The Hunt on the Calydonian Boar

Artemis strode out of her tent quickly, her auburn hair billowing in the cold morning air like a cloak. The frozen snow crunched under her feet as she walked between the tents, her Hunters still asleep, though she could feel some starting to wake. As she stopped next to the fire pit, bow on her shoulder and quiver on her back, her yellow eyes drifted to the North, where she could feel, almost smell the scent of their next prey. It was an old monster, she knew it, and it was far away, even though its odor was present in the air like a trail of dirt. The goddess could almost feel it make its way to the north, savage and ferocious. She knew that monster very well: aeons ago, she had been the one who had sent it to destroy the crops of the insolent king Oeneus; it had been killed by two heroes, Atalanta and Meleager, but it had reformed from the malefic magma of Tartarus and was now back.
It felt strange to know she was about to hunt down the monster she had created herself.
But this time, she hadn't sent it.

Artemis crouched down and put a hand on the ground; she could feel everything, every pebble, every grass blade, those roots a couple of meters under her and the tree they belonged to, the foot prints left by the wolves.... But if she concentrated, she could extend her perception to numerous kilometers. She knew exactly what route to take to catch up with the monster, and she knew exactly where it was heading to.

The goddess got back up and slid her silver bow from her shoulder, stroking the superficial rabbets that made it look like antelope antlers. She pinched the string; it was light like a breeze yet extraordinarily resistant, and she felt it vibrate through the air.

Dawn rose slowly, coloring the sky with cold peach and indigo colors as the sun lazily showed a couple of rays. Be quicker about it, Apollo, she thought, then heard the faint ripple of tent silk ruffled aside and turned around to see her Hunters get out of their shelter, some still yawning, some stretching.

"Break camp," she told them. "We're leaving for the state of Washington."

Aria looked around. Sometimes, the part of her that was still seeing herself as the Countess of Monmouth poked through when she heard what she called coarse language.

"I guess we're out for a Hunt, Charlie," she said, the cold wind blowing some of her short black streaks into her face, masking one of her vivid blue eyes.

She had woken up early today, probably five in the morning, but had stayed in her silvery sleeping bag, thinking about the Hunt and her life as a Hunter, then had taken out her pencils and had made a drawing of the inside of the tent, including sleeping Sera.

Then, at around 6 am, she had gotten up, stretched, went through her morning hygiene routine, and put her Hunter clothes on: a pair of white trekking trousers, a gray sweat shirt and the silvery ski parka. She laced her combat boots up, realizing once again how much more comfortable their outfits had become. When she had joined the hunt, they had been roaming the country in white waistcoats, silvery gray riding jackets, knee-long breeches, white stockings and riding boots. She could still feel the white ribbons that held their braids together knock against her back when she ran, bow in hand.

She had stepped out with Sera, and had watched as the others of her sisters-in-arms gradually came out of their tents, looking at Artemis.

The goddess looked radiant, as ever taking the shape of a twelve-years-old, her silvery aura strong around her, and it seemed even the grass blades were shining in her presence.

She looked at them with her moon-yellow eyes.

"We're hunting the Calydonian Boar," she announced. "It is arriving soon in the State of Washington, and we have to hunt it down before it can make considerable damage."

The boar had a special hate for crops, and if they didn't stop it, Demeter would refuse to speak to her for a long time. Not that Artemis was often on Olympus, she came there for the solstices, but Demeter was, with Athena, one of the divinities she appreciated most, and she'd hate to cause strife between the two of them.

Jessica, being the lazy person she is, was still slipping on her Levi's, yawning obnoxiously loud. She smacked her lips a couple of times before almost gagging at the fishy stench coming from her open mouth. She really needed to brush her teeth. After squeezing into her jeans, slipping on a baggy sweater, and grabbing her bow, she stumbled outside, struggling to put her sneakers on. After a few more yawns and eye rubbing, she quietly mumbled, "Caly-whatian?". She wasn't exactly a morning person. She would be, but only if morning started at around noon.

