satansluvchild

[satansluvchild]

6-New Visitors

Orpheus looked up to see a body hovering effortlessly in the sky; while she knew this world held magic, she had only seen it used for healing and barriers. Drakons were inherently magical; she had come to this conclusion when she first met Artemisia. Seeing the soldiers use magic did not hold as significant an impact as this sight did. Something told her this person was a human advanced in magic. Which meant she could learn how to float effortlessly in the air as well. The magicules that were falling around had a smell of power. Orpheus could not ignore the greed she felt rising inside of her. This was something she could never dream of in her world. Something that once felt unattainable now floated effortlessly in front of her eyes. If she had that power she would be invincible, nobody would be able to toss her around.

Ferith screamed when the person shifted to look at the girls retreating form and pointed their finger. She watched the spell hurdled towards them, burying her head into Artemisia's shoulder while crying. Orpheus yanked her hand from Artemisia, instinctively reaching out to touch the magic. This was it, the power that would make everything better. Artemisia yelled, trying to warn Orpheus to keep running, noticed they had run out of time to avoid the spell. Turning around, she shielded Ferith from the oncoming flames. Orpheus was enthralled by the shimmering blue light. It called her name, promising great power. She felt no qualms in her decision as the light sped upon arrival of its target. Time itself had stopped for this moment. Reaching up and Grabbing the spell, she held it in her hands carefully. The energy stung her hands, but she smiled at how great the magicules felt.

Seeing this, the person in midair faltered. What that girl did should've been the death of her. They had never heard of someone capable of holding a spell, not their own. Even that could backfire and kill someone unskilled. Instead, it looked like she caught a toy ball. They watched with open eyes as the girl's hands absorbed the magicules in seconds. The woman looked pained that the ball had vanished. Her eager eyes replaced with a menacing stare towards the decoy. Seeing this, they thought of retreating. Turning to fly away, they panicked when they realized they couldn't. Their magicules had been sucked away; teleporting was also out of the question. Whom they concluded, an incompetent civilian replicated the spell they used in a flash and threw it at them full force. This was the end. There was no dodging something of that extent; closing their eyes, they reported one last time to their original. And took the spell head-on with a smile of relief. " Thank you," the person whispered to Orpheus. For the first time, they experienced something called happiness. The person laughed as a great flash and bang filled the world.

The flash blinded everyone; screams came from inside the gates as the buildings shook from the force. This essence of power could be felt miles away. Drakon ruler Creom halted the speech being made by the council. Staring in the direction the discharge of force came from.The bloodlust coming from the essence was terrifying; meant to induce fear. A few elder councilors also became alarmed, muttering to one another. Alerting his advisors, they began the trek to the opening of the capital, warning soldiers to be on high alert. That power was enough to cause extensive damage on the outside of the barrier. Cracks could be felt in the interior by the mages. While alerted of the incident taking place prior, to this extent was unprecedented. Breaking a barrier made by the Drakon king was nearly impossible.

Looking around the damage was minuscule , overturned carts, random debris, and crying kids were seen, but no deceased . As civilians saw the lord they shouted words of praise and some of question . Many followed closely behind as the twelve council and Creom walked towards the dungeon .  It was a rare sight to see all together in the same place. The crowd building outside the dungeon parted for the lord and his men . Talks of demons and monsters were heard as they walked towards the entrance .

[satansluvchild]

5.5 - destination arrival

Ferith had fallen asleep shortly after Artemisia began her flight to the country of Garewth. Riding on a dragon was already tricky, but riding a dragon with someone who cried and squeezed until you almost popped felt like an undeserving sentence of hell to Orpheus. Haven't I suffered enough ?! She screamed in her head. Motion sickness joined her pounding headache. She never could go on a ride without throwing up.

On the other hand, Artemisia was in a more uncomfortable situation than the two people riding her. Having someone fly on her would be no problem if she was used to it like some dragons, but being a young inexperienced drakon, she did not understand she was going too fast, causing Orpheus to dig into her scales. Orpheus had sharps nails that felt like a sand fly was stinging her continuously. Gritting her fangs, she wriggled, trying to make Orpheus loosen her grip, but this only made Orpheus sicker and grip even harder. Orpheus leaned over again, throwing up for the third time during their flight.

Things weren't going well for either of them. But, unfortunately, Ferith seemed to be the only one not affected by anything.

A few hours they finally reached the rocky coast of Allar, a small interspecies town consisting mainly of humans and drakon. Ferith, who had stopped crying two hours prior, swiveled two and fro, her excitement distracting her from remembering her predicament. Her swollen eyes and shabby dress caused people to look at the three girls as they passed by. The flight had been long and exhausting for both elder girls. Orpheus had to hold on to a curious child who couldn't sit still, and Artemisia was stabbed by Orpheus 'talons' for the majority of the ride. Both were in terrible moods and hurried to get to the destination. They stopped only for Artemisia and Ferith to freshen up and to buy more supplies. Artemisia had stated the trek previously from Allar to the capital of the Drakon kingdom was twelve hours on foot. Initially, they were to take flight which would shorten the trip massively, but helping ferith look for her kin had exhausted Artemisia.

A day had passed since Orpheus and Artemisia left Anadin when a group wearing black robes entered the cave of Morose with their leader. They had finally come for their seed, set to awaken momentarily. The leader walked into the Den that held the spawn, the followers staying outside the cave, each had their hands in symbol and held their breath. The excitement could be felt surrounded them. Finally, the time had come. The guide walked into the cave, pausing when they noticed the changes to the interior. There was a wooden stool, and bones littered the floor of the beginning of the cave; the smell of dried blood and hunger littered the air. They marched farther into the cave, shocked and angry when they saw it wasn't asleep on the peddle stool. The plan had been interfered by something, yelling they took a knife and let it bite the palm of their hand. The dripping blood began to form a black mist that would show where the creation went.

Following its movements, the leader could feel the confusion and anger coming from it. The Spawn had left the cave and seemed to go back and forth for a short time before going deeper into the forest. The teacher seethed; the creation had been surrounded by multiple spirits but only followed one. Leaving the cavern, they told the followers what they found. The members wailed and shouted curses, spitting on the floor on the person who had interfered with their future. " Death onto them" " let them suffer and walk aimlessly." " Pour the blood of the spirit into wickedness." shouted the pupils out loud. The leader pointed to where the creation converged with others. " Follow the paths, faithful disciples, find the seed, and finish the past! " They shouted. The followers split up and began searching for signs.

Orpheus looked around; she had the feeling something was looking for her at that moment. Great, I brought my superstitions to the other world. Ferith, who talked about her father, got upset after noticing Orpheus wasn't paying attention tugged on the hem of her shirt. Shaking the ominous feeling, Orpheus looked at Ferith and apologized. The little girl continued to chat about how wonderful her family was as Orpheus tuned her out. No matter how silly it was, she couldn't shake the feeling of something creeping on her. The twelve hours passed quickly, with Ferith talking about her underwater kingdom as they all burned under the unforgiving sun. Finally, they had reached their destination. Ferith, who was not used to the condition, was being held by Artemisia. Walking after them was Orpheus. They all stopped in front of a gate guarded by two men. The heat had become unbearable when they finally entered the desert. Using the majority of their water to pour on ferith, the two older girls had suffered silently. With the sun setting, the heat became bearable but still uncomfortable. Orpheus could feel her hunger build which each step, making it into the kingdom and finding prey, was her biggest goal.

The round guard squinted his eyes, spotting the three girls walking towards the wall at a sluggish pace. Looking at each of them, he saw the lines of exhaustion and hunger on their face. The tallest girl spoke first. " I am Artemisia of the Sytune tribe, The Ice winged Serpentis. " While they recognized Artemisia as a Drakoni, the other two were not. " No humans allowed without the authority of the Lord, " The other guard rudely cut Artemisia off. He never looked down at them, keeping his proud stature. This angered Artemisia; it was a clear sign of disrespect not to look at another Drakoni's eyes. This meant he felt no intimidation and didn't consider her a worthy opponent. Huffing, she began to walk towards him until Ferith touched her chin. Looking down at the little girl, she could see the fear and confusion in her eyes. Artemisia stared the soldier down but decided not to start a fight in front of Ferith and Orpheus. Turning around, she walked towards Orpheus. " I knew this would happen; they won't let us in without recognition. " While Artemisia knew deep down this would occur, a part of her hoped no problems would transpire at the border of the kingdom but inside. Orpheus, who had watched the whole thing, had already begun planning other ways to get inside. " Can we find a way around ? " she whispered, but Artemisia shook her head and explained how guarded all borders into the kingdom were. Flying was out of the question. There were soldiers on standby to bring anyone who dares to try to fly over the wall. There was no way in without being accepted. Fear of young ones being trafficked or random ambush from neighboring countries and kingdoms caused the Drakon kingdom always to have soldiers on standby.

