[3rd Person Pov]
Zoë hated industrialization ever since humanity first manufactured steam.
She has scoffed whenever she came in contact with men's self-congratulatory behavior about how much they have advanced.
In her view, all they had managed to accomplish was over-populate their species and ruin the balance of nature.
"I fail to see why you thought it necessary to give me a tour."
Zoë shot piercing glares toward the back of Hylla, who was walking a few steps ahead of her.
"I can't help but notice that you don't seem to be enjoying our worksite anymore."
"It is common courtesy to show our strength to our visitors."
Hylla waved her hand below, where thousands of people bustled around.
A handful of them were security women in black suits, supervising workers in orange jumpsuits and a collar around their necks.
Zoë rested on the gard fence and observed the workers bustling about, sometimes getting barked orders by an angry administrator who was also a woman.
"I can't help but notice that you don't seem to be enjoying our worksite anymore."
Hylla kept her expression neutral, but the veteran hunter could tell when someone laid a trap in front of her.
"You used to be thrilled by how the Amazon had control over these men," Hylla pushed on.
When Zoë didn't react, she decided to drop the bomb.
"May I assume your last journey has shaken your conviction about men?"
The lieutenant of the hunt froze.
By instinct alone, Hylla found her hand resting over one of her many knives.
She had heard countless stories about Zoë Nightshade, the legendary huntress who had kept her title of Lieutenant for two thousand years.
Most of the stories were considered legends among the Amazonians, primarily because most of them took place far before any of them could remember and the more prominent factor was that the achievements themselves were absurd.
'That legendary hunter began to show sympathy for men...
The starting point of the change was at the end of last year when Lady Artemis was said to have been kidnapped.
If Reyna's letter was true, then she currently has an alarming amount of affection for a demigod.
In any other circumstances, Hylla would have been mildly amused by the revelation. She might have even teased the great hunter for her change.
But the timing of such development couldn't have been worse.
'I have to check,' the Amazon queen told herself. 'Orion can manipulate anyone with his forked tongue if one isn't strong-willed enough—'
"Hylla."
Hylla blinked. It took her a second to realize that Zoë had her knife out.
With a startle, Hylla unsheathed her weapon as well—but even as she did, the queen couldn't help but note that if Zoë had the intention to kill her, she could have easily obtained her goal.
Zoë, on the other hand, kept her stale expression, so much so that she almost looked nonchalant to the whole situation.
"If you are concerned about my commitment to this mission..."
With a swift slash, a small piece of the metal fence went airborne. Zoë caught the pipe, crushed it, and dropped the distorted metal junk on the floor.
"...I can assure you, I have no intention to show Orion any mercy."
"I see," Hylla swallowed, "Then the tales about you and a Son of Ares—"
The Amazon queen came to a halt once more.
However, this time, it wasn't because she had been intimidated.
At the mere mention of said demigod, Zoë's expression morphed into a dreamy, sorrowful one with so much depth that she couldn't bear to push on the subject.
"He's the one who gave me the belt of Hippolyta, you know."
Zoë pointed at the magical belt around Hylla's waist.
"...David is not like any man I have ever met before. I doubt I'll ever meet anyone else like him again."
Hylla held her tongue.
Whoever this David was, he obviously possessed a large portion of Zoë's heart.
He also seemed to have left quite an impact on Reyna as well. She had never seen her younger sister write about a boy since the Son of Jupiter.
'This boy...I might have to check in on him.'
"Sounds like a swell boy. But let's focus on the task at hand. We have to send Orion back to Tartarus and find a way to make him stay there."
"Yes, we must."
With another sigh, Zoë followed Hylla to her netting room.
The order given to her by Artemis echoed in her head.
"...Zoë. I ask this, not because you are my lieutenant, but I consider you as my friend.
During the travel, visit Camp Half-Blood.
And...and, with the bow I gave you...kill the boy."
'All I have to do is kill Orion before I meet him. Then...'
Zoë clenched her fists.
David showed her that people can reach their desired destination if they strive for it.
He threw everything he had to ensure her safety and happiness. It was now her turn to return the favor.
She will not kill David for Artemis.
She will find a way to save both of her most beloved beings in the world.
She was determined to make it a reality.
No matter the cost...
