Hey Guys.. girls... readers... people... yeah, anyway. Hey, I am finally back, sorry about the ridiculously long break in between chapters but I have been stupidly busy lately. Anyway, I managed to get this story worked on, and its a good length so yay! Before we get into the actual reading bit, I just want to say the story does have a plot, but I am trying to make this more like a long story setting, instead of a 'hey, this is a problem, oh look a prophecy, yay we win!" kind of story, so the 'bad guy' wont appear for a while. Also, reviews are greatly appreciated, and feedback on the lore I am trying to build in the story would be great. Yeah...

I don't own anything of the Percy Jackson world or the Mythology, but I can lay claim to the story line, and I haven't seen one similar on Fanfic. If there is, a review telling me about it would be great. I know there are ones based in ancient, but I haven't found a medieval one. Right, Enjoy!

It was cold. Damn cold. Icy water dripped from his boot buckles and gloves. The entire forest was coated in snow, and the trees were bowed down by yet more. The sky overhead was clear, allowing the sun to beat down on the ground, but it did little to warm the air. Instead, the crisp blue sky was a thermal vacuum, sucking up any heat that might generate near the ground. At the altitude Perseus was at, most would be wrapped up tightly; the hunters had several layers on, and only their eyes were visible. Perseus, however, still wore the same clothes that the hunters had repaired after he arrived, though he had added a leather undershirt. After the incident with the trident, the hunt had followed the highway to Cambrai, before turning east. It took nearly a week of hard travelling, but they eventually reached the westernmost edge of the Vosges Mountains. The journey had been warm for the most part, and very dry, however the as they journeyed towards the dawn, the air seemed to grow colder and the skies became overcast. Almost overnight, it seemed, winter had arrived. The timing was unfortunate, as their destination, a hunter safe house near the peak of Ballon de Murbach, required hard climbing through the now snowed down range to reach. As they hiked, the hunt seemed to gravitate together, remaining in a single huddle of girls, silver cloaks reflecting light and yet somehow blending into the snow and trees. Perhaps Artemis asked Hecate to charm them, a mist enchantment would certainly achieve the blending in.

Mist work was something Perseus had never fully grasped, though not for lack of trying. It required two things. Firstly, to control the mist the "user" had to have a reasonably large godly core. This meant that while many demigods had the power to work the mist, those born to very minor gods would struggle, or simply be unable to. The second requirement, the one Perseus lacked, was a specific frame of mind. To truly use the mist, to weave it to such a degree that the wielders will became reality, the wielder had to have an innate connection to the mist. Such a connections could not be created or destroyed, and as such one had to be born with the connections. As such Perseus had only ever learnt the basic manipulations of the mist, and was able to fold reality in the minds of others, but never truly break it. The strangest thing about the mist was that it was completely unbiased to the type of person it connected too. As such, only Hecate and Circe could truly use the mist out of all the divines, while some mortals, such as Merlin and Nimue, could manipulate the mist more than minor gods. It was slightly terrifying, and Zeus had, at one point, suggested that mortals with the power be controlled or killed; obviously the motion was denied. Perseus, however, had no real concerns about the mortal mist wielders, but like any good general, he had thought of several strategies to defeat them.

Hiking alongside the hunters, Perseus noticed that some of them, namely the newer ones, were giving him cautious, and sometimes nervous or even scared looks. The trident incident had spooked many of them. Despite being almost constantly in the presence of a goddess, the idea of Perseus possessing the power he did unnerved them. Not for the first time, and likely not the last, Perseus sighed at the behaviour. Of course, he probably hadn't helped the matter.

Flashback

The hunt had been gearing up, pulling down tents and destroying all traces of their presence. Garou, self titled "de Loup (wolf)" and the alpha of a werewolf pack that had been terrorizing towns across northern France had been spotted, and the Artemis wanted his pelt. The wolf had killed one of the hunt when they had approached him last. That time they had come in Parley, hoping for a peaceful restitution. What the hunt got, was death. Now, the time had come for justice. In preparation for the battle, Perseus had forgone his customary hunting garb, and donned his armour instead. A stiff leather shirt went on first, along with trousers of the same material. Over the top, he dropped a shirt of tightly hammered Steel chain. Atop that, he had a black leather jacket, ribbed with steel plating to allow swift movement but also grant protection. The leather trousers he wore had similar leather ribbing. He strapped the leather and chain gauntlets over his arms, flexing his fingers to loosen the movement, before slipping on the armoured boots. Picking up his swords, he strapped them both over his back, two bastard swords, one of steel one of silver. He looked up to find one of the hunters staring at him. Quirking one eyebrow, he waited for the obviously coming question.

