She looked to the night sky, judging the time. Zeus would be expecting her on Olympus within the hour, and there was no pointing in tarrying in Asia for any longer. While the ground felt more inviting, there was a feint hint of a resistance in the air, barely traceable. It was time to go.
...
Since she had sent her chariot back to Greece, she would have to flash herself there. It took a lot of her power, over the long distance, but power was something she felt herself reveling in daily now, and burning some off was a relief. She gathered her energies, and felt her divine form slowly leak through, before she burst upwards in a golden light. The trip back was remarkably short, spanning all of three short seconds.
Her fast travel landed her at the gate of the throne room, which was dominated by a massive marble archway, in which was a door that stood five timers her own height, gigantic to her adult mortal form. That gave her pause, as she looked down at herself. 'When had I changed into this form?' Artemis asked herself. But she couldn't find an answer for herself, so shoved the thought away for the time being.
Standing beneath the archway, she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She let her godly power flow, normally contained while in the mortal world. Her body expanded, and Artemis felt full clarity, as she dropped all her restrictive mental capacities.
When she opened her eyes, the archway was not as massive as before. It was merely a doorway. The Throne room lay beyond the door, the building itself a massive circular temple, with ionic colonnades and a domed roof. It was easily the most recognizable building on Mount Olympus, and lay in the center of their home. Palaces and temples lay scattered around the rest of the mountain top, including her own, a temple complex full of depictions of monsters on her hunts. But she had no need to go there now.
She stepped forward, placing her hand on the solid bronze wooden door. It glowed glow, before dimly fading before her. The door gave way as she pushed it open, giving her a view of the interior throne room.
All the Council was already present, all presiding in their thrones. Zeus sat at the head of the chamber, Poseidon to his left, Hera on his right. Poseidon sat on the side of Dionysus, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite. To Hera's right was Athena, Demeter, Ares, Apollo, and her own seat came at the end.
The throne room was arrayed as a central courtyard in the middle of the building, with a circular hole in the ceiling, where the moon shone through, marking the Winter Solstice. Each throne was elaborately decorated with the styles of their own deity, along with the columns that lay directly behind each throne, forming an almost complete circle. The entrance from the throne room led up to a dais where a calendric mechanism sat, crafted by Hephaestus, to mark the date and time.
All the Olympians looked up at her entrance, and she nodded to them all.
Zeus glared at her from his throne. He held the Master Bolt, which hummed and cracked quietly with lightning. His posture alone would have generated suspicion within her mind. He was clenching the bolt, ramrod straight, with a sour expression covering his golden-bearded face.
"Artemis, thank you for joining us. Apollo, join your sister for your report." Zeus ground out, twirling the Master Bolt in his hand, slamming it down onto the marble floor, sending a resounding BOOM throughout the throne room. Winds picked up and shut the Throne Room door, "The Winter Solstice had commenced."
Apollo got out of his throne, a similar bow and quiver strapped to his back, over a golden breast plate, compared to her own silver one. She walked forward, meeting her brother in the middle.
"Apollo." She greeted, nodding to her fair-haired twin, standing at the same godly height as her own.
"Little sister." He responded, making her clench her hands. But he continued, "I cannot protect you, you know." He was talking about the Chimera incident, she was sure. He had to have seen some semblance of its effects during the Macedonian marches and offerings.
"Do not worry." She clipped back. He gave no indication he had heard her. Both stood side by side in front of the hearth, which was laid before the dais. It's small brightened as they stood in front of it, at least signaling Hestia's approval.
"Father, fellow Olympians," Apollo began, "The Macedonian campaign has marched through Lycia, and now presides at the city of Gordion, where Alexander has cut the Gordion knot. Along the way, they have subdued and conquered any who have opposed them, leaving offerings and garrisons where they have conquered."
The Council were nodding, some absentmindedly, Artemis noticed. She noticed Athena looking intrigued, at least, by Alexander's cutting of the Gordion knot. Ares too, looked as though more detail had gone into Alexander's conquests.
"And what of the offerings, who do they praise most?" Zeus asked sharply.
Apollo looking apologetic as he answered. Artemis didn't blame him, for he was the God of Truth.
"Artemis is the most revered among them."
Zeus switched his thunderous gaze onto her, "Daughter, what did I speak of before!" He asked quietly, his grip noticeably tightening on the Master Bolt.
Artemis met his gaze, "Father, I did not wish for the Macedonians to revere me. I was challenged, and could not ignore that."
Before Zeus could answer, Poseidon cut him off, "Brother, you may be King of the Gods, but we are a council, not a dictatorship. Do not forget that" The Sea God sat comfortably on his throne, rolling waves and sea foam carved brilliantly into the marble. His trident was held against his shoulder, the butt reaching the marble floor.
Zeus scowled at Poseidon, but relented, "Very well. Proceed Artemis."
She shot a grateful look to Poseidon, one of the more level headed Gods on the Council. One she usually avoided, due to the Medusa affair, as she still sided with Athena, but Poseidon had always been kind to her. Focusing, she gathered her thoughts, "While in Lycia, under my watch, the Macedonian expedition was set upon. By the Chimera." Artemis stated, seeing the other Gods react, as no hero had defeated the Chimera without aid.
