[David's Pov]
Our small moment of celebration/solitude ended when a 15-foot-tall giant crash-landed 5 feet to my right.
I sprang to my feet and heroically toppled face-first to the ground—even after the literal god's touch; my body was too wounded.
Zoë yelled something in Ancient Greek, followed by everyone who could muster up strength getting ready for a fight.
Several pairs of hands grabbed my tattered shirt and pulled me back. The non-combatant trio of Hesperides helped me up.
The giant had dug itself out of the ground, but nobody was trying to attack it anymore.
"Ugh... guh..." The giant mumbled. Blood poured down from the nasty chomped wound around its torso.
"Dragon bad..." It swayed a few steps back and crumbled into a pile of gold dust.
Reyna eased her shoulders, "Dragon?"
"It must be La-la!" Zoë shouted in excitement.
"La-la?" Thalia asked back. Her lip was curled up in an arc as if she was trying to hold back a laugh.
The smile left her face when a roar shook the entire arena. Even Artemis was alarmed, but the Hesperides all beamed with smiles.
With yelps and howls of terror, several more monsters landed around us and turned into dust.
Then, the broken entrance exploded with one tremendous cry as countless dragon heads reeled inside.
"Ladon!" The Hesperides all shouted with glee, Zoë's voice louder than others.
Ladon made a sound that might pass as a hundred dogs all barking in unison and five heads swooped down to lick each Hesperides enthusiastically.
One of the heads cuddling Hygeia blinked its eyes in my direction. After some pause, he rubbed his head against my body—an action I would've found endearing if its scales didn't painfully scrape against my skin.
"Ow, ow—yeah, I'm glad to see you too, Ow!"
"La-la, don't mess with David. He is injured." Zoë coaxed in a soft voice.
Ladon snorted, shot me a dirty look, and coiled around Zoë, who now looked like a mother of dragons with all the heads around her.
Meanwhile, Thalia, Reyna, and Artemis kept a firm distance from Ladon.
"Is that thing...uh, tamed?" Thalia asked.
As she questioned, a hellhound rocketed over our heads and crashed into the crater. Even with many heads greeting us, more heads were fighting off the army outside the temple with relative ease.
To her credit, Artemis was also looking at Ladon uncomfortably.
"As much as it pains me to doubt you, Zoë, I must ask the same question. The Hekatonkephalēs is one of the most dangerous beasts that had roamed the earth."
One of the heads snapped in the goddess's direction. By the looks of it, Ladon wasn't too fond of Artemis either.
Zoë made a slight hissing noise, making the head ease back, "Nonsense, my lady. La-la is a good boy. Aren't you?" She rubbed under the chin, and Ladon growled softly.
"Uh, question—ow." My shoulder painfully ached when I tried to raise it. It also reminded me that I was back to being one-armed.
Erytheia and Hygeia carefully caught and lowered me to the ground.
"Hey, I'm fine." I tried to wriggle free of the grip, but they were surprisingly strong—or maybe I was that weakened after the fight.
Erytheia rested a hand on my chest, "You're obviously not, David. Nobody wants to see you die from an aftermath."
"She is correct, young hero," Artemis said.
Everyone stared at the goddess, perplexed that she showed gratitude to a man.
Ironically, the only one who wasn't astonished was Zoë. Instead, she had an uncharacteristic grin that nearly made her look mischievous.
"...as I was saying," Artemis continued with a bit of golden light around her cheeks, for whatever reason.
"Healing others is not one of my domains. I've done the best I could, but if you want to keep your String of Destiny, we'll need to get you to my brother."
My heart nearly dropped down my pants.
My sword. It held my String of Destiney inside it. How could I have blanked out on that?!
I quickly scanned around, but it was hopeless. The last I remember, I threw my sword(a risky move in hindsight) at Atlas and got deflected.
"What's wrong?" Erytheia asked, copying the movements of my head.
"My sword. I need to find it—"
I tried to stand up. I had to go back down the crater and get it. However, I could barely make one step before losing my balance and falling again.
