AN:

Sorry for such a long delay. The old story had hit an obstacle due to it not having a clear direction it was headed in, and I was not satisfied with the way I wrote certain characters. So this will be a complete rewrite of Humanity's Last Hope. While the concept of the old story will stay the same, many details will be changed, making it essentially a different story. I hope this will be much better than the old one.

Just for some context of this world: The gods don't exist, so Artemis is just as human as all of her hunters and everyone else. The story takes place in a medieval setting, so castles, kingdoms, and knights...

These first few chapters will act as a better introduction than the one I had in the previous story, but don't be afraid, it won't take long to get into the meat of the plot.

Thanks.

Ch. 1 Contract to Kill

Artemis sneered internally at the lecherous gaze from the man before her. She tried to hide her disgust, but the man must have noticed as he leered even more openly at her chest that protruded from her hunting gear. Artemis had to calm herself before she reached for the bow strapped behind her back. If she wanted to, she could've shot an arrow through his eye and out the back of his skull before anyone can blink, but it would not do well for her or her hunt, to strike down their client before even reaching a deal.

There was also the problem of the crown that sat upon the man's head. No matter how much of a pig he looked sitting on his throne, Artemis couldn't just kill a king without consequences. The twenty guards in the throne room and undoubtedly hundreds more in the castle would make escaping very difficult. Not impossible, but very difficult.

Artemis truly weighed the odds before relaxing her arms by her side once again. If word got around that the leader of The Hunt went around killing their clients, they can kiss goodbye any future contracts. And without the gold from their missions, The Hunt would not be able to sustain themselves for more than a month.

Artemis hated to admit, but it was men who ruled the world. These lazy men who'd done nothing in their life but be born into the right family… if there was a divine power in this world, it had to be just another chauvinistic pig like the rest of the disgusting males on Earth. If she hoped to ensure food and supplies for her Hunt, she would have to work with this man no matter how much her hands twitched to kill him.

The man in front of her also seemed aware of the fact, and there he sat in his smug cowardice, ogling at her from behind his armed guards. "Where are the rest of your girls, Artemis?" the King began feigning confusion, "I'm paying quite a price for your service if you're by yourself."

Artemis felt bile at her throat at the crude suggestions the king was making. On top of the fact that the king was undressing her with his eyes made her sick to the stomach. "Enough with these pretenses, Gabriel. Let's get to the point. I'm here for negotiations, not your silly games."

One of his guards stepped forward in outrage. "It's 'your grace' to you commoner. Kneel before your king lest you incur the wrath of his holy greatness." His armor and shield shined brightly, the gold plating having not seen a day in true combat. He was obviously the captain of the Kingsguard, but he was no less a fool. The King claims himself a God amongst men, and his subjects follow him in blind devotion, unwilling to see the truth behind his acts.

Artemis only turned her gaze slightly to the captain, unfazed by his weak intimidation, her eyes daring him to challenge her further. The fool almost did before the King stepped in, "There's no need for that Captain Robert, foreigners fail to see the truth we do. I'll let it slide this time."

King Gabriel may have been a foolish monarch, but he knew better than to provoke Artemis. He had never contracted the Hunt for their services, but reputation alone made him wary of them. It took a special collection of talent and skill, along with a long history of success, for a female mercenary force to become the best in the business. And if rumors held true, the hunt would be consisted entirely of girls that were far younger than the soldiers in his army. How Artemis managed to accomplish that feat in such a short period of time, he'll never understand. His men would fight to the death, but he doubt they'd put up much of a fight even against the legendary Hunt. All the more reason he wanted them.

Begrudgingly, the king allowed for Artemis' defiance and chose to proceed with the negotiations. "As promised, the thirty thousand gold pieces will be presented upon the completion of the mission," King Gabriel stated before adding, "Once we see the head of course, you must understand such evidence is required for this type of task."

"You doubt our skill?" Artemis challenged with a raised eyebrow, "I'd think that our accomplishments dispelled any questions towards our competency. I can ensure you whoever you target is will be killed."

"Not at all, Artemis," King Gabriel said with false courtesy, "I simply have to confirm the prize for which I'm paying such a high amount. You must understand, thirty thousand gold pieces is no small price even for a country as wealthy as mine."

