Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 17 Fire Bearer Tale

Percy’s Point of View

Weeks had passed since Percy's first arrival at camp. Life in the hunt never changed in Percy's perspective that for the first time he actually felt time. He had to wake up early, and usually not without Artemis yelling and ranting at him about sleeping like a corpse. Life in the hunt was never easy, the hunters made it seem impossible to live.

His chores just got harder every day. The piles of clothes just kept getting higher and dirtier and the hunters wasted more arrows than they usually did. He had never had a decent meal, most of his food was taken by them that Perseus looked weakened and exhausted most of the time. Not only that, the pranks and insults they put on him were countless.

He had made it in his routine. The morning prank would be an ice bucket on top of the tent's flap where his teeth clattered at the first time in the winter. Sometimes they would shoot arrows at him while he was washing the clothes or sneak inside his tent to destroy stuff. Percy's belonging stuff had shattered, along with his clothes. He would never have a meal with them because there would be super glue on his seat or undried paint.

He felt lonely and empty most of the time, and never in his life that he had cried off to sleep. There would be Annabeth to talk to him sometimes, but he had made the conversation compressed because the pranks would be more severe if the hunters caught him talking to her. Hestia would sometimes pay a visit, talked and comforted him from the humiliations and the unfairness. But still didn't raise his spirit much.

He only needed Artemis to put a bit more regard for him. He had never told her about the pranks of her hunters. Because he knew she wouldn't listen to him nor believe him. The only time he felt happy and alive was when Artemis would come to his tent at night to have dinner. From the night they shared their first meal together, Artemis had started to ditch dinner with her hunters and came to have it with Percy.

He felt it strange and suspicious a bit, but having Artemis close to him made him let that go. His feeling towards her had not decreased, in fact, it grew stronger day by day. Hestia had warned him about romantically involved with Artemis was certainly not a good thing. But he couldn't get her image out from his system.

Percy set open the flap, dropping his shoulder after a day of work. Artemis had disappeared to Olympus and she wouldn't be back until the next day. Which he felt sad, but there was Hestia sitting on his bed patiently, and ready to talk with him about his day.

"So you have dinner alone tonight?" she smiled.

"At least I'll have my stomach full for a night," Percy said as he drank some water, but spat out immediately because it was too salty. "Gosh, those hunters are just too much!"

"Don't be too angry at them Percy?" Hestia said gently "It's a good thing that they let you live here"

"I would rather let them kill me than this" Percy said bitterly. "Why can't I just live with you, Hestia?"

"Because Perseus" She jumped down the bed with her twelve years old form. "It's safer to live with Artemis so she can protect you. No male Olympian has ever dared to step into her hunt besides Apollo and females wouldn't bother to besides me."

"But they will get me killed one day if-"

"Don't you want to be close to your Artemis?" Hestia raised her brows and Percy backed down. Hestia smiled as she dragged him to the table. "Common, you must be hungry, let me make you some food."

Artemis flashed back to camp, tired from all the discussions. The situation had not ceased, Olympus was still hunting him and most suspicious places were under watched, which included Leto's island.

Never in his life she was concerned so many for a male. His life here had made hers better. She had made it a habit of waking Percy every morning, look at his hilarious face from being scowled by her. She was also used to have dinner with him, that was the time when she felt alive the most, even with her hunters didn't feel much that way. She knew they resented each other and also with the pranks they pulled on him, but if that was the only way to cease their hatred towards Perseus, she was willing to let him bear. After all, he had an eternity for himself, the hunters would eventually open up to him just like how they did before...

She walked to his tent, ready for a late dinner when her blood turned cold at the extra person in the room. There was Hestia, sitting just opposite from Perseus while he was digging in the plate of food. There was no way she wouldn't recognise Hestia, with her usual twelve years old form, that warm and power radiated out from her were unmistakable. Percy turned to face Artemis and his eyes were bigger than the plates.

"Ar-rte..." He stammered, unable to form words as he imagined something bad Artemis would do to him.

Hestia turned to her and a mischevious smile came to her lips. "Well Artemis," she held her chin high, "care to explain about him?"

Percy turned to her confused and Artemis knees shook. If Hestia knew about their secret, her mother and Apollo would be in danger. "Aunty...I...."

"Why are you having a male in your hunt," she asked. "and why is he having that scent of a wolf?"

Artemis's eyes widened, fear ran down her spine that sweats started to form. Until then, Perseus screamed. "Hestia, stop teasing her!"

Her aunt just laughed and left Artemis priceless, staring at them both. Then a moment later when everything became clear to her. If Hestia knew about Perseus and was teasing her with that wolf joke,

then she must be supporting and protecting Perseus. Artemis kicked herself for didn't realise that sooner.

"Wait, how long have you guys known each other?" Artemis raised a question.

"Well since the first time Percy made his first dinner at the hunt" Hestia answered

"And you hid it from me until now Perseus?" she turned to him, who was looking down at the floor.

"I uh was afraid that you would be angry if I told someone else about our secret."

"Don't blame him Artemis, you would've done the same" Hestia supported him.

Artemis sighed as she moved to a seat, "Anyway, you have already known, you will have to bear that burden of secrets. Now Perseus, don't tell me that you have eaten my dinner."

After a while of settling down, Artemis was having her meal while Perseus looked at her anxiously, next to him was Hestia that was smiling at Artemis devouring the food.

