“Her kiss will charm you into submission, but all she can do other than that is to try to act alluring with you, that’s it. Talk to her, she can understand you, ask her nicely to let you go,” Specca informed.
“Are you kidding me? All we have to do is ask that monster to let him go?” Alyssa asked with puzzlement. Specca nodded and then glared at Triska.
“Why didn’t you listen to me? What is wrong with you, Triska?” she demanded.
“What’s wrong with me? For crying out loud, Daniel was pulled underground by a flower monster, how could I not try to save him?” Triska snapped.
“Because if that was a different flower monster you would have killed him!” Specca shot back.
“What?” Triska, Daniel, and Alyssa asked at the same time, with Squeak merely squeaking once with a curious expression. Specca sighed and looked to the entry in the monster book.
“Monster class: Fluugher. A flower monster that attempts to lure and ensnare wandering travelers with its vines. When they catch a human they pull them down into their nest under their flower beds, where they will try to copulate with the man using a powerful aphrodisiac in their saliva. There are several different varieties of fluugher in the world, differentiated by the colors of their flower petals. Red and yellow petals are docile versions of the monster. They are very timid, and are not very aggressive with the men they catch. Should the man politely refuse the monster, or wait long enough for the fluugher to become frustrated, it will simply let the man go and wait for another one to pass by,” she read aloud, then looked to Triska who was staring at her with disbelief.
“Seriously? It’ll just let him go?” Triska asked skeptically. The girls looked down to seeing Daniel watching the fluugher wailing and whining with tears in her eyes, the monster seeming to get frustrated as it couldn’t hold Daniel still to kiss him. The boy glanced up to his friends for a moment then smiled nervously at the flower monster.
“Excuse me,” he said gently, with the monster slowly looking to him while crying still.
“I’m terribly sorry, but… could you please let me go?” he asked kindly. The fluugher let out a small wail as it leaned closer to him, its eyes glancing to his lips then back to him as her hands caressed his rear. The boy squirmed around a bit from the feeling then shook his head with a gentle smile.
“No, I’m really not in the mood to have sex with you right now, please, could you let me go?” he requested kindly. The fluugher whined and looked down with a hurt expression, with Daniel showing concern at seeing her reaction then shaking his head.
“I don’t mean to hurt you, and I’m terribly sorry my friend cut your petals like that. Really, we don’t want to cause you trouble, I promise,” he said gently. The monster slowly looked to him and tilted her head curiously. Daniel smiled and moved one of his hands up out from the embrace and held her cheek.
“Please, can you let me go now? I would really appreciate it,” he asked. The monster let out a small moan then slowly started to raise upward, the vines above slinking away as the other girls backed up while watching with wonder. Daniel and the fluugher rose up again as the remaining petals unfolded and laid down on the grass. The monster slowly removed all its vines around Daniel while looking down with a pained expression, with Daniel watching curiously then hugging it gently. The fluugher looked over his shoulder with a silent gasp as the boy smiled and closed his eyes.
“Thank you, for being so nice,” he said kindly. The monster held him with a saddened smile, seeming to cherish the embrace while her vines slowly slinked about on the ground. After a moment he backed up and wiped a tear away from its cheek, the monster then looking down timidly in response. Daniel then walked over to his friends; all of them watching as the flower monster picked up one of its severed petals and whined softly as it held it gently in its hands.
“I don’t believe it, it let him go, just like that,” Alyssa said with wonder. Squeak tilted her head with a curious expression and squeaked a few times while Specca nodded with a calm smile at the fluugher.
“We were lucky this was one of the peaceful ones,” Specca agreed with, and then looked to Triska with a glare.
“Because there are those that don’t like being attacked, Triska. If the petals are red and green, that type of fluugher will constrict all its vines on reflex of being injured, strangling and crushing its victim to death,” she snapped, with Triska jumping a bit with a nervous expression from hearing that. Specca then looked to the book and read along another line for the monster’s entry.
“And worse yet, if the petals were red and blue, that type of fluugher would release a deadly poison on reflex of being attacked, killing its victim nearly instantly while inflicting any others who may be near it, namely all of us,” she added before closing the book with a huff and giving Triska a stern glare.
“All Daniel would have had to do, no matter what type of fluugher would have gotten him, was either talk to it peacefully and get it to let him go, or just wait until the thing got bored and let him go on its own. That’s it!” she yelled out.
“But… but… how was I supposed to know that?” Triska defended with while shaking her head.
“I was trying to tell you! Squeak stopped when I called out to you two, but you just kept on going! All you do is try to hack anything that moves funny in front of you, this monster was as peaceful as a bovinette, and you just cut it apart without thinking!” Specca scolded. Triska cringed a bit then looked to seeing the fluugher picking up its petals while crying, having a heartbroken expression as the others looked to it with sympathy.
“It may be a feral monster, Triska, but it would have been kind in return to Daniel. Had that monster been a sentient creature, then you would have ruined any chances of Daniel talking about coexistence with it,” Specca pointed out.
“Always knew Triska would be the one screwing up our chances out here,” Alyssa mentioned flatly.
“Hey! I was trying to save Daniel!” Triska yelled out at her.
