Lifting the Veil

[SirArtemis]

This thread occurs in liquid time. As I do not know the current state of affairs of what was considered canon and what wasn't regarding the destruction of Knife's Edge, it is in the best interest of the reader to assume that this occurs at a point where the city is still complete. The interactions are not connected with much of what occurs in Knife's Edge, and should cause no conflict as long as the location exists and functions normally.

Also, I plan to adjust my character's age and history to make some of the events in his life happen earlier, including this, and for him to be younger, in order to align more with his personality and decision-making.

'Well, this is bothersome.'

Dressed in a fine black suit Judicis sat in a comfortable plush chair, legs crossed and sipping a cup of tea. Strangely, the chair was not set upon anything. It simply floated in an empty blackness.

'I made the right choice, but I'd much prefer to speak with him directly. This roundabout method isn't my style. Then again, patience is a virtue.' He chuckled at that and took another sip of his tea.

As slow as the process was, Judicis was guiding Artemis down the path it wanted him to go, but Judicis was not a person. It was a bow, enchanted with a spirit and as close to a living thing as an object could be. It had thoughts, feelings, goals, even a voice. It had changed hands countless times, rewriting history along the way and aiding whomever it deemed a true warrior of virtue. However, its current wielder could not hear that voice.

Something in Artemis Eburi's past prevented communication and Judicis sought a way to make the young man confront it. Things were building up in the vagabond's mind - ideas that the sentient bow had planted were spreading through his subconscious like vines, subtle nudges that would allow it to communicate with its wielder. With every passing day, the bow's magic helped guide the man's mind. It was as if a voice were calling out to him, guiding him as he meandered through the dark, playing a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-dragon: a voice that he thought was just his own.

Artemis woke to another day as the sunlight crept through the window of his bedroom. Sitting up on his bed, legs over the side, he stretched the sleep from his limbs and rubbed his stomach, a strange feeling coming over him. He had learned to trust his intuition, and today it was telling him, in no certain terms, that something was different. That is about as far as his intuition could go. After all, there was no way for him to know that it was the bow putting these images into his mind.

'Mmm, yes. I think it's about time,' Judicis thought, taking another sip of tea and emptying his cup.

[SirArtemis]

Artemis stood up and walked over to the window, cracking it open a bit to let the cold Salvarian air help wake him. With a deep breath of the crisp air and a stretch, Artemis put on his leather armor, strapped his daggers to his sides and slung Judicis over his shoulder. Just as the bow made its resting place upon the man, it prodded at him to remember the night's dream. Images of his last encounter with his father flashed before his eyes, which he quickly tried to shake off.

"Get out of my head," he growled, knocking the side of his head as if the thoughts would pour forth from his ear.

Eager for a distraction, he headed for the main room of The Bearded Gnome, hoping for a quick meal before heading off to the Norlond Forge for work. Artemis made his way down the steps, each straining for the young man to hurry. The tavern was a quiet little place with no more than a dozen tables, most empty. Twin windows flanked the door and let in a bit of light, aiding the candles in their duty before their last bit of life flickered out. All but the dishes were made of wood - even the air tasted as if you were sitting within the knot of a tree.

Behind the bar stood Harki, a grizzly looking dwarf with a beard as black as coal and a head full of hair to match. He did what he always seemed to be doing: polished mugs. Across from him sat a dark elf woman named Jay.

Harki spotted Artemis and turned to look at him, his black ponytail whipping behind him. "Mornin' lad. How'd ye sleep?" His beard muffled the words and hid his mouth, giving off the appearance that it spoke rather than the dwarf himself.

"Not bad I suppose..." He mumbled as he pulled up a seat at the bar, his breakfast already waiting. He sat beside Jay, resting his elbows on the counter and staring down at its surface. Jay turned in her chair to face him.

"So what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

Harki laughed as Jay continued to prod.

"Don't give me that. It's written all over you. What's bothering you?"

Artemis gave a weak smile, wishing he had found the time to learn and keep his emotions from leaking out.

"I've just been remembering things that I wish I could forget. It's been distracting."

Jay hesitated. "Is it that dream again?"

"I just want to forget about it."

Jay looked over at Harki for a moment, as if the black beard whispered to her so that Artemis couldn’t hear. "I have an idea," she said as she grabbed Artemis by the arm.

[SirArtemis]

"Where are we going?" Artemis asked as Jay pulled him along and out of the Bearded Gnome. "I didn't even get to finish my breakfast! I have work too!"

Jay let out a sigh as she weaved from one road to the next, taking turns onto unfamiliar streets. "The dwarves will be fine," she said, "they've been doing what they do long before you were born, let alone before you joined them at the forge."

"But what about my food?" Artemis whined, though he was not particularly hungry.

"Don't worry, where we're going, you'll lose your appetite quickly enough."

Artemis swallowed hard, afraid of what she meant by that, and not long after they arrived in a strange looking yard. Knife's Edge was a place with many unique buildings and homes, but this was beyond anything Artemis could have imagined. It felt strange that he had never seen this before, but Knife's Edge was quite large.

"Is this real? Am I still dreaming?" Artemis asked, confused by his surroundings.

"Oh it's real." A smile stretched across Jay's face.

This was the house of a man known as Daros, a wizard that many misunderstood. Before them was a two-story home that could appear ordinary, if one could ignore that the outside of the structure seemed to be changing continuously with different kaleidoscope-like patterns. It was a mesmerizing sight, but not the most distracting. Throughout the yard were trees that bore fruit that was not actually fruit.

