||𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧||

|| Κυνηγός ||

Everywhere my soft, unscarred feet landed, nature wilted. Flowers were crippling into brown balls, and the grass turned orange—and not the autumn orange that I have learned to love and care for so deeply. But an orange that warns of death and danger. Animals scurried away from me as if I were a predator or an opposing threat instead of one of Artemis' children. My eyes began to sag, itching for a blink of rest that I refused to give myself. I had to get to camp; I had to follow Artemis' few instructions. But as I looked around, there was no hill with a blooming pine tree. I dragged my feet forward; walking had never affected me before today. Before I was banished by Artemis.

As I walk, I feel a wave of dizziness overtake me. In an attempt to steady myself, I grab onto a nearby tree. My skin began to feel fuzzy but prickly at the same time, and shooting pains crippled my stomach. I find my way to the ground before closing my eyes with a slight grimace engraved on my face. 

What started as a melodic collage of whispers quickly turned into a bundle of harsh-tongued insults. I had to leave the forest, and I had to leave fast. I tried to wake myself up, but something held me in the dream cycle. 

"Please, I get it; I'll leave." My voice sounded faint to my ears, but the shaking in it was evident. I jolted out of my restless slumber to see a boy standing in front of me. I blinked a few times, ignoring the stinging pain that my eyes protruded. He was wearing tainted armor; it had a blue line slashed across the middle. In his hands, he held a helmet that was full of sweat. His brown curls stuck to his forehead, and he extended a tanned arm towards me. I studied the man for a minute. I never trusted men fully. Nothing has ever happened to me, but my mother swore her maidenhood, and so did I. 

I take his hand hesitantly, which is weirdly warm and moist with exertion. He pulls me to my feet and stares at me. I didn't know why, but I felt like prey under his intense glare. "I'm Luke." His voice felt like an echo in my ears; the world was quiet. "Aravis," I spoke quietly, sliding my hand away from his. My eyes made contact with his sword that hung loosely near his hips, and he stepped back. "I won't hurt you," he reassured me, and somehow I believed him. My head moves in an involuntary nod, a small smile spreading across my pale lips. "What are you doing out here?" He asks casually, but there is a hint of interrogation behind his pretty smile. 

"I'm trying to find a hill with a tall pine tree," I told him. There were so many hills with pine trees. He wouldn't know where I was headed if he were a mortal. But judging by his armor, sword, and orange shirt peeking out, I would guess he is a demi-god. "Half-blood hill? Where is your satyr?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked around in search of the missing satyr. "I don't have one; I came here with Artemis' instructions. However, she was very vague." His face turns puzzled. "Artemis, the goddess?" His question caught me off guard—who else would I be talking about? "Yeah, I am—I was one of her hunters." The fact that my mother, the person I worshipped and looked up to, banished me from ever stepping foot in her group of hunters again hadn't really set in yet. It hadn't even been my fault; it was the fault of jealousy and hatred. 

Luke nodded silently. I was glad he didn't ask about my wording. I really didn't want to talk about my mother. It was best to leave that wound stapled shut instead of gushing with crimson water. "Well, you certainly passed the hill." Luke grinned, and I realized that I must of been in one of the camp forests. That's why a fellow camper, Luke, found me. "Why are you in the forest?" I asked, "I thought during the day campers had set activities." I continued, and he let out a small laugh. That laugh bubbled something inside the depths of my stomach, and for some reason I didn't protest the feeling. "We're playing capture the flag right now, but I suppose my team won't hate me if I make sure a pretty lady like you gets to camp safe." A hint of blush creeps onto my face before I can put a stop to it, and I can only hope Luke didn't notice it. "Thank you, but I'm sure I can find my way." Luke let out another chuckle, as if he were mocking my statement. "I found you here, sleeping, two minutes from camp. If you knew where you were going, you would have gone to camp by now." I shot him a glare, but the smile stayed plastered on his face. "Lead the way." I finally give in, a soft sigh lifting from my parched throat. 

As we began walking, the plants started to fade into the afterlife, just like they did earlier. A frown etched onto my face, I grew up with the plants sheltering me from harm; now they cripple underneath me. They fall victim to my corruptness, but I don't possess any. The air that surrounds me and Luke is filled with a comfortable silence. I was far too exhausted to start small talk with a stranger I would probably never talk to again. I would go to camp, join the Artemis cabin, and find my people. Luke and I's paths would never cross again after this incident, and I couldn't help but feel a little solemn as this thought surfaced in my brain. Maybe, just maybe, I enjoyed his company. Maybe I enjoyed his messy curls and his warm smile, which woke up a million butterflies in my stomach. But did he enjoy talking to me as well, or was I just an inconvenience? 

 A fresh breeze drifted nearby; it smelled of the freshest roses and fresh rain. Though, I think that's just the smell of the real nature of camp. It was the one place that humans hadn't corrupted since Pan went missing. A smile formed on my lips as I took in the wildlife. The animals within the camp borders never ran from me, the flowers brightened, and the grass was a luscious green.

"It is a sight for sore eyes, isn't it?" Luke whispered, my smile mirrored on his face. My head jerks in a nod. "Yeah, yeah, it is." I breathed out, and my eyes danced around the cabins, taking in the intricate artwork painted on the walls. Each cabin was unique to the god or goddess. Then my eyes landed on the Artemis cabin, and a wide smile formed on my face. I take a step forward, but a strong grip holds me back. "Chiron has asked to see you before you settle in." My eyes snapped towards Luke, gazing over his features. Even though I can read people with ease, Luke was unreadable. "Where is he?" I spoke, my throat drying in the process. Luke motions with his head, and my feet move after his.

I arrived at the big house after Luke had taken the long way to show me a bit more of the camp. Luke paused at the door and spoke lowly, "Listen, whatever he says, don't let it define you." This sentence woke up all of my nerves and inner thoughts. Why would he warn me if it wasn't something bad?

"Thank you." I stammered; I wasn't sure what to say to that. I prayed to the gods that Luke couldn't read me as well as I tried to read him. I turned on my heel and entered the house, my nerves bubbling as if they were thrown into a witch's cauldron.

"Chiron?" I speak, my voice booming in the hallway. Hooves clacked on the rotting wood behind me. "Hello, child. I'm glad to see you have made the journey safely." A snort escapes me before I can stop it. "If it wasn't for Luke, I wouldn't have," I replied, trying to cover my disrespect. "You summoned me?" I continued, I desperately wanted to know what he needed to tell me.

"Yes, child." His voice became low and filled with sympathy. He glanced over at me, a frown ever so evident on his face. "Artemis has requested that you not be placed in her cabin; she requests that you remain in the Hermes cabin, unclaimed." 

|| 1.4k words <3 ||