Kroanette froze with a shocked expression on her face, the others also sharing similar reactions as Cindy looked up curiously in thought.
“Hollia was moping on the beach for days, talking about her dead mom and sister. She didn’t mention your name though, I wonder-”
“WHAT?” Kroanette screamed. Cindy jumped with a yelp while Snapper quickly turned to the centaur with a gurgle, the swarm squirming and slinking back into the wraith’s arms while Kroanette stared at Cindy in fright. “M… mother? She said… mother is… dead?”
“Cindy, are you sure about this?” Daniel cautiously asked. “You have to think real hard about what you’re saying. Are you sure you’re thinking about Kroanette’s home and family?”
“Tell me what she looked like!” Kroanette demanded loudly. “My sister, Hollia. What did she look like? Was that really her you were talking to or just your own imagination?”
“I don’t think I imagined her,” Cindy replied scratching her head. “She seemed real. She had brown fur while her legs had white fur, her tail was dark with a long white stripe going through it, she had long brown hair with a green ribbon tied in it, freckles on her face, and her front leg was broken.”
“Hollia,” Kroanette breathed out in horror. “That’s her… that’s my sister…”
“You saw her sister?” Luna wondered. “Wait, does that mean Ruhelia really is destroyed?”
“The centaur empress is… dead?” Falla feared as the group looked to Kroanette, the centaur breathing shakily while she was grabbing her hair in distress.
“It can’t be true,” Kroanette whimpered shaking her head. “You’re lying. You have to be. You couldn’t have seen such a thing.”
“Hey, I’m not a liar,” Cindy pouted. “Hollia was the dirty liar. She said she was pregnant even though she wasn’t, she lied to me so I wouldn’t eat her up. She’s the meanie, not me.”
“Ruhelia is gone?” Specca exclaimed. “But- but- but that can’t be possible! How could the entire centaur kingdom be wiped out?”
“What kind of sick joke is this?” Kroanette yelled out. “You never mentioned this before, you never once said anything about Ruhelia being attacked or my family being… it’s not true! None of it is, you filthy liar!”
“I’m not a liar!” Cindy shouted back. “And I didn’t know where your home was. I didn’t know where we were going. Nobody ever said Ruhelia to me once since I came here.”
Kroanette stepped back while trying to steady her breathing, her fearful eyes going from Cindy to Daniel then around at the others as everyone was looking at her with growing concern.
“You couldn’t have seen such a thing,” she nervously defended. “Ruhelia couldn’t be… my mother… she’s not…”
“Cindy, please tell us everything you can about what you saw,” Daniel implored. “You may have seen Kroanette’s sister, that we can understand. But her home being burned down like that… it’s just so hard to believe.”
“Where did you see Hollia?” Specca asked. “What happened to her?”
“I saw her there,” Cindy answered pointing directly to the Ruhelia marker on the map. “She washed up on the shore of a river. I was going to eat her but then she lied and said she was poisoned, and eating poisoned food is very bad for you. And then she said she was pregnant so I wouldn’t kill her. I couldn’t kill her then, I would have killed the baby too. So I let her live. I didn’t know she was a dirty, dirty liar.”
“What happened to Ruhelia?” Falla asked. “How could it have been burned down?”
“There were lots of monsters there,” Cindy told her. She looked to Kroanette who was staring at her in horror. “They were knocking down buildings and burning things all day and night. I remember seeing these big centaur statues standing on a hill too, a few of them were knocked down with loud noises.”
“The statues of our ancestors,” Kroanette breathed out. “No… it can’t be true…”
“Hold on, where is Hollia?” Daniel quickly asked. “We should hear from her what was going on, maybe what you thought you saw wasn’t what really happened. Where is Kroanette’s sister?”
“You didn’t eat her, did you?” Pip worried as she fluttered over Daniel’s shoulder.
“No, I didn’t,” Cindy pouted. “She lied to me and got away. Some mean guy with fire chased me away from her. He’s such a meanie.”
“A mean guy with fire?” Specca questioned. “So some human took Hollia away?”
