Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 16 Tale Around Dinner

Percy’s Point Of View

Percy struggled, trying to skin the deer on the table. He never knew how to cook, not that he was useless, he could make cereal and fried eggs himself, but making a proper meal was beyond his ability.

He had learnt that the hunt only consumed a quarter of a deer or a small animal a day, so they could keep the balance in nature. The deer was big, covered the entire table as it groaned under the deer 's weight. He could see there were plenty of meet at the time, but he wasn't sure how much left he could gain after the cooking process, which he expected the deer would be burnt to ashes.

He stabbed a knife at its side in frustrated, clicked his tongue and cursed. He would do anything but to cook. He slashed a chunk of meat but accidentally cut his finger. Percy yelped as he jumped and squeezed on the wound. He checked to see a deep cut as Ichor was pouring out from it.

Percy had come to notice his wound had started to heal less quickly ever since he left the island. Perhaps it was Leto power that protected him, or just because he had spent too many of his own power while living in the hunt.

He kicked the table, hard enough to rattle the cups, rumbling the plates.

"Is there any god that knows how to cook!?" He screamed to the fire that he was about to chuck his deer in.

So far he had not done a single job Artemis had appointed him. Much less to the hunters dislikes, now they would even hate him more without food to serve. iIt wasn't that he cared about the hunters or to seek any acceptance from them, he knew that was impossible. But he couldn't disappoint Artemis since she had made a guarantee for his stay.

Suddenly, the fire behind him grew hotter as the back of his shirt steamed.

"I guess I would be suitable for that"

A voice came and Percy nearly jumped up to the ceiling. He turned back to the fire, expected to see Annabeth since she was the only person in camp that would bother to help and visit him. But to the view wasn't the person he thought.

There was a girl, small about ten years old sitting by the hearth. She had a young and beautiful face with bright brown hair tucked in a brown linen shawl. Her brown dress matched the colour of her hair and part of the fire. Although with that youthful appearance, her light red eyes still shown the intelligence and maturity that was usually not obtained by any of her age or even beyond. She radiated a delicious scent of wood smoke and toasted marshmallows, also with the power that made Percy's leg turned Jell-O. It was so ancient, yet not mysterious or dangerous. Also in her presence, all of those bad feelings and frustrated thoughts just floated away, as Percy came to miss his mother even more. By the first glance of Percy at her, his instinct told him he could trust her with everything. Although he had to make sure of it.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked. He wasn't surprised much by now or concerned that she could be hurt by the fire because he knew she wasn't any hunter, nor mortals. Though that thought made him anxious.

"Why so much rudeness?" she walked closer to him, a smile tugged on her lips as her eyes fixed on him. "Should learn how to ask someone nicely, especially to a girl ok?"

He couldn't believe a young girl was giving him a lesson on how he should behave. Her tones sounded like Leto as he held dear of any her teachings. He swallowed and fixed his gaze on her.

"I'm sorry because I've just been through a lot lately," he stammered "May I have an acknowledgement of your name?"

"That's how a good boy should behave" she laughed, "I am Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. I believe your call as a magical being has brought me here. It's been a long time to have someone requesting me."

Hestia chuckled the last part.

Percy turned nervous. The least he wanted was to face an Olympian, yet because of an impulsive moment that he had brought an Olympian here. If she found out who he really was, the entire Olympus would be at his tail. Percy swallowed nervously as sweats started to form.

"Oh, it's a great but could you please disappear again?"

He knew that was the most stupid thing to say, but he was desperate. He didn't think of any plan to ditch her and alert Artemis, who probably still oblivious to Hestia's presence.

The girl just gave him a warm smile as she looked around, her lips pursed as she looked at Percy again.

"This is the hunt of Artemis I see," she said, though a bit of surprise in her eyes. "You must be somehow related to her so that you can dwell in here. What's your name young man?"

"It's....uh...Perseus" he said, struggle to form a word but confused why he was too honest with this goddess.

