Artemis had been sitting there for several hours now, all thoughts of returning to her Hunters had left her mind.
When Hodr disappeared, she had spent quite some time admiring the snowstorm his presence had left behind. She had spent a long while thinking about what he had said. The way he had spoken would have made her believe that the Norse Giants had more power than even the Olympians. If he spoke true, that would mean that this Perseus had more power over her domain than her.
Her uncles had told them that they would be working with deities from other pantheons of the same domain.
Did this mean she was to forgive him for controlling her Hunters?
No, she wouldn't forgive him, but she couldn't blame him.
Hodr had told her it was because of their shared domain. And, going against everything Artemis stood for, she was inclined to believe him.
Mortals believed Artemis to be a heartless and aggressive goddess.
A man-hater. And while, to a certain extent, that was true, she was not unreasonable. Hodr seemed trustworthy, and she would take his word since he truly seemed to want to help.
Here she was, reeling from all the new information. Yet her hunters were still at camp, not knowing anything about the situation. They had all been unable to move and didn't know why. She should go back and explain. They were probably scared, she should go back and help them understand.
"What have we here sisters? A little Godling alone in the snow."
Artemis whirled around, reaching for her bow, but saw it propped up against a log on the other side of the fire. She pulled out her knife as she studied the shadows hidden in the snowstorm.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!"
Artemis was not in the mood for games. She would deal with these would-be attackers and go back to her Hunters.
"Father was right. Here she is, exactly where he said she would be."
Artemis stood, her posture defensive, her gaze fixed on the shadows where the voice came from. She narrowed her eyes, as four figures walked out of the snow. Her eyes widened as she recognized the figures.
There, in front of her, stood the Pleiades, daughters of Atlas.
But for some reason only four of the Pleiades had appeared before her, an odd look in their eyes.
Electra, Taygete, Merope, and Celaeno. Only four of the seven sisters.
Artemis had heard from Hermes about Maia's untimely fate. He had been devastated. Apollo had tried his utmost to cheer him up, but the Messenger still hadn't seemed to have returned to his chirpy old self.
Once upon a time, the sisters had been Artemis' own handmaidens.
"How could I not have known about Maia?" Artemis wondered in her head. "She was my friend."
Yet, as Artemis stood there, something odd dawned on her. "My friends, how do you know of this place," She spoke aloud, fixing her eyes upon Electra. "I have never told anyone about it. Not even my father or brother."
"Foolish little Huntress. You haven't the slightest inkling of what's going on." Electra had been the one to answer, her eyes glowing like the constellation she and her sisters shared their name with.
"Listen to her sisters. So many questions, yet she's still asking all the wrong ones." This time the voice came from her right, Merope.
Artemis could notice the mad glint in her eyes.
"Something is wrong," Artemis realized, finally taking a good look at her surroundings.
Artemis hadn't even noticed it, but they had been slowly encircling her as they talked.
"She claims to be the Huntress, yet she doesn't even notice when she is being hunted."
Artemis' head shot to her left, as Celaeno's voice sounded out like a whisper. None of the joy that had always seemed to be present when she spoke could be heard in her voice.
"Why?"
And there it was, the one she was most afraid to hear speak. Taygete was once one of her best friends, her mere presence being of comfort to Artemis.
But no more.
Now, when she heard her speak, she almost didn't recognize her. That voice, once so full of love and kindness. Now filled with hate, sadness, and disappointment
"Why, Artemis?" The pain in Taygete's voice was unmistakable. "Why weren't you there?"
"Because she's a filthy liar. A hypocrite who cares only about herself," Merope screeched beside her.
"No. I need to hear this from her." Taygete called back. "Why weren't you there when we needed you most, Artemis?" Taygete was looking at her with an intense gaze in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I had only recently learned about Maia's passing." Artemis reacted.
Artemis knew that she was surrounded, and she wasn't sure if she could fight her way out of this. Normally she would be sure of her victory, but something seemed wrong.
She wasn't sure if she would win.
As Artemis answered, she immediately realized that she had said the wrong thing.
"You really don't know, do you? Our sisters. Alcyone, sterope, Maia. They're all gone." Anger dripped from Taygete's voice.
"They're gone, and you weren't there."
Tears welled up in Artemis' eyes. They had been her friends. And now they were gone.
"Taygete. I'm so sorry…" Artemis whispered, her eyes downcast.
"Sorry? You're sorry?!"
Artemis had rarely seen Taygete angry, least of all at her. But this once, she couldn't smite the offending party. She couldn't just kill her and be done with it. This was her friend, and her fury was righteous.
She had failed them.
"We gave everything to Olympus, Artemis."
"Our friendship. Our loyalty. Our gifts. Our innocence." Taygete brokenly uttered, looking down, with tears in her eyes.
"And now what do we have?"
"Not even our family…"
Artemis wanted to do anything to make it up to them, to approach them now, and tell them it would be okay.
But before she had any chance to even try something like that, Taygete looked back up at her.
No longer was there any sadness or pain in her gaze. As Taygete looked upon Artemis, only a deep, bloody, thirst for revenge was to be seen.
Her once beautiful white eyes now shone with an unfamiliar red haze.