"Why do you carry two swords? Surely only your silver sword is required?"

Perseus chuckled sadly. "Aye, huntress, a silver or celestial bronze sword works well on the monsters of Greece, however sometimes it is not Greek monsters I fight, but humans. As my old teacher used to say, "One sword for monsters, the other, well that's for monsters too." The girl stared at him aghast,

"You kill mortals? But lady Artemis says we are to protect them." To this, Perseus nodded.

"And you are. The hunt protects the mortal world from all things they cannot see nor stop. However," he said, unsheathing his steel sword and holding it up to the firelight, "mortals also need protecting from each other. Bandits, murderers, rapists, the worst of mankind can be just as bad as any monster." Perseus could see the girl was still queasy about the idea, and he could understand, to a point. To kill a monster was easy, they are reborn, their bodies returned and their "souls" unchanged. Humans, however, were another mater entirely. To kill a human was to end their existence. Yes, the soul could go for rebirth, if it went to Hades that is, however it would return different, without its memories or experiences. The person who it was before would no longer exist. That he could speak so lightly of killing men more than likely scared the huntress.

End Flashback

Perseus shook his head wryly. Being honest with the huntress had caused a host of new problems. While Artemis and many of the older hunters understood his statements, knowing and sharing the sentiments, the newer hunters now seemed to fear him in someway, almost as though they expected him to lash out at them. Annabeth surprisingly, or perhaps not, barely reacted to the incident. He had suspected it was because of the bandits on the journey to Signe la Petit, however we he asked her, she simply said, "My father is a knight." The confusing and vague comment was not expanded on. The highpoint of that otherwise unfortunate day was that they had in fact managed to track down Garou, and Artemis now had his wolf form pelt in her temple on Olympus.

A muffled crack drew his gaze sharply to the forest edge. Glancing forward, he noticed that most of the older hunters had heard the noise too. Artemis turned her head swiftly, eyes peering sharply into the darkened trees. Perseus flexed his left arm, swinging his shield into his hand. He held off drawing a blade, not sure what he was fighting.

An arrow flew out of the woods, whistling towards one of the rearmost hunters. Acting swiftly, Perseus jammed his shield in the way. Spinning he drew his steel sword. In the back of his mind he heard Artemis yell, "Scatter!" Before he ran into the woods. Amidst the trees, everything was silent. Nothing existed except the battle. The whistle of an arrow, easily deflected. The crunch of snow underfoot as the attackers ran around, easily tracked. The harsh panting breath of those around him, easily heard. Within moments he found one of the bandits, and moments later the bandit fell, half at a time. He found another bandit not far from the other, and dismissed this one just as swiftly. Tracking the clumsy footsteps of yet more bandits as they moved to the road, he came across a larger group. Five separate warriors, armed with short swords. Running in, he swept his sword around in an arc, decapitating one. Four. A sword slashed at his side but was contemptuously parried. Dashing forward, he lunged at the attacker, only to be blocked. Perseus used the deflection to spin. His bladed sliced through a bandit's leg. The man fell screaming, silenced by a savage jab. Three. Two more attacked simultaneously. Perseus dodged both strikes, weaving around them to cut through the chest of one. Two.

An arrow flashed across the fight, embedding itself in another bandit. Focused on the battle, Perseus didn't react other than a brief nod of thanks. He spun round once more. A jump forward, a step to the side, and a thrust to the heart and another was dead. He turned slowly to the final foe. The leader, judging by his armour. Chain was a considerable step up from leather. They stood warily, watching each other. The bandit broke first, jabbing forward. A feint. He slashed suddenly, and Perseus swayed back to avoid the blade. Perseus responded with a cut at the bandit's head, bouncing of the block to swing at his legs. The fast swipe cut through the chain, biting into the leaders flesh. With a roar of anger, the bandit swung savagely at Perseus, great two-handed blows falling at his head. With ease, Perseus swept by the sword, leaning to-and-fro. Avoiding one final, maddened swing, Perseus lunged forward, burying his sword into the leaders chest. The bandit coughed, spluttering against Perseus's shoulder, before falling limp. Withdrawing his sword from the bandit, Perseus allowed him to fall ignobly to the ground. Glancing around, he noted with a grimace the massive bloodshed around him, the snow soaked red. Moving cautiously, he made his way back to the main track, every no and then finding a stray bandit, all with silver arrows through them.