As Artemisia retreated to where Orpheus stood, the tall guard couldn't help but feel uneasiness. The girl with curly hair and brown skin aura was unnerving, one that was usually reserved for the vilest creatures he had encountered plenty during his lifetime. Lich, The undead, dark wizards, dark elves, and other evil monstrosities all had a dark, polluted aura leaked out during battles. She didn't even try to hide her evilness, defiling the air with her dark emanation. At 600 hundred years old, this was the worst immorality he felt. He had been a pupil of a grand wizard for a short time and learned countless magic, most importantly Aura and the power of other opponents. Trying to delve deeper into the girl's caused his consciousness to reel in disgust and fear. She had countless souls surrounding her, screaming at him to rescue them. Shaking, he looked away. This girl .. is a danger to our kingdom; I must report it immediately. As he got ready to alert the others behind the gate, something drew his eyes back down to where she was. Locking eyes with the demon made his heart stop; She shed her disguise in front of his eyes, taunting him. Her brown eyes had become black as she tilted her head and smiled, showing a row of fangs. Her eyes held the cold dark abyss known as hell as she lifted her arm that held swirling tattoos towards him. His voice receded as his life force was devoured by something unknown to this world. Finally finding his tongue, he wailed, pointing his finger in her direction. Scaring the other guard out of his daze. The separate guards thinking there had been an attack, opened the gates and ran to help.

Astonished to find Their comrade was on the floor convulsing with his eyes wide. The three girls stared in shock, walking towards the commotion. The entire crowd watched as the tall guard spotted Orpheus and squealed again. " Demon! A Demon! " They all looked at her but saw no telltale signs of a demon—a human girl with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. Orpheus was the most flabbergasted. Talking to Artemisia, she spotted the lookout staring at her. Confused, she had smiled impulsively, but the guard made a face like he had seen the devil himself and fell screaming. Now he accused her of being an evil demon. Everyone looked back and forth between Orpheus and the guard. While their friend never lied, the girl was not a demon but an average human. The soldiers looked at each other, not knowing how to handle the situation. Finally, they decided a guard with a distinct facial scar would take over the Tall guard's shift. Dragging their raving friend away, they resumed guard duty. Orpheus was more embarrassed than upset at being called a demon; the new and old guard scrutinized her, finding nothing wrong they back to guarding the surrounding area. Ferith, who'd seen the whole thing, also looked at Orpheus cautiously, pinching her skin and staring at her head. Artemisia was the only one not bothered going back to pacing and figuring out how to get inside the capital.

Suddenly a loud noise could be heard coming from afar, sounding like a freight train hundreds of animals Opherus had never seen ran full speed at the gate. The guards seeing this became alert instantly. A horn could be heard on both towers watching above the entrance. Soldiers poured out of the gate, and dragons took flight in the air. Artemisia appeared stunned at this sight which made Orpheus feel anxious. Ferith hid behind both older girls, scared of the sudden commotion. As they got closer to their destination, the animals looked like hybrids of a sabertooth tiger and bunny. The flying dragons began to attack with the soldiers on the ground, blowing fire, ice, or spells. The fight ended quickly as it started, some of the animals had begun to retreat, but the soldiers followed and exterminated them.

The sight was barbaric; the winning team went back to the gate while laughing and wiping off the blood on their swords and claws. Four hundred monsters had been annihilated in only eight minutes. But Orpheus still wondered why Artemisia looked so shocked at the sight, and some soldiers even looked puzzled as they walked back to their point.

[satansluvchild]

5.1-Under the sea

By early morning Artemisia and I had finally reached the coast of Chiapan, a huge city known for its seafood dishes and sea monsters. Stragglers and drunks walked towards their respectful homes as the merchants and stores had begun prepping for the new day. Unlike Topamil, this city seemed to be doing well for itself. As I looked around, I saw no condemned buildings or even a beggar on the clean streets. Why is that? Topamil is a neighboring city but was struck by famine and inflation. At the same time, Chiapan flourished with half-constructed buildings. We stopped at an opened stall; the woman and her son were making something similar to croquettes. Watching the exchange between Artemisia and the booth, again, I couldn't help but see the difference between now and Topamil. These people held no ill feelings toward Artemisia, smiling like they won the lottery when she asked for five of the croquettes. Maybe being near the beach made these people happier. I always dreamed of living on a beach. The sun was starting to rise from the horizon when we made it to the shore.

Artemisia was worried about the long flight she would have to do with someone on her. Everything that could go wrong filled her head as she took off her clothes, folding them. Turning into her battle form, she stretched, beginning to prepare for the long flight. In just a few hours, she would be home and would have to tell her parents her sister was still missing. The speed Artemisia was flying caused wind to blow Orpheus's hair into her mouth eyes to burn when opened. Five minutes in, she ate enough bugs to satisfy her childhood curiosity of ants. 30 minutes in felt like both windows in the car were down, allowing the air around to choke her. Before flying, Orpheus had tied herself to Artemisias back with the belt that came with her dress. She thought this would help deter falling; this was a false sense of security she learned just seconds after Artemisia flew straight up into the air. Holding on for dear life, she lowered her head. A ringing in her ears had begun to occur while on the shore got worst once in the air. At first, the sound of a bell became the sound of a freight train, causing her head to split in two. But then she began to hear a faint voice. It sounded far away at first but got louder the more she listened. Finally, she could listen to what the voice was telling her.

" Libeenus Vexata , Protenim Annoium . "

A throbbing pain came from her arm, causing her almost to lose grip. The louder the voice got, the pain receded placed with grogginess. Asleep, she had a vivid nightmare of the cave she was in. A group of people surrounded her wearing white cloaks, cutting her from chest to groin while chanting. Someone pulled her intestines out, causing pain to ricochet everywhere she could still feel. Another person was coming up with a vial full of black liquid, forcing her to drink. These people were monsters. The girl had tears running down her eyes as she stared in shock at the damp ceiling. No matter how hard she tried, she could not close her eyes. As the cloak standing behind brought down the knife to her head, a shadowed face stepped into the light, a smirk on their face. With a start, Opherus woke up to rain pelting the side face. Looking forward, she saw they were heading towards storm clouds. Artemisia seemed to have already known this as she shifted directions. The dream made Orpheus afraid; had she been in a ritual she couldn't remember? And what exactly did it do to her? The pain she felt couldn't have just been a part of a dream. Was she still alive, an accident or the plan? And who was she before Nicholas? Were her memories of Nicholas real? The storm caused Artemisia to fly lower than before. The wind and waves had picked up force. If it were an actual airplane, Orpheus would worry. Still, since it was Artemisia, she trusted her instincts as a dragon to a machine. The sky had darkened but not enough for her not to notice a body floating in the water. At first glance, it looked like debris, but its long hair revealed it wasn't.

" Artemisia, look! A human is floating down there; we need to help her!" Artemisia snorted, still flying away. But Orpheus pinched the dragon cause it to roar in anger and circle back. On a closer look, the unconscious girl had a tail. The waves thrashed about, causing her to as well. Reaching into the bag, Orpheus grabbed a piece of food and threw it at her face. The girl flinched, waking up with a dazed look rubbing her cheek. She began to look around, the sleepy eye replaced with confusion and fear. How dramatic, did she forget that soon we were here?

(Orpheus )

Waving my hand, I tried to catch the dolt's attention. She finally notices the giant dragon flying 15 feet above her and screams. Grabbing a piece of hard bread, I throw it at her head. She spots me, but her fear doesn't lessen. " Please, I don't have anything of value! " She recoiled, Lifting her hands as to show she was telling the truth. Annoyed, I sigh, I only stopped out of concern, but this slowly became a telenovela. ''I am not a bandit; you were sleeping during a storm, I was concerned."

She blinked, staring in that dumb way again. Oi, what is wrong with this girl? Seriously.  After thirty seconds, her frown turned into a dopey smile " yes, thank you for that, I must've fallen asleep during my father's lectu-" "FATHER!" She screeched, looking around frantically, bobbing in and out of the water. " Tell me have you seen him ?!" She asked, looking at me." Artemisia and I shook our heads. The girl's shoulders drooped as she began to cry. " This is all my fault; I ran away during the storm and got us caught in the shower." As evil as I tried to be, the scene made my heart hurt. I had dreamed of running away from my home for a better place as well. The girl looked no older than 12, three years younger than me. Would it not be cruel to leave her alone? Smoke began to exit Artemisas's nose showing her displeasure at how long this was taking. " I'm sorry, Artemisia, just a bit longer, " I assured her. " We will help you, Miss, " I said with a gentle smile. Her crying became sniffles as she looked up at Artemisia and me. " My name is Ferith; I am a part of the Standing shark clan," She explained that her family lived in a shipwreck, but she could not see anywhere. That means she was swept with the waves, hopefully not too far. I'm not sure how big of help I am just flying in the air. She scopes the surrounding area, taking minutes to come back to the surface, shaking her head each time. After the tenth time of her doing so, Artemisia is ready to go, growling each time she comes up empty-handed. We had been helping her for half an hour and still were fruitless. Thinking of ideas, I heard a voice softly suggest something to me. 'Scope the surrounding area with your senses.' While I understood what it said, there was no possible way I could do something like that; I did not have echolocation like a bat or hawk eyes. While my hearing and sight did get better with my new body, seeing deep in the water was not an easy feat to accomplish. 'Tune in to your mind, close your eyes' Closing my eyes; I tried to do what my brain was telling me. I fell into a trance, trying to tune into my mind; then, the colors finally became solid colors. Looking around, all I saw was blackness. Walking in my mind was more difficult than I thought it would be. My legs felt like I was running in deep water, making me repeatedly stop to catch my breath. Finally, after a while, I saw a tiny light coming from a hole. Walking towards it, I was reminded of the cave; there was a wall here. Touching the void, I tried to get to where it was coming from, banging on the wall I felt. When that was no help, I began scratching; the hole became bigger and bigger until I could see through the transparent wall. There were grass and trees on the ceiling and blue skies with big fluffy clouds on the floor. A bell chimes making my stomach dropped as I was jerked back awake. Opening my eyes, I looked down. Ferith had stopped looking for her father, crying as she called his name. As bitter as I was to leave, we could not stay all day looking for her family. " Ferith, we have to go; I'm sorry." She responded by crying harder." please, just a bit longer; I'm sure we can find him, I'm sure of it ." She pleaded. Shaking my head, I looked at her " We can't. We have a mission. " She looked around frantically and then looked back up " Take me with you! I don't want to be alone." Looking at Artemisia, she snorted it and then lowered herself to the surface of the ocean. I would feel better not leaving her stranded, but how would she survive out of water? Ferith hoisted herself up onto the Artemisia; her tail had become two legs. Well, I guess that answers the question; she did say she was of the 'standing' shark clan. She sniffled as I handed her my old torn toga to wear. Artemisia began to pick up speed, causing me and Ferith to huddle together for the rest of the flight.

