Disclaimer: I do not own the book series Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. Rick Riordan does. Enjoy reading!

Chapter 4 – Meeting the infamous (but still famous) Hunters of Artemis!

POV: 3rd Person

They saw a couple of times a silver flash through the woods, but just as fast as it came it was gone, almost making them believe that their eyes where betraying them. The three stood back to back with each other, all with their weapons out. Their attention was quickly focused towards a bush on their right, which rustled slightly.

Percy saw a flash of silver from behind and heard Sophos scream,

'Watch out! An arrow from behind!'

Percy turned around in no time and saw an arrow flying in their direction, his senses kicked in as he stood protectively in front of his friends and raised his arms in front of his face, his forearms crossing in an X formation. He closed his eyes, awaiting the impact.

But none came.

Percy opened his eyes slowly, only to see a glimmering silver shield, shining in front of his arms, which disappeared when he let his arms drop, and a silver arrow lying on the ground in front of him.

A clear and piercing sound of a hunting horn was sound through the woods, silencing everybody and everything nearby. Out of the woods came a group of girls, about twenty of them, all wearing silvery ski parkas and jeans, all armed with a bow, and hunting knives which were sheathed, hanging at their belt. Their ages range from nine to fifteen years old.

'The Hunters of Artemis' Sophos identified the group of girls in Percy's head.

The girls stealthily surrounded the trio, an arrow notched on each bow, ready to be fired when needed. One of the girls raised her arm, her hand was tightened into a fist, as a kind of gesture and she said out loud,

"Hold your fire girls but keep your bows at ready."

The girl had brown auburn hair, that was gathered back in a ponytail, and cold silver eyes, that were piercing, as if they were able to look straight into your soul. She looked very young, about twelve years old, but if you looked into her eyes you saw the hidden knowledge and age behind them.

She took a step forward and turned her attention towards the trio. She spoke up and her voice held power and authority.

"Who are you?" She demanded as she inspected them each. When her gaze fell on Percy's, Percy's breath hitched at the sight of her beauty. He shook his head as to clear his mind. Next to him Evelyn kneeled down onto one knee, her head towards the ground.

"My name is Evelyn Clash, milady. I'm one of Ares' kids." Evelyn looked up and the auburn-haired girl nodded at her. Evelyn looked over at her friends and she frowned. Why aren't they showing their respect, do they want to anger a goddess?! She thought angrily.

Evelyn coughed, getting her friends attention and said, "This is the part where you bow." And she motioned them to do what she was doing.

All the hunters looked at Zoë expectantly, trying to encourage her, and glared at Percy, angry that the stupid male hadn't showed their lady respect yet.

The thing was, Zoë and Percy both where Titans, and as a Titan you get taught since birth to never bow down to another being. It is one of the few rules they follow. So both Percy and Zoë were now in a mind conflict with themselves, not knowing if to bow down to this woman or not. Zoë looked over to Percy and she saw him also standing, she decided that she would follow his lead. If he decided to bow, then she would also.

Percy was also thinking hard, if what Evelyn said was right then this woman must be the goddess of the moon. Meaning that Percy was her guardian. And if that was true then Percy would show all the respect he had towards her, but he wasn't sure if this was his charge. He swallowed.

"They say you are the heir of the moon," Percy said out loud, looking the auburn girl straight in the eyes, "Proof it."

It was silent for a couple of seconds, everyone was stunned that someone would be so unrespectful towards a goddess, before chaos erupted amongst the hunt. All the hunters where yelling and protesting. Things like, "How dare you" or "Stupid male" where being said, but the loudest of them all was a brunette with a silver circlet braided into the top of her brown hair, identifying her as the lieutenant,

"Milady doesn't need to proof herself to a lowly male like you, you-" The auburn-haired girl raised her hand silencing everyone. Everyone looked now intently at her.

"Why should I?" She just simply and calmly said, her eyebrows slightly raised and her eyes showing curiousness.

