Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale

Chapter 10 Tale Spreads Danger

Artemis point of view

"W-werewolf..."

Artemis was stunned, completely frozen from the view. Perseus or werewolf Perseus stood there, growling and folding his fists. She really needed Leto to be here right there, but her mother was no where to be seen. Perseus advanced to Apollo and all she could do was to protect him. She did the most stupid thing ever, she yelled at the werewolf.

"Perseus stop!"

He heard her and turned back faster than electricity, Artemis stepped back in fear. She knew what he was capable of. Artemis knew that wasn't Perseus, it was his inner monster that its bite could bring an end to her immortal life. Yet, she tried to push her luck.

"I-I know you are in there Perseus" She tried to sooth him. "Just listen to me and calm down ok. Look into my eyes and breathe deeply. Look at me ok"

She heard Apollo slowly crawled out from the scatter and Perseus turned to him, she reacted immediately.

"Hey don't look at him" She spoke out loud and that got Perseus's attention. She didn't know that was stupid or because she tried to be brave or just wanted to save Apollo. She slowly walked up to him.

Perseus leaned forward, he breathed out and bared his teeth, but he didn't attack her. Artemis kept her glance, her hand held out, kept walking to her potential danger.

"You gonna be just fine" she whispered.

He didn't growled at her now nor barring his teeth or to show the predator stare. She was so close to him that with a snatch and Perseus could take her head off. But at the moment, Artemis didn't feel fear anymore.

She didn't know why or how, but clearly her heart didn't beat like crazy and she didn't drop any single sweat. Slowly, her eyes still fixed on his bewildered red eyes. Her hand shakily tried to lay it on his cheek. He cringed away, bared his teeth again and she was afraid a bit that he would attack, but he didn't.

"Shh" she stopped him from leaning away and laid her palm on him. She stared deep into his eyes and at that moment, she found the Perseus she knew in it.

"It's ok" she whispered. "I will protect you"

The werewolf was standing on two legs and way bigger than Artemis, but he slowly, little by little moved his hand to put on her.

A smile slowly came on Artemis lips when Perseus eyes started to change when she opened her mouth in shock. Behind Perseus, where he had let his guard down because of her, Apollo was pulling back his arrow.

That was the moment when Perseus instinct of predator came back. He waved his arm, hit Artemis as it sent her straight to the wall behind her. Her back crashed on it and fell on the table just set underneath. She could feel her spine broke into pieces from the impact with the wall. She groaned out in pain and was unable to get up.

"Artemis no!" Apollo screamed and Perseus turned back.

Her vision was still blurry but she could saw a furry figure ran on four legs to her. Perseus nudged her with his snout and growled a little. Slowly, the feeling of his fur on her skin was replaced by the warm

touch of skin. Perseus was back to normal.

"Gosh Artemis I'm so sorry" Perseus cried, caring her cheek, checking for more damages.

Artemis just smiled and shook her head. Although her bones were broken to pieces and it would take long to heal, but her heart had dropped to relief.

"Don't be" she told him.

Just then, she saw Apollo stormed and Perseus and gripped his shoulder then threw him away.

"Stay away from her you beast" he snarled.

She was about to yelled at Apollo, but she was to weak and she understood he wasn't stable at the moment. After all, she got into this because of trying to protect him. To her surprise, Perseus didn't transform or show any sign of anger. But instead, it was show with regret and guilt that he kept shaking and trembling. That concerned her even more than him being angry.

"Gods of Olympus you ok Artemis" Apollo kneeled down as he checked on her. "Your spine and ribs were all broken. Ok, just stay still, I'm gonna fix it."

He cut his wrist and let her drink a bit of his Ichor, then muttered some spell that slowly, she felt her bones were coming back into their original places and her body was healing.

After a while, Apollo helped her to sit and gave her some nectar to drink. Had some god food made her feel better. Perseus turned to look at her immediately the moment she was up, but he didn't say any word or more than he didn't have the courage to speak. His eyes were still wet from tears.

Apollo at the moment dropped on the floor hard and sighed out. "That was really stupid sis"

"Not as stupid as you" she gave him a sarcastic bow to show her sign of recovery.

Just then, memories flooded back into Apollo's mind as he glared at Perseus.

"You!" He bellowed and tackled Perseus onto the ground, holding the danger at his throat.

"Apollo don't!" Artemis screamed.

Perseus just laid there and didn't show any kind of resistance or anger or anything, he just stared at Apollo, who was about to slash his throat out.

