Young Artemis

I grew up in the little town known as Norwood, Virginia. It was so small the local doctor was also the undertaker, the vet, and a florist. Ok, his wife was the florist but when he wasn't performing his other three professions he was by her side in the town's only flower shop, Lily of the Valley, cutting flowers and making deliveries. Me, I was the librarian assistant assisting my mother who was the librarian of the local community hall. Besides keeping the records of the community, we also hold an assortment of books for the locals to read. My father' was from a line of Greeks, and being named Artemis after the Greek Goddess did not helped me much in my growing years. I was ridiculed by the others and on occasion named Wonder Lady.

Well, it all changed one evening on August 19^th 1969 when Camille came to rest on our town that day. She was a 110mph Hurricane that flew from the south of Florida and stagnant by the high Blue Ridge, she left us a large puddle over the town. I was in the library alone as there were piles of work to be completed that week. The phone did not ring as the lines were down, so I was not aware of the blowing wind condition outside. The first to be impacted were the power lines, they went down in a jiffy leaving me in the dark. I had my torchlight kept for such purposes, although the batteries had seen better hours.

"Calliope," That was the cat's name; named after the Greek muse of heroic poetry. "Looks like we have to stayed the night here."

Calliope meowed back and then her eyes brighten up while her tail sprung up upright. She was normally in that form when confronted by Digger, my neighbor door, or when she sensed danger. I wanted to asked her but she stood on her four legs and bared those fangs in her mouth. I looked at where she was eyeing and saw the emerging image of a beautiful lady dressed in a loose flowing robe while holding a bow with the quiver of arrows.

"Young one who was given my name, I bid of you now to reveal your true self to the world." The tall lady there reached out with her right hand towards me. I was raised from the seat behind the desk and soon enveloped by the mist that surrounded my body. The frame of my seventeen years body; honed by constant running and jumping on the nearby school field, found itself stretched to the limits as it was kneaded by the mist.

"No!" I screamed out but the voice of mine was lost within the mist. Then just as I was felt that dead was imminent, I found myself lowered to the ground. I looked at my body and was greeted by the frame of a well toned body than clad in the metal armor chest plate with a short skirt. My limbs were protected by the metal cuffs on the lower arms and greaves for the shins, with my feet in a set of leather sandals with the small wing on the outer side. In my right hand was a spear with a long tapered head made of a glowing metal piece, while on my left was the rounded metal shield with the crest of a lightning striking the earth. On my waist was the golden girdle that bound my short sword in the scabbard.

"Look to me, Artemis the young one." The image conjured before my eyes called upon myself then. "Your quest began now. The wind of the howling Camille held destructive power over your town are not that of nature but the works of Ares."

Ares? The God of War? It can't be, Greece lies over the ocean and by the logical approach, we could be opposite of each other in the circumference of the earth.

"He had wager that Camille would sailed to the north but did not foreseen the barrier of the mountain. He had lost the wager but he did not unleased its power. He left it on unattended. Your must helped the people of your town to safety, but be done without be seen." Artemis told me. "Beware of the minions; they rode the storm and have not left."

Just as Artemis had spoken, her image was shattered by the blunt force of the emerging youth with the head of a golden mane lion. I leapt aside and while my reflect told me to shield myself. I was in time as another was seen in the fight; another youth with the head of a silvery mane.

"Deimos and Phobos?" History 101 on Greek Myths paid off, or was it long lonely Saturday evenings. They were the offspring of Ares. The twin youths are dressed in the dark metallic armor that covered them from the neck to the feet, leaving only their head exposed to showed their individuality. They were armed with similar weapons; the spear and oblong shield, with the long handed blade on the waist.

"Our father, Ares mentioned that we would be troubled by one of Artemis warriors, but for your appearance, I have to admit held beyond me the earlier image I had." Deimos laughed at his lewd remarks while Phobos stepped forth to confront me.

"Yield or be forced?" Phobos leveled the spear toward me. "Either way, we would make you ours."

I had my shield to deflect the spear and lunged with mine but the skills of the offspring of Ares was above mine. I found myself toyed by their spear thrusts and shields to deferred mine, that soon I was against the wall of books. I had then Phobos spear at my throat while Deimos stood at the rear laughing at my inexperience in battle. I had lost my spear and shield

"Speared not her, my brother. I lacked the desire when blood are spilled on my offerings." Deimos mocked on me, as his reference to my maidenhood as an Amazon. That remark made me react in anger, as I used my bare right hand to pulled the spear from my throat. The blade on the spear cut into my flesh but it was not felt in mine. I pulled the spear to the side with Phobos reared towards me. I had then my left fist into his face and shattered his nose with the impact. He reeled back dropping his spear while Deimos had stood stunned. I threw the spear aside and stepped up to the lion headed youth with my right palm dripping blood on the flooring.

"I am an Amazon warrior and equal to ten of you in the battle. I bleed not for myself but to showed you that if this battle continued on, it would be yours that lined this flooring. So be off and let me helped my people." I glared at the two youths.

"Be gone, my young ones." It was a deeper voice from an image that appeared to the right of us. It showed a head figurine of a dark helm head piece with a partial face cover. "Artemis had trained a good defender of the realm in you. Hear me out, young one. Like your sisters, I held contempt for them, but on equal side, I respected their courage. You earned mine for someone so young. But we can never be allies unfortunately."

"Nevertheless, your courage should be undoing to serve me in some quests. Soon it would be revealed but for now, Camille is yours to tame." Ares was the image that called off his sons and soon left me in the library alone. I looked at myself in the reflection on the tall windows of the library. I knew then I had won the battle but the war may soon need to be fought with more battles. But for now, there was a need for me to lend relief to the rescuers of my town. I would be there for them then and anytime they had the called for the assistance of Artemis the Amazon.

"The inspiration of one so young with courage would be verses to more heroic musing." Calliope meowed out as she took to clawed on the library table.