Cursed Child of a Broken Oath
Chapter Three
Third Person Point Of View
Location: The Taygetos Foothills. Between Lakonia and Messenia 500 BCE
/
Hours had passed and the wailing persisted through the night. Lilika took it upon herself to cover the goddess in some sheets and wrap the newborn up. Throughout the rest of the camp the hunters remained deathly silent, doing everything they can to allow their goddess to have a semblance of privacy. Zoë and Parthenia remained closeby, ready to give assistance at a moments notice.
The hour of Eos broke the inky darkness and turned the sky a brilliant collage of orange and red. The start of a new day and the rising sun brought warmth to the chilly camp, and the devastated wailing of the Goddess began to fade out.
A warm breeze flowed through the camp, rustling the leaves of the countless trees around them. With it the breeze brought a feeling of peacefulness and calmness to the camp that was clouded in anxiety and apprehension. Once the goddess was quiet it was Zoë that chose to break the uneasy silence that befell them.
"My lady? Are you alright?" She questioned carefully.
"The Moirae and the Oathkeeper have seen it fit to curse me with a male," Lady Artemis answered dejectedly with a hoarse voice.
The huntresses around her remained quiet; an aura of dejection hung in the air. As the silence grew deafening, it was Lilika that chose to console the goddess.
"My lady, I am going to strongly recommend that we set up camp here for several weeks and allow you to rest. You need to regain your strength and energy.
"I will be fine." The goddess seethed through clenched teeth.
"Lady Artemis I must stand firm on this decision, as your medic I advise you to rest." Lilika declared, taking a hesitant step toward the goddess.
"I must agree with Lilika," Zoë started. "Spend the day to rest and perhaps name your child, Lady Artemis."
"I refuse to name that malakas boy." The goddess of childbirth spat venomously, a look of disgust marring her face. "One of you can name the boy!"
"My lady..."
"Take that wretched thing out of my sight!" Artemis grovelled, tearfully, before shrinking back into her cot and disappearing under her covers.
"Understood, my lady." Zoë replied quickly, grabbing the baby from his makeshift cot. She brushed past her fellow hunter as she escaped the tent with Artemis' son.
Zoë found privacy by the campfire and looked at the child that she was holding in her arms. He must have been about the average height for a newborn, from the large chubby face the babe had, she concluded that he was a little heavier set than normal. But it was other features that she couldn't take her eyes off of. He was without a doubt his parents' son. The boy already had a head dotted with raven black hair and the most gorgeous eyes the daughter of Atlas had ever seen. They were a dark sea green with speckles of silver suspended in the ocean of green.
The child needed a name. She was horrible with mortal names. There was only so many male names she knew. She coddled the child with it cooed back, his large eyes staring at her in mesmerization.
A name of a hero from her past appeared in her mind: A man who was kind, honourable, and valiant. A name that the child could grow into—with proper direction and guidance. As the Goddess of the Hunt made it clear that she would not name her child, the huntress decided to do it herself. The child would be named after Perseus. Should he ever be discovered by the King of Olympus, just maybe the name would inspire a sliver of mercy from Lord Zeus. It was one that carried luck as well, as he knew how horrible the fate most heroes succumbed to. Perseus was one of the few exceptions.
Zoë rocked the child within her arms gently to sleep and noticed several hunters towards her being led by Lydia. She had a scowl of thunder and stormed towards the huntress that held the baby.
"So, this is the nothus!" Lydia spat in disgust.
"This is indeed Lady Artemis' child and he shall be named Perseus," Zoë cautiously answered.
The hunters in front of her turned their noses at the name.
"I am surprised that Lady Artemis would name the child after a male like that." Lydia venomously replied.
"Lady Artemis did not name the child, she refused to. Our lady said for a huntress to name the child so I took it upon myself to do so," Zoë stated with a glare.
"You dare betray our lady like that. Naming the boy after another nothus who harmed women!" The huntress bellowed.
"Especially with your history with a particular son of Zeus." Another huntress added. "Wasn't Perseus his grandfather?"
Zoë snapped at them. "You may leave if you have nothing else to say." With that, the huntresses left to tell the others of the meeting that had occured.