"He's a werewolf Artemis!" Apollo bellowed. "He nearly killed you"

"He wouldn't" Artemis said. "I know he wouldn't"

She looked at Perseus as he glanced at her. She didn't even sure about that at first, but after Perseus changed back because of her. She had got that confirmed. Perseus would never kill her. And because of that, now guilt was washing over him that he looked at Artemis in shame.

"No you shouldn't believe that Artemis" Perseus said.

"See! You hear that!?" Apollo ranged. "He's a beast Artemis. There's no humanity in those creatures!"

As saying that, he pressed the blade deeper and blood drew out from Perseus's neck. He just closed his eyes instead, streams of tears came out from the edge of his eyes from the harsh words of Apollo. He somehow believed it was true that he shouldn't be in this word. A monster shouldn't be tolerated and loved by anyone. But of course, Artemis had come not to believe that.

"Apollo please don't" she begged him for the first time of her life and tears were shed for that male that she thought she never would.

Seeing her that shocked Apollo, but still angered him. He loved his sister more than anyone. He wasn't close to his mother and never respected his father, only sacred. The only family member that he did

care was Artemis. Although he pissed her off sometimes. And because of that, he emerged a bit of his anger down.

"Then give me one reason" He muttered, breathing hard. "One reason why, why I shouldn't kill him."

Artemis took a deep breath, she had come too far and no secret could be kept now.

"Because he's your brother."

▪ ▪ ▪

"So you say that he's carrying our blood in his circular system?" Apollo grumbled.

"Believe it or not, it's true Apollo" Artemis replied.

She had filled everything back to Apollo, of course avoided the past subject of Perseus killing his father.

Perseus still hadn't got off the shock and what he'd done. He just kept quite bad stayed in the corner. That worried Artemis even more and now she had another unstable mental brother who was walking around.

She honestly had had enough with brothers. She always dreamed for sis and the fates just blessed her with bros. the fact that being the big and head sister of the family, she was now having the trouble to deal with the problems of the two.

"Look Apollo" Artemis called him. "What done is done ok. Perseus is our half brother and because of that, I won't abandon him."

"Are you insane?" Apollo snapped. "Do you think Zeus would just let us go because of this!? This is crime we are taking about Artemis. Not his life!"

"Yes I know but mother loves him and she-"

"Do not talk about her right now!" Apollo bellowed as he stepped closer to her. "Do you think I would accept a person that lied to me for three thousands years? She's our mother Artemis! And she betrayed both of us, she put her own children on the line of danger by giving birth to him"

He pointed at Perseus. "You think Zeus would just only punish her? No, he will come after us and then what? spend the entire eternity of yours running and hiding from Olympus's hunt?"

"But you can't just kill him" she said. "I mean he doesn't know anything of this. He's not involved Apollo."

"But he's a werewolf Artemis." Apollo stepped closer. "Haven't you forget their potential and those lessons. Haven't you heard of their capabilities and the law was set upon them. Don't try to act noble Artemis when you have spent the last thousand years trying to hunt them down. There, now you got one. Why showing sympathy?"

Artemis stepped back in shock. It was true that she had hated werewolf so much that she promised her father she would hunt down every last one of them. Now come to Perseus, he had changed everything that she ever thought of.

"Artemis" she heard Perseus whispered as she turned back to see a shocked brother. His eyes were full of hurt and confused. She should've confessed to him when she got a chance, she should've told him that she hated his kind and he had changed that. He could've listened and forgive her. But now, the truth was just like a knife stab through his heart when she was the danger that he always thought of friends.

"Listen I-" she tried to explained to him but he stopped her first

"I understand" he said and surprised her. "I'm a werewolf, I shouldn't be cared about. So don't Artemis, don't care about me because I'll always bring you death and misery."

His eyes were red from tears. He was holding the urge to break. He had to hold it together, to showed them that he was strong enough. That was a nature of werewolf, he had to admit who he was. A beast, a monster that never deserved to be loved. Only to be chased and hated.

"No don't say that" Artemis made a sob. His words broke her. He trusted her only to know the truth that she hated his kind. But at that moment, it had turned into something else. Something so strange yet could be identified. Something that she had sheathed that she would never experience with a kind she hated. Something that that would never released to someone she not fonder with. It was loved. She had come to love him from the deep of her heart. The love of sympathy, the love of guilt. And at that moment, she couldn't bear to lose him.

"You see sis" Apollo said. "Just accept it. He has already, why should you try to protect him, to pull him back? It's still time to turn back. Let me report this and it will be over."

He turned to walk away. She knew she had to do something, something to protect Perseus. She had promised him.

"Then you know that you'll lose this sister forever right" Artemis said, made Apollo to stop.

"What are you saying?" He turned back and frowned.

