The Bloodkeeper

Chapter 18

The King looked down at Artemis with eyes that studied his every single detail, and Artemis couldn't help but study him as well.

The resemblance was uncanny, and Artemis didn't know what that meant, until the King spoke.

"When I had to approve your wanted poster, I didn't think it could be," said Leviathan, his voice deep and brooding. The only thing that looked remotely dissimilar to Artemis was the fact that his face clearly showed evil thoughts.

"But now that I see you before me, I see that you are real."

Artemis didn't know what to say. Leviathan looked away from him, and began a story.

"One day, centuries after I killed the Great Arkesh and took his place," said Leviathan. "I fell in love with one of my servant girls."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, but let him continue.

"She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. But there was one glaring flaw: She was fauna. A wolf."

Artemis raised his hand. "I'm sorry, why are you telling me this?" He asked.

"You'll see, now shut up." The King said. "Or I'll make you."

Artemis stayed quiet. The King continued.

"This wolf fauna attended to me personally, and one day, I just couldn't help myself, I had to have her."

Iris gritted her teeth. "You raped her?!" She asked.

"Some would call it rape, yes," said Leviathan. "But I'm the King. It's not rape if your authority is absolute.

"But then, one day, she didn't come when I called. I searched the entire nation for her, but never did I find her. Now I realize why she ran away. You." Leviathan pointed directly at Artemis.

"Me?" Asked Artemis. Leviathan nodded. "Her name was Imani."

Artemis' eyes widened. "No..." He said.

"Oh yes," Leviathan said with a wicked grin. "You are my son!"

"How could you not have found her?" Asked Artemis. "My mother never hid from the King's Guard!"

"I would guess she went to the Swamp Witch," said Leviathan. "The Swamp Witch is notorious for offering women such as Imani a fresh start. A complete makeover. She must've done this, and changed you as well, because I see none of her in you. But I see features that are not mine in your face."

Artemis looked at his feet, at his hands.

"No, it's not true!" He yelled. "My father is Ezrah Semper!"

"Ah yes, the man who adopted you." Said Leviathan. "Did your father never tell you how he found your mother?"

"He and my mother met—"

"Don't tell me the story he taught you, it's simply not the truth." Leviathan waved a hand dismissively. "Your father found your mother by a magic mirror which he asked to show him his soulmate. It showed him Imani while she was with me. I know because I could sense the magic that showed him Imani while I was having my way with her."

Artemis felt sick. He wasn't sure whether to believe him, but he saw the uncanny resemblance, and he couldn't deny it.

"Why are you killing fauna?!" He asked.

"Because you are all filthy creatures," said Leviathan. "Filthy scum of our planet, Eldritch-less creatures that must be expunged."

"You mean we are somehow not of the beings higher than Gods?" asked Artemis. "And how do you presume that?!"

"Because you were never supposed to be," said Leviathan. "Now! I give you an offer, my dear son."

"Don't call me that," said Artemis.

"My offer is to be protected from this cleansing of Laylia!" He said. "And live your life as human."

"I'm not human!" Said Artemis. "How would I live my life as human?!"

"The same way as I," said Leviathan. "Cut your ears and your tail off. Live as human! No, if you do this, you will be higher than any human or any fauna could dream of being."

"The same as you?" Asked Artemis, furrowing his brows. Leviathan looked at Artemis.

"I am higher than you, or your human counterparts, because I chose to be human." Said Leviathan. "I chose to get rid of my animal attributes, and become a God!"

"You're...a fauna?" Artemis asked.

"No, weren't you listening?!" Leviathan shouted. "I am not you filthy things! I chose humanity! I chose Godliness!"

"But...just because you cut off your ears and your tail doesn't make you less fauna," said Artemis. "It just makes you either bigoted or oppressed. You mutilated yourself, and for what? Your idea of what human is?"

"Be quiet, boy!" Said Leviathan. "You know nothing! I see you aren't going to take my offer."

"You can cut my ears off my dead body if you wish," said Artemis. "But I will never do it while alive."

"Then you will die," said Leviathan. "Kill them both."

Artemis lit his stomach, and swept he flames in an arc, warning the King's Guard to stay away. He pulled Iris behind him.

"Spectacular show!" said The King. "I see you have met and slayed Kaharbeth the Beautiful. You are remarkable. But now, it is time for you to die. My little fawn! Use the sword!"

Asher had, stupidly, set the Bloodkeeper down on one of the pedestals behind them. Artemis simply held his hand out and said, "Come to me." And the sword lifted off the pedestal and he grabbed it. Asher dove for him, and Artemis backed up as Asher fell to the ground.

"Man, you have a sword!" said Artemis.

"Oh, right," Asher said, unsheathing his own puny sword while Artemis held the magnificent Bloodkeeper.

"You can breathe fire now, huh?" asked Asher. Artemis nodded. "Want to see?"

Artemis lit his stomach, and sent a burst of flames at Asher. Asher backed away.

The rest of the King's Guard had zeroed in on Iris, but she had extra weapons, and she pulled daggers from her boots. She started by stabbing one of the Guard's throats, but the rest of the Guard advanced on her.

Artemis realized Iris was in trouble. Keeping his stomach lit, he swept the flames across the members of the King's Guard, lighting them on fire. They started to scream, trying to put out the flames with their gloved hands as the fire began to spread on each of them, heating up their armor.

"Oh, fuck!" Asher said as Artemis turned towards him with a malevolent grin, knowing he had just killed or seriously maimed those members of the King's Guard. His blood-thirst was quiet, knowing his revenge was at hand.

"Listen, we're old friends, right?" asked Asher. "I realize I've done some bad things to you, but in the spirit of our friendship, please, please don't kill me!"

"A coward to the end," said Artemis. Asher squealed, and held his sword like it would protect him from flames. "Don't worry, old friend, I'm not going to kill you." He said.

Asher's guard went down. Artemis took the Bloodkeeper, and slashed it downwards, and the sword cleaved through Asher's leg like butter. Asher's leg fell, and so did he, with a scream.

"Mercy! Have mercy on me!" Asher screamed, holding his bleeding leg. Artemis lit his stomach, and breathed flames onto the stump of the leg. Asher screamed even louder, but Artemis had cauterized the stump, stopping the bleeding. Artemis helped Asher put out the flames that caught on his clothes.

"This is mercy," said Artemis. Asher's face showed pure pain until he had passed out.

Artemis turned. The King's Guard that hadn't been burned to death, who'd managed to put themselves out, were staying well away from him. Leviathan sighed.

"I suppose I'm surrounded by cowards," Said Leviathan. Artemis looked at Leviathan in the eyes, and began to advance towards him.