"You did WHAT?!"
"Athena, wait, calm down."
"Will he calm down?!" The goddess exclaimed, waving her arms, "Do you even think with your head? Do you understand WHAT you signed up for?"
"Athena!" Artemis grabbed her sister's arm sharply, turning her around.
"Athena," she began calmly, "My brother and I have thought about this for a long time, weighed the pros and cons and came to one decision: our only chance to somehow influence this horror is to go to war ourselves. I just can't stand to see them shamelessly killing innocent people anymore! With the coming to power of this boy, who thinks about himself no matter what, everything goes through Hades!"
«Can't you watch innocent people get killed? And what's better for you, how many lives have you cut off yourself?» sang a voice in her head, apparently her Conscience. But Artemis waved him off.
"Sister, there must be another way!"
"No, Athena!" She snapped, "There is no other way out. We decided everything a long time ago, and you can't imagine how much work it cost me. Don't make me doubt my decision."
"Artemis..." Athena lowered her eyes to the floor and sighed heavily, "Artemis, you are the only one really close to me. I just... I just can't lose you. What if something happens to you there? If... if you get killed?! I can't stand it."
"I'll be fine," Artemis reassured her sister, "or do you think I can't stand up for myself?"
"No, not at all! I'm... I'm just worried about you."
"Athena, I understand. But come on, you're not going to challenge my decision and try to change my mind, okay?"
Athena nodded silently.
"I have a request," the goddess of the hunt began slowly, "it's not complicated."
"I can't talk you out of it-you're too stubborn," Athena chuckled, "so I'll help you somehow."
"Thank you, "she sincerely thanked her sister and smiled, "Can you keep an eye on my hunters so that they don't cause trouble? Otherwise, if you leave them alone, they will blow up the whole of America."
"Is that all?" Athena replied with a laugh, "I thought there would be something serious there."
Artemis raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"You didn't even have to ask," she explained.
"Thanks. It means a lot to me."
Athena just shrugged it off.
"That's it, go ahead. But keep in mind: I will not save you from angry hunters."
"I hope it won't be necessary," Artemis laughed and went to the exit.
She opened the door, but stopped and turned to her sister.
"Athena."
Athena turned around.
"Thanks again. For everything." And Artemis left the palace, closing the door behind her.
"Yes, you're welcome," Athena replied softly, but Artemis no longer heard her.
Descending the marble steps of the temple of Athena, the goddess walked along the cobbled streets of Olympus, heading for the edge. A couple of times she was called out by some minor gods and nymphs, but she ignored them. She has more important tasks. Approaching the very edge of Olympus, the goddess leaned on the elegant railing, which did not allow her to fall off. She took a deep breath and looked at the night city that opened up in front of her, illuminated by hundreds of lights - New York.
Mortals... they have nothing to worry about. They sit at home and listen to the radio, or watch TV, just groaning, sighing and sympathizing with the soldiers on the front line. What should I take from them? People.
She will leave tomorrow. But for how long? Artemis didn't know the answer. She hoped it wouldn't last much longer, but who knows what Moir's will is this time. The war had been going on for the 25th month, and no one could fight back against an arrogant upstart named Hitler. He didn't know about the concept of honor. At the end of August 1939, the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression agreement with Germany. But the self-confident boy broke it less than two years later.
The blockade began a week ago. The troops of the Third Reich quickly squeezed the city into a vice, the Soviets retreated under the onslaught of the enemy. In one day, the German armed forces captured the fortress of Shlisselburg and took control of the source of the Niva, blocking Leningrad from land. The Finns were heading towards the city from the north. That evening, 6,000 bombs were dropped on the city. The Badayev warehouses, the main source of food, were burned. There was no food in the city, and Artemis doubted that the Leningraders would last long.
