I'd like to say something. No one has mentioned any, but if you see an error, with grammar or anything, please forgive me. I type very inaccurately, and I often don't catch mistakes. I hope they won't throw you off. Other than that, please enjoy this chapter. It's nearly 8000 words without the A/Ns, which is a whole hell of a lot. This was worth the two day wait, if I do say so myself, all three of you waiting for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.
I woke up in the familiar tent, and found the square of ambrosia. I eagerly wolfed it down, as my stomach still hurt quite a bit. As I felt my wound start to mend, I looked around the tent. I found Ayano asleep in a chair by the side of the bed, and I wondered why they'd let a child sleep in such an unhealthy way. I also wondered just how long I'd be unconscious. She needed to get to a real bed or she'd be hurting when she woke up. I was also wondering what had happened to Phoebe and the rest of her gang.
I was debating whether or not to wake Ayano up when the doctor came in. Before she had a chance to say anything, in a quiet voice I asked, "What happened to Phoebe and the others? They haven't been punished, have they?"
I know it seems odd I said this. But consider my position. I knew Ayano was right here, so I could ask about her myself. I knew how I was doing, because I've been wounded like this dozens of times in my life. And most importantly, I knew that if people were punished for something they might not have done, it could completely polarize a unit of men. I'd seen it happen during the war, before everyone spread out, anyways. It could be absolutely devastating. And if the hunt had problems, this wouldn't be the last time I'd be targeted. If I said what I had, I'd learn the most that I could, and I could seem ultra caring. Although, it's not as though I didn't care for them. I was just... looking out for everyone's best interest, including mine. I certainly didn't think that they should have been punished if it wouldn't cause morale problems. They didn't really deserve to be punished for doing what they thought was just, or maybe it had been an accident, or... You know, as I write this to you now, I have a lot more time to think than I had then. But as with most people who were learned of the true ways of the world, I thought in terms of feelings whenever I could. Mind reading magic was a lot harder to work, and it saved time. So While all of this would take half a minute to think word by word, I could do it in just under a single second. Perks of being immortal for so long, I guess.
"You are a very strange boy, Mr. Grey. You're shot by a woman in the abdomen, and on waking up from unconsciousness, you inquire about her well being. Of course they haven't been punished. Take care not to gain too large a sense of self importance. The elder sisters decided to inform me of your... situation, since you seem to be here so often. I knew some sort of arrangement had been made, but I never expected you to swear fealty so quickly. It seems quite suspicious. You shouldn't even think of letting it go to your head." The doctor seemed not to mind my presence all that much. I suppose only early huntresses would let their discomfort show physically. One could hate, and yet be cordial. I had no real problems with this arrangement.
"I'm fine with being suspicious. It's no real problem of mine. I am glad they weren't punished. I only hope they learned what I was trying to teach them." I replied.
The doctors eyes narrowed. "Teach them?" It seemed she must have thought I meant teach them that males are superior, which of course isn't true. While the average male was stronger physically than the average woman, a great many women were stronger than men, and in higher level fighting techniques, differences in strength are minimized. Skill tops any physical differences between men and women. Only fools believed otherwise.
"Yes. While the arrow was aimed to kill, their hand to hand combat could use work. I hoped they learned something from the fight, otherwise it would have been utterly pointless." I explained.
"Hold on, you say the arrow was aimed to kill? It hit you in one of the only non lethal spots in the abdominal region." She seemed quite surprised. It seemed they had assumed their intention wasn't to kill me.
"Of course. I knew their was one with their sights set on me who had stayed behind, probably in case I gained the upper hand and attempted to kill one of the huntresses. She must have panicked after I caught Phoebe's knife." I was somewhat surprised. I would have expected for the doctor to know what happened.
"So you're aware they attempted to kill you, and not only do you show indifference, but you are worried about them? What possible reason do you have?" she inquired.
"Listen closely, Miss... uh, what should I call you?" I realized I didn't know her name. I doubted this was the last I'd see of her, so I decided finding her name was paramount.
"Claire is my name," she supplied.
"Listen closely, Miss Claire. I didn't swear fealty to Lady Artemis just to heal my leg more quickly. I respect her, and if she decided to accept the oaths of those huntresses, then they must, at some level, be good people. I'm sure they had their reasons. Perhaps the woman with the bow just got scared. In any case, the very thing they despise now must live near them for the forseeable future. I wouldn't expect anyone to accept that blindly. And I'm more than capable of keeping myself alive. So, they didn't bother me too much. I just hope Ayano doesn't suffer from back problems from sleeping slumped over in that chair like that.
