Ancient Greece, 500 B.C.
Artemis oversaw the forest from high up in a tree. She took a deep, deep breath. It was early in the morning and she could still smell the fresh dew on the grass. It was really sad that she could also smell alcohol coming from the left side of the forest. 'Damn you, Dionysus,' she whispered to herself.
'I have the right to be in that part of the forest today!' She heard from under her tree.
'Yes, in the forest at Athens! Not here in Corinth!' Artemis yelled back.
'I said Corinth loud and clear, Artemis!'
Artemis huffed and climbed down a few branches, so that she could look Dionysus straight in the eye. 'You said Athens loud and clear, Dionysus.'
'Behind us, Athena and Hephaestus were arguing. They were yelling the word Athens a few times. I didn't say it!'
'Lies!'
'Artemis, admit your defeat.'
'What defeat? I didn't...' she abruptly stopped talking. She looked around. 'Wait. Do you...' She looked her brother in the eyes. Dionysus had noticed it too, she saw that. 'In the west, right?'
'Yes. In the west. Intruders. Three men and two girls.' Artemis saw that he wasn't looking straight at her, but rather at a tree nearby. She saw a nymph disappear back into a tree. She gritted her teeth. 'Alright. We'll go get them.'
It isn't difficult for gods to travel and within seconds Dionysus and Artemis were high the trees above the trespassers. Artemis sniffed. 'Hm. Two adult men, a boy and two girls.'
'How about I'll get the left one, you get the right one and then we see what we do with the kids?' Dionysus suggested.
'Alright,' Artemis agreed. She started Climbing down the tree. 'I'll go first. You can get the other guy later.'
Halfway through the tree, Artemis stopped climbed and transformed herself into a squirrel. She listened for some time, until it was clear that the guys were, in fact, not having good intentions with the children. She rolled her chipmunk eyes and climbed farther down the tree.
When she was at the ground, she changed back into human form. She slowly stepped away from the tree out into the open. She turned to the right man.
'Leave them alone,' She said, with an expression that would have made most people run screaming for the hills. Yet, this man began to laugh. 'Well, well, well. A little girl who thinks she can help?' Artemis turned her gaze towards the other guy and noticed that he looked far more afraid. She straightened her shoulders. Her hands and head started glowing a little. She summoned her bow and took an Arrow out of her quiver.
The right guy almost fell to the floor laughing when he saw her bow. 'Oh, she has a toy. Whatever shall I do?' The Left guy screamed and ran into the forest, trying to hide. Artemis saw the vines get thicker around the place he had run away to. She gave the forest a nod, hoping Dionysus would understand. Then she gestured the children to stay behind her, before shooting the man right through the chest.
He didn't laugh after that. He disappeared into a cloud of nothingness. Artemis heard gasping behind her. One girl started to cry. She made her quiver disappear before turning to the children with a smile. She stuck out her hand. 'Hello. My name is Artemis. Where are you kids from?' The little boy shivered. One of the girls gasped.
'Are you really... the goddess?' She whispered. Artemis smiled and nodded, before she made a few flowers appear in her hand. 'Here.' The little girl took one, with shivering hands. Artemis turned towards the girl that was crying. 'Come on, little one. It's alright. They can't hurt you anymore.' She nodded through her tears. Artemis assumed she was just too tired and scared to still think like that.
Dionysus came out of the forest with an expression that meant business. The vines behind him became less thick. Artemis decided that the second guy was either no longer in existence, or had been added to Dionysus' team of drunken followers. She decided not to even ask about it. Why would she care?
Dionysus summoned some food for the children. Eventually, the boy whispered that they were from Loutraki, a small place close to Korinth. Artemis clapped in her hands. 'Well, we'll bring you back to your parents, then.' She had closely watched the two girls and had decided that they were too young to become hunters. Slowly, she got up.
She turned to Dionysus. 'Can you make sure no-one else is creeping around? I'll bring the kids back.' Dionysus gave her a nod.
'Of course. I'll make sure Pan isn't getting too close to your nymphs as well while I am at it.'
Artemis rolled her eyes. 'Yes, that would be nice, if you could do that on the daily,' she snapped back, while she and the children disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Dionysus turned around. He knew why Artemis had told him to check the forest a second time. He could feel the presence of more kidnappers sneaking around. And right now they were going after a few wood nymphs (Some of them were lurking at some maenads, but he decided to let those guys learn the hard way that you shouldn't screw with those girls. Maenads didn't need him to look out for them).
People often forget that the forest is Dionysus and Artemis domain, and that when you entered the forest you are at their mercy. They let most people through without problem - a lot of people didn't want to stir up trouble - but the people who did mean harm could expect an unhappy surprise. Like suddenly seeing the trees light on fire in front of your very eyes.
Leonidas screamed loudly. 'Fire! The forest his on fire!' He tried to drag his companion, a woman named Penelopa, along. She looked at him like he was crazy (Which he was, just to be clear. There was no real fire in the forest, Dionysus wasn't that stupid). 'What fire? There is no fire...' Suddenly, she started screaming as well. 'But... but thats a drakon! Right there!' She shivered. Leonidas stared at her. 'Woman, you are seeing things! There is nothing like that...' His voice trailed away when he saw it as well. Leonidas dropped his knives and bags. He felt his legs go weak. Penelopa screamed again, and ran deep into the woods.
Leonidas knew he should run. He just couldn't. He looked at his feet. Thousands of burning vines coiled around his legs, ready to consume him when they got the chance. He felt all the blood running towards his feet. His gaze got glassy. Slowly, he sunk to the ground. The world became dark.
Dionysus straightened his shoulders. He reappeared out of thin air. 'So, Leonidas. Maybe not a great idea to hunt wood nymphs for their poison, is it?' he asked. Leonidas, who was laying on the floor, of course couldn't answer. Dionysus sighed. 'Well, well, well. Now where are you from? Ah... Athens. What a surprise.' He crouched down and looked at the mans' face.
He smirked and wrapped his hands around Leonidas' head. The mans' body shivered, but he didn't wake up. 'Now, I'll teleport you back to Athens. You shall remain there for all eternity, in the same small street behind the rich mans' houses. Like a young wood nymph who cannot yet get far away from her tree.' Dionysus snapped his fingers, and Leonidas disappeared. Dionysus looked up. He didn't feel the presence of Penelopa anymore. He shrugged and decided that Artemis probably took care of her.
His sister appeared by his side a few seconds later. 'So. That was some hard spring cleaning,' She said, while stretching. Maybe I should get some more sleep.' Dionysus grinned.
'Sleep? You? I thought it was Apollo's job to sleep.'
Artemis gave him her famous dead-eyed stare. 'Funny, Dionysus, very funny. Of course I cannot go to sleep. I need to get my hunters to wake up and do their morning chores first. Oh, and I'll have to travel through Athens today, so please take your followers and go to Sparta or something.'
'You know what? Great idea.' He smiled at her. Artemis didn't smile back, but he hadn't expected that. He disappeared into thin air again, only to have his whole group of followers appear alongside him in the woods that covered sparta. Back in Corinth, Artemis summoned her bow and got ready to walk back to her hunters. She strechted her arms. Another day, another idiot thinking he can break the rules of the wilderness, She thought.