~ Chapter Nineteen - Part 4 ~

As everyone sat down, a long table appeared in front of them. The table had a map of the world covering the entirety of it, along with drinks and small snacks for everyone.
“Where are we with this war, Artemis? You seem to be behind this wolf’s success,” Zeus said, gesturing to Katalina.
Artemis smiled. “I’ll let Katalina tell everyone what’s happening down on earth now. After all, she is the leader of our side of the war.”
Artemis gave Katalina an encouraging smile as she stood up. Katalina cleared her throat. “Um. Well, we managed to save the demigod Anna from Uranus. We almost didn’t make it because of a witch and chimera. My beloved and I managed to take out the Chimera by me shifting into a pegasus and flying him above it. Then we turned to help our friends with the witch. She had managed to call seven hellhounds from the underworld. Thankfully, I could tame the hounds once we had killed the witch. They are now with me, patrolling the border of my territory.”
“Thank you for saving my daughter,” Apollo said from his seat next to Artemis. “I was utterly concerned for her. She’s quite the daughter if I say so myself,” he said proudly.
Katalina gave a small smile. “She is quite an amazing girl from what I have seen. She is courageous.”
Apollo grinned proudly. “Thank you.”
“How were you able to change into a pegasus if you’re a wolf?” Poseidon demanded with a glare.
Katalina looked to Artemis for help.
“Hades and I gave her the gift. I thought that it could help her succeed in leading our army to victory,” she stated as she glared right back at him.
“That was not your gift to give Artemis!” Poseidon shouted as he stood up.
Artemis stood her ground as she crossed her arms. “We are at war here, Poseidon. So I didn’t think it would be such a bad idea to give her every tool she could get to win. After all, if Atlas destroys everything on earth, we’re next. And you know that he will have an army that we will not be able to defeat. Unless we have the help of demigods and wolves like Katalina.”
Poseidon grumbled. “Fine. She can keep the gift. But once she gets old and dies,” he paused as he considered his words. “If she lives through this war, the gift ends with her and returns to me. It is for me to give to my children. Not you.”
Artemis waved him off. “Okay, whatever. The gift ends with her. Once she passes away, it will return to you.”
Hecate stood up. “I sense magic in this one’s bloodline,” she said as she looked at Katalina. “Potent magic.”
Katalina frowned. “My parents were both wolves. They had no magic,” she stated.
Hecate shrugged. “Whether your parents had magic or not, it runs through your veins as much as your blood does. You will need a wizard to train you.”
“I already have a wizard who can help,” Katalina said.
“Okay. Is there anything else we should know?” Ares asked, wanting the meeting to be over.
Katalina gulped past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. “Adrestia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, has taken Anna’s place underneath Uranus.”
Aphrodite gasped as tears sprang to her eyes. Ares gripped the edge of the table, trying to control his anger. After a minute, he couldn’t hold it in. Ares shouted in rage as he threw the long table into the lake. “That wasn’t necessary,” Apollo grumbled as he folded his arms over his stomach.
Ares growled and appeared in front of Katalina. He wrapped his hand around her slim throat and squeezed tightly. “What did you say to get her to trade places with that demigod?” He demanded furiously.
Katalina gripped his wrist with both of her hands. “I didn’t say anything,” she gasped with wide eyes. “She was waiting for me. Daedalus and Prometheus led us there, and Adrestia was ready to do it. I asked her several times if she was sure, and she almost hit me. She volunteered.” Katalina choked out with tears in her eyes.
Artemis pulled an arrow out of her quiver and aimed it at Ares. “Let her go, Ares. None of this is her fault. Your daughter volunteered to trade places with that demigod. It was her decision.”
Ares squeezed Katalina’s throat tighter. She gasped as he said. “If she hadn’t gone looking for her, then she wouldn’t have had to trade places with that girl,” Ares said with gritted teeth.
Artemis gently placed her hand on his arm. “Let her go, Ares. It was Adrestia’s choice. She would not want us to harm this young woman just because of something that she chose to do. She decided to trade places with young Anna because she knew she could save that girl’s life. Honor her for that by letting Katalina go.”
Ares growled and looked at Katalina. Her face had turned red, and she was barely getting air into her lungs. He released her and let her fall to the ground. Apollo was quick to catch her before she hit the ground. He held her and called over his son Asklepios.
Asklepios looked her over and sighed. “She’s going to be fine. She needs to drink a lot of water. Her throat is going to be sore and bruised. Even when she wakes up, they will be there for everyone to see.”
“Great.” Artemis groaned. “Now I’m going to have her beloved get all pissed off because you decided to strangle his mate for something that your daughter chose to do,” she said to Ares as she put the arrow away.
Ares glowered at her. “I’m sure you would have done the same, Artemis. Don’t even start with me.”
“Please,” she said. “You’re so irrational all of the time. You don’t stop to think before you do something violent.”
A sword appeared in his hands. “Shall we see just how good you are with that bow Artemis?” Ares growled out.
Artemis set up another arrow and aimed it at his chest. “Try me, Ares. Let’s see who gets hit first,” she said in a deathly calm voice.
Zeus’s voice thundered over them. “Enough! You are all acting like children.”
Artemis looked over at him for a minute. “You should tell Ares to learn how to control his temper. He just caused a huge problem that I always hate dealing with,” she growled in agitation.
Zeus sighed. “Ares, sit down. Adrestia chose her path. You know that as well as we do,” he looked at Artemis. “We need to talk with Katalina about what’s going to happen next. Then she can go back to her beloved.”
Artemis groaned as she looked at Asklepios. “Could you heal those bruises around her neck?”
Asklepios shook his head with a frown. “No. I can’t. It’s strange. Usually, I have no problem healing bruises like these, but it’s like her body won’t let me heal her.”
Hecate shook her head. “It’s the magic in her veins. It’s so powerful her body repels other types of magic, even if someone is trying to heal her. She could walk into a wizard’s fire and come out of the other side just fine,” she shrugged. “With her wolf, though, I’m sure she’ll heal in no time.”
Artemis sighed. “Damien is going to be pissed. That’s just fantastic,” she muttered.
Zeus ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. “Okay. What are we going to have Katalina and her army do next?”
“Well, as far as I know, she has several vampire covens and most of the wolves coming to her aid. Some refuse to participate in the war and are hiding. Others are siding with Atlas.” Artemis explained.
Zeus nodded. “Atlas will have more than vampires and wolves on his side, Artemis. You should know that.”
“I do,” Artemis nodded as she sat down with Katalina’s head in her lap. “I put all the information into Katalina’s head, where she can find them and how she can get them to side with her. I've also told her which ones are already on Atlas's side. So she has all of the information and has already made a plan.”
“What is her oh-so-clever plan?” Ares asked with a scowl on his face.
“Once the other wolves and vampires make it to her camp, she will be sending out small parties to go to each different location. Once there, they will find the necessary creatures and ask them to join their side,” Artemis said.
“If they refuse?” Ares demanded.
“Then the wolves will talk to one of the alphas and alert them on what is happening. After that, they will tell Katalina, and she will teleport there to talk to them personally.”
“That’s a pretty big risk, isn’t it?” Aphrodite asked as she wiped her tears away.
“Katalina is willing to take it,” Artemis said as she glared at Ares. “She doesn’t think her life is above any of the others. She will do what is required to save the world as we know it.”
Zeus grinned. “I like this one. You were smart to pick her for this.”
“I didn’t pick her. It just happened,” Artemis hissed out through clenched teeth. “This prophecy wasn’t supposed to happen for another hundred years or so.”
“Whatever. Let’s send Katalina home. This meeting is over,” Zeus said as he stood up.