At that moment it seemed that Claire realized Ayano was here, and Ayano started waking up.
"That little rascal. I didn't even notice her. When did she sneak in here again?" Claire seemed like Ayano was always sneaking off somewhere. I felt somewhat touched that Ayano had snuck in here without permission, even though it was worrisome. I wondered what I'd done to leave such an impression on her.
"She's been trying to get in here for days. She only made it in the first time." She sighed. "What are we going to do with her?"
"I imagine a lot of folks won't be happy that she's attached to me."
Ayano chose that time to spring out of her chair and latch onto my neck with her arms.
"Mr. Nate! You're okay! My big sisters kept trying to keep me out of here, but I snuck in anyways!"
"I see that, little one. You need to listen to your big sisters more, Ayano. They only have your best interests in mind. You shouldn't make them worried." I was in a sort of dilemma, here. Did I make Ayano happy by letting her stay near me and giving her what she wanted, or did I keep her away, and give the rest of the Huntresses what they wanted? I decided to try to keep it to a healthy medium, by encouraging Ayano to do what the rest wanted, but not forcing her. It was really down to Ayano, when you get down to it.
"Okay Mr. Nate. I'll try," she responded sweetly.
"You can just call me Nate. We're friends, so it's okay." It was just really weird hearing her calling me that.
"We're friends?" she asked, incredulously.
"Do you want to be?"
"Miss Claire, can me and Mr. Nate Be friends?" Ayano asked Claire.
"Only if you and me can be friends too, Ayano." Claire responded. I shot her a grateful look. She really did me a solid there, when she could have shot Ayano down. Even if it was with a child, I was glad to have at least one friend in the Hunt.
Then Ayano asked Claire something that would've made me spit take if I had been drinking. Luckily, there was no nectar, so I was safe.
"Then, can you and Nate be friends? I promise he's not a meanie." Ayano seemed so desperate and innocent that if I'd been a huntress, I might've said yes immediately. However, Claire seemed to be in a sort of state of shock over this, so I spoke for her.
"I'm afraid not, young one. Perhaps in a very long time, but not for many years, Ayano. They won't believe I'm not a meanie in disguise for five years at least. I'm sorry." I hoped I hadn't been wrong with my estimate. I stole a glance at Claire, and it seemed like she approved.
"I'm sorry, too, Ayano. But... Nathan is about right. I'm afraid we can't be friends for a very long time." Claire seemed like it was very hard for her to squeeze my real name out, instead of simply 'boy.'
Unfortunately, Ayano was clearly crestfallen as she said, "Okay. I wish you guys could be friends, but if you think he's a meanie, I guess you can't be."
I spoke up before this got any more awkward. "Ayano, it's clear you're still tired, so why don't you go sleep in your own bed, now that you know I'm okay?" I hoped she'd just do what I said.
"Mmmmm... okay," she said, clearly disappointed.
"Goodbye, little one. I'll see you another time."
As soon as she left, I asked Claire, "Is there any update on the barrier?"
She looked indignant. "How should we know? You're the only one who can interact with it. Although, we've never actually seen it happen, for obvious reasons. But, I believe you that it's real. You'll find many who think they know better than the elder sisters and think you made it up, but virtually all seasoned huntresses believe you. But none trust you, yet. Except Ayano, it seems. She swears up and down that you're a good person, but she can't explain why. There's a whole lot that suspicious about you, you know. You told Ayano five years, but it'll probably be longer than that. Though I certainly hope you're out of here by then."
"I hope so too. I hope you won't think me rude, but I think I'll go back to sleep, if it's alright with you, doctor."
"Yes. I hadn't expected you to be up this early. Get some rest. When you're healed, the hunt is heading due West. Make sure you've got your things packed."
"As you wish." With that, it was lights out for me.
When I prepared to leave, Ayano ran up to me. I really didn't want to keep her away and hurt her feelings, but I knew I couldn't have her come with me.
She said, "Can I come with you Nate? I wanna play."
I sighed and told her, "Why don't you play with you big sisters? I'm sure you'll have lots of fun, and so will they."
"Darn. I guess I should. Bye bye Nate!" she said, and ran off.
Unfortunately, the five girls from before and another, presumably the archer, approached menacingly, and with anger clearly shining on their faces. This couldn't be good.
It was, surprisingly, one of the girls who hadn't fought who spoke, but not the archer.
"After a long time, we decided. We'd like to apologize for shooting you!" she shouted.
I was incedibly surprised. "Uhh, um, don't worry about it. No one's dead. I'll be happy to take any of you on at any time. But this time, let's decide on it more formally. Deal?" I stuck out my hand.
