"L-lady Artemis, what an absolute honor to be able to meet you right now. I hope my mortal presence doesn't bother you..." Nathan's lone voice rang out amid the chitter chatter of a cafe. He remembered this place. It was very expensive the last time he had visited... it was back when his dad had been still alive though... also, it was on the other side of the city from his home.
"You recognize me? It's surprising to find a mortal like you."
"Of course, I recognize you. I would be an idiot to not know about the Goddess of the Hunt as a Hunter myself."
Nathan was sweating bullets as the goddess of the Hunt stared him down with a strange glint in her eyes. He looked around again. On the far wall, a bicycle was hung onto the wall. On both sides, the words 'F' and 'D' were hung; combined with the two wheels of the bicycle, they made the word 'food.'
They were sitting on the second floor, and the place was jam packed with people. Light filtered through the glass walls and the interior was designed beautifully.
Her Hunters were nowhere to be seen, but he was sure they were... somewhere. They would surely appear out of nowhere and turn him into a porcupine if he 'insulted' the goddess in any shape or form.
Nathan gulped again. He did not realize when he had appeared here with the goddess. One moment, he was in the alley, preparing to either run away or prostrate before the goddess, and in the next he was here... in this nice cafe with a goddess.
"You don't seem very thrilled about it." Artemis' voice rang into his ears, making him sweat even more. He shook his head with a composed expression.
"S-surely you're kidding, Lady Artemis. Your company is e-ever appreciated, especially for a mortal like myself." Evidently, Nathan wasn't very good at hiding his panic.
Artemis smiled softly at him and looked around. At this point, Nathan had a different, a more profound, realization.
Right now, he was sitting with someone who looked 11. He was 18.
I swear she's older than she looks. Nathan looked around but was grateful that no one seemed to be paying them any attention.
"Do you not like this place?" Artemis asked. "I visited here when it was just starting out. It was established by a woman. Went by the name Patricia. She made some good mortal beverages. I figured that's the only thing you'd be able to drink without bursting into flames or liquidating your organs."
"It's not that I don't like the place... it's just... nevermind." Nathan replied. "But... um, do I take it that you're not here to turn me into an animal?"
Artemis raised a brow.
"Why would I do that?"
"...No reason."
The goddess sighed and picked up the cup in front of her. It had a golden liquid that smelled tantalizing beyond belief, but Nathan knew that had to be either ambrosia or nectar, the drinks of the Gods. He could not drink them... well, he could, but that would, as Artemis said, liquify his organs or make him spontaneously combust in flames.
"I will admit, my reputation among males is not the best." Artemis said with a proud grin. "It is something I take pride in. Males are fickle beings. Too easily coaxed, too easily changed, too prideful and lustful. They cannot be trusted, but that does not mean I particularly hate them. Severe disdain? Sure. Hate... Not really."
Why the long pause?
Nathan didn't buy one bit of that bullshit, but he nodded along in understanding.
"So, Lady Artemis, if I may be permitted to ask... what is it that you needed from me?"
Artemis let out a snort.
"Need? I need something, from a male?"
"... I misspoke, I humbly ask for forgiveness." Nathan said with a bow.
Artemis nodded and continued.
"To answer your question, Nathan Hill, I have gotten news that you, a mortal, and a man at that managed to slay a Catoblepas."
His eyes widened, realizing what this was. But the next words broke him completely.
"It was strange hearing of it. A man who was apparently pelted with monkey feces slew one of the remnants of the old world."
"W-What?! What was that about monkeys?!" Nathan instantly stiffened, his eyes shooting wide in surprise. His looked at the goddess before him, hoping to have misheard. Artemis repeated with a slight furrow in her brows, and hearing the same words again made Nathan take in a deep breath.
Huuuu-
Yep.... my reputation is ruined. His lips stretched into a thin smile, realizing that the dryads that had been with the monkeys had spread his... tales far and wide.
The goddess stared at him strangely before shaking her head, "I don't see any reason to be depressed about it. Herakles got the task to clean the Augean Stables did he not?"
"He was tasked with cleaning them. And then cleaned the stables using a river... I don't hear him ever having been hit with monkey feces."
"...Fair enough."
Nathan gritted his teeth. A single monkey is all it takes... I swear to God, I will hunt down every single one of you.
