Fifth Chapter for all y'all. Having lots of fun writing this. Also, I want to make the story more gritty and realistic, so I may or may not be stepping up the violence in the fights to come. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

June 2000, four months later

Percy

The sun was beating down on the Clearing, and as the heat began to intensify, Percy's nerves started getting worse and worse. Today was the day of his final trial. It would consist on a one-on-one fight with a hand-picked opponent by his trainer, Knox. This day would mark the end of his training, or the biggest failure of his life. Due to the ongoing conflict with Lyacon, training had started to be more fighting-oriented, everybody preparing for the battle that was to come. When the sun reached its peak, Percy's match would begin.

He felt sick as he paced around in circles, body warmed up and ready, but mind far from it. He would not use his powers, however nervous he was about the fight. He wanted to beat his opponent in a fair fight. Jax had passed his trial the day before, in a drawn-out match against a hunter called One-eye. He had decided to leave him alone to prepare.

Wolves usually live 4-8 years, and reach adulthood before they are 2 years old. The majority of Lupa's pack were regular wolves, but a select few, including Percy, were Lupa's offspring, and they lived lives similar to humans in length. They grew to be stronger and more formidable, but grew and matured more slowly. Percy, almost 11 years old, stood and imposing figure as a wolf. He stood over 2 metres tall on all fours, his strong frame packed to the brim with muscle. He was also the fastest in the pack by now, outpacing the trackers and the scouts. Having trained for 11 years, he was virtually the best fighter in the pack, moving faster than the eye could see and blessed with an increased recovery and healing rate. Also, his fur had hardened over the years. When he had first told his mother about it, she had seemed surprised. It was a rare gift, possessed by beings such as the Nemean Lion. Percy's fur would never be invulnerable as the Nemean Lion's, but it would harden over time, making him more difficult to be harmed by weapons such as arrows or swords.

Despite all of his assets, he still felt dread building in the pit of his stomach. He was to face an opponent that was feared by every wolf in the pack. His opponent would be his half-brother, Ace.

—

Zoë

Zoë was gathered with her fellow hunters at the edge of the large circle that had been made in the middle of the training ground. The sun was almost at its peak, and the heat was unbearable. Sweat fell off her brow and made her robes stick to her back, but she stayed still and quiet, for the test was about to begin. The wolf that had fought off Lyacon's wolves alongside her, whose name she had learned was Percy, was set to fight his opponent. Apparently, from what she had learned, the day of the trial marked the end of his training. A crowd had started to gather around the circle, which was almost 20 metres in diameter of dusty soil. It seemed that the pack was especially interested in this match. Her hunters stood at one end of the circle, with wolves now ringing the whole perimeter of the circle. Lupa was sitting on a tall rock, getting a better view of the soon-to-be battlefield. Artemis was absent, but it seemed as if every member of the pack had come to see the bout.

Suddenly, the crowd parted, and Percy walked into the circle. Zoë had to admit he looked impressive. His midnight black fur glinted in the intense sunlight, and dust had started to rise up into the air. One other side of the circle, the crowd parted to let Percy's opponent through.

He could only be described as monstrous. He was as big as a tank, standing almost three metres tall, with paws around the size of car tyres. His body rippled with muscle, and Zoë did not doubt a strike from this creature would be enough to crush her like a tin can. His huge head was fixated on Percy, gleaming fangs revealed in a vicious snarl. Percy, however, seemed unfazed, his blue eyes fixated on his opponent, showing no signs of fear. His tail was perfectly still, and he started to let out a deep growl of his own as he lowered his body to a fighting stance. Zoë had seen him tear through Lyacon's scum, and she knew how able of a fighter he was, but she could not see Percy winning this fight. However, Percy stood perfectly still, coiled and ready. Absolute silence fell over the crowd as a large wolf with a long scar on his face stepped forward slightly. He gave a slight nod, and the fight began.

At first, none of the two wolves moved, but then the larger one charged forward, delivering a series of strikes to Percy. He skilfully weaved around them, darting around like a black bullet. Percy kept dodging, and when he could, he would step in and land a strike, leaving behind a small cut. However, this only seemed to anger the massive wolf, as he whirled around faster than Percy expected and slammed his paw into his face.

Percy was sent flying a couple of metres, but rolled instinctively, dodging the brutal follow-up strike. He had made a small mistake of judgement, and his opponent had punished him for that. If he made a major one, it would be impossible to recover.

Zoë watched as Percy tried to recover from the massive hit he had taken, but the larger wolf was onto him in an instant. However, Percy seemed to move like a blur, dodging three rapid strikes in succession. On the last one, the larger wolf overreached, wanting to finish Percy off. Percy, seeing this, dodged underneath and exploded upwards, sending his opponent flying over his shoulder. He hit the floor with a thunderous impact, and rolled to the side, but was not fast enough. Percy had already launched himself into the air and struck him in the face, snapping his head to the side and leaving a gash across his snout.