The daughter of Atlas rolled her eyes, but soon she heard her name being shouted by her Lieutenant. Zoë lifted herself up with the child in arm and turned to the direction where the shout originated from. Parthenia and Lilika were silently awaiting her by the fire, and she made her way to the pair.
"Sisters?" Zoë questioned.
"Lady Artemis wishes to know if the child has been named yet?" Lilika asked, but her tone had implied the opposite. Perhaps their Lady really didn't care what name he received.
"He has indeed. I have given him the name Perseus." Zoë answered.
Lilika nodded in understanding whilst Parthenia's eyes turned to slits. A fiery glare was sent in Zoë's direction and Zoë looked down in shame.
"Do you wish to explain yourself?" Parthenia asked in a disapproving tone.
"I was simply following our Ladies wishes." Zoë answered meekly.
"By naming the child after a son of Zeus? With your own experience with one of them?" The Lieutenant challenged.
"Because this child is just born, and is not like the other males of this planet yet, and I have a feeling that he won't be." Zoë elaborated.
Parthenia gave the huntress a chastising look but decided to leave the matter at rest. "I see… Well Lady Artemis wishes to take the child to her tent. She has relen—decided we shall camp here for the next couple months until the boy can eat solid foods. Send Roxane and Phoebe to pick out a hunting party to stock up on food. Lilika, find Evanthe and ask her to sort out a foraging party as well. I'm going to map out the area so we can relocate to a better position. Once you have found Roxane and given her orders to her I want you and everyone else to start gathering supplies so we can build defences." Parthenia commanded.
Zoë hurriedly entered the medic tent and handed the baby gingerly to the Goddess.
"Here you go milady, he has been named just as you wished."
"I have no care towards the boy's name. I am already counting down the days until this curse ends." Artemis proclaimed tiredly.
"I understand milady." Zoë nodded with worry. What would be the fate of this child?
/
Third Person Point of View.
Location Olynthiakos Stream, Thrace, 498 BCE.
/
The hunt had set up their silver tents at the base of a tiny stream, whose waters peacefully flowed into a wide and shallow lake. The sun was high above as it reached its peak in the sky and the hunters lounged in whatever shade they could find—anything to escape the glaring heat.
The hunt had trekked this far north—out of the Hellenic lands and into Persian controlled Thrace—because Lord Zeus had commanded it. Apparently, an incredibly deadly monster was terrorising Greek merchants who passed through these lands and it fell upon Artemis to solve what was happening.
They had set out from the last major village two weeks ago, and days continued to pass with no clues or traces of a monster in their vicinity. Unease was thick in the air, and the hunt grew anxious and exhausted after days of intense expeditions.
Artemis exited her tent and the hunt immediately turned their attention towards her.
"Parthenia, report?" The goddess questioned firmly.
"The southern pass through these hills has been completely abandoned since that last group of merchants were ravaged several weeks ago. The bridge hasn't been used whatsoever and we have witnessed traders take the pass up north where bandits hide. Something is up here and I am not too sure what it is," Parthenia replied curtly.
Artemis nodded stiffly before turning her head with an enquiry. "Phoebe, anything new in terms of tracking whatever this beast is?"
"No milady. Whatever this thing is, its intelligent. There isn't any tracks, any furs, or any signs of the missing merchants. This is strange—" But before she could finish a horrific roar deafened the ears of the hunters and their goddess paled.
"Hunters! We must—" The goddess started but was interrupted as a giant beast tore through the camp, crushing a hunter under its incredible mass and began its ravaging of their camp.
Out of everything they could have been facing, they had the most dangerous child of Typhon on their hands. The Chimera had a beast with the forebody of a lion, an incredible mane that billowed in the wind, a middle section and rear legs of a ram, and a giant snake for a tail. The beast was greater in size than a trireme, and it's terrifying roar echoed off of the surrounding hills in waves.
"IT'S THE CHIMERA. HUNTERS, FLEE!" The goddess roared.
The hunters began to run, trying to cross the stream as quickly as they could whilst a select few stood their ground by their goddess. Watching in horror as Echidna's child murdered one of their youngest members under its paw. Parthenia and Phoebe were on the goddesses right, and Zoë who was shielding a young Perseus was on her left.
"Our scents are meant to be masked milady how could it have found us?" Phoebe murmured in fear, brandishing her daggers.
