Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Percy’s Point of View

Dawn drew near as its sorrow followed the departing of the Red Moon. It sprayed and marked its last presence upon the grey sky with red; and it shimmered afar  before being consumed by the lights of the fiery sun. Yet its warning did not cease to pass.

For Artemis was now brought back to her camp, deep within the green woods and her life was stretched wide upon a thin rope. Percy steps were swift and yet heavy for his heart was filled with concerns. Paecus and Apollo managed to follow his tail, for Percy carried Artemis in his wolf form and none beings were said could catch up with the wolves.

Her silver bed Artemis laid upon, and the dreadful wound on her arm stained the bed sheet for the Ichor could not stop flowing no matter how they tried. The fire grew dim as her radiant slowly decreased and the Moonlace at the sides of her throne darkened and dried with death. Percy tended her,  drying her sweat sodden forehead for now the poison was spreading. Her lips and skin was pale and cold as snow, the colour of her cheeks faded as her auburn hair started to turn white, like the colour of sheets. Yet her features still remained the beauties and fair of an immortal. But she was ageing. For the poison of werewolves striped away the immortality; and for years the gods aboded and made in that fair forms, but inside they were just ashes like of decayed mortal flesh. For their roots were once mortally, and with death, they returned to ashes.

Another hour passed and they managed to stop her Ichor from flowing, for her essence escaped along with the golden liquid. Yet they didn't have time, for her presence in the room seemed dismissed and they hardly sensed her power.

"Apollo" Percy turned to him as he watched Artemis trembled by the fever and it broke his heart. "Is there anyway to cure the poison, or at least to stop it for awhile?"

But the god of the sun, of medicine and the father of Asclepius whom resurrected the deaths was silent and his face was darkened and just stared at the floor.

Percy inside was tumultuous and patient he heeded little. The anger took him as he roared in frustration and held Apollo collar shirt.

"Tell me dammit!"

But Apollo was angered and he kicked Percy away.

"Don't tempt me Perseus!" He bellowed "you know I love her above all and I would doing anything to save her. But there's none..."

The last sentence he sighed and spoke with despair and hope was lost within him. There he just sat on the floor and disoriented and the morning was dark that day.

Paecus out of the three was calmest, yet he was troubled. He stood and traced far through memory the time he dwelled with the werewolves; of their teachings, their lore and medicines and yet it seemed to him that he hadn't gained enough of their trust to obtain the cure of their bites.

Percy legs stumbled and fell. He looked at Artemis from the floor and his eyes watery. The memories came to him of times they spent and he repented his curses and his angers toward her. For his love for her beyond the wide of the sea and sketched as far as the sky could reach. Seeing her in pain broke his heart and part of it was his doing.   

At that moment he wished Leto was beside him. To give him counsels and guidance for he was lost in despair and sorrows.  Then the Ichor of her that dropped on the floor spread toward him and wetted his shoes, a sudden memory flooded back to his mind and the hope filled his heart.

Many years ago, before the discovery of Artemis in the times of the Romans, his mother had asked him for his blood. Though he did not know the purpose of her doing. But he found out her dreadful wound was healed few days later after he shed his blood. At the time he did not know his identity nor his truths, so he thought the wound came from the Wolves within the forest. But now after everything he had known, it logically came back and fit into pieces. Leto did not ask for his blood that day for virtue he had assumed, but to cure the bite somehow he bite her in the full moon. The werewolf blood was the answer to their bites.

The realisation came like fireworks in his mind and he was delighted with it. Without hesitation nor counsel with others, Percy stood and bite his own wrist and his blood stained the floor beneath him. Now Apollo and Paecus were astonished and confused when he pressed his bleeding wrist on Artemis mouth. A moment passed when Percy was assured she drank a potion of his blood and he removed his wrist from her tender trembling lips, which were now coated with Ichor and glittered under the light of the candles.

The hope was high in his heart and Percy looked at her with wonder. Her pale cheeks slowly but surly gained back their colour and her hair like Spring returned to Winter that ice melt and give place to green grass. For its white colour faded and her hair returned to its silver, auburn colour. Paecus and Apollo were clad and filled with joy. Her eyes did not opened, yet Percy was filled with hope for their separation came near its end.

But a sudden convulsion took her and everyone's excitement dropped. Artemis seemed not to adapt nor accept the blood of Percy and she started vomiting them out as it flowed out from the corner of her lips. Then the colour of her cheeks faded and the ageing began and her hair dyed back to its colour of snow and death followed her one more time.

"What happened?" Paecus grimaced. "Didn't your blood just cure her?"

"I-I don't know..." Percy stood with confusion and delirium. "My mother was cured by my blood before...I thought it could do the same for her."

"Then why she's not healed yet!? Why did her body reject it!?" Apollo yelled.

"I DON'T KNOW OKAY!" Percy ranged back.

"I don't know..." and he said with a low and sad voice as his legs gave out the second time.

There they sat silently in the room filled with sorrow and wariness. For Percy heart was filled with dread and repentance and sadness. For Apollo heart was darkened without hope. But there Paecus heart still lingered to find the light, despite Artemis muttering with illusions and shivers by the poison. Hope still with him and he spoke.

"What if the cure must come from the one that inflicted it? Your mother was bitten by you wasn't she?"