"I won't back down Apollo. You know that" she declared. "If you told Zeus, which mean I would be seen as a criminal who was trying to protect a werewolf. You spoke about law, now I'm telling you that. Zeus won't tolerate anyone who involved, and that includes me"

"Sis don't do this" Apollo stepped back, tear in his eyes. It hurt her when she had to to this to him, but in order to protect Perseus. She had to try it.

"Please Apollo, you can save me and mother and many others. You don't have to do that."

"But-"

"Please I'm begging you" a tear ran down Artemis's cheek. "Do this for me ok?"

Apollo stepped back, he stared at the ground for a moment and swept his tear. He looked up to her and she thought he was not going to change his mind.

"I won't report this to the council" Apollo said and Artemis just breathed out in relief. "But do not think for a moment that I would spare his life and accept him as a brother. I don't have a kind of brother like him"

Artemis nodded and smiled. "Thank you. For doing this"

Apollo stepped back and with that, he disappeared without a blink.

Artemis thought when it was over, when she turned back to see Perseus staring at her with his sea- green eyes that were crowded from tears.

"Why did you do that?" He said. "Why do you want to help me?"

"Because you're my brother Perseus" Artemis stepped closer. "And I won't let anything happen to you. I've promised that I will protect you. And I'm keeping that promise"

Deep down, it wasn't that she protected him or thinking he was her brother. It was something else she knew that, something that completely different and more than that brotherly love. But she couldn't know what it was. It was just a blur mixture of emotions and feelings and it had confused her. Just then, Leto appeared at the door with a basket of mushrooms and a shock wave washed over her.

▪ ▪ ▪

Artemis had filled up everything for her mother and it broke her more than everything. She wanted to stay to comfort Leto and perhaps Perseus. But she knew her presence wouldn't help him much. Also now that Apollo knew about that secret, even that he had told her he wouldn't reveal it. She still wasn't sure if he wouldn't draw any suspicion. Zeus would notice and if he started to dig into the matter, he would find out eventually. She had to leave to make sure Apollo was ok and also to keep a watch on him.

"Be careful ok?" Leto hugged her as she held tight on Artemis.

"You too mother"

I pulled away and noticed Perseus still standing there without speaking a word. She needed to apologise to him. Leto noticed they needed their moment and need for privacy and she stepped back.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone ok." novelbin

Artemis gave her a smile and Leto had gone. Now it was just an awkward silence between them. After awhile of waiting who was going to start first. Artemis broke the ice.

"So...I'm not gonna be here for a while" she smiled, clapping her hands in a sign of nervous.

"And you shouldn't come Artemis" he muttered. "It's dangerous here"

His words shocked her more than here father bolts. But she had to do something or he would hate her forever.

"Look I'm sorry that I didn't tell you ok" she said, closing her eyes because that was the second time she apologised a male. "And now I'm regretting it. I'm sorry Perseus."

"I'm not angry at you Artemis" Perseus told her and she opened her eyes in surprise.

"I don't have any reason to" he continued his eyes watered again.

"Common Perce" she tried to approach him. "Don't say that."

But he stepped away from he instead. She stopped like the north God had frozen her.

"Don't" Perseus sobbed. "Just stay away from me ok"

"W-what are you talking about? I'm trying to help you"

"Then don't" he snapped. "I'm a werewolf Artemis. I can't control myself and I-I could hurt you without myself knowing."

Now Artemis had get it. He wasn't moaning about her hating his kind, it was that he accidentally hurt her earlier. She tried to approach him again but he hair step back again.

"Look just because you think that you may hurt me is not gonna change the fact that I want to protect you ok?" She said. "Im not afraid of getting hurt....I'm just scare that I'm not gonna see you again."

"Please just go" he cried to the ground. "I'm a monster. Apollo is right about me, I should've been killed a long time a-"

He was totally shocked when a warm feeling crashed over him. There they were, under the setting sun where he was standing in her arms. Artemis embraced him, resting her chin on his shoulder, her arms around his waist, pulling him close to her.

"Pleas Artemis just please stay away from me" Percy begged her. "I'm dangerous"

"And I'm willing to face it" she told him. "I've promised to protect you and I'll do it. I don't care how long it'll take for you to get over the fact that there are someone that care about. Someone who's willing to fight for you. It's ok to be afraid, but fight it or not is your choice."

At that moment, Percy's emotion just broke as he dropped on his knees and cried on her, his arms wrapped around her waist, clinging on it like they were his life force. Artemis rubbed his head, patting his shoulder, letting his tear wet her shirt with a small smile came on her.

Even now when things had just started, because of Perseus, she was determined to face everything that coming next.