He arrived back at the road to find Artemis and a collection of other hunters gathered off to one side. They were surrounding two figures, one kneeling over the other, while other lay unmoving. Noting the sombre and worried expressions on their faces, Perseus made his way over. The lieutenant, Zoe, was bent over another hunter, rapidly bandaging her side, attempting to stem the flow of blood. Perseus turned to Artemis, face grim. "What happened?"

"We were covering some of the younger hunters, that being Phoebe, Zoe, and I, when one of the bandits surprised Phoebe, managing to hit her with a crossbow bold." She responded, looking equally serious.

"What's stopping you from healing it? They are your hunters so it can't be the ancient laws?" Artemis shook her head,

"No, it's not the ancient laws. Normally I'd be able to heal her with a simple wish. The problem is that in order to heal her, the bolt would first have to be removed, and the damn bandits used barbed arrows so pulling it out would cause even more damage, and I can't revive the dead."

"She's going to bleed out or freeze if we don't get that arrow out, and get her indoors." Artemis turned at him savagely, fury clear on her face.

"You think I don't know that? If I could, I would have taken her to the safe house already, hades, I would have flashed us all there, but I can't. The protections on the base mean that it can only be approached on foot. The matter of the arrow is even more of a fiasco. If we remove it here, in the forest, she dies, but if we don't remove it fast enough, she dies anyway!" Perseus nodded as she finished her rant, thinking quickly. He looked up sharply.

"Is there a hunter who knows the way to the safe house and would be able to remove the arrow and keep Phoebe alive till you and the other hunters arrive?" Artemis paused before nodding.

"Yes, but none of them could get Phoebe there fast enough."

"And if I took her? I could run behind the hunter, carrying Phoebe. With some luck we should be able to make it in time." Artemis shook her head.

"It's a two day journey on foot, you would never make it. Especially not while carrying the wounded." Perseus growled.

"Surely it's better than nothing! Even the smallest possibility of saving her is better than just accepting her death as inevitable!" Artemis hesitated, before nodding slightly and calling out.

"Audovera, come over here." Startled, the hunter walked over, sending a quick glance at Perseus.

"Yes Milady?" She queried.

"If we could get Phoebe to the safe house, could you remove the arrow and keep her alive?"

"Yes, but it would need to be the safe house. To try in a tent or out here would be to kill her." Audovera responded without hesitation.

"Good. Would you be able to get to the safe house, leading someone else?"

"I remember the way, so it would not be difficult." At this, Artemis nodded before turning to Perseus.

"You have till morning to get there. Any later and Phoebe dies." With a grim nod, Perseus turned, moving towards the fallen Hunter. Several of the other hunters tried to stop him, pushing him away and yelling at him, until Artemis intervened, explaining his purpose. Slipping an arm under Phoebe's knees, and another under her shoulders, Perseus lifted the smaller hunter easily, carrying her lightly across to Audovera. With a glance at Artemis, and a nod of farewell to Annabeth, he turned to his guide. With a slight glance, she set off at a run, and Perseus swiftly followed.

The forest floor was padded with a layer of snow, and the air was bitingly frigid. Icy water seeped through his leather boots, and Perseus constantly had to push the liquid out, focusing his power on keeping himself and the two hunters dry. With every long step he took, Perseus could hear the hunt getting further and further behind. Looking forward, he could see the silver glint of Audovera's cloak, billowing as she ran. A low moan rang from his arms as Phoebe shifted. Not looking down, Perseus tightened his grip, before quickening his pace. Stretching out his legs, he settled into a long, loping, run. Heads tucked into their necks against the cold, Perseus and Audovera ran on, determined to make the safe house before morn. The path led them alongside a narrow stream, and Perseus used the chance to pull the water over his face, rejuvenating himself and sending a quick prayer of thanks to his father. Despite being surrounded by snow, Perseus was limited in his powers, as Poseidon had natural control of water and ice, solid ice like that which covers a lake. As such, snow could only be manipulated through an immense amount of will and determination, costing more energy than would be gained if he tried to coat himself with it. Perseus glanced up, looking at Audovera, who was clearly tired from the fast pace they had been moving at. He reached into his bag and grabbed out a small square of ambrosia. Passing it to her, he nodded his head in the direction of the path, and with a tired return nod, they set off once more.

The path lead them through the mountains, twisting and turning up and up, dropping into valleys and climbing to the summit. Around them, the range was veritably aglow with harsh, rugged beauty. As they crested the top of Klintzkopf, the two paused momentarily, stunned by the vision around them. Dusk had come, and the sun had fallen just behind Rothenachkopf, casting the shorter mountain into an imposing silhouette. Shining round the mount, the light fell on Kastelberg, illuminating the larger mountain. The golden glow reflected off the snow, setting the mount alight with majestic fire. The white snow and forests burnt in the last lights of day. Despite the awe-inspiring sight, Perseus nevertheless turned to Audovera.

