Nothing is mine.

Percy hunts a chameleonolope!

Aristo

'That way.' The dryad offered him a shy smile and pointed past the trunk of her slender tree with one birch-white finger. 'There was a brutish centaur. He pursued me from the stream, but I hid and slipped away.'

'He won't hurt you.' Percy raised his bow. 'If he was trying to, I'll turn him into glitter, which, you know, sorry, because it'll be a bit messy and very gold, and you probably like green and nature colours, but ultimately, if he's earnt suffering…'

If he's earnt suffering… He stared down at the gleaming bronze tip of the arrow; it shone sharp as the savage gleam in Artemis's amaranth-red eyes. Then the storm knows no false mercy, either.

The dryad melted back into the slender trunk of the birch.

'My hunting sucketh slightly less now, Zoë,' Percy murmured. 'But the demi-gods are filtering back into camp, Chiron said it's now too dangerous outside the boundaries for them again. It's all going to start again.'

It's like Luke said; the monsters always come back. But we don't. We die, with or without regret.

He slipped through the trees, weaving through the trunks like a stream down its valley toward the faint sound of breaking branches.

I wonder who my destined foe is? Percy caught sight of the hulking torso of a tall centaur stomping through the ferns. I should've known it wasn't Luke; he was never really an enemy, he just gave up hope, right, Zoë?

'Where are you?' The centaur growled sweeping a brutal, hammer-like axe through the ferns. 'I'll find you, little dryad, and when I do…'

To suffering. He raised the bow and breathed in the still of the calm woodland pool, picturing the clear glassy surface amidst a blur of green glasses. Artemis, please help my archery not sucketh completely.

Her soft laughter sang in her ears like the dusk chorus of the forest. Set your balance better, Perseus, or your weight will shift as you release the string and your shaft will fly awry.

Percy shifted his feet among the roots and drew back the arrow. 'Thank you,' he murmured, letting it go.

The arrow hissed through the ferns and caught the centaur in the ribs below his bulging chest muscles with a soft thunk. A howl of pain tore from him and he clutched his axe in both white-knuckled hands.

'One arrow is just the prick of a thorn,' the centaur yelled. 'I am Nessus, I fought against Heracles. Face me fairly, coward.'

Percy reached for Anaklusmos.

No. Artemis's whisper cut through his thoughts like the fierce cold of a winter wind. This foe has no honour; his taunts are meaningless. If one arrow will not send the beast to the suffering he has earnt, fire a second.

He raised the bow, nocked, drew, and loosed in one smooth action.

The arrow struck Nessus in the throat and he collapsed into a cloud of golden dust.

'A fine shot,' Artemis murmured beside him.

Percy's heart leapt into his mouth and he twisted around on his heel. 'Artemis…'

'Were you expecting Aphrodite once more?' The corner of her mouth twitched. 'She will not trouble you while I am with you, though—' her gaze lingered on Percy's sternum, burning through him to the tingling prickling handprint upon his spine '—she will forever be with you in some form or another, as she is with all mortals.'

Percy mustered a grin. 'She likes to remind me what will happen to all the girls that might love me and try to make me feel as awful as possible about not loving them the way they hoped I would.' He studied the carpet of gold dust. 'She's actually really good at it, but, you know, she would be, being a goddess and all.'

'Not all love is cruel, Perseus.' She stretched taller as she strode past him, her auburn hair darkening. 'But always she will tempt you with the fire of all-consuming passion; it is her nature. Your nature.'

Percy nodded. 'I know. Sometimes she's kind and makes everything feel better, but…'

'You dread her coming in case she is not?' A faint smile flitted across Artemis's lips. 'Of course you do. And you are bound to the mortal world by love; even if it is the love of your mother, that would still draw her gaze.'

Percy poked about in the ferns with his feet. 'Can I ask a question that might be rude so we stop talking about love?'

'You can ask.' Her silver eyes pierced through him, bright as the stars but sharp as steel. 'But the consequences of your choice are yours to bear, Perseus.'

