Chapter 19.
The next morning, Percy gradually awoke, blinking against the soft glow of dawn filtering through the trees. As he lifted his head, he realized he was still in his stag form, a rare occurrence for him, as he didn't normally sleep as a stag. In front of him, Artemis lay peacefully, using a log as a makeshift pillow.
With a few gentle nudges of his nose, Percy roused Artemis from her slumber. She stirred, blinking sleepily before her eyes focused on Percy. A soft smile touched her lips as she greeted him, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"Good morning, Percy," she murmured. Percy grunted softly in response, stepping back to give her space to rise. As Artemis stood, stretching her limbs, Percy shook out his fur before settling back down, ready to face the day ahead.
Artemis turned to him with a smile, before walking over and patting his head as she walked by the rouse the other hunters. Once camp was broken down, the girls gathered around Artemis. "Alright girls, It's time to head to camp."
The girls nodded as they waited for Artemis to lead them out, when their attention turned to Percy, who was standing nearby, looking around. "Percy, what's wrong?" Artemis asked concerningly.
Percy looked at her before wrapping himself in shadow, and changing to his wolf form, his normal traveling form. He growled before looking behind Artemis, and after a moment of looking, took off towards the woods.
Artemis watched Percy's sudden transformation with a furrowed brow, concern etching her features. As he growled and darted off towards the woods, her instincts kicked in, and she swiftly followed after him, the other hunters trailing behind.
"Percy, wait!" Artemis called out, her voice firm yet tinged with worry. She quickened her pace, the forest canopy casting dappled shadows across their path. Something had clearly unsettled Percy, and Artemis was determined to find out what it was.
As they entered the dense foliage, Artemis scanned the surroundings, her senses on high alert. She caught glimpses of movement ahead, and her grip tightened on her bow. Whatever had spooked Percy, they were about to find out.
Percy continued his sprint for a few minutes before bursting through a bush and colliding with a demigod clad in armor.
The demigod toppled from the force of the impact, prompting Percy to leap on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Moments later, the hunters burst through the bushes and sprinted over to him.
"Ow, what the Hades was that?" they heard the demigod mumble with his face in the ground. Percy's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. Quickly jumping off the demigod, he retreated a few steps.
The demigod struggled to his feet, then turned around to find a group of hunters with their bows drawn, aimed at him. "Whoa, relax! I'm not a threat!" the boy said quickly. Zoe stepped forward, her tone laced with disgust. "Who are you, boy?"
"My name is Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter," the demigod replied. The hunters slightly lowered their bows as Artemis stepped forward. "What are you doing out here, boy?" she asked. Recognizing her as Diana, Jason quickly dropped into a bow.
"I was doing some recon for Camp Jupiter, Lady Diana," Jason explained, his voice tinged with urgency. "The Titan forces have been traveling distances further than should be possible from what our eagles have seen. I was hoping I could find a monster group and potentially interrogate one to figure out how. I didn't mean to startle anybody," he finished, his eyes flicking between the hunters with a mixture of determination and apology.
Artemis nodded, her expression thoughtful as she processed Jason's words. Then, her gaze shifted to Percy, who wore a wolfish grin that seemed to betray his mischievous thoughts. "Percy? What's going on in that wolfish head of yours?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Jason, upon hearing Percy's name, looked up, his eyes lighting up with recognition as he spotted the solid black wolf standing beside Artemis. "Percy? Is that you?" he asked, a warm smile spreading across his face. Percy responded with a happy bark before darting over to Jason, headbutting his legs affectionately.
Zoe, curious about the interaction, interjected, "Jason, you know Percy?" Her tone carried a mix of surprise and interest.
Jason nodded, his smile widening as he straightened up from petting Percy's head to address Zoe. "Yes, Percy has visited New Rome a few times. He helped bring my co-praetor to camp years ago." There was a relaxed tone in Jason's voice as he glanced down at Percy, his next words softer, more intimate. "She misses you. You should stop by soon." Percy barked in agreement, his tail wagging eagerly, before bounding back to Artemis's side.
"Why would your co-praetor miss Percy?" Artemis asked, her curiosity piqued. Jason looked surprised before glancing at Percy, who was nuzzling Zoe's legs, then back at Artemis. "He hasn't told you?" Jason asked, shocked.
"Told me what, boy?" Artemis inquired, turning her attention to Percy, who had just realized the direction the conversation was taking. Percy wagged his tail as he shifted uncomfortably under Artemis's gaze.
Jason grinned at Percy before replying, "Him and my co-praetor Reyna have been a thing for a few years." The revelation sparked a hint of shock in Artemis's eyes as she glanced back at Percy, who now looked both sheepish and pleased at the same time.
"Percy has a girlfriend? Since when?" Zoe asked, her voice tinged with surprise. Jason chuckled before replying, "I'm honestly not sure. She didn't tell me when they officially became a thing. I only found out after the fact."
The girls all turned to look at Percy, who was sitting on his butt, wagging his tail and barking happily, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. "Well, maybe we need to make a stop at Camp Jupiter so we can meet her," Artemis suggested, her grin mirroring Percy's enthusiasm. Percy's expression shifted to a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he glanced up at Artemis.
