Artemis reluctantly opened her eyes, her usual habit of sleeping in disrupted by the excitement of the day. Today was the day she would spend time with Orion, just the two of them, without the interference of her brother, half-siblings, and most importantly, her dad and stepmom.
Determined to make the most of her morning until then, Artemis dressed herself in a beautiful long dress, a mix of white and blue, that fell just above her knees. She meticulously braided her hair into two small braids, one on each side of her head, securing them with a hair tie. Satisfied with her appearance, which she thought looked pretty great, she made her way downstairs.
To her surprise, she found her brother Apollo attempting to wake Hermes, who was still fast asleep on the couch. Leaning against the wall, Artemis couldn't help but be amused by the scene before her. "Did I miss anything here?" she asked, a teasing tone in her voice.
Apollo's jaw dropped when he caught sight of his sister all dressed up. "Whoa, who are you? Are you really my barbaric and wild sister?" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback.
Artemis's expression changed in an instant upon hearing her brother's taunt. "I would have beat you up for that," she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion, "but I'm more interested in why another one of our half-siblings is here."
Apollo quickly explained that the guy had been attacked by a Harpy, confirming their hypothesis that some of the monsters were going mad. This made Artemis even more determined to find the root of the problem and put an end to it, starting with the mountain monster Apollo had mentioned.
Curiosity piqued, Apollo asked, "Now it's my turn to ask, where are you going all dolled up so... fancy?"
Rolling her eyes sarcastically, Artemis retorted, "For your information—I'm going out with Orion, and as for why I'm wearing this—well, you wouldn't understand, would you?" Her brother's chuckle only fueled her annoyance.
"Right... well, all I can say is have fun," Apollo said, smirking at her. "And don't do anything that I would do."
Artemis was about to give him a piece of her mind when a knock at the front door interrupted them. Orion's voice sounded from the other side. "Artemis, it's me, Orion. Are you ready?"
"Just a sec," Artemis replied hurriedly, shooting her brother a dirty look that clearly conveyed the message, shut up. Apollo couldn't help but remind her of their need to come up with a solid plan once she returned.
Ignoring his remark, Artemis simply nodded before making her way to the front door. She exchanged a few words with Orion before they left the house together, leaving Apollo alone with Hermes.
With a yawn, Hermes rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. "Looks like I missed your sister," he remarked casually.
"Yeah, yeah," Apollo replied. "Anyway, now that your shoes are fixed, are you finally going to leave?"
Hermes shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, I'd better leave now and finish my work before Dad comes after me. Oh yeah, let me make it up to you for crashing here by telling you about this really cool music store I found yesterday."
"A music store? I mean, it sounds cool, but why—" Apollo began.
"Think of it as my way of cheering you up. You seem down, Pol, and with all these mysterious events happening, you need a break."
Apollo pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Well... I guess you're right. Maybe a little bit of music can help me relax."
"Great! I'll send you the location later. You know you can always trust Hermes when he says he knows where to go," Hermes replied with a mischievous grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the underworld." With that, Hermes disappeared in a cloud of mist.
"Yeah, right..." Apollo muttered to himself before sighing. He couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation as he contemplated the events unfolding around him.
Returning to the forest was a pleasant surprise for Artemis. Little did she expect Orion's suggestion for their first activity at his vacation house—archery practice. Orion had no clue that she, as the goddess of the hunt, excelled at archery and even taught mortals the art. After all, she was known as Artemis Agrotera, the huntress. But instead of revealing her true prowess, Artemis simply shrugged her shoulders and coyly responded, "Duh, genius, I may not look the part, but I'm phenomenal with a bow and arrow."
Orion's face lit up with a triumphant grin. "Well, well, that sounds like a challenge," he teased, earning a raised eyebrow from Artemis. He said nothing more, fully engrossed in driving the car. They arrived at a quaint cabin, three stories high, and stepped inside to explore the surroundings.
The cabin was a perfect spot to spend the night, with wide windows showcasing the breathtaking landscape. Though not grand, the cozy room boasted a fireplace, adding to its charm. Artemis marveled, running her hand along the wooden door. "Woah, I can't believe your family owns this place," she exclaimed, genuinely amazed.
Orion chuckled and shook his head. "Well, you could say it's the result of their hard work—they're always working overseas."
"Overseas?" Artemis couldn't help but wonder if Orion had spent most of his childhood without his parents. Typically, parents who traveled for work rarely returned home every day. Curiosity sparked within her.
"Yeah, I've been living with my other relatives ever since my parents started working far away," Orion admitted, perching on the edge of the sofa closest to the fireplace. "I'll admit, I miss them when they're away, but being with the rest of my family really helps me through it all. And," he paused, his smile turning bittersweet, "with you as well, I've never been happier."
Artemis felt warmth spread across her face, a feeling she couldn't deny. Despite her resistance, she couldn't ignore her own emotions. She had never felt this way about a guy before. Why did it affect her so much? "Y-Yeah, I'm glad you think so," she stammered, uncertain of how to respond. Opting for silence, she settled beside him on the couch.
After a few comfortable moments of silence, Orion stood up. "So... wanna see what the archery field looks like?" he asked.
"Sounds great," Artemis agreed, eagerly following him out of the cabin and onto a path that led to a vast clearing. There, a perfect target awaited her, with a clear view of the nearby mountains. She could hardly wait to pull the bowstring back, take aim, and hit her mark with precision.
"There are plenty of training dummies with bullseyes here, so we can practice to our hearts' content," Orion explained, pointing towards the targets.
"I'm with you on that," Artemis replied, scanning the area. "This is a fantastic way to start the day."
"Hang on, I'll grab us some bows and arrows from the shed," Orion suggested, jogging off. A minute later, he returned with the equipment. Artemis couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. As a mortal, she couldn't simply summon a bow and arrow with a mere thought. Oh, the agony of not always having her way.
"Why don't we turn this into a real challenge?" Orion proposed, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "The loser has to set up all the camping equipment by themselves for the cookout."
But for now, Artemis decided to revel in the moment and enjoy what lay before her. "Alright, I'm game," she declared, her enthusiasm contagious as Orion burst into laughter.
