Page 1 of Artemysia

“It’s kill or be killed.” - Delphine

A tall Syf male slashes at me with his blade, his icy blue eyes wild and murderous. Between vicious thrusts, he shakes the dark hair out of his pale face.

His beautiful face is so…human. The tail lashing behind him is not.

Under different circumstances, his gauzy wings and elf-like ears might be endearing, but his fangs and claws betray the fact that he possesses no humanity at all.

The Syf are lethal killers.

Heart in my throat, I spin away, but he rebalances and switches to a reverse grip of his blade. Even in the copper glow of the first moon at twilight, it’s easy to see that he won’t stop until I’m dead.

It’s kill or be killed.

He cocks his head, most likely deciding which of my limbs to sever. Sweat trickles down his naked torso onto his belted breeches tucked into high boots.

We rearrange our stances, circling each other behind a row of blue and white village cottages.

With the clang of blade on blade, we parry each other’s strikes.

Part of me regrets having to destroy such a majestic creature, but I’m not about to abandon my dream of a safer world by giving up, so I force myself to keep going.

It helps to think of each Syf as the one who murdered my mother.

The Syf male shrieks like a hawk before lunging at me. His iridescent wings fan like flames behind his bare shoulders. Normally, their soft, flightless wings drape down their backs like silk capes, but he seems furious that I’ve lasted this long.

Well, I’m furious he’s lasted this long. It’s my job to defend the people of South Kingdom.

Cursing under my breath, I dodge his incoming strike and tighten my grip on my two short swords. With dual backhand swings, I sever his head. He bleeds like humans do. The thick crimson liquid splatters my face in pulsing spurts as he collapses onto the cobblestone street.

I spit, wiping the hot blood off my chin using the collar of my cloak.

There’s no time to stare at his diaphanous wings, which flutter even as he lies there, headless.

“Delphine, behind you!” a squad member hollers from atop his elk.

The next Syf is upon me.

I whirl around and kill her too.