The Germans were distinguished by their surprise and strength. They attacked when attacks were least expected. Perhaps the goddess could even admire them if they weren't so inhuman. She had never been interested in mortal wars, but this was the second war of this magnitude, and it began less than 50 years later. The whole world has already nicknamed it World War II, the Soviets, as always, stood out: the Great Patriotic War. But no matter what people called her, she was the most inhuman and deadly. Hitler's regime took a million lives in the first month of the war.
What will happen next? What will the hunters tell her when they find out that she voluntarily went to war, and even without divine powers? Zoë, Phoebe, Atlanta, Naomi, Celine and the rest of the girls won't just put up with it, they won't be able to let her go. At least one. But Artemis could not allow this - her hunters are mortal. In a war, under a hail of bullets, where life can end in a second, they have nothing to do. Yes, they are incredibly agile, strong, fast and smart, but this does not free them from the sword of Thanatos. She had seen many hunters die, whether from the clutches of monsters or the wrath of her hated relatives. Artemis hated the feelings that tore her soul apart every time.
Therefore, she will only go with Apollo.
And did they make the right decision? Are people worthy of such a high risk as violating Ancient Laws? But without strength, will they be able to somehow prevent the spread of fascism? She didn't know.
Artemis would not have doubted her abilities if her divine powers had not been taken away from her. With a snap of her fingers, she could destroy entire cities, punish the guilty. But without strength, she is hardly a demigod. But at least she didn't have to be afraid to die. She didn't want to hesitate about her and Apollo's capabilities-they would do everything they could. They can handle it anyway.
And are people worthy of the help of the gods? Do they deserve their intervention?
Zeus and Ares thought they didn't deserve it at all. But like Artemis, so did the other gods. People should definitely be helped. They are the reason for existence, and I hate to admit it: the gods are alive as long as mortals remember them. Their existence directly depends on people, and if they kill each other, then there will be no one to remember them, and the gods themselves will soon sink into oblivion. So, yes, it's worth it. Even if many people don't deserve it.
Artemis sighed, rubbing her temples. A pink streak of dawn appeared on the horizon - Eos began its daily watch. Soon her brother's chariot will appear in the sky, looking like the latest Town model.
It's time for her to go to her hunters. The goddess closed her eyes and, flashing in a silver flash, found herself in the Coronado forest. In Arizona, the dawn has already played out in full, illuminating the sky with fiery flashes of the rising sun. They set up camp here a couple of days ago. It was located in a huge, quiet and deserted forest on the edge of the state. From the sharp mountain on which Artemis appeared, all the surroundings were visible. Before going to her hunters, the goddess stopped at its edge. Far from the foot of the mountain there was a village. People didn't come up here-they lacked the skill, and they didn't need to. So high for sure. The hunters' camp was deep in the thicket, so no one bothered them. She turned around and began to carefully descend the steep slope. After a couple of minutes, the goddess was already running through the dense forest, easily maneuvering between the trees.
And now, just a few dozen feet ahead, the camp of her hunters appeared. She moved forward, quickly making her way through the thick bushes and tall trees. And in a matter of seconds, Artemis emerged into a spacious clearing lined with a semicircle of silver tents of her hunters. A hearth blazed hotly in the center of the formed ring. It was only the middle of September, but it was already getting cold. It's going to be early winter this year.
Artemis leaned back against a tree, watching her hunters. The goddess understood that today was the last day she would see them before going to the front.
Atlanta and Naomi were sitting by the hearth, talking and laughing about something. From time to time, Naomi stirred the pot hanging over the fire with a spoon. Anetta came up to them with a bundle of firewood and, squatting down, carefully threw some sticks. Standing up a little, the Frenchwoman looked into the pot and asked Naomi something, most likely what would be for breakfast. Naomi answered while stirring the brew, and with a nod, Anetta ran off towards the tents.
