"Hunters of Artemis"

Hello. My name is Kathrine. I am about a hundred and sixty years old…and still fourteen years old at the same time. Now, I’ll tell the abbreviated version of what happened to me.

I woke up, my vision fuzzy, all the nerves in my body like marshmallows. Light was shinning on me, but it wasn’t sunlight. It was moonlight. I rolled over and gazed at the smudged scenery around me. above me, the crescent moon made everything stand out, the tall pine trees, the clouds in the clear night sky, the stars shinning, showing many constellations. Then, I sat up. All I saw was bushes around me, grass under me, and a squirrel climbing a tree. Oh, and there was a girl sitting in front of me. I gasped as I backed away against a tree. She did not look like a formal woman-she wore tight pants, with a fur jacket. She had a bow in her hand, and a quiver slung around her back, with feathers braided in her hair.

“W-Who are you?” I stuttered “H-How did I get h-here?”

“Calm down child,” she soothed “I am Chole. I am here to help you.”

“Where’s my father?” I pleaded, looking around. No one was anywhere to be seen.

“I am sorry dear child…but he is dead. As is anyone who was with you. Your carriage flipped over, and no one inside survived.” I stared at her, breath hitched in my throat as it all came back to me. I had been traveling to Boston with my father for a trip to where he met my mother. My mother had died giving birth to me, and my father made an annual trip to see the place, but never took me. We lived in a nice Southern city. Most of us were wealthy there, allowing us luxury. “I can offer you something,” she said, “A way to still be free to yourself, and not become betrothed in the future because you have no father.”

“And what is that?” I sniffled. I hadn’t noticed tears were running down my face, onto my curled hair and beautiful green dress.

“You could join me-join the Hunters. We are maidens who pledge themselves to the goddess Artemis and become immortal. You will never age, you will join the Hunt and reject love.”

“Who is Artemis?” I asked.

“You should come see for yourself.” She said, standing up. Then, she offered me her hand, and I took it. She walked me through the woods, and I came across a camp. It was bunches of tents clustered together, fires in the center of each circle, all surrounding a central fire. Women were socializing amongst themselves or walking around to other tents. As Chole guided me through, women would stare at me with a hopeful glint in their eyes. We entered one of the central tents, and I saw a woman, about twenty years old, sitting down and talking to another woman. She was wearing a knee length dress, unlike the others, her dark brown hair pulled into a waist-length braid, a bow in her hand, a quiver on her back. she looked at me, and her eyes were grey, glowing almost. They seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“Her name is Kathrine. Her father has died in a carriage crash.” Chloe said. The woman nodded, standing up.

“Hello Kathrine,” she smiled “I am Artemis.” I curtsied. “So, you don’t want to be sold off to some man?”

“Yes ma’am.” I said.

“Well, you are in luck. If you choose to except, that is. You can become one of my loyal Hunters. You will be immortal, never aging, as long as you reject love of any man and pledge yourself to me.”

“What happens if I fall in love?” I stuttered. Her face became sad.

“I will sadly be forced to curse you somehow. Usually, I’m not hard on my Hunters’ curses for those who betrayed me. It depends on how bad your treachery is.” I nodded.

“I would like to join the Hunt. I want to be your loyal Hunter.” I said. She smiled widely.

“Welcome young Huntress.”

After that, I spent the next century and about sixty years hunting at Artemis’s side. I grew close to my fellow maidens, hunting monsters and creatures who threatened the mortals. Artemis’s word was true: I have not aged at all. I still resemble a fourteen-year-old girl. I have witnessed my sisters in arms perish at the hand of battle and grieved for them. I have never forgotten them, nor has Artemis. Chole has been my friend for the longest time, we would hunt together, fight together, do almost everything together. This all changed however, when Chole and I were assigned to scout out Atlanta Georgia, looking for any monsters. We first began searching the giant aquarium, looking for any signs of supernatural beings. However, we found a boy instead.

“Hello young ladies,” he smiled.

“Hello,” Chloe said kindly, “We were wondering if we could see some of the off-limit’s exhibits.” Monsters loved to hide where people couldn’t see them when Hunters were around.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed.” He said. Then, I reached into my quiver, and pulled out an arrow, glowing with the moonlight magic of Artemis. Usually, most mortals saw some dilapidated version of godly magic. However, he seemed to see exactly what it was. Some mortals could see if their eyes were specially trained. He seemed to be one of them.

“Let us in,” I commanded. The power of Artemis’s moonlight allowed us to get what we needed.

“O-Of course,” he stuttered, leading us behind a piranha exhibit. Almost all the lights were off, as no one was working. I looked around, an arrow drawn in my bow. I walked silently with Chole. My arrow began to glow brighter, alerting us that there was supernatural activity. Then, I saw it. it was woman with long snake hair and wrinkly green skin. A gorgon.

