BY fates design

Hunters

"What was that?" Bianca gawked at Cassiopeia, eyes wide in a concoction of curiosity, amazement and terror. Gradually, the witch's eyes cleared, crystal blue gleaming in dim moonlight as the shadows danced away from her fingers, retreating into the ground.

"What was that?" James echoed Bianca's worried words, his eyes drifting restlessly between Cassiopeia and the screens occasionally falling onto Nyx as well. "Well? Answer please." He pressed when he was met with silence.

"That was..." Cassiopeia tilted her head, "nothing that needs to be of concern. I was fine. Just a... component of my demigod abilities." She gave a reassuring smile.

Blinking, Cassiopeia sighed, rolling her neck a little bit to ease a stiffness there. "Pardon?" She tilted her head towards Bianca, expression soft once more as she tore her eyes away from the monster's body on the floor.

Whatever answer Bianca was going to offer died in her throat as a whistling noice cuts through the air. A glowing silver arrow appeared in Cassiopeia's hand. No, she caught it in her hand, twirling it between her fingers.

Percy blinked, certain he was hallucinating now for not even the children of Apollo back at camp could shoot arrows at such a speed. His head whipped round, eyes scanning desperately for where the shooter was located, but Cassiopeia beat him to it.

"Hunters," a smile curled at her lips as she said it, head turning, eyes landing quickly on the woods. Girls, about a dozen in total. The youngest of them appeared to be no more than ten, and the oldest was fourteen at most, all dressed in silvery ski parkas and jeans, armed with bows.

"Oh, wonderful." Thalia muttered, rolling her eyes beside Percy as the girls advanced into the clearing, their bows still raised and ready.

One of the older archers stepped forward, unlike the other girls, she bore a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair like a Persian princess. "Permission to fire again, my lady?"

"Who is that?" Walburga queried, silver eyes scrutinising the screen, despite the position they were in, she couldn't find any hostility in the young girl's face even as she pointed an arrow at Cassiopeia's chest.

Another girl, slightly younger, perhaps twelve or thirteen, raised a brow. She had auburn hair gathered into a ponytail, and eyes that resembled the moon in their silvery yellow hue. Her face was beautiful in an unsettling way, that kind that stole breaths and turned heads but was settled in a stern and dangerous expression. "Zoë," it was almost chiding, but a reluctant sigh followed, "permission granted."

"No!" Annabeth yelled, charging to get between Cassiopeia and Zoë's raised bow, her feet kicking up flurries of powdery snow.

"Get back, half-blood!" The eldest girl shook her head, "get out of the line of fire!" But Annabeth wouldn't move, planting herself between the girls like a shield of flesh.

"Annabeth," Cassiopeia rested a hand on the girl's shoulder, "they won't hurt me, step aside." She was almost laughing as she said it and Percy was certain that she'd finally gone insane, that the endless questing and responsibilities had driven her mad.

Reluctantly, Annabeth moved back towards the Di Angelos and Zoë's arrow flew straight towards Cassiopeia, stopping between her fingers before it could pierce her skin. "Spectacular aim as ever, Nightshade." Cassiopeia grinned as she handed the arrows back over to the girl. "Artie." Her head bowed towards the auburn haired girl next.

"You and your friends have peculiar greetings, my dear flower." Euphemia mused, a fond smile on her lips.

"The offer is still open, ἀστερίσκος" her moon like eyes regarded Cassiopeia, sweeping over her form briefly before settling back on her face with a mild determination.