Artemis’ Favor
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Deermore was a small town on the edge of the Arcadian Forest. A great number of hunters, adventurers, and followers of the nature god Pan passed through this last bit of civilization before entering the wilderness beyond, and a much smaller number would return. 

The highest point in town was a shrine to Artemis the Huntress built on a hill. It was a modest structure built to shade a statue of the patron goddess of hunters and a small altar that laid before its feet. 

On top of the shrine sat the one person in this world who’d ever dare use a sacred shrine to a goddess as a lounging area—and perhaps the last person in town who should be trusted on top of it. A giantess of a woman, whose bulk could barely be supported by the small structure, gazed eastward from her perch. The top of the shrine gave her just enough vantage to spot the full moon peeking over the Arcadian Forest.

As moonlight reached the shrine, a soft glow began to emit from the statue. The large woman atop the shrine’s roof slid down and landed on the ground with a thud. She crossed her arms as she waited for that statue’s magic to finish.

A figure made of moonlight stepped out of the statue then slowly morphed into the form of an elven woman with chestnut brown hair. She was not nearly as tall or imposing as the statue, but she had the same sturdiness in how she carried herself. Her simple clothing hid a physique that rivaled the colossal brunette in front of her. 

“So this is what you’re going with this time?” the large woman asked. “I was hoping you’d go for something more…”

“Unsubtle?” the elf offered.

“More impressive. You look like every other huntress I see pass through here.”

“Good.” The elf snapped, and a bow and quiver appeared on her back. “I am here to hunt, Kalli, not to be worshiped.”

“Suit yourself. So what should I call you this time?”

“Diana Hunt.”

Kalli snorted. “Subtle.”

Diana and Kalli had a tradition of visiting the Sleeping Bear Tavern whenever they were in Deermore. While not the best tavern, it was usually one of the least crowded. Save for a handful of regulars, a few travelers coming from the inn next-door, and the hand-carved wooden bears scattered across the tabletops and bar, the humble establishment was mostly empty. And that’s just how Diana liked it.

However, this time the tavern was uncharacteristically full. Diana remained as stone-faced as ever, but she let out a quiet, frustrated exhale.

“Do you want to try a different place?” Kalli asked.

Diana shook her head.

“Alright. How about you get us some drinks while I find a place to sit?”

Diana nodded then walked toward the bar.

With her height, Kalli easily spotted the last open seats in the tavern: two stools at an already occupied table. She walked closer to get a better look at the men seated there. One was a meek-looking man dressed in baggy clothes, who was writing in a small journal. Next to him was a stout fellow still wearing his hood even indoors. Kalli couldn’t discern if he was glaring at someone across the room or staring into space.

She snapped to get the two’s attention. “Mind if my friend and I take these last seats?”

The smaller man turned to the hooded man, who shrugged. “Um, I think it’s fine.”

“Fantastic.” The large woman took a seat. “So who are you?”

“Me? I’m… Gilbert. Uh, you?”

“Kalli.” 

“Nice to meet you, Kalli.” 

“The pleasure is all yours. So what’re you doing here?” 

“Oh, I moved here recently.”

“Really? Deermore isn’t usually a place people move to permanently.”

“My parents used to live here. It always sounded like a nice place, but um, you’re right. Not very interesting. But one day I was curious and wanted to see where exactly Deermore was, but this area is horribly mapped out. I, uh, happen to be a cartographer, so I thought I might as well fix that. I wasn’t particularly good enough to get jobs in the big cities like I wanted, anyways… So now I live with some old woman that used to know my parents.”  

“Well, I’m not native to here—not to anywhere, honestly—but I bet I know this place better than most of the people who are. Don’t be afraid to ask me for help. Probably will save you some time if you see me first.” Kalli chuckled.

“That’s really kind of you…”

“Hey, don’t thank me yet. I said you can ask, not that I’d always help.”

Diana approached with a large mug of beer and a small cup of water. 

“Ah, refreshments.” Kalli took her mug then eyed Diana’s drink. “Water? Really?”

“The hunt.”

“Right. Gotta stay all pure and shit before tomorrow.” Kalli took a swig of her beer. “Personally, I’d rather get a bit tipsy to calm the nerves.”

Diana shrugged then sat down.

“You’re huntresses?” Gilbert asked.

“I am when I need to eat,” Kalli said. “I’m just a traveler. Diana, though…” She nudged her companion. “I’m pretty sure she was born a huntress. Finest shot you’ll ever meet.”

