CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
—stupid goddesses
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—EVERYTHING around the group stood still, the snow flurries suspended midair on their way to earth, trapped underneath the overcast night. Everything was frozen in a little pocket of the winter storm.
Judith tried to fight the wave of calm that overtook her as the horn's alarm died down. She held desperately to her jittery thoughts, refusing to be caught unawares just because some nature horn blew its siren. She adjusted her arm guard underneath the hoodie, distracting herself from being effected by the magic.
Time resumed when the manticore began talking again. "No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be —"
His voice became garbled when an iridescent silver arrow struck him in his shoulder. Judith soured as his body started to deteriorate with just that one hit, like all the slashing and bashing she'd done with a sword was meaningless against some thin metal. Judith wasn't sure she wanted to meet the owner of it, yet she had a feeling she was already acquainted with them, familiarity running through her as she stared at the silver color.
"Curse you!" He wailed, staggering around, making Judith smirk. It fell as the manticore unleashed dozens of his spikes at once. She should have seen that coming, honestly, monsters were so dramatic. Such sore losers. Not a second later, double the amount of thorns were returned in arrows. Judith had to admit, it was a beautiful sight, like a million shooting stars, but extremely deadly. The arrows pierced each spike with incredible accuracy, the bits of thorn falling lifeless to the ground.
The manticore yelled his dislike and swung his tail about. Judith avoided it as best as she could, still helping Thalia to her feet.
She noticed Dr. Thorn hit Percy's shield again, the boy taking the blow with a wince. It was clear he wasn't fully recovered from his poisoned wound.
It was then that the archers revealed themselves and Judith recognized them instantly. They were decked out in silver parkas and light jeans, all of them held their bowstrings taught, piercing eyes targeted at the fallen manticore.
"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried happily.
"Oh, wonderful," Thalia muttered, less than pleased with the back up. The daughter of Ares held the same sentiment, resenting them for their many victories in capture the flag ( like, it wasn't really fair that they were immortal ).
One of the older girls stepped forward, looking like a leader of a pack and Judith could distinctly recall her and her old-style English. "Permission to kill, my lady?" The 'lady' she was talking to hadn't revealed herself yet but Judith knew who it was as soon as Annabeth had announced just who they were.
The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws." Judith rolled her eyes. Exactly, Ancient, as in: dumb and outdated.
A younger girl took a step forward and Judith stared. She knew that the goddess was forever immortalized in a young girl's body, but a twelve year old? Artemis had never been a visitor at Camp Half-Blood; at least, not while Judith had been there. It had always just been her Hunters who stayed a night or two while the goddess scouted a particular monster down.
"Not so," she said. There was a brighter glow and regality to her; she was graceful and stern, her face showing a maturity that Judith certainly didn't have at 12 years old, not that she wanted that or anything. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoë, permission granted."
The manticore growled. "If I cannot have them alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Percy, knowing he was still weak and dazed.
"No!" Annabeth and Judith yelled, and they charged at the monster. Judith didn't go so far as to jump on his back as the blonde did, but her upfront attack was just as efficient.
"Get back, half-bloods!" Zoë said. "Get out of the line of fire!"
But the two girls were too far gone in defending the weakened son of Poseidon. Annabeth got her knife into his mane and he howled. Judith took this as her chance to finally slash the Manticore with all her strength, feeling she needed to prove her sword could do just as much damage as an arrow. His yelping only increased and he started to spin in circles and dance around on his feet to get away from Judith and throw Annabeth from his neck.
"Fire!" Zoë ordered.
Judith stopped, "Wait!"
"No!" Percy screamed, voice hoarse.
But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first few caught the manticore in the neck and another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"
Judith saw what the monster was doing and tried leaping for Annabeth's hand, only grazing her fingertips. The monster growled and held onto the girl tighter, jumping off the edge of the cliff and falling into the murky darkness. Judith ran to the side, skidding to a stop as the rocks crumbled dangerously off.
"Annabeth!" Percy yelled also stumbling his way over.
The sound of gunfire came from the still hovering helicopter and the hunters all took cover. Judith grabbed Percy's shield that was still hooked on his arm and held it above them, making him wince with exertion. Neither of them paid attention to the rattling against it as they stared out beyond, both wondering how things had gone south so quickly.
"Mortals," the goddess announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt." She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into a giant flock of ravens. Judith could barely register that she had just turned a couple humans into animals, essentially ending their lives without so much as a second thought.
The Hunters advanced on the two demigods who were ready to risk it all and jump over the side. A few of the girls snatched onto the back of their jackets and pulled them back with unnecessary aggression. Judith shoved the girl holding her away and she gave her a distasteful look. "Don't touch me."
Zoë rolled her eyes at Judith's behavior and stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with disgust.
"Zoë Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."
Zoë disregarded her and turned to face her leader. "Five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."
"Yes," she said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."
Percy flailed about in the hold of one of the girls, having the decency to not push her off, but also the irritation to want to. "Our friend, Annabeth. You have to let us save her!"
The goddess turned to him. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."
"She's not dead," Judith spat, the need to be respectful slowly leaving her.
"Maybe not," she said, looking Judith up and down. She looked back at Percy with a grimace. "You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs."
