74 Percy Jackson Fan-fiction 1 - The Venator

Plot: Arthur is the secretly adopted son of Artemis. He was trained by the Hunters and the Legion to become the best monster hunter ever. He plays a secret role in both wars, even saving the Savior of Olympus a few times. When he is revealed as the son of Artemis, how will everyone react? Also, will a new prophecy end with the final destruction of Olympus? All PJO characters are Rick's.

Pairing: OCxReyna

NOTE: The last time this novel has been updated was in Feb 22, so take note that this novel may never have another chapter...

Artemis stopped the Hunt suddenly. She heard something crying out in the distance, and was afraid it was a trap for her Hunters. The Hunters crouched down ready to attack whatever it was their leader had sensed. Zoe, Artemis's lieutenant, crept forward.

"What is it my lady?" she asked.

Artemis focused her gaze on the direction the crying was coming from, "I'm not sure. I hear some crying in the distance. It could I trap."

"Do you want me to scout it my lady?"

"No Zoe," Artemis said, "I will take a look. There is no reason to risk the Hunt."

Artemis did not want to lose any of her girls. Their numbers had just started to stabilize recently. Only a few of her hunters had been traveling with her for centuries, the rest had joined in the last few years. Artemis hated when any of her Hunters died, so she was doing all she could to train them and protect them.

She moved towards the clearing where the noise was coming from. She could see nothing but a small pile of blankets near the far side of the clearing. Artemis quickly ran the perimeter, to check for any signs of monsters. There were some tracks, but they seemed to be old and moving away from the clearing where she was. Artemis crept up to the blankets, but was unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

Laying in the blankets was the body of a woman. She was covered in blood and seemed to be protecting something. Artemis moved closer to check the vitals of the woman. She was close to death, and happened to turn her head as Artemis was checking her.

"Please," the dying woman gasped, "take care of my child."

Artemis noticed the bundle in the woman's arms was where the crying noise was coming from. she looked down to see a child, no more than one year old, trying to grasp onto its mother. Artemis felt her heart break for the woman. She was out here alone with a child, and the father was nowhere to be seen. That was further proof that males were evil creatures for Artemis. She had witnessed so much cruelty from males over the millennia, and this was no different.

"I will do what I can for the child," Artemis told the dying woman.

"Thank you, Lady Diana," the woman said.

Artemis's eyebrow arched at hearing this. Was this woman a demigod? Not only that, but she was a Roman demigod.

"How do you know that name?" Artemis questioned the woman. She hoped she could get an answer before the woman died.

"I'm what you call clear sighted. The child's father was a Roman demigod, a legacy of Mithras," the woman said.

Artemis could not believe what she was hearing. Mithras had faded centuries ago, had she truly sired enough children to carry on a legacy? Artemis looked on the woman with pity. Her last breath was coming, Artemis hoped she would make it to Elysium for her troubles.

"I will take care of your child. Go in peace young one," Artemis told the woman.

A smile formed on the woman's face as she closed her eyes and breathed her if in response, the child cried harder as its mother passed on. Artemis reached down and grabbed the bundled child in her arms.

The child stopped crying to look at the person lifting it. Artemis locked eyes with the baby and and felt her heart swell with emotion. Being the goddess of childbirth, she knew the joy mothers felt when they held their babies. However, she was a virgin goddess and had never held a child of her own. When the little one in her arms locked eyes with her, blue staring at silver, she thought this must be what it feels like.

The child was a healthy, one year old boy. Artemis was a little upset by his gender. She had hoped to gain a Hunter she could train from birth. As she pondered what she would do with the child, things took a turn for the worst.

Artemis turned when she heard the snort and roar. There across the clearing was none other than the Calydonian Boar. Normally this would be no problem for Artemis to handle, she was goddess of the hunt after all. This time though she had a child to protect, which would make killing the boar that much harder. Artemis whistled to signal the hunt as the boar charged. Artemis's mind was racing as she hoped the arrival of the Hunt would deter the boar. If not it should make it easier to kill the boar itself.

Artemis dodged the boars attacks, keeping the young boy in her arms. She did not want to set him down as it was winter and snow had recently fallen. She feared the child would die if she set it down.

"My Lady!" Zoe yelled as she entered the clearing with the Hunt.

The girls took aim at the boar and tried to get it away from Artemis. Their plan worked, only for the boar to turn and charge straight at them. The Hunt was not as quick as Artemis and froze when the boar charged them. Artemis knew she had only one choice and gently lay the child she held on the ground and summoned her bow.

