"Who... who are you all?"
The young girl, whose name Drako did not know, asked uncertainly. She was confused but did not seem to be afraid. Her black eyes shone with a hint of something strange, perhaps madness or genius. She was about the same height as Shirone and Valina, a height appropriate for her age. Her skin was olive, and she wore a green hat that practically hid her face.
Artemis' expression softened when she saw the girl.
"Perhaps it would be better, my dear girl, to know first who you are. Who are your parents?"
The girl looked nervously at the little boy, who should be her brother, who was staring dazedly at Artemis.
"Our parents are dead. We are orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"
She faltered. It was easy to guess from their faces that no one believed her.
Even Drako could feel that, although it was weak, a special power that resided inside the siblings. He could feel some divinity inside of those little bodies.
"What?" She demanded. "I'm telling the truth."
"You are a half-blood. One of thy parents was mortal…"
Drako realised now that Zoë's accent was weird. She sounded old-fashioned like she was reading from an ancient book.
"… the other was an Olympian."
"An Olympian… athlete?"
"No, one of the gods."
So these kids here were demigods...
It was true that the aura they emitted was similar to Thalia's, but they were much weaker.
Not only that, but that the divinity they emitted was also different. Perhaps that was related to the true identity of their parents.
By the way, the boy named Percy Jackson and the girl named Annabeth should also be demigods.
"Cool!" said the little kid.
"No! This is not cool!" The girl's voice quavered.
However, the boy didn't care what his sister said. He had already started to jump around the group.
"Is it true that Zeus has lightning with a destructive power of six hundred? And that he earns extra points for...?"
"Nico, shut up!"
The girl put her hands on her face when she saw her little brother act like that.
"This isn't your stupid game of Mythomagia, you know? There's no such thing as gods!"
Drako couldn't quite understand the situation. What was this mythomania game you were talking about? However, he could get an idea in his head of what was really going on.
Apparently, these two children were the children of an Olympian god. The gods had the reputation of having children with mortals and then abandoning them, never to see them again. This was probably the same case.
The mother, or father, of these children had died, and so the child said she had no parents. She was not far wrong, as her father, or mother, was not going to go near them.
Artemis then looked at Percy Jackson.
"Do not despair. She was a very brave girl. If it is possible to find her, I will find her."
"Then why don't you let us go get her?" the boy asked.
Drako stepped forward at that moment.
"She's disappeared, literally. I stopped feeling her presence when they both fell off the cliff, but neither of them is dead."
Artemis nodded, showing that she agreed with Drako.
"That's right. Haven't you noticed, son of Poseidon? There is a magical phenomenon at play. I don't know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."
Artemis' words caught Drako's attention, and he began to pay more attention to Percy. A son of the three great gods wasn't something you saw every day.
Thalia was Zeus' daughter, and Percy was Poseidon's son, now he needed to meet a son of Hades to complete the trilogy.
Nico intervened by raising his hand.
"And Dr Thorn? It was impressive how you riddled him, is he really alive?"
"He was a manticore. I hope it was destroyed for the time being, but monsters never die at all. They form again and again, and you have to hunt them whenever they reappear." The goddess Artemis explained.
"Or they hunt us," Thalia observed.
The girl (Drako would later discover her name was Bianca Di Angelo) shuddered.
"Which explains... Do you remember, Nico, the guys who tried to attack us last summer in an alley in Washington?"
"And that bus driver," Nico remembered. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that it was real."
"That's why Grover has been watching you" Percy intervened. "To keep you save, if you turned to be half-bloods."
"Grover?" Bianca stared at the other boy. "You're a demigod?"
"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves.
Looking at the face Bianca was making, it looked like Bianca was about to faint.
"You, put your shoes back on. "Thalia said. "You`re freaking her out."
"Hey, my hooves are clean!"
"Bianca," Percy said. "We came here to help you. You and Nico need the training to survive. Dr Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."
"Camp?" She asked.
"Camp Half-Blood. It's where half-blood learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."
Camp Half-Blood is the place where the demigods are protected from the dangers of the world. Not all demigods are powerful fighters, and those who are not brought to this camp are often killed by monsters at an early age.
