Longest chapter yet, and by far one of my favorite to write. I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks to AtomicWombat for reviewing this chapter for me!
The hotel room they were forced into was one of the finest Olympus had to offer, with a full view of the city of New York plus the numerous architectural wonders of the mythological mountain. Red decorated the room, with lush carpets and flowing drapes alongside candles lighting up the area instead of the typical fluorescent light bulbs. For any other happy couple, this would be a romantic night after the end of the reception. However, Artemis simply flashed on her casual attire of a silver shirt and jeans immediately, before stomping towards the window, drawing the curtains closed. The soft sound of rain splashing against the window was a quiet comfort to the goddess. Perseus had walked inside as well, shutting the door and locking it. She heard him shuffle towards the bathroom and looked back as she saw him close the door.
A million thoughts were rushing through her head, the first one being how she was going to castrate her father the next time she saw him. The second was the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. Her eyes swept across the room, noting the singular king-sized bed, with no other furnishings aside from two night-stands. She sighed as she sat down on the bed. As she placed her head in her hands she heard the door open and saw Perseus walk out, his previous suit discarded for a pair of jeans and a sea green t-shirt. On any other occasion, she'd have mocked him for how he looked in formal attire but it didn't seem fitting to do so now. He sat down on the opposite side of the bed, his back facing toward her.
An awkward silence settled over them as neither knew what to say. What could they say? This marriage was born out of political necessity. There was nothing they could do but hate their circumstances.
"I'm sorry Lady Artemis." The silence was broken by a soft apology and she felt the immortal tense up. Turning around, she looked at him and shook her head in response.
"It's not your fault Perseus, it's our damned fathers for not knowing how to handle their own grievances. Blame them and not yourself." She knew he had a habit of placing the blame on himself. Something she understood all too well whenever one of her hunters fell. The pain of not doing enough, even though it's out of your control. It was habit that was notoriously hard to break hard to break.
"Yeah…." He mumbled, leaning back on his hands, the bed creaking as it took on more of the young immortal's weight. "I had no choice…" A hollow chuckle filled the room and Artemis shivered. Perseus could be rather intimidating even when he didn't mean to.
"Perseus, how do you feel about all of this?" Artemis was genuinely curious. She couldn't decipher everything the son of Poseidon thought, and she couldn't detect any anger in his voice, just a hollow sadness. Plus there was the fact that he said nothing to the gods when their fate was sealed. The faintest idea that he was a part of all of this whispered in the back of her mind before she squashed it down.
"I'm…not entirely sure Lady Artemis. I haven't had enough time to sort my feelings out. I'm sorry if that's not a satisfying answer, but everything happened so soon that I'm still processing everything." The young immortal let out his words with a sigh. "One thing I do know for certain is that this marriage is only one on paper. There's no obligation you should feel towards me, and I towards you."
A jolt of pain shot through her heart before she shook her head. Contrary to his words, it was a satisfying enough answer. It simply made sense to her. Two weeks to figure out how to spend the rest of your life betrothed to someone you will never love isn't a lot of time.
Perseus shifted as he spoke again. "How about you Lady Artemis?"
How did she feel about all of this? Of course, she felt angry, that one's obvious. But anything else? She went silent for a while, thinking about how she wanted to respond.
"I feel…helpless. Everything I stood for was being taken away from me. The whole point of my vow was my independence and to protect myself from these exact situations. To be stuck in a loveless marriage forever…" The huntress's thoughts turned back to when she lived in Ancient Greece, of running through the wilds, carefree and wild. "I guess….I don't know. The comfort that it's you at the very least is keeping me from going mad." Her muscles tensed up as she held in her sorrow, determined not to cry in front of him. Artemis felt the sheets shift beneath her, and she turned around, silver eyes locking onto the sea.
"I hate this marriage Perseus, but I do not hate you. So long as my boundaries are not crossed, we can make this work." It was the only way this could work. As Perseus said, this was all on paper. Gods, she wasn't even sure if marriages were really anything on Olympus. Hephaestus and Aphrodite never had a kid. She wasn't even sure if they'd laid with each other. Everyone knows how Zeus and Hera's marriage is going. Any immortal marriage is just for show as they slept with others anyway. As she stared into his eyes, she could see a whirlpool of emotions swirling in the boy's eyes, and she was enthralled by how expressive they were. Everything from anger to happiness, was there, reflected in a pool of green.
"Of course Lady Artemis. I wouldn't even dream of it." A small smile formed on Perseus's lips, and she smiled back. The first real smile she'd had since all of this happened. If there was one thing she could do, it would be to trust the boy.
As silence took over once more, she realized the awkward problem of how they would sleep. Of course, she wouldn't be so cruel as to kick him off the bed. But she also didn't want to sleep on the floor. She is a goddess after all, and appreciates the modern comfort of a good mattress. It seems Perseus had the same idea as he shifted his gaze to the bed, then back to her.
"Uhm, so about the bed situation…..we could divide it with pillows? It is a king-sized bed after all, and there's plenty of blankets and pillows we could use to separate it into two sides."
Oh. Yeah, it made sense to do that, didn't it? She nearly laughed at the ridiculous ideas that she had floating in her head a few seconds prior. Slowly she nodded, starting to gather the pillows into a small pile with Perseus doing the same. Eventually, there was a small wall between them, fortified by a singular blanket tucked underneath the pillows. A small flutter of amusement popped in her at the sight. It looked very much like what a pair of children would make to start a pillow fort, but these were much more serious circumstances.
"That should do it…." Artemis sighed and peeked over the divider noticing Perseus lying down on the bed, his eyes closed. Judging from his breathing patterns he wasn't asleep, just relaxed. Part of her wanted to smack him, but they still weren't finished dealing with the whole marriage situation. But the other part of her realized that it's been a long-ass day, and she could use some shut-eye. Laying down on her part of the bed, she turned so she was on her side, looking at the closed curtains, the sound of rain a comfort in darker times.
"Hey Lady Artemis…" Perseus began softly, and she shifted so that she could hear him better.