Erytheia and Hygeia hurridly caught me once more, but as soon as their palms touched me, a searing pain erupted around my body.
"Agh!"
"David!"
Red lights popped in front of my eyes as I slid down to the ground.
Every fiber of my muscle felt like they were getting processed through a meat grinder. When I looked down, I saw the tattered shirts were getting soaked with fresh blood.
"What in the..." As a grunt passed my throat, I had to stop, "...hell is happening...?"
The Hesperides gathered around in concern, quickly followed by Artemis and Zoë.
Out of all 6, only Artemis stood out in appearance. Seeing so many similar faces look down at me with deep worry was odd.
Artemis and Erytheia ever so carefully rested a hand on my shoulder and started enchanting some...enchantments, I suppose.
The burning pain lessened, but my limbs refused to put any strength.
Zoë huddled next to me and grasped my hand, with others quickly behind her tail—except for Reyna, who ran right past the small gathering.
"What's wrong with him?" Zoë demanded the two healers.
Erytheia bit her lower lip. "Well, his muscles are torn to shreds, his joints are crooked, and his bones are barely functional."
"It sounds like he should be dead," Thalia said.
Zoë glared at Thalia, but Artemis nodded in agreement with her half-sister, albeit grimly.
"I have patched up the best I could, but your body isn't fit to do any rational actions. Any wrong move will reopen your wounds, Da—."
Artemis paused for a moment.
"—demigod." She finished her sentence, looking awkward all of a sudden.
I still tried to claw myself up, but several hands carried me in place. I tried to argue with their unnecessary protocols.
"You guys don't understand—"
"None of us are male," Artemis pointed out.
"Whatever; I don't care if I might get torn to shred; I need to find my sword!"
"David, it's just a stupid sword," Zoë coaxed, "I'm sure some camper from the Hephaestus cabin can make something better."
Before I could retaliate that it wasn't any ordinary sword, nor would it be easy to replicate, someone else interrupted.
"There is no such thing as a stupid sword for a warrior," Reyna climbed out of the crater with my black sword on her back.
She carefully laid it beside my only arm and knelt beside me. "You showcased a good fight. I can always respect that."
I worked the best smile I could muster.
"Thanks. I owe you one, Reyna."
To my surprise, the edge of her lips twitched, nearly forming a smile. But as soon as I noticed it, her expression hardened again, and she stood up.
"It's best not to see each other again. Isn't that right, Lady Diana?" Reyna turned to face the moon goddess.
Artemis met Reyna's gaze.
For a second, her appearance altered a little bit. A small dose of yellow was mixed in her silver eyes, and her body featured got buffer—more hostile, if you will.
I blinked, and Artemis was back to what she looked like.
"Yes," Artemis rose with a sigh. "It would be best if this mistake never repeats itself. Frankly, I'm unsure how it happened this time."
The goddess outstretched her palm at Reyna. Suddenly, Thalia stepped in between the two; her arms spread wide to either side.
"What are you trying to do to her?!" She asked sharply.
Artemis sighed again. "Sister, please. I know you don't trust the gods, but I will not harm her."
Thalia's electric blue eyes widened. I was also surprised; if Thalia was a daughter of Zeus, that made her half-sister to Artemis.
And that also applied to my dad, which meant that I was watching two of my aunts in an argument.
"My head hurts," I mumbled.
"Is there something wrong?" Zoë asked immediately.
"No, not really."
Meanwhile, Reyna put a hand on Thalia's shoulder and gently guided her aside. Thalia glanced between the two women, then grudgingly let herself get pushed.
"I'll transport you back to your home, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. But I'll leave the choice up to you," Artemis said.
Reyna frowned. "A choice?"
Silver lights started to sparkle from Reyna's feet, slowly raised her legs without leaving any trace behind.
Reyna had her eyes fixated on the goddess as she smiled warmly. "Whether to keep the memory of this instance or to put it off as a forgotten dream. I hope you choose well."
