"tough choice- last chapter -" by Connie Jay Mentira

Artemis kicked back and connected with Dan’s shins. He grunted and dropped his arms with a growl, clutching his left leg. Artemis lashed out and smacked his fist into Walstrom’s nose, more blood spotting his knuckles. Walstrom fell back with a grunt, the Knife falling from his hand. Damien clapped his hands to his face, suddenly still.

Dan lunged at Artemis, smashing into him and throwing his arms tight around his shoulders. He drove his elbows into his stomach and slid out under his hold, turning swiftly and slamming the heel of his boot into Dan’s cheek, and loud crack broke from his head with the impact. His eyes flashed open before sliding to the ground with a pained sigh and a few teeth falling from his mouth.

Artemis hopped back and turned to Damien, who still sat with his hands to his face.

“Please, get up! You have to!”

Nothing.

Artemis sighed angrily and heaved the silent Sang-Buveur into his arms, kicking the chair away and rushing up the stairs. When he got to the door that led down to where the two unconscious men lay, he drew the heavy wooden board across the door, sliding it into its designated slot. He stared at the door worriedly before a muffled groan got his attention.

Blood was trickling from between Damien’s fingers.

Artemis led him to the infirmary, his own hand pressing against Damien’s to apply more pressure. The small woman who worked there looked up in shock. Damien had finally pulled away a hand, and what was visible of his face was a mask of pain.

His teeth were bared and clenched, blood turning his white jaws red as it flowed into his mouth. The hand that was still pressed to his face was tensed, the tendons protruding from his skin, and his other hand was clenched into a fist at his side. His eye rolled into his head, and his jaws parted to let a yell of pain break from his throat.

The woman vanished as Damien roared, and returned with a long strip of bandages and an ointment of some kind.

“What’s with everyone and slitting themselves open?” she muttered under her breath.

Damien slid to his knees, and the woman tried to pry away his hand away. Artemis gently pushed her hand away and whispered to Damien.

“We’re trying to help you. Please, move your hand.”

He did so hesitantly, and the woman and Artemis recoiled. They could see Damien’s teeth and tongue from the giant, bleeding gash that spread from his temple down his cheek to his chin. Blood flowed down from his open cheek onto his white under-shirt (the only article of clothing he was allowed to have, along with ragged brown trousers and some old army boots).

His shoulder was covered with a huge blood stain, and it quickly spread across the front of his chest and down to his stomach. He slumped over onto his side, a sigh hissing from his teeth, his eyes squeezed closed and his teeth bore. His hand was slick with blood.

Artemis lifted his head and pressed the cloth to his wound, pushing down around the gash so as not to enter the wound and harm him any further. The cloth soaked up the blood quickly, and he had no choice but to pile the cloth against his cheek. He blinked away the sudden moister in his eyes and bit his tongue, a scowl crossing over his face.

He scooped up his unconscious lover and held him tightly in his arms, tucking the poultice in his trouser pocket before rushing back to his room. He laid Damien down on the mussed bed before diving under the bed and pulling out his dusty travel bag, throwing clothes from his drawers and closet into the leather bag.

He barely heard the knock over his internal raving, and turned to see his sister standing in the doorway with a look of shock plastered on her face. She breathed raggedly at the suddenly groaning Damien, who writhed in pain. Another scream broke from his throat, followed by long, raspy growls and snarls of anger. He raised his hands to his face, but didn’t touch his skin. His breathing was heavy and broken by him coughing up blood.

Artemis looked away from his task and pressed his bed-sheets to Damien’s face, gently touching his fingertips to his un-wounded cheek. He turned to his stunned sister.

“You can stay here with those pathetic…” he searched for the proper term for the unconscious torturers he despised so much, and came up with none. He gestured angrily and started to yell.

“But I’m leaving! I’m done! I’m sick of the people here, hurting anyone who isn’t one of them!!”

He turned his back and threw more articles of clothing into his travel bag, clicking it closed, flashing a glare at his sister, his lip twitching.