Phoebe slapped my hand away and said, "Fat chance, boy. We'll fight you when we feel like it, so get ready."
I wasn't in a position to argue, at the moment.
"Alright. I can live with that."
After I arrived at my camp, the first order of business was freeing my knife. That would be completely vital. When I arrived back at the tree, I realized that it would be a lot harder than I first realized. Only about an inch of the handle was outside the tree. It would be easier to crack the tree in half than to pull the knife out. So, that was what I decided to do.
I decided I would kick the edge of the knife, hopefully making the break easier. Certainly the kick would have to be expertly aimed. Thankfully, I had a lot of faith in my martial arts skill, and the tree was mostly dead anyways.
I stood about twenty meters back, sixty five feet or so, so I could build up to my max sprinting speed. A few feet before I reached the blade, I jumped into the air, turned sideways, and caught the handle perfectly on my heel. It completely buried itself in the tree, from what I felt.
When I inspected it closer, it seemed that the knife was indeed now full in the tree. I hoped I'd be able to break the tree.
I got about the same head start, charged and kicked, and the tree did indeed snap.I landed expertly, and recovered the knife. Luckily, amazingly, and awesomely, it wasn't bent or dulled. I fully expected my luck to run out soon. I stuck the knife in my pocket, and took down my tent. I'd soon have to get on the move.
I had barely slung the tent bag over my shoulder when the barrier pushed me forward, and I started to run. The Hunt moved very quickly, but I was quicker. I kept one hand on the barrier to see when we stopped, and though it was a awkward position, it was child's play to keep up with the hunt.
It been about six hours when the barrier stopped moving. I waited for a few minutes to make sure they weren't just catching their breath or something, and I pulled the tent out of the bag. It was lightly enchanted, just to make the tent in the bag, but I had to manually set it up. I was sure the Lieutenant had something to do with that. No doubt the Huntresses self constructing tents or something. Not to mention that my tent was barely big enough to hold maybe two people, certainly not any bigger on the inside. Maybe it was even smaller, though that seemed unlikely.
I had just gotten a fairly straight, strong stick, and had begun carving it to remove the knots and perfect it, the first step into making a spear, which was a past time of mine, when the barrier pushed me forwards off the fallen log I was sitting on, and kept pushing. Great. I had just lost my tent and my canteen, which was inside the tent. I needed those.
Perhaps I wasn't thinking clearly, but I decided the best thing to do was to ask the Huntresses for help, so I started running as fast as I could, only carrying the knife. I'm not sure how I knew, but I had a feeling that by the end of this, I'd cherish my knife more than anything.
I'd sprinted for several minutes when I finally caught up to to the Hunt.
The moment I spoke, all heads turned towards me, some indifferent, most slightly angry, with only Ayano's face happy.
"Excuse me. I started setting up camp when you stpped earlier, which was a foolish mistake. I underestimated you, and if you chose not to allow me to retrieve it, it might be considered my punishment. However, I would really much rather one of you run back with me and allow me to get my stuff back. Please!" I beg-shouted.
Ayano happily said, "I'll do it!" but I knew she wasn't nearly fast enough, and it seemed the Lieutenant knew this as well, as she stepped forward and put her arm out in front of Ayano.
"I will go. Do not slow down. We will be back soon." A lot of faces turned from anger to confusion, and then to a look of sick pleasure. It seemed they thought Zoe would torture me, or something. I wasn't sure what.
Zoe stopped me from thinking when she told me, "Try to match pace, boy."
She took off at a full sprint, and I had to run at my ordinary running speed to keep up, 15 mph.
She said, "I am surpised you can keep up with me. I am only second to Atalanta in terms of running speed, but she doesn't know you or like you."
"Didn't Atalanta get eaten by a bear or something?" I asked, before I could stop myself.
Zoe let out a small smile, one of pleasure that men were all stupid, I'm sure.
"Not exactly, no. And that isn't our Atalanta. You presume too much. As a side note, why on Earth did you think we had stopped for the day?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I thought that six hours was probably a normal time to run for mortals. I suppose I forgot you aren't mortals."
"It had nothing to do with us being women?"
I was taken aback. Honestly, I had never considered it.
"No. Never crossed my mind, actually. Though if you believe me or not is up to you, in the end."
"You forget I have been alive as long as you, Nathan Grey. I have learned to see through lies, probably as you have. You are telling the truth."
"I'm glad you believe me. It means a lot. Thank you." I said, earnestly. If I had been looking at Zoe when I said it. I would have seen the very faintest of blushes on her face. Thinking back on it now, I don't even think Zoe herself noticed it, at the time.