"What the hell is this? Fish? On a tree?" Artemis sniffed the air and reached up to touch the silvery fish that dangled by its tail. "Hmm, doesn't smell fishy." As his hand made contact it flopped around, sending Artemis staggering back in surprise. "Woah! It's alive!? What is going on?"

Just then a man appeared wearing a fine deep-blue robe. He wore crescent shaped spectacles that he continuously pushed up onto his nose. His hair, a chestnut brown, seemed somehow both messy and neat at the same time. A few strands fell over his eyes and he brushed them aside. "Ah yes, do be careful. They bite. A strange byproduct of them growing on the tree is that they get quite sharp teeth. You wouldn't think that made any sense, but magic often doesn't. Also, it isn't supposed to smell fishy. Fishy fish isn't fresh fish." He smiled while looking up at the pair, but Artemis hardly noticed. He was busy looking around while Jay spoke with the owner of the home.

"Daros, I was hoping you could help us out with something."

"Anything for you, my dear. How may I be of assistance?" Daros bowed slightly and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Artemis was crouched down staring at something. He laughed aloud before beginning to explain. "Yes, that is an odd sight. You see I tried to enchant my grass so that insects wouldn't become a nuisance. Instead, the spell caused them all to become far more intelligent. You see, the ants there have allied with the dung beetles and are at war with the termites for land. The ant soldiers act as infantry while the dung beetles use their... 'talents' I guess you could say, to fashion trebuchets that fire burning dung bombs. The termites, given their wings, seem to fly in formation and swoop down, picking up ants and dropping them off a good distance from the battlefield." Daros could not help but laugh at his own explanation, but he continued. "Strangely enough, I accomplished my goal. They are so busy fighting each other that they've forgotten about me."

Artemis stood up and just stared at Daros like the man was absolutely out of his mind, and Daros simply smiled back. "Yes, well... I can see how that's difficult to imagine." Laughing again, he turned back to Jay who seemed to be enjoying this just as much. "So, my dear, what is it you need?"

"Well, Artemis has had some things on his mind." She looked over at the distracted young man, who was now staring at a row of twinkling hedges. "Artemis?"

The young man walked over to the twinkling bush and ran his hands along the leaves.

'These are emeralds... emerald bushes?'

He picked a leaf off the bush and it instantly disintegrated, a fine green powder falling between his fingers and flowing off into the breeze.

"Yes... he does seem to be a curious young man," Daros said with a smile on his face. "The bushes are magical as well Artemis. They are just for decoration, not real emeralds."

Artemis stood up shaking his head at the absurdity of this man's house and walked over to the others. "So why are we here?"

Well if you gave me a minute to explain rather than running off and exploring, maybe you'd know."

"Can you blame me? Look around. He has a fish tree!" Daros chuckled at that.

"Well, the reason I brought you to meet Daros is because he can help us. As you can see, he's quite a powerful wizard." She gestured to the blue-robed figure, who simply bowed slightly to show his respect for the compliment. "You've been having nightmares about your father, and you seem to think it was real. Given that you were gone for two weeks during that time, I can see how you might think it was more than just a dream. I thought it'd be useful to go find him."

"What? Jay, what makes you think I want to see my father? I've told you before and I'll say it again, I want nothing to do with him. There's a reason why I left home in the first place. This is ridiculous. I'm going back; maybe my breakfast is still warm."

Artemis turned and began to walk away, heading out of the gate to the yard, which shut and slapped him on the rear as he made his way through. Artemis jumped forward when he felt the slap and looked down at the gate, which then opened back up. Artemis glanced over toward the wizard who shrugged, and then turned back and continued walking. Jay rolled her eyes and jogged to catch up with the flustered young man.

[SirArtemis]

"I think you should speak with him," Jay suggested, catching up to the vagabond.

"Why? What would it accomplish? "

Jay looked at Artemis, a bit of sympathy in her heart as she paused a moment to think of the right words. "You remember when you came back from a trip to The Citadel recently, you seemed out of sorts?"

"Yes, and?"

"And when I asked you about it, you told me a story of how you met someone who began to mean very much to you and then you lost them within barely two weeks time?"

Artemis seemed to tense at the mention of Tanya, sadness creeping through him as the images of her death flashed through his mind.

"Let me put it this way, Artie. I've lived a long time... a very long time in fact. Imagine for a moment any human you've encountered in your life. The oldest you can imagine. Not one of those wrinkly old bags of humanity are older than me. And do you know what that's taught me?" Jay reached a delicate hand to lift his chin, his gaze falling upon her comforting blue eyes as both stopped walking. "Do you?"

"No."

Jay let go of his chin and looked ahead. "In all my years I've seen people come and go. I've seen wars fought, lives lost, countries change hands - history rewritten countless times over. Sometimes I even helped. And in all that time nothing really seemed to change. The faces, the places, the rules and regulations, but fundamentally it was all the same. People, and I don't just mean humans, continued to act in the way they always had. There were those who were selfish and those who were selfless, those who were greedy and those who were generous, those who attacked and those who defended."

Jay paused in her long speech to reminisce.

"But once in a while... I'd come across a person. They'd seem ordinary at first. You know, just another face in the crowd. But when I spoke with them and got to know them, I realized that they were someone special - someone who I wanted to remember. Someone..." Jay let out an exasperated sigh, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them up again to continue. "Someone who I knew I never wanted to forget."

