Legend of Perseus 3: Curse of Atlas

~Chapter 4~

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the Kassandra.

The girl wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul woman, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The girl growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

She lunged at Thalia and me with her spear ready, I get ready to defend as someone charges Kassandra.

"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she rams into the daughter of Atlas.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth had leaped onto the Kassandra's back and drove her knife into her neck. Kassandra screamed, turning in circles as she tried to get Annabeth off.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" I screamed. as I jumped into action as I reached for the shadows.

But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the Kassandra in the neck above the knife. Another hit her chest. The girl staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

And before anyone could react, the girl, with Annabeth still on her back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" I yelled as I ran to the cliff, I wasn't sensing anything! I didn't sense her death so she must have teleported away with Kassandra.

The Hunters advanced on us. The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste.

"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Are you going to help save, Annabeth?" I asked her.

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

"Fine, then I shall save her myself." I snapped as I walked toward the cliff. A couple of the huntress's tried to hold me back but I blasted them back.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"Yeah I am not listening to the goddess who allowed her hunters to attack m friend." I snapped. "I'll suggest you warn your huntress not to touch me again."

"You stupid male, when Lady Artemis speaks you listen to her!" A huntress yelled as she ran at me with a knife, only fo the blade to shatter against my skin. In return I grabbed her by her neck and snapped it dropping her limp body on the ground.