Cursed Child of a Broken Oath
Chapter 1
Third Person Point of View
Location: Outskirts of Lalaia, Phokis, Ancient Greece, 501 BCE.
/
Two figures sat upon the rocky outcrop which overlooked a lazy stream that flowed down along a series of springs and waterfalls pittering into a lake at the foot of a remote village. It was the dead of night, and above, millions of stars glittered and twinkled chronicling legends of beasts, heroes, and the Gods. Laying their backs down against the soft gravels and moss beneath the stars, the two both sighed simultaneously in expectation, as they enjoyed the brilliant fresh breeze and the soft rushing sound of the waters below.
The male figure, a man of impressive height and strong build of a warrior, spoke out, "Then what can you tell me off that constellation great Artemis." His voice hovered dangerously over the point of flirting, as he pointed to a random group of stars.
"Ah, a fine hunt indeed, Orion," the women known as Artemis replied warmly, her silver eyes flashing with memories from times long past. "I was travelling through Arkadia with my hunt following the winds of Notus in the heart of the Peloponnese when I caught tale of a giant bear that feasted only on mortal flesh. Once I heard this, I knew that it was I who must find and slay the creature, and what an honour it was to do so." As she finished, she turned to face the man beside her.
The man's tall stature and a broad build was well developed from years of training and fighting. He had long, midnight black hair that tousled over his shoulders, and incredible green eyes that reminded her of brilliant emeralds or the green of the Ionian on a peaceful day. He was wearing plain robes that had been weathered with time and use, and covered them with simple leather hunting gear. To his side laid his weapons, a handmade double concave bow and a set of hunting knives.
Artemis admired Orion whilst he admired her. She had long, braided auburn hair that fell with grace over her left shoulder, and brilliant silver eyes that reminded him of the pearls of Mykonos. Whilst he wore simple leather hunting gear, she instead wore a brilliant set of silver equipment, that held details of incredible hunts etched into the material with intrinsic detail. He found himself mesmerised by the face of the goddess before him. She had high cheekbones and a delicate jawline, with luscious pink lips that he wanted to touch.
When he realized she was waiting for a reply, he blinked. A brow furrowed in confusion as she noticed his excessive staring.
"Pray tell, Son of Poseidon, why you are staring at the maiden goddess of the hunt?" she asked with a humorous tone hidden behind pursed lips.
"Nothing my lady, I'm simply beholden of having the honour of having an Olympian Goddess as company. Please do tell me more about your hunt against the great bear?" he assured with a charming smile.
"As I had said Orion, I had heard rumour of a great bear when I was venturing through the lands of Arkadia. Soon enough, after several days, I tracked the great beast to a cave close in the rising land of Taygetos. Once I had found the beast, I was impressed by its magnificent size - after all it was not and ordinary bear, but a divine creature. It had the strength of Heracles and was thrice the size of its brethren. The fight raged for several days and nights until the beast eventually fell to its multiple wounds.
"A brutal end for such a magnificent creature," Orion interrupted sadly.
"Not at all, Orion: An honourable end for a true warrior beast. To commemorate the incredible ordeal, I turned the beast's soul into immortal stars and created this constellation to honour it." Artemis chidded.
"Incredible." Orion spoke out, mouth agape and Artemis giggled in amusement.
"What can you tell me about that constellation over there, Orion?" Artemis asked with a grin.
"That is Andromeda, Daughter to Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus of Ethiopia. Her mother boasted that she was more beautiful than all the Nereids, which angered my father. Out of spite, he cursed their waterways, destroying the harbours and ships of their kingdom. In an attempt to make amends with my father, Cassiopeia chained Andromeda to the rocks outside the palace as a sacrifice to the Aethiopian Cetus. But before she could be eaten, Perseus, the son of Zeus rescued the princess and killed the creature by turning it to stone with the head of Medusa," Orion lectured with a knowing look. "But if I may, the rumours of her beauty are nothing in comparison to the beauties of an Olympian Goddess.
"You are correct Orion," Artemis stated. "But do be careful of what you say to goddesses, Orion. Should you say the wrong thing to the wrong goddess."
Orion nodded in agreement before speaking up once again.
"Of course I was right my lady," Orion boasted and Artemis glared at him.
"You should watch how you act son of Poseidon, lest I treat you like the other boastful males that have crossed my path."