'Why do you… change?' he asked. 'You have red hair and silver eyes and you're—' he waved a hand out around the height of his nose '—smaller, but sometimes you're taller, like now, and others your eyes are red and your hair is dark. Zeus did it once on Olympus, he had a crown...'

'I am many things, Perseus,' Artemis murmured, bending to lift a small ivory hunting horn from ferns. 'Your spoil.'

'It's yours,' he whispered.

The horn melted into wisps of silver flame and faded away.

'You met me first as Artemis Kourotrophos,' Artemis said. 'Patron and protector of children. And you have known me as Diane, of the moon, Artemis Agrotera, of the wild and the hunt, and Artemis Aristo, giver of good advice. All aspects of me. But I do not change from one to the next, Perseus; I am not many goddesses in one form; I am them all, always, and appear as whichever is most apt.' A spark of pride welled up in her eyes, bright as the full moon rising over the sea. 'Few come to know me so well as you have, even among my companions, and fewer still of them make me proud.'

I promised I would make you proud. You and Zoë. Percy's heart trembled, quivering like a drop of water clinging to the tip of his finger; the light of her smile swept it up among the stars and the warmth of them tingled between his shoulder blades, prickling deep to the bone like countless hot silver needles. If I didn't, I'd fall, like Achilles.

He hunted for something to say. 'And Zeus?'

'Justice is kingly. But my father is many things too.'

'I kind of understand,' Percy said. 'I guess I can't completely, though.'

'Not without taking up my father's challenge.'

'I don't want to do that,' he whispered. 'I'd just be then, and I could be awful. I'd rather stay as I am and choose well.'

Artemis held out her hand, a little crimson creeping into her eyes. 'Come, Perseus—' her small smile curved into a fierce grin '—I have greater quarry for you to pursue than pitiful Nessus.'

'Can it ghostify itself again?'

She laughed. 'If it were not a challenge, I would not offer it to you.'

'That sounds like a yes,' he muttered, eyeing her slim fingers. 'It's just not very fair, is all.'

Artemis's lips crooked and she stepped closer, resting her hand on his shoulder. 'Be brave, Perseus, I will not turn you into a guinea pig for taking the hand I offer you.'

Percy's breath stuck in his throat as the faint sweet scent of pine sap and crushed juniper filled his nose.

'Now close your eyes,' she murmured.

He snapped them shut.

A flash of silver seared his eyes and Artemis's fingers left his shoulder.

Percy cracked one eye open.

Artemis leant against the slim trunk of a pine, one bare foot upon the arch of its roots, and one dangling beside it; beyond her the trees and the thick swathe of green beneath them stretched into the distance.

'Where are we?'

'The wild.' Her lips twitched, a flicker of humour passing through her silver eyes.

Percy rolled his eyes. 'Thanks, oh shortest of extremely powerful goddesses.' He clapped a hand across his mouth. 'This is why I get cursed.'

Artemis's laughter sang in his ears like the wind through the mountains. 'Hestia is shorter than I, Perseus. Now, are you ready?' A fierce grin flashed across her face and her irises bled bright and red. 'I have but a single arrow. And you, Perseus, you will have until I count to a thousand.'

'To do what?' he asked.

'To catch our prey before I do.'

'Is it highly dangerous?'

Artemis's grin spread a little wider. 'Would it be any sort of challenge if it wasn't?' She raised her hand and a single shining silver arrow swirled into being upon her palm. 'Our quarry is the Tarandrus, a most elusive beast. May the best huntress win...'

'Very funny,' Percy muttered, casting one eye over the gleaming barbed head of her arrow. 'Does one arrow mean you only get to fire it once or can you go and get it if you miss?'

She laughed. 'Why not, though I would not rely on me missing my shot, Perseus; it has been longer than you can imagine since I have.'

'I guess I'll just go and lose, then,' he said. 'Are there any other rules I have to follow? Or can I do whatever I want otherwise?'