She turned to Artemis, putting both her hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eye as she spoke. "Time moves much faster than you likely realize, and before you know it, you'll be an old wrinkly bag of flesh and bone barely moving at the speed of a tortoise. People will come and go in your life, just as that woman you met. If that moment taught you anything, I hope it taught you that any moment could be your last. Just as in your dream, any moment can be your father's last. Do you really want to lose him without ever reconciling the past? Do you really want to throw away such a strong bond as father and son over one argument?"

"I'm not sure I can," Artemis confessed.

"You won't know until you at least try."

A moment of silence hung between the two as they stared at each other, seconds ticking away. Artemis swallowed hard, not looking away from the dark elf. "What about your father?" Artemis mumbled under his breath.

Jay let her hands fall off the young man's shoulders and looked him in the eye, forcing a smile. "That's a story for another day. Now come on, Daros is waiting." She gestured back toward the wizard's house. Jay crossed her arms and watched as Artemis walked past her.

[SirArtemis]

"Okay Daros, this is where you come in," Jay began as the trio now stood facing each other. "I was hoping your magic could get us to where we need to be quickly. Can you use a teleportation spell?"

After a moment of thought, Daros made his decision. "Well I suppose it wouldn't be too challenging, though I'd have to channel the location from Artemis' mind. That might be exciting to try! I haven't done that one before."

Artemis just looked at Daros with a blank expression, blinking as if dumbstruck by what he had said. "So... we're going to teleport to where I grew up using a spell that he has never cast before?"

"Now I didn't say that. I've used the spell countless times, I just always have the location in my own mind. You see, the spell needs you to have a solid image of where you want to go. Since I have no idea where we are going, I have to rely on you. That is the new part. Though I'll admit, it's exciting to imagine what might go wrong!" Daros clapped his hands together with a smile before adjusting his glasses. "Now, should we get started?"

Artemis took a deep breath and stared at the ground, slowly letting his eyes close and trying to look into his past, years lost to him. Images of his childhood home flashed through his mind followed by the forge that he had worked tirelessly at alongside his father. The sound of steel rang in his mind along with his father's hearty laugh, the joy of metalwork pouring out of him.

The trio began to hold hands and close their eyes, Daros mumbling an incantation as blue and green sparks flowed down from the sleeves of his robes. Artemis felt a tingle run through his arm and it reminded him of the strike of hammer upon metal, the vibrations sending a chill through his body as he forged his first pair of steel daggers. His father's face smiled upon him before it turned to a grimace, turning to the memory of the fight he had had with his father the day he had fled his home.

Just as the sparks enveloped the three people, the last image that flashed through the vagabond's mind was the last look back he had given to his childhood home as he walked away that faithful night; a look that spoke of never returning, and how ironic that that image would be the first he saw when the sparks fell away from his vision and he stood before the small town of Pylos.

[SirArtemis]

As soon as the spell's effects wore off, the trio stood at the entrance to the small village. Artemis' vision blurred as the aftereffects of the teleportation began to affect his body. His knees began to weaken and stomach became unsettled. He fell to his knees and vomited what little he had managed to eat that morning at The Bearded Gnome.

"Well now that you've ejected whatever you had in your stomach, you can take this!" Daros happily extended his hand to Artemis with a small tablet.

"What's this?"

"It'll make you feel better," Jay commented, having a significantly milder reaction to the spell than her human counterpart, gently tucking her white locks of hair behind her ears. "I really do hate that feeling." Daros extended a hand to Jay as well, who quickly took and swallowed the small lozenge.

Artemis reached out cautiously for the pill as well, hesitant only because the wizard seemed completely unaffected by the teleportation. "I suppose you're just used to traveling like this?"

"Oh, not at all," Daros admitted. "I actually took the pill when you started imagining the location."

The vagabond looked at Daros with frustration. "So why didn't you give me one before the spell too?"

"Hmm, that probably would have been a good idea. I suppose it just slipped my mind. Force of habit to take one before I teleport, but I don't have many friends you see, so it didn't come to mind until I saw you vomiting that you could use one as well." The wizard just smiled innocently, as if his reasoning was flawless.

An impatience and frustration boiled within Artemis' stomach. Despite his intelligent and respectful nature, the wizard's childlike antics and curiosity counter-balanced the good with the bad. Artemis rose to his feet as the medicine began to settle.

Meanwhile, the wizard spun around, taking in his surroundings and the nature of their location. "Hmm, actually... Do you two mind if I go off on my own for a bit? I believe we are in an area where I could gather some ingredients on a project I'm working on, and since I'm already here..." The wizard searched his robe pockets, a look on his face that made it appear the pockets held much more than they appeared to. His tongue licked his upper lip and one eye seemed to close a bit – apparently this was his 'I'm focused' face. "Ah, here it is. Take this, and when you're ready to go, just blow the little whistle and I'll be here in a jiffy. Don't worry if it doesn't make any sound, it's not supposed to."

Artemis caught the whistle and looked at it quickly, then glancing up at Jay. "I think I'll go with him," she said. "This is something you should do on your own. Besides, I want to make sure he doesn't do anything he might regret." The dark elf winked at the vagabond before catching up to the wizard, who was already looking around and constantly pushing his spectacles back upon his nose.

"You'd think he could cast a spell to make them fit better," Artemis mumbled, half-heartedly insulting the wizard to make himself feel better.

[SirArtemis]

As soon as Jay and Daros had left Artemis' line of sight, the reality of the situation began to settle. The memories of his last encounter with his father burned in his mind, though he now could not be certain whether they were accurate. Was his father upset or angry when they last met?