As if with a silent sign, all four Pleiades lunged at Artemis. Before she even had the time to defend herself, the four were on her, wrenching from her knife and grabbing her arms.
Electra and Celaeno pressed her against a rock and pulled her arms tight around it.
Artemis was trapped.
As Taygete stepped forward, looking Artemis in the eyes one last time, she spoke with a hatred that sent shivers down her spine.
"We will have our revenge, Artemis. You and your Olympians will pay."
And with a swipe of Taygete's fist, darkness overtook Artemis' world.
"So, where are you leading us now, brother?"
It was Freya who questioned their destination first, her eyes boring into the back of her brother's back.
Percy had come back from talking to their parents, looking happy and relieved, telling them to pack for a trip.
When Freya had asked him where they were going, he had merely smiled at her with that infuriating smirk of his and told her to pack for several days.
Freyr had only been far too happy to leave their home again. He had been stuck in Jotunnheim with his parents for a while now. Ever since the war in Álfheimr had come to a fragile ceasefire, he had been out of a job.
Freya had not been as bound to their home, what with her being the 'Mistress of the Valkyries', but she still spent more time in the safety of Jotunnheim than she would have liked.
As the champion of the Conclave, her brother had quite a lot of power, loathe as he was to use it, and with the disappearing Gods and Goddesses, he tried to keep his family safe.
"We are headed to a meeting with some friends," Perseus said, noticing the look she threw at him. "And you will have to be patient. We are nearly there."
And it seemed like he had not exaggerated.
As the three siblings walked out of the woods, a giant open area entered their vision.
It looked like paradise. A giant circular field of grass, surrounded by all kinds of different landscapes.
A wall of mountains surrounded them, the place where the siblings had walked being the only part without mountains. Different kinds of trees littered the range. Cherry blossoms, 'Ōhi'a lehua, chir pine, birch, oak. A variety of animal species from all over the world ran around, some magical, some not. Several tiny huts and cabins adorned the field. A whole village was stood there, although no people were in sight. A soft fall of snow permanently fell from the heavens, covering the ground in a tiny layer of white.
"Wow… this is, beautiful," Freyr muttered.
"What is this place?" Freya muttered.
Perseus couldn't help but smile, seeing the wonder on his sibling's faces.
"This… is my home. In a small alcove behind the hill over there, is a small cabin I made myself. You have your palaces and your realms, this is my realm. The place where I rule, the place where I work. This is where all people and creatures can find solace and peace," Perseus explained, pride welling in his chest.
As they walked on, passing over a hill, a new sight entered their vision.
Nine stone thrones stood in a circle, the floor they stood on covered in runes and lines.
And two of the thrones were occupied.
"Hades. Hestia." Perseus exclaimed, a smile creeping up on his face. "It's so good to see you! It's been, what, sixty years?"
"That is hardly our fault, my Little Jotunn. If I recall correctly, it has been you who isn't taking the time to visit his family."
As she spoke, Hestia had stood up to embrace the young Giant. She had first met the boy when he was but a baby, but she had immediately taken a liking to him.
Her brother, the big grouch, had tried to stay away, saying he would only scare the little boy. But he too, had to immediately loved him, when the boy had fixed his icy blue eyes on him.
For years, Percy had visited Hades and Hestia, becoming almost family. He had started seeing them as his uncle and aunt, and they, him as their nephew.
"I have to say, my boy, these chairs are not the most comfortable," Hades smirked, resting his chin on his fist. "Persephone says hello, by the way. She wants you to come by again, sometime."
"These thrones were not made for you, old man," Perseus answered, a glint in his eyes. "They are meant for very specific people."
"A well. I like my throne better anyway," Hades responded with a grin, standing up and moving toward Perseus.
As they stood eye to eye, Freyr worried for his brother's safety. Hades was the god of the underworld, and he wasn't known for his kindness.
His fears were ultimately unfounded, however, as Hades let out a short laugh and embraced Perseus.
"It's good to see you, my boy. The underworld has been quite boring, without you visiting us once in a while."
"I hopefully will, when all of this is done. But for now, Hades, Hestia, let me introduce you to my siblings," Perseus said, motioning his siblings to stand beside him. "Sammœðr, meet Hades and Hestia. The Greek God and Goddess of the underworld and hearth respectively," He said, looking at his siblings. He fixed his eyes on the other two. "Hades. Hestia. Meet by siblings. Freya, the Goddess of Love, Magic, and Death," He said, getting an awkward look in his eyes. "Among other things, that I will not mention," He said with a cough.
Perseus stayed silent for a bit, an awkward tension hanging in the air.
Freya's face was covered in a golden blush, hidden behind her hands.
"And this," He continued with a cough, "Is my idiot brother Freyr, God of Peace, Rain, and Sunshine. Contrary to what his domains would tell you, he is not, in fact, that much of a sunshine."
Hestia laughed as he made a jab at his brother, even Hades letting a tiny smile creep onto his face at Freyr's indignant shout of "Hey!"
"It is good to meet you, my lord and lady," Freya said with a bow, drawing the attention away from Freyr's attempt at making a retort. "But, I feel like you didn't bring us here for a simple visit, Percy."