There Percy understood and his eyes widened as he stood from his wooden chair. Werewolf bloods indeed was the answer but it had to come from the one that craved the bite. And now the fire of the room plunged with high flame for the discovery carried hope.

"I'm going to find that bastard" Apollo was the most impatient for the love to his sister was great and he picked up his bow and attempted to leave.

"Stop!" But Percy responded. "Enough death has been made. You alone can't defeat him Apollo."

"Then Paecus will come with me" Apollo suggested, his eyes were full with flame of fury and they challenged those that opposed him. "Didn't he fear from your presence Paecus?"

fight him" the powerful man reminded Apollo, for he also loved the werewolves and would not lay

shall go" Percy now stepped up from the quarrel and fumbles of Apollo. "For he's still my blood and

agreed

that was torturing her. He held her cheek and tears swelled up his eyes. At the moment he would trade everything just to be switched with her, for she was too fair and good to endure this. She suddenly grabbed at his hand and held dear on it even in her consciousness, his scent still protected her. His heart that moment was hardened and made stronger and filled with determination. His love for Artemis was

it. "I shall return and I won't give

for her into that kiss and for a short moment, life returned to her again. He held her hand, for his heart also afraid he would be late and

camp to Paecus that none could leave it. There

Percy noticed a confused tracks, as if Lucien purposely left behind or out

crunching leaves. The crescent moon shimmering shined on his back, but its colour was not bright as usual; and it was a sign to Percy that Artemis

accepting him as one of his kind, or ever since that bloody night, Percy was no longer recognised as a

turmoil between the trees on his side, as if a fast object moving through the trunks of the trees. Percy knew he was in Lucien territory and werewolves

Now from a better view, the trees in front of

ears and he immediately turned. Lucien from there walked out from the

come" Lucien said with a sneering

sentence struck Percy and his anger

purposely didn't you?" Percy gritted his teeth, his fists folded so tightly to the point the nails drew blood in

against me. Didn't I just lift a

know why I came" Percy managed to control his anger. "Just give me what I need Lucien and I'll be out of your sight for

she dies or not. That goddess carries a curse Percy,

that

many times he tried

her. Either you step on

and frozen, but Lucien did not stop

He

how to counter Lucien. The decision he had not decided

and that snapped

of the moon and his red blazing eyes was flaming with fury. Percy attacked Lucien. But as quick as lightning, Lucien transformed into his grey wolf and his colour unlike Percy reflected the moonlight and he shined in the dark wood and under

But Percy was still a young fighter and patient was what he did not have. So he charged first, lunging at Lucien and despite his lightning speed, Lucien dodged with ease. There Lucien took his turn and made a long scar on Percy back that forever he would embed it. Percy roar of pain filled the dreadful air and the fogs of the wood was blown away by that roar. But he did not give up, for the damage increased the anger of werewolves would also be, and they would fight to the bitter end. So Percy made a counter attack again. But each time he managed to made a scratch on Lucien, he took back

round. Lucien stood over him with might and victory and he stared down at the

left him.

to her arms one more gave him back strength. And he crawled as much as he could, despite the wound that was bleeding and screaming with agony all over him. And he grabbed Lucien fur, pulling it and his blood

turned his neck with a frown as Percy kept holding on him and

growled and talk as his werewolf voice was deep. "Until I see her

in his mind and his face turned with even more dangerous. That golden eyes flared with intense blast and

surely made back his stance and he stood facing Lucien. Though Percy ribs were broken some and he could barely stand, yet the fire still burned deep in him. There Lucien marched with fury towards Percy and landed a punch on his cheek. His punches were like crushes of hammers and Percy was threw side to side each time a punch landed. At the point Percy

his last strike, attempted to knock Percy out cold but something happen. For his heart followed her, for the love burned even fiercer than the flames of Olympus and for the promise he carried. Percy caught Lucien punch and he looked at Percy with surprise. The next thing was even more unexpected when Percy palm felt so hot that Lucien had to wince from the burn. There under the crescent moon, under the dead trees a new wolf was born. His black fur

deep wood beyond. Trees were knocked down by their missed strikes and they crumbled around them. The rocked and ground vibrated and danced as a battle drum. Percy fist landed on

heard a

to run. Percy now was consumed by his own fire and in his mind was just an image of death

moon dance upon the running water. He jump into the water and the coldness brushed his skin. About

of the woods and he left behind a path of burning trees and ruin. But Percy did not stop, for victory was gleaming in his heart and he charged straight into the water. But he came into Lucien trap.

and Percy power was stripped off layer by layer. His

Percy did all he could to stay alive, but he could not get back what he had as

roared and landed

so much!" There Lucien made another strike. "That even

did not attack like the first time, or block him but just stood and endure.

Lucien bellowed. "Or

don't you realise that!?" There he

but Lucien roared and grabbed his neck and threw him back into the water.

came upon him and started landing every punch he could throw that Percy head crashed every time unto the rock underneath him, and crushed them

Olympus, the wound of Artemis and even now the disappointment and fury of Lucien. But he could not die now, for

near the door of death, and seeing him laying hopelessly on the ground, Lucien sighed with disappointment. "I expected a lot

and lethal and Lucien attempted to snap his throat open and ended Percy life for good. As his brutal claws crashed down, a metallic sound of mechanism filled the air and Lucien