“Wow,” Cindy said again. “This place is so big. And… green.”
Squeak slowly nodded with a quiet squeak while Reiko was carefully surveying the area from above her shoulder.
“This place looks amazing,” Daniel complimented. “Your home is really incredible, Clover.”
“No,” Clover cursed.
“It really is,” Daniel promised turning to her with an impressed smile. “I never imagined an elven grove looking so-”
“No, I mean no,” Clover said shaking her head before pointing ahead at something. Everyone peeked around the tree and noticed that while the grove was a wonderful sight all its own and there were elves moving about within it, there were others among the village that seemed drastically out of place in the peaceful settlement.
“Those don’t look like elves,” Cindy worried as they saw a few arachne skittering around the sides of some of the trees. Upon closer look they spotted gremlins and goblins walking on the roads, the monsters being clearly avoided by the elves who quickly got out of their way while pulling their children aside. A few trolls were seen crossing a rope bridge, with one pushing a passing elf and nearly sending her over the edge. The troll started yelling at the elf who merely lowered her head and kept quiet, with the monster then grabbing her by the jaw and forcing her to look at her. After saying a few words the elf was then shoved aside as the trolls continued on their way, with other elves rushing over to their sister who seemed to struggle with not charging the monsters as she was held by friends.
“The Sisterhood,” Daniel realized as they saw elves rounding a tree further ahead with a group of trolls and arachne guiding them from the front and rear. The fiends laughed and talked amongst themselves while the elves merely walked in silence with lowered heads and clenched fists.
“Rolian was right,” Clover growled as she saw mites flying through the air and tearing apart the village’s flags. “Our home has been invaded. How could this have happened?”
“The elves here don’t look too happy,” Cindy noticed.
“I don’t think being enslaved is one of their fetishes,” Reiko flatly replied.
“Goddammit,” Clover cursed while banging a fist into the tree. “What are these freaks doing here? Why did our priestess allow them in like this? What was she thinking? I need to find her, I need to make sure she’s okay and get some goddamned answers.”
“Where would she be?” Daniel asked. “Where could we find her?”
“She lives in the royal temple in the highest tree,” Clover said pointing to the tallest building in the grove. “She and her daughter would be there. I need to make sure they’re okay and get them the fuck out of here.”
“What about the other elves?” Cindy asked. “Shouldn’t we help them too?”
Daniel looked around at seeing the elves in the forest biting their tongues and allowing The Sisterhood to do what they pleased before shutting his eyes and gripping his sword in frustration as he knew what they needed to do next but didn’t want to happen.
“We need to split up,” Reiko said, with Daniel glancing to her with a slight scowl as she hit the nail on the head. “I get you don’t want them to leave your sight, but if we all stay together we’re going to have a harder time getting to every elf in this forest. We have to split up to get this done quickly.”
“She’s right, Dan,” Clover agreed. “I know you don’t want us to, but we have no choice.”
“I know,” Daniel sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face. “I knew that when we came here. I just…”
“We’ll be okay,” Cindy assured. Daniel turned to her with a smile that didn’t do anything to hide his concern as the sand wraith nodded while having a gentle smile on her face. “I promise. We’ll be careful, and we’ll all go back to the others together. I wouldn’t lie to you, Daniel. I mean it.”
Squeak nodded with a squeak as Daniel looked around at the girls before seeing Clover taking hold of his hand. She winked at him before turning to the other girls who seemed ready to head out on their own.
“Dan will stay with me. I’m sure my priestess would love to get to know him and I don’t aim to take my eyes off him at all while we’re here,” she said, and then before Daniel could speak up she continued with a knowing look at him. “Not that I don’t believe he can’t handle himself out here, because he can. I just want to introduce my man to my priestess since she and him are going to have a lovely chat when this crap is over with. That, and also to brag a bit that he’s my mate.”
“Fair enough,” Daniel conceded with a weak smile. He looked at his other two mates who were nodding at him before sighing in defeat. “Fine, I know we have to in order to pull this off. I’ve been struggling to come up with another way for us to go about this, but I can’t. Against my wishes, we’ll have to split up from here.”
“Though I think Squeak should stay with Cindy,” Clover mentioned with a glance to the ant girl. “Between the two of you only one can actually talk to the elves. Watch each other’s backs out there and stay out of sight from The Sisterhood.”
“Watch her back?” Cindy repeated curiously. She leaned to the side and eyed Squeak’s backside then shook her head at Clover. “Why? What’s her back going to do?”
“Try to keep her focused,” Clover dryly said to Squeak. “Don’t let her run out into the middle of the road and draw attention.”
Squeak nodded and smiled a little at Cindy who was scratching her head in puzzlement.
“Reiko,” Daniel said to the harvester who seemed to be just barely listening to their conversation so far. “Head to the back of the village and start warning the elves of what’s about to happen. Get the word spreading from there and be ready to help guard them when we all make a break for Alyssa’s field.”
“Just to be clear,” Reiko mused holding a hand up. “Am I allowed to reap the souls of The Sisterhood while I do so?”