[satansluvchild]

Ch5-The beginning of trouble

(Opherus)

Walking down the cobblestoned path, I could see the remains of what used to be a prosperous town. Old condemned buildings lined the roads, and beggars could be seen floating around from stall to stall. The merchants were having difficulty finding customers, booths, and carts scarce of anything that wasn't nearing its expiration. This city looks on its last leg. Counting the number of people lying down on the sides of the road, I knew that this city was experiencing something I had only heard in history classes, a depression. Finally, we stopped at a stall to look at the produce. Fruits and vegetables and I had never seen before were spread around the broken-down booth.

"How much for a dozen mist peppers and a loaf of bread? " Artemisa asked the trade. He looked nervous speaking to us; I noticed he wasn't the only one that seemed apprehensive. " That will be five Crown Copper," He replied, stuttering and looking around as he said so. People paused and pointed at Artemisia and me as we walked past. I wore a tattered sheet, and Artemisia's garments were stained with blood. We stuck out like sore thumbs. With all the things happening today, I forgot what I wore could barely be called garments. The other problem was I was penniless; I knew nothing of the currency or anything of this world except the drakoni and the ongoing war between countries. I wouldn't be able to depend solely on Artemisia for money. So our next plan would be getting new clothes and me learning more about Everis.

" Crown copper ?!'' she hissed " Are you trying to scam me ? that is too expensive for a dozen of nearly spoiled produce." Artemisia's voice began to raise, getting louder with each word. I was about to ask how much it usually was when a commotion broke out a few feet away from us. A massive group of onlookers surrounded a short-round man that wore a white robe with a symbol. In his hand was a rope tied to a beastman's neck. " These creatures are the demon kings, worshippers, yes they are, that they are," he shouted passionately. The crowd murmured as he continued his speech. Some of the onlookers picked up stones, yelling accusations and pelting the poor boy. His calls to burn all beastfolk were answered with fervent cries. It seemed that this town discriminated against beastfolk just like Parrenia. If he spotted Artemisia, he could try to cause some problems. I looked around and spotted an alley we could hide in until this witch hunt ended.

Grabbing Artemisia's hand, I dragged her towards the alleyway. Empty boxes were scattered in the cramped place, making it challenging to walk without bringing attention to us.

" What can we do, Artemisia? If they see you, they might try to stop us ."

She looked around before pointing up towards the roof.

" We should move to higher ground; we won't be noticed,"

If we hid carefully, we could walk using her strength to cross the rooftops, she explained. Jumping to the top seemed to be an easy suit for Artemisia; sometimes, I even envied her power. Having her pull me up, we succeeded in the first part of our plan. The second part would be walking across the roof without catching the attention of anyone down below. We decided to wait until the sun went completely down before moving. Walking across the top was a lot harder than it sounded; some of the roofs decayed, leaving soft spots I had to avoid. Having Artemisia help me, we finally succeeded after thirty minutes and decided to jump down.

Our tattered clothes already made me feel like we stood out like sore thumbs; we needed to buy new clothes to blend in. I pushed Artemisia to the nearest store I saw with dresses in the pane. The door opens with a creak, alerting the clerk. A tall woman with wispy grey hair smiled at both of us, grandly sweeping her hand towards us.

"Welcome, my name is Lithe; how may I help you?"

While she said this with a smile, I knew she was like everyone I had seen so far in this town. Artemisia seemed not to notice or ignored the daggers being thrown towards her. Instead, she walked around the small shop stopping to look at certain clothes or fabrics. Looking at the owner, I ask for the cheapest trousers and a top that would fit Artemisia and me. While she didn't seem inclined to help, the lady went to the back and brought out the most affordable garments she had. Both garments were a brownish color with no embroidery that I saw on other items here. Artemisa asked the price, and upon hearing it scoffed, begrudgingly she handed the lady 15 bronze-colored coins. Walking to the dressing room, I discarded my white stained garment for the new itchy brown one. Artemisia seemed to have opted to keep parts of the outfit she wore prior, putting the blouse on top of the muddied and torn embroidered leggings she wore.

As we walked at the store, the owner looked at me

" Careful, wouldn't want to anger Bodea. "

The woman watched both of them through the windowpane, making sure they both vanished from her visibility before making her walk to the church.

Half an hour slipped by.

As we kept walking, sticking to back paths and rooftops. Finally, it seemed we were nearing the town's outskirts as the stone became dirt and the apartments became scattered houses. The entire time Artemisia explained common knowledge of the world. The country we were in currently was called Anadin, ruled by king Solomon. There had been a war happening for 15 years that caused a rift between humans and beastmen. Although the king declared he had no ill intentions towards beast people, it seemed that he also did not feel the need to protect them from civilians. In recent months The Onzi, a religious group that attacked beastmen or anything deemed evil, had risen in Nithera, a neighboring kingdom, and made its way to Anadin. These people followed Bodea, a God that originally was a saint. Many beastmen had disappeared in the kingdom, including several Drakoni. We were headed to a continent that held the Drakon territory named Garewth Despotate to tell the chief what Artemisa had found in Anaidin.

" Is that why you were sent here? to confirm they were missing? " I asked. She nodded her head,  lost in thought.

" I came to confirm that Anaidin was secretly selling Beastmen and killing drakon for their blood and scales ."

She went quiet after telling me why she was in Anaidin in the first place. It was prohibited to sell beastmen as they were considered cousins of the human species. Anaidin could cause Drakon State and The Monsters' Republic to join the war currently waging between other countries. Hours passed as Orpheus and Artemisia passed through different small towns without rest. Orpheus, who wasn't used to walking for so long, had begun to lag behind Artemisia 2 hours earlier. They walked in silence, only pausing when a monster approached. Orpheus had eaten every monster they killed, being careful not to stain her new clothes. After the tenth monster, a lizard with wings, was killed and eaten, something strange happened to Orpheus. She knew she grew more powerful with each meal, but now this feeling was accompanied by the sense of knowledge gained. Noise that droned in her head to eat had been replaced by a voice, one full of mirth that transformed into half of her subconscious.

[satansluvchild]

Ch 4.5- the beginning of trouble

They walked in silence, neither having the courage to speak first. A few hours had passed, making the once bright forest hazy with shadow and dancing glowing bugs appear. Orpheus was anxious by the lack of reaction Artemisia showed. She was even more embarrassed by how careless she had been even to forget Artemisia's presence. Dried blood now caked her tunic and stained her brown skin. Walking together at a fast pace, both girls finally entered the path out of the forest. As the trees and brambles thinned out, they found the route used commonly by merchants traveling from Parrenia to Topimil, a neighboring small town known for its food market, which is mainly supported by beer brewing, and fishing in the lake close to the town. As they walked down the route, Artemisia thought of the strange reactions from Orpheus. The glazed look disappeared from her eyes when she noticed Artemisia staring, replaced by fear and shame.

Artemisia did not want to shame her more. She decided to act as if nothing happened and helped pick Orpheus dropped items. Without any remarks, she began walking again, this time Orpheus walking next to her. She was beginning to think this was a bad decision. When she spotted Orpheus nervously glance her way again. Sighing, Artemisia decided that talking about what happened would dilute whatever problem Orpheus's feared would happen.

“What troubles you, Orpheus?” Artemisia asked softly. Orpheus opened their mouth, but no words came out. Shaking their head, they looked down, walking sullenly. She was not used to being around humans. If she were, she would know what Orpheus did was not normal behavior of her species. But being the clueless teenage drakoni she was, she only could think of Orpheus feeling ashamed of eating meat without prayers and offering to the gods. While this would anger many religious people, Artemisia learned not to judge others for their actions or way of living. She had learned of a group of people called Triini or the Godless in the common language. These people held no gods in their hearts and were ostracized and annihilated if found by the Onzi people. A group who followed the Deity Bodea and claimed would save the humans from the demons.

Maybe she is afraid of being persecuted. This made a lot of sense to Artemisia. Humans were judgemental, even more so than Drakoni. Their rules, strict and unbending, usually resulted in death if not followed. While it was not illegal to not follow a diety, it was unheard of in human kingdoms.

“Orpheus, what names are your deities?"Artemisia asked.

Orpheus felt at the moment that she was in deep shit. Deities? As in God? she didn't know how to respond; even on earth, she did not believe there could be a god. Crap, what should I say? She had to think quick, or she would come off as even more suspicious.

“I follow uh ... the human one .. yeah, the one with the long hair and beard.”