Jojefina, Phoebe and Celine came out from behind the trees on the other side of the forest. All the girls had bows and quivers filled with arrows slung over their shoulders. Phoebe and Josie were dragging a deer carcass across the ground. The head of the dead animal kept hitting the trees, sometimes getting stuck in the roots with its horns. Celine immediately ran to free the horns, and Phoebe, judging by her sharp flapping of her arms, was swearing at the top of her voice. Artemis grinned at the sight, suppressing the slight smile that touched her lips. A girl jumped down from a branch of a nearby tree and, putting her hand on Phoebe's shoulder, said something, laughing. The Spartan nodded stiffly, and the girl-Britomartis, goddess of nets-snapped her fingers, creating a net around the animal's carcass. She patted Phoebe on the shoulder and grabbed one edge, helping the sisters carry the dead animal.
Not far from them, Isabella ran out of the woods screaming. A couple of seconds later, the reason for her escape appeared: wet from head to toe, Zoë rushed after the Roman woman, describing in detail all the types of torture she would subject Bella to when she caught up. So Bella had a very good reason to run away. They were followed by Emmy - Gemithea, one of the few hunters since ancient times, - and seven-year-old Emma. The girls were carrying their washed clothes and laughing all the time, probably remembering Zoë's fall into the water.
Artemis pushed off from the tree and walked towards the camp. She was already at the line of tents when Atlanta raised her head and, noticing her, kicked Naomi in the ribs, forcing the girl to look up from her very exciting activity - stirring food in a pot. Naomi looked sternly at her sister, who in turn pointed to the goddess walking towards them. Naomi turned around.
"Oh, good morning, my lady," she greeted, "How was the meeting?"
"Good morning, girls. The meeting went extremely well. We finally managed to convince Father to intervene," the goddess smiled.
"Wow!" Celine exclaimed as she came up.
"It seemed to me that the Titans would rise up before the Lord of Heaven started doing anything," Brit chuckled, lowering the deer carcass, "Gods, my hands are going to fall off. Where did you find such a heavy deer?"
Phoebe, Josie and Celine looked at each other and, at the same time, turned to Brit and shrugged their shoulders. Brit rolled her eyes. Then Emmy and Emma came up, having already left their washed clothes in the tents.
"Hello, Lady Artemis," Emmy greeted, flopping down next to Naomi.
"Hello!" Emma smiled.
"Hello, girls," the goddess smiled, patting the baby on the head. Emma laughed. "I need to tell you something. Somebody get Zoë and Bella." She turned towards the still screaming Isabella and Zoë running after her.
"And you can't do it yourself?" Brit chuckled.
"To be honest, I'm a little afraid of her."
The girls laughed. Everyone knew that Zoë was Milady's best friend. Brit grinned and wanted to tease the goddess again, but when she saw her empty gaze, seemingly looking somewhere through them, she realized that the matter was really serious.
"So be it, I'll go," Brit said, hiding her concern for her friend behind bold words, and ran towards the screaming huntress.
"My Lady," Phoebe called to her. Artemis shuddered and turned towards the voice. "What happened?"
"That's it…"
"Save me! She's going to kill me!" Isabella screamed, hiding behind the shocked Josie.
"Wait, you bastard. I'll put you on a string," Zoë growled as she ran up and jerked towards Bella. The girl screamed and shrank behind Josephine, but Artemis grabbed Zoë's arm, preventing her from crippling the Roman.
"No one will kill anyone without my permission," the goddess said sternly, "and I will not allow that."
Zoë pouted resentfully and stared sternly at Bella, who, having calmed down, came out from behind her human shield. Zoë turned to Artemis.
"My lady, Brit said Zeus gave permission to intervene."
"Yes," she agreed, "but I think you understand that it's not that simple."
Everyone nodded.
"And what's the catch?" Brit asked as she approached.
"My father is sending my brother and me to Europe to intervene."
"Wow, cool! We're going to Europe!" exclaimed Anette, "Depuis combien de temps je n'ai pas été à la maison!" (fr: It's been so long since I've been to my homeland!)
