Artemis |Lesbian Version|

Chapter 6: The Python

Four times Artemis shot her silver bow for practice. First, she split a pine tree in half, then an olive tree. Then she shot a wild boar. Lastly, she shot an arrow into a city of unjust men and those who denied her mother shelter when she was wandering the earth. The arrow pierced all of them, never ceasing its flight till they were all dead.

As soon as she was satisfied with her archery, she summoned her brother Apollo from Olympus.

"Brother, come with me," she said. "We have an enemy to slay."

"There is no doubt that I shall go and fight with you, sister," Apollo said. "Tell me who is this enemy?"

"This one is a dragon who had hunted our mother," Artemis said. "It is called Python, a beloved pet of Hera."

"Aye! We must go and avenge this monster," Apollo said vehemently.

"Good brother, you must keep it a secret between you and me," his sister said. "If we succeed, I will give you all the glory."

Apollo agreed and followed her. Dryads, who were tattletales, told them that they would find the dragon at Mount Parnassus. There the twins sped with their mighty bows and quivers full of gold and silver arrows. Together, they were unstoppable and the only game Artemis had in mind was Python.

The two siblings traveled the seas for several days, accompanied only by Artemis' hounds. It wasn't until they reached the summit of the mountain that they found hints of the creature lingering about.

"Follow these tracks," Artemis said to her hounds when they found the swirls on the ground. The beasts swiftly spread out to find the monster.

"Because of this hateful creature, our mother has never left the isle of Delos ever since we have sprung from her womb," Apollo said bitterly.

"After we end its life," Artemis said, "Hera shall know her reign of terror is over."

The hounds returned with the knowledge of the monster. The twins followed them. As they stood on a hill, they saw the great winged serpent weaving its dusty coils far below.

Artemis notched an arrow, drew her bow and let fly. It darted like light, they saw it strike the huge coils flail in agony.

"Let us split ways, brother," Artemis said. "See if either of us can kill the beast first."

Apollo smiled and nodded. Artemis sprinted off with her hounds. She took to the woods while Apollo headed through the plains and foot of the hills. Shouting with savage glee, the two raced down the slope.

Artemis, fast like the wind, reached the place where they saw the monster first but it was gone. It had left a trail of blood. The huntress wasted no time and quickly pursued the serpent's trail. She fanned her hounds out, hoping they could surround the Python.

She chased the dragon to the Oracle of Gaia, at Delphi. Python was hiding in a cave, where it could not be followed. Artemis breathed on her arrowheads and shot them into the cave as fast as she could. They broke into flames when they hit. Smoke filled the cave, and the winged serpent had to crawl out.

It was bigger than she had thought, almost the size of a small mountain.

While she could not see Apollo, she could sense her brother climbing up the hills to find a vantage point to see the land and locate the beast. All he needed was one good aim to kill the Python and she was going to give him that opening he needed.

Apollo, standing on a rock, shot the monster so full of arrows it looked like a porcupine. He did not want to kill the creature but rather to torture it.