Pertemis A Moon's Tale

Chapter XV: The Chasing Tale

The rustle of leaves from the bushes around me, the snapping of branches underneath my feet as I sprinted across the dense forest. They were close, I could feel their movement from all around me. Branches and twigs of the dead trees, for winter was approaching reached out like twisted fingers, but sharp like thorn as they scratched the surface of my skin, drawing ichor down my cheek. But I did not stop.

I had been running, across the land where mortals call America. I did not dare to teleport, for that would alert the Wolves and who know other troubles to come. My shoes were just barely hanging onto the feet before they get grinded down into nothingness. My ankles were swollen and sprain, and they cried together with every aching bones in my body in a cacophony of agony. My clothes were just a tattered mess of blood and dirt, as my heart felt dried and exhausted. My strength was at its limit, and the injuries on me didn't seem to help.

Despite the victories gained by the Wolves in the past few days, the monsters still somehow managed to penetrate through their defenses. I have had many encounters with them so far, both Werewolves and monsters alike. It still bothered me to why would the monsters attack an Olympians, despite my father being their leader. I still remember that my first fight was with a Basilisk, of how it lunged at me from the bush and as I drove my dagger to its side. I winced at the hole at my shoulder, from an Empousa that shot the arrow. I had to bite my lips, drawing out blood as I pulled out the arrow.

Yet despite that, I did not dare to stop, did not dare to take a break and check on my wound, nor even thinking about closing my eyes. Because for any moment now, Perseus's death would become certain. Just the thought of him being hurt or get tortured summoned the whatever strength I had left in me to keep running. To fight against that screaming of my body and soul.

The border was close, and yet that did not reassure one bit. In fact, I got even more worried die due to the high chance of me encountering a monster or werewolves again. I was too exhausted to fight, let alone running from them. As the thought, a Hell Hound sprang out from the bush, its extended claws aimed at my head. I forced myself to brake, as my already broken toes cried out at the sudden deceleration. The beast missed my head by an inch. It landed on the ground, turned back and snarled at me. It went for me again, as I sidestepped to dodge its attack while burying by dagger deep into its side. The beast struggled and groaned before disintegrated into black dust.

Staring at its remaining, pile of ashes as blood surged out from my mouth. I dropped on my knees, coughing up more blood. I had been too injured, so to take action like this wounded my inside further. Over the last few days, I had been hurling up the blood that was leaking out from my internal wounds, as those were the only times when I actually stopped running.

I wiped the blood at my lips off, coughing a few more time as I tried to orientate myself. Just when I thought that was over, the Fates decided to play their game. Arrows came hurling at me, and I only had time to pick up the dagger to dodge the first projectile. Despite my agility to dodge many arrows, as my dagger chopped down several, a few could still penetrate my defenses as one struck on by shoulder, another at my thigh and two buried themselves deep at my torso. I dropped to the ground, coughing out the remaining Ichor that I surprisingly still had a lot.

From the densest of the wood, a group of monsters stepped out. There were a few Empousa, several Telkhines, Hell Hounds and five Harpies swooping above me like vultures.

"Well, well, well" one of the snake women stepped forward. "It is a surprise to see Artemis, goddess of the hunt to be in such devastating state"

I glared up at the monster, my fingers snapped the arrows on my in half, as their other halves were still inside me.

"Stop talking bullshit!" I snapped. "if you want to kill me, then come up. All of you!"

That ticked the monsters off even more. Good, at least it will be a fun ride.