“Wait for the signal first,” Daniel ordered shaking his head. “If they start seeing dead bodies they’re sure to sound the alarm. When everything starts going crazy and they’re running around in confusion then help yourself.”
Reiko giggled and flew around in circles as Daniel surveyed the area before turning to Squeak and Cindy one last time.
“Stay out of sight, warn as many elves as you can, and be extra careful not to be seen. We’re all going back home together, no exceptions.”
Squeak raised an eyebrow and pointed to the spinning harvester, with Daniel glancing to her then shaking his head a little with a smirk.
“You know what I mean. I’m going home with all my mates, no exceptions.”
“We’ll do our best,” Cindy promised with a big nod. Squeak nodded and squeaked in agreement to that.
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Reiko chuckled as she merrily flew around on her back. “I’ll let the elves in the back of the forest know what’s about to go down. Just hurry up and get everything ready, the sooner we get this party started the sooner I can start feasting on some yummy souls.”
“Good luck,” Clover said as she and Daniel turned to leave, the elf then halting and glancing back to the girls. “And don’t get yourselves killed out there. My heart can’t handle losing anyone else that’s important to me, not again.”
Squeak nodded with a calm smile and waved to her while Cindy giggled and did the same. Clover winked at them then quickly led Daniel off to the side of the village behind another large tree before they disappeared into the thicket.
“Alright,” Cindy declared as she turned towards the village’s center with a bold smile. “Let’s go help those elves.”
She started marching forward before Squeak quickly grabbed her hand and helped guide her towards a shadowy canopy leading around the main village and out of plain sight. Reiko watched the two girls heading off then shook her head a little before flying away into the village low to the ground.
“I’ve got a good feeling about this plan,” she flatly muttered before vanishing into a sparkly haze.
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Daniel and Clover made their way around large trees and through thick shrubbery while staying low to the ground, the two running across a small clearing with a few trolls and goblins nearby facing away and talking amongst themselves before continuing on behind a knoll with a pile of firewood stacked atop it and blocking view of them to passing elves and gremlins. They swiftly and silently ran into a hollowed tree that had a gremlin sleeping on its bench before running out and stopping quickly as they were a foot away from an ogre that was facing away from them. The brute held its large club over its shoulder and slowly turned with a low groan, with Daniel and Clover tiptoeing around and keeping behind it before darting behind another tree and sticking close to it.
“What the fuck?” Clover whispered between her teeth. “Ogres? They have ogres here?”
“The Sisterhood is really… diverse,” Daniel quietly agreed before they peeked around the timber to see the ogre walking off with heavy steps.
“What the hell are they even doing here?” Clover asked shaking her head. “Ogres shouldn’t be anywhere near this place. And why are these monsters working together like this? Arachne and mites hate each other, why are they on the same side? And nobody likes or trusts gremlins, those sneaky cunts are more conniving and deceitful than witches are.”
“Speaking of witches,” Daniel said pointing ahead, with them then making out a few witches clad in dark apparel with skeletal hands adorning their hats walking along with a few goblins and a group of elves who reluctantly followed them with lowered heads. The little monsters held staves that displayed clusters of glimmering crystals atop them while black ribbons loosely dangled off the ends, their focusers ranging from gemstone rings to jewel adorning necklaces that glowed softly with jade and crimson hues.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Clover growled. “They have witches helping them? I swear if Charlotte has any stake in this or what happened to Kroanette’s home…”
“I don’t believe she does,” Daniel reasoned shaking his head. “Charlotte isn’t a warmonger. Destroying entire monster kingdoms doesn’t suit her. She’s a fair and just ruler of witches, she cares about her community and fellow sisters as well as their image in the monster community. Having them come way out here to enslave the elves and wipe out Ruhelia doesn’t seem like something she would do.”
“Then it seems she’s got rival witches on her turf,” Clover speculated. “And these witches aren’t doing wonders in improving their image in Koskaysil.”
“We need to find your priestess, hopefully she knows what’s going on here.”
He and Clover ran off while staying close together, keeping low out of sight and slinking behind trees and shrubbery while noticing that the further they went the more intruding monsters in Green Haven they saw. They rounded a timber and ducked under a low canopy to evade passing trolls and goblins, passed across a dirt road and into the shadows before a group of elves and arachne walked by, and very carefully crept behind stacks of lumber near a fire pit where salamander women were roasting meat with their flaming breath. As they did Clover and Daniel exchanged stunned looks as they saw just what kinds of monsters The Sisterhood was comprised of and fearing what remained to be seen.
After narrowly evading detection from a patrolling group of witches and mites they ducked low under a toppled tent that was slumped against a tree, the two peeking out from the crudely sown leather covering and seeing the royal tree up ahead. Looking up at the towering landmark they saw rope bridges at varying heights with none appearing to lead into the royal tree while the afternoon sunlight bathed the side of the majestic timber with a warm glow. They then looked downward towards the base, catching sight of something that made Clover turn pale with a hoarse whine. In the clearing before them a group of elves clothed in green tunics and white capes were seen hanging by their necks from gallows. The dead elves slowly turned and swayed slightly in the nooses while their bodies appeared beaten and bloodied all over.
