"Wait!"
Zoe and I stopped outside our newly set up magical tent, and looked back to the girl with the tiara.
"I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Maia. My mother is Athena, I have been Artemis's leutienet for the past 100 years." I could see the pride in her eyes as she introduced herself. "Now, make sure you two get some rest tomorrow we will get your weapons sorted out and then you will both have your first hunt."
I smiled at her and turned to enter the tent, Zoë entered behind me and stopped next to me as we took in the inside of the tent. The tent was surprisingly large, larger than the standard bedroom, had two decent sized beds made of what was probably a light maple for the stand and the mattress was woven leather under soft sheepskin. Two large chest engraved with wild animals on the sides were on opposite sides of the tent pushed up against the wall. I felt a poke against my shoulder and looked towards Zoë to see her with a huge grin on her face before she took off running full speed and jumped right onto the bed, I almost laughed when she immediately bounced and fell off it. I calmly walked over to the other bed and sat down, while Zoë had to get off the floor before she could sit down.
"We made it. We found a home." Zoë smiled at me, I just nodded towards her. She may have found a home, but I had one. One that I miss. I don't say anything, I just lightly touch my necklace and lay down quickly falling asleep.
I woke up just before first light, looking over I could see that Zoë was still asleep. Silently I left the tent, heading left I walked towards the woods, just taking in the surroundings. When I saw what looked like archery targets I knew what I wanted to do for training. Walking over to the partially closed tent next to the range I grabbed a simple silver bow and a quiver of arrows. I placed the bow and quiver on my back and set up the targets in a triangle, with two in the front right next to each other with just a small amount of room between them, just enough to see the target behind them. Walking back to the small table there was set up, I pulled out the bow a notched an arrow, taking aim, my first arrow fired hit just outside the bullseye on the left target. Then one went into the bullseye of the right one, when I got used to the bow. After that I started hitting the back target, the arrows barely able to fit between the front two, that's why I like this formation so much, if your arrow is off by even a hair you will hit one of the front targets. I continued filling the targets with arrows until I heard a soft cough from behind me. Turning around saw Maia standing there with her bow watching me.
"You're pretty good with that. Have you been training with it for a while?" Maia fixed me with a curious gaze.
"I've been using a bow most of my life." I say to her, notching another arrow and sending it down range, splitting one of the arrows in half.
"Do you have your own bow?"
I gave her a look and thought about what to say. "Yeah, I do. I just figured I would have to use a silver one like the rest of you." I eventually said while rubbing the ring on my left index finger, where my bow was magically stored for safekeeping. I twisted the ring on my finger and materialized in my hand.
"Wow, it's beautiful." Was all Maia said while looking at my bow. After a while she looked towards me and asked the question I knew was coming. "How did you get this?"
"I got it when I was young, it was given to me by the person who raised me. It has been in my family for hundreds of years." Technically I didn't lie, just didn't say the whole truth.
"I'll speak with Artemis about you using your own bow, is that your only weapon." She looked like she thought something was off with what I had said, but she didn't call me out on it.
"No, the other rings on my hands transform into swords. Two identical swords, I got them when I got the bow." I relented.
"Okay, well go wake up Zoë and get ready your hunt starts soon." And with that Maia walked away.
I walked back to my tent and opened the flap to see Zoë still asleep on her bed, walking over I placed one hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly. Her eyes fluttered open and looked towards me, she gave me a small smile before sitting up.
"Is it time to get up?" She asked half asleep.
"Yeah, it's time for our first hunt, lets go," I walked out of the tent and all the others were already out and about doing various things around the camp. Walking over to Maia, who was standing next to Artemis and another hunter who I didn't know. I told her that Zoë was getting up right now.
"Okay Persephone, Artemis and I spoke about your weapons and you are good to use them instead of the hunter supplies." Maia says as Zoë walks up to us. "Good you're here, we are about to begin the hunt. The hunt is a competition where each pair goes into the woods in search of food. We do this hunt twice a year, for two reasons: one we get food for the hunt, and second has to do with taking care of the camp and what not, the jobs we do when we aren't hunting. So whichever one of the pairs loses has to take care of their tent for the next six months. That means wash clothes, dishes, and work with the others who lost to keep the camp clean. So you do not want to lose. It goes until Artemis calls everyone back. Any questions?"
I shake my head because I have no question, this seems like fun, but Zoë chimes in. "What do you mean pairs?"
"Well you are living in a tent with someone. That makes you a pair with Persephone. This is my partner Phoebe" Maia said gesturing to Phoebe, who waved. " I have been working with her for the past 30 years, she hasn't beaten me in 5 years." Phoebe glared at Maia and Maia just laughed at her. Before Zoë could say the next thing Maia held up a silver bow and a quiver full of the silver arrows the hunt uses. Zoë straps the quiver onto her back and slings the bow over her shoulder and smiles.