"Moving on." Artemis said in a stern voice. Her tone made a chill run down Nathan's spine as he instinctively sat up straight.
"While hearing of a man in the present time slaying a monster like the Catoblepas was surprising enough, I also caught wind that he was apparently chased by an Uktena and then fell into the Labyrinth only to get out alive. It is a feat worthy of investigation at the very least."
Realization dawned on him. He had initially assumed that Artemis had sought him out to jump him with her Hunters because he...ahem! chased her Ceryneian Hind with a bow and arrow for some time.
But apparently, that wasn't the case. And indeed, it would be somewhat weird if it was so. Herakles too had chased the deer, and for a whole year no less but only when he caught the deer did Artemis appear.
At least he wasn't about to be turned into a deer and hunted down just because he was a man anymore...
"By investigation, do you only mean to refer yourself or... the other Olympians as well?"
Artemis chuckled and took another sip from her cup.
Then, she stared into his eyes and said, "I have a proposition for you, Nathan Hill."
Nathan gulped down a mouthful of saliva. Only now did he notice that there was a coffee cup before him as well. It was still steaming.
"Proposition?"
"An offer, in a simpler sense."
"Like... I can refuse?"
Artemis smiled at him, and just then, Nathan suddenly felt that he was being stalked on by all sides by hundreds of eyes. Gosseflesh flared across his skin but he didn't back down.
"If you please."
"What's the offer?"
"Join the Hunt. Proper. Become one of my Hunters."
The silence that followed was deafening. Everyone in the cafe seemed to have gone quiet. Even the waiters' steps looked like they had been put on silent. Nathan could acutely hear his own heartbeat, his own blood flow and his own, oh so loud breathing.
He gulped. He was doing that a lot today.
"Become... one of your Hunters? But isn't that a position only for Women?"
Artemis shook her head. "I have had male Hunters before. Orion, Hippolytus, Scamandrius, Daphnis, and some others. It is an exceedingly rare position and not offered to many. You in particular, are too far gone in age, but I will make an exception and revert you to 12 if you desire. Mortals like you in this era are difficult to come by."
The weight of the offer rested on Nathan's mind. He knew of those names - Orion and Hippolytus, but he had never known they were Hunters of Artemis. Orion in particular, he only knew because of Men in Black.
It was surely a tantalizing offer. Immortality, an ever lasting family, being able to farm points to your heart's content.
But in the end, the offer was only tantalizing to a normal man. Nathan was a system bearer. As soon as he started on the road to master the Method, he would already achieve immortality. As for farming points, he was already doing well enough on his own.
But by far, the biggest downside was that Artemis wanted him to revert to 12 year old. Alongside the fact that he would never be allowed to chase romantic love.
Hell no.
Nathan had already made up his mind. But the problem was...
But how do I say that?
He looked at the goddess again, sipping her cup with a serene smile.
He knew the offer was rare, which made rejecting it even more difficult. He risked damaging her pride. And if one understand anything from Greek Myths, it's that gods are infuriatingly easy to ragebait.
"Um..." He said after a whole minute of silence. "I really can refuse... right?"
"You have free will. I don't force people against their will. Unlike a certain group of people."
"Right." Nathan nodded seriously. "Then I would like to refuse."
As soon as he said that, Nathan could swear he heard a bunch of people cursing somewhere in the far distance, some in ancient Greek, some in English and others in a language he could not even make out.
But the goddess before him did not lash out. She simply closed her eyes, took another sip from the cup and set it down.
Them, getting off her chair, she smiled at him and said, "Then, I will not impose anymore. You may also keep your secrets to yourself. But do remember, Nathan Hill, the others gods are not so kind. I may have a reputation that preceds me, but... a certain someone I know does not take kindly to rejections. Keep that in mind."
With that, Nathan suddenly felt his senses scream out at him. His eyes closed instinctively as Artemis' small frame was enveloped in a shower of gold, and as his eyes opened, the goddess was gone.
...
...
A/N: I will try to upload a chapter every 2 days. That will be the normal schedule unless I am very busy.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. I was juggling with a couple of ideas about their encounter but this seemed to be the most logical in my head. Although I do not personally like Artemis, she isn't unreasonable.
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