"The hunters scents are masked, but that child's isn't." Artemis spat. "Zoë, grab the boy and run, we'll follow."
"Lady Artemis I can help." Zoë pleaded.
"Only by taking the boy away from here, now go!" The goddess snapped as the Chimera stepped forward.
Zoë knew not to argue further, and grabbed Perseus as she joined her sisters in crossing the stream. Behind her, another roar deafened their ears, and a jet of flames exploded into the sky. She continued to flee, treading through the stream quickly and the heat flames nearly seared her backside. Once she was out of the water she gingerly placed Perseus on the ground before facing her bow towards the Chimera alongside the help of several of her sisters.
They showered their arrows rapidly down, yet no damage could be made against the impervious beast. The hunters watched in awe as their goddess began her own enraged assault on the beast. Twin silver knives had appeared in her hand and she was quick to spring into combat against the beast head on. She slashed wildly at the beast's maw before quickly rolling away to dodge a heavy slash from the monsters forelegs. She quickly moved out of the Chimera sight as the land she had stood just seconds ago were turned to flame and ash. A ring of fire encircled the Chimera as Artemis circled around. It's flames seared the tips of her tied hair as Artemis quickly leapt into the air and slashed at the python-like tail that simultaneously tried to attack her back.
The goddess was swift but not quick enough to avoid the fangs that embedded themselves in her arm.
A wave of pain washed across the goddess and she finished her swing at the tail—severing it from the body. It was a quick but unsatisfactory revenge as the pain of the beast's poison shot up her arm. She fumbled the landing several yards away and collapsed on her knees. The Chimera turned to tear her with its claws. Before the dagger-like claws could harm her however, a mass pushed her out of the way and she was blinded by a spurt of ruby red blood. She quickly cleared her vision and was horrified at what she saw. To save her goddess, Parthenia had lunged in the way of the Chimera and had been gifted with a claw longer than a knife jammed into her collar.
"Mil-lady ple-ase flee." Her lieutenant choked out.
Before Artemis could answer, the Chimera planted its paws across Parthenia's frail body and slashed it in half. Many shouted in anger and appalment while others took a step for vengeance, but with a hesitant squeal, their goddess signaled them to not.
The Chimera eyed Artemis cautiously, growling a warning, but seemingly uninspired to finish her. It already has its meal for the day, it seemed to communicate.
Limping through a broken ankle and suffering from a poison sting, the Goddess of the Hunt dropped her daggers and managed her way through the dispersing flames.
While the Chimera delved into a meal, they fled.
/
Zoë's Point of View
Location: The Isle of Seriphos, 494 BCE
/
It had been years since Parthenia's passing, yet the hunt had never been the same since. Lady Artemis—after losing her best friend—had regressed into a state of depression, rarely leaving her tent after they set foot in Seriphos years previous. As they fled Makedon, Zoë prayed to Poseidon for safe passage through the seas. That's how the hunt found itself stuck on Seriphos.
Once they arrived the goddess hid in her tent for a month straight, it came down to Zoë to keep the hunt running. She commanded their hunting schedule and led the initiative to befriend the local villages who welcomed their presence on their island. When she realized they large group might over-hunt the island, she drafted fishing assignments.
They were surviving well enough, but many had grown sick of staying in one place for so long. When their goddess would leave her tent it wasn't to provide assistance or instructions, but instead to abuse and berate her child. At times she even blamed him for the death of Parthenia and went on spiels about how he was the epitome of what was wrong with the world. It was easy to put the blame on the child. Easier to assign the blame on an unknowing child, rather than accept the truth that it had been Artemis' own fault on the oversight of not masking Perseus' scent that had led to their lieutenant's death.
With everyone's anger and remorse pented up, the other hunters' couldn't help but to join in, going from jeers in his direction to tripping him up, to nearly trying to kill him during training. Zoë tried her best to suppress such actions, but her sisters followed Artemis' example over Zoë's questionable authority. That was how their years trudged on.
Zoë was sat on a brilliant white sandy beach, perched underneath the shade of a brilliant cypress tree. She watched as Perseus trained his fighting techniques in knee-deep water, going through the routines Zoë had taught him.