As soon as she saw the goddess, she stood erect. She certainly didn't want to disrespect the goddess in any way, plus she didn't fancy being turned into an animal or getting killed by the goddess herself. "What exactly is this Calydonian Boar, might I ask, Lady Artemis?" She asked, her voice wavering a bit. She was afraid of sounding stupid, which would embarrass her half to death. She made sure that her quiver was appropriately placed on her right shoulder, and her bow was working correctly. This was a very serious hunt, it seemed, and she didn't want anything to go wrong.

OOC: Sorry for the late reply guys xD

BIC:

"Thank you Thalia," Artemis stated.

The goddess looked at her Hunters, all equipped with the hunting outfit: bows, quivers, silver arrows, hunting knives, white, grey and silvery clothes, combat boots and backpacks. She smiled at them, at her sisters-in-arms, and couldn't deny she felt better among them, on Earth, than up there on Mount Olympus. Nearly every time she went there, on the Solstices, it was just to bicker with her immortal family. Here, with her Hunters, she was fulfilling herself.

"Let us go, then," she said, and turned her heels, following the trail that she could smell in the atmosphere. Their wolves and hawks jumped into motion as the Hunters started running, all immortal maidens, their silvery auras casting something like moonlight on their skins.

Aria was jogging with Nymeria next to her, her silvery-white she-wolf leaping with the agility of a ferocious predator. All Aria had was her backpack, which swayed against her back with every step she took -- since her bow and quiver would appear when she needed them, she wasn't carrying them. Again, the time seemed to melt away when they were running, as did the space. Three centuries of hunting alongside Artemis had inhabited her to this phenomena, yet there still were times when she marveled at it again.
She caught up with Jessica, one of the 'newer' Hunters, and smiled at her.

"The Calydonian Boar was sent by the Lady Artemis herself," she briefed her. "See, there had been that king, Oeneus, who had honored every god safe Artemis... As you can imagine, she didn't appreciate it, and sent a huge boar to destroy all the crops. It took a whole group of heroes including Heracles to kill it."

Her breathing steadied as her body inhabited itself to her running. "And now we're off to kill it. Before it makes too much damage," she winked at Jessica.

Light twinkled through the branches of a snow covered forest, sending an effect similar to a disco ball across the forest floor. Wind whistled through the tall evergreen trees, mostly pine but with some spruce....the occasional maple, it's leaves scattered below the six white inches. There wasn't a sound among the forest as Esther slept inside of her tent, dreaming peacefully in a dull sleep. The vivid motion of her thought soothed her as she lay nestled inside of her silver sleeping bag, warm on the inside against the freezing temperature of the outside air. Then she was awaken.

The dark girl opened her deep brown eyes, like an ancient wood and looked around, hearing vices outside her tent among a few flickering shadows. Apparently it was time to rise, although she did not know why yet, but it didn't trouble her. She slipped out of her bed, her fifteen year old skin now immortal and glowing with a radiance like her fellow sisters in the field. She tried to make out some of the voices, and she could hear the goddess of the hunt, her savior speaking. Now Esther knew what was going on, they were breaking camp and moving to hunt.

Quickly, she sprang to life as the energy of the oncoming hunt flowed within her veins as she quickly searched her tent for her silvery hunting clothes, all in a camouflage of whites and grays that helped to blend into the snow. Once her clothing was on and properly in place she sat back down on the floor of the tent. After selecting her combat boots and lacing them up tight across her small feet, the huntress of Artemis stood, looking down on herself proudly. She was happy to have found Artemis after being a slave many years ago, bowing down before the men and never being able to speak her mind. She was still hesitant about speaking now, but she knew that only her sisters would respect her now, and her opinions when it came to her to voice them. The scars on her body, now a faded color on her dark skin reminded her daily of those years of torture behind the whip, day after day in the fields on the plantation, not enough food to go around, clothing that was barely helpful in the weather...