With the last flick of the goddess's hand, Reyna disappeared in a spec of silver. Artemis then moved her eyes over to Thalia.
"...what?" The punk girl spat.
At first glance, she looked angry with her trembling fists and glowering and whatnot.
But she looked more scared than anything, which puzzled me. Wasn't she a prisoner, just like Artemis? What did she have to be afraid of?
Even more confusingly, Zoë seemed to share a similar fear as she carefully stood up.
"My lady," She said in a cautious tone, "Thalia had risked her life to take down...Atlas. Reyna and I would be dead if it weren't for her."
Artemis made no signs that she heard her lieutenant's plea. She looked at Thalia quizzically as if this other daughter of Zeus puzzled her.
Finally, the goddess raised her arm. Thalia flinched; half of her was ready to fight, while the other half was more eager to run or hide.
But all Artemis did was offer a hand. "I want you to come to Olympus with me, Thalia."
Thalia looked down at the hand. For a moment, she seemed to be tempted to take the offer. But then, she slapped the hand away and let out a snort.
The Hesperides gasped. Artemis grunted slightly as she retrieved her hand. Her expression carried more weight on surprise and frustration than pain.
"I'll not be welcomed at Olympus," Thalia spat. "I know what that old slime ball is thinking! He is going to kill me so that I won't be able to realize the prophecy!"
"What prophecy?" I whispered.
"Shh!" Erytheia hissed in my ear.
Meanwhile, Artemis looked offended at Thalia's words. She tried taking a step towards her, but Thalia backed away in two.
The moon goddess sighed, "Thalia, don't be an idiot. I know you are not fond of the Olympians, but our father isn't a heartless monster."
"Well, you've never been a threat to him, have you?" Thalia retorted.
Artemis paused. She seemed taken aback at the argument.
As the silence of the goddess continued, Thalia huffed victoriously as if she had just won the argument.
She looked around, presumably searching for her weapons, but then decided not to take them for whatever reason.
However, before Thalia could leave, Artemis swiftly appeared in her path.
"What now?" Thalia growled, her fists balled.
"...If you are truly worried about your prophecy, there is a way to ignore it," Artemis said.
Thalia burst into a bleak laugh. "And how do you suggest that?"
"You can become one of my hunters."
Zoë made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a grunt. Thalia stopped laughing, frowning at the goddess with genuine confusion.
"How would that help?" She asked.
"I grant my hunters immortality, so long as they keep their oath of maidenhood. They will not age. If you fear becoming the one in the prophecy, you can avoid it by stopping aging."
Artemis outstretched her arms into a welcoming embrace. Now Thalia was deep pondering, stunned as she stared at the goddess.
"...Just like that, I can avoid it?"
Artemis nodded. "Yes."
"Thalia," Zoë started to say something, but whatever it was, she changed her mind mid-way and closed her mouth.
After what felt like an eternity, Thalia took the goddess's hands and gently lowered them away.
"...I'm tired of having an oath dangling over my head," She muttered, "Besides, who knows what'll happen in a few years?"
She knowingly glanced at Zoë, who blushed and looked away. The Hesperides giggled, and I suddenly felt uncomfortably hot around the face.
I mean, she and I wasn't—well, I wouldn't say she is a nobody to me after all this, but—
"We're friends, right?" I asked to Zoë in a bit too much of a jolly nature.
"Yes," Zoë squeaked in the tiniest voice. "Friends."
Artemis was observing us. I couldn't read her face, a terrifying situation I wasn't ready for. Thankfully, she turned her attention back to her half-sister without accusing us of anything.
"...But then, where will you go?" She asked in a concerned voice.
"Camp Half-Blood," Thalia said without hesitation. When Artemis blinked, surprised at the enthusiasm, Thalia scratched her spiky hair.
"I've spent one-third of my life protecting the place. I want to know if it was worth it."
"I see," Artemis smiled.
