"Guys, we have a problem," Vivienne yelled, running into the hut and slamming the door behind. Inside, everyone looked at her, plus the two goddesses in the IM.
"I thought I asked you to wait outside?" Artemis asked.
"Lady Artemis, you did, but right now we have a whole swarm of people running towards us with all kinds of weapons, and one mysterious, powerful battle god." The two goddesses shared a look of unease.
"Ares would never," Artemis murmured quietly. "Despite their differences, he respected Percy, or at least respected him as much as someone like Ares could. Percy was always a good fight for him."
"It's not Ares," Vivienne interjected. She wasn't one for impoliteness, but already time was against them, and add to the fact people were running to their hut, Vivienne hardly found it a good idea to stay here and make chit chat. "It's a person called Makka." Artemis scrunched up her face, and for a moment, Vivienne was mesmerised by how cute she looked doing that. Percy was such a lucky man to have a gorgeous, sweet, loving girl like Artemis… She just didn't know where it went all wrong.
Aphrodite gasped.
"Wait, Makka, or Makhai?" she asked.
"Makhai," Vivienne clarified. "Sorry, I'm not good with names." Artemis stood up, looking at the three of them intensely.
"Alright, let's have it," she sighed. "Who here managed to get on Eris's bad side?" For a moment, no one answered, and Vivienne racked her brain for where she'd heard that name before. Eris. Where was she in Greek mythology?
"Who's Eris?" she asked.
"You know the Trojan war, Viv?" Thalia said. She nodded.
"Briefly. It's the horse one, right?"
"She's the one who started it all," Phoebe muttered. "All for fun as well. I tell you, not the most fun of people to hang out with." Vivienne's eyes widened. Sometimes, she forgot how powerful these gods were.
"So is Eri-"
"Careful!" Reyna interjected sharply. "Names have power, Vivienne. You shouldn't just chuck them around so casually. Call her Lady Strife instead." Vivienne nodded, apologising.
"So is Lady Strife working with Nyx?"
"No," Artemis said, shaking her head. "Don't ask me why, but Eris is actually against Mother Night. Normally, I'd have Percy to thank for that, but she's the last person Percy would be talking to. Why do you ask?"
"Makka, sorry Makhai, said he was sent here by Ny- by Mother Night."
The silence was more than palpable, so much that Vivienne could've heard her own heartbeat.
"Oh," was all Artemis said. And that was when the first person came crashing through the door, armed with a trident.
"Vivienne, get behind us!" Phoebe yelled, practically dragging her to the floor. She quickly swiped her hand through the Iris Message, cutting off communication with Artemis. The rainbow shimmer vanished, and Reyna swiftly shoved the Porta-Bow in her pocket. Pulling a hunting knife out, Phoebe made her way towards the mortal, but Thalia quickly stopped her.
"No, Phoebe wait!" she cautioned. "We can't just attack mortals." Phoebe glanced at the trident in the man's hands.
"I don't know, but they seem pretty ready to attack us," she pointed out.
"Yeah, but they're under the influence of, as Vivienne said, Makka. Have you forgotten his domains?" Phoebe's expression turned contemplative. After a moment, realisation dawned on her face. "Ohhhh."
Thalia jerked her thumb towards the back of the hunt.
"Atalanta, take Vivienne to the back of the hut and try smashing the window open." Taking a knife from Phoebe, Atalanta nodded, helping Vivienne to her feet. The two ran to the back of the hut, where Atalanta took a deep breath before slamming her blade into the window. Like a melody of shattered glass, the window broke as easily as a delicate note in the symphony of destruction. Vivienne hadn't been expecting anything else. This hut looked a few decades old. With withering wood for walls, she was surprised it was still stable. The window broken, Atalanta began using her knife to widen the hole and remove any sticking out glass shards.
