Chapter 20: Heated Hunters & Sneaky Daughters

[Artemis POV:]

"Sooo, where exactly did you find this totally despicable picture of a male?" asked the worst Hunter that could've found me with a painting of a nude male.

Phoebe, but not for the reason you'd expect.

"I confiscated it from a certain cave I happened to come across, but enough talk of that. Gather the hunt. We have a prophecy to discuss" I know I should ask Athena's daughter.. But I had to drop this here painting off first since I promised the oracle I wouldn't let her know of it. Shame.. such a dam gosh shame.. Oh well. Now that I'm here we might as well see if we can do it without her, it would be silly to bother her over nothing after all.

"Hmm very well Lady Artemis" oh she was not letting this one go. I'd have to give her some private time with picture Percy later, well after me. I am the leader after all, I get first dibs whether it be a painting or the real thing. I watched as she turned away and jogged off towards our cabin we'd been staying in the past couple of weeks.

Knowing my girls well, I knew it'd take them some time to arrive due to an on route castration at the least. So I decided to go over all the current leads we had on Dami- Percy, I still mix up his name. My hunters and wolves had scoured the local area all the way to Chicago and a bit further and found absolutely no trace of him, not even a faint scent of him. His last tracks were towards New York City, but the tracks ended too soon to tell any further directional information for all we know he took a bus to Canada. Though knowing him he was probably running on instinct alone so our best bet is to continue west. Where in the west he'd go I don't know.

"Lad- -temis.. LADY ARTEMIS!" Who, what, where!? Oh fuck they're here I didn't even notice them, either I've trained them too well or I'm outta shape.

"Sorry I was concentrating on where our wolf might've scampered off to, typical mutt.." I admit I was still a bit bitter about him running out on us like that.

"So... you called us?" oh right I did.

"Right, I wanted to discuss the prophecy I received from the oracle" they all nodded, but I noticed their attention was elsewhere. Namely at picture Percy, bringing hi- that along to a group of probably Percy withdrawn eternal teens was not the smartest idea.

"And where are Percy's girls and Thalia?" It wasn't like them not to show up, though probably for the better. I'd hate to scar them with a full body size painting of their father nude. Cause I can say this I'd move to my domain to another solar system or just fade If I ever saw Zeus like that... Nightmare material right there. Just the mental picture makes me want to castrate something.. Hmm I think I'll find a scummy male later. I hear Zeus has a new demigod son that's been acting like a little shit.. Perfect.

"I think I saw them heading to the big house earlier. I overheard something about a map and a holiday?" The girls liked to do this a lot, always planning journeys around the world. They're probably trying to take their minds off their father who better have a dam good reason for not coming back by now.

"So let's start the meeting then shall we?" no one responded.. They were too busy drinking up the picture of Percy's perfect body.

I couldn't blame them. I was making a wet patch with just an occasional glance. This is gonna be a long as hades meeting.

[Med's food an fuel:]

[Percy's POV:]

"I'm sorry we're doing what now?" I asked sarcastically. I was doubting what I'd heard.

"Dog training" I heard was correct. And I hate that.

"Ok. Let me rephrase.. what do you mean by 'dog training' exactly" cause I'm a wolf. Not a dog. Difference, plus I'm human.. inside... well in my old memories that I don't currently have I am. Huh guess I am more wolf than Percy like this.

"Commands, signs and responses. Many people are not aware of your intellect.. of which I say loosely-" Hey I take half offence to that! "It'll help our coordination and reduce complications when monsters and mortals are involved" sadly she had a point.

"Ok but one condition. We cool this... wolf cooperation training. I refuse to be called a dog!" I still don't know why I hate being called a dog so much. It's as mysterious as my infatuation with sleeping in trees.

"Whatever, we'll start after we finish Eating" I turned my attention back to my food and dug in. Happy to be able to eat in pea-

"Can I help twain the doggy too?" Is even the thoughts of the mind not safe from fate's ears? I couldn't reject a being of such raw adorableness! It's like saying no to a dam blue cookie! Heh dam. Why is that so dam funny?

I saw an evil glint in her eyes.. one that sent shivers down my spine in da-javu. Past me knew what was coming and I didn't like it.

"Sure, you can help with his defence training a little later" can someone put in an order for a giant wolf sized coffin please. "Oh Em can assist too" fast track that order.

[Smol Time skip]

[Car Park:]

"I'm not fetching the stick" Yes. They wanted me to fetch. Hades to the no.

"Ok ok haha, I was just having a joke" Reyna plus joke equals humiliation. Noted.

"Ok for real now, we're going to create a series of signs and sounds that you must respond to" I was still regretting this.

I trotted a few paces from Reyna and the others. Not quite sure what to expect, but then I've never really done it. The road tarmac felt absolutely horrid on my paws, but what can you do?

"When I whistle high, it will mean being on alert for monsters. A whistle low will mean the same, but for rogue immortals and demigods" Ok that sounded simple enough. Dunno how we practice that one.