"It killed dozens, before Alexander, and his two companions Hephaestion and Perseus came out to meet it. There, it gloated that 'your puny gods who watch over you will not save you.'" Artemis shrugged, "I felt that I needed to show my power. I killed the monster, with Alexander, Hephaestion, and Perseus assisting me."
Zeus looked right at her, "Who saw this feat?"
Artemis sighed, "Most of the Macedonian army."
"You have disobeyed my orders." Zeus growled, "And installed yourself as the patron of the Macedonian expedition. Very well. If you wish to revel with the offerings they provide, you are hereby banished from Olympus to walk among the Macedonian expedition until its end."
Artemis felt her jaw drop, before she hurriedly closed her mouth. 'Banished?' she couldn't even comprehend it. She had expected to be at worst refused to
Poseidon had already leapt to her defense, along with Athena.
"Father, you cannot banish her, there must be a vote!"
"Brother, be reasonable, do not think that you can call for a banishment under your own guidelines…" Poseidon and Athena bickered with Zeus, with Hera joining Zeus's side. Artemis scowled at Hera, before turning to Apollo, who had also turned to her, his face showing his amazement.
"Artemis…" Apollo started, who she heard over the arguments going on around the room, as the rest of the Gods all began conferring with one another.
She raised a hand, "It is fine Apollo…" She didn't get to finish as the argument at Zeus's throne ended.
"QUIET!" Zeus shouted, shouldering past Poseidon, who looked ready to skewer Zeus with his trident.
"It is a vote, to banish Artemis to the Macedonian expedition until it is completed. There, she will learn to follow orders." Zeus thundered, daring Poseidon to challenge him. Which very well might have happened. But she could not stand by and watch war descend amongst the Gods.
"Poseidon, it is okay, let Zeus carry this out. I do not mind to putting this to a vote." She glanced across the Council. She was confident that she could carry six votes to keep her on Olympus.
Poseidon looked at her, with deep green eyes and a wild black beard that hid his expression, but he seemed to reluctantly agree.
Zeus smiled down at her, and she glared back, "All in favor of Artemis's banishment?" Zeus called, sweeping his vision across the room. Hera, Aphrodite, Ares, and Dionysus, along with Zeus, raised their hands. She widened her eyes, finding all of them to be wearing some sort of distasteful expressions towards her. She swallowed. Five votes. Possible to overcome, but more than she had thought she would receive.
"All in dissent?" Zeus asked, glaring at who he thought would side with her.
Artemis looked around. Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, and Demeter raised their hands. She blinked, looking to the other two who had not. Both Hermes and Hephaestus had not raised their hands, nor looked in her general direction.
She was numb, and all noise that came to her was a distorted into indecipherable static. 'Banishment.' She caught Athena's eye, seeing her horror and normally calm demeanor in an exponentially increasing state of disarray. There was a blue flash to her right, and then the world turned to darkness.
Artemis felt that her hunters had grown used to the stories she had been telling for the whole morning, as they were silent when she had finished telling them of her banishment.
"We never knew." Zoe mused quietly.
"You were not supposed to know," Artemis bit back. She was standing unlike her hunters. She had sheathed his sword, and now paced lightly before all her hunters.
"I know much of this is new to all of you, and I can't change that, I am only trying to rectify my…" Artemis rambled, her hands twitching as she thought of all the things she had kept from her closest family for far too long. Her distress was likely evident, as her hunters rushed to comfort her.
"My Lady!" Elizabeth cried, jumping to her feet, "You don't have to keep doing this to yourself. If this causes you so much pain, we will stand behind you."
Artemis stopped, her runaway thoughts, "I cannot, I have to do this." She said resolutely, shaking her head of any thoughts of doubt.
"But my Lady…" Victoria began.
Artemis snapped.
"I CAN'T EVEN SAY HIS NAME." She yelled, up to the clouds, her back turned to her hunters.
There was a dead silence, punctured by the whine of a wolf, outside the camp perimeter. Artemis sighed, dropping her shoulders, "I can't even say it, because I know I won't be able to hold myself together. I must move on, and telling this story will help me heal."
"Then we are with you." Her lieutenant's voice drifted over to her, and when Artemis turned, she saw Zoe, standing up front, only a couple of meters away, behind her, the entire hunt was gathered around her, all looking at her unwaveringly. All loyal, and understanding. "We are with you, now and always. No matter what happened in the past." There was a chorus of agreements, and Angelina piped above the rest, "Boys are still as disgusting as always, but Perseus sounds different!"
They all crowded forward, and Artemis soon found herself in a massive group hug. She laughed lightly, her arms wrapped around two of her girls, one of whom was Zoe. Only her Lieutenant and Phoebe were tall like her in her adult mortal form. The rest were young and shorter, all coming up to her shoulders at most.
She paused, before closing her eyes, letting her stress and worry fade away, comforted by the Hunt and her girls.
===================
Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
...
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