At the same time, Thalia and Phoebe had their bows out, arrows nocked, and were aiming at the advancing mortals. They didn't shoot, though. It was more for intimidation, and while the mortals seemed to be hesitating, Vivienne had a feeling it wouldn't last for long. The tiny hut was the only reason they were still okay. There were too many mortals to fit into the cramped hut, but even then Thalia and Phoebe were slowly backing up as the mortals pushed forwards.
"Atalanta, I kinda need that backdoor escape route now," Thalia said through gritted teeth.
"One second," Reyna replied. The girl was using her sword to speed up the process, and it was working. The hole was almost big enough for them to jump through.
"I don't think you understand," she snapped. "We haven't got a second."
To emphasise her point, one of the mortals made a sudden leap towards her. Thalia reacted instinctively, releasing an arrow that intentionally whistled past the attacker, missing by mere inches. The man recoiled, startled by the near miss, and retreated a few steps, only to start advancing again, this time more cautiously.
"Done!" Reyna announced triumphantly as she finished cutting the hole. Vivienne breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the glass shards and wood fragments on the floor. Sure enough, Reyna had managed to cut something of a gateway with her sword, just about big enough for them to fit through. Atalanta popped her head out to take a peek, assessing the situation. That was when, without warning, she was suddenly dragged out of the hut, disappearing from view.
"Atalanta!" Reyna shouted in alarm. Sword in hand, she dashed to the hole and peered outside. However, before she could react, she too was yanked forwards, her startled expression of, "Aw man," the last thing Vivienne heard before she disappeared.
Panic surged through Vivienne. She was left inside the hut, unsure of what to do.
"Uhh, Thalia," she said. "What just happened to Atalanta and Reyna?" The huntress kept glancing between Vivienne and the advancing mortals. She let out a frustrated sigh.
"They had one job," she muttered under her breath, before turning to Phoebe. "On three?" Phoebe nodded.
"Wait, what? What's happening?"
"Just follow us, Viv," Thalia instructed, before sprinting out of the hole with a battle cry alongside Phoebe. From the other side, she heard a mix of yells, grunts, and then sighs, but couldn't see anything. She wanted to run, but fear rooted her to the spot.
"Thalia?" Vivienne called out nervously, but the response was silence. In front, the approaching mortals grew closer, forcing Vivienne to edge towards the hole.
"Uhh, hi," she said quietly. "My name's Vivienne Monroe. Yeah, I know, interesting name. Umm, maybe we can talk this out instead? I've got some sweets in the car to share. We didn't do anything, I promise. Let me just talk to Mr Makka—I mean, Mr Makka, please." If they could hear her, the mortals didn't react, continuing to close in.
At this point, Vivienne realised she had no other choice. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she slipped through the hole, away from the attackers, and… towards more attackers?
Emerging on the other side, Vivienne's heart sank as she saw Reyna, Atalanta, Phoebe, and Thalia held captive by a group of mortals, their hands and legs bound together. Makhai stood in front of them, his grin wide and menacing.
"Welcome, Vivienne!" he exclaimed, his tone dripping with mock surprise. "Honestly, I thought you'd put up a better fight. Are you a daughter of Hephaestus, or a daughter of Aphrodite?"
The barb hit its mark, and a look of hurt flashed across Vivienne's face. Thalia, somehow managing to spit her gag out, snapped at Makhai, "Leave her alone."
Makhai barely glanced at Thalia, his attention fixed on Vivienne as he stepped closer. Vivienne felt a wave of unease wash over her, the closeness to Makhai making her skin crawl. In his hand, he wielded a long sword, which he noticed Vivienne eyeing.
"What, this?" he said, lifting the weapon slightly, showing her the dried blood. "Just a toy my mother got me and my siblings for helping in the Trojan War. You wanna hold it?" She shook her head vehemently, and Makhai leaned closer, whispering in her ear, "Are you sure, Vivienne Monroe? I'll let you keep it if you want."
Struggling to maintain her composure, Vivienne stuttered out, "I-I have my own sword." Makhai stepped back, a look of mock surprise on his face.
"Ooh, do you want to duel?"
"No, she doesn't," Thalia snarled, but again, Makhai ignored her.
