Chapter 35 Devastation Dwells in Tale


    Artemis’s point of view


    The golden globe of Apollo seemed to bete that morning, dew seemed to form more than normal


    without the evaporation of the morning sun. The camp was cold, fog embraced it with a curtain of


    blurriness from afar and the birds seemed to befortable with the straws of their nests.


    But it seemed the moon not irresponsible, or perhaps it had passed the time for its wax, nheless,


    Artemis awoken to the cold morning air.


    She swept the sleep off her eyes, holding her head because of the turmoil therein as her hand reached


    for the cup off water on the nightstand, something she expected seemed to be missing.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The feeling of not having Percy next to her seemed somewhat normal now, ever since he ran away. But


    to her, whenever he returned, that hope and the feeling of lost still lingered within her in the morning,


    where she couldn''t feel his presence next to her.


    Her silver eyes that mesmerised every mortal and god darted to the idiot that somehow she had an


    interest and feeling on, and he never stopped to fascinate her sleeping on his stomach on the couch


    just few feet away from her bed.


    Did he afraid of her that he couldn''t sleep on the same bed anymore?


    The thought was terrifying. Although she always had that stern countenance around him, she always


    tried to make up the fault she made that day. She''d always wanted to fix it. All she wanted was to make


    everything look like before, where he wasfortable around her and she wasfortable him. But


    now it seemed there was an invisible wall between to Artemis. It was so high that even the walls of


    Donald Trump couldn''t have been higher (????????? N/A I''m just kidding with this part, but it''s just too


    funny ?)


    His eyes slowly opened, blinking few times and the moon touched the waves. They just stared at each


    other, the fire burning within them and the waves churning in their chest whenever his green and her


    silver contacted. It was him the first to speak.


    "Sobbed up?" A smirk came to his face. "You werepletely wasted yesterday"


    "Who said I was drunk?" She snapped, "I was just...tired."


    That stubbornness of an excuse never enough for her. She had no idea what had happenedst night,


    even the slightest event was now nk. All she knew was that they had a party, and she assumed she


    was pretty much a mess afterwards. This is Apollo''s fault.


    "Yeah keep believe in it" Percy said as he moved to the closet. All his clothes she was still packed in, it


    was in case if she need a catalyst to cause her brain fall asleep on the first few weeks of his runaway.


    He somehow now had that impact of her routine, she had never felt this dependent before.


    "I''m surprised you still keep my clothes" he said with his back to her, digging to find something.


    "What you hope me to throw  them in the wolf cages?"


    She could feel him smirking as she snapped her finger and the bed was fixed. It was not that she relied


    on her power andzy, normally that was the discipline in camp. But she was too tired that morning to


    even care about those principles.


    That was until she felt something weird about her jacket. Did she just grow over the night?


    "Why does my jacket is so tight?" She frowned, examined it as it wrapped around her body.


    She felt Percy stiffened, an aura of nervousness radiated from him.


    "Probably you spilled the drink on your jacket" he suggested. "And they are still drying"


    Though his voice telling he was thinking otherwise. Nheless, she didn''t push since she was afraid


    he would pass out from the nervousness.


    Weeks passed and things seemed to being back into ce, just like how it should''ve been. It was


    that morning when Artemis was ying with the eternal Pearl on the couch, it was the a gift from


    Poseidon her uncle for sweeping out the entire poption of Telekhines on the west sea. It was


    satisfying.


    The globe glowed with a strange blue and green light, that iridescent colour flow and danced within it


    like the current of the ocean. It was eternal because of the light that will glow forever, and no matter


    what method you use, it will ever be broken. That precious pearl marked the alliance of her and hers


    uncle because besides Aphrodite and Apollo and Hestia of course, Artemis had no one to support her


    on Olympus.


    Suddenly, her fingers twisted the wrong way that the pearl fell from her hand and rolled under the bed.


    Oh Chaos!


    She crawled forward, swirling, twisting her forearm and fingers to reach for the pearl. A feeling of


    coldness of the pearl contacted her skin as she grin and slowly retreated her hand with the pearl within.


    But the glow reflected something else under the bed and made it glittered for a moment. But Artemis


    eyes were too sharp that to not heed the object.


