Chapter 9: The Lion Talks

I froze, my hand still tangled in Nemea's fur. The smile on my face vanished, replaced by a bewildered frown. I glanced around, but everyone was still occupied with their own things. Had someone else spoken? But the voice—it had been…in my head.

I looked down at Nemea, a dawning sense of disbelief washing over me. "Did… did you just…?" I stammered, my gaze darting back and forth between her innocent face and the rest of the group.

Nemea blinked up at me, her golden eyes wide and curious. Did I do something wrong, master?

I reeled, a wave of dizziness threatening to pull me under. "Whoa, okay. Okay, that's… definitely new." I managed to croak, reaching out to touch my temples. This had to be a trick of the light, some bizarre side effect of fighting mythical monsters. But no, I could still hear it, the almost-purring voice that felt like warm honey in my skull.

"Percy, you alright?" Annabeth asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Uh, yeah, everything's… fine," I said quickly, trying to act casual while my mind was scrambling to make sense of the fact that I could seemingly hear a lion cub's thoughts.

I dropped to my knees, bringing myself level with Nemea. "You can… talk? Inside my head? How is that even possible?"

Nemea cocked her head, her whiskers twitching. I… am not certain, master. It is simply... the way... I am, she replied, feeling hesitant as if it were a new experience for her too. Sometimes I can feel thoughts... like echoes... from you. But sometimes they are as clear, as if you spoke directly.

I stared at her, mouth agape. "Echoes? Are you saying that... that you can feel my thoughts too?"

Yes master, sometimes the thoughts are very loud. Are you perhaps thinking of fish? she added with a touch of wonder in her voice.

"Okay," I said slowly, trying to process. "Okay. So, the lion cub I just adopted can read my mind and talk to me through some kind of mental link. Fantastic. Just… fantastic."

Artemis looked at me skeptically. "Percy, are you hearing things? You might have gotten hit in the head harder than you think."

I wanted to explain, to show them I wasn't crazy, but I knew if I tried to explain, they'd just think I was losing it. Especially if I told them that it was the lion cub giving me telepathic messages.

I let out a small laugh, a bit hysterical, "Yeah, maybe a little. Just a bit tired, that's all."

I returned my attention to Nemea, her golden eyes watching me with concern. "You can hear me, right? If I do this?" I thought, 'Hello, Nemea. Can you hear me now in my thoughts?'

Yes, master. Hello, her voice echoed back, filled with a quiet curiosity. I can hear you very clearly now.

Well, this was definitely going to be interesting. I had thought that adopting a lion cub would be the most surprising thing to happen this week, but it was only the beginning of another crazy thing to happen in my messed-up life. The fates must be laughing their asses off at my life. It was also a little terrifying knowing that Nemea could hear my thoughts. I'd have to learn to put up some mental walls, or at least try to think less about embarrassing things.

"Alright, Percy," Artemis had announced the very next morning, her silver eyes glinting with something that bordered on amusement. "Since you have been entrusted with the care of this cub, you will also be entrusted with some additional responsibilities."

I had a bad feeling about this, a feeling that was confirmed when she continued.

"First, the Hunters are in need of some new arrowheads. As the recent battle seems to have dulled a good number of our arrows, you will be in charge of sharpening them." She gestured to an enormous sack that seemed to be overflowing with arrows. "Second, these clothes are not going to wash themselves," she added, pointing towards a massive pile of what I could only assume were the Hunters' laundry. "And lastly, you will be on permanent chef duty. You're the only one here who can summon food whenever we want, and it's better than most of the food we eat anyways."

I groaned inwardly but kept my face neutral. "Alright, Artemis. I understand." It wasn't like I had a choice.

"Good," Artemis said, her tone devoid of sympathy. "And if you neglect your duties, you may find that You will face… some consequences." She gave me a look that made it clear that she had a lot more in store for me if I didn't toe the line.

I swallowed, nodding in agreement. "Of course, Artemis. I won't let you down." Even as I said it, I wondered just how I was going to handle my new job as resident chef and sharpener of arrows, all while trying to figure out how to figure out why I was able to communicate with a telepathic Nemean lion cub.

I started with the arrows. The task seemed simple enough, but the sheer volume was daunting. As I sat down and grabbed the whetstone, I realized the scale of the undertaking was even larger than I had anticipated. Some arrows had broken shafts, others were missing feathers. Most, however, were in decent condition, just dulled and in need of some good sharpening. I grabbed a whetstone, and with a determined look, started sharpening.

This seems like a lot of work, master, Nemea's voice echoed in my mind, a hint of concern in her tone. She was curled up on the grass a few feet away, watching me with those big golden eyes.

Yeah, well, it's what I get for becoming guardian of the hunt, little one, I thought back to her, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. The thought was light-hearted and teasing, and it was incredible how easily we were communicating when she was around.

Is it difficult? she asked, her voice laced with worry. I could feel an echo of her concern, a genuine feeling of unease that she was somehow responsible for my new workload.

It's not so bad for now, I thought back to her, just a little boring. Maybe you can keep me company while I work.

Nemea perked up at that, standing up and padding over to me. She nuzzled my hand with her soft head, purring gently. I can do that, master.

I let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, you do that." I returned to my task of sharpening arrows, the rhythmic sound of metal against stone filling the air. It was mind-numbing work, going through each arrow methodically, cleaning and reshaping the tips to a lethal sharpness. I tried to zone out, trying to not think about the fact that these arrows were probably going to be used on monsters, and probably made duller deliberately.

As I worked, Nemea sat nearby, occasionally batting at the arrows with her paws, but always careful not to disrupt my work. It was a strange dynamic; here I was, sharpening weapons of war with a telepathic lion cub watching my every move. At one point, she started purring louder, and I could feel a sensation, not quite a thought, but a feeling, akin to being warm and safe. It was soothing, and for a moment, I actually found myself smiling and relaxing.

"This isn't so bad, I guess," I muttered, running a finger along the newly sharpened arrowhead. It was gleaming, almost mirror-like.

The arrows look fierce, master, Nemea's voice chimed in, a little awe in her tone. Like teeth.

I hadn't thought of it like that. "Yeah, I guess they do." I sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility settle back onto my shoulders. These were tools, implements of war, and it was my job to make sure they were ready for use. It was a far cry from my typical demigod life, which usually involved some kind of heroics, or trying to save a friend, and most likely dying. Now, here I was, a glorified arrow sharpener.

The sun began to reach midday, making the heat intensify to the point where I had to take my shirt off. I had made a decent dent in the pile, but there were still plenty more to go. My fingers were starting to ache, and I could feel a dull throb in my back.

"I'm definitely going to feel this tomorrow," I said as I finished hours later, "Done. Just in time for lunch."

I stood, wincing at the pops I heard from my back, and started to head over to the dining tent. As I entered, I could feel the piercing gaze of the Hunters. Without speaking I summoned a buffet of assorted sandwiches for them, and turned to leave.

"Perceus, are you not going to eat," asked Artemis.

"No, my lady. I must finish the chores you gave me."

"I see, carry on."

I left to go do the laundry, which I found over by the river. The pile towered over my head, and I groaned as I got started, knowing that this would take awhile.