Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 38 Tale of confessions

Artemis’s point of view

Paecus' words were like drummer clanging in Artemis's mind that her sleep could not go peacefully. The decisions always at the knot being pulled apart but somehow the tighter the knot, the harder the force made

Artemis head ached more. Sensing the method of trying to close her eyes and forget everything didn't work, Artemis decided to take a walk. Creaking opened the door of her room, the corridor had no one in sight made Artemis mind a little more relaxed. Normally she would be nervous and cautious, but somehow tonight that loneliness didn't affect her. She made her walk outside the hotel, it turned out to be a resort more than just an accomodation. The two building blocks where they slept were divided by a garden in the middle with different kind of trees and shrubs and flowers. In the middle of the garden had a stream. Though Artemis never tried to discover the source, but this water had a strange colour like rainbow. As she walked across the garden, Moonlace bowed down at her feet as Artemis smiled, their pollens sparkling as they dropped on the green grass like fairy dust with such beauty that nothing can compare. The sky was an eddy of molten amethyst, sapphire, and ruby, all bleeding into a final pool of onyx. She wanted to swim in it, to bath in its colour and feel the stars twinkling between her fingers. As she walked, all the spirit sang in their harmony of peace between the flowers and the bushes, and the moonlight danced on top of the grass as they opened the path for her. There when she reached the wooden bridge that led across the stream to another building, her steps stopped. He was sleeping on that side, should she continue to go forward, or just retreat back to her room? Her palms turned sweaty as the skin felt the slippery of its own, her heart pouncing and like a the hammer that forced upon a stone and the void in her heart, Artemis slowly stepped back. She was scared, for the first time she was scared walking up to a male and she understood why. Is this how people have a feeling for someone? She hated it how it made her weak and so pathetic. She knew she had the strength to face all this, but the thought of gazing upon his face made her heart skipped again. So there she turned away from the bridge.

But her movement stopped when her eyes caught him. He was there looking at her just from the other side of the bridge as he was too surprised to see her. There the singing of trees in the night breeze stopped and the sounds of crickets froze and it seemed only the moon that was active that moment as its light like the light on stage and they were two actors that were about to step in and perform on that bridge.

She wanted to walk away, she did. But the moment he made his step forward, it was her own legs that betrayed her and moved towards him. They met at the middle of the bridge, and Artemis had nothing to say nor dare to look into his eyes. She suddenly found interest on her feet and Percy just kept trying to clear his throat, yet no word expected to come.

"Y-you can't sleep?" Artemis managed to break the silence since it was too awkward for her to keep going.

"Ye-yeah" he scratched his head. "You too?"

Artemis slightly nodded and she turned to her side, focusing on the water flowing between rocks under the bridge below, trying not to face him or she would just start blabbing stuffs or screw something up. Percy followed her and turned to his side as also he too observing the fish in the water.

"Careful" he said. "Don't get too excited and fall into the water there. That would be suck"

Artemis chuckled. "It's not like this is my first seeing fish Kelp Head. Besides, if I fell into the water, I'd just take your shirt to dry myself anyway"

"Hey that's bullying right there" he accused, arching his eyebrows in a cute way that Artemis wanted to smile.

"There's no mummy for you to cry Perseus" Artemis waved her hand and turned her attention back to the water. Percy sighed as he rested his elbow on the rail and as Artemis peaked at the corner of her

eye, he was smiling while staring up at the starry sky.

"What are you smiling at?" Artemis frowned, thinking of something stupid things that were swirling in his mind.

"I've just realised time is so short" he said, still looking at the stars.

Sensing Artemis silence, he knew she was confused by his words and turned to face her. Artemis hitched a breath. "Don't you realise it?" He asked.

"Realise what?" Artemis snapped to hide the blush was coming up her cheek. That grin always caught her off guard and those dimples.

"I'm disappointed Artemis" he sighed sarcastically. "It's been nearly a year since we first met, I believe next week will be that day."