"Yes, Perseus?" There was silence for a while, and she lifted her head to look at him. He had shifted so his back was facing her, and she could faintly see him shaking. She didn't hear any crying, nor did she hear his voice crack, so it must've been out of anger. Anger at what? She wouldn't know until he talked. She was patient, waiting for the boy to gather his thoughts until he spoke.
"Do you think you can change fate?" Artemis' eyes widen to saucers. She hadn't expected such a weighted question. Well, she did, but not something to this magnitude. Pondering the idea, she rested her head on her pillow, staring at the wall of pillows separating them. Could fate be changed? In theory, she would say yes. They did it with Thalia all those years ago. But that begs the question of if they really changed fate, or if Perseus was the one who was meant to be the child of the prophecy.
"I….would like to think so. But fate is a powerful thing Perseus. If the Fates want something to happen, there's no stopping them. It's how the world works. They don't care about your feelings, they instead weave their webs and you must follow." Artemis could feel the boy's heart quicken, a rather unique effect of her being the goddess of the hunt. "But again, Fate isn't always set in stone. You would know the best. Back in the War of the Titans, you had the choice to either end the war or end the world. I think while Fate may be hard to change, there will be times you will be given a choice." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. Truthfully, she hated the fates. They took her best friend from her, and they slaughtered her hunters in cold blood while she was trapped on an island.
"If you had to make a choice that would hurt those close to you to protect them, would you do it?" Once again, the son of the sea's heart beat faster, and she mulled over his words. She wondered if maybe he had gotten himself tangled up in trouble again. It wouldn't surprise her, as problems seemed to gravitate towards him like he was a magnet. But, something deep in her mind whispered to her. Words that, a millennia ago, she wouldn't have ever heard coming from her mouth.
'I would trust him.' He had bared the weight of the sky for her, he had befriended one of her most closed-off huntresses, and he had saved the world twice over and barely asked for anything in return. If there was anyone in the entire divine and mortal realm that she could rely upon and trust, it would be him.
"I do not know if I could hurt someone to protect them….but I also believe that sometimes, sacrifices must be necessary." She paused, wondering exactly how to phrase the next part of her answer. "I once hated my brother for tricking me into killing Orion. Didn't talk to him for years aside from the solstice meetings. But when my hunters told me what he had done, I realized that he was just trying to protect me in the end. I wish he'd been truthful to me from the start, but I also appreciate that he was looking out for me." His heartbeat died down, a steady thumping that mimicked the steady thuds of rain against the glass.
"Thank you Lady Artemis…sorry for bringing something so heavy up, but I just wanted your opinion." He turned over, a small smile on his face, his eyes shining with a determination that wasn't there before, and she raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly ailed the young immortal. But she also knew how he felt about sharing his problems with her. He would probably just brush it off and say that he had it handled, and she would trust him. While her curiosity would burn inside her, she would let it go for the sake of their friendship.
"Unfortunately, I'm stuck with you, so don't hesitate to bring up your grievances Perseus."
"Hey!" She rolled her eyes and turned over. A part of her felt better than before, but of course, she couldn't be healed in a day. It would take many years, maybe even decades for her to fully close the scar on her pride, and even then, it would still be a stain on her record that she couldn't remove. But at the very least, she had someone she could rely on to help her through it. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift off to sleep, not noticing Perseus's smile slowly fade as the light died down in his eyes.
"I'm sorry Lady Artemis…but I won't let them take you away..." He whispered as quietly as he could, and the goddess couldn't hear, for she had left the realm of reality, having asked for a favor from Morpheus to be sent into a pleasant dream.
For the first time in a while, Artemis dreamt. She dreamt of wild, lush forests and overgrown plains teeming with wildlife. It reminded her of her home in Delos, but it was much larger, and she wasn't as restricted on where she could go. She felt like she was running for hours, the hot summer sun on her face as she hunted, a brilliant smile on her face. As she ran, she saw a large deer, its antlers a pearlescent white, a perfect trophy to add to her collection. She drew her bow, aiming, and fired. But as she let go, the sun got in her eyes, and her body was thrown backward.
Artemis raised her hand to her face and realized the sun was much harsher than normal. As she was about to call her brother and tell him to knock it off, she blinked, and suddenly the surroundings changed in an instant. The emerald grass turned into a dull red carpet, the canopy turned into the billowing curtains, and the sunlight streaming through the leaves turned into a singular ray of light that landed directly on Artemis's open eyes.
"I hate it here…" She muttered, throwing a pillow onto her face to block the offending celestial body. However, because she used her one favor from Morpheus, all she saw was an inky blackness as she tried to go back to sleep. Huffing, she raised herself onto her arms, looking around the room. Her auburn hair was splayed about, and her eyes had dark circles under them, her silver eyes dull and red from a rather restless sleep. Seems like dreaming wasn't all that great as her hunters would tell her. The goddess swung her legs off the bed, before noticing that she felt sticky and gross. Touching her skin, it had a slimy feel to it, and she realized she had sweat while she slept. A small flush of gold crept up her face as she looked over to the other side of the bed, hoping Perseus was still asleep.
Strangely enough, the young immortal was nowhere to be seen. Curiosity struck her as she wondered if maybe he had left. She peeked out of the curtains, noting the time was a lot later than she usually woke up, and decided to have a bit of a lazy day. Marriage sucked, but at the very least she could use the benefits of the next day to slack off in her duties. Her senses felt numb as she started walking towards the bathroom, wishing to take a shower to ease the stress of a new era she had to deal with. As she opened the door to the bathroom and flicked the light on, her eyes adjusted to the empty room. Wait.
"Oh, uh, good morning…." Perseus stood there, in a pair of shorts and a toothbrush in hand, about to put a dollop of toothpaste on the tool. She stared in shock, then in anger, then in curiosity. Her eyes flicked over his body, and a pang shot through her heart. She had realized back when he had fought Ares that his body had a few scars on it, but she didn't realize just how bad it was. All over his chest were various marks and blemishes. Some were sword strikes that traveled across his torso, some were shorter stab marks, probably made by some kind of piercing weapon that crisscrossed various other scars, but the most worrying were the various lightning bolt scars that traveled across his whole body. The mortals had a word for it, Lichtenberg Figures. It was when electricity would travel across the body, trying to find the path of least resistance. At least that's what she remembered.