Artemisia paused and turned to look at Orpheus in shock. “Has your god shown its presence to you?” Artemisa had heard stories of a group of people called Champions. They had come centuries before stopping the evil demigod Uris from taking over the Norham kingdom. While none lived anymore, their names lived on through stories of their courageous battles against Uris and his followers'. Each Champion could recount their meeting with different deities before being transferred to the Everis with unique abilities only they had.

Orpheus felt like she had said the wrong answer. The reaction Artemisia showed her was one of distrust, awe, and fear. Orpheus was a terrible liar. Wouldn't it be better to say what exactly happened ? can I trust Artemisia? Taking a deep breath, Orpheus decided to do something she considered stupid and tell Artemisia her story. Starting from the beginning, of course. She told Artemisia about the earth, how children betrayed her, the cave and orcs, and even the problem she was dealing with since arriving in this world.

Artemisia was dumbfounded; she didn't know if she should believe Orpheus's story of waking in a cave that could hold no possibly living thing except mutated mice and bats or her meeting a God. Shaking her head, she knew that certain things took place on Everis that could not be explained. But this was something she had never heard of; the difference was substantial. Orpheus has explained her hunger for blood and meat and that it was not normal for humans to crave these things like Drakon. It all seemed too good to be true to Artemisia, but it did explain how Orpheus, as frail-looking as she was, was able to help defend Artemisia not once but twice in combat and survive in the woods alone, supposedly for a month. While hard to believe, it was hard not to as well. Artemisia decided she could always take Orpheus to the soothsayer to see if she lied. After telling her story, Orpheus seemed less nervous than before. Artemisia didn't believe she had any Ill intentions towards her. They stopped at a neighboring pond to try and wash the blood off Orpheus. Her once-white pristine robe was now permanently tarnished with various colors and holes. Now settled, Orpheus became the curious person she was, asking questions about the world around her; she didn't even notice when the town appearing out of the corner of her eye became close enough to hear how lively it was. As they went past the gate marking the entrance to the town, she could make out the mouth-watering smells floating from the booths, glowing lanterns lined the darkening streets, and children could be heard singing rhymes.

Finally, they had reached the growing town of Topamil.

[satansluvchild]

Ch 4-  The Great Viper

* wattpad- kenyamars book- Im the antagonist of this story 

Artemisia's limb throbbed with each step; the wound on her leg had begun to knit itself closed. She'd walked for roughly two hours in the hot sun, resting her drakon form for the flight she would be forced to take shortly. All of her former plans being ruined by a bandit group rubbed her the wrong way. The drakon is fierce. They shouldn't struggle against humans, not nearly as much as she had. Thinking of the altercation, a lot of things didn't make sense.

While it was usual to run into bandits at the forest entrance or on marked paths people visited for items, this group was deep inside the forest. They also had an experienced mage, one that could cast spells quickly. Yet, something felt wrong; it was almost as they knew Artemisia would travel through the woodlands. She had been traveling slower than usual; when she encountered the group just sitting in the clearing, they made no move to stand when she appeared. When she stepped foot inside the clearing, she felt weakened, as if invisible shackles were tied to her arms and legs. It must've been planned from the beginning to kill her.

But why? Had Anaidid kingdom found out about the scouts?

If so, the situation was worst than thought; she had made the right decision to waste no time. When the kingdom found out she was not executed, they would send reinforcement to finish the job. She walked four more hours before something appeared; an enormous red viper landed on the ground in front of her. This one was bigger than usual and had a black underbelly, which meant it had evolved into a queen viper. Artemisia evaluated the situation. The queen viper was notorious for its poison fangs; if she got caught, she would be paralyzed and eaten alive. Pulling out her sword, she braced herself.

Orpheus walked after Artemisia, cautious not to draw recognition. When Artemisia had walked away before, she had been jolted. She decided to run to her home and gather a few items she knew she'd need and follow Artemisia closely. While Orpheus knew she had gotten far, she could tell which direction she went just by a sense of knowing.

I could walk with her until she stops in a village, then I will learn about this world.

The pain she felt before had disappeared, replaced by excitement and trepidation of the new world. During her time on Earth, Orpheus had been limited to where she could go. For 15 years of her life, she had only known the small town of Dorchester. Now she would be able to explore the world as she pleased.

The snake slithered toward her opening its enormous jaws. Artemisia lunged left and attempted to stab through the snake. Unfortunately, her wound had reopened, beginning to bleed profusely again. This caused the snake to become more aggressive, its attacks quicker. She dodged the oncoming snake again, feinting left then going right. This was bad; she'd already felt weakened from the fight with the bandits, breathing heavily; she tried to stab the eye of the viper in hopes of blinding it but was too slow and ended puncturing higher, enraging the beast.

Orpheus had been strolling, thinking of all the types of food she could try when she heard fighting. Then, sneaking a peek through the bushes, she saw the largest Ruby she'd ever faced. Fighting it was none other than Artemisia, sweating and breathing heavily, swinging her great sword. Looking through the Homemade satchel he'd made from viper and boar skin, he tried to find the cherished item he had brought with him. It was a Dual-edged and razor-sharp sword that he'd stolen off a boar, a reasonably short, broad, smooth blade made of folded steel. The cross-guard contained a decorative bear head on each side, marking the house it previously belonged to. The pommel was a shining aquamarine gem. Several words that looked like spells she couldn't read had been etched onto the blade.

She set her bag down and decided the element of surprise would work in her favor. Looking at the nearest sturdiest-looking tree, she began to climb it. Glancing down, she saw Artemisia stagger to her feet. Then, turning into a Drakon, she roared and began her ferocious attack again. Orpheus was amazed at the scene below. The power between both monsters could probably be felt through the entirety of the forest. Artemisia looked up at Orpheus; she didn't know whether to feel annoyed the girl still followed her or relieved she had not listened.

The snake ran towards her gnashing its fangs; while tiny compared to fully adult drakon, Artemisia was big for her age. Her stature was the reason she could grapple with the giant snake. Glancing back up at Orpheus, she noticed the girl gripping a great sword instead of a stick. This glance caused the snake to gain the upper hand. Constricting Artemisia, it was readying to bite when it died. Orpheus had dropped from the trees, stabbing it in the back of its head. Orpheus was delighted her decision had saved Artemisia just in the time. Beaming, she looked at the dragon. Even in Drakon form, Orpheus could tell Artemisia was annoyed by her not listening. The Drakon began to unravel the snake from itself. Stretching it then became Artemisia again.

 With a sullen look Artemisia couldn’t help but feel upset .”You've saved me again; how embarrassing.” 

The shame she felt from not once but twice being saved by a mere human made her stomach knot. At only 250 years old, Artemisia was ignorant and had looked upon any being, not Drakon. Now she could see her lapse of judgment. This girl name Orpheus seemed stronger than her, and this caused an epiphany to strike her heart. She would take Orpheus with her and learn how she had become strong so young.

“I have changed my voice; I will allow you to accompany me to my village. Surely they will let you in when they hear that you've saved me twice.”

Orpheus nodded and walked back to gather her satchel. Then, remembering the potion Artemisia gave her, she grasped it and handed it to Artemisia.

“Here for your wounds”

Artemisia looked at the vial, drinking half, and tried to hand it back to Orpheus. Turning to face Orpheus, she was amazed at the display. Orpheus was again huddled, clutching her stomach as if it pained her so. Was she wounded during the battle? Perhaps that's why Artemisia heard her shriek and stumble to the ground during the match. Why did she not drink the drunin? As annoying as the girl was, Artemisia did not want to watch someone who helped her die. Orpheus groaned with agony sweating and saying the exact phrase monotonously.

“not now, no, not now, why now, no, not now”

Worried, Artemisia began to walk towards her when she noticed something strange happening to the trees. They bent towards her and Orpheus; she had never seen something like this before. Terrified, she tried to grab Orpheus and run away. However, when she touched Orpheus, her heart sputtered. An intense feeling of wrongness came from Orpheus; Artemisia felt the instinct to run from her. Was she the one bending the trees? Why? Backing away, she kept her gaze on Orpheus; while she didn't think she'd harm her to be cautious, she drew her sword and waited for a sign of aggressiveness.

Manipulation?

Artemisia tried to think of a reason the once sunny girl was emitting evilness. She was confused about what triggered her. On the last occasion, she was fighting as well.

Maybe fights caused her bloodlust?

Artemisia had witnessed countless drakons get sucked into bloodlust and go on rampages; the only way to snap them out of it was to defeat them; this usually ended in death; drakons were prideful creatures and never willingly yielded.

When the smell of blood hit Orpheus, it made her realize how hungry she'd been. The burning in her head and stomach came back full strength, knocking her to her knees. She had just won Artemisia's trust; why now did she have to become rabid. Usually, Orpheus would go out early in the morning to check her traps. Still, she was interrupted by Artemisia's screech this morning. She never investigated the pitfalls. While she ate less with more time, she could not forgo food too long like a newborn. Peering up, she noticed through her vision blurred with tears the stance artemisia had taken. She stood grimacing with pain and looked for her fallen satchel; turning the bag over, she shook it, emptying the contents onto the dirt floor. Grabbing the reddish-orange fruit, she ate it with savagery, not even taking the time to relish the rare sweetness only known as yio-yio fruit.

Not enough, not enough, not enough ...

