Chapter 5: Luke Is Scarred for Life
I stood there speechless staring with my mouth on the ground staring in the dark brown eyes of Zoë Nightshade. Did the leader of the Huntresses really just ask me to join them? Quickly, I stopped staring and searched for words to say.
Instead of answering Zoë I said something real intelligent like, "Wh- Wh- WHAT?"
"Would thee like to join the Hunters of Artemis?" Zoë repeated.
"Maybe thee should learn some words from this millennium," I tested Zoë.
"I hate the English language! It changes too much," she muttered to herself.
"Zoë," Artemis broke in. "Maybe we should go."
"Lady Artemis, I think we should wait. I'm just getting started." Zoë said.
"So, Thalia would thy like to join?"
"What's in it for me?" I asked.
"Immortality, and some good stories to tell," Lady Artemis said.
"I would like to join." I said. All eyes were on me. Luke, Alex, Kerrigan, and Chris all looked straight at me. Their eyes were full of concern, I knew I shouldn't do it but I had too.
"Repeat after me," Zoë began, "'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I … I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," I repeated.
"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"
I repeated the lines. "So is that it?"
"If Lady Artemis accepts then you are a Huntress."
"I …." Lady Artemis began, "do not accept."
"I knew you weren't good enough to be a Huntress, Thalia!" Zoë burst out.
"Zoë," I started calmly. "WHY DON'T YOU GO TO TARTARUS?"
After I spoke the ground seemed to crack in half. It cracked and shook. The Huntresses and all of us fell over.
"Alex, Kerrigan! Get back!" I screamed. They did as they were told.
"LUKE, CHRIS!" I called. They looked over and I threw them each a hunting knife. We all stood up and were being clouded by a giant seventy-five foot-tall bright red dragon.
The dragon was fierce. He whipped around and we all were flown backwards. Zoë, Artemis and the Huntresses all raised their bows, "For Artemis," they yelled. They let go and seventeen shiny silver arrows landed on the dragon. He took them out and yelped in pain. The arrows helped but they'd have to get about a hundred more if they were going to do any damage but the Hunters just kept at it. Zoë was definitely showing off now because she shot at least ten arrows a minute at the dragon.
Obviously, it was ten too many because he lifted up his foot and prepared to squash Zoë into a pancake.
"Zoë!" I screamed. Zoë was too scared to look at me or move. Although I hated the Huntresses I wasn't I stupid person.
My reflexes kicked in and I ran and pushed Zoë Nightshade out of the way of the dragon's foot. I had just conjured up my own fate. It was coming and I prepared for the worst. As the foot was about to collide with me I was struck by lightning but I wasn't shocked.
"Thalia-Lynn Maria Grace, Zeus has given you the power!" a voice said. Suddenly, time just shut down. Luke, Chris, Alex, Kerrigan, Zoë, Artemis, and the other Huntresses were all frozen solid with different expressions on their faces. They were all of fear, anger, and worry. I wasn't sure what it meant but I had lightning scars on my hands and I was glowing with power.
"Thalia, Zeus gave you his power!" Luke said. I could barley hear him before time started and the dragons foot squashed me.
The next thing I heard was the sound of Luke's voice, "Thalia! You went through the dragon's foot!"
I wasn't exactly sure what happened. I didn't remember anything. The only thing I knew was that Zoë, Artemis, the Hunters, and Chris were all fighting the dragon. There were some new people too. They all were about fifteen half-bloods in full Greek battle armor with shields and three foot long swords.
"Luke," I said, "Who are they?" I asked as I pointed at the demigods.
"Their campers from Camp Half-Blood," he said with distaste.
"Camp Half-Blood? What's that?" I asked.
"It's a camp for demigods, where we should be. At the camp a centaur, Chiron and the god Dionysus teach young demigods how to use their powers and how to fight monsters and stuff. My father, Hermes always wanted me to go there."
"Your father is Hermes, the God of travelers, thieves, and messages?"
"Yup," Luke popped his lips on the P.
"That's cool," I said
"No, Its not!" he responded. I dropped the subject.
Luke held out his hand and he helped me up. He tossed me two hunting knives which were mine, of course. The half-bloods from the camp had left but the dragon was still at full power. The dragon stepped towards Luke and me but he pushed me back. It whipped its red scaly thing it calls a tail and cut Luke from his eye down to his jaw.
"LUKE LOOK OUT!" I screamed. It whipped around again this time Luke was a little to close. When it came around it smacked Luke with so much power that he was thrown somewhere so far west I couldn't even see him.
"LUKE!" I screamed although I knew it was useless. My knees went weak and I fell onto the hard, cold pavement and wept. I knew my sobs were loud but I didn't care. The boy I'd pledged my love and sibling ship too. Luke was the first boy I'd ever actually cared about and then he was gone just like that. What kind of world is this?
"Thalia, it's almost dawn thy must get up," said a voice I would always know. It was Zoë Nightshade, "You've saved my life now I must repay you."
"What could you possibly give me that can make me feel better?" I choked out between sobs.
"I have a copy of Athena's shield. You know Aegis, the shield with Medusa's face on it. It's the strongest shield known to half-bloods," Zoë said quietly like she didn't want Artemis to hear. She reached in her arrow bag and pulled out a shining silver bracelet. Zoë grabbed my wrist and clipped the bracelet on my wrist where it would stay completely still for a lifetime.
"That's the shield?"
"Tap the charm on it," Zoë said matter-of-factly. I tapped it and the bracelet expanded into a giant shield with Medusa's face on it.
"Thanks, Zoë."