A slash here, a move forward, a stab, a move to the side, rinse and repeat. It was an unorthodox way to train the boy but the huntress knew that it was effective. That was the way her father taught her to fight, and if it weren't for him Zoë would not be nearly as strong as she is. She analysed every move he made and was surprised when he quickly dived into the water, and a silver barely missed him.
Zoë hurriedly reared her attention towards the source of the arrow and glared at the group of hunters who had fired on the young boy. They were lead by none other than Lydia, the huntress who perhaps hated Perseus even more than his mother. Lydia shouted in Zoë's direction.
"At least you finally taught him how to dodge an arrow! Much more than what we could say months ago."
"Are you here to pick a fight Lydia? If so you may make haste and leave because you will lose." Zoë retorted as she drew her knife.
"Please-" Lydia snorted "-Lady Artemis wishes to speak to you and the boy." She finished sneering in Perseus' direction.
Perseus was already in a defensive position, ready to retaliate but a look from Zoë stopped him.
"Your mater wishes to see us. Dry yourself." Zoë commanded and watched as the hunters walked away openly mocking them with their words.
Perseus walked out of the water—still clutching his knives close—and kept his eyes focused on the direction the hunters left. Once Perseus was beside Zoë he let his guard down and began to dry his clothes.
"Is my training done, Zoë?" the young boy asked carefully.
"Of course not little one. Your mater has simply requested to see us, so we shall head by your tent and get your changed into your nice robes. Hopefully Lady Artemis is in a good mood today." She finished with a murmur.
"Hopefully." Perseus muttered.
"Good dodge though, even I was caught by surprise." She buzzed in an upbeat tone.
Perseus smiled brightly at her praise and Zoë laughed at his goofy expression and shook her head at him. They grabbed their possessions off of the sand and made their way south to where their camp was located. They walked through the short grass and flowers and found themselves surrounded by the silver tents of the camp quickly. As they made their way to the southern outskirts of the camp they could feel the glares stabbing them in the back from the other hunters. They arrived at the young boy's tent and he quickly nipped in to get changed.
Zoë looked up to the bright azure sky above and sighed, she was tired by this point. Every day from sunrise to sunset she was doing something, and its exhausted her mentally. Not only was she doing the work of the lieutenant but she was also doing the work of Lady Artemis and that was tougher in every single way. They had to leave this island soon, otherwise the gods would end up noticing and that is the last thing Zoë wanted, especially for Perseus' sake.
The son of Artemis exited his tent in an elegant white robe that he always wore when he was meeting his mother. Zoë had always told them that his mother Artemis deserved respect and Perseus understood that as to be silent and presentable.
"Lets see mater, shall we?" Perseus asked with a grimace.
Zoë nodded.
Walking into the goddess' tent caused the world to become immensely tense and the air to become heavy. Once they arrived in front of Lady Artemis they both dropped to a deep bow and waited for the goddess to speak.
"How goes the boy's training." She snarled.
"It goes well milady, he is still on track with his training regime." Zoë replied curtly.
Artemis sent a dangerous look towards Perseus who nearly let out a quiet whimper in fear. It was a look he had grown accustomed to, a look that warned him not to speak nor move in her presence.
Artemis sighed and then returned her look to Zoë. "Well then let us discuss a matter of actual importance. We have been here in Seriphos for far too long, and the first move to leaving this forsaken island is to decree a new lieutenant."
"Have you already made a decision milady?" Zoë asked politely.
"I have Zoë. The hunt may think I have neglected my duties but I do know everything occurring within my hunt. You have done everything and more expected of a lieutenant, so you have earned it." Artemis finished quietly.
"This is a true honour Lady Artemis. I swear to you I won't let you or the hunt down."
"I would hope so Zoë." Artemis replied firmly, "Now get a hunt to prepare a feast, and we shall set sail to Athens come sunrise."
"Thank you. Now Perseus let us leave-" Zoë started before Artemis interrupted.
"No. He shall stay for a moment, and will be with you shortly."
"Of course my lady." Zoë replied quietly before shooting Perseus a worried look.
/
Third Person Point of View
Lady Artemis' Tent, Isle of Seriphos.
/
As Zoë exited the tent and an unsettling silence befell the pair. Artemis directed her gaze towards the boy and an intense glare appeared on her face. Perseus looked away and the intensity of the glare increased.
