35 Chapter 35: Ah Shiz, Here We Go Again

[Percy's POV:]

"You couldn't have found a bigger cave? I feel practically buried alive in here!" Artemis merely scoffed away my complaint, truth be told I was surprised we'd even found a cave I could even remotely fit into after my gigantism happened. It had been a while since we had found this place and just in time as well as not moments later Khione unleashed storms even my father would be envious of, seriously I felt like I should've taken notes.

"Have you looked in a mirror or more like a lake recently? You're huge!" Medusa so helpfully observed. Naturally I'm going to make a perfect joke here.

"Don't even think about it wolf boy, I know you better than you think and more than I wish I did" spoke Artemis's hunter for the first time in a while, I really should learn her name.. It really annoys me that so many people know more about a me that isn't me than me.

You're all probably wondering, why is everything so calm? Why is there no murderous tension between hunters and usually hunted? Well my bandaged tail begs to differ…

[Flashback:]

"Why in my uncle's name did you have to choose Alaska of all places! I'm so cold and I feel practically mortal here!" whined Artemis as we walked alongside each other in search of shelter from the lowering temperatures. It was times like this that I was thankful for my dense fur, then again cold never bothered me anyway… If not for my current passengers, I'd have offered Artemis and her hunter a ride atop my back in my warm fur. For now I have to prioritise maintaining this odd truce between monster and monster hunters. Yeah I'm not hopeful for that lasting at all.

Raising my neck a bit higher, nearly passing the trees, I looked at the surrounding terrain. We were currently in a clearing surrounded by trees in all cardinal directions; to our left was the densest, so dense that I would have trouble navigating between the trees so we turned our attention to the right with fewer trees which seemed like the better option. A quick peek onto my back revealed an increasingly shivering Fidi and Medusa, I needed to get them out of this cold and fast.

After roughly 20 minutes of walking we came across what I could only describe as a vertical canyon surrounded by lush flowering vines and moss. It was as if someone had picked up and rotated a canyon onto its side, luckily it still had a roof of sorts that blocked this freezing elements.. My fur would have to warm the rest. Upon approaching the entrance I saw just how.. Sharp the walls were inside, it was as if someone had taken a serrated cheese grater strapped to a chainsaw at it, I had to be careful not to cut myself on the edges.

Medusa was the only one to jump off, she never liked being immobile for long, I guessed it was a fear of being as still as her statues or something, she never did like to talk about herself in anything but a form of praise it concerned me at times. she refused to expose her inner fears and I feel it does her more harm than good.

"I don't know what I was expecting when you said Medusa. But I wasn't expecting Medusa. You can't expect me to sit here and let that monster waltz the lands free!" Stated Artemis' hunter. Looking at said hunter's Goddess, I could already see her itching to ready her bow and let the arrow fly. Which she did, her divine bow was instantly Loaded with an arrow of silver begging to be let free. Shit.

Not even half a second later an arrow was embedded into my tail as I coiled it around the weakened gorgon, if not for the others resting in my fur I'd have turned to bronze to at least offset the inevitable damage though something tells me it'd have made next no difference anyway.

"Ah shiz that hurts.." I groaned in pain, the arrow had embedded itself deep into my tail. Something about it burned at the touch, as if it was trying to corrode me from the inside. I was experienced with pain from spars and the like, but this pain was like no other. It was impossible to ignore to the point I fell from my standing to my side knocking the inhabitants off my back onto the luckily soft moss below.

"Damian!!! Why did you… Artemis! You hateful bitch! Why did you shoot him?!? Imma petrify this dumb-'' shouted Medusa, still wrapped up in my tail. While I was touched she was so fast to defend me, I don't think a statue of Zeus's daughter would do us any good and oddly the prospect of angering Zeus had nothing to do with it.

"I- I didn't mean t-, I was jus-" Medusa's face was aflame with anger and didn't let her finish. I've really got to stop letting them argue amongst each other so much

"Trying to kill me, like all you stupid gods and heroes do when things don't perfectly go your way" yup like I thought here we go again.. Screw that seriously had enough of everyone arguing with me in the background. I growled loudly, shutting them both from squabbling. I was tired of this, first Reyna and Artemis, now Medusa and Artemis. Nope not again. They both looked at me awaiting my next words.

"Firstly, can someone get this damned arrow out of me?!? I feel like it's trying to cauterise the very wound it's making over and over again!" weirdly Artemis chuckled and walked up to me, don't tell me she's gonna.. YEOWW. Yup she just yanked the thing out of me.