“Ah, new Huntresses. How lovely…” she hissed like a snake.

“Sorry, but we’re not here to stay,” I smiled. Then, I released my arrow, and it sailed straight into the gorgon’s arm. She hissed in pain as I ran over, tackling her to the ground, making sure not to look into

her eye. You never knew which ones had that power. Per usual, I took on most of the fighting while Chloe prepared our weapon to kill them fully and capture them as champion prizes. She pulled out a heart shaped locket. It was silver strands all intertwining around the symbol of the moon in the center. Then, she threw it at me, and I thrust it into the gorgon’s forehead. She howled in pain but dematerialized into the locket. I got off the ground and walked over to Chole.

“Alright, one exhibit down, tons more to go.”

“Well, we also have to calm this special mortal over here,” she rolled her eyes as the boy tried to run. Little did he know, Hunters of Artemis were much stronger and faster than normal humans. I chased him down quickly without breaking a sweat, pulling out the moonlit arrow.

“You won’t remember anything about us visiting,”

“I won’t remember anything, about you visiting,” he said as his eyes glazed over, as if in a daze.

“Good.” I said putting the arrow back into place. All the exhibits were cleared of monsters by the time we decided to head back to camp. Once there, the dinner chime rang, and we dodged wolves, deer, and all kinds of other wildlife. We were fed rabbits from the days catch and were preyed upon by begging animals sitting next to us. There was always enough food, for Artemis created it with magic. Then, that night we all slept under the stars or in tents, as some kept watch.

That night, I woke to a nightmare. I calmed down quickly, but that calmness was replaced by concern. Chloe was gone, her sleeping bag left unzipped, her bow and quiver nowhere to be seen. I grabbed my own bow, jacket, and her heart shaped locket, and moved silently through the woods. When I came upon her hiding place, I saw something unspeakable. On the docks of the city, she was talking to a man, as he held her hand and smiled. He had light blonde hair, with grey eyes and pale skin-at least in the moonlight. He was the same boy from the aquarium. Instead of pouncing on her right then, I waited in the edge of the forest. After an hour, she came creeping by. I stood up, and she drew her bow.

“Relax.” I commanded. Her face shown with fear as she stared at me.

“You can’t tell anyone! I can’t be cursed!” she whispered.

“And I know that.” I said, “Which is why you’re not going to see that boy.”

“No…” she said.

“It’s either that, or you become cursed. And you know how bad they are.” It was true. Over the centuries, only three Hunters had been cursed, but that was enough for a lifetime.

“But-I love him!”

“You’re going to have to let him go!” I said “If I had to choose, I would save you over that random boy! Which is what I’m doing now. You won’t go to him. Ever again.” She nodded as we snuck back into camp past the night watch.

Sadly, she did not follow my advice. The next night, she went to go see him every night. All my days became filled with anxiety and worry for one day she would be caught. I dreaded that day. It all came

crashing down two weeks later, when Hunters and I were tasked to go kill a nearing cyclops in the area. It was right near Chloe’s meeting spot.

“I think he might be more to the right,” I suggested, guiding them with my arrow. However, it dimmed as I traveled away.

“No. it is here.” Said Julia. Nervousness began pumping through me as I grabbed one of my arrows. Then, I pretended to trip, sending the arrow flying towards Chloe, attempting to warn her. The Hunters came upon her and gasped. She stood up immediately, fear in her eyes.

“It isn’t what It looks like,” she said.

“I think that’s exactly it,” snarled another Hunter, Elizabeth. She grabbed her by the arm, and we escorted her back to camp. In her ear I whispered,

“I’m sorry. I tried to lead them astray, but the cyclops was too near you.”

“I know you wouldn’t betray me. it is okay.” When we arrived at camp, Artemis and the rest of the Hunters stared at her, as she hung her head in shame.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Artemis asked.

“I am sorry I betrayed you Your Ladyship. I will accept my curse without struggle.” Artemis looked close to tears. Then, her eyes turned to me.

“You knew this was happening.” her moonlight eyes pierced straight through my thoughts. I hung my head.

“I attempted to stop her Your Ladyship. I did not want to see her cursed.”

“I see,” she said, and we waited in silence for the longest time “As punishment for both of you, Kathrine will kill you, Chloe, in front of the entire Hunt.” My eyes shot open.

“B-But I c-can’t!” I exclaimed, my bow shaking in my hands.

“You must. Right after Chloe here kills her love.” Chloe bowed her head and grabbed an arrow of moonlight. Tears running down her face, she shot it into the distance, wishing it to aim for his heart.

“Good.” Artemis said. “Your turn Kathrine.” Shakily, I hoisted an arrow in my bow. I aimed for her heart, hoping for her to have a painless death as tears streamed down my face. I closed my eyes. My fingers unwillingly released the arrow.