Artemis's appearance, and consequent disappearance, proved to be the turning point in their battle against Python. Hazel continually sent gemstones crashing into his broken chest and Will accompanied them with a volley of arrows. Nico, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper weaved and ducked as Python continually tried to crush them. Every time that his wound was within sword reach one of them would be their cutting and stabbing away with abandon. It was a strange thing for Ryker. He was not accustomed to watch people fighting his battles for him. He was almost certain that he did not appreciate it at all. Not much I can do though. He lamented, staring down at his chest, legs, and arms. Shrapnel from the jar had cut him to pieces and the subsequent force of the explosion had done a significant amount of damage as well. Getting to one knee was already pushing his limits, and fighting would simply be suicide. He needed more of whatever it was that Will had force-fed him. Unfortunately the son of Apollo was occupied with Python.

He glanced back over to where the jar had shattered and frowned at the figure of the prone girl. She was still alive, Ryker was certain of that, but in her current place there was a good chance that Python could inadvertently crush her. Gritting his teeth and groaning in agony, Ryker pushed to his feet and began to stumble over to her. He used the wall of the cavern as a crutch, his breathing already hard. He wasn't certain but he thought that perhaps a shard of the jar had embedded itself in his lungs, which would have made since as each breath felt like someone was shooting him in the chest with an arrow. Thankfully Python was too distracted by the others to notice a demigod he undoubtedly thought was not going to be any use in the fight. Well, he's not wrong. Ryker had to admit, pausing to catch his breath.

It took time to get to the girl, but he made it there with no issues from Python. In fact the massive dragon seemed to be losing the fight. His already broken chest was now pouring golden ichor and the dragon's movements had begun to grow sluggish. Ryker pushed off the wall and stumbled his way over to the girl. Ryker took a moment to examine her for any sign of injuries before moving her. She was pale, not quite Nico pale but still very white, and she was clearly starving. Ryker grabbed her hands, stifling a groan, and heaved her over his shoulder before retreating back along the side of the cavern to the massive doors that had led to Python. When he dumped the girl onto the ground, unintentionally, she moaned and mumbled something that Ryker construed as nonsense. He turned his attention back to the others and immediately narrowed his eyes. Python had been backed up to the other side of the chamber and the others were advancing on him warily, Hazel and Will still launching projectiles at him with abandon. Python roared, the sound shaking the chamber, and a white light began to build up in his chest. I may not be able to burn you, but none of you can withstand my lightning. Python promised, opening his maw to release the electrical breath.

Ryker saw the others begin to retreat, but he knew that they would not be able to make it far enough away. He glanced down at his hand and sighed, shaking his head. He got back to his feet from where he had fallen after dumping the girl onto the ground and extended the hand that Artemis's bow was residing in. The familiar white-energy bow appeared and he reached forward, drawing back the string and sighting in on Python's chest. The dragon seemed to notice the bow and changed the target of his attack from the retreating demigods to the one wielding the goddess's bow. Die! Python roared, releasing the lightning from his body.

Knowing that using Artemis's bow in his current state would surely bring about some terrible whiplash, Ryker sighed and released the arrow. The shaft of white light flew true, cutting through the lighting and breaking through the Python's already injured chest. Python let loose a terrible wail and fell back. There was no impact as the massive dragon crumbled away to nothing before he could hit the ground.

The others turned to face Ryker just as Artemis's bow disappeared. He held his breath, mentally steeling himself as much as he could before the inevitable agony that came from using Artemis's bow attacked him. He waited like that for several seconds, frowning slightly. "Nice shot." Will called.

"Easy target." Ryker called back, staring down at his hand. "Nine shots left." He muttered, mystified as to why using the bow had not brought about any repercussions. Perhaps Artemis could shed some light on the subject next time he saw her. She seemed to have taken some manner of interest in him, though what she had meant when she told him that his life now belonged to her was beyond him. His life belonged to him and no one else.

"Is that…?" Percy glanced around to the others, his eyes wild and confused. "But… I saw her die… She was in Elysium."

"I know." Nico said, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I saw her there, several times."

Ryker glanced back at the girl and raised an eyebrow. "You know the Oracle?"

"She was never an Oracle." Annabeth said in a low voice as they approached the girl. Ryker sidestepped and let them pass. "She's a daughter of Aphrodite… Her name is Silena Beauregard. She died a few years ago when Kronos tried to overthrow Olympus."

"Apparently not." Ryker commented, staring down at her pointedly. Now that he had a moment to examine her properly he had to admit that she looked like one would expect someone who was just resurrected to look.

Nico shook his head. "She was definitely dead." He said confidently. "I saw her spirit."

Will pushed past them, digging in his bag. Ryker watched with mild interest as the golden haired boy began to tend to the wounded girl. Will produced various bags, vials, and flasks. His hands were a blur as he went about his ministrations. Ryker turned away, staring back at where Python had fallen. "The debt is settled." He said quietly.

