Chapter LXXV: Even A Bird Will Leave Its Nest -Artemis Evangelina

Artemis had asked her questions, and had gotten the answers she had been searching for, but yet, there was something he was not telling her. She didn’t know what it was, but she did know that she couldn’t rest until she found out what was really going on. After talking to her awhile, Multex went back to talking with the other creature that he knew. So, Artemis settled herself at a table behind, but close to the two creatures to see if she could accidentally listen in on their conversation. They were whispering, and she couldn’t make out what the two were saying, save a few scarce words about the forest. Artemis stood up slightly, and slid her stool a few inches closer, straining to hear what they were saying. After a few moments passed by, she did the same thing, except the other creature turned his head slightly, and saw her moving in closer to listen, then when he turned back to continue the conversation, he spoke in a different language.

Artemis muttered a few small curses, and rested her chin in her hands, placing her elbows on the table as she watched the two creatures talk excitedly in a different language. If she couldn’t understand their verbal speech, then she would listen to the speech of their tones. They were talking very rapidly, and Multex seemed to be slightly upset about something. After a few moments, the other creature made a gesture that seemed like he was motioning to Multex’s right eye, the diamond-shaped one. Artemis sighed, and narrowed her eyes, listening to the earthly life outside of the building. It was nighttime, nearing ten o’clock in the evening, and the entrance to her forest was about a mile away from the town. The animals of the town were confused, for their town boundaries no longer extended into the land that normally surrounded it, but now extended into other pieces of land from other places. Artemis could sympathize with the animals of the town, because like them, she was slightly afraid, though she would never show it. Not being able to contact Kamiko or even Jake scared her. She even had limits on the distance she could contact Fang in, which was something that had never been.

Multex stood up from his stool, and she did the same. They walked out of the building, and the two creatures exchanged what seemed like a farewell before the other creature walked out into the street, and took to the air like a bird on wing. Artemis watched amazed for a moment, not noticing the Agent’s glance her way. She soon turned his way, and glanced up at the moon for a moment, noticing the full moon before she looked back at him.
"It is after ten o’clock Agent, and I advice that we seek a place to rest, for tomorrow we set out on your adventure, and a good-night’s sleep will be needed." She told him. Artemis smiled to herself when she saw him flinch slightly when she had said ‘we.’ "I suggest that we do not use the town inn, but for you to save your money…if you even have the money custom to this dimension." He flinched again, knowing that she had hit a very important point.
"Then what do you propose we do, miss?" He replied stiffly. Artemis rolled her eyes, and sighed.
"For one thing, you can stop referring to me as ‘miss’, and start calling me Artemis. As for what to do, let us go back to my hut in the forest, for I need to refill my powders, previsions, and my quiver to make ready for our journey. If you trust me, then I can get us there in a moment’s time, instead of having to walk back into the forest. Besides, it is dark, and I do not trust even my own forest in the dark." She replied matter-of-factly. "Do you trust me?" Multex looked her over a moment, and replied,
"No, but you did have a good point about the money thing, and I don’t fancy sleeping on the ground." Artemis rolled her eyes again, and nodded, motioning for the Agent to follow her as she walked a minute to the edge of the town. By this time, short as it was, the Agent was getting impatient.
"Just how do you plan to get us there? Osmosis?" He asked, slightly aggravated. Artemis pulled out her small wooden flute from one of her side belt pouches, and looked up at him in confusion.
"I do not know what this…osmosis…is, but we will get there by teleportation magic, a small trick taught to me by Kamiko." She replied as she lifted the flute to her lips, and started to play a soft, simple but powerful melody that seemed to encircle the two in a blue light of its music. Within the minute, Artemis lowered the flute from her lips as the melody finished, and they stood before a large tree of oak, her hut a short distance from the ground into the tree.
"You live…in a tree? Why am I not surprised…" Multex muttered under his breath. Artemis ignored the comment, and turned to him after securing the flute to her belt.
"Climb the tree, and you’ll enter my hut. Feel free to make yourself at home, and use whatever you wish, I’ll see you in the morning. I hope you like rabbit meat." She told him before leaping into the tree, into her hut, before leaping once again onto the roof.

Artemis sat in the shadows, watching as the creature laboriously climbed the tree, finally making it to her hut. She laid down, her hands behind her head as she looked into the star-lit sky. She did not try to contact Fang, because she knew that her guardian would try and convince her to stay in the forest after aiding the creature to where he needed to go. That wasn’t her plan though, for there was something about this creature that struck her attention, and it wasn’t the fact that he was totally unlike any human or creature she had ever met. There was something…some kind of power that was drawing her away from the forest. It was frightening, but yet thrilling, the idea of leaving the forest. ‘However…’ Artemis thought. ‘Even a bird must one day leave its nest…’