Chapter 39

Warning: This is 2.8k word chapter... some parts are serious, some are not, you will be able to tell which one's which...

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[Third Person's PoV]

"Wait before you go, can I ask you something?" Lucian asked, stopping them in their tracks.

Artemis looked at Lucian who had a serious expression on his face, seeing that it was serious she nodded her head, "What is it kid?"

Lucian bowed his head slightly, "Could you give me some pointers on archery?"

Artemis raised a brow at the question, "Aren't you already skilled enough, I thought you did just fine when you shot at my lieutenant"

Lucian just nodded his head, "If I wanted to stay just fine I wouldn't have asked, but I want to be more than that. I was self taught in the art of Archery and could still learn a lot. So who better to ask then Goddess of Archery"

'Seriously? He was self taught? He sure didn't look like it when he fired and aimed his bow,but it doesn't look like he's lying. His form wasn't bad but it wasn't good either…' Artemis considered where or not to do it.

"My lady you can't seriously be considering doing it, right?" Zoe asked in shock looking at her Goddess that had a pondering expression

"Why wouldn't I Zoe?"

"But… He's a boy, surely you wouldn't agree to such a thing" Zoe didn't know if she was trying to convince her Goddess or trying to convince herself.

Artemis let out a long exhale, "It is true he is a boy, but… he is also a child, a child that wants to improve himself. I just can't ignore that and say no"

Zoe just shook her head, "You are too kind my lady" which caused Artemis to smile.

"What are you doing Lucian? We have to get to camp as quickly as possible. We have been taking too long, we're already pushing it" Luke asked as he came next to him.

Lucian just pointed at the sun, which made them realize that it was getting dark since the sun was setting

When Artemis realized it was getting late she looked up towards the girls, "Sorry Ladies, It looks like it's better If we find a place to set up camp"

She turned towards Lucian and his group, "Follow us and stay close behind"

"Always" Grover dreamily.

Causing Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth to look at him weirdly, while Lucian just started laughing.

Artemis and Zoe started walking on the ground ahead of everyone, while the other hunters were jumping from tree to trees. Lucian and the others followed close behind on top of their griffins

"What was that about?" Luke asked about Grover's behavior.

"Artemis is a Goddess of the wilderness and nature, which is close to their God Pan, who is the God of the wild. So they really look up to Artemis, which is why Grover is acting like that" Lucian explained

"You sure know your stuff" Artemis said appearing next to Lucian.

Lucian just summoned another griffin for Artemis, which she accepted and got on.

Lucian just nodded his head, "Ever since I was little and found out I was demi-god, I tried to learn everything I could about the gods and such."

"All by yourself?" Artemis asked while looking at him questioningly.

"Nope, I had a fantastic teacher… My mother"

"I see you're mother must have been a fantastic woman" Artemis said with a smile

"That she was" Lucian said laying on his griffin looking at the sky as it grew darker and darker.

"I'm not saying that you should but why haven't you turned him into some type of animal then?" Annabeth asked, coming next to her.

"It's because we consider Satyr's more animal than man" Artemis answer but before she could say anything else Zoe appeared

"My lady, we found a clearing to set up camp." She announced

"Go ahead." Artemis said, giving them the orders to get started.

When they arrived some of the hunters took out a tiny box and put it on the ground, it started to grow in size and turned into a small tent.

Artemis then looked at her huntresses, "Make sure you make some accommodations for them" Artemis pointed at Lucian's group.

She then looked at Lucian, "Come with me, I'll be teaching you some pointers."

Lucian nodded his head and turned towards his friends, "I'll be back soon don't worry and just rest"

Lucian then made his griffin run after the one Artemis is on.

Annabeth just kept staring at Lucian's retreating back with narrowed eyes, which Luke picked up on.

He nudges Annabeth with his elbow and started teasing her, "Jealous that he's going off with another woman"

Annabeth didn't say anything and just punched Luke in the gut causing him to fall to the floor groaning in pain.

Annabeth scoffed before laying down the side of her griffin with her arms crossed and face pouting.

Thalia just stood there next to Luke shaking her head, "You just had to go and say something"

…

A while later…

Lucian and Artemis stood on top of a tree looking at a lone deer a few feet in front of them.

"In order to be a good Archer one of the main skills you need to have is anticipation, you have to predict where your prey's next move is going to be" Artemis whispered.

"You have to judge the distance, time, and power. You have to know just how far you are from your target, how long it would take for your arrow to arrive at such a target. And how much power you pull your string. If you used too much your arrow would pass at the estimated spot before your prey thus missing the shot, and if you use not enough power your arrow wouldn't even arrive at its target" she explained.