"We need to move, the loss of light is going to make this all the more difficult." Dragging her eyes back from the view, the hunter nodded, before leading on.

For hours more they ran, their exhaustion growing evermore prevalent. With every step their legs trembled. Their breaths were ragged, and came in short, sharp bursts. Despite the intense cold of the night, the two could not feel it, hot sweat dripping down their faces. And yet they ran on, their determination, if not desperation driving them to carry on, to reach the safe house. With Phoebe still in his arms, Perseus could feel every muscle in his upper body like a knife, pain lancing through him with every movement, and yet he did not stop. In the darkness their pace had slowed, and Audovera remained close by in her lead, ensuring he did not get lost. All around, the howls and coughing barks of wolves echoed, a seemingly endless cacophony of predators. They had made their way swiftly down Klintzkopf, the last dregs of light enabling them to reach the base of the mountain, which dropped to a glacial river. Following the icy water in the now set in darkness, they made their way swiftly along the base of the mountains, until they reached the foot of Ballon de Murbach. Here they turned sharply south, and so began their rapid ascent. Though lacking energy they made their way slowly but surely up the mountains side. Snow caught in their dragging boots, and Perseus could not summon himself to remove it. With each step they took, the peak of the mountain approached, and the trees became fewer and far between. Finally, just below the peak, the pair saw the safe house, though the term did the place little justice.

Standing two stories tall in most places, three in some, the stone house was shaped as a large squared off U. The house was fenced, with a silver wrought gate leading into a large courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard, a small fountain stood, capped off by a stone huntress in the process of shooting an arrow. Around the fountain, a cobbled path wound through a neatly kept garden, leading up to great oak doors, easily taller than Perseus. The roof of the building sloped steeply, and was covered in brown tiles. Strangely, no snow had fallen in the courtyard, and though it was night, the garden was well lit by torches. The shadows of the night were banished by an innate light within the house, and it became clear the place was a haven. Moving swiftly, Perseus ran to the doors, pushing them open and walking into a grand entrance hall.

The two moved quickly through the mansion, finding the first room with a bed and laying Phoebe down on it. By now the huntress was extremely pale and the bandages had been soaked through. Audovera undid the bandages around Phoebe's stomach and winced at the sight. The journey had not been gentle, and it was obvious that the arrow fragment had been jolted , tearing the wound wider. Immediately getting to work on the wound, she grabbed a small thin stiletto from behind her. Holding it out, she called to Perseus.

"Build a fire quickly, and sterilize this in the flames." At Perseus's questioning look she explained tersely." I should be able to pull the arrowhead out of the widened wound now, but I need to turn it first, and I need the knife for that." Nodding, Perseus quickly made his way over to the fireplace, and began to layer up kindling, small wood fragments and strips of bark. Taking the flint and steel, he began striking. In his hurry, the sparks fizzled and fell, but none caught light. Again and again he struck, but no fire was forthcoming. He struck once more praying, almost begging Hestia that the fire would catch. The sparks fell, landing just on the strips of bark, and finally a flame caught began to burn. Blowing on new fire gently, he gradually built up the flames, taking care not to smother them. Finally, when he had a sustainable blaze, he suck the blade of the knife in. Holding it in the flame for a minute of so, he then withdrew it, dunking the blade in a vat of water to cool it off. Hurrying, he dashed over to Audovera, handing her the knife. Nodding without a glance, the hunter slid the knife along the remaining arrow shaft, reaching in. Without looking, she spoke again.

"Boil some water, then wash some strips of cloth in it for bandages." Almost glad of the excuse, Perseus moved off. Battle was one thing, and blood was completely fine by him, but the cold precision with which Audovera was sticking a knife in her friend was somewhat chilling.

He had just finished with the cloth when Audovera called urgently. "I've got it, but she's bleeding fast. I need those bandages!" Running over, despite hi tired legs, Perseus quickly handed them to her, watching as she expertly fastened and tightened them so that the bleeding was staunched. After a tense few minutes she sat back, letting out a sigh.