[Line Break]
The Grey Sisters was the worst vehicle I've ever ridden.
By the time we arrived at the designated forest, it felt as if my intestines were lodged somewhere around my neck.
At least the woods were ordinary. No evil teachers kidnapping you, or giant crazy boars trying to kill you, or—Swoosh! I immediately rolled sideways.
Small branches and rocks nipped my sides painfully, but I had no time to dwell on such minor injuries.
The air rippled again as I sprang to my feet.
This time, I saw a glint between the shadows of the
One of the Grey Sisters got out of the smoky cab, blindly rummaged in my pocket, and took five drachmas.
"Thank you for using our services," Wasp seethed through her nonexistent teeth.
I tried to reply, "You're welcome," but all that came out was a wretched groan mixed with a heavy burp.
The Grey Sisters drove off before I could barf on their bumper.
"I'm never using that taxi again..."
I flopped onto my back and breathed in the refreshing wildness.
The forest reminded me the last time I was stranded in the wilderness, although it missed the thigh-deep snow piles and Zoë.
... gods, I am really missing her, aren't I?
What could this ultra secret mission be? It has to be something ridiculously dangerous.
If I'm being honest, I wished Zoë would have suggested that I join her on that quest as well.
Sure, Hunters of Artemis were technically supposed to ask favors to a the otherhand.
But they already broke that rule when Percy and I went along to save Artemis from Mt Othyrs, didn't they?
Would it be too much to ask to stretch the rule a little bit more...?
I rummaged around in my pocket and pulled out the last gift Zoë gave me before our departure.
The silver leaf glinted in the sunlight.
I tried to blow the short melody she had taught me: The song about farewell and reunion.
By now, I could recreate the song fairly well.
But whenever I heard the short harmony, it always reminded me of Zoë and our last time together, which made me feel more wistful than before.
I was so indulged in how I missed Zoë, I might have stayed lying in the forest for hours if it weren't for the silver arrow aimed at my forehead.
As soon as my senses picked up danger, my warrior instincts kicked in.
I swiftly tucked and rolled to the right. The arrow landed in the ground a foot or two away from my cheek.
I looked up to where the shot came from and caught a glimpse of some rustling leaves.
Whoever the attacker was, she wasn't as good at stealth as she was with archery.
The mysterious archer kept making noises as she moved from tree to tree until settling on the side to my right.
The second shot was much easier to predict.
This time, I didn't bother dodging. Instead, I reached out and grabbed the silver arrow before it pierced my temple.
The archer flinched, making more rustling noises. She even dropped some leaves to the ground, practically advertising where she stayed hidden.
"Don't try to move," I said before the hunter moved again, "I promise, I'll be able to sense you no matter where you go."
The hunter remained silent.
"I'm not here to harm you or any of the other nearby Hunters of Artemis. I'm only here because I have to retrieve a stray pegasus."
I raised my hands to signal that I meant what I said.
The hunter went steadily, almost as if she wasn't there from the beginning.
"If you had seen one, please lead me to it. Then I promise I'll leave without—"
I ducked right before something wrapped around my arm.
As I rolled sideways, a spiky silver whip darted back into the bushes behind me, like a snake.
By the time I was back on my feet, I'd lost track of where the archer was.
Crap.
The next arrow came without any warning. As soon as I weaved underneath it, the iron whip lashed out from the right side and raked at my face.
"Ah-ha!"
I reached out and grabbed the whip with my mechanical arm. I sensed a slight bit of agitation from the other end of the whip.
Another arrow took flight, aimed at my shoulder so I would let go of her comrade's weapon.
After a split second of contemplation, I used my left arm to block the arrow.
"...!"
The tree rustled from afar as the arrow pierced its limb.
Tck-tck!
With two gears on, I yanked the whip like pulling a hooked fishing rod.
"Eek!"
A surprisingly mature-looking woman came flying out from behind the bush.
She held the whip firmly even as she was thrown out of hiding and landed on her feet.
When the huntress checked that my grip was ironclad, she cursed in Ancient Greek and thrust aside the handle.
Instead, she drew two hunting knives from her back and swung them at my throat.
She was fast enough that I couldn't get to my sword in time, but in turn, I was skilled enough in hand-to-hand combat to fend her off without any weapon.
