Chronicles of a Huntress

Chapter 1. "The One That Got Away."

Hey guys!

This is going to be eight chapters long so please follow and fav this fic too! Also, I've never written a fic based on Zoë so please review and tell me what you guys think of chapter 1!

Disclaimer: I do not own this characters nor the general storyline. 

So, about this chapter, I realize that, while there isn't much information about Zoë, it is stated that it was Atlas the one that helped Hercules obtain the golden apple. However, I thought it would be interesting to analyze how this lonely girl managed to be fooled by a seasoned hero so I gave the story a twist. Also, I'm aware that Zoë's language and dialect changes a lot over the course of her story so I've decided to stick to plain english in order to make the story as cohesive as possible.

Hope you guys like it!

Chapter 1. "The One That Got Away."

In a story, the setting always seems to reflect the scene so, whatever happens next, it can to some extent be predicted by everyone...except for the character in question, of course.

Well, this is the exception to the rule because, when everything changed for Zoë, it was a completely ordinary day in the Garden of the Hesperides, home for her and her sisters.

It was late afternoon, just before sunset, when rain began to gain strength as it poured over the gardens, soaking it all with its refreshing, reviving quality. The winds were picking up too, the cool temperature they were arising being a sign of the quickly departing summer. And the silence, it was calm, quiet, comfortable. It provided an atmosphere of relaxation, even of sleepiness, and the golden hue that was tainting everything with its regal tone was the final factor the scene needed for it to be worthy of any fantasy story.

Zoë, daughter of Atlas and Guardian of the Garden of the Hesperides stood behind a trunk, unbothered as her long, dark brown hair fell on her face, pressing against her cheekbones the more it was soaked by the pouring rain. Her long, white tunic seemed to be nothing but a second skin as it got wetter, its skirts no longer flowing but rather sticking to her ankles. Still, not the water nor the cold seemed to face her. It seemed as if nothing could take the focus off her, as if she could stand immobile, forever in the cold, under the rain and in the presence of the incoming darkness. Had someone else glimpsed at her, she would have seemed to be nothing but a graceful statue in those beautiful gardens.

Or that would have been the case until she silently raised a hand towards her quiver, grabbing an arrow and readying her bow slowly in order not to alert the intruder.

Her duty was clear. Guard the Gardens. Drive any intruders far from that sacred place. And, most importantly, keep Queen Hera's Tree of Golden Apples safe and untouched. She, amongst all of her sisters, had been chosen to fulfill this duty and honour the Queen of the Olympus. Queen Hera knew she had chosen well, for the young guardian would stop at nothing if it meant following her commands.

Still, the strangest thing happened as Zoë aimed her bow at the stranger. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel a connection with him, as if this intruder, this heathen was meant to play an important part in her life.

The man in question was tall yet lean, his dark hair contrasting nicely against his white tunic and purple cloak, his leather sandals hitting the ground silently as he ran sneakily through the gardens. All in all, he was a regular man, not unlike the many others that had tried to sneak into the gardens in the past.

And, strange feelings aside, not a single one of them had been able to get past the Guardian of the Gardens. As always, her duties were far bigger than the unsolicited visitor and so, it suddenly seemed extremely easy to forget all about the strange and sudden intuitions.