Apollo sighed as we walked, I spared a glance in his direction. He was shivering, I grimaced. "My coat isn't as wet as yours, and you're clearly shivering. Lets trade."

"No." He said immediately.

"No? Apollo your cold. I don't mind-"

"Artemis. Keep your coat. I don't need it, your cold too. Don't deny it, I can tell when your lying."

"But-"

"Artemis."

"Okay..Okay fine…"

"It should be easy to get to camp right..?"

"I doubt it. Seems like a straight path ahead, but woods are easy to get lost in. It'll beanythingbut easy 'pollo"

"Hmm... Say, Meg," He turned to our young master.

"Yeah..?"

"I didn't get a chance to ask. It your name short for Margaret or Meghan?"

"Margaret McCaffery, butdon'tcall me Margaret" Meg stated.

"Alright, then Meg." He turns to me "Artie, did she agree to be a hunter?" Apollo asked.

"What..? Apollo, I can't accept hunters as a mortal..probably. I didn't ask, and I'm going to wait until this is all over"

"You're telling me youdidn'task the homeless maiden to join your girl's club?"

"...Yes?"

"Slow down. Join your girl's club? What are you talking about?" Meg inquired.

"My hunters. I explained them earlier did I not?"

"Yeah but… I didn't know I couldjoin."

"You can't. Not right now anyway." Meg pouted.

"Anyway," Apollo cut in. "We can see camp from here."

I glanced up, expecting to see the vague outlines of the buildings, but the sight in front of us was breathtaking from the hill we stood atop. The camp was about 3 square miles in size, full of meadows, woods and strawberry fields. On one edge it boarded long island, and the others were rolling hills. Below us was a dense woods.

I always forget the beauty of this place. Beyond the woods, you could see the buildings, the cluster of twenty cabins. (You could see Apollo's shining from here) The Hearth, the amphitheater, The arena, the dining pavilion, and the canoe lake were visible from here. It looked beautiful. With seeing the camp same a dull sense of comfort. We were so close to safety. The big house loomed in the distance, Chiron would be in there. We were so close, yet so far.

In the far distance, my sister's statue glistened in its full glory. The Athena Parthenos. Athena had always been my favorite sister, the hours we spent debating the best strategy for hunting certain monsters are some of my fondest memories with any of my sisters, I could feel the power from here.

Apollo probably wished the statue was of himself, but he's like that. I looked at him again, my eyes lingering on the red marks around his nose and mouth.Icaused those.Ihurt him. He noticed that I was staring. "Artie. I'mfine" He insisted. He reallywasshivering a lot.

"I hurt you," I said miserably.

He looked up at me, frowning. "Youprotectedme." He countered, he sounded completely sure of himself. I envy his confidence sometimes.

"Not well enough!" I took a step back, I had not protected him well enough so we didn't get in that situation in the first place. Nothing he said would change that.

"But youdidprotect me. I would have breathed in that smog anddiedif not for you. Alright? You did fine"

Before I could argue, Meg spoke. "How come I've never heardaboutthis place? Do you need tickets?"

"It's a secret haven for demigods" I responded, forcing my voice to stay steady. Apollo glanced at me sideways. Our conversation certainly wasn't over yet. "The magical borders keep mortals and monsters out. It'ssafehere. Humans would only see farmland, and if they come in they will find themselves wondering out-"

"I ordered a pizza one time!" Apollo blurted out. I stared at him for a long moment before I found myself laughing.

"Did you now brother? Tell us the story of the time you ordered a Pizza."

Apollo stared atme before he smiled brightly. The firstactualsmile I had seen from him all day. It was good to know he was still capable of it in these dire circumstances.

"Well, it was… what? 8 years ago? I wasatthe camp, I had gotten quite the offering to heal this girl. And after I had finished, these two Hermes kids, looked like they might be twins but they certainly weren't, they asked what would happen if they ordered a pizza. And as it turns out, no one ever tried that before. So bam! I take out my phone and dial for pizza. They seem a bit iffy about sending the guy all this way, but I'm a god, I convinced them. So then this mortal guy, ends up so lost, appearing randomly on edges ofcamp, He kept trying to get in but the wards didn't know how to handle it, so it washilarious.Anyway, yeah. I could probably go into more detail but that's thejistof it." As he spoke his voice gained back some enthusiasm. I smiled.

Before anyone could speak, Peaches took a mouthful of dirt. Then spit it back up. Yes, peach demon. Dirt tastes bad. How surprising.

"He doesn't like the taste of this place," Meg said.

"No kidding. It's dirt." I stated pointedly stepping around the prechewed soil. Apollo snickered.