The huntress hacked at my left shoulder, but I deflected her arm with my elbow and struck her jaw with an open palm strike.
A drop of blood flew into the air as the huntress staggered back a few steps and regained her footing.
"Y, you..."
She stumbled on her ankles.
"You'd better take some rest," I advised her. "That uppercut rattled your brain."
Unfortunately, the huntress ignored my words.
She snarled like an angry puma and lunged at me again. However, in her current state, the lunge was more like a feeble jump.
I caught her between the shoulders before she fell on her face and locked her arms behind her back, which made the hunter struggle even harder.
"Let me go!" She barked, trying to bite at my arm between winces of pain, "Let me go, or I'll—"
"Let's discuss my punishment later. If you keep thrashing around, you'll probably throw up."
And speak of the devil!
Right as I finished my sentence, the hunter wretch and keeled over.
From afar, the archer dropped from her hiding spot and ran toward us.
I wondered if I should drop the hunter held captive in my arms before things got worse for me when the second hunter waved her arms.
"David!" She shouted, "David, it's me! Set her down!"
I set down the hunter and squinted at the second one.
She had copper-colored skin and long dark brown hair neatly in a braid.
That nearly made my heart was until I saw her closely in the eyes and realized they were amber-red instead of coffee-brown.
"Erytheia," I murmured.
The former Hesperid stuck her tongue out as she gently rubbed her comrade's back.
"You don't have to sound so disappointed, David."
I awkwardly looked away, unsure what to say.
While I struggled to form a suitable answer, Erytheia turned her attention back to the wrenching hunter.
"How are you feeling, Merope?"
Merope shrugged Erytheia's hands off her shoulder.
"I'm fine," She spat, wiping her mouth with the hem of her jacket, "And I told you not to call me Merope!"
"Why not?"
Merope shot daggers from her eyes as she turned to me.
It would have been wiser to stay silent, but I was more desperate to change the subject away from Erytheia.
"What do you want?" Merope snarled, "Why did you enter our campground!?"
"I just told you I'm here looking for a pegasus."
Erytheia lowered her head and whispered, "Celyn, maybe he is here for the pegasus we found a few hours ago."
"No! I don't trust him! What if he is in league with Orion?!"
"Orion?"
I can't help but notice I'm hearing his name more often.
Celyn clucked her tongue in irritation.
"Of course a boy like you would recognize him," She sneered, "That scum must be an idol to fools like you, right?"
"Hey, don't get any wrong ideas. I'm not fond of him either," I protested.
Not only did he abandon Hecuba after her "death", I recently ran into a dissension with one of his servants—Travenon.
Considering everything that creep showcased, I found it hard to believe that Orion would be a just character.
However, Celyn didn't seem to believe my words. She huffed and firmly turned her eyes away from me.
"Your words hold less meaning than a pebble rolling around in this forest.
Leave now, or face the consequence."
"Celyn..." Erytheia protested.
She tried to give me an apologetic expression, but even I was reaching the limit of my patience.
If Zoë could change her views on men, there is no reason any other hunter couldn't.
Besides, why should I take orders from some random huntress? I'm here to reclaim what's rightfully ours.
"I'm not leaving until I find our pegasus.
If you have a problem with that, then we are done sharing conversations."
I drew my sword.
The stubborn huntress curled her lips into a twisted smirk. She thrust Erytheia's dissuading hands away and picked up her barbed whip.
"I'll make you pay for your arrogance, αγόρι!(Boy!)"
"Try if yoy can."
Ceyln swung her whip viciously.
The pointed leash writhed across the air like a living snake, but the trajectory was far too predictable to be a challenge.
I slashed at the whip.
A cold mist blooming from the blade shrouded the whip, layering it with white frosts.
"Gah!"
With a couple of strikes, the frozen whip was cut into pieces.
Ceyln jumped backward in shock, covering her frost-covered right hand. She reached for her knife, but my sword was much faster.
"Checkmate."
"...!"
Ceyln bit her lip with the edge of my sword pressed against her neck.
"If I want to kill you, all I'd have to do is cut a few inches deep."
The huntress didn't answer. Her eyes burned with hatred, humiliation...and something else.