"Next, commands. These'll mainly benefit battle situations. When I say calci(heel), I expect you to return to me. Impetus(attack) will mean to attack an enemy. Prope(close by) will mean stay close..."she continued to list Latin commands, forgetting one key fact. I speak Latin already, she might as well be talking to me normally, so naturally.. I tuned out.

The rest of the day was spent training like this, her saying Latin commands as if i wasn't fluent at it. And me well acting like a dog being trained. She can be very convincing when she wants to be ok. Plus she had dog cookies. DOG COOKIES. All that's missing is blue and I'd be her slave dog I swear it.

Nightfall came fast and training came to an end, I had only learned to associate her speaking in Latin as commands, the actual commands themselves were well self-explanatory.

"Mister wolf, your fur is reaaally soft! It's like a big fluffy cloud" right now I was inside the home side of the café with Fidi snuggled in my fur, we had decided to leave the next day to give medusa a chance to pack any extra stuff and prepare the place for closure. Reyna, still being wary, opted to stay in the car to sleep. Anna and Emily were also snuggled in with Acanthis nestled onto my back in her normal form, I was more than large enough for them with space to spare.

"Thanks Fidi, get comfy everyone, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow" I couldn't emphasise the amount of nostalgia and familiarity I felt saying this, like it was something missing from my life.

[Borders of Camp Half Blood:]

[Aria's POV:]

We had the map and Thalia had gone to speak with Artemis. Plan find grandma Sally was a go! The map said we weren't too far from where I think he lived. Coral was with me and we were already packed up with our hunter edition rucksacks, literally bottomless space in there, always making finding that last drachma a near impossible task. Drachma was very hard to come by so this would annoy me to no end.

"Onee-san, which way do we go from here?" We were at the border by the main entrance, the one where dad had killed the minotaur so many times. Monsters.. I was scared we'd come across some my dad was a very powerful demigod and my mother a strong goddess, I'd stick out like a sore thumb. Coral was fine being mostly cyclops, but even she would smell suspicious due to dad's extremely strong influence.

"We just go through those gates and down the hill and we'll be on the road. From there.. I don't know how to catch a cab or something? Didn't dad do that with Annabeth once?" I said recalling one of his stories about a sea of monsters.. That must be a very smelly sea..

"I don't like her..'' she pouted in such a cute way I wanted to snuggle her half to death. I too wasn't fond of Annabeth either, mainly because I always sorta wanted Artemis to be my mother. They were meant for each other, with Annabeth.. it feels like a stepmother that randomly showed up and said 'hey I'm your mom now and this is your sister. Deal with it.

I had no problem with her directly, since dad was very popular and I'd likely have a load of mothers... mothers day will be terrifying but anyway. It was mainly the fact that I didn't know her, they were together before dad found me and before Coral was even born so it just felt weird.

"Yeah I get it sis, but she's not a bad person and loves dad fully, we can't get in the way of that" we won't have to since Artemis chose to not hold back any longer. But I don't need to say that, it was obvious.

We got to the road, and found one problem, we never used a cab before and never called one. And didn't have money for one. Just some drachmae. I recall dad once telling me of his quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece, he used a special cab of some kind.. How did he call it again? Stop something of damnity? Hades nah.. er what would stuck up edgy immortals call a cab the sounds like damnity... Well Artemis and Apollo ride a chariot. So chariot of damnity? Sounds stupid... So probably right.

"STOP, CHARIOT OF DAMNITY!" I threw a drachma down like father did in his stories... annnd nothing... I'm gonna cry.

"Did you just say damnity onee-san? That sounds silly, damnation sounds cooler! Reminds me of Hades Oji-san" That.. Actually might be right. Ok take 2!

"Stop chariot of damnation?" I hoped to evade humiliation a second time and luckily a fog swept in and slowly a cab began to form.

"Girl, you know you did it wrong that time as well right? It's 'Stêthi 'Ô hárma diabolês' not English.. shesh you demigods don't respect tradition no more" the one in the middle with an eye spoke. And I had no idea how to respond to that.

"Oh dear sister, come now she is just a child. Say, what brings a demigod as young as yourself outside the borders and to our path" her comforting voice didn't at all match her... hideous face for lack of any kinder true words.

"We want to go to grandma Sally's house!" shouted my little sister, as if they knew where that was. I sighed at her childish antics.

"We don't actually know Where it is, only that she lives in New York" now I think about it.. We probably should've at least found out where they lived...

"Hmm what do you say sisters? Shall we help these little cuties like her father?" so they knew Dad? Stroke of luck. The one sitting in the middle, who I now noticed was the only one with an eye spoke.. Very creepily.

"Hmmmm yes, they can come in.. we can help them" not gonna lie, I felt my instincts go defensive. Hey you don't live with a wolf as a father for 5 years and not develop wolf tendencies ok. Nonetheless we were on a mission! So we hopped into the back of the smoke formed cab with a set of eyeless drivers, and set off to Dad's old home. I hope..