Orion bowed his head down in jestful shame. "I understand. Please forgive me Lady Artemis."
"Consider my forgiveness as a warning, Orion." Artemis advised with a sigh. "But onto more important discussions, I need you to head north to the bordering lands of Illyria and exterminate a pack of hellhounds that have escaped the fields of punishment. My father is enraged that creatures of Hades are walking freely in the lands of Hellas."
"Absolutely my lady. I will head out immediately in the morning." Orion nodded respectfully. "If you don't mind my asking, what will you and the hunt be doing during this time?"
"We must head northeast towards Olympus. The winter solstice arrives soon, and the feasts of your father are nearing. It would be best for you to slay the pack of hellhounds and sacrifice their pelts in his honour before then."
"Of course my lady. Once that is done, shall I find you on the foothill of Olympus?"
"Yes you shall, but for now we must return to camp and rest for the remainder of the night," Artemis spoke out before gracefully lifting herself up from the ground.
Orion hurriedly hoisted himself up as well, snatching his bow and knives from his side. The two of them began their trek down the pebbled trail that snaked its way past the small village, analysing the land of Lalaia with care, appreciating the simple beauty that laid before them.
Instead of an overindulgence of wealth and riches, the small town was crafted of honestlumber of the surrounding woods and was irrigated by the crystal clear springs that flowed through the creek beds nearby. As the trail turned and creeped into near nothingness the two became enclosed by the incredible tides of forest and shrubbery. Moments passed and Orion found himself asking a question.
"That temple back there in the centre of the village... Was that dedicated to you?"
"It was indeed. That temple is called the Lalaian Shrine to Artemis Agrotera and was made after I saved the village from a raging river deity close to a century ago," Artemis answered thoughtfully as she swiftly made her way through the trees.
Orion made sure to keep up on the Goddess' pace and after several moments of tranquil peace, they found themselves returning to the hunting camp.
"Zoë," Artemis acknowledged warmly at seeing one of her best hunters; the one she had been nurturing for the lieutenant position in the unfortunate event it opened... The girl was around fifteen years old in age, and had a lithe figure built from years of training, running, and hunting. She wore silver hunting gear that was similar to Lady Artemis' albeit a much simpler in design, while also carrying the standard bow, quiver, and silver hunting knives. She had hair as black as Hades, and eyes like that of volcanic obsidian that glittered in the moonlight.
"My lady, Orion." Zoë responded with a subtle glare at the son of Poseidon, who simply ignored her.
"How has the night been so far?" Artemis enquired.
"The night has been well my lady. It's been largely quiet, with the exception of a doe that wandered to close to the camp; it's currently draining by the food tent."
"Perfect. You may finish up your nightwatch shift and find the next huntress for duty." Artemis walked off to a large tent in the center whilst Orion stumbled off near the camp's outskirts where he had set up a small white tent for himself.
He hung his armour up on his stand, placed his weapons carefully in a small wooden trunk at the foot of his bed and stripped down to his undergarments. He laid down covering himself in the soft pelts of his many successful hunts and found himself dozing into the realm of Morpheus.
Meanwhile, Artemis entered her own, she smiled at the sight of the place she had called home for nearly a millennia. At the centre of the tent was a grand bed of Persian rug, and rare pelts from all across the known world. To the left side of her tent was a wall of taxidermied heads of her greatest hunts, and the antlers of rare and elusive creatures from the few times she ventured outside of Hellas. She removed her silver armour and hung it up on a wooden stand on the right side of her tent and placed her weapon of power - a silver crescent bow - down on a wooden stand before laying on the pile of pelts. She let out a deep breath and found her eyes slowly closing to rest.
/
Orion woke up to the sound of his name being shouted from outside of his tent and he quickly darted up. He acted with haste, grabbing some fresh robes from his trunk and fastened them on. After grabbing his bow and quiver, he exited the tent to the presence of one of his least favorite hunters.
"You took your time boy," Phoebe hissed. She proceeded to seeth and she glared at him. "Breakfast is soon to be served; do not think of yourself as too highly to share your presence."
"Of course not, dear Phoebe, please forgive my heedlessness," he droned with a careful tone and a bow of his head. He knew that he had to play nice with the hunters. Especially since he was so close to getting what he wanted most. What many men such as Alpheus had wanted most…
Phoebe scowled at his apology, before she speedily turned away in a huff, mumbling things he assumed to be unpleasant comments about men underneath her breath.
