Evil

The Titan's Appetite

I sat up vigilantly,"Ar—" I felt a weight on my thigh. Looking down, a very exhausted Artemis having fallen asleep. The sense of emergency within me calmed down as I cradled her fragile body softly. Wounds all over her body made my heart ache in shared agony.

I looked up and realised the giant was dead. My wounds were also healed. Looking down once more, I felt a sense of warmth and admiration float up within me. I pressed my lips against her forehead as I embraced her tightly.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A chorus of thuds sounded as I turned my head, only to see a group of under a hundred surviving kosmimarians kneeling.

Anger welled within me. It was them. They had hurt Artemis. They deserved to die—

"Please hear us out." Eoin, the eldest kowtowed, slamming his forehead on the floor until it was raw and bleeding.

"Speak." I gave a sharp glare. If they didn't give a satisfactory answer, they would suffer for it.

"We were controlled by our king. He...He killed our family members and used blood and spirit magic to build that...That monster. W-We were simply puppets he controlled to make more offspring for him to kill and to build that thing," Seeing the helplessness and sorrow flash through his eyes, I felt he wasn't lying,"But that doesn't excuse our actions. So, take my life. But please, don't kill the children. They haven't done any wrong."

Eoin was a close friend of mine when I was younger. To see him like this, even my rage softened up. In the end, I answered,"I will not decide how to deal with you. Artemis will when she wakes up. Until then, I will spare you. I want clothes for her and privacy." Hearing my demand, they immediately rushed off to prepare.

———

Hot. It was extremely hot to the point of being uncomfortable. I woke up covered in sweat, only to find myself practically covered by three layers of blankets. I found myself in unfamiliar and uncomfortable clothes, barely fitting me and made from some terrible material and itched.

I pushed off the blankets and turned my head to the bathroom. Walking in, I let out a depressed sigh. What these people considered a 'bathroom' was a hole in the floor and a cold shower.

Using a bit of mana, I conjured up some hot water and cleaned myself of the gruel and blood that caked my body. Using healing touch on myself, I managed to close most of the wounds and pressing injuries. Say for mild discomfort and that bit of tiredness, I was mostly good to go.

On my shoulder, a tattoo of the automaton had appeared while I was asleep. Not that I could care about it right now. Having awoken from my dazed state after a hot shower, I realised remembered imminent danger. Lucius not being here only added to this insidious growing worry.

Slipping on my remaining dress, I resolved myself to find something that would actually not tear every time I fought once I got the chance to,"Achoo!" I sneezed, my nose was a little runny,"You can get sick?" I grumbled discontentedly, realising my voice was a little hoarse. Probably flu or a sinus infection paired with a cough. I pressed my hand on my forehead. It was hot.

Christ, a fever too?

No wonder I felt like shit.

"Any chance you could prescribe me antibiotics or something?" I called out.

Silence.

"Always not there when I need help. What a black-hearted person."
I opened the door to and stuck my head out. I found myself alone. Walking out and down the stairs, the only exit, I saw the back of Lucius, hunched over a table, sleeping. An empty mug sat beside him.