The Bloodkeeper

Chapter 15

Artemis and Iris had barely slept by the time they entered the Capital, which felt like a warzone.

As they neared the entrance of the Capital, the wagon stopped and the driver said, "This is as far as I'm willing to take these people. I want to take these people back to Corader, the last fauna-friendly town we passed. Please be careful,"

"We will. Please, stay safe." Artemis said, as he and Iris got off the wagon. The wagon turned around and bounded back down the path.

Artemis and Iris faced the entrance of the Capital, and Artemis took his pack off and put it on the ground. Iris watched as he pulled out his hat, and set it upon his head, hiding his ears, and pulled out the bottle of eye-color changing potion, dropping some of the purple viscous liquid into his eyes. He looked at Iris, tucking his tail around the belt of his pants, and she said, "Perfect. No one will be the wiser."

Artemis took up his pack and he and Iris entered the Capital.

The Capital was huge, and beautiful. The architecture was immaculate, all of the buildings made of white stone and white woods, with golden statues of the King scattered around. When he saw the first statue, he remembered the bust that had appeared in Asher's dining room. He realized it was a sign of Asher's loyalty to the King. He realized that he would not ever be getting his best friend back.

Artemis felt anger at the reverence these people had for the King. A monster, he had learned. And his blood-thirst bellowed in his mind as he stared at the palace.

Iris grabbed his arm, and they ducked into an inn. She whispered to him, "We can't go into this without a plan," And Artemis nodded. They walked up to the barkeep, who eyed them both with conviction.

"One room, please," Artemis said, pulling out his coin purse. The barkeep rolled his eyes, then his eyes laid upon the fat coin purse and his demeanor changed.

"I'll give you one for three gold," He said. Artemis pulled out three gold pieces and placed them on the counter.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?" He said. Artemis looked at him in the eyes, and said, "I do mind you asking. Good day," As he took the key to the room and brought Iris up the stairs to the room.

Iris reached into her pack and brought out a worn map. She unfolded it, and set it on the desk inside the room.

"Alright, see here?" She asked. Artemis leaned in, and saw that she was pointing out the moat around the castle.

"You're not saying...?" He asked, looking at Iris in disgust. "You want us to go through the mote to get in?"

"There's a gutter above-ground, but it goes into the sewer. So yes, we'll have to get dirty to get in."

"I want to get dirty in a different way," Artemis whispered in her ear. "If we never get out of this alive, I want to know I fucked you more than once."

Iris giggled, turned in his arms and kissed him. He began to unlace her jacket, and she pulled his shirt over his head.

After their little rendezvous, Artemis held Iris close in the bed, brushing her hair with his hand. She lied there with her eyes closed, her face buried in his chest. He could tell she was awake, just enjoying his touch, and the feeling of his body against hers.

Then, something stabbed its way into Artemis' mind, a feeling of danger. Artemis pulled himself up, and said, "Get dressed."

"Why?" Iris asked. Artemis looked at her with alarm. "I don't know what I'm feeling, but it's nothing good,"

Just as Iris and Artemis finished getting dressed, there came a knock on the door, and Artemis felt danger just radiating from the door.

"Get your daggers," He said, grabbing the Bloodkeeper, and putting on his hat. Iris readied her daggers, and Artemis opened the door.

"That's him!" The barkeep said. "I think he's a fauna! He had lots of gold, and I know these creatures stockpile gold!" A member of the City Guard, a man wearing armor decorated in white cloth with the emblem of the city on his chest.

"Take off that hat!" The guard demanded. Artemis growled, and readied the Bloodkeeper. The barkeep backed away from the blade's menacing shape, and the guard readied his own sword.

Artemis lit his stomach, and this time, he pushed it out with force. With a roar, flames burst from his mouth, and washed over the guard, lighting the garments under his armor on fire. The guard yelped and started to swipe at the flames. Artemis lit his stomach again, and pushed more fire out, pushing them straight into the face of the guard. The guard screamed as the flames melted his skin, much like Artemis had experienced with Kaharbeth. Artemis put the guard out of his misery by slashing his throat, and the body fell, burning.

The barkeep was utterly horrified as he watched it go down. Artemis slowly turned towards him menacingly, his blood-thirst pounding in his head.

"You had better run," Artemis said. The barkeep screamed, and ran down the stairs.

"We need to go!" Iris said. "More of the Guard should be coming!" Artemis grabbed his and Iris' packs and they ran down the stairs, as the Guard ran up, not realizing that they were the very people they were looking for as Artemis had put his hat back on.

"No, it's them, you fools!" The barkeep screamed as Artemis and Iris ran through the inn and out the door. Iris beckoned Artemis, and they ran into a dark alleyway, behind a set of buildings and watched the Guard run from inside the inn.

"We're lucky they're dumb as doornails," Whispered Artemis. Iris nodded, and pushed Artemis towards the back of the alleyway behind the buildings. Then, she saw them, and put her hand over her heart.

"Oh, to the Great One..."

Artemis saw them as well, and his stomach burned with anger. They saw many, possibly a couple hundred bodies, all fauna, piled against the buildings, left to rot. He felt the fear and hurt that radiated from the bodies. The betrayal.

Artemis grabbed his pack, and turned to Iris. "Don't say that anymore," He said harshly. "He's no Great One. He's a monster."

Iris looked into his eyes, serious and angry. She cupped his face and said, "I agree. Force of habit, I'm sorry."

Artemis' blood-thirst roared in his head. He wanted nothing more than to feel the blood of the King run through his fingers. And maybe even Asher's, as he was a traitor to his kind.

"We must end this," He said. "Today."