Told you guys I'd be back soon. Anyway, the not so rare, rare double upload strikes again. Originally this chapter and the last one were supposed to be just one chapter, but I realized how much I had to write, so I split them up. But I thought it wouldn't be fair to just give you guys the previous chapter. So, here you go! Hope you enjoy it!
Mt. Olympus bustled with activity under the mid-summer sun, with plenty of dryads, satyrs, and demigods eager to attend one of the biggest events in recent history. Streams of party ribbons and flocks of balloons were hung up between the various marble columns, with various types of signs pointing towards different event areas where they could watch the ceremony. As Artemis watched outside the window of the bride's room, she bit her lip in frustration. None of them knew the true intentions of this marriage, as it wasn't publicly announced why she was getting married. She turned away from the window and walked towards the mirror, looking at herself. She wore a rather modest white dress, not nearly as extravagant as what the last Olympian had worn at their wedding. The strapless white dress hugged her body, ending just below her knees, letting her have ample movement if she needed to. It reminded her of a sundress she would see mortals wear during the summer. Aphrodite had tried to convince her to wear something more fitting of a grand wedding, but the threat of a dagger in her neck quickly shut the love goddess up. Everything about this event hurt the goddess's heart. From the circumstances to even the man she had to marry.
The thought dragged through her mind, a flash of a memory of them laughing during the nights the hunt had fallen asleep, sharing a view of the stars, reminiscing over the stories of their friends. Now, just like her, he was used as a pawn in Olympian politics, forced into a marriage he didn't want. Her silver eyes stared back at her as she clenched her fists. 'At least it was Percy' is what she was told by those close to her. 'He would never force you into doing anything' they'd repeat as she would rant about her situation. She hated it, and even more, she hated herself for the small part of her that agreed with them. Of all the people that she would be bonded to, the logical side of her was grateful that it was him. But of course, she didn't want to be bonded with anyone. So, it was a war of emotions inside of her, and it took a lot of effort not to just jump out the window and run away, abandoning all responsibilities and living as a mortal for as long as she could.
"Are you ready Artemis?" A voice sounded throughout the room. She turned towards the door and saw Piper and Thalia, both dressed up as bridesmaids. For a moment she wanted to smile, seeing Thalia in a white dress mismatched her entire aesthetic. Piper of course was gorgeous, dressed in a similar outfit as her lieutenant, with one shoulder exposed, the length going down to mid-thigh. Unlike Thalia, however, she had her makeup done and her hair was perfectly braided so that it fell over her exposed shoulder. Choking down a chorus of curses, she nodded. She walked over to the door, giving one last look behind her before exiting the room.
As they walked down the halls of the Olympian palace, their heels clicking against the marble, Artemis's eyes flicked to the various servers and event managers bustling about. She chose to ignore the looks they gave her, instead focusing on the decor of the castle. She had to admit, at the very least, that Dionysus knew how to throw a party. Everything was designed after her domains, with various silver decorations alongside different portraits of the moon. She even saw quite a few animal trophies strewn about, which shocked her.
"If this were any other occasion, I'd be stoked to be here….". Thalia whispered, raising an eyebrow as they entered the room before the grand hall. She could hear the various murmurs as the guests chatted about current events. The repeated feeling of dread she'd been dealing with the past two weeks returned, the sinking thought that this was happening putting a bitter taste in her mouth. She heard a cough behind her, and she whirled around, her veil flopping backward as she saw her father, dressed in a black suit jacket, a brilliant white undershirt nearly blinding her, and a solid red tie fitted perfectly into the folds of his collar. A red handkerchief was folded neatly in his front pocket, pulling the look together. His electric blue eyes watched his daughter, watching her reaction carefully. Of course, she glared back at him, channeling all her anger into her silver eyes, wishing he'd vaporize on the spot.
"Daughter." He extended his arm, his eyes looking down at her with a fierce glare. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything she could do that wouldn't cause a scene, so she took his arm, looping it with her own. Zeus nodded, before fixing her veil, and positioning them in front of the door. Thalia and Piper gave her a small shoulder squeeze in support, before entering the hall and taking their place on the bride's side of the altar. Artemis closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It didn't do anything to stop what she was feeling, but it helped calm her shaking hands. As soon as she was ready, the music started a melody of soothing harps and lyres silencing the crowd as they all turned toward the door.
The grand doors opened, and the crowd gasped. Sure, they knew who the wedding was for, but Artemis had never been seen in anything other than her hunting gear, and maybe a Greek chiton when she attended any Olympian parties if she even showed up to one. Artemis felt her face flush in embarrassment and anger, glaring at any that dared to stare for too long, which happened to be everyone considering the circumstances. Luckily, no one made any crass comments or wolf-whistles considering Zeus was right there. As they walked down the aisle, every step echoing against the stone walls, she surveyed her surroundings.