"But since the gods are forbidden to interfere in the affairs of mortals, our powers will be taken away from us." Artemis continued, "And you're not going anywhere." She looked at Annette sternly.
"What?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why should we stay here?"
"Silence!" Artemis barked, abruptly interrupting all questions. The goddess looked around at the silent hunters. Some looked down at the ground, like Naomi, while others, on the contrary, stared at her fixedly, like Phoebe.
"Artemis," Brit began cautiously, "do you realize how dangerous this is?"
"I am well aware of the risks. Apollo and I have already decided everything." She took a deep breath and continued, "I understand that you are worried and want to help. But, girls, I will never forgive myself if I let you into battle."
"But we also want to help!" Atlanta exclaimed, and she was supported by a discordant chorus of voices.
"You will help me a lot if you stay in America, away from all the fighting."
The hunters groaned in disappointment, but still muttered a promise.
"And no, Brit," Artemis said sternly, noticing the sly gleam in her eyes, "don't even think about it."
"But why? I understand why you're worried about the girls, but I'm also, by the way, a goddess! I can help! I…"
"Brit, you know the laws. The gods are forbidden to interfere."
"But…"
"My powers will be taken away, I will no longer be a goddess. That's it, the matter is closed." Artemis said, her eyes flashing menacingly. But, apparently, she still went too far.
"Girls, you're like daughters to me," she began slowly, "I'm very worried about you all and I can't put you at such risk."
The hunters nodded, understanding her reasoning. They will not voluntarily send any of the sisters to the very hell. Many suppressed smiles due to the fact that their lady considers them her children.
"Am I like a daughter too?" Brit asked.
"You're more like an annoying little sister," the goddess replied, grinning.
Brit pouted resentfully. Celine, who had taken a sip of water, looked at her and, choking, coughed. Bella burst out laughing, and Phoebe patted a blushing Celine on the back.
Artemis smiled. Who knew when she would see them again. She hoped that this war would end in a few months, six months at most. But at that time she was still unaware of the scale of all the horror that was happening in Europe.
"And one more thing," Artemis began, looking at the calmed hunters, "I asked Athena to keep an eye on you. So, don't even try to throw anything away. I'll find out later anyway."
Many girls immediately deflated after her words. There was an awkward silence. But almost immediately Bella broke it:
"What's for breakfast?"
The day was approaching evening. Today was the hunting day off. Artemis protested for a long time, but the hunters persuaded her to rest a little. They spent the whole day talking and joking. Zoë was still sulking at Bella and often reminded her of the imminent punishment. The Roman woman, in turn, twitched and moved away each time, even though she was sitting at the other end of the clearing.
Thunder rumbled. Zeus was gathering a council. The goddess stood up.
"I have to go," Artemis took a deep breath, "girls, please be careful. Don't get into any trouble. There's no way I can help you. But if something serious happens, pray to Athena - she will help."
Emma, who stood next to the goddess, clung tightly to her. Artemis smiled and hugged her back. A second later, she was caught in a group hug.
"Girls, I love you too, but I really have to go. Zeus doesn't like to wait."
"Why so soon?" Anetta was upset.
"Artemis," Brit put her hand on her shoulder, "be careful."
Artemis nodded in response and disappeared in a flash of pure light.
She appeared on her throne. Almost everyone was there, only Ares and Aphrodite and Zeus were missing. The first two appeared in the Council chamber a couple of seconds later: Aphrodite appeared with slightly disheveled hair and smudged lipstick, and Ares - in an inside-out hoodie, an unevenly dressed bandage and scratches on his face, very similar to those left by female nails. Artemis grimaced and turned to her brother. Apollo was pale as chalk, and everything about him-from the damp collar of his shirt to the nervous tapping of his foot-showed his anxiety. He turned around, feeling her gaze, and smiled faintly. She smiled back.
Thunder rang out. Lightning flashed and struck the throne of Zeus, causing the entire Council Chamber to shudder. When the light faded, the goddess saw her father sitting in all his splendor on his throne. Artemis rolled her eyes. Zeus has always loved loud appearances. The King of Drama.