"Now then take aim" She instructed.

Lucian nodded, he turned his ring into a bow and conjured a paralysis enchanted arrow.

Artemis looked at the arrow slightly surprised, "Is that arrow enchanted?"

Lucian nodded his head, "Made it and enchanted myself"

"Can you let me see it?" She asked, to which Lucian just nodded and handed it to her.

She started to inspect it, studying the body of it before she pointed her finger with it. She started rubbing her fingers together and nodded her head, "I see it's supposed to paralyze its target, it's well crafted and enchanted very well, good job" she said, patting the top of his head with a smile and handing him the arrow.

Lucian got into position and pulled on his bow with the arrow right in between his fingers.

Artemis started to then correct his posture, "spread your legs a bit, stand grounded and firm, broaden your shoulders more, straighten your arms, there's no need to grip the bow that harshly. Take a deep breath and hold it to stop your little movements which could mess up your aim. Keep your head straight and without much movement… Now go"

Lucian narrowed his eyes towards the deer, the deer snapped his head towards Lucian and got frightened seeing it with a bow, he quickly ran towards the left and started running.

Lucian anticipated that when the deer quickly discovered him, Lucian fired his arrow, but as he did the deer switched directions and went towards the right, making him miss.

Artemis shook his head, "You made quite a few mistakes there. You let out your killing intent, something animals are highly more sensitive about than humans. You didn't pay more attention to it, if you did you would have realized that although it was going to the left it's eyes were looking right"

Lucian just sighed before nodding his head and taking in everything she was saying,

"Come on, we have to at least catch something to bring back" she said as she went ahead of him, Lucian followed close behind.

And just like that they spent their time, Lucian with each hunted animal became better and better. Artemis kept having to remind him and fix some of his bad habits and teach him new things.

"That's enough" Artemis said, "We have enough for everyone, and we don't want to destroy the ecosystem of this place. Now for your most important lesson, always and I mean always learn to respect the wilderness, animals, and the hunt. I better not catch you doing anything that could potentially harm it, do I make myself clear"

"Yes ma'am" Lucian said respectfully, which gained a nod for her.

Lucian summoned his griffins which they both rode back while another one was carrying everything they hunted, they caught a deer, a boar, and some couple of birds.

…

When they returned they saw the huntresses on one side while Thalia and the others were on the other side looking quite pissed off at one another.

"What's going on?" Artemis asked,

"We're just trying to be helpful and offer them a place in our tent but they are being ungrateful." One of the huntresses said.

Which Thalia then was the one to retaliate, "Yeah but you were only offering it to me and Annabeth, you even said that Luke and Lucian could freeze out in the cold outside for all you care, which i then decide to decline"

"Just lend them a tent for the time being, we will be going our separate ways tomorrow anyways there's no need to make it that difficult."

"But… Fine, here you go" one of the huntresses said, giving them a box.

"We don't even need it" Thalia said before turning towards Lucian's, "Why did you leave without taking out are camping equipment"

"Uhhhhh…. I got too excited and forgot sorry" Lucian said, twiddling his fingers.

"Just take it" Artemis said, "But don't forget you have to return it tomorrow, these are exclusive for my huntresses, I mean you could keep it but you would have to join us instead" She said while giving Thalia a suggestive look.

"We'll just borrow it thank you very much" Thalia said before replicating the hunters and setting up the tents.

Lucian turned towards Artemis and asked, "Do you mind If I do the cooking?"

Artemis just looked at Lucian weirdly, "There's is no need, the tents come with freshly cooked foods and the likes"

Thalia, Annabeth, Luke, even Grover, intervened "I think it's better if Lucian cooks", "I agree", "So do I", "His vegetarian enchiladas are spectacular you should try them"

Artemis looked at Lucian's smug expression and asked, "You know how to cook? Aren't you too young?"

"My mother's 101 rule on how to be a good household husband: If you can keep her stomach happy, then your life will be filled with happiness and love" Lucian said with a beaming smile showing his pearly whites with a thumbs up.

The corner of Artemis' lips started twitching, she then looked at Lucian's friends and asked, "Is it really that good?"

To which they all nodded their heads simultaneously,

"You told me to respect the hunt, remember? What better way is there than to not waste what we hunted down right?" Lucian said with a smirk, Artemis responded with one of her own

"Very well, go ahead" Artemis turned towards her hunters. "Wait! Don't start feasting yet, Lucian here said we're he's going to cook for us"

"Now I know you're just pulling my leg my lady Artemis, you can't be serious." Zoe said looking at Artemis in shock and disbelief

"Is she serious?" One of the huntresses whispered,

"Are we really going to eat something made by a man?"

