Pertemis: Amnesia boy

(9) Property of Artemis

THIRD POV

After her conversation with Apollo, she stormed out of the tent and into the woods. She would never venture off too far from the camp but she needed to be alone and let off some steam.

She summoned her bow and arrows and began firing at a tree 400 meters away. She released the first arrow and it pierced the center of the trunk. She released another 4 arrows and they landed in the exact same spot, each splitting the arrow before it.

She heard some rustling in the bushes behind her and instantly turned around with her arrow aimed at the intruder. "Who's there?" she demanded while holding a breath in.

A baby dear jumped out of the shrubs. Upon seeing the goddess' terrifying gaze it immediately ran away. Artemis exhaled and released the tension in the string but didn't let the arrow fire.

"Ughhh stupid Apollo. Stupid Athena spawn. Stupid boy!!!" she shouted.

"How dare Apollo suggest such a thing. Just because they have similarities. He will never replace him. I won't allow it!"

*****

ARTEMIS POV

After shooting a couple more arrows and finally calming down I returned to camp. I was on my way back to my tent when the infirmary caught my eye. I frowned but on instinct, my led me there.

Just in front of the door, I looked around making sure no one was looking, and when I didn't see anyone I entered. There was no one there aside from the boy.

I assumed Apollo left not long after I barged out. It has been a couple of hours since then. He should be back soon to check up on the boy.

The boy laid peacefully on the bed. If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest I would've assumed he was dead.

As I approached the bed any anger I had seemingly melted away. Before I knew it my hand was caressing his cheek. Even a blind person wouldn't deny it. This boy strongly resembled my late friend. He looked just like him when he was younger. The difference was his hair and the lack of scars on his face.

"M'lady" I heard. In fright and panic, I jumped away from the boy. I turned around clutching my hand to my chest only to find one of my hunters.

I sighed in relief, " Zoe...it's just you."

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." She said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was merely checking on him."

The noticed my lieutenant raise her eyebrow in suspicion but relented. She approached until she was standing right next to me. She observed the boy's face and stood in silence.

"He looks just like him."

"He's a son of Poseidon. His father's blood is strong."

"That's true." Another pregnant silence followed, "I don't blame you for what you were doing earlier. It is hard to look at this boy not think of him. "

I gave up denying it. Zoe is my oldest hunter. She knows me better than anyone else. There's no hiding anything from her. "I miss him every day"

She returned the smile. "All of us miss him, my lady. He would do anything for us. He treated us, hunters like we were his own...daughters." Her smile turned into a smirk, "You know the girls and I made a bet on who would make a move first."

"W-What?" I spluttered out thinking I had misheard her.

"Oh come on Lady Artemis I think we both know what I'm talking about. You were so oblivious to the way he looked at you but so was he."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zoe. But even if it were true he probably stopped looking at me that way after..."

"M'lady...I don't know what you two fought about. Neither of you would say a thing. But he will always care for you." Zoe defended.

"I hurt him. Beyond imaginable." My attention shifted to my fiddling fingers. 

Zoe didn't respond so I continued, "It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters anymore. It's too late now."

I flashed away leaving Zoe alone in the tent.

******

THIRD POV

The maiden goddess appeared on a cliff. This spot was very secluded and up until now, it seems no one has discovered it. A mortal would have no chance of finding this place and she used her powers to hide it from any god's view.

The area was surrounded by cherry blossoms. An inclined portion of the cliff overlooked the ocean. It had a perfect view of the sun meeting the horizon as it began to set.

This was her safe place. Well, more specifically it was hers and Perseus'.

She sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. The orange sky was now turning into a pinkish purple.

"Is it true Perseus? Is it true you loved me?"

All her questions were unanswered. In the past, she would cry herself to sleep here. But this time she just let anxiety fill her chest while thinking of what could've been.

After an hour of letting herself feel pathetic, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A strange chill crept up her spine. She pulled out her enchanted hunting knives as she was out of arrows.

"I know you're there. You've been watching me. Reveal yourself. "

She spent five minutes pivoting in directions where she heard the slightest noise. After nothing happened she cursed.

"Hades. Everything that's happened today must be getting to me."

She glanced once more at her surroundings and flashed back to camp

******

Back in the infirmary tent, Zoe wanted to call out for her goddess. She yearned to comfort her but decided to leave her be. In these times it was best to let Artemis sort her emotions by herself.

Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice another person enter the tent.

"Zoe!" she flinched at the loud voice that yelled in her ear.

"Hades!" she cursed as she rubbed her ear.

"Nope, just me." The god of the sun revealed.

"What are you doing here? And what did you do that for?"

He shrugged, "I'm here to check on his condition. And I have been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now. What are you doing here?"

"I saw Lady Artemis enter the tent so I followed her."

"Hmmm, where is she now?"

"I don't know. I may have pushed her too far. She didn't particularly like the fact that I brought up Perseus." She replied as she watched him examine the boy for any changes.

"I'm sure she didn't like that. She also stormed out when I brought him up earlier"

Zoe was about to respond but it felt like the air around them had thickened making it a little hard for her to breathe. She watched Apollo panic as the demigod began to glow as he did when he blacked out except the light was much more faint compared to last time.

Apollo laid a hand on the boy's arm but instantly screamed in pain as his flesh was burned.

'What the hades' Zoe thought 'How's that even possible.

Apollo placed an emerald stone-like object on Percy's forehead. It glowed before dissolving but it seemed to have the desired effects for it caused the pressure in the air to dissipate.

Zoe could breathe normally again and Apollo released a sigh of relief. So many questions filled her head. She has never seen something like that happen before. Before she could make out a word Percy began mumbling in his sleep.

Then she heard something she thought she would never hear again, "Arty".