Greek myths are real? Alien or Monster? Chapter 14
Sam looked around the room she was in, she had only been here briefly after the war with Kronos. She still found it breath taking and intimidating at the same time. Considering she was still in silence she found it more intimidating then breath taking. She looked up at the gods, she still felt hot and nauseous her gaze drifted over the gods that were present; Apollo was next to Artemis standing off to one side behind the thrones, Artemis seemed to stopping him from doing something. Athena was there as was Zeus, Poseidon and Hera. The others weren't here so on that she was grateful that it was not a council meeting.
"She should not be able to do that." Hera stated Sam only knew that was because she was looking at Zeus and Hera was beside him so saw her lips move.
"What is going on?" Sam asked looking at Zeus she lowered her head in respect as he was looking at her but had to look back up so that she could read their lips.
"She disrespects us." Hera stated and Sam's eyes widened she shook her head following her line of sight to Athena.
"…not hear us." Athena stated, Sam only caught the last of whatever she was saying.
"Because of you." Sam pointed out, then realized she had just accused the goddess of wisdom not a smart thing to do, but everything felt wrong. "Sorry, I don't feel so good." Sam stated taking this chance to sit on the ground, she felt someone move and looked up to see her father in mortal size next to her he knelt beside her placing his hand on her forehead.
"Her power is burning her up from the inside." Apollo stated, this had her confused what power?
"What power?" she mumbled "if this is about the sound wave just give me back my hearing…" Sam stated
"You need to stay awake." Apollo stated she could hear him but she figured he was talking to her in her mind making her look at him as he turned to look at his father she followed his gaze to see Zeus looking at her.
"No, mortal should be able to do what she did. She is too powerful."
"I can train her, help her." Apollo stated
"No direct interference."
"For our mortal children." Apollo retorted
"What are you getting at Apollo?" Poseidon asked
"None of my children have ever shown these kind of traits…to see sound waves, not just hear and make music but to see it? Let alone her ability to call on the suns energy. If I could…"
"No, you are wanting to make her immortal." Zeus demanded anger clear on his face Apollo flinched.
"She is still needed." Apollo stated but by now the thrumming in Sam's head was getting too much she just wanted to go to sleep.
"I will take her." Artemis stated entering the conversation "I can bind her powers, she will be bound to me." Artemis stated.
"She is still needed." Apollo repeated he was looking around the room from his father to his sister.
"I take her, will you give her back her hearing?" Artemis asked looking at Athena who seemed be in deep thought.
"She will have to go back to the mortals." Athena stated
"I know, once she prepares them she will join my hunt." Artemis stated "This way it will keep her powers in check." She added looking at her father ignoring Apollo's hurt expression as he looked back down at his daughter.
"What of the girl's mother?" Poseidon asked
"If you decide to kill her what would you tell her?" Artemis asked back,
"The mortals do not believe her, but they care for her. What will they think if we kill her? We are wanting them to work with our heroes to stop what is coming, they will not if you do this." Athena stated. "If Artemis binds her powers, she is no threat. She will be bound to her." She added looking from the girl who had finally lost consciousness back up to Zeus. "When she is bound to Artemis her hearing will return." Athena stated
"She will not want to join." Apollo stated
"She did before." Artemis stated
"Then you did not accept her. She then went with her mother and made a life…she will not want to join."
"She will join or she will die." Zeus stated banging his bolt to the ground Apollo who was still next to Sam saw the bracelet appear on her arm he looked from Sam to Artemis he could feel Artemis's power within her.
"What was that?" Apollo asked
"She is now bound to Artemis." Zeus replied they turned to the door as Percy, Annabeth and Will entered.
"This matter is resolved, Artemis I suggest you get acquainted with your new hunter." Zeus declared before he and Hera flashed away. Poseidon looked at Percy giving him a small nod before flashing out. Leaving Athena, Apollo and Artemis in the room with the demigods. Annabeth greeted her mother in respect as Percy moved over with Will to Apollo and Artemis.
"Is she okay?" Will asked as his father turned from Sam to look at him he seemed to stare at him for a few seconds.
"You have already angered him enough Apollo." Artemis informed him and he sighed giving Will a nod before getting up and turning to Artemis.
"Look after her." He stated before flashing out of the room.
"Lady Artemis what is going on?" Percy asked looking from her to Sam. Only to step back seeming Artemis moved over to Sam who now groaned blinking her eyes open she looked around kind of surprised to see Artemis next to her, in child form.
"Lady Artemis?" She asked and surprise crossed her face and she turned to Athena. "Thanks." She stated seeming she could hear now but there was a look on Athena's face that had her thinking she would have preferred to stay deaf, that there was something else, much worse in stored for her. "What happened?" She asked looking at Will but he could only shrug.