'Don't give up and let me win, Perseus,' Artemis murmured. 'I like to win fairly and this is a test. Now—' she pointed the arrow away into the trees '—one. Two. Three…'

Percy slipped away through the brush, winding through the slim pines and nocking his arrow to the string of his bow. Beneath his feet, the heaps of dead pine needles and soft green ferns lay undisturbed.

I'm going to lose this so badly, Zoë. He caught a flash of sunlight on a thin ribbon of water and prowled toward it. Well, she didn't say I couldn't do anything else, actually.

Percy knelt on one knee and touched his fingertips to the water. 'Hello?'

A slender girl with light blue hair rose from the river surface, clad in a short dress of near translucent leaves. 'My lord,' she whispered. 'What would you have of me?'

'I just need to borrow your waters for a moment, is that okay?'

'I'm yours, Prince of the Sea,' she murmured, 'do as you wish.'

'Percy.'

The nymph blinked.

'I… you know what, never mind, it never works anyway. Thank you.' He closed his eyes and reached out, scooping up her stream like a palmful of water and casting it out through the trees in a fine soft mist.

A flood of impressions poured over Percy, countless soft touches of dead needles, loam, and the shifting, rustling leaves, the brush of smooth bark, clinging, sticky resin, fluffed feathers and endless scurrying, bounding, prowling, creeping, climbing creatures. Something larger shifted in the mist ahead, a patchwork of sharp cloven, feet, thick-furred flanks and legs, and great, curling horns; he curled his fog about it and drew it back, counting the trunks and the roots and stones from the banks of the little stream with the numberless eyes of his mist.

Sharp pain lanced through his temples and he swept the waters back into the stream, letting them run free through his fingers.

The nymph shivered and flushed bright pink. 'My lord?'

'Thank you,' Percy said, massaging his forehead. 'Now, I have to go, or Artemis will win and something tells me she'll laugh at me if it's too easy.' A soft tingle swept across his shoulder blades. 'Or be disappointed I let her win.'

'Good luck, my lord,' the nymph whispered, sinking back into her waters.

'I'll need more than that,' he muttered, following the path of stones, and roots and trunks from the banks of the stream.

Silence hung beneath the sweeping dark needles and pine boughs.

'It's supposed to be right here.' Percy glanced around. 'Gods above, it better not be another ghost thing, that's just not at all fair.'

The green ferns rippled in front of him and the shaggy-hide of a towering creature faded from green to a pale white. Great curling horns rose from the crown of its head as it snorted and stomped its cloven feet, the misshapen slitted pupil of its golden eyes fixed on Percy.

'More horns for the cabin wall.' He raised the bow. 'Annabeth would be so upset, it's going to get even less symmetrical.'

It bounded forward, leaping over the tree-roots in white blur and Percy threw himself sideways, rolling through the ferns and bouncing back to his feet as heavy steps crashed through the forest.

With a low creak, one of the pines crashed into the undergrowth, throwing up a cloud of dust and dead needles.

Percy scowled and cast the broken arrow away, nocking another. 'What even is it? Some kind of chameleonelope?'

Something flickered in the corner of his eye and he twisted, raising the bow.

A flash of silver whispered past his hair and stuck in the clump of ferns in front of him.

'Huh?' Perseus blinked. 'She… missed?'

They burst into golden dust.

'Oh it was right there.'

Artemis's laughter drifted through the forest like the breeze.

Percy sighed. 'That was a pretty crushing defeat, wasn't it?'

She prowled from the shadow of a pine, lithe as a mountain lion, and silent as a wolf stalking through the snow. 'You did well for a novice. The Tarandrus is hard to track across ground such as this and, almost impossible to flush from cover by any other means. You found it very swiftly.'

'I used the water,' he admitted. 'If I'd hit it with that first arrow…'

'Yet you didn't.' Artemis grinned, her crimson eyes bright with fierce triumph. 'But I did have to shoot through a gap in the branches the size of the centre of your palm to hit it from a distance before you managed to find it again and hit it with a second arrow.'

'It disappeared.'