Something in her head repeated this; looking at the snake, she dropped the fruit's carcass, grabbed her sword, and marched toward its corpse. Raising the sword, she clumsily dug a hole into the snake. Oblivious of Artemisia watching her chop the snake, her focus solely on the meal in front of her. Dropping the sword, she dug her hands into the corpse and began to eat the animal's lukewarm meat and organs. Blood dyed her hands and face, the already stained and tattered toga taking the worst as the blood dripped down her chin. She could feel the strength returning to her. Sighing with delight, she closed her eyes and bit into the second heart of the Ruby.

Artemisia watched in awe; she didn't know humans could eat meat raw. She watched as Orpheus stuck her hand back into the creature pulling on another bloody organ. The scene in front of her was grisly, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She was not used to humans; this being one of the first times paying attention to them, she felt like she didn't know a lot about them. Her first mission felt like a big success; she could tell the king many things, like how humans could also eat raw meat. She was also perplexed.

“Human, is today a special day for you?” Asked Artemisia, Orpheus seemed not to hear her question continuing to eat the meat with both hands.

Drakons only ate meat when the day was special to them or their tribe. Artemisia remembered when the tribe won back land from the Ruhu Drakon tribe. She and her family feasted on expensive raw Thornhand meat and danced the entire night away. Or the other reason would be they had no other options of food. To Artemisia, Orpheus looked like a young orphan or laborer.

That must be it, then! On the other hand, maybe she has gone a long time without food.

That didn't explain the feeling she felt when grasping Orpheus. She knew she felt something dark. The time before that, she also felt a dark aura in Orpheus that quickly dissipated.

Orpheus feel content, she ate more than intended, but her pain finally left. Looking down, she could see she did a number to her dress. Sighing, she turned and looked at the discarded items on the floor. Spotting the Skin flask, she picked it up and began to wash her face and hands. Standing again, she turned to pick up the sword a few feet away.  Doing so, she remembered the audience she had and turned to stare in horror at Artemisia, who was gazing at her intently.

[satansluvchild]

Ch3.5-A planned journey

so I broke my laptop ..yeah 

Artemisia looked at the girl in front of her and noticed her ears weren't turned like Elven kind. She had mistakenly thought the child was an elf because of her stature. Elves were relatively short like their cousins' dwarves until they became courting age. The same could not be said for drakons, who were naturally big even during infancy.

Human... This troubled Artemisia even more than the girl being an adolescent elf.

While most humans were neutral when it came to relationships with the Drakon, they were not usually willful to help a demi-human. It hadn't always been like that; before the yellow plague and the war of 36X, humans' and monsters' relationships had been beneficial. However, after the fall of half of the Shilburgian empire by monsters' hands, the alliance had become strained. Especially in Anaidin, whose Majesty was great friends with former Ruler Rerio, assassinated by the Sirei Demon clan. All kingdoms still welcomed monsters and demons, but many were discriminated against by locals and lords alike. So hearing that this human had helped a demi-human made her suspicious. These little mistakes could cause her death. She needed to become more aware of her surroundings.

Could she be a spy sent by Alacarus? Maybe even the king of Anaidid himself. No one would suspect an adolescent to be skilled in combat. Many had miscalculated her because of that precise reason. Thinking this, it would be better to eliminate the opponent now. Still, something was telling her that her observation was utterly wrong.

Orpheus watched various emotions display on the woman's expression. Had he said the wrong thing? As he watched her, he ignored the buzzing pain his head felt and the sweet aroma of blood. He couldn't eat in front of her. He had to think of a plan to carry the bodies efficiently back to the cave. While it was not far, the dead weight would be difficult to handle alone. The lady seemed to come to a resolution in her brain, sighing as if she was frustrated. She seemed to notice my back and forth, looking at the bodies translating this reaction into me fretting over the ordeal.

Do not worry; we will not be in trouble. These woods are known to be full of monsters and thieves alike; no one will question this mess. She said with a smile. I began to nod my head in agreement before freezing abruptly; her leg, wounded severely, was bleeding profusely. Not only that, half of her tail had been cut before I stepped in.

Oh my gosh, are you okay ?! I began to rush towards her side, intending to look more closely at the damage. Still, I stopped when she retreated away, a guarded expression on her face. Her hand on her sword.

Who sent you? Alacarus? Artemesia looked at me accusingly, keeping a hand on her enclosed sword. She scoffed, repeating something I didn't understand angrily this time. I shook my head, confused at what she was accusing me of. I don't know anyone of that name, I'm sorry. I said, holding my hand up while keeping an eye on the hand on the sword. Everyone here seems to be hostile. I considered. She looked at my eyes as if she could discern if I were telling the truth before she visibly relaxed.

Heaving a shaky breath of my own, I explained that I was only trying to assess how severe the wound was. She chortled at this and loudly clapped her hands. We Drakons have Drunin in our blood; I will be recovered shortly completely. She said arrogantly. If people could grow from pride, she'd be twenty feet in the air by now.

Timidly I spoke. May I ask for your name? Cursing myself, I promised to be aloof the next time I met someone. I was Orpheus, a respected, well-known human. For the first month of my life, I lived secluded; my lack of speaking to people reverted me to the old Nicholas. No friends and avoiding altercation, Nicholas. If I wanted this time to be different, I had to play differently. I won't ever be stuck under someone's foot again.

Standing straight, I cleared my throat and said, more controlled.

Your name?

Artemisia watched Orpheus's demeanor changed; she no longer slouched and glanced away every second. Now standing in front of her, this human asked for her name, boldly staring her down. She was hesitant to give any human her character, especially once she suspected them of being a hired assassins. While her kind could heal from many wounds, once their head was effectively decapitated, they would no longer be able to reform. While Orpheus looked innocent, Artemisia sensed a dark aura attached. She also got few men independently; no regular human would be skillful in dodging and reflecting an attack. While Orpheus looked youthful, her eyes told her otherwise. Eyes were indeed an entrance to the soul, and silly enough, it seemed like Orpheus had no living soul. Artemisia dismissed that thought; while there were life forms with no soul like the undead or certain demons, she'd never heard a case with a human.

My name is Artemisia Sytune, an Exalted warrior of the Ice winged serpentis. With a short bow, Artemisia stood again and came to the conclusion she'd leave right now. Although she would prefer to catch a ride on the next ship, she could fly across the Gulf of Kensingly or even take a shortcut through the Heathens strait. Her intention of coming through Morose forest was to pray at the alter hidden by Billowy Morass's swamp before continuing her journey. Then, she would send a quick invocation to Deity Qoion and hope the winds weren't too strong to navigate.

Orpheus was prattling away, unnoticing the shift in the mood. Artemisa chose to ignore her. She did not have time to entertain a human brat. For the sake of the drakon, she would leave this instant and not stop flying until she reached its' sacred territory. Orpheus watched as Artemisia began to walk away. The drakon had not even tried to explain before abruptly turning and hiking. Mystified, he began to trail after her, trying to keep up with the long strides.

Where are we going? Asked Orpheus.

We? replied Artemisia bothered by Orpheus's constant pestering. I am leaving to home; you are staying where you come from. Artemisia missed her homestead and was desperate to return. While she had to stop at Allar district to discuss everything with ruler Creom briefly, she would soon be with her kin. Already she dreaded telling and showing her house the disgrace that happened with her tail. While it would eventually grow back to its full size, the process would be long for Artemisia. If she had lost an arm or leg in her present form, it would only take a few days to reconstruct. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for her battle form, Many Drakon never fully recovered from wounds. While the drunin presently in her would help her regrowth, the amount of help was different for everyone. Never had Artemisia been wounded this severely; This was the wake-up call she needed; she needed to grow stronger to protect those she held dearly in her heart.

Firstly she needed to get rid of the thorn currently sticking to her. Orpheus would not be welcome in drakon territory, lest she married one, raised by one, or helped drakon kind. Humans were scarce inside Drakon territory. Artemisia had only seen one human in her town as a youth, an old wrinkly woman who was frequently seen pushing a cart of Yio Yio fruit and talking with older generations of dragons. While Humans and Drakon weren't as hateful towards each other when Artemisia was young, there was still a sacredness of Drakon's dwelling. This is why Orpheus wouldn't be welcomed.

Orpheus was excited; going outside the woods for the first time since his rebirth was a milestone compared to a child's first word. A new uncharted territory that he would soon grow used to. He needed to ask about this world, and exploring while doing so is a great opportunity. Just from the altercation earlier, he noticed the use of swords and daggers instead of guns. Growing up in the 21st century with advanced technology, this world still existed in the middle age amazed him. Artemisia scowled down at him, but he knew she would not have the heart to abandon him so cruelly .. or so he thought.

Artemisia paused, waiting for Orpheus to catch up, noticing the big smile on her face made her scowl even more profound.

Stop following me, go back where you came from,

You will not be welcomed where I head. Artemisia spoke.

Orpheus frowned at this. Not welcomed, what for? He asked. While he noticed the hostility between humans and drakon, he thought that she'd be more understanding since he aided her in the battle.

While I regret leaving this way, I must go; my king awaits this report. Drakon territory won't allow humankind unless specified conditions that the king himself must grant. While I have a title of nobility by serving, I have little coin, nor do I hold enough political power to earn the gaze of our king. She began to look around for something, then handed me what resembled a decorative container made of colored glass, a finely cut purple amethyst on the left side, on the right, an engraving I couldn't read.

This elixir of drunin shall help your wounds; careful not to drink fast, lest you want a dreadful head throb. She exclaimed with a forced smile.

Retrieving a Reddish-orange-colored fruit from her satchel, she handed it to me, nodding satisfied; she continued on her journey without glancing back. Mouth agape, Orpheus looked down at the fruit and potion, then back at the steadily retrieving figure. . .

