The Hunters of Artemis: A Siren's Call

10) Prove Your Worth

By the time I woke up it was eleven at night. My room was dark; there was no noise in the house given everyone was already asleep. I sat straight up as I replayed all the events that had happened that day. The basilisk, Dedun turning from a cat to a person, and Artemis and Triton.
"You are awake," said Dedun. That spooked me. He was back in cat form. Out of nowhere Dedun jumped to my bed to watch me with his golden eyes.
"You have explaining to do with your brother," he explained softly. "You missed your shift today and his friend is wondering why."
I scowled. He wasn't wrong. My shift ended hours ago and I hadn't even let Tanner know I wouldn't be coming in. "Well whose fault was that!" I shot back angrily. "Why did you knock me out?" I kept my voice quiet. I was doubtful my grandparents or Sam were awake to possibly overhear us, but I didn't want to take any chances.
I could remember everything that Artemis had said, her command to wipe my memory. I was no expert at all this weird mythology stuff going on, but it was a safe bet that Dedun hadn't listened to her.
The cat seemed to be knowing what I was thinking. He sighed. "I now believe we were brought together for a reason."
"Fate?" It felt like a funny word to even say. I was merely repeating the phrasing he had given me earlier.
"Precisely."
"Won't Artemis be mad that you didn't wipe my memory?"
It was strange seeing a cat look amused. "Extremely. But that matters for not. You and I were brought together by a clear act of fate and your parent's desire to make you a hunter-"
"Hold the phone," I said in interruption. "If I really have an Olympic parent who wants me to fight in this war, why wouldn't they tell Artemis about me? Why keep me and Sammy a secret?" I didn't believe for a moment that either of my parents were one of the twelve Olympians, but this was hypothetical talk. There was at least a decent amount of this that was real if the last day had been any indication.
"That is the million-drachma question," remarked Dedun with a nod. "I suspect your parent has enemies and did not wish for them to know of you and your brother's existence."
I tried to wrap my head around everything that was being said. It was as impossible along with trying to reconcile that everything that had happened that day was real. After a few minutes of saying nothing, I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm a believer of most of this," I said with a nod. "So now what?"
"Simple. We prove your worth so Lady Artemis accepts you."