Artemis just stared at him in shock as her mouth form a letter O. "Oh" she just managed to make and turned her eyes to the water again, the blushing was visible on her cheek and Percy just laughed at that.

"I can't believe it's already a year" he said, turning to his side.

"Yeah" Artemis smiled as the memories started coming back, of how they first met on that same bed and the argument they had the first time. "A lot has happened since then"

"I'm just glad that I was able to live up until now since I got to meet the lady of man haters" Percy saw she was about to glare at him and raised his arms with a grin. "Jokes"

There they had a little silence, now enjoying each other company more than before that awkward moment when they first arrived. The old flashback came and they both smiled at some moments that they shared. True there was sad, yet time flowed with also the good memories and Artemis now

realised how happy she was since the very first moment until now. She was angry, was furious yet she found the will to enjoy her life, to live to its fullest and for the first time, she favoured the immortality and appreciated it. It was because of him, of the way he made her smile, the way he made her heart pacing, the way he made her blush and her mind running wild. Truly Artemis had never shared such intimate things with a person, not even Leto or Zoë or any of her hunters and surprisingly enough this idiot somehow ran in and able to shared it with her. He now was part of her life, a centre of her circle and she trusted him more than anyone could think. First Artemis was pity for him, of his terrible and tragic youth. Then her feelings turned more stronger and that protective feelings made her deluding into thinking that it was a sisterly feeling towards him. But time developed and now she had discovered what is the truth of that feeling was. And she was glad she found it.

Yes perhaps this is it. She should tell him what she felt. How he's affected her. Maybe he's dense and all and would not comprehend it, but at least Artemis know what she had tried and gave it a head start to be warmer to him. Even though she already was.

"Artemis-" ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Perseus-"

They say simultaneously and looked away in embarrassment. There they tried to gather the courage to speak up again.

"I-"

"I-"

There again they caught and looked away. Gods this just too awkward and embarrassing! Artemis screamed to herself. Who knows the Fates were bored and decided to have a little fun.

"Hm I think you should say what you have to first" he suggested, still not looking at her.

"No you say what you need to" Artemis told him.

"But i think yours is more important and-"

"Perseus I want you to say what you have first." She gave a harsher voice since she didn't want to start this. The courage to speak up now faded within her and she had to strength left to face him. Sorry Percy but I'm really a coward at this moment. She sighed to herself. He didn't oblige immediately but waited in silence and so Artemis let it be. It was better to keep this silence and listen to random sounds of the night than to speak something that turns out to be awkward.

"You know..." his voice suddenly came in like a wrecking ball (??) "I'm glad that I got to meet you and know you Artemis. Thank to you I've learnt many new things, to journey beyond my knowledge and find my life more lively. Even now if somehow gives a chance to change the past, I'll always again choose to follow you because...because you are part of me now and I know I'm dense and all and I'm ignorant sometimes. But I'll try to change it so that to make you happy and...I uh I...."

He blushed and looked down at his feet, not knowing of what to say next or word to complete his sentence. His words nearly made her sob right there. So now he had showed her how he felt. She thought he had no chance to make decision and was forced to go with her, but now, those words just warmed her heart that even Hestia fire could be more matched. Then she realised it.

Is he confessing?

Now her heart suddenly started to pace again and then thundered onto her chest. What should she respond? Now is the chance for her to say yes or no. Paecus voice vibrated from a far again. 'Accept it and you both face what darkness waiting ahead, or reject it and you both hurt but safe from all the judgments and things that to come'. She could not face Percy, afraid she could not deal with it, but she couldn't run away at that moment either because it was the same as rejecting.

Why of all time now it has to happen now? She wanted to shout to the sky. It was too fast, she hadn't made the decision yet and that was the reason why she came here in the first place. She didn't expect to run into him. She was worried that she had to start it first, since Percy was so dense, but now he had eliminated that weight by starting it. All she had to was to say yes or no. Yet each word seemed to weight like a mountain and her jaw just barely hanging on at the verge of holding them.

