Chapter 41

"Now you have eagle cubs. It's a beautiful thing to see." Yozar said to Artemis as he admired the Eagle Princess and her brothers all in one crib together. Bowen hovered watching them as well. "I don't want to have any more cubs for a while now. I want to see my children meet their mates and have their children before I have any other cub." Artemis said, shaking her head. "That's a good idea. Our Wolf Princes are just about ready to get out there" Danny nodded. "I know. The whole time I've been back I have heard attitudes and bickering nonstop. They need to be separated further than inside a huge castle." Artemis said. "I'm not sure that they'll ever leave your nest. You've coddled them too much!" Yozar said, shaking his head. "I did not! Even if I did, my children are still strong enough to go out on their own and thrive!" Artemis said offended. "Yes. King Maximus made sure of that when we sent the boys off to live with him in the wild." Danny said. "Even Ezekiel is off to a good start." Bowen shrugged. "I know that was quite offensive and I'm sorry," Yozar said, bowing his head. "I will take whatever measures I need to take to ensure the survival of my White Wolf Clan. The White Wolf Kingdom will thrive as well." Artemis said firmly. "I know it all too well. My tongue can be a little sharp sometimes when I give advice, forgive me." Yozar said, bowing his head again. "You were being offensive but you are right. The last thing I want is for my bloodline to end with me." Artemis said out loud. "My Prince will set out in separate ways to find their own nest and their mate. Princess Winter and Princess Eden will stay here until the proper mates come and ask for their hand." Artemis announced, "That is a great plan, my Queen." Danny said, nodding his head. "Wolf Prince Kasper and Ape Prince Thomas will take the Ape cubs and any other younger cub to the Black Wolf Kingdom to live with Wolf King Maximus until they come of age as well," Artemis announced firmly. "Well. The Queen is speaking." Yozar said, tapping his staff on the floor two times.

Artemis huffed and then stormed out of the eagle cubs' room. "Damnit!" She cursed, kicking the air. "My Queen…." Someone said coming up to Artemis. She took a deep breath and then turned to face the person. It was a Lion Beastman who had just come to the Kingdom and Enlisted in the Army. "Yes, lion?" Artemis asked him. "I normally wouldn't come to you for these types of things but I can't find the King anywhere." The Beastman said worriedly. The King and King Consort are in the room with the Eagle Princess and her brothers." Artemis said pointing at the door. "Thank you, My Queen," the Lion Beastman said before bowing to her. The Lion went and knocked at the door. Bowen answered and of course, did not let the Lion inside. Instead, everyone came out so that they could talk away from the cubs. "My King. That escort you sent out still has not come back yet. The other men are getting anxious and want answers." The Lion Beastmen said. Artemis turned back around and looked in on the conversation. "Which escort was this?" Danny asked the Lion. "We were supposed to receive a new group of Lion Beastmen from another Prominent clan in the Lion Kingdom. My uncle is among that group." The Lion Beastmen said. "I don't understand. Why would this happen? How can a whole group of Beastmen traveling together disappear?" Artemis asked, stepping forward. "We haven't had any other problems since I came back from the human world." She added. Yozar shrugged his shoulders. "The neighboring Kingdom to the Lion Kingdom would be the Bear Kingdom or the… Tiger Kingdom" Yozar said. Artemis put her hand on her forehead and let out a deep sigh. "Yozar. Not the Tiger Kingdom?" Artemis said, clearly disappointed. "I thought we took care of that problem?" Bowen asked, confused. "Something must have happened to Prince Oliver. We need to find Prince Kasper." Artemis said, shaking her head. "Those Tigers are a stubborn breed." Danny sighed. "What do we do?" The Lion Beastman asked. "First we need to find Prince Kasper and then King Maximus," Yozar said, patting the Beastman on his shoulder. "My Queen. I am going to handle gathering your uncle and your grandfather here. I want you to stay here and try to relax as much as possible. Maybe our King can make you some soup and bread." Bowen said to Artemis. "I am fine. Make the soup and bread for everyone else." Artemis said, folding her arms across her chest. Danny nodded and kissed Artemis on her forehead, Bowen did the same before taking the Lion Beastman with him. It was only Yozar and Artemis left in the hallway. My Queen. Do you have any demands for me?" He asked, sounding hopeful. "Yozar, I'm tempted to send you back to my Grandfather," Artemis said to him. "I know. I will try to hold my tongue a little better from now on." Yozar said, popping himself in his mouth. "The last thing I want is to make you sad. I know that's what you were feeling the most when you made your final decisions about the Wolf Princes." Yozar said to her. "I don't know what I feel. Part of me wishes my Nana was here to tell me what to do." Artemis said. "I know my child. You are making the right decision though. You came into this world when you were just a few years older than the Princes. Just a year after that you were mated, and then pregnant. You technically were a few years behind but they are right on time. They will flourish just as well as you did because despite not being raised as a Wolf Beastman you are still one of the strongest females I have ever known." Yozar said. "Thank you." Artemis said, "Of course. Don't worry. Your heart is just as strong as you are. Your love for your children surpasses any other feeling in the world for you." Yozar said, rubbing Artemis' back.

