Four hours on horseback, from Orchomenus to Mantinea. Cate, Marie, Jordan and Emma traveled through the rough paths of the Arcadian lands. Marie and Emma sat with the reins in hand while the horses hauled the wagon. The space was filled with dead animals Marie hunted. Minerals, Jordan dug. A few leathers’ Emma traded and the fruits and vegetables that Cate grew.

The group took a turn, following a quiet, small trail that cut through the forest, a trail that led unknowingly to one of Artemis sanctuaries.

“This doesn’t look like our main road.” Marie said, the horses trotting in front of the wagon.

“It’s a shortcut, it’ll help us get to Mantinea before nightfall.” Jordan explained, their hands holding onto the horse’s reins.

“How did you find out about this shortcut of yours?” Cate asked gazing around. The forest was strangely silent, no birds singing, no crickets chirping, the wind heavy around them.

“I heard some traders talk about it, they said these were sacred paths or something.”Jordan shrugged, Emma chuckled.

“Sacred paths? Yeah right and my mother is Zeus wife.” They laugh, the horses blow tiredly. Cate caress her horse’s head.

“We should take a break, we’ve been moving for hours.” Cate reined in her horse making it stop. The others nod in agreement.

Cate and Jordan dismount from their horses, tying them to a small tree. Jordan looks around, a beautiful sight but strangely quiet. Cate walks towards the trees, following the sound of water running wild.

“where are you going?” Jordan asks curiously. Cate looks back to them. “I need to fill my flask. You coming?” Jordan gives Cate a dismissal wave. “Mine still has water.” Cate nods and keeps walking.

She deepens herself in the forest reaching the riverbank. A breath taking view greets her; butterflies flying, colorful plants adorning the ground, marble statues and deers laying as they rest. Cate kneels by the riverbank getting her leather flask from her hip, the hem of her tunic brushes the damp moss. She deeps her flask in the water, filling it up. “sacred paths?Sacred to who exactly?” she murmured to herself as she watched her reflection on the water, before closing the flask Cate took a sip.

The air around her shifts, every sound she heard felt distant, Marie and Jordan’s laughter faded in the background. The once quiet forest was making itself known, birds started chirping and flying through the trees, the deers that once lay on the ground were nowhere to be seen. Cate felt watched.

Deep in the heart of the forest, tucked away from the world slept one of Artemis guardians, once a brave human punished by their actions and turned now into a mythical beast. Their amber eyes open, nose twitching by the faint smell of a woman. Artemis words echoed through their mind;“guard what’s mine, don’t let anyone hurt my land.”

Their claws dig in the dirt as they raise to their feet. Cate heard the horses neigh from a distance, they’re getting restless. Cate starts walking back to the others, the environment different now, somehow. She sees the statue of a woman, a statue that wasn’t there before. “Artemis” Cate read the name carved below the statue. “Fuck…” She looks around, the forest loud now, something’s stalking her.

Cate tries to run but the thing moves impossibly fast lounging at her, they drag her roughly through the ground, a broken branch slits her cheek, blood seeping through. The air was knocked out of her lungs as their claw pined her chest to the floor, cold mud smeared across her arms. They growl, big teeth, pointy ears, piercing eyes, a tail tense as tree trunk and brown fur.

“No mortal steals from this lands without Artemis blessings.” Their growl rumbling through the trees. Cate’s breath hitches. “I didn’t know, I promise—” They cut her off with a snarl. Her eyes water as the pressure on her chest grew, their eyes locked, internal conflict evident in them.