Chapter 1: Vertigo
The darkness is fading as the sun rises beyond the horizon. The orange red sky is overlooking the fowl estate. Artemis removes his eyes from the open window letting the cold breeze to enter. He puffed out a small sign. Though he expects his visitor and closest friend to be late, he couldn't help be a bit crestfallen. He returns his piercing sapphire eyes to his laptop. Checking the live broadcasts, Electronic news papers, he couldn't shake the feeling off that something is wrong. Something is bound to happen. It is a genius taboo to rely and trust on speculations and 'instincts' without any supporting facts, thus he dismissed this feeling. He let his scrutinizing eyes wonder and fell on his right side of the wall near his nightstand beside the window frame.
"Good Morning, Holly. You're late. I presume a delay in terminals? " Artemis said nonchalantly.
D'Arvit, Am I not allowed to surprise the Mud Boy for once? Exclaimed Holly.
"Hello to you too, Arty. And not just the delay in terminals, I have to beg for my visa" said the frustrated Holly.
Artemis smirked, raised an eyebrow, he is amused. "The feisty Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon 'begged' for her visa?"
"Well I wouldn't say begged per se, but rather demanded. Trouble is not I mean NOT in his, lets just say 'pleasant disposition' today. I swear, He lets out streams of profanities more than the combined population of swear toads." Holly walks towards Artemis. She removed her helmet and unclips her wings. She deposited them on the table. Artemis let out a chuckle and shook his head.
Her mismatched eyes, an icy crystalline azure and fiery sparkling hazel, fell on his scrutinizing and intelligent piercing sapphire eyes. She turned her head and looked on the screen. "So, Arty. What are you doing?"
He returned his eyes on the screen as he tilts his head from Holly. " I am just checking the news. I want know the condition of the world and the extent of utter destruction from the Great Techno Crash." And I wanted know just how good the generation of today in taking over. He bemused, I am impressed that amateurs and inexperienced children are better handling the situation than these incompetent adults let alone these so called politics.
Six months have passed since his resurrection. Holly is visiting him almost everyday to recount the adventures and experiences to jog his fifteen-year worth of memories. Holly narrated their adventures together from the Fowl Manor siege to defeating a psychopathic megalomaniac humanized pixie. His Family also narrated his birth life and childhood. Though there are struggles and problems while relieving his brain from amnesia, he did have a total recall after so many attempts. The people around him knows it wasn't easy, but Artemis came through in the end.
Artemis suddenly felt a wave of lightheadedness. His index and thumb automatically pinched the bridge of his nose. He shot his eyes close and took several deep breaths attempting to return the normal equilibrium in his cranium. This gesture didn't go unnoticed.
"Artemis, are you alright?" Holly is now visibly worried. She noticed that for the past 6 months, Artemis is experiencing fatigue and headache far more frequently than before regaining his memory.
"I'm quite alright Holly. Thank you for your concern. It is nothing really, just a minor vertigo " Artemis thought with a conviction but said with a weak voice.
"Artemis, I've known you for more than four years. I know it is not just nothing " Holly glared.
Her posture and facial expression is too motherly. He looked at Holly with curious eyes. Perhaps she spends her time too much on my mother's company.
Artemis smirked, "I can assure you that there is nothing to be concerned about my health…." His smirking lips are now fading as he faltered. His fingers are now numb, his heavy hand dropping . He felt that his head is being pounded with trolls. Black spots are now on his vision.
"ARTEMIS" He heard her yelling his name before he succumbed to darkness.
"ARTEMIS, ARTEMIS" Holly is now frantic. She held both shoulders and shaking him violently, futilely trying to wake her friend. Her felt her stomach drop when she checked his vitals. No PULSE. What?! NO!, She hastily shoved his blazer out from the chest, and trying to remove the first two buttons with shaking hands. She grabbed the collars and unceremoniously yanked and tore off the shirt destroying all the buttons.
She pressed both hands on his pale chest. "Heal!, HEAL!, D'Arvit!" Blue sparks danced merrily around the body. For three agonizing seconds she held her breath. There, a thump. A beat. She felt his chest rising and falling. She released her breath.
The door slammed open, revealing a panting Butler. "What happened?" Worry is creeping in his voice. "What's wrong with Artemis?". He strode across the room in four massive steps. He knelt beside his charge and checked his vitals. His principle seemed normal. He looked at Holly anxiously and repeated the question.
This snapped Holly from her frozen state, taking a deep breath to calm her beating heart. "I don't know Butler. He just collapsed while talking" She stood and activated her helmet. "Foaly! Get your sorry pony ASS right NOW!" She shrieked.
"Woah, Hey, take a chill-pill. What seems to be the problem?" Foaly's holographic face appeared.
"Its Artemis. He- He collapsed suddenly. When I checked for his… vitals, He-…He-" Holly started to pace and shaking her hands on the air. She could not finish her sentence.
Foaly saw her moist eyes, threatening tears started to fall. "Alright Holly, just calm down. We need to transport Artemis to Haven Hospital. I'll send a shuttle up." Foaly is now munching his carrots in a very fast rate. Anyone who knows his mannerism that the centaur is at his nervous feat. He looked at Artemis lying on his bed with wide eyes and suddenly felt a chill ran down from his spine, as if to signal that there is a foreboding event is going to happen to the Mud Boy. This caused the centaur to shudder unconsciously.
Butler carried his charge to the bed while Holly is conversing with Foaly. He looked at Artemis with worry and concern, trying to decipher what happened to the boy his trying to protect. What's wrong Artemis?. He scooped and carried his charge to the grand staircase leading to the living room then to the kitchen in the East Wing of the Manor, out to the backdoor then to the wide garage. Black Bentley roared its engine and the tire screeched unto the road as the car reached its maximum velocity.
They reached the Tara terminals, fired up the shuttle, and blasted through the chute in full throttle. Another speed record is broken by the same holder of that title.
A teenager Mud Boy dressed like an undertaker is being held by a serious bulky mountain Mud Man, accompanied by a scowling elf with a badge parading. They are rushing through the Haven City with such a blurry haste.