Chapter Text
Thalia POV
I took a breath and let the arrow fly through the air and toward the stag, where it should land right in the heart, killing it instantly. But as the arrow flew straight and true, a second arrow intercepted mine, breaking it.
“The Hades?” I muttered, Why would someone have bothered following me, or shooting down my shot? I'm not even on an actual hunt, I just want some venison for fucks sake.
I turn and look at where the arrow came from, to the right and up a couple of yards. The arrow originated from some jagoff in a dark green cloak, completely obscuring their figure and somehow covering their face completely in shadow. Along with the cloak, they have two celestial bronze daggers, a quiver of arrows on their back, and a quality-looking bow in their hand.
“Oi! Asshole, fuck off!! That was my kill!” I shout at the jabronie who's sitting there on the branch, all smug after stopping me from getting my venison.
In response to my perfectly normal and understandable yells of rage, the stranger drew another arrow and tied a note to it before shooting it at my feet. I quickly bent down to grab the note before looking back to the stranger, or rather, where they were, because they were gone with the wind.
I opened up the note and read what it said, “You are intruding upon lord Cernunno’s domain. Leave, for you have not paid the toll.” Below the text, there is a stamp with one of those swirly Celtic things.
“The Hades?” I mutter. Pay a toll? This is a damned public forest, and I'm not gonna pay a toll to use it, especially a toll for some Jagoff named Cernunnos. Who even is that? Sounds like the name of some god.
“Guess I'll ask Chiron,” I mutter again as I start to head through the forest and back to camp.
As I'm heading back through the forest, I can't shake the feeling I'm being watched, though admittedly I don't feel any danger. As I'm passing by a tree, I hear the whistle of an arrow as it hits the tree.
“You're heading the wrong way, Thalia. I would've thought one of Artemis’s harem would be able to find the way back. You're heading northwest, go northeast,” The note tied to the arrow said in the same handwriting and the same stamp.
The fuck? How dare he suggest Lady Artemis only has us hunters around as a harem! Also, how does he know my name? As I'm wondering about these things, another arrow whistles by and splits the other arrow right down the middle.
The note read, “In the forest, I know everything, that's how. Please leave four or more drachma or equivalent coinage at the base of the largest tree in the forest. You will know it when you see it.”
“Crikey,” I mutter, sounding Australian for some gods forsaken reason, “Why in Hades' name should I pay the toll?” This time, I didn't get a response.
Two hours later at Camp Half-Blood Longhouse
“Yo Chiron, can I ask you a question?” I asked Chiron as I walked up the steps of the Longhouse, the old steps creaking as I stepped up them.
“Hm? What is it, Thalia?” Chiron responded, wheeling around to face me
“Have you heard of someone named Cernunnos?” I asked while sitting down at the table
“Ah, hmm. I think I remember a Celtic deity by that name. From what I remember, he was one of the few Gaulish deities not to be assimilated into the Olympian pantheon. Unfortunately, I can't help you past that. Maybe try Lady Artemis?” Chiron responds, giving me his sagely explanation of that jagoff in the woods. “May I ask why?”
I pulled the notes out of my pocket and uncrumpled them before I showed them to them, “Some jabronie, dressed in a green cloak that hid their face, in the woods sent them to me via arrows.”
“I see…well, that is interesting. Did you pay the toll?”
“Yeah, was that a mistake?”
“No, I believe it was the right move to make, especially if this figure truly is a servant of this Cernunnos. I do not think it would be wise to offend an unknown deity.” Chiron said as he wheeled away from the table we were sitting at, “I wish I could help you more, but I have other matters to attend to. I do encourage you to ask Lady Artemis.”
“Well, thanks, Chiron, I'll see you later,” I say as I get up from the table and start walking to the Artemis cabin.
The smell of ozone and the heavily overcast sky pretty much guaranteed rain, which definitely explains the lack of people out and about doing activities. I see Annabeth jog up to me from the arts and crafts building. Annabeth ended up joining the Hunters of Artemis after Father dearest , Annabeth's mom, and Areas all teamed up to get Percy branded a traitor for some bullshit about working with Tartarus, and they managed to get Annabeth to swear on the Styx to break up with Percy and never get back with him.
“Oh, hey, Thalia, you're back. How was the hunt?” Annabeth said as she wrapped me in a quick hug
I gave her a quick squeeze before responding, “It went terribly, didn't even land a single shot.”
“What? Why, you're an amazing shot! Did something happen?”
“Yeah, something happened all right. I would've hit my shot, but some jackass serving some Celtic god shot my arrow down and shook me down for four fucking drachma.”
“Oh, that sucks. What was the name of the god? I took a course on other pantheons at New Rome before…well, you know.” Annabeth said, doing her best to avoid mentioning Percy
“ Pretty sure it was Cernunnos, or something like that,” I say as I squeeze her shoulder to give her some comfort
“Cernunnos? Sorry, don't remember anything. Lady Artemis might know more.”
“Yeah, I was on my way to go talk to her. Thanks for trying to help, I'll catch ya later, Annabeth.” I say as I give her a quick hug before I continue my walk to the Artemis cabin
“Bye, Thal’s, see you at the bonfire,” Annabeth says as she returns my hug before she heads back to the arts and crafts.
I finally get to the cabin and quickly shut the door so the rain that started doesn't get in. Just my luck that as soon as I was walking back to the cabin, it would start raining. Fuck you, dad.
I quickly approach Lady Artemis. “Uh, Lady Artemis, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”
“Hm? Yes, what is it?” Lady Artemis responds, looking up from the bow she was re-threading.
“Well, uh, I was wondering if you know of a god named Cernunnos? Chiron said he’s a Celtic god.”
“Cernunnos? Hm, I believe that was the name for a major Gaulish deity. Perhaps the god of…fertility. I also think he shared a domain with Lord Hades. Why are you asking?” Artemis says as she puts down the bow she was re-threading
I grab the notes from my pocket and give them to her, “I ran into some figure in the woods claiming to be a servant of Cernunnos and demanding a toll. Fucking prick”
Lady Artemis sighs at my cursing. She's always claimed I cuss too much. I disagree, I think I don't cuss enough. “ A servant of Cernunnos? What did they look like?”
“Uh, sure. They were dressed in a large green cloak, completely obscuring their figure and covering their face, save for their green eyes, in shadow. They had a high-quality-looking bow and quiver. They also had two bronze daggers.”
“I see, did you feel like they posed some sort of threat to you, or other hunters?”
“No, they seemed to care more about getting me out of that section of the forest and shaking me down for cash than hurting me.”
“I see… well, I suppose we shall just endeavor to avoid that section of the forest until we reach an accord. Was there anything else, Thalia?”
“No ma’am,” I respond.