She placed a hand on her forehead, and Thalia started to disappear, similarly to Reyna.
I suddenly remembered I never had a chance to thank her for coming to save me all the way back at Westover Hall, but even before I got a chance to take the words out of my mouth, the punk girl had vanished in sprinkles of silver light.
Artemis sighed and let her arm fall to her side. "Sadly, I cannot fast-travel my way to Olympus."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Safety protocols. Besides, the travel would likely tear your body to shreds. We'll have to take my sleigh."
The goddess gestured at Zoë, who picked me up easily; I almost forgot that she was much stronger than her posture would lead you to believe.
"Wait," Just as we were about to leave, Erytheia grabbed the hem of my and Zoë's shirts. "What about—"
Zoë turned back and grasped her older sister's hand. "There's nothing more to worry about, sister. From now on, you live your life as you want, okay? That goes to the rest of you as well." She shared her eyes with the other Hesperides, who exchanged glances with a smile.
"In that case, I'm going to start packing!" Lipara said energetically.
"Packing? What do you mean packing?" Erytheia asked, almost in alarm. But the youngest Hespeird had already sprinted past us to the exit.
"It's been 2000 years since I came here from the depths of the sea! I want to see what the rest of the world looks like!"
Before Erytheia could express her concerns or objections, someone else slipped past her.
"I wouldn't mind taking a look at other night skies. There are many new constellations that I have missed since the eons," Asterope turned to me and smiled. "Thank you again for everything, David."
Then, without any warning, she swooped down and planted a short, swift on one side of my cheeks. Zoë spluttered as if someone had just shoved a live baby seal down her throat.
Asterope straightened up and stuck the edge of her tongue out at her flustered sister before strolling next to Lipara. Erytheia gaped at the back of her two siblings joyfully leaving the arena, then turned to her only remaining sister.
"...I'll be staying, I think," Hygeia answered the unasked question.
"Are you sure?" Zoë asked.
Hygeia smiled melancholy, "Yes. Even though the garden was our prison, I still care for all the plants to which we have given life. I wouldn't want to abandon them anytime soon.
But Erytheia, I have no answers for you. You must find what you want to do yourself—that's the only way to repay David for his efforts, aren't I right?"
Again, I barely managed a thumbs up in agreement.
Hygeia's smile became more jolly, and she casually came closer, but Zoë clutched her slightly closer to her defiantly.
Hygeia raised her eyebrow with a grin.
"I don't think touching him would be a good idea. It's...unsanitary."
"Are you calling me dirty?" I asked. Zoë scowled in response. If I weren't so wounded, I could guarantee she would've pinched me on the side or something.
"Zoë, that's not nice," Hygeia joined in, "Besides, what did you suppose I was going to do?"
Zoë struggled to find a suitable excuse and failed. "Just get going already."
Hygeia giggled, waved me goodbye, then left the arena as well.
That left Artemis, me, Zoë, and Erytheia in the room. The latter of whom fidgeted with her fingers, glancing at the entrance where her sisters left every so often.
"Let's get out of here first," Zoë suggested, "You can think over what to do after that."
"Yes, let's." Erytheia agreed.
[Line Break]
Outside of the shrine was in chaos, in a good way.
When we left Ladon at the shrine's entrance as a guard, he must've decided that the monster camp below us was a threat. Or he might've become bored waiting; who's to say?
Whatever the case was, the monster camp was in complete ruins. Tents were ripped and torn. Broken weapons were strewn on the grounds. Various buildings collapsed, slowly burning in the flames as specs of gold dust were scattered everywhere.
Then I remembered the little girl I'd met right before I left the camp, and the grin was wiped off my face. Was she dead? What about the other demigods? Did Ladon wipe every single life in the base?
"Wait!"
Zoë reacted faster than a puma pouncing on its prey.
In a blink of an eye, I was leaning onto Erytheia as Zoë sent an arrow fly at wherever the voice came from, which was a small heap of a bush. A yelp came from the same bush, and someone tumbled out with a silver arrow caught between her hair.
