Chapter Text
Hello there. My name is Lendruel, and i am here because why not. this is being copied from my fanfiction account at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/3279331/ . My work will be posted there first, so if you like my writing, give it a look. That page also has all the chapters of the story so far, as well as one other, because I'm not finished uploading to this site. Please read and review, because I require constant attention.
~Yours in madness,
Lendruel.
It was a warm, summer evening, with the sun finally beginning to wane. It cast a few last golden, dying rays across a manicured lawn, casting long shadows behind the hedges, reflecting off of the tall windows of the manor. It was a stately affair, a fifteenth-century castle that had been kept in perfect condition over the ages. With a few rather substantial security improvements, of course.
The two hundred acre estate was rather secluded, obscured from any main roads by oak trees and sheer distance. There were fields far around the manor, with grass glowing gold in the setting sun. It was over these fields that a diminutive figure sped, traveling at a speed that would be illegal had she bothered with a car. Or with the ground.
This speed was not one brought by urgency, however. This was a flight of joy, reveling in the splendor of spring and the beauty of nature. A summer sunset was a sight to see, and a rare one when you lived underground. Almost all of her kind loved the surface, and this fairy was no exception. When you combined the first breath of truly fresh air in months with the freedom of flight, it would be expected for anyone to lose their head a little.
Captain Holly Short was above ground, with a brand new set of wings, and she was on vacation.
~
Artemis Fowl II sat in his study. Not his monitoring room, as that was now rarely used after his father’s return, but in his more recently created office. It was separate from his bedroom- he had decided that a separate room for work would provide an environment free from distraction. He was wrong. The room was lined wall to wall with books, ranging from weathered tomes of ancient text to modern romance, to books he himself had published. The bookshelves were broken at some points by tall stained-glass windows, abstract designs swirling across the surface. Despite the efforts of the staff, the room could not be properly dusted. Something to do with the combination of a carpeted room and too many books seemed to attract little particles of dust, floating in the rays of light that played across the room.
He was currently relaxing in a high backed leather chair, reading one of his many books. Neglecting his work. He was supposed to be annihilating enemy corporations, but he just kept picking up this book. It had been a gift, a popular novel among the People. It was a collection of short stories, with no defining genre- some horror, some romance. Not exactly his style, but the cultural differences and similarities were fascinating to him. They were surprisingly similar in so many ways…
He set the book down, sighing. He was halfway through the book, having already read it repeatedly. As his computer went to sleep, with an offended little beep, he gave up. Picking up the book and shutting down the computer, he wandered back to his room. The warm weather seemed to be having an effect on him- his focus seemed much more inclined to drift as of late.
Tossing the book onto his bed from across the room, he soon followed suit. Stretching his arms and leaving one behind his head for support, he crossed his legs and picked up the book again. The heat had made him unwilling to slick back his hair constantly, as lethargy had begun to set in in the mornings. One stray lock of hair dangled in his eye, obscuring his vision. He pushed it away impatiently, allowing his one hazel eye to see properly. His other, a bright ice blue, was already deeply focused on his reading. He had a look of utter concentration on his face, analyzing every detail. His eyes were slightly widened, and he seemed completely at peace. As if he had everything he could ever need, just as long as he was learning.
The golden beams of sun were still illuminating his frame, through the open window by his desk. His room faced outwards, overlooking the expansive gardens and fields of Fowl Manor. If he had been looking, he would have told himself that it was probably just a bird that shimmered out of sight in the distance. But he wasn’t looking, and Holly short went unseen as she crept up to the house.
~
Holly made an addition to the mental list of things to thank Foaly for. This new wing design was perfect- lightweight, thought sensitive, and not even “whisper silent”, as the old ones had been referred to as. These were purely silent, the wings not making a sound as the propelled her forwards. She did so now, gliding towards the window on the second floor of the manor, grinning slightly. She had him this time.
Of course, she wasn’t wearing a helmet, as those were only for when the job required. Flying without was incomparably better. Her auburn hair was whipped around her face, and would have been a complete mess had it been as long as some other elves wore it. With her shorter hair, however, it settled for “interestingly windswept”. She could hear only the wind in her ears, the pointed appendages unable to make out anything else despite their increase sensitivity over humans.
She stowed her wings a few feet above his window and dropped soundlessly onto the sill. The wings were left to hang in the mouth of a stone gargoyle- they could be retrieved later.
Stepping lightly into the bedroom, still shielded, she spied Artemis. He appeared to have fallen asleep, one hand behind his head and a book open on his chest. He was breathing evenly, eyes closed.
This is going to be good, Holly thought. She crept over to the sleeping teen, eyeing him for any signs of awareness. There were none.
She stood at the side of his bed, now, and grinned even wider. She imagined what she would look like if only her teeth were unshielded- a Cheshire cat, floating in space. She reached out, to grab Artemis’ shoulder and scare the life out of him. An inch away from his perfectly tailored shirt, Holly had the life scared out of her.
“Why, Hello, Holly.” A hand had shot up, snatching her wrist gently where it hovered. “Whatever are you doing here?”
“D’arvit!” Holly had jumped about a foot in the air, exclaiming loudly as her plan was foiled once again. “How do you always do that, arty? I didn’t make a sound!”
Artemis’s eyes remained closed, but his patented vampire smirk had emerged.
“I must be allowed to keep some secrets, Holly. How else am I to appear mysterious and enigmatic?” he relinquished her hand, and raised the book that had previously lain open on his chest.
“I’ve been reading your gift, by the way. It has proved to be… surprisingly informative. You have rather good taste.” Holly bit back a laugh at this, taking the book from him.
“This book? Really? Because, in haven, this author is the equivalent of Stephanie Meyer.” Artimis’ eyes shot open.
“What.”
“Yup! You’ve been reading at the reading level of a teenage girl, fairy or not. I never expected you to take it so seriously!” Holly was truly laughing now, and had to hold on to the frame of his bed for support. Artemis was not amused.
“How could you, Holly! You have subjected me to such terrible literature without my knowledge? I feel so violated!” Holly only laughed harder at his indignation, so Artemis tried a new tactic.
“You might even say I feel… dirty.” He grinned mischievously. “Now I have to get even.
After all,” and he smiled even wider now, “you’ve been bad.”
Holly stopped laughing. And gulped audibly.
“Now then, while I have your attention. You wanted something?” Artemis leaned back, content with yet another victory.