    She used the power to increase the buoyancy around the bed and the wooden bed floated on mid air


    within a second. The thing she discovered threw questions to her.


    A tattered, silver jacketying on the brown carpet. She slowly picked up and presented in front of her.


    It was her jacket, and most of all, it was very concentrated of liquor sense that nearly choked her out.


    But suddenly, the memory started flooding back like water as she was about to drop the tattered wine


    sttered silver jacket.


    That night where they were on the bed, the wild time where her walls were broken down, where she


    allowed something never thought to.


    Why are you so stupid?


    It was her, the one that started all things. That fire dancing as his voice whispered, lingering still at the


    present and in the room.


    Dammit, why do you have to be so beautiful?


    The wild experience, all the lips and skin and touches that happened on that same bed as Artemis lost


    control of her power, the wooden legs shed on the floor created a tremendous sound as if her father


    weaved the clouds with his seer lightnings. That roar, of the pout jacket took the damage from his


    ws. That desire and lust brunt like a fire within the room, that scene that was reyed to Artemis.


    She felt exposed; to the world and to all things that she had sworn to hide and to hate. But deep down,


    part of her felt nothing, like they were aware of what could happen and even them also desired it to be.


    Her trembling lips touched by her fingers, trying to feeling that lingering touches of his on it. It was


    nk,pletely when the scene ended. Slowly, but surely little by little, it all made sense to her.


    Blush creaked her cheeks as she sat on the bed hard. Why could I be so stupid? I practically revealed


    how I felt to him, where would I hide my face from now on? She growled to herself.


    The p suddenly opened as Percy rushed, looking around confusingly.


    "Is it just me or there was an earthquake urred in this room?" He scratched the back of his head.


    Her back was facing him, her gripped at the jacket she was holding close to her chest. Keep calm


    Artemis.


    "Aren''t you supposed to doundry?" She questioned, trying to sound angry to decrease the suspicion.


    But it came out as a stutter. Dam you tongue!


    Artemis could tell he was ncing around, even trying to look over her shoulders. Did he remember


    what happened between them? Of course he did since he was the one that hid the jacket. A realisation


    finally lingered, yet came to her that he had allowed it to happen. Even she was afraid, part of her didn''t


    ept, but the question was now starting to form.


    Could he have the same feeling like her?


    She gripped the jacket closer, her nails piercing the fabric.


    "Uh you ok over there?"


    "No I''m not! Why didn''t you tell me?"


    She nearly punched her own mouth. It was just a question she had in her mind, that idiot always got it


    slip from her mouth. Now it was more suspicious about her discovery than before.


    "You need something to drink?" He suggested, his step indicated moving backwards. "I can get one"


    No I don''t want it dammit! Why can''t you realise it? She wanted to yell at him. It was too many


    questions that was bombarding her mind at the moment. If he liked her the way she liked him, then it


    could work out right? It wouldn''t destroy their current rtionship if someone admitted to another? But


    could he be drunk that day to the point he mistook her with Aphrodite. She just got him back, she didn''t


    want to chase him away because of a sister that had a feeling of more than what it supposed to be


    settled for him.


    No dammit, if she kept hiding, forever she''d be trapped in that dammed mud of assumptions.


    Nheless he should''ve discovered that obvious hint from her words that night. Even how stupid he


    is, he should''ve caught something.


    She threw the jacket on the floor and turned back to him. But the moment that face came to view, her


    words uttered.


    He gave her a frown as she struggled to form her sentence.


    "Th-that night..."


    His looked terrified immediately. Holy, what should I say next? She started to panic. Why would''ve


    thought Perseus Phoebe a.k.a Kelp Head, Brick Head can pick up the pace and understand it


    immediately.


    "I-I''m sorry Artemis" he stepped back, started begging as she looked at him in shock.


    "No, no don''t be" he voice seemed soft and so gentle that both were surprised.


    He looked at her for awhile, trying topromise something. Seeing that, Artemis modified her words


    and made it clear for him.


    "You don''t need to understand Percy" she said. "I can understand..."