Vivienne shook her head, her heart racing not just from fear but also from the realisation of the seriousness of their situation. They were not just dealing with a god of battle but one who delighted in toying with his opponents, and one who had all five of them captive.
"You two," Makhai ordered, pointing at two mortals. "Go and bring me two cars." Immediately, Vivienne's anxiety spiked.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice a whisper. Makhai simply smiled.
"Why, I just want to go for a drive, and I want company of course." This was sounding much less like a leisurely outing, and much more like a kidnapping to her. However, her fears were momentarily overshadowed as she heard a battle cry from the hunt.
Reyna and Phoebe, having managed to undo their bounds, launched themselves at Makhai with a sudden burst of energy and determination. Swords and knives out, they charged. Makhai, however, seemed unfased, almost bored, as he shook his head at Vivienne.
"See what I have to deal with?" he yawned, staring at Vivienne with cold, emotionless eyes, sending shivers down her spine again.
His gaze then locked with Vivienne's, cold, yet mirthful, sending shivers down her spine. For a moment, Vivienne naively hoped he would simply let them hurt him, but then she remembered who she was dealing with. This was a god. An immortal. And to make matters worse, he was the literal god of battles.
Phoebe's attack came first. She jabbed her knife forwards, expecting it to penetrate his skin, but Makhai was fast. With divine reflexes, he dodged at the eleventh hour. Catching Phoebe's arm in a vice-like grip, he redirected her momentum, sending her sprawling to the ground with a jarring thud. Unfettered, Phoebe scrambled back to her feet, her eyes blazed with ferocity. She lunged again, her attacks a series of calculated striked, each more aggressive than the last. Quickly drawing his sword out, Makhai managed to parry each attempt with an ease that bordered on mockery.
At the same time, Reyna joined the fray, slashing at him with a sword he nimbly judged. Together, Phoebe and Reyna coordinated their attacks, each trying to outmanoeuvre the god before them, but it was to no avail. As the battle briefly escalated, becoming a breath-taking spectacle of skill, Makhai danced between their attacks, a smirk playing at the edges of his lids. He was a master at effortlessly parrying Reyna's strikes while evading Phoebe's aggressive lunges.
The turning point came unexpectedly. Phoebe, seizing an opening, feinted at Makhai's left. At the same moment, Reyna aimed a calculated strike towards Makhai's exposed side. To them, he was toast, but Makhai, the literal personification of battle, anticipated this. With a sift movement, he sidestepped Reyna's strike, using his sword to push her blade off course. Simultaneously, he caught Phoebe's wrist yet again, halting her attack. In one fluid motion, Makhai disarmed Phoebe, her knife clattering to the ground, and kicked her down. He then quickly spun around, and as Reyna aimed for his torso, Makhai blocked her blow, disarming her with a twist, and sending her crashing to the ground with another kick. Savouring the moment, Makhai sauntered up to her, his sword glistening in the sunlight.
In the chaos, Vivienne's eyes caught sight of Phoebe's knife, glinting on the floor. Makhai's taunts of her inability to fight had gotten to her, and she acted on impulse, grabbing the knife and moving stealthily towards him. While he was occupied with Reyna, Vivienne prepared to attack him, but Makhai had somehow sensed her approach. He spun around, his sword meeting her arm in a swift arc, leaving a gash. The pain was immediate and intense, causing Vivienne to gasp and fall, her hand clutched around the wound, blood seeping through her fingers.
From above, Makhai looked momentarily taken aback.
"I thought you were Thalia," he admitted, before his eyes landed on her wound. "Ouch," he remarked, seeing the severity of her injury. "That'll hurt for at least a week, unless you've got some ambrosia."
"Look what you've done!" Reyna yelled from the ground. "You-" From the floor, Reyna tried to shout a curse at Makhai, but he quickly silenced her, pressing a hand over her mouth.