We were silent until we came upon my camp, and Zoe left as soon as I got there. I'd only have a few minutes to take down the tent.
As soon as the bag was over my shoulder, the barrier hit me once again. And this time, quickly. I was sent sprawling to the forest floor, and was dragged along at fifteen miles an hour for a few seconds, until I managed to get up. Great another injury. Rug burn.
It was another six hours before they stopped again. I wondered how Ayano was able to keep up for so long. Maybe someone was carrying her.
This time, I waited a full hour before unpacking the tent. In the meantime, I kept perfecting the spear. After the hour, i was in a shape that meant it was ready for the spearhead and the butt. I would check to see if they had any chipped spearheads they didn't need. I only had a knife, and I desperately needed a melee weapon to replace my swords.
The first order of business was to get food. Luckily, there was a small stream in the woods were we staying in, about two thousand feet towards the huntress camp. It was probably about halfway between us. Anyways, my spear was intended to be a real spear, not just a pointed stick, so my only usable weapon was my throwing knife. I decided to start hunting, even though in a public park it wasn't technically legal. I used the mist to conceal my camp from any park rangers or other people from snooping. Camping probably wasn't allowed here.
I looked around for any tracks, and after about half an hour, I found deer tracks. I followed as quietly as I could, until I finally found it. I was about three hundred feet away - very very far for a throwing knife. But I was pretty sure I could make it. That is, until an arrow pierced its heart from the other direction. The huntresses beat me, and made it so the deer didn't suffer for a second. They were truly experts.
I found some more tracks, and followed another deer, until once again it was killed before I had a chance. But this time, the arrow came from the side.
It happened again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Every time I found a deer, the Huntresses killed it before I had a chance.
It must have been that they were following me, and then passing me once they saw the deer before me. After all, they all had the blessing of a goddess. I was just very very old. Blessings overcame experience, in the case of hunting. I knew that nothing would come of confronting the Huntresses. I just hoped they could eat all the meat. I wouldn't forgive them for killing just to annoy someone. I believed that was what they were doing was just that, but if they also ate, and subsequently didn't need to hunt for a while, then it would be alright. I decided to refill my canteen at the creak, since I was starving. I decided I needed to fill up on water, or it'd be hard to sleep. The only food I'd had for a while was squares of ambrosia, and it took a lot of energy to run and heal. I probably only had a week to live, if I didn't get food.
I filled up the canteen without difficulty, and I was able to sleep on the hard ground, though I woke up with a wicked crick in my neck. I decided that I really couldn't handle a whole deer. I'd hunt for something small the next day.
I don't want to explain the horrible specifics of killing a badger, so I won't. I made a fire pit, and painstakingly made a fire with friction. You know, spinning a stick against a log. Luckily it hadn't rained for a while, so the fire started easily.
Having eaten, I decided I'd just sit and think.
I thought about everyone I'd met. Phoebe, who didn't like me. Claire, who was indifferent. Ayano, who liked me. And Zoe, who... I wasn't sure. Well, she didn't like me for sure. But I don't think she disliked me over other non-trash men
I wasn't sure about how I felt. I'd hope we'd be friends, and seeing Ayano just reminded me how much I wanted to raise a family. I'd never found anyone I respected enough that I wanted to be a mother of my children. But when I did find someone like that, after I got out of here... I'm not sure what I'd do. I didn't know how courtship worked. I'd seen how bad courting worked, one night stands, stalkerish obsession, forcing the issue. I might just try to be friends with whoever I fell for. Let them make the first move. Who knows.
I did feel sort of like a father to Ayano. At any rate, I thought I do something nice for me.
For the next four days, I hunted small animals, and I crafted a set of four wooden knives. If Ayano ever made it here, maybe I'd teach her hand to hand combat.
Interestingly, the first person who came to see me was Zoe. She came to tell me we were going. Unfortunately, she saw the wooden knives.
"What are those for?" she said on the way out.
"Teaching," I replied curtly.
"Teaching who?"
"Well, no one yet. I was thinking if Ayano or one of the younger hunters wanted, they could learn hand to hand combat from me. It seemed like Phoebe and her friends could use work, so if they wanted to help, I'd help them. I did swear that in my oath of fealty. That I'd help all followers of Artemis. It's my duty." I said. I realized as I was talking that I had indeed sworn to help the Hunt.
"That could be... interesting. Maybe we should let her come here like she wishes. With supervision, of course. You are undeniably the one with the most free time, and you are exceptionally skilled. There's no one can dispute that, whether you are a male or not. You might even... nevermind. We're going soon. Don't set up until you're sure we're stopped."
