hey everyone!
welcome to this new series of roman!percy one shots!
as i said in the summary, most of them will be preyna but there will be other ships, don't you worry. im mainly writing this because i absolutely love the romans and roman!percy is just hella fun. yes, there is a roman arc in AC but im way too impatient to wait for it lol.
please join my discord, the link is on my profile.
i hope you enjoy!
Soft footfalls and the rustle of the trees filled the otherwise quiet night as the boy ran through the dense cover, weaving past the shrubs and bushes with real purpose. Sweat glittered his brows, and his eyes were wide with uncertainty of his direction.
His clothes were in tatters- ripped and torn by the thick undergrowth of the woods, and he was covered in dirt and grime. His bare feet ached and burned, begging for relief after carrying him for what seemed like hours, but he knew he could not even slow down, much less stop.
The forest around him was unusually dark and silent, devoid of the light from the moon as if the deity herself was holding a breath for his sake. Other than the occasional chirp from a clamorous cricket, his surroundings were eerily quiet- something that didn't fill him with a whole lot of confidence.
Briefly turning his head to glance backward, the boy continued his sprint into the dark of the night. His worry had quelled slightly, seeing no signs of his pursuers, yet, he wasn't nearly foolish enough to slow down. He knew how ferocious the things following him were, and he had learned not to be arrogant after tangling with them in the past.
He ducked beneath a branch before his ears picked up on something. His head snapped to his right when he recognized the sounds of water flowing roaringly. His heart swelled in hope for a moment. He reckoned the stream was a couple hundred meters away by its sound, and he changed his course.
As he ran, a hopeful grin split his face- the first of the night. He was this close to safety. His pace quickened further as he deftly leapt above the various rocks littering on the ground, and his eyes narrowed in anticipation.
Just as he could faintly make out the glittering water under the moonshine, a loud growl sounded behind him, and his heart plummeted.
He cursed loudly, dread and frustration enveloping his chest. His heartbeat pulsated wildly, hearing the rapid footfalls behind him. Growls and snarls filled the forest as the boy jumped over a fallen log and bounded towards the water.
A roar sounded from his right, and his eyes snapped to his side. His orbs widened, and before his face could be mauled by the enormous paws of the beast, he ducked instinctively, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp claws of the leaping animal. It crashed into a tree behind him and snarled wildly. The boy didn't even have to look back to know that the beast had begun to chase after him once again.
Just a few more feet!
Adrenalin pumped through his veins as he strained his muscles to the maximum, trying to reach his elixir as quickly as possible. Another snarl sounded some feet away from him and he cursed. Glancing sideways, he noticed that another beast, one from the same pack, was running right beside him.
Its legs tensed and it pounced on the boy with its fangs bared, seemingly wanting to end the chase once and for all.
However, the attack never came. A rope of water grabbed the animal by the torso and yanked it back before it could land on the boy. The beast yelped, obviously startled by the action, and struggled violently against its aquatic bonds while the boy finally reached the stream.
He grinned triumphantly and leaped into the black waters without an ounce of hesitation leaving only the infuriated growls of the animals behind.
Strength surged through his tired muscles, washing away the fatigue and ache. He breathed in the water deeply, relishing the coolness and familiarity for a moment before a smirk overtook his features. Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but inky darkness around him. But he didn't need to see when he could sense.
He could feel the beasts growling beyond him, just above the surface of the water, on the shore. He reached out to the water around him, bending the element to his will before rising out of the stream in a column of mist and water.
Thousands of gallons of water tumbled and swirled in a massive funnel around him. He grinned wolfishly at the animals and raised his arms. The water raised with its master's motions and towered over the animals, looming threateningly.
One small thought and the beasts would be washed away.
However, before the boy could drown the animals in a torrent of water, a ferocious roar rang through the air, cutting through the forest itself.
It silenced everything.
The animals below the boy stiffened before backing from him. The boy froze in his actions, knowing who the command belonged to.
There was a subsequent sharp growl.
With a drop of his hands, the boy dropped the liquid back into the stream with a mighty roar in a spray of mist and water. He looked at the forest defiantly.
"You disobeyed the rules, Perseus," A feminine voice stated, obvious annoyance marring her silky tone. "I distinctly remember telling you to not use your powers."
Percy rolled his eyes. "Well, I won, didn't I?"
The bushes in front of him rustled. From the darkness, two glowing golden eyes stared at him. They merely looked at him for a minute before he gave them a pointed look.
The bushes shifted to reveal a magnificent she-wolf, its red and raven coat sparkling in the moonlight. The wolf herself was eight feet tall, rippling with muscles and wickedly sharp silvery fangs. Her eyes were predatory, a glint that promised endless pain if you disobeyed her, and just as intelligent.
The beasts took one look at their goddess before bowing briefly albeit respectfully before stepping back once more. However, the she-wolf only had eyes for her pupil.
"Victory at the cost of honor-"
"Is still a victory," Percy said quickly, crossing his arms and pouting defiantly at the goddess. "You cannot take this away from me."