Marble pillars stood tall, supporting the nearly thirty-foot ceiling, with multiple bouquets of moonlace flowers adorning the rafters. On her right were the seven muses, playing on their different stringed instruments. Surprisingly, Apollo wasn't with them, instead, he was by Perseus's side on the altar, looking at Artemis, sorrow in his eyes. Her eyes flicked to the left, which held the majority of the gods and goddesses. At the very front, she noticed her mother, a few tears struggling to be contained as she watched her daughter walk towards her fate. Earlier this week, she had told her mother about the circumstances and begged her to have Zeus reconsider. Unfortunately, even for Leto, she was unable to sway Zeus's position.
Drawing closer to the altar, she noticed Hera acting as the wedding officiant, dressed in a long flowing chiton, her hand on a book as she watched Artemis. She wanted to glare at her stepmother, but considering this was her domain, Hera was at her strongest, and she was unable to do anything to defy her. Getting closer, she studied the goddess, assuming Hera would be overflowing with joy at bringing Artemis pain and suffering. However, the moon goddess noticed despair in her stepmother's eyes and was shocked enough to nearly trip over her own feet as she stepped up onto the altar. She studied the marriage goddess for a moment longer before turning towards her groom.
It felt wrong to see Perseus in a suit, to say the least. The normal carefree attitude of the boy didn't match the serious presence a suit required, and despite the circumstances, she almost wanted to smile. Her eyes traveled up to his face, watching his expression morph from the various emotions he was suffering from. Sorrow, regret, anxiety, and one other she couldn't quite place. She tried to decipher it, staring into his eyes, probing into the mind of the great hero, but somehow it was unknown to her. Another surprise was she didn't notice any anger in his expression, which was odd to her. She expected him to be furious that he would be married off to someone he didn't love, and knowing him, he would never be able to find someone else because of his flaw. Her thoughts were broken by the music suddenly stopping as Zeus had taken his seat on the bride's side of the room.
"We are gathered here today to join these two immortal souls in holy matrimony." Artemis wanted to gag at the words, chills running up her spine as she watched Hera speak. The words sounded hollow to her, meaningless garble that simply sealed her fate as the bride of Perseus. "Please, will the Maid of Honor and the Best Man present the rings?"
She watched as Jason walked forward, handing Perseus a small box, Thalia doing the same on her side. Hephaestus had crafted both of the rings, as she had been forced to help him design the ring she was to give to Perseus. As she didn't give a damn about the marriage, she had told him to pick the simplest band and setting, leaving him to decide the stone. Jason and Thalia stepped back after handing them both the boxes. Artemis opened her own, seeing a rather beautiful moonstone set in the center of a crescent moon. Inscribed on the inside of the band was her name written in ancient Greek. She had to admit, it did look beautiful, but that was to be expected from the best craftsman in the divine realm.
"Do you, Perseus Jackson, take Phoebe Artemis to be your divine wife, forever together, never to be separated?" Her eyes flicked to the hero, and once again, that expression was on his face, and she struggled to figure it out. She felt like she should know what it was, but everything escaped her at that moment. She watched as he nodded, his voice coming out as a low growl.
"I do." The same tone he used back when she confronted him after the fight with Ares. Cold. However she didn't flinch this time, instead glaring him down as her hand was taken into his own. Gently, he slipped a ring onto her hand, and she looked down, a twinge of curiosity about what the design was. For a fraction of a second, she was shocked, taken away by the design. It was a slim silver band, polished to a perfect shine. The gemstone was a brilliant emerald, but it was cut into the shape of a crescent, with the rest of the gem being a diamond, forming a unique design that looked like a waxing moon. Beautiful wasn't the correct word to describe it, and she wasn't even sure if she could ever do it justice. Her eyes flicked up to Perseus, now feeling a slight bit embarrassed over the design of her ring.
"And do you, Phoebe Artemis, take Perseus Jackson to be your divine Husband, forever together, never to be separated?" Hera's words flung her back to reality as she remembered where she was. All earlier feelings subsided as her eyes flicked towards her father, one last fleeting hope that this could be called off. Imperceptible to everyone else, his head shook side to side, cementing her fate. Her heart crashed into the pits of Tartarus as she looked back to Perseus, nodding in response to Hera's question.
"I do." It came out as a whisper, carried away on the winds of sorrow, barely heard by even Hera. She took Perseus's hand, slipping the ring onto his finger, before dropping it unceremoniously. Murmurs in the crowd began to circulate, wondering if maybe this wedding wasn't all that it was supposed to be. Of course, some of them knew, but it was never officially announced that it was an arranged marriage, just that they were getting married on this date. With a glare, Hera silenced the crowd, her eyes glowing with power.
"Then, you may now kiss the bride." Ice ran through Artemis's veins as she looked at Hera in shock. However, one look from the goddess of marriage stopped any kind of complaint Artemis was going to make. Her eyes flicked to Perseus, who, fortunately, had the same look of shock on his face. They both looked at each other, a moment of awkward silence passing between them. A soft cough from Hera jolted them out of their thoughts, and Perseus's eyes locked with hers, a silent question being asked. Permission. Considering she had no other option than this, she nodded. He reached up and removed her veil, his hands deadly still as he brought his face closer to hers. A myriad of thoughts ran through her mind as she closed her eyes, hoping that it would pass quickly.
