thalia. (childofzeus) wrote in valloic, @ 2022-11-06 15:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, ₴ inactive: thalia grace |
Thalia was sixteen when she joined Artemis. She’d been newly resurrected from her life as a tree, she’d found out her mother was gone, and Luke’s betrayal had broken her heart. At that point in her life, Thalia knew it was the right choice. Joining Artemis and the other Hunters had given Thalia family, stability, and a safety she hadn’t known in years. At the time, it had meant everything to her. But that was nearly eight years ago now. And she’d been separated from them for four. It just…wasn’t who she was anymore. Thalia was certain she would always care about Artemis, but she’d changed too much to still consider herself a Hunter. She’d been away from Artemis as long as she’d been with her, and Thalia knew she had reached the point where she wanted to let go.
As the clock ticked closer to midnight, she put her feet on the ground and stood up. Snoopy opened one eye to stare at her, but quickly went back to snoozing. She gave all three of them a small smile, then headed for the front door.
Heading into the forest at night wasn’t exactly the brightest idea Thalia had ever had, but the cabin wasn’t far from the house. Midnight had always been special to Artemis. It’s when the moon is highest in the sky, and as Thalia made her way through the trees, she began to see the bright silver glow.
Cabin Eight. Artemis’ Cabin. It glowed silver with moonlight and lit up everything surrounding it. Even now, Thalia was still a little in awe of it. It had been more of a home for her than Cabin One ever had been. She exhaled a puff of breath into the cold night air and pulled something from her jacket pocket. The silver circlet seemed to almost glow a little itself as she held it in the moonlight. Once she’d worn it every day, the symbol of her position within the Hunters. Now she kept it safely hidden away most of the time, just a symbol of her past. Thalia held the circlet close to her chest, tipped her chin up, and headed into the cabin.
The inside of the cabin was silver, with various animal pelts decorating the walls and beds. It somehow still smelled like camp, even though it had resided here in Vallo for months. Thalia ran her fingers along the fur of a speckled deer and let out another deep breath. Midnight was here, and it was time.
“Artemis?” Thalia stood in the center of the cabin, circlet still clutched in her hands as she called out the Goddess’ name. “I know you’re not here, and I really don’t see how you could even possibly hear me, but I’m doing this anyway.” She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. “I’m stepping down from the Hunters. Being a part of this family has meant the world to me. Especially when so much of my own family has been lost. You gave me a place in a world that had moved on without me. You saw me as a person and not some pawn in a war. That will stay with me forever. But the course of my life changed. I don’t want to be a lone Hunter for the rest of my life. After everything I’ve already been through, I deserve more than that. I feel like you’d understand that. So I sincerely hope that you’ll understand why this is something I need to do.”
Thalia opened her eyes and leaned forward to gently place the circlet on the wooden floor of the cabin. It seemed to grow brighter for a moment, then began to fade. Her stomach clenched, but she carried on. “Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, Goddess of the Hunt, please break my contract. Please allow me to leave your service, and live a life of my own.” She paused for a moment and then added, “Preferably without turning me into an animal.”
The moonlight shining in from the windows began to grow. It practically lit up the entire cabin. In the forest outside, Thalia could hear a chorus of animals. The howling of wolves, the cries of birds, the roar of a bear, and the grunting of a stag. They grew louder as she closed her eyes against the light. Thalia breathed in deeply, her entire body tense. She felt a gust of air blow her hair, and then the noise abruptly stopped. Crisp, fresh air filled her nose and Thalia opened her eyes.
The cabin was gone. Her circlet was gone. Thalia was alone in the forest under the moon, no longer a Hunter. She could feel the difference in the way time seemed to move around her without her immortality. Her body felt different without her additional enhanced abilities. She inhaled deeply and relaxed her muscles with the exhale. It had actually worked. She couldn’t know if it was actually Artemis or somehow the magic of Vallo, but it was done. She’d let go of the last remaining piece of her old life, and could make her future into whatever she chose.
The forest settled once more behind her as she made her way back home.