Part III

"Zircon please don't make me do this" Artemis gulped.

'Thirty seconds' It rang in her head, but she couldn't do it. Not again. "Zircon, please" The book refused to open, and might never open if she failed to complete the task.

"Darren I'm sorry. I lied." She chewed on her lower lip. Shortly, the book opened up again, "You are quite lucky. You had less than five seconds left." 

She switched her gaze to the beastman standing in shock. She hissed at him before storming out of the cave, and he followed her.

"Zircon, why did you make me do that?"

"Your affinity was declining. Something had to be done." 

"But…" She thought of how to say it without sounding rude. 

"I know what you want to say. It's none of my concern, right?" Artemis nodded, and the words shuffled again "That's where you have it wrong, Rivera. I oversee all your points and they all matter to me, as well as your stale cooking skill." She puffed "Those are skills I care so little about."