"And by a little boy at that."

"Is it going to be poisonous?"

"How can lady Artemis even trust a this boy"

"You said the tents are filled with food and the like right?" Lucian asked

To which Artemis nodded her head.

Lucian nodded as well, reached into his shadow and pulled up a long table and put it in front of him before reaching in again and pulled out a large pot with Knives and other kitchen utilities.

Artemis just covered her mouth to stop her lips from twitching, finding the act of what Lucian was doing quite comical.

"Do… Do you seriously have all of that inside your shadow?" She asked to which Lucian nodded his head.

And so he got to work, Lucian reached into his shadow and took out a white bandana which he wrapped around his head, gaining a very serious expression, he grabbed the knives and started twirling them around his hands and brushing them against each other before he began.

He set up a fire, he cut vegetables, fried them, made a broth, season meat, cooked the meat, throw everything together and more seasonings, since after all everything tastes better with seasonings.

As everything was cooking and coming together, a delicious smell filled the air, making some of the girls look at everything in surprise.

"Maybe he really knows what he's doing" the hunters started whispering to themselves.

"It doesn't smell too bad"

"Maybe it'll be eatable"

"He looks like he knows what he's doing"

"Forget not bad, it smells really good"

After he was done, Lucian then started serving everyone a meat stew with different kinds of meats.

He slightly bowed his head when he served Artemis as he said, "My offering to you for you as a thank you for your teachings in the art of Archery."

Although God's do not need to eat they could still enjoy the flavors of food, so took offering with a nod, "Thank you"

When he was done serving everyone, even Grover who had a plate of his vegetarian enchiladas, Lucian served himself and sat with his friends.

Artemis took a sip of the broth "Mmmm it's actually really good, it's pretty rich and delicious" she started eating everything with a small smile on her face.

Her hunters weren't any better; they were stuffing their faces, drinking the broth while eating the different kinds of meat.

Even Zoe when she was done looked at Lucian for a bit and said, "Although you are still a boy I guess you have some redeeming qualities about yourself."

"Hmm too bad you don't," Lucian said enjoying himself eating his own food, 'I really have to thank mom and her 3000 plus years of experience in cooking.'

Zoe was about to get angry but decided not to not spoil her delicious dinner, so she decided to be the mature person she was claiming to be and drop it.

Once they were all down they thanked Lucian for his food. Even though they don't like or can't tolerate boys or men they still know how to be thankful.

So after saying their thanks they went towards their tents and went to sleep.

Lucian and his group decided to do the same as they were mentally tired from their journey.

…

The next day…

Thalia handed Artemis her tent, and as he did Artemis asked, "Are you still sure you want to say no? It's not too late to accept it, you know"

Thalia nodded her head, "I have never been more sure in my life"

Artemis sighed at the answer, even though she knew the answer it was still disappointing to hear it.

As she was about to leave, Lucian called out to her, "Lady Artemis!" She looked at Lucian who was already riding his griffin waiting for Thalia.

He bowed his head slightly and expressed his thanks once again, "Once again Thank you for your teachings"

"You have nothing to thank me for, child, I have done everything I can to help you. Now all that is let is for you to survive my father's wrath"

And with that Artemis jumped towards the tree and started running through the treetops disappearing from their sights.

After a while Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia let out a sigh of relief, "Finally they're gone." while Grover was looking a bit sad at their departure.

You guys really didn't like them huh?" Lucian asked with a teasing smirk.

"I was ignored the entire time" Luke said with a deadpan expression.

Annabeth just eyed Lucian as she said, "I was an afterthought for a while"

Thalia just rubbed her forehead, "They give me a headache with their constant nagging."

"At least all that matters is the friends we made along the way" Lucian said, confusing them.

"What are you talking about?" Luke looked lost along with everyone else.

Lucian didn't answer and just laid down on his griffin before point at a random direction, "Onwards Grover lead the way"

Grover nodded his head and some everyone followed.

"🎶 🎵 95 bottles of beer on the wall, 95 bottles of beer.

Take one down and pass it around, 94 bottles of beer on the wall.

94 bottles of beer on the wall, 94 bottles of beer.

Take one down and pass it around, 93 bottles of beer on the wall.

93 bottles of beer on the wall, 93 bottles of beer.

Take one down and pass it around, 92 bottles of beer on the wall. 🎶 🎵 "

Lucian sang, causing all of them to groan as they made their way past the Bronx, getting closer and closer to their destination…