    A blush was starting to form on her cheeks. What would he do? Would he confess now or forever leave


    her? She didn''t know that she was holding her breath until it was released when Percy''s shoulders


    dropped with a sigh.


    "So...you are not angry that I identally broke your dagger?"


    Her face expression would have been funny because every expectation crashed and copsed like a


    high building after an earthquake. She wanted to just pick a an object she could find and m on that


    head of him until the intelligencees out.


    Seeing her face, Percy''s face turned nervous again since he knew he had done something wrong.


    That''s right boy!


    "DAMMIT WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO STUPID!" She roared devastatingly, holding her head by


    her hands.


    "You said that night" he reasoned. "It thought the night two days ago that I made a mistake"


    "Not that night you idiot!" she snapped. "It''s the day your party happened."


    Immediately everything seemed quite down when she noticed him stiffened. It was not afraid, just


    nervous, it was not terrified, just turned serious. Her anger suppressed when she saw him in that stage.


    So he knew, he still remembered that as she looked at him, her heart raced faster.


    Now tell me you idiot! She wanted to yell. Say what you need and forever our future will be determined.


    "Artemis I..." he paused.


    Perhaps she should''ve started first. But it was now seemed impossible for her. Even when her mind


    was wishing she didn''t have to discover that jacket, didn''t have to see that reyed memory, that


    would''ve been normal where she unknowingly having a crush on him without him noticing. But part of


    her wanted to seek the answer, could their future change, could their rtionship change? It was risky,


    it seemed terrified to her to even consider. But it could change everything between them forever, a


    hoard of treasure of happiness of satisfaction or the hole of devastation, of loneliness and abandoned.


    That answer shall reveal everything.


    Suddenly, the light seemed concentrated outside the tent and the temperature raised rapidly. They both


    turned around to the p until it was burned down and Apollo stepped in with his warlike look.


    No...


    "Apollo-" Percy started but Apollo marched to him with a rage of a lion.


    "You!" Her brother''s eyes glowed finger as hended a fierce punch on Percy''s cheek that sent him


    flying across the room andnded few feet behind her.


    She was shockedpletely at the moment that she couldn''t move from her spot. Percy groaned as


    he tried to sit up, holding that bruised jaw.


    Apollo lunged at Percy and immediately Artemis spun her muscles automatically in between them.


    Apollo nearly shed on her but he stop.


    "Apollo!" She said, extended her arms and stared at her brother.


    "Step aside sis" he breathed hard with that rage between his whispering.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Se yelled at him.


    "What''s wrong with me?" He pointed at himself. "Why don''t you ask him!"


    She looked back and Percy just seemed oblivious as her. Suddenly a fear ran down Artemis as she


    remembered her protective brother. Could he discover something? Did he see something between her


    and Perseus that got him that mad. What ever it was, it never good.


    "Move aside sis" He said again. "Today I''ll finish this once and for all".


    "You touch him" she stepped closer until they were face to face. "You have to cross me."


    They had that staringpetition. His fire burnt with that intensity but Artemis would not give in. They


    both now glowed with silver and yellow, the sky outside darkened as the sun and moon wereing


    close.


    He sent a fireball, missed her cheek by few millimetres that blew her hair backwards with that speed


    and the ball crashed onto the back of the tent, making a tremendous sound.


    He stepped back, growled in madness. "Why do you keep protecting him! Soon enough he will lead us


    to our death!"


    "How many time have you said this Apollo!?" Artemis questioned. "Haven''t we sorted this out already!?


    How hard does it take for you to ept him!"


    "Yet and because of him!" He pointed and red at Percy. "NOW MOTHER IS IN TARTARUS!"


    she was shocked by the news that even Percy just widened his eyes. Apollo breathed hard as his eyes


    turned red around as tears were now swelling up.


    "W-what are you saying?" Artemis stuttered.


    "Father traced down his scent" he retold. "And he was led to Delos. They discovered he cave. She


    should''ve been executed and tortured for location and her crime if Hestia and Poseidon didn''t step out


    to suggest imprison her in Tartarus."


    "Apollo...I..."