"Very well," Artemis conceded, "Though I do have to wonder, whose head would garner such high compensation. I've murdered men of royalty such as yourself for far less." Artemis smirked at the slight gulp from the king.

With their illustrious history of success, also came a slew of enemies that they've acquired, many of which due to parties being on the wrong end of a deal with the Hunt. If they lost business due to the sheer fact of victimizing their potential clients, Artemis tried not to worry about that. The dangerous reputation they gained was far more than enough to make up for their losses.

King Gabriel put aside the intimidation he felt with a false smile. "Just a common sellsword, no different than the men in this room right now."

"Then why do you want him dead so badly?" Artemis questioned, her senses telling her this was far more than a simple assassination mission. She had no doubt the man on the throne was a manipulative worm, with his slimy voice. Remarkably, throughout this entire conversation, he'd managed to ogle at her breasts without breaking stare. He had to be the most disgusting king she's met thus far. Artemis was glad she hadn't brought her hunters to this meeting, being visually undressed was the last thing she wished upon her girls.

"I do not believe that information is required for you to complete your task Artemis, but if you insist to know, he's simply someone who has wronged my family in the past, and I need to see him dead." Taking Artemis' silence as a sign of acceptance, the king stood from his throne, and all of his guards shuffled uniformly to attention. "If that is all, I believe we're done here for today. You're welcome to discuss any further details with my fellow councilmen, who I'm sure are writing up the contract as we speak."

"Yes just one more thing," Artemis interrupted as King Gabriel turned to leave, "The Hunt requires a partial payment in advance as a guarantee of your intention to follow through with our full payment. You must understand, just as you need your confirmation, we need our guarantees." Artemis put on a false smile as she threw his words back at him.

"How much?" King Gabriel grumbled, allowing his annoyance to shine through.

"Ten thousand gold pieces." Artemis answered strongly.

"I'm afraid not." All pretenses of courtesy were gone from his voice. "We can't risk someone potentially running off with such a large sum of our gold. Plus, we simply don't carry that amount in our reserves. There would be no way for me to pay you before your mission, it would take at least a few days for me to gather that amount."

Artemis sneered at the king before her. "You're not fooling anyone Gabriel. I know you have more than twice that amount just in your personal depository. Our reputation alone should be enough for your guarantee for the completion of this mission. Though I cannot offer any guarantees of the availability of our services should you refuse this payment. There are quite a few offers for your own head that I'd be more than inclined to accept."

"...Tch…" King Gabriel grit his teeth in anger and in defeat. "Fine! Have what you will." He turned to the captain of his guards to bark out an order. "Have the Master of Coin procure a wagon and a platoon of guards to accompany the Lady back to her camp. It would be a shame if she were to lose her life along with all that gold she needs so badly." He tried to regain some dignity through that thinly veiled threat.

Artemis only smirked at his attempt. "There's no need to worry, your grace." She began, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'll be quite fine on my own, your men would only slow me down… The wagon would be quite helpful though if you'd please." Artemis gave a small bow for good measure, mocking the king one last time as he stalked off angrily, muttering whispers unintelligible to Artemis' ear.

Soon… you'll be mine, you and all your little sluts. I'll enjoy playing with the whole pack of you. King Gabriel let out a small chuckle at the thought of his darkest pleasures.

(Back in the Hunt's Camp)

Zoë entered the tent to see Artemis sat at her desk, peering down at a scroll in slight confusion. Her eyebrows were furrowed as if trying to find some clues within the lines on the parchment.

"M'lady?" Zoë hesitated to disturb her leader, but it was important for the Hunt to receive their next orders. Judging by the large wagon full of gold Artemis dragged in this morning, the negotiations for the mission was a success.

Zoë trusted Artemis like family, but she had to wonder what type of mission she'd gotten them into this time. From just a rough count, there were about ten thousand gold coins, and the last time the Hunt took on a mission with that type of reward, they were tasked with winning an entire war. They lost many of their hunters in that battle, but in the end, they succeeded in their mission, just like every other. For a client to have paid this much gold up front, Zoë was slightly afraid of what they had to do this time.

