Child of Artemis

Chapter 13

Avalon felt like her face was being pulled back. The ship sped forwards so fast, she almost lost her grip, and at that speed, she would have fallen off the side of the ship.

The wind that hit her knocked her back a few feet. She crouched down, trying to avoid the wind. Up ahead, Festus blew fire, but it was blown backwards into his face.

Looking over, Avalon saw Taylor crouching at the foot of the stairs leading below deck. She moved downwards and out of sight. Aurora's face and knuckles were ghostly white as she clung to the rail on the other side of the ship.

Then it was over. The Argo II shot out of the portal and over Camp Half-Blood. Campers and a giant stared at them, surprised. They would have crashed, but the ship pulled up at the last second.

Avalon got a good look at the giant. He was at least 50 feet tall. He had gold, shimmering dragon legs. The giant wore grey armor decorated with elaborate blue swirls. Around his waist was a snakeskin belt with several enormous daggers, a hammer, and a mace hanging from it.

He had an enormous sword in one hand that was about half as tall as him. It had an adorned hilt with a gem at the base and thin lines of gold swirling around it. Small diamonds studded the razor-sharp edge of the sword. Silver lines ran across the sword under the diamonds, branching off and curling every few feet down the sword.

The giant had high, sunken cheekbones. His skin was pale, except for a spot of chestnut-colored blush on each cheek. He had darting brown eyes with specks of black. His silky black hair was tied in a ponytail and hung down his back.

He swung his sword and made a deep trench in the ground. Campers screamed as he pulled his sword out of the ground and swung it again. The Argo II landed. The ship's passengers got off. Avalon perked up as she heard a wolf howl.

She heard it again. Other sounds joined it, creating a symphony of spooky, long drawn out calls. Nova and Selene pricked their ears up as they heard it. Searching around for the source of the howls, they found it and raced torwards it.

Standing on top of Half-Blood Hill, by Thalia's Pine, was a pack of wolves. The wolf in the lead was almost 7 feet tall, with redish-brown fur and eyes as silver as the moon. Lupa and her pack saw Nova and Selene and barked. A group of girls appeared next to the wolf pack. They wore white shirts, silver jackets and pants, black combat boots, and silver bows over their shoulders and silver hunting knives in their hands.

Leading them, a girl with spiky black hair and ice-blue eyes stood next to a younger girl with auburn hair and silvery eyes. "It's the Hunters!" Annabeth cried. Nova and Selene raced up the hill to join the wolf pack which they had once belonged to. Three wolves, Nova's mother and father, and Selene's mother, rushed out to greet their pups.

 The Hunters jogged down the hill. The girl with the spiky hair broke into a grin and hugged Annabeth. "Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Hi! We came to help," Thalia said. The Hunters went to join the battle except for Thalia and the girl with the auburn hair.

The girl glowered at Avalon. Her expression was an odd mix of disgust and pride. Finally, Taylor broke the silence. "Are you Artemis?" she asked. "Yes."

"Oh........... Okay. I think our comrades need help," she said. Taylor grabbed Ivan and Aurora and dragged them away towards the battle. Thalia looked back and forth between Avalon and Artemis.

Artemis fixed her gaze on Thalia. She backed away, unslung her bow, and ran towards the giant. "Hello, mother," Avalon said.

 "Curse Alcyoneus," Artemis said. "If Zeus knew about you, and he probably will soon, he would blast you to pieces and punish me, since he would think I had an affair with a mortal."

"You are not supposed to exist. But I'm proud of you." Avalon felt like she was glowing with warmth. A loud sizzling noise sounded. By the canoe lake, Ivan flew around the giant's head. He summoned a thunderbolt and threw it at the giant. The giant toppled over into the lake and a huge wave of water swelled up, dousing everyone around him. The wave was so big it reached the remains of the Big House. Water welled up around Avalon and Artemis' shoes.

 The giant rose up, roaring. He had lost his sword during the fall. The giant unsheathed two swords from the scabbards making an X pattern on his back, and started swinging at everything in reach.

"They look like they need some help," Artemis noted. She and Avalon ran towards the fighting. Artemis unsheathed two long hunting knives while Avalon unslung her bow and notched an arrow.

Artemis charged and swiped her knives at the giant's legs and darted away when he tried to step on her. The wounds healed as if they had never been there. Avalon aimed her arrow at the giant's mouth, which was hard to do since he was moving.

The giant swatted at Ivan, who settled in his hair and clung on. Avalon let loose her arrow. It missed his mouth and thudded into the giant's cheek but did not affect him at all. He just picked it out and broke it in two with his massive fingers.

"I am Aron, the unstoppable giant of darkness! You cannot defeat me!" Aron yelled, his voice echoing all across Camp Half-Blood. Avalon saw Percy ride up to him on a wave of water and stick his sword up Aron's nose. The giant snorted it out with only a trickle of golden ichor.

"Hey, ugly!" someone yelled. It was Taylor. "I challenge you to one-on-one combat! If you lose you have to leave!" Aron chuckled. "Oh, hello, Taylor, nice to see you again. You want combat? I'll give you combat."

Aron held his arms out as he shrunk. He looked exactly the same, but now was only 7 feet tall. He swung his two swords in a figure eight and crouched low to the ground, swords at the ready. Taylor copied his stance.

Aron made the first move. His sword came up lightning fast. Taylor moved just as fast. She blocked his strike and made to stab at his ribs. Aron jumped back. He had a nick on his side that oozed golden ichor.

Aron swung his sword in a figure eight pattern and advanced on Taylor. She jabbed at him and sent one of his swords flying into the canoe lake. Aron growled and this time successfully hit her head.

Taylor crumpled. She groaned and fluttered her eyes. She then managed to roll to the side as Aron brought his sword down. He tugged his sword out of the ground but was too late to block Taylor's swing, which caught him on the leg and showed the bone. Ichor spurted from the wound, but it was already starting to close.

Taylor swiped at him, but he blocked. Aron pushed forwards, and Taylor flew back. He ran over to her and held her down with his knee. Taylor struggled to get out from under him.

Suddenly Aron leaped up with a slash in his stomach. Taylor scrambled up and held her sword at the ready. She charged him and faked a strike at his stomach, then grabbed his head and slammed her knee into his face.

Aron growled and looked up. His nose was tilted at an odd angle, but there was no blood. Taylor slashed at him again, but he brought his sword up in time. The sword came at her head, but she raised her sword and jabbed. Taylor grabbed his wrist and knocked the sword out of his hand and kicked it away.

Taylor held her sword at his throat. Aron glared at her with a murderous look in his eyes. "You've won this time, girl. But I will come again." With that parting note, he dissolved into black smoke that spiraled upwards and disappeared.

Taylor said, "He's gone. But he'll be back for blood tomorrow at midnight, more dangerous than ever. And he won't be alone, either."