Bringing dead to life;
is no great magic art.
For few are wholly dead:
Blow on a dead man's embers
And a live fire-flame shall start.
Let his forgotten griefs be now,
And all his withered wars;
Subdue your pen to his handwriting
Until it prove as natural
To sign his name as yours.
Limp as he limped,
Swear by the oaths he swore;
If he wore black, affect the same;
If he had gouty fingers,
Be gouty too, will yours.
Assemble tokens intimate of him --
A ring, a hood, a desk:
Around these elements then build
A home familiar to
The greedy revenant.
So grant him life, but reckon
That the grave which housed him too
May not be empty now:
In spotted garments lying wrapped-
will very soon be you.
Holly closed the sacred law-book of her people angrily.
Artemis was busy making a whirl-wind out of his phantoms waltzes. He spun cheekily ((ahem- quite uncharacteristic of the boy. Things would be different had he been himself)) and watched as the scraps clung close in a spiral around him. In reality, these were not scraps at all, but ancient, priceless, indispensable scrolls. Needless to say, Qwan was busy ripping the little hair he had left, out- confused as to where such a breeze was coming from when they were in his windowless foyer.
No. 1, the apprentice and close friend of the warlock, came stumbling out of the pair's enchantment room where the black magic was kept. Technically, No.1 wasn't allowed to be in there. But Qwan had made an exception. Just this once. He was still a child and didn't understand what the intent of such a magic was.
No.1 blushed when he saw Holly; his puberty still in effect. "Oh! Holly! I didn't expect to see you you! Here…
With Qwan…
With Us…
Me…" he said tapping himself nervously
Artemis' whirlwind froze and the papers dropped where they stood.
Qwan threw lanky arms into the air, "Mother of God!" he urged. He turned his attention to No. 1, "…you're a life saver!"
No. 1 smiled.
Artemis did not.
Holly laughed at Artemis' face. It just looked so…confused.
"What is this?" Artemis asked, but soon got over it when he realized Holly would not be bothered by him at the present moment.
"I need a resurrection spell, quickly" Holly pleaded, "for Artemis…" she added
"Artemis?" No.1 said, not forgetting the person, but inquiring on the situation. He was sad for a moment, but Holly unusual placidness calmed him. He blushed again.
"Heavens, child," Holly said noticing his redness, "are you well? You're all…" Holly grimaced pointing to her cheeks "…red."
"Oh no," said Qwan, back turned to them, leaping into the air trying to catch a paper, "he's perfectly healthy." (he spoke calmly switching to an unaccented tongue) He missed the paper entirely and crashed into a work-desk behind him.
Holly groaned watching the Qwan's desperate attempts.
His knees cracked loudly as he helped himself up.
"Take a seat, old man." Holly said lovingly
"Yes, old man. Take a seat" Artemis said grinning; speckling into view. All jumped, excluding Holly of course- who instead shot him a nasty glance.
Artemis shook his head sinking into a seat next to Holly, "If looks could kill," he sighed.
"Oh wait." He began with a smile, "That's right…"
"My boy…" Qwan spoke sorrowfully and quietly, "What have you done?"
Holly opened the book in front of her so that she wouldn't have to look at the reaction they'd have to what she'd say next.
"He died for me…" Holly said quietly; turning a page.
Artemis smiled at her- but it was a smile of disbelief. Why wasn't she explaining how amazing he was for saving her? What he had given? Well- he didn't expect reward, but approval at least…
Was she- embarrassed? Artemis decided to make light of it.
Artemis forced a laugh "Isn't she precious? Making light of the matter! But, In all seriousness, I did," He grabbed Holly's hand from her lap and held it tightly. Holly gently tried pulling away smiling too widely for comfort.
"I couldn't have her die on me. Not again." Artemis, caught in the moment, leaned in and kissed her mouth shyly. Qwan stared accusingly at Holly. No. 1 shifted uncomfortably. Holly wide-eyed,
pulled away immediately. "Excuse me gentlemen," she said pushing the boy, still kissing the air where she once was, away. She pulled him behind one of the many enormous bookcases.
"Are you wearing your jock-strap too tightly?" she hissed, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"That I like you?" Artemis said innocently.
"Artemis!" she said pounding his chest. Her fist flew through and hit a random object behind him. She retrieved the hand from his chest.
"Artemis…" she repeated. "They won't understand."
Artemis fumbled with a button on her shirt not meeting her eyes, "I don't think I understand what exactly there is to be understood…" Artemis said looking up and smiling at her.
It took Holly a minute to understand what he didn't understand that needed exactly to be understood. "Don't do that," Holly said confused, forcibly and fiercely, which was done with a contradicting grin on her face.
"Sorry, love," he said relenting undoing the button entirely and rolling his eyes.
Holly was too busy noticing how beautiful the mud-child was and what'd she'd give to touch it (not him) without dying of friggin' hypothermia to notice the button.