[satansluvchild]

Ch 3- The tail of Artemisia

Artemisia was puzzled by the scene in front of her. 

Coming to Anaidin had been a bad idea. The capital Parrenia seemed more corrupt than initially thought. She would have to go back home empty-handed, missing a tail. Having arrived twelve hours prior, she had seen enough to be thankful she gathered enough intel to leave the same day. Taking a shortcut through Morose forest should've been an easy feat, but distracted, she was stupidly surrounded by several bandits. She had to leave this land quickly to tell the Lord what information her espionage had brought last night. Panicked, she had turned into her battle form, which made it easy for them to cut her tail and poke her a few good times. Her lapse of thought caused her to lose her tail, something that would surely bring her family great shame.  It would be easier to defeat the thieves without the mage that continuously cast spells that slowing her down.

I need to finish that damn mage off! She thought angrily.

After taking the mage out, it would be relatively easy to finish the rest off with swordsmanship.

I just need to find an opening.

Artemisia was confident after making a plan. Just as she was getting ready to strike, a small blob ran out in front of her. The lump had hands that stretched outward as if protecting her. Artemisia looked incredulously at the thing currently in front of her.

An Elf? But Elves and Drakons were currently at war. Why would an Elf step in?

The thing in front of her was miniature, not even coming to her shoulders. It looked disheveled, only holding a mediocre stick and a broken mallet. Its voice trembled, responding to the bandits' taunt.

This does not look like an elf; it's too short. Maybe a child, Elf?

Artemisia looked around, waiting for the child's parents to run into the clearing looking for their child. When none showed, she assumed the child must have simply got lost from its parents. That or it was kidnapped and sold into work. This seemed to be an everyday thing in Parrenia. Artemisia was shocked when she heard this from her spy Lithus. Demi-humans were illegally being sold for labor. But she hadn't heard they'd been selling children as well.

Elven or not, this is evil. She deemed.

The child looked like a wind could blow it over, wearing a thin cloth and no shoes. Tiny scratches and scars seemed to cover the entirety of its body except for its face, its hands looking the worst.

I must be correct; its worn hands look like they'd been digging in the Coapul mines. But how did they end up in this forest? The quarries were located two hours south of Parrenia.

Coapul was a small shanty town that was notorious for its shady people. The murder rate was high, and the chance of being attacked by bandits was a given. Only mercenaries and adventurers dared to step into that town. The circumstances turned from worst into dire. A child at stake because of her vulnerability. She judged the case again. She could tell the kid to run away while she fought. That seemed like the smartest decision. The child's taunt seemed to have crawled under the leaders' skin, making him turn red and spittle out his mouth.

You little bitch, how dare you to believe you or this inferior lizard could even lay a scratch on my men or me! He screamed.

The leader whistled, causing all the bandits to run towards them, knives drawn. Artemisia sighed with exasperation, turning back into her human form and glaring at the little girl who was now looking at her worried. She didn't have time for this. Picking up her discarded sword, she swung with force at the two men trying to attack her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the girl skillfully dodging and avoiding the daggers of multiple bandits. Running around in circles seemed to be her plan to defeat the bandits. The bandits foolishly ran after her, making it look like a simple game of tag. She dodged another swipe of a dagger and turned the opposite direction, making three thieves fall onto each other. This seemed to anger the leader more as he roared obscenities at his useless team.

You fools, stop playing around and kill them as ordered!

The mage who had been guarding the leader began to say another spell.

Shit, just what I needed, I need to kill that mage! Artemisia had little time to think and act. One wrong step could mean her perishing in the most dishonorable way. The little girl somehow got two of the bandits motionless and ran around again from a lone bandit. Artemisia focused her attack and killed one of the attackers with a blow to the head. Rushing towards the mage, she had nearly connected to him when the child shrieked and fell in pain, causing her to falter. Clutching its stomach, it groaned and began to mutter something incessantly. Taking the opportunity, the mage began to speed his spelling process by drawing it on the ground.

The leader Welilhim looked at the scene unfolding on him and shook his head. He knew this crew was a waste when he was first offered them for this job. Kill the tall woman with pale hair, make enough to live the rest of his life lazily. This sounded like a great proposition but turned sour when the pipsqueak showed up, buying the female time to recover. Now it seemed the spell had worn off, returning her full power. Pulling out his dagger, it appeared he would have to do the job himself.

Artemisia Struck the mage killing him mid-incantation. Just as she was about to help the kid who was parrying off her attacker while looking near death, a knife came falling, nearly striking her in her chest. The leader seemed annoyed he would have to fight Artemisia himself. Talking aloud of how horrible it was, his mercenaries were killed by a lizard woman.

“It's a shame, really, for them to lose to the likes of you demi-human.” He spouted out loud. He gracefully countered the attack Artemisia was giving him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the small girl pick up a deserted knife and stab the bandit running towards her in the groin.

“You really should focus more during a fight, monster.” Welilhim smirked, slashing his opponent's leg. She wavered but continued to stand tall, a proud look on her face regardless of the wound that was bleeding profusely. This action would've made him respect any Human. Still, she was a monster, a travesty, something meant to be eradicated from Everis. It was why he accepted the job in the first place. Slaying monsters was a courteous job. He would never turn down the opportunity to cleanse Anaidin from impurities.

“Let us end this quick.” Welilhim said smugly, drawing his sword. He would kill the serpent and then finish off the job by destroying the runt that had made his job twice as difficult. In fact, he decided he would toy around before annihilating her thoroughly. Humans that helped monsters were worst than the scum itself. Maybe he could get a pretty buck off her by selling her to a mercenary. His thought was cut short by the feeling of a dagger thrusting him from behind. While fighting the monster in front of him, he had completely disregarded the fact that the little girl had indeed helped defeat his men. Shaken, he fell forward; this pair of mediocre creatures had injured him, the legendary bandit, wanted in 10 towns for numerous crimes, with a simple dagger. Angered by this act, he howled at them.

“You fools, I'll kill you!” “I Weillhim will make it that nothing of your wretched body remains!” Welilhim tried to stand, struggling to sit up. He did not seem to discern how much blood he'd lost in the ordeal. If he had, he could have very well preserved himself. The arrogance and stubbornness would be the death of the great Welilhim the 2nd. Flailing about, he stressed his injury, and after one minute of deranged yelling, he expired.

Nicholas had chosen to sneak up on the assailant, stabbing him in his lower side hard enough for the dagger to fight to stay in the bandit. Looking down at the now-dead Weillhim, his stomach lunged.

I've killed someone... Opherus laughed nervously. The dragon was staring at me with concern.

Maybe because you're laughing over a body Nicholas.

Peering at her up close, she looked young and had a slightly pointed ear with strong features. If I had not seen her dragon form, I'd suspect her to be an Elf. She sheathed her sword, then nodded, looking at me.

“Thank you for your service.” She said in a heavily accented voice. It seemed that the people of this world spoke my dialect as I had learned from speaking to Weillhim, the leader beforehand. This was good; I had worried countlessly about the language people spoke in this world or at least this part of it. I was concerned about the language barrier I would face should I ever happen to stumble into a town.

“Are you lost, young one? Why are you in these woodlands? Do you live in Parrenia?”

The tall woman in front of me bombarded me with these questions.

Just how old does she think I am?

She seemed to be patiently awaiting my response staring at me as if I would topple over at any second.

Could I really tell her exactly how I came into these woods? Wouldn't she just think of me as crazed?

I shook my headed and replied with a vague answer.

“I recently moved here”. I said, stumbling over my words. This seemed to satiate her need for interrogation, a look of understanding coming from her face. Standing her full height, she said something incomprehensible and clicked her tongue. She looked down at me again and cocked her head to the side.

“What is your name Elven?” She said. Again waiting for my answer.

Elven? Does she think I'm an elf? I looked at her, perplexed. “I am human, not elven; my name is..” I thought for a second about what I should say my name is. I can't be called Nicholas anymore. It would make little sense for me to carry a name that held disdain in my heart. This was the opportunity to reinvent myself. Given a second life, I should use it wisely and say a name that would in the future cause people to revere in awe and fear me. “Orpheus, my name is Orpheus.”I said, raising my eyes to stare directly at her.

[satansluvchild]

Ch2.5- Bandits on my territory ?!

Short clarification before this chapter. I know it might get confusing to follow; technically, Nicholas is a female now .. but it would make less sense to disregard the fact that he had been anatomical a male and identified as one for fifteen years. When talking through his 3rd perspective, I will use He ( he walked for hours ). But when new characters are introduced and talk from their 3rd perspective, they will address him as a girl because it is literally what they see in front. (bandits surrounded her).

Three more weeks had passed, making it a month and two weeks since my arrival. I had grown fixed to a simple life of living. I would go out in the early morning to hunt snakes and the occasional boar down. While I had learned how to make fire meat tasted better raw, in my opinion. The boars had a set pattern of when they would walk the trail next to the clearing. I had learned to set traps of sharpened boar bones and tusk. My earlier opinion of boars being intelligent seemed to had been incredibly wrong. While they could walk and talk, it seemed they had less common sense than the big red snakes of the forest I had named Rubies.