Artemis smiled down at him. "Are you girls okay with visiting New Rome?" she asked, turning to the group. The girls cheered in agreement as Percy barked nervously, jumping up out of his sitting position. However, before Artemis could make a move to grab him, Percy darted behind Jason's legs, seeking refuge.
"Sorry, Percy, but you're coming with us," Artemis declared with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she walked over to where he was hiding.
Before she could reach him, though, Percy and Jason vanished into the shadows. Artemis halted in her tracks, her expression shifting to one of mild annoyance as she surveyed the empty space where they had stood. However, her irritation quickly faded when Percy reappeared with a happy bark, bounding over to join the group and settling down next to Zoe.
Artemis smiled before turning back to the group. "Alright then, let's head to Camp Jupiter." With that, she led the group into a sprint as they headed west.
As they traveled, Artemis's thoughts raced alongside their footsteps. She knew Percy would occasionally leave them for a few hours, but she had never thought to ask about his whereabouts. Discovering that he had been visiting New Rome was surprising; he had never mentioned it before. She couldn't help but wonder what else he might be keeping from them, things he deemed unworthy of mention.
Eventually, they came to a stop outside the Caldecott tunnel, which housed the entrance to New Rome. Artemis shifted into her Roman form, Diana, as they entered the tunnel. Upon emerging on the other side, they were greeted by two Roman guards.
"Ah, welcome back to New Rome, Lady Diana," the female guard stated. Diana smiled and nodded in acknowledgment before striding forward, the guards respectfully making way for their passage.
As they walked, Diana kept a watchful eye on Percy, ensuring he didn't slip away. "Percy, did you bring Jason back?" she inquired. Percy barked before nodding his head. "And did you tell him to warn Reyna of our incoming arrival?" she asked, a hint of annoyance coloring her tone.
Percy barked again before shaking his head. "Good," Diana said, smiling faintly. Percy rolled his eyes in response before barking and darting ahead. Diana was about to reprimand him, but her irritation melted into amusement when she realized he had chased after a stick.
"Percy, you're older than me. How are you so invested in a stick?" Diana asked, exasperated, as she caught up with him. Percy tilted his head in response, the stick firmly clamped between his teeth, prompting Diana to roll her eyes and shake her head at his antics. Meanwhile, the girls behind them couldn't help but giggle at the playful exchange.
"Maybe the more time he spends in his animal form, the more of their attributes he embodies," a hunter mused. Diana shrugged before replying, "Maybe, but he's never mentioned that before."
As they reached the city line, a statue materialized out of thin air and started reprimanding Percy. "Put down that stick, dog. That could be a weapon," the statue commanded. Percy narrowed his eyes before seeking refuge behind Diana's legs, refusing to part with his beloved stick.
Diana looked at him with a mixture of amusement and fondness before addressing the statue. "Terminus, my wolf is harmless. Unless you want to have an issue with me, let us pass," she stated firmly. Terminus appeared annoyed but ultimately nodded, unwilling to provoke a conflict with an Olympian.
Diana smiled triumphantly as they resumed their walk into the city. Turning to Percy, she couldn't help but tease, "Percy, did you really need me to threaten the statue over a stick?" Percy wagged his tail in response, eliciting laughter from the girls.
Diana sighed in a blend of exasperation and amusement as they continued through the city. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for Jason, suspecting that Reyna would likely be with him, as the praetors often traveled together.
Eventually, Diana spotted them, emerging from a building in their purple and gold Praetor cloaks. As she gave Reyna a once-over, she could see why Percy would be attracted to her. Diana noted Reyna's physical fitness and the air of authority that surrounded her. She knew Reyna had to be a competent leader to hold the position she did, and she could understand why Percy would be drawn to that.
As they approached, Diana smiled as she observed Jason spotting them first and subtly distracting Reyna to prevent her from fleeing if she felt inclined to do so. When they finally reached them, Reyna noticed their arrival.
She quickly dropped into a bow, addressing Diana respectfully. "Welcome to New Rome, Lady Diana," Reyna greeted. Diana returned the gesture with a smile, and Reyna stood back up.
"Reyna, Jason mentioned that you have a thing going on with a certain someone," Diana teased, her tone playful. Reyna's eyes widened slightly as she slowly nodded, her cheeks flushing pink. Then, her gaze shifted and finally noticed the solid black wolf next to Zoe's legs, holding a stick firmly in his mouth.
Diana watched in amusement as Reyna's eyes widened, her expression shifting from surprise to a cascade of emotions—happiness, love, adoration, and all the other feelings one experiences when seeing their partner. Percy, to his credit, remained still, but Diana could discern the same emotions reflected in his eyes as in Reyna's.
Zoe, sensing the moment, gently nudged Percy forward until he got the message and trotted over to Reyna, nuzzling her legs affectionately. Reyna's smile widened as she bent down and enveloped Percy in a tight hug.
"Hi, Percy," Reyna greeted softly as she held him close. Percy wagged his tail enthusiastically in response, reveling in the embrace until Reyna eventually pulled away and stood up, allowing him to weave himself in and out of her legs, much to her amusement.
"I believe we have some catching up to do, Reyna," Diana said warmly, breaking the moment. Reyna looked up at her in surprise before nodding, her gaze still lingering on Percy.
"Let's head to one of the parks then," Reyna suggested, taking the lead with Percy at her side and the hunters following closely behind.