"It's...umm....nice to uh-here that" she suddenly stuttered out still keeping her eyes on the flow of water below. If there was a thermometer and was placed upon her cheeks, it would've been over a thousand Celsius by now. It was just so embarrassing.

"Y-you know what" she forgot to catch herself since her brain was in a debate. "I-I think I'm gonna return to my room now so....see you..."

And she started walking away from him.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?

She screamed to herself. Why is she backing up she didn't know. It was like the nervousness took control of her for a moment and somehow it persuaded her mouth to spill out those words. She can't retreat now, just not yet. She had to tell him how she felt, she wanted to keep him back, to keep his hope up that there was possible future for them, Artemis really wanted to. Yet she did not know how to express it nor the courage to speak up to him. At the moment she would rather trade fighting a thousand monsters than to stand in front of Perseus and say how she felt for him.

Does it mean that I've chosen yes?

It suddenly hit her. If she wanted to keep him, if she wanted to tell him how she felt even though she didn't not have the courage to speak. But it all indicated that she wanted to say yes to him, to change their relationship and perhaps their lives forever. Artemis was shock yet she was glad that for a stupid moment, that subconscious mind had revealed what she really wanted. But now what would she say to

him, she can't just say goodbye and turn back to tell him how she felt. That would be so weird and so awkward.

He's leaving Artemis

Paecus voice came again and now it was like a saviour more than a mind torment. Yes, she could bring this up, then she could stop him from leaving and then reveal her feelings. It was a perfect plan and a smile tilted on her lips.

"You're leaving the Hunt" she stopped on her track, her back still facing him so she did not know how was his expression, disappointment or confusion. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's...uh...." he was shocked when she mentioned it. "....I'm still deciding"

"But are you gonna leave?" Artemis turned back sharply and stared deep at him. Even from a far, Percy was still afraid of that glance from her as he leaned back a little.

"I-I....I don't know" he scratched his head nervously, then sighed when he completed his sentence.

Artemis slowly walked back to the bridge and she stopped in front of him. Her eyes still fixed on the ground yet somehow she had found some courage.

"You say you wouldn't leave me" her voice was soft, yet it broke the silence of the night, and Percy's heart suddenly stopped when he heard those words. As if tears were swelling up, he managed to control them.

"Artemis...I..." he tried to reach out his arms to hug her. He wanted to tell her it was alright and he would not leave her. Now Percy was sure what he had chosen. Aphrodite's word back then when they were dancing finally was proven. She said Artemis had a feeling for him. At the time he was still doubting if Aphrodite was tricking him. But now maybe her words had some truth in them. Yet he

couldn't extend his arm further, because of Paecus words that stopped him. He remembered Paecus warning that night, of what possible obstacles that await them and dangers they had to face.

A smile slowly switching on Artemis's lips, still hiding it from Percy since her plan was running smoothly. Yes, now is the perfect time to confess it, reveal it to him. And so she spoke.

"But I think it's better for you to return to them"

NO!

She tried to yell at herself. She wanted to say differently, but her mouth did otherwise. Deep down, Artemis knew she still not ready yet. The part that wanted to say yes was her heart, but the brain was still deciding whether it was the best choice to hold him back. She only considered slightly of the risks of dating him and her consideration was just a scratch on the entire reality. There was her father that wanted to kill him more than everything, she knew more than anyone the conflict between her race and his. Also what would her mother think of her daughter and son to become? There was also the hunters. How could she explain to them, the mode where they followed just stained itself but not from everything but the basic principle of entering the Hunt? Then she looked at his eyes, it was hurtful and she expected it to be. Like Paecus had told her, that both would be hurt but safe. Keeping him was selfish she realised that. She had promised to keep him safe and by staying with her, she couldn't guarantee when will that promise broken. She had to admit she was a ticking bomb and she was his doom. She couldn't be selfish for her personal benefit, to prevent her heart from bleeding that she shut him off the only chance for him to reach a safe shore. Artemis knew if she cared for him that much, then she had to sacrifice for him, to give him a better and safer future.