    She never thought things would turn out to be like this. The day she took Percy with her, she thought


    she had taken own the burden on Leto shoulder and the danger was diverted from her. Why can''t


    things just be as normal as it is?


    "Save it" he snarled. "Keep him if you wish and forever he''ll be your doom"


    With a sh of light, her brother disappeared as the sky outside returned to its normal light and


    temperature.


    Upon the discovery of that dreadful news, Artemis tried to gathered her thought and senses. She never


    believed Apollo''s words, if she did, Percy should''ve been dead by now. She had vowed to protect and


    now it was her time. She knew he needed her the most now. She never wanted to admit, but out of the


    three, Perseus had the deepest connection with mother. They had been living with each other for 3


    thousand years. No love could be stronger than the bond between them.


    She turned back and his stage scared and crunched her heart. His red teary eyes as he stepped away


    from her, afraid that he could hurt anyone he touched.


    "Perseus..." she said softly, tried to calm him down but as she made a step... He shook his head and


    leaped into that form, that powerful form that sent Artemis to a stunt. He lunged and sprinted through


    the hole Apollo had created and into the wood beyond.


    N/A I intended to make the chapter end here, but since you guys would burn me alive ???????? I''m


    gonna extend it a little. Also to make up from thete update.


    Track a werewolf was hard, tracking a werewolf in its emotional stage seemed nearly impossible. Lucky


    he didn''t run away that far from the tent, in fact Artemis was d he didn''t intend to leave camp.


    After about half an hour running in the wood, finally Artemis ran out to the clearing as found him sitting


    near a cliff. His back was facing her, his gaze focus of the view distant away. See him in this cracked


    her.


    Artemis made her step closer, slowly but enough to give him a hint it was her that approached. The


    least thing she wanted was him jumping off that cliff.


    She made a sit next to him, closed the distance between them as she nudged him a little at his elbow.


    "Hey" she said softly, looking at his down fall face.


    Artemis took a breath and tried to calm herself. She didn''t know what he had in mind and she afraid a


    little mistake could break him at that moment.


    "Are you ok?" Her voice was soft and concerned. She stared at him as his gaze bored on the horizon


    distant away from the cliff. He didn''t speak, didn''t blink as Artemis looked away in disappointment.


    After awhile of silent, she couldn''t keep it longer, perhaps she should leave him be for awhile, or maybe


    talk to him hoping that could cheer him up. Either way, she did not know which was appropriate.


    Just as she''d decided to talk to him, since she couldn''t trust herself to leave him alone. As she turned


    and about to ask if he needed anything, he started first though his face did not look to her.


    "I think I should leave this ce Artemis" he said, a hoarse voice as if he had screamed to the entire


    world.


    No...


    She was mostly afraid that Apollo voice would affect him and scared more of this suggestion. Yet, he


    had the thought that Artemis was afraid most.


    "What happened to mother is not your fault Perseus" she scooted closer, tried to look at his eyes.


    "Apollo just needed someone to me."


    "Even when you don''t want to ept it" he said. "It''s still true that mother wouldn''t have been in this


    situation because of me, nor any of you"


    Artemis felt helpless at that moment. Never in her life had seen taken much responsibility. She used to


    be cared free, not did she concern of mortal problems or her family. But now all of it was like backfire to


    her, the more she avoided, the more they kept attaching to. There was now mother is Tartarus to which


    Artemis had to find way to rescue, and was Apollo she had to keep in check in his unstable stage. One


    wrong move from Apollo and everyone involved would face the same fate. But most of all, the biggest


    obstacle and responsibility was Perseus. But it seemed to her she did not help him, mentally or


    physically. All she did was getting him into more troubles. She shouldn''t havee to the ind that


    night, shouldn''t have stumbled upon that cave and if only she listened to her mother not to wander in at


    forest on the full moon. She was a bad sigh that cling onto him ever since; and he kept falling into the


    unfortunate fate and holes she unintentionally dug for him.


    But as if I would let that happen more dammit!


    She turned to him, pped her hands around her cheek and forced him to face her. His eyes was


    bored on her silver as she stared at him withy hat intensity.