Percy needed first proof before he was going to tell her and even then, he wouldn't just tell her with all her man hating followers there or he would be dead on sight.

"I cannot tell yet, goddess. But if you will confirm my thoughts then I might be able to tell you. Besides, you wouldn't let the chance to put a male in his place go, would you?" The auburn-haired girl was utterly confused but decided to just go with it. She mentally shrugged, she could always turn the boy into a jackalope if she wanted. She transferred a memory of hers, a short one, where the fates assigned her titles to her, to the boy.

Percy suddenly saw flashes play in front of him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the flashes.

He was kneeled down before thrones. He looked around him, the room was mostly white and in front of him and beside him were all kinds of thrones. On the thrones sat people, gods to be precisely. He wanted to look around more, but his attention was caught when three old ladies suddenly flashed into the room. The room felt silent at their presence. All three ladies looked at him and one of the three spoke up with a raspy voice,

"We are here to decide the domains of the godlings Phoebe Artemis and Phoebus Apollo." Another lady continued, "We shall start with the oldest one, Phoebe Artemis, please stand up." Suddenly Percy's body moved out of it self and stood up. Then the last one spoke, "The domains assigned to her are," Suddenly all three lady's eyes' started to glow and they spoke up all together, "Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, moon, archery and chastity."

Suddenly Percy was thrown out of the flashes and he opened his eyes. His eyes were wide open before they hardened again.

Everyone was confused at what just happened except the goddess, now known as Artemis, and Percy. All the murmuring was quieted down when the boy suddenly started moving and all eyes were on him.

Percy let himself fall to one knee and he slowly bowed his head down with great dignity. Never had the Titan bowed to anyone before, and never would he to anyone, but this woman. Because she was Artemis, goddess of the moon, and now, his charge.

He slowly spoke up interrupting the silence, "My name is Perseus Jackson. It's an honor Lady Artemis."

Zoë looked at Percy with wide eyes, before she also dropped into a kneeling position. "My name is Zoë."

Artemis was still staring at the boy's kneeling form. It was like she needed to feel honored that he was bowing to her. Like a powerful being was now bowing before her. She shrugged the thought off, he was just a demigod, how powerful could he be?

"Yes. Please rise young demigods." Percy frowned at that, why did everyone think he was a demigod? He nevertheless stood up, still with his sword in one hand. "If you three would like to follow me, then I would like to have a word with all of you."

In no time the hunters had sat up their camp. It consisted out of eleven silver tents. One tent was used as an armory, the hunters stored their extra weapons and equipment here. Nine tents where were the hunters slept in, two hunters per tent. And the last tent was Artemis'. A bonfire was set up in the middle of the camp.

The trio followed Artemis into her tent. When they entered the tent their eyes widened, the tent was way bigger than how it looked on the outside. The walls were hung with animal pelts and the floor was covered with silk rugs and pillows. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. The inside of the tent radiated warmth and comfort. On the side stood a small simple bed, carved out of walnut wood, covered with even more pelts. A wooden table stood in a corner, maps, papers and books were sprawled over the table.

The trio sat in a half circle across from Artemis on the tent floor. No one talked for a while before Artemis broke the silence.

"So, I've been wondering for a while, why are three demigods travelling through these woods? You seem to know of the mythological world." She questioned as she eyed the sword of Percy. She had asked one of her hunters to clean the bloody weapons. The two girls had agreed to this and had given her hunter their weapons, but the boy had politely refused saying that it wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he carried his weapons always by his side. Artemis had raised an eyebrow at this, but decided to let it go, the boy would have to clean his weapon by himself then.

"Actually, we were looking for you, milady. We've been seeking for the Hunt for a long time now." Evelyn said.

"And why were you looking for us? Is there any news I need to know?"

"Well, we," Evelyn motioned herself and Zoë, "Were actually wondering... if we could join the Hunt, if that's possible?" She hesitantly asked and Artemis' eyes seemed to brighten, and she smiled.

