After All

Chapter 18: Motivations

It didn't take long for the Elanans to find their way through the tunnels. The boys kicked open the back of Artemisia's old wardrobe and entered into her former room.

"Here we go! We should be able to get out through here!" Zane instructed helping his companions through the opening.

"Where are we?" Omar inquired, analyzing his surroundings.

"This used to be my room." Artemisia explained.

"And I thought the dungeons were small! And what is that smell?!" Samuel exclaimed, looking around and sniffing the air as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Artemisia let out an audible gasp upon seeing a frail and decaying corpse lying on her bedroom floor.

"Oh poor Soren." Artemisia cried, stumbling to the dead boy's side.

"A friend of yours?" Catherina softly asked, unable to make light of the situation. Artemisia nodded in response, brushing Soren's bangs out of his face.

"Don't tell me your brother did this." Zane cursed, balling his hands into fists due to the outrage of a young child dying.

"He must have... Adonis would never kill his own brother." Artemisia quietly surmised, her heart aching at the thought that Soren's last moments alive were spent protecting her.

"Damn. You Skathi have no limits to your cruelty, do you?" Omar angrily snapped.

"Hey! Don't talk about Artemisia that way!" Zane shouted, ready at a moments notice to defend Artemisia.

"You clearly know nothing of my people." Artemisia replied, rising to her feet.

"Oh yeah? Well, enlighten me than." Omar hissed.

"We are already dying. In our prime there was no more then a few hundred of us. Those of us who don't die during combat may be killed by our powers or born infertile. My family are the only ones left of the five noble houses. We have given everything to ensure our survival, when it was your people who started the genocide." Artemisia calmly explained, a serious yet solemn expression spreading across her face.

"Pff that's not true. Your people attacked first!" Omar insisted.

"Actually, she's right." Catherina added, causing the teenage boys to turn towards her in shock.

"What... what are you saying mom?" Zane asked, confused by his mother's words.

"When my mother died, my father went on a rampage. He hunted down the Skathi for years. Anyone that he did find was killed and those that weren't were banished. This war was a long time coming." Catherina elaborated, a hint of regret in her voice.

"Hold up. You mean the Skathi lived with Elanans?" Samuel questioned.

"More like we were Elanans. We became our own nation after our own people turned on us, even though it was only one person who deserved to be punished. Betrayal litters our history to this day." Artemisia solemnly added, glancing down at poor Soren once more. Omar couldn't help but feel guilty because of the things he said, but he knew that he couldn't take it back now. Zane cleared his throat before making his way towards the door.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He murmured. Although he felt a spark of relief in knowing that he and Artemisia were of the same species, he couldn't help but feel horrified at all the senseless acts of murder that had been committed. Eventually they made their way to the courtyard, hoping to signal Emilia and Ivy from there.

"Sam, do you have the horn?" Zane asked, glancing over his shoulder towards his friend. Sam nodded in response, pulling a rams horn trumpet out from its holster. Just as Sam was about to raise the horn to his lips, a distant sound caught their attention. Everyone turned towards the front entrance of the castle and saw Quillian stagger towards them. His eyes lit up upon seeing Artemisia.