"Has the gold been secured?" Artemis asked, looking up from the scroll towards her lieutenant. Though Zoë was a few years younger than her, just barely out of her teens, Artemis trusted her fully to run the Hunt while she was away with negotiations or solo missions. While she had not been the first hunter she found, Zoë was definitely the most capable. And in their years together, the pair had grown to be closer than sisters.

"Yes m'lady. They're locked in the chests and guarded at all times." Artemis gave a short nod and returned her gaze to the scroll on the desk. "M'lady, if I may… we need orders regarding the new mission, especially one of this... magnitude."

Artemis gave no immediate answer, only giving the scroll one last look before beckoning her lieutenant towards her desk. "What do you see in this, Zoë?" She asked, turning the piece of parchment around.

Zoë skimmed through it quickly but thoroughly, trying to discern Artemis' point. "Northern soldier turned sellsword… no known family… last seen hunting in the neighboring forests." She muttered as she read through the information of the scroll. A sketch of the man accompanied the description to the side. Clean shaven, young with short jet-black hair. "M'lady, I'm afraid I don't quite understand… Is this a bounty?"

"N-, well in a way… it's our next mission." Artemis responded.

Zoë glanced back at her leader with the same confused expression she sported herself earlier. "What's special about this man to have a ten thousand gold pieces kill order on his head?"

"Thirty thousand." Artemis corrected only for Zoë's eyes to widen even further. "Ten thousand was just the arranged prepayment. The rest would be paid upon completion."

"An ignorant king with a vendetta perhaps?" Zoë suggested, "They have so much gold they don't know what to do with it."

"Perhaps…" Artemis pondered the possibility for a second before shaking her head. "The king's a fool but even he wouldn't go that far for a common sellsword. Plus he has an entire army at his disposal. There has to be more to it than what he lets on."

"In any case, we should exercise extreme caution in dealing with this target." Zoë nodded in agreement before Artemis continued. "Take ten hunters with you and make sure to bring him back alive. I have some questions myself before I had him over to the king."

"Are you sure we'll need that many m'lady?" Zoë questioned, "However skilled he may be, he's just one man."

"Yes." Artemis answered without hesitation. "In fact, take fifteen with you. I don't want any hunters dead or injured. I have half a mind to lead the mission myself but…"

"No m'lady. You should stay in camp where we need you most." Zoë interrupted to remind her leader. "Word has surely gotten out by now that we have a huge amount of gold on our hands. Any bandit foolish or brave enough to test us can certainly pose a threat no matter how insignificant they may seem. Let me handle this. I promise to bring this man in without losing any of our hunters."

Artemis gave a short nod, and Zoë exited the tent after a quick salute to gather her squad. She had the utmost confidence in her lieutenant, and yet this stirring sense in her gut refuses to dissipate no matter how many times she repeated that thought.

"Keep an eye out for any activity." Zoë ordered the rest of her group. She kept her voice low to avoid the sound carrying out over the forest, even though her senses told her there was not an enemy within a mile. If possible, Zoë would like to keep the element of surprise on their side. They outnumbered their target sixteen to one, but Zoë will still take the easier victory any day.

Some of her fellow hunters, however, didn't seem to share her thoughts. "No need to be so uptight, lieutenant. We have to have some fun once in a while."

Zoë turned to the source of that voice ― Atalanta had always been a free and easy-going spirit, but in these times, Zoë really wished she'd take things more seriously. "In case you've forgotten, this mission is as important, if not more so, than all the other missions. There's time for fun and this in not one of them."

Atalanta responded with a playful pout and returned to her place in their scouting formation. Not a couple seconds later, another voice sounded from behind this time from a different hunter.

"Though you have to admit Zoë, this has to be one of the easiest missions we've had in a while," Phoebe said, "With all the gold from this, we may be set for the entire year."

Zoë didn't have a response to her point. Phoebe had joined the hunt back around the same time as Zoë, and she too realized how significant the amount of gold was. The Hunt was a fairly large mercenary group with more than fifty hunters, but thirty thousand gold pieces will be more than enough to last through two winters especially if the wilderness allowed them to be self-sufficient through hunting.