She could remember the night as if it was the one before that she had been found by Zoë Nightshade and the others in the huntresses, and accepted the oath to become immortal like them, unless she fell in combat. Esther didn't have to worry about the swearing off men part, she never wanted to see another man again: they still frightened her deep down. She chuckled a little bit as she put on her backpack and began to take down her shelter, remembering when she had joined all the food she had eaten as fast as she could, almost making herself sick with the sweets and the delicious drinks that were offered to her. It was almost like coming home when she joined the hunt, everyone had smiled.

She could remember when Zoë had died....and Thalia was the new second in command to the immortal goddess. Like the others, Esther had mourned for Zoe but had the delight of seeing her in the stars every night. Like now, she gazed to the sky to see the constellation of her fellow fallen sister, disappearing off one horizon while the sun rose on the other, creating dawn with the approaching day not far behind.

The ex-slave quickly collapsed and folded down her tent into nearly nothing, placing the object inside of her backpack and picking up her bow, which she was very proud of, slid it onto her arm and ran to catch up with the others. She knew them all, they all knew her...it was a family, of all young women that had decided to stay young and pure forever. She looked among the faces her closest one, Aria, but could not set her gaze upon her yet. The dark girl glanced around and saw the wolves run by her side, moving westward with the group, and was sure that the hawks were also following above the trees.

Her feet never missed a step as she ran, the century and so of time having helped her adjust to running throughout the forest, hunting, and becoming more fluent in Greek, and the myths the civilization left behind. She knew now though, that they were no mere myths, but truth that hid in plain sight, aided by the mysterious mist. She then spotted aria, who was speaking with another huntress at the moment, so she did not interrupt but lingered nearby as they ran with the youthful goddess.

She heard aria explain the target: the calyodonian Boar, a vicious beast that had killed heroes and heroines in the past as Esther had been told around the campfire, among the other various stories that were spoken of, both in high and low spirits. Esther's favorite involved stories of past hunts, when Artemis and her smaller group ran and killed beasts, protected the innocent, and turned any man that saw them into a wild animal: which they still did much to Esther's enjoyment.

The wind whistled in her ears as they moved along the forest, everyone chatting among each other, but the attitude was clear to stay focused and ready for the hunt. The dark girl, her black hair braided back in a single ponytail waited for a few more minutes before addressing the fellow huntress. "Hey aria!" She said with a grin, running besides her now as they followed Artemis off to the destination. Esther loved to stay with Aria, they had been friends for a long time now and it was Aria who had helped Esther become adjusted to the new lifestyle of freedom and hunting. Esther looked at her, noticing they were dressed similar, which was not uncommon when you were a huntress. In fact most of the girls wore a similar method of dress: even the goddess that led the pack. "How are you today?" The African-American added as they ran still, the miles gone by countless by now, or whatever distance they had traveled from where they had left camp earlier.

Esther was excited about this hunt, she always loved to hunt with her sisters, and every chance she could she sprung at the chance. Her knife had faded with her bow and quiver, even her backpack had merely faded into the fabric of her clothes as she jogged with the others, adrenaline pulsing in her veins. Her mind raced, thoughts of excitement pushing away the ones if fear as she reached into her pocket and bit into the pink lady apple she had found, indulging herself in the taste of the fruit, it's pink skin noticeable against bother her black skin and the white of her hunting clothes when she sunk her teeth in and tore out a chunk, grinning as she ate the apple. Esther loved the taste of apples, of fruit, of fresh food more than anything. If you could select it right from where it was grown and eat it, it was amazing to the young looking girl.

