¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-003

He nodded at her in appreciation. 

Nico rummaged through his own bag that the Hunters had apparently packed for him. He laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow—little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. Stella smiled when she saw the Apollo figurine with his sun chariot.

"Big collection," Percy said.

Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."

"You've been playing this game a long time?"

"Just this year. Before that..." Nico knit his eyebrows.

"What?" Percy asked.

"I forget. That's weird."

Nico looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?" 

Percy showed him Riptide and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.

"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?" Nico asked excitedly.

"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."

"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"

"Well, yeah."

"Can you surf really well, then?"

Percy looked at Stella and Grover, both of whom were trying hard not to laugh.

"Jeez, Nico," Percy said. "I've never really tried."

He went on asking question after question, and Stella could see how each one annoyed Percy even more. He asked if Percy fought a lot with Thalia, a question he didn't answer. Then, Nico asked if Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? Stella had to check her own temper for that one.

"Is Stella your girlfriend?" Nico asked looking between the two of them.

Percy reddened and Stella let out a laugh. He looked like he was absolutely about to lose his cool, but then Zoë Nightshade came up to them.

"Percy Jackson," Zoë said, looking at him distastefully. "Come with me, Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

He got up to go with her but then she turned around and looked at Stella, "You as well, Estella Cruz."

Zoë led them to the last tent. Stella felt a warmth surround her the second she walked in. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to Artemis. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor with a brazier of fire burning in the middle. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow. The walls were hung with animal pelts. A deer with glittering fur and silver horns rested contentedly in Artemis's lap.

"Join us," the goddess said.

Stella and Percy sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess looked at Stella carefully and then shifted her attention to Percy.

"Are you surprised by my age?" Artemis asked.

"Uh...a little," Percy 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."

"Go astray?" He asked.

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

"Oh."

Zoë sat down at Artemis's right. Stella watched as the girl narrowed her eyes at Percy.

"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 Zoë. "Which one was it?"