"Throw away thy weapon, state who thou are, or die." Zoë barked, her bow already loaded with another arrow.
The girl squeaked in terror and thrust a knife at my feet. "I, I am, my name is Mary, and—"
I looked down at the weapon. It was in a familiar, horrible state.
Oh, thank gods.
"Wait, Zoë. I know her." I asked.
Zoë glanced over at me with disbelief. "You know her?"
Meanwhile, the girl seemed to be relieved that I recognized her. She waved slightly, only to shrink back when Zoë brandished her bow in her direction.
However, Artemis stepped in between her lieutenant and Mary.
"Why have you called us, young child?" Artemis said with grace.
Even Mary seemed to calm down at the presence of the maiden goddess. She took some deep breaths before elaborating, "Um, well, everything got destroyed when a giant dragon came down from the hill. The surviving monsters aren't eager to protect the remaining people, so I need a way out."
"Remaining? What happened to the others?" I asked.
Mary shrugged. "Most of them escaped. Some followed Mr. Rodriguez; some escaped via the large boat—Princess Andromache or something. You know, the one that got tied up on a rock as a sacrifice?"
"You mean Andromeda," I corrected her, "Andromache was the wife of Hector during the Trojan War—"
Zoë interrupted me before I could finish, "Let's put aside the trivia for now; if they managed to escape, why didn't you?"
"Because..." Mary looked down and kicked a small pebble off the hill, "Because they didn't care about me that much, I suppose. Nobody ever does."
"I do," I suggested, but the girl shook her head.
"That's not what I mean. I mean, like a family. Whenever I think I find something like that, it gets yanked away."
Zoë lowered her bow. Now that she had heard the story, she seemed more empathetic than suspicious. Artemis looked the same, if not more sympathetic, as she knelt next to the little girl.
"I can take you where you want, no matter where it is." She said.
I was slightly surprised. I expected the goddess to offer her to join the hunt. Zoë seemed taken aback as well but didn't lay out any objections.
"But...I have nowhere to go. I was at a church orphanage before they sent me to a foster home..." Mary shuddered. "Maybe you can send me to sister Margarine's house? She makes good toasts."
Artemis nodded and stood up, "Very well. Close your eyes and think of where you want to go."
Mary blinked. "I don't know where she lives."
"Then think of the person—sister Margarine. That would be enough."
Mary glanced at me nervously. I gave her a reassuring nod, and she eased her shoulders as Artemis placed her hand on her forehead.
After Mary disappeared, Artemis turned to me with a light smile. "The young girl seemed to trust you more than most people she knew."
Personally, I thought it spoke more about how lonely Mary had been in her life instead of how great I was, but I held my tongue as the goddess looked up at the night sky.
The moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer I had ever seen. It landed right next to us, and someone jumped down from the driver's seat and gave the moon goddess a huge hug.
"Artemis! Oh my Rhea, where have you been?" The driver said.
"Fine, thank you," Artemis grunted.
Something about the woman's voice had an odd charm—unlike Aphrodite, whose voice had an irresistible glamour. It was more...hypnotic and sleepy. Just hearing her giggle as Artemis rubbed her arms made my eyelids heavy.
Erytheia gasped, jerking me awake. "Lady Selene? What are you doing here?"
The woman peered over Artemis's shoulder. Her soft yellowish eyes stared at Erytheia for a good long 10~15 seconds before she suddenly clapped her hands in recognition.
"You're one of Atlas's daughters, yes? What was it that you called yourselves—hippies?"
"Hesperides, ma'am," Zoë corrected her.
Neither she nor Erytheia was pleased to be called 'Atlas's daughters' after everything that took place. However, Selene didn't notice or didn't care that the two nymphs became crestfallen and turned her eyes to me.
I had to avert my eyes as soon as they made contact with Selene's. If her voice was hypnotic, her eyes were deadening. Quite literally.