She soon finished the apple and left only the core, which she dropped upon the ground. A raccoon would eat it, or a bear, or maybe some other animal. Then that animal would be eaten, and so forth: the circle of life. Esther grinned at Aria, and just knew this hunt, like the other ones would be totally epic. She remembered all the hunts they had been on together, whether it was something simple to something colossal like this boar, they had been through tough hunts and easy ones. Esther's now near-perfect accuracy was all thanks to Aria, as was her skills in setting traps and falconry. She sighed a little, wondering if aria was thinking the same thing as she was as they began to move towards Washington; apparently where lady Artemis would allow them to help her hunt the dangerous boar. Esther knew from experiences with pigs and swine long ago, that they could indeed be feisty little brats and the thought of a mad-as-hell giant boar should have scared the skin off her back, but she had learned not to be frightened so easily by such monsters that were soon to be sent back into the never ending put of Tartarus that lay nestled in hell. It was annoying though how the monsters would just come back out again to attack them, lay waste to this modern world, but Esther knew it was just how this thing worked. After all, if there were no more monsters, there would be no more hunt, and that was an apocalyptic thought to Esther as she stuck close to Aria, jumping over a quickly moving stream, full of water from some melted slow along some of it's muddy banks.

Esther grinned as they ran in a synchronized pace, making their way through the forest along with the dozens of others. "Well I was having this dream I just didn't want to end!" She explained with a slight laugh, keeping up with her good friend and sister.

"Other than that I'm doing divine! Well, I never got any hot cocoa this morning, but I'll be alright until we make it to the next camping spot" The dark girl reassured, smirking at Aria as they continued to move with Artemis. She heard her mention the last hunting trip and Esther's mind was instantly filled with the fond memories of that hunt.

After a moment of silence Esther spoke again to Aria, though she faced ahead and smirked as they passed a small group of startled deer: a few does and a fawn. "So...the boar, have you ever hunted it?" She asked her, knowing that the girl opposite her had been a huntress for much longer than Esther, though she always forgot just how long. She smiled and looked over at her before a little rock struck her door, causing her to gasp and trip, tumbling into the dirt and scratching herself up a little; but the wounds healed within a moment.

Esther had been surprised though: by the rock and the tripping, and looked up at Aria and smiled a little "ow..." She chuckled and reached upward for her hand.

The silence was a little unnerving for Esther as she ran with her friend and sister-in-arms, her single braid of black hair flowing behind her, her dark eyes piercing ahead as their combat boots trampled over the ground, yet left not a single mark behind them as they ran with the grace of wild animals. Finally, after a while longer of running and catching up to the others she spoke. "Aria?" She then paused as she felt her body adjusting to the length of the run this was, though she was perfectly adjusted: besides her clumsiness.

"Are you excited?" She asked with a smile, excitement in her youthful face as she reached behind her, her silver backpack materializing out of seemingly no where as she withdrew her water bottle, drinking from it before returning the container back into her bag which faded with ease into the fabric of her sweatshirt. The near two centuries of hunting together had made them close friends, and almost even genuine sisters as well as bonded to Artemis as their patron.

Esther wondered where they were, if they were across the state yet, or even farther as they continued to move towards Washington state. Would they go into Canada? Cross the Mississippi? Over the Rockies? She hoped they would have to break for camp in Montana, she loved the scenery their ever since a hunt she had been on in Yellowstone national park at the border of Montana and Wyoming.

Esther gasped, awestruck by the grand view of such powerful mountains, their massive shapes dominating the horizon as she came to a stop by the river, though she couldn't tear her gaze away from the scenery...well, not until a splash of cold water distracted her. She turned her head, only to get another splash from aria, making the young looking huntress giggle. "Hey!" She smirked, dipping her hand into the cool water, melted snow and ice from the mountains actually, and splashed it at her friend.

Then the sky became darker, and Esther knew it would be raining lightly soon, and perhaps stronger by what she could tell by the cumulonimbus clouds that rose high above the heads of the huntresses. She reache into her pack and grabbed a strip of jerky, chewing into it as she glanced back at Aria. "Are we going to dance in the rain?" She asked with a grin, actually enjoying when it rained down on them. When she was a slave, she had used the rain to bathe her scars and injuries, and it forever remained her friend, even when she was an immortal huntress now.

