The Lost Goddess

Chapter 27-Angry

My eyes brim with tears that are so ever close to falling to gravity and down my face, for I never knew of the importance her necklace has, I turn to Artemis, her bloodshot, showing she had been crying during these sad memories "why these memories, Pearl could have thousands?" I question quietly, my voice shaking with tears and sadness "these memories are more important than the others, they showed conflict that brought tears to a young girls eyes, memories she would rather forget. Except the happy parts" Artemis answers "the first of when Hades first put physical pain on her, the second, when she gave her freedom for the one she cared for, and the third, of when she almost had strong hope" Artemis explains "those three show the suffering enough, the fact that she wouldn't let hope fully fill her, it's sad" Artemis says quieter now, I look back to Pearl's necklace, my hand trembling as I trace the beautiful object that belonged once to a just as beautiful girl. My hand clenches on the small object "is it worth it?" Bianca asks, her own voice shaking "I it worth joining the hunt?" Bianca asks "it is" Zoe answers, her own voice seeming to shake slightly, Bianca closes her eyes, taking a soothing, but still shaky, breath before opening her eyes "what do I have to do?" She asks "repeat after me" Zoe instructs "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis, I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the hunt". Zoe finishes and Bianca repeats "that's it?" She asks "if lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding" Zoe explains "and I do accept" Artemis says, it only took those simple words to make the fire glow brighter and a silver glow went throughout the room, my eyes went to Bianca, who looked no different from before "I feel... Stronger" Bianca smiles widely, Zoe smiles for the first time with me in here and places a hand on the smiling new Hunter. "Welcome, sister" she says "remember your pledge" Artemis warns "it's now your life" she says to Bianca, her silver eyes staring into Bianca's brown ones, all the while I just stood there, unable to speak, the constant feeling of failure filling me over and over, I lost Pearl, and now I lost Bianca to an eternal girl's club, what else could go wrong? "Do not despair, Percy Jackson" Artemis says as if reading my sad thoughts "you will get to show the de Angelo kids your camp. If Nico chooses, he can stay there" Artemis says to me "that's great" I say, trying my best as to not sound rude "but how do we get there?" I ask, the moon goddess closes her eyes but opens them a second later "Dawn is approaching, Zoe, break camp, you must get to camp Half Blood quickly and safely, I shall summon a ride from my sister" Artemis orders, I could see zoe didn't like the idea, but nodded anyway, telling Bianca to follow her as she passed. As they were leaving, Bianca stopped right in front of me "I'm so sorry, Percy, I just... Really want to do this" she says softly and sadly before she left the tent, leaving me with Artemis "so, a ride from your sister, huh?" I ask "yes, I assume you know who she is?" She questions, I only nod a yes "good" she says, I start to walk out, lifting the flap of the tent, only for Artemis to stop me "you know you're really lucky" she states, I only turn my head to see her "how?" I ask. "You don't have to worry about meeting a protective father" she smiles slightly at the thought, a slight bit of anger filled me, but not enough to make me want to hurt this girl, for she was joking about Pearl's past, as broken as it was, she was joking about it, but I did my best to put on a fake and small smile, I walk out of the tent to find it actually was almost morning, but it was slightly still dark outside, I watch on a rock as the Hunters break camp just as Artemis ordered. But when I looked for the moon goddess I only found her staring into the east, the wind from that direction gently making her hair fly and look magical in the winds blows, her eyes fixed upon the horizon, staring at nothing, but it was as if she was expecting something to happen, my ears heard arguing from not far from me, I turn my head so my eyes could find the source of the sound, only to find Bianca and Nico, Bianca looking as if she was trying to explain why she chose the Hunters. But I could easily tell that Nico wasn't too happy about it, Thalia, Grover and Annabeth came over,wanting to know what happened in my audience with Artemis, I told them everything, my story making Grover and Annabeth pale, their faces loosing their color "last time Hunters visited to camp Half Blood, it didn't go well" Annabeth mumbles,Grover nods in agreement "how did they even get here? They just appeared out of nowhere!" I wonder aloud. "I can't believe that she showed you Pearl's past like that! And then the thing with Bianca! She was using it as some sort of blackmail?!" Thalia frustrates,her voice filling with rage, Annabeth looks at me with her stormy grey eyes, showing she was serious about her next words "I hope you know what you're going to say to Persephone, Percy" she says to me, but to be honest, I didn't, if I were to talk to her about it, I was sure to break, break in tears of what happened to the girl that made everything ok with her smile, I just need to hope that she won't be too angry.