With a deep breath, Artemis started forward. The village was small by any standard. About two dozen families made their home in Pylos when Artemis had lived here, but the place seemed quieter than before. The houses stood abandoned – unmaintained shells that now did nothing but protect the animals that had found their way inside. As the vagabond slowly paced along the dirt pathway, he peaked into each window, remembering the names and faces of those he had left behind. The Einhorns, the Linzerz, the Ritkins – each step felt heavier than the last.

With every memory of his past and empty structure, he also felt a bit of hope that his father would not be around. With the village abandoned, his father's absence wasn't a farfetched hope. Why would someone stay when left with nothing and no one else? Just as the hope gained in strength, he approached the old smith and felt the warmth of the forge. Someone was still in this village.

A mix of caution and fear caused Artemis to hide himself from sight, hoping to peak around the siding of the open-walled forge. Quietly, he stepped around back, his movements silent. He quietly pulled out one of his mythril daggers, using the pristine white blade as a mirror, hoping to see if anyone stood by the furnace.

No one was there.

Letting out the breath that he had held, without even being aware of it, he stepped around the bend and moved toward the warmth. He could tell by the temperature that it hadn't been used for at least a whole day. At the very least, no one had worked today, but it was still early morning. Perhaps whoever worked this forge would arrive soon, and the realization caused panic to flow through his veins once more. He quickly turned around, ready to retrace his steps, and standing no more than ten feet before him was his father.

"I was wondering when you'd come home."

[SirArtemis]

Shock took hold of Artemis. The last few years had not treated the man well. The signs of old age rushed to cover the father's features, wrinkles and scars littering the sad and empty expression upon his face. He limped past Artemis, not saying another word, carrying a pile of logs to the base of the furnace. The men looked like reflections of one another, the father a more used up version of his son and with brown eyes instead of blue.

Artemis stood in silence watching his father's movements. He still saw the same man he had known his entire life, but also a man he had never met before. The contradiction left him with a profound confusion. His only reaction was his hand falling to the hilt of his dagger, the remnants of a comforting old habit that refused to disappear.

"So what brought you back?" the father asked, making small talk as if there was no dark past hanging between the pair.

Still, Artemis stood quietly. It was almost as if he imagined that his father were speaking to someone else, leaving him time to get over the shock. A few seconds of silence passed before the father stood up, grunting while pushing up off the ground. When he turned to face his son, his eyes caught Artemis' hand resting on the daggers with a look of sadness on his face.

"You didn't make those, did you?"

Artemis never really noticed when his hand found its way to his daggers. The habit was subconscious. He stared downward, letting his hand fall off the dagger. "No."

"I didn't think so. What happened to the ones you made?"

"They broke."

"You overworked the metal."

"You could have told me that sooner." At that moment, the anger that had long since made its home in the young man began to settle back into this thoughts, trickling out and into his words. "Though it seems you like to keep secrets."

His father, who had prepared for this meeting for the last few years, knew he had to intervene before things got out of hand. "You were just a young boy, Artemis. I didn't want to ruin your fun. As for keeping secrets, I do have a few that I want to share with you. After all, when you left, there were many things you assumed that I'd like to clear up."

"And how exactly do you expect me to suddenly trust anything you say to me?" Artemis' voice began to rise, though not yet a shout. "You were all I had. Mom was nothing but a memory to me. No brothers, no sisters, no family – just you and Hawk. And isn't it wonderful that you both turned out to be lying to me my entire life? How do you expect me to trust people?! How can I trust anyone when my own father lied to me!?"

Artemis' father did not try to interrupt the string of words flung at him. He knew that his son was right in every claim he made and the pain was clear upon his face. Tears began to well up in his eyes, a single one filled enough to trickle down his face despite his efforts to hold it back.

"Artie..."

"Don't call me that!" Artemis yelled, his voice finally reaching a shout. "I'm not your son anymore! I'm not some little kid! I'm a grown man! Much has happened to me in the last few years, Gareth," emphasizing his father's name, showing him that he no longer deserved to be called Dad.

"Fine, Artemis. Then I ask just one thing of you. Come with me back to the house. I'll explain to you everything that I've hidden from you, including things about you and your mother that I've never mentioned before. Let me explain, and then after that, you can choose to believe whatever you want. That's all I want, Artemis: a chance to tell the truth, whether you believe it or not."

His father's words were forceful, but not intended to be hurtful. It was clear that the father was also irritated, but he could not tell by what. Artemis stood facing his father, the anger simmering below the surface, close to boiling over. However, the offer seemed reasonable enough, and the intrigue of his past calmed the vagabond. At the very least, he could learn about his mother. Whether or not the words seemed true would be something he would have to decide later. With doubt and frustration on his features, Artemis held eye contact with his father as he stepped past and began to walk in the direction of his childhood home.

_____________________________________________

The walk did not take long, given the size of the small village. Yet with every second, Artemis' mind rushed through countless calculations. Scores of scenarios of his past replayed in his mind, some memories of those previously imagined and some completely new. It felt as if he had just relived through more than a hundred lifetimes in the span of a minute, and still, he didn't know which one was correct.

"Come on then, we have much to discuss." The father's words shook Artemis out of his hesitation and he finally pushed his way inside.

The inside was as bland as the exterior. The walls stood naked and the furniture simplistic. There was little inside the home that was not of utmost necessity.

