The Bane of Artemis
Disclaimer: Like always characters belong to their rightful owner.
Chapter 4:
Sending her hunters on a search proved to be a rather sound mistake on her part. Artemis had sent the hunters to find Nico Di Angelo. Well that was after Hades threatened to bring his multitude of undead to the doorstep of Olympus. Hera had already enlightened majority of the Olympians on the whereabouts of the son of Hades. However, Hades wanted him returned immediately. Artemis knew where the Roman camp was located but unfortunately Nico had already embarked on the quest to Alaska. He had already returned back to camp but her huntresses were just now returning. That was brushed aside as her mood was further ruined.
"What do you mean Thalia is missing?" Artemis asked with frustration as she looked at Phoebe.
"I apologize mi Lady, but it seems she's been captured." Phoebe dropped her head as she detailed the news that Artemis' lieutenant was captured by the enemy.
Artemis gritted her teeth as she scoffed. Of course, Thalia would be the one to get captured. Her half-sister was just like their father. Headstrong and believing that they are untouchable. Believing that they are invincible. Well, it was true in her father's case; her half-sister was a different story.
"By who?" Artemis finally responded as she noticed the assembled council of hunters. The same hunters who had been a part of the mission.
In summary, they had gone through hell. Majority of her hunters had experienced mild injuries. Some had broken bones, others had been bandaged up from burns. Phoebe on the other hand was mildly unscathed. If you count that she walked with a bit of a limp. She managed to evade a large boulder that had been thrown by an earthborn. Unfortunately, her leg was struck.
"It seems it was Enceladus, Athena's enemy." Phoebe responded as she looked at Artemis who continued to sour. Her jaw tensing, as she couldn't bare losing another one of her hunters.
"Where was the assault?" Artemis asked as she began to pack supplies in her bag hoping to rescue her lieutenant.
"Mount Diablo, his old prison. He finally managed to crawl from under his mountain." Phoebe continued to inform her.
"Very well. Construct a scouting party of only healthy hunters. Those of you who are injured are required to heal your wounds." Phoebe clenched her mouth and stiffened as she couldn't let Artemis go without her. She was after all, the best healer and tracker of the group.
"Mi lady, you can't –" She was quickly cut off by Artemis' cold eyes as she backed out of the way as Artemis exited the tent.
As Artemis exited the tent, she found raindrops start to commence from the heavens. Perhaps her father knew that his other daughter was in trouble. He would mourn perhaps a few seconds before moving on to another mortal, to quench his thirst for demigod bastards. That's how it went. After countless of his children were massacred in previous eras, he was rather used to demigods dying for his cause.
The scout party was assembled rather quickly as Artemis noticed a group of five hunters awaiting her command. Their raincoats dropping droplets of moisture from the sky. Their faces full of determination and will to rescue their lieutenant. They were in a sisterhood after all.
Perseus managed to convince the monster armies guarding the Doors of Death that he had been summoned to the overworld by their king. Thankfully, his persuasion was top notch as the imbeciles bought his lies. Not knowing that Porphyrion was still reforming. Majority of his brothers were already on the surface, so he wasn't too worried that he would find his apathetic siblings guarding the obsidian doors.
His luck would have it that he would be transported to Mount Diablo. From his understanding on how the Doors of Death functioned, was that they would transport you to the location they had been chained in the overworld. For this particular destination it seemed that they had been chained to Mount Diablo. The purpose to free his brother Enceladus from his prison. However, it seemed they would move on occasion. According to some of the mindless monsters in Tartarus, they were going to be chained to the Olympians original roots, their ancient home.
As he roamed the summit of the mountain, he encountered his brother surrounded by his troop of Earthborn as they teased a slight speck of a human. The silver parka and the silver camouflage trousers gave the human's allegiance away rather quickly.
"Enceladus. What have you got there?" Perseus grasped their attention as Enceladus was at loss for words. Why was his youngest brother at Mount Diablo of all places?
"Perseus where did you come from?" Enceladus asked skeptically. Being the bane of Athena, he was rather clever.
"I was in Tartarus. I was on a task. But it was a failed task unfortunately." The youngest gigante laughed as he scratched the back of his neck.
"What task?" His older brother pressed as his attention focused from the hunter to his youngest brother.
A method to outsmart and even out maneuver someone very intelligent was by playing dumb. Or perhaps massaging their ego. Something so simple could even beat the biggest of brains.
"Oh, something of little importance. Something the counsel of our king shouldn't be worried about." Enceladus narrowed his eyes as he kept silent.
Perseus placed his arm around Enceladus who continued to be miffed by his youngest brother's oddness. Perhaps he had changed after being imprisoned by their mother. Perhaps he had become dumber? More naïve. All these thoughts flowed through Enceladus' calculating mind. The exchange going unnoticed by their prisoner.
The sparkling blue eyes narrowed at the new subject that had entered her predicament of random chance. He was rather handsome. She couldn't believe that Enceladus and Perseus were brothers. A very stark difference from the thirty-foot-tall ugly behemoth who had dragon claws and scales for legs. His dreads maintained by human bones. Whilst the smaller Gigante was around eight feet tall with his godly features. Black hair, green eyes, sandy complexion, and his attitude seemingly playful.
"So, you're Perseus. My Lady's sworn enemy." Thalia interrupted the family reunion. Her eyes full of hatred and distaste.
