Artemis' Apprentice - The End of Olympus - Inspired By Rick Riordan - Book 1 - Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

Selene

Wake up.

The voice echoed through my eardrums, ringing in my skull.

Wake up.

I groaned and got out of bed, rubbing my head tiredly.

They don’t love you.

Shut up, I scolded myself. Get out of my head.

They don't love you.

I gripped my hair and pulled it till my head hurt.

Shut up!

It had been getting harder to ignore it. With every day, it got louder, more persistent, more frustrating.

I first thought it was some kind of depression. One that oddly spoke to you, whispering about what was bad about your life.

You’d probably laugh. I would too. But this isn’t a joke.

With every day, it only got worse. I started to wonder if every twenty-year-old girl had to deal with this.

How treacherous.

Run.

I tried to push the voice away and ignore it.

Run.

It was so strong, I could feel the vibrations of the words echoing in my skull. My head throbbed. Delirious from pain, I leaned against the wall and rang for a dryad.

Lily, a Dryad appeared before me.

“Is everything alright, Lady Selene?” she asked, concerned.

I shook my head.

“Another headache?”

I nodded.

Lily shot me a worried glance before hurrying out of the room to grab a rag.

Run like the moon sets and rises.

The voice was so powerful, I actually ran across the room into the other room in a blur.

I looked back to where I had been, and was suddenly surprised at how I had crossed the room in a millisecond. Sweat beaded along my forehead, and my breathing became ragged.

Lily returned with the rag. She noticed me across the room, my face probably pale and frightened.

“Are you sure you're alright?” Lily asked, “I'm sure there's some ambrosia around here somewhere..”

I am fine.

“I am fine” I was surprised as the words flowed out of my mouth like a stream.

Lily didn’t look sure, but she motioned me back to bed anyways. I climbed back into my bed as she pressed the cool cloth on my forehead.

“Try to get some sleep,” she said with a sympathetic smile, before dissolving into mist.

I closed my eyes and my mind was instantly battered with dreams.

I was standing on a plain, surrounded by trees, perhaps a forest. My father and Artemis were standing across the clearing, staring at me, they face tired and concerned.

In front of me stood a group of three. The tallest one looked male, and had dark brown hair like my father. The girl next to him was blonde and was about an inch shorter. The other girl that flanked his other side had tan skin with long but choppy brown locks.

“Father,” I asked him, “Why can't he see me?”

My father shook his head again, “I can't-”

“You think I'm ugly, don't you?!”

I felt my anger rushing through my body, coursing with the earth. The earth began to quake.

“I don't!” Poseidon pleaded, “I just can't-”

“I'm not listening to you anymore!” I shrieked, feeling if someone was gripping my throat. I walked up and grabbed the boy’s shoulder and whirled him around.

“NO!” my father bellowed.

The boy turned, but the dream switched before I could see his face.

I reappeared by a pool of water, staring at my reflection. Something was definitely wrong.

My eye patch had fallen and was floating in it.

My breathing was hoarse and I looked frightened. As I stared into my reflection, I noticed something was wrong with my eye.

I am one with you.

I looked up to see a shadow looming over me.

You cannot change your fate; Accept it: Embrace it~

The dream switched again and I was on top of a hill. This dream I had more frequently.

A large statue loomed over to one side, and a large tree stood definitely. A golden cloth was wrapped in its branches and it was guarded by a dragon.

I was floating, mid-air, staring over the landscape.

Some kind of camp loomed in front of me, with weapons and cannons loaded. Archers stood their ground, all pointing they’re bows at me. Swordsmen and women had their swords drawn. There were hundreds of teens ranging from twelve all the way to twenty.

Right by me, I noticed the blonde girl from my former dream. She held a dagger, and a look of worry crossed her face with a mixture of horror. The boy and the other girl were nowhere in sight.

My father and Artemis stood next to the blonde girl, both had weapons and stared and me, waiting for me to make a move. My father’s face was stressed and worried, eyes wide and scared. Artemis was emotionless, with her bow raised at me.

“What?” I laughed, but the voice wasn’t mine, “You weren’t expecting this?”

“I was expecting this of you,” my father snarled.

“I can't believe you would do this, Selene,” Artemis hissed, “Working for the betrayer of Olympus? This is not like you.”

“No,” I examined my nail, “it really isn’t.”

I watched as I dove down and grabbed my father, hoisting him into the air.

“Release me!” he bellowed. Arrows zipped past me and cannon balls soared. A huge wave bursted through the ground and charged for my father. Artemis shot her precise arros, and ordered a group of maidens to attack. Her arrow hit me in the side, but I felt no pain.

I gripped the waves lifeforce while dodging arrows, fighting it against my father.

“You can't win,” I hissed, “I will be freed once I have rid you from this world.” My father’s face went as pale as a ghost as the wave began to dissolve away on my command. With an extra boost, I shot up into the sky.

“Selene!” my father roared, “Where are you taking me?!”

“To the sky,” I chuckled, “So I can destroy you forever.”

My father’s eyes went wide with horror.

“You wouldn’t-”

“I would.”

My father stayed silent as we flew higher above the clouds. A few random arrows popped up through the clouds, missing us by miles.

“You're going to destroy me like Uranus,” my father breathed, “You're going to bring me to where I'm weak and then chop me up.”

“Give the man a prize,” I sneered.

My father struggled greatly, and with a burst of water he freed himself and fell through the clouds.

"Not so fast." I dived for him with great speeds. I grabbed him by the collar, and before he could react, I threw him into space.