"Maybe at camp, we can get him some plant fertilizer to eat. I'll try to convince the demigods to allow him in, They let in a hellhound dog, what's the difference between that and a death spirit munching peach toddler? but itwouldbe helpful if he doesn't bite their heads off" Apollo studied Peaches, the fruit being clung to Meg as it muttered something about peaches.

"Something doesn't feel right." Meg started chewing her nails. "Those woods…Percy said they were wild and enchanted and stuff."

"No kidding." I deadpanned. "My hunters complained about it." In all honesty, being in the forest felt more natural than the city. "Come on, the woods aren't that bad!" I was already beginning torecognizewhere animals had recently been. Apollo looked apprehensive, I smiled at him. He has always felt out of place- No… that's too strong of a statement. Uneasy? Yeah,I'llgo with that. Apollo has always felt uneasy in forests, being surrounded by trees brings back some painful memories for him. He stumbled over roots and plants. I laughed under my breath. This is what Ilivedto do. Make my way through dense forests, hunting with my maidens, living life in the wilderness. I hardly struggled with making my way forward. But Meg and Apollo? My young master and brother could hardly make their way forward through the greenery.

"Artie! How do you walk through this..This mess so easily? It's like walking through spaghetti!"

"Do you want to know how?" Both nodded, eager to learn my secrets.

"Practice. Hundreds of years of practice." Apollo groaned and Meg looked annoyed.

Apollo was looking around like he expected the Dryads to lunge out of the trees and strangle him. He got this pained look in his eyes and Iknewwhat he was thinking about. I slowed down to match my pace with his.

He looked at me, I smiled weakly, wanting to reach out and just pullawaythe thoughts of Daphne. Gods I still want to strangle Eros for what he did to my brother. Daphne's death absolutely destroyed him. For hundreds of years, he seemed like he was always on the edge of tears. Then came Hyacinthus and he washappyand thenZepheroscame and killed him.

I would have torn him limb from limb if not for the fact he was under Eros's protection. I couldn't have him hurting Apollo any more than he already has.

It took years for him to even become a semblance of happy again. And here we were, nearly 3000 years later and hestillnearly breaks into tears whenever they are mentioned.

I attempted to meet his gaze but he shifted his eyes away "You okay?" I asked quietly, hoping he would respond.

He stared at the ground, stumble walking over roots and brush. "I'll be fine Artie.." He murmured, still not looking up.

"Okay. Just.. tell me if you want to rest a bit okay?" Code for: If being surrounded by dryads gets top overwhelming we can take a break.

Meg watched out whole exchange wordlessly.

We hiked for what felt like hours, and my mortal body was starting to get hungry. Normally, Apollo could navigate by the sun and me the moon, but the canopy was so thick we couldn't see the sky.

I realized we had passed the same boulder 3 times. Not even I can hike flawlessly it seems.

"Don't you have any hiking skills? Reading Tracks-"

"Yes. Yes, that is literally what I do. But this forest is enchanted… And as it seems, not even I can navigate it flawlessly."

"Maybe Peaches can help." Yes. What a wonderful idea. Ask the demon peach baby for directions. Meg turned to her karpos. "Hey, can you find us a way out of the woods?"

For the past few miles, Peches had gotten quite nervous. Muttering peachy warnings under his head.His face flushed bright green. He made a scared barking squawk sound, then dissolved in a swirl of leaves.

Meg shot to her feet. "Where'd he go?"

It was nowherein sight. Megs summon must have only had so much time. Or He'd sensed danger and abandoned us. The latter was more likely.Though meg had grown attached to the peach demon,Ididn't want to hurt her. (But we god's got attached to humans, soIhad no room to judge.)

"Perhaps he went scouting," Apollo suggested. "Perhaps we should—"

Mybrother'shands flew to his forehead and he stumbled back, his eyes widening. He looked like someone had slapped him,

"Apollo?" I stepped forward uncertainty. "What's wrong?" He made a gasping sound, he whimpered stumbling over to me.

"Assist me, sister, we cannot remain here." My eyes just about bugged out from my head. He only reverted to old English when something was seriously wrong. Or when he was trying to be sophisticated orreallyangry. But I doubted the two latter

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"Just- let's go!" He grabbed my wrist, dragging me forward. We fled blindly until we reached a significantly clear stream over a bed gravel.

"Apollo, we can't go through the water, we'll freeze-" That fact did not deter him. He waded shin-deep into the ice cold stream before he fell to his knees. A pitiful yell bubbling through his lips.

I didn't have much of a choice now did I? I ran in after him, the water was so cold it felt like needles biting into my skin. Meg was not far behind. "Brother, you need to get up-"

"You didn't…? You didn't hear it..?" I felt my stomach drop to my feet,hear what?