“You can stay if you want, but the least you can do is get me a carriage out of here.”

She nodded numbly, hurrying away from her agitated brother and screaming prisoner.

~ ~ ~

Artemis pulled the reins and looked up at the old cabin, brushing away rain drops out of his face.

Damien looked up, wincing at the pull of movement on his stitches, gently brushing a finger across the bumpy lines.

“How hard was it for you?” he murmured, taking Artemis’ hand, drawing circles on the back of his hand with his thumb.

Artemis looked down at him.

“It was a tough choice, but I made my choice, and I know I won’t regret it. I hated that place, with all of the anger and sadness and violence. How could I stay in a place that made me go crazy? Well, slightly crazy.

“I’ll miss my sister, but she made a choice as well, and I can’t change her mind. She chose to stay, I chose to leave, simple as that. It’s a shame that I’m separated from her, but I have to believe that I’ll see her again. She can’t avoid me forever!”

He smiled sadly, his ears twitching at the hoot of an owl.

Pine trees surrounded them, only breaking apart for the cabin’s clearing. Dead pine needles covered the mossy ground, snapping lightly under the black mare’s hooves. Her ears swiveled and she shook her head and pawed the ground, snorting quietly.

Artemis leaned forward and patted her flank.

He jumped down from the carriage’s seat, turning and helping down the wounded king. When his feet touched the ground, Artemis wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him deeply. Damien winced, but returned the embrace, placing his hand against his heart, feeling it beat against his palm.

Artemis broke away but kept his lips close to Damien’s, whispering.

“What will you do now, my lord?” he chuckled, brushing his mouth across his stitches.

Damien gasped, from pain and pleasure.

“How about go inside and start a fire?” he said shakily.

Artemis jumped away, leaping up into a tree and breaking away a dry, hefty branch, tossing it down by Damien’s feet. He stepped away, startled.

“I’ll get the kindle, you strip away the bark from that and I’ll use it as starter.”

Artemis winked and smiled, tapping his index and middle fingers to his forehead in salute, before crawling like a squirrel higher up into the tree. Damien smiled.

He shuffled to the cabin, stepping inside quickly as more branches started to rain down, along with the normal rain. He looked around the small room, raising his eyebrows at the large, un-suspected bed pushed up against the wall. He made a sound of surprise.

“This was a cabin they used for training new recruits.”

He whirled to see Artemis drop a couple twigs into the stone hearth opposite him, his face calm. He picked up the first branch and flicked out a small knife, scraping away the dry, crackly bark. He piled it with the twigs, coming up with flint, dragging the blade of his knife against the stone. The sparks showered onto the pile, and caught fire quickly. He put a few thinner branches in the small flame, sitting back.

Damien sat down beside him. He had lost all feeling in the left side of his face.

“I trained here,” Artemis murmured. He looked at Damien, who had only his trousers to wear, seeing his shirt was no longer wearable. His chest was lightly scarred, the faint lines crossing over the tanned skin. Damien looked away, a blush crossing over his face as he tried in vain to cover his body. He felt Artemis’ gentle hand brush up on his spine, and he arched backward and moaned lightly. He felt soft lips touch against his neck, and tilted his head.

He was surprised when rough hands grabbed his shoulders and turned him to Artemis, whose face was one of desire. He pressed his mouth against his roughly, his hands exploring his body fervently.

Damien pulled away.

“What’re you doing?” he gasped, breathing raggedly, though he wanted desperately to have those lips back.

Artemis smiled and leaned over him, pushing him onto his back, his hands brushing across his chest and stomach, cradling his neck. His other hand slid down to his hip, his fingers splaying across his twitching leg. He pushed his leg up until it was over his waist, and he bent and pressed his lips to Damien’s collar-bone.

“Celebrating, love. I’m celebrating the fact that, one, you’re here with me, alive and alone, and two, that I am unemployed now. What is there not to celebrate?”

His mouth brushed downward to his stomach.

“You know I love you,” he whispered against the firm skin.

“Sure you do.”

                                                                Maybe The End?