The Silver Hunter

Chapter One: The Cursed Son

 "How dare you kill my son?!" Zeus bellowed in the hall of Mount Olympus. Tensions were high as Zeus and Artemis began to butt heads.

"How dare I? How dare he!? Your son tried to harm one of my maidens! So, I killed him and I would do it again! I would turn all your sons into cattle if I could." Artemis argued.

"Artemis, I know you don't mean that. . ." Apollo was acting as mediator, trying to keep both parties from an all out fight. Although, that was proving to be more and more difficult. It didn't help that Ares was edging on the fight and Hera was ignoring it.

"My sons are your half-brothers! You can't go around and hunt every man you find!" Zeus's face was starting to turn red as he yelled at his daughter. Hera wanted no part because Artemis was not a child of hers. She was indifferent to most of Zeus's bastard children from affairs.

"I would if I could! They are pigs and do nothing, but hinder us." Artemis seethed. Zeus was getting angrier and nothing Apollo could say would help. Both him and Hermes had tried their hardest, but they knew how this would end.

"If you think men are such pigs, then you'll enjoy carrying one to labor." Zeus brought his fist down to the meeting table and a blast of light struck Artemis. Apollo gasped, rushing to his sister's side when the light faded.

"You. . . what have you done to me?" Artemis gasped, hands running over her body to see what was wrong.

"You took away my son, so I will curse you with one. That is your punishment." Zeus seemed to calm, as his hair wasn't defying gravity anymore. Artemis looked up, hatred filling her eyes. The goddess would rather cut the child out of her than birth it, being the goddess of chastity. She decided she'd hate this child just as much as her father.

The only thing Malachi wanted more than anything else was his mother's approval. He rarely saw her and that made him want to impress her more. She visited him every couple of years to see how he was faring, often coming in the form of a young girl. She would have her arms crossed, jaw set, staring deep in his soul. He hated the way she judged him harshly, pushing him to do things to get her attention. He took up archery and tried his hardest to learn to fight, but knew it was nothing compared to Artemis's hunters. He was jealous of them for having his mother's respect and protection.

"Do you know when mom is going to visit next?" Malachi asked his guardian, a dryad who took on the form of a grown man.

"Soon, child." Oren told him, the mossy green of his hair starting to grow down his face. Thankfully, the mist made him look more human to outsiders, but Malachi could clearly see his dark skin made of bark and vines twirling around his limbs.

"That's what you always say." Malachi sighed, looking around the cottage he lived in. It was on the outskirts of the city, far away from civilization. His mother told him to never go in the city because it was full of temptation and would distract him from what was important. Although, she never told him what was so important.

"It's not my fault I was born a boy. I didn't ask for it. . . I just wish she didn't hate me so much." Malachi murmured.

"Your mother. . . Lady Artemis. . ." Oren tried to think over what he was going to say. The word 'hate' was harsh, but he knew Artemis never wanted a child, let alone a son. That's why she abandoned him in the forest years ago. The only thing that kept her coming back was the obligation to tell Malachi not to be like other men. How would he know this, though, without meeting other men?

"I know, Oren. I just wish I could get even a fourth of the attention that her hunter's got." Malachi wiped his eyes.

"If you keep squabbling like that, you won't get anything." Malachi looked up to see a twelve year old girl standing by the hearth.