Artemis shouts for everyone that the hunt has officially begun. Maia and Phoebe took off in two separate directions. Zoë looked at me and I smiled at her before shooting off full speed into the woods away from her. I am going to beat her. I ran for a while to get some distance from her, slowing down I crept through the woods, making as little noise as possible. Stepping around leaves and twigs, I listened to the sounds of the forest. Some rustling starts to my left, raising my bow, I aim right where the sound is coming from. Silently I pushed towards the bush, raising myself to where I could see over the bush, I saw a large buck grazing on grass. Steadying my breathing, within an instant my arrow pierced right behind his front leg, right into his heart, and he dropped before he even realized what had happened. Walking forward I calmly lifted the buck onto my shoulder, nearly dropping him, I started my walk towards camp. As I got near camp I heard Artemis speak in my mind, announcing to everyone that the hunt was over. Looking to the sky, to my surprise, the sun was almost at its highest point. I didn't even realize time had gone by so quickly. Walking into camp I could see that a couple others came back with some small deer or some rabbits, except Maia, she was standing next to a large black bear. Standing next to her was Phoebe, a very irritated Phoebe. I set the buck down by a log and sat down, watching everyone. Zoë walked into camp with a couple rabbits and walked over to me.
"So, I guess you're going to be cleaning my clothes." I said laughing at her. I laughed even harder when she tried to hit me. She sat down next to me and we just waited for Artemis to start talking to everyone.
Artemis walked into the center of everyone, drawing the attention towards her. "Alright the hunt has now completed, we should have enough food for a while, but what I know all of you want to know is who won with the pairs. The winners of each pair are the following, Naomi, Hemithea, Celyn, Parthenos, Persephone, and Maia. Those whose name I didn't say you lost. You girls can handle your personal competition, we shall gather tonight for dinner. Dismissed."
As all the other girls went their own separate ways, getting up I headed for the tent to take a nap. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, opening my eyes again I didn't expect to see what I saw. I was in my bed, back in the void, standing up I made my way out of my room and down the hall. As I entered the main room I could see Nyx sitting down gazing out the window, meeting my eyes across the room Nyx smiled at me, within seconds I am across the room, wrapping my arms around her I squeezed her tightly.
"It's only been one day, you can't have missed me that much, child. Anyways how did it go, did you find the daughter of Atlas?" Nyx asked as I pulled away from the embrace.
"Yeah I found her, her name is Zoè, we are actually paired up together. I share a tent with her." I smiled at her, just happy to be back in the void with her even if it was only in a dream, I felt like I was home.
"That's good, make sure you rely on her when you need to, your fates are dependent on each other. She will be a valuable ally in your future. Should one of you fall the other will have no chance to survive what is yet to come." Nyx spoke with a very ominous tone when she spoke of our future.
"Really?" I was astonished that this one demi titan would have such a large impact on my life.
"Yes, my child. Now it's time for you to rest before your friend comes and wakes you up for dinner." Nyx said placing a hand on my forehead and a few moments later my vision went black. I woke up to a hand on my shoulder shaking me back and forth.
"Wake up Persephone. Persephone, WAKE UP" I open my eyes to see Zoè 3 inches from my face, as soon as she sees my eyes are open she shoots up, standing by my bed with a bright red face. Laughing at her I stand up and stretch my back out, hearing all the cracks of my spine as it stretches. Lightly bopping Zoè on the forehead with my finger, I head out the tent with her following me, both of us heading towards the campfire where there is food and warmth. Since she made me leave the nice warmth of my bed to brisk air that always accompanied the end of the year, wind came through the trees with not much resistance. The fire was a good sized one with a couple large logs around it arranged in a way where everyone sitting on the log had a good view of the large stump that Artemis sat on. I sat down next to Maia and Zoè sat next to me. Maia and Phoebe sat the closest to Artemis, Artemis waved her hand and in each one of our laps a terracotta bowl appeared, filled with what looked like a soup with some meat in it.
Artemis gathered everyone's attention. "Tonight we formally welcome two new girls into the hunt, as accustomed after a new recruits first hunt we eat what they bring back, sometimes, as you know they don't bring back much, but our new girls brought back a nice sized buck and some rabbits. So our dinner tonight is a nice rabbit stew with some deer meat thrown in it, a good meal after a good hunt." The rest of the hunt cheered and before beginning to eat everyone stopped to throw a good sized piece of meat into the fire, an offering to the gods. As I threw my piece I offered it to Artemis, of course and under my breath I also threw an offering to Nyx as well, and started eating. To say the food was amazing would be an understatement, I never wanted my bowl to run out. Sadly eventually I did finish all the food, setting down the bowl I looked towards Artemis, waiting for her to speak again. "Alright ladies I'm sure we all can agree that was a really good meal, but it is time for me to go and ride my chariot. So I will leave you girls to your business for the night, be sure to get some rest as after tomorrow we shall pack up and head west. Goodbye girls." With that Artemis disappeared. After a couple hours of talking around the campfire, slowly everyone started heading to bed, Zoè being one of the first to go and I did later. When I returned Zoè was already in bed sleeping, so I just silently crept over to my bed and went to sleep, ready for whatever lay ahead of me.
AN
I was wondering what you guys and girls feel about how the story should progress up to the modern age. Would you prefer it to happen in one chapter just kinda hopping around or would you like it spaced out more. Feel free to leave a review. I read every review that is left.