“He wasn’t in any danger, he could have been if that was a different type of fluugher you cut apart, but otherwise he would have been just fine,” Alyssa argued.
“I saw him get pulled underground by a monster, why wouldn’t I have tried to save him?” Triska shot back.
“Because your guide told you not to!” Specca cried out. The group looked to her as she shook her head with a flustered huff.
“You wanted my help out here, remember? You wanted me to tell you about the monsters we meet and how to approach them; you wanted me to help you out here in the outerlands, didn’t you? Well I can’t do that if you don’t listen to me!” she cried out. Triska opened her mouth to speak before Specca threw the monster book at her, the human catching it with surprise as the nixie looked at her with a teary-eyed glare.
“You could have killed Daniel! If that was a poisonous or constricting fluugher you would have killed him the second you cut the first petal!” she shouted out. Triska looked at her with a stunned expression then to Daniel, the boy watching as the fluugher was weeping while holding her severed petals. Specca whimpered and looked to the boy with worried eyes.
“I’m trying to keep him alive, I’m trying to keep all of you alive out here, but you didn’t listen. He even said himself to stop, but you just wouldn’t listen to him,” she said before turning to Triska with an accusing glare. Triska struggled to say anything back for a moment before Specca shook her head with a grunt.
“I get you’re a strong swordswoman, we all know you can fight, but the next time Daniel or I tell you not to attack a monster, don’t attack it!” she yelled out. Triska opened her mouth to say something then looked to the fluugher as it whimpered while holding her severed petals. The monster looked over to Triska with watery eyes, the human feeling guilt building inside for hurting the harmless monster like that.
“I… I’m sorry…” Triska said softly. The fluugher whimpered then receded back down into her nest below her flower, the remaining petals closing
up while vines and weeds sprouted and entangled over the opening.
“Way to go, Triska, had that been an elf this trip would have gone to hell really fast,” Alyssa commented while shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, alright? I saw it pull Daniel under the ground; it was staring at him like it wanted to… I was worried, I had to try to save him,” Triska reasoned nervously. Specca shook her head and looked towards the flower bud of the fluugher with concern.
“Listen to me the next time we encounter a monster, otherwise your actions may very well kill Daniel just as easily as the monster could,” she warned before walking back towards the caravan. Triska watched her go then looked to seeing Alyssa and Squeak shaking their heads at her.
“You and that dumb sword of yours,” Alyssa said before walking off as well. Triska looked to her blade then to Squeak while shaking her head.
“Squeak, I… you get why I… you understand, don’t you?” she asked. Squeak looked to the fluugher then to Triska, squeaking a few times before walking off after the others. Triska slowly sheathed her blade behind her then looked to the monster guidebook in her hands, her eyes then glancing to Daniel as the boy was watching the flower bud with concern.
“Daniel, I just wanted to help you,” Triska said softly.
“I know, I can’t get mad at you for that. But Specca’s right, she’s our guide out here, our monster expert. If she says to halt, then you need to halt,” Daniel reasoned.
“But you were pulled underground by a monster, I thought it was going to rape you, kill you even,” Triska said worriedly. Daniel nodded slowly then looked to her with a solemn expression.
“I trust Specca with my life in these cases, you need to as well. Alyssa and I know our fair share of monsters in this world, but we all know Specca knows the most. If she says stop, then you need to stop,” he said before walking towards the caravan. Triska watched him go then looked to the fluugher with remorseful eyes, the flower monster’s faint wails and cries being heard from under its flora covering.
“Ok,” she said quietly before walking after him towards the caravan, her eyes looking down at the book in her hands with regret as she felt guilty for what she did to the helpless monster behind her.
*****
Inside the cabin everybody was quiet while Lucky was pulling the caravan along a trail of grass and dirt, the single white horse having no trouble pulling the larger ride at all while sitting at the driver’s seat Daniel was holding onto the reins. The girls were all gathered inside the cabin as usual, with each of them sitting back against the walls while Triska was looking down at the monster book in her hands with remorse still. Sitting next to her Specca was reading another book, her tail curled up beside her while she was engrossed in the story she was reading, while across from them Squeak was picking some dirt and blades of grass off her pickaxe, the ant girl seeming to take extra care in making sure her weapon was in good condition and looking clean. Next to her Alyssa was sitting on a pillow while levitating an apple in front of her with a bored expression, her eyes glancing from the floating fruit to Triska who had been silent ever since the fluugher incident.
“You know, now that I think about it, Specca’s the only one you haven’t threatened with your sword,” Alyssa commented. Triska glanced to her with annoyance as the witch gently flicked her fingers, causing the apple in front of her to spin around in place.
“You threatened me with your sword when we first met, if you had it with you at the time you would have been pointing it at the ant girls when we met them, you tried to attack a Darker One with it, which was incredibly stupid by the way, you threatened that nightmare we came across even though your sword couldn’t do anything to it at all, and-”
“SHUT UP!” Triska yelled as she grabbed her sword and yanked it out with a swift pull, swinging it over to point it at Alyssa as the other girls watched her with worried eyes. Alyssa however just stared at Triska with a dull expression as the apple continued to hover in front of her.