I woke up, sweating and panting. It was still dark outside, the moon’s light pouring into my window.

Run like the moon sets and rises.

Once again, the voice was so powerful, I ran across the room and almost toppled out the window with blinding speed.

I yelped quietly and hugged the wall for balance.

Why is this happening?

Can you hear them?

They are talking about you.

I felt my wobbly legs standing up. I walked down the hallway and peered into the dryad’s room.

“-something very wrong.”

Lily was speaking. I peered in further to see her talking to a holographic image of Artemis.

“She’s been getting headaches,” Lily confessed, “Horrible, head splitting ones during the night,” Lily rest her head in her lap, “I have tried everything I can, but I do not think this is logical anymore.”

Artemis bowed her head, “Thank you for trying, Lily, but this must be something to do with the prophecy.” Artemis spoke gravely, “The blood moon is three weeks away.”

Lily nodded solemnly. “I am worried for her, my lady. She asks for you're company.”

Artemis frowned, “I am afraid I have to stay with the hunters for a while, but I will return soon.”

“My lady,” Lily bowed her head deeply, ‘Just a question, but why did Poseidon name her Selene?”

Artemis smiled, “Well, Selene and I naturally are good friends. I follow the moon, and we have great conversations. Poseidon thought it would be a great name because I would be her caretaker and because petty humans think the moon pulls the waves.”

Lily snorted, “That last part is dreadful.”

“Indeed”, Artemis mocked, and then turned serious once more, “But I am afraid something will be coming for her. Is the pod almost complete?”

The pod?

“Oh yes,” Lily sighed, “The pod is complete and ready.”

“It can withstand all magic” Artemis pressed.

“Why of course!”

“Do you believe Selene can be contained inside it?”

They’re going to capture you and lock you up.

I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore it, but what it said sounded true.

''You will have no freedom, no right. You must leave now or you will be their Guinea pig forever.''

“I believe so,” Lily said firmly, “It's enchanted and made out of imperial gold. It would take one of the big three to get out.”

“Remember Lily,” Artemis pressed, “This is a last resort if something goes terribly wrong. On the blood moon, I wish for her to be placed inside until it has passed.”

My head screamed as I got up and ran down the hall back to my room.

“Jinx,” I hissed, but the voice was not mine, “Come on.”

Jinx whimpered and got up from his bed. He circled my feet patiently, awaiting an order. I grabbed my weapons, my bow, and my dagger. I loaded my quiver and opened the window.

I felt the cold night breeze wash through my hair like the sea.

“Selene!”

I turned around to see Lily, her face full of shock, “Where are you-”

She was cut off as I jumped from the ledge, falling to the courtyard below. Lily shrieked from somewhere above, and sudden alarms started to blare.

''They have been planning if you escape. They have set this all up so you can lose your freedom.''

I gave into the voice and I scowled and ran.

I had never left my home, but I knew where everyone got in. The gates.

I ran through the courtyard and into the next building. Dryads swarmed after me, pleading me to stop.

Vines grew and wrapped around my feet. I turned to see Ivy using her vines to wrap around my feet. Ivy had been my caretaker, my childhood friend, she had bathed and played with me when I had been young. Now she was trying to stop me.

What I did next was a horror. I grabbed my dagger and my arrow and clashed the metal against each other causing sparks. The vine caught fire and slowly crept up the vine. Ivy screamed as the fire reached her hands and burned the Dryad alive.

I stumbled in shock, and the dryads behind me squealed in horror.

“She killed Ivy!” the nearest one screamed. With the moment of hesitation, I put on a burst of speed and got away from the group of dryads.

I turned another corner and ran down the next hall. I checked quickly, and was thankful to see Jinx still on my tail.

We turned down the next corridor that lead to the gates. The gates were polished metal and was so clear I could see my reflection. The gate was designed to keep everyone except the few people allowed in or out.

I probably wasn’t on that list.

I ran for the gates and tried to wrestle them open with all my strength. I could feel a force pushing me away.

Up.

I looked up to see trees branches, thick and high, holding the building.

Hide in the branches and wait for the gate to be opened.

I climbed up the brick wall on the outside of the gates. I tucked myself into a thicket just as the dryads rounded the corner.

“Selene!” they all shouted, “Come out! Please!”

I wanted to go out and just go back to bed, but it was too late for that. I had seen too much.

My heart suddenly ached and my mind went dizzy.

Ivy.

I remembered her long red hair and her emerald eyes. The way we used to play together when I was little. How she helped me with my hair and picked out my clothes. I remembered how we used to have tea parties in the courtyard.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as my vision went blurry with grief. What have I done?

I was brought back to the present by the sound of grinding metal. I looked to see two people charging from the gate.

My father was running on the left side and Artemis on the other.

‘Where is she?!” my father yelled, “Where is she!?”

The dryads whimpered in alarm and bowed before him, “She vanished, Lord Poseidon!” one whimpered, “And she killed a dryad on the way out!”

A look of concern passed over Artemis’ face, “She wouldn’t do that.”

“She did!” Lily bowed before Artemis, “I watched Ivy crumble to dust!”

My father shook his head, ‘She cannot get out, not now. It is too close to the blood moon.”

Artemis nodded, “We will find her, do not worry.”

My father rubbed his temples tiredly, “I can't have her leaving, not now.”

The gate is open. I peered down and noticed the gate, wide open.

Run while you have a chance.

I didn’t hesitate. I jumped down from my hiding place, right at the exit. The dryads screamed with horror. Artemis shouted something. My father looked back at me.

“Selene!!!!!” I charged out of the gates into the blinding light.