Pertemis: A Wolf’s Tale
Chapter 21 First Return of The Tale

Artemis's point of view

"Zoë come here now!" Artemis screamed, rushing to the infirmary.

She only felt some uneven breaths mixing with gasps from Perseus. His wound didn't heal, the yellow liquid kept leaking out from the deep cut that sodded her jacket, yellowed the ground.

"Perseus stay with me! I won't let you die, just stay a little longer" she whispered to his ear, her panicked breath somehow made Perseus cracked a smile.

"Can't believe I return to camp being carried by you like a bride" Percy managed a joke which lightened Artemis's mind at that moment.

She grinned and playfully hit his chest softly. Even though he was on the verge of dying, he would never let her cry to which made her heart ached even more as the guilt swirled deep inside her. He'd never be in this situation if he didn't live with her.

"Next time I'll drag you by the ear" she said.

Zoë and other hunters rushed out from their tents as they set him onto a bed.

"Bring nectar and ambrosia!" Artemis ordered as Phoebe made herself to replace the requirements.

"What happened to him?" Thalia asked, her frown has shown that regret which was rare to appear.

"I-I don't know." Artemis said. "But the wound is not healing."

They heard his cough as blood was choked out from his mouth. Artemis could hear his heart was failing, he was dying.

"Does anyone know how to treat the wound?" Caroline said.

"We have never been to those situations a lot" Zoë responded. "But normally we make contact with the wounds"

"What do y-"

Before Thalia could finish, Annabeth grabbed her dagger and cut his shirt in half. Many hunters looked away, some frowned at her.

"She meant to cut his shirt and apply treatment on the wound." Annabeth sighed.

"Ok I'm getting out of here" Sarah said as she made her way out, many others followed her lead because they didn't want to see a male naked torso.

Artemis glanced her silver eyes to him. Her gaze traveled from his neck, down to his strong bare chest, cloaked by that sun kissed skin. Those abs were solid and strong, presented the power of a supernatural She knew she had seen him half naked before, but each time she glanced on those toned muscles, it just got more magnificent and beautiful. He wasn't buff, but those lines of veins and strength showed the brutality of a warrior.

"I've got the nectar and ambrosia" Phoebe handed the god medicine but was speechless when she looked at his body.

Following her instinct, Artemis took the ambrosia and chewed, she applied it on his wound as his skin streamed and hissed with the contact. Artemis winced as Percy groaned in pain. "Artemis it's too much, I think I'm not gonna..." Percy groaned, his back arched, his finger ripped the white bed sheet.

"Don't say it! You will!" Artemis shouted, the strange liquid of emotions swelled up on her eyeballs. She didn't know why she was crying? Perhaps it was her fault that he was caught up in this, or she'd broken her promise from protecting him from harms. But she knew it was more than that, his agony sent her to that world of pain. She could feel, could hear, could see what he had to endure. Maybe that they had blood relation, or perhaps something else had connected them, something even the relations of blood could not compare.

More ambrosia was added as his skin hissed like touching acid. Percy groaned as he grabbed her hand. His fingers were tightly around hers.

"Artemis I-I need to tell you this" he gritted his teeth at the unspeakable pain. "I've always li-"

She covered his mouth, her eyes stared deep into his, nothing in the world could separate them at that moment. Her determination was unraveling as she said firmly that her voice had overwhelmed that panic dwelled within her.

"Save it for later"

Artemis closed her eyes, her skin glowed in a faint silver light as the hunters made their steps back.

"Get out of here," Artemis ordered. "The power will kill you"

Annabeth took Perseus hand and pressed her thumb on his palm.

"You will be ok" she reassured him with a nod and walked away.

Artemis stared back at him as her power had started to be visible. The light mortified the fire in the room, so bright that human's could've gone blind. Yet, Perseus still stared at her, his smile like the sun rays penetrated through the dark cloud. Like the warm breeze blowing from the southern seas. That additional force made her to increase her power, her hands wrapped tightly around his as their eyes locked. And at that moment, she had realised something, something the she had never experienced before. It was like waves clashing on the sea surface, like the fireworks exploded the night sky, like the twilight sparkle the night. She could see that future, through the faint golden curtain, into those sea-green iris of his. His youth, from the day he was birth, how happy Leto was when she held him in her arms. She saw his father, smiling from ear to ear. Every memory, every experience that he had, she could see it all, from sad to happy. They it continued to a future. He had turned, a young man with more mature look. His future self's eyes showed those past, those events, those knowledge and battle in that dull eyes. And at last, her heart stopped, he was at the beach, and a girl in his arm. They kissed, the setting sun shined or them, but the gaps between their faces could not let any light penetrate through. The girl he half so dear had that auburn hair, that figure of a goddess and yet she looked nothing like Artemis at the present. She was more mature, and her eyes showed more love.

It faded, left only those green iris that was staring back at her silver. Yet she had come to realise, that it wasn't just that promise and the relationship of them made her shed tears, made her heart ached and her minds swirling. It was him, those dreaming green eyes, that handsome face and the goofy grin. It was him that made her heart skip the beat, it was him that made her dream, it was him that she had experienced it.

A feeling for someone.

For a kind she most disgusted, the kind she despited more than others. And yet she had to admit, that she had had a crush on him the entire time. From the first moment they met, the first argument they had, their first night on the bed together. She had liked him since the beginning. Not the like of blood relation, but a like between a boy and a girl, a like that Aphrodite had invented, the like that made up the world. She saw his eyes still fixed on her, unravel but his face had shown something else. He had seen something, something through her memories and perhaps to that future. He blinked, but his mouth still slightly opened in shock. His wounds had healed, all closed yet still cloaked on that dried Ichor

She saw him saying something, but her mind couldn't make out the words, and before she could respond, her smile was the last thing she gave before falling into unconscious from exhaustion.

N/A hello guys and here I am for another chapter. I know what are you guys gonna say. 'Why didn't you update last week!?', 'I've been waiting for two weeks already!' I know and I'm terribly sorry guys but I really had lots of stuff to do. I'm still high school kid though ??? anyway, chapter will be out next week like schedule, no more delay ?? votes and comments really help cus they give me motivation to write. Thanks guys for the wait and I'll see you next time. Luv ya ???