I retrieved the sword and clapped my hands togethrt.
"Now, can I see the pegasus?"
[Line Break]
"Sorry about Celyn," Erytheia muttered.
I shrugged, "I've received worse welcomes."
The huntress on question was stomping through the woods as she led the way to the Basecamp of the Hunters.
Erytheia watched her friend's back with a troubled expression.
"I can't tell you the details, but she had a rough history with Orion way back when. She absolutely loaths him for that."
I looked at Ceyln's back as she roughly made her way through the forest.
"No! I don't trust him! What if he is in league with Orion?!"
She was very good at masking her emotions.
However, a child of Ares never missed out on someone else's fear.
Ceyln didn't hate Orion.
She was afraid of him.
Just like when I held a sword to her throat.
"Must have been tough."
... but then again, there wasn't anything I could do about it. Nor was it my responsibility, I don't think I had the right to, either.
"Anyway, how's the hunter life treating you?" I asked.
Erytheia's eyes lit up immediately.
She went on to explain what she had been up to during the past few months since she had joined the Hunters of Artemis.
"I couldn't believe how much the world has changed!" She said in excitement, "No wonder Asterope wanted to leave the garden; everything is so different...and new! It's like opening a box of treasure chest every day!"
Watching Erytheia excitedly praising her hunter life brought a smile on my face.
Since she had spent an unfathomable time in a frozen place, it was plausible that she would have trouble adapting to the new lifestyle.
And, you know, there was a tinsy fact that I dumped her right before our departure.
"..."
Erytheia's expression slightly shifted, and I realized she was also thinking of our ride on Artemis's slay on Winter Solstice.
Suddenly, the air felt at least three times heavier.
I'd rather get scowled the entire way by Ceyln than to be reminded of that uncomfortable subject.
However, the determined light in Erytheia's eyes held me back from speeding up.
"David."
Erytheia spent several steps chewing on her words until finally saying, "You don't have to feel guilty about your choice back then. I respect it."
"Still...that was a d#$k move."
Erytheia frowned like Ms. Gottschalk when she found some kids smoking in the back of the school yard.
"Don't use words like that in front of a hunter."
"Um. Sorry, ma'am."
Erytheia's expression melted into a smirky grin.
I had a fleeting suspension she liked getting called ma'am far more than she would be willing to admit.
"I would have been more offended if you prolonged your answer or tried to claim both of us."
I nearly tripped over a random root.
Of all the words I could have chosen, claim would be one of the last choices I'd use to describe my feelings for Zoë.
I tried to explain that to Erytheia, but the Hesperid didn't seem to listen too closely, just like the obnoxious Aphrodite children.
Finally, I gave up trying to convince her and decided to change the subject.
"Why are you here, anyway?"
Erytheia's smile vanished instantly.
Her eyes dropped to her hunting boots as she muttered, "We're...currently in hiding."
I frowned, "Hiding? From what?"
To my surprise, it was Celyn who answered this question.
"From Orion and his idiotic stooges."
"You mean the 【Ageli Lykon】? Are they after you or something?"
Celyn scowled louder than ever when I mentioned the name of Orion's followers.
"That Oaf and his servants are hunting down our sisters. They are taking away our sworn families one way or another."
My stomach lurched uncomfortably.
Although the Hunters could be abhorrent, conservative girls, I wouldn't want them to get slaughtered in any circumstance.
On the other hand, one crucial detail confused me.
"But didn't the original Orion die a bunch of years ago? How is he walking on earth right now?"
The Hunters shared a foreboding glance with each other. Whatever the answer was, it wasn't a good one,nor did they share it with me.
Come to think of it, both Hecuba and Travenon had referred to Orion as their master, yet they acted as if the ancient hunter was alive and kicking.
In most myths, Orion's parentage was between Poseidon and a mortal princess named Euryale. That made him a demigod, a powerful one, but still a mortal being.
He couldn't be alive in the 21st century even if his story didn't end with him getting shot in the skull or stabbed by a scorpion.
But there was another story where Orion's mother wasn't a mortal, but one of the most ancient, powerful beings in the Cosmos The Earth Mother, Gaea.
If that was the case, it won't be surprising to anyone that Orion was still active after all these years.
Even if he was never depicted as a god, he was as good as one.
