Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale novel Chapter 18

Percy’s Point of View

Weeks passed then things just as well stayed the same. Percy walked towards the river, ready for the piles of clothes that were waiting for him. Since the day he had got the power, he didn't have to go to bed with an empty stomach anymore, although he still kept the traditional cooking because he knew Hestia wouldn't want him to overuse the power. He still remembered the nightmare of pains he had to endure that night. Even now he could sometimes felt the hot torrent of blood swirling inside him like lava. That he bolted up every night choking out the nothingness.

Yet, perhaps that agony had brought him and Artemis closer. He still remembered that night when she held on him until morning. She had warned not to mention it and even forget about that, but how could he. Even now when he had to wake up at night, coughing and choking, Artemis would often appear in his tent and patted on his back, smoothing him that it made the pain dissipated immediately. They still shared dinner, though, and the food he summoned for both was never limited that Artemis would always breathe out a sign of fullness and satisfaction after every meal.

He washed the clothes, tried it with his power by condensing the air and heat it up. The sodden fabric dried faster than usually put under the wind. He never actually washed their undergarment, it felt awkward and all and also he knew the hunters would have some misunderstand if he touched them. He left the undergarments out, and to his relief that they actually washed them themselves. Even if it was a test to see if he was really perverted, he actually passed it.

As he was about to walk back to camp, he noticed some strange flowers at the root of an old oak tree just near the river where he was washing the clothes. The flowers glinted under the sun with their yellow iridescent with blue. Its pollens swirled around the roots created a lustrous and delight torrent and movement of the northern light. Percy was drawn towards the flower and wonder how Artemis would feel if he gave her one. He knew she wasn't some kind of girls who would run around picking flowers, but being connected to nature, that would probably make her happy.

His hand moved closer to the flower until the torrent of pollen swelled in his nostrils. It was a blur of dizziness and trauma. It smelled like sulphur that the pollens traveled down his throat, made him wanted to rip it into ribbons. He was about to pull back but his fingers already touched a flower that his skin hissed and steamed under the touch. It was like touching a hot blade or acid that the pain traveled deep into his spinal core. He pulled back and winced, the burnt had dissolved his skin and flesh like poison, like snake venom. His knees buckled that Percy stepped back, astonished and perhaps scared those flowers more than anything. Even though his wound was starting to heal, thanks to his immortal blood, but he could still feel the sharp pain that it ached every nerve within him.

Maybe bringing it back would be a bad idea, Percy stated. No wonder why no one in camp has this flowers when its colour and appearance were so fascinating. It was indeed poisonous.

Percy glanced around, hoping there wasn't anyone around because if there was, especially with the hunters, then no doubt they would use the flowers in one of their pranks. And Percy knew that would be the most severe because right now, his fear for the flowers was even greater than Artemis.

After dinner and the hunters already made their way back to the tents, Percy started wandering around the camp. It was a surprise that the hunters didn't prank him today, or perhaps they had gotten bored. Then again, it made Percy anxious of something more wicked they stored for him under their sleeves.

Percy walked passed the shooting area and curiosity washed over him. He only watched the hunters shooting in a distance but never got a chance to actually shoot one. Even on the island where he only used spears and daggers and snares to hunt. Never in his immortal life that he touched a bow. He cautiously walked to the bows arranged on the holders, the quivers full of arrows set under it. The least thing he wanted right now was a hunter to come out and notice him. When he looked at the arrows, he could see the sweat, the image of him shaping the wood. He greeted his teeth of how the hunters wasted his work without mercy.

He pulled back the string and aimed for the centre of the dart, released it and the arrow flew into the night sky. Perhaps it was too much power. Percy pulled the second arrow this time and tried to decrease the strength, thus, this time, the arrow flew straight down and stuck to the ground. He tried again and again, but the arrows just flew in various direction and none did touch the board, even the outer big circles. How bad is it of his archery? he thought.

He pulled the last arrow in his quiver and aimed as best as he could. Just then, a flap opened and someone walked out, at the same time when he released the arrow. It flew straight to the person that Percy's blood ran cold. Artemis would skin him alive if he hurt any of her hunters. To his astonishment, Artemis caught the arrow that was flying straight at her head and eyes wide opened in shock.

"you tempted to kill me Perseus?" she muttered, a spout visible on her lips.

"Oh, my gods no Artemis...I...just.." He stammered, looking at her. He couldn't say he was practicing archery and he was too bad to even shoot at the target. Artemis would laugh her head off and if words got out. The hunters would humiliate him forever.

Artemis glanced at the surrounding, then back to his eyes. "What are you doing out here this late? Need extra work for camp patrol?"

"Please," Percy cringed, "the chores is already enough."

Percy swallow as Artemis narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze turned to the bow at his hand and Percy tried to hide it behind his back. A smile crept on her face.

"Practise archery I see," she said. "And you are too bad at it."

"No, I'm not!" Percy protested, but Artemis just held her chin high.

