Chapter 56: Chapter 56
"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.
Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."
One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"
I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the Kassandra.
The girl wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."
"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul woman, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."
The girl growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"
She lunged at Thalia and me with her spear ready, I get ready to defend as someone charges Kassandra.
"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she rams into the daughter of Atlas.
"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"
But Annabeth had leaped onto the Kassandra's back and drove her knife into her neck. Kassandra screamed, turning in circles as she tried to get Annabeth off.
"Fire!" Zoe ordered.
"No!" I screamed. as I jumped into action as I reached for the shadows.
But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the Kassandra in the neck above the knife. Another hit her chest. The girl staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"
And before anyone could react, the girl, with Annabeth still on her back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.
"Annabeth!" I yelled as I ran to the cliff, I wasn't sensing anything! I didn't sense her death so she must have teleported away with Kassandra.
The Hunters advanced on us. The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.
"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."
Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."
"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."
"Are you going to help save, Annabeth?" I asked her.
The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."
"Fine, then I shall save her myself." I snapped as I walked toward the cliff. A couple of the huntress's tried to hold me back but I blasted them back.
"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.
"Yeah I am not listening to the goddess who allowed her hunters to attack m friend." I snapped. "I'll suggest you warn your huntress not to touch me again."
"You stupid male, when Lady Artemis speaks you listen to her!" A huntress yelled as she ran at me with a knife, only fo the blade to shatter against my skin. In return I grabbed her by her neck and snapped it dropping her limp body on the ground.
<You have defeated a Hunter of Artemis (mortal)>
<Skill: "Blessing of Artemis" accquired>
"So it works on humans as well, that is good to know."
"How dare you, kill one of my huntress!" Artemis screamed in anger. "Hunters, avenge your sister!"
"I warned them not to touch me, it as her mistake for attacking me." I responded. "Thalia take the Di Angelo kids and Grover and get to a safe distance."
"But-"
"NOW THALIA!" I roared as she nodded and grabbed the three as she took off.
"You really think you can take us all on by yourself, boy?" One of the hunters laughed as the others followed, mocking me.
"I have been a demigod for 2 years and in that time I have did more than you have in your lifetime." I responded as I reached into Atlas and threw a club on the ground. "Tell me when was the last time you not only defeated but managed to kill a god?"
Artemis paled when she reconized the club. "Don't tell me that is-"
"The famous club of Heracles. I admit he was a tough fight but he did not match up to Polyphemus or the children of Atlas."
"Hunter's stand down." Artemis muttered after some silence. "You are no match for this boy, he would kill you all before you even injured him."
"Ha, I doubt it!" One girl replied as she notched an arrow and sent it flying toward me, the arrow broke upon hitting my skin. She notched another two arrows, her sister next to her doing the same.
"Atlanta, Gabrille. I ordered you to stand down!" Artemis replied as the arrows were released.
"Man you have no control over your hunters." I replied as I cut the arrows out of the air. Next I punched my fist toward the two girls as a gust of wind blasted Atlanta and Gabrille back into their sisters. "You're hatred for men, blinded you to the fact that I was way stronger, far from your reach and yet you still attacked."
Artemis gritted her teeth as she looked at her two injured hunters and her dead one at my feet. "Fight my one on one!"
"Oh, sounds like you are invoking, Divine Law 47: Law of Divine Dueling!" I laughed.
"Yes I am. You insulted me so I shall fight you and regain the honor you took." Artemis responded stepping forward.
"Than you know what law will take effect if you lose the fight?" I asked.
"Divine Law 71: Law of Divine Conquest. If I shall lose the fight all that is mine will be transfered to you." Artemis answered as she grew to her adult form as she drew her daggers. "But I do not plan to lose."
I charged forward, my muscles tensed for action. Artemis met me head-on, her movements fluid and graceful as she danced around my strikes with effortless ease.
With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a barrage of black lightning, the crackling bolts lashing out towards her,but she dodged each attack with a swiftness as she threw several knifes at me that I had to deflect with my sword.
I manipulated the snopw and ice around me forming spears that I hurtled towards her with deadly precision, forcing her to dodge and weave. I kept it up as I sent a wall of fire that melted the snow and scorched the trees as it headed toward her. The hunters all had to move out the way.
Artemis lunged through the flames as her daggers flashed as they clashed against Morningstar with a resounding clang. She continued the assult as she attacked sashing at me as I kept blocking her blade.
And then, in a flash of steel and light, it happened. With a single strike, Artemis shattered Morningstar as if it was glass, leaving me holding only the handle and a quarter of a blade.
I stumbled backwards, shock coursing through my veins as I stared down at the broken remains of my sword. Artemis smirked triumphantly, her gaze cold and calculating as she prepared to deliver the final blow.
I gritted my teeth pissed she broke my favorite sword as I returned the blade into Atlan before withdrawing Gungnir as I blasted Artemis away with another bolt of black lightning as the shadow sliced at her, her legs and arms bleeding gold.
Artemis smirked, her eyes glinting with confidence. "Do you truly believe that a mere mortal like yourself can defeat a goddess, Perseus Jackson?"
I met her gaze with steely resolve. "I may be mortal, Artemis, but I am no ordinary man."
"No you are not." She replied as she lunged at me dodging another fireball to the face. "And can you stop with the fireballs!"
"Nope!" I grinned as I lunged forward, Gungnir slicing through the air with a speed that left Artemis momentarily stunned. The tip of the spear pierced through her defenses with ease, slicing her arm causing her to drop the knife in her hand.
She quickly moved away from the spearhead as she got in close and countered with a flurry of strikes from her daggers. I deftly parried each blow, as I kicked her away.
Pressing my advantage, I lauched into of rapid thrusts that drove Artemis backwards with each strike. Gungnir hummed as it sliced through the air, as the wind flowed cleanly through the blood grooves of the blade, making it seem that the spear was singing.
Artemis fought with a ferocity that matched my own, her movements swift and graceful as she sought to evade my attacks. But I was relentless, my focus unbroken as I continued to press forward with a determination to end the fight.
And then, with a final, decisive thrust, Gungnir found its mark. The spear pierced through Artemis's defenses with a force that sent her stumbling backwards as she fell, her eyes widening in shock as she found Gungnir at her throat the tip of the blade drawing blood as my foot pressed on her stomach pinning her down.
"Now, you can either submit and live," I spoke. "Or you can go move in with Heracules."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone