As we moved deeper and deeper into the woods my 'sight' seemed to pick on something a huge serpent like creature with an intense red aura surrounding its form, almost 12 meters long with four legs, two horns on its head and a tongue that split in four different directions, a drakon, I thought.
Artemis seemed to catch on to the monster's presence as well since she said aloud "Over here." Changing her direction which I could only tell because of Zoe's presence and how she was moving, we seemed to be getting closer to the drakon.
Within moments, the unmistakable sounds of bowstrings being drawn reached my ears, and I mirrored the action. The drakon, sensing our approach, began to sniff the air, likely picking up on the scent of Zoe and me. Suddenly, it unleashed a deafening roar that reverberated through the trees, shaking both the foliage and the very ground beneath our feet.
ROOAAWWR
"Split up and target its eyes, its scales will be too hard to penetrate for our arrows." Artemis said in an enthusiastic manner, she really was the goddess of the hunt I couldn't help but think.
We all split-up in different directions but the drakon seemed to be fully focused on me as he kept on sniffing the air and following in my direction. I drew an arrow onto my bow and let it fly a distinct clinging sound could be heard as I had missed its eyes and hit its scales on top of its head.
As the drakon kept on approaching me a flurry of arrows flew at it from two different directions gaining its attention. Infuriated it turned towards one of the places where the arrows kept on coming from and started rushing at it, just as he started picking up speed another arrow flew at it and pierced its eye, ichor starting to pour onto its face as it let out a screeching roar of pain and anger.
ROAAUGH!
As it finished roaring smoke started pouring out of its mouth and one of the three crows which I hadn't noticed had been following me since I had been a little preoccupied said in an anxious voice "Master get away! The drakon's smoke is poisonous."
I 'looked' at the crow for a moment and did as I was told running away from the smoke while still trying to keep myself at a good enough distance so my 'sight' could catch both Zoe and the drakon. I drew another arrow and placed it on my bow, letting it fly towards the drakon once again, and again the distinct clinging sound could be heard.
But it seemed as if it had annoyed him a lot since I could 'see' it turn its head and look directly at me even with Zoe and Artemis firing ten times more arrows than me I didn't know what the hell I did to get this monster's anger.
Suddenly faster than I could perceive with my 'sight' the monster disappeared from its position appearing once again behind me the crow from before yelling from one of the treetops "Master behind you!"
I didn't even need to turn my 'sight' had finally caught up and the drakon's gaping mouth was just seconds away from swallowing me whole. I couldn't help but say a loud "Huh, I am gonna die." But suddenly from my shadow three shadowy black squid like tentacles formed and flew straight through the monster's gaping mouth and stabbing its brain staining me with a waterfall of the monster's ichor.
My jaw dropped at 'seeing' the sequence of events that had unfolded before my very eyes, before so could even close my jaw again the three black tentacles submerged themselves back into my shadow.
"Looks like you killed it" the voice of my adoptive grandmother broke my stupefied train of thought. "Yeah I guess I did." I replied still somewhat amazed over what had just happened.
"How did you do it?" She questioned as I heard how she inspected the drakon's corpse.
"I don't know, it was behind me and suddenly three black things came from below me and killed it, honest." I said fervently while putting my right hand to my heart.
"I believe you don't worry kid." Artemis replied back, Zoe then came over to where we were and asked Artemis "Did he kill it?"
"Yes, he did." Artemis replied. "Huh, then I guess he isn't as useless as most other men." Zoe continued as the aura around her body changed, the red dissipating completely and the orange around her dwindled to a considerable degree.
"Well, let's go back to camp." Artemis said with a happy voice "After all we can't let your dad know what you were doing, now can we Odysseus." "Oh, yeah you are right let's go back." I said somewhat anxious if dad were ever to learn what I had done just after waking up from my injury.
Artemis POV
After arriving back at camp we first left my lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade, at my own Divine Cabin something I still found somewhat stupid to have, but hey it was a good place for my Hunters to rest.
Then Odysseus and I started going towards the Big House and silently Odysseus went back to his room, probably scared to be caught by little ol' Chiron, something I couldn't help but laugh internally about as I saw how similar they both were.
I then started walking around the Big House once again but I wasn't going back to my room. I reached the room I wanted to and walked inside. The room was filled with hundred of books lined up carefully as if they were in a small little library and in the middle of it all was a centaur with slick black brown hair with some grey starting to show something which was weird giving the being's immortal nature.
"Chiron." I said aloud grabbing his attention. He slowly closed his book and placed it on a small glass table the only thing in here aside from the books themselves, "Yes Artemis." He replied back with his signature calm voice with which he had won over so many Olympians and Greek heroes.
"I have come here to talk about Odysseus." I continued. "If this is about the little hunt you took him on, don't worry Argus already told me you took him." He said before I could even finish saying what I wanted to say.
"No it isn't that you little runt, well it kind of is, do you know who the boy's godly parents is?" I questioned a small vein appearing on my forehead.
"No, I mean he has shown proficiency is different things but never so much in one as for me to jump to a conclusion and besides I am his parent so what does it matter, who his godly parent is." Chiron said with a slight amount of anger coming out of his voice.
"It isn't that I think you are a bad parent Chiron, but in our little hunt as you call it he killed the prey with shadows." I said seriously, "You know as well as I do that only one Olympian has enough control over shadows to pass it on to their children."
"Hades." Chiron said while finishing my train of thought. "Exactly if either Poseidon or my father find out…" I said while trailing off.
"Are you sure?" He questioned me one last time. "As sure as I am still a virgin." I replied. "Leave me alone, Artemis please I need to think." Chiron said. I did as he said and left his room but as I left I couldn't help but see Chiron's contemplative and emotional look.
*Author Note: Both you and I know that Odysseus isn't a son of Hades lol, but being a child of Primordial is something that has never happened so this is the normal conclusion people like Artemis and Chiron would reach.*