As their lips touched, for a fraction of the shortest lifetime, for the first time today, something felt right. The grievances she dealt with in the past two weeks, the endless nights of sorrow, and the feeling of despair, all melted away under the light of the Olympian palace. And then, as soon as it left, it came back. The rush of negative emotions flooded into her mind once more as Perseus pulled away. She watched as she felt the power drain from her body, the domain of maidenhood being taken away from her. The prayers of women and young girls asking for guidance silently faded into the background of clapping and cheers as the guests celebrated.
"Now, let the festivities begin!"
The inky black waters of the Pacific Ocean swirled under the moonlight, the smell of salt heavy in the air as Artemis stared at the horizon. It had been about two days since they'd departed, and surprisingly, nothing had gone wrong yet. Her eyes flicked to the deck, where she saw Penelope and Jessie chatting about different hair care products, laughing as they watched a few videos on her phone. Inside the ship, she could see the rest of her hunters milling about, either chatting with each other or eating whatever mortal food they found in the numerous vending machines. A soft smile formed on Artemis's lips as she turned back to the sea, the memory of her wedding still on her mind. Unconsciously, she reached up and touched her mouth, remembering the feeling of Perseus's lips on hers, and the unknown feeling that came with it.
"It's a beautiful night Lady Artemis." The goddess jumped, looking over to her side, seeing the black-haired daughter of Zeus leaning against the railing, her eyes closed as she soaked in the sea air. For a moment, she wondered if maybe she was actually a daughter of Poseidon before immediately being proven wrong as she opened her eyes, the electric blue iris piercing through the dark of the night. Ichor rushed to her cheeks, embarrassed that Thalia snuck up on her, and she hoped her lieutenant didn't notice. The smug smile she wore however showed that she did.
"It is Thalia, reminds me of when we'd camp out in the deepest forests, watching the stars." She looked up, the full might of the night sky on display. Every constellation in the northern hemisphere could be seen, and it was truly a sight to behold. The infinite number of stars glimmered, reflecting in the goddess's silver eyes, which were entranced by their beauty. Thalia nodded, mimicking the goddess, a smile on her face as she admired the cosmos. A shooting star streaked across the sky, and Artemis was tempted to make a wish, but instead just took a deep breath, enjoying the calm sounds of the boat sailing through the water.
"Can I ask you a question, my lady?" Thalia asked, and Artemis looked over to her, noticing she was still looking at the sky. The goddess studied the girl for a brief moment, before nodding.
"Yes, of course you can." She turned so that her side was leaning against the railing now, facing her lieutenant.
"Are you worried?" It was a soft whisper, and Thalia still wasn't looking at her, which worried the goddess. She had never seen her this vulnerable before. In fact, she had never seen her vulnerable at all. Even when her fellow huntresses fell, Thalia was always the glue that everyone held together, a shoulder to lean on as others cried.
"About seeing him again? Of course, I am. I've felt this negativity over him for so long, and I'm worried that it's all going to come back and ruin this entire mission." Artemis watched Thalia's reaction and was surprised when she furrowed her brow, shaking her head.
"No, that's, not what I meant. Though, I guess it's nice to hear that you're working through the feelings you have instead of hiding behind hatred." For the first time, the daughter of Zeus turned towards her, and she saw a pool of emotions swirling in her radiant blue eyes. Sorrow, remorse, and guilt. It shocked the goddess, wondering what exactly her lieutenant was thinking. "Are you worried about the prophecy?"
A wave of dread washed over her as she remembered the meeting a few days ago, the lines of the prophecy whispering in her ear like a chilling wind. She could of course lie to the girl, saying that she wasn't worried at all, that she could handle anything that could be thrown at her, but the way Thalia looked at her, it would be wrong to lie to her right now. Slowly, Artemis nodded.
"Yes." Her throat went dry as she struggled with the next few words she wanted to say. "I….I will be honest. I've never really known true fear, being a goddess, but right now, I'm terrified of what could happen. And the fact that the missing lines, they're about me, it's a sinking feeling of dread that I can't seem to escape. I've ignored it the best I can, but sometimes it'll creep up on me and I freeze in my tracks." Artemis turned away from her, looking down into the water. A faint flash of silver showed a fish trailing alongside the boat's underside, swimming gracefully in the water. "I don't know what to do…." She stared at the water, clenching the railing until her knuckles went white. She was a goddess, a divine being capable of great feats, but in the eyes of fate, she was nothing more than a thread to be woven in the great blanket of destiny.
Thalia laid a hand on the goddess's shoulder, and she tensed up. Her eyes flicked to the daughter of Zeus who had a hardened look on her face. Artemis tilted her head before she remembered, that Thalia was a part of the first great prophecy years ago she was turned into a pine tree for that very reason.
"I understand what you're going through Artemis, and I just want you to know I'm here if you ever need to talk about it." She took comfort in her half-sister's words, a soft smile showing her gratitude for her actions. But something bugged her. Seeing her so downtrodden, she couldn't help but worry about her well-being as well.