"Go on then, have a seat," his father said, pointing to a terribly uncomfortable looking seat as he stepped into the bedroom. The smell of fresh baked bread filled the room as it had when Artemis was a young boy. Artemis simply sat at the small table, arms folded. He did not speak, but he did welcome the idea of bread. The smell had reminded him of how hungry he was after being pulled from his morning meal and some bread would surely settle the uncomfortable feeling he had in his stomach.

"Let me get you something to eat," Gareth said, entering the room and cutting up some bread to serve. "I'll tell you everything you need to know. I don't want you interrupting, I just want you to listen. After I'm done, you can ask everything you want."

He set down the plate before Artemis, settling into the chair across from him and crossing his legs. He leaned his back against the wall and let one arm rest against the back of the chair, the other hand fondling something that looked to be a ring, thought Artemis wasn't paying attention.

"Now...where do I begin?"

[SirArtemis]

"Long before you were born, I used to be the adventurous type. I could never stay in one place for very long and so I was constantly traveling. From the forests of Underwood on Corone to the cold glaciers of Berevar – I've been almost everywhere. Home was not a place for me, but a feeling I had. I have seen much of the world and I wouldn't trade that in for anything, nor did I want to at the time. I never felt alone. After all, Hawk was always with me. We've been best friends since we were boys, and I never cared much for anything else. But then something unexpected happened – I met your mother."

"She was a Fallien woman and not like any of the others I'd met in my travels. And believe me, I'd met plenty in my day. She was beautiful, don't you doubt, but that wasn't what held me. There was something in her eyes that, when I saw it, reminded me of how I used to be. It was the look of someone who is held back and wanting to break free, and I didn't want anyone to feel as I had before my journeys. So, rather impulsively, I asked her if she'd like to join us. Maybe it was the mead, maybe it was hormones, or maybe it was the fact that she seemed to be the only one on the island who didn't hate us for being different. Whatever it was, I asked, and to my surprise, she said yes."

"And so she became part of our group, the three of us traveling together and experiencing all that there was in the world. From the awful beasts we'd slain in our day to the beautiful places and wonderful people we'd met – it was a magical life, and I loved every second of it. But as your mother and I began to fall in love, our relationship becoming stronger and more serious, her womanhood called to her for a child. And so we looked for a place to settle down."

"That wasn't a difficult thing to decide upon. After all, we'd seen the world and we knew which places we liked and which we didn't. We also knew which places were relatively secure and isolated, and so we came here, knowing that Underwood was relatively safe and nearby. Hiding west of it and away from major cities and trade routes would keep us out of the way of traffic. It was a small town then and it grew, though barely, to the size that you remember it. It may not seem like much, but when you last saw Pylos, those were its prime years. Quiet, safe, isolated, and sustainable – it was everything we needed to start a family."

"And so we decided to have a child, and we began to try. We settled into everyday life. I picked up my father's old profession and opened up a small forge. Your mother acted as the teacher for the young children. But as we continued to try for a child, it didn't seem to work. Something was wrong, and we didn't yet realize. It turns out that I am unable to have children."

At that moment, Artemis looked up, a confused look of rage on his face, but before he could speak, his father raised a hand at him before saying "Relax, I said let me finish before you jump to any conclusions. I'm sure all of your questions will be answered." With a bit of hesitation, Artemis reached out to take another bite of the bread he'd been nibbling on and stared at his father as the old man continued to play with the ring between his fingers.

"Now, my impotence was hard enough to handle. I thought I could never make your mother happy, but it seemed that yet again our travels had paid off. Your mother had learned magic along our travels, always reading books and weaving spells, doing her best to master the craft as we journeyed across the realm. Oddly enough, she recalled a particular spell that she had read about that was said to bypass impotency, though it was not well tested or practiced. It was a means of artificial insemination, meaning that I could somehow get her pregnant without direct intercourse. It took a tremendous amount of focus and carried great risk, but I had faith in her ability and supported her, knowing this meant very much to her and she would be cautious. Needless to say, it worked... to an extent."

[SirArtemis]

Pain seemed to find its home on Gareth's face at that moment. All of the scars and wrinkles, years of struggle and hardship, appeared to have always had a place upon the man's features. The facade of happiness he put on for the sake of Artemis' childhood seemed impossible to imagine. Pushing past the emotion, his father continued the story, not looking over to notice that Artemis' face showed its own signs of pain from recognition. It was in that moment that Artemis seemed to see a flash of the face burned into his memory – the last image of the man he left behind years ago. It was not a look of regret, but rather a look of disappointment in the way things turned out.

"The spell had some side effects, to say the least – both on your mother and on you. For your mother, her body began to deteriorate rapidly. I watched as her health gave way and the side effects of the spell began to take her life from her. The process took a few years to complete, but they were painful years. But before she left, she had one last gift to leave you, and that gift had to do with the side effects that you received from this spell."

"The magic that created you wouldn't leave you. You became a child of magic, made partially of magic. Your mother watched over you with a careful eye, hoping that she could protect you if something went wrong, to insulate you from the risks that you were born with – risks that you didn't choose to make, but we did. Sadly, since she knew she was dying, she had to do something to protect you for when she was no longer around, and with her last bit of energy she cast a powerful magic seal upon you. The seal would become a barrier to guard you, not just from the magic from the outside world, but also from the magic within you, and ensuring that it didn't leak out unexpectedly and with unknown side effects."

