Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 20 Tale of The Moon Beast

N/A dedicated to volentlake As I've promised a chapter per week :)

Percy’s Point of View

He heard the running torrent of water, he felt his torso wet. Percy slowly opened his eyes, the cold icy water irritated the membrane of his eyes that he found himself laying in the middle of a stream. He slowly raised his body heavily, his bones cracked and his muscled ached. He groaned, holding his head as if the brain had just accumulated back together.

Where the hell am I? he wondered, looking around.

Suddenly, the nightmare came back to him as he looked back at himself. His shirt and pants were gone, only the magical boxer that would reappear every time he turned was still on his body. He brushed his hair, grimacing as the memories flooded back. He could still feel the acidic substance of wolfbane in his system.

He slowly pulled himself to balanced on his legs. His lung still hurt every time he coughed, guess some of the wolfbanes were still in it. He made his way out of the stream and found himself in another forest. Old oak trees cloaked with layers of moss, the green leaves changed the colour of the sky as he walked under their giant branches. The birds sing in a melody of beautiful sound around him that for awhile, he didn't realise that he was lost, but seemly enjoyed his surrounding.

He thought he was still somewhere near the Hunt, but the deeper he walked into the forest, the stranger it appeared to him. There wasn't any grass or flower or that scent of Moonlace that he knew Artemis was close. Around him was a different scent and world and at that moment, he found the feeling of being freed.

A grin planted on his face as he laughed, throwing his arms to the sky, embracing the air and the world free of hunters, of chores, of humiliation and pranks. He found so much alive, his muscles relaxed, his

brain felt free as he wandered through the forest taking the new world to him.

He found a cave at a side of the hill. The top was covered with moss, the hollowed cave was hidden by the trees and bushes that he nearly missed it. He cautiously walked in, the wall was still wet and solid rocky ground was at least dried. He explored further in. There were dried leaves, shoving together to make a bed at the end of the cave. It didn't appear to be occupied by human, but instead animal. But nonetheless, it had long been abandoned.

Percy made himself comfortable on the crunching leaves bed, smiling to himself of the future ahead. He thought of going into the human world, exploring more in the wild and eventually back to the island he had lived happily for nearly three thousand years.

Then the thought of Artemis came back to him. A guilty feeling swirled within his chest. Would she be worrying and finding him at the moment? What would she eat when he was not there to cook for her? But he laughed, it was absurd to even think Artemis come looking out for him. She had direct her hunters to prank him day after day, hoping he would go away. Perhaps now she had achieved it. There was no point to come back. She was his first crush, but wouldn't be the last. Maybe he would find someone else out there better than her, someone who would protect and actually cared for him. Someone who wouldn't treat him like a servant.

He knew staying with Artemis would be safe from the Olympian, but considering her Hunters are all killer, that didn't get any better. If he stayed low profile and careful, then the gods would never find him.

No, it was no time. Percy ran to the cliff, his bones cracked and muscles were trying to rip themselves apart. He screamed, the fangs raised from his canine teeth. The moon, bright and full brought its cursed magic down on his. He screamed in agony, his sea-green eyes transmitted to red blood that he was starting to growl. He was to catch up with enjoying the free life that he forgot about the next full moon. If he started to ram away right now, he would expose himself to everyone, or worst running into the gods.

His spine curved inward to an arch that he fell on four. The screamed rustled the leaves, scared off the birds as his hair grow longer and turned black. The dagger claws poked out from his fingers as they scratch the rock beneath him, tracing lethal lines of intimidation.

At the moment, the image of Artemis just somehow flashed into his transforming mind. He remembered every time he turned, Artemis would always sit in front of his cage. He growled, tried to attack and bit her. She had been terrified, cringed back and concerned. Yet, Artemis had never left his sight, even when he was at his most brutal and dangerous peaks. She would sit there and waited for him to return.

Until that moment, he realised how much he missed her. He missed that auburn hair, that tranquil scent of Moonlace, her ethereal and beautiful face. He dear those exquisite and astonishing silver eyes. He missed her warm, how she wrapped the blanket around him after every transformation. How her soothing voice whispered to him, that calm him down so much.

His finger bones cracked as he groaned, pulling himself together. He remembered her voice calmed him, and he tried, digging every memory that he had of her. After awhile, he felt the feeling of turning was starting to be controlled, the bones had stopped crunching together, and the hair on his arms had turned to normal. He slowly stood up, and suddenly went rigid when a wolf howl came out from all direction.

He turned back and the figure in front of him made Percy wanted to turn again. He had thought he was the one, he had though no one could be like him. Ans yet the beast in front of him had confirmed his kind had not extinct.

That gain and brutal body. That powerful wolf head and those intimidating eyes of a carnivore. Those lethal claws and that smooth grey fur. The moonlight seemed rippled and dancing on that grey. He was no doubt a werewolf.

The beast ran at Percy, it slashed its claws across his chest. The contact burned like touching wolfbane that Percy winced and jumped back. He growled at the beast and let all his mind lose.

The two werewolves lunged at each other, the moon seemed to add power for them that their brutal strength level the rock, shattered the trees. Their animal growl raged through the forest, blown through bushes and leaves. A blur of grey and black, slashes of yellow of claws. Percy managed to leave a deep mark on the enemy chest as he snarled and moved back. He struck at Percy, his claws scratched on his arms and Percy gave him a lethal bite on the neck. He spun the grey wolf around, his fangs piercing the wolf skin as blood sprayed circles on the ground.

He threw the grey wolf on the ground, breathing heavily as stream came out from his snout. The enemy laid the ground, trying to get on four but was out of strength from Percy's hit.

Percy came closer, examine the injured wolf as he sniffed his scent. A low growl came out from him made Percy lean closer. Just then, he realised it was a mistake. A surge of pain occurred at his torso as Percy growl in anguish. The grey wolf's claw piercing deep into Percy that ichor made pool underneath his feet. Percy dropped on his knee as the enemy pulled back his claws, Percy kidney still stuck on his finger that the wolf threw it away.

The pain now had increased as he was turning back to normal. Blood was still gushing out from the wound as Percy shrunk smaller. The enemy studied his agony face steadily, crooking his head to the side and bared his teeth. With no more than a low growl, the grey wolf sprinted away into the wood.

Percy dropped on the ground, laying in his pool of blood as he tried to breathe. Gasp after gasp as Percy's vision came blur when the bushes rustled and came running out was the Percy he wanted to see most.

"Oh, my gods Perseus!"

Artemis rushed to him as she dropped on the ground and pulled him up from the ground. He leant against her arms, his breathing became weak but a smile planted on him.

"Artemis" he whispered. NôvelDrama.Org © content.

"What happened?" she grimaced. "who did this to you?"

Percy just shook his head, he had no more strength to speak. He leant on her shoulder, take in that relaxing scent from her hair as his hand held dear on her, their fingers interlocked perfectly.

"Ok. just hang on" She stuttered in panic, squeezing his hand. "I'll save you so do not die do you hear me! Don't you dare to die or I will hunt you to the other world!"

With that, a circled glowed around them and Artemis flashed them away.

N/A hello again guys and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Votes and comments really help so please do to show me your opinion on the chapter. Next chap will be out next week! Take care and luv ya all!

Percy’s Point of View