"Thief! Get her!"-"Stop her!"-"Thief!"
They yelled, as Artemis landed hard onto the stone pavement. Small finger clasped tightly on the precious bow, taking off, her sheath of arrows bumbling against her back, she pulled herself up onto the roof.
Wobbling, she lifted her hand up, attempting to regain her balance. It was harder than it looked, it was a wonder how her brother could do this in his sleep. Shaking the thought from her head, Artemis ran on the roof, jumping onto the next one as arrows wizzed past her.
The Black Knights, otherwise known as the Queen's Guard. Most of the time she and her other brother, David would be able to avoid them or at least out run them. But she didn't David anymore.
Swallowing hard, Artemis, skidded to a halt the rooftops ended. And she couldn't make it over a street. The Knights, surrounded her from below, there crossbows raised-
"Hey girl," a voice drawled out, snapping her out of her daze. It was the boy that was constantly around Pan like a puppy. Finishing her braid, tucking a few stray strands of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Hey boy." Artemis greeted. "What's up?" He had blonde hair similar to hers and a pair of bright blue eyes, and a long thin scar running from the nose to his cheek. His clothes were like most of the 'Lost Boys' pants, shirt, belt, and a cloak. "Pan wants you." he said, leaning on his club.
"Well, if Pan wants me. He can come tell me." Artemis said, adjusting her laces on her boots. The boy blinked, before a smirk rolled onto his face. Artemis glanced up. "What?"
"There right. You're not like any normal girl." Artemis raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, leaning back on the log. "Well, all the girls I've seen cry or whine, or both." he said.
"Well, I've seen my fair share of creepy forest and strange boys so…I'm pretty good." Artemis replied, a smile curling onto her lips. "Artemis." she said, giving him a wave. "Felix." The boy said, giving her a wave back. Artemis grinned. "So Felix? What's up with this place?"
"Catch!" came a voice from behind her. Rolling her eyes, Artemis was met with the familiar evil green eyes. "Ugh, what do you want?" Artemis grumbled, jumping up from the log, Felix had trudged along for some other duty. But Pan grinned, tossing her a shiny red apple.
Catching it, she turned it around in her hands. "What's this for good behaviour?" Artemis said, jumping up, dusting herself off. Pan laughed humourlessly. "Not quite, Artie."
"Don't call me that." she said instantly. Pan smiled, Artemis hated that smile. It was so unlike the people she encounter, the ones who would kidnap and steal. There smiles looked happy, but their eyes were pained and sad. His was different, his smiles were real.
The twinkles in his eyes like stars and that even when he talked, his lips would pull up in some sort of way. Like he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
"We're playing a game, my darling Artie." He said, pacing around her in the circle. Artemis copied his pacing, staring him down, disrupting his circle. "Oh, and what is this game called."
Pan's smile dropped, reaching over slipping the apple out of her hand. Taking a loud bite out of it. "Target practice."
"You know, giving me a weapon seems like a pretty bad idea on your part." Artemis said, swinging the single arrow around. "You only get one shot. I expect you won't miss." Pan said, walking next to her. The brown cuff on his arm brushing against her light brown tunic sleeves. Taking even inch of self-control to not pull her hand behind her back, or load the bow and shoot him in the face.
"What makes you think I won't miss?" she asked, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. "You won't." Pan said, stopping short by the edge of the camp in front of a huge tree. Out of the corner of her eye, a few of the 'Lost Boys' edged closer.
Pan stood in front of her. "Come here, Artie." Sighing to herself, she walked next to him. "Look," Pan said, pointing up to another tree to a high branch. "Do you see it?" he asked.
Squinting her eyes, an odd grey thing emerged from the tree, at first it seemed like a cat, then like a bird, and then like a lizard. "What is that thing?" Pan dropped his hand, pulling them into his pockets. "That, that's the Aaedfal."
"A what?" Artemis said, gripping her bow, glancing back up at the tree. Not noticing Pan waving the Lost Boys away. "Aaedfal." Pan repeated, his sharp eyes locked onto the animal. "It's a beast that hunts in the trees, that's incredibly hard to catch."
"Why?" Artemis asked. Pan sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "It can camouflage itself into the trees and its fast enough to evade every arrow we've shot at it. We've tried hunting them, but the only way we could was when one of them came onto the ground."
"There's more than one?" "They hunt in groups. Tiny calls then Aaedfalens." Pan explained. "And you want me to kill it." Artemis said. "What makes you think I can do that? You've never seem me shoot…What's in it for you?" she asked sharply.
