The Lost Arrow

Artemis had been travelling around the United Kingdom, she ended up at a forest in Yorkshire. She sighed to herself as she knew the only way to get further on - to the camp site - was to go into this massive forest. She cursed under her breath before she walked cautiously into the dark, mysterious forest. "This place is... nice." she muttered to herself before walking to an oak tree. She had lost her way and had no idea where the rest of her friends were - they were supposed to be on a camping trip with her. She got out her phone from her inside pocket of her green robe, her hood had shaded her face from the sunlight which shone down at her.
Artemis growled at her phone as it said No signal. She looked into her camping bag and got her wooden bow out and the arrows she had. She put the arrows into a pouch and attached the pouch onto her back and she examined her bow, she pulled the string back and let go, she smiled at herself. She knew if something was going to attack her, she would be fine.
Then suddenly, loud screams had echoed through the forest. The screams sounded like Artemis' friends. Her eyes had widened and she stood up quickly, getting an arrow out of the pouch and attaching the end onto the string of her bow, readying herself for anything.

Arthur ran through the forest, his coat snagging on stray sticks and branches as he went. He could hear the disruption around him, and in the distance, he could see smoke rising, fire. He was more accustomed to the streets of London not the woodland of Yorkshire. Nonetheless, here he was. As these thoughts, amongst others, raced through his mind he bumped into someone. A girl, young and blonde. He stopped running. There wasn't supposed to be people here. It was too dangerous. With a raised eyebrow he demanded in his thick Irish accent: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Artemis had heard the rustling of sticks being disturbed, she aimed her bow and arrow, she was looking around for anything big and viscous. What she didn't expect though, was a man - who had bumped into her. She looked to him and heard his Irish accent, she blinked before talking: "I'm Artemis. Who may you be?" She asked, her accent had hints of Scottish inheritance and she still had her bow and arrow ready, she backed up and aimed it at him, "You better tell me you are human, and not one of those many creatures that I have been told about, and I need to make sure you won't hurt or kill me." She said rather quickly, her voice sounding somewhat nervous but it did not shake.

Arthur cocked his head to the side. He wasn't exactly human... but he was close enough. He figured if you were humanoid, and not entirely sure what species you were anyway, then you counted. "Arthur." he said, again not entirely the truth. He was the Stranger, a wanderer without a name or a home, but Arthur Jurgens was the name he had 'borrowed' for the past year or so. "I'm not going to hurt you..." he said softly, but his accent harshened it. He held his hands up to calm to her, "Let's put the bow down for a moment, and sort this mess out..."

Artemis sighed a little and lowered her bow, "W-what's going on around here?" she said, her expression turning sad, "I-I heard my friends.... screaming." she looked down and closed her eyes, she tried to shake it off but the screaming kept going through her head. She held her head and looked to Arthur, "There are monsters here, aren't there?" she murmured, her Scottish accent would come and go through her words, showing she was slightly losing it.

Arthur paused. He wasn't great with people. Slowly, he placed his hand on her shoulder and said as reassuringly as he could: "It's going to be alright. There are always monsters in the world. Not so much a metaphor. But for every piece of bad there is an equinox, a goodness to balance it." His eyes were less cold now, less distant. "I don't know you, but when I look at you, I know one thing: you're a survivor." he paused for a long time, wondering whether he'd been a little... over the top. "Come on." His voice was softer but still notably accented. He gestured to his right and turned, starting to walk onwards at a steadier pace so she could follow.

Artemis looked to Arthur as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled slightly at his reassurance and as he called her a survivor she only smiled more. She put her arrow back with the others in her pouch on her back. She slowly attached her bow and as she did she looked to him, nodding a little as she started to walk with him, staying close behind him, occasionally looking around to make sure nothing would attack them.

