The Champion of Artemis

Chapter One: Introduction

Artemis

Being an immortal goddess, there weren't many things in this world that could surprise me. And yet, the scene I was now looking at was truly horrific.

The hunters and I had been passing through a small forest in search of a good place to settle for the night when we came upon the mangled corpse of a beautiful woman. Her once stunning brown hair was now in a heap covering her face and her ever changing blue eyes were without life. She had quite clearly been beaten to death and was consequently covered in bruises. Her face was devastated with injuries and blood coated her clothing. However, the most shocking part of the scene was the infant that lay crying on his mother's deceased body.

Chelsea, our newest hunter, picked up the crying baby and held him in her arms while whispering reassuring words until the child had quieted. Zoe Nightshade, my lieutenant, kneeled over the woman and gently closed her eyes while saying a hushed prayer. Phoebe, my best tracker and medic, was rifling through the woman's bag which laid at her side. She found the woman's wallet and pulled out her license.

"Sally Jackson." Phoebe read aloud for the rest of the hunt.

"What kind of monster would do this to someone?" One of the hunters shouted which made the baby start crying once again. Chelsea started trying to calm the child once again and eventually got him to quiet down as he began playing with a handful of her golden blond hair.

"The worst kind of monster." I told the hunters while sadly looking upon Sally Jackson's body. "A man." The hunters voiced their disgust for the man responsible for Sally Jackson's death.

"My lady, what of the child?" Zoe asked. I once again turned my attention to the boy. He was giggling and staring into the ocean blue eyes of Chelsea. I held out my arms and took the boy from her clutches. He immediately began to cry with displeasure but quickly settled as I held him in my arms. He looked upon me curiously but remained completely calm. He had the most remarkable green eyes that reminded me of the sea as he scanned my face. I could tell that he was a demigod. That much was certain. He had a very powerful aura about him which was peculiar considering he couldn't even be a year old yet.

"He will one day become a man." I told them.

"My lady, he's just a baby." Chelsea argued.

"This says his name's Perseus." Phoebe said while reading another document that she pulled out of Sally Jackson's bag. Perseus Jackson, something was certainly different about this little demigod.

"He's a demigod." I informed them. "And a strong one at that."

"But he's still a boy." One of the hunters spoke up. I nodded.

"This could be an opportunity for us." Zoe stated, surprising me. All eyes turned to her. It wasn't like her to be supporting the survival of any man. No matter what the age. "My lady, due to your vow, you'll never be able to have a child. Someone that you can truly claim as your own. You could raise him and he could stay with the hunt. You could ensure that there is at least one good male in the world." I was taken aback by her words. I'd always wanted a child but I'd been perfectly content with all the adoptive daughters I had in the hunt. "We could raise him to be kind and strong and everything good." I looked around to see what the others thought about Zoe's plan. To my surprise, Phoebe and the majority of the hunters were nodding along in agreement and smiling at the idea. Chelsea was over the moon and looked like she was seconds away from hugging Zoe for her suggestion. I analyzed the boy some more. He was still watching me closely with his big green eyes. I smiled and he started to giggle. Right then, I made my decision.

"Perseus Jackson." I told him, even though he obviously wouldn't understand me. "From this day forward, you will be my son. I shall raise you along with the help of the Hunters of Artemis and we will ensure that you become a truly spectacular hero." I quickly glanced at the rest of the hunters who all seemed to have warmed up to the idea now. "We will make sure that you become strong and kind and pure and do the world a justice." I stared deep into the child's eyes before continuing. "If you do become the hero that we envision you to be, I will allow you to become the third male to ever join the Hunters of Artemis. Upon reaching your sixteenth birthday, that is." Some of the hunters seemed shocked by my words while some seemed to agree whole heartedly. "When that day comes, you'll vow to hunt by my side for all eternity and defend my hunters." I laughed. "Oh, Perseus, you don't understand any of the things I'm saying to you. But, one day, you will. And, when that day comes, you will have a very important decision to make." I flashed him one last smile and returned him to the arms of Chelsea who delicately cradled the child.

"I really believe that this could be a good thing." Zoe stated as she turned from Sally's corpse to address me.

"Yeah, the little guy might even restore your faith in men." Phoebe suggested sarcastically as she helped several hunters load Sally Jackson's body onto a stretcher. I laughed.

"Let's take it one step at a time." I said.

"Either way, little Percy is just adorable." Chelsea said in a baby voice which made Percy giggle. The hunters laughed and even Zoe cracked a smile. A few girls disappeared with Sally's body to give her a proper burial and try to find out some more information on the mystery woman. I watched as they disappeared deeper into the forest.

"Thank you, Sally." I whispered to myself. "Thank you for bringing me my son."