“Wow. I always admired huntresses. My family was from here, so Artemis is one of the gods we worship.”

“Big fan of the hunting goddess then?”

“Yeah! I mean, the stories just made her sound so impressive. I used to be envious of all the huntresses that got to travel with her.”

Kalli raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah, well, at least I was a kid. I’m sure everyone wants to be like Artemis growing up.”

“You’d be surprised. Even the men I met here would sooner say they looked up to Ares or something.”

“Really? I’d rather look up to Athena than Ares.”

“Do you have a thing for warrior women or something?”

Gilbert’s face flushed. “No, no, no, it’s not like that! Artemis and Athena just, um, seem like better role models, I guess.”

“So you want to be more like two goddesses than any of the gods?”

“I… Maybe? Look, all I was trying to do was explain why I’m interested in huntresses.”

“Fair enough.” Kalli downed the last of her drink. “Bah, one isn’t going to be enough. I’ll be right back,” she grumbled.

With the most talkative person gone, the three remaining at the table sat in silence. Gilbert started writing in his journal again, hoping to hide his still reddened face.

The hooded man, still staring off in the same direction, finally spoke. “You hunt?”

Diana narrowed her eyes at him, not quite confident he was talking to her.

“You got a good bow for it.”

“It’s not anything special.”

“Good.”

“I do not understand.”

The man tilted his head to the right. “The guy two tables over is just a local hunter, but he always wastes his money getting bows made for adventurers. It’s a waste of money.”

“And isn’t fair to the animal,” Diana added.

The hooded man nodded.

“I’m Diana.”

“I know.”

A pause.

Gilbert sighed. “That’s Art. He doesn’t know how to talk about anything besides hunting. Nice guy, though. You get used to it.”

“I understand,” Diana said.

The table sat quietly for a brief moment before Kalli returned, slamming three large mugs on the table. Diana glared at her.

“What?” Kalli protested. “This is barely going to do anything for me.” She downed the first mug before Diana could further protest. “Anyways, Gilbert, you said you were interested in hunting, right?”

“A bit, yeah,” Gilbert said.

“Well, how about you go with Diana instead of me? You could see what it’s like tracking and shooting and whatnot?”

Gilbert perked up. “You’d let me do that?”

“Yeah, it’d be fun. Worst case scenario, you just work on your maps. Right, Diana?”

Diana shook her head furiously.

“What? But you love teaching new huntresses!”

“Train hunters before taking them hunting,” Art said. 

“Wait, he talks?” 

“Only about hunting,” Gilbert sighed.

Art shrugged. “No one has asked me anything or talked about anything I could comment on.”

“Fair enough.” Kalli took a swig of her next drink. “So why can’t you just teach hunting out on the field?”

“Waste of arrows,” Art said.

“Might not kill the animal clean enough,” Diana added. “It’d be cruel.”

“Could hurt themselves, too. Especially if they go too deep into a place like the Arcadian Forest.”

“Or just mess something up.”

Kalli raised her hands to stop them. “Okay, okay, I get the picture.” 

Gilbert sulked. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be a burden then…”

“It’s okay. Maybe we could teach you some other time.”

“Maybe…” 

“Kalli could do it,” Art suggested.

“Oh?” Kalli said.

“Tomorrow. You teach Gilbert. I go with Diana.”

“That could work. But why are you interested in taking my place?”

“I haven’t hunted with any decent hunters in a while. Diana seems like she knows what she’s talking about.” 

“As do you,” Diana said.

Kalli raised an eyebrow at her companion. “Well, guess that’s the plan now. In that case—” She raised her last two drinks. “—you don’t get to stop me from finishing this off.”

The next day, Diana and Art met at the edge of the forest.

Diana wore the same clothes as before with the addition of a few pouches secured to her belt. Her chestnut blonde hair was now braided.

Art, however, had swapped his long, black cloak for a more practically sized, earthy-brown one. The outfit change combined gave Diana a better look at Art’s clean-shaven face and auburn hair.

The two exchanged a nod then disappeared together into the forest. Diana took the lead, breaking into a light-stepped sprint before stopping. Then she sprinted again. Then stopped. Art was caught off guard by behavior, but he tried his best to mimic her movements as she cycled between sprints and stops.

“You’re light on your feet,” Diana said.

“Not expecting that from a dwarf?” Art said.

Diana paused to turn around and look at her companion. “Dwarf?”

“Yeah.”

Diana eyed his distinct lack of facial hair.

“I don’t like beards.”

“Not even the dwarven women I’ve met shave.”