But the moment she looked into his eyes. He was an open book and his eyes were always the screen to show what he was feeling. He was hurt, she saw it and it broke her too. She always saw him laugh, that innocent grin and smile always lightened her day and the moment that light of cheerfulness left his eyes, it was like the cloud that hid the moon, the storm that crash upon the coast.

She wanted to comfort him. No matter how selfish it was, she couldn't bear seeing him like this.

And she changed her mind. She had to tell him to stay.

"I mean it's safer for you right? You can return to your people, the long you've lost."

No! She didn't know why she said that, even though her heart ached to speak its voice. Yet the brain was controlling her mouth and the brain was emotionless and it didn't care how much its words affect him. She was now regretting of forcing herself to believe, conceived the brain to hate his kind, male for so long that now even when her heart had changed, her mind wouldn't budge.

"You are a decent man Perseus. I hope you'll find a nice girl that will share moments with you when needed."

No! I don't want you to be with someone else. I want it to be me, to seat in the empty chair of your heart. She wanted to yell, to scream if she could so the voice of her heart could be heard.

But it was for both of them. Their benefits in the future so now they had to endure the current pain. Though it was Artemis first time and she expected it to be hurt when things did not work out, but it was more painful than what she prepared. Roses though beautiful of affection and mingling of feelings, but it still has thorns. These feelings made her weak and she hated it. Artemis glad she took the vow that day, of never have any feelings for a male. Because she knew that once she devoted into this, she would get hurt.

Also even if they formed a relationship, even if she followed him up north to insure his safety. Would his people accept her? She knew what her people did to his race; and she doubted if they had gotten it. Even if it was not her doing, she was still god and he was still werewolf. After all, their relationship was impossible to form in the beginning.

"If you say so..." he said, though tears were swelling up but he managed not to let any droplet fall. "Then I shall go"

He was so nice. Too damn nice that she wanted to cry. She wished he could get angry, at least snap her so she could change her mind but he would never do that. She knew he would never snap back at her no matter how she hurt him. Why are you so nice Perseus? Why can't you just be bad sometimes so that I can hate you and I don't have to feel any of this? Yet she tried to contain her tears as she looked to him.

"I wish you all the best" a sad smile she gave him. "Goodnight Perseus."

And there she left. No word could describe how hard it was for her. Her hands were shaking and her feet barely kept her on track. But she still managed to walk straight down the bridge. The scenery dulled of darkness and despair that none could fix. There she left him, standing by the bridge and stared at her back.

Artemis thought letting it out and decided made her feel better, but she could close her eyes in peace. Artemis teleported herself to somewhere in Eastern coast of France. Standing by the cliff, where the rocky edge looked out into the open sea and the moon that was descending down to hollow dark water far in the horizon. The glittering stars felt her sorrow, the salty breeze blew her thought as she stood there and wept.

All she wanted was a happy ending. All she wished was both him and her to be happy, but damn the Fates were too harsh to them. Perhaps it was her punishment for rejecting and killing so many males and now the Fates wouldn't let her enjoy a blissful moment of happiness with him. Only if she had realised it sooner. But even if she did, would she have accepted or thing would be like now but sooner. Now every single moment with him was her dearest.

She sat at the cliff, let the wind blew at her auburn hair and the radiant of her colour mingled with the light of the moon. A Daisy swept at her thigh, as if it was telling her something.

"What should I do?" She spoke to it.

Although now it was pointless talking to a soulless thing. Artemis just wanted to have something or someone to share with. She couldn't speak with her hunters, since she didn't want to reveal her secret. Nor her mother, of the taboo Artemis had committed.

The Daisy kept dancing at the wind, tingling at her skin and Artemis jealous of it.

