PROLOGUE

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The little girl ran through the forest, chasing after her older sister. "Wait for meeeee," she sang, tripping over various stumps and roots. The little girl averted her eyes while her sister hunted. She absolutely detested blood. Some of the other girls teased her for it, but she couldn't help it. She just wasn't a very violent person, that's all. Usually, her sister ignored it, but today she rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me?!?" She said incredulously. "A daughter of Artemis that's afraid of a little gore? And worse, the daughter that's been chosen as the next Igetis?!? You know how disappointed Artemis is in you right? She hates you." The little girl recoiled in shock. "I thought Artemis loved me," she said sadly. "Even though I can't hunt." The older girl laughed. "No. She thinks you're the scum of the earth. Unless..." she stopped. "No, that'd never work." "What???" cried the little girl. "What can I do to make Artemis love me?" The older girl whispered in her ear. She said that if the little girl stayed in the woods for a while, and learned to survive, Artemis would love her forever. "Or you could just go live with the common folk," she said. "That was Artemis's plan in the first place..." The little girl recoiled in fear. "Not the common folk! I can't live with them!" The older girl chuckled. "Then I guess we've got ourselves a deal?"

3 hours later, the older girl (also known as Agnes) would return to the dwelling of the hunters. She would tell a tale of a little girl lost in the woods, and plea for forgiveness. The other hunters would be sympathetic, and automatically name her the next Igetis, for her effort in trying to save the young child. No one would know the truth. Ever.

The little boy rushed down the stairs, running at full speed. He couldn't be late. Not now. His instructor had said that one more tardy meant punishment. Otherwise known as dish duty. "Hey dude!" Another guy called. "Whatsupp?" The boy didn't even bother responding and just rushed quickly down the stairs. He had about 3 minutes until he was late, but he could probably get away with an extra minute or two. Just as he was thinking this, he felt a sudden push from behind. It wasn't much, just a small tap really, but it shocked the boy, and the next thing he knew he was falling. He saw the giant chandelier. Oh god, no please... he thought. But it was no use. He hit the chandelier straight on, and tumbled down the stairs all the way to the bottom. People stared, and then started to laugh. They laughed and laughed. The boy sighed. What was wrong with him?

The young girl stumbled out the classroom door. She could hear the taunts. She could hear the whispers. She just didn't care. She followed the old stone trail deep into the woods. She loved the peace and quiet there. No one else came to the woods. Too afraid to break a nail. She thought, not for the first time. She let out a bitter sigh. Sure, she liked the quiet. But did it have to be so lonely? She heard footsteps, and quickly stood up, abandoning her reverie. A figure broke through the trees. The young girl was surprised to see a girl from class tromping through the woods, still wearing her formerly-pristine uniform. What could she possibly want? The girl dared to hope that they could possibly be friends, until the girl pressed a stack of papers in her palm. "You forgot your homework, nature girl. Why are you even here anyways? The forest is disgusting. Although I guess you two have that in common." She smirked, before stepping delicately out of the clearing, and continuing her rampage through the foliage. The little girl held her head in her hands, the homework lying forgotten, in a nearby puddle. She should have known. Everyone hates someone who's different.

A little girl ran through the manor's halls. "Look mommy!" She called excitedly. "I made you a picture!" The little girl pulled herself around the corner to her mothers disapproving face. Paying no mind to her mothers expression, she shoved the drawing in her hands. The mother drew back in disapproval. The drawing was that of a swimming fish. It was a crude drawing, but unmistakable nevertheless. The girl's mother stood abruptly, and began dragging the girl out into the courtyard. She screamed, and plead with all her might but it was of no use. The mother pushed her daughter out the elegant front gates, and slammed them shut. "You are a disappointment!" She yelled furiously. " You are a child of fire! What will it take for you to understand that?!?" The girl shrank back in fear. "Don't bother coming back," the mother called, her former rage still lingering in the undertones of her voice. "But mommy..." the girl cried, tears leaking out of her small blue eyes. "Oh please. I'm not your mother. You mean nothing to me." She locked the door fiercely, and returned to the manor. She didn't look back.

The young girl ran through the streets, her long, blond hair dancing in the wind. She loved summer, but she didn't have much time to enjoy it. She was just a child. Yes. But she was a child with a plan. She sprinted down to the docks, and searched for a small fishing boat. After finding one that caught her eye, she jumped aboard. She was fairly certain she knew how to captain a boat. After all, she had read book, upon book, upon... turns out books don't help. "σκατά!" She muttered under her breath. "Going somewhere?" She heard a mans voice call from the shore. Double σκατά. It was her dad. Otherwise known as the king. Her dad destroyed her boat, and then watched as she struggled to swim back to shore. Yes, he could've helped her out, or at least let her row back to shore, but that's not the kind of person he is. Instead, he watched as his daughter struggled to breathe. When she finally got back to shore. Gasping, and hardly able to breath, he punched her. Multiple times. Yes he was her father. Yes he was supposed to love her. He didn't. That night, the girl shivered as she slept on the cold attic floor, with no blanket. She had had a bed once, for a short while, but then more kids came. Kids more talented then her. Kids who were cuter, and who everyone loved. No one loved the girl. That night she made a promise to herself. No more escape attempts. Too risky, and too likely to draw attention to herself. No that wouldn't work. But she wasn't one to let things go. One day, her father was going to regret not letting her leave. He was going to regret the moment he picked up that stick and swung it over her head. She would keep a low profile. But one day, she would be the one to destroy him. And she wouldn't have mercy.

Attention, all gods, and goddesses. Godlings, and common folk. Next week marks the beginning of Tartarus. Each island must send two contestants, one of each gender. These contestants will battle, until one is crowned victorious.
Plans will be changed, Alliances will be made, Lives will be lost.
Tartarus is here. Only one can win.
Will that one, be you?

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