That was one of the perks of traveling across the continent for potential clients. They never ran out of wildlife to hunt, and as such, many if not all had become experts at it. The art of tracking, camouflage, and marksmanship… they were considered the best for a reason. These skills also lent them the greatest strength in missions like this ― a manhunt. Especially in a terrain that heavily favored the mobile hunting gear, it was hard to imagine the hunters not having overwhelming odds stacked in their favor.

But still there was never any harm in being more cautious. "The uncertainty lies within the identity of our target, Phoebe." Zoë explained as she slowed the formation to a halt to study the tracks in the ground. So far, all evidence pointed towards the prey being alone, with the sole set of tracks leading deeper into the forest. "There has to be more than what we're told. A bounty like that isn't just placed upon any random sellsword."

Phoebe waved off the notion dismissively. "Even of he's the best swordsmen in the world, I doubt he'll even get close to us." She shook her head at the thought of those clumsy knights in their heavy armor. "Men like to think their brute strength and long swords make the mightiest fighters when swiftness and agility will beat them everytime. When will they learn to curb their stupid arrogance and learn that they're no match for us."

Zoë gave a disapproving look towards Phoebe. "If you keep talking like that, you'll be no better than them." Phoebe returned the comment with a mock glare of her own. "There's always someone out there in the world that is better than you at what you do best. You'd do well to learn that lesson, Phoebe." Zoë scolded.

"...Tch… I'll believe it when I see it." Phoebe responded and not a second later, two thuds sounded from the back of their formation and the bodies of the tailing hunters hit the forest dirt.

Without having to give a signal, the remaining thirteen hunters and herself dropped into a crouch and nocked their bows within an instant. Zoë looked up towards the high hanging branches of the forest trying to locate their attacker to no avail. She silently berated herself for letting her guard down. Perhaps the lax attitudes of her fellow hunters had spread to her as well dulling her otherwise highly alert senses.

She should have picked up the signs far sooner. The dense forest was eerily silent when it should be teeming with wildlife, and the tracks seemed too perfect, almost as if their prey had deliberately left them clearly visible.

Zoë let out a silent curse as she checked up on the two hunters on the ground. The only hint towards their current state were the small darts stuck in the side of their necks. Poison… she thought with a grimace. Her only hope was that they were tranquilizers and not something more lethal. Zoë quickly gave a signal to the remaining hunters to group up with their backs towards each other. If they had no visual on their attacker, they needed every angle of their surroundings covered.

Seems he's not just some fool swinging a long piece of metal, Zoë thought as she shot a quick glance towards her hunters. Phoebe and Atalanta looked like they were finally taking the situation seriously. For someone to sneak up on them, even if they were momentarily distracted, was a feat on its own. Whoever was capable of that, was a threat to be considered.

All the hunters had their bows nocked and pointed towards the thick canopy of the forest, scanning for their enemy. Their muscles were tensed with anticipation for what's to come. If they kept a sharp lookout, if would be impossible for the attacker to storm and take out all the remaining hunters. Though the forests were thick, they were currently in a clearing with a decent space in every direction. There was no sneaking up on them now.

The enemy seemed to have the same thoughts as a projectile flew from Zoë's right headed right for the center of the group. Phoebe quickly released her bowstring to reach for the hunting dagger at her hip. In one fluid motion, she drew and parried the projectile with her dagger.

Phoebe realized it was a mistake only too late. Instead of the dart she'd hoped to deflect, the projectile was a small dark sphere, roughly the size of a large medicine pill. Upon contact, the projectile exploded in a silent poof, spraying a strong, dark powder across the clearing.

Phoebe, being the closest to the explosion took the brunt of the damage. The powder blinded her eyes and burned her throat as she choked. The rest of the hunters didn't fare much better. Any advantage they had in numbers disappeared as their visual capacity was taken away. Zoë had trouble seeing the bow in her own hands, they had no chance of actually hitting their target.

This is bad, Zoë thought, her heart slowly start to raise in panic, we have no idea what we're dealing with, and we don't know where the enemy's coming from.

"Prepare for close quarter combat!" Zoë barked over the clouds of black smoke, abandoning all attempts to be silent. There was no point… the enemy knew exactly where they were and stealth was the last of her concerns at the moment.