There it stood by itself. By the edge of the cliff, away from its species that was in the mellow far away. She jealous of its stubbornness, of its bravery that the old Daisy held onto that cliff, that rocky place and never let go. Despite the wind blew at it, the lack of nutrition and yet it still hang on. Even though living in the mellow had the nutrition, the protection of the weeds and trees against the wind, but this old Daisy did not choose it. Because it wanted uniqueness. It knew that once it let go of that cliff, no one will notice how hard had it try, how much effort had it put upon that stand. Despite all the nature throw at it, it still stand because that makes the old Daisy stronger, its root grow ever deeper. And it was paid off. If that old Daisy favoured the nutrition, the protection, then all its life, it would just know about the mellow but never wondered what was beyond that cliff. After the hard work and now it had seen the beauty of nature, of the ocean and the scenery of bliss.

Slowly, but surely Artemis understood the relation to herself. Right now she was just like the other Daisies, hiding from reality, favouring the protection and never actually tried. There she would never know what was waiting for her and Percy, a dull future yet there was lights. To get that price she had to risk, to try and fight against all the things that were to come. Because if she did not, all her life would be just a place of repetition. There won't be adventure, of amazement and of enjoyment.

So Artemis stood up and stared far and far away. The spirit of fire surged through out her. The determination filled her heart as she screamed to the sky in silence. Screw all the fears, the conformity. Screw all the rivalry and hatred. Screw all the boundaries, the disciplines because with Percy, she'll ever see fantasy.

And there she turned and ran.

Her feet shook, her heart filled with excitement as she walked through the garden again. It was nearly dawn, the sky had turn greyish purple yet Artemis felt as if the night had been an eternity.

The green grass opened her path, the trumpet-shaped flowers racking down their pollens. Their gold flakes tingling and dancing upon the grass as if cheering her and all the spirit sang at her ear, urging Artemis to move faster.

Then she stopped.

He was still there, the same place the messed up. Upon the bridge he stared down the water with sorrow as she slowly approached him. A gasp came at her mouth by his name. Though it was small, yet he heard it and turned his head.

"Artemis?" He whispered, full of surprise seeing her yet also happiness.

Artemis made her stance at the same place a moment ago and faced him as he stared down with concern.

"What's wrong?" He said. "Anything troubled you?"

Here why she she couldn't say no to him. He cared for her so much that it hurt her.

But now she had woken, and she would fix it. They both hurt but they couldn't share, she wanted to fix that. To be the one that share everything with him.

"I-I know this might sound stupid and all. And whatever happens after this, you've to understand that Perseus I need y-"

The sky suddenly darkened, the cloud denser and heavily flowed. Suddenly from the sky, a black spear crashed down and pierced through Percy's thigh.

"No!" Artemis screamed as she caught him.

He dropped on one knee and his roar trembled the ground and vibrated through the buildings. Echoing forever long.

A flaming whip flashed through the sky, a man with red hair and dark skin jumped down from the through the clouds as he casted the bronze chain and it wrapped and coiled around Percy, pushing Artemis away. She stared at that man, her face was priceless and fearful when she knew who he was. A shackle he threw and it fixed around Percy's neck and pin him to the ground.

The air got denser, lava surged from fissure and the wood rustled. The Olympian Warriors appeared, but this time they did not come alone.

Lightnings wanted to rip the sky apart, a bolt hit the ground that smoked and scattered the rock and shook the ground. More light descended from the dark cloud. Owls flew across the sky, vines coiled to form a figure, water in the lake churned with turmoil. From the smoke where the lightning bolt touched the earth, Zeus stepped out with his golden armour and mighty form.

"You did a good job daughter"

N/A Guys I'm sorry for not updating so long and again this is my apologies. Now this is for new comer the old ones here please listen. I've accidentally deleted a punch of events in this chapter and I had to type it again. This won't be exact likely he previous so please understand me. Vote and comments really help guys and luv ya all. ❤ ❤ ❤ ???