"It would be unwise to argue with a god, much less fight one," he said, his voice low but carrying a warning that chilled the air. All they could do was silently nod. Thalia had managed to undo her bounds, but it was too late. Now, the mortals were back, parking two cars behind Makhai and getting out. They quickly bound Phoebe and Reyna, putting them in the back of a car. Next, they moved to Thalia, who tried putting up a fight, but soon got bound as well. Atalanta, already bound and half unconscious from yet another nasty scar to her leg, didn't even resist, instead meekly following the mortals to the car.
When they moved to tie her hands, Makhai stopped them.
"Not this one," he ordered. "She's coming with me."
Vivienne's heart suddenly stopped as Makhai's words registered.
"W-What?" she managed to stammer out. Makhai turned his attention back to her, his expression a mix of amusement and unsettling calm.
"Did I stutter?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "I said you are coming with me."
"But why?" Vivienne's voice trembled with fear. From the back of the car, Thalia's voice rang out, defiant as always.
"Leave her alone!" she yelled. "She's done nothing to you! In fact, none of us have!"
Makhai paused, considering Thalia's words.
"That's true," he admitted, his gaze drifting back to Vivienne. "But, you see, it's not about what you've done. It's about what you represent, what you could do. Unforeseeable, the future is. Even Kronos could never master the art of telling what would happen." Vivienne felt a chill run down her spine at his words. This wasn't personal; it was something deeper, something connected to Percy.
"Come," Makhai said to her, gesturing to a second car. "Let's not keep Fate waiting. We have much to discuss after all." He walked forwards, but Vivienne felt paralyzed, her fear rooting her to the spot.
"Move," Makhai ordered, but she couldn't muster the will to follow his command.
"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper, betraying her fear. Phoebe, Thalia, and everyone else seemed defiant and strong in the face of danger, but Vivienne just couldn't be like them. She couldn't withstand pain like they could. She was just plain, shy, Vivienne who wanted nothing more than to see her mother again.
Makhai let out a groan of frustration.
"I can't," he said, his tone laced with annoyance. A hint of confusion swept over Vivienne's expression. Why couldn't he? What stopped someone as powerful as a god from doing whatever he pleased?
Seeing her hesitation, Makhai signalled one of the mortals under his weird spell.
"Get Phoebe," he ordered. Shortly after, the mortal returned with Phoebe, her eyes shooting daggers at Makhai. Despite her situation, Vivienne was awestruck at how defiant she still was.
"Phoebe!" Makhai said. "Answer me, and answer me simply. What would happen if I were to kill you all and Artemis never found you again?" Ever so slowly, a smirk crept up the corners of her mouth.
"Then you're finished," she glared. "No matter what, Artemis, and all of the gods would find you. This quest to find Percy, is something every Olympian wants, as well as most of the minor gods, or at least the ones on Olympus's side."
"See," Makhai said, turning to Vivienne "It's perfectly safe," he assured her, but Vivienne remained unconvinced.
Sighing, Makhai asked Phoebe the second question.
"Can an immortal attack a mortal?" At first, Phoebe didn't reply, instead glaring at him. Makhai's impatience grew as Phoebe remained silent. He clenched his fists… Hard.
"Phoebe," he demanded, his voice low and dangerous, "I need an answer for young Vivienne now. Can an immortal attack a mortal?" Still, Phoebe offered no response, her silence a wall between them. His patience wearing thin, Makhai stepped closer, his eyes flashing with intensity.
"I won't ask again," he warned, the threat implicit in his tone. Phoebe's gaze flickered to meet his, but still, she remained mute, her lips sealed shut as if by some unseen force. Frustration boiled over into anger, and Makhai's hand reached for his weapon, drawing it out with a growl.
"Tell me," he whispered, the promise of violence simmering beneath his words. For a moment, Phoebe held his gaze, a silent battle of wills passing between them, but then, finally, as if conceding defeat, she relented.
"No," she muttered. "An immortal cannot attack a mortal."
"And why is that?" Makhai pressed.