"Perseus….what happened….?" Concern took over her as she walked forward, and he just shook his head, finishing his prep on the toothbrush and beginning to brush his teeth. As she neared, she could tell he slowly inched himself away from her, which made her stop.
"Nothing, just you know, training and stuff. Zeus is pretty harsh, and he went especially hard after everything that happened with Ares. Nothing I can't handle though." She looked at him and narrowed her eyes, silver clashing with green as she searched his face, her earlier grogginess clearing up over the sudden revelation.
"But…this is a lot. This is more than most immortals would ever carry. Some carry a few out of pride, like Ares, but you are the least prideful person I know, so surely you don't keep these on purpose." Thoughts muddled her mind as she also started to realize she was there with her shirtless friend. 'Husband' her mind corrected. She immediately shut all of those thoughts down and again focused on the matter at hand.
"Would you believe me if I said I kept them because they're cool?" Just from the tone of his voice, she could tell he was lying. But even without it, he wouldn't look at her, and his heart rate quickened.
"No. Perseus, it wouldn't be wise to lie to me. Especially with our new situation. But, as you respect my boundaries, I will respect yours if you don't wish to talk about it." She felt bad guilt-tripping him, but Apollo had taught her this trick and she rarely got to use it on anyone aside from her brother, so she decided to try it out. Unsurprisingly, Perseus looked away, his eyes narrowing at the mirror. He spit the remaining fluoride into the sink and washed off the toothbrush before he flashed it away. Grabbing his orange shirt from the counter, he put it on and walked into the room, brushing past the goddess.
She contemplated smacking him for the disrespect of walking past her, but decided against it for now, instead following him and watching as he sat down. Artemis could practically see the gears turning in his head as he decided what to say. After a moment, he looked up at her.
"Well, I guess since we are 'stuck together' as you so elegantly put it last night, I'll let you in on a little embarrassing secret of mine. I can't change my form." Perseus had a bit of a small smile on his face, with his eyes shifting back down, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly. It took a few seconds for Artemis to register what he had said before she scrunched up her eyebrows.
"What? That's like, the second thing we were supposed to teach you all as your mentors. Don't tell me all Zeus did was beat you with his oversized glowstick!" She started fuming, annoyed more so at the fact that Zeus hadn't done his job than him beating up Perseus. Everyone had expected it to an extent, so while the amount of scars was surprising, she wasn't shocked that they were there in the first place. Perseus raised his hands, shaking his head.
"No, no…he definitely tried to teach me. In fact, that was the first thing he tried to teach me. Said something that a god shouldn't look like a seventeen-year-old kid with pimples. Of course that did kind of hurt my feelings, as I've never had a pimple before. I'd like to thank my godly parentage for that." He raised a hand and put another to his chest, and she had to suppress a smile at his antics. Instead, she focused on the fact that for the past three years, he hadn't mastered the ability to shapeshift. It was a rather vital ability for gods and goddesses to learn, as they couldn't blend in with the mortals unless they did. It made sense in a way though, considering he still looked like he did when he ascended, which was rather unusual. Even his peers had a more grown-up look to them, with the boys growing beards, and the women filling out their frames a little more.
"That's…concerning. Have you trie-"
"Yep." He interrupted her, and this time she didn't stop herself from hitting the back of his head. The boy yelped and he glared at her. "Hey!"
"Don't interrupt me," Artemis growled. "Now, have you tried," He opened his mouth again, and she raised her hand as a threat. Perseus closed his mouth, and she nodded in satisfaction. "Have you tried talking to another god or goddess about this problem?" She put her hands on her hips and stared down at the immortal. Looking back up at her, he rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Yes, Lady Artemis. Specifically, I went to two people. The first was Aphrodite, considering her whole persona revolved around appearances. After a few tries there, she wasn't able to do anything and suggested I go to your brother." Artemis hummed, unconsciously narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips at the thought of him visiting the goddess of love. After a moment, she focused on the second half of his statement and tilted her head.
"Why my brother?"
"Well, he's also known for changing his appearance often. 'Women like a bit of mystery' is what he said." The goddess rolled her eyes. "But, eventually after some new tricks, and a few potions from Hecate, he eventually came down to the conclusion that it was psychological." Perseus shrugged, and leaned back on his hands, looking up at the ceiling. His raven black hair was matted against his skin, as it was still wet from his previous shower. Didn't he have the ability to dry himself completely? Artemis shook her head, no need to get sidetracked right now.
"Psychological? What does that entail?" She sat down next to him, her silver eyes burning with curiosity as she stared at him.
"I'm not sure honestly. Just means it's all in my head and that eventually, I'll get over it. For now, I'm just Ares light now." There was a small hint of sorrow in the boy's voice, and Artemis had a small thought to comfort him, however she didn't know how to in this circumstance. Mulling over their conversation, she was startled as Perseus suddenly got up and stretched, numerous popping sounds filling the once-silent room.
"As the kids nowadays say, it is what it is, and so I've got an eternity to figure it out. No use in dwelling on it. Anyway, since we don't plan on a honeymoon, we should probably get going, otherwise, everyone's going to worry that I'm dead in a ditch." Artemis glared at the boy, who just smirked at her.
"Keep being as sassy as you are, and I'll make sure their worries come true." She got up, brushing past him, purposefully bumping his shoulder a little harder than usual. She couldn't see his reaction, but from the loud gasp, she imagined his mouth open in mock shock, with his eyes wide and fake tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
"Gasp, but to get rid of that would be to get rid of my entire personality!" Rolling her eyes, she unlocked the door, opened it, and walked out into the hallway, stopping just for a moment to wait for him to exit as well. As he closed the door behind her, she started towards the elevators, their footsteps echoing against the walls. At this moment, she had forgotten to take a shower. Oh well, she could take one at her tent later today. "You know the demigods call me Persassy? That's how important it is that I have to keep it up."
"Sure they do Perseus." She monotoned, before pressing the button. Luckily, the elevator immediately opened and they both stepped inside, before hitting the ground floor. As the doors closed, she mentally sighed, realizing she had to be stuck with him for the rest of her life.