"COULD YOU NOT HAVE WARNED ME!" I hope that doesn't scar, did I bring any ointment with me?

"Oh shush you big baby, It's just a habit, you are so accident prone. Usually it's poison Ivy bushes Haha" Oh those bushes suck. Arachne made her way from behind me presumably after checking on the others while ignoring all the drama and simply said she was going out for some firewood. I envy her.

"Ok I know I said I would wait until tomorrow but I need to know what all this is about now" asked the hunter.

"Alright alright, we can do story time once Arae has collected some wood so Med can make us some food.

[Flashback end:]

That all happened about an hour? Ago, we had settled into a comfortable silence after my huge joke had been so rudely interrupted until Arachne had returned and started up a fire. All that was left was food and I knew just the Goddess to help me find some.

"Artemis, would you care to join me for this hunt?" I bowed my head as majestically as I could at her, which made me acutely aware of the fact that my snout was nearly as big as she was. Dam I'm big… Just how big had I grown?

"I- er sure that sounds like a good distraction after all this. Phoebe you stay and protect the 2 demigods from our 'Guests' I'll be back soon" ah so Phoebe is her name.. Also really gotta work on that monster acceptance.

"Fine, but I make no promises that the number of people here will be the same when you return" heh, maybe we should keep this short.

With that Artemis clambered onto my back and I took off into the raging snow storm still unsure just how Arachne walked around here furless.. Then again her coats are peerless when It comes to style, durability and warmth.

"I'll keep a nose out for scents and tracks, you take the high view for any possible habits or frequent areas at this size it'll be a challenge.. Something I welcome" Artemis gave a court nod and moved upwards towards my neck and head sitting on my soft fur. We left in relative silence after that, luckily Artemis broke the ice with a question.

"So.. wanna explain how you grew to the size of a building?" I was thankful to break the silence, but explaining things was really starting to get old.

"I forced myself to grow and kinda become someone else? Some wolf king deity or something. Scared the living crap out of Lamia who at the time was trying to eat Fidi, Medusa's demi-monster? daughter" as expected she gave me no time to think or continue.

"MEDUSA HAS A DAUGHTER?!? WOLF KING? WHAT?" ouch can she shout any louder?

"Yes, the most adorable little baby girl you did see which you will not bring any harm to. I was restricted, practically helpless and when her cheek was injured I just snapped. Brought on a storm I never knew I could in pure cold rage" she sat in silence pondering my words.

"So that was what I felt before.." hmm?

"What do you mean?" I asked her, curiosity peaking.

"Well Phoebe and I didn't come alone, we brought most of the hunt in my chariot. But your outburst caused me to lose the little power I had left and we crashed. They're currently recovering in a cabin where green grass meets white snow" shit I hurt the entire hunt?

"Crap sorry, I literally didn't know I had it in me" we both chuckled a little. This was nice, I felt like this was right, like I was supposed to be by her side. I had a similar feeling when I'm with Reyna, but not as.. Instinctual or ingrained.

"It's alright. Also we aren't gonna find any game with you scaring everything in a 5 mile radius. I think we need to fix this size of yours" oh?

"And how do you suppose I do that? I've tried shrinking like I used to but It aint working" I hope she has a solution to this, being a giant sucks more than you'd think.

"I have a perfect plan" I don't like the sound of that one bit.

[Rachel's POV:]

I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding. Artemis had probably crashed and found Percy sorry Damian by now. I wonder if they figured out the soul situation yet?

A perk or beneficially annoying ability of being a modern day oracle. I know the truths behind every prophecy I give, Or well several versions of it. More like hundreds I suppose. You didn't think those green gas induced fits were just for effect did you? Not just my brain wishing it were dead from overload.

Still I didn't know everything, that was Apollo's job he's always failing at. No, I just see the most likely possibilities.

Now for the annoying part. I can't say a thing about it, all I can do is read the script Delphi's spirit sends my way. Even If I could, the more they know the less or more would come true for better or worse I wouldn't know. not to mention every new prophecy could change the meaning of the last. It was a really weird system to say the least.

"I am so bored!" I said to no one in particular, camp had no one I cared to interact with aka Leo and Jason. So I spent most of my time in my cave bedroom or at my 'art' to replace what was stolen. Again. A girl has her needs ok.

Hmm I guess I'll steal a march on the mother in law then. Gotta win his favour somehow and what better way than to butter up his mother?