"The mere fact that you survived birth disgusts me boy, and because of you my closest friend is dead." Artemis muttered with venom dripping on each word.
"I'm sorry—"
There was a smack.
Perseus met the ground and an intense pain thundered across his face. Artemis had materialised in front of him.
"Do not dare to speak to me boy, lest you wish to be struck again. Nothos." Artemis spat in disgust. "You should do best to remember that you are nothing to me boy, you are damned reminder of my weakness and I long for the day when I get rid of you."
Perseus opened his mouth to respond, but his sense of self-preservation held back his tongue.
"Now leave and get out of my sight boy," Artemis venomously grunted and Perseus quickly whispered a 'yes milady' before scampering out of the tent.
As Perseus rushed to pull himself to his feet the new lieutenant of Artemis was broken from her deliberation. Zoë analysed the young boy attentively and was disheartened to see the far too common look of heartbreak on his face.
"What did you mater discuss with you?" Zoë questioned carefully, knowing how volatile Perseus could be.
Perseus looked up to the huntress who had been the only family he had known in his entire life. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Just the—the usual…" His voice broke, "Mater will never care for me, will she?"
Zoë held him in a warm grip.
"Immortals' emotions can be hard to read Perseus," Zoë sighed. She guided him back in the direction of the beach, where an old, gnarled poplar provided some shade under the grueling summer heat. "You know the story of your conception and as I'm sure you can imagine that would break anyone spirits, but in the case of Lady Artemis it tarnished her very being."
Perseus' jaw tightened.
"You are unfortunate to be a painful reminder of that fact, but that does not warrant her treatment of you. You don't deserve the pain, abuse, and slander she gives you but knowing Lady Artemis for as long as I have she has been one of the few immortals that occasionally grow from their mistakes and become better beings for it. It's because of that I think she may be capable of changing and caring for you one day Perseus."
Perseus gave a hesitant smile before planting his bottom against the bark. "Thanks... Zoë."
"I'll always be here for you," Zoë told, whiffling her hand through his hair affectionately. "Now, get off your ass. There's still a lot of daylight to train."
"Before we do tha—" Perseus bit his lip. "I was hoping...Could I create my own weapon to train with?"
"Make your own weapon?" Zoë raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"A Trident, like Lord Poseidon" Perseus replied, jumping to his feet in anticipation.
"I don't think we have enough godly material or tools with us to forge a trident right now." Zoë replied slightly dejectedly, hoping not to crush the young boys spirit. The demititan thought hard. "A daughter of Hephaestus in Ionia does owe me—"
"We can make do with some wood from this tree and the fork can be made from some of the bronze knives that I know are gathering dust!" He gushed.
"You've been thinking about this for awhile, haven't you?"
"Possibly." The boy answered with a mischievous grin.
"Well then, I shall go grab some said knives from the armoury and you can go climb the tree to find a suitable branch that we shall use," Zoë thoughtfully spoke out, "I'll also quickly visit the agora for some leather and swine hooves."
"Swine hooves?" Perseus questioned with a confused look.
"We can boil them down to make glue for bindings. Now get to work, we don't have all day."
With a quick nod, the son of Artemis began clambering the ancient tree while Zoë walked off to gather her share of the supplies. There were branches that were thick, thin, long and short. They were all entangled with one another, but Perseus had already scouted the perfect branches ahead of time. After careful maneuvering, he chopped two long, fairly straight branches—each a foot taller than himself. They tumbled onto the ground below him and proceeded to climb down the grand tree.
Perseus pulled out a knife and began to whittle down the bark. He worked with deliberate care, only chipping off the thinnest shards from the wood at a time, and shaving off the bark that was softening. After an hour of slow work cleaning the two poles, Zoë arrived onto the scene with a sack of her assigned supplies.
"I assumed you were going to work the wood so I decided to make the glue at the firepit." Zoë said, beaming, while she took a look over his craftsmanship.
"I've got two branches cleaned and trimmed, but I am not too sure on how to actually make the trident?" Perseus murmured in embarrassment.
"Perseus, pass the two staffs here," Zoë requested as she set her tools out. The younger hunter was both nervous and full of excitement as he bought them over to where his mentor was readying the glue.
