Artemis Fowl and the Master Experimentation

Chapter 13

Faylinn opened her eyes slowly, becoming quickly aware of her surroundings. The first thing she saw was Artemis, his pale eyes worried and his raven hair messed up terribly. The second thing she noticed was the terrible feeling of pain in her right cheek which made her wince. The third thing was the enormous cavern she was in with the sound of rushing water in the background and cool pebbles beneath her, slick with water. There were hunched creatures all about the cavern, lizard like and spiney. There were also fairies here and there talking to the creatures. Faylinn sat up with the help of Artemis and looked around herself.

"Where am I?" she mumbled.

"Safe," said Artemis softly, "a place the Master can't get at us."

Faylinn smiled, instantly regretting it because of the pain she felt shooting up her face, she liked the way he had said 'us'.

"What are these creatures?" she asked, looking around herself.

"They're called Skrix," said Artemis calmly, making her feel calmer, "they're the creatures from the Void Space. The Master was using them to power other creatures and us through the Void."

Faylinn rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"How come you can still use the Void and I can't?" she asked.

"I think it's to do with the way we were forced through. They injected us both with something, possibly from the Skrix, enhancing the magic we both posses. You already had magic in your blood, which I think probably rejected the magic from the Skrix. I, however, am entirely human and although we have a small amount of magic, it's not enough. I have gained magic, however, from background radiation, meaning that I have soaked it up rather than been born with it, which made me the perfect building block. It takes many years to build up background radiation magic in a human, I presume, without taking them into a highly fairy populated area, in my case, Haven. I already had plenty of magic and so I was perfect, I would easily accept the magic from the Skrix. I would soak it up as easily as I soaked up the fairy magic that I needed, otherwise the magic from the Skrix would have been too powerful and not taken hold, possibly killing me."

Faylinn sat back, head spinning from all the information.

"So, why did he put some of that stone in me?" she asked.

"I believe they thought it would enhance your performance. I suspect that they were going to try the same with me, but I escaped. I think that if they put that stone in me something terrible would happen. I have a terrible premonition."

Faylinn nodded, it seemed to make sense. She hung her head, wincing, had it been her fault the troopers had found them? She'd left Fowl Manor, where she was safe, then Artemis had arrived and the troopers found them. If only the troopers hadn't come, she thought, then perhaps the sweet moment they'd shared in the copse would have gone on forever. She shook her head a little. Now that really was something a fairy princess would think.

Artemis had been so glad when Faylinn had opened her eyes, meeting his own worried ones. She was beautiful and even he could not deny it. He watched her as she sat in thought over his theory, wondering what was going on in her mind. He liked the way her eyes gazed off into space when she was in thought, seeing into another world, it seemed.

He felt a clawed hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to see the ancient Skrix looking down at him.

"It is time, fairies must leave. This is no place for faeries. They will be confused, they have been gone many generations. Where should they go?"

Artemis thought for a moment. Where could these fairies go that would be safe? They had to go and be with their own kind, but it would be so disorientating, surely? He had faith in the faeries of Haven to look after their own, so that's where they would have to go.