The Trinity: Of Gods and Kings

Exiled

Artemis POV
Present

I'm going to kill that pig if it's the last thing I do! Ares "accidentally" ran into my hunt and I in Upstate New York. We were resupplying our camping supplies in the giant Camping, Hunting, and Fishing store. I admit, I must applaud the Mortals on their ingenuity. I find the myriad of little hunting aids quite amusing, and their camping gear quite useful.

But then he arrived. In a black leather jacket, dark red tinted shades, black leather pants, and his buzz cut black hair, Ares walked into the store with a smirk and a lascivious glint in his eyes. He knew what he was doing, there couldn't be any way he didn't. Because ever since a year ago, my Huntresses and I had increased Auras. It was a little troublesome at the beginning, since I had to teach them how to hide that powerful Aura, but in the long run having more power was definitely welcomed.

Ares even went for one of my newest Huntresses, Allie, a blonde daughter of my idiot younger twin, Apollo. She hadn't mastered the Aura suppression technique I taught her, so it was like she had a sign over her head that read: "Powerful Huntress here!" And yet he still walked up behind her and grabbed her ass like it was some kind of stress ball.

That leads me to now. Having seen him do it with an evil grin, I walked up to him in my teenager form. He always liked to look in his twenties, but I wanted to be closer to my Huntresses, who were usually in their teens when a male betrayed them. While I preferred demigod maidens, I would occasionally take a clear-sighted mortal who had a fiery attitude.

So when I tapped his shoulder and hit him with a right uppercut that knocked him through the roof and out into the street, it looked like he got his ass handed to him by a little girl.

Oh did I like that thought. The God of war beaten by a teenage girl? Yep, I think that was going to keep me smiling for centuries to come. I turned back to Allie and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright Allie?"

She just nodded, holding her rear with a terrified look on her face. I could tell it was bringing up painful memories so I turned to one of my most capable Huntresses, an odd mortal who was on track to be my second lieutenant. Her raven hair and fiery orange eyes reminded me of Aunt Hestia, but her cheerfully optimistic attitude and tendency to settle arguments and command respect without fear mongering really solidified the connection. However she had a distinct lack of Godly energy. And her first words to me?

"Take me on an adventure."

She had been lost, barely any memories, and a distinct memory of a loving family before they were attacked and killed by Lystrigonians. She said the only way she had gotten away was to run into the forests. Somehow the forests had protected her from the Lystrigonians through the fall until I found her in the winter of 1918. She was already a master of knives then, but wasn't a slouch with a bow either.

As I looked at her and motioned to Allie, I gave her one command.

"Look after Allie and tell Alexia to take the Hunt back to camp. I have an asshole of an older brother to take care of."

She nodded and I sped off to the crater where Ares had landed about 200 yards away from the store.

"Ares! What do you think you were doing?! You know my Huntresses are off limits!"

My tone was dripping venom and I spat his name out with even greater acidity. He just told up, dusted himself off, and smirked at me.

"I had no idea that was your Huntress little sister. I was looking in the mortal realm for a lady to bless with my Godly presence. She was the first good option I laid my eyes upon."