Percy pressed his advantage, landing extremely powerful shots when he could, ducking around the slowing swipes of the larger wolf. For several minutes, the two exchanged blows, and Zoë found herself impressed by the stamina of the two combatants, their strikes every bit as ferocious as at the start of the fight.

Zoë watched in amazement as the larger wolf started to give ground under Percy's onslaught. Percy darted to the right and sunk his fangs into his calf, before spinning around to avoid an earth-shattering blow and landing a counter of his own. This continued for some time, and the constant strikes were starting to affect the massive wolf. However, Zoë could see Percy was far from untouched. He was limping slightly, and had a gash along his right side from when he had not been fast enough. The pair separated, growing at each other, neither showing any kind or fear.

They engaged again, and Percy got the better of his opponent in their first exchange, landing a thunderous blow on the head. This seemed to energise him, and he let loose a flurry of strikes, each one finding its target. The larger wolf, now visibly stunned, tried to lunge at Percy, but he ducked and grabbed him around the throat with his teeth. Using the larger wolf's momentum, he flipped him around, whirling in the air with him. Percy landed on top of him, his fangs tight around his opponent's windpipe. He looked at the scarred wolf, and Zoë could have sworn for a moment she saw him beaming with pride. He nodded at him, and howls started to fill the Clearing. Both fighters stood up shakily, the larger wolf now looking at Percy with newfound respect.

—-

Percy

The sky was starting to darken, and Percy lay by himself on the roof of the Wolf House. He liked to come up here to see the sun set, and the brilliant constellations that followed. It was a habit that he had picked up from his dad. By now, he knew the names of all the constellations, and the stories that each one carried. He would stare at them, remembering the nights his father visited and they would talk for hours under the stars.

Darkness fell over the house, Percy noticed the moon shone especially bright. He felt incredible. He could hear and discern sounds all around the forest. If he focused, he would have been able to eavesdrop on any conversation he wanted in the house, the moonlight sharpening his senses to superhuman levels. Movement in the Clearing below slowed as the pack settled in for the night. From here, Percy could see almost twice the usual guards, alert and ready to respond to any threats. The Hunters had set up camp close to the house, and they had guards of their own as well. The constant threat of Lyacon had everybody on edge. Although there had been no casualties, attacks and skirmishes were common, so everybody was battle-ready. There were rumours going around that scouts were getting closer to the location of Lycaon and his pack, which meant that there may be a raid launched soon. Percy could only hope, but for now all they could do was sit, wait and prepare.

Percy looked down, and focused on the guard standing by the circles, a relatively isolated area. He reached out with his feelings, and focused on the alert wolf. He found him, surrounded by feelings of tiredness, but also determination, covering underlying fury. He was absolutely focused on his surroundings, and would sense any threat. For a brief moment, Percy would change that.

As Percy looked at the guard, the red specks in his eyes intensified. Feelings were like strings to him: he had to pull them to bring them to attention. He searched the guard's mind, finding the string for confusion. He gave it the slightest touch, and the guard scrunched up his nose, almost imperceptibly. However, Percy saw this, and grinned in satisfaction. Without making a single sound, he leapt off the roof, a seven-metre drop. Staying in the shadows of the house, he crept towards the guard, virtually invisible. He stopped when he reached the start of the circles, and focused on the guard again. Now that he had probed into his mind, it was like he had been handed the blueprints to his brain, and knew exactly what string to pull. He gave it a tug, and the guard looked to the side in confusion. Quick as a shadow, he darted into the darkness of the trees, and started running into the forest.

Sprinting through the trees, he truly felt alive. A few years ago, his lungs would have started to burn and his muscles to tire, but now he felt like he could go on forever. His surroundings blurred, but he never hit a single obstacle. The forest ended, and he stopped. The city below was full of light, bustling with people. From here, he could see thousands of mortal homes, as well as the huge bay and the ocean behind. He took off again, running along a highway. The cars seemed not to be moving at all as he sped past them. He saw the hills rising up in the distance, and slowed down to a walk. The entrance was guarded, as always, by two armed demigods, but he didn't plan on using the tunnel. He ran straight up the scarped slope, reaching the top in no time. He looked down and wondered what would happen if someone were to fall from here.

'Nothing good', he thought to himself. 'Although I suppose you could slide down. Maybe'.

