The giant disappeared into my ring before my eyes, words forming before me as it vanished, leaving behind a box that floated towards me.
[Well done Artemis! To have used such a method to slay the beast—Truly innovative and courageous!]
"Shut your god damned mouth and give me my reward. I killed it for personal gains, not your useless praise."
[Very well. Here is your reward: The Box of Blessings and Curses.]
"What does it do?" I asked as I examined the dubious box in my hands, intricate little designs carved out of gold lining the box. The attention to detail and minutiae were a sight to behold.
[It will grant a curse alongside a blessing. So it is up to you to decide if you wish to open it. Of course, you are limited to a single use only.]
I scratched my chin, biting my lip,"To open or not to open, that is the question. What kind of blessing and what kind of curse are we talking about here?"
[The permanent kind that can range from a mild deformity to eternal tormenting pain. Blessings can be as shallow as good looks and charm to brilliant potential in magic]
"You see the problem with that is I don't know what the hell is in the middle," I shot back,"What's between good looks and talent? Or deformity and lifelong pain?"
[It is best to experience it for oneself to find out, no?]
I groaned in annoyance,"Ahhh what the hell, fine! I'll
open the dumb box!"
I cracked it open. With a tiny creak, the box revealed its treasures to me.
Something pierced my heart before I even realised.
I looked down in shock. The arrow was golden and had a pink tip. A mark appeared on my collarbone, a half of a red heart,"This...What is this?" There was no pain as the arrow faded away, like a phantom that never appeared.
[Ooh. The curse of love. So this is your greatest fear, is it?]
"What did you just say?" I hissed, hearing that four letter word I despised with all my heart.
[Cupid's Arrow. A person whose heart is pierced with it is fated to fall in love with their soulmate.]
"Hah!" I barked out dryly,"Does Cupid think so low of me? To think that one arrow would make me fall madly in love, bullshit!" I spouted venomous words that came directly from my heart. These were my true thoughts.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, my friend," I shouted,"I'd rather kill a man than love him!"
A low chuckle sounded in my ears, sending shivers down my spine.
[It is fate, dear Artemis. Even if you wished to defy it, it is impossible. The curse has been imprinted into your heart.]
"My heart, is it?" I cackled, a third bear's claw appeared in my hand,"Looks like I'll have to get rid of it then."
[You...]
Steeling myself, I stabbed the claw deep in my chest, the pain nearly sending me into shock. I pressed on with pure grit and the determination from wishing to get away from that word I utterly despised. I threw the claw to the side, my hand reaching into the deep gash, blood flowing from my chest like a river.
[You're going to die if you continue.]
I coughed up blood as I snapped one of my ribs, my fingers finally grabbing ahold of my beating heart. It was warm and firm, beating rapidly.
A vicious spread across my bloodied face, my widened eyes bloodshot,"I have...One more extra life. Don't I?"
[You crazy woman...Simply falling in love...Is it worth torturing yourself like this?]
"I'D RATHER DIE THAN GO THROUGH THAT!" I screamed at the top of my lungs like a banshee, my hands pulling out my heart. On it was the imprint of an arrow. I sneered deeply as I crushed it with what strength I had left.
In a few moments, my brain ceased to function with a lack of blood. My body went limp.
One life remains.
"Gah!" I sat up seconds later, a blood pile of muscles on the floor, my already torn dress dyed even further red. I was breathing heavily, the gash on my chest having healed completely.
This was my resolve. I stomped the heart with my bare feet until it turned into little more than meat mush, no longer resembling a heart,"I suppose the curse is resolved then?"
[You're insane.]
I laughed lightly, as if my actions had barely shaken me,"No, I'm Artemis," In reality, my legs were practically jelly. If it weren't for me sitting on the floor, they would have already buckled. I did my best to ignore and forget, asking,"What's the blessing? It better be worth it."
[Let's see...Oh? Eternal youth.]
My brows raised as I lifted a small vial from the box, the box vanished immediately after. The vial held emerald green liquid and was as runny as water.
[Water from the Fountain of Youth in Arcadia. Drinking a drop will grant ten years' youthfulness. Five drops grants a hundred. Ten drops grants sempiternal youthfulness. This is a treasure coveted by all mortals, rivalling the Immortal Coil that grants immortality.]
"Down the hatch." I popped open the cork and downed its contents with a single gulp. It tasted a little sweet, almost like honey water.
I felt instant rejuvenation, the mental exhaustion of having died twice in the span of mere minutes gone in a flash, as if it had never occured before.
[You have physically aged six years, your complexion and physique will completely stop aging from now on. All magic that disfigures people will be rendered ineffective against you.
My arms and legs grew, like a sudden grow spurt. It was like going through the entirety of puberty minus the angst and acne in a single second. The baby fat on my body and face had disappeared, now replaced by lean muscles and supple skin.
The dress I was wearing tore, leaving me completely exposed. I sighed,"Ah whatever. Hopefully I'll run into someone with fitting clothes and get it from them. Invest the giant into strength, the leopard I killed prior into an extra life." I couldn't be bothered by something as trivial as clothing.
There were currently two marks on my left wrist, fifty-six triangles on my right. A tattoo of the giant appeared next to the tiger's skull tattoo, another symbol of my achievement.
"Now, time to leave this fucking place." I muttered with a little relief. Hopefully the beasts would fetch a decent price.
An hour into my trek out, I heard the marching of people.
"Hm?"
A group of soldiers appeared before me,"Halt under-Eh? A girl?"
The soldiers had flags imprinted onto their aquamarine uniforms covered in dirt sheathed swords in their hands. The one at the front was an elderly man who wore a loose robe, a trimmed beard graced his chin, wizened hazel eyes peered at me, his long hair tied up in a neat bun.
"Little one, why are you in the middle of the Forest of Quietus?"
YOU ARE READING
Evil
FantastikI go by Artemis Blythe. I'm an ex-soldier turned murderer. I was charged with thirty murders and was subsequently sentenced to death. Preceding my execution, in a twist of fate, I was reborn in a child's body in a dog eat dog world ruled by two fac...