"Thank you sister, but, there seems to be more to this. Is there something you're not telling me?" A flash of worry crossed the girl's features before she managed to hide it, turning away. There was an awkward silence for a moment, with only the ambient sounds of background chatter and waves lapping against the hull of the ship.
"I know what happened between Percy and you, Lady Artemis…" She didn't look at her, staring out into the distance, small sparks of electricity arcing off her fingers as she clutched the railing. Artemis's eyes widened, anxiety coursing through her as she processed her words. It was one of her biggest fears, that Thalia would find out that Perseus left because of her. She didn't expect anything drastic like her leaving the hunt, but she didn't expect any niceties either. "The week before he left, he came to me, asking to talk. He said he was lying to you, and that he wasn't sure if he could continue doing that."
Artemis felt her heart rate increase, the new information slowly coming to light, a rush of different emotions overcoming her as she listened to Thalia's words.
"I asked him what he was talking about…." More electricity arced off her body now, and Artemis had to let go of the railing in fear of being electrocuted. "He said he did it to protect you, that he had no choice….he said he was the one who suggested the idea of the arranged marriage." It felt like time stopped, and her silver eyes shone with rage. How could Thalia keep this from her? The same feelings as the night she confronted Perseus came back in full force as she opened her mouth to speak, but she raised a hand to stop her. "I slapped him, full force. Sent him flying into a tree. He didn't even raise his voice at me, just had a sad look on his face." Artemis stopped, staring at her, waiting, the rush of ichor deafening as it pumped through her head. "I yelled for what seemed like hours, how you weren't a damsel in distress, that you didn't need a man to save you, I defended your honor till the end…"
So many thoughts went through Artemis's head that she could barely keep up. She felt pride that her huntress defended her, happy that her reputation as an independent goddess was ingrained in their minds. But, she also felt something else. Why didn't Thalia tell her? She said it was a week before Perseus had left, which meant it was a week before she found out.
"I didn't want to hear his explanations, and I was tempted to grab him by the neck and drag him to you to apologize and never to show his face again. But, it was Percy, so I listened." Thalia turned to her, and there was a shimmer in her half-sister's eyes. Thalia had been with the hunt for almost thirty years now. During that time, even though she had the body of a fifteen-year-old, she carried herself like an adult, always guiding the younger huntresses, and hells even the older members relied heavily on her. But now, now she was just a girl, a fifteen-year-old girl who was scared of losing everything. A girl who had just been introduced into the world of myths and monsters. A girl who was turned into a pine tree just because of a damned prophecy that was given a century ago.
"Artemis…you have to trust him." The words came out like a plea for help, and Artemis was taken aback. "He told me that you were part of a prophecy and that this was the only way….I, I didn't know what to do. I asked him to tell me, but he just wouldn't." The previous sparks just suddenly stopped, concentrated all in her eyes as Artemis watched them almost glow with power. "It infuriated me, but then, he said to trust him, just like how I trusted him all those years ago with the first great prophecy," Artemis remembered that night, the loophole that they exploited to prevent Thalia from becoming the child of the prophecy. The day Zoe was put into the stars.
"Thalia…"
"I feel guilt every day you know?" She turned towards Artemis, a few stray tears falling down her cheek. "Every damned day I feel guilty because I ran away from my fate. I took the first opportunity to run from the prophecy and took it. I potentially left my best fucking friend to die!" She shouted, and Artemis's eyes flicked around. Luckily, it seems the cold night air made Penelope and Jessie go back into their cabins. "All because I couldn't trust myself to make the right choice…" She shook her head. "No, it's because I didn't want to make that choice. I couldn't deal with the weight of the world on my shoulders. So I let Percy do it." She chuckled, but it held no emotion in it, the hollow sound echoing in the night. Artemis didn't know what to say, she didn't realize her lieutenant had been carrying this guilt for so long.
"So what else could I do Lady Artemis? I trusted him again. If I could leave the fate of the world in his hands, I could trust him with you. But, I also trusted him to tell you. I gave him one week, or else all bets were off." She thought back to that night, and how she had received an Iris message earlier that day asking for her to meet him in his usual spot. It all made sense now, the puzzle pieces clicking together. "I guess he did end up telling you, which means the reason he left, was because of you." Artemis could see the smallest flicker of anger in Thalia's eyes, but it quickly faded. "I don't blame you for what happened. Hells, I would be just as mad as you if he did something similar. You could even say that I was the one who really made him leave by forcing him to tell you…"
"No Thalia, don't put that on yourself. Perseus left because of his own decisions. His own motives were unclear to us at the time. Now, however, we will be dragging him back so that he can explain himself." She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, resisting the urge to flinch when she was shocked by the girl's excess energy. "Back then, I had tunnel vision. I saw nothing but red, and I don't regret my actions, as I had seen him as a friend, a companion who I trusted as much as I do you. Even now, I can't fully forgive him. But I need to talk to him. I want to talk to him." They looked at each other, their gazes turning from melancholy to hardened determination.