“Oh no,” Daniel breathed out.
“The… high maidens,” Clover managed to get out. She held her hair and struggled to keep quiet as she saw her revered kin hanging before her.
“High maidens?” Daniel worried.
“The priestess’ council. They helped her oversee Green Haven. No. This can’t be happening. They… they killed them all.”
Clover strained to keep quiet as Daniel held her close, the elf gripping his arm and holding a hand over her mouth as she saw the maidens on public display after their brutal executions.
“Clover, I’m sorry,” Daniel mourned.
“Goddammit,” Clover whined shutting her eyes. “I can’t believe this. If only I had been here I could have helped them, I could have saved them. I could have…”
“This isn’t your fault, Clover. The Sisterhood is responsible for this, blame them and only them.”
“We need to find the priestess,” Clover said while trying to steady her breathing. “We need to find her and her daughter. Those assholes better not have touched a hair on their heads or I swear to god I’m going to fucking slaughter all of them like animals.”
“They’ll pay for their crimes,” Daniel assured as he held the whimpering elf. “For now let’s focus on getting your priestess and all the elves out of here before they share a similar fate.”
Clover nodded and wiped a tear away before they started making their way around the open field before them while sticking close to the trees and shadows. They carefully crept behind any cover they could while keeping out of sight, both staying low to the ground and moving as silently as possible. With a sudden halt Clover grabbed Daniel’s hand as they stopped inside a bush near the edge of the clearing, each of them holding their breath and not moving a muscle as an arachne skittered along the dirt road right in front of them before stopping. The monster slowly looked around with its eight eyes before staring at the bush, with Clover carefully reaching back for an arrow while Daniel gripped his sword. The arachne paused for a moment then sneezed before skittering off, making her way past the gallows that drew a chuckle from her before she ventured off into the village out of sight. Daniel and Clover breathed out then continued on, running out of the shrubbery and quickly racing over to the base of the royal tree where it was hollowed out between its large roots. There was a small pond that had some colored fish swimming in it while benches were set around the pool with white and green flags hanging from the ceiling above, the sight being quite tranquil and suiting that of a revered priestess’ home.
“Okay, we’re almost there,” Clover said as they ran over to a stairwell that steadily reached up into the towering tree. She then glanced back to Daniel with a small shrug as he saw what their next step was, or rather the sheer number of which that awaited them.
“Hope you don’t mind a little climbing.”
“A little?” Daniel slowly said before shaking his head. “Clover, we need to have a talk after this and go over what ‘a little’ actually means.”
Clover smirked and grabbed his hand before leading him up the stairs, the two quickly climbing towards the priestess’ temple high above while preparing themselves for what may be waiting for them at the top.
*****
Sitting on the bed next to where Triska was sound asleep Star was watching her with tails slowly swaying behind. Her eyes remained fixated on her co-mate while she gently swung her pocket watch by its chain between her fingers just above her thigh. Joining her beside Triska was Doku, the harpy gently brushing her sleeping co-mate’s hair as she prayed for the girl to recover soon.
“Do you think Triska would have let Daniel go?” Doku asked glancing to Star. “I’m certain she would have protested, rather violently knowing her, though I do wonder if she would have allowed him to go out there where all those horrible monsters are.”
Star tilted her head as she thought about it then nodded with a mew.
“You think she would have?”
Star nodded and pocketed her watch in her cleavage before meowin
g at the harpy a few times, with Doku merely watching her in silence before showing a small smile and shaking her head a little.
“You and Squeak share many things in common, Star,” she mused, with Star blinking before lowering her head with a sigh. “Not just with how you so easily presume we understand your words, but also how you believe so much in our mate.”
Star looked at her curiously as Doku smiled down at Triska and gently ruffled her wings at her sides.
“Squeak didn’t protest Daniel leaving, rather she wished to join him because she wanted to exemplify his beliefs alongside him. His bravery even. She knows Daniel can handle himself out there, she trusts him and believes he can protect those around him. You think that about him too, don’t you?”
Star nodded with a small smile as she meowed in agreement.
“I’d bet my feathers Triska would have felt the same way. Sure, she would have greatly expressed her displeasure of his brave decision at first, probably would have scared Cindy in doing so, but she would have allowed him to go in the end. I’m sure she would have volunteered to join him, to help them all succeed with saving Clover’s people. She’s a fighter after all, and a natural-born protector of those around her.”
Star and Doku watched Triska sleeping quietly under the covers of their bed, her serene expression doing well to mask the volatile personality held within that she could easily display towards those that threatened her loved ones.
“Would you have gone as well?” Doku asked the jinx. “Had your reflective aura allowed it, would you have gone with them?”
Star nodded with a small mew, her eyes never leaving Triska’s face as she held in her sigh.
“I thought so. But I do feel safer having you with us here,” Doku mentioned, with Star turning to her curiously. “You’re like Triska as well. A wonderful fighter against danger, and a protective guardian of those you care about. Our home is certainly safer with you two girls living with us.”
Chronicles of Eden_Act XI Page 66