In truth, Arthur wasn't exactly sure what he was doing here, he rarely knew where he was going and why. He found that the universe guided him, finding a purpose. It was hard to spend years thinking you were one person, just to find out you weren't. He wasn't even Arthur Jurgens. He was the self-appointed Stranger. Her friends were dead. There wasn't any evidence but Arthur could feel it, he didn't say anything but he could feel it. "Okay..." he muttered to himself, "So what are we doing here?" He spotted something move in the trees beyond and immediately stuck out his arm to stop the girl behind him. He didn't say anything as he looked around. He was pretty sure that whatever was here with them wasn't just a squirrel...

Artemis kept watching out and she started to fear the worst, her friends were dead. She sighed to herself and slowly shook her head, she knew she wouldn't get over it completely, just like her parent's deaths, but she needed to get over it, enough to make her strong and confident to fight whatever had killed her friends. She got her phone out and sighed, still no signal and her battery was running out. She cursed under her breath before putting it back into the inside pocket of her cloak. Artemis looked to Arthur and tilted her head confusingly, "I-I thought you knew where you were going." she said, feeling quite nervous now, "I was only here for a camping trip, not a trip to stop monsters..." she muttered under her breath to herself. She noticed him raise his arm out and she stopped immediately, getting her bow and arrow ready.

"I know exactly where I'm going," he lied, "it's just the route I'm finding... Interesting." His eyes followed the shadows. Whatever was out there was new. Unique. "How good a shot are you?" He asked slowly, it was half small talk, half the beginnings of a plan. He fumbled around in his pocket until he found a cigarette, he lit it, the grasped it between his teeth. A jet of smoke billowed out then he let it fall to the ground and stamped it out. "Terrible habit..." He muttered. Then he lit up the lighter once more. "Lets see what you think of fire," he taunted the shadow beast, a daring, arrogant, glint in his eye.

Artemis sighed a little, shaking her head before she aimed her bow at the shadows, "I am a pretty good shot, these wee arrows have been helpful all my life." she said, her accent was on full affect. Her eyes wildly followed the shadows and she followed with her aim, she looked to Arthur, his smoke distracted her and she slightly glared before sighing and shaking her head again, she looked to him as he lit his lighter. "W-what are you doing?" she said quietly, "You could be attracting the monster..."

Arthur chuckled: "won't know until you try." The flame danced in his hand like a flickering candle. The shadows seemed to be still, as if watching, intoxicated by the orange light. Arthur leaned towards Artemis, being careful to keep the fire at arms distance. "Not going to be a better chance Art," he whispered, abbreviating her name without a second thought, "Take the shot."

Artemis looked at Arthur and shook her head with a smile, she watched as the shadows were still, watching the flame, she was also watching the flame. She quickly shook her head from her own trance from the light and she looked to him, giving him a small nod, saying she was ready - without words. She aimed her bow and took her chance by quickly shooting her arrow at the shadows, immediately grabbing a second arrow and aiming it, making sure she got the shadows.

The Stranger grinned cockily as the beast fell, landing in a heap by their feet. It was a murky brown in colour and seemed as if it had been patched together. Arthur knelt down as if to check its pulse, but instead snapped its neck briskly to one side, ending its life for good if it had somehow survived. He jumped up, brushed his hair to the side, and smirked:"well, come on then." As if they had never been interrupted, he marched onwards.

Artemis sighed and looked away, she didn't like shooting her arrows at anything but she had to, for her friends. Artemis heard a small cracking sound and she felt sick because of it. She looked to Arthur before slowly nodding and she followed him but with some distance. She was wondering who exactly he was and why he was grinning at the monster when it fell to the floor. She was confused but her face showed no emotion... she was expressionless.

The Stranger would find himself stopping at random intervals, spinning in a circle and pointing off in one direction them walking in the other. He was even confusing himself now. He sniffed. He was following the distinctive smell of Siridium, an alien element he'd seen on the beast earlier. But that creature hadn't been alien, it was man-made... Arthur turned suddenly to Artemis:"How many friends did you say came here with you? And whose idea was it?"