It was a few days before anything interesting happened. I had just gotten back from hunting when I heard two people approaching from the woods, not attempting to keep stealthy at all. It was Zoe, followed by Ayano.
I said, "What brings you here, you two?"
"Ayano wants to learn from you. I'm here to supervise." Zoe seemed a lot like Ayano's mother, dropping her off at practice or something. I could see it.
"I'm sorry I haven't anything to offer you while you wait. I'm in the middle of crafting tablewear from trees that have fallen, but I've only made a plate so far. I mostly just use my canteen for water. I apologize." I truly didn't want to make Zoe dislike me. My life could only get worse with her as my opponent.
"Don't worry about it. This isn't a social call. I'm only here to make sure Ayano doesn't get hurt," she said earnestly.
"Well, my training doesn't involve anyone getting hurt. Don't worry. Please, stay and watch, though. I could use some trust. I'm going to need to sharpen my knife at the main camp, soon, if it's alright with you. I don't particularly want to be harassed."
"Yes, that should be fine."
Suddenly, Ayano seemed to lose all her patience. "Teach me already, Nate!"
"Alright, little one. Take these, and try to hit me with them. I need to see what you know naturally, and what style your body prefers before training. It's important that you let your mind grow blank for this, Ayano, so think of nothing but hitting me, alright?" I said, as I handed her two of the hunting knives I'd made.
"But they're made of wood! I want to use real knives!" Ayano said, pouting.
I sighed internally. As a kid, that was all I wanted, too. But there was no real need for them at this stage. As long as the wood ones behaved like metal ones, the composition was irrelevant. But, try explaining that to a child. I decided I could at least use her anger to motivate her.
"I'm sorry, Ayano. But you need to pass the training before you get real knives. Do you know how to pass my training?"
"How?"
"Touch me with one of those wood knives. The instant you can do that, your training will be over."
I wasn't blind to Zoe's look of utter confusion.
"What is it, Zoe?"
"Phoebe couldn't touch you, even when you had a broken leg!"
"Well, her training wasn't over, was it? Sorry, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic."
"Just teach her."
"Alright, Ayano, try to get me."
"Okay, Nate!"
She ran towards me, and instead of trying to swing once with one arm, attacking twice as quickly as with one hand, she continually tried to hit me with both hands.
It was... interesting. It wasn't difficult at all for me to dodge it, but it was clear she had a lot of skill. It occurred to me to ask who were parents were. I also wanted to find out what her situation had been before the hunt, but that could wait. Ayano herself should be the one to tell me that. But I didn't want to bother Ayano with questions while she was fighting, or trying to fight, so I asked Zoe.
"Who is her godly parent?"
"She's human."
I was shocked. So shocked in fact, that I stopped consciously defending against Ayano.
Luckily for me, I was strong enough that even unconsciously, she was no match for me. Now I was really curious. Was the blessing of the hunt really so strong as to boost a human's skills to this level? She was fighting with the ability of a minor demigod at least twice her age. She was very impressive. Very, very impressive.
"Thank you, Lieutenant."
I decided I had seen enough from Ayano. Now I would begin to teach her.
"Try to keep your stance lower. Every strike needs a purpose! Kill, hinder, it doesn't matter, but a strike with no purpose will never achieve one!"
This was the fifth time Ayano had come, and Zoe along with her. I had finally made a cup, and offered Zoe water, which she did not take, staring right at me with a look I didn't come close to understanding. Whether she accepted it or not, she was my guest, and I her host. I would observe the laws of hospitality as long as she was here.
Ayano was a much better duelist, even after only 25 hours or so of training. Skill always overcomes strength, and I'd bet that Ayano could take on a weaker 15 year old demigod or so, even at age six. She was very very gifted, but still very, very much a child. Skill does not equal maturity, and I knew it well.
"That's enough for today, Ayano. You should head back to your sisters now." She seemed upset, as a child would. I was very glad she was enjoying herself. She had become important to me, over the last few weeks.
I was surprised to find that no one from the camp harassed me whenever I had to sharpen my knife. They had even given me a bent spearhead that I'd managed to right, and I now had an acceptable melee weapon. I clearly wasn't accepted, but I was... tolerated. Apathy was the best I could hope for.
Zoe surprised me by speaking. Since the first time, she had never spoken a word.
"I have something to discuss with you, Nathan Grey. Ayano, please go back."
Ayano started walking back, but stopped, clearly hoping to eavesdrop, but neither I nor Zoe was fooled.
"Keep going," I said.
