"Apollo—it's Athena." Athena's voice crackled through the speaker, carrying a note of obvious concern.
Apollo's brow furrowed, worry etching lines on his face. "Is everything alright, Athena?" he asked, his voice tinged with anxiety. "You sound...angry."
"Meet me at the back garden and then maybe you'll understand," Athena ordered, her tone laced with urgency.
"What the? How did you—" Apollo started, but before he could finish, Athena cut him off.
"—know you're in Olympus. It doesn't take a genius to detect another god's presence," she retorted sharply. "Now hurry up. And don't make any excuses!" With that, she hung up, leaving Apollo feeling like a scolded child.
"Why did this have to happen now?" Apollo thought irritably. "I really wanted to help Sienna, but if I don't go—Athena's going to make sure I regret it." He let out a sigh, resigning himself to the situation. The sooner he met with Athena, the sooner he could be reunited with Sienna.
With a quick teleportation, Apollo found himself standing in a vibrant flower field that stretched across the garden. Athena stood at a distance, fiddling with a spear as if ready to defend herself against any threat that dared to approach her. Her determined stance reminded him of the fierce warrior she was. It was a sight that brought back memories and a sense of deja vu.
"Wow, it's been ages since I've seen you in battle attire," Apollo commented, unable to hide his surprise.
Athena scoffed, a hint of bitterness coloring her voice. "I'm not surprised," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "More importantly, why are you even here on Olympus? Father specifically forbade both of you from returning until you finished your punishments." Her glare intensified, revealing her lingering anger.
"Is Dad—" Apollo started to ask, but Athena interrupted him.
"He's not here," she snapped, her voice dripping with resentment. "He told me he won't be back until tomorrow."
"Oh...that's a relief," Apollo said awkwardly, shifting his weight nervously. Despite the sudden change in topic, Athena continued to scrutinize him suspiciously. He knew she was still curious about his unexpected presence.
"So, Ena, what's this amazing thing you wanted to talk about?" Apollo asked, attempting to divert her attention. If it weren't for Athena's death stare, he might have missed the flicker of emotion in her eyes.
She struggled to suppress her anger, but the glint of hatred in her eyes betrayed her. After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to calm herself. "I saw something in the scrying pool, and it did not look good," she said, her voice filled with concern.
"Did something bad happen?" Apollo asked, his voice laden with worry.
"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" Athena motioned for him to come closer, and Apollo obliged, making his way to the huge golden bowl that held the scrying pool. As he approached, an image materialized within its depths.
It took him a moment to recognize the figure, and when he did, his eyes widened in shock. "No way...is that Artemis with a...dead Griffin?!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. He quickly straightened up, turning to face Athena, who observed his reaction intently. "What on earth happened?"
"I don't know all the details," Athena confessed, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But when I was monitoring your sister, this image suddenly appeared. My theory is that Artemis was attacked by another monstrous creature, but it seems she managed to handle it."
Apollo nodded, acknowledging his sister's unmatched prowess. There was no monster, big or small, that Artemis couldn't overcome. Still, worry gnawed at Apollo's heart. If these incidents continued, it wouldn't only be the gods who were in danger. Something had to change.
"I've done some research, and it seems there's only one monster imprisoned within a mountain..." Athena began hesitantly, her face a mix of nervousness and fear.
"Really? That's great news! So, who is this monster?" Apollo asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
Athena paused, searching for the right words. "It's...one of the most powerful and feared beings in our world. And I'm pretty sure you already know who it is, Apollo."
Apollo's eyes widened, realization dawning on him. "Come again?"
"The self-proclaimed destroyer of the gods," Athena whispered, her voice filled with trepidation. "Typhon."
That Griffin turned out to be a piece of cake, no sweat at all. Not that Artemis was complaining, she always loved a good monster hunt. But seriously, what's up with all these crazy creatures lately? First that Chimera at school, and now this Griffin. It's like monster mayhem on a weekly basis. Definitely not normal.
