Chapter 210 - Archer

"Artemis!" Percy yelled as they ran.

The goddess looked up; her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Besides her was Bianca, crying. Zoe lay in the goddess' arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still…

"It's a fatal wound," Artemis said. "Her lungs are crushed."

"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise, and Drako was the only one holding them in position. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir.

The army of monster backed a bit because of Drako's pressure, but they started to come up again. They were hundreds of strong monsters there, most of them were at T3 level and dozens of them were at T4 level (Tiers are going to be explained in info at the end of the chapter).

Drako wasn't in the best conditions to fight, as Ladon's poison was still on his body. He healed more than he loses, but he was still pretty low on HP and MP. He didn't really want to fight this army right now.

But, Drako heard a strange buzzing noise.

Just as the army was coming over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.

"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, we must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. They realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of sn.a.k.e.d women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulphurous yellow powder.

"Agh…" Drako murmured in the distance. "What a waste of EXP."

"That's… my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

They didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn my the most beautiful deer. It landed right next to them.

"Get in," Artemis said.

Annabeth helped Percy get Thalia on board. Then, Percy helped Artemis with Zoe. They wrapped Zoe in a blanket.

"Hey, are you going to left me here?"

"Don't waste more time, Drako," Artemis said. "You still have your own wings to get out of here.

"Ok, ok."

When Drako get into the chariot, Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

"Like Santa Claus' sleigh," Percy murmured, still dazed with pain.

Artemis took time to look back at him. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"

Seeing them safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed them like an honour guard.

It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith Camel.

Behind them, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.

"Ah, shut up stupid Titan," Drako said. "I'm more frustrated than you right now."

Annabeth looked strangely at this new boy she didn't knew anything about. "Why?" She asked.

"I wanted to fight Atlas at least, it would be great if I could kill him," Drako answered.

"Who was going to hold the sky if you kill him?" Artemis asked.

"I don't care about the sky," Drako shrugged. "Just let poor Ouranos embrace Terra one more time."

Artemis sighed, not wanting to talk more to the stupid dragon.

"Oh, you look pretty bad, Zoe."

Drako's arms started to take a golden glow. Then, he took Zoe out of the blanket and hold her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Artemis shot a look at Drako.

"Trying to keep her alive," Drako said. "She's in a pretty bad shape. Can't you see it? She can barely breath with the lungs in that state."

Drako was using his skill [Holy healing claws] to try and keep Zoe alive. But it was difficult, really difficult. This was different from the time Tobio almost killed his childhood friend. Broken ribs, the spine was crooked and the lungs unrecognizable.

They landed at Crissy Field after nightfall. All that time, Drako was doing his best to save Zoe from the death.

As soon as Dr. Chase stepped out of his Sopwith Camel, Annabeth ran to him and gave him a huge hug. "Dad! You flew… you shot… oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Her father blushed. "Well, not bad for a middle-age mortal, I suppose."

"But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?"

"Ah, well. You did leave quite a few half-blood weapons in your room in V.i.r.g.i.nia, the last time you… left."

Annabeth looked down, embarrassed. Dr. Chase was very careful not to say ran away.

"I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings," he continued. "Just a little experiment."

He said it was no big deal, but he had a gleam in his eye. Drako could understand all of a sudden why Athena, Goddess of Crafts and Wisdom, had taken a liking to him. He was an excellent mad scientist at heart.

"Dad…" Annabeth faltered.

"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. She and Artemis were kneeling at Zoe's side, who was wrapped in Drako's arms, binding the huntress' wounds.

Both ran over to help, but there wasn't much they could do. They had no ambrosia or nectar. No regular medicine would help. It was dark, but they could see that Zoe didn't look good. She was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hung around her was fading.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" Percy asked Artemis. "I mean… you're a goddess."

Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She tried to set her hand on Zoe's side, but Zoe gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess' eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.

"Have I… served thee well?" Zoe whispered. With Drako's cure, she was able to speak. But he couldn't save her.

"With great honour," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoe's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."

"I can try to heal you, my brave one."

But in that moment, Drako knew that she couldn't be saved by any healing. Zoe had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway. She had chosen to save Artemis, and Atlas' fury had broken her inside.

Zoe looked at Bianca, and took her hand.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't guide you anymore," she said. "I hope you can grow into a strong and dependable Hunter."

"Don't say that," Bianca cried. "You can't die now."

Zoe smiled weakly and then, she saw Thalia, and took her hand.

"I am sorry we argued," Zoe said. "I was glad that we could be sisters for short."

"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoe murmured. She smiled weakly at Drako. "It was an honour to fight along you. You're the first and only man that I'm going to respect in my life."

"Why do you think I'm a good man?" Drako asked confused. "I'm a Nephalem, I'm evil and holy at the same time. Do you think that you have seen through me in just a week?"

Zoe was shocked, she didn't expect this change in Drako.

"We had a promise, right?" Drako asked. "You swore on the river Styx that you would do anything that I ask one time, right?"

Zoe nodded weakly, but didn't understand what he meant.

"Then, you are becoming my Servant."

[You want to spend 1 Fate Point to make Zoe Nightshade your Servant?]

Yes, I want.

[Zoe Nightshade is not willing, you can't]

"F.u.c.k," Drako cursed and looked towards Artemis, who was looking at the dragon with cold eyes. "Force her to do it, it will save her life."

Zoe was already dying; she couldn't hear well. She just sensed a forced trying to bind her to someone that wasn't Artemis.

"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

A tear trickled down Artemis' cheek. "Are you sure, Drako? Can this save her life?"

"I will leave explanations for later," Drako said. "Trust me."

Artemis nodded. "Zoe, trust Drako and follow his order. You swore on River Styx, didn't you?"

"Lady Artemis?"

"Do it, please. Do your last work for your goddess?"

Zoe nodded with a smile, letting that strange force bind her towards Drako.

[Zoe agreed with being a Servant, choose class]

Drako smiled a little.

��Raise, my Archer."

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INFO

Tiers are going to be how I call the different power levels on DxD. Tier 3 are High Class beings, Tier 4 Ultimate Class beings and so.