She kept going. When Zoe believed her to be at an appropriate distance, she said, "We may have discovered a way to destroy the barrier."
I was keeping my emotions guarded, for the time being. She had said 'may.'
"Really? How?"
"A ritual. There isn't even a sacrifice required. No blood, no nothing. Just magic."
"And then the catch must be that it has a low chance of working. And if it fails, I'll lose an arm and a leg."
"Something like that. Are you interested? It needs a willing participant. We can't force you to do it."
"I'll do it. When will the preparations be ready? Do you require assistance?
"Tomorrow, and no. We'll handle this ourselves. And don't tell Ayano. We'll do it early in the morning, so that she won't know. She is... very attached to you, for some reason."
"That seems shady. But I'll do it." I wasn't planning on leaving before I said goodbye, and even after I left, I still swore an oath to Artemis. I'd be back.
The next morning, I left everything but my knife at my tent, and I went to the main camp.
Surprisingly enough, Artemis herself was waiting for me.
"Nathan Grey, you look horrible," she said. It's not as though I weren't washing my clothes, but I still did have a lot of rips in my clothes.
Artemis snapped her fingers, and when I looked down, I had on the very same clothes I had had when I was first making my way to Olympus, about a month ago now.
"Um, thank you very much, my Lady. I appreciate it."
"It would not do for our plans if you were to waltz into Olympus looking like you were mauled by a bear. If this works, you will be headed there immediately."
"I am ready," I said ceremoniously.
"The let the ritual commence."
Artemis spoke many words of power, and then suddenly stopped. Nothing seemed to have happened.
"So, did it work?" I asked.
"I do not know. Go test."
And so I left. I wondered what I'd do if I could actually leave. It seemed that even if I was freed from this place, I'd still be mortal for quite some time, having gained usefulness to the gods in this state. I'd left my immortal life behind to fight in the war, and my mortal life was more here than anywhere else. Interestingly enough, I'd be sad to leave the hunt. That seemed incredibly odd. But I could dwell on that later.
When I finally made it to my tent, I started getting a little nervous. I wondered what would happen if it hadn't worked.
I started walking away. I took a step.
And a step.
And another. And another.
I was decidedly out of the area.
Was I free?
I was sure that at any second, the barrier would smash into me.
But it didn't.
Instead, my arm got slashed.
I was totally surprised. So surprised, in fact, that I didn't run back. Big mistake.
Suddenly, cuts appeared all over my body, cutting up my clothes, arms limbs, my face, even on my neck.
If I had been any slower getting out, it would have truly been "Death by 10,000 Papercuts."
I had lost a lot of blood. I needed to get back to the camp. I ran as fast as I could, before I died of blood loss.
I finally made it back to the camp, but I was close to death.
"What happened!?" shouted Artemis. Oddly caring.
"It... didn't work,"
"Damn. We'll try something else then, soon. This is much worse. You'll have to stay in the main camp until we figure something out. We can't have you dying just yet, unfortunately. Ayano would be very upset with us. And no man will tear a Huntress away from us, not if we can help it."
I passed out.
When I woke up, Ayano was right over top of me, with her knees on the bed near my head.
"You big meanie! You were going to leave without telling me!"
"Ayano, I wasn't going to leave you without saying goodbye. I was just testing to see if I could leave. I promise I wasn't going to leave without telling you."
"I don't believe you!"
"Ayano, please. Look into my eyes. I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye to my favorite girl in the world. I swear." It was more heartfelt, swearing without involving the Styx.
"I... I believe you. I was just mad. Don't try to leave without taking me along, okay?"
"Little one, when I finally leave, I won't be able to take you with me. The Hunt is lifetime commitment. You made an oath, and you must live by it. Do you understand?"
She sighed, grumpily. "Yes."
"That's a good girl. Would you mind telling Claire I'm awake?"
"No. I'll go get her."
"Thank you, Ayano."
To my surprise, it was not Claire, but Artemis who showed up.
"My Lady? To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Drink this." She handed me a glass of nectar.
I drank it, an immediately felt better. I put the glass on the end table.
"It seems you'll be staying at the main camp, so you don't accidentally leave the barrier. This is going to cause a lot of problems. Because you swore fealty, I believe you won't hurt the Huntresses. But I need you to swear not to flirt with anyone in the Hunt. This is non-negotiable."
"I swear on the river Styx not to flirt with any member of the Huntresses." It seemed easy enough. There'd be no point getting friendly with them.
"Good. Your tent has been moved, along with your things. You'll be responsible for one deer a week. You'll eat with us from now on. When Ayano heard you be at the main camp, she absolutely refused to have you eat alone. Thank her for your meals, along with the gods."