Holly shook herself and took a breath, "They won't understand this." She explained pointing with her chin at his hand that was –accidently- grazing her arm.
"That was an accident," he said forcing anger; pouting child-like.
"Of course," She said forcing belief; beaming broadly.
"So," he began; furrowing brows, "we can't be together-"
Holly stared at her companion, "We're not supposed to be."
Artemis got frustrated, "You never had a thing for rules before, my dear."
Holly threw her head back and laughed, more to relieve the tension that was building up in her stomach than anything. "Artemis!" she said ruffling his hair, "it has nothing to do with that…"
Artemis ran a hand through his bed hair, which did nothing for the mess Holly had just caused. He looked gorgeous with his hair a bloody wreck. Holly tried to appear indifferent.
"Holly," Artemis said biting his lip, "you do realize they'll have to become aware of this eventually, right?"
"I know that, Artemis," Holly said bring her lips to her counterpart's ear. She whispered lowly into him, "They'll never help me bring you back if they knew otherwise. They'd want to save me my reputation, or something"
Artemis backed away, "I'm damaging your reputation?"
"No. You won't. I have an idea, but this isn't for now." Holly grabbed his arm and lead him back to the others.
Holly and Artemis emerged from the bookcase smiling widely as if not a word had passed between them. As if they did nothing at all. Which, they didn't…
However, the sight of Artemis and Holly suggested otherwise. No.1 stifled a gasp into his hand as he caught sight of them, and Qwan stood there trying to be mature about the situation. Which wasn't working too well considering his knees practically buckled. His suspicions had been confirmed.
Artemis held tightly to Holly's arms, hair messied from whatever they had been doing. Holly clung to the boy unknowingly revealing half her body, considering most of her shirt buttons had been undone. Holly followed No.1's eyes and realized how bad it looked. She was half exposed clinging to a boy who looked had he had certainly been fooling around. She gasped and immediately fixed herself.
"I know this looks bad," Holly said calmly, "but-"
"Hully, muh luve- vut shuvd deese luuk lyke exuctly?
Holly, my love- what should this look like exactly?
"It's all right, Qwan! I can explain…"
"Hus uh crivimal! Uve argh a cup! Hves un hooman! Ur un elve fur chrivsaves! Pleves explin huw dis vud be ughlvight"
He's a criminal; You are a cop, He's a human, you're an elf for chrissakes! Please explain to me how this will be all right
Holly noticed his sudden Russian accent. She noticed it only occurred when he was particularly angry or worried.
"This," Artemis said frankly, though untruthfully, "is exactly what it looks like"
Holly squeezed him furiously. "Well- not exactly-" he explained
"Artemis," she whispered angrily, "tell me you are actually thinking before you you speak."
"I always think before I speak, love" he whispered
No.1 was feeling quite excluded not to mention embarrassed….and jealous… and testy for that matter too. His puberty was having severe repercussions on his feelings- feelings that more or less directed themselves at the beautiful elf on Artemis' arms. She seemed to be attacking him with her hands for a moment, than began whispering something into his ears. No.1's eyes widened. What if they were talking about him? No. Holly wouldn't do that.
"Please." Artemis said to Qwan, "Don't let Holly's one-sided affections keep you from giving me back what I deserve. My family. My friends. My life." Artemis paused his speech to grip Holly tighter (he noticed No.1 had been staring for quite some time), "…I hardly think its fair is all." He noted quietly.
"One-sided affections?" Holly questioned, "My foot. I suppose my shirt unbuttoned itself."
Artemis blushed.
"I figured as much." She continued.
Qwan laughed heartily, his tongue once again turning up without accent. "My gracious, Artemis. You've certainly made an interesting choice as in choosing whom to fall for." Qwan's tone filled with sympathy.
"I can only imagine how hard this must be for you." He eerily circled Artemis, just enough to accuse- but not enough to judge. "Never able to hold her. Feel her." His tone became louder and Artemis became nervous (as Holly would had, had she been listening), "TASTE her. Tell me, my boy. Is this the real reason why you have taken your life?"
"Yes?" Artemis said; slightly uneasy, not to mention disturbed.
Qwan studied his eyes searching for truth, which he immediately found. He patted the child on his shoulder. "Sorry about that, son. Try to forget it happened. Nevertheless, I will do my best to help you, Holly. His intentions are genuine."
Holly snapped out of her daydream of using amazing combat skills (which she did, in fact possess) to take on random goblin gang associates that had been giving her issues.
"I could have told you that." She snapped wondering why the matter should even be pressed. Artemis would never harm her. Besides the whole…kidnapping…thing… ugh-
"You could have told him that, Hol-, but God knows where you just spent your last ten minutes."
Holly decided against telling them of her little fantasy. "Are you going to help me out here, Qwan?" Holly grabbed Artemis again to try to make it look adorably convincing.
"How adorably convincing," Qwan said sarcastically (though he did love the couple very much. Even if they were breaking the very rules he himself had created so many years ago). "I'll see what I can do."