There they are trained, and they are prepared to face most of the dangers they may face.
It must be said that the vast majority of demigods are not so powerful. Only the most exceptional ones can make a name for themselves in the supernatural world, while the rest can hardly compare to low-class Devils and mid-class Devils.
Exceptions to this are those who are lucky enough to receive a Sacred Gear, those who have a supernatural talent from birth, and the children of the three great gods.
Especially the children of the three great gods.
Children of Zeus like Perseus or Heracles are the most known ones throughout history, but other influential characters throughout history are also children of Zeus. One of his most recent children, not counting Thalia, and influential in contemporary history is Amelia Earhart.
Sons of Poseidon like Theseus and Bellerophon are also very famous, and he has also had some influential sons throughout history. All of them related to the seas.
The sons of Hades are not so famous in mythologies or in contemporary history. But... it is said that Hitler was the son of this god.
During World War II, the Allies which representing the British Commonwealth, the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics, and the United States of America were known as the "Big Three"...
Let's go back to the conversation that was taking place on the cliff.
"Sweet, let's go!"
Nico seemed very excited about this whole thing. Everything about the gods seemed to appeal to him.
"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"
"There is another option," Zoë said.
"No, there isn't!" Percy replied.
Drako understood that the other option Zoë was talking about applied only to Bianca. It was the option of joining Artemis.
"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoë, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."
"Yes, my lady."
"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."
"What about me?" Nico asked.
Artemis considered what to say to the boy.
"Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a favour to me?"
Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"
Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about hit points and armour ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.
Drako just followed Thalia around, since he didn't know what to do at the moment.
She... walked over to where Percy was.
"Hey, Percy."
The boy seemed to be thinking about something, he was practically crying, so he was surprised when Thalia approached him.
"You... Thalia?"
"Yes, it's me." Thalia smiled slightly.
Drako was surprised, it seemed these two knew each other.
"Know each other?" he could not help but ask.
Thalia nodded.
"Yes, it was Percy who saved me and brought me back to life a few months ago."
Huh?
Drako was lost again.
"You see, for various reasons I had to run away from home seven years ago. There I met two other people, two demigods. They were a boy named Luke and... Annabeth."
Drako's eyes opened wide.
"Annabeth?"
"Yes, the same girl who just disappeared."
Thalia had been silent all this time, but she must have been hurt by the disappearance of her friend, too. Drako could even see a trail of tears now that she was looking better.
"Grover was the satyr who took us to the camp, but there were several accidents on the way. In the end, for everyone to survive, I had to sacrifice myself."
For her friends to live, Thalia gave her life seven years ago.
"At that time, I was 12, and now, biologically speaking, I'm almost 16. You understand that this is not very logical, right? I should be 19 right now."
Yeah, that was definitely weird. Although there was also the possibility that she might have been turned into a hunter when she was about to turn sixteen.
No, that possibility didn't exist. Thalia had said before that she'd only been a hunter for a few months.
"My father, Zeus, turned me into a tree to keep me from dying. So I was, for seven years, transformed into a tree. However, that tree was poisoned, but Percy got the Golden Fleece and managed to get it back. But no one expected the effects of this to be too powerful, and I retook human form."
There seemed to be a deeper story that Thalia had hidden from Drako, but this information was enough for the moment. Now Drako felt he knew the girl better.
"Percy, don't worry. If Artemis said she's going to look for Annabeth, it means she's going to find her. No prey has ever escaped her before."
"Still..."
The boy seemed to hesitate.
Just then, Grover and Nico returned from their walk. Grover, the satyr, helped Percy heal his arm.
Drako realised that the cream they were using was similar to the one Azazel had given him long ago. So this was the ambrosia, part of what made up Azazel's wonderful cream.
Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him, though how they'd snuck into Westover Hall unseen, Drako didn't know. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Drako recognised Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, Apollo with his sun chariot.
"Big collection," He said.
Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."
"You've been playing this game for a long time?"
"Just this year. Before that..." He knit his eyebrows.