"Of course, my Lady. As you wish."
"That is all. As soon as possible, the original curse will be restored."
I wondered what this new life would be like.
It was surprisingly dull, actually. For a time, at least.
I'd wake up, teach Ayano for a few hours, eat lunch with the Huntresses, where they completely ignored me, except for Ayano, who desperately tried to include me, but failed, and then I'd practice throwing my single knife until dinner, and then I went to sleep. I was honestly expecting to be... bullied, I guess.
The first interesting thing that happened was to do with Ayano's training.
After a lesson, a Huntress I'd never interacted with came up to me. She spoke in short sentences, and never looked directly at me. If she wasn't a huntress, and also incredibly rude, I'd say she was interested. Ha! that makes me laugh, now.
"Teach me."
"Excuse me?"
"I want to learn. Teach me."
"Er, alright, Miss."
I taught this girl in the dark, after dinner. Soon, another wanted to learn, and another, and another, and soon almost every non veteran member of the Hunt had become my student, thought Phoebe and her gang stubbornly refused to learn from me. Although, I still taught Ayano one on one every day.
We often fought rogue monsters, but I was still forced to use my single knife. Still, I had grown very accustomed to it, so I didn't really mind. A lot of the girls had warranted me using my practice knives, so I was able to continue perfecting my dual handed skill. I was confident I'd be ready to receive my longswords again. To truly use a weapon, you needed to the quality of the weapon as well as your ability to control it. If you doubted either one, and weren't a true master, it could have fatal consequences.
To my surprise, it was only after a few more weeks that they did return my swords.
Completely unceremoniously, Zoe approached me one afternoon after I'd taught.
"Here. You've earned these back. A lot of us trust you here, though we'd gladly be rid of you. It's no use crying over what can't be done. Our Lady Artemis says we cannot leave you to die, and so you remain here."
Zoe and I were on better terms than with most Huntresses. I decided that I'd enjoy being friends with her. Something about her just... I liked it. Composed and dignified, like a princess. It suited her, and I was most comfortable around that type of personality. She acted the same around me as around the other huntresses, so I assume she was comfortable around me at least. I considered her my friend, even if she didn't feel the same. She'd probably never get any friendlier. We had the occasional conversation during dinner, to Ayano's not-so-discrete delight.
Ayano became like a daughter to me, truly. Whenever Ayano was involved, it seemed the hunt was content to let her have her way, so we were often together. I praised her and scolded her, and she would often listen to me over her sisters. It was rather endearing. She had even grown incredibly strong, for a six year old. She still couldn't even touch the other huntresses, but she was still six. However, to call her one of the most skilled six-year-olds in the world when it came to dual wielding hunting knives would not be an exaggeration. Especially among mortals.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate it. Truly, thank you."
Zoe spun around incredibly quickly and walked away without a word. I wondered if something was bothering her.
I was glad to have my swords back. Luckily, training with the Huntresses had kept my skills sharp, so I still had absolute confidence in what I could and could not do. To wield a weapon safely, you needed trust in the quality of the weapon and your ability to use it. Without either, the results could and often were fatal.
Having my swords back made me feel... complete. If I had to stay with the Hunt for my life, it... wouldn't be all that bad. To celebrate getting my swords back, I decided I'd go to sleep early, after dinner. It ended up being helpful I'd gotten sleep, because the next day, the craziest thing to happen in all my years occurred.
It started like any other day. It wasn't until lunch that something strange happened.
Zoe spoke up, addressing everyone.
"We've found away to give Nathan his original curse back."
Everyone stopped eating.
"However, the only way we can do that is if we bind it to one person in particular. Any volunteers?"
"I'll do it!" Ayano said, cheerfully.
Zoe shot her down. "No, Ayano. This is serious. As with any curse, it is extremely dangerous, and will have catastrophic repercussions if handled incorrectly. We can't go risking your safety.
"She's right, Ayano. Listen to the Lieutenant, alright?"
"Alriiiiiight," she moped.
Still, I was shocked. There was a way to do this? Modern magic was getting really amazing. So, was I to be tied to one of the Huntresses in particular, now? I wondered what was the ideal situation here. Would it be someone I didn't like, or someone I did? If it worked, I'd probably have to leave the main camp once again. I'd almost never see that person.
"Well, if no one will volunteer, it is the duty of the Lieutenant to carry out the will of our Lady. I will do it. After lunch, boy, come with me."
