Horizon's Point: The Rise of the Lyre (Jason Grace)

Chapter 15: Thalia in a cage

"Hi Artemis." I greeted the goddess as we got closer, she was sitting on a log next to a roaring fire and had three hunting wolves circling her feet. She looked up and grinned warmly at me.

"Come, sit." She instructed, so I walked over -promptly picking up a wolf and sitting down next to her. The boys sat opposite us and I held up the wolf so that Percy could see and gave him baby seal eyes. My brother looked from me to the dog and back again before shaking his head which earned him a scowl.

"Abigail, Percy, Jason. You all fought so bravely and wonderfully. Those five girls are now Hunters and, Abi." The Moon goddess turned to face me while I was playing with the wolf. She smiled when I let it bite my finger, "I think that you would make a fine Hunter too. Would you like to join us?"

Glancing up at her to make sure that she wasn't joking and that I heard correctly, I opened my mouth and closed it again quite stupidly.

"I- um..." What should I say? The thought of being a Hunter is absolutely amazing! I would lead a life with a band of girls and spend my days in the woods Hunting with a goddess and a pack of wolves. But, an image of Jason appeared in my mind. Why was I thinking about him? I didn't like him like that, did I? "I'll give you a solid answer when we save Thalia."

Artemis nodded, smiling. "In that case, you three best be off. You have a deadline after all. We'll see you at Camp Half Blood when you return."

We arose from our logs (and, yes, I did put the wolf back down) "Thank you." I whispered before turning to my companions. Jason looked mortified and Percy slightly angry, though I knew that his anger wasn't directed at me.

While we were walking over to our rides, Percy openly asked weather or not I was going to take Artemis up on her offer, I replied saying that I didn't know and left it at that as we soared into the night sky. I swear I heard Percy mutter something about Bob when he gazed at the stars, but I can't be sure.

˜"*°•.˜"*°.•°*"˜.•°*"˜

I'm not sure when, but at some point along our journey, I fell asleep. It wasn't the most ideal, I would have preferred no dreams -then again- I was glad to see Thalia's face again.

We were in a small dungeon, the floor was of rough, harsh, grey rock matching the walls. There wasn't a window slit, just raw iron gates at the front with no light. Just darkness, there was no sound. No movement. Simply the eerie nothingness.

Then she came closer, and I saw her thin, haughty face. It was hard to make out her features at first. But then I got it, this was Thalia Grace.

Same punk hair and same electric blue eyes. Other than that, she was unrecognisable. A thin, sheet-white face, bone-thin limbs, wearing nothing but a few rags and the chains binding her to the back wall cuffing her neck, wrists and ankles with raw iron that was cutting into her skin.

To be honest, I was quite freaked out when I first saw her. But then recalled the photos Jason had shown me and it clicked.

"What happened to you?" My voice was barley a whisper, I guess she appreciated that after not hearing noise in so long.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Abigail." Her voice was quiet and hoarse, as if she were dehydrated, but weren't we underwater? Oh. I thought, she was in an air-tight room, right. She continued, "Artemis told me all about you, I'm proud on so many levels. And thank you for looking after my brother for me."

"No problem, but we are going to see you again, I swear. So don't start telling mee to take over for you or whatever."

She laughed, a raspy yet joyful sound and by the way she smiled and her eyes glistened, I could tell that she was Jason's big sister. "Percy would say the same thing, you know. Anyway, I found out that Triton gave you those pills, they should be helpful. But I know who's behind all this, the ones that Lady Artemis refused to tell you. They're th-.... -er.... -ops."