"What?" Drako asked.
"I forget. That's weird."
He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"
Percy showed him the sword, Drako could see the word Riptide on it, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.
Lmao, that surely was useful for a student.
"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"
"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."
"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"
"Well, yeah."
"Can you surf really well, then?"
The fuck was going on with this conversation?"
Percy looked over to Drako and Grover, who were trying hard not to laugh.
"Jeez, Nico. I've never really tried."
In the short time Drako had spent with these boys, he had to say he liked them.
"What about you? What are you?" Nico asked Drako.
A half-smile appeared on Drako's face.
"I'm a... dragon."
Drako partially reversed his transformation, allowing his scales and horns to appear.
"Whoa! So Cool!"
Did Nico think everything was cool?"
They were going to talk a little bit more, but Zoe Nightshade came up to them.
���Percy Jackson, Drako."
Zoë guided them to Artemis' tent.
Bianca di Angelo was already sitting next to Artemis.
The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor.
Drako took this time to look at what was inside the tent.
In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several other Drako didn't recognize. He figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins. Still, maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the Hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. Drako thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her. Then he realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.
"Join us, boys," the goddess said.
They sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied Percy, which it seems too uncomfortable for the boy.
"Are you surprised by my age?" She asked.
"Uh… a little."
"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my hunters and all young maidens for whom I am patron before they go astray."
Just like Drako thought before, this was the reason behind the goddess young age.
"Go astray?" Drako asked.
"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."
"Huh."
Zoë sat down at Artemis' right. She glared at both as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was their fault like they'd invented the idea of being a guy.
"You must forgive my Hunters if they don't welcome you," Artemis said. "It's very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp… Which one was it?"
She looked at Zoë, waiting for an answer.
"That boy in Colorado, you turned him into a jackalope." She said.
"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the… mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."
Percy told her a resume of what the monster has told him. Some stuff that Drako was uninterested.
When he was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow.
"I feared this was the answer."
Zoë sat forward.
"The scent, my lady?"
"Yes."
"What scent?" Drako asked.
"I've told you before, this is as I feared. Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia, preys so old I have nearly forgotten."
She stared at Percy intently.
"We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr Thorn said."
"Um, `I hate middle school dances'"
"No, no. After that."
"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."
Zoë face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.
"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.
"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"
"Stirring," Bianca corrected.
"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"
The goddess was so still that she could've been a statue.
"Maybe he was lying?" Drako said.
Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."
Zoë looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded.
What was so scary to make Zoë act like this?
"We will leave right away, my lady."
"No, Zoë. I must do this alone."
"But, Artemis—"
"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters, even for Drako. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."
"As… as you wish, my lady."
"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by the winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."
"You know what the monster is?" Drako asked.
Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."
"Can goddesses pray?" Percy asked.
Drako hadn't thought about that, too.
A flicker of a smile played across Artemis' lips.
"Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."
"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?"
Percy… this guy has good nerves. Drako thoughts of being his friend were increasing.
"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."
"What?" Zoë blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"
"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus sill does not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."
Zoë muttered something about foolish campers.
"But… what about Drako?! He can't go to the same cabin as us!" Zoë shouted while she threw a hateful look at the dragon.
"About that…" Artemis stopped to think for a moment. "I'll talk to my father, so he can go to Cabin One with Thalia."
"This…"
"Enough, Zoë." The goddess interrupted before Zoë could say anything more. "Now there is one last decision to make. Have you made up your mind, my girl?"
Artemis looked at Bianca.
Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."
"Wait," Percy said. "Thinking about what?"
"They… they've invited me to join the Hunt."
"What? But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."
"It's not the only way for a girl," Zoë said.
But Percy wasn't going to let Bianca go so easily.
"Bianca, the camp is cool! It's got a Pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and… I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"
"To begin with," Zoë said, "immortality."
He stared at her, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"
"Zoë rarely kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal… unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."
"What oath?" Percy asked.
"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."
"Like you?"
The goddess nodded.
"So, you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—"
"Not just half-bloods," Zoë interrupted. "Lady Artemis doesn't discriminate by birth. All who honour the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"
"Which are you, then?"