"They're bound by the ancient laws," Phoebe explained. "But-"
"Thank you for your answer," Makhai interrupted loudly, thumping Vivienne on the back. "See, nothing to be scared of. I couldn't hurt you if I wanted to."
"Wait, but-" Phoebe tried, but again, Makhai cut in, silencing her.
"You two," he gestured to two mortals. "Take her back, get in the car, and follow me. The rest of you mortals can get back to whatever you were doing." Phoebe tried to say more, to fight against the hands that grabbed her, but her efforts were thwarted as three more mortals joined the first two, and together, they managed to force Phoebe back into the car.
Now it was only her, Makhai, and one last mortal. The others had dissipated just as fast as they'd come, shaking their heads and muttering something about sleepwalking.
"It's just us now," Makhai smiled. "Now get in the car, Vivienne." Vivienne contemplated running, but she knew it was futile; Makhai would catch her in a heartbeat. Numbly, still clutching her wounded arm, she followed him. Makhai opened the passenger door of the car for her with a gesture that was almost courteous, if it weren't for the circumstances. Without a word, she got in, and he slid into the seat next to her.
"Drive," Makhai instructed the mortal who took the driver's seat, his voice calm. Immediately, the mortal took off, speeding out of the car park and down the road. As the car merged onto the highway, Vivienne found her voice, despite the lump of fear in her throat.
"Where are we going?" she asked apprehensively.
"To New Orleans," Makhai replied casually, as if they were merely heading out on an ordinary trip. "It's only just down the road."
Vivienne was puzzled.
"Why? What's in New Orleans?" Her mind raced with possibilities, none of them comforting. Makhai smiled, an expression that offered no reassurance.
"It's the best place," he said simply, leaving his words to hang in the air like a veiled threat.
"The best place for what?" Vivienne pressed, but Makhai remained silent, turning his gaze to the window, effectively ending the conversation.
And that's how they stayed for the rest of the freeway.
The bounds were strong, but she was a hunter. She'd gotten out of much tighter restraints in much less time. Making sure the mortals next to her were preoccupied, Thalia began the slow, painstaking process of rubbing the ropes together and pulling them against each other to create friction. The action scraped painfully against her skin, but she ignored it, focusing on getting back to Vivienne and finding Percy.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Phoebe and Atalanta employing similar tactics, working silently and determinedly on their own bonds. Meanwhile, Reyna attempted a different approach: trying to talk to the mortals and gain any information about their destination or Makhai's plans.
"Where are we going?" Reyna asked, her voice steady. The mortals, however, remained silent, their faces devoid of emotion, their eyes fixed ahead. Thalia let out a loud sigh. Of course they wouldn't say anything; they were under Makhai's control. They probably didn't even realise what they were doing. Most likely, they'd wake up in the middle of nowhere, thinking it was all a nightmare.
Thalia couldn't help but wonder about Makhai's motives. It was obvious he was here about Percy, but why? Percy had never been an enemy to Makhai; in fact, there was a time when Percy had helped Makhai out of a jam. Why then, was Makhai targeting them now?
Now slightly worn out, Thalia managed to bring the ropes up to her mouth, quickly biting down on them. This wasn't her first rodeo, but it was her first time she'd done something like this in a long time. The mortal guarding them noticed her efforts and, with a cold efficiency, pulled out one of Makhai's swords. The threat was clear, but Thalia only smiled, undeterred.
"Stop," the mortal commanded, his voice like icicles. Thalia, however, only ignored him. When he lunged forward with the blade, intending to intimidate or possibly harm her, Thalia made her move. She lifted her bound hands at the last second, positioning the ropes so the blade sliced through them instead of her flesh.
The ropes fell away, freeing her hands. She grinned at the mortal, a mix of defiance and triumph in her eyes.
"My turn now," she smirked.
