Disclaimer: Most characters, settings, etc. belong to Eoin Colfer
Author's Note:
Thanks to reviewers: evil0empress, hollybridgetpeppermint, welovechocolate and Kelitzo! (I counted chapter 3 and 4 because chapter four wasn't really a chapter it was an author's note. Don't report me I didn't know at the time) Hey this chapter is much longer than the rest because I think I'm getting the hang of this. :) YAY! Thank you to my friend for proof reading this for me. (I'm not the best writer with grammar … does that make sense? Athemia! Does that make sense?) Thank you for every one that is reading this! Now, on with the chapter!
Chapter 4
/ Introductions/
Recap
"What will we have to do?" asked Artemis, his face betraying nothing, though his voice was just a little shaky.
End Recap
"Well, it's a rather popular game with you Mud People, especially with teenage Mud Girls. Each of these tasks will be set by different Gods, and assigned to each of you. They would mostly be mental discipline and emotional discipline. To set out the order, you will be forced into the game of truth, dare, double dare, torture, kiss and promise." Zeus replied
Artemis pulled a face that he hoped he never had to do again – confused. It didn't suit him at all either. However, it fit the occasion. He couldn't think of another rational reaction. Gods liked playing games like this? Suddenly the rest of the world didn't seem so childish.
"Artemis I doubt you would have heard of it because you have had no real contact with children your age, so I would explain each task at a time. Is that okay with you, little Arty?' She said with the barest hint of humour in her voice. (A/N I knew I would be able to use that same line as Julius in this story.)
Everyone chuckled. Holly couldn't help but chuckle with them. For a god with a guy's name, Zeus had a great talent at annoying Artemis, and she knew just when to use that talent. Artemis scowled. Being humiliated by Holly or Juliet was one thing but being humiliated by a stranger was another. Besides, when did Gods sink to such a low level of criticism that they had to resort to name calling? He folded his arms and decided not to reply.
Suddenly a cloud of mist appeared in front of them and began to form into a girl that looked about thirteen. She had dark blonde hair that grew past her shoulders. She looked a bit shorter than Artemis, about 140 centimeters. Her eyes were a clear blue; her nose looked slightly hooked at the end and she had blue earrings on. She was wearing jeans and a blue short sleeve top. Everyone was staring at her, surprised at the sudden appearance, especially because she looked so normal.
The girl crossed her arms. "What? I like blue." She said defensively. Artemis shook his head. Even as a god, girls always thought that people were judging her by looks. Typical…
"No, it's not that. You're a human?" Foaly said uncertainly, stating the obvious, which, coincidentally, was exactly what was going through everyone else's mind; everyone else besides Artemis, of course. Zeus continued by correcting him.
"No, this is my human form. I can transform into anything I want. In god years I'm approximately 13,926,178 years old, in human years I prefer to be 13 and in fairy terms I've been about 60 for the past few decades. I'd rather not get called granny either, please." She said, as if saying that she was almost fourteen million years old was a normal thing. Technically though, it was, to Zeus at least.
"What about the other gods? Are they in their teens as well?" Juliet asked. She was getting hyped up to know all these Gods. As far as she knew, the majority of Greek Gods were guys, so if that was all reversed, then she'd be able to do a lot more socializing… and see if she could get a permanently non-frizz spell or something from Zeus.
"Yep and I get to order them around." Zeus giggled. Artemis rolled his eyes again. Things just kept getting more childish with every, passing, second. King God ordering around her little Baron Gods… Holly was mentally visualizing a chess board.
"Wait a minute. Does that mean you get to order us around?" Julius bellowed, with hint of concern on his face. It was hardly noticeable because of the practically natural colour of his face, and the fact that his beard had grown extremely long over the past few months, and it hid most his face anyway. The salon he went to had gone on a holiday break, and Julius trusted no one but them when it came to his hair, especially when he had… better not think about it.
"Yep, or I will hit you with 200 volts of lighting." Zeus said lightly, casually checking her sky blue nails, like she had been admitting she liked dark chocolate better than white chocolate rather than saying she'd kill someone.
Julius obviously didn't believe her. Artemis and Foaly shared a look, roughly translated as 'you're an idiot'. At that exact moment a lighting bolt from the clouds above them leaped down, and burnt a scorching hole in front of Commander Root. Root's eyes grew as large as tennis balls (Pretty big, especially because their faces are smaller than ours…) as he stared up at the human-Zeus. She smiled sweetly, blowing the tips of her fingernails like cowboys did to the top of their guns in old western movies.
"Are you like Greek legends? Is it true you have a love life and so on?" Juliet pushed on, ignoring the sudden tension. The lightening demonstration could've never happened, if you judged it by her actions. She loved all things Greek this year. It might have something to do with her new and Greek wrestling idol, Cronus.
"No, mud people have very filthy minds. Marrying your own sister is appalling and having affairs is an atrocious behaviour. Besides, as gods and practically immortal and all that yada, yada, if we could reproduce this place would be over crowded in a millennia. Image THAT! We don't experience love but we can read minds and emotions of people. So we can see how it feels, but don't actually feel it towards each other. We can also enter people's head to talk to them. They're rather interesting talents, very useful." She grinned slyly.
Holly was thinking about someone (A/N hint hint). Zeus sensed who she was thinking about and entered her mind and started talking to her.
'Holly, you know you like him.'
"I do not!"
'Then why are you thinking about him?'
"I am not!"
'Holly, I can read your mind. I know what you're thinking.'
"I was thinking about him because…I want to annoy him. Show him that I'm smart, too. It's not like he's the smartest person alive, ludicrous Mud Boy."
'Holly, stop the denial. I can read your feelings too you know.'
"I don't feel that way, okay? He's a Mud Boy! Jeez…"
'Fine, be that way. But the 'crazy girlie captain' has been known to break more than a few rules…'
Zeus left Holly stewing and entered Artemis' mind. Artemis was thinking of a way to out wit Zeus and something else (A/N hint hint)… not the best time for her to enter. Not the best time for Artemis, anyway. For Zeus, it was just another way for her to gloat.
'Woo woo … Your thinking about her.'
'I am not. I'm thinking of how I can embarrass you.'
'And thinking of how you can make her know you like her'
'I am not. Besides, if I did she will punch me in the face like half the other time I talk to her. She's small but it does hurt. And it would be a lie.'
'Artemis Fowl is afraid to say 'I like you' to a girl!'
'I am not. I told you I don't like her and in addition she isn't a girl at 80 years old she would be a lady.'
'Not if she was in human's years. She would be about your age.'
'Well since there is no talking sense to you, I'll just ignore you altogether.'
'Like so many others have given up on arguing with me' She taunted. But after a while, when Artemis didn't respond, she grumbled.
'Oh, you're boring. Fine I'll leave. But it's only because you're boring.'
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Author's Note:
I know it should be longer but to annoy my friend (she told me to write more...) I will end it here. Sorry ... blame it on her! He heh… Sorry got to run she's going to kill me... AHHH!
/Brizo/
Note from Beta: Well, this chapter was originally slightly longer than the others (900 words), but it's only longer cause I added onto it before , but now it's 1300 words :-) As usual, grammar checks, and everything else should be better now. Almost done with the re-writing, only one more chapter to go… 26.08.2006