"Hey!"
I was so deep within my thoughts that I didn't notice a sharp smack to my forehead until it landed.
"Ow!"
Ceyln was glaring at me with her hand outstretched.
I rubbed my stinging forehead, "What was that for?"
The hunter shoved a blindfold into my nose as an answer.
"We're taking you into our camp. It is a necessary safety measure that men cover their eyes before entering."
"What the hell are you talking about? I've already seen the Hunters set up camp. You people constructed one in the backyard of my school!"
My retort only enraged Ceyln.
Her expression morphed into one of the most nasty scowl I've ever seen as she jabbed her forefinger against my chest.
Thankfully, before she could explode on me, Erytheia intervened.
"It's a precautionary matter, David. Our camp is slightly different from regular hunting camp... you'll see once we get there."
She handed the blindfold with pleading eyes—something dastardly bad for once's heart when they look similar to Zoë.
"Alright," I took the blindfold, "But how would I know where to go with my eyes covered?"
"I'll tie a leash around your neck," Ceyln made a brutal suggestion, tracing her fingers over her thorny whip.
Before I shot her with another remark and made things worse, Erytheia wordlessly wrapped her arms around mine.
"I'll guide you. Just follow my lead, OK?"
"Uh..."
Erytheia took the blindfold and wrapped it over my eyes without waiting for my answer.
Being in total darkness wasn't new to me, thanks to all the training with Hecuba.
On the other hand, a beautiful girl with a good physique tugging me by my arm was a unique experience.
What's worse was that the only difference between Zoë and her sisters was the color of their eyes.
So when I couldn't see Erytheia, I couldn't help but feel like Zoë was standing a few inches next to me, joyfully hugging my arm and giggling like a naughty angel.
We trudged through the woods for an hour or two until Erytheia finally stopped, and soft fingers gently pulled the blindfold away.
"We're here."
The burst of light forced my eyes shut for a moment. I could hear dozens of voices coming nearer.
"Is that a man?"
"He is so tall!"
"And big!"
"He looks scary..."
I opened my eyes.
Almost twenty or so hunters, all looking hardly older than 10, were gazing up at me with interest.
""Who are you?""
The young hunters asked in unison.
Stunned, I turned to Erytheia in hopes of an explanation.
Erytheia smiled and put her hands on her hips.
"Welcome to Artemis's daycare.
Every hunter here, apart from me and Ceyln, is too young to participate in more dangerous activities.
I hope you get along well with children, David."[Line Break]Unfortunately, I didn't get along well with the children.Well, technically, the children had no problem with me."David!" "Yes?"A girl named Fraey shoved a dead snake onto my lap. The snake had a silver arrow propped on its head."I caught it!" Fraey said triumphantly, holding her nose high in the air.The snake, mind you, wasn't wild. It was one of many trained animals in the Hunter's camp, used for recreational activities.Needless to say, the arrow didn't have pointy edges. Instead, it had a suction cup like a plunger, which allowed it to stick to the target."Yes, very good job."
Fraey huffed and beckoned at me.
I handed the snake back, and the young huntress ran to find her friends to brag about her successful "hunt".
"All done!"
Another girl tapped me on my back, ran around my legs and held up a mirror.
"How do you think?"
She had spent the last half an hour "camouflaging" me by showering fallen pine cones and leaves onto my hair.
"...Wow, I can barely see myself. Good job, "
Dliay."
"Right?"
Dliay smiled brightly, showing her three front teeth, then ran off after Fraey.
I made sure that no other girls were watching me before brushing off the forest debris.
It's been an hour since I've arrived at the daycare, but it felt as if a week had passed. It was too exhausting.
"Ugh..." I sighed to the ground.
All I could hope for was that Erytheia would return with the pegasus sooner rather than later.
Then, a disparaging snort came from behind.
"Having trouble?" Ceyln asked with a sneer.
Her demeaning attitude would have had more weight to it if she wasn't wearing a cute apron around her waist, or had flicks of cookie dough splattered on her face.
"Yeah," I admitted, "Taking care of kids is much harder than I thought."
From afar, I watched half a dozen of hunter girls rolling around in their "Training ground", which was basically the same as a regular playground.