This eerily reminded of a memory I still had from thousands of years ago. When Apollo first became the god of prophecy, the first prophecies he delivered made him physically sick, he didn't know how to channel them into tangible ideas and words. But of course, that was thousands of years ago. But it did remind me of that.

"Hear what!" Meg asked.

Apollo didn't respond. Instead, he cried out in pain and collapsed face first into the stream.

So it looks like I'm carrying him. "Help me lift him." Meg and I pulled him from the stream and I stumble dragged him across the water. We set him on the ground. Apollo was shivering violently. I pulled his sodden coat off and threw mine over him.

"What did you hear. Don't go crazy on us." My voice was serious. He laughed hysterically, I felt my own heartbeat start to pick up as goosebumps crawled up my arms. Why was this happening? He was fine! A few broken ribs, but this isn't warranted! I felt my blood run cold as I came to a shocking realization. What if the Nosoi had poisoned him? That was the only answer I could think of.

"I.. I heard.."

Before he could finish his face screwed up in pain, a violent shudder running through him. He audibly whimpered. Steam started rising from his clothes and I wanted to scream and cry and curse at Zeus. If the Nosoi DID poison him, there was a good chance he would get worseveryquickly. His eyes glazed over and his mouth hung ajar.

All I could hear was the blood screaming in my ears. I found myself shaking him awake, telling him to get up. I couldn't lose him. I need him. I can't do this alone.

I was blind to my panic.

I wouldn't watch him die.

I wouldn't watch my baby brother die.

Meg shoved me and slapped him. Hard. "GET UP!" She yelled. That seemed to break through his trance, he sat up, and immediately started retching. He vomited, I dragged him to his feet after a moment. He made a weak sound of protest. "Meg, help me carry him." She rushed to his other side. He murmuredsomethingunder his breath. I didn't catch what. He was pale, and his shivering only grew more violent as we stumbled along. He suddenly started giggling, it soundedwrong. Unnatural even.

"Keep it together brother.Please.We'll get to camp soon, okay?" He didn't respond, instead, his head lolled to the side as he passed in and out of consciousness. My palms were sweaty, my steps misplaced, and I was terrified we were too far to get him to camp quick enough.

"We need to get him to camp, rightnow," I told Meg. From the steam rising from his clothes and the heat burning through his clothes,Iassumed he was running a high fever of 106 or so. Dangerously high. He only woke up to laugh hysterically, as we stumbled forward he finally went completely limp in our arms, his eyes rolling back into his head. My heartbeat steadily rose, butIhad to stay calm. I had to get him to safety. I bore most of his weight. Finally,finallywe.reached the edge ofcamp. We exited the woods by a campfire where a group of teensweremaking smores, as soon as they saw us they went for there weapons. "DEMIGODS!" I screamed, not even bothering to mask the panic in my voice. "I AM ARTEMIS. WE ARE IN DIRE NEED OF ASSISTANCE"

Hermes Prank Drabble

this is a drabble of that one prank hermes did with the snake on Apollo that Artie talked abt awhile back

I was peacefully sitting on Olympus, tuning a guitar, and before I knew what was happening, I felt something warm, solid, andscalyon my neck. Scaley, long, skinny, all the requirements checked off.Snake. Why the Tartarus did some asshole put a snake on my neck.

I screamed, and before I could even register what I was doing the snake lay dead 10 feet away, the fiery arrows mutilating its corpse. Hermes was cracking up behind me, I even heard Artemis chuckle. Not funny sister.

Ichor rushed to my cheeks.

I stared at the snake for a long second before I rushed out of the room. It wasn't like I could explain myself without Artemis finding out about Python, and Idon'twant that. The mere idea of her finding out just how bloody that fight had been terrifies me. She shouldn't need to worry about a trivial matter such as my fear of serpents. She already worries enough about me. She probably- No, shecertainlyalready suspects something is going on. There isnoway she hasn't heard me wake up in a cold sweat. That she hasn't heard me scream his name as I wake up, hands positioned to attempt to hold back his fangs, stop then from piercing my flesh. The mere thought makes me anxious. But on the other hand... if she knew she would have brought it up by now.

The last thing I want is for her to know that I was practically bedridden for a week after that fight. Unable to move as the snake's venom ran through my veins.

I don't want her to know I was too cowardly to ask for help. Too ashamed to admit the monster had nearly defeated me.

She would probably get angry at me not telling her, or try to coddle me. That's the last thing I want.

I sat down on my throne, closing my eyes for a moment.

Serpents, Snakes, Ihate them.