Orion rolled his eyes at her impertinence and analysed the hunters' camp before him: there was roughly sixteen tents, one was the hunters armoury, another the hunters storage, one was Lady Artemis' personal tent, and the scattered rest were the tents of the hunters. They were set up along a quiet stream, circling a great fire pit where the other hunters were likely located. He made his way along the trodden path and after several moments he found himself with the rest of the hunters - most glaring at him. There were a few who he had swayed to favour him - mainly the younger or newer hunters, which had helped him to gain some favour from Artemis - but most still gave him looks of suspicion.
They were feasting on a breakfast of breads, cheeses, olive oils, and cured meats from several platters and Orion made his way over to sit on the lone unoccupied log. He grabbed a plate, piling it up with bread, cheese, and meat and but made sure to quickly sacrificed a quarter of his plate to the Gods before digging in.
"To Lady Artemis and Lord Poseidon, may you guide me on my ventures to the unknowns of the north and protect me on this task," he muttered to himself quietly and noticed a slight smile grace Artemis' face from the corner of his eye.
"Now hunters," Artemis spoke out with a stern voice. "A few quick announcements! We are to head to Olympus and be present for the celebrations of the Winter Solstice. Orion, during this time, you are to travel the border lands of the Illyrian tribes to hunt down a pack of hellhounds that have escaped the Fields of Punishment."
"Parthenia, Phoebe. I want you to begin planning our route and I want you Zoë to delegate and oversee the tasks for packing up. Orion, I assume you will be leaving shortly?" Artemis prompted.
"Indeed, my lady. I'll simply have to pack up my things before I leave, but I'll be out of your way soon enough." Orion answered with a respectful nod and a slight smile reached Artemis' face.
"Good," Artemis responded simply and the hunters returned to boisterous conversations about hunts and journeys they each experienced.
Orion took his time with his plate, enjoying the rich, herbal cheeses of Argolis alongside the finest breads from Athens. One of the greatest benefits to hunting alongside Lady Artemis was that there was always a bountiful supply of food that were the finest of the lands. He grabbed his last piece of cured venison and topped it with some bread dipped in olive oil. It will be the finest meal he would have for a few days, and he savored every bite. Afterwards, Orion quickly cleaned his plate in the river and returned back.
He respectfully bowed his head towards Artemis before taking his leave, and as he did, he could feel the daggers of the hunters' glares piercing in him.
Orion hurriedly returned to his tent.
The quicker this quest was done the quicker he would be able to take his opportunity with the goddess. He knew that she felt an attraction towards him and he anticipated that after he proved his worth by returning those beasts to the underworld... It would be childsplay to get what he had vied for all these years.
He put his armour on, sheathed his daggers, and exited the tent before muttering an old Hellenic incantation that changed the tent into a small seal that he placed away into a small pouch in his armour. Yet another advantage of travelling with the Hunt of Artemis rather than going solo. There would be some benefits he'd miss. Once set to leave, he returned to the centre of the camp to say his goodbyes.
"Lady Artemis, Parthenia, Hunters. I must graciously thank you for allowing me to stay and travel with you all. I look forward to when our paths cross again on the foothills of Olympus."
He finished with a deep bow.
"I believe all of us here look forward to crossing paths once again Orion. Best of luck on your travels," Artemis answered with a smile. Her hunters' venomous glares prove otherwise. He made his leave and found himself consumed by the many trees of the forest.
/
Orion's Point Of View
Location: Ancient Greek Border with Illyria. (Modern Day, Hotova National Park)
/
It had taken close to four days of travelling for Orion to finally narrow in on the location of the hellhound pack. It had required the combination of tracking their scents, their pawprints and the eyewitness accounts of several merchants to find the pack on the outskirts of Hellenic land.
He took an advantageous position on top of a slight ridge, overlooking a clearing in the forest.
The pack consisted of five hellhounds. More than he had anticipated, so he took a moment to weigh his options. The moment he took a shot, the element of surprise would be blown. He'd have to make sure that it would be a fatal shot, but even then that only resulted in a short window of opportunity. Orion knew he was probably going to have to quickly kill another with an arrow before finishing the final three off with his knives. He tried to make mental notes of their movements but grew frustrated at their randomness. After a few more minutes of futile inspection, he pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow from his quiver. He drew the string taut, holding his breath and making a quick prayer in his thoughts.
