The Unknown Allegiance

| Chapter 9 || Not as Planned |

Chapter Nine

Not As Planned

*First Person Point of View ~ Artemis*

I should've let it go. I shouldn't have gone after the monsters that took my lieutenant and my guardian, because if I'd waited for the rest of my family before making my move, we wouldn't be in the situation we'd found ourselves caught in.

I couldn't, though. Both meant a great deal to me and I couldn't just wait around for them to either die or escape on their own, especially not with the former being the more probable outcome.

My hunters had agreed with my rebellious plan right from the start, but I knew that I shouldn't have even pitched my idea to them. Not now that we're all surrounded and soon to be destroyed by the army of monsters we'd stumbled across in our search.

They'd surrounded us in haste, more coordinated than the usual group of strays we hunted. They moved like a half-trained cohort of soldiers, how the men of the wars moved on the battlefield of their ridiculous gunfights.

In that moment, the moment when I knew that we'd wouldn't all make it out alive, I could remember everything.

I could remember the feeling of the warm wind sweeping past my neck and hands, gently caressing my cheeks and ears. I could remember feeling slightly unsteady on the uneven ground, knowing that had I not been the goddess of the wilderness, I'd have serious trouble remaining upright.

My hunters stood around me, all prepared to fight for their lives. Some had been following me for centuries, others still quite new. I knew one thing for certain about each and every one of them, though: I saw them all as my children. My sisters. My family.

Ever since my mother, Leto, was cursed by Hera because of her involvement with Zeus, I knew what I wanted my life to be. I never wanted to get pregnant and have children. My mother struggled with my brother and I. Hera made sure of it. We spent so much longer than usual sharing her compact womb, all the while, Apollo squirmed and kicked and babbled.

It was a rather undesirable experience.

As soon as I was born, I vowed to myself that I'd never have children of my own. I vowed that I'd never get involved with a male if my brother's and father's first impressions were anything to go by.

All men did was lie, cheat, and annoy. They could never provide anything useful for their female counterparts besides children, which were blessings in their own nature with nothing to do with the father himself. It was the woman who had to suffer. The woman, who carried the child within her own body. The woman, who provided safety and comfort during gestation. The woman, who continued to care for the child after bringing it forth into the world, allowing the newborn to feed from her own breasts. In my eyes, the father only provided half of the newborn's genes, but nothing else.

I do admit that in all the many years of my life, I've seen men who have broken the mould I'd set for them. I've seen women act as dishonourable as men. This is a rare occurrence, though. All throughout history, men have used, abused, cheated, or betrayed women, mortals, and immortals alike.

"Little goddess, prepare to be destroyed."

My thoughts snapped back into focus. I'd been lost in my own mind once again.

Briefly scolding myself for letting it happen again, I looked towards the monster whom had spoken.

He was a brute, but that wasn't much of a descriptor, as all monsters were. A cyclops, as many of them, were, with a squinting blue eye that pierced my very soul. He had little hair on his head, but from what was left of it, I'd say it was once a startling red. He had many lines on his fleshy face from scowling too much throughout his lifetime, but I guess that was to be expected. As for his garb... it was dark and leather and only covered his bottom half, leaving his scarred chest exposed to the mild summer air.