After Neptuna went back to bed I kept scanning my hand. I didn't know how it was possible that I could somehow control sparks.
I almost fell asleep but I knew that the second I closed my eyes monsters would rip me apart.
What a great thought to help me relax.
I began to think about Neptuna.
No one had answered me when I asked why she was here. They had laughed and looked at me as if I had been joking. But I wasn't. I wanted answers, I wanted—
Nevermind. All I wanted was to get some sleep knowing that I wouldn't immediately go to the underworld when I closed my eyes.
"It's time for my watch." Alivia sat down next to me.
"I'm going to sleep." I yawned, stood, then collapsed in my tent.
"Goodnight." I heard her speak before I drifted into a deep sleep.
I stood in the throne room of the gods. Zeus sat in his normal throne. Though I had only been in there twice, once after the battle of New York, and once after fighting Geia. But everything was the same. Except Zeus looked different, he looked almost... old.
Zeus was sitting differently, more angry wrinkles, and for some reason he had the master bolt gripped in his hand.
I scanned the other gods and they all seemed— worried, like the next thing that the master bolt hit would be them. But one thing was different, I scanned each and every one of the thrones but my father's was empty.
Zeus pulled himself together and sat at the edge of his throne, absolutely fuming.
"The boy is alive?" He roared, thought it didn't seem like much of a question.
"Yes." Athena sighed.
"But how?" Hera questioned.
"No one knows, perhaps the fates spared him?" Hephaestus shrugged.
"Possibly, but why?" Hermes sat up, suddenly listening instead of playing with his staff.
"Who cares! If he survives the night I want him killed before the sun sets!" Zeus roared again, his voice thundering around the room.
The air crackled with sparks and bubbled with electricity.
I woke up in a cold sweat, I felt nauseous and looked down at my legs, I had forgotten to heal my wounds before going to sleep. I reached over and grabbed the wrap, took of my jeans, then layered on the medical wrap in order to stop the bleeding.
I limped out of my tent after putting on some sweat pants.
"Are you crazy? It's like eighty degrees out here!" Neptuna greeted me as I sat down at the fire.
"Depends, how do you define crazy?"
"Mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way. Or at least, that's the dictionary definition."
"Then no, I'm not crazy."
"Whoa!" Neptuna jumped up and backed away.
"What?" I turned to see where her frightened eyes were staring.
A wolf was slowly lumbering up to the fire I sat before.
"Fred." Neptuna whispered. "Please tell me that isn't Fred."
"Uh, that's not Fred, different markings." I scanned the wolf that was still lumbering toward us, it's eyes trained on me.
But it didn't look like a regular wolf, it was perfectly groomed, fur in perfect shape. Without fully thinking it through I reached over and grabbed the bag Max had been getting food from. I reached my hand in and pulled out a chicken leg and slowly approached the wolf. Somewhere I had seen this wolf before, but I didn't remember where.
"What the hell are you doing?" Neptuna hissed.
"Shh! It hasn't attacked yet so there's no reason to kill it." I whispered, though my eyes were still trained on the wolf.
"I swear, you're an idiot." She murmured.
I fed the wolf the chicken leg and I heard a voice,
"Be gone." It spoke.
I looked up and stumbled back as the wolf ran back into the forest. The huntress before me was one I knew well, Artemis. If I had to fight her off then I would have no chance.
"Well, well, well, what is the pleasure to have you here, my lady?" I tried my best to bow but it didn't really work with injured legs.
"No pleasure, I have a deal for you."
"What sort of deal?" I eyed her, the gods were known for their vast ways of tricking humans into dying.
"Not much, your father has been trying his best to stop the gods from trying to destroy you but so far is has not been working."
"I can tell, but what's the deal?"
"You must separate yourself from the quest in order to save your friend's lives."
"You can't do that!" Neptuna yelled, "You're part of this quest and you know that! And—"
"Be quiet child." Artemis snarled.
"Where are your hunters?" I looked around the forest but didn't see the hunters.
"They are not near, it would be dangerous for them."
"Why do you care about my safety? I am not female."
"My brother cares for you, though it may be hard for you to believe."
"My father has never and will never be proud of me. The gods have convinced me of that much." I snarled, not breaking my gaze.
"He is, my nephew. He is very proud of you, but he must not express it."
"I don't believe that. But the reason for your visit is not to convince me about my father."
"Carrie," Neptuna lightly punched my shoulder to get my attention. "He is proud of you."
I jumped, surprised someone would ever dare comfort me. "You aren't part of this. Go and wake the others."
"Yes, I am part of this. Any thing that concerns my b—"
"Silence, child!" Artemis shushed her.
Neptuna glared at the goddess and crossed her arms.
"Don't call me what I'm not." She snarled. "I'm no child."
"I will call you what seems fit. You act like a child so I shall treat you like one."
Neptuna clenched her fists. I saw, from a glint in her eyes, that she wanted to punch Artemis, but I knew she wouldn't, for Artemis is a goddess.
...But Neptuna would probably still punch her.
"Neptuna, just—"
"Shut up, Carrie. You don't even remember everything about me, and you don't have any right to order me around out here." She spat at me. I blinked.
"What do you mean, not remember everything about you? I never knew that much as it is."
"Exactly that! You don't remember that we—"
"You are forbidden from reminding him, child!" Artemis snapped, aiming a deadly glare at her then returning to me, "Do you agree to our deal?"
"There's nothing in it for you, the gods always think of themselves first." I tried to ignore her comment toward Neptuna.
"How about a battle, if I win you must stay away from your friends until the quest is over."
"And if I win?" I crossed my arms.
"Then you may continue with your friends and put their lives in danger."
"Our lives are always in danger."
"Do you agree?"
"Yes, but whatever the outcome do not hold it against me."
"Okay." She grabbed her bow and took it off of her shoulder, I pressed my watch and did the same.
We eyed each other, with sadness in my heart but not in my eyes I realised that if it were not for the battle that was about to take place Artemis might be more of a friend than a foe.