Esther noticed her friend's bow and quiver appearing and quickly did the same with herself, although the quiver was on her hip, how Esther preferred it. She was nervous because she had no idea why aria had done so, but glanced at Thalia as well after a moment for any idea or suggestion on what to do as the rain began to slowly pick up in it's speed.

The dark skinned girl wished that this was nothing, but more than likely it had to be something in order for Aria to become on edge. She grasped her bow tightly, looking over at the younger huntresses...in case they had any idea.

Esther only had to hear the first letter to know the tone in her friends voice and threw herself from the spot, a mere millisecond before a powerful bolt of lightning struck where she had been. If she was there, she would have been fried and died instantly. Esther stood from the ground, her eyes hard with the oncoming fight as she readied her bow for the enemy.

Upon word from Artemis on what they were, she had her bow on the concentration of clouds which spiraled upon them. The pungent smell of ozone filled the air, and her hair stood on end from the intense electricity as she fired arrow after arrow into the horse and human like figures which attacked the group of young women.

She watched as Aria engaged with one if the horses with her knife and was glad that her friend could take the voltage: being a child of Zeus. However, her grin at the oncoming victory turned to horror as she watched the beast begin to lift into the sit, taking Aria with it.

Esther hasn't time to watch her friend participate in the violent rodeo with the electric horse: she was helping the newest huntresses, and lady Artemis herself hold the other ones and destroy them with the silver arrows of moonlight. She stood her ground, arrow after arrow appearing into her quiver as fast as they were drawn outward and shot from her bow.

Then she heard Aria shout, and knew she had fallen off the horse from experience with her and also with some common sense. She didn't however, expect to hear a splash; which is when the dark girl turned her head and stepped back and out of the line of female archers. She saw the child of Zeus in the river and jumped in after her, not sure if she would be unconscious or bruised up from whatever distance she had fallen into the rushing current.

Esther swam even when her muscles shouted in pain that it was too much, but not for her. Facing slightly upstream she began to swim as hard as she could, ignoring the pulsing exhaustion as adrenaline kept her going.

"What are you doing here?" Esther heard her friend exclaim as she dragged her above the surface of the water. "You know how dangerous it is? Get out now!"

"Not without you!" The dark girl replied as they made their way to shore, crawling up onto the rocky bank made from smoothed stones and pebbles by the rough river channel. I gasped, the cold water affecting my mental thought when I heard her to move. Throwing myself away from where she was I stuck my head back up to see why she had shouted: she had taken a shot for me from one of the smoke angels.

"Thanks" I muttered as I got up onto my feet and had my bow in hand again. Unfortunately, the river had taken us downstream and therefore away from the group as we were slowly surrounded.

Esther sighed and ran after her, firing arrows into the enemy as well until the golden dust showered over the huntresses like a forbidden snow. She glanced around for any more of the electrical beings only to find none, the attack had ended: or at least the first phase. The dark skinned girl ran towards the pack I her sisters in arms, but looked around, making sure an ambush wouldn't happen as she held onto her bow tightly, almost crushing the wood in her grip.

Her clothes were soaked, and the weather cold: it was a bad combination and she knew it. Glancing at Thalia, then Aria, she wondered if they would stop and allow a fire to dry off all those who had gotten wet and cold from the attack and the terrain.

After the fight Esther had been towards the back of the pack when aria came towards her and apologized. She simply nodded, hearing that they now had ten minutes break. Usually she would've enjoyed a break such as this to look around: but she really needed to stand by the flickering fire.

She walked over to the blaze and stood besides the great warmth, holding her hands out to dry them and the sleeves on her sweatshirt and her clothes. Little drops of water fell from her body and into the fire; causing tiny hissing sounds. The wind blew hard at her back, threatening to kill the girl with the fire but she stood her ground, boots clamped into the layers of ice and snow to which she stood in.