Artemis drew back her shalt and tracked the dog hybrid. She made quick adjustment for its speed. 'To the Huntress: the spoils, Anahita.' Artemis grimly thought, before loosing her bowstring.
...
Other skirmishers had hurriedly cast stones and arrows at the approaching terror, but Artemis's bolt struck true, hitting the hybrid monster in the left-wing joint. The effect was devastating; the beast let out a shrilling scream, before being silenced, at it hit the shallow water at breakneck speeds. Without a functioning wing, it had crashed headfirst into the rocky bottom of the river. It did not re-surface.
The sight of their leader crashing into the water did not stop the rest of the pack though, and they screamed a challenge in turn. Some continued towards the Macedonian ranks, but some trailing hybrid monsters peeled off from the water, circling high into the air, searching.
Nocking another arrow, Artemis sighted another monster that was screaming towards the Macedonian men, who were now fully aware of the threat they faced. Some had levied their spears against the approaching threat, but Artemis fired another arrow at the nearest monster, wounding the beast in its shoulder, but she was forced to watch the first clash, unable to reload in time.
Her second arrow delayed the closest beast, but it shook off the wound, and plunged downwards into a section of the Macedonian phalanx.
The men were ill-prepared, and the ravenous beast took full advantage. Artemis watched in fascination as the beast slaughtered dozens of men in seconds, as it nimbly sliced through the air with the grace of a hummingbird. It had already veered off when Artemis had another arrow on the string, a screaming Macedonian soldier pierced in its forward talons. The beast released its clutch on the man, dropping him onto a bed of razor sharp rocks.
Artemis grimly targeted the beast in her sights, luckily not hearing the man's screams as he smashed into the river cliffside. She snapped off her shot, her bow sending familiar vibrations up her arm as the arrow leaped towards her target. She didn't have time to see if it hit her mark, as there was a loud splashing near her, with an accompanying scream of rage. Artemis whirled around, nocking another arrow as she did so.
The sight of the downed Bird-dog hybrid, snarling as it leaped towards her, flared in her vision. Out of sheer instinct, Artemis dove to the side, dropping her bow and arrow onto the pebbled shore. A rush of air above her sent a cold spray of river water down her back, as Artemis felt the barest nick of talons flashing down by the back of her neck.
Artemis gulped for breath, as her mouth dried up, parched of moisture. She immediately scrambled to her feet, facing the beast that she had narrowly escaped death from. As she did so, there was a large amount of red hairs blowing away in the breeze, all long strands that looked like spider's silk being carried away in the wind.
Oh, this beast was dead.
It was the same leader she had shot down; its left wing being crumpled up against its body in an awkward fashion. Yet, the beast, as it snarled at her, stalking around her like a wolf, stood as tall as her at its shoulders. The tense moment as Artemis planted her legs into the pebbled shore, her hands itching towards her sheathed hunting knives at every move the hybrid beast made.
All around the dueling pair, Artemis dimly saw ore of the beasts circling in the sky, with the young Captain leading her archers in driving the beasts off. But she paid the battle no heed, as she stared her prize down.
It really was furious with her. Its legs flexed, arcing its talons deep into the riverside stones. A long-feathered tail swished back and forth, as it paced a body-length away from her.
"Come now Anahita, offer me a challenge." Artemis spat, drawing her hunting knives, pointing one knife held in her right hand towards her prey. She laid her other knife arm across the top of her right arm, holding the gleaming blade in an icepick grip across her body.
The Dog-Bird hybrid snarled, and leaped over at her, gracefully lunging through the air. She ducked the quick swipe of one of its paws, rolling forwards down the beast's side. Coming out of the roll, Artemis stabbed towards the beasts back leg, the bronze knife biting into bone. Just above the knee The beast squawked awkwardly, and Artemis flicked her wrist, dragging her blade through muscles and tendons, causing a spurt of blood dark blood to splatter on her arms and face.
The beast stumbled, as it's right back leg faltered. It tried to turn, but its broken wings hampered it. Artemis punished the movement, running forward, giving the wound a flat-footed kick with both of her feet. There was a sickening crunch, followed by a SNAP, as the beast's leg bone broke cleanly. It collapsed, and Artemis quickly vaulted to her feet, since the kick had put her back onto the pebbled shore.