“I don’t know, I ran away before he could burn me,” Cindy moped.
“What is going on out there?” Specca wondered turning to Daniel. “Could what she said be true? Ruhelia… is it really-”
“No!” Kroanette shouted shaking her head. “I refuse to believe such lies! That couldn’t have been my home she saw, such a horrible thing could never happen to my people!”
“But… she saw your sister,” Luna worried.
“And the statues of centaurs,” Falla added.
Squeak and Star turned to each other with troubled frowns then to Daniel as he was eyeing over the map very carefully now, trying to think of any other explanation for what Cindy might have seen that didn’t involve the destruction of Kroanette’s home.
“Is Ruhelia really gone?” Pip asked softly.
“No, it isn’t!” Kroanette shouted while glaring at Cindy. “I will not accept such an outlandish tale from you! You’re nothing but a filthy liar! My home is not gone, my mother is not dead, and that couldn’t have been my sister you saw, it couldn’t have been!”
“But, Kroanette,” Specca said before the centaur screamed and shook her head with hands held over her ears.
“I don’t care what she says or claims to have seen, it’s not true! None of it!”
The centaur quickly raced out of the library with hooves clacking along the floor, the girl swiftly rushing to the doors before opening them with a loud slam and dashing outside.
“Kroanette!” Daniel called out as he and the girls ran after. They got outside and looked around, seeing only Lucky standing nearby grazing while their centaur was nowhere to be seen.
“Kroanette! Please come back!” Specca shouted.
“Where did she go?” Luna asked looking around.
Daniel searched the area for any sight of his mate then turned to Cindy as did the others.
“Cindy… what you saw... Ruhelia, is it really…”
“It’s gone, Daniel,” Cindy sadly said shaking her head. “I know what I saw. I know Hollia was real. Ruhelia is gone.”
“Oh dear god, no,” Specca breathed out.
“How… how could the entire kingdom be wiped out?” Falla nervously asked while she and Luna held hands.
“That’s awful,” Luna whimpered. “Her mother… her little sister… are they really dead?”
Daniel took a moment to think of their next move then turned to Pip while pointing towards the nearby woods.
“Pip, go after Kroanette. She’s likely going to be sprinting to Ruhelia as fast as she can to see for herself. Go after her and make sure she’s okay. We’ll be right behind you.”
“I’ll find her,” Pip promised with a nod then shot off in a blue blur. The group watched the fairy streaking high over the forest before vanishing out of sight then turned to Daniel as he had a firm look of determination now.
“I’m going to get Lucky hitched to the carriage. Go tell the others what’s happened, we need to get to Ruhelia at once.”
All the girls raced into the carriage while Cindy remained behind, the wraith watching as Daniel rushed to get Lucky hooked up to their ride. Cindy looked around the area worriedly then quickly trotted over to Daniel while Snapper was again gnawing on her arm with tiny growls.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. Daniel glanced to her as the wraith had a saddened frown on her face. “I didn’t mean to upset Kroanette. I didn’t know that was her sister or home I saw.”
“I know, and you didn’t do anything wrong, Cindy,” Daniel assured he
r. “I’m glad you told us. We need to find out what happened there, and what happened to Kroanette’s family.”
“Her sister is with that mean man,” Cindy worried. “Him and other monsters too.”
“Other monsters? Who did you see with him?”
“There was a girl with green scales and a tail, a stinky pig monster, and a doggy woman,” Cindy answered thinking about it. Daniel froze then slowly turned to the wraith as she scratched her head. “I don’t know why they were with him. He seemed scary, who would want to be with him?”
“A reptile girl, an orc, and a lycan?” Daniel carefully repeated. Cindy looked to him curiously as he remembered that particular group of monsters from Eston, along with the swordsman they were with.
“Do you know them?” Cindy asked.
Daniel looked off into the distance as he realized who Hollia had been found by, however whether that was a good thing for her or not he wasn’t certain.
“I think I do.”