He raced to the top of the hill, and looked down at the valley below. He could see New Rome, with it marble buildings and winding streets. From here, he could spot the Senate Building, as well as the amphitheatre, and Camp Jupiter rising in the distance. He set off down the hill at a slower pace, darting between the large craters and trenches that filled the field of Mars. He reached the outskirts of the city, and ran right past a statue of an armless man. He knew this was in fact Terminus, god of boundaries, but he had met him the first time he visited. Once he knew who his mother was, he had no trouble letting him through. The paved streets were unusually quiet, with only a few people walking around, but Percy could see light coming from many of the cafes and bars, people drinking and talking inside.

Still in a shadow, he transformed. He walked along the street. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, he looked like an ordinary citizen. He had grown, and muscle had started to fill his athletic frame. His black hair was longer, now falling over his eyes, which still shone as brightly as when he was a wolf. He was turning into a handsome boy, with tanned skin and a strong jawline. He had a scar over his left eyebrow, cutting across the edge and moving down to his cheek, a result of one of the many fights with Lyacon's allies.

Walking through the streets of New Rome, he couldn't help but be amazed by the buildings and statues that adorned the city. It seemed every intricate detail had been carefully designed, the architect's passion for his project etched into every column. He was used to a burned, half-collapsed house, so this city was mesmerising to him. By now, he knew the city well, and confidently turned the corners. He saw the senate building in the distance, its domed roof rising over the city's homes, but had no interest in visiting. He took a left, then another. Walked slowly into the courtyard, and his focused face turned into a big grin as he saw the brown-haired girl sitting by one of the columns.

—

Leila

Leila had snuck out easily that night, the guards of the Fifth's barracks more interested in sleeping than actually watching out for threats. Jason knew what she was up to, and normally helped her by distracting people, but she found that sneaking around came very naturally to her.

Walking down the street of the senate building, she noticed the streets were emptier than usual. She passed Sam's old bakery, and turned left, then left again. She walked silently into the courtyard, finding it empty. Understandable. It was still pretty early for him to show up. She sat with her back to a column, pretty tired from her long day. Since she had been accepted in the legion a month ago, training had never been so intense. Even in times of peace, the legion had to be ready for battle. Suddenly, a deep voice cut through the silence in the small courtyard.

'What are you doing here?'

Leila jumped, but she smiled as Percy stepped out of the shadows, a mischievous grin on his face. Although Leila had been growing, he was still much taller than her.

'A brave soldier of the legion, scared of getting caught by a baker.'

Leila punched him in the shoulder. 'You scared me. I've really had a long day'.

'Yeah, sure. I heard Sam is lethal throwing loaves of bread'.

Leila made a face at him, then laughed and hugged him. She hadn't seen him in over two months. Sure, she had friends at camp, but she had known Percy for a long time, and had really missed him. They sat down crosslegged, facing each other, and Leila put him up to speed with everything that had happened at camp. They talked for hours, with Leila laughing at his stupid jokes, and blushing immediately after.

'The Hunters really can be a pain sometimes', Percy began. 'I mean, sure, they are supposed to hate men, but what have male wolves done to them? There are maybe six or seven fights every day'.

'Aren't you supposed to eventually fight together?'

'My point exactly. The fights aren't over serious stuff anyway! The other day, a hunter called Phoebe punched Jax in the face because she said he was looking at her wrong.' He said, making air quotes. 'They are really aggressive. You sure you not interested in joining?'

She raised an eyebrow. 'You may be able to turn into a wolf, but I'll still destroy you'.

'Says the girl who's scared of bakers.'

'Am not'

'Terrified'

'Talk again and I'll make you regret it, Wolf Boy'

They laughed, and he leant forward to add more twigs to the makeshift fire they had started. She looked at his eyes, and mesmerised with them. They were light blue, like the colour of the sky on a clear day, but ringed with fiery red. She saw the flames reflected on them, and they seemed to glow in the dark courtyard. She really had never seen anything like it before. For the millionth time, she wondered who his father was. He had to be someone important, or Percy would have told her. He said that it was very dangerous to tell, but Leila wanted to know desperately.

—

She walked back to the Fifth's barracks, looking at the ground dejectedly. She really enjoyed the time she spent with Percy, but felt miserable as she walked back to the barracks. He was going back into a war, one in which he could very easily get hurt, and she didn't know when she would see him next. Even if she knew that he could probably handle just about any monster out there, she still worried for him. She wished there was a way he could stay at camp. She knew she wanted him to, and she knew Jason would want him to al well, but she couldn't ask him to leave his home.

Sneaking back into the camp, she stuck to the shadows, walking as silently as she could. She knew the guards were probably asleep or not looking, but she didn't want to risk it. She rapidly reached the Fifth's barracks, opening the door just enough to slip in. The floorboards creaked as she made he way to her bunk, and promptly collapsed. Her eyelids felt really heavy, and she was suddenly aware of how heavy her arms were. She turned to the side, and slipped into sleep.