"Silent you mere mortal. You do not speak to an immortal of our caliber in such a tone." Enceladus hissed as he beckoned his spear and hit Thalia with the blunt end of the shaft.
Thalia yelled out in pain as she could feel one of her bones break in her legs. She had begun to hyperventilate. The pain was vicious as her vision turned red almost making her pass out.
"Tough little hunter, aren't you? "Enceladus mocked as he once again hit her with the shaft of his spear this time to her ribcage.
This time Thalia couldn't scream as she struggled to breathe. Her ribcage was likely cracked as she began to cough up blood. The Gigantes were more ruthless than she expected. Perhaps because the Titan's didn't believe in prisoners, just fatalities.
"Now now Enceladus. That's not how we treat our guests." Perseus waved his finger, feigning to scold his older brother.
"Like you said, we immortals are much too great. Why would we waste our attention on such an unworthy opponent?" Perseus reasoned with his brother as Enceladus merely smiled. At last his youngest brother understanding their bloodline.
Thalia continued to cough blood on the dusty ground. Her insides bursting with pain. Her breaths becoming more ragged and labored. She didn't expect to die so soon. Eventually she expected to fall in battle. However, not so soon.
As she looked into the clear blue sky she felt a heavy hand placed on her side. She focused her attention to the green orbs that looked at her. They were emotionless, no emotions to betray him. His lips in a thin line. His face furrowed as he began to channel some healing powers into her damaged rib cage and bruised lungs.
"Perseus!" Enceladus yelled as he grew angry at the fact that he was healing a demigod.
"She will be useful to us brother. She serves more of a purpose alive rather than dead." He assured Enceladus who shook his head in frustration as he commanded his Earthborn to chain the hunter.
Thalia couldn't concentrate on anything else, except the grazing green eyes as they looked back at her. Slowly her vision began to show dark spots. Eventually, her vision turned black as she began to sleep. Slowly healing the wounds sustained by Enceladus' torture.
"Has our king arisen?" Perseus left the hunter alone on the dusty ground as he turned his attention to Enceladus. He posed the question knowing the answer but wanting to shift the attention from Thalia to something else.
"Not yet. His battle with Hera and Jupiter's spawn bestowed more damage than he expected. But soon he will arise." Enceladus reassured Perseus, who was thankful they had not met each other at the Doors of Death.
"Where did you learn to heal?" Enceladus asked with envy in his voice.
"Mother." Perseus responded as he looked at Enceladus whose ego began to hurt.
"How?" Enceladus clenched his fist around his spear's shaft.
"In case Orion failed to fulfill his duties. If either of us decided to stray away from our given duties one of us could take over the burden." Perseus revealed as Enceladus slowly unclenched his fist. Content with the answer, he realized how intelligent his mother was. Making sure each godling had their nemesis.
"Did you see Orion in our father's realm?" Enceladus questioned as Perseus slightly tensed not expecting the question. Orion being the topic of discussion since Perseus mentioned him. Nothing going unnoticed by Enceladus as he smirked knowing something was going on. It just didn't make sense that Perseus appeared out of nowhere.
"Yes, I saw him. We have resolved our issues." Perseus lied easily. Enceladus loved opening scarred wounds so they could bleed once again. Enceladus was ruthless in that regard. If he knew something that would trigger negative emotions or reactions, he would use it against you.
"What was it again that made you enemies instead of brothers?" His older brother teased knowing the response.
"Was it that he never wanted to teach you how to use a bow? Or was it that Artemis managed to make our brother fall in love with her?" Perseus knew the last part was a lie. Orion was more intrigued by her hunting ability more than her looks. But the first part struck home.
Perseus pleaded Orion to teach him how to become a master at the bow. Something Perseus severely struggled on. Orion mocked his younger brother for not being able to grasp his nemesis' well-known talent. They were not called the twin archers for no reason. It was not an empty title. Yet as the nemesis of Artemis he would never rival her in marksmanship with the bow. But he had overcome his deficiencies, instead opting to use a crossbow. Perhaps now he would be able to counter her archery.
"Enough, that is ancient history. Every one of you have caused me grievance. Yet I have let it go." Perseus maintained his calmness.
"Very well. You have grown during your slumber with our mother. Now come brother together with the rest of our brothers we will dethrone the godlings." Enceladus rubbed Perseus' back as one of the earthborn picked up the hunter from the dusty ground.
As they were about to leave the summit a silver flash blinded them temporarily as a group of hunters and their goddess made an appearance. Her silver eyes wary of her opponents a few dozen yards in front of her. The green orbs meet the silver orbs and time seem to freeze as they analyzed each other critically.
"Would you look at that Perseus. The stars have aligned. Your duty has come to you. How perfect." Enceladus clapped and laughed not believing the coincidence of Artemis' appearance.
"So, your Perseus the bane of my downfall?" Artemis continued to analyze the Gigante with scrutinizing eyes. Looking eerily similar to Orion. Causing her hate to intensify. Allowing a male into the hunt was one of her worst mistakes. Never would that happen again.
"That would be me. Pleasure to meet you." Perseus responded without a hint of pleasure or joy.
Author's Note: Gasp cliffhanger. You will hate me. But it was an excellent point to stop. I decided to introduce another one of Perseus' brothers. I have them act like assholes because that is their genuine personality. Mocking their youngest brother for his failures. "Thinking he ran away from his duties." Plus, if they didn't act like assholes why would he right the wrongs they have done to him. But yeah, the next chapter is going to be a whirlwind.