'To Lady Artemis and Lord Apollo, the twin archers Olympus, may you guide my arrow to its target true and strong.' He finished before letting the string loose and breathing out. He watched the arrow soar through the sky and meeting its mark in the skull of the closest hellhound, turning it into a shower of golden dust. He quickly nocked another arrow and took a shot at a second hellhound before it could react. That hellhound, too, reached a fate similar to its brethren. The remaining hellhounds snapped their heads in his direction and began running towards him. Orion gracefully returned his bow to his back, before unsheathing his twin knives. The blades were elegant in their simplicity, made from a single piece of bronze mined from the hearth of Olympus.
He raised his weapons in retaliation and charged towards the three beasts that were bearing down on him and met them at the tree line. He dived once he reached their proximity, narrowly avoiding the claws of the first and turned to face them. Now it was them who were trapped against the forest. The creatures were beasts of a terrifying nature; they were the size of the lions of Boeotia, as dark as a midnight sky, with eyes as red as blood, and claws the size of knives. They towered above him, at least twice his height. Their slobber drooped down massive puddles of muck.
They began trying to circle him but he knew he couldn't allow them to that. He raced to the one closest in front of him, slashing at its front legs and a black goo began pouring from the open wounds. The beast growled and in retaliation swiped at him he quickly ducked, but his moment of success ended to a sharp pain that sparked in his side. One of the other hellhounds had slashed at his open leg.
He rolled forward once again and jammed a knife right into the open underbelly of the hellhound. Twisting the knife, he found himself showered in a shimmer of gold. He went to stand up, but quickly found himself jumping left to dodge the swiping motion of another hellhound's paw. He slashed at it, marking the beast's face whilst its friend took another swipe to him, this time connecting and tearing through his leather armour and slashing his chest open.
He roared in anger and pulled an arrow out from his side quiver, jamming it into the monster's eye. While it was distracted pawing the arrow out from its face, Orion ran towards the small trickle of water that barely be called a creek, but knew was just enough to stop the bleeding from his wounds. He reached it quickly and rolled in the water, coating himself in the crystal clear waters and he could feel the liquid slowly begin healing his cuts. He turned to face the monsters, but suddenly one was on top of him gnashing towards his throat.
Orion held the beast back with his forearm and jabbed a knife into the beast throat, covering himself in the black gooey blood of the hellhound. Pain shot through his right leg, as a claw of the beast had caught in his thigh.
Waving away the dust, he turned his attention to the final beast that stood hesitantly before him. Apparently satisfied Orion was too injured to fight any further, it leaped forward. Orion pulled out his bow quickly and nocked an arrow within seconds. The beast was barrelling towards him at top charge and as the beast pounced on him, he let the arrow fly into the maw of the monster. The last shower of golden dust covered him.
He let out an exhausted laugh, sitting still in the meadow while the worst of the cuts seized bleeding. After what felt like an eternity, he hoisted himself up, and began to collect the pelts that littered the dew covered grass.
Once he had all of the pelts, he quickly built a fire out of the sticks, circled with stones that were found under the trickle of water. He quickly smashed together two pieces of flint and watched as the fire started with a tremendous roar.
He took a single pelt from the pile and decided to sacrifice that first.
"To Lady Artemis, and Lord Apollo. Thank you for guiding my hand with my bow, and allowing me to be so blessed to have the skills with a bow." As he muttered the prayer, he threw the pelt on the fire and it erupted into a brilliant silver and gold fire. He grabbed the remaining four pelts and muttered another prayer to his father. "To Lord Poseidon , May the great festival of Posidea bless you and the subjects of Atlantis in your honourable month. I hope these pelts of the underworld bring you great honour from my actions."
As his prayer reached his conclusion, he was given one semblance of acknowledgement, as the tips of the fires began to crackle a faint shade of sea green.
/
Orion's Point Of View
Location: The Foothills of Mount Olympus
/
Three days. It took another three days of non-stop travel with minimal sleep for Orion to make it to the great mountain of Olympus with ample time left to participate in the day of solstice. He arrived just before the sun had set and found himself close to the outskirts of the hunters' camp. He continued trodding along the path in silence, before shouting out, forewarning the huntresses of his presence.