"Thank you Lady Artemis. I, I've been holding onto this for so long, and I was worried that you'd hate me for keeping this from you." She wiped away the tears she shed, before pulling the goddess into a hug. Artemis was shocked, both figuratively and literally, before softly smiling, wrapping her hands around her sister and squeezing back. She could feel the bond between them strengthening, As she pulled away, she sniffled, before looking up at her, a soft smile on her face. "I think I'm gonna go inside now. My eyes hurt from the cold and the tears aren't helping." They both laughed at the statement before Artemis gave her one last hug.
"Go ahead, sister. I will be out here if you need me, enjoying the sight of the stars." Thalia nodded, before walking towards the cabin, cheerfully yelling as she entered, the rest of the hunt waving and greeting their lieutenant. As Artemis watched her go inside, she smiled, the feeling of relief spreading throughout her body. She hoped that Thalia would come to her more often like that, as it would do her no good to fester over past choices.
'Ironic.' Her inner voice said, and she rolled her eyes, before turning back to the horizon.
As a few hours passed, most of the hunt had gone into their rooms, leaving only a few huntresses chatting inside the glass cabin on the deck. Artemis was still watching the sky, unable to go to bed. She had a lot on her mind, most of it relating to a certain son of Poseidon. She reflected on the words she had with Thalia, and how she felt about what she said about Perseus. The fact that she wanted to talk to him again, wasn't a surprising revelation, but it did lead to other thoughts crossing her mind. What exactly did she feel for him now? What would she even say when they inevitably meet again? Could she stop herself from lunging at him with a dagger?
The idea brought a small smile to her face before she shook her head. Pitch black waters stirred beneath her as the ship sailed towards their destination, She had thought about what she wanted to say a million times over the past two months, but now it was reality. In just a few days, she'd see the sea-green eyes that haunted her memories.
His contagious lop-sided smile would spread amongst the hunt. His personality never failed to lift her spirits, even during her darkest days. She thought about the times after their wedding when his demeanor changed. How before, he didn't mind being near her, and even dared to share a seat on the long nights she took her turn on night watch. But after, he would sit across from her like he was afraid. It made sense in hindsight, but back then, even though she hated the circumstances, she couldn't help but feel hurt. Humming to herself, she dwelled on the emotions she felt and pondered further on them.
Why did she feel that way when he shied away from her? Why did she feel happier when he was around her? Why did she feel so betrayed when she confronted him that night? She was used to broken promises. She remembered the things she used to do to huntresses when they broke their vows. The stories of her cruelty were known far and wide, the constellations in the night sky were proof of that. However, she couldn't bring herself to do anything more than exile him. Well, of course, there was the arrow she shot into his shoulder, but that was beside the point.
'Could there be anything deeper than th-' The thought was cut short by a rush of energy and the smell of venison. She sighed, noting that even when he was a thousand miles away, he still had horrible timing. She waited for the static to come, bracing herself for the incoming headache.
"Hello, Lady Artemis." She whirled around, her eyes wide as she heard his voice. It sounded like it was right next to her like he had just popped by for their nightly talks. For the first time in twenty years, she heard his voice and it was clear. "I'm not really sure why I thank you whenever I manage to hunt something. Maybe it's because it's your domain. Or maybe it's because I miss the smug smile you would give me when I would lose in your hunting contests…." He paused, and she reeled from the sound of his voice in her head. It was almost intoxicating. Like sinuses being cleared after two decades of being clogged up.
"Anyway, tonight I managed to hunt a black-tailed deer, at least that's what Dawn called them. I still haven't really figured out the names of all the different animals that live here." Images rushed through her mind as she felt it almost connect with his. The picture of a rather chubby dear with a short black tail popped into her head, and she had to suppress a crazed laugh. "Tonight it's just gonna be steaks, and I'll make the rest into jerky. Dawn has an amazing recipe, I'm sure you would love it, considering venison is your favorite meal and all." To others, she probably looked manic, leaning against the railing with a smile on her face, her silver eyes flashing in the moonlight. Even though she felt the regular negative emotions that usually came with these offerings, they were suppressed by his voice. Then she wondered, who the hell was Dawn? She had heard the name before, and it made her stomach churn like she had just eaten a bad meal.
"Man, it's a beautiful night tonight. Reminds me of the times we'd sit by the fire, reminiscing…." He went silent, and she couldn't help but notice she was thinking the same thing he was. Her face flushed golden, a stroke of warmth flowing through her veins. "You would love it here honestly. Beautiful mountains, untouched woods, and plenty of hunting trails. It would be love at first sight." Pictures of towering mountains covered in a fresh coat of snow, streams of glacier water rushing across rounded rocks, and pine forests that stretched for hundreds of miles filled her mind, the scent of the wild overwhelming her sense of smell.
"But, it's dangerous here for us. I'm sure you'd be able to handle yourself, but I wouldn't be able to help but worry." She froze the anger slowly building again. Of course, she could handle herself, she was Artemis, goddess of the hunt, one of the deadliest archers in the divine world, and leader of the strongest group of warriors in centuries. Wait. The hunt. Thalia would want to know about this. Artemis spun around, walking towards the cabin, hoping to share her senses with her half-sister.