The beast immediately made an halfhearted lunge towards her, but its broken leg cut off the movement, and the beast fell forwards, it's head hitting the rocky shore. Artemis calmly walked forward, bringing her icepick gripped hunting knife in an arcing stab down on the beast's head.
The knife slammed into the beast's skull, buried to the hilt in it's right ear. It shuddered once, a ripple of muscle straining under its short fur, before stilling in a lifeless heap before her feet. "Such savagery," Artemis wrinkled her nose at the smell of the animal, defecating as it died, and she wiped the blade from blood on the hybrid's tannish brown fur.
The rush of the battle around her flooded back into her ears: The screaming cries of the beasts were growing ever fainter. Artemis looked up into the sky to see a half dozen of the beasts flapping their wings, flying far away over the ocean. But there was a great cost: the riverbed was littered with both the carcasses of the beasts and the dozens more men who had been tore, bitten, and crushed by the hybrid monsters.
The phalanx units in the center had been completely shattered of their formations, and the only units who were still fighting were the men who had crossed the river, and their formations were barely holding. The plumed helmet of Kleitos rallied the center, in the middle of the fight, but he needed assistance, and fast.
Right before she was about to sprint over to the Macedonian ranks, whom had come undone under the assault of the Winged dogs, Artemis saw a sight that sent a pool of relief flooding into her stomach. There was a rippling in the Persian ranks, as Artemis saw the forms of Perseus and Alexander fall upon the Persian center from the rear, crashing down upon the massed Persian infantry with the entirety of the Companion cavalry.
She, like the other Macedonians, raised her weapon in triumph.
Artemis pushed open the double doors with ease, the aura of magical energies wreathing themselves around her form as she walked into the throne room.
Surrounding the dais, was Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, with a mediating Hestia standing as the voice of reason among the elder Gods.
"Your son has caused such a disturbance! Monster agitated across the country, Gods vying to steal my weapon of power! And now, he sends us the severed head of Medusa!?"
"Watch yourself brother," Poseidon snarled, his voice crashing against the domed roof of the temple like an ocean wave, "My son is merely a boy, and any harm that you do to him, I will unleash on you threefold!"
"You are in no position to make threats Zeus, nor do you get to act like such the defender, Poseidon. I know you have stolen my Helm. Poseidon's Trident remains his, but I can only imagine that won't be so for much longer!" Hades cut across Zeus, the shadows that darkened the hall intensifying, coiling about, ready to be unleashed.
"Little brothers, we have a visitor." Hestia's voice soothed over the three elders Gods, with a power that Artemis wished that she never had to see Hestia use.
"Apologies for not attending the Council meeting. I was preoccupied; My hunt is currently tracking the Lightning Thief…" Artemis raised a hand, signaling to Hades, "And I ordered them to question the demigod about the Helm once he has been captured."
"It is good to see you as well, Aunt Hestia. It has been too long." Artemis smiled at the Eldest of the Children of Kronos. Hestia smiled back at her, her warm gaze reflected in the glowing embered toga that she wore.
"Daughter, you were not invited to this meeting." Zeus seethed quietly, "There will be another council held on the matter…
"I am not here for this meeting, I am here to speak with Poseidon." Artemis calmly replied. Ironically enough, she had less to fear from Zeus now, as his lightning bolt was gone. She wasn't rash enough to think that she could hope to win against her father in a contest of might or skill, but she held considerable advantage that she could speak freely.
"I have not concluded business, now…" Zeus snarled, narrowing his eyes at Artemis, his trimmed beard crackling with electricity.
"I think this meeting is over." Poseidon spoke, the butt of his trident thudding onto the marble ground. It shimmered with a golden light, as if it was being seen from underwater. Although Hestia had a deep power and sense of love that Artemis could sense, Poseidon's aura was much more mysterious. Like the sea itself, Poseidon's aura had a deepness to it that made Artemis only to wonder at the power that Poseidon held.
...
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