"That's all I can do. The strapping should sop the bleeding, and with the arrow head gone, their shouldn't be any more damage done. Now it's just a matter of waiting till Artemis gets here." Nodding, Perseus left the room, returning a few moments later with slightly padded chair. Flopping down into the chair he turned slightly towards Audovera,

"Why don't you go grab the bed next door, catch a few hours shuteye while keep watch here. You look dead on your feet." Audovera frowned,

"So do you, besides if something goes wrong you're not going to be able to do anything." Maybe it was the stress of the earlier moments when she was talking, or the fact that she had used shorter sentences, but it was only now the Perseus realised that Audovera had a Frankish accent. He blinked in surprise, before realising that her name really should have made it obvious, being popular in Frankish nobility at the time.

"Look, I'm not a brilliant healer or anything, but I Apollo got me to the standard of a battlefield medic, so I'll be able to keep her alive long enough to wake you. Plus, if you are half asleep from staying up, there's going to be no one to help if something does happen." Taking a look at her still cautious face, Perseus sighed. "Look, I swear on the Styx that I will do nothing untoward, and that I will wake you if anything happens." At the resultant burst of thunder from the vow, Audovera's face relaxed and she nodded at him before leaving the room. Shuffling around in the seat to get more comfortable, Perseus set in for the long haul.

Dawn came, Apollo's light shining bright from the east. As the rays entered the room, Perseus splashed himself with water once more. Despite the water, Perseus held onto consciousness only barely, and his eyes were held open only by his determination. The night had been quiet, and Phoebe seemed to gradually improve, colour returning to her pallid skin. As Perseus watched, Phoebe shifted slightly and let out a sigh, stretching slightly only to wince. Now fully alert, Perseus crept silently out of the room, leaving before she woke. He stopped outside the neighbouring room, knocking at the door. A few moments later, a bedraggled Audovera answered the door, looking at Perseus balefully.

"What." She snapped. Nodding her head towards Phoebe's room, he replied.

"She appears to be waking up, I thought you might want to know." Looking surprised, she nodded, backing into her room to quickly get changed. Shortly after, the door opened once more, and a much more put together Audovera stepped out. Walking towards Phoebe's room, she glanced at Perseus in a rare display of concern towards a male.

"You ought to get some sleep, even the great Greek General can't run mountain ranges without getting tired." Smiling tiredly at the sarcasm, Perseus nodded gently. Turning, he stumble along the corridor to the entrance hall, before collapsing on a seat in front and to the side of the door. Within moments he was unconscious.

Perseus woke at the creak of the front door. Looking up, sword half drawn, he blinked repetitively to clear his vision. Finally able to see, Perseus relaxed and let his sword fall back down. With a tired nod at the arriving hunters he stood, moving to talk to Artemis. He had not gone a single step before his right leg failed beneath him, and he went tumbling towards the stone floor. Bracing for impact, he was surprised when one of the hunters caught him, helping him back upright. Looking at his saviour, he smiled as he recognized Annabeth.

"Hey." He muttered tiredly.

"Hey yourself," she said with a smile. "you look exhausted seaweed brain."

"I feel it wisegirl." He said wryly before he tried once more to reach the goddess. Once more his legs failed him. Slipping an arm around him and ducking her head under his, Annabeth shook her head.

"Let me help with that." Perseus nodded gratefully. Using Annabeth as a crutch, he gradually managed the journey to Artemis, who was at the door sending hunters to different rooms.

"Milady." Perseus called, attempting and awkward bow, "I apologize for using a hunter as a crutch, but I would be crawling on the ground otherwise." A slight frown on her face, Artemis nodded before speaking.

"And Phoebe? How is she?"

"We managed to get in sometime around midnight and we set her up in the room closest to the door. Audovera removed the arrow and bandaged the wound. We kept her under watch throughout the night, and she seemed to wake just after dawn" Perseus responded. The silver-eyed goddess seemed to sag in relief.

"She survived then, thank Olympus, and thank you, Perseus." Perseus shook his head.

"it was Audovera that saved her, I was merely the muscle."

"Never the less, it was you who carried her here, and as such you deserve thanks."

"The best thanks you could give me milady," Perseus said tiredly, "Is another night sleep before we begin my lessons. The run over the mountain has rather seen to my energy reserves, as well as my legs. If it weren't for the blessing of Hermes, I doubt I would have made it." Surprisingly, the goddess let out a tinkling laugh that caused the room to seemingly glow with moonlight, and all animals around to trill.

"Of course Perseus, take the night. But I must insist you eat some food before you sleep. We have dried meat and bread in large reserves, and the house should have some chees stored." With a nod, Perseus moved off to the kitchens, leaning of Annabeth all the way.

"So you got in around midnight huh?" Annabeth asked as they walked.

"Yeah, barely looked at anything or took breaks we were so focused on getting Phoebe inside."