"Dawn is calling me, so looks like I have to cut this one short." Artemis quickened her pace, opening the door to the inner ship.
"Thalia!" She called out, the daughter of Zeus's head whipping around and staring at her leader.
"I'll talk to you later, till next time." The connection started weakening, and she knew she had to be fast. She sprinted over to the few girls that were still up, each of them standing as she approached. Right now she didn't care about what they knew and had hoped to reach them in time.
"I lo-" The connection cut off, and Artemis felt her body crash into the tiled floor of the ship. Her vision darkened, and she felt like she needed to expunge anything she'd eaten in the past few days. The huntresses knelt by her side, flipping her over and checking for signs of injury. The goddess's body was covered in a sheen of sweat, her breathing ragged as she tried to figure out what happened to her. Artemis felt like she'd just been hit by a semi-truck, the strength slowly being sapped away from her. Despair filled her heart as she wondered if she was dying, the thought never crossed her mind until now.
"Lady Artemis!" Thalia grabbed a few squares of ambrosia, shoving it into the goddess's mouth. She almost recoiled at the taste, but not out of disgust. She was shocked, because instead of the savory taste of the game that she was used to, it instead tasted sweet, just like the blue chocolate cookies Sally had made. Energy flowed through her as Thalia had also let her sip on some nectar. Static filled the air as the intercom went off.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure to inform you that we have now crossed into the Gulf of Alaska. We should be docking in another forty or so hours. Once again, I'd like to thank you for choosing Alaskan Waterways." A click signaled the end of the announcement as Artemis propped herself up. She felt like every alarm bell was going off in her body as she looked at the worried faces of the hunters. Getting up, with the help of her hunt, she sat down in a nearby booth, taking her time with slow breaths, adjusting to the feeling.
"What the hell happened?!" Verna asked, sitting down in front of Artemis, shuffling through her bag for any more ambrosia and nectar. Gratefully, Artemis took a few more squares and popped them into her mouth, before she started to get hot. Her eyes widened, and she spit out the rest that she had in her mouth. The dots connected, and she took a shaky breath.
"I….I've lost my connection with Olympus. I'm mortal."
And that's when all hell broke loose as the glass windows shattered.
Thalia immediately deployed her shield, protecting the few huntresses from the shards of broken glass, shouting orders as they unsheathed their bows, all cleverly disguised as various accessories for moments just like these. Thalia had pressed her can of mace, the object turning into a beautiful celestial bronze spear, arcing with electricity. Artemis tried to figure out what was going on, but she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion hit her, clutching her head as she tried to keep from blacking out. Faintly, she recognized the forms of monsters slithering into the cabin.
"Maya!" Verna screamed, and the quick-footed daughter of Hermes nodded, running at the mach speeds to get reinforcements. Thalia and Reyna kept the monsters at bay while Artemis recovered, the goddess trying her best to summon a weapon to help defend her hunters. Power ebbed through her, like sludge traveling down a pipe, and eventually, a singular silver dagger formed in her hand. She grits her teeth as she grasps the handle, spinning it around and driving it into the skull of a nearby beast. She got a good look at it before it dissolved. A monster with the body of a serpent and the head of a ram. It's been centuries since she's last seen one, and she was mildly shocked they were this far away from land.
"Cerastus." She muttered, stumbling out of the booth. Moving her limbs was like trying to run in shallow water, and it frustrated her. Just barely dodging a strike from another beast, an arrow thudded between the beast's eyes. Atalanta rushed to Artemis's side.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. What the hells are they doing so far out in the sea? Last time we fought these guys, they were on the beach hiding in the sands of Greece…" She yelped as one of them slithered behind her, striking at her ankles. Luckily, centuries of training honed her agility and she was able to dodge it just in time as their fangs snapped. Artemis slammed her dagger down, the beast dissolving into golden dust.
"I have no idea, it's also no coincidence we were attacked right as we crossed into the Alaskan sea." A voice said behind her. Reyna placed her back against the goddess, covering her blindspots as she flourished her spatha. The goddess nodded, leaning against her huntress as she scanned the area around her. Multiple snake monsters circled them, their horns wiggling as they patiently waited to strike. Realistically, their best chance of survival was to wait for the rest of the huntresses to come to their rescue, but something inside of Artemis told her she needed to fight. She lunged forward, slashing her dagger in a circle around her, careful not to hit her hunters. A clang was heard as Artemis turned around, seeing that a spear was stuck in the spot that she had just been in.
She looked around, before spotting a figure on the outside of the cabin and felt her ichor run cold. The woman was dressed in a bright blue dress that billowed in the wind. She wore a helmet that covered most of her features except for her eyes, which radiated a pulsing blue. She held out her hand, and the spear flew back to its master.