Now free from her bounds, Thalia wasted no time. Despite being unarmed, she swiftly kicked the first mortal's sword, nimbly avoiding the blade as it fell to the floor with a metallic clang. The second mortal reached for his blade, but now it was Phoebe's turn. Still bound, she kicked his legs, causing him to stumble for a second. Using this to her advantage, Thalia pulled him down by the collar, wrestling for the sword. It honestly didn't take too long. These mortals were nothing like Makhai, and soon enough, both mortals were disarmed, staring at them with blank expressions.
Now that was out of the way, Thalia moved quickly to assist Reyna, who was struggling against her own restraints. Using the discarded sword, Thalia sliced through Reyna's ropes. Phoebe and Atalanta managed to break free from their own bounds using the same tactic Thalia had.
"Lightwork," Thalia smirked, and even Reyna chuckled. As Phoebe and Atalanta started tying up the brainwashed mortals, Thalia couldn't help but think how careless Makhai had been. He might be a strong fighter, but he had the brains of a pea, and they didn't even have brains. Perhaps it had just been his arrogance, but Makhai had underestimated them. He'd used rope, a weak restraint, hadn't tied them from behind, and hadn't even kept watch over them. Two mortals were nothing compared to four members of the hunt. Thalia almost found it laughable.
Acting quickly, Thalia pulled the emotionless mortal from the driver's seat. Reyna took his place, steadying the car, and shifting into fifth gear. At the same time, Thalia jumped into the passenger seat, while Phoebe and Atalanta made quick work of tying up the last mortal. They were careful to ensure the ropes were secure but not harmful. After all, these mortals were simply under Makhai's influence; they didn't want to hurt them.
"Alright girls," Thalia grinned. "Are you all good now?"
"Yep!" came the chorus of replies.
"Well in that case, you know what time it is," Thalia said. "It's time to get Vivienne back, and then, it's payback time."
Makhai peered into the side mirror, before letting out a small sigh.
"Whoever's driving the other hunters does not know how to drive. They're wobbling all over the place." As if to emphasise his point, a passing car horned at them.
As they passed a sign that read "Welcome to New Orleans," Makhai seemed to shift into a more serious demeanour. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Let's get down to business."
Vivienne felt a mix of dread and curiosity wash over her. After a moment, she finally asked, "Are you now going to tell me what I'm here for?"
Makhai nodded.
"It's very simple," he admitted. "I want you to, effective immediately, stop your search for Percy Jackson and return to Camp Half-Blood."
Vivienne gasped, disbelief in her voice. "What!?"
"I know you heard me perfectly clear," Makhai responded. "If you do retreat, I can promise when Nyx invades, she'll spare not only you, but the entirety of Camp Half-Blood. All Nyx asks for in return is to never go looking for Percy again."
Vivienne's mind raced. "B-but Artemis wants him," she stuttered. "They're in love-"
"Artemis wants a lot of things," Makhai cut her off sharply. "She's lived without Percy for 500 years. She can do so for much more. Besides, it's not like he's dead. He's simply… Lost in his own solitude.
The car fell into silence as Vivienne processed exactly what he was asking for. To stop looking for Percy meant giving up on a mission that Artemis had been waiting 500 years for. Makhai was offering safety for her and her friends, but at what cost? Could she live with herself knowing she had given up so quickly? Could she ever look Thalia, or Artemis in the eyes again?
"You're lying," Vivienne said after a while. For a moment, Makhai actually looked surprised. That quickly morphed into amusement as he let out a hearty laugh.
"That's not the answer I was expecting, but I'll bite. Why do you think I'm lying?" he asked, staring into her eyes in an intimidating way.
"Well Reyna promised me there was no war going on," she asked, her voice already much quieter.
"And did Reyna swear on the River Styx?" he probed.
"No, even better, she swore on the Acheron," Vivienne replied. Makhai raised an eyebrow.
"The Acheron?" he echoed. When Vivienne nodded, Makhai's smirk returned, only wider this time.
"Oh wow," he snickered gleefully. "It seems your companions haven't been entirely truthful with you. It's the Styx that's used for binding oaths, not the Acheron."
"You-You're lying!" she insisted. Makhai merely shrugged.