I made new clothing and tools from the boars. Some carried tools and clothing items I stole from their bodies. Using the grease I gathered from cooking the boar parts I didn't like over a bone piece, I could make easily accessible fire! Since then, I have started to hang torches farther in a crevice I live in. I even started to fashion a tiny wood and bone chair for me to sit comfortably in. This morning I set out early as usual but immediately knew something was amiss. While I'd explore this forest over the past three weeks, a telltale sign of the ruby snake was the quietness that usually showed shortly before it arrived. I climbed the nearest tree towards me as quickly as I could.

Scouring the entire floor, I was confused when I didn't see the snake's glistening red scales approach. Odd, why would the forest be quiet? Is it another Lamoose? While living in this forest, I had been attacked by many hostile animals, and the Lamoose was the most horrendous looking. A cross between a llama and moose sounds cute but looks the most dreadful. Wondering what it could be, my question was minutes later answered by a scream. Humans?! I followed the direction the scream came from. It sounded like it came from a woman. Had she accidentally got lost and wandered into a Ruby den? What I came upon was a different scenario I had envisioned.

The woman who let out such a terrifying scream wasn't cowering, fighting off a Ruby, or Boars, but fighting back with a sword almost as tall as her, facing a group of bandits. This scene is so cliche ..I have Deja vu . Countless times I had read a scene like this happening, and now it was directly in front of me. What are the odds?! But unlike the books I had read, I was not an overpowered hero, nor was I brave; better yet, I was the complete opposite. If I were smart, I would turn my back and carry on my day. If I were cruel as I wanted to be, I would say who cares? Not my problem! I watched as the tall girl fought with all her might against the 7 assailants. It seemed like she was winning and had the upper hand until one of them muttered something, and with a flick of their hand, the powerful girl seemed to become more clumsy; less focused. This is a mess... I studied worriedly. I needed to make a plan if I want to help her fight them off. Then something even more shocking happened, in the blink of an eye, what appeared to be a woman turned into a huge towering dragon that roared with such ferocity I almost hightailed it the other way.

It seemed even in her other form; she struggled to fight whatever the bandit had done to her. I looked at what I carried and weighed my decisions carefully. Looking at this logically, the probability of me winning against what seemed seven experienced bandits was twenty percent chance if luck was on my side. I had no training in combat and horrible coordination skills. My Bone spear would do little to no damage to the metal swords they all carried. It would be better for me to mind my own business, but I couldn't help but think of how helpless I felt while being stabbed in those woods, or the fifteen years of torment I went through alone. Bracing myself for my stupid decision, I quickly ran to the side of the dragon. The bandits all paused for a second before what looked like the leader began to belly laugh showing his lack of teeth while at it. The group members behind him slowly joining in on his howling.

“Look at that! This little girl protecting a monster !!” He shouted

“How will you fight us with the piece of a bone, a fractured mallet,  and ill-looking at that?!” he taunted.

The leader was right about those two assumptions. I definitely would not be able to defeat all seven with my weight and stature or bone. With a dragon on my side, I felt confident I would be able to maim three and leave the rest to her.

“Hey dipshit, I bet this girl could take all of you down!” I shouted back .

This seemed to rile him up, which was exactly my plan. The angrier you are, the sloppier your work becomes. I had been dodging rubies and knocking boars seven feet tall down by myself. Before that I was dodging fists and beer bottles .

This should be a piece of cake!

And so began my first fight.

[satansluvchild]

Ch 2- The forest of sniphs

Nicholas took three short steps outside the cavern entrance before collapsing from the most excruciating wave of pain he had experienced since waking up. This pain felt vastly different from last time. The hunger had festered to the point they couldn't think straight. I need something, anything. He thought. The vibrations and warmth felt in the cave had intensified until it made Nicholas want to scratch his eyes out. Grabbing his head, trying to calm the thumping that had become loud in his ears, he tried to think of a place to hide while vulnerable. He decided the best decision would be to take shelter, but how could they sit still while they felt like they were dying over and over again?

The thing on his wrist began to slither like a sentient being, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. This seemed to affect the surrounding area making the trees look as they were watching this ordeal. They all seemed to lean towards Nicholas as if they were listening to his pain. The forest, which had been lively mere seconds before, seemed to have become deafened with not even the usual sound of wind being heard. The pain had taken a mind on his own, and at the edge of insanity, Nicholas was planning to do precisely what he feared would happen in the cavern. He was planning to cannibalize his body parts to stop the unbearable pain. Just as he was about to bite into his arm, he heard what sounded like a herd of creatures moving a few miles ahead of him. If he weren't so distracted by the pain of the hunger, he would probably question why exactly he could hear things miles away or how he suddenly could manage the speed at which he was moving.

He paused to hide in the shrubs and stalk his first meal. What walked into the clearing was a group of creatures that had tusk and were pigs. Boars? he thought. But these looked like intelligent beings, they were walking upright, and one even carried what looked like a poorly made mallet. They conversed with each other while dragging something that looked like a hybrid of a giant snake and a bird. One even laughed at something the other said. I can't kill intelligent beings ... Nicholas thought. But another voice, one that seemed to be a new part of his reawakened consciousness, tsked at this thought. Eat them, gain strength, become powerful, get revenge, a part of his soul started to repeat.

Nicholas thought of other ways to attain food like foraging, but that idea was quickly squashed. I can't tell, poisoned from non-poisoned. He hesitated for another second before coming up plan. He would wait until they stopped to rest, then attack when one was separated far enough not to alert the others. He walked a few feet behind them, making sure they never saw him. It would be trouble if they did. They would easily be able to overpower him and would gain another meal to drag. The more he followed them, the more he learned about his surroundings. The forest was brimming with wildlife.

Things were so unique he definitely couldn't still be on Earth. Nicholas was so busy keeping an eye on his prey and learning the forest he did not notice the vast red snake that had been slithering up behind him until it struck. Taken by surprise at the sudden attack, he barely dodged being swallowed by the predator. Crap! Just what I needed, another obstacle in my way. He looked for anything he could use to defend himself from the snake. The snake was faster than he was, which left little time to ponder on a decision. His sense of hunger weakened him significantly, and he was tiring quickly. He needed to kill this snake soon, or he would become its afternoon snack. He spotted a huge rock and threw it at the snake; this seemed to anger the snake, making it bare its fangs and lung again. Nicholas scarcely dodged falling over a downed tree to hide from the attacks.

This is bullshit! Again, he was being tormented by something more significant than him, someone stronger than him. Like hell, I'll die cowering from an overgrown garden snake. With this resolve, he tried to think of any weakness snakes had. He noticed another downed tree and crawled towards it, making sure the snake couldn't see him moving spots. He spotted the sharp stick he had been eyeing and picked it off the ground. The snake which had been looking for him grew increasingly agitated, lifting itself to search where its prey had fled. While the snake's back was turned, he quickly ran to a blind spot he could use to sneak up on the snake. Adrenaline pumping in his veins, Nicholas decided to go in style, charging stupidly with the stick raised above his face.

The snake turned at the last moment making the stick sink directly in one of its eyes. Shrieking, it tried to shake off its assailant, but Nicholas was determined to kill this snake. He stabbed it repeatedly, trying to find a weak spot that would destroy the monster. The snake thrashed about until Nicholas stabbed it on top of its head. The movements slowed until the snake collapsed, causing a dust cloud to form.

He had killed something, and even if it was for survival, he could not help but feel guilt. Not in Kansas anymore. He jokingly thought in his head. He had lost the direction the boars traveled; just the thought of waiting even longer made him feel like falling out and sobbing. His wrist pulsed again, and the feeling in his head revved back to life. He looked at the snake; while it didn't look as delicious as the thought of pig, he was desperate enough to settle for it this time. At first, he tried to cut the snake using the stick he used to kill it, but the skin was too thick for him to make a complete cut.

I need to hurry before more predators come from the smell. He thought of anything he could do that could cut the tough skin but stopped by the intensity of the pain that rocked him. I need to eat before I die from starvation. Nicholas decided that he would instead get sick eating the snake raw than experience the gnawing pain anymore. At least the pain would be manageable; his parents frequently gave him bad food just in spite. So he bit into the snake, having to keep tearing at the poor creature to make a mark. Eating the snake raw was repulsive to Him and quite dangerous. These thoughts halted after he made his first tentative bite of the raw flesh.

Whatever he had become began to awaken within the first touch of blood to his lips. He viciously ate, even while raw; the meat was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. While the beef could be considered delicious, it was the blood that was most refreshing. He could feel his body repairing itself and energy entering his body. He ate until he couldn't anymore. After scouting the area, he confirmed that he had indeed lost the boars track while fighting. The next plan would be to find or make some shelter. He could always go back into the cave or try to find a town. He doubted they would let him set foot in a city looking down at how bloody he was.

He decided to head back to the cave. While walking, he began to look for any clues of civilization but could find none. Maybe normal humans are smart enough not to go this deep in the forest. That was the conclusion he came up with. Even though Nicholas felt more muscular than he had in a long time, he had been badly scratched by the snakes' fangs, which only added to the other numerous scratches he had just from the long hike in the cave. He wondered how he ended up in this new world, was his soul accidentally lost in the process of death? Or was this a blessing giving for revenge?

Pfft revenge, I'm weaker than I was on Earth. This walk seemed to go by quicker towards the cave than when he initially left. He took two lefts and one right, and the cave was right in front of him. Walking into darkness soothed Nicholas, who had grown accustomed to it for the past three, nearly four weeks of what he now called his 'birth.' There was no other word to describe his ordeal. Except for reincarnation or what he called a rebirth. He followed the faint sound of water until he found a slightly deep pool of water. He drank his fill then took a bath, making sure to wash his face and toga as much as he could. While soaking, he began to think of everything that had happened in the short time he had left the cave. Some monsters could easily overpower him, and he seemed to have something special on his wrist that made the trees bend towards his presence. He also seemed to have acquired strength and energy from eating raw meat and drinking a decaying animal's blood.