"Perseus?" she rubbed her chin. "Never heard of any Perseus than closely related to my niece. You were lying to me?"

"No, no, no" he threw his hands up "I'm her half sharing blood brother, I...."

He covered his mouth, screaming at himself for being stupid. Hestia widened her eyes as big as the plates, her mouth hung open.

"You are a son of Zeus?" she asked, still priceless.

"No, he's not my father!" he snapped, feeling irritated when someone mentioned his name.

"Then tell me Perseus," Hestia walked closer. "How could you be Leto's son when she's been imprisoning on the island for three thousand years?"

"It's...uh..." he couldn't form a word, not that he didn't want to tell her, she seemed trustworthy enough. But he was afraid Artemis would be hunting him later. Hestia somehow understood him as she laid a hand on his shoulder and looked at him in the eyes to add courage. Her power and warm relaxed his nerves.

So, he told her. Everything he knew, about how his parents met to time Artemis rescued him and his truth identity. He was too afraid she would be wild if she knew who he really was, most of the gods hated him. But she listened to him carefully and patiently, no sign of fear and alert to be shown. Her eyes watered when he just surprisingly told her over the boundary, how he was feeling, his fear and loneliness he was having, also his desire for recognition and even his confused feeling towards Artemis. He told her everything, not a single word that he left or hide. He'd never been honest to someone as much as her, besides his mother of course. Even Artemis didn't know much from him. But with Hestia, he felt like he could trust her with everything. Perhaps because she reminded him of his mother, or maybe he just needed someone to share his thoughts with.

Percy lowered his head after revealing everything. His heart had stopped beating fast because now it felt empty. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"So if you want to tell the gods," he mumbled. "Go ahead and do it."

Hestia just gave out a small sob as she plugged her arms around his shoulder and pulled him closer to her. He held dear on her arms, her warm felt like the lullaby his mother sang when he was just a kid,

the comfort and gentle words when he was hurt. The thought brought tears that Perseus could do nothing but to cry silently.

"Oh, poor Perseus" Hestia brushed his hair, "I can feel how lonely you are, I can't imagine someone could bear that emptiness and burden."

"Why don't you be afraid, or hate me because of what I am?" he said, still sobbing on her.

"Because I've seen through you Perseus. The beast is part of you, but the real you is loving, kind and gentle. I'm sorry for didn't know you earlier, to give you regard and recognition. You are us Perseus, you are part of my family."

It felt good of her words that Percy just broke down. She was the first that truly accepted and acknowledged him. Hestia rubbed circles on his back and smoothed him.

"I'll protect you Perseus, I'll make sure no harm can reach you. Just like the promise I've made to Leto many years ago." She told him.

Percy slowly sat up, sweeping his tears as Hestia smiled at him. Part of his heart had filled with joy and happiness, he felt like he was living again.

"Gosh this nephew of mine has grown into a young and handsome man!" she poked on his cheek and grinned. Percy laughed at her words. He was glad that he had met Hestia.

"Could you help me to cook something cause I won't last long without food to serve the hunters tonight." he said.

Hestia smirked as she put her hands on her hips. "You have asked the right person Perseus"

He helped Hestia down the table as they started walking to the deer.

"Also, can you keep this as a secret between us?" he asked, "Artemis gonna be mad if she knew I've told you everything."

"Surely Perseus" Hestia smiled. "Surely it's our little secret."

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Percy held the trolly of food walking towards the dining pavilion. After making the food, Hestia bid him farewell and disappeared.

Percy's mouth watered from the smell coming out from the plates. Never in his life he had seen such fine and delicious meal as this. The meats were fined cooked with the ingredient that the smell was irresistible to dig in.

He spotted the hunters were waiting impatiently for him along with Artemis. Their heads popped up and down as their noses too caught the smell of food. He even heard the rumbling stomachs from the

distance.

