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?"

he also loved the werewolves and would not lay his hand upon

go" Percy now stepped up from the quarrel and fumbles of

they agreed

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 too great to measure, and seeing her suffer he would not accept. So he leaned

the sweats coated it. "I shall return and I won't give

and for a short moment, life returned to her again. He held her hand, for his heart also afraid he would be late and she would disappear forever. He never wanted to let go. But his heart told him time was not in his

set out in haste and before he left, he entrusted the camp to Paecus that none could leave it. There he slipped into

noticed a confused tracks,

Virginia. For the dead trees there drew a sensation of intimidation. He walked in his human form, across the dead trees and crunching leaves. The crescent moon shimmering shined on his back, but its colour was not bright as usual; and it was

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

a fast object moving through the trunks of the trees. Percy knew he was in Lucien territory and werewolves were master at ambushes and

Percy ran, for his skills were more efficient in the clearings. There he came to an open area circled by the black leafless trees in all directions. Now from a better view, the trees in front of him looked like giant arms of undead men arose from the earth and their slender fingers attempted to touch the

from there walked out from the

didn't expect you to come" Lucien said with a sneering

struck Percy and his anger rose.

Percy gritted his teeth, his fists folded so tightly to the point the nails drew blood

me. Didn't I just lift a burden off your shoulders Perseus?" Lucien clicked

to control his anger. "Just give me what I need Lucien and I'll be out

chest. "I don't care if she dies or not. That goddess carries a curse Percy, and those follow her will be caught in

that

growled with frustration, for no matter how many times he tried

won't give you. Choose between your people and her. Either you step on my corpse and forsake your blood and save her, I won't shed my blood for

frozen, but

you Perseus!?" He roared. "Your people or

was pushed to the wall and he was afraid how to counter Lucien. The decision he had not decided and now Lucien

and that snapped Percy.

under the crescent moon, he leaped into his wolf form, the black fur absorbed the light of the moon and his red blazing eyes was flaming with fury. Percy attacked Lucien. But as quick as lightning, Lucien transformed

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

the round. Lucien stood over him with might and

Lucien left

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 coated hand stained the grey

his neck with a frown as Percy kept holding on him and did not let

up" he growled and talk as his werewolf voice was deep.

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

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 eyes were barely opening, even though

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 rippled, his eyes flared with fire and so was his entirety. Lucien barely escaped from the fiery fist of Percy and looked at him with wonder. For Percy once swallowed the Eternal Flame of Hestia and now because of the fierce love for Artemis, he turned into flame himself. He glowed like a lamp even though he was in the shape of werewolf,

into the 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 sound of

own fire and in his mind was just an image of death and sacrifice for Artemis. Without hesitation, he chased after Lucien and the hunting for werewolf began. They ran through the terrestrials of the wood, through trees and

and the coldness brushed his skin. About the middle of the stream, Lucien came into a

But Percy did not stop,

off layer by layer. His waxing time had come to a

rock. Lucien came back with his might and Percy did all he could to stay alive, but he could not get back what he had as long as the water was still around him. But Lucien made sure that Percy could not step out

this the life you want?" Lucien roared and landed a punch that

so much!" There Lucien made another strike. "That even you forsook your own people! Your

first time, or block him but just stood

Lucien bellowed. "Or

dooms for each don't you realise that!?"

Lucien roared and grabbed his neck

crashed every time unto the rock underneath him, and crushed them in pieces. Percy held

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

knocked Percy to near the door of death, and seeing him laying hopelessly

ended Percy life for good. As his brutal claws