Chapter 7

For the rest of the night Artemis stayed silent and went to sleep silent as well. She was frustrated that she was uprooted from the Human World and brought here to the Beastworld to be sent out all on her own. She was grateful that her brother and uncle stepped into the picture but she was becoming overwhelmed with the constant changes. During the night Artemis dreamt about living on her own. She had built a nice house that fit her perfectly. She had a lot of land and a farm as well. Like in the human world there were animals roaming around while she worked in the fields. Suddenly she saw a litter of cubs playing in a puppy pile. She stood upright to get a better look and discovered she had an enlarged stomach as well. She had to put one hand on her back and one hand on her stomach as well to support herself.

Artemis jumped awake gasping for air and holding her back. 'It was just a dream' she told herself. Trying to relax her breathing before she hyperventilated. Artemis rolled out of bed and went over to the water basin to get a drink of water. She almost didn't notice her uncle sitting at the water basin as well. "You're awake" she said to him before taking a sip of her water. "I couldn't sleep so I refilled the water, '' Kasper shrugged. Artemis grabbed her favorite quilt and went to sit outside under the dark shy and bright stars Kasper joined her with a pot of tea. "Uncle Kasper. The skies here are the same as the skies in the Human World" Artemis said. "Do you miss it? Being back there?" Kasper asked her. "Not really. The same things I'm doing here I did there except I talk to more people now" Artemis said. Grandma Shuu must have really upset you last night" Kasper pointed out. "I know she had good intentions but my feelings were still hurt. I'm not sure that if I go out I'll know what I'm doing. Will I be happy? Like I am now?" Artemis said. "Calm your heart my dear niece. Sometimes you just have to step out there to see where your own path leads you. Grandma Shuu said that this is the way to do it and she hasn't really led you astray so far" Kasper said. "You're scared, trust me, I know. That's how I felt when I was stuck in the human world. I had dug a hole and hid while finding my way until grandma Shuu found me and gave me blankets and food. If I had immediately come inside under her care I wouldn't know how to fend for myself. I wouldn't know what it would feel like to be out there all alone." Kasper said to her.

Artemis sat quietly for a moment. Then she said "I had a dream. I dreamt I was happily living in my own place. It was a home built inside of a small mountain. I did have more space than I did in the little cottage and I had a farm with animals. I don't have animals here though. And we only had just a few animals on the farm in the human world. They were too much money that we didn't have" Artemis told him."You can make all of that happen with just one word. Being a Princess could have its perks" Kasper said to her. "Thanks for the tea uncle. I'm going to get back in bed now. I think my mind is too worked up and needs some rest" Artemis said before going back inside. When Artemis had drifted off back to sleep Kasper had gotten a bright idea. He silently woke Apollo up and took him away from the little cottage on a walk. "Where exactly are we going this late at night?" Apollo asked, scratching his head. "I want to make Artemis feel comfortable about living all on her own. She told me about a dream she had where she lived in a home made inside of a mountain" Kasper told Apollo "She really told you about her dream?" Apollo asked. "Yes. And i think if i can help her she won't be so sad about being all on her own" Kasper. "I think that would make her happy too," Apollo said, nodding his head. They were quite a distance from Grandma Shuu's little cottage and it wasn't too bad of a stroll over. Kasper and Apollo looked around and observed the area. "There" Kasper said, pointing a little further out. There was a tall and wide mountain covered mostly with moss. The little mountain sat in front of a bigger mountain and then there were just huge trees everywhere. "Yes she would love this" Apollo said, nodding and looking around. "Hey did you know that Danny boy followed us all of the way out here" Apollo whispered to Kasper. "Did you both notice the eagle that was following all of us?" Kasper asked Apollo. Both of them burst into laughter uncontrollably. Kasper took down a few branches and made a marking to stake into the ground for later.

After staking the ground Apollo and Kasper left followed by Daniel sneaking silently back as well. Bowen the Eagle Beastman stayed behind. He knew his and the other wolf beastmen covers had been blown, he can hear perfectly fine. He knew what Kasper and Apollo were planning and was trying to find a way to help out somehow. Bowen went back to his temporary nest and looked inside his sachet of tools trying to figure out what to do. "She dreamt of a home in the mountains" he said to himself. That's when he spotted his chisel and hammer and pickaxe. Bowen snatched them up and then flew back over to Artemis' mountain where he got to work. "Hopefully she will like my efforts" Bowen said to himself. Bowen worked for the rest of the night and into the late morning digging through the cave. As a Beastman he had the strength and endurance to dig at a quick pace for a very long time. He knew Artemis wouldn't be around anytime soon until the afternoon because Grandma Shuu took her time taking great care in getting her up in the morning with breakfast and everything. When Bowen finally decided to stop working he gathered his tools and then went to the river to bathe and wash off.

