A Ambush For a Hunter

(Extra Long Chapter.)

Constantine and his Undead Mages began to set up an extensive Formation that would hide his workshop as he made weapons on mass to supply his Undead Army. He would eventually move it to the Sea Of Monsters once his ship was complete. 

Not only would the formation protect his workshop, but it would also turn an hour on the outside, into 24. Meaning that each day would equal 24 days on the inside. Messing with Time was a very tricky skill, even in Dragon Deus, but he, Vritra, and Hecate had done further research into it. 

He would eventually take a trip to Tarturus to free the Titans and absorb the essence of Kronus, the Titan of Time. Death and Time Magic together would be a deadly combination, but he wanted to stay out of Tarturus for now in case Tartarus himself came for him. 

Setting up the Time Dilation Formation took around 4 hours and once he activated it, the walls of his workshop hummed with Glyphs, Runes, and Magical Arrays. He looked around the giant hidden workshop with a proud nod. 

"Not bad, this should give me plenty of time." 

Vritra flicked his tongue as he watched the 105,000 Undead work away. Thousands of Undead were hammering away at giant sheets of blackened Dragon Steel, thousands more manned giant Power Tools as they took apart the giant Warships. 

"Undead, such useful workers." 

Constantine chuckled. 

"They don't need to breathe, don't need food, don't need rest, and they can work without stopping. Better than getting humans to do it don't you think? Hey, Medusa, what happened to your sisters?" 

Medusa who was following by his side went quiet. 

"They are passed on. Stheno and Euryale were immortal but forgotten. The legend of Medusa is famous and known all over, but Stheno and Euryale are barely known. They just faded." 

Constantine and Vritra could tell she was quite down about it as her older sisters were her few companions through her time as a monster. However, when they were forgotten too much, they just faded away leaving her alone. 

It became easier to be the monster the gods wanted her to be without her sisters. Seeing how Medusa became quite somber, so he sighed. 

"That is too bad, but I do always say that nothing is impossible. Who is to say they can't be brought back from Chaos? The right rituals and right spells should do the trick." 

Medusa smiled when she heard him say that. 

"Nothing is impossible you say? I guess that is why you are so dangerous if someone says it is impossible, you give it a try anyway. If you do bring my sisters back, I will owe you more than I already do." 

Constantine smirked as he turned around. 

"What can I say, I just that kind of guy." 

---

With the Time Dilation Field up, Constatine, Medusa, and Vritra finally left the workshop. When they emerged, they could see that the Evernight Oak Tree was double its old size, but Satella was still adapting to the evolution her tree underwent. 

Rather than bother her, Constantine returned home as he had been out for a few hours. He decided to reinforce the wards around the ranch and place a few protections on his family to keep them from being targeted by monsters. 

While Constantine worked on the wards that had been set up by one of his half-siblings from Camp Half-Blood, one of the Olympians discovered his theft. Heaphestus after leaving one of his volcano Forges had many new items that passed his criteria. Some weapons, others were shields, chariots, or maybe an Automaton, Computer, or washing machine.

He did this every day for fun and to improve his skills. At the end of his day, week, or even month of forging and tinkering he also had failures. Stuff he was too lazy or not interested in melting down, so he tossed it in his junkyard.

He collected the defective items and teleported to Arizona in a blade of divine fire. When he arrived in Arizona at his Junk Yard and took in the view he dropped his garbage.

"Not good."

He started walking around seeing that not even a scrap was left. He kneeled and placed his hand on the sand trying to see if he could see who did this. As his Junkyard he had ways to keep track of who entered. Though the moment he tried he didn't see anything. He grumbled as he expected one of the gods or his wife to steal them.

However, he stopped this line of thought as he remembered the prophecy Apollo talked about. Now he was thinking that this King In Black stole his junk to craft weapons for his army.

"Damn."

He returned in a blaze of fire to Olympus to inform his Father Zeus. When he reached Olympus he did so in the throne room. Zeus who was currently sitting on his throne turned to address his son.

He was loath to call him that as Hephestus was not his son, he was Hera's son like he was Athena's Father. Though Hephestus was useful for his ability to make weapons so he gave him that honor.

"Hephestus, welcome back to Olympus. Is something the matter my son?"

Hephestus nodded while sitting on his throne.

"Yes, Father. Do you know of my Junkyard?"

"Of course, We use it to dispose of our junk. Why?"

"It has been looted bare. Not a single thing remains in it. I believe it was looted by the King In Black."

The moment Heaphestus said that Zeus roared in outrage.

"HE IS NOT A KING! HOW DID IT GET STOLEN!"

While it was junk, in the right hands the Celestial Bronze could be melted down and make a lot of weapons. It was protected by Talos, but if even Talos was defeated and stolen this was serious.

"Where is Artemis?"

Artemis as usual was out on a hunt, this time in Mexico with permission from the Aztec Pantheon. The Greeks and Aztecs had a treaty of nonaggression as the Pantheon Wars were brutal and costly.

After the War between The Greek and Shinto gods, the Pantheons agreed to not fight each other. However, that war was caused by Zeus and his last trip to Japan a millennia back.