Fighting through the urge to cough from the powder, the hunters drew their twin daggers from their hip and readied for battle. They would have to rely on their other senses in this fight.

Zoë's trained ears were only able to pick up a soft ruffling sound before hell descended upon them. There were no screams of pain or anguish, only the sound of a blade slicing through the air, cutting down her hunters with ease. Zoë could do nothing but watch helplessly as the hunters around her began dropping like flies. Their attacker sped across the clearing like a dark blur, his presence masked perfectly by the thick smoke.

If we stay any longer, we'll all be wiped out. Zoë waved her arms around wildly, trying desperately to disperse the smoke slightly. A slight glint flashed at the corner of her eyes and she brought her daggers up just in time to block the incoming strike. Zoë danced around the blade to slash to attacker's arms, but he was too quick for her. By now the smoke had gotten significantly thinner, and Zoë was able to make out a slight silhouette of the figure before her. He wore a dark hooded cloak that stopped above his knees and black leather pants below them. The hood hide his features, but the light from the sun was just enough to shine through the shadows and reveal a pair of green orbs staring from the darkness.

Zoë looked around her hunters and found only three of them still standing. Phoebe, who somehow survived despite being caught in the middle of the explosion; Atalanta, who wasn't faring much better with black powder smeared across her skin like soot; and finally herself.

They were perhaps three of the strongest hunters and yet they were uncertain of the odds of this fight. The hooded figure stood in front of them unflinchingly as if inviting them to make the first move. He held a thin sword with an edge that was coated red with her hunter's blood, and he seemed unfazed by the three-on-one.

Both sides measured the other up before everyone burst into action. They sped towards one another covering the distance faster than the eye can blink. Zoë reached the hooded figure first and they clashed in a loud rain of sparks, each not giving up an inch of an opening. Phoebe and Atalanta were not far behind as they circled around to surround the lone enemy.

Seeing the predicament, the hooded figure twisted in the air, sending a crushing kick to the side of Zoë's head that was barely blocked in time. An excruciating pain shot through her left arm as Zoë was sent skidding to the ground, her head crashing harshly to the dirt.

God that hurt… Zoë grimaced through the pain as she laid dazed, the air knocked out of her lungs. Had that been a normal person on the receiving end of that kick, he could've easily crushed their entire shoulder.

Zoë looked towards the fight to see Phoebe and Atalanta fighting even more furiously seeing their lieutenant fall. They rushed at the hooded figure with incredible speed and attacked him with their twin daggers simultaneously, but it was all to no avail. Even through her blurry eyes, she could tell that the hooded figure was holding them back with ease. If she didn't rejoin the fight, her hunters would have no chance.

Zoë pushed herself off the ground with her arms and nearly collapsed right back...her forearm was definitely broken. Holding her left arm limply at her side and gripping her dagger tightly in her right, Zoë charged back into the fight.

If she was outmatched before her injury, she was even more so now with only one arm. The hooded figure blocked an overhead strike from her easily with his blade before sending a back kick into Phoebe's stomach, the force lifting her off the ground. She landed in a crumpled heap a few meters away lifeless like a doll. Zoë couldn't afford to waste any of her attention and focused solely on her opponent.

She ducked low and spun around to perform a sweeping leg kick. It was far too slow to catch her opponent off guard, but she'd hoped it served as a sufficient distraction. Atalanta was closing in on him fast from behind and saw Zoe's intention.

Unfortunately, so did the hooded figure.

He leapt high in the air and backflipped over the outstretched dagger from Atalanta. Her last ditch effort had left her exposed to the enemy and a quick strike to the back of her head finished her off. Darkness took over Atalanta's mind as she fell limply to the ground.

Zoë was the only hunter remaining.

Despite her confidence in her own skill, she saw the true hopelessness of the situation. None of them were likely to make it out alive. Tears filled her eyes as she surveyed the surroundings. All of her companions laid lifelessly on the ground, fifteen of her hunters who she'd come to befriend and love. It hurt more than when she was taken away from her family at the age of five.

She had failed Artemis. All the hunters on the mission would die because of her negligence and incompetence. I promised...Zoë whispered to herself as she stared out at her fallen comrades.

The last image before she succumbed to the darkness was a pair of green eyes staring at her from above.