"You have joined my service." Artemis stated
"I did what? I don't recall saying the pledge." Sam stated trying to remember but as far as she knew she never said those words.
"That is because you did not say the pledge." Artemis stated
"I didn't volunteer." Sam stated catching onto what she did not say. She was not sure how she was feeling on being forced into something else. Her wrist burned and she looked down to see a silver bracelet on her wrist, she did not recognise it she went to take it off but it did not budge. A thought struck her as she tried to take her ring off but that also did not come off. "What is this?" she asked looking at Artemis as she continued to try and take the bracelet off.
"They will not come off." Artemis informed her
"Why?"
"It helps balance your powers, stops them from killing you." Artemis stated
"Killing…" Sam stopped as she looked at her arm underneath the bracelet there was a mark, one that she had never seen before. "Is that a deer?" She asked and Artemis seemed surprised at the mark on her taking her hand and inspecting her wrist.
"A golden horned Cerynitian Hind…my symbol." Artemis stated, none of her other hunters bare her symbol then again they were all volunteers she did not know what would happen with Sam seeming she did not volunteer. "Come I will introduce you to the others." Artemis stated helping her up but before she flashed them back to her camp Athena stopped her.
"Artemis."
"I will introduce her then send her back." Artemis stated
"Back where?" Sam asked but Artemis turned to look at Annabeth and Percy.
"You should head back to camp, stay there for a few days until things are explained." Artemis informed them before she flashed herself and Sam out. Sam had sent a panicked look towards Annabeth but before she could respond she was gone. She ended up following behind Artemis as she walked through the forest heading for her camp. Sam looked around it was getting late the sun would be setting soon.
"Lady Artemis you have returned." Thalia stated greeting her, she sent Sam a quizzical look but her attention was on Artemis.
"We have a new hunter, Samantha I believe you know Thalia."
"We met," Sam replied she still thought everything was moving way to quick and was having trouble adjusting to everything that had happened. Thirteen girls came over to them all happy to see Artemis she recognised a couple from the battle but did not know any of them.
"Have you ever hunted before?" one of the girls asked as Artemis had moved off to the side to talk with Thalia.
"No." Sam replied
"Do you know how to shoot?" another girl asked
"Daughter of Apollo, so…yeah." Sam replied she was getting a little uncomfortable with the looks they were giving her and they continued to ask many questions. She took a step back from them she was still trying to wrap her head around what happened with the last battle she had just fought so getting grilled by girls who looked younger than her was not something she was wanting, she was getting frustrated. Her hand snapped to the bracelet as it began to burn, she turned to look at the girls who had now gone silent they were all staring at her.
"She was glowing did you see that?" one of the girls whispered
"Samantha." Artemis called her over so she moved over to her the girls moved out of her way.
"I'm sorry, it is they were asking so many questions and I am still trying to figure out what happened in that fight now I have to come to terms with being in your service even though no offence I was not really wanting to…I don't think I can take much more…" Sam stopped talking by placing her hand over her mouth.
"I take it you were not intending to say all that?" Artemis asked and Sam shook her head.
"You have joined my hunt a different way than the others, so that means certain things will be different. It appears you wanting to tell me the truth is one of them." Artemis stated
"What else?" Sam asked
"Not sure, we will discover that over time." Artemis replied
"Why? Why am I different?"
"You did not say the pledge, my father…he was the one that bound you to me."
"Why?" Sam asked
"What do you remember of the fight?" Artemis asked
"No one else could get to it, because it was making a terrible noise. I couldn't hear but I could see it…it was red and ugly so the noise was fuelled with hate and anger. It reminded me of a hydra but it only had two heads not three. Four arms and two legs, with two tails its skin was scaly I knew it would be hard and no arrow would penetrate it. As one head made the noise the other ate people and they would swap. There were serpent snake like monsters around its feet they were the things that spotted me first I tried taking the high ground going to the roofs of the buildings around it but ended back on the road. That was when I saw that it had ears eight of them…figured I could distract it long enough to get close so I had Will play track 7 he had hacked every PA system around us. I saw the waves they were interacting with his red ones he was giving off that was when he seemed to get confused gave me enough time to climb up its back…it kind of goes hazy after that…I just remember feeling hot. Then it felt like there was a fire within me and everything was burning the monster was killed. My head was thumping like someone was playing a base drum in my skull on repeat. I'm tired." She concluded not meaning to say the last thing but it sort of slipped out.
