Chapter 73: The Quest Begins

A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!

Poor Zoe is in a state. She just needs Percy to accept her service before he winds up seducing her Mistress, damn it!

-x-X-x-

To say Zoe was in a bind would be quite the understatement. As her Lady's Lieutenant, Zoe was supposed to be Artemis' right-hand woman. Whenever the Goddess of the Moon needed to go on a solo hunt or take care of tasks that she couldn't bring her hunters on, she left Zoe in charge.

For thousands of years it had been this way, but for the first time in a long time, Zoe couldn't help but feel like her Mistress might have made a mistake entrusting her with the task. She wasn't entirely sure she was up to the job; especially given this new Quest and the words she'd received from the Oracle.

The last two lines continue to distract and worry Zoe most severely, especially after how Percy had reacted to her offer.

"Swearing service to the one misdeemed,Shall see the Moon and Hunt redeemed."

It was, unfortunately, a little too clear given everything Zoe knew about Percy Jackson. Her own foolishness had been what put them in this position too, because if not for her leading the charge, Percy would not have been incorrectly accused and therefore 'misdeemed' in the first place.

The only saving grace was that the Oracle's words weren't clear on just who had to swear service. That meant it didn't necessarily have to be Lady Artemis who swore service to Percy Jackson. In fact, it felt like her duty to make sure it wouldn't be.

… But the only other choice was Zoe herself, wasn't it? She was the right-hand to the Goddess of the Hunt. She was the second in command of the Hunters of Artemis. She was also the one who'd ultimately maligned Percy in the first place, so if anyone should pay for that, it was obviously her.

And yet… and yet, when she'd offered herself up on a silver platter to the demigod, he'd turned her down! Right there on the step of his father's cabin, Percy Jackson had told her he didn't need or require her service in order to help her out. He'd made it clear he was willing to do so… simply because it was the right thing to do.

Under normal circumstances, this might have relieved Zoe as much as it baffled her. A man willing to act in a heroic and considerate manner without the promise of a woman's affection at the end of it all? Based on previous experiences it was utter madness, but she would have been willing to accept it all the while keeping an eye out for a sudden yet inevitable betrayal.

However, there was two major problems with that this time around. For one, Zoe actually believed Percy was being sincere, as ridiculous as the concept was. For two, she almost wished he wasn't being sincere because that still led her right back to the issue with the last two lines of the Oracle's prophecy!

No matter Percy's inclination, someone would wind up swearing themselves to his service by the end of all of this. It needed to be Zoe even if it was a betrayal of her oath to her Mistress, because if it wasn't her, it might wind up being Lady Artemis herself and that… that couldn't be allowed.

That's why, even as the five of them have left Camp Half-Blood behind and began making their way West just as the prophecy had mentioned, Zoe has been wracking her brain trying to figure out a way to get closer to Percy. Unfortunately this was having the side effect of straining her relationship with the only other Hunter on the quest, however.

And it seemed that it was coming to a breaking point, because Phoebe was taking the opportunity to speak to her alone as Percy and the other two went for a quick coffee run.

"What's going on, Zoe? You've been acting strange ever since the Oracle spoke to you. You haven't told anyone what she said either, not even us."

'Not even me', Phoebe leaves unsaid. Zoe flinches at her fellow Hunter's hurt tone. Phoebe was… well, for one she was even older than Zoe. Tall, ginger-haired, and statuesque, Phoebe had been with their Mistress so long she even remembered the likes of Orion, the only male to ever be allowed to join the Hunters of Artemis… before ultimately he fell into madness.

On a more personal level, Zoe and Phoebe were quite close friends. These days, the modern parlance was called 'friends-with-benefits'. What they had wasn't romantic to be clear, as their Lady Artemis did not allow even love between two women. However, there was a large difference between romance and stress relief.

Still, it was obvious that Phoebe was taking her silence the wrong way. Zoe had no intention of hurting the other woman. If anything, she was trying to protect her, as was her duty as Lady Artemis' Lieutenant. And yet, Zoe rather doubted that Phoebe saw it that way.