"That seal is the biggest secret I've kept from you, and likely the only one that matters. It is that seal that is the source of everything that I've hidden from you, including what you thought was my, as well as Hawk's, role in an assassin clan or mercenary clan or whatever it is you thought we were a part of. After all, that was what you yelled at me the last time we saw each other, wasn't it?"

Artemis didn't speak. He just looked up at his father, the old features staring back at him, almost mocking the childish decision of running away from home. If he had been an adult about it, surely they would have talked things through, rather than throwing a fit and running off on his own. Of course, the father didn't even need to say any of this – it was implied through the odd connection that parents seem to have with their children, speaking without uttering a word.

"This entire village became a connected entity, not only sustaining itself materialistically, but also defensively. We traded with some mercenaries, yes, but that was in exchange for training. The town wanted to protect itself, and my travels had taught me much on what that truly entailed. I wanted to help the people who had become my extended family, though even that ended poorly."

"About a year after you left, a group of unhappy mercenaries attacked Pylos. I refused to sell to them and they refused to take no for an answer. Hawk and I did our best to help protect everyone but many still died, and those that remained no longer felt safe. Most went to Underwood, while some traveled farther. Hawk and I bought a residence in Underwood and I visit to maintain the property, since Hawk went off looking for you and I stayed here in case you came home."

"Hopefully that answers your assumptions sufficiently enough to at least move on from that point in our past and back to the more important details. With that, I'll get back to the seal and the magic within you."

Gareth took the ring he had been playing with and placed it on the metal table, a gentle clang raising Artemis' eyes to see his father mirroring his posture. The two men rested their arms on the table, slightly hunched forward with their weight on their forearms. The ring sat in the middle, and Artemis raised his eyes from the ring up to his father.

"There was a way to break the seal of course. Your mother left it in my protection and told me to keep it until your eighteenth birthday, so that you could make the decision of whether or not to break the seal once you were ready and an adult. However, being the weak man that I am, I couldn't do it. I contemplated it for days, rationalized it in every way I could, and eventually, I decided not to give you it. I was afraid, and truthfully, I still am. I already lost your mother. I couldn't imagine losing you. And since there is no way of knowing what will happen to you once you break the seal, I couldn't handle the idea of it destroying you."

"Now we come to the purpose of me waiting here for you, though everyone else has long since gone. All this time, I've waited, expecting you to come back at some point so that I can give you this ring – the ring that serves as the key to unlocking the seal. It is yours to have and your choice to make. I can no longer keep it from you, and now I realize that I shouldn't have as long as I did."

A silence hung between the two men, neither making a move and both staring down at the ring. Finally, after a few long seconds, Gareth stood and patted the table, as if adjourning the discussion.

"Well, if you have any questions, now's the time to ask. I've said what I needed to."

[SirArtemis]

'Intriguing. That explains much.'

Judicis snapped his fingers and conjured a cup of tea as a smile spread across his face. The seal was the unknown variable, and now things began to fall into place. Judicis' powerful magic had been chipping away at the integrity of the seal, allowing magic such as Artemis' infra-vision to slip through. Even Judicis was not aware of what it was that prevented open communication, but a frontal assault on the seal could have caused irreparable harm.

'It seems I was correct in thinking the father was key, though I did not expect him to literally have the key. This makes things much simpler.'

Judicis took a sip of tea, rising from his seat and standing amid the empty blackness.

'Now only one thing remains, Artemis. You know what you need to do.'

[SirArtemis]

A heavy silence filled the air as Artemis sat contemplating Gareth's words, the old man looking upon his son with concern. So many questions formed in the young man's mind, all rushing past too quickly for him to hold onto. With his entire identity coming into question, the shock left him at a loss.

"So what are you going to do from here?" Gareth asked hesitantly.

Artemis just stared quietly at the ring.

"Well," Gareth began, seeing that Artemis could use some time alone, "I'm going to get the forge going. I'm supposed to be meeting an Underwood trader soon so I have some work to do. You know where to find me."

The old man stepped out leaving Artemis alone, head in hands and a look that seemed to expect the ring itself to tell him what to do.

"Is he telling the truth?" Artemis asked the ring, almost expecting an answer.

Still, something made him feel like there was only one choice to make – a choice that would answer everything. His doubt, his fear, his questions and identity could all be reconciled with one simple act – to put on the ring.

All the while, Artemis remained completely unbeknownst of Judicis' prodding at him to don the ring; he simply felt it was his own desire. However, Artemis' desire to put the ring on remained strong without interference. Judicis did not need to push the youth far.

With Artemis' desire shadowed by Judicis', the urge was enough for Artemis to slip the ring on, and so that is what he chose to do.

Without any further hesitation, Artemis let his finger slide into the ring quickly, breaking the seal that contained his magic. Instantly, the ring began to vanish, seemingly melting into his flesh and spreading through him. As the magic of the ring combined with the magic of Artemis' body, black runes spread across his hand, curling and slithering across his skin and slightly climbing up his forearm before stopping. There, they froze and embedded themselves in his flesh, like black ink that would stain him permanently. Simultaneously, his blue eyes changed in hue, becoming brighter and almost giving off a glow of their own.

"Well that's... Interesting."

As Artemis continued to stare in awe, Judicis had only one thing on his mind: the seal that kept the two from communicating openly had broken.

[SirArtemis]

Artemis closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself, organizing the events of the day and endless stream of information. Seeing this as an opportunity, Judicis felt it was time for introductions. Slowly, he tugged at Artemis' consciousness, letting the young man's mind drift into Judicis' magical realm where they could face each other and speak.