Artemis sighed, following him. She was getting confused by him and she felt like he was making it up when he said about how he knew where he was going. She blinked at Arthur as he asked her those questions so suddenly. She took a small breath in, thinking hard, she couldn't really remember whose idea it was to come into this place but she rubbed the back of her head, "Erm, there was seven of us and I think it was..." she paused and hit her head, "I-It was my idea... but I didn't know there were monsters roaming Yorkshire's woodland, it doesn't sound exactly normal to me." she lowered her head slightly and closed her eyes, calming herself down. Inside her head, Artemis was blaming herself, What have I done?! she shouted angrily at herself, Such an idiot! What the hell have I done?! I killed my friends! All because of my stupid idea!

Arthur cocked his head to the side. It really was just an innocent trip to the forest, no luck there in finding who was behind these creatures. And it was definitely a who. These creatures didn't just appear, they were made. They had the monster, now they just needed the Dr Frankenstein. He snapped back to reality. The girl was good at hiding her feelings, but she couldn't fool him. He had a knack for reading people, he just usually ignored them. That said, she was clearly in distress and needing a pat on the back, and as much as Arthur hated to admit it, he quite liked her, she made a useful sidekick for the time being at least. "Don't blame yourself," he said softly. He found that the softer his voice got, the more Irish it sounded. "It wasn't your fault, like you said: you didn't know." Arthur looked into her eyes with his own sea green eyes. "There'll be time for grief later, try to concentrate on the task at hand and you might find it easier to cope for now..."

Artemis heard him speak softly to her and she raised her head to look back into his eyes, her green eyes were focused on his. She nodded, with a sigh, "I-I guess, I know how grief works... I am used to it." she said before her eyes snapped away from his and she looked away, her face was somewhat emotionless and she lowered her head as she continued to walk ahead, she needed some time alone, but she knew she couldn't go on her own, she needed Arthur to be there to help her, but she shook her head at her own thoughts and sighed deeply, she continued to walk away sadly.

Arthur couldn't let her just walk off on her own, it was too dangerous. He ran after her at a light pace until he caught up. Keeping a few steps behind her to give her room to think, he now followed her. He hoped she didn't notice that this clearly revealed he had no idea where he was going. Arthur raised an eyebrow when he heard a gentle whistling. Was that her? he shrugged. Maybe.

Artemis heard whistling and she quickly stopped still, "W-who was that?" she whispered, but her Scottish accent naturally made her sound as if she was talking normal volume, she turned to Arthur, "Were you whistling just now?" she tilted her head a little, wondering if it was him or someone else. She definitely wasn't whistling and she wasn't in the mood to even consider whistling any sort of tune.

Arthur shook his head and tried to grin comfortingly. "I thought it was you..." he glanced around for the cause of the whistling. He vaguely recognised the tune it was whispering. Arthur dipped his hands into his pocket, his hand gripped a pair of sunglasses, not what he was looking for. Then his other hand found a revolver. He kept it in his pocket hidden out of Artemis' sight, but he figured it was better safe than sorry.

She looked around and shook her head, "No it wasn't me..." she murmured, her eyes narrowing as she looked around, her hands gripped onto her bow tightly and she looked to Arthur, "Who could it be?" she tilted her head a little. "I-It could be one of my friends... but maybe not... I think they would've noticed me by now." she sighed and looked down.

"Frankenstein." he said with a grin. He didn't literally mean the fictional scientist, just the 'Frankenstein' of this story. "Whoever made those monsters is out there, and I think we just found them. They clearly weren't expecting survivors or they wouldn't be so careless. That means we have surprise on our side. After we find them of course." Arthur grabbed her hand rightly with the one that wasn't in his pocket clutching the revolver and with a smirk he whispered: "Come on!" and he ran off towards the whistling, dragging the blonde after him.

Artemis tilted her head, a little bit confused by what he meant by just randomly saying Frankenstein, she sighed and shrugged. "I think so... we might as well see if that person does or not." she smirked a little and cracked her knuckles before blushing as he grabbed her hand, "Oh ok!" she whispered back before running off next to him, getting closer to the whistling, getting dragged by Arthur.