"You've even allowed the Campers to outnumber us on this quest, even after they humiliated us in Capture the Flag. If Lady Artemis were here, she would already have taken you to task for your recent behavior. Since she isn't, it falls to me."

… No, she definitely didn't see it that way. Letting out an explosive exhale, Zoe finally breaks her silence.

"Phoebe… things are not as simple as they seem."

Phoebe merely raises an eyebrow at that, causing Zoe to wince because the truth was, things didn't SEEM very simple either. Still, her words were true after a fashion. Things were even more complicated than they seemed.

"This quest to find the Lady Artemis and see her whole and hearty once more… it is not all we need to worry about."

Narrowing her eyes, Phoebe looks over to the coffee shop that Percy, Bianca, and Thalia are currently inside.

"Is it the male? Do not think it went unnoticed when you were so late returning to our cabin the night you received this quest. Did you go to see him? You did not break your oath, did you?"

Zoe stiffens up, struck dumb for half a moment by how close Phoebe has gotten before shaking her head vehemently.

"W-What? No! I would not still have the Mistress' Blessing if I had broken our oath, Phoebe! I am still as much a maiden as I have been for thousands of years. As much of one as you are too!"

Phoebe grunts at that, looking at her for a long moment as if assessing whether she's telling the truth. Finally though, the ginger just nods.

"I believe you. And you are right, you would not still have Lady Artemis' Blessing if you had broken your oath to her. However… you would still have it if you were considering breaking said oath. Stay true to our Lady, Lieutenant. Do not let a handsome male lead you astray after all this time."

Zoe supposes that the way Phoebe clasps her on the shoulder at the end of her little pep talk is meant to be a show of support or reinforcement. In truth, it just makes her feel all the more miserable, all things considered. But she can't exactly tell Phoebe that the Oracle said their goddess might swear her services to a… a man. Not without her fellow Huntress thinking her insane.

Instead, she focuses on the here and now… and the main reason that she chose Phoebe out of everyone for this quest in the first place.

"Your words are noted, Hunter. Now I would ask that you focus on the task at hand. I didn't bring you along for small talk but for your tracking capabilities."

Phoebe stiffens at that, but after a moment she nods all the same. If anything, she looks a little relieved to see Zoe reverting to form.

"As you say, Lieutenant."

Indeed, while normally the Hunters of Artemis refrained from utilizing 'underhanded' methods on their hunts, preferring to focus on the old school way of doing things, that did not mean they had spent their immortal lives learning nothing. Phoebe in particular was quite good at tracking magic, something that Zoe wished she'd had the other woman employ much earlier.

Alas, Apollo had stepped in and guided them to Camp Half-Blood before their Lady's disappearance could extend long enough for them to resort to such measures. Given everything she knew now, Zoe couldn't even begin to guess at his motivations for doing so. Not when Lord Apollo was notoriously protective of his twin.

Still, by the time the other three members of their group leave the coffee shop and pass Zoe and Phoebe their drinks, the statuesque huntress is nodding firmly.

"I have something. Whether it's Lady Artemis or not, I cannot say… but I have a trail for us to follow."

Percy, Bianca, and Thalia all look pleasantly surprised, causing Zoe to smirk a little bit.

"Did you three think we would wander around aimlessly until we found what we were looking for? Come. And stay on your guard. Whatever could lay Lady Artemis low might very well be beyond us."

Determination spreads across the demigods' faces at that and together the five of them continue down the street with Phoebe leading the way.

-x-X-x-

As they enter the largely empty Air and Space Museum, Zoe can't help but frown while looking around. Why would Lady Artemis come here? Not for the first time, Zoe finds herself incredibly frustrated by the lack of information her Mistress had given all of them before leaving on her latest hunt.

It wasn't out of the ordinary or anything to be fair. The Goddess oft went on solo hunts and for thousands of years Zoe hadn't thought much of it because Lady Artemis always returned to them. No matter what, she always came back in the end.