For some reason, I cared more that she had gone back to calling me boy, than the fact I'd have to go through another ritual. We were on a... well, not a first name basis, but on a name basis.I called her Nightshade, and she called me Grey. I was... disappointed, that I'd probably never see Zoe again. I really did think of us as friends. Maybe not close friends, but slightly more than acquaintances.
None of us really started talking again during lunch. Afterwards, I followed Zoe to where Artemis was waiting for me.
"Alright, we'll begin now," Artemis said. For some reason, nothing felt ceremonious with her. It was an odd trait for a goddess.
She continued. "Nathan Grey, take my Lieutenant's hands."
"What!?" I couldn't keep from shouting.
"She doesn't have cooties, Nathan Grey. This is a ritual, not a middle school dance."
Yeah, completely unceremonious with Artemis.
As I took Zoe's hands in my own, I couldn't help but notice the small blush on Zoe's face, which neither of us acknowledged. In fact, a small blush rose to my face, as well. I hadn't had any contact with a woman outside of a fight in over half a year, save Ayano. But then again, she wasn't a woman, yet. Still just a small child. It felt odd, but not totally unpleasant. It was a strange ritual.
"Alright, now look her in the eyes."
"Are you kidding me!?"
"Please, just do it."
It was a very strange ritual.
Artemis spoke ancient words of power for a long time, and I didn't really pay attention. I was sort of busy looking at Zoe.
Our blushes slowly started rising, until it was nearly unbearable. It felt like my face was on fire, and Zoe didn't look much better. Her volcanic black eyes felt like they were staring straight into my soul.
It had been an agonizing ten minutes when Artemis said it was done.
Zoe and I could not have separated faster if our lives had depended on it. We both started squatting away from each other, trying to catch our breaths. It was almost comical.
"Alright, now Zoe, you stay put, while I investigate with Nathan Grey. Let's see if it's worked, and if it has, how it works. Oh, and Nathan Grey, grab some ambrosia from the infirmary tent first. I'm sure you know where it is by now." Nathan Grey this, Nathan Grey that. It was getting a little annoying. Pick something shorter Artemis, please. You're ruining the author's sentence fluency. Come on now, don't you have any consideration for the person writing the story?
Artemis and I had walked nearly a mile when Ayano came up to Zoe, I learned after the fact. Zoe had picked Ayano up, and twirled her around.
"So is Nate leaving?" Ayano said, sadly.
"No, but he is leaving the main camp. But I'm sure he'll come here to train you every day, don't worry, little one," Zoe consoled.
"Waah, don't call me that, too. That's what Nate calls me. Only he's allowed."
"Aww, I'm not? How about 'young one?' Is that any better?"
"Come on, you know he calls me that too."
At my end, Artemis and I had been just about a mile now.
"Well, I think it's around here," I said, and continued walking.
And I kept walking. And walking.
Eventually, I thought I must have been freed, and turned around.
Only to find no one there. Artemis was gone. I started running furiously. At this speed, it was only a matter of a few minutes when I found Zoe. And Ayano, sitting piggyback on Zoe. And... no camp. No Artemis, no camp. What was going on?
"Lieutenant? Ayano? Is the camp around here somewhere?" I asked, somewhat fearfully, and somewhat hopefully.
"I don't think so, Grey," she said, cautiously.
"Nate! I got really scared! There was a flash of light, and suddenly the camp was gone!" Ayano blabbered.
"Nightshade, do you think... do you think something went wrong with the ritual?" Now was not the time to blush.
"It must have, right? At any rate, we have to figure out where we are."
"Yeah. This is... frightening,don't you think? Artemis was following me, and then suddenly, when I turned around, she wasn't there anymore. If the camp went missing, too... I'm worried about everyone. Though I'm glad you and Ayano are both alright."
"Nate? I'm scared!"
"It'll be okay, little one," I said, putting my hand on her head. "It'll all be okay."
And there you have it. I probably should have written a few more k words and then madetwo separate chapters, but... Nah. Even though my stats would go up... This just felt better, in all honesty. Maybe more people will read if they see my words per chapter ratio so high. Or maybe only I worry about that sort of thing when starting to read a new story.
Anyways, how do you like the new developments so far? Anyone want to hazard a guess as to where they are? Anyone who guesses gets a virtual cookie!
But in all seriousness, please tell me how you think I'm doing with a review. I'd appreciate feedback. Or you could PM me if you have something extensive to say, or something inappropriate. Flames are accepted as well. I've got no problems with them. I think even I'd flame my work from when I was sixteen. Except Have Another Round On Me. That's actually pretty good. Too bad I haven't updated in forever. But it's really hard to think up stories that only take up 108 words. Maybe one day I'll have all 108 chapters up. It'll probably be the day I die.