"Ms. Ceyln, can you check if my cookies are good?"
Ceyln's expression melted with kindness as soon as she turned to a hunter.
She took a small bite out of the cookie handed by the little girl.
Even from afar, I could tell that the cookie was burnt, but Ceyln let out an expert squeal of delight and gave the young hunter a hug.
"It's so delicious! Thank you for sharing your cookie, Melissa. Would you like to make some more? Perhaps with less fire this time."
"Yes, Ms. Ceyln!"
Melissa ran back into the cooking tent in delight.
"...You're doing a superb job," I noted.
Ceyln scowled and wiped off a spec of dough from her cheeks, "What? Never expected a hunter to have motherly traits?"
I shrugged, "Kind of?"
Logically speaking, it would be odd if a memeber of Hunter of Artemis had such abilities, wouldn't it?
They all swore off love to devote their lives towards hunting and maidenhood.
Ceyln watched Fraey, Dilay and some other girls playing tag with each other.
When they noticed their caretaker watching, the kids waved at us with beaming smiles. We both waved back with smiles as well.
I savored the brief moment of peace and quiet as the children played with themselves.
Even Ceyln loosened her guard a little, sitting only a few feet away from me while keeping her eyes on the kids.
"...Not all of us can be good hunters," She murmured, "Some thing that makes us worthless, but I don't think that's not what the Hunters of Artemis is about."
She continued with a soft smile on her lips, "There are other ways than hunting down monsters to make the world a better place."
You know what?
She had a good point.
We stayed silent for a while, until I gathered enough guts to ask the question that had lingered in my mind since I've arrived at the daycare.
"Why does the Hunt have so many young girls, anyway?"
Ceyln's expression stiffened.
"Because they are the ones who are most vulnerable to abuse. Abuse from men like you."
She spat out the last of her sentence like a python shooting venom at its prey.
I was half-way onto arguing that not all men were abusive, but then I remembered how my mortal family was like.
Not to mention Rose...
I am still far from finding her whereabouts, much less tell her if she is doing well or not.
"What's the matter?" Ceyln taunted.
I shrugged again.
"Nothing. I guess you do have a point in some regards..."
Ceyln seemed to be surprised by my words, but I continued nontheless.
"Still, there are men who try to be better," I pointed at myself with my thumb, and held out my other hand for a handshake.
"We're not as unredeemable as you think, Huntress."
Ceyln blinked at me with a hefty dose of doubt and apprehension.
She glanced between me and the girls I took care of, laughing and playing, then tentatively grasped my hand.
"...This is metal."
"Oh, right. I had an incident before, let's just..."
I quickly offered her my regular hand, but Ceyln didn't take it.
Instead, she stared at me, dumbfounded.
"So...Erytheia wasn't lying? You actually sacrificed your arm to..."
I felt a rush of heat climb up my neck, "Wait, she told you about what happened at the garden?"
Before I could get an answer, however, something rustled from the bushes.
Ceyln snapped out of her shocked state and grabbed her whip.
"Girls? It's getting cold. Let's go inside early today."
""Aww...""
The girls all pouted their lips, but followed her orders and trudged back into the tents.
When they were all inside, I drew my sword as well.
The rustling became louder and louder until something darted into the playground...with a neigh.
"...that's the pegasus," Celyn muttered, appalled, "But if that's back, where is Erytheia?"
The pegasus neighed and flapped it's wings, sending dust particles flying everywhere.
It didn't look normal...but I had no idea what the problem was.
On the other hand, Celyn widened her eyes and gasped. She hurried next to the pegasus and ripped something off its back.
"What? What's wrong?"
Instead of answering, Celyn threw the obejct into my chest, which turned out to be an envelope.
When I opened it, there was a bloody parchment inside.
Me name Kintos
Me have Silver lady
Come before sun gone or she die
"..."
I crumbled the envelope in my hands.
"The pegasus says he knows where the monster is, but if someone captured Erytheia..."
Celyon glanced at the tent with a worried look.
"You stay here," I leaped onto the pegasus.
I was never good at pegasus riding, but I had plenty of practice riding on land with the skeleton horses.
"I'll bring back Erytheia no matter what."
"Wait—"
I rode off into the forest.
A/N:
God damn writing is hard