Anger flashed in Zoe's eyes. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca may join if she wished. It's her choice."
"Bianca, this is crazy. What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."
Drako started to get bored at that point. This talk was utterly useless.
"Percy, stop it there. Let the girl make a decision by herself, ok? It's not such a big deal if she wants to join the Hunt or not, nor it matters if her brother can join or not."
"But…"
As Percy tried to start discussing again, Drako let a bit of his aura on the boy.
He went quiet instantly.
Artemis thanked him with a small smile, and even Zoë's eyes were a little bit less aggressive toward Drako.
Artemis then looked at Bianca.
"If you are worried about your brother, he is going to be safe in the camp. You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured Bianca. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counsellors to take care of him. And you will have a new family, us."
Bianca looked at Zoë. "Is it worth it?"
She nodded. "It is."
"What do I have to do?"
Zoë looked at Artemis, and she looked at both Bianca and Drako.
"Ok, you both have to repeat what Zoë is going to say."
Drako smiled excitedly. He knew the time to receive Artemis Blessing has finally arrived.
"I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."
Both of them repeated the lines.
"That's it?"
Zoë nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thee pledge, then it is binding."
"I accept it," Artemis said.
The flames in the braziers brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. They both didn't look different, but they took a deep breath when they noted the difference.
Drako just had to look at the notifications coming from the system.
[Title Skill [Artemis Blessing] acquired.]
[Level of normal skill [Accuracy] was increased from 6 to MAX]
[Strength Boos!]
[Agility Massive Boost!]
STR*1,5 = 775*1,5 = 1162
AGI* = 675*2 = 1350
[Special Skill [Zoolingualism] obtained]
Artemis' blessing was... different from what Drako thought. However... he was pleased to have it.
What he had achieved at this point was the equivalent of going up over 70 levels. No, that could only be considered for STR. Drako had climbed well over 70 levels to get where he is today and had had to go through many battles.
The gods had well deserved their place as the most powerful in the world alongside the dragons. Only a blessing from an Olympic goddess was enough to give a person a great deal of power.
Bianca also received the blessing. She looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide. "I feel… stronger."
"Yeah, I'm a lot stronger now." Drako agreed with her.
"Welcome, sister," Zoë said with a wide smile, which vanished when she turned to Drako. "Welcome, brother."
"Wait, wait. You're one the Hunters?"
Percy was alarmed. Everyone who had seen one boy turning into one of Artemis Hunters would be alarmed.
It was known that some boys went with them to hunt, but they never joined officially. But now, he just saw a boy joining the Hunt.
"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It's now your life."
She then turned to Percy. It seems that his job was to recruit both siblings, and now he has failed.
"Do not despair, Percy Jackson," Artemis said. "You will get to show the di Angelo's your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."
"Great," he said, trying no to sound surly. "How are we supposed to get there?"
Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoë, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."
Zoë didn't look real happy about this idea, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her.
As she was leaving, Bianca paused in front of Percy. "I'm sorry, Percy. But I want this. I really, really do."
Then, he just left feeling depressed, leaving Drako alone with the goddess.
"So… what do I have to do now?" He asked.
Drako comes with Zoë because he was going to help with the Hunt. But now, Artemis was going alone.
"You can go back to Japan if you want, but…"
"You want me to help the hunters?"
The goddess nodded.
"You know that they don't like me, except for Bianca, Thalia and very few of them. Isn't it better if I go back to my place and then return if you need help?"
Artemis looked down for a moment, and then she looked at Drako with complicated eyes. For a moment, she looked vulnerable.
"Those in the Olympus doesn't realize the dangerous that our situation is, so I can't fail hunting this monster. But if I fail… I will need your help instantly. I only need you here for a few weeks or months, the time I'm going to hunt this monster. Can you support the Hunters during this time?"
Drako stayed silent for a moment, but he finally took a decision.
"So," He said. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"
Artemis' silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, dragon. You see, Bianca Di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."
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3 more Patrons for the 80 Patrons goal!!
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