Rebirth Of The Goddess of Hunt

Diana's Pov I slipped through the trees, my footsteps silent on the forest floor. My breathing was steady, and my senses heightened as I tracked my prey. The sun was still high, casting dappled shadows on the ground, but I knew the light would soon fade. I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye and followed, my heart beating with excitement. As I drew closer, I spotted my game, a beautiful deer, grazing peacefully. I leaned against a tree, keeping my breath low, and slowly reached for my bow. But just as I was about to aim, a voice startled me, and my prey raised its head, gazing straight at me. I froze, holding my breath until it returned to eating. I took a deep breath and continued, my hands moving with precision as I notched an arrow and aimed. Just as I was about to release the string, a voice shouted my name, "Diana!" I hesitated, and my prey darted away, bounding into the forest. I cursed under my breath and gave chase, my legs pumping as I raced after it. I threw my knife, striking it, and the deer stumbled, unable to move and wincing in pain. "Easy, easy," I whispered, approaching it calmly, trying to soothe its fear and pain. As I reached out to end its suffering, a figure emerged from behind a tree. "I've been screaming your name, Diana!" Lily exclaimed, her voice laced with exasperation. I shot her a glare, wrapping my prey in a sack and dragging it along with me. "You almost cost me my game," I said, my voice tinged with annoyance. Lily rolled her eyes. "Not like you ever miss one." I couldn't help but smile, despite myself. Lily knew me too well. I had been hunting these woods for years, and my skills were unmatched. But today, I had been so focused on my prey that I had forgotten about everything else. Including my name. "Why did you come here at this time?" I asked, my voice curious, as Lily followed behind me. Her footsteps were light, but her presence was heavy with purpose. "Why? can't I come and accompany my friend?" she replied, her tone laced with a hint of playfulness, but also a sense of seriousness. “You don't accompany me, you only wait for my games” I scoffed, my eyes rolling in exasperation. "The Half Moon Pack is coming for the annual selection today," she finally said the purpose of her coming. “Really?” With my voice dripping with sarcasm asked "So what? They've been coming since I can remember. What's different about this?" Lily groaned behind me, her frustration palpable. "Are you even listening to me at all?" she asked, her voice tinged with annoyance. I stopped in my tracks, and narrowed my eyes at her "They have been coming since I can remember, what is different about this?" I repeated my voice firmly. "This time, the King Alpha is coming himself," she said, her words dropping like a bombshell. I gave her the ‘so what’ look and she threw her hands in frustration. “The king Alpha doesn't come for the selection and this is different and surprising. You know the rumors about him being ruthless and unforgiving” I felt a shiver run down my spine and I dropped the bear in front of the oldest woman in the village house and knocked on her door. I greeted her with a respectful bow and showed her the game I had caught for her. Her smile was like a warm embrace, and I couldn't help but return it with a wide smile of my own. "Thank you, child, you are truly the huntress, the future lies in your hands," she said, her eyes shining with pride. As much as that sounded strange to me it didn't stop the feeling I felt. I felt a surge of pride and purpose, knowing that my skills were valued and respected. But then she continued, her words stopping me in my tracks. “Thread carefully my dear, you have a whole task to do and more challenges to overcome, you can only triumph when you accept your fate” She gave a smile and took the game in with her. What does that mean? I shrugged off her words and continued walking with Lily but then she continued "And we are being summoned to be at the village head compound this evening." I felt a sense of trepidation creeping up my spine. "We?" I inquired, my voice laced with skepticism. Lily nodded, her eyes serious. "All the young girls," she said, her voice firm. My heart was heavy with a sense of dread. "I am an outcast," I stated, my voice firm. When everyone is being called out to the village head's compound I am always singled out as the outcast so I don't go for any of the gatherings. That was one reason why I was never bothered about the selection. It was for girls between the ages of 15 to 18. But Lily's words cut through my resolve. "He sent a message saying all girls in the village," she said, her fingers making a quotation mark in the air as she emphasized the word "all". I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. We changed our route, heading towards the village head compound. "I have a year more to escape this," Lily said, her voice laced with determination. "I hope he doesn't select me, I can't stand being taken from you." She nudged me, her eyes pleading with me to understand her fear and anxiety. "Stop talking like you're dying, you're stuck here with me, so can you do me a favor and keep quiet?" I replied, trying to sound calm despite my worries. But Lily continued her rant, her words spilling out in a nervous stream. "I'm so scared, I just want it to be over. I don't want to be selected, I don't want to leave our village... I have a year more to escape this, I hope he doesn't select me, I can't stand being taken from you." “Shut up and let's get this over with, you are not going anywhere, I won't let them have you without a fight” I promised her. She laced her hand with mine in a way to seek comfort and I gave an assuring squeeze. I couldn't help but worry about what was to happen. We were both thinking the same thing, fearing the same fate. Our conversation was a vicious cycle of anxiety and fear, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of impending doom and I wondered what lay ahead.