"Dear Council," he began, "I have gathered you to announce my decision. It wasn't easy for me. I've been thinking for a long time: what is the best thing to do and what will be best for the world? And finally, the aliens are on their way out. The gods need to intervene. They worship this upstart! They forget who's in charge here. And if the memory dies, then I... uh, that is, we will go into oblivion. This cannot be allowed to happen."
Everyone perked up at the news of the intervention, but the form of submission... someone sighed, someone rolled their eyes - none of the gods liked the farce and ostentation of Zeus. How does Hera tolerate him at all? To calmly listen to the speech of Zeus and not vomit from an overdose of pathos at the very beginning, you need to take an example from Dionysus: he fell asleep in the middle of the speech, but probably he just passed out because of the huge amount of alcohol he drank.
"Therefore," Zeus continued his monologue, "I have decided to send my two children to prevent this."
"What about the Ancient Laws?" Demeter asked worriedly.
"I've thought of everything. Since the gods are forbidden to interfere, the easiest way to solve the problem is to deprive them of their divinity."
"What?!" Ares exclaimed.
"In the sense of depriving divinity?" Hephaestus said in shock.
And then it started... everyone jumped up from their seats, waving their arms and shouting at each other so that their ears hurt. Artemis and Apollo were the only ones who did not take part in the farce. The goddess closed her eyes, calming her racing heart. She had heard the arguments of the gods, but none of them related to the reason for the gathering of the council.
"I saw you chasing her! And how is this mop better than me? Eh?"
"SILENCE!" Zeus roared and launched a deafening charge at the ceiling. The hall shook and all the voices died away. Tension hung in the air, seeming to sparkle in front of my eyes.
"She's better, at least, because she doesn't nag me or take out my brain, Hera," Zeus replied coldly. Hera just flashed her eyes and turned away.
"Where were we?" The king of the gods continued, "Oh, yes! I will send my two children. Artemis, Apollo, come to me."
All eyes turned to them. The goddess, with her head held high, stepped down from her throne and went to her father.
"Lord Zeus," Artemis bowed her head. Apollo repeated her movement. Her father demanded worship from everyone, whether they were mortals or his own children.
"My children, you have a great honor," Artemis was sickened by these words, and she barely managed to catch the urge to vomit, "You will go to earth for the benefit of me and, of course, Olympus!"
Artemis was silent.
"It is an honor for us, Lord," Apollo answered for his sister. The goddess forced a smile.
"I was wondering where to send you. And I made this important and difficult decision."
"And where to?" Athena asked, looking at the twins with concern. Catching her eye, Artemis nodded and lifted the corners of her lips. Athena frowned, but nodded back.
"I'll send them to the Gulf of Finland. Are you ready?"
Artemis looked at her brother. Apollo looked back at her. He was still pale, but the fear and worry in his eyes had been replaced by some kind of invisible, even frightening, determination. He nodded at her. She mimicked his movement.
"Well," said the thunderer, "good luck."
He raised his lightning bolts above his head. In the next second, Artemis felt a searing pain. The whole body seemed to burst into flames from within, and the ichor was replaced by burning lava. The bones seemed to break, but immediately fused again, tearing the muscles, which, like the bones, became unharmed again. This pain lasted forever, or maybe just a couple of seconds. After that, the world was plunged into darkness.
The "historical information" in this chapter is the pure truth. If you don't believe me, you can look at Wikipedia.
And yet: do not confuse the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War. These are two different wars that occurred simultaneously. GPW (or in Russian abbreviation ВОВ (VOV)) is part of WW2.
WW2: 1.9.1939-2.9.1945
GPW: 22.6.1941-9.5.1945
And in the USSR, and now in Russia, people celebrate the end of GPW, not WW2. Because for the USSR, the war ended 9.5.1945. Other countries fought for almost six more months.
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