Fairbanks wasn't the most interesting place in the world, but if it had one thing going for it, it was the beautiful snow-covered mountains that reflected the morning sun directly into the eyes of the sleeping. Combine that with an alarm blaring and a static-filled voice coming from the old-age radio clock, well, it felt like living in the early twenty-first century. As Percy slammed his hand onto the clock, he raised his hand to block out the sun directly aimed into his eyes. He had always hated the tail end of winter, as the sun lined up just perfectly to ruin his morning sleep. Not that the loud alarm did him any favors either, but it was just icing on the cake.
He looked over at the time, noting that he had only hit the sleep button four times instead of his usual seven, as it read 8:40 AM. Rubbing his sleep-filled eyes, he sat up in the bed, which was comically undersized for the immortal. Dawn had repeatedly asked him if he needed a bigger one, but the comfort of putting it next to the wall and burrowing into the blankets without having to cross a king-sized bed was too good to pass up. Swinging his legs off the bed, he cringed at the cold air biting into his skin, the previous warmth of the blankets calling to him like a lonely lover. Taking a deep breath, he heaved himself up and briskly walked towards the bathroom, bee-lining for the shower and turning the water onto max heat. He closed the door, letting the dark consume the room as he waited for the water to come to temperature.
As he waited, he thought of the strange memory that he was reminded of when he slept. Gods didn't have the pleasure of dreaming, even in the land beyond the gods. Instead, he got gifted the lovely ability to watch memories of his greatest mistakes over and over as he tossed and turned in the night. The night after the wedding was a tough one, the thought of telling Artemis everything constantly on his mind. But he couldn't. He knew all too well the consequences of being told you're a part of some great prophecy just because three old hags decided to fuck with your life. Putting his hand in the water, he nodded, before stripping his clothes off and letting the hot water scald his skin. Luckily, his powers kept him from getting burned, but sometimes he didn't mind it. A comfort in the frigid air of Alaska he always told himself.
Slowly, the water eased his tense muscles and caused the god to relax, letting out a steamy breath as he washed his body. Once the water started running cold, he switched it off, stepped outside of the shower, and used the blue towel to dry himself off. As he was drying off, he brought a hand to his face and scowled.
"Guess it's that time of the year huh." He muttered to himself as his hand reached over and flicked the light on. Standing there was a tanned man who looked to be about twenty-five years old, shirtless and covered in scars, a black beard covering his chin as bright sea-green eyes stared into the mirror. His hair reached the bottom of his neck, and he wondered if it was time to cut that too. Shaking his head, he decided against it and instead reached for the electric razor. As the buzzing sounds filled the room, his eyes traveled across his face, making sure he didn't nick himself as clumps of black hair fell into the sink. Once he was satisfied with the trim, he gathered the cut hair and tossed it into the small garbage bin, before washing the rest of his face. Turning the light back off, he walked into the room and looked through his clothes, undecided on what to wear.
Sifting through his clothes, he found an old green button-up that he had bought for some one-off Olympian event that he had no recollection of. Seeing that it passed the sniff test, he slipped it on and buttoned it up, putting on a pair of slim-fit jeans and an old cargo jacket that he had gotten a few years ago that had been a life-saver in these cold conditions. Lacing up a pair of combat boots, his feet thudded against the wooden floor. Right before he left the room, he grabbed a hair tie and pulled his hair into a ponytail, brushing a few strands out of the way before heading out.
Loud footsteps signaled his arrival into the cafe below, the overwhelming scent of coffee and pastries filling the air as customers bustled in and out, eager to start their day. Seeing that there was a small line of customers with no cashier nearby, he walked over to the register, flawlessly logging into the P.O.S system and beginning to thin the line out.
"Wow, you're earlier than usual." A voice sounded behind him, and his eyes flicked to the side where a small mirror showed what was behind him. A tall blonde walked out of the back room, carrying a tray full of freshly baked pastries, ranging from strawberry-filled pies to warm buttery croissants. Percy's mouth watered as he watched her put them into the display case. As she stood tall, he smiled at her.
"Blame your great-grandfather. You know how the sun gets when it's the beginning of Spring." She rolled her eyes, and shooed him away from the register, preferring to talk to the customers. Percy just huffed and went to make their coffees, his eyes flicking towards the woman every few moments. She wore a typical pair of blue jeans and a white blouse, with a dark brown apron. A white nametag had the word 'Dawn' written with a heart attached to the end. As she typed in the orders, she stuck out her tongue, concentrating on making sure everything was right. Focusing back on his task of coffee, he cracked his knuckles, unabashedly using his powers to help speed things along. Sure he couldn't use them to his full potential, but over time, he managed to train himself so that he had precise control over the water around him in a small bubble.
It wasn't all he could do, but in normal everyday life, it was all he needed, it and helped the business grow into the best place to get your coffee in the morning because of how quick it was. Plus, he couldn't deny that both Dawn and himself were rather attractive baristas, which helped keep the morale of the city alive. Soon, they both fell into a rhythm, and the morning rush was easily taken care of.
Percy leaned back into his chair, the wood creaking as he had finished cleaning up the area, the slow hours of the shop beginning as the city whirred to life, their caffeine addictions satisfied. As he closed his eyes, he felt a presence pull out a chair in front of him and sit down, the sound of a cup being placed in front of him. Opening one eye, he saw a brilliant smile from the girl in front of him, pale blue eyes watching him with an amused twinkle.
"So?" She asked, her eyes flicking to the coffee in front of him, then back up at him. He sighed, and picked the coffee up, trying a sip of it before shaking his head. The woman pouted, folding her arms over her chest and scoffing.
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you Dawn, but I don't like coffee. No matter how much sugar and cream you put in it, the bitterness will always stand out to me." He pushed the drink forward, and she glared at him for a moment, before taking the cup herself and sipping. Percy rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the table. The morning rush was a great way to keep his mind from wandering, but now, he didn't have anything to keep it still.
"Oh, I got a new style of postcard for you!" The woman dug through her pockets, before pulling out a rather old-fashioned-looking photo. The worn edges of the paper told him that it was rather old, and he raised an eyebrow.
