The Wild in a Girl (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Questing Time!

Melissa's POV

I packed up everything I needed in a backpack Alex gave me. He said he got it from the camp store but I wasn't sure he was kidding. I gathered up from around the camp nectar, ambrosia, spare clothes, food, water, a medical kit, drachma, mortal money, my knife, and reed pipes. I met up with Abigail and Katie, both with backpacks over their shoulders.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Yes!" Abigail replied excitedly. "This is my first quest!"

"I am ready," Katie said. She is so calm.

We told Chiron we are leaving and started heading towards Colorado. We mainly chatted about protecting the environment. My mom always taught me to respect nature and care about it. So when I was in 7th grade, we were doing a unit on pollution. What I saw in videos made me mad. I guess it is part of being the daughter of Pan. I decided not to tell them I am the daughter of Pan until the right moment. I will know it when it happens.

At 9:00pm, we made camp. Through the night, we switched in guard duty. At around three in the mourning, I heard rustling in the nearby trees. It was a hellhound. Overnight, we got a few monster attacks. I don't know why. Maybe a war is coming? We could not have that much bad luck.

The next morning, we got up, cooked breakfast, packed up, and headed west. At around 9:00pm, Abigail, using her super hearing, heard something in the bushes. I was brave enough to check it out and pulled out my knife.

All the girls also pulled out hunting knives or bows.

"Wow!" Katie exclaimed. "It is just us." I looked at her with a confused expression on my face. "The Hunter of Artemis," she explained.

"So truce?" I asked.

"Yes, ladies, lower your weapons," commanded a girl of about 12 with auburn hair and silver eyes. She looked so similar to Brianne.

"Lady Artemis," I said and then I bowed.

"Yes," the moon goddess said. "Hunters, introduce yourselves."

Each one of them said their name. Finally, there was a girl with a crown thing on her head.

"I am Linda, daughter of Hecate, lieutenant of Artemis. Our last one died about a week ago," the crown girl explained.

"Why don't we step up here for the night? They could stay the night. You guys are questers, right?" asked Lexie, a daughter of Vulcan.

"Yes," Artemis agreed.

They set up camp. It looked so cool! A dozen tents were set up around a fire with benches. Artemis looked sad as she looked deep into the fire.

"Is everything okay, Lady Artemis?" I asked kindly.

"It is that I miss my daughter," she confessed.

"Brianne right?" I answered.

"Yeah, if only Thaila did not die," Artemis mumbled to herself.

"Wait, how does Thaila dying connect with Brianne's death?" I quickly asked.

Artemis's eyes looked frightening. "I should blast you to bits for questioning me so much."

I backed up a few steps and held my hands out in surrender. "I am just wondering. I know Brianne. I talked to her ghost about 2 weeks ago when Nico summoned her. She seems pretty cool and a gray daughter."

Artemis took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I guess I should tell you. When I got captured, Thaila Grace and Brianne went on a quest to save me. In Colorado, Thaila took the first watch. The butch of cyclops attacked them. A daughter of Artemis and daughter of Zeus attract a lot of monster attention. Thaila died. Nico felt the death back at camp. When Brianne returned, she found Nico and he discovered Thaila, his cousin, died. He has been through a lot. And a few weeks ago, his other cousin died too. So, Nico, having quick reflexes and ADHD, took out his sword and stabbed her. Brianne died a few minutes later. So if Thaila did not die, Nico would not have gotten angry and killed Brianne."

That was a lot. I had no idea what to say. A long silence later, I finally thought of something.

"Lady Artemis, you will just have to let it go. When I talked to her, Brianne said she accepts death and Nico needs to. You have to do the same thing," I explained.

Artemis smiles. "You can make a great hunter," she mumbled.

That night was fun. Even better than some campfire nights at Camp Half-Blood.