Pan glanced at her, making Artemis pause. His face was firm, not a smile or a twinkle in site, but his eyes. They were filled with hatred, bubbling hatred. "The Aaedfallens have killed some of my Lost Boys. I want it dead. Simple." Pan said. "You're a good shot."
"You never-" "But you are." Pan said, slipping her arrow out of her hand, removing a small vial of black sludge and dipping the tip of the arrow, coating it. Artemis watching the arrow, the foul smelling sludge. Gripping her bow tighter as if hoping it would give her some comfort. It didn't. "What is that?" she whispered.
"Dreamshade. It's poison, the most powerful and lethal in Neverland." Pan explained, handing her the arrow. "Don't touch it." he added. Artemis bit her lower lip, loading the bow. Pan practically breathing down her neck.
"Wait." Artemis said, drawing back. "Your magic, why don't you just…you know…Poof it out of existence."
"What a wonderful idea Artemis, thank you for pointing out an obvious solution." Pan said, spotting the Aaedfal getting closer towards them, from branch from branch. "I can't Neverland created it, I can't get rid of it. Now shoot it!"
Artemis raised the bow, before dropping it again. "But, I though you made Neverland?" Artemis asked, furrowing her eyebrows. The Aaedfal was so close, dropping on the lowest branch.
"Artemis, just shoot it!" Pan urged, sliding his hand to his dagger. The Aaedfal, was closer, starting to camouflage itself as Pan watched the tail fade into the green and brown trees.
"But-"
"Shoot it!" Pan shouted. "Okay!" Artemis yelled back, drawing bow back, the fletching brushing against her cheek, she released it. The arrow soared, piercing the Aaedfal's eye.
The animal howled in pain, pawing against its eyes with its claws. The two froze, watching it, break the pull the arrow out with it's, it pulled itself up, its right eyes, bleeding from Artemis's arrow.
It opened its mouth revealing a three sets of pointed sharp teeth, and roared.
Artemis instinctively stepped back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, every inch of her screaming to run. Seeming to read her mind Pan, gripped her arm tightly, holding her there, his other hand gripping his glittering dagger.
"Relax." he whispered into her ear. "It's going to kill us." Artemis said, attempting to break free from his harsh grip. Pan tighten his grip around her, pulling her closer towards him. "Relax, Artie."
The Aaedfal lunged for them, Pan stepping back. The animal growled, raising its claws, its beady red eye locked onto them. "Pan, it's going to kill us!" Artemis cried, Pan dragging them to the tree, pressing them against it.
The Aaedfal hissed, drawing back, before swinging its long thin spiked tail. Artemis ducked, the bow flying out of her hands as she hit the back of the tree. The tree. Pan was gone.
Artemis swallowed hard, the Aaedfal's tail embedded itself into the tree, the animal screamed attempting to pull it out, sliding underneath the spiked tail. Artemis felt around, desperate for the bow.
A swishing of the wind, instantly made her drop to the ground, as the tail came swooping back. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted the bow. Crawling towards it, she took off into the trees.
Felix told her about the edge of the camp, that there were some hidden weapons there. Glancing behind her, Artemis bit her lower lip. The Aaedfal was gone. Gone or camouflaged. Shaking her head, she jogged though the trees. What marking would Pan have?
The first though that came into her head was a frying pan, but it seemed pretty unrealistic that there would be frying pan markings around Neverland. Bending down Artemis, slid the bow over her shoulder, running her hand across the mossy forest floor.
Everything looked the same, and as much as she hated to admit, she need Pixie Boots. A branch snapped. Artemis glanced up, holding the bow in her hands, not really sure how it was help at this moment.
It was here. She knew it was. Lying in wait. At least if she died, Pan would be incredibly annoyed by it. So it was a victory. Sort of. Artemis smiled. If she was going to die, at least Pan would be super mad if she did.
A growl a low, growl. Artemis slowing crawled behind a tree, her strong boots, silence even on leaves. The growl was closer, the tree groaned as a tail curled up on the top of it. Sharp teeth, entered her vision. The smell of the Dreamshade and the Aaedfal's breath making Artemis want to puke.
The last thing she would smell is a mixture of rotten fish and a decaying corpses. The teeth came closer, its wet nose almost touching her. Her heart pounded, the bow being her only comfort.
Cliffhanger! Thank you all for favouriting! As always I accept all comments, crits and PMs. So please Review! And thanks! Till next time...