Zeus grabbed a Drachma and tossed it into the air. He connected to Artemis who turned to the Iris Message that appeared. When she saw who it was she bowed.

"Father, is something the matter?"

"Return from wherever you are. You are my best tracker, go to Hephestus junkyard with your hunters, and track down who looted it. Take your brother with you if needed. I want who did this found."

Without waiting for a response Zeus waved his hand and canceled the message. Though now, he was getting mad and suspicious. He started seeing enemies all around and he suspected his brothers the most.

Especially Hades since in the prophecy, an army of Undead and Titans were part of the King in Black's army. He thought this was about a Demigod or even Godly child of Hades.

'Traitors everywhere.'

---

In Mexico, Artemis and her Hunters were chasing after an Ahuizoltl, a type of aquatic dog-like creature that lured its victims to turn water by making the sound of a baby.

They possessed a hand-like tail and had a hunger for human flesh. Though, when the Iris message ended, Artemis scowled.

"Pack up and ready for travel."

By her side, Zoe lowered her bow and went to gather the hunt. In the meantime, Artemis aimed her bow at the water and let loose a silver arrow. The arrow pierced the water and when it disappeared Into the water something began to splash before a dog-like creature floated up dead.

Unlike a Greek monster, it did not turn to dust as most monsters not tied to Tarturus were natural and not Immortal. Artemis waved her hand and pulled the dead monster from the water.

"Phoebe, take the body."

"Yes, My Lady."

Phoebe picked up the dead monster before Artemis and her hunters returned to their camp which was packed up. After being ready, Artemis in a ripple of moonlight left Mexico and arrived in Arizona with her hunters.

Artemis normally traveled with 20 of her Hunters, but the number is higher than that. Though she did not feel she needed them all for this. Once Artemis, her Hunters, Hawks, and Wolves arrived at the empty Junkyard, Artemis began looking for a scent or trace.

Her wolves began to sniff out the ground while her Hunters searched for footprints or any other clue. Artemis did the same thing looking for disturbances in the sand.

A terrible material for long-term tracks as sand has the property to be loose and the wind would move it. Though while she was walking she felt something was wrong.

She kneeled and placed her hand in the sand. Zoe who saw this walked over to her mistress.

"Did thee findeth a trace?"

"I did."

Artemis waves her hand causing a gust of wind to uncover a large chunk of sand. When she did that she revealed what appeared to be blackened glass in the ground. Zoe kneeled and tried to touch the prints. Artemis grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Look, don't touch. These appear to contain a curse."

"A curse, My Lady?"

Artemis nodded.

"Something burned these tracks into the sand. Something big, a four-legged animal with hoofs, like a horse. A very large horse on fire it seems."

Phoebe walked over as she listened to Artemis.

"What kind of animal or horse is on fire and that big that leaves burning cursed tracks."

Artemis thought of this, but it could be many things.

"This time, I am not sure."

Using her Divinity as the goddess of the Hunt, she tried to see where the tracks led but got nothing. The creature(Solomon) only walked in a straight line before teleporting away.

These tracks had no scent, and the curse in them made them hold no true trace. They were a dead end and just a mystery. Vritra was also not a fool and when he left this place he destroyed all his traces.

Artemis' blessed wolves found no scent meaning she would not be able to find anything. Artemis stood up as she followed the tracks for a few more feet where they vanished. 

"Either the creature took to the air, or it teleported. Either way, with just this we won't be able to find anything." 

Zoe hummed as she remembered something. 

"A big horse? That That doesn't school us aught." 

Artemis shook her head as just in her Pantheon, magical horses were a dime a dozen. She stood up from the sand as they would find nothing here. She was loath to leave without finding anything as Zeus would be in a rage at her. 

She wracked her brain for what to do as the only trace they had were cursed footprints. She was willing to try anything when she suddenly thought of someone. 

"Hecate, she might have some answers. She is the goddess of Magic and she might know something." 

Phoebe reached into her pocket for a Drachma. 

"Should I contact her?" 

Artemis reached out and took the golden coin. 

"I will." 

She tossed it into the air which shimmered like a rainbow. It opened a rainbow communicator with Hecate who was standing in front of a giant mirror. She was wearing a white lacy bra and panties as she was trying out some lingerie. 

When Artemis saw that, she cleared her voice. 

"I apologize for intruding on your changing?" 

Hecate shook her head with a smirk. 

"I have no shame in my body, I am just getting ready to meet with my lover. I do have to say Artemis, you should find one." 

Artemis scowled.

"I do not need for one." 

Hecate shrugged. 

"Suit yourself. What did you want again?" 

Hecate ignored Artemis as she began to apply her makeup and black lipstick. She was trying to find what Constantine would like the most. Artemis did the same before asking a favor. 

"The Junkyard of Hephestus was looted bare. My Father sent me here to track down the culprit, but I found no traces. Only a set of horse-like cursed footprints. I felt you would know better as a goddess of Magic since that is your specialty. Can you come here and help me?"

Hecate sighed. 

"A little busy Artemis, if I didn't make it clear." 