'It can change the colour and pattern of its fur to conceal itself,' she murmured. 'It is a good challenge to pursue it, but only dangerous when startled and up close.'

'It nearly smacked me into a tree.'

The corner of Artemis's mouth crooked. 'You do not have to get close enough to stab it with your arrow, Perseus, you have a bow; you can shoot it from a distance.'

'Thanks, Artemis Aristo,' he muttered.

She threw her head back, spilling long auburn hair over her shoulders, and released a peal of laughter. 'Enjoy the freedom of the wild and the hunt, Perseus—' her silver eyes softened '—it will not last forever, as you well know.'

'I know,' Percy whispered. 'It's all still to come. Of course it is; I wasn't sixteen, Luke was never really my foe, he just gave up hope, and I…'

I still have a final choice to make one day.

He mustered a grin. 'You know, it's a really good thing I didn't go home to mom, can you imagine trying to babysit me and a new baby? She'd have sent me right back to camp within days.'

Artemis reached out and took his hand.

Percy held his breath.

'Fear not,' she murmured. 'I am not about to turn you into anything fluffy.'

'Or a girl?'

Her lips twitched. 'Or a girl, Perseus.' She lifted his hand up and tapped the soft, warm orange glow of the word upon the slim black band on his finger. 'You earnt this, Perseus. You deserve this. I have great faith in you. We all do.'

'I don't understand why,' he whispered. 'All I do is try and be brave, like Zoë was, like you showed us we could be.'

Artemis cupped his fingers in her soft hands and closed his fist. 'The titans are old gods, Perseus, left in the past like the memory of former tyrants; the natural order of a rougher, less civilised world. They strive to rise again, but they never succeed, because there are those like Zoë, like you, who in your hearts know better than to think a simpler, more barbaric age is truly easier or better, and you inspire all who see you to realise it too.'

'I—'

'You slew Hyperion, who stands above all, a primitive scion of the light that touches this world; he wields power greater than my own, but so unrefined and rough, that even a river god can overcome him for a time, and foes that have not the raw puissance he possesses can overcome him with strength of heart and clarity of mind.' She favoured him with a small little smile, and the soft glint of pride in her silver eyes snatched his heart up into the heavens and stole all the breath from his lips. 'While your heart remains so, you will only honour Zoë's legacy and make me proud.'

'I'll try,' he promised. 'I give you my word, I'll try for as long as I can. I won't fall. No matter what it is that's coming next. And if it has to be me…'

'Without regret,' Artemis murmured. 'But not today, Perseus. Do not seek it. You hold hope in your hand and kindle it with your heart; the world would be a far poorer place without you in it.' She glanced up, through the branches and the leaves toward the sky, her eyes as silver as the stars, and every bit as bright. 'Now, I will return you to your camp, my companion. Unless… I can make you a girl—' the corner of her mouth curved up into the hint of a smile '—or a guinea pig.'

'Camp please.' Percy patted his sternum. 'I'd get to satisfy a lot of curiosity if you turned me into a girl, like, does it hurt if you run really fast with your chest bouncing up and down, or throw you off balance because they're moving? Or how breezy skirts are? But then I'd probably be all distracted by things like that, and get eaten by something whose name I can't spell to save my life but harbours an extremely intense dislike of children.'

Artemis's soft laughter filled the forest like a warm summer breeze. 'Close your eyes.'

Percy snapped them shut.

He plunged into the cool water of the lake and kicked his way up, swiping water out of his eyes. 'I know that was deliberate!'

Mock Artemis Aristo at your peril, Perseus. For she is proud and swift to anger. Her cheer whispered through his thoughts like the rustle of leaves in the summer wind. But this time, I will grant you fair mercy; it was not the best advice I have ever given you.

'Thanks.' He sighed and hauled himself out onto the pier. 'Zoë, your goddess is being mean and laughing at me again.'

A wave of tingling swept across his spine. I won't ever disappoint her, Zoë. I promise. No matter what's to come. Not her. And not you.

AN: More of this, many other things, and all my original stuff via the linktree!

linktr . ee / mjbradley