This was beginning to sound a lot like psychosis than real life. But, on the other hand, maybe he had finally snapped, and this was just a colossal delusion.

[satansluvchild]

Ch 1.5 - Ah, sweet freedom .. from what exactly?

The cave seemed to go on for miles, sometimes bending and curving; it was damp, and the rough exterior did a number to my bare feet. No light showed me the correct way; the only thing that I could rely on was the sound of trickling water that I used to guide me out of here and my sense of rightness. I occasionally heard scurrying and squeaking and tried to catch any animal I found. While it didn't seem like I could die from hunger, I still felt the painful telltale signs of it. This cave was not an ordinary cave. I couldn't sense any more prominent life forms, except for fleeting moments of what felt like eyes watching my journey. My mouth watered just thinking about the meat. I had been counting the number of days that seemed to have passed while stuck in this cave. If my estimations are correct, I had been nearly trapped in this hellhole for three weeks, and while I drank water, I had not eaten a single thing.

I accepted two weeks ago that something strange had happened to my body and that I was not who or what I used to be. The pains that I had seemed to get daily settled to only weekly, and that's how I had been telling time. As time went on, the pain seemed to have started to grow into a dull ache until It only felt like a billion tiny ants were biting me. The weakness I had first felt slowly started to be replaced by limitless energy, making it easier for me to keep walking endlessly without sleeping.

As my strength returned, so did my want for food and revenge. To keep from boredom or going insane, I made a slight jingle of foods I would like to eat. Before the attack, I was a pacifist; I wanted nothing to do with other animals' killings. But, the longer I went without food, the more desperate I became. The gnawing feeling and headaches were easy to ignore until I could hear the scurrying rats and the flying bats; then, It felt like the entire room was buzzing, and my mouth would water. If this went on any longer, I would feel incline even to eat my flesh. I became worried at that thought and decided to try something else. I remembered learning from T.V. When someone loses one of their senses, the others become more enhanced. I tried honing in on different sounds and smells. At first, I couldn't hear anything but a very faint sound of the wind groaning. Then I noticed something in the air changed; it felt like I had entered a new cave level.

As I continued forward, I began to smell Earth for the first time and could see a dim beam of light coming from an opening. Finally, an exit! As it became brighter, I walked quicker. The uneven floor soon became dry Earth that was cool on my feet. The light was blinding; my eyes felt like they were being seared on a pan, and for a second, I paused to get used to this new feeling. I could hear the things outside the cave that also made me tentative. I had not even made a plan of what I would do once I left this cave. I could not tell where I exactly was; would it be better to stay where I had grown accustomed?

This thought was quickly replaced by my stupidness and curiosity about the outside world. I could hear birds and other critters moving around outside the woodland setting. It made me hungry. I took my first step outside and became confused the longer I stared. What part of the forest is this? This doesn't even look like Indiana anymore! I was even more shocked when I looked down and saw how skinny my arms and legs were. My short hair was now to my shoulders with tiny coils that were tangled all together. I had scratches covering me head to toe and a weird mark on my wrist inside that resembled some form of writing that traveled to the beginning of my elbow. A bunch of conclusions hit me at once. This isn't real; it's a dream ... I'm in a coma ... I am tripping on some drug my parents poisoned me with .. or.. this is real. I'm no longer in Indiana, maybe not even Earth anymore, and I somehow became a girl.

What in the world is going on?

[satansluvchild]

Ch 1- Why am I in a cave?

Everyone had betrayed me. My parents' greed, school bullies, and even Joyce ended up painfully stabbing me in the heart in the end. The deep hatred I had for the world slowly began to grow into a being. The pain of breathing slowly faded into the background as my miserable life flashed beyond my eyes. I had accomplished little to nothing with my time on earth. I was tormented every day by strangers and family alike. I had no good memories of my life, and while it was bittersweet, I felt a bit of relief this world would no longer abuse me. While I laid in the puddle of my blood, I made a promise to bring hell on earth. I Nicholas Grimsby made that halfhearted promise as I stared up at the darkening sky and took my last gasp of air into my chest.

I became alarmed when I regained consciousness. The excessive warmth and agonizing pain got crueler as more time went by. Was this hell? Did I have to go through even more suffering? I tried to open my eyes but could not muster the strength even to lift them. I sat in pain for what felt like an eternity until it abruptly ended as quickly as it had come. While my physical pain left, I was still depressed about how things had happened. Why would Joyce trick me?

Sweating and weak, I tried to hear if any sounds could tell me where I was currently. The only thing I could hear was a constant dripping of water, the faint sound of the wind from time to time, and the steady beating of my own heart. Feeling around to figure out where exactly I was lying on was out of the question; I could not control my body's movement. Irritated, I tried a few more times; this seemed to have the opposite effect and made my already weak body exhausted; I decided the best decision would be to regain my strength and produce a plan to escape wherever I had been taken. The thought of being kidnapped or buried alive came to my mind, but I was too tired to worry too much about my situation.

The point being, I had already come to terms with death, and it seemed my situation was not as bad as it was previously. As far as I could tell, I was currently not in danger and should reserve my strength. I had been stabbed, which means I must've somehow survived the ordeal by luck. But there was no telling how long I had been here or when my captor was set to arrive. I needed to prepare in case of a fight. A few hours later, I woke with a start ... time seemed to become skewered by the eternal darkness. The pain I felt when I regained consciousness the first time hit me like a punch to the gut, pouring a bucket of water onto my grogginess; all I could do was take shallow breaths as I felt an unbearable pain that could only be compared to being torn apart like a rag doll and then slowly sewn up tightly. The pain would fade then start up again, getting each time worst. If this went on any longer, I indeed would lose the little sanity I kept. Again, like the first time, the pain quickly left as it came, only leaving me with a horrible headache and sweltering warmth. I needed to try and find medical help and escape the woods I had been hurt in. If I didn't make it in time, I would die from the fever I got from the stab wounds.

I wanted to sleep again, but I needed to assess what was going on quickly. I concluded that I somehow ended up in a cave. At first, I thought a wild bear or Joyce and her partners must have taken my body to eat or hide, but I became relieved when no growling or more pain showed up. Maybe the predator forgot this cave, or I was in it; perhaps my old friend thought I was dead. Whatever the situation was, I needed to find my way out of this place if they make an appearance. I was able to move my body after a couple of tries, but my sight never seemed to return. I blindly crawled for what felt like hours, only stopping a few times when the discomfort reared its ugly head or until I bumped into something hard.

When I bumped into something for the umpteenth time, I stretched my hands to see what exactly was in front of me. The cold surface and ragged edges told me I had bumped into a rock wall, a noticeably big one, it seemed. I decided to keep one hand on the rock and push myself into a standing position. I strained, trying hard to balance all of the weight on my legs. It seemed I had become fragile while in my coma-like state. After a few minutes, I gradually walked with ease; still using the cave wall as a guide, I found a tiny opening and decided to go through. The walls surrounding me increasingly became tighter until I grew concerned that I would get wedged and die stuck smashed between two walls. As I hesitated to keep going ahead, I noticed what sounded like trickling water a few feet in front of me, pushing myself through the last bit of the hallway.

The room opened up vastly as I decided to crawl again to feel the ground towards what I heard. I soon encountered a tiny pool of water; I opted to drink the water if it were the only source I would see while exploring; I needed to make sure I wouldn't die from lack of water. I drank until my belly felt it was ready to burst. I regretted the decision afterward. In all the survivor movies, they always boiled the bacteria away. But there was no wood or any way to boil the water. As I sat there nauseous from drinking so much water, I began to think. Why was I in this cave anyway? And why did it seem like I was deep inside said cave? I also noticed earlier how different I felt physically wise. It seemed like my height changed drastically, and shockingly my anatomy as well. My hair feels longer; just how long have I been asleep? If I were crazy, I would think I became a girl... I choose to ignore this thought. Maybe I am currently in a coma or having one of those weird dreams that feel real. These thoughts seem more rational than me being stuck in a colossal cave and changing into a girl. But then why did this dream feel so real?

The pain felt natural, as well as the water in front of him. The last thing he remembered before didn't even seem realistic; his best friend and crush of five years lured him into the woods to brutally stab him while his bullies from school stood watching and cheering her on. As he pondered this, his heart felt like it had been pierced again. I will get my revenge on them all! He thought. He became inspired by the idea of relishing in their pain and began a long trek to what seemed nowhere.

[satansluvchild]

Is this trash ? hopefully not

Hello this is the Author and Writer of I Am The Antagonist of the this story ( or I'm supposed to be ) . To be frank I want to put it out there that by no means am I the greatest writer , this is just for fun and to clean my brain from thoughts . I have been really inspired by Isekai manga and light novels and wanted to create a spin of my own . Will this be cliché ? Probably a bit , but not so much its unenjoyable ..hopefully .  I also want to put out there that I am not the most on schedule person so it might be hard to stay tuned but, I will try my best to dish out what I can ! Just wanted to put this interruption out for those who are dumb enough to read this story . I'm going with the flow I have nothing planned honestly . Opinions are welcomed ( try to let me down gently )