"I wonder if that Nymph is okay," Artemis mused aloud, absentmindedly brushing leaves off her dress as she scanned the area for the runaway. It didn't take long to find her hiding spot. The poor Nymph was curled up next to a nearby rock, hugging it as if it was her lifeline. Artemis approached cautiously, trying to keep her voice down but failing miserably.
The Nymph flinched slightly when she noticed Artemis approaching. "Hey, are you alright?" Artemis asked gently, kneeling down beside her. "You're not hurt, are you?" The Nymph shook her head, and Artemis let out a sigh of relief. "Where on earth did that creature come from, anyway?"
Again, the Nymph shook her head. "I have no idea, my Lady... I was just chilling with the other Nymphs when that Griffin swooped in out of nowhere and started causing chaos." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Artemis furrowed her brow in thought. These monsters going berserk had to be connected to something bigger, maybe even that mountain monster Apollo saw in his vision. Whatever it was, it had some serious power over them.
"Listen, you should head home now. Don't worry, that Griffin won't bother you or the other Nymphs anymore," Artemis reassured the girl. The Nymph nodded, visibly relieved, before darting off into the forest and disappearing into the distance. As her voice faded into the wind, all Artemis caught was a faint expression of gratitude before the Nymph vanished completely.
Artemis let out a deep sigh, her gaze shifting to the lifeless Griffin lying before her. It was definitely time to move it from this spot before any unsuspecting mortals stumbled upon it. With a touch and a thought, Artemis transported the creature away, leaving it for nature to take care of the rest.
With her duties accomplished, Artemis made her way towards the archery field, hoping for a peaceful stroll devoid of any more peculiar encounters. However, her hopes were dashed as another scream reached her ears, echoing from a different direction and freezing her in her tracks.
"I'm sure it's this way!" the voice cried out, filled with desperation. Intrigued by the commotion, Artemis turned around to locate the source, and what she saw caused her jaw to drop in disbelief. Standing before her was a teenage boy, his messy brown locks falling haphazardly, his skin pale and freckles scattered across his face. Clad in a rumpled white button-down shirt and cargo pants, he looked strangely familiar. A thought flickered through Artemis's mind.
"Do I know him from somewhere...?" she mumbled to herself, unable to comprehend the situation. With a surge of determination, she hurried towards him, eager to unravel the mystery.
When the boy caught sight of Artemis approaching, his surprise morphed into horror. "Ah! L-Lady Artemis?!" he blurted out, taking a step back in alarm. Artemis halted her advance a few meters away from him. How could a mere mortal know her name, and why was he adding the honorific 'Lady'? Unless they had crossed paths before in some capacity...
Before Artemis could voice her thoughts, the boy suddenly began to panic, stumbling over his words and clumsily retreating from her. "Oh, um... sorry, do I know you?" he stammered, raising his hands defensively as if warding her off.
Artemis couldn't help but find this behavior absurd. He had just uttered her name and now feigned ignorance? What an oddity... nevertheless, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had encountered him before. The way he stumbled over his words and trembled whenever she drew closer... it all seemed eerily familiar.
In a flash, a fragment of her past surged into her mind. She vividly recalled a time when she had sought solace in her sacred grotto on Mount Cithaeron, only to have an ignorant and reckless hunter stumble upon her, exposing her nakedness along with the rest of her entourage. Enraged by the audacity, Artemis had swiftly transformed the insolent hunter into a helpless stag, allowing his own hunting dogs to ruthlessly tear him apart until his life was extinguished.
Just the memory of that incident ignited a fierce anger within her. And now, this mortal's trembling and pitiful demeanor mirrored that of the hunter, who had begged for mercy to no avail. Artemis glared at him, her eyes flashing a vibrant shade of blue, and a menacing growl escaped her lips.
"You're Actaeon, aren't you...?" she seethed, her voice dripping with venomous fury.