Art shrugged.

“Dwarf or not, I expected heavier steps from a man of your size.”

Art shrugged again. “They’d be lighter if we weren’t running.”

“Should I stop?”

“No. Explain it.”

“The animals know how humans move. This makes us sound like rodents.”

“Oh. Smart.”

Diana nodded then turned to start moving again.

Art tugged at Diana’s sleeve. “Wait. I want to stop somewhere real quick.”

Diana gestured for Art to lead the way. 

As the new front, Art moved at a slower, steadier pace. However, they were still moving at a comparable pace since Art stopped less frequently. At first, the pauses seemed to lack any pattern, but every place they stopped provided some sort of coverage or a good view of the area. His footsteps were also somehow even lighter. If you watched him, you could see how much thought he put into every step. Everything Art did was a deliberate choice made by a hunter who knew this forest well. 

The duo soon approached a cave. 

Diana smiled.

“What?” Art asked.

“I should’ve recognized where you were taking me. This is where Kalli likes to stop, too.” 

“And that… makes you happy?”

“I guess. Here, I can explain better inside.”

Diana sprung ahead, and this time, Art was quick to follow.

The cave was surprisingly spacious, but the unnatural shape of the walls made it clear the size was an artificial decision. In the back, a stone statue of Artemis watched over everything inside: the humble campsite by the cave’s mouth, the altar by the statue’s feet, and the various etchings and paintings lining the walls.

Diana approached a wall with various names etched into it. She reached up, barely managing to touch a simple “K” written larger and higher up than anything else.

“Kalli helped a few huntresses set up shrines like this throughout the Arcadian Forest,” Diana said. 

“Oh?” Art pointed at the statue. “So do they all have statues like this?”

“All the ones I know of do. Most were made from materials found near the shrine, but this statue was made from a stone Kalli brought from the mountains.”

Art’s eyes widened, looking over the large statue again. “I see.”

“Are you here to pray to Artemis before we hunt?”

Art nodded then approached the statue. He threw back his hood, revealing a braid that only reached past his neck. Then he placed a few coins on the altar. Diana furrowed her brow. Hunters rarely gave offerings before their hunt since they could simply bring back a share of their kill afterwards. 

Art whispered his prayer. The ears of Diana’s mortal form couldn’t hear it, and her self-imposed restrictions severed her ability to hear prayers. But standing so close to a statue caused his feelings to reach Diana, even if she had wanted to give her hunting partner privacy.

There was a sadness that underscored Art’s prayer. Initially, it took the form of loneliness, which fed into senses of longing then hope. But then he pulled out a faceless mask that had been hidden inside his shirt, and the prayer became incredibly familiar to Diana. She could almost hear his exact words.

It first seemed like the typical request for the goddess’ blessing on his hunt. However, his true desire was transformation, perhaps one that couldn’t be fulfilled until his next lifetime. He wanted to be a true servant of the goddess of the hunt—like her huntresses. And maybe, just maybe, with enough successful hunts even a dwarven man could earn Artemis’ favor.

Art donned his mask. It was featureless and pale as the full moon. Between it and his cloak, it obscured his features and his identity—even from himself, he hoped. Art looked up to the face of the statue, and completed his prayer. Just for this hunt, Art pleaded, let me exist just as your follower and nothing else.

Art put their hood back on then turned back to Diana. Though Art’s mask covered their face, not even giving a glimpse of their eyes, Diana finally recognized who they were. 

A few moons ago, Art’s prayer caught the direct attention of Diana—or rather, of Artemis. They brought increasingly larger offerings both before and after their hunts, and gave lengthy, intense prayers. Artemis couldn’t spare much of her attention; Art hunted around the full moon, which was when her huntresses—and many of her worshipers in general—also hunted. 

But in pity, she did give Art a small blessing. It was nothing special, really. Just a clearer day, softer winds, and a sense that the goddess acknowledged your hunt. But to Art, it was more than they were ever expecting.

Since then, Art returned from each hunt with impressive results, even on days Artemis didn’t give them a blessing. Their prayers were still sad, but there was a growing sense of contentment. Artemis didn’t feel particularly responsible for the wellbeing of random mortals, but noticing these small impacts was nice sometimes.

However, this time, Artemis the Huntress wasn’t available to receive prayers—let alone give blessings. It was happenstance that Diana was even able to get a sense of Art’s prayer.

But maybe, she could offer some sort of support as Diana.

She put a hand on Art’s shoulder. “Hey.”

