Hunter

Chapter Eight - I Drink Some Purple Syrup

Once again, I woke up in the same room that I was beginning to think was the sick bay. Deirdre was sitting beside me, a worried look on her face. I averted my gaze to the open window, spotting the slow-setting sun, gracefully throwing many colours across the sand. I turned my head back to Dee who was unbothered by this. The next day was Monday, and that meant school.

"Uh, Dee? Did it ever occur to you that there's school tomorrow?" Her face harbored the same look that someone would have were they to watch a puppy swim

"No, Hayle. Time in Arcadia is slower than in the mortal world. One day for us would actually be twelve hours, so it's about 6 a.m. in human hours."

I tried to sit up, and a piercing pain coursed through my body as if thousands of sharpened needles were speeding through my skin. I let out a small whimper of pain and Deirdre was at my side, making me drink the deep purple liquid that I had seen in my dream. It tasted fermented but it also tasted so... sweet, then sour, then bitter and back to sweet. Before it could confuse my taste buds again, there was nothing left in the bottle. My muscles immediately felt relaxed, my body warming considerably, and I stopped seeing blotches of red light floating. Then, a sour taste hit me. I shuddered violently as if I had eaten the world's oldest lemon drop.

"Dee what the heck was that?"

"It's a medicine that Zeus tasked Dionysus to make for Demigods. Syrup." She seemed slightly troubled, her dark eyes scanning the horizon. She then let out a sigh and threw herself beside me. "You have questions, right?" I nodded my head. "Alright then, I'll get Sarah and she'll explain everything that you need to know." Before I could protest, she was out of the room.

As she left me, my phone beeped erratically on a small side table across from my bed. I grabbed my dagger, which was sheathed to my side, and morphed it into a lance, using the top to drag the table to my side. Talk about extreme convenience! Although I doubted that when the weapon was forged, its creator had envisioned me using it in that manner. I changed it back into a dagger and reached frantically for my cell, scrolling through.

12 New Messages

Jasper Knight

1 New Voicemail 

Jasper Knight

I ran my finger down the screen reading small bits and pieces like: Are you okay? Were you hurt? When will I see you again? I hope you get better. The fact that he cared so much made me smile and feel all warm and mushy on the inside. My finger hovered over the play button, debating whether or not I should listen to the voicemail. Curiosity got the best of me and I ended up pressing the play button.

"Hayley, I have something important to tell you, but since your encounter with Artemis, I haven't been able to reach you so this is my last hope. Soon after your, uh, meeting with Artemis, Apollo's Celestial came to me. She told me that something bad was going to happen and it depended on you to fix it. Look we need to meet in person for me to continue and one more thing, don't blame..."

I stared nonplussed at the phone. The message had cut before he finished speaking! What had Jasper wanted to tell me? I tried to call him back but there was no signal in the middle of the woods. I quickly scanned the room for another source of communication.

"And what is it that you're looking for?" My mom paced into the room with her powerful walk, and chin raised to the sky.

"A connection." She rolled her eyes with a soft chuckled.

"Deirdre told me you have questions."

"A lot." Shifting on the bed, I moved around some pillows so that I would be comfortable. "You need to clarify some things, like how you got to the lake a few seconds after Jasper called you." She lowered herself on the bed next to me, her legs rolling out beneath her like a carpet.

"Hayley, long ago, Lady Artemis helped the goddess Nike with a minor problem. Because of this, she offered her the gift of Speed. Lady Artemis refused this gift and asked that any Celestial that follows her should have it. I'm her Celestial, so I got speed."

"Okay, right question number two: this metal," I raised my blade before my eyes, the red glare casting a light on my face. 

"It's a very rare and powerful metal called orichalcum. Made by Poseidon, there are only two weapons of that kind, as he destroyed the rest of the pure metal, which can only be found in Atlantis."

"Atlantis is real!" I was ignored.

"There are two weapons, each made differently. The first weapon, which is yours, was made from the pure metal and an alloy of copper and gold. The fire used to smelt the metal was from an intense concentration from the sun. The blade was then cooled in Gaea's blood, tinting it red and making the alloy powerful.

"As for the other weapon, it was made from the pure metal and a mixture of mercury and silver. Unlike yours, this one was forged by the blazing fires of the Phlegethon, the Underworld river of fire, and cooled in the river Styx."

"Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, owed Poseidon a favor. He gave her the blade to give to her daughter, Persephone, Hades's wife and the Queen of the Underworld, to dip it in the river." The words flew out of my mouth like a swarm of bees. No thought had gone into what I said, and I didn't know how I was able to say it. That look must've been conveyed on my face because my mother explained.

"You have some knowledge from your parents. You know things they knew, so some things you can figure out on your own." She paused, her eyes watching me like she was watching a child. "Any more questions?" Her gaze bothered me, and the distraction made me shake my head.

"Good, because I have something for you." She reached under the bed, dragging out a large, creamy tusk, the sound of grinding wood resonating throughout the room. "Your spoil. Keep it. You never know when you might need it. She stood up and handed me another bottle of Syrup. "You need to rest; you have a long day ahead of you."

I took the bottle and sipped on the liquid until I felt my eyes drooping. I was out before the final taste could hit me. 

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Hey everyone!

I just wanted to pass along a quick thank you to all my silent readers. I see you guys, and I appreciate you reading along with me! Much love, and see you Sunday! <3

-ABD

P.S. The next chapter is going to be crazy!