"How did you get this? This thing looks ancient…" He took the card and flipped it over. It had a picture of the town back when it was first starting out, with many buildings that stood tall now still under construction. Pulling out his trusty pen, he clicked the clip, the tip of the pen coming out and allowing him to write with it. In Percy's opinion, this was one of the best things he had done with the mist, which wasn't a lot considering the most he's ever done was make some mortals look the other way when he was fighting monsters.
"Old man Jenkins, I had told him you were collecting them, and he dug around his attic and found this! I gave him a free coffee out of it, so it was an even trade." She had a smug expression on her face, tilting her head up and smiling, her eyes narrowed in pleasure. Percy just rolled his eyes, finishing filling out the postcard and sliding it over. Taking the photo, she looked the writing over, before holding out her hand.
"Really? I thought I nailed it this time." She just chuckled, scribbling over a single number and replacing it. Then she handed it back, and Percy nodded. "Well, better than when I first started. I'd rather get one number wrong than have it sent to some greasy old guy again." Now she started laughing, her teeth nearly blinding him from how white they were. 'Yep, definitely a legacy of Apollo' Percy thought, a smile forming on his face as he slipped the postcard into his jacket pocket.
"Man, the postcards he sent back, I think I still have them somewhere. An absolutely perfect memory." Dawn wiped a tear from her eye, and she rested her head on her hands, her elbows digging into the wood of the table. As a comfortable silence settled over the cafe, Percy's mind started to wander, and he suddenly felt the urge to talk. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know what to say, as Dawn was humming to herself, content to drink her coffee in peace as she watched the town from the window.
"So, uhm…." Percy started, clearing his throat as he broke the silence. The barista looked over to him, a questioning look in her eyes. She set her coffee down, and interlaced her fingers together, watching the young immortal struggle with what to say. For a moment, he wondered if maybe she had a teasing glint in her eyes. "How are we doing on ingredients?" Internally, Percy cringed, as he knew exactly what he sounded like. Desperation.
"We are doing fine store-wise. Home-wise, however, we are out of meat again. Seriously, how much jerky can you eat? You just hunted a deer two days ago and we are almost out!" She scolded, a fake expression of anger on her face as she wagged her finger back and forth. Percy took the opportunity and smiled.
"I'm a growing boy. Gotta have my protein to help fend off all these monsters." Dawn just rolled her eyes, before looking over her shoulder, making sure that nobody else was in the cafe with them.
"You're a god, Percy, you don't need to grow anymore. You can just shapeshift to whatever you need." Turning his head away, Percy hid the flicker of disdain that showed on his face, before looking back at her.
"I'm in the land beyond the gods Dawn, you know as well as I do I'm about as powerful as a regular demigod here. Well, maybe a little stronger, but that's beside the point." She simply shrugged, before getting up and taking the now-empty cup of coffee into her hands. Walking over to the bar, she set the cup down and started the sink. Percy got up to help her, but she waved her hand, dismissing him. "I can handle this. Besides, you need to head to the post office before it closes. Plus, you also need to replace our snacks as well. So you're in charge of restocking." The man sighed, before nodding, accepting his fate as the errand boy. Granted, he did enjoy going out into the wild and his smile betrayed his body language. "Now shoo, I've got to get ready for the evening rush." Dawn waved her hands, and Percy just chuckled and raised a hand in goodbye, before opening the door and embracing the chilling air. The soft tinkle of the bell signals his departure into the city.
The snow crunched beneath his boots as Percy walked through the city, keeping his head down as hummed to himself. Luckily, it wasn't a long walk to the outskirts where he could start running off into the woods, but it was enough for his thoughts to wander into the abyss. For nineteen years he lived his life in Alaska, with the first one being a rather rough trip in Canada, trying to figure out how to get to the snowy state. A soft smile formed on his face as he remembered the many times he had gotten lost, and the rather friendly faces giving him directions on where to go. He would've stayed there had he not gotten in trouble with the authorities for not having a passport.
Crossing the street, he could faintly see the outline of pine trees, the edge of the forest a door to the wilds. His heart rate increased as his pace quickened, desperate to run through the trees and breathe in the fresh wild air. For a while, it was all he knew while living in Alaska. He had traveled north nearly as far as he could, living in the forest, away from most civilization. Occasionally he would make a trip to a city for any necessities, but he felt at home in the outlands. It reminded him of his times with Artemis.
A sharp pang shot through his heart, and he stopped, his body inches away from the freedom of the city, but he couldn't take the final step. Artemis. His mind spiraled, and he remembered her beautiful silver eyes clouded in hurt, her face scrunched up in anger, and an arrow pointed directly at his chest. Instinctively, he raised his hand to his shoulder, remembering the arrow that pinned him down when she first found out. Even during their training sessions, when he'd come out looking like a porcupine sometimes, had an arrow hurt as badly as that one.
'You didn't deserve that' A small voice in the back of his mind told him, and he narrowed his eyes, forcing his body to move, stepping into the snowy grass. One foot in front of the other, that's what he told himself. Drowning in those thoughts did him no good, and only led to inevitable depression. Instead, he focused on the good, the happy, the times before the new prophecy, before when he had no choice, when he was free. He vaulted over a fallen log, letting the wind send spikes of pain against his face.
'You were protecting her.' The voice said, and he slid underneath a branch, the snow compacting into ice as he glided across the forest floor. Sure, he was protecting her, but he knew she would be hurt. Maybe he could've found a different way, maybe he could've gotten her to give up her vow and domain until the prophecy was over. Breaking through a grove of elder pine trees, he came across a river, the rushing glacier water sparkling under the noon sun. As he bent down, he saw his reflection in the water, a hardened expression of guilt. Try as he might, he always had trouble pushing these thoughts down.
'Just tell her.' It whispered, and he wondered if maybe he should've. The idea being mulled over for what seems like the millionth time. Would she have understood? Would she still have been as angry? Maybe she would've trusted him had he been honest. Biting his lip, he raised his hands, letting his power flow through him. Slowly, the water calmed down, and sweat dripped from his forehead. He started walking through the river, his eyes set on the other side. The water fought against him, smashing against his consciousness, begging to be released.