“Yes?” Art said.

“Cool mask.”

“Thanks.”

After donning their mask, Art had a much easier time following Diana’s movements. The two skittered deeper into the forest, eventually finding a set of deer tracks in the ground.

Art tugged at Diana’s sleeve. “Is it okay if I’m the one who makes the shot? I need to… be the one to kill it.”

Diana nodded.

The two didn’t have to follow the tracks for long before they found fresh droppings. Their prey was close. Art took their bow into their hands.

Diana tapped Art’s shoulder then pointed to a nearby brush. Art silently inched over to it while Diana disappeared in the opposite direction. Even before she was out of sight, Art lost track of her footsteps.

After a few minutes of crouching behind a bush, Art noticed a soft wind was coming from about where Diana had run off. Perhaps her plan was to let it carry her scent to drive the deer towards them. Art had used this trick before, but only with a larger hunting party that could cover more area. Still, Art simply had to trust their partner. They notched an arrow and kept waiting.

Art heard their prey before they saw it. They drew back their bow. The deer came into view, and it was almost uncanny how perfect the shot was already lined up for Art. 

Thwip.

One clean shot—perhaps the cleanest Art had ever made in their hunting career—was all it took to ensure the beast would be taking its last steps. 

Art moved to inspect the body, and within a few minutes, Diana had appeared by their side—though they weren’t sure when they got there. 

“Good kill,” she said.

“Whatever you did made it easy.”

“Still a good kill. She died quickly.”

Art shrugged.

“Would you like to be the one to carve it as well?” 

Art nodded. 

Diana took a step back as Art took out their knife to begin their work. 

“How much do you need for your offering to Artemis?” she asked.

“Whatever you don’t want,” Art said.

“Are you not keeping any for yourself?”

“I have enough food.”

“You could always sell some of it.”

“I could.”

“But you’re just going to offer it all to Artemis?”

Art nodded. “Always.”

“You’re very dedicated to the hunting goddess.”

“No. Just desperate.”

After Art finished removing the inedible guts and Diana had a chance to claim some of the meat, the two moved the body to the nearest Artemis shrine. This one was also in a cave, but the statue was wooden instead of stone. The altar before the statue was larger than most, clearly made to accommodate for a full animal being offered. 

Art knelt before the altar and their offering. “Diana.”

“Yes?”

“The huntresses that built these shrines… Are they Artemis’ huntresses?”

“Yes.”

“And you and Kalli?”

“We associate ourselves with the huntresses.”

“I see…” The mask prevented Art’s face from betraying their disappointment, but their voice still faltered. 

“Are you looking for the huntresses?”

“I’m looking for someone who can answer my questions.”

Diana squatted next to Art. “Ask.”

“Are my actions blasphemous?”

“Your actions?”

“Running around the forest in a ridiculous mask and calling myself a follower of Artemis.”

“Well, if that was blasphemous, you and countless other hunters would’ve been cursed by now.”

“I feel like I’m cursed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” Art tugged at their hair. “I just- I can’t explain. Something always feels wrong, and it only starts to go away when I hunt like this, pretending I have anything to do with the goddess of the hunt.” 

“Then why not just keep doing it.”

“I can’t hunt all the time. It’s irresponsible and wasteful.”

“Even when you’re not hunting, you can still be a follower of Artemis.” Diana lightly poked their mask. “And be whoever you are right now.”

Art took the mask off his face. “A man can’t.”

“Anyone can be a follower of Artemis.”

“But—”

Anyone.”

“Well, what about if I wanted to be one of her huntresses? I mean… maybe not one of the Huntresses of Artemis, but just more like them. I… I don’t know. That’s what I’m trying to be—that’s what I keep thinking in my head—but it never feels… like enough.”

“That’s nonsense. You’re just as skilled as any huntress, and you honor your goddess greatly. They would love to have you as a hunting companion.”

“But would Artemis? Would the maiden goddess really entertain some obsessed man who named himself after her? Goddess, you don’t even know my real name because I just introduced myself as ‘Art’ again.”

“Hey. It’s okay. Really. Look, I… know… have met a few hunters who joined the hunting party.”

“So I could at best be another Orion?” Art snorted. “Somehow be lucky enough to join the goddess then freak her out and get killed.”

“That didn’t happen; a giant scorpion killed him,” Diana grumbled.

“I hope that’s the version of the myth that’s true…” Art lied back on the cold, rocky ground. He drummed his fingers on the mask in his hands as he got lost in thought.

