Forgotten prophecy

Chapter 82

Hidden away in the trees that bordered the demigod camps, stood Orion. He watched as his Hunters warily made their first entrance into the camp. He was connected to them through their oath and acutely felt the overriding sense of unease and restlessness that each and every one of them was feeling. They were wary of some potential attack lying in wait from the campers or an ambush by the Hunters of Artemis, and as such their hands were never far from their weapons. He had asked Rhea for the same bonds that Artemis had with her Hunters, but he never imagined that they were so strong. While he didn't regret making the deal in the slightest, the constant shift of emotions from his Hunters made him acutely aware of why Artemis took leave of her Hunters as often as she did. He may very well find comfort in the same way that she did.

A shift in the wind through the trees was all that alerted him to the presence of someone else in the trees. "If you were trying to sneak up on me you really have lost your touch." He said, not taking his eyes off the camps. "Or maybe you thought I have?"

"I suppose that both are possible." Artemis said, stepping from the shadow of a tree. Her bow was held loosely in her hand, though she had no arrow nocked on the string. That did not matter, the goddess could summon an arrow and fire it before most mortals could blink. "Though the latter is far more likely than the former."

"You always did have a tendency to underestimate me." Orion said in a low voice. He had assumed the form of a young male, just a hair taller than his tallest Hunter. "I guess it might have been too much to hope for that time would have cured you of that."

"Pride has always been my burden." Artemis admitted with a careless shrug. "Just like hubris has always been yours."

"We all have our faults." Orion allowed, finally tearing his gaze away from the camps and turning to look at Artemis. She was in her twelve-year old girl form, making her bow look even larger than it already was. "How did you know that I was here? The arrow?"

"It certainly gave you away." Artemis nodded. "Besides, your... comrade, Dante I believe is his name, the one with the sharp tongue, he had already stated that your Hunters were all assembled before us."

"It could have been a ruse." Orion said fairly. "It's never wise to reveal all of your cards before the game is over."

"True. There is that. But I also sensed your presence nearby." Artemis said, leaning slightly on her bow. "I must say, I have expected many things from you over the centuries we have been at odds. But this... This caught even me by surprise. What is your plan, Orion?"

"No plan." He said simply, raising and lowering his shoulders. "No plot. No wicked schemes. We are the world's two greatest hunters, Artemis. You know that to be true. Despite all of our animosity towards one another, we are the best."

"I believe that Ryker may dispute that." Artemis said fairly. "He has certainly implied a fair amount of incredulity towards the idea."

"Yes, well, that is his nature." Orion nodded. "I assume you understand that Ryker is under my Hunt now?"

"Impossible, my mark-."

"Rhea superseded your mark, to make things fair." Orion explained, his voice devoid of any antagonism. "I needed a lieutenant, someone vicious enough to make even that lot toe the line. Ryker was the obvious choice."

"You very well know that Ryker has changed." Artemis said slowly, her eyes narrowed.

"What can change, can change back." Orion retorted. "Which is clear in this case. I would have showed my Hunt sooner, but I needed to show Ryker one of the hidden entrances into Tartarus."

"You said he changed, how?" Artemis asked, her eyes narrowed. "The death of his mother gave him perspective."

"I'm not sure how." Orion admitted, shrugging once more. "One of the Hunt, Erik, wanted to test him. When Ryker came to me for help on his quest, Erik stopped him. He told Ryker that he wanted to test him and that if he failed he would kill Cloe. The girl was never in any danger, you saw why, but Ryker did not hesitate."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked slowly, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"He ripped out Erik's heart in front of the rest of the Hunt." Orion said, allowing himself a slight smile. It was not a smile of joy or anything of the smile, it was one of worry. "He then showed the heart to the others and told them that if anyone else questioned him that they would be next. I'm... not sure what happened to him. It was like he flipped a switch. In truth I had questioned whether or not he had gone too soft to lead my Hunt."

"It seems as though he may have reverted back to his old ways." Artemis allowed, though confusion was evident in her voice. "But that does not make sense, he had no trigger. Nothing happened to my knowledge that would cause this. I can sense-."

"Sense the thoughts and mood of your Hunters." Orion finished, nodding. "Rhea gave me all the same attachments you have to your Hunters, I know well your situation. And I understand it. For a brief time, I imagine you and I had a shared claim on Ryker. But you must have lost yours once mine fully took hold. Like I said, it was like a switch flipped. He went from calm and collected to savage and vicious in less time than it takes to draw in a breath."

Artemis processed this information for a long moment, staring down at the forest floor as she thought. "This is a grave change, and yet another one I did not see."

"Being sent on so many quests in such a short time might be the cause." Orion offered. He sighed and raised his chin, his eyes growing cold. "But you did not come here to discuss my lieutenant, did you?"

"No, I did not." Artemis said, raising her eyes back to the Giant and narrowing them. "Your Hunt, it is an affront in the eyes of the gods. You must know that they will not be allowed to live. Zeus will slaughter them the second that they are no longer of use to the camps."

"Maybe." Orion allowed. "But I don't think so. Zeus may not fear Rhea, not exactly, but he does respect her. Those Hunters of mine, they carry the mark of Rhea. Each and every one. No matter what Zeus may think of them, he won't risk going against Rhea. My Hunt will remain."

"And what will you do with your Hunt?" Artemis demanded, her voice rising in anger. "Hunt down monsters? Those demigods you have recruited are as wild as you are, undisciplined! They will cause far more damage than they could hope to repair!"

"Oh, I am sure that we will find something to keep us occupied." Orion said airily. "With Ryker and I to keep them in check, I am fairly confident that we can accomplish quite a bit."

"And what happens when conflict arises between our Hunts?" Artemis snapped. "My Hunters will never forgive you for the centuries of havoc and murder you have brought against us, and neither will I. Despite your new moral code, I will never see you as anything more than a monster that needs to be killed."

"That's your decision, not mine." Orion shrugged. "My Hunt won't bother yours... until you strike first. After that, who can say?"

"Are you threatening me?" Artemis asked, her voice low and deadly. A ghostly white arrow appeared in her hand, ready to be nocked and fired.

"No, just making sure we are on the same page." Orion corrected. "I won't bother your Hunt, if your Hunt doesn't bother mine. To get Rhea to give into my request, I had to agree to drop my vendetta against you and your own. As far as I am concerned, we are at a fresh slate. I would advise you to do the same, otherwise our Hunts will slaughter one another and we will be back to square one. With both of us being alone once more."

"So, that's your final compromise?" Artemis asked, "Either let our Hunts slaughter one another in a fit of mutually assured destruction, or forgive you for years and years of carnage?"

"Let's not forget, you were the one who started our feud." Orion said softly. "You and I know that truth, despite what everyone else thought. You had begun to question your oath of maidenhood and once you realized that you could not handle that fact you killed me. No one else knows that truth, just you and I. And I have kept it as such because of my last vestiges of respect for you. This is your chance to end all of the murder, the pain, the suffering. I have already forgiven you, can you do the same?"

Artemis said nothing, studying Orion's face for any sign of deception. "I will... consider your words." She said finally. "But do not mistake that for any guarantees of any forgiveness. It is not just myself who will need to forgive you. You have scarred many of my Hunters in more ways than simply physical."

"I won't hold my breath then." Orion said, unconcerned with the result of Artemis's deliberations in the extreme. "You may want to get back to your Hunters. A few of mine and yours are exchanging words and none of them are pleasant. It would be a shame for the potential ceasefire between us to be marred by a slaughter."