The tug made Artemis' eyes feel heavy as he faded into a meditative state, not fully awake and yet not fully asleep. As he reopened them, he no longer found himself in his childhood home. Instead, he stood in the empty blackness of Judicis' realm where an old man sat a few meters away.

"You've got to be kidding," Artemis said, exasperated.

"A pleasure to finally meet with you, Artemis. I feel like I already know you." Judicis laughed, sipping a cup of tea. "No need to panic, you're perfectly safe. Have a seat, lad."

Artemis quickly glanced around, noticing that a chair floated behind him, identical to the one the old man before him sat on. Reasoning that he likely had little control over his surroundings, he simply decided to play along, sitting down in the oddly comfortable seat.

"And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" Artemis asked.

"Ah, yes – my name. I suppose you may call me Judicis, and though this may seem odd, I am the spirit that lives within the bow you wield."

Artemis gave the old man a confused look. "Right. So how could a bow have a person living within it?" Artemis asked, not understanding what he meant nor how magic worked - especially not sentient magic.

"I'll try to explain myself, and I will try my best to be brief. The bow you wield is a vessel that holds my essence, and that essence is a magic so powerful that it manifests as a living entity and retains a degree of intelligence. I do not have a shape, but in my realm, I can manipulate the world that you see around you as I please. The form I've taken is the one I most relate to – the environment as well."

As Judicis spoke, the empty blackness took on the shape of a small study. The floor became an elegantly woven carpet, intricately designed with an emblem that resembled what Artemis had embroidered into his armor. Shelves of books formed the walls, not a single space left unfilled. Judicis stood and walked over to a particular volume.

"Please, do have some tea." Judicis said, gesturing to a a porcelain teapot set upon a small table. Artemis, playing along, reached out and poured the golden-brown liquid, a pleasant floral aroma drifted from the elegant cup as it filled. "No need to add anything. I've already prepared it as needed."

"So why is it that I'm just now meeting you then, if I've had you around for so long?" Artemis asked.

"Ah, excellent question." Judicis returned to his seat with a book in his lap, continuing his explanation. "For that, we must go back to the beginning, when you approached Axel seeking a bow. The man is past his prime of youth and fully aware of it. He and I have our history but our journeys have ended and it was time to part ways with one another. Knowing that he could stay in contact with you eased the emotional burden, so it was not too difficult to convince him. However, we had a small dilemma which needed to change and so it finally has - much to my relief and much to your benefit."

"You see, that seal of yours acted as a barrier between us, and I've been unwittingly chipping away at. I had tried to speak with you, but the best I could do was nudge you in this or that direction. Of course, it was not enough. I could feel your resentment for your father and worried that it was too strong of a negative emotion - one that served as a barrier. I had an inkling that your father played an important role in our inability to communicate and hoped that if you could reconcile your past, we could speak. As it turns out, my assumption was correct, though not for the reason I expected. And so we find ourselves here."

Artemis simply continued to listen and sip the mystical tea, which he found oddly pleasant for something mystical and imaginary.

"Do have some biscuits by the way. They go wonderfully with the tea." Judicis took a sip of his own cup before continuing as Artemis reached for the newly conjured pastries. "Regardless, the important part is that you and I can now communicate. It won't be necessary to always bring you here of course, nor will I generally force you as I just did. I just felt that speaking face to face would be the best way to meet one another. After all, hearing an unfamiliar voice in your mind can be off-putting."

Judicis paused, as if just noticing something. "Mmm, yes. I think that'll do for now. There's much to talk about and not enough time to do it in. After all, as we speak, time flows normally, and your friends are waiting for you. Apologies for cutting things off. We'll continue this soon."

Before Artemis could say a word, he drifted off again, the warm glow of the study fading into blackness again. As color reached his eyes, again he found himself sitting inside Gareth's home, Daros and Jay looking at him concernedly.

"Are you alright?" Jay asked, rubbing the young man's back comfortingly.

"I sensed a spike in magical energy coming from your direction, so we thought it might be good to check on things with you," Daros said with a smile, pushing his glasses up on his nose, a satchel full of ingredients slung over his shoulder.

[SirArtemis]

Artemis felt mentally exhausted from the amount of information thrown at him in the last few hours. His entire existence, both past and present, had fundamentally changed. With a sigh, he lifted his hands to his face, trying to rub away the frustration and exhaustion from his eyes.

"What's that?" Jay asked, grabbing Artemis' left hand.

Artemis glanced at his newly decorated hand and sighed. "Oh that? Funny story – in fact, a great one. Sadly, I just don't feel like telling it right now. It's too long and, to be honest, I have to sort through it myself too."

Jay frowned. "Fair enough. I'm just glad you are okay."

"You could say that," Artemis said as he stood up and let out yet another sigh. "Daros, I am going to need your help sorting through some things, so if you don't mind, I'd like to head back. I just need to clear something up," Artemis finished as he walked out of the house, leaving the others to follow.

Jay turned to Daros wearing a look of concern, which Daros returned with one of confusion. "Were his eyes that bright earlier today?" Daros asked.

Jay shook her head. "You're the one who detected the change in magic, right? You should realize that he is what changed."

"So his eyes weren't that bright, right?"

Jay glared at Daros with her own blue eyes and followed Artemis out of the house.

"What? I just met him today. I just wanted to make sure," Daros explained hurriedly, following behind Jay.