'Go back home.' He had thought about it multiple times. He had thought about returning this year, during the summer. The time away, the clear air, the disconnect from immortality, it helped him. While he was with her, the guilt ate him up, a darkness that snuffed out the light in his eyes. Slowly, he made it to the middle of the river, and he put another foot forward.
'But can you handle your obsession?' Momentarily, he lost control, and the water pushed him back, sending him stumbling into the ground, the water closing in around him. He let the cold water hit him, causing him to take a breath and open his eyes wide. It woke him up, and let him regain possession of the water around him. Standing up, water dripping from his clothes, he pushed forward, eventually hitting the other side of the river. Standing on the rocky bank, he clenched his fist, the water sliding off of him as he dried himself. He closed his eyes, warming the water below him, letting it increase his body temperature so he didn't freeze over.
There was no quip from his inner monologue this time, only silence as the wind whipped through the trees, the leaves rustling against each other. Walking into the forest, he crouched down, scanning the ground. Off to the side were indents in the snow, tracks of an animal that he could hunt. Something to focus on other than his mind. Standing back up, he brushed off the snow off his knees and took off once more.
Percy swiped through the Iris message, walking towards where the hunt was currently camping out. He had, unfortunately, lost a bet with Apollo, and had to get archery lessons from Artemis as punishment. As he walked, he thought about his recent interactions with the goddess, appreciating that she was warming up to him, and allowing him to visit the girls he had saved. Of course, he had never seen her as a man-hating goddess that everyone else saw, but instead someone who was uninterested in romance. She was quite friendly underneath her cold exterior and tended to joke around just as often as any of the other gods and goddesses. That didn't mean however he would stop being polite to her, as it was just something his mother had ingrained in him.
"Heya Kelp Head." He heard a voice coming from his right, and he saw his cousin walking towards him, her silver tiara sparkling in the sun, her hair uncharacteristically styled in a more feminine way. Percy raised an eyebrow at this, and she narrowed her eyes. "Not a word." She warned, but that just made him grin as poked one of the braids that fell over her shoulder.
"Looking to impress someone?" The god asked and immediately got a static shock to the chest. Luckily it wasn't any more painful than a zap from a fly swatter, but it still made him yelp.
"What did I say?" Thalia sighed "Lost a game of cards with Jessie, and she made me let her do my hair. Ugh, I hate braids, it's so tight and I feel so restrained." She went to undo the hairstyle, but a shout of 'You said one hour!' from the other side of the camp made her stomp her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Got another huntress for us?" She looked behind him and was confused when she saw no one. Percy just grimaced, shaking his head.
"Not today. Much like you, I lost a bet and I have to get archery lessons from Lady Artemis." Thalia raised an eyebrow, before grinning sadistically.
"Oh you poor soul, I wish you luck. Her teachings are brutal, and I don't think she'll go easy on you. I'll write nothing but bad things in your obituary." She snickered, and Percy whacked her head with a karate chop. She looked back up at him in mock anger, before her face went white.
"Oh come now Thalia, my teachings aren't that bad." A voice from behind Percy said, and he yelped, startled by the goddess sneaking up on him. The color returned to the daughter of Zeus's face as she laughed at Percy's reaction. He could also faintly hear a soft chuckle from behind him as well. Turning around, he smiled and bowed his head slightly.
"Lady Artemis." The goddess nodded back, shooing her lieutenant away as she looked Percy up and down. She was dressed in her normal hunting attire, leather pants and boots alongside an embroidered leather top with silver trimmings. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, the auburn more like a fiery crimson in the light of the sun. Percy felt somewhat out of place, with just a simple pair of jeans and a green t-shirt that had been freshly washed. He never liked wearing armor, and even though Zeus had ordered him to get a set of it made from Hephaestus, he just didn't have any idea what he wanted it to look like.
"Perseus." She said, before tossing him a bow and a set of arrows into his hands. Surprised, he caught the bow with ease, but nearly dropped the arrows. "Apollo has already informed me of your predicament. You should've known better than to play him in poker, even Tyche has trouble beating him with how good he is at sensing lies." Percy just chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders, following the goddess as she walked towards the training arena.
Entering the arena, they took a turn into another section, arriving at the archery range. It seems Artemis had cleared out the rest of the hunters, probably for their own safety. She turned around, and looked him up and down, muttering to herself. Eventually, she set a target up with a snap of her fingers, the red and white circle only ten feet away from where the immortals stood.
"Alright, let's see how bad this is. Go ahead, try it." Percy was hesitant, as he hadn't used a bow in so long. Sure he didn't somehow accidentally shoot his companions anymore, but that didn't mean he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of the goddess.
Taking a stance he gripped the handle of the bow and knocked an arrow. In a swift motion, he drew the string back and let go, watching the arrow sail straight past the target and into the dirt behind it. Artemis had her mouth open in shock, and he just looked down in shame.
"I'm not sure if I pissed off a different god of archery, but it has taken a long time for me to even be able to hold a bow correctly." He had a sheepish grin on his face as he watched Artemis mumble to herself again, before walking towards him. For a moment, he worried that she was going to hit him, but instead, she grabbed the bow, testing its flexibility and drawing strength.
"Well, this might be a long day Perseus, so I hope you're ready." She gave the bow back to him. "Draw an arrow, but don't let go." As he did as she instructed, she studied him, before getting close to him and making adjustments to his stance. He could smell the faint scent of pine trees as she stepped closer, and he noted how he had started liking the smell more than he used to. As she finished, she stepped back, before nodding. "Okay, now aim and fire." As he looked down the range, he aimed directly at the bullseye and let go of the string. Luckily for him, he managed to hit the target this time, however, it was only on the outer ring.
"Holy shit." He raised his arms in victory, but Artemis just facepalmed.