"Hunters, it is I, Orion, back from my task in the north."
A voice shouted back, one he recognised to belong to one of Artemis' favourites. Zoë Nightshade. "I prayed that the hellhounds had killed you, Son of Poseidon."
"That's unfortunate Zoe, I thought you were finally warming up to me," he feigned with fake sadness. "It must be a shame that the fates have favoured me." Orion finished with a sly grin.."
He hated this short-tempered huntress the most. From the very first day she had seen right through him. She could tell what he had desired of her leader and had tried to do everything she could to sway Artemis' thoughts on the demigod. But she was never successful and had to watch her mistress seemingly grow infatuated with Orion.
"Lady Artemis told me to come here once I had killed the hellhound pack up north and thus I am here. I swear to that, upon my honour," Orion retorted with a smirk.
Zoe glared at him and seethed beneath her breath. "Malaka!"
"So Nightshade, may I enter the camp?" He already knew he had permission from Artemis; after all, she had asked him to come here. He decided to ask Zoe just as a formality so he didn't end up with a hide full of arrows.
"Go set up your tent away from the rest of us boy!" Zoe spat and Orion briskly walked past her without a care.
"Nice seeing you too Zoe," he muttered, feelling the intensity of her glare double.
He entered the hunters camp and could feel the surprised looks and glares being sent his way. He knew that they thought he was going it die on his journey, and he knew that some of them had prayed for it as well. His presence was enraging plenty of them and he was enjoying it.
He made his way to the outskirts of their site and began setting up his own tent. He pulled out the seal that doubled as his tent and threw it on the ground whilst uttering the old hellenic incantation. He watched as the tent grew from the small piece of silver and heard a voice interrupt his thoughts.
"So you survived the journey then?" A familiar warm voice chirped.
"I did indeed, Lydia," Orion acknowledged as he finished watching his tent unfold. He turned to face the huntress who was giving him a kind smile.
"There were many who thought you wouldn't make it. But I had faith that you would. Did you have to venture into the cursed lands of Illyria?" she queried in wonder.
"Fortunately I didn't. But I was at the farlands of Hellas and I must say it felt devoid of Olympus' flame," he noted with a bemused look.
"Sounds like any journey to the north. I assume you travelled along the Adriatic?" she questioned and Orion simply nodded in confirmation.
"I remember a journey we hunters took a few hundred years ago to the far, far travelled through the Thracian fields along the Pontus Axenos and beyond Scythia. Forests turned to grassland, and grassland turned to fields of snow and ice that stretched as far as our eyes could see. We walked that far that we had even reached the great mountains of the Hyperboreans," Lydia recalled with a grin. She was one of few hunters liked him, and was also the only elder hunter who didn't detest him.
"That must have been an incredible journey, and an even more incredible sight." He pondered in wondered. "Hellhounds on the other hand are some right ugly malakas, but the Adriatic was certainly beautiful. Once I eliminated those beasts, I sacrificed a pelt to Lady Artemis and Lord Apollo, and sacrificed the rest in my father's honour for the festivities." Orion finished with a serious tone
"I am sure Lord Poseidon quite enjoys the festivities at this time of year. Especially with the number of Nymphs and Immortals that flock to him after all." Lydia theorised with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh I am sure my father does Lydia, but it's best not to speak ill of the gods I do say. Especially the ruler of the seas." Orion warned cheekily.
"You are correct Orion. Perhaps it will be best I sacrifice something to him to apologise for my unthoughtful words." Lydia postulated thoughtfully.
"That is most definitely something you should do Lydia. Lest your actions curse us when we travel by the coasts." A regal voice lectured and Orion looked to face Parthenia, the right hand women of Artemis. She looked the part of a seventeen year old. With a lithe figure like the other hunters and an above average height. But like many hunters she was in fact much older than she looked. Orion had come to learn from conversations with Artemis that Parthenia was in fact over a century old and was born in the ancient lands of Phoenicia. Parthenia had a tanned complexion with raven dark hair and muddy brown eyes. She had delicate facial features and a sharp nose and on top her head wore a silver circlet. Orion gave Parthenia a reserved look whilst she returned a stare of disgust and hatred.
"You should have announced your presence to me personally boy, to not do so is disrespectful to Lady Artemis," she venomously raved.
