Percy Jackson: The Wolf Curse

Chapter 8: Roman Initiation

[Percy's POV:]

A full month had passed since I started my lessons and one thing I had learnt was that Mother is terrifyingly brutal. We were only supposed to train for a week, but each time the week ended she would come up with one reason or another to keep me for another week. Whether it be for tort.. training my transformation further to mix my wolf and human features, excluding the tail and claws which stayed no matter what I tried. Over the past month I had learned a few things about myself: Firstly, I could turn myself into a bronze wolf porcupine hybrid with a tail sharp as a sword. Secondly I was very good at handling swords which went in hand with the first thing, not to mention I could actually summon one named riptide while in my human form. Lastly I found that I oddly liked sleeping in trees as opposed to beds, a weird discovery, but a discovery nonetheless.

Today mother is finally letting me leave for camp Jupiter, a place for roman demigods like myself. While we originally planned to introduce me as Damian son of Neptune apparently similar to my first time there, we agreed I would go instead as Damian son of Lupa, in honour of the amazing relationship we founded as a family. Now being able to translate Latin fluently, I realised my name meant "to tame" which was ironic since I am a wolf and my mother is basically taming me. I also planned to stay as a wolf for the most part of my time there, at least till I found someone I trust enough to reveal it to so honestly most of this training isn't even helpful for now.

At first I wondered how that would work out since I can't talk human as a wolf, but a week's worth of training my voice box to work both ways sorted that problem out. I could speak the human language, coarse, but clear and in my human form I was able to speak the wolf's tongue. Understanding animals was easy, my brain was programmed to now. Even if my curse were to be removed entirely, the knowledge would remain.

"Damian, as much as I don't want to let you go, it is time for us to leave for camp Jupiter. I will escort you there personally so I can explain that I adopted you and not sired since I'm a maiden goddess. I will have you treated as a normal demigod, going through the same tests to determine your cohort... Don't worry my pup, it will be explained to you when you arrive." I nodded with a wolf grin excited to see the place I had trained so much for. Not to mention links to my old self.

I followed Lupa out almost immediately breaking into a full sprint towards camp Jupiter. Going faster than I thought possible even with four legs, even then I felt I could push faster if I really tried. About an hour after we left, we entered Caldecott tunnel. I couldn't help, but wonder what the mortals saw through the mist as we bounded past the speeding cars, a set of racers maybe? I was much bigger than any race car I could imagine. Stopping at the small doorway exit to camp Jupiter, I had to put my other training into practice. Shrinking. It was difficult and a little uncomfortable to hold, but I was able to change my size from my current oversized giant, to that of a small dog.

We walked through the maintenance tunnel watching as it transformed from modern piping and electronics, to the stone confines of a cave.

"More than 5 years back, this tunnel was collapsed by you in a war for the safety of camp Jupiter, around 3 years ago, it was deemed necessary to reopen for the purpose of escorting demigods to and from camp Jupiter without the use of the interconnecting camp portal" A few moments later we exited the cave to what I think was Berkeley hills and once again i was faced with the river that had supposedly claimed me before. Had I tried to cross to camp Jupiter before losing my memories? Did I plan to lose my memories? Or was I an idiot that just jumped straight in?.. sadly the second one felt like the right answer. That said the more important question was, would I lose them again by crossing it?

"Come Damian, over the bridge, it is safer than going through the river directly, I have already given you permission to cross it anyway." I nodded at her feeling relieved at the release in tension I didn't know I had built up. I followed her towards the stone arch bridge and made my ways across the little Tiber. My tension slipped away further at the comfortable feeling it brought me. Mother took me into the barracks and asked some nearby demigods to call a meeting with the praetor named Reyna, a name I knew was familiar to me.