"Here, keep churning the pot," Zoe said, trading the pot of glue for the poles. Zoë scrutinized the poles as he handed them to her—feeling the weight and balance. "For a temporary piece, poplar is both strong and lightweight. Good choice on the wood and branches," Zoë praised. "Let's use the larger branch for the body and trim out a part of the middle of the top to act as a groove. That and slicing the edges of the middle of the smaller pole, you can fit them together like a notch."
Of course, as this was Perseus' weapon, it was his task to actually build it himself. He followed her words to the very letter, but he between the hot sun, hot glue and his anxiety, he was sweating a ton.
His fingers were shaking when he glazed the glue over the edges of the poles. They slid together perfectly flush. Now rather than two sticks Perseus now had a 'Tau' shaped from the two staffs.
Zoë whistled, impressed, but he was still far from done as three bronze daggers still laid unused in between them.
He had more difficulty with the daggers. The celestial bronze blades needed to be cleaned first, so he carefully used an oiled cloth to clean off the dirt and grime before glazing the glue. Finally, after an hour of working, Perseus' trident was in one piece. It wasn't the most beautiful or durable weapon, but Zoe could see the glint of satisfaction and happiness behind Perseus' eyes of building his own tools.
She'll have to collect a few favors to get the quality of weapon she thought he really deserved. But that would take time; something she was short of, between training Perseus and her duties of overseeing the hunt.
"Thank you Zoë, it's incredible." Perseus whispered in awe, slowly lifting his new trident and feeling over the bindings which were still setting. Immediately, by the way he hoisted it up, she could tell the balance would need a tweak.
But she smiled back anyway. "Let's get back to your training."
/
Perseus' Point of View
Location: The Outskirts of the City of Athens, 486BCE
After several years of travelling and training with Zoë, who had since taken the mantle of Lieutenant official, Perseus found himself just beyond the city limits of the great polis of Athens.
The hunt rarely visited the larger poli—the hunt simply stuck out too well for its own good—but where they had congograted was one of their Lady's favorite shrines: The Sanctuary of Brauron.
Artemis' simply glared at toward the direction of Athens just on the horizon; whether it was from the billowing smog that emulated from the city, or its treatment of women, he did not know. But how close the famed gilded city—Athens—the epicenter of Hellenic culture was, made Perseus itch in anticipation. He'd already settled in his mind. After the hunt feasted on this banquet that Artemis' worshippers at the sanctuary had prepared for them, he would ask Zoë for permission to visit the city.
"HUNTERS!" Artemis commanded, calling upon her subordinates' attention. Hunters blinked, their mouths stiff. Some hesitantly swallowed before looking in the direction of their Mater. "I have come across news that has captured my attention to what is occuring in the north."
"In the lands of Makedon and Thrace, villages and settlements are being plagued by death and illness from their waterways. Perseus…" At the rare mention of his name, the young man's attention snapped straight toward the goddess.
"Yes, my lady?"
"I choose you to take this quest. Head north at first daylight tomorrow," Artemis finished, her voice carrying a sense of finality to it. The goddess of the hunt looked across her array of hunters, many of whom were chuckling with glee. "Alone."
The goddess' eyes set on the huntress that sat next to Perseus; a silent command of silence.
Zoe heaved a heavy, angry breath, before giving him a worried look. There was no room left for arguments.
Somehow, he could sense it in his blood. His mother was sending him on a quest alone, to the same place their previous Lieutenant had fallen just years prior. This was not some chance to prove himself. The expressions of the other hunters told they were thinking of the exact same thing.
His mother had left him an ultimatum, one without any options. He would either have to accept this dangerous quest or he would have to accept shame and a rampant increase of abuse should he refuse.
His pride set in. His fellow hunters had never accepted him.
"I accept the quest Lady Artemis." Perseus stood high, answering with confidence he didn't know he had. His silver-speckled eyes met his mother's with resignation. "I will complete this with honor. I shall go north."
Authors Note
So everyone I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I have to say a massive thank you to everyone's overwhelming support with the first two chapters. Thanks to the help of Vanadium Oxide and PraetorFable future chapters are going to continue being even higher quality of work and I am brimming in anticipation with uploading them.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed as well. I read and reread all of them and they are a massive source of motivation for me. So follow and favourite if you've enjoyed and leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter.
As always guys from myself and Vanadium,
Stay awesome folks.