"Even in the realm beyond Olympus, you're still quick on your feet." Her voice echoed inside Artemis's head, and she winced. The raw power it held, she knew they were all outmatched. Thalia aimed her spear at the figure, before summoning a lightning bolt, the electricity arcing across the ship's deck and striking the figure. The snakes took their opportunity to strike, and Thalia screamed as one of them bit down on her leg. Reyna slashed at the beast's neck, ending it's life.
"Shit…." A million thoughts ran through the goddess's head as she tried to figure out what to do. The smoke cleared as the unknown deity came out unharmed from Thalia's lightning blast.
"I'll make this quick. Either you give me the location of the Heart of the Sea, or you will all perish here." She raised her spear, aiming it directly at Artemis's heart. As she got closer, she could see the goddess's pale blue skin and realized this was one of the many water deities, just not one she was inherently familiar with.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Another scream as a snake bit down on Reyna's shoulder. 'Where the hell is Maya at?' Artemis thought as she lunged at the goddess, slashing in an arc. A dagger was no match for a spear at long range, so she aimed to close the gap as fast as possible. Unfortunately, with her weakened strength, she fell about a few feet short and was parried aside, her spear cutting into her arm. She grits her teeth at the pain, backstepping and holding her arm, watching as ichor dripped onto the deck.
"Hmmm, you still bleed golden. Interesting…" The goddess muttered, flicking her spear, letting the golden blood splatter against the ship's floor. She stepped forward, her aura starting to overwhelm Artemis. As she raised her spear, she brought it down, and Artemis jumped to the side. Luckily, at that exact time, an arrow clanged against the goddess's shield, causing her strike to go wide. Using this opportunity, she jumped into the goddess's guard, her muscles burning as she stabbed the dagger into her leg. The unknown goddess screamed, releasing a blast of power that pushed her back into the wall.
"Fuck….." She cursed, her vision going hazy. Being a mortal was worse than she thought. If only she could draw upon a little more of her power, she could summon another dagger, or her bow, which could help as a focus to channel the rest of her powers. Right now, however, the dagger was all she could muster. She saw a blur of white to her left and sighed in relief as Maya pushed back the snakes, giving the others some time to regroup. The rest of the hunt was by her side in seconds, bows drawn and aimed at their enemy.
"Artemis, are you okay?" She looked to her right, seeing sea-green eyes looking down in worry. There wasn't much that Penelope could do to heal her, considering she probably had no idea how her powers worked, so she just pointed at her bag.
"Nectar and Ambrosia, in your bag." As the hunt covered them, Penelope ruffled through the bag, before grabbing a square of golden brownie and a small juice box filled with nectar. Artemis quickly chowed down, barely even breathing as she felt a rush of energy flow through her. She heard a thud as a huntress landed beside her. Artemis looked to Penelope, who nodded, immediately going over to the girl and pulling her to safety before repeating the process of giving her aid. As Artemis stood back up, she saw the goddess spin her spear before raising it up in the sky, the clouds starting to thicken as rain poured down. The seas rocked the boat and Artemis wasn't sure what she was going to do. There was no way she could defeat a goddess in her current state.
Just as she was about to get back up and start fighting, a bright light overwhelmed them, flinging her back, and then the sound of nothing but a loud buzzing. Looking around, she couldn't see anything around her or anyone. She tried shouting but realized she couldn't hear her voice. Panic filled her body as she struggled to get up. She felt a hand on her shoulder and whirled around. Her hair was sticking to her face, and her makeup was running from the rain.
'Come on' She still couldn't hear, but the goddess could read her lips. As she was dragged towards the cabin, she noticed the rest of her hunt clutching their ears, most of them covered in monster dust and blood. Her eyes scanned the room and noticed a collapsed Thalia near the door, her breathing shallow as Penelope and Hailey patched her up. Taking some time to rest, she sat down and leaned against the cool wall of the ship. As the ringing died down, she felt another noise start to pop up.
"Help…..all…..be careful…." Recognizing it as her father's voice, she took a deep breath, grateful that for once he had helped instead of hindering her. A slight twinge of worry came and worked its way through her head, wondering if he would be punished by the ancient laws. But she also knew that rarely did he ever have to face the same punishments he gave out. Nevertheless, she was grateful for the assistance, even if she had to deal with the pain of a busted eardrum. She looked over to her hunt, and luckily none of them were gravely injured. She also knew that the Cerastus didn't have poison in their fangs, which meant that their pain would just be physical for the time being.
She worried for the future of the trip, but hopefully, the blast was enough to set them back until they could get close to land. Then maybe they could get to the emergency boats and book it to shore if need be. They did have a daughter of Poseidon after all. Resting her head against the wall, she let her eyes fall as she felt the mortal urge of sleep consume her, the exhaustion finally taking her body over.
Luckily, the rest of the trip went smoothly. However, it didn't help that her nerves were constantly on edge and that her senses were toned down to that of a mortal. As the ship docked on land, she was one of the first ones off the ship, stretching her legs as she relished dry land. Carrying her bag, she pulled her jacket closer to her, shivering as the cold winter wind nipped at her body. Her stomach growled as she looked around, and her face scrunched up in anger.