"I can imagine," Annabeth said, "but still, getting all the way here in just over twelve hours? That impressive, not many could of managed it. Most of the hunters were tired, and we took a day and a half. Plus, you were carrying another person, which adds a whole new level to it" Perseus gave a tired grin.

"Impressive, yeah that sums me up. His supremely impressive seaweedness." Annabeth used her free hand to punch him lightly, lets get you some food and a bed.

Training started a few days later. Perseus was sitting with Artemis in the middle of a small, secluded courtyard, a mini lake taking up a large section of the area, and cobbled path only a small segment in the garden. The two were sitting cross-legged facing each other. As they sat, a small ball of water began to rise from the water, drawing itself upwards against gravity. With a small splash, the ball separated from the surface of the lake, hovering on its own. Slowly the ball made its way between the two. Peering at the ball intently, Artemis inspected it for several moments before shaking her head.

"The inside is still moving, swirling around. All the water needs to be perfectly stationary, and the surface even." With a tired sigh, Perseus moved the water back to the main body and started again. Reaching out with his power, he siphoned it into the lake, through as much of the water as he could. Focusing, he brought the tendrils of power, forcing the water into a sphere and holding it there. Furrowing his brow, Perseus sent out more power, using it to control what excess within the sphere he could, and sweep the uncontrollable bits of water away. Twitching a finger, he pulled the sphere of water out of the lake, and brought it over. The ball was perfectly clear, and only the slight shimmer of its surface made it noticeable. Exerting his influence, he dragged the ball over to Artemis, holding it for her inspection. Tense moments later, Artemis nodded.

"Well done, the water is perfect." She nodded once more. "Get rid of it and do it again, faster this time." Perseus' face dropped.

"Again?" He said tiredly.

"Again." Closing his eyes, he began again. Attempting to achieve the same feet faster, he hurried through the steps, focusing as much as he could in the short amount of time he gave himself. As a result, the water that leapt from the lake was sill green, and came as a stream not a ball. The other side affect was that the water all landed on Perseus. Artemis stifled a chuckle before saying,

"You have another hour to work on getting through the task faster. I will be with my hunters if you must find me." She stood up and walked to the door before turning, "Oh and Perseus? Don't disappoint me by lazing around, you've done well so far." With that she opened the door and left. Returning to the task at hand, Perseus calmed his breathing once more, before closing his eyes.

"Slow and steady does it, lets just get this right."

And so he did. Taking his time with each attempt, Perseus focused on accuracy, perfecting each step and producing the required results no matter how long it took. Ball after ball of water floated from the water, some clear, and some still greenish blue in colour. With each successful attempt, Perseus seemed to become invigorated, his energy replenishing and his efforts increasing. Conversely, however, each failure brought a frown to his face, and yet seemed only to make him more determined.

As time went on, the failures became fewer and further between, and spheres seemed to become larger. At the same time, the time each ball took to produce decreased, as the task became repetitive. The process was monotonous, and repetitive, but Perseus found that it did have a profound effect. With each sphere he created, the process seemed to become easier. He could connect to the water easier, draw his power together faster, and move the ball easier. Everything became part of a routine; connect, shape, cleanse, move, connect, shape, cleanse, move.

After an hour had passed, Perseus heard the door close, and held the ball he had conjured in place, tilting his head slightly in acknowledgment. The faint rustle of fabric on stone informed him that Artemis had sat down.

"Its good," She said, he tone cheerful, "but how long did it take?" In answer, Perseus simply sent the sphere back to the lake and focused on creating another. A few seconds later, the globe emerged from the water to hover between them.

"Well done," Artemis nodded. "You've managed to decrease the time significantly, though it could still be faster. That will come from practice. Come now," she said as she stood, "It is time for lunch, and then I will begin to teach you how to hunt and shoot." Banishing the water to the pond, Perseus stood up, his muscle stiff and aching from the time spent without movement. With a groan he realised just how tired he was, a wave of exhaustion racking through his body.

"Here," Artemis said with a laugh, "eat this." She handed him a chunk of ambrosia that he happily wolfed down. Feeling the godly food replenish his energy, he smiled before moving to the door.

"Now I need some food." With a wry chuckle, Artemis followed him to the door.

"Boys…"

After lunch, Artemis led Perseus to another courtyard. This one was much larger, and devoid of water. It was also devoid of people. The courtyard was around fifty feet wide, and seventy or eighty feet long. At the end of the courtyard, four targets were arranged in a straight line, evenly spaced about ten feet apart. Another row of four was arranged in front of this row, about twenty feet closer, and anther twenty feet in front of that. Noticing Perseus looking around, Artemis spoke up.