A sudden gasp and coughing fit brought Ryker's attention back to the girl and he saw her blinking rapidly in confusion. "Wh-what's going on?" She asked, attempting to sit up.

Will pushed her back down with a firm hand. "Rest." He ordered her, producing a square of ambrosia. "Silena, can you tell me what happened to you?"

"I don't know." She said, slowly eating the ambrosia as Will fed it to her. Ryker scowled at the gentle way she was fed whereas he had been all but suffocated. "I was in Elysium with Charlie…" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Is Charlie alive now too?" Percy asked. "How are you alive?"

"I don't know. Charlie and I were in Elysium together… we had been talking about going for reincarnation… Then all of a sudden the ground beneath me opened up and I got pulled under. I don't know what happened to Charlie. Oh gods, what if he's hurt?!"

"Kind of hard to hurt something that's already dead." Ryker observed. Piper shot him a glare and he frowned. "What? It's true."

"After you got dragged down the hole, what happened then?" Annabeth pressed. "Do you remember anything?"

"I-it was dark." Silena admitted. "I didn't see anything. I felt cold and then hot over and over again for a while. Then there was a bright white light that got shoved into whatever it was that I was in."

"The Oracle." Will nodded. "Go on."

"I was in there for so long." Silena said, tears now streaming from her eyes. "I was so scared and cold and hungry. Then I felt air around me and I fell down. That's everything I remember."

"The last bit was probably when Ryker broke the jar." Hazel offered, glancing over to him. "You are bleeding." She observed.

"I am." Ryker said dismissively. "Focus on her, she's in worse shape."

Will tossed a vial of nectar over his shoulder at Ryker. "Drink." He ordered, not bothering to glance back. "You have shrapnel embedded in your body. I'll probably have to pull some of it out when we get back to camp."

"I'm not going back." Ryker told them. They frowned at him and when Nico opened his mouth Ryker held up a forestalling hand. "My debt to you is paid. Python would have killed you with that last attack, you know that. Our time together is over. I'm returning to my forest."

"But…" Piper's voice trailed off.

"There's nothing you can say Piper." Nico said softly. "The code of the wild is very specific. His debt to us is settled. We can't force him to go back with us."

Ryker nodded his thanks. "If you wouldn't mind, could you drop me off back on the surface?" He asked.

Nico nodded. He glanced at Hazel and offered his sister his hand. "Everyone grab hands." He commanded. "Let's get out of here."

They did as the son of Hades asked and Ryker felt himself dissolve into shadows. He had been holding hands with Percy and Annabeth, but as they traveled he felt himself be wrenched away from them. He staggered backwards, stepping out of the shadow of a tree and nearly tripping over a young girl clad in silver. The nectar had returned a good amount of Ryker's strength and reflexes. He caught his balance and immediately began to back up when he noticed the telltale wardrobe of a Hunter of Artemis. Sure enough several dozen other girls all dressed the exact same way, bows held at the ready but not drawn, stepped out of the trees and shot him wary looks. "Not again." Ryker groaned, summoning his claws. He sighed and then steeled himself, his mouth curling up into a snarl. "I'm not going back, so you better be ready to kill me." He warned, leaning forward into a ready stance.

The girl who he had nearly tripped over pulled out a silver hunting knife and brandished it wildly as she made a hasty retreat. A familiar face stepped forward and Ryker was not at all pleased to recognize Thalia Grace. "It's been a while." She greeted him. Ryker's instincts told him something was amiss, she had no weapons drawn, but he nodded back.

"Not long enough." He said darkly. "What do you want with me? Where are the others?"

"I imagine that they are back at Camp Jupiter." Thalia offered. "A few of us are daughter of Hecate, the-."

"The god of magic, yeah." Ryker scowled. "Which still doesn't answer what you want with me."

"Those of us who are part of the Hunt must stick together." Thalia told him. There was no antagonism in her voice, only simple fact and certainty.

"Hunt with someone else." Ryker told her. "And tell Artemis to leave me be. I want no part with her, you, or anything else that the gods have going on now. I did what I was asked, nothing more. Nothing less."

"And yet," One girl stepped forward, throwing back her hood. Ryker's eyebrow raised fractionally when he recognized Artemis. "Not everything that you need accomplish has been asked of you. Not yet."

"What do you want Artemis?" Ryker sighed.

"As I told you in Python's chamber," She sent him a long, searching look. "Your life belongs to me. Ryker, I am giving you an honor that only one other male has ever had the privilege of. You will be joining the hunt."

"Not interested." Ryker said, turning around.

"You can't run Ryker." She told him sternly. "Not this time. When I told you that your life belonged to me I brought you into the hunt. Your life is now bound to me and mine."

Ryker closed his eyes, resolving himself to yet another cruel twist of fate. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth. "I'll hunt with you. What are we after?"

Artemis's smile was colder than ice. "Orion."