"I'm hungry…..again. How often do you all deal with this feeling all the time?" She looked to the rest of her hunt, who were all rather amused by the goddess's newfound mortality, relishing in her struggles that they had to go through every day. Even Penelope had a smile on her face, walking over to the goddess and slinging an arm over her shoulder.
"You see young one, as a human, you need to consume food for energy. Fortunately for you, this is the land of America, where calories are plentiful. So just pick a direction and we can pick out the greasiest fast-food restaurant that'll keep you full for at least a few more hours." Artemis shrugged the girl's arm off, rolling her eyes. It was rather amusing to her how similar she was to Perseus, but also how she carried herself was completely different. Perseus could be seen as sloppy in a way, walking without meaning and simply going with the flow as they say. However, with Penelope, she seemed to prefer set schedules and time management. If she was honest, she preferred Perseus more to his half-sister, as she didn't like sticking to a single routine every day.
Her thoughts were broken as the smell of fried food entered her senses and her mouth watered. Before, she had hated the smell of grease, but she guessed since her form was more akin to modern-day humans, she also had the same cravings as them. As they entered the building, she decided to let them take care of ordering, considering she didn't want to embarrass herself by holding up the line at all the options. Instead, she watched the nearby train tracks, the multiple cargo locomotives spewing smoke as they chugged along. Penelope had done the honors of buying them all tickets to Fairbanks while they were waiting for the ship to finish the docking process, so now they just had to wait to board.
"Here you go Lady Artemis." The smell of food brought her back to reality as a tray was set down in front of her. As she looked down, she saw a sandwich, wrapped in paper and cut in half, alongside a small basket of french fries. It was a simple meal, but for some reason, it smelled delicious. Picking it up and taking a bite, she relished the savory flavors, realizing that it didn't taste like beef at all. Instead, it had a rather gamey flavor, reminding her of the deer she used to hunt when she was younger. Wondering what the rest of them got, she looked up but was surprised to see everyone was staring at her.
"Do I have something on my face?" She asked, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at her mouth, fighting the blush that crept up her face. A giggle caused her to look to her side and she saw Haily smiling wide.
"Do you like your food?" She asked, the rest of the hunt now giggling as well. Artemis now seriously wondered what was going on, setting her sandwich down and wondering if maybe they did something to her food. They did pull pranks on the goddess now and again, but she didn't expect them to right now.
"Did you guys do something to my food?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Now, the rest of them burst into laughter, and she just sighed. She eyed the sandwich cautiously, seeing if maybe they put something in it, or maybe they made it so her lips were dyed blue. She still hadn't gotten Perseus back for that.
"No, but we decided to get you something special. You're eating reindeer!" Thalia said, laughing, and Artemis's eyes widened. She hadn't had reindeer before and was caught by surprise as she took another bite of the sandwich, recognizing the flavor profile. She had never gotten the chance to eat reindeer before because the only ones she could realistically hunt were the ones that drew her sleigh, and that just felt wrong. She had expressed this to her hunt once or twice, but she didn't realize they were ever paying attention or had even remembered. A soft smile formed as she ate, the rest of the hunt following their mistress's lead.
She was still a little hungry even after she finished her food, and ordered another one to go as they started heading towards the train tracks. Grabbing her paper bag, she chucked it into her sack, zipping it up as she trailed behind the group, making sure everyone was there. It would be rather unfortunate for someone to get left behind here. She noticed Verna slow down, matching her pace to Artemis's.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" The demigod asked, munching on an apple as she watched the goddess with curious green eyes. Artemis shook her head, her breath leaving wisps of fog as she walked. The cold caused her nose to turn red, and she bundled up closer in her jacket. Well, in Perseus's jacket.
"Better. It's….weird, being so vulnerable. To be frank, I still don't like it at all. But I can't do anything about it now, so I might as well continue forward. Like you all say, 'one step at a time' right?" Verna smiled, brushing a strand of hair out her face as she nodded. She stared at the hunt, their boots crunching as they walked through the gravel, the rocks shifting beneath their feet.
"Being vulnerable isn't a bad thing Lady Artemis. It's what keeps us together. I can't tell you how many times I cried on Jessie's shoulder when I was talking about my dad. Or when Thalia would talk about her past with Luke and Annabeth. Sometimes vulnerability helps break us down to build us up stronger than before. At least, that's my two cents on it." She shrugged, but the gleam in her eyes showed Artemis the sincerity in her words and wondered when she had gotten so philosophical.
As the train horn blew, Artemis and the hunt hurried up and boarded, scanning their tickets on the little kiosk next to the doors. As they settled into one of their booths, she rested her head against the glass, watching as the scenery started shifting around her. The snow-peaked mountains glistened in the morning sun, alongside the water shimmering as waves splashed against the shore. She smiled the words from a few days echoing in her head.
"You're right Perseus, it is beautiful here…"
Well, that's that. We got a kiss! Expect that to be all you really get for a while considering everything that's about to happen. I also hope the fight wasn't too bad, but we will see some epic fights later on, so I'm mostly just testing the waters for now. Anyway, I will upload once more in about two weeks, so I will see you guys soon!