"You can ask Thalia and Reyna later if you don't believe me. But make sure to get them to swear on the River Styx. Then we'll see who's lying. For now, however, I need an answer. What's it going to be, Vivienne?"
Vivienne's mind raced as she weighed her options. A part of her, the shy part, longed to just stop and return to a peaceful life. She hadn't asked for this, for the danger and the burden of a quest that seemed to grow heavier by the day. Yet, another part of her, a part that understood the depth of what love meant to a person, knew that finding Percy was important, not just for Artemis, but somehow for her as well. She couldn't explain it, but deep down, she had a feeling that Percy could just help her with all her problems.
Finally, she found her voice.
"No," she said firmly. "I won't stop the quest."
Makhai sighed, his expression turning solemn.
"Very well. I didn't want it to come to this, but either you stop the quest now and swear it on the Styx, or you'll taste my wrath."
Vivienne shuddered at the thought. "You said you can't hurt me," she reminded. Makhai however, shook his head, a villainous smile spreading across his face.
"I can't hurt you, but he can," he gestured to the mortal driver, "if I ask him to." Vivienne felt her heart rate spike.
"But Artemis will get the Olympians to find you if he does," she argued, clinging to the hope that the goddess's influence might protect her.
"Ah, Vivienne, so naïve," Makhai responded, almost pitifully. "She'll try, but Artemis wouldn't dare come to where I live, and even if she did, the rest of the Olympians would never follow."
"Wh-Where do you live?" Vivienne asked, not sure if she actually wanted to know.
"Tartarus," he said nonchalantly. Vivienne gasped, the name sending a shiver down her spine.
"The place Percy had to go through?" she whispered. Makhai nodded.
"Oh yes. The very place the titans are imprisoned." His grin widened, "It's a very unpleasant place, but rest assured, Artemis isn't coming to find me. I might not be able to go to the mortal realm for a few centuries, but everyone will forget about it soon enough. Besides, Nyx will reward me greatly."
The gravity of Makhai's words settled over Vivienne like a cold shroud.
"So, what is it, Vivienne? Time is ticking," Makhai pressed, his eyes locked on hers, waiting for her final decision. Gazing out of the window, Vivienne noticed them in a more urban place. There were many shops, malls, restaurants and traffic lights. At the same time, her mind was conflicted. She thought this quest was a cool road trip, not something dangerous. Vivienne clutched her hand, which still throbbed from Makhai's sword. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped, having only been a shallow cut, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt.
"Vivienne," Makhai said, his voice scarily calm. "Choose now, or I'll choose for you." Vivienne inhaled sharply, but before she could say anything, the unexpected happened.
The car carrying the hunters rammed into theirs with such force that Vivienne's head snapped forward, slamming into the seat in front of her. Dazed, she barely heard Makhai mutter something about silly hunters.
"Pull over there," Makhai ordered, rubbing his head. "Outside that restaurant. Let me deal with these hunters once and for all." . As the car parked and the doors unlocked, Vivienne didn't hesitate. She bolted from the car, not wanting to spend another second with the god of battles.
Makhai emerged from the car at a more leisurely pace, as if unbothered by the collision or Vivienne's escape. The hunters' vehicle stopped as well, and out stepped Reyna, Thalia, Phoebe, and Atalanta, armed with the mortal's weapons, as well as their own bows which seemed to never get lost. Makhai faced them, an unfazed smile on his face, as if welcoming the challenge.
"Congratulations," Makhai grinned. "You're still alive."
"We're hunters," Phoebe replied. "It's not that easy to defeat us. We have hearts of steel-"
"Whatever," Makhai yawned. "Let's just get this over and done with so I can get back to Vivienne."
"Vivienne? She's with us now," Thalia snorted, jerking her thumb to the daughter of Hephaestus next to them.
"Well, for now at least," Makhai smiled. In an instant, he drew his sword, the blade gleaming menacingly in the dim light. The hunt responded in kind, raising their weapons. Even Vivienne had a knife ready. After what Makhai had said about her never putting up a fight, she was determined to prove him wrong, even if it meant putting her in danger.