*****
The gentle rustling of leaves above and grass below could be heard as Mika started to regain consciousness. A weak groan escaped her lips as she gradually came to realize she was sitting against a tree. Her body felt weak, her leg was stiff and she could feel something tight wrapped around her wound, and her hands felt sore. Slowly opening her eye the world was blurry at first then began to focus, a slight glare coming from the sunlight that was shining down on the field of grass causing her to flinch slightly before someone was seen sitting close to her side. Turning her head her vision became clear and the sight of the centaur who was watching her with a curious expression caused Mika to freeze in place.
“You’re finally awake,” Hollia said before eyeing over the human. “You’re lucky we found you when we did.”
Mika stared at the centaur with caution then slowly held a hand up and felt an eyepatch now resting on her face with its strap going around her head. Hollia glanced to the girl then nodded slowly with a solemn face.
“Perhaps lucky is too strong of a word,” she reasoned. “Still, you are alive. That’s something to be thankful for.”
“Where am I?” Mika asked looking around quickly. As she did she pressed back against the tree from seeing more monsters gathered around her.
“I know this girl,” Tabitha said while sitting on a fallen log, the neko keeping her hands held on the handles of her swords. “I’ve seen her picture in Stonegate. Mika Harollson, right? You’re a monster hunter.”
“She is?” Scay gasped as she popped her head up behind the log before rising more to reveal her snake body. “She’s a monster hunter? Really?”
“Is that so?” Forrus asked, leaning back against the tree and keeping an eye on the hunter sitting near her. “Even if that’s true she’s unarmed and I don’t think she’s able to fight too well right now. I believe we’re safe.”
“A monster hunter, huh?” Rulo snorted while sitting near Hollia. “She seems pretty weak to me. Looks like she had her ass handed to her in that town by those freaks.”
“That display of magical power we saw, was that you?” Sasha questioned, her broadsword kept firmly held in her grip as she watched the hunter carefully. “Are you a sorceress? That scorpia and witch seemed rather angry at you before they fled. Were you the cause of their troubles?”
Mika merely glanced around at all the monsters while glaring at them, all eyes watching as she remained silent while keeping pressed back against the tree.
“Cat got your tongue?” Tabitha sneered.
“Go fuck yourself,” Mika snapped. “We have nothing to talk about.”
“That’s very rude,” Hollia mentioned raising her eyebrow. “And after my knight was so gracious to save your life.”
Mika turned to her with confusion as the centaur slowly shook her head.
“Have you not yet noticed you’re not bleeding out? Your injuries have been healed, except for your missing eye of course. The scorpia’s venom has been removed from your body. And those two monsters who were going to kill you were scared off. A simple thank you isn’t asking too much, is it?”
“You want me to thank you?” Mika scorned.
“Not me. Him,” Hollia said looking over to the side. All the girls turned to see Daemon standing nearby, the swordsman having his hand on his sheathed blade while he gazed around at The Outerlands under the sunny weather. He glanced back to see them watching him before turning and walking closer, his cold blue eyes resting on Mika who showed a bewildered expression at seeing him among a group of monsters.
“Wait, you saved me?” Mika asked. “That voice I heard before I fainted, that was you?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you?” Mika cautiously asked.
“Would you have rather we left you to the company of that scorpia and witch instead?”
“Who are you? What do you want?” Mika demanded.
“Silence!” Sasha shouted at her. “How dare you speak to my master that way after he kept you from dying. You should be thanking him for all he’s done for you!”
“Sasha,” Daemon said raising a hand. The reptile girl growled and lowered her head as Daemon stepped closer and knelt down before Mika, the hunter moving her feet closer with a cringe before watching the swordsman with rising tension.
“I saved you from dying because you may be able to help us with something,” Daemon explained. “We’re looking for some troublemakers in this land. They’ve been quite a bother to us and we would like to be rid of them, as I’m sure you would too. You know the ones I’m speaking of, don’t you?”
“The Sisterhood?” Mika slowly asked.
“What a stupid name they’re using,” Rulo scoffed.