"I adjusted your stance so that it was perfect, so I'm not entirely sure how you only hit the outer rings. But at the very least, you're not cursed. Otherwise, not even I could help you." As she stepped forward once again, she looked at him expectantly, and he realized she wanted him to draw another arrow. Getting the hint quickly, he knocked the arrow and let her adjust him once more. Her hands were gentle, which wasn't surprising since he had seen her train the hunt before, but he had expected her to be a bit stricter with him, considering his history and all. Once she was finished, he repeated the action of aiming and firing. Unfortunately, since his mind wandered, when he let go, the arrow flew past the target on the other side. Artemis looked at him, blinking, a slight flush of gold coloring her cheeks in frustration.
"I….yeah, I was distracted." He didn't even try to lie to her, instead just looking away from the burning silver of her eyes. Expecting a yell, instead, he just got a disappointed sigh and the smell of pine as she once again waited for him to knock an arrow. Accepting his fate, he did as told and let the goddess do as she wished for the rest of the day.
Once they were both sufficiently tired out, and Percy had managed to hit the target at least three times in a row, they both sat on a nearby bench. Percy was exhausted, his shoulder aching as he had drawn the bow at least a hundred or so times in the past hour. Luckily, his muscle memory had helped them out so that she didn't need to adjust him every single time, however, the problem then became hitting the target. It had seemed the first time was a fluke, and more often than not, the arrow sailed harmlessly past the target, which had infuriated the goddess enough for her to take the bow and shoot a barrage of arrows into the target.
"I'm sorry Lady Artemis. I tried to get Apollo to get me to do anything else, but he decided to 'kill two birds with one stone' and annoy you while also making sure I completed my bet. Not like I wouldn't have done anything else within reason, but still." He looked over to the goddess beside him, who was leaning back, enjoying the cool afternoon air as the red rays of the evening sun caused her skin to almost glow. He had never really noticed it, but she was a Greek goddess after all, and was absolutely beautiful. Her pale skin only held a few freckles on her otherwise unblemished skin, a few strands of auburn hair gently fell onto her face, and her eyes a shining silver, the red of the sun lighting them up like the moon.
Beyond that, however, he noticed that she was imperfect, almost human. Every other god and goddess he met had this aura of perfection, of pride. That they could do no wrong and that they expected others to bow before them. But not Artemis. Instead, he felt at ease with her, like he was talking to another camper back when he was still just a demi-god. It was something he hadn't expected when he first started coming over and visiting. He hadn't expected to interact with the goddess at all, but it seemed she had taken an interest in him, asking him questions about his life and his ambitions.
Normally he would've hated it. Whenever he would walk through the streets of Olympus, he would be bombarded with nymphs and satyrs asking about his achievements, their eyes full of wonder. Even when he visited the camp, he couldn't just be himself anymore and was held up to a higher standard, being used as an example of what a great hero truly was. He'd never tell anyone, but he hated being called a hero. Even though he was the god of heroes, he hated the word. It was like the dark truth of fairy tales, where the versions told to kids have a happy ending, but the real story is a sadistic tale of death.
"It is fine Perseus, I know how my brother operates. Plus, this wasn't as annoying as he thought, I actually quite enjoyed myself." Startled by the answer, he watched as the goddess's eyes flicked to him, an amused twinkle sparkling in her silver irises. Percy sent a grateful smile back, before looking back at the range.
"Can I say something kind of strange Lady Artemis?" The goddess was now rather intrigued, turning her whole body to face him as she looked up at him. Sure she was tall, but he still had the advantage of being about a whole six inches taller than her.
"Do not mistake my praise for weakness Perseus. I won't tolerate a heart-wrenching confession from you." Gold flushed his cheeks as he raised his hands and shook them back and forth.
"No! No no no! It's nothing like that…" The goddess had a smug smile on her face, and Percy realized she was teasing him. Sighing, he just looked above her, unable to meet the intense gaze she had. "I appreciate you Lady Artemis." At this, he could've sworn he saw her stiffen. "You've done a lot for me that you don't know, and I just wanted to say thank you and I appreciate you." He looked down and smiled. An awkward silence settled over the area as it seemed Artemis was shocked beyond words. Luckily, they didn't have to say anything else, as a voice called out to them from the edge of the arena.
"HEY! DINNER'S READY!" The daughter of Ares yelled before heading back out, presumably towards the dining area. Percy saw Artemis look away from him, and he got up, watching the goddess carefully. It seemed she didn't have any answer for him, so instead he just smiled at her and jerked his head towards the exit.
"Come on, they're probably waiting for you." He started walking towards the door, a strange burning sensation filling his heart as he heard the goddess start to follow.
The sun dipped below the mountains in the distance as Percy crouched low against the ground, his eyes focused straight ahead at the deer that grazed about thirty feet in front of him. Unfortunately, he was no god of the hunt, so it had taken him the rest of the day to track down the animal, alongside making sure he didn't spook it when he got close. Taking his hand, he dragged it across the snow, a layer of ice slowly forming as he felt a tug in his gut. It solidified into a crescent shape, a nearly invisible string forming between the two tips. The bow had a simple design, similar to the ones the huntresses used, mostly because he thought a bow with flair wouldn't shoot as well. Picking it up, he tested the draw strength, a small smile on his face as he remembered how Artemis used to do the same every time she picked a bow up.
Focusing once again on the deer, he slowly stood up, drawing the bow back, aiming directly at the deer's head, hoping for a clean kill. Drawing the string back, water coalesced into the shape of an arrow. His shoulders got into position and his legs were spread apart, the years of muscle memory ingrained into him as the arrowhead reached the handle of the bow. Taking a deep breath, he let the arrow fly, the water freezing into ice as it sped through the air. With a thud, the arrow impaled itself right through the eyes of the animal, killing it instantly as it fell onto the snow-covered floor. Percy dropped the bow, letting it melt on the ground as he walked towards his kill, quite satisfied with himself. This wasn't the largest deer he'd killed recently, but it would be enough to hopefully last a few more days than the previous one.
As he raised his hand, snow forming into the shape of a knife, he heard a small chime and felt a vibration coming from his pocket. He blinked, quickly pulling the device out of his pocket, and tapping on the green button to accept the call.
"Dawn? What's going on?" His heart rate increased as he started running in the direction of the town.
"Percy! You need to come back now! Wednesdays are attacking!" If it weren't for the fact that he told her that the phone was only to be used in emergencies, he would've laughed at what she said. However, he also knew that the word 'Wednesday' was code for something else. Similar to the Greek world, other mythologies had power in their names. Specifically, Native folklore.
