chapter 16

After his last question, Nico stopped to think about what I said. Another one of the hunters arrived and gave me some nectar and a shirt. The shirt was just a plan purple shirt but it was kind of tight.

Nico began to ask me even more questions which I gladly answered.

"What are the hunters?"

"They are immortal girls who vow not to date boys."

After around 5 minutes Zoe came back over.

"Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee." She looked at me before turning back around leaving. I got up with Percy.

"Yo Nico, I know some mythomagic so I can play with you if you want to later?" Nico practically beamed when I said that and nodded his head so fast that it seemed that it would pop off.

We followed Zoe to a tent in the camp. It was the same as every other tent but I assume that Artemis was in there. When we got inside, I saw Artemis sitting in the middle and Bianca sitting next to her.

The tent was comfortable. Silk pillows and pelts laid around the inside and on the floor. Behind the goddess was her bow. It was large and silver. On the walls were huge animal pelts. Then there was a deer laying down like a pet.

"Sit down boys." Artemis spoke. I sat down next to Percy who sat Infront of Artemis. I sat to his left facing no one.

"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked. I shook my head while Percy nodded his head.

"umm, maybe a little?" He said.

"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."

It took me a moment before I knew what she meant by go astray. She also looked at Zoe who was behind us for some reason.

"Go astray?" Percy questioned.

"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."

Percy said an "Oh."

Zoe then walked and sat on Artemis' right, facing me. She glared at Percy like he was the problem, then glared at me for half a second.

"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is 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…" She looked at Zoe. "Which one was it?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

'Was his name Jack?' I thought in my mind as I tried not to laugh at my poor excuse of a joke.

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, Atem. I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore and the wyvern. 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 looked at me wide eyed and whispered to me. "There was a wyvern there?"

"Yeah? I lured it away so it wouldn't affect you guys too much. Thought that you could take down one monsters while I take down the other one. Turns out that you got the stronger one of the batch." I said not in a whispering tone since Artemis probably already heard Percy.

We then told Artemis what they said. Scaley didn't speak at all but the manticore was a yapper.

Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

 Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

 "Yes"

 "What scent?" Percy asked after watching their back and forth talk.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

'Thar is not good.' I thought while trying to wrack my brain of anything that was the "General" from ancient Greece.

She stared at us intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore and the wyvern, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."

Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'" I mentally face palmed when Percy said that.

"No what he said after that." I said to Percy who said a silent "Oh."

"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."

Zoe seemed to pale at that and turned to Artemis and tried to speak but Artemis just raised her hand.

"Go on Percy." She said.

"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—" Once again I nearly face palmed.

"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.'"

Artemis barley moved, she was so still that you could have mistaken her as a statue.

"Maybe he was lying," Percy said trying to be helpful.

Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked away, it was as if she was trying very hard not to shake in fear. "We will leave right away, my lady."

Artemis shook her head. "No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

But, Artemis—" She tried to say but Artemis silenced her.

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. 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 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?" I asked and Percy nodded along.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong.

"Can goddesses pray?" Percy asked and I couldn't help but wonder that too.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Atem, I have a small task for you."

"What is it?" I asked and Artemis continued.

"I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."

"I will do that to the best of my ability." I said but Zoe looked like a child that was about to throw a tantrum.

"What?" Zoe' blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will 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."

"Why you burn down the cabins?" I asked and Zoe looked away while Artemis shook her head.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

'What?'

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

Wait," Percy said. "Thinking about what?"

"The hunt maybe?" I whispered to my self while looking at Bianca.

"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 is not the only way for a girl," Zoe said.

"Bianca, 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," Zoe said, "immortality."

Percy stared slack jawed at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"

"Zoe 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 is the oath?" I ask since I was quite curious.

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."

'It was what I was told and thought, but what the exact oath?' I thought as my mind wondered around.

"Like you?" Percy said and Artemis nodded.

"So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—" Percy began but was interrupted by Zoe.

"Not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—" Then she was interrupted by Percy.

"Which are you, then?"

Anger flashed in Zoe's eyes. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca may join if she wishes. It is her choice."

"Bianca, this is crazy," Percy said. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."

"Percy, it is her right to pick. If she wants to stay with the hunters forever then that is her right." Bianca shot me a smile but I continued. "But it also her right to ignore her brother and watch everyone that isn't apart of the hunt wither away from old age."

Bianca smile dropped.

She looked at Zoe. "Is it worth it?"

Zoe nodded. "It is."

"What do I have to do?"

 "Say this," Zoe told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"

"I… I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?" Zoe nodded.

"If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."

"I accept it," Artemis said.

The flames in the brazier brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. Bianca looked no different, but she took a deep breath and opened her eyes wide.

"I feel… stronger."

"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.

"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."

'So that's the oath? Quite interesting.'

"Do not despair, Percy Jackson," Artemis said. "You will still get to show the di Angelos your camp. And if Nico so chooses, he can stay there."

"Great," He said, trying not to sound surly. "How are we supposed to get there?" I noticed that he was really upset.

Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."

"I shall take my leave then." I walked out of the tent and began to chat with Nico and play Mythomagic with him.

'Poor Nico...'

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