After bathing for quite a while Bowen got out of the water and headed back to his temporary nest by foot. "You've gained a stripe my son" came a man's voice from behind a tree. Bowen stopped in his tracks. "Father?" He said turning around in circles. "Father?" He called out again.

(Flash Back to Twenty Years ago

Somewhere In the Eagle Village)

"John, how could you be so careless?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "I don't know. I was in a rush and didn't pay attention and they followed me there. Next thing I know those females we're burning the house down and hacking at her with knives. How can females be that cruel to another pregnant female" John explained but still confused on what he saw himself. "The Wolf Princess Grandma Shuu couldn't make it there in time to save her daughter and granddaughter together; she could only take her granddaughter out if her daughter's arms and she lay there unmoving" John said. Suddenly you could hear a baby crying Muffled and hidden out of sight. "John, I thought you said the baby was safe with her grandmother?" Caroline demanded looking for the crying baby. John took his pouch off of his back. "She took the baby girl who had been taken out of her mothers womb. This is the boy cub that had been left inside the mother to die" John said, unwrapping the baby cub and presenting it to his mate…

(Present day in Beastworld

"You've improved a lot since I've last seen you. Have you been studying what I've taught you and the books I've given you" John asked his son Bowen, stepping into eyesight. "Yes father, I study hard everyday, ''Bowen said, kneeling to his father. "Very good son. You must not lack anywhere if you're going to be a royal doctor. This Princess is not as easy to please" John said. "I promise you father to excel in everything,"Bowed proclaimed. "Come with me son. I have a few more things to teach you before I let you go for good" John said to his only biological son. John took Bowen and flew to a far distant cave. "Father why are we so far away. It won't be easy to get to the Princess if she is in danger" Bowen complained. "I know Son. But what I teach you next is critical. This will only take a few days" John reassured Bowen.

John lit a couple of torches throughout the cave giving it light and more of a homely feeling. There were a couple of tables and a couple of chairs then there were books and papers everywhere. "Father, where did you get all of these books from?" Bowen exclaimed. "Being a royal doctor permits me to study and take notes of everything ive seen and experienced during my work. I now can pass that knowledge on to you" John said, looking through a pile of books. "Really! Artemis is going to be proud" Bowen said, sitting down at a table ready to learn. "Don't worry son. When we're done you'll know more than enough to know to make her happy" John said, patting Bowen's back and setting a couple of books down in front of him. "Thank you father. Thank you so much" Bowen said, flipping through the pages. "You'll learn how to be her doctor and I'll teach you how to be her husband as well son" John said sitting down in another chair. "You know Bowen. I can never forgive myself for all of the mistakes I made twenty years ago. These days I have been trying to make up for those mistakes and right all of my wrongs" John said to Bowen.

"Don't worry about me father. You have done your best despite being a single father to not just your biological son but your adoptive son as well" Bowen said encouraging his father. "Apollo must think I'm dead. I almost couldn't convince him to save himself and run away" Bowen said, remembering the day he was almost assassinated in his own home. " I wish I would have been there for you father. I'm a good warrior, uncle James said. But he still treats me indifferently" Bowen said disappointed. Bowen and John had hoped that The Eagle King would warm up to his nephew and take him in under his wing. But the Eagle King James was jealous and spiteful; he almost made Bowen's life hard living in the Eagle Kingdom. Bowen had shown to be adaptive and took whatever difficulties his uncle threw at him ultimately learning how to survive at an early age. Why would a King feel jealousy towards his brother who is a royal doctor? Love is the answer to that. King James had everything he could ever want. Wealth and the looks fit for a King but he just could not get the one he loved. King James thought he had settled for one of the most beautiful women in his kingdom only to find out that she is actually terribly ugly on the inside. Filled with jealousy, rage and greed. And she couldn't even bear a child. It was disappointing and embarrassing. In the end Princess Morena chose another halfbreed over him and his brother.