Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 19

Percy slept for a long time. It was understandable, since he had been exhausted- both mentally and physically.

After seeing that Artemis and Zoe were no longer a threat to Percy and  were actually looking after him, the forest had finally calmed and the nature spirits decided to revealed themselves. They had been in an awkward position, stuck between their loyalty to Percy and their inborn duty to Artemis, having to choose a side. Afraid and anxious, they had hidden themselves, but were happy and relived to finally show themselves.

After a bit of prodding, Artemis found out why the wild was so faithful to him. His blessing did gain him a certain amount of loyalty, but it was surprising that the wild was ready to go against a goddess just to protect him. 

Apparently, they were quite literally indebted to him. In the whole day Percy was unconscious, the dryads and naiads told the two girls stories about him, bordering between loving grandmothers and awe-filled subordinates. They seemed to forget that they were talking to a goddess when the topic of Percy came up. 

They would tell them about how he refused to eat a particular mushroom while pouting and then the next second talk about how he slayed a monster triple his size. They told her about his expertise in medicine and how he could cure a dying animal in seconds, then change the topic to how he made the prettiest flower crowns for them. It was disorienting but oddly entertaining to hear. 

They were especially intrigued by how he'd killed the hydra. After seeing his powers with nature, she'd almost forgotten that he had the ability to manipulate water. And Zoe, who had slowly been getting a vicious spark in her eyes, asked them to specify how exactly he'd killed it, giggling evilly when they told her that it had died from its own acid. 

Artemis had simply rolled her eyes, deciding to worry about different things. She already knew from his body language that he wanted to keep himself a secret. His reluctance to talk about his powers made it clear, but just by the amount of abilities he had, his aura was huge. 

if he wanted to remain inconspicuous, hiding his presence was the only way possible. It was a wonder the other gods hadn't noticed him yet. The only thing protecting him at this point was the fact that his powers corresponded perfectly with his surroundings. 

"My Lady, we should leave now. The hunters must be waiting." Zoe gently reminded her.

"Oh yes!" They'd initially come to inspect the land since they needed a steady base for quite some time. Their whole purpose of coming to the reserve was to secure a place so that their newly joined members could train and get used to the atmosphere before going on quests. 

They could just set up a base here in the forest, but she knew that the girls would be comfortable with Percy around, and sending him away just for a temporary camp seemed too cruel. Not to mention, their new hunters who might feel betrayed since the whole point of the hunters was to avoid the male population.

"What about camp?" Zoe asked her, reading her thoughts and urging her to decide on an answer soon. Daylight was fading and the girls were exhausted after travelling. 

"You can set it here." Both jerked slightly at his voice, too absorbed in their thoughts to notice Percy who had woken up. 
"You can set your camp here," He repeated, rubbing his eyes. "I'll spend the night on the other end. There's enough distance in between for my presence to be hidden."

Artemis was surprised. They both had stepped away to avoid waking him but since he'd been roused and additionally had been able to hear their conversation proved that he had exceptional senses. She had guessed that he was exceptional, even for a blessed demigod, but she didn't know at what extent. 

"The reserve is protected by the humans, and I've already taken care of most of the monsters last night. They rarely come here anyways." He shrugged. They wanted to ask him about that, but before they could, he continued.  

"This part is also secluded so no tourists will disturb you. But it's best not to roam far during early morning."  He quickly rattled off, speaking objectively and with sincerity. "The cave is safe and will provide good privacy. The animals know not to make a den of it and since I haven't been there in a while, my scent won't be there."

Contrary to his serious speech and suggestions, he looked absolutely adorable, with rumpled clothes and puffy eyes and stifling yawns. Suppressing their desire to laugh, they nodded with quivering lips, acknowledging his words. 

He gestured to the right, "There's a river a few steps from here. I won't be coming here unless summoned so please feel at ease." He bowed his head a bit awkwardly. 

It was truly an experience conversing with someone who knew exactly how to respect the hunters and herself. He understood exactly what she needed and did his best to accommodate her and make sure that he wouldn't disturb them. What a good child. 

"Let's do that. Call the girls." Artemis directed her words at her competent lieutenant, who acted immediately, leaping away to wherever the group was present without a word of farewell. Artemis herself got up, dusting herself lightly and picked up her jacket. 

"Rest well, Percy. I'll visit you." 

And with those words, she disappeared, leaving behind nothing, erasing any trace which could've proved whether it was a dream or reality.