[SirArtemis]

The pair followed Artemis for the quick walk to the forge where Gareth fed the flames in preparation for his day's agenda. The old man, hearing the trio's presence over the flames turned to greet them.

"Hello there. You must be friends of Artemis'."

"My name is Jhaelkah, but you may call me Jay. This is Daros."

"A pleasure to meet you both. You may call me Gareth."

Artemis stood impatiently. He knew that pleasantries and introductions were necessary, but that did not change his lack of interest in them, given the circumstances. "Alright, with that out of the way..."

"Artemis, what happened to your eyes?" Gareth asked, ignoring Artemis' words.

"What about my eyes?"

"They look different – brighter almost."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked, unsheathing one of his mythril daggers and staring at the reflection in the white metal. The image showed his eyes to be a brighter and more vibrant blue. "Wonderful. I have no idea. Probably something to do with breaking the seal," Artemis said, his words dripping with an irritated sarcasm.

Gareth nodded, noticing the mark on Artemis' left hand as well and wondering what else may have happened upon breaking the seal. "So where do you go from here?" Gareth asked, eager to redirect the conversation.

"Honestly, I just want to go home."

"Where's home?"

"For now, Knife's Edge."

"Salvar?" Gareth asked, clearly surprised.

Artemis just shrugged. "I like the cold. Gives an extra bite to life. What about you? What's your plan?"

"Now that I've given you the ring, it seems I can go live in Underwood at Hawk's estate."

"We'll be in touch then?"

Gareth nodded and smiled.

Artemis, too frustrated to deal with sentimentality, looked to Daros expectedly. His irritability, though off-putting, did not to bother the others. They all understood that the vagabond was not himself. It had been an eventful few hours – life changing even. For every question answered a new arose. For all the positivity of reconciling his past with his father and learning about his mother, there also came confusion about Judicis and the consequences of breaking the seal – and with no way to hide from his new eyes and marked hand. He had no options but to confront his problems – no more running away.

Artemis looked to his father as Daros' sparks began to work at the trio, preparing to drag them back to the Salvaran tundra. As Daros' hand fell upon his shoulder and the image fell away, Artemis whispered into the wind, not expecting anyone to hear his words.

The message reached his father anyways.

"Thanks, Dad..."

[SirArtemis]

Spoils:

Artemis has broken the magical seal that was placed upon him by his mother and is now able to freely communicate with Judicis. Conversations that occur with the sentient spirit of the bow, within the real world or magical realm, occur in real time.

The breaking of the seal has also unlocked Artemis' magic capacity, and he is now able to use his infra-vision ocular ability at will. He is also capable of other ocular abilities that he is not yet aware of but will be discovered with time.

His magical identity will also reveal other hidden abilities that he also is not yet aware of (and neither am I).


Daros has also gathered a collection of ingredients to be used in another thread to create a magical armor.

[Silence Sei]

Story: 7. You seem to be getting better at telling a good story Artemis, though the switching between Judicis and Artemis between posts really threw me off when you did it. If you want something to go on in your characters mind without said character being there, it’d be better to just make a cutaway like the squiggly lines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, you guys.

Strategy: 7. Jay’s plan to reconcile Artie with his daddy had some good strategy elements to it, and Judicis wanting the same goal, only for it to turn out that it unlocked Arties hidden power? Brilliant.

Setting: 4. I’m sorry Artie, but there was just not enough detail into the settings you provided. You said Artie’s dad put some wood in the fire, could you smell the smoke? In the room where Arties dad revealed Artie’s origins, I had to imagine a run-down break room with a single table. This is because you didn’t provide enough detail into such things like the floor, or the walls. Sometimes, just these things are easily covered in a single sentence, and would have flushed out what I imagined a lot more.

Continuity: 7. You did a good job incorporating your story into Althanas lore a little. I mean, pre-destroyed Knife’s Edge was mentioned, and even some vague references about moving to Underwood was made, but there was really no environmental outlook to it You could have had people mumbling about their uneaseiness with the Church, made a mention about how it was unfortunate that after Arties neighbors moved away, they moved to a town that subsequientially got burned down, or if you're pre-underwood burn down, you could have had your dad hear rumors about the Corone Empire coming to burn down Underwood eventually. Little touches man, little touches.

Interaction: 8. On this occasion, your interaction was great except for one thing (more on that later).

Character: 5. While your characters were believable, I find it hard to believe that every single one of them would have used the phrase ‘breaking the seal’. In my opinion, that’s a weak phrase anyways, you could have substituted a lot of words for seal. Limiter, enchantment, curse, hidden potential. Any of those words would have been fine instead of constantly saying ‘break/ing/broke the seal’

Creativity: 8. I will say that Artie not actually being conceived by his father did throw me for a loop. The meeting with Judicis was predictable and I would have liked to have seen that busted up in another quest. Maybe like Judicis constantly interrupting Artie during intense training/battle.

Mechanics: 10. Honestly, its damn hard for me to ever find errors in your work, Artie. It’s a good part of the reason I make you proofread the stuff I want to be really good.

Clarity: 6. There were parts that confused me, like the jumping between Artie and Jud, as well as Davos’ house. If you would have given better locations to the baubles and magics around the house, it would have helped. (Fish tree a few feet in front of the door, for example)

Wildcard: 7. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed judging it. Good job Artie.

Total: 69/100

SirArtemis gains 1400 Exp, 0 GP, but all spoils approved pending RoG approval.

[Letho]

EXP/GP added!