"Shit. I'll be there as soon as I can. Where are you right now?" He asked, sweat starting to bead down his face as he pushed his limits. He could feel his divine power flowing through him like sludge through a pipe, his breathing getting ragged as blood rushed through his body.
"I'm on main street…" He heard a howl and grit his teeth, the wind whipping past his ears, and then he heard something else, like a loud boom before the line ended.
"Fuck!" Percy cursed, slipping the device into his pocket. As he ran, morbid thoughts swam through his head, the image of Dawn lying lifeless on the ground flashing into view. He shook his head, nearing the edge of the city. He hadn't realized just how much ground he had covered in just a few minutes and grimaced at the fact that he was going to have a long recovery time after all of this.
As adrenaline pumped through his blood, he started counting the streets, weaving between the different cars and late-night pedestrians. Reaching inside his pocket, he grabbed his trusted weapon, clicking the top and letting the blade extend outwards as he turned to where Dawn said she was. His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted the beast raising its hand, ready to swipe down. It was a vile creature that was the shape of a deformed deer with antlers sticking out of its head. It had a humanoid figure but was much too tall to be any normal person. Elongated claws pierced the skin of its hands as they shone under the moonlight. Bolting towards the beast, he sprung forward, the ice reaching out towards the god, enhancing his jump as he easily cleared the twenty-foot gap and swung downwards, cleaving off the beast's arm in a single stroke.
It howled, clutching the stump of its arm before stumbling backward. Percy landed in front of its victim, bending down and swiping up with his free hand, letting waves of ice rush forward, splitting the demon into three pieces. It gave one last howl before disintegrating into black dust. Nodding, he turned behind him.
"Dawn are yo-" And he froze, seeing a brown-haired girl shivering in place. She wore a bulky cargo jacket and blue jeans, her forest-green eyes looking up in terror, then in shock, and then finally in happiness. The girl jumped up and pulled the god into a tight hug. Percy's mind whirled, his chest thumping as he put the pieces together. "Verna…what…what are you doing here?!" He pulled the girl out of the hug, looking around. Of course, since she was here, the rest of the hunt would be too. He was surprised that Artemis would let them even go this far north.
"We came here for you dumbass!" She stepped back, brushing herself off as she looked around, picking up her bow and brushing it off. "We had just gotten off the train and went straight to the cafe, where we met the girl who worked there. She told us that you would be back soon, so we were waiting for you near the park, but then one of those things attacked us. There were multiple of them, all of us being split up to deal with them." Percy stiffened, before taking a deep breath.
"Okay, come with me. You girls are smart and strong, so long as you're not fighting one on one, you'll be okay. Even I have trouble with them sometimes…" He turned around, heading towards the park that Verna told him about. As they ran towards the park, they noticed a few more of the huntresses, most of them brushing off black dust from their clothes. As Percy walked into the middle of them, he was given wary glances, before they turned into shock much like what happened with Verna.
"PERCY!" The small daughter of Athena yelled, jumping up and squeezing him tightly. Not long after that, the rest of them jumped him as well, and he felt a small smile creep up on his face. He had definitely missed his girls, well, at least those that he had personally introduced into the hunt, plus Atalanta, who was a bit of a softie. Phoebe and Reyna instead just nodded, however, Phoebe had her eyebrows scrunched in anger and he knew she was gonna want to yell at him later. As the girls started letting go, he felt one still latched onto him. Looking down, he saw a head of black hair with a silver tiara sparkling in the light. As he was about to say something, he was interrupted by another voice.
"Damn Percy, didn't know you had this many girls pining for you. I mean, I know you've told me about the hunt before, but they've been nonstop asking about you." The blonde legacy of Apollo crossed her arms, a mock expression of jealousy on her face as she smiled. "Hells, even Lady Artemis had asked about you a few times." He blinked, his blood going cold as he processed what she had said.
"What did you say?" He whispered, peeling Thalia off of him. She looked up at the god and nodded, agreeing with the woman behind her.
"Yeah, Artemis has been looking for you nonstop since December. Granted, Zeus told her to, but she decided to come here of her own free will." Percy's eyes narrowed, and he felt the air around him go cold. The rest of them backed up, their eyes widening as they watched him.
"Where is she?" His voice was harsher, and the girls were all surprised, looking between them. That was when they all realized she wasn't near them, and that she had gone off to fight one of the Wendigo's solo. Verna's eyes widened and grabbed Percy's arm, getting his attention and pointing towards a set of buildings in the distance. As if on queue, a loud growl echoed through the streets. Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed towards the sound, one hand wielding Riptide, the other glowing a bright cyan. As he neared the sounds of battle, he saw the goddess's blades interlocked with the claws of the wendigo. His heart ached as he watched her fight, his footsteps resonating against the concrete as he drew nearer.
The goddess backflipped and threw one of her daggers, a last resort to fend the beast off, however, it just swiped the blade away, before crouching down and leaping towards the immortal. He couldn't make it in time, and Apollo's words rang through his head. The beast was already inches away from the goddess, and he realized he had no choice. Pushing every bit of power he had, he lunged, grabbing the goddess's body and pushing her out of the way, taking the blow for her. A searing pain ran through his body as the claws raked his back, the god wincing from the ichor draining from his body. However, it didn't matter much, as adrenaline rushed through his body, spinning around and slicing in an arc with Riptide, his left hand coming up and aiming towards the head of the beast, before blasting a spear of ice into the creature's skull, causing it to dissolve into dust.
As he struggled to stand up, he looked over to Artemis, who looked at him with the same burning silver eyes that had haunted his dreams. Her auburn hair was just as he had remembered, and he could faintly smell the scent of pine. A comforting warmth washed over him, either from the goddess's presence, or the temperature of his ichor soaking through his jacket. Even though he had so many things to say to her, he could only muster out a few words.
"Hey, Lady Artemis." And then he collapsed into the street.
And finally, we have the reveal. Stay tuned, as the next few chapters will be wrapping up Act 1! Also totally not sorry for the cliffhanger 3