“A Hunter of Artemis?” he mumbled. “Maybe… I don’t know… It still doesn’t quite feel like enough.”

“But does it feel better?”

“A bit. Maybe.”

“Okay. Then pray for it.”

Art sat up and looked at Diana with wide eyes. “What?”

“Just go back up to the altar, close your eyes, and pray for that right now.”

Art narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

Diana put a hand on his shoulder. “Because you deserve it. Trust me.”

Art exhaled. Unable to think of a good response, he decided to play along. 

“And make sure to keep your eyes closed. Please.”

Art knelt by the altar, eyes closed, but didn’t know how to even begin asking the goddess of the hunt to acknowledge him.

He felt Diana poke at his hand that held his mask. “Ask as her follower.”

“But I’m not—”

“Put on the mask, Art.”

Once again unable to protest, Art donned their mask as told. 

Before Art could even find a way to start their prayer, a voice quiet but strong like the winds filled the cave. “Art, I acknowledge you as worthy of joining my hunt. I have seen your offerings and now one of your hunts, but most importantly, I now know both the skill and respect you bring to the hunt. From henceforth, my huntresses and I are your sisters. Welcome.”

A surge of warmth shot into Art from the statue. Their shock from the strange voice followed by this sudden sensation made Art want to open their eyes. But remembering Diana’s request, they refused—even as they felt themselves fall unconscious.

Art woke up to Gilbert above them, shaking them a bit more violently than necessary.

“G-Gil?” Art groaned.

The shaking immediately stopped. “Um… Actually, it’s Lillia now. It’s a long story, so I’ll have to tell you later. But more importantly, are you okay?”

“I guess.”

“Hmph, even now you don’t know how to give me more than two words unless it’s about hunting. You disappear for almost a week, and you just say ‘I guess’ to me?”

“I guess… so.”

Lillia sighed. “Whatever. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She pulled Art into an unreciprocated hug. “Also, how okay is ‘okay’ to you? Because you feel a bit lighter than I remember.”

Art pushed Lillia away and stood up to look themself over. They were still a stout dwarf, but they seemed to have lost a bit of weight. They also were a bit shorter. Actually, looking at how Lillia now stood eye-to-eye with them, they were at least a few inches shorter.

“And I love that braid on you,” Lillia said. “I didn’t know your hair was that long.”

Art grabbed their auburn hair, which was tied into a singular braid with enough length that Art could hold it in front of their face for inspection. When they let it fall to their chest, it reached past their left boob.

Wait, their left boob?

Art glanced inside their shirt. “I’m a girl?”

Lillia giggled. “Well, if you want to be. At least, that’s what Kalli said. Oh yeah! The long story! You should’ve seen the adventures Kalli and I got up to while you were gone. One time she turned into this giant bear and—”

“Hey, don’t go spilling my secrets,” Kalli said. The large woman entered the cave and glanced around. “So you were in this one? Wish my dream had just shown a wooden statue. Then I wouldn’t have to check the others. But that would be too convenient, huh?” She gave a playful jab at the leg of the Artemis statue.

Art and Lillia flinched at Kalli’s disrespect of a STATUE OF A GODDESS in one of her DEDICATED SHRINES. But nothing happened.

“Anyways…” Lillia said. “Now that we found you, we just have to find Diana.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kalli said. “Now that I see what happened to Art—” She looked over Art’s new form. “—I know where she went. No one in this world would be able to receive a blessing from Artemis while she was still acting as Diana.“

“W-wait, Diana is—” Lillia stammered.

“She’s Artemis. Is it really not as obvious as I think it is?” Kalli sighed. “Anyways, how’s it feel being one of Artemis’ hunters?”

“One of what?” Art asked.

“I mean, that’s what happened, right? You got accepted by Artemis and transformed into your ideal form over the last week by her blessing.” 

Art looked themselves over. Not much seemed to have changed, though they had always been happy with their modest muscle. Even their longer hair was a more noticeable change than the small breasts they now had. But somehow, it felt right in a way they never felt with their old body. It was a type of self-comfort they didn’t realize they were missing until now.

“So now you’re her hunter,” Kalli said. “Or… huntress?”

Art smiled—her first time feeling this expression genuinely spread across her face. “Huntress. I’m a Huntress of Artemis.”

Hey, y'all! My name is Zen, and I'm a bisexual non-binary author from the US. I usually write fun sword and sorcery fiction for my own enjoyment, but this time I was pandering to my friend, Foundling_Fae, too!

I hope my work is fun for all y'all as well.

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