"So the meals that you have made so far are from Hestia's magic!" Artemis swallowed down as she turned to them.

"Hey, she helped me, I made it by my own hands" Percy protested,

"He's really capable Artemis, look like the burden is not really hard for you" Hestia spoke.

"Life has already been hard Arty, and babysitting is the least I wanted." she sighed.

"Trust me, when I first promise to take care of you guys for your mother, I was totally freaked out too." Hestia laughed.

"Only Apollo gave you a hard time back then" Artemis smiled. "He caused trouble everywhere."

"You were a troublemaker no less them him niece." Hestia recounted. "Shooting at Poseidon and breaking Hera's bed are considered the bravest and stupidest thing an immortal has ever done."

"I was quite impulsive that time" Artemis laughed at her young, immature time.

"Wow, you guys have such history" Perseus hung his mouth open. "You didn't tell me you knew my mother aunty."

"I said it before Percy" she smiled at it. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have promised to protect you. Where do you think your mother get that eternal flame?"

"Huh, what flame?" Artemis frowned.

Percy's eyes widened as he realised about it. Now he understood why his mother gave it to him, it was a symbol and a sign to prove he was her son, that was why Hestia had trusted him in the first place. He pulled out the red metal box from his pocket that contained the eternal flame. It was the only thing he kept safe from the hunters, it was the only gift he had from Leto. So far, its only purpose was to heat the water for him to have a warm bath, he didn't know the use of that flame.

"It does not only burn forever but contains my power within Perseus," Hestia said.

"So you mean I can be able to summon food and immune to fire like you?" Percy asked.

Hestia just gave him a nod as he stared back at the gift, Artemis peaked closer to look.

"How come I've never got on. Mother always envy the boys!" she scowled and folded her arms. Hestia giggle.

"Trust me Artemis, you wouldn't want to obtain that. Swallowing it will be your worst nightmare"

"So I have to swallow it," Percy asked in shock. "You mean eat flame? how?"

"You will know." Hestia stood up and gave them the last wink as she looked at the two. "And it's not going to be pleasant"

With that, Hestia disappeared, leaving Artemis and Percy staring at the blank. They turned to each other, their gazes fixed.

"So now what? I assume you would gladly to accept new power?" Artemis huffed in jealousy.

Percy didn't respond, instead, he pressed on the ruby that the orange flame about the size of a gold ball appeared, floating in the box. Percy touched it with his hand and it surprisingly cold to the touch, or perhaps it was too hot that his nervous system switched its functions.

He pulled back as his finger was trying to heal from the burn, Percy winced.

"Now I know why Hestia advised me not to try," Artemis smirked. "Look like you gonna have a tough time Perseus. Even Apollo wouldn't dare to swallow that."

"I dare," Percy said to her as Artemis looked at him in shock.

He grabbed the flame and despite the heat, he shoved it into his mouth and it dissolved down his throat. Artemis leant closer, trying to observe any changes and Percy dropped the tense after a split moment of no reaction.

Suddenly, he grabbed his neck and started to choke. It burned his throat, like someone was pouring acid down, shattered every tissue within that he could feel the blood boiled from the flame. He dropped on the ground, scratching, trying to get the burning to stop, but it wouldn't go away. Percy screamed in anguish as the hair on his skin grew.

"Holly Chaos Perseus!" Artemis dropped on her knees as she tried to hold him.

Percy screamed as he grabbed at his neck, just wanted to rip it off so the flame would go away. His bones dissolved in the body, his screamed filled the room.

Artemis was out of mind. He kept turning, swaying in agony while trying to choke out the torment worse than death. She couldn't do anything but to call his name.

"Arty it burns, it's hot...." He choked out the words, his voice for an instant had melted into the heat at his tongue that Artemis barely heard it.

"I know...just hold still." she soothed him, but there was no use when his body was expanding, he was turning.

Artemis eyes widened. A werewolf in its pain is the most dangerous. It's the madness wouldn't know what but to kill. Artemis in desperation lunged at him, she pulled him close to her chest, her cheek rested on his head calling his name.

"It will be alright Perseus, it will pass." she soothed him, hearing his screams was like knives stabbing.

"It hurts, make it stop, make it stop..." Percy cried, gripping at his neck drawing out blood that Artemis had to hold it still, preventing his claws from ripping it to million flesh.

"Shhh....it will pass, hold on!" that was all she could do to him at the time. She didn't know what was the pain he had to bear, and she didn't want to imagine it. A stream of tears she shed unknowingly down her eye as she pulled him closer, wishing somehow she could take some of the pain so he wouldn't be much to torment.

His screams grew quieter as the moment passed. Percy laid on her, clinging on her scent like the last source of his life. His breath came out as gasps and uneven. His sweats wet her clothes. Artemis still held on him, still pulled him close to her that frail body of his. Tears were still streaming down her eyes that she did not know the reason.

"Ar-temis" Percy languorously grabbed at her forearm that was around him as Artemis brushed his hair, smoothed him and she landed an uncontrollable kiss on his head. Her mind was just about him at the time that anything wasn't much mattered.

"I'm here, just close your eyes and go to sleep ok."

She held onto him, still pulling him close as he slowly drifting off to sleep from exhaustion, from her scent that felt like the lullaby. And there, they held onto each other as the night moved on and the two drifted off.