I'd fall into an endless sleep if I stared into her eyes for longer than a minute, which wouldn't be the first time for this deity.
"Hello, young man!" Selene held out her hand. Despite my better judgment, I took it, and we shook hands.
"It is an honor to meet you, uh, Lady Selene. How's Endymion doing?"
Selene squealed as if I mentioned her favorite rock band. "Ooh! He knows my husband's name! Your mother certainly wasn't lying to me back then!"
"Wait, what? My ma—mom?"
"Oh," The smile melted off Selene as fast as it came. "I wasn't supposed to say that, was I? Ignore I said that."
"What do you mean ignore?! I can't just—"
But before I could finish complaining, Zoë cut in with a well-placed fake sneeze, and Artemis took the Titaness's attention back to her.
"Selene, I need to take the chariot back to Olympus for our annual meeting. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"
Selene shook her head, still giving me glances every few seconds. "No, I'd rather not. In fact, I'd better be going off...somewhere else."
Artemis frowned. "Where?"
Selene didn't bother to answer. She huddled away in the darkness like a prisoner making a daring escape. Still, she paused to give me one last glance before fading into the night.
"How does a Titaness of the moon have a connection with my mother?" I demanded.
Artemis shook her head. "I swear on the River Styx; I have no idea. It is exceptional for a mortal to connect with a god unless they are conceiving a child together, but to be in touch with a Titaness..."
I wanted to run after Selene. I couldn't care less about the meeting at Olympus at the moment; if my ma was involved in any way, I had to know.
...I don't believe what Rose told me. My ma can't be a simple incarnation of a goddess. But if she is just a mortal, under what circumstance could she have met with a Titaness of the moon?
"David," I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. Zoë was sharing a comforting smile. "I do not know about thy mother, but I'm sure she is the most wondrous lady."
"She is," I bleakly said.
It didn't work very well, but I appreciated her effort to cheer me up.
[Line Break]
It wouldn't surprise anyone, but Artemis's sleigh was one of the fastest vehicles I was in.
As the first man in history to be given a chance to ride right next to the goddess Artemis herself, I can confidently say that the only comparable vehicle would be the Sun chariot.
When I asked Artemis if her sleigh was slower during Winter as the season had longer nights than days, she snorted and replied: "I let him be slightly faster during this season."
She also found it hilarious that I changed Apollo's Sun car into a chariot.
"He hated having to wrestle with the heliacal horses," she explained, barely containing her giggles, "He had the chariot set to a different mode ever since mortals invented cars."
"Can't he change it back into a car?" I asked.
Artemis shook her head. "It won't be easy. The heliacal horses are fierce creatures made by Hyperion himself. They refuse to follow orders from those who they deem unworthy."
"And Apollo is unworthy to them? Why?"
The goddess snorted, "Maybe because he is much more annoying and feather-headed than Helios. Who knows, really?"
You know, Artemis was much more relaxed than I'd assume she would be when talking casually.
She was just like her cold-self in the mythology when I first met her, so she tries to keep up the demeanor as she is a leader of the hunters and whatnot.
"...do you have anything else to say, demigod?"
I blinked.
I realized too late that I had been staring into Artemis's face for the last 5 minutes or so. The goddess had a tinge of gold lighting around her cheeks—where a human usually blushed.
Huh. That's odd.
"...Well?" Artemis asked again, slightly irritated at my silence.
Then I remembered what I had thought of while riding on the Calydonian Boar.
"There is, actually," I explained to her about Rose, albeit keeping most of my family matters to myself—I don't think I can even tell Zoë about this, how unfair it may be.
When I was done, Artemis was no longer blushing. "I'll do my best to locate your sister. Perhaps she can join the hunt if she is not fond of Camp Half-Blood."
I wasn't too eager about that idea, but I nodded and said thanks. It also worried me that Artemis seemed less sympathetic to Rose than she had been to Mary, especially after she learned that she had a hand-in with Niobe.