"Let me go," Percy demanded. "Who do you think you are?"
Judith wanted to elbow his gut, realizing he was the least knowledgeable demigod to live. How he even passed his summer classes was a mystery to her.
Zoë stepped forward with a determination to smack him senseless but Judith took a step forward and put a finger on her chest. If anyone was going to hurt the son of Poseidon, it would be her. "Don't touch him."
The goddess stepped in and diffused the anger. "No. I sense no disrespect, Zoë. They are simply distraught. And he does not understand."
The young girl looked at Percy closely. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."
Percy's face mildly paled in shock. He was a bit dumbfounded and said, "Um ... okay."
Grover was quick to come grovel over the goddess, though. He knelt in the snow. "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so ... you're so ..."
"Young?" Judith offered, done with the satyr's fawning. If she was so adamant that they not go after Annabeth now, then Judith wanted to move onto a point where they did go after the girl. There was absolutely no reason to sit back and make introductions.
Grover sent a quick look up at the girl. "I was going to say ... breathtaking." Judith huffed with a shrug.
The goddess was seemingly unaffected by the girl's careless demeanor, understanding where her uncontrollable emotions were coming from. A lost friend mixed with Ares' self control, a dangerous combination. It was only reasonable that her temper would be put to the test.
Thalia walked over as well, not finding the need to impress her either. "Get up, goat boy!" She snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"
Bianca brought her brother over and for a second Judith was shocked they were still there and alive. She was surprised that they actually listened to her and stayed out of the way while the fight raged on. Maybe they had some common sense. "Whoa," Bianca interrupted. "Hold up. Time out."
Everyone's attention was on her now as she pointed a finger at all of them. "Who ... who are you people?"
Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you. Who are your parents?"
Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis, starstruck. "Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but ..." She faltered at everyone's faces. "What? I'm telling the truth."
"You are a half-blood," Zoë Nightshade said. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian." She really kept the old English, huh?
"An Olympian ... athlete?" Judith rolled her eyes.
"No," Zoë said. "One of the gods."
"Cool!" said Nico.
"No!" Bianca's voice quavered, disagreeing heavily with her brother. "This is not cool!"
Nico danced around, not at all concerned about his sister's thoughts. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for —"
"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"
"Chill," Judith said. Bianca ignored her and rubbed her temples.
Thalia took a softer approach. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well ... our lives are dangerous."
"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell." Everyone turned away from her gaze. Even Artemis looked pained. Judith just clenched her teeth.
"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."
"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.
"And why not now?" Judith added.
"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."
Judith looked into her bright moonlight eyes. "Well if you had let us go immediately, maybe she wouldn't have vanished."
"Your impulsivity, Judith Sloane, would have gotten you both killed. Not only is that water treacherous and Percy Jackson has yet to gain full control of the sea, but he would have had to pay attention to you as well, which in turn, would have hurt him," Artemis had no mercy when cracking down on her. "You would have put everyone in danger."
Judith fumed silently, her face turning so hot that she knew the snow falling around her was evaporating before impact. Without another word, she walked in another direction to cool off, biting her tongue till it bled so she wouldn't insult a goddess. She refused to admit that the goddess was right. They could have done it, Percy would have been fine.
The girl didn't go back to the clearing for a while, choosing to wander outside the perimeter of the clearing in order to kick at trees in peace. Only after making sure her foot was completely numb and leg aching, did she return to the center of the clearing, now decked out in camping tents that seemed to reflect light just like the moon.
Sighing, she walked over to where Percy and Thalia had grouped up. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so ... Argh!" Thalia stamped her foot.
"I'm with you," Percy said. "I don't trust —"
"Oh, you're with me?" Thalia turned on him. She also looked at Judith menacingly as she approached. "What were you two thinking back there in the gym? That you'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourselves? You knew he was a monster!"
"Hey, we had no clue how long they'd been out of the gym when we noticed they were gone. If we had waited to find you guys, they would have been up in that helicopter by the time we got there! And how were we the only ones paying attention?!" Judith yelled. The two of them were toe to toe now. "Got distracted by a middle school dance, did you?"
Ignoring the jab, Thalia scowled. "If we'd stuck together, we would've found him quick enough and taken him on without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you guys think of that?" She retaliated. Judith was about to yell some more about how all her words couldn't be proven true, when they all noticed Annabeth's blue yankee cap in the snow a few feet away.
Judith just clenched her teeth as Thalia walked away, wiping a tear. Percy picked up the trampled hat and the two stared at it. Thalia wasn't right, she wasn't. And Artemis wasn't either. But that didn't stop and ugly monster from reading its head in her stomach. Every time a feeling of guilt creeped up her spine, she crushed it. She'd found that thinking of 'what if's' only made resentment and grudges grow; she'd learned that lesson with Bryce over the summer. The guilt she had for that was still there but she'd stopped it from turning into self-loathing, knowing that it wouldn't bring him back in the end.
There was no changing what had already happened and she had learned to live with that.
NOTES;
THIS WAS SO HARD FOR ME TO EDIT AND I DON'T KNOW WHY
edited : 07 / 07 / 2020