Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale novel Chapter 41

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?"

"Yet I did not fight him" the powerful man reminded Apollo, for he also loved the werewolves and would not lay his hand upon them.

"With that I shall go" Percy now stepped up from the quarrel and fumbles of Apollo. "For he's still my blood and I shall persuade him with my best."

Without choice, they agreed with Percy.

After a moment of preparation, Paecus and Apollo left Percy alone in the tent. Percy walked up to her, whom was shaking and trembling by the poison 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 too great to measure, and seeing her suffer he would not accept. So he leaned close to her and whispered.

"Lay and sleep my love" and his kissed her forehead despite the sweats coated it. "I shall return and I won't give up until I see your beautiful eyes again."

He leaned closer, to her lips but he just kissed at the corner of her lips. Because even though she wouldn't notice if he made any attempt, he didn't want to take advantage of it and he respected her. He poured very thing he felt 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 she would disappear forever. He never wanted to let go. But his heart told him time was not in his favour. So he left the tenderness of her skin.

There Percy set out in haste and before he left, he entrusted the camp to Paecus that none could leave it. There he slipped into his wolf form and ran toward the shadowy woods.

For days he tracked for Lucien. Through woods and streams and upon hard roads Percy sprinted. There Percy noticed a confused tracks, as if Lucien purposely left behind or out of carelessness. Nonetheless, it made it easier for Percy to find him.

It was already night when he halted in a wood somewhere around 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 a sign to Percy that Artemis was waning and it urged him to move faster.

He was vigilant at all time. Percy didn't 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 Shapeshifter.

Suddenly he heard 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 were master at ambushes and hunting, especially an veteran like Lucien.

So 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 sky. Or if they were calling him to join them.

Leaf crunches from behind came to Percy ears and he immediately turned. Lucien from there walked out from the shadow that was rippling on his grey coat.

"I didn't expect you to come" Lucien said with a sneering tone. "Or perhaps you have discovered something?"

That last sentence struck Percy and his anger rose.

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

"She was foolish to come against me. Didn't I just lift a burden off your shoulders Perseus?" Lucien clicked his tone.

"You 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 good"

"What I need is you Perseus" Lucien folded his arms across his chest. "I don't care if she dies or not. That goddess carries a curse Percy, and those follow her will be caught in her doom!"

"And for that I shall endure"

Lucien growled with frustration, for no matter how many times he tried to persuade, Percy would not understand.

"Fine!" Lucien bellowed. "If you give me no choice then I 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 a god."

There Person stood and frozen, but Lucien did not stop there.

"What say you Perseus!?" He roared. "Your people or her!"

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

"Pathetic" Lucien said and that snapped Percy.

For a moment the wind was still and Percy growl vibrated through the woods and set the crows flying. There 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 into his grey wolf and his colour unlike Percy reflected the moonlight and he shined in the dark wood and under the dark sky.

They growled to show their intimidation and circled around to check for the opponent weak spot. 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 two or even three scratches and all of them were lethal.

Not for long until Percy strength betrayed him and he was pinned to the round. Lucien stood over him with might and victory and he stared down at the black wolf with disappointment and furry.