Pertemis: Timeless

Chapter 9

No way I can be jealous about that with Hestia. I mean she's my aunt and she's more gentle and caring and nice than me...I don't know how could I have a chance to prevent Perseus from falling for her.

Then I snapped myself again. I don't know why that would concern me. Whether he falls for Hestia or Aphrodite would not affect me at all. I would just be the Artemis, the cold-hearted goddess that every man fears. Perhaps an entire eventful day about Perseus had finally taken a toll on me.

Just then Apollo flashed back with a tired face.

"How is he?" I immediately rushed to him and held him by the shoulders.

"Relax sis, let me have a break. I just worked really hard you know" he shoved my hands off his shoulders and groaned. "And why are you so concerned for a male anyway?" he continued rising his eyebrows.

His questions took me off guard. Up to the point, I didn't really realise I was in the throne room full of eyes and ears. Perseus' situation had beaten me up so bad that I barely recognised anything at all. Oh Chaos! I'm gonna have a hard life after this.

"I uh just worry about my saviour. Besides, if he die, I would  have to be responsible for that" I stuttered, trying to make my excuse looks convenient

"Oh I see" Apollo said still giving me an incredulous look.

"Can you stop giving me that look and answer the damn question?" I snapped at him, trying to break free of the embarrassing moment and made it look more convincing by giving him a knock on the head.

"How is he?"

"His condition is stabilising." Apollo sighed. "I must say he's a damn lucky bastard! If you were late for a few more minutes sis, I think we would go back to the twelve Olympians right now."

Hearing that my shoulders dropped I reliefs. I knew he was dying, but I didn't know he was that close to the door of death. My heart suddenly skipped a beat the moment Apollo told me it. I couldn't imagine what a mess I would be in if I had realised Perseus' life was drawing near.

"How come two Olympians fighting a few monsters and one nearly got killed?" My father's voice suddenly boomed from his throne. My head jerked to his direction. "It doesn't make any sense"

I forgot I only told him briefly the story but not the detailed.

"It was an army father, not just a few." I corrected him.

"But still!" Zeus grimaced, clearly he didn't like me fixing his sentences. "You two are capable of annihilating the entire army. Actually Perseus doesn't even have you, I know you have that power alone Artemis!"

"But father" Apollo this time stepped up to my side. I only stared at him in surprise since he had never stood up for me in front of father before. "Artemis' power sure can annihilate that army. But it would bring enough destruction to the point her own Hunters would be in danger. Artemis could've teleported herself out of that assault if she wanted to. But her hunters were the anchor that held her back to fight."

"It's actually more than just that father" this time, I stepped up. I actually didn't think of using any power besides just shooting plain arrows at the monsters. But Apollo was right. Even if I had realised this possibility, I wouldn't have used it anyway. However, that wasn't the point. There was something far worse than me not using the power to prevent all of this from happening.

"This attack was none like what I've ever seen before. Monsters since the last Giant and Titan wars haven't been banding together until now. They mostly stayed with their own race and fighting over each other for food. But this army had organisation and discipline. All races seemed to become obedient to a common course. Something bigger is going on behind this father, something I fear could bring a war to us all."