A/N- Hope you're having a good day and enjoy this chapter!
Three months later
Persia Pov-
"Persia!" Phoebe called.
"I'm coming!" I yelled back, getting out of my tent.
"What is it?" I asked, meeting the ginger haired girl outside.
"I'm going to teach you survival skills."
"Really?" I smiled and followed her into the woods.
"C'mon my fair maiden," Phoebe laughed, pointing to a bush with dark berries. "Those are Atropa Belladonna. Also known as deadly nightshade."
"They look like a darker shade of blueberries," I commented. "How are they dangerous?"
"They cause delirium and hallucinations. If one drop of its' juice touches your tongue—you're dead." She warned.
I carefully touched a cluster of berries. "All we have are olive trees in Athens—but they don't grow here, do they?"
"I'm afraid not," Phoebe shook her head. "Say, how good are at archery?"
I bit my lip. "I'm decent." I lied.
"Good!" Phoebe handed me the crossbow she had been carrying and loaded an arrow. "You're going to shoot that tree over there. Aim, pull back all the way to the corner of your lips—you may experience some resistance, then release."
I set my sights on the big oak tree and automatically, my vision blurred and my eyes focused solely on the target. The scents of the forest hit me and I could see every creature within as well as outside my peripheral vision.
"Phoebe!" A huntress called from camp, breaking my concentration.
"Keep practicing!" Phoebe told me before running towards camp. "Just follow the trail should you get lost!"
I lifted up my bow once more and took a deep breath. My fingers loosened and the arrow drove into the center of the tree.
I was about to pull the arrow out when someone called out, "Artemis!" I turned around and bumped into the sun god.
"Oh! Sorry," I apologized, bowing.
"No, no. It was my fault." He blushed.
"Persia," I smiled and extended my right hand.
"Apollo," He shook my outstretched hand. "Sorry about that. You kind of look like my sister."
"It's okay," I laughed. "I've never had a sister."
"Be glad. Consider yourself lucky." Apollo warned.
"I don't think my mother could spare a second child anyway." I said.
"Goddess?"
I nodded, slinging the bow across my shoulder.
"You're pretty handy with a bow," he commented, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"I practiced a bit in Athens," I explained. "You never know when you'll come cross a goddess and her man-hating club."
"Better safe than sorry?" Apollo laughed. "I was under the impressions that Athenian girls were self-preserved and not violent."
"I'm not just any girl, am I?" I winked.
"Definitely not." Responded the god, look at the ground.
"Are you always this nervous?" I blurted out. I didn't mean to sound rude, it was actually a compliment. I liked his sudden shyness. It was cute.
"Usually, no. But I've been warned to never talk, see, or be near you." He chuckled nervously. "But then again, that's only usually."
"No need to fear me—I don't have that man-hating vibe yet," I teased. "But you might want to watch out when the time comes…"
"Thanks for the warning," Apollo joked.
"Persia!" I heard Artemis say from behind me.
"Hi Artemis." I waved.
No sooner was the goddess in front me, shielding me from Apollo.
"Apollo." She said sternly, glaring at her brother.
"Baby sister," Apollo laughed nervously, taking a step back. "How's it going?"
"Am I interrupting something—" I started but Artemis cut me off, saying, "Go back to camp, Persia. Phoebe has something important to tell you."
"Yes, Artemis." I bowed respectively to both gods before following the trail that led back to camp.
"Hey Persia." Chloe said once I got into camp.
"Hey Clo," I greeted. "Where's Phoebe?"
"In that tent," She pointed to the fourth tent to the left. "She has a…surprise for you."
"Does everyone know what it is? Except for me, of course." I asked, walking toward the silver tent.
"Pretty much."
Unzipping the zipper to the tent, I stepped in. Phoebe squealed when she saw me, jumping up and down, occasionally shaking me.
"What? What is it?" I asked, already excited. I'd never seen her so excited.
"Artemis wants you to be her second in command!" Phoebe shook me once more for good measure. "What do you say?"
"I've barely been for three months," I stammered. "Most of the girls have been here for centuries, including you. No, I can't. I don't deserve it."
"Persia, you're the best huntress for this. Artemis chose you specifically because you're a naturally born leader. You can do this and you do deserve this."
I took a deep breath before responding. I joined the Hunt to form my own future. Maybe accepting this position was a part of making my own future.
"Yes." I found myself saying.
My friend smiled before going over the rules. "Alright, so whenever Artemis is gone, you'll be in charge. That includes when she is summoned to Olympus and during her night shifts. You'll welcome the new hunters, lead your own hunt, and maybe,"
Phoebe's eyes sparked. "Maybe if you do well, Artemis will let us to go to Olympus."
"Really?"
"Yes, I've never been to Olympus…" Phoebe said wistfully.
I gave her hand a quick squeeze, vowing, "I won't disappoint you."
"I know you won't," Phoebe said, pulling me outside.
"Where we going?" I asked.
"You're going to meet your new family."
A/N-Thanks for reading!