Artemis's History
Night. Mom is cooking something in the kitchen. It smells bad, but the girl knows that it is necessary. Mom has a lot of different herbs, and each of them has special properties. Artemis pulled the blanket higher and continued to watch her mother in silence. She scurried around the kitchen, constantly adding seasonings, dried rodents, and handfuls of colorful berries to the brew.
"This must be something very useful!" thought the girl, and, closing her eyes, fell into a deep sleep. The woman in the kitchen knew that her daughter was watching her, so she took her time. It was only when Artemis was asleep that her mother went to the bed and pricked the girl's finger with a sharp awl, catching a few drops of blood in a small cup. The girl didn't even wake up. Of course! Before going to bed, the prudent woman added the right herb to the tea. Sleep, Artemis, you still have a lot to do...
When the girl woke up, she ran outside. From behind the forest that surrounded their house, the timid rays of the sun rose. Mother didn't like too much sunlight, so she always went to bed for dinner. But it was early in the morning, and Artemis had an important task ahead of her: she and her mother would go to where people lived! The daughter had long asked her mother to introduce her to them, but people rarely appeared in their house and disappeared almost immediately. The girl was strictly forbidden to leave the forest. The time has finally come for Artemis to see the other inhabitants! The girl took a travel bag with her most expensive things. Among them was an old crossbow that mother had said had come from her late father.
Two hours later they came to the edge of a small village. The mother boldly ran into the house, and the daughter, in joyful anticipation, after a minute's delay, hurried to visit. Instead of a warm welcome, she saw her mother plunging a thin stiletto into the man's chest. The girl ran outside in terror, only to see other women coming out of the houses with bloody knives. So much like the mother! Each of them carried a bowl of brew to the center of the courtyard. Blood dripped from the blades into the potion. And, worst of all, the women were smiling!
Someone put a hand on her shoulder, and the girl shuddered when she saw her mother. For the first time in her life, she frightened Artemis. "So you've grown up, my girl." The mother gently but firmly held her daughter by the shoulder. "The time of initiation has come, where we will purify your blood from the human blood, from the blood of your father!" The women nodded, still smiling, and poured the contents of the bowls into a huge cauldron. Her mother said a lot more, and Artemis realized that she and her friends were witches, that her father, like the people in the village, had been killed. And the ritual that is happening now will turn the girl into the likeness of these ruthless killers. It was only then that Artemis realized why she had kept a small crossbow with several dozen arrows in her room. She realized that it was not for nothing that she had practiced with it at lunchtime while her mother was asleep. Artemis hadn't turned into a witch yet, so the sunlight only brought joy.
The girl drew her weapon and killed several witches with one shot. They did not immediately realize what was happening and paid with the death of several more friends. Within a minute, only my mother was left alive. Artemis did not dare to kill her and before leaving the village she said: "Now it is clear that I am the daughter of a witch hunter. This is the blood you wanted to banish from your daughter. I will not kill you as you killed my father but know this: the witch tribe will come to an end. I'll be the new hunter!"
With these words, the girl ran away into the forest, and a few months later she was taken on training by several talented heroes. The rumors that these people were from the Guardian squad, and it was confirmed when Artemis became a full member of their squad. Since then, the brave huntress has reached unprecedented heights in the possession of weapons and has performed many glorious feats.
