Artemis Fowl and the Master Experimentation

Chapter 14

When Faylinn awoke it was night, not that you could tell in the underground cavern. Artemis was asleep beside her, tossing and turning on the pebbles, his sleep disturbed, his face covered in cold sweat. She reached out and took his hand in hers and instantly he seemed to calm. She smiled softly, laying closer to him and tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear.

When Artemis awoke he found he and Faylinn wrapped in each others arms. He went rigid and carefully untangled himself from her. He stood and stretched, groaning at the state of his suit which was creased into oblivion. It was ruined. He sighed and walked around the main chamber a little, the sleeping Skrix stirring a little as he passed by them. He needed a plan, but his mind seemed full of fluff and  the persistent voices of the Lost Ones. 

"This is getting ridiculous," he muttered, leaning against one of the sopping walls.

In more ways than one, he said to himself. This adventure had to end, soon. This was taking its toll and his parents were going to be back soon. He sighed, wandering along a little more. After a couple of minutes he came across a female Skrix, he'd worked out which ones they were because their skin was more blue than grey. She was the only Skrix awake and she was crouched by a small clutch of eggs. She looked up at him, her golden eyes glittering, then beckoned to him. She put a finger to her scaled lips, then pointed to the three, glowing blue eggs nestled in the pebbles. 

"Watch," she whispered.

Then she reached out a clawed hand, blue and golden sparks dancing around her index claw, lightly touching each of the eggs. They all glowed golden for a few moments, then their shells began to form thin lines all over as their surface began to crack. From one burst a little head with milky white eyes, its skin a dusty blue, no spikes yet formed on its head. Then from the other two came heads and the egg shells shattered, releasing the tiny, writing bodies from the safety of their shells. Artemis looked at the mother Skrix and  she smiled and nodded towards the tiny Skrix. She picked up one and handed it to him, which he took carefully in his hands. It was the first one that had emerged, the one with blue skin, the female. The mother Skrix took the two grey males and fed them from two swollen breasts half under her arms. 

Artemis looked down at the tiny female who had become quiet in his palms. She was no bigger than his mobile phone and her skin was slippery with the remnants of the egg. It let out a squeak and curled itself in his hands, its pin like claws gently pricking his manicured fingers. 

The mother took one of her baby boys and spoke to it softly.

"I name you Greecha," she said to it and it squeaked in reply.

She returned it to her breast and took the other make and spoke to it also.

"I name you Houghlach," she said to it, then returning it.

Then she looked up at Artemis, smiling, showing all her rows of spiked teeth.

"You name her, as I named these," she said to him softly, "it would be honor."

Artemis looked down at the baby Skrix, which turned its milky eyes on him. He thought for a moment, then spoke the name.

"I name you Serena," he told the tiny Skrix.

Serena chirruped and the mother took her from him, pulling the two boys from her breasts and replacing them with Serena, who fed hungrily. The mother smiled and nodded to Artemis and he stood, knowing that he'd somehow been dismissed. He smiled softly to himself as he walked back towards Faylinn, who was stirring.

Holly was stood in the main avenue, a pair of the biggest fairies she'd ever met stood either side of her. She wasn't intimidated, but she was worried that she would be dressed down if Artemis didn't bring back Faylinn soon. Then one of the hired muscle asked the question she was dreading.