"Funny, as I was going to ask you the same question. Of course you can join the Hunt, we could use some brave maidens. That is, if you are still maidens of course?" She eyed Percy warily. Percy suddenly realized what she meant and his eyes widened and his face turned into a tomato.

"Oh no, no, no. Just no! We are all just friends, okay? No creepy stuff." Artemis raised an eyebrow, she seemed to do that a lot with this boy. Zoë and Evelyn both nodded, both also had a bright red face.

"Well in that case, you need to forswear romantic love forever. You will never grow up and will stay a maiden forever. In return you will get partial immortality and a new family. Are you ready to do that for a place in the Hunt?" Artemis questioned as she looked over to Zoë who nodded and then over to Evelyn who also nodded.

Artemis nodded, "Okay then, repeat after me, I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis." Both girls repeated.

"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt." Now both girls looked hesitantly towards Percy, but Percy just smiled encouragingly at them. They repeated the lines.

"I accept your oaths." Zoë and Evelyn suddenly got a faint silver aura around them. "Welcome to the hunt." Artemis smiled brightly at them, before she stood up and walked out of the tent and she called out a name. "Jayden!" A girl jogged towards the tent. When she came into view, Percy recognized her, it was the brunette with the silver circlet!

"Yes milady?" She looked curiously at Artemis.

"Could you please show these two new recruits around." Jayden smiled brightly at them when she saw that she had new sisters. "Of course Lady Artemis. If you two would please like to follow me" She said to Zoë and Evelyn and the three walked off. Artemis came back into her tent where Percy was waiting patiently, and she sat down again.

"Now as for you, Perseus, you have to go to a place called 'Camp Half-Blood'. It is a place for demigods and-"

"Excuse me Lady Artemis, but before we get to that, I have a couple things to tell." Percy interrupted her and she glared at him, but her curiosity took over as she motioned him to keep going.

"Well first, you need to know that both Evelyn and Zoë have been betrayed before, so they will probably fit right in. It is not for me to tell you their stories, but I just wanted to inform you, so you know." Artemis looked a bit pained, she always hated to hear this happening to innocent people. Percy sadly nodded at her expression, why did people have to be like this? "Secondly, about Zoë, she is a daughter of Atlas. Now don't act rashly," Percy quickly added and put his hands in front of him when he saw her face, "She is against her father's actions and doesn't support them." Artemis calmed down at this.

"Listen Lady Artemis, I don't know if you have ever heard about this, but the thing is, as an heir of the moon, which you are, you have a guardian. This guardian must protect its charge, which in this case, is you, till it's dying breath. And the thing that I'm trying to say is… that I am your guardian, Lady Artemis."

Artemis looked at him in the eyes, before she snorted, "We all know that that's a myth and besides, I don't need a guardian, I can protect myself perfectly fine. And I most certainly not need to be protected by a thirteen-year-old demigod."

"First, twelve-year-old, but don't underestimate me, I've strolled the earth before you were even born. And secondly, I just told you I am a son of Selene. My father is also a Titan. Which makes me of course also a Titan, so don't compare me with a lowly demigod." Percy growled out but as soon as his cold demeanor came it was gone and he said nicer,

"Now I know you won't like this, and I get that, and I will make some adjustments, such as also protecting your hunters and keeping my distance. I will now go, if you wish to speak to me, I will be in one of the trees."

Artemis didn't know what to say, but before she could even open her mouth Percy had already opened the tent flap and walked out of her tent. She stared at the now closed tent and muttered just three words that described the entire situation.

"What the Hades?"

I don't believe Artemis is very happy with this hmm? What do you think?

So hey! I'm back with another chapter! I tried to make it good, although I'm not sure if I've succeeded but we'll see. Anyway, thank you all for reading this chapter and I hope to see you next chapter. Goodbye my lovely readers.

-Cashew