Forgotten memories

Oh no, not the women...

The battle waged on for an extended period. Despite shooting Dr. Thorn with countless arrows, my efforts proved futile.

"Help, Blondy!" Annabeth, the blonde girl, cried out, drawing my attention. She pointed to a bronze arrow on the ground near Dr. Thorn. I hadn't fired it, as my arrows materialized directly from my bow. The sudden revelation of someone else's presence was followed by a flurry of arrows descending from the sky, and several young girls in silver jackets emerged from the blizzard. Realizing they were on our side, I joined in the arrow assault on Dr. Thorn. Amid the chaos, female voices spoke, but their words eluded me, overridden by a strange clicking in my head. I ceased my actions, frozen, as a memory resurfaced.

In the recollection, I was a child, perhaps a few months old, and a woman with copper-colored skin, brown eyes, and a silver tiara braided into her long, dark hair gazed at me with a mix of pride and restrained disgust.

"You will be important one day. Not just for me, but for many others," she prophesied.

The black-haired girl, Thalia, snapped me back to reality. "Help Annabeth, Mr. Sunbeam!" I sprinted toward Dr. Thorn, witnessing Annabeth being thrown around on his back. Dr. Thorn uttered a few words, and he, along with Annabeth, plunged into the abyss. Percy and Thalia screamed, and I stood still, realizing my inaction had cost Annabeth her life.

"You idiot, you were supposed to look after her!" Thalia punched me hard in the jaw.

As Thalia grieved, I felt the weight of failure. A female voice from my memory intervened.

"Thalia Grace, it is sad enough that thee has lost a valiant hunter. Don't let it be your downfall," the voice advised.

Thalia growled, snapping at the woman named Zoë Nightshade. I turned to observe the exchange between the woman from my memory and a young girl, Artemis. The girl, a year or so younger than me, possessed striking features—cold silver-yellow eyes and auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. Something about her felt familiar, with an ethereal mist of silver surrounding her.

Without intention, I uttered the name "Artemis." 

Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and wild animals. Artemis is often associated with the moon and is considered a virgin goddess. A central aspect of Artemis's identity lies in her role as the leader of the Hunters of Artemis. 

Their body language exuded coldness and disdain, directed not just at me but also at Nico, Grover, and Percy. Artemis instructed Zoë to set up camp while they awaited sunrise. Percy approached me, seeking information about these newcomers, to which I replied that I knew nothing about them.

"I have a feeling about..." Percy started, glancing at Artemis.

"It's Artemis; she looks like she's 12 because that's the average age of her hunters." Percy turned to me in surprise. "How did you know?"

I couldn't pinpoint the source of that knowledge. I shrugged, saying, "I don't know." Percy mumbled something.

The hunters showed reluctance in greeting Percy, Grover, Nico, and me. Thalia explained that the hunters of Artemis were exclusively female, pledging to remain virgins for their entire lives.

"Against what?" Nico inquired.

"Against living forever," Thalia answered.

Zoë approached us, informing Percy that Artemis wished to see him. Grover and Percy exchanged uncertain glances before Percy followed Zoë toward the tent. Just as Zoë was about to enter after Percy, she abruptly turned back, locking eyes with me briefly before hastening inside.

"What was that about?" Thalia asked, observing the tent they had entered.

I nonchalantly shrugged, concealing the internal chaos. The notion of a group of girls that despised men seemed absurd. Yet, the lieutenant of this group had cradled me as a child. After a while, Bianca emerged from the tent, followed by Zoë. I attempted to fade into the background, avoiding attention. Zoë regarded me with disdain after consulting with Bianca and approached closely, scrutinizing me. Recognition flickered in her eyes, but I didn't press the matter. She swiftly returned to the tent, leaving Thalia and Grover exchanging puzzled glances.

Artemis emerged from the tent, appearing as a woman in her twenties, followed by Percy and Zoë. Walking straight toward our group, Artemis fixed her gaze on me, creating an intense atmosphere.

"Who are you?" she asked, and my breathing quickened. 

"Pierce, Hymenaios Pierce, ma'am," I stammered.