By the end of the day, Wolf King Maximus had made it to the White Wolf Kingdom and had everyone gathered inside Artemis' huge dining hall. "I think we need to send out a search party for the missing Lion Beastman." King Maximus suggested. "That is a great idea. I think we also should send someone to check on Prince Oliver and the Tiger Kingdom." Prince Kasper suggested. "Yes. I have sent someone there already, this time they're traveling with an Eagle Beastman. If anything goes wrong we will know sooner." Danny announced, nodding his head. "That is great to hear, my young King." King Maximus said, patting Danny on his back. "Grandfather, despite the current situation I would like for you to consider taking my mate Prince Thomas and my Ape Princes back to the Wolf Kingdom with you. I think they all could benefit from your mentoring." Artemis said to King Maximus. "So soon?" He asked her, surprised. "Yes. I would like for them to do so. They need some more discipline and training. Besides, It seems logical in case myself or my mates need to run off for an emergency." Artemis said, shrugging her shoulders. "Well if that is what my Ah'Xhi wishes how could I refuse!" King Maximus smiled, opening his arms wide for her. Artemis smiled back lovingly and hugged her grandfather. I don't mind taking any of my grandchildren." King Maximus said, looking at Danny, Kasper, and Apollo. "Just the younger ones papa. We are going to keep the older ones close by." Artemis said, giving them all a stern look. "You would think Artemis is the father of all our cubs and not us." Apollo scoffed looking over at Kasper. "Excuse me?" King Maximus asked Apollo. "My King. Please forgive Prince Apollo. He can take his jokes too far sometimes!" Jenny said, popping Apollo across the back of his head. "She is your elder sister and your King Apollo. Don't go too far." King Maximus scolds him. "What if you had hurt her feelings while she was just protecting us?" Kasper said to Apollo. "I'm sorry my Queen. I was only trying to crack a joke. I realize my mistake." Apollo said, throwing his palms up in surrender. "This is why you live on the opposite side of the castle, little brother," Artemis said.

"My Queen! May I have your permission to enter?" A voice said out loud for everyone to hear. The voice resonated off the walls so no one could tell where it was coming from. "Is this some type of magic? Who can talk through walls?" King Maximus asked. Artemis and Yozar both put their hands to their foreheads and groaned in pain. "I think someone is trying to teleport past our defenses!" Yozar said, groaning. "I think I know who it is," Artemis said, taking a deep breath. "You Have my permission!" She called out. In the next second, there was a flash of light and then a loud clap. Everyone shielded their eyes and ears as best as they could. "It's Tiny Tena!" Yozar said, relieved. Tiny Tena was bloodied all over from a gruesome and bloody battle she must have just escaped from. She was standing over a bloodied Lion Beastman who was withering in pain. "What Is going on, Witch doctor?" King Maximus demanded after accessing the scene in front of him. "My King, My Queen. There is a problem in the Lion Kingdom!" Tiny Tena announced in a rushed voice. "What problem? Is there any word from my brother the Lion King?" King Maximus asked frantically. "My King. We got split up, and he is heavily wounded." Tiny Tena said, shaking her head. "Exactly what happened?" Yozar asked her. "I've been investigating a rising power hiding just inside the lands of the Lion Kingdom. Men, women, and children mysteriously disappear as well as Food and supplies. When I finally got close enough to the culprit they revealed themselves as Bukhar Blackfinger!" She told everyone. "That name sounds familiar?" Artemis said. "Remember when we first met?" Kasper said to Artemis. His face said he knew who it was. "That other evil wizard who chased us out of the Human World!" Apollo said, putting a face to the name. "Oh my," Yozar said, shaking his head. "That man is a whole lot of evil. He has recreated a race of Beastmen long extinct and long since forgotten. Rhinos are making their way back on top of the food chain." Tiny Tena told everyone. "No way he did that. Rhinos haven't been around since my grandfather was coming of age!" King Maximus scoffed. "He got the mother from the Human World and forced her to get pregnant by a Rhinoceros from the Human World." Said the Beastman still lying on the floor. "He was just a plain wild animal but with a lot of evil magic involved Blackfinger created a Beast Cub and from there on he started abducting female Beasts to continue to carry Rhino cubs." The man continued.

"This is true. I've witnessed this myself. These Beastmen are huge and angry. Blackfinger has them under his complete control and I don't know how." Tiny Tena said. "We've got to send out another search party for the Lion Kingdom," Bowen said already strategizing. "I will go with them!" King Maximus said immediately. "No papa. If there is a new Beastman out there we need to be smart and careful about how we handle this!" Artemis said firmly. "We have people to do these things for us. If we need to step outside of our Kingdoms we should do so with a clear plan of action." Danny said, nodding his head in agreement. "This Blackfinger person will not get the best of us. If I recall correctly he has had it out for our clan. This new threat with these Rhino Beastmen could be his plot to harm us." Kasper said. "Grandfather. You should start taking precautions for your Kingdom as well." Apollo said to King Maximus. "I will do so, my son." King Maximus said standing up. "I will take a look at your army before I go see my great-grandchildren." The King said. "We may have to push back the trip with the Ape cubs," Thomas said happily. "You are not off the hook with that one. You will just have to improvise within the two Kingdoms." Artemis said firmly. Thomas hung his head in disappointment. "You seem to coddle the children just as much as I do. But It's for the best." Artemis told him. "I know my Queen. You are not wrong there. It's just that they're just children." Thomas said to her. "They are just children, my love. But this world is more cruel for every innocent child out there." Artemis said to him. Artemis' nerves were on edge, worried for her family and worried for her Kingdom. Every time she buries one problem, a new threat emerges. It's a never-ending story.