Pertemis: the new Olympian

Chapter seventeen

Percy POV:

The trek back to New York was going to take weeks at best, months at worst, and to add insult to injury, since Artemis is out of commission, I have to mediate between two groups of immortal demigods who didn't much like each other, most of the hunters were suspicious of mine and Artemis's relation and the adventurers did nothing to quell the rumours (because gods forbid they stay out of my business).

"Couldn't we just take the sun chariot?" Jake asked from my side with Apollo on the opposite side of me.

"Artemis is the moon god, the doesn't tend to fair well when she's in the sun chariot and even if she did, I would t want her in there in this condition anyway" Apollo replied "good idea though" Apollo paused to think "actually we could send a group ahead on the chariot to prepare camp half-blood for our arrival"

"Thats not a bad idea actually, but we'd need someone to drive it and you don't want leave Artemis." I told the sun god.

"Jake, have you got your drivers license?" Apollo asked.

"Uhh I got my permit before I came to camp"

"Good enough, go gather a group of, say, ten hunters and ten adventurers and meet me when you're done"

"Got it... dad"

Apollo smiled at the familial affection. Jake ran off to assemble the group of hunters and adventurers, leaving Apollo and I alone.

The silence was broken by Apollo "so, you are aware that my sister is a maiden goddess right?"

The bluntness from Apollo made me mentally recoil "yes I'm aware. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. It's just that Artemis has never been as close to a male god as she has been with you these last few years and honestly I fail to see why. Sure you're the loyalty god but it's not like it isn't common knowledge that she hated it when you first became a god"

"I don't want to talk about my relationship with Artemis"

"That was a particularly vague wording Jackson. You're not the god of liars you know" Apollo bore a wry smile across his stupid perfect shining face.

"Gods I can't believe I have like another 2000 miles of this" one aspect of my godly powers, now I could pinpoint exactly where I was in the world, which made the realisation of the extent of my travels with Apollo incredibly apparent. "I'm going to get a report"

I sped off further into the middle of the travelling party to find Thalia for a report on artemis's condition and how our supplies and health were across the board, she responded; "Lady Artemis's health seems to be slowly improving, she's still hardly conscious most of the time but she's not screaming in her sleep anymore. As for supplies, we're running low, I'd recommend a large scale hunt soon and a large meal for everyone, it'll boost morale as well as health"

"There's a small cave opening about a quarter mile that way, take everyone there and set up camp and send out all the hunters and adventurers you deem necessary for the hunt" it felt strange having to take control of the hunters while Artemis was out of commission but if I wasn't going to do it who would? "Do you intend to travel on the sun chariot with Jake tonight?"

"What!?" Thalia looked like I had just told her that slapped her dog "Jake's leaving on the sun tonight?"

"Yeah? I assumed he asked you since you two seem to be good friends, he's taking a group of twenty on the chariot to prepare camp for our arrival"

"Oh no no no I can't go on the sun chariot again!"

"Aha! Yeah I forgot you're afraid of heights"

"Shhhh!!!" Thalia looked like she was ready to punch me "don't say that so loud. So Jake will be leaving tonight then?"