According to the news we picked up after the battle of Manhattan, after Kronos was defeated, monsters near Mount Othrys went absolutely crazy, running amok through the streets of cities nearby. Apparently, an Independent who called himself Percy Jackson killed every single monster in San Diego, the only city without demigods in it at the time, by himself. Estimates put the count at over two hundred monsters, including some of the nasty ones-hydras, Nemean lions, manticores, and the like."
"Well, if he did it single-handedly, how do we even know he did it? No comrades means no evidence."
"Because he was all over the news, Vivienne. The mortals thought he was some kind of vigilante who took down a crime syndicate in one day. They called him something lame, like the San Diego Savior or something. But one thing's for sure. If he hadn't been there, thousands of mortals would have died, maybe tens of thousands."
"Huh. Well, he's still a filthy male. We should send him packing. But... Can we even do that? If he's as strong as you say he is..."
"Don't worry. The elder sisters can take him on. Probably. And our Lady could smite him with her eyes closed."
"Why are we wasting our precious medical supplies on a male?"
"Natalie, we've talked about this. The Hunt turns their back on the company of men, but that's all. Not every man is evil, and some even deserve respect. Think Orion."
"You're comparing Orion with this guy?"
"'Comparing' is too strong a word. It was just a 'for instance.' I'm only trying to make the point that not every male is a monster."
"When's he gonna wake up, okaa-chan?"
"Tomorrow, Ayano. Why do you want him to wake up so soon?"
"Can… can he be my new otou-san?"
"No, Ayano. Definitely not. I can be your mother until you grow up, but you will have no father. You are a Huntress now. You have turned your back on the company of all men. You must remember your oath."
"..."
"Don't cry, Ayano. You can sleep with Mommy tonight, okay?"
"Yay! I love you, okaa-chan!"
When I finally woke up, I saw the beautiful woman standing over my bed-er, cot, rather. She seemed even prettier this time, which I was shocked was even possible. I cursed the fates for making such a perfect woman and putting her in the Hunt of all places.
Even as I cursed, my instincts cheered that she had been kept safe and untouched, just for me, all this time.
'Shut up,' I told myself. 'She's not bearing anybody's children, so stop thinking about her like that.'
I think, when she looked at me, she was reminded of what she had ordered me to do earlier.
Her eyes glanced at my mouth and then down to her feet, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought she blushed.
But I did know better.
That was just my imagination. I hadn't known the touch of a woman for longer than any human on earth, and suffice it to say I was getting a little lonely. That, and my instincts had been getting louder and louder over the course of the war.
I probably just projected what I wished had happened onto her.
'Huntress. She's a Huntress.' I told myself, and for once my instincts agreed.
As if to prove my point, her regal voice was steady and firm, no trace of embarrassment to be found within.
"Get up. Lady Artemis wishes to speak with you."