Part IV

922 Years Earlier

Artemis had always been told that the world would end in silence—not a bang. It would die with a whimper but as she watched her world burn, she realized how wrong they had been. Fire raged through the streets, the flames reflecting off the blade of her sword. The blood on her face was starting to dry in streaks as the cold night wind whipped through her hair and through the robes that covered her.

The screams that sounded through the air were deafening as people fled, each meeting their demise at the gates of the city. The sound of blades cutting through flesh made her flinch. After all of this, she wondered if she would ever be able to look at a blade again.

A woman rushed at her, panic blinding her as she shoved past to get to the gate. Artemis yanked her back by her arm and pushed her to the ground, holding the tip of the sword to the woman’s neck.

“Artemis,” the woman breathed.

Elise.

She and her husband owned the town stables where Artemis boarded her horse. She was such a kind lady, a bit of a busybody but in such a boring town, who wasn’t?

“What are you doing?” Elise asked, pushing the sword away. “We need to leave.”

Artemis gritted her teeth and pressed the edge of the blade into the flesh below the woman’s chin, drawing blood. It shimmered in the moonlight, so bright in the dark night.

No survivors. It had been a simple command, something she had thought she wouldn’t have problems with doing but now, she hesitated. These people were her friends, her family. She had known these people her whole life.

But which was more important to her? Her freedom or a handful of people that had always shunned her anyways. They ignored her unless her father was around. Her father demanded attention—his rank was high enough to make people cower in fear if he looked at them out of the corner of his eye. And yet, no one gave her any respect.

Her father. He would be the last person she killed. After everything he had done, it was fitting for him to die by her hand.

The doubt was gone from her mind as she let Elise stand up. The woman reached for Artemis’s hand to drag her after her but Artemis stopped her.

“Where’s your husband?” she questioned, face blank.

“I don’t know,” she answered, hurriedly. “Is that important right now? We need to leave!”

With one clean motion, Artemis pierced the sword through the woman’s gut and let go of her forearm as she crumpled to the ground. Blood puddle around her, staining her already-dirty clothes. Her eyes were wide as tears of pain formed. She couldn’t form words as the breath left her lungs for the last time.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Artemis crouched down and pulled the woman up so she was inches from her face. “I’ll put a dozen of your favorite flowers on your grave.”

She released her and Elise fell against the ground, dead. Artemis watched the body for a moment, studying the eyes. They were unfocused, staring off into the night sky.

“At least you have a good view of the stars,” she muttered as she headed for the town council building. The guards at the door saluted her as she pushed past and into the meeting room.

Her father stood up, eyes going to her bloodied sword. “What’s going on?”

She smiled, the fatigue catching up to her. “Don’t worry, Father. I have it all under control.”

He sighed in relief and sat back down on his cushion, tucking his legs under him. That’s the kind of town ruler he was—he would sit by as his people died and his village burned. He wouldn’t raise a finger to stop it.

She stepped forward. It was a small step but it brought her closer to her father.

“Father,” she started. “A band of renegades is making their way here. We need to leave.”

His head jerked up. “Renegades?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He looked around the room, thinking. “I’m going to wait for my escort. They’ll keep us safe as we head for the capital.”

Biting her tongue, she stopped herself from protesting. He wouldn’t take her. She knew that. He didn’t want to take her to the capitol. If he did, the King would see what a disappointment she was.

“Father, it’s not safe to wait,” she argued. “I can protect you. We need to go now.”

He stood. “We wait!”

“No!” she shouted. Her voice calmed a little but her heart continued to race. “Father, trust me. Just this once, please.”

He searched her face. “Artemis—.”

The rest of his sentence lingered on the edge of his lips, unsaid.

“Father.”

He nodded. “Let’s go. The escort can catch up.”

Her heart rate spiked as he walked from his cushion to her. He stopped before her, eyes searching hers.

“But if I die,” he started, voice low. It was barely a whisper and gravely, reminder of how terrible he could be. “I blame you.”

He stepped around her and walked to the shoji doors. He parted them slightly and peered out, watching the world as it burned outside. People ran about, frantic as they were cut down, one by one.

“Can we make it?” he turned, coming face to face with Artemis as she held her sword at arm’s length, level with his face. “Daughter—.”

“What?” she snapped, a smirk appearing on her face. “What are you going to do? The same thing you did to my mother?”

He couldn’t find the words to say as she stepped closer, bringing the sword closer to him. Stumbling back, he was stopped by the paper-windowed doors.

“Your reign ends here,” she growled.

In one movement, she lowered the blade and stabbed it into his gut. He let out a gasp as his legs gave way beneath him and he fell to his knees. She kneeled down before him and yanked her sword back. He would bleed out faster without the blade blocking the blood flow.

“What are you now?” she muttered, lifting his chin to meet her eyes. “Nothing. You. Are. Nothing.”

He gasped for air, clutching at his gut as she stepped back.

She opened the doors behind him and kicked him in the chest, making him fall backward onto the porch. Stepping over him, she stepped off and into the dirt, turning back to smirk at him one last time before disappearing into the night.

As she made her way to the outskirts of the village, many people begged for her help but her answer was to push them away. So many times they had pushed her away when she needed their help and now, she could return the favor.

It was strange. As she stepped through the gate and into the woods outside of the village, it felt as if she was coming home. She looked over her shoulder at the fire behind her. Her past would be gone, reduced to nothing but ashes.