The Truth Behind The Myths

The Wolves

Percy dodged claws and swords, his mind whirling with strategies.

He could feel Lupa's eyes on him as she watched the fight. He pressed harder against his attackers.

This fight would decide if he was ready for the legion.

A she-wolf named Myst leapt at him, her teeth primed to tear his throat out. Most of his opponents Percy was confident would pull away if he couldn't fully defend himself, but Myst had no such thoughts. He knew she hated him. A lot.

It had a bit to do with his joking remark about the grey hairs in her fur, but in his defense, she had been acting insufferable.

Percy ducked down under her jaws and punched up, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her sprawling off to the side. Whirling to his left, he parried Onyx's claw swipe with his sword. The midnight colored wolf had become one of his closest friends over the past three weeks, which might seem strange to some people, seeing as the wolf was a bit of an outcast in the group. He refused to turn to his human form, preferring his furry self.

Hearing the swish of a blade, Percy ducked and felt the air above his head ruffle his starlight hair, as Lupa referred to it as. He faced Raine, smiling a little at her irritated look that he had dodged her attack.

"Don't pout, darling, it ruins your pretty face." He teased, locking swords with her. Raine's lip twitched up, but she wasn't distracted by the flirting.

When Percy had built his new personality, he had found that flirting went well with both his 'mother' and his looks.

Feeling claws at his back, Percy swept Raine's feet out from under her and rolled forward, flipping over her to escape Mako's attack. He knew it was Mako because the placement was too high to be a wolf's swipe, but the claws were still there. Mako's favorite fighting style was letting his claws come out but staying human. He always looked feral when he attacked, his lips drawn back in an inhuman snarl.

As Mako pressed towards him, Percy heard leaves crunching behind him. He dropped to his stomach and a surprised Myst crashed into her cousin. Mako yelled in protest and Percy turned his attention to Raine and Ivory, who were circling warily. The twins were fascinating to watch, in sync despite the fact that Ivory preferred her wolf form while Raine fought as a human. 

Raine lunged one way and Ivory the other. Percy ducked Raine's sword slash and kicked Ivory away from him as she went for his tendons. Behind him, a snarl ripped from Myst's throat, informing him that she had disentangled herself from Mako. 

Ivory took another jump at him and Percy sidestepped, giving her a slight push so she bowled over the angry she-wolf once again. Turning to Mako, he flipped him over his shoulder. The black haired man ended up on top of Raine, who groaned in pain at almost two hundred pounds of muscle landing across her midsection and knocking the wind out of her.

Onyx, who had disappeared from the fight for a few moments, landed on Percy's back. Rather than try to tip the wolf off backwards, Percy tucked himself into a ball, sending his black-furred friend into the pile of Mako and Raine. The two collapsed with grunts under their comrade's weight.

Turning to Ivory and Myst, he sent them over the same way.

"Will you mooses get off me!" Raine shouted breathlessly as the two she-wolves landed on her.

Percy chuckled as the group struggled to get to their feet, spewing curses and death threats.

"That's it!" Myst screeched, in her human form now. "You're dead!"

"I've been told that quite a few times, my dear, yet here I am." Percy smirked at her.

"Enough." Lupa called. "Jack, you have proved yourself more than worthy, holding off several of our best fighters, and at the same time no less."

Percy turned to her to bow, but once again had to sidestep as Myst lunged at him.

"Myst! That is enough." Lupa ordered. The she-wolf cowered a little at the tone in the goddess's voice and nodded. 

"Of course, my lady." She sent a fierce glare Percy's way, he chuckled at her. 

"Jackson Timber, you have surpassed my expectations for you. It is time you move on."

"To the Roman camp?" Percy didn't have to work hard to act excited. He wanted to see how the Romans worked, how they set up their camp, their style.

"Yes. You must find it on your own, as you found this place. May the gods be with you." Lupa nodded to him.

"Thank you, Lady Lupa." Percy smiled, then turned, sheathing his sword at his side. He scanned the clearing that had been his home for the past three weeks and took a deep breath, starting off into the woods.

Onyx nuzzled his hand and he frowned. 

"Shouldn't you stay here?"

The wolf shook his head. "I'm allowed to come with you. Lupa said I could."

Percy felt his spirits lift. "Wow. Cool. Let's go." 

The two kept walking.

[A/N Percy has a friend! Who doesn't know his actual name. That'll be fun]