Perseus the Hunter

Chapter 2

"Ensure the girl's safety." The words resonated through his skull, his next mission from his patron. He crouched on the rooftop, scanning the city for the home of his next kill. He felt the dull flames of the broken family home, to which he knew his target resided in.

He ran across the rooftops, his footsteps lighter than ever before. He jumped across the alleyways, not even remotely worried of the drop. He landed upon the desired house and leant over the side of the building. Hearing raised voices and whimpers from inside the walls as he slid the nearest window open with one hand. Making sure there was no sudden disturbance, he pulled himself through the window, landing softly on the hard wooden floorboards.

He stalked through the house, crouched at the knees, ready for anything. He rounded a corner and stopped in the darkness of the doorway. Watching as a man threw a bottle at a young girl, no older than ten. The green bottle shattered against the wall causing the girl to be covered in glass shards.

He moved forward, throwing his hand out, releasing the blade in his vambrace and puncturing the man's throat. The blade sliding all the way through, making blood splatter onto the wall opposite. The man choked, gargled and spat out blood as the blade was retracted into the vambrace. Sinking to the floor quietly and bleeding out.

The stranger lifted his head looking at the poor girl crouched in the corner. Blood splattered her face and small pieces of glass punctured her skin. He crouched in front of the girl, holding out a hand for her to take. She shied away from the hand, expecting to be struck. She turned her head to the side, showing a purple bruise on her cheekbone. He winced at the sight, feeling sorry for the poor child.

He held out his hand again but the girl was shocked to see a cookie in his hand. It was golden and warm with coloured smarties in it. She slowly reached her hand out, taking the cookie. Grasping it as if it would suddenly disappear.

She slowly took a bite, letting the sugar overcome her tastebuds. Opening her eyes she saw that the man hadn't moved, still hadn't said a word.

"Who are you?" He didn't answer. He simply opened his palm once again, asking for her hand. She let him help her to her feet, wincing at the broken glass on the floor. Her bare feet bleeding.

He noticed this and tore a curtain down from the pole, wrapping her in the purple cloth. Turning her slightly as he did, lifting her bridal style so that she wouldn't have to walk. Setting her down on the couch chair.

He instantly tore pieces of the cloth to gently tend to the girl's wounds, brushing off the glass and blood. He placed his hand over the most horrible of gashes, healing them instantly. After she had finished her cookie and he had finished healing, she decided to ask the man again.

"Who are you?" He simply reached inside of his jacket pulling out a small scroll, handing it to the girl.

"Kynigós." The man nodded. "My father sent you? You just killed my father." The man shook his head. Turning back to brushing away the glass on her legs. Leaving the room to let the girl read the rest of the letter, finding her some actual clothes and shoes.

He found her sat up on the sofa holding the letter in one hand but looking at the dead man on the floor.

"My name is Lily, thank you for saving me." She was now looking at him. He handed her the clothes and shoes, leaving the room once again while she got changed. "I have read your letter." She handed the scroll back to Kynigós, he placed it in his pocket. "I would like to join the Hunters please." She was abnormally polite and grown for such a young girl. She had been through a lot in her short life.

He nodded and started to walk out of the room, knowing Lily would follow. She grasped his arm stopping him in the hallway. "Could I please have another cookie? I'd never had one before." He produced another smarties cookie as if from nowhere and handed it to her to eat while they walked.

He led her out of the city and into the forest, keeping to the shadows in alleyways. Not taking the rooftop exit this time around. They walked together through the woods, Lily telling Kynigós about all the horrible things her late 'father' had done to her. It made him wince at how the man had treated her. Even though he had been doing this job for far too long.

Kynigós stopped abruptly, placing a hand over the girl's mouth to stop her from talking. Her eyes widened as he brought out a cylindrical object from his belt. Holding it in his other hand, his head turned toward the ground as he listened intently through the silence. Waiting patiently.

He moved Lily to the side as he pressed a button on the cylinder, making both sides elongate into a pole. Pure black and yet shining in the darkness. He lifted it with force as a branch came into contact with it. A large creature stepping out of the shadows. He was tall and buff with one eye in the centre of his forehead. He held a massive club made from a tree trunk and wore only a small rag around his waist it frayed at the edges and was splashed in some sort of rust coloured liquid.

He brought the club down hard, intending to squash Kynigós flat, but was stopped by the pole. Kynigós moved fluently almost like he was dancing, swinging the pole around over his head and around his stomach. Placing blows across the cyclops's body. Each one broke a bone by the loud cracks that resonated through the forest. The cyclops swung his tree wildly trying to hit something, anything, to no avail.

He managed to punch the man in the chest, making him fly backwards. However, Kynigós landed on his feet and skidded to a halt. He pressed a button on the pole and it swiftly shortened on one side, turning into a deadly sword on the other. He held it in his right hand as he leapt upward and over the cyclops, slicing downward with the blade as he somersaulted out, landing on his feet once again. The cyclops groaned and suddenly exploded into golden dust.

Lily couldn't believe what she had just seen. The man that had killed her late 'father' was far more deadly than she had realised and that thing was actually a cyclops. A mythical creature that didn't exist, only pictured in the stories her mother used to tell her.

She was in a state of shock, not realising that Kynigós was standing in front of her, cylinder back at his waist and waiting for her to follow him. She walked with him, only in silence this time. Stopping a few meters before a clearing. She looked around and Kynigós was gone. She kept walking forward only to come face to face with a silver bow.

Kynigós watched from the treetops as Lily was accepted into the hunt. Being asked questions of who brought her to them and why they didn't stay. Artemis herself was shocked at the news of the male that could so easily evade her hunters. A few of the other girls looked happy at the mention of Kynigós and also came forward as girls he had brought to the hunt as well.

"Another in danger. Protect." The words played through his head and Kynigós disappeared into the shadows.

Artemis was perplexed at the new information. A little angry at her hunters for not telling her before. She welcomed Lily into the hunt, shocked at her knowledge of her real father and who Artemis was. Lily was gifted partial immortality and given a tent of her own. Thalia Grace, Lieutenant of the hunt, introducing her to the rest of the hunt.

Artemis went into her tent to think. Olympus needs to know of this male, bringing demigods to her hunt, and by the words of Lily, to the Camps as well. She left her tent in search of Thalia, telling her she was leaving for Olympus and that she was in charge until she came back. Artemis ran into the forest, flashing as she went.