Obviously, I don't own Percy Jackson.
Just playing in Rick Riordan's sandbox.
"Zoë led me to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved me inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to the auburn-haired girl, who I still had trouble thinking of as Artemis.
The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others I didn't recognize. I figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. I thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her, and then I realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.
"Join us, Percy Jackson," the goddess said.
I sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied me, which made me uncomfortable. She had such old eyes for a young girl.
"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.
"Uh . . . a little."
"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."
"Go astray?" I asked.
"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."
"Oh."
Zoë sat down at Artemis's right. She glared at me as if all the stuff Artemis had just said was my fault, like I'd invented the idea of being a guy."
I'll admit, I wasn't the smartest person in the room, err… tent. I glared right back at the girl, not really thinking about potentially angering the goddess right by her. "You know that I didn't choose to be born a boy, right?", I stated more than asked.
Zoë glared back just a little harder. "You know that none of the girls here in the hunt chose to be hurt by men. To be subjugated beneath them. To be considered their inferior in every society since the dawn of time. It doesn't matter that you didn't choose to be born. You are a part of the society that-"
Artemis cut the girl off, "No, let's hear what he has to say. You claim you didn't choose to be a boy. This is true. If you were given the option, however, you wouldn't choose to be a girl. You enjoy the benefits of oppression just as much as any other male. Surely you can see why my hunters would have some anger towards you."
I knelt before the Goddess, "I do understand the anger. But your wrong in that-"
Artemis had to prevent Zoë from throttling me, motioning for me to continue.
"Your wrong in stating that I wouldn't choose to be a girl, given the choice. I can't count the number of times I've wished to be a girl… I hate the body I was given…"
The goddess lifted my chin up, looking directly into my eyes. Though she appeared young from a distance, those piercing silver orbs showed an age her body belied. "If you choose I could give you your wish, as a member of my hunt."
I laughed. Really, really bad idea, laughing at a gift proffered by a Goddess. I guess my mind just wouldn't believe what had been offered.
Zoë finally snapped, shoving me into the ground with a knife held to my throat. "See how he mocks the grace of the Lady Artemis. He clearly didn't mean anything of what he said. Typical boy, thinking himself better than others."
Artemis' eyes flared, the knife in Zoë's hand winking from existence. "How dare you mock the plight of a fellow huntress! You should know better than that Zoë. We accept all, be they demigod, nymph or even mortal."
The hunter gaped back at her Goddess. "Are you serious my lady? The mortals we accept are still women. None will take kindly to a man in our midst. Least of all you, or so I had thought."
Artemis looked kindly toward her stubborn hunter. "You are correct. I would not tolerate a man among us. That is not what I offered. All of my hunters leave the world of men behind. This one more than almost any that have come before."
I watched as Bianca took her oath to Artemis.
"I . . . I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."
While there was no change in her that I could see, Bianca reported that she felt stronger.
The goddess then turned to me. "It will be the same for you, if you wish to accept my offer."
Most of the hunters looked confused and mildly irritated, not knowing what the offer was. Zoë was obviously furious, though she couldn't speak against her Goddess. Grover was still to lovestruck with the Lady Artemis to understand what had been said. Thalia was competing with Zoë, waves of hatred pouring off of her.
I knelt to the ground before Artemis. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis"
It felt as if a cord was tightening around my heart, making me gasp and tremble.
"I turn my back on the company of men," I cried out as the pain became even more intense.
"Accept eternal maidenhood," I collapsed onto the ground curled up with tears coming from my eyes.
"And join the hunt." Everything went black.