Fear of Erebus

The Attack

I quickly teleported to my palace, my pride wounded and the unfamiliar feeling of failure hanging heavy in my chest. It had been quite a while since I stayed in my palace but it alway had a warm and inviting feeling to it- a home away from home.

I quite literally slumped on the soft and cozy sofa, sighing in frustration. For once I wanted to forget about my immortal and dysfunctional family. It was an eternal challenge being a goddess and I pitted the poor mortals and demigods who wished for nothing more then everlasting life.

Why couldn't they just believe me? I've never told a lie in my life—well, at least I don't think I have... But still! They are all so annoying and selfish, unbelievable!

Amidst my tormented thoughts, I smiled, finally realising the irony. Me, a maiden goddess, fretting over a mortal man! So what?! If Perseus chooses the sever all ties with our world, then so be it, I won't stop him!

But I will have the blame if something bad happens to him and the gods find out that I didn't tell them! They'll all hate me!

Gods dammit—sometimes I really hated my conscience!

I groaned and shut my eyes, hoping just for a moment of peace... Drifting, slowly off into alluring sleep, my instincts woke with a start. Peeking one eye open, I noticed a strange shadow crawling across the floor.

Well, that's not right—it was the middle of the day. I immediately sat up, watching with guarded curiosity as the rest of the room seemed to darken in eerie silence. The darkness definitely came from outside, shadows dimming the constant glow of Olympus.

Slowly I stood up, enchanted by the peculiar going-ons. I stood before the high reaching crystal windows, looking out, I could see all manner of gods stopped in the street—all gawking up at the sky. I followed their line of sight and gasped in amazement.

An eclipse.

But that's impossible! Only Apollo and I have control of the sun and the moon and for an eclipse to happen, we would...

"Lady Artemis!" A young tree nymph had burst through the entrance doors of my palace.

"Yes?"

She took a moment to catch her breath, bending over and resting her hands upon her knees "Lord Hermes told me to tell you that Lord Zeus told him that there's a simultaneous attack on Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. The King has ordered you to go down to the earth, at once, and help!" No sooner had the words left her mouth had I disappeared, worry for my Hunters being my prime concern.

<line break>

Reappearing just outside of Camp Half Blood's boundaries, I nearly stumbled and fell because of the darkness. The shadows down here were even more suffocating then those upon Olympus.

The sound of pained screams and fearful shouts erupted from beyond the hill. Quickly glancing up, I spied the moon slowly gliding across the sun. Giving a determined grunt, I pulled out my bow and notched an arrow, bounding into the impending battle.

Reaching the summit of the grassy hill, I surveyed Camp Half Blood—or what I assumed was the camp. The darkness was so thick that I could barely see the Big House. All lights were out and only the sound of running feet and clashes of metal echoed in the valley.

I took a step forth only to be knocked to the ground several feet to the left. Crashing into the damn tree, I groaned as my eyes blurred momentarily. Climbing to my feet, noticing my bow several feet away, I tried to locate the source of which had hit me, but all I saw were smoke-like shadows, swirling freely in the air, taking a solid ghostlike form one second, then deforming the next.