"Of course I should have Parthenia, I was about to get to that in a moment. Please forgive me," he offered carefully, trying to do everything not to anger the lead huntress.
Parthenia continued to glare at him before speaking once more. "You're lucky that Artemis hold favour to you, boy," she finished and walked away not allowing him to have a chance to speak.
"I best be going as well. I believe that once Last Artemis grows tired of the festivities on Olympus she will return with something for us to do. 'Till then, I best return to my duties." Lydia finished up and quickly walked away to the centre of the hunting camp.
Orion was unsure what to do. After spending a week eating nothing but small bird and fennel he was tempting to walk up to Olympus and join the festivities and indulge in the great foods and drink he would find there. But he also knew that doing so would greatly upset the maiden goddess he worked so hard to court and already knew he still needed to take extreme actions to take what he wanted. He decided that resting was instead much better than creating an enemy of one of the most knowledgeable and powerful Olympians. He entered his tent and quickly removed his stuff, collapsing into the pile of pelts he called a bed.
Several hours had past and as if out of instinct he woke up and quickly got into a new set of robes. He could feel that Lady Artemis was going to arrive for the evening meal with the hunters. He exited his tent and made his way to the many logs that surrounded the campfire and saw the other hunters already there conversing and laughing, deliberately ignoring his presence. He wanted to sigh, but bit his tongue and took his seat and as if on cue a faint silver light flashed before them.
Orion and the huntresses quickly fell into a bow to welcome the goddess and the glow eventually died down. "Hunters. Orion." A powerful voice spoke out.
"Lady Artemis," everyone chanted back.
"I grew bored of the festivities, so please do catch me up on the events of these last few days. Parthenia?" she enquired.
"Nothing much to speak off. A rogue and drunken centaur wandered by and attempted to fight Phoebe. She quickly subdued it and it is now in Tartarus. Aside from that incident, it has been quiet my lady," Parthenia replied firmly.
"Good!" Artemis replied and everyone stood up. "Time for the evening meal then." Artemis finished with a snap of a fingers and everyone had a bowl of Kotosoupa and bread in front of them.
Everyone quickly sacrificed half of their bread and ravaged into their made her way around talking to each of her hunters individually. Orion was not surprised at this. Artemis had likely not seen the hunt in days and they were like sisters to her. He was actually quite grateful that Artemis had not came to talk to him yet as it allowed him to enjoy his dinner in peace. Although that would change soon enough later that night…
'Oh how Alpheus would kill for an opportunity like this…' he thought evilly to himself.
The hours passed, and the campfire slowly simmered down to embers. The huntresses had went away to their tents all except one. Parthenia. She continuously glared whilst Artemis had found herself staring up towards the stars above.
"You can leave us now Parthenia," Artemis said quietly.
"But my lady!" Parthenia tried to protest but Artemis cut her off.
"I know of your disposition to men my huntress but I will be fine," Artemis said in a soothing tone. Parthenia knew better than to argue against the Olympian Goddess and left the two alone at the campfire.
"Shall we go for a walk Orion?" Artemis asked with a slight blush and Orion was excited at the prospect.
"I would be honoured to, my lady," Orion replied warmly and they began a walk into the forest at the foothills of Olympus.
Orion couldn't help but stare at the great wonders in front of him. The mountain was simply incredible, a brilliant path of heavenly white marble snaked and winded round the mountscape, with a maze of pathways and roads that zigzagged into small markets, or towards the many temples and palaces that the gods called home. At the top of the mountain a massive, circular temple which he assumed was the famous throne room of the Olympians. Whilst being an architectural marvel, at the same time it was a hotspot of nature with incredible parks and ancient trees that spotted the landscape. It was perhaps the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen in his life.
As if Artemis was reading his mind, she interrupted his thoughts, "It's beautiful isn't it?"
The goddess of the moon was smiling.
"It's indescribable my lady. Yet it does not shine a candle on the beauty you possess," Orion replied charmingly.
Artemis raised an eyebrow before replying in a cheeky tone. "Flirting with a maiden goddess, Orion."
"Not at all my lady, simply complimenting my favourite Olympian," he corrected innocently.
"That's what I thought. You know if we continue along the path coming up towards our right we get taken to a small isolated cove covered in vines," Artemis casually hinged.
"I would love to see such a sight my lady, please lead the way."