"It is true, you are the first of my brother's offspring to see sound waves, but that is not what had our attention. That burning feeling you felt was you calling on the suns power…"
"But the sun is a giant ball of gas." Sam pointed out she knew Apollo didn't actually drive the sun across the sky the same way Artemis didn't drive the moon.
"Your father's chariot drives across the sky just as bright and strong as the sun, collecting hopes and dreams…it is where the Romans believed he pulled the sun taking over Helios job. Now everyone associates him with the sun."
"And you the moon?" Sam asked
"Exactly."
"So how do I call on the suns power?"
"That is the question." Artemis stated and it dawned on her that they did not know.
"You said this bracelet was stopping my powers from killing me how are they killing me?" Sam asked
"No mortal is meant to have that power, it was burning you up from the inside."
"Does that mean if this bracelet comes off I will burn up from the inside…because if I get a choice I do not want to die that way…can't you take my powers?"
"That bracelet is protecting you." Artemis replied
"So in order for you to save my life, my life is now indebted to you?" Sam asked Artemis looked at her she felt no hostility only frustrations. "What about my mother? What will she think? She barely tolerates this part of my life, what will she say when she finds out I am a maiden now until I die. And that could be years, decades."
"Even centuries." Artemis supplied
"Not helping." Sam said looking at her Artemis was sitting on a log as Sam paced in front of her. "What happens if I walk away?" Sam asked only to cry out in pain she grabbed her wrist, not only was the bracelet burning but also the mark on her skin.
"There is no walking away, unless I release you…which I won't." Artemis replied seeing the brief look of hope in her eyes, she felt bad that she crushed that hope but it was to keep her alive.
"What if I break…"Sam stopped she couldn't even complete that sentence she fell to her knees gasping for breath.
"I don't think that will be a problem."
"Come on I didn't even make the vow." Sam retorted throwing her hands in the air, Artemis remained silent wanting to see if Sam would correct herself. "I'm sorry." She sighed lowering her head, Artemis acknowledged her apology before getting up and taking her back to the camp where she moved over to her tent that was set up, entering the tent she then gave Sam the items of one of her hunters. A new bag, one that contains all the camping needs, a new quiver with silver arrows Sam picked one out of the quiver to look it over but it felt wrong in her hands…only she ended up dropping the arrow as her bracelet was burning. "I am used to my own arrows." Sam stated
"You are a hunter now." She stated handing her the silver parker of her hunters, before handing her two hunting knives.
"Can I not use my own weapons?" Sam asked
"For now, you will use these." Artemis replied, usually she would allow them to keep their own weapons if they wanted to but considering her bow was her sword that held the flame she was not permitted to use it. Zeus did not want her getting any stronger.
"I still have my ring." Sam pointed out and Artemis knew it was a gift from Apollo that could call forth her bow and sword.
"Call forth your bow."
"What?"
"Summon it." Artemis stated and watched as Sam seemed to concentrate before the bow formed in her hand. "Long bow?" Artemis asked moving forward to examine it Sam handed it to her so she could look at it, Artemis noted the names inscribed on it. "You may keep this, but this is only your bow, it will not turn into any other weapon." She stated "So you will carry these hunting knives." She added and Sam nodded before picking them up and twirling them to get a feel for the blade.
"These are yours, when you return I will introduce you to your wolf."
"Wolf?" She asked looking slightly interested. "Wait return? From where?" Sam asked
"You will complete your quest."
"It was never really a quest."
"You will go back to the mortals."
"Your hunters don't usually go on quests." Sam pointed out
"You just said this was not really a quest." Artemis stated
"They do not believe, I am telling the truth but telling the truth does not make them believe." Sam stated "Why do I have to explain to them can't one of you just pop in prove you exist then leave." Sam mumbled
"We are not meant to directly interfere." Artemis pointed out
"I really do not like that law." Sam replied this made Artemis smirk as Sam ended up sighing. "I don't get a choice do I? Never have before why start now. What do you need me to do?" She asked looking at Artemis, she could see her frustrations at her situation but also her acceptance.
"You will go back to their compound they are waiting for you, they have been searching since you left. You need to get them to agree to work with the heroes…You know what is coming."
"So when they agree, I can just introduce them to Percy and Annabeth…then return here?"
"You will be staying with them until I call for you to come back." Artemis replied
"How do I get there? I don't even know where we are?" Sam stated
"Give some time you will be able to tell which forest we are in. I will send you to the trees outside the compound." Artemis stated
"What if I can't convince them?"
"They are mortal heroes, they pride themselves on that." Artemis stated before Sam could ask what she meant by that she was flashed out of Artemis's tent and into a groove of trees. Looking through the trees she could see the place they kept her for five days, she couldn't believe she was willingly going back.