A wolfish grin pulled at Lupa's face despite her previous words of faux-annoyance.
"-Is still a victory," She finished, drawling her words.
Percy's pout dissolved into a happy smile as he looked smugly at the drenched wolf behind Lupa. It was the same wolf he had grabbed with a water arm and held until it was soaking wet. He crossed his arms, his features still twisted in infuriating smugness.
The wolf took one look at the boy's expression before letting out an indignant whine to Lupa. The goddess grinned fiercely, seemingly amused at whatever the wolf had to say.
"Uh, mother Lupa," Percy called, his eyes still on the wolf. "Could you please tell Rubrum to stop being a sad loser?"
The wolf growled playfully, and Percy winked at him.
Lupa chuckled. "Well done, pup," She finally acknowledged. "Against all odds, hm?"
"Oh, I've waited so long for this moment," Percy said, dropping on the ground, spread-eagle, in content. "Ugh, it feels so good!"
He propped himself up against his elbows and grinned cheekily at Lupa. "So, a mere Son of Nepture defeats the mother of Rome and her pack, eh? What would Jupiter say if he heard his?"
"Careful," Lupa warned, yet there was no malice in her tone. "Lord Jupiter doesn't take kindly to jests."
"But I'm aiming the jest at you."
Lupa gave him an unimpressed stare.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll apologize. I'm sorry, Lord Jupiter!" He yelled at the heavens. "I'll be sure to burn you some deer from the next hunt."
"Happy?" He asked Lupa snippily, crossing his arms.
"There won't be a next hunt, Perseus," Lupa stated, ignoring his quip.
Percy blinked. "Wait, what?"
Lupa whistled sharply, dismissing the other wolves of the pack. They nodded towards Lupa in respect and then towards a waving Percy before bounding into the shadows.
"Walk with me, Perseus," Lupa ordered, moving along the river.
Percy obliged, falling in step with the goddess. "What do you mean by 'there won't be next hunt'?"
"How many years have you lived with my pack, Perseus?"
Percy frowned at the seemingly random question. "Uh, seven years," he counted on his fingers.
"In these seven years, I have trained you to become the perfect Roman. I taught you battle, strategy and politics to be fit of the next Aurelius. I still remember the day when your father appeared at the Wolf House, asking me to take you in," She reminisced. "You were nothing but a child then. I've seen you mature and grow into the man you are today."
"What are you saying, Mother Lupa?" Percy asked, confused as to what she was hinting at.
He jumped over a fallen log and offered a cheeky hand to the goddess, who merely ignored him.
"Remus and Romulus were my greatest pride," She said, smoothly leaping over the log. "I taught them everything they knew. It broke my heart when Remus died by his brother's hand, and, yet, it could not take away my pride in them. However, it cannot compare to how proud I am of you today."
Percy was rendered speechless.
He had never known Lupa to be so forthcoming to compliments, especially something that seemed so close to her heart. It suddenly made sense why she wanted to talk to him alone. The ever-stoic goddess of the wolf not only favoring one of her pupils but comparing him to the founder of Rome? Even he was shocked to be claimed to be similar to Romulus.
Percy squinted before he poked her wolfish snout. "Are you sure you're Lupa?"
Lupa growled loudly, the ground rumbling under the ferocity. Percy nodded, unfazed. "Yup, it's you."
Lupa sighed exasperatedly. Any other demigod would've surely been torn to shreds if they had dared to touch her, but Percy never had been the one to show any discomfort at her massive, imposing figure.
"Do not make me regret my words, Perseus."
Percy just grinned lopsidedly and deftly jumped over a large rock, humming all the while.
Lupa sighed. She had done all she could to make him the perfect roman, yet, she could never tame his free-spiritedness. Something which was undoubtedly greek, but she supposed she was mostly okay with it now. A faint smile danced across her lips, remembering something Neptune had told her long ago. 'The Sea did not like to be restrained.'
"But seriously, mother Lupa," Percy said, his face sobering up. "Why are you telling me this now? Of course, I am thrilled to be your favorite even if I think it's a bit much to compare me with Remus and Romulus, but why now?"
"Because it may be the last time I may get to talk to you like this," She answered simply, internally smiling at his modesty. "After all, I do not visit the camp without a message from the Gods."
Percy stared at her. He blinked once, then twice-
"Mother," Percy said dumbly. "Are you saying that-"
"Yes," Lupa said, grinning as her wolfish smile returned. "It is time for you to join the legion, and mark your name for millennia to come, Perseus."
there isn't any chronological order being followed here nor will it be followed in the coming chapters, so don't worry about that.
along with preyna, there are also some interesting pairings i wanna explore in this fic so drop your suggestions in the reviews. of course there will be at least one preynalia, because, cmon, its preynalia.
please review about your thoughts, pairing suggestions and dm me with any potential prompts.
join my discord and the emerald library, both links are there on my profile.
see ya!