The next morning was strange. Or maybe it was just life that was now strange. After you accept that there's such a thing as talking cats, monster snakes, and that Greek mythology is real, not much surprises you after that. I didn't feel tired after I woke up the night before. After going into the bathroom to change into comfortable pajamas, I went back to my room and stayed awake and listened to Dedun tell me stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Stories that I had never heard before, and stories that I had only briefly heard of throughout my life. After everything that had happened, I was now a full believer that everything Dedun spoke of was real.
When I bounded down the stairs for breakfast the following morning, I discovered from Grandma Diane that Sam had gone out on a breakfast date with a girl he had met yesterday. Ordinarily I would have been shocked my brother was on a date let alone on a date so soon after we moved to Kenosha. But after my experience yesterday, that was the tamest news I could hear.
I was hungry enough to wolf down my pancakes, eggs, and sausage. My grandparents watched me across the table in surprise. It was then that I realized I hadn't eaten this much in front of them since Sam and I moved in. I barely ate and when I did, it was in moderation, carefully making sure my breakfast or dinner was decently healthy. Never again did I want to be a ball of chub. But this morning I didn't care about the carbs I was consuming. I hadn't eaten anything the day before and was starving. I was also eager to get back to Dedun. "It's really good," I offer lamely, shoveling another forkful of eggs inside my mouth.
Grandpa Walter got up and announced he was off to fish but I was barely listening. As soon as I finished eating, I hurried and put my dish and fork in the dishwasher before I thought of someone else who needed to eat. There was still enough food given Sam wasn't here. I made a full plate, threw some syrup on the pancakes, and grabbed a new fork. Grandma Diana had been reading the newspaper. She watched me with a raised brow after I finished stacking the large plate of food.
"I didn't realize I was still hungry until after I put my plate away?" My explanation sounded like a question. "Can I eat in my room?"
"Of course," Grandma Diane chuckled before the kitchen phone started to ring. That gave me a distraction to hurry up the stairs and out of sight. Once I got back to the bedroom, I found Dedun was staring intently at a picture beside my bed. When we had first moved in and I was cleaning out the cobwebs and dust bunnies, my grandmother had brought up a picture that was taken of my family the summer before mom passed away. We were at the beach, tan or in my dad's case, lobster red courtesy of the hot sun of North Carolina. Mom had her arms draped around Sammy and I, laughing as my dad tickled her waist. It was such a candid moment, none of us were looking at the camera.
Sam laughed at the sand, dad smiled at mom, who smiled at me, while I smiled at my parents.
"Your mother is beautiful," murmured Dedun, not ever looking toward my direction to acknowledge my presence.
"Was," I corrected automatically.
"Is," he corrected me softly. "She is not as dead as it seems-"
"If my mom was alive nothing in heaven or hell would keep her from us." My voice was sharp, cutting. I didn't mean to sound rude, but this was why I wouldn't ever believe my mom was a goddess. My mom loved me and Sammy. Nothing would keep her from us if she were still alive.
"Neither heaven nor hell has any say if your mother is who I believe her to be," said Dedun, finally breaking his gaze from the picture. "They are both irrelevant if your mother wished to conceal you and your brother from enemies."
"We'll agree to disagree." I said, moving closer with the full plate. "I made you a plate."
"That is kind, but I ate a mouse earlier," said Dedun with a nod.
I tried and failed not to make a look of disgust. "Humor me." I set the plate on my nearby wood dresser. Dedun watched it from the floor for a few moments. He slowly approached the dresser, looking as though he was about to jump atop of it.
"No don't eat like an animal!" I chastised stupidly. "If you can walk around like a human to fight a monster snake, you can politely eat food like one too."
"Bossy little thing," murmured Dedun as he was suddenly human. I merely blinked and the transformation was complete. He cusped his tan hands together to nod his head towards me. "My gratitude," he said with a nod.
I looked away as he started to go to town on his hearty plate of food. When going to the window to overlook Lake Michigan, I allowed my thoughts to return, the ones I've been thinking of all night.
"I'm not interested," I finally said. All night long I had listened dutifully to Dedun. He told me all about different gods and goddesses from not only Greek mythology but Egyptian as well. He explained to me that there was a great war moving, one that the Norse God Loki had helped create and now planned on finishing. Evidently, he was real too. Loki's win would mean the destruction of the world as we know it, humans turn to slaves, utter anarchy. It was an amazing story and sounded like quite the pickle for people to be in, but at the end of the day, none of this was for me. The way Dedun explained it, was that the hunters of Artemis dedicated their lives to serving her and protecting life. The idea of serving someone as rude as Artemis didn't seem appealing in the slightest.
Dedun finally finished his plate completely, looking all the while as if he had really enjoyed his meal. My words had him puzzled. "Not interested...?"
"In joining Artemis or anyone else in your war."
"It's not my war," Dedun explained hastily. "It's a war that involves all mortal and immortal life to maintain the balance of life-"
"I'm not the girl to join this cause," I interrupt with a roll of my shoulders. "I don't have a bone capable of fighting in my body-"
"That matters for not," Dedun argued gently. "You fought against that Basilisk using brain rather than brawn. You're a natural with your instincts in battle, I'd bet my tail on it."
I cautiously peered around him to see if he maintained a tail while human. He looked normal enough in a grey muscle shirt that showcased his tan muscled arms. Simple white cotton pants covered his legs while he remained barefoot. Dedun sighed. He waved his hand as if he felt I was stupid for even looking at his pants. "Do not give up before you have even gotten started serving Lady Artemis-"
"That's the thing," I interrupted, squinting as a dazzling display of sun shot through my windows. "I don't believe in serving someone. I wasn't born to be a follower."
Dedun said nothing at this. It seemed any decent response he had was suddenly lost upon his tongue. He tilted his head to watch me, looking somber now. "You're going to let something as simple as pride halt you from perusing your destiny?"
He sounded like he was judging me.
"I don't follow or serve anyone who was as rude as that chick was," I explain bitterly. I couldn't say I was particularly fond of Artemis after our brief encounter. "She's not someone I'd willingly work with."
Dedun sighed. "We were brought together for a reason, Gabrielle. I don't believe our paths were meant to end right here."
"Well, I think otherwise," I replied simply. Strangely I couldn't look him in his golden flecked eyes. I found I was somewhat ashamed of my decision.
Dedun provided a nod, only looking slightly dejected. He turned to stare out the window, the sound of birds chirping and a lawn mower a couple houses away could be heard. "I will not erase your memory, not yet," he said slowly. "Perhaps this was a lot of information to take in such a small amount of time." I didn't say anything. I watched my pink sneaker clad feet to avoid looking at him. "I shall give you time to adjust to the realization your world is much more frightening than it was just a day before. If you decide you still do not wish to become a huntress, I will oblige with your decision."
By the time I looked back to acknowledge that my decision was final, Dedun had vanished.
***