And Artemis's eyes snapped open suddenly, as he sat bolt upright in bed. The dream had felt… Real, like he was really there, like he was really the one doing that. Lately things had been getting a bit…. Odd for the boy, his body didn't feel…. Like his own anymore, but then again what teenager's didn't these days? Save for the fact that he'd started having odd dreams like this one. And it seemed the closure to today that they got, today being his sixteenth birthday, the more frequent and realistic the dreams were becoming. He heaved a big sigh as he began to dress for the day. His body had bulked up over the last couple months, though still wiry looking, Artemis could actually fend off Butler even if it were needed. This mysterious occurrence, Artemis rendered completely normal for one who'd started to well, work out given the last encounter with the People, as they were referred to. He blinked at the clock, realizing that Butler and his parents had let him sleep in. He normally was up at eight and it was ten thirty almost now. He studied himself in the mirror, marveling at how different he'd begun to look. 'I really need to quit being so superficial.' The other thought to himself before quickly dressing and heading down the stairs to see what was going on. "Good morning, Arty." His mother commented, cheerily, the smell of a birthday cake was floating through the room.
"Morning, Mother." Artemis greeted happily, before taking a seat at the ceramic top breakfast table.
And then, here came his father, a little limp on his one leg that had been amputated, as he smirked, for he never really smiled so much as smirked, at Artemis happily, his eyes dancing beautifully under the same colored hair as his son's. "Well, today's a big day for you, isn't it, Arty?" He questioned. "You get to turn sixteen today."
Artemis smiled up at his father carefully. Before he stood up and stretched. "I think you and I should talk about what changes might come for you my son." Artemis Fowl Sr. commented, winking slightly the wink that said I have a secret but I can't tell you just yet wink.
Artemis got up, ignoring his Father. "Yes, we'll talk sometime but for today at least, let me relax a bit, I've had a rough week at school and such." Artemis commented, truthfully.
Digging through the fridge for something to eat for breakfast, eventually pulling out a fruit tray that was left from one of his Mother's events last week. He decided that the fruit was still good and thus, he took it out and nibbled a bit on a piece of cantaloupe, before sitting back down where he had been to eat his breakfast in silent peace. His Father sighed, having come close to getting to know is son a little better, yet having lost it when he was just a breath away from it, and from telling his son the truth. "He'll want to know in due time, honey." Mrs. Fowl whispered in his ear before pecking him on the cheek lovingly.
Artemis went blissfully unaware of what was going on behind his back.
… It was a couple months after their wedding night, when fate struck Fowl Manor. Hard. She was weeping openly within their bedroom. "Never able to conceive? Are you sure? Positive one hundred percent? Good God, man, this'll tear her apart." Artemis Fowl the First commented, over the phone. "Never… To have kids."
He hung up the phone helplessly, handing it to Butler, his Butler of course, not his future to be son's. He ran a shaky hand through a ragged mop of hair before he turned a weary gaze onto his man servant. "I need some air, care to go for a short walk with me in the woods?" He questioned.
"Absolutely, Sir. You could really use it right now." He commented in the man's ear knowingly. "Let my Aunt handle this, she maybe close to death, but she is wise and she'll calm the Misses down a good deal."
"You're right, old friend, so right." Artemis Fowl commented, wearily.
Butler followed the poor man outside to the estates private woods, where he seated himself among the quiet trunks of tall trees on a stump left here years ago. His friend stood beside him, ever the silent sentinel as the other man started to cry, though quietly, as all men must to keep their dignity about them. It was then that something came hurtling towards them out of the woods. A creature of some sort sped out of the brush, collapsing in a heap before the two, it was clad in leather skins and had a plain animal like tail and was covered in a tan fur. Two shredded remains of bat like wings could be seen behind the creature's back and slit yellow eyes looked up at them carefully, while a similarly slit nostrils huffed a sigh of hot breath out. Clawed hands and cat like feet moved instantly to stand up. Butler moved in front of his charge, prepared for anything, he had his guns drawn. There was silence as the creature knelt before the two, holding out a bundle, before it started to speak. "I wish to receive sanctuary for my son, please. He will blend in with your kind until he around sixteen of your human years." He explained. "Then, he will come into my kinds inheritance. Please, I beg of you to watch after him and keep him safe!"
Artemis Sr. looked towards Butler, not sure what to do or say, he'd have a son to raise, of course and this was an odd way for God to answer a thief's prayers, of course, the child wouldn't truly be of his blood, but he could raise the boy to carry on the Artemis name. And his wife would be pleased to have a babe to raise where the first had been lost. "I will." He commented.
He watched, as the sleeping child was placed in his hands and smiled warmly at the other. "You must go, they come! Good- bye dear humans, you have resurrected my hopes in someday saving your species from extinction." The other replied, before he disappeared.
It was then that they showed, beautiful creatures simply glowing with pure light, however, the two human men were not to be fooled, if the dark looking one had been kind, then the pure were truly rotten within. Luckily they passed, following the path the stranger had taken. Thus, the man carried the boy back up to the manor carefully, he only started to cry once safely behind closed doors. … Artemis Senor looked out across that vast area that had once been wooded, now a vineyard, though the stump that he'd sat on was still there with some other crops around it. He sighed as he thought over what he had to tell his son. Hopefully the changes wouldn't start until he'd explained all that he'd gathered from several experts in the field of study, however odd it was.
Meanwhile, Artemis Fowl was feeling, odder than usual. Like he didn't fit into his own body. It was getting late and yet, he felt more energized than he had been before, possibly because of the fact that he'd been feeling exhausted all day for some odd reason. So, Artemis's birthday ended, without so much as a whisper of the odd events about to occur within the Fowl residence. One can be assured that yes, there was some magic at work in this, but not that of The People, but of Artemis's own.
End Chapter