"Normally my Hunters would be using this space to train as long we stayed here, but I thought they would be better off finding other things to do today. This was you don't make a complete ass out of yourself, losing whatever credibility I had, and none of my Hunters end up dead from a misfired shot." Perseus tried to look offended, he really did, but he recognized that it was probably needed.

"Um.. I don't have a bow…" at this Artemis scoffed.

"Of course not, you'll be getting that much later in the lesson. I need to make sure you can actually move first." Confused, Perseus held up a hand and wiggled his fingers.

"Yep, seems to be moving fine." Artemis shook her head,

"Idiot boy, I didn't mean move like that. I meant whether or not you were flexible or not. A soldier can get away with standing still if he's in a shield wall, a fighter can survive by moving his feet and body quickly, but he doesn't have to bend. A hunter, however, must move with forest, bending and flexing like the branches of the trees. That is what I mean when I question your movement."

Perseus' face cleared as he understood, and he stood back, awaiting instructions. "Very good then, follow my motions." Artemis said, standing in front of him. She started off slow, going through simple stretches. Touching her toes, each hand to the opposite toe. Gradually, however, she made the stretches harder, pushing him to his limits. In one particularly nasty stretch, he had to bring his hands behind his back, and then pull them as high as he could. After he failed to complete several in a row, Artemis stopped.

"You're dead." Perseus blinked in surprise, moth opening questioningly.

"Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration," Artemis conceded, "But still, you wouldn't survive in a hunt. You are more flexible them most fighters, definitely more so than the average soldier, but by the hunts standard you're still well below what is needed. But, as I said, you are not immovable, and as such are not hopeless. Now, copy me again." So saying, she slowly demonstrated a set of motions. The movements seemed like a dance, flowing from one step to the other, and each stretching the muscles. Perseus found that the motions individually were, while not easy, definitely possible, however when he tried to put them together, the whole thing turned into a mess of jerky motions. A stark contrast to the fluid grace with which Artemis had moved.

"Practice that until you are sure you remember the steps. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, simply remembered. I am going to get some gear while you do." A few more tries later, Perseus felt certain he had memorized the pattern, though the movements were still horrible. Just as he stopped, the door opened again, and Artemis walked back out. This time she was holding a bow.

"You done?" she asked, "Good, I want you to practice those steps every morning, and we'll go through them every lesson. When I feel you are managing them sufficiently well I shall show you the next stage. For now, I want you to hold this."

She handed him the bow. The weapon was not ornate, made out of simple wood, and shaped as any other longbow. It was about as tall as he was himself, however seemed to be thinner than the other bows he had seen in his life. It was, in itself, rather unremarkable, however given that he was still learning to use the weapon, Perseus was not bothered by its appearance. Gesturing to the bow, Artemis began to explain.

"Most longbows are thicker than this one, however as a result, they have a much heavier draw-weight. Because of this, I decided I'd start you off with a bow that was a bit easier to use, giving you a chance to build up your back muscles and learn the proper technique. Now, I want you to prepare to fire an arrow at a target, but don't release the arrow. I need to see what you are doing wrong." Nodding, Perseus took the arrow she handed him, nocked it, drew the string back and held, his fingers quickly tiring.

"Stop, stop, stop." Artemis called exasperatedly. "When I heard you were a bad archer, I though it would be some simple error that was throwing you off. Never did I even think that you would be doing absolutely everything wrong." Perseus flushed slightly and Artemis sighed.

"Okay, listen carefully and follow my instructions. Take the arrow and nock it, placing the string in the groove, a single feather should be facing away from the bow. Now, grip the string with your first three fingers, and the arrow between fingers one and two. Holding on too both, lift the bow so that your left arm is slightly bent, and the end of the bow points up and over your head. Draw back on the string, and pull the fletching of the arrow back to a comfortable spot on your face and push your bow hand towards your target. I can't tell you where to draw it too, as it changes from person to person. Some prefer to draw it to their jawline, while others prefer the corner of their mouth or their cheekbone. Now sight on the arrow and focus on a target, visualize the connection. Good, now, relax your fingers, don't snap them off, pull them of quickly but gently, releasing the string smoothly." Following Artemis's instructions, Perseus let the arrow fly. To his disappointment the shot flew wide, passing over the closes target and embedding itself in the ground just in front of the target behind and across two. Surprisingly, Artemis seemed happy with the shot.

"Good." She said happily. Perseus looked at her confused,

"You do know I wasn't aiming for that target right? I was aiming for the closest one." Artemis shot him a irritated look.

