Chapter 4 - The Hunt

I offered my hand to him to flash out he grabbed it softly, and we left at the borders of my main camp.

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Percy P.O.V

"Wait, here I'll fill the hunt in in summon your Hellhound and Pegasus while you wait."

She said as she walked away. I climbed up onto a branch of a spruce tree, a deep sense of calm washed over me as I sat down, and I went over the events inside of my head as I unf.

1. I slept for three thousand years

(Will give you such a kink in the neck)

2. have a conversation with The Fates, who had learned sass and used it against (Blasphemy)

3. I was a god (not of Blue Food Cruel World)

4. I went to Olympus and got betrothed to Artemis (like, seriously, Fate's where did you pull that one from?)

Welp, this is officially a day to remember. Then As I sat their swinging my feet, I pulled summoned Pan's Flute, and I remembered a story my mother told me of her great-grandfather Jonny Apple seed. I looked at the letter left behind by my Ancestor Pan

Dear Perseus

If your Reading this means the Fates granted my wish, and you are the new God of the Wild.

I sincerely hope that you can find happiness and forgive me if the Fates forced godhood on you for my sake.

However, now that you're the God of the Wild, I do need to let you know what that means.

The Wild is Wilderness that obeys the circle of life where nothing hunts in excess and balance is kept between all species.

The reason I faded was failure to do so by not keeping the monsters that break the balance in check.

Also, for not stopping the Hunters who hunted for the fun of the kill.

I pray to Chaos that you do not make the same failure as I did, for Wild pushes back, it is not

Peaceful or nice.

It is fair, however, so use its power to push back against those who break try to break the balance, but do not forget your heart in process.

-Sincerely

Your grandfather Pan

I put my mouth to the Reed pipes and blew, and a single note broke the silence of Forest.

I blew another note as my instincts took over, and a song played as more notes were added, and soft notes attracted the creatures of the forest.

Images of the forest of a regal buck and a pack of wolves and the way of forest, and of balance as I continued to play my Ancestors pipes.

I felt the underlying energy of forest that connects everything from the towering tree to the small ants on the ground.

I felt the worship of the satyrs and dryads that had pushed along my ascension.

my hands followed my subconscious as I the Hunters of Artemis hunt down monsters to help keep the balance, I saw humans hunting an area that had an overpopulation of boars.

Flashes of my life before my slumber as I allowed myself to cry for what I had lost.

I had lost my chance to say goodbye and thank you to my mother and Paul.

To be a brother to my little sister to be the brother I wanted to be.

My chance to marry a girl I loved and have a family.

A chance to see my friends that had fallen unfairly in wars.

To protect those I loved and lived for.

I shed my tears and let sadness over take me as I continued to play the Reed pipes.

Something I had learned from years of being a demigod was that by holding on to them, you never let them rest in peace and never let yourself move on from their loss.

Taking a deep breath, I evaporated my tears and focused on my blessings.

I still had my friends Jason, Nico, Leo, Frank, Hazel, Clarssie, and Thaila, who made it.

I remembered the words the Fates told me

'Perseus, none of your children will ever be held down by our strings'

The Fates gave me a new opportunity, a new chance that I couldn't just blow this time.

Artemis P.O.V

After a short walk through the forest, I arrived at Camp Nightshade, which I named after my first lieutenant Zöe Nightshade.

It had a standing population of around 1,500 hunters who were split into 6 warbands

of 250 hunters to each warband.

Each Warband was then split into 12 twelve groups of 20-21 Hunters called a Pack.

Currently, two Warbands were out investigating under orders of the Olympian Council.

The makeup of the Hunters was primarily Legacies, but their was a steady incline of nature spirits and demigodess, which boosted the arsenal of the Hunt.

"Milady," all of my Hunters said bowing before returning to their daily duties as I walked to the campfire at the center of the camp.

Camp Nightshade was broken up into 7 sections, one for each warband, and the center section acted as a shopping center where hunters could trade pelts and other spoils of war for more specialized gear such as sonic arrows and the like.

My tent was at the very center of the center section right next to the command tent and the campfire where the bell that was ringed for an announcement where every Alfa, a leader of a Pack would come to get a debrief and then spread it out to their respective packs.

I walked up to the bell and pulled on the rope

and soon enough, 48 hunters not counting my lieutenant Thaila and the war band leaders arrived.

"Take a seat, everyone, I have something we need to discuss," I said hesitantly

"Milady, what's this about?" Thaila asked, sensing the hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, I blurted out

"I'm betrothed," I said, closing my eyes

I opened my eyes to see the see the expecting eyes of my Hunters

"Well, is he a jackass orrr?"

"No, a little sarcastic but otherwise upstanding."

An evil smile appeared on Thaila's face

"So when is your's and Seaweed brains wedding?"

"Don't know, the official announcement is in two months' time,"

"Knew It!" Thaila Yelled

I blinked owlishly as Thaila preceded to collect drachmas from the other hunters

"What?"

Thalia turned towards me and said

"Well, we had a bet after the battle of Manhattan that if you were to marry a male, it would be Percy and it kind became a tradition to rope in all new the new Alfas into the bet"

"Just out of curiosity, what gave you that idea?"

"One, Percy is very respectful, Two, both of you have the fatal flaw of Loyalty, Three, Percy literally saved you from Atlas, Four, I saw how you starer at him, Five, You guys would be so cute together!"

Thaila said, ticking off a finger for every point.

"I did not stare at him," I said, not seeing my face flush gold

Thaila smirked. "OH, really, now dear sister of mine, like you totally didn't try and recruit Annabeth after you saw them looking at each other like lost puppies."

"I did not," I said, puffing my cheeks

"Would you be willing to prove it?"

Thaila asked, raising an eyebrow

"Yes, I would,"

"Then Swear on the River Styx"

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hey, Guys, I have another book,

Salthey:Sin of Wrath read it if you want!

-FatesWriter