A few seconds later, we nearly crashed into a mountaintop, so I let Artemis focus more on driving and moved to the back seat of the sleigh.
There, Zoë and Erytheia were discussing something in low voices. They were using their ancient tongue, so Artemis and I couldn't eavesdrop on them even if we tried. They still stopped talking when I came close.
"How are thy wounds?" Zoë asked while inviting me to sit down next to her.
"I told you, I'm fine." I swayed slightly as I sat down.
I was still getting used to having one arm and, therefore, being out of balance at all times. At least Artemis guaranteed that Apollo could grow it back without any problem, so there's that.
I imagined how Ares would react if I showed up one-armed. Judging from the few hours I got to know him, he'd either be proud that I lost a limb fighting or criticize my lack of skill.
Zoë let out a small sigh in exasperation but eventually smiled.
"I can't thank thee enough for everything, David. Thou have saved all of us from our destined fate."
She slipped her fingers through mine and grasped it. I curled up my fingers as well. Zoë had such soft hands for a thousands-year-old hunter.
We just sat on the seat without saying a word. We didn't need to talk at the moment. I was just glad that we were both alive and together, which, I now realize, meant much more than it seemed.
Then, Zoë suddenly rested her head on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of the sleigh and looked sideways, only to find that she had fallen asleep.
Her lips were barely parted as she breathed in and out, and her braided hair was ruffled badly from the battle, so I carefully rearranged them the best I could.
"You like her, don't you?"
"What?"
Erytheia was staring at us from across the sleigh. Her amber eyes twinkled with several emotions; contentment, gladness, and...envy.
"Back then, I never dared to help Heracles," Erytheia said. Her eyes shook slightly in the wind, "Zoë was the only one who was brave enough to defile Atlas. And she left the garden far earlier than anyone else...while even when we are free, I am still too afraid to leave."
"You don't have to leave," I said. "If you want to stay like Hygeia, I'm sure everyone else would understand."
"But that's the problem, David," Erytheia muttered. She hugged her knees to her chest, "I don't know what I want to do."
"Isn't there anything you want? Or someone you'd like to be with, or—"
"You."
I blinked. Erytheia was staring straight into my eyes.
"You," she repeated. "I want you, David."
I recalled what Erytheia told me right before I left the garden.
"Mind you; the Hesperides have surprisingly similar preferences in men. We all loved Heracles once. Now the history is repeating."
I could hear the deer leading the sleigh huff and puff through the silence. I had a funny feeling that even Artemis was paying close attention to our conversation.
I looked at Erytheia's amber eyes. Through the dark sky, that was the part I could only see—the one element that was different between her and Zoë.
"...I can't," I answered.
Erytheia didn't say anything. Her knees climbed up the seat and covered her face.
"I knew that," Erytheia muttered. Her voice shook so woefully that I almost wanted to take back what I said. Despite the differences, it didn't help that she had a lot in common with Zoë.
Before I could figure out how to comfort her, Artemis spoke up from the front.
"We're here," She was pointing toward the Empire State Building, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."
"What's started?" I asked, "Also, is that a mountain top over the building?"'
"That's Olympus," Zoë answered; she'd woken up. I quickly glanced at Erytheia, but she looked completely fine—at least on the outside.
"The winter solstice," Artemis sighed. "It's time I argue with my family once again."
*Gasp* what's this? Did I upload in less than two weeks' gaps from the last chapter?
In all seriousness, I doubted I could put in exciting plot points in this chapter alone, as I needed a setup to cram the Olympian Council. So this chapter is sort of a leeway.
That being said, it being a leeway means it might feel quite different from any of the previous chapters, as I've been writing long segments centered around combat, and this was everything except that.
I don't want to blabber too much here, as I'd prefer to listen to how you(the reader) feel, so comment however you see fit!
Was it good? Was it bad? I have no idea!
Either way, I hope you all had a fun time reading, and I'll see you all next chapter, which will likely be the last TTC chapter!
Ta ta~