Artemis simply smiled and took the lead. After a while of walking they came to a rock face and with a quick chant from Artemis a split opened in the rock that allowed them to pass into Artemis' aforementioned secret cove. Once they made their way through the crack Orion was amazed by what he saw. The two walls of rock were covered in brilliant emerald moss, and twirling vines that climbed up the stoneface. Slightly passed that, the dirt beneath eased into a sand path and eventually opened up to a small stretch of beach no bigger than several chariots width. It was isolated, serene, and perfect for what Orion wanted to do. They laid down and looked towards the sky and began to talk about his journey to the lands that bordered Illyria.
"The gods witnessed your fight against the hellhounds. Lord Zeus requested Iris showcase it too all of us in one her rainbows. I must say I was quite impressed with your skills," Artemis admitted.
"Thank you Lady Artemis. It is an honour to hear those words come out your mouth," he replied as he slowly put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a golden drachma engraved with a delta.
"What's that you got there Orion?" Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"My lucky drachma. It's been with me on every quest I've ever been on, in my pocket every time I've slain a beast. It's probably my most prized possession," Orion explained, staring at the golden coin.
"I know what you mean. Many of the huntresses have their own keepsakes they believe bless them with luck. May I see it?" Artemis asked.
A criminal smile lit up on Orion face.
"Of course," he replied as he threw it towards her. Just moments before she caught it, he shouted the command he'd been itching to use for years. "Ergo!"
The coin landed in the moon goddess' hand and exploded into a rapture of celestial bronze chains which pinned her down.
He turned to face her and Artemis was terrified at what she saw. His eyes were a sickening, poison green that were filled with a terrifying glee; his smile was turned at the corners and his teeth were showing as if he was a predator how had his prey in a corner. He let out an evil chuckle.
"What are you doing Orion..." she questioned in fear.
"I'm taking what I've been wanting for all these last few years Artemis. Fortunately you've made it easier for me being in your older form, these chains were after all designed to contain Aphrodite," he mocked.
"What do you mean?" Artemis asked worriedly already knowing the answer.
"I'm going to do what Alpheus and the others never could. I'm going to take the maiden goddess' virginity."
"No you won't, you Malaka!" she roared. "I will kill you before you could touch me."
"No you won't. Those chains are engraved to make you weaker than even a mortal, even though it is only for ten minutes," he replied pulling out a knife.
"No... You wouldn't." Artemis tried to retaliate and thrashed about, but best as she tried, she couldn't move.
Orion snickered as he began cutting away at her silver robes, taking in every inch of her skin as it was revealed. Then, he took what he'd been after all these screams of misery and pain echoed of the rocky walls and heartbroken wails echoed out to the calm sea. With moments to spare Orion finished what he had wanted and mocked Artemis a final time.
"Thank you for time Artemis; it's been a pleasure," he spoke out with a sick tone. He received no reply from the Olympian.
She remained laying down crying into the sand and Orion knew he had to make his escape if he wanted to live. He ran into the lapping waves of the ocean and began to swim as quickly as he can, using his powers to help propel him further.
He made it several stadions out, but before he could get any further a silver arrow tore through his skull.
Third Person Point Of View
Location: The Secret Cove, Close to Mt Olympus.
Artemis dropped her bow from her hand and fell to her knees. She released a heartbroken scream that penetrated the night sky and glared at the spot where her arrow fell. She sobbed, and with a click of her fingers and watched as a silver dust began to fly in the sky to where a new constellation had been born. She clicked her finger once more and another constellation began to emerge.
The stars would for the first time be used as a curse: A giant scorpion that would forever overwatch the Malaka in the afterlife, torture him for an eternity and more after destroying the thing that meant most to her in the world.
She would never trust another man again.
Authors Note
Hello everyone, I am having to write this note a second time like an utter idiot but I blame VanadiumOxide bullying me and telling me to put HAIIIIIII into this important note. Now I know I have been dead for these last six months but that's a large part because I burn myself out far too quickly and my depression hits in and I just disappear, I know, not good. So thanks to Kyle (Vanadium) who has reawoken me from my death I am coming back and working on all my stories but in a much more healthy manner to myself.
Now I don't want to sound like this but reviews are a massive part in my continued focus on my writing so do please leave reviews. I love hearing everyone's thoughts and feedback so leave a review.
And go check out VanadiumOxide and give him a thanks and follow.
Stay awesome folks.