ODD ONE OUT [ hazel levesque ]

Being A Hunter Sucks

MARIAH WAS TIRED. Who knew being a Hunter of Artemis would be so hard. But, no matter how much she wanted to sleep, laziness was not apart of her vocabulary. Which was a shame, since that could be the key to getting kicked out of the Hunters. Mariah had joined the Hunters ever many many year's ago, way back in the 1910s. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she knew what day it was.

At the time, it had felt like a great idea. She had been living on the streets at the time, so the idea of free food, shelter and cloves had felt like a dream. Although, it defiantly had consequences. She had been trying to someway to be kicked out of this life, but so far all her plans at failed. 

"Hey, Woods. Quit day dreaming and get your arrows ready." Came the voice of Lucy, one of the other Hunters. Honestly, Lucy was only member of the Hunt that Mariah could stand.

"Why are we even here?"

Lucy gave her a are you serious look. "Just get ready. Otherwise Zoe will bite your head off.

Mariah scoffed. "She does that anyway." Mariah then pulled her bow and arrow out from over her back, pulled the weapon in front of her lazily and went to stand with the rest. 

Lucy noticed the bored expression on Mariah's face. "Just pretended the monster is Zoe."

She smiled, now actually excited to shoot whatever monster this was. "That I can do." 

Artemis was positioned at the front, already started the attack. "Now." She whispered so quietly that Mariah had to strain to hear.

The Hunters came from the woods, about a dozen of them. The ages varying from 10-14. The Much to Mariah's dismay, they wore silvery ski parkas and jeans and had their hair tied up in some weird looking braid. And they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the monster with determined expressions.

Before they started fighting, Mariah glanced around. She saw a satyr, a punk looking girl with a spear, another girl with blonde hair and a dagger, a boy with sea green eyes, two kids that had to be brother and sister and the monster they must be fighting. 

A manticore.

"The Hunters!" The blonde cried.

The girl with the spear muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

Obviously she hated them. Mariah couldn't agree more.

One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery coloured 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?"

Mariah stepped forward. "No need for stupid permission. Can't we just-"

"Mariah!" She snapped, causing her to shut up.

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

"Not so," said Artemis. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted "

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

He lunged at the girl who hated the Hunters and the guy with green eyes.

Even before Mariah could pull a Zoe and ask for permission, she charged towards the monster. She was pretty bored of just waiting there, all to just end up watching Zoe take all the credit. So she took matters into her own hands. And if this resulted in getting kicked out of the Hunters, then it must be her lucky day.

"No.'" The blonde yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back here Woods!" Screamed Zoe. "Get out of the line of fire!"

"Yeah, I'd rather not do that." She called back over her shoulder, a small smile of pride on her face knowing that she'd irritated Zoe. She then turned back and raced towards the action.

The blonde girl then leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as she hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!" The guy screamed.

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

"I mean sure. If that makes you sleep at night then ok. Keep telling yourself that." She said lazily and she started shooting arrows into the monsters arms. While also being careful not to hit the girl on it's back.

 She stopped shooting arrows. For now she realised what was about to happen. Although she didn't know that girl at all, she couldn't just let what was about to happen go down and let that girl go through it alone. "Hang on!" She called, walking back slightly. 

She braced herself, catching the eye of the guy with sea green eyes. He looked worried. Was that girl his girlfriend? Most likely. She took a deep breath, mouthed the words it'll be fine to him, then bolted straight towards the monster. She jumped on his back on the other side of that guys possible girlfriend. 

If they weren't in a life or death situation and she actually knew them, she would say that they'd be pretty cute together.

But this was not the time nor the place.

Maybe later, but not now.

And before anyone could react, the monster, with Mariah and the other girl still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

Mariah didn't think they would die, but if there was even the possibility that they would, there was one more thing she needed to do. "Your really annoying Zoe!" She yelled as they started falling.

She heard the guys voice yell out as they fell further and further. "Annabeth!" That must be her name.

As they clung onto the monster for dear life, Mariah turned to look at who she assumed to be Annabeth. She looked terrified. "Hey." Said Mariah casually as she once she caught Annabeth's attention.

"Pretty crazy weather we've been having lately. Am I right?"

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