But not this time. And if only she'd told them WHAT she was hunting and WHERE, then maybe they would have already managed to track her down by now instead of just beginning to truly try and find her.

Alas, there was no point in postulating about what could have been. If they managed to get Artemis back and also managed to somehow avoid either her or Zoe swearing service to Percy Jackson, then Zoe would consider bringing up the possibility of better communication between the Goddess of the Hunt and her Lieutenant.

… But those were big 'ifs'. For now, all she could do was focus on the present.

"Phoebe? What do you sense?"

Frowning, Phoebe looks around the Air and Space Museum for a long moment.

"I confess, I do not entirely know what I sense. It might not even be that Lady Artemis came here. Rather, it's almost as though someone that interacted with her recently came through here."

Zoe grunts at that.

"Well, it's better than nothing. Can you lead us to them?"

Before Phoebe can answer however, something whistles through the air and Zoe's eyes widen as she dodges instinctively. Fortunately, so does everyone else, including Phoebe. Something lances into an exhibit right in front of them, even as they all whip around to see a gray-haired man in a suit smiling wickedly at them.

"That… will not be necessary. I'm right here."

Immediately, Zoe recognizes that the man is not a man at all, but some form of monster. Glancing back to the projectile he shot at them; she presses her lips into a thin line as she tries to place exactly what it might have come from.

"You all are quite spry, aren't you? Just a warning shot of course, but still… good reflexes, heh."

Zoe didn't believe that for a second. Just a warning shot? If Zoe hadn't dodged, the projectile would have definitely hit her. And if she HAD dodged but Phoebe hadn't, the projectile would have hit HER instead. Dangerous. Very dangerous.

Percy uncaps Riptide at that point, holding the Celestial Bronze sword aloft as he frowns at the man, also having pegged him as a monster from the look of things.

"Who are you? Are you working for the Crooked One? Is he the one who kidnapped Artemis?"

The Crooked One? Zoe's eyes widen slightly as Percy just casually title drops Kronos of all fucking people. Meanwhile, the disguised monster hums consideringly.

"You should not be so quick to speak of things you don't understand, Perseus Jackson. Lord Kronos has been quite gentle with you so far and you have done nothing but spit in his face."

What? Just how many interactions had the young demigod and the Titan of Time had?!

Scoffing, Percy shakes his head.

"Maybe tell him to stop invading my nightmares in drag for the express purposes of fucking with my head and I won't have to tell him off quite so hard."

D-Drag? Zoe gapes, even as the monster scowls angrily, his smirk dropping completely.

"Unluckily for you, I do not serve Lord Kronos directly. I serve his General and right-hand man. And while I have orders to bring some of you in alive… you do not necessarily have to be happy."

The General?! Zoe stiffens up at that because she of course knows exactly who the General is. Her father, Atlas, the Titan of Endurance… and General of the Titan Kronos' armies.

Atlas should have been in no state to be giving orders. He should have been up on Mount Orthys where he was tasked with holding the weight of the entire sky upon his broad shoulders for all eternity. It was his punishment, handed down by Lord Zeus at the end of the Titanomachy!

But perhaps this one was in communication with Zoe's father somehow all the same. Perhaps he'd even snuck up to Mount Orthys and received his orders straight from the General's mouth. In the end… they would just have to question him once they captured him.

"He must know where Lady Artemis is! Make sure we capture him alive!"

Zoe is relieved when Percy and the others nod to show they heard her alongside Phoebe. Even as all five of them ready themselves for battle however, the disguised monster laughs… and begins to grow, shedding his human guise.

"I do indeed know exactly where your Mistress is… and what fate has befallen her. But if you think you can take me on, morsels… you have another thing coming."

Zoe shivers a little bit when she sees the monster's true nature at long last. Even still, she draws her bow and notches an arrow, lips set in a grim line.

Looming before them all, his face still oddly human while his body is that of a lion and his tail is that of a massive scorpion… is the Manticore in all of his grotesque, terrifying glory.

-x-X-x-

The Vote:

[X] Stick with Zoe POV - 75%[ ] Switch back to Percy POV - 25%

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