“They are but the grunts,” Hollia clarified. “Yes, they are demons at heart and need to be removed from this land, but they are not the ones we are hunting. Their leaders, the monsters who have brought all those despicable wretches together, they are the ones we wish to kill.”
“We’re trying to find out where they are,” Forrus continued. “So far every one of their lackeys we’ve ‘talked’ to haven’t told us anything useful. As much fun as it is killing those degenerates it isn’t solving the problem at hand.”
“They’re fun to stab though,” Stay grunted with a twisted smile. “Stab.”
“You… wish to destroy The Sisterhood?” Mika questioned. “How?”
“The Sisterhood is made up of lowly monsters and rejects,” Tabitha summed up. “Monsters that don’t normally play nice with each other. They’ve all been rallied into a frenzy by two in particular that are leading the bunch. We take them out, The Sisterhood falls into disarray and crumbles with nobody to lead them.”
“We need to cut the head off this snake or it’s going to keep slithering about to draw more blood,” Hollia agreed. She blinked then looked to Scay who was staring at her with a pale expression of horror. “I don’t mean you of course. It’s a figure of speech.”
“We heard you earlier,” Sasha explained kneeling down near Mika. “You said you knew what those monsters were doing, what they were going to do and where they were going. Tell us everything you know. That’s all we want from you.”
“Why should I help monsters?” Mika growled at her. “It’s because of you abominations that this hell came to the people of Eden in the first place!”
She glared around at all the girls then turned to Daemon while he didn’t show any reaction to her words.
“Why are you traveling with them?”
“They’re rather insistent on aiding me with something,” Daemon answered with a shrug. “That is of no concern to you however. Just tell us where we can find The Sisterhood and their leaders and then we’ll be on our way.”
“They’re monsters!” Mika shouted out waving around at the girls.
“What defines a monster for you?”
“Them!” Mika cried out while pointing around at all the girls. “What is wrong with you? Don’t you know what they do to men like you?”
“I’m not in any danger, you can relax,” Daemon calmly said. “Just tell us what we need to know so we can put an end to The Sisterhood. They’re becoming quite the thorn in our side and I cannot allow that to continue.”
“A thorn in your side?” Mika shouted while getting closer to his face. “They killed both my sisters, they raped and slaughtered an entire city of people, and one of them took my fucking eye! What makes you think they’re a thorn in your side?”
“They killed my entire pack,” Forrus snapped, with Mika turning to her cautiously.
“They destroyed Ruhelia, my homeland,” Hollia asserted, with Mika turning to her in surprise.
“They tried to kill us,” Rulo grunted.
“They’re getting in the way of my master’s quest,” Sasha hissed.
Mika looked at them in wonder then to Tabitha and Scay, the two glancing to each other then shrugging at the human.
“I’m just being paid to help him,” Tabitha admitted. “It’s nothing personal on my part.”
“Same here,” Scay giggled. “We just want to get lots of gold.”
Mika looked at Daemon in confusion then back to Hollia with a careful eye.
“Did you say they destroyed Ruhelia? The centaur kingdom?”
“Yes, they did,” Hollia cursed in anger. “My mother was the empress, and they slaughtered her in the throne room right before my eyes. My little sister, Maria, slain at the age of eleven. My people were chased out of our land, killed and eaten by those vile demons, and now nothing remains in what was once my home.”
“If you think you’re the only one that’s lost so much to those monsters, think again,” Forrus sternly told Mika.
“I heard The Sisterhood saying such in Nibelvale,” Mika recalled while keeping a careful eye on Hollia. “I can’t say I’m sorry for your loss though. You monsters deserve to die for everything you’ve done to us humans.”
“I wouldn’t expect pity nor ask of it from a monster hunter like yourself,” Hollia scoffed. “I was feeling some for you however seeing the horrible condition you’re in, but I suppose that concern was without merit.”
“I don’t need pity from a fucking monster,” Mika snapped as she slowly stood up against the tree, taking a slow breath before looking down to her bandaged leg. She turned to Daemon with a sharp glare while he and Sasha stood up in front of her.
Chronicles of Eden_Act X Page 20