"In that, you would be right, dear Systkin. But it was they, who asked for a meeting," Percy answered his sister, turning his face to look upon the two Greek deities.
"So we did, my boy. We have come bearing ill news," Hades started, a grim look dawning upon his face.
"Earlier today, our council had a meeting. One you were well aware of, seeing as you sent your friend to join us."
Percy answered with a nod.
He had indeed known about the contents of their meeting.
"Well, we had originally wanted to meet with you to discuss certain happenings and to ask some questions. But things have taken a turn for the worse," Hades spoke, a rueful look creeping into his eyes.
"Artemis has been captured, her location unknown to us," Hestia picked up, tears welling in her eyes.
"Help us Percy, we feel that war is on the horizon. My niece is one of our best fighters and her place is with us. Not with whoever took her."
As Freyr looked upon his brother's face, he didn't see any of the surprise that he expected to find there.
He shouldn't be surprised. His brother had a way of always knowing everything before others did.
"We will help you," Freyr spoke, turning his face from his brother to the two Greeks. "Family is important, and if we can help in any way, to find yours, then we have an obligation to do so."
Freya gazed at her brother with pride. Freyr wasn't always the most serious of the bunch, so to see him act like this was refreshing.
Freya and Percy nodded, they couldn't have said it better themselves.
"My brother speaks wisely, and truly. We will help you, we would have, regardless of the moon Goddess' capture," Freya added.
Percy beamed with pride, he had known little people in his life, who would so willingly help strangers. They were good people, his siblings.
"It seems my siblings have spoken," Percy said with an easy smile on his face. As he cast his gaze to the heavens, his icy blue eyes turned to a deep, obsidian black. He seemed to look at something not there, ongoing happenings far from them.
"I know where she was taken. They move for the mountains, near Marin County. Othrys has risen," He continued, his glowing obsidian eyes straining as he bent fate once again. "I know not who took her, nor who shelters upon the mountain." And with those last words, Percy fell back, a look of frustration on his face. "I cannot say more. I am in good relations with the Norns, but they get pissy when I get to know more than I'm supposed to."
"Yeah, as if you ever listen to others, anyway," Freyr grumbled with an eye-roll.
In return, Percy gave him a quick punch to his arm.
"Ow, see how he pains me? I am hurt, I am very much hurt!"
As the brothers started mock-fighting and hurling insults at each other, Freya stepped in front of the Greeks, who were starting to become somewhat confused.
"Don't mind them," She started. "As my brother so eloquently said, there are limits to what he can share."
"What did he mean? Why can he not tell us more?" It was Hades who asked the question, all the while still looking at the still-frolicking brothers.
"Well, as he said, he is in good relationships with the Norns. You'll remember that at his birth, he was called unbound by them." She took a moment to let them nod, confirming her beliefs. "Well, this means he has more freedom when it comes to what they have woven. He sees more, knows more, but he cannot always divulge what he has learned, lest he inquires their wrath. He sees the threads and knows how to manipulate them. Yet he doesn't know what will change, just that something will change," She finished, her gaze having shifted over to her youngest brother.
Freya had explained this a thousand times, and would probably do so a thousand more. Her brother was a special person, with powers most would kill to have.
Some had tried. But they never succeeded.
She had a feeling her brother had known of the Moon Goddess's disappearance before they arrived. He often did, but she wondered what this would mean.
What did he have planned?
As if sensing her eyes on him, Percy let his arms fall from the chokehold he had his brother locked in. Looking at her eyes, he could see the silent question hidden behind her blue eyes.
As he dusted himself off, he walked back to his sister and friends, Freyr joining them as he sensed the sudden seriousness of the situation.
"We will find your, niece, I promise you. There is just one more place we need to visit before we do so."
His answer was a questioning look from the Greeks.
"Camp Half-blood. We are not in our world, so we must abide by yours. We will visit your camp and your oracle. May she hold valuable information," Percy said as a grin fell on his face at his next comment. "And I would like to see the old horse again, after all this time."
"Thank you, you don't even know how much we appreciate your help," Hades said, Hestia nodding beside him.
"Don't worry about it. We might be from different pantheons, but you two are my family. And we Norse, always help our family."
With one final appreciative nod from Hades and another quick hug from Hestia, both Greek Gods disappeared from his garden.
"Well, that was nice," Freyr spoke out of nowhere, drawing a chuckle from his siblings.
"It seems I have much to explain to you, my sammœðr, and I will do so on the way to their camp," Percy spoke, taking a deep breath to start the explanation.
As he launched into his story, a dark look took over his face. "Let me start with why it is that whole Pantheon's keep disappearing…"
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, god Jul, Io Saturnalia, or whatever you may celebrate this time of the year.
Sooooo, another dialogue-heavy chapter. Just like all the others.
I am a beginning writer and haven't gotten into my rhythm as of yet. But I'm hoping to start trying a bit of combat in the next few chapters.
Thanks for reading the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.
Check out TemplarHalo on AO3.
Check out Arkkkk on Fanfiction,net.
Check out Sol PJOFan on Fanfiction,net.
Spartan, signing off.