As she fired a silver arrow made of pure ener launched at the boar. Artemis hoped she had shot it in time, fearing for her Hunters lives. She heard one of the girls scream before her arrow connected. The next sight she saw was a cloud of gold dust covering her Hunters, and her lieutenant's mouth hanging open as her scream died out.

"Zoe, close your mouth before you inhale anymore monster, or before you show the Hunt how girly you can truly be," Artemis teased.

Zoe blushed and started to brush herself off, "My Lady why did you not shoot the beast to begin with. Surely you could have finished it off without the Hunt here."

Artemis sighed, "My arms were full at the moment, so I was unable to draw my bow."

Zoe nodded, "Did you find the source of the noise?"

Artemis's eyes widened. She forgot she had set the child down in the snow. She rushed over to the bundle of blankets and scooped the child up. It was not making any noise and was starting to turn blue. The child was more mortal than legacy she realized. A demigod or legacy would be able to handle the colder temperatures. What was she going to do, she promised that woman that her child would be safe.

"My Lady, why are you holding that child?" Zoe inquired. The rest of the Hunt was moving in closer as well to see what Artemis was doing.

"His mother was dying and asked me to save him," Artemis said, "He is dying from the cold though."

The girls had panicked looks on their faces. They hated males, but little children were okay in their eyes. None of them wanted to see the child die.

"Is there anything we can do," one of the Hunters asked.

"Lady Artemis surely you can save him," another called out.

Artemis wracked her brain. She was not good at healing, that was her brother's domain, and she refused to call on him. Something had to be done though. Her mind finally fell on an option that had not been used by any gods for a millennia.

"Girls, I can save the child, but you may not like the method," Artemis began to say calmly.

"My Lady, what could you have in mind?" Zoe asked.

Artemis closed her eyes and drew out one of her hunting knives, "I will make this child my own."

"But Lady Artemis..."

"He's a boy..."

"...would he be our brother?"

The last question was from a much newer Hunter. One who did not hate boys as much as the others. Artemis smiled as she began the ceremony.

Chanting in Ancient Greek, she laid the child on her lap. She placed the edge of her hunting knife against the palm of her hand and applied pressure. The Hunt gasped when they saw the golden ichor flow out of their mistresses palm. Artemis squeezed more ichor out and held her hand over the baby's mouth, letting her blood drop into it. As the blood entered the child, Artemis began to chant more furiously, causing the ichor to mix in with the child's blood.

"She's fusing her blood with the child's to adopt him," Zoe said breathlessly.

The other girls stared in disbelief as the mistress, who taught them to hate men, saved one from dying. A silver glow surrounded them as Artemis finished her incantation. When the glow faded, the Hunt saw the child had a better complexion and was breathing again. The child reached its arms out for Artemis to pull it closer. As she did, the child opened his eyes, and Artemis grinned. In his blue eyes, were now bright flecks of silver.

"My Lady, the other gods will be furious to hear about this. You now have a child! They will think you broke your oath," exclaimed Zoe.

"That is why for now, he will be the Hunt's secret, right girls?"

The Hunt nodded in agreement as they moved closer to get a good look at their new brother. They all agreed that he was cute for a baby male. They cooed and made faces at the baby as he woke up a little more. He seemed to enjoy the attention as he giggled and clapped his hands. Zoe got close enough that he grabbed some of her hair and pulled, causing Zoe to shout.

"Little demon," Zoe started to yell out, only to be silenced by Artemis.

"He does not know better Zoe," Artemis said, "We will teach him though. He will be the most honorable man on the Earth. We will teach him to hunt and how to be a true man."

If the girls were not excited before, they definitely became excited now. Many Hunters had bad experiences with men in the past. It seemed like a never ending cycle. Now they had a chance to teach a boy how to be a man, and hopefully others would follow his example.

"What is his name Lady Artemis?" Phoebe asked.

Artemis had not been given a name for the child. The mother had died before she could ask. She thought back to names she had heard over the millennia, trying to find one that would fit. She wanted to name him after a honorable man, but there were so few that she had known. After several minutes she thought of the perfect name.

"His name is Arthur," she told the Hunt.

"Why Arthur?"

Artemis smiled, "Well there was a good man many years ago named Arthur. He is nothing more than legend now. Plus, it seems like the male version of my name."

Arthur seemed to like this, because he started to laugh and clap again. This caused the girls to laugh as well. Artemis looked at her son and felt like the happiest being on Earth. Things would be rough, and she would have to find a way to tell Zeus at some point, but for now everyone was happy.

Chapter End