However, before they could actually fight, all of a sudden, a ten-year-old girl came running out of the restaurant they were outside.
"You should all put your weapons down immediately," she said, her voice calm and wise. "Violence is not the right way."
At first, Vivienne expected Makhai to ignore the girl, but for some reason, he lowered his sword. The girl marched up to Makhai, undeterred by his imposing presence and gleam of violence.
"The mortals," she said firmly. "Let them be." Makhai studied her for a tense moment, as if debating whether or not to strike her. Then, with a heavy sigh, he snapped his fingers, and the mortal driver of Vivienne's car emerged, his expression blank.
"Free the captive mortals in the hunter's car," Makhai ordered. "Then, drive back to your place and go to sleep. After that, you are free to do as you wish. I do not control you anymore. When you wake up, this will all be a dream to you." The mortal nodded mechanically, moving towards the hunter's car. He quickly untied his fellow mortals, before driving off, back to that deserted parking lot.
"Now leave," the girl continued, her voice stern, yet warm at the same time. "Or I'll tell my brother what you did to Artemis's quest." Vivienne was even more shocked now. Not only was Makhai abiding to this random mortal, but that same mortal knew who the Greek gods were, and she somehow knew that they were on a quest.
"This isn't over," Makhai glared, his voice low and dark.
"Oh, but it is," the girl replied. "If my brother doesn't do anything, I'll tell your mother. And while our principles don't align, your mother, just like you and every other god, has always respected the hearth." At the mention of his mother, Makhai's demeanour shifted. He cast a final, menacing look at the hunters before getting into the second car and driving off, leaving behind a stunned silence.
As soon as he was gone, the girl turned to face the hunters, and in an instinctive gesture of respect, Reyna and the others bowed slightly. The girl, however, waved off their formalities.
"I've never liked Makhai. He's always too violent for my liking," she commented. "Then again, I suppose everyone's too violent for my liking."
"Thank you for saving us," Thalia said with a grateful smile. The girl returned the smile warmly.
"Not a problem," she assured. Then, her gaze settled on Vivienne, still cowering slightly behind the others.
"Hello, Vivienne Monroe," the girl said. Vivienne groaned, a mix of frustration and embarrassment colouring her tone.
"Why does everyone call me by my full name? Why can't they just call me Vivienne, or Viv?" The girl's smile turned sad for a moment.
"You know, you remind me so much of Percy," she said softly. "He always acted the same way. So fussy about being called Percy, not Perseus." At the mention of Percy, Vivienne's attention snapped fully back to the girl.
"You know Percy?" she asked, suddenly alert.
"Know? I suppose I did know him, though I would only go so far as to call myself an acquaintance," the girl replied, her tone modest.
"No, my lady, you were much more. You were one of his closest friends." The girl smiled again, this time with a tinge of sadness.
"Perhaps," she conceded. "But now, there is no more Perseus, or Percy. He has gone, and he hasn't come back to visit in a very, very long time. Sometimes, I feel like he'll never come back."
She seemed genuinely sad for Percy, in a way that made Vivienne's heart melt.
"So, who are you?" Vivienne asked. Immediately, Phoebe gasped, scandalised.
"Vivienne! you don't talk to a goddess like that!"
Vivienne was puzzled. "Goddess? Wait, you're a goddess!?"
The girl simply smiled, her presence comforting yet commanding.
"I am Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. Come now, children. You must be very hungry," Hestia said, her voice carrying warmth and care.
Hey, I'm back with another chapter! Really hope you enjoyed this one, and liked the addition of Hestia! The next chapter is... Well, you'll see, but I think it's a good one! Defo leave a review if you can : ) I hope everything kinda made sense in regards to Makhai using mortals, Phoebe and Reyna being beat by the personification of battles, and how they got captured.
Also, on a side note, I have a new book out! It's called Oathbreaker, and is a Percy x Artemis fanfiction. Defo check it out if you can!