"Prove it then"

Percy swallowed, sweats rolling down his forehead as he raised the bow and notched an arrow on the string. He could see Artemis was trying hard not to laugh as he pulled back the string. Inside he prayed for the other half-brother of him to at least let his arrow hit the board. He breathed deep, but his arms froze like a statue that the fingers immobilised in place. Artemis grinned and shook her head, at the point, Percy knew he had to give up.

"You could have just admitted that you are bad in archery you know." she laughed.

"Hey!" Percy burst. "Just because I've never used the bow before, doesn't mean that I'm naturally bad at it. Maybe I can be better than you later on."

"With that posture and the way you hold the bow." Artemis sneered. "Yeah, I'm hoping that day would come soon."

Percy glared at her and didn't say anything more, it wasn't like he was scared of her, but he knew he was at a disadvantage and she would find a way to win in this topic. He raised the bow again and Artemis sighed.

"The way you hold it is just pathetic."

She walked up to him and glowed in the silver light that Percy thought she was consumed by it, then it died and Percy's heart skipped. She was already breathtaking with her 12 years old form, now she had already turned into an 18 to match his high, which made her even more gorgeous. Her face just gotten more beautiful and matured, that moon ash colour of her hair glowed in the night and they sparkled under the stars. The paleness and flawless of her skin just made him wanted to run his finger along her cheek. That appearance made his knees buckled that her beauty was too much for him to even comprehend in his mind.

"You legs must extend that vertically equal your shoulders" she walked closer to, stood at his side as she pressed her entire body on his back. Her hands coped the way he held the bow, that her skin ran smoothly against his long extended arm as she gently raised his arm a little. The other hand of her under his elbow, on the arm he used his strength to pull back the string. "The arm holds the bow and the arm that pulls the string must be on a horizontal line." Her voice and breath brushed against his ear that sent shivers down his spine. His heart thumped so fast that he wondered why it hadn't jumped out from his chest. Is this the feeling of being close to a mature Artemis?

He was frozen the entire time, indeed he tried to listen to her voice and instruction, but his mind was just a blank and the beat of his heart raged inside him. Her scent like the forest at spring, just after the rain and was still refreshing, so tranquil and sweet like the moonflower bursting in the night.

Her view close to him was magnified, that inside him exploded with the fireworks, with desires he stored. That tender, soft lips in a thin line that he wanted to touch and perhaps press his lips against. It was moving, saying instruction that none he could her, nothing she said was able to penetrate his mind, or to make a sound within his ears. Her eyes were focused on the target, that silver piercing and somewhat cold melt his heart. That two little moons of hers always drawn him forwards, and somehow contained the beast within him. Her cheek suddenly pressed against his and time froze. Nothing, absolutely nothing mattered to him, on the smoothness of her pale skin and against that sun-kissed skin of his. Even the breeze of the winter night could not make him shiver. It was her and her alone that mattered.

Artemis moved her eyes to his, that two moons stone in the sockets of her face shined on his. She had stopped talking, but instead her mouth just slight opened, that time was lost between them. It was the temptation of both that a lure of power drawn their faces closer, their eyes still lost in each other and those lips triggered and begged for the touch.

A suddenly sound of water dropping that Percy's fingers got loose of the arrow, and it was released. Though he didn't look after it, nor even Artemis as they just both stared at each other eyes. After a moment, which seemed like forever and they blinked when realisations hit them.

Artemis stepped back, and an awkward silence emerged after Percy's cough.

"I...uh should better go" Artemis tried to break the ice. "Good night Perseus."

Percy smiled at her as she started to walk downhill. "Good night Artemis."

Percy made his way back to his tent, a smile tugged on his lips and he hummed a happy song. Suddenly, a log flew out of nowhere that it hit the back of his head, Percy hit the ground and felt unconscious.

He woke up, the vision still blurry from the hit. He recognised the surroundings, it was his tent to his relief. But until the vision was clear, he realised he was in a cage. It was the silver cage Artemis used whenever he turned on full-moon, he could still see the marks of his claws on the glowing metal bars. Silver didn't particularly burn him if physically touched, it just drained out his strength so that his enemy could make a final strike. He grabbed at the bar and glanced at the surrounding until his gaze landed on a person he hated most at camp, Thalia.

She was sitting on the chair opposite him as his eyes burnt with fire within.

"What is the meaning of this Thalia?" he snarled.

"Just thought of a little fun that may entertain us for the night" She smirked, playing with her dagger.

"If you are going to torture me with that dagger," He spat. "Then go ahead, I have a long day tomorrow."

"Oh don't worry" Thalia smiled as she walked closer to him. "Torturing you with this is too simple. I don't want your blood to taint my jacket."

"Then what are you going to do?" He growled.

"You will see" she gave him a mischevious smile and gave a whistle.

The flap set open and seven more hunters walked in, Phoebe handed Thalia a leather bag as they both smiled wickedly.

"Remember the burn this afternoon?" She asked, glancing at him as Percy blood turned cold.

Thalia pulled out the yellow flower that burnt him from the bag with her bare hand. Percy's eyes widened as he moved as far as possible from her. "Hmm," she sniffed the flower. "Such sweet smell"