"Of course I knew that Perseus, but I wasn't expecting you to hit the target. That was simply about getting the arrow to fly in the right general direction. You're not going to be able to hit the centre in a day, except maybe by chance, archery is a slow process, and there's no godly power that can teach you it. My mother taught Apollo and I on Delos, and it took nearly a month to become decent enough to hunt. Even now we are still learning. You should know, any idiot can pic up a sword and swing it, but it takes time and practice to become a master. It is the same for a bow. Now, try again, shoot slowly, and focus on the technique."

Taking a deep breath, Perseus nocked another arrow. Focusing on what Artemis had told him, he drew the arrow back to the corner of his mouth and sighted once more on the centre of the closest target. He let the arrow fly, and again it missed.

"Again." Artemis's voice rang out. So he did. He drew the arrow back, sighted, and released. Once more the arrow flew wide this time to the left. Again and again he repeated the process, nock, draw, and release, and each arrow missed, but each arrow also got closer to the target. Finally, after what seemed like seemed like half a hundred arrows, when the skin on the inside of his fingers was raw, nearly bleeding, he managed it. It wasn't in the centre, it wasn't even close; the arrow was buried in the outermost ring, but it had hit the target. Perseus was tired, his arms were shaking, his back was a mess of agonizing muscles, but at that point it was all worth it. Because Perseus of Normandy, the famed Greek General, the recognized worst archer in Olympian history had hit his target. He turned with a brilliant towards Artemis to find her smiling proudly in turn. His smile fell, however, when she told him to do it again. Once more Perseus fell into the agonizing rhythm of shooting, but now, more arrows struck the target. After five arrows had struck in a row, Artemis called him to a stop.

"Sit down Perseus, and take a drink, you've earned it." She said, handing him a glass of Nectar. Perseus smiled gratefully, downing the godly drink in seconds before gasping in relief.
"Thank you," he panted, trying to catch his breath, "I needed that."
"I can imagine." Artemis said amusedly, "You've been shooting for nearly three hours, but at least now you can hit a target semi regularly." Perseus nodded with a smile.
"Is every going to be like this, because I am exhausted." Artemis laughed,
"You'll need a good nights sleep, as you'll be up early to practice the Calm Hunt." At Perseus's inquisitive look she explained. "The stretches you are doing, I call the set 'the Calm Hunt' because even though you are moving slowly and peacefully, you are fighting your mind in order to perform the dance. There is another, which I call the 'Wild Hunt', but it involves two people working in absolute synchronization, or they will both be injured. I will teach you the 'Wild Hunt' when you are good enough at the 'Calm Hunt'." Perseus nodded in understanding, though he was still slightly confused. Artemis stood suddenly,"Come on, lets head to dinner." With a nod, Perseus hauled himself to his feet, before following Artemis into the house.

Dinner with the Hunt had been an awkward affair from the first time he had been awake to share it. They were not openly hostile, in fact, most of them were not hostile at all. The problem was that they didn't know how to act towards him. Most those who joined the hunt did so because they had been hurt emotionally or injured by a man, though some did so to escape arranged marriages. As such, they were naturally wary around him. However, they also seemed to respect him in some way, his action in saving Phoebe and in protecting them from the monster attack having at least thawed their attitude towards him. Nevertheless, it was only Annabeth, Artemis, and, surprisingly, Audovera who actually spoke to him at the table. Maybe it's something to do with the names, Perseus mused absentmindedly. Noticing Perseus's amused look, Audovera called out to him,

"What's got you smiling Perseus?" She asked with a smile.

"Just thinking, the only ones who talk to me are you, Annabeth, and Lady Artemis. I wondered if it was something to do with the names." Audovera looked confused, so he moved to explain. Before he could get there, however, both Artemis and Annabeth jumped in,
"All our names begin with the letter A" the two turned to look at each other, before bursting into laughter, a moment later Audovera joined in. Chuckling, Artemis spoke up once more,
"Maybe it is a family curse," she laughed, "Your father is married to Amphitrite, and of all the Olympians, he talks most to Athena, even if they do spend most of their time arguing." The colour drained out of Perseus's face,
"Never tell my father about this theory." All the hunters looked confused, "He'll try and set me up with every female sea deity with an A starting their name." He turned to them with dread on his face, "And I do not want to go on a date with Anemone, the goddess of carnivorous sea flowers." The sheer look of terror on his face made the entire hunt break into laughter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review or even a favourite, they really do a great job of boosting my authory moral. Yep, thank you and good night.

Dragons of All Realms