    "You are my responsibility and you''ll always be. Never in my life have I taken on this much and for


    someone, so I won''t let it fall that easily. I may not change the way you think about yourself, but if you


    could let me in, I''m d to ease the pain and that pressure you have to endure. I won''t leave you as


    I''ve promised, my shoulder always there for you to cry, I''m here for you to share Perseus! So please,


    please don''t think that you have to carry everything, because....because I....I...."


    He didn''t let her finish, his arms just wrapped around her and his head fell in defeated at her shoulder,


    it was that tears wetted her clothes, that emotion and that weight he carried poured for her to watch.


    Artemis smiled, though tears lingered at her eyes yet she brushed his hair, pulling him closer as she


    rested her cheek on his head and let him cried, for his sobs trembled the ground, falls its turbulent on


    the water surface, for his cries that weaved the cloud, that the air denser to drop their tears. As the


    setting sun shined down onto them, the darkness of night far away merging in as for their fate be


    damned but they won''t give up. Because they had each other.


    Awhileter as now things were quite down, aplete silence that only the tendering wind blow


    across the cliff. The sun was now at the moment to finish its race and end the day, the sky was that


    violet blue and gold.


    His headid on herps, she stroked his messy raven hair as he closed his eyes in that harmony of


    peace.


    "Artemis?"


    "Hmm?"


    "I still have to leave camp for awhile" he told her and the moment of her fingers stopped.


    "Why with the thought?" She grimaced and he rose from herps to face her.


    "I''ve to rescue mother"


    "Perseus" Artemis sighed as she shook her head. "Tartarus is not a ce where you can just say enter


    and you will be. Even if I''m not sure if what''s going toe but I can assure you that mother will never


    spend her life in that prison."


    "But I can''t just let you do all the jobs" he said. "You already had a lot in your mind. We have to share


    the responsibilities right?"


    She immediately cupped his cheeks, stared deeper into his green.


    "You are safe is what matters to me"


    She smiled and pulled him up,  as he allowed her, his eyes fixed on that beautiful face as she led him


    to his feet.


    "Race for dinner," she said. "Loser sleep on the floor tonight"


    "You never win, shut up!" Heughed.


    "Thest time you slept on the couch, Mr Smirker!" Artemis contradicted.


    "You cheated"


    "No I did not!"


    "Anyway" After a few times of arguing. "You can''t sleep without me" he said it casually.


    As if to him that did not realise how that affected Artemis, because he was such an idiot to Artemis


    thought. Blood starteding up her cheeks as she looked away. He was still not aware of anything.


    How could he not be? He said like their rtionship was something more than the current as if they


    dependent on one another.


    Artemis started walking as Percy tried to call her, confusing of how she got mad. They were about to


    enter the wood and let the darkening cliff behind, but Artemis suddenly sensed a great power.


    She stopped and extended her arm, signal Perseus to stop at his track.


    "What''s wrong?" He frown.


    Suddenly, it grew stronger and Artemis face was terrified.


    The earth cracked and trembled, the wood swung side to side, its leaves rustled as the air in front of


    them got denser.


    Lave surged out from the crack, started building upwards as the leaves fell from the trees and formed


    to a figure and the air just concentrated more until it looked like now a water vapour figure. Then as


    their form got clearer, Artemis stepped back and brought out her danger.


    The ancient warriors formed from nature, the colour of their armours matched where they came from as


    the colour of the Mohawk on their war helmets. The red forva, green from trees and white from air.


    The gold fragment deliberately designed to decorate their armour along with their shield and swords


    and spears. Their cloak shined and glittered in the night like stars as the sign Ω at the middle of their


    shields.


    "No..." a word slipped Artemis mouth as Percy frowned.


    "Who are they?" Percy whispered behind her.


    Cold sweats ran down her cheeks, her hands trembled as the warrior about twenty of them matched to


    her. She never expected they would track them, the soldiers and servants of the gods. The Olympian


    warriors.


    "We found you," one of them said with despite, his teeth baring under that intimidating golden helmet.


    "Werewolf."


    N/A. Sooo how was it???? I know I like putting cliffhanger, but I can''t help it even you guys hate me


    that. Anyway, like andments really help. Chaptere out next week. Luv ya guys ?


    ? ?????