Hecate secretly touched a black ring in the shape of a dragon's skull on her right pointer finger. It was a way to communicate with Constantine since even she couldn't use divination to keep track of him after he made his Anti-Divination Medallion. 

In Texas, when Constantine received the Communication from Hecate, he stopped what he was doing. He focused on the Black Communicator Ring on his right hand to speak to her. 

'Mother, something wrong?' 

Hecate smiled to Artemis as she kept applying her makeup. 

'How confident are you in beating Artemis?' 

Constantine paused when he heard that. 

'How confident are you that I can last a week in bed with you?' 

Hecate licked her lips when she heard that. 

'I will take that as a yes, she is at Hephestus' Junkyard. She is asking me to go help her track down Solomon's foot prints.' 

'Good to know, be right there.' 

Hecate cut the communication before turning to Artemis. 

"I am curious now, be right there." 

Artemis sighed in relief. 

"I appreciate this."

"Don't worry about it." 

Hecate in a flash of Divine Energy picked out a black and silver dress before she teleported to Artemis' side. She was going to make sure that the Olympics were none the wiser of the fate of Artemis. 

Constantine had plans to use Artemis to free Atlas from his Prison. To do so, he would capture her hunters and kill each one as long as she didn't take the burden of Atlas. 

In the meanwhile, he turned to Medusa. 

"Medusa, get ready to take on our first god." 

Medusa smiled when she heard that as she had been itching to take out her rage on the Olympics.

"Good." 

Constantine brought his fingers up to his mouth before he whistled. Solomon who was sleeping in front of the house, perked his ears up before he jumped to his feet and in a blaze of Cursed Dragon Fire began running to Constantine's side. 

When the giant Draconic Horse reached him, Constantine reached out and patted the horse on his side. 

"Ready to fight a god?" 

As a response, Solomon snorted a burst of fire. Constantine jumped on his back before he reached his hand out to Medusa. 

"Come on." 

She grabbed his hand and he pulled her behind him. He and Solomon both brought out their armor which synchronized together. Once they were armored, Constantine opened a Dragon Gate to Arizona. 

---

Hecate in Arizona was kneeling at Solomon's old tracks scanning them with magic. She already knew who they belonged to, but she had to act. Artemis was standing next to her while the hunt began to set up camp. 

"Well? Anything." 

Hecate nodded. 

"I will tell you this, this was from Hell." 

Artemis paused when the word Hell came out of Hecate's lips. It was an open secret that among the Pantheons that anything to do with Heaven and Hell was dangerous. The good news was that it had been millennia since anything of note came from either Heaven or Hell. 

Hearing that whatever this creature was came from hell, was alarming. Were the forces of Hell preparing for a war? While Artemis was in thought, a giant black gate opened up. With a bellowing neigh, Solomon ran in like a freight train. On his back, Constatine stood up and he raised his left hand with his shotgun at Artemis. 

Hecate teleported out of the way as Constantine pulled the trigger releasing a giant blast. Artemis was caught off guard and only had to the last second to leap out of the way. That single shot devastated the now-empty Junkyard in a blast of black cursed fire. 

Artemis craned her head behind her seeing a field of molten glass and burning flames. She scowled as she looked up at Constantine standing on the back of Solomon. 

"The King In Black, I take." 

Constantine jumped off Solomon before he reached for his waist. He pulled out his Black Sword causing the runes all over it to hum to life. The black chain began wrapping around his arm binding it to him. 

The Hunters of Artemis who had their camp in the opposite direction he fired in were alive but stunned. Constantine pointed his blade at Artemis before he spoke. 

"Artemis, a pleasure." 

His voice came out as a dark demonic sounding thanks to his helmet distortion. Artemis craned her head when she saw Hecate walk next to The King In Black. 

"I did say I was meeting my Lover, didn't I?" 

"YOU TRAITOR!"

Artemis tried to send a message out to Olympus to at least show that Hecate was a traitor, but with Constatine and Vritra present, communication to the outside was a fool's errand. 

Vritra himself flew off Constantine's neck before expanding to his full 60-meter length. A giant serpentine dragon with scales infused in Abysal Steel. Vritra expanded a Bounded Field sealing them in a trapped space. 

"Now, you are in our Domain, Goddess of The Hunt. There is no Moon here." 

Artemis as the goddess of the Moon was at her weakest at the moment as Vritra was correct. In this Bounded Field, there was no Moon and it was heavily modified to be untraceable. 

Not only did Artemis have Constatine to worry about, but she also had Vritra, Hecate, Solomon, and even Medusa who she saw jump off Solomon. Constantine turned to her. 

"Catch the Hunters, especially Zoe." 

With that order, Medusa grabbed her chained stabbing daggers from her waist before she began walking toward the Hunt. All 20 including Phoebe, and Zoe. Constantine took a step forward and slammed his right foot on the ground.

"Show me your strength, goddess." 

He then rushed at Artemis who pulled a set of long silver hunting knives in a flash of Moonlight. She then rushed at Constantine catching his initial downward swing with her daggers.

Even without the Moon, she still had a connection to it. She would not fall here.