The dining pavilion only had a long rectangular old wooden table with two long benches on both sides, there was only an occupied seat at the far end of the table by Artemis Percy found there was no spot left for him on the bench, or perhaps the hunters had tried to space out as much as possible so he couldn't sit with them. Percy laid the plates on the table as the hunter's mouths watered, Artemis sneered.

"Who said that couldn't cook huh?"

Percy smirked at Artemis but didn't say anything. He passed the plates of food along the table, only a plate left which he kept for him to have inside the tent. He was taught not to eat secretly before everyone else. But, unfortunately, Thalia reached out her hand and grabbed his plate, though she already had one before her.

"Hey that's mine!" he protested. "You've already got one yourself"

"Sorry but I'm hungry so I still need more." she fork on the meat and put it in her mouth, chewing it as slow as possible, provoking him. Many hunters snickered as Percy gritted his teeth, he just wanted to rip her heart out. He glanced at Artemis for a fair judgement, but she only looked at him with cold and conceit. Percy turned his back with anger and stormed to his tent.

He kicked the bed, threw the pillow to the wall since he didn't want to destroy the place he had a bit of control in. Never in his life he felt humiliated and insulted that much. He thought Artemis did care for him, and for a split second that he believed her. She was just like them, conceit and arrogant and her pride. Her selfish disdain and disregards towards him. It hurt him much was Artemis's action earlier. He felt tired and thought of leaving the place, that would be better since Hestia could protect him. But he would break the promise he made to Leto to stay with Artemis, also she could hunt him eventually. Either way, he couldn't run away from the cursed hunt.

He was about to lure himself to sleep to forget the hunger when the flap of his tent being pulled aside as Artemis walked in with a plate of food.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, she was the least he wanted to see at the time.

Artemis just set the plate of food on the table and folded her arms. "Well I think it would be bad if you can't have a taste on the food you made," she said.

Percy scoffed and looked away, although his heart was excited that she didn't forget about him. Artemis growled as she bellowed. "Look! I didn't walk all the way here to bring you food and to see that Mr. Attitude. If you don't want it then fine! sleep with hunger then!"

She was about to walk away when he turned back immediately. He slowly walked up to the food on the table and started to pick up the knife and fork, a little smile tugged at Artemis's lips.

He cut a piece of food and started chewing it. Just as he thought, the taste was filled with delight and magnificent that fireworks exploded in his mind.

He caught Artemis staring at the corner of his eyes. She occasionally licked her lips when he put in the food. He stared back at the half eaten meat and realised. There wasn't any food left on the trolly, then where did Artemis get this extra plate. All of it came back to the truth that he wanted to cry.

"This plate supposed to be your dinner isn't it?" Percy sighed.

Artemis was focused on his food that she snapped back on his answer. "Huh? Oh no, I've already eat-"

A rumbling sound came out of her stomach, so loud that it vibrated his ears. Perseus gave her a bored look while Artemis looked down in embarrassment. Percy just smiled and fork a piece of meat and walked up to her. He held it close to her mouth.

"Here!" he said, trying hard not to smile or her pride would take over.

"What are you doing?" She snapped but didn't lean away. "I've already eaten!"

"Stop pretending that you have," he told her. "I know that you are hungry."

"B-but you don't have to baby feed me you know" she scowled. "I can do it myself"

"Could you be quiet just for a moment and accept my care?" Percy said in annoy. "Now say ahhhhh"

He pushed the meat further as it touched her lips, Artemis reluctantly opened her mouth and Perseus fed her. She chewed the meat, her brain melt from the delicious food he made. She looked at him to see his smile as he turned the fork over to her.

"There are still a lot on the plate you know?" he told her. "I don't think I'll be able to finish it all. Care to joined"

Artemis didn't answer, but simply listened and walked back to the table with him. And they both shared that not really enough meal to fill their stomachs, but enough to warm each other as they laughed and talked by the fire in the tent of the winter night.

N/A credit for the first week back, vote and comment help alot guys. Hope you enjoy the story. Luv ya ????✌

Percy’s Point Of View