“I use my sword to protect Daniel, to keep monsters from taking him away! I pointed it at you when you stole him from me! I would have pointed it at the ant girls back then because they kidnapped him from us! I attacked that succubus to save your ungrateful life when you were being strangled! And I struck down the nightmare in my dreams with my sword! I haven’t had to aim it at Specca; she never tried to steal Daniel away!” Triska yelled out. Daniel at this point was glancing back to her with a worried eye while Specca had scooted further away from the loud teen.
“Triska, no swordplay in the cabin, you know the rules,” Specca reminded nervously. Triska growled while keeping her blade aimed at Alyssa still.
“You want me to apologize for trying to keep him safe? You want me to say I’m sorry for fearing that he was going to be raped and killed earlier? I’m out here to protect him, I love him more than anything, and I’ll be damned if I let his quest come to an early end because of some lustful creature he comes across!” the teen shouted out. Alyssa merely waved her finger up, causing the spinning apple to float over to the blade and push against it, carving the fruit into a spiral while Triska narrowed her eyes at the witch.
“The only thing that stupid sword of yours is good for is cutting up our food,” Alyssa mocked before a piece of her sliced apple floated over into her mouth, the witch chewing it casually as the rest of the apple hovered over into her hand.
“Again, put your sword away, Triska, right now,” Specca insisted. Alyssa leaned back against a pillow and watched Triska with a raised eyebrow while eating her apple casually.
“You can’t threaten me with that piece of metal,” she said simply.
With a furious yell Triska thrust her sword forward in the blink of an eye, striking the blade into the wall of the cabin with a sharp strike. Alyssa twitched on reflex as her hand jerked, dropping the sliced apple onto the floor as Specca and Squeak stared at the sight with wide eyes.
“Alyssa!” Daniel called out as he turned to see Triska’s sword struck into the wall next to the witch’s head, with Alyssa staring at Triska with wide eyes while the blade had grazed her cheek. A small trickle of blood dripped from the cut onto the steel as Triska glared at Alyssa with anger.
“I’ve had it with you criticizing me at every turn, I’ve had it, Alyssa!” Triska yelled out. Alyssa slowly lifted a hand up to her chin as she felt blood dripping off it, the witch glancing to the blade in the wall next to her then to Triska with shock.
“Lucky, stop!” Daniel shouted out as he snapped the reins. The horse neighed and started slowing down as Daniel entered the cabin and stared with surprise at the sight.
“You… you…” Alyssa stuttered before glaring at Triska with anger, her purple eyes giving off a soft bloom as she clenched her fists.
“Triska, what is wrong with you?” Specca cried out.
“All you ever do is say my sword is stupid, that I’m stupid. Well guess what, this stupid piece of metal could have killed you just now if I hadn’t aimed it to the side of your head! I don’t care if it’s a witch, a Darker One, or whatever, if any monster tries to take Daniel away you can be damned sure they’re going to be answering to my blade, you got that?” Triska yelled out.
Alyssa growled with anger as she prepared to throw Triska out of the caravan again before Daniel grabbed Triska’s hand and blade and yanked it away from Alyssa, the boy holding Triska by the arm with a stern expression.
“Drop it, now!” he yelled out.
“But, but, Daniel-” Triska started before the boy shook her hand and his head.
“I said drop it now, Triska!” he yelled out. The girl stared at him with surprise then let go of the sword, the blade dropping to the floor with a clank as Alyssa held a hand to her cheek and cringed.
“Ah, that stings,” she whined. Triska glanced to her then to Daniel as the boy was watching her with a stern expression.
“Triska, you just broke three rules in one go. You used your sword while inside the caravan, you thre
atened our friend with it, and then you hurt our friend with it,” he scolded firmly.
“But, Daniel, she’s always-” Triska started before he grabbed her sheath and pulled it up off of her, the girl watching with surprise as he took her blade and slid it back into the sheath before pointing to Alyssa, the witch glaring at Triska while holding a hand to her bloodied cheek.
“Apologize to her right now,” he demanded.
“What? But, Daniel…” Triska pleaded while shaking her head.
“Right now!” Daniel repeated. Triska looked at him with growing concern then to Alyssa, the witch flinching with a scowl at the teen.
“I… I’m sorry, Alyssa,” Triska said softly. Daniel then glanced to Alyssa with a stern expression still.
“Alyssa, you too, apologize to her,” he ordered.
“What? But she was the one who broke the rules and hurt me,” Alyssa whined.
“You were the one heckling her, that cut came from you pushing Triska into a fight,” Daniel stated.
“But… Daniel,” Alyssa whined with an innocent frown.
“Alyssa,” Daniel repeated sternly. Alyssa glanced to Triska then to the floor with a pout.
“Fine, I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“To her, not the floor,” Daniel ordered. Alyssa flinched then slowly looked to Triska, the teen watching her with a dull glare.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. Daniel shook his head then looked to Triska with discontent, the girl watching him with worried eyes as she could tell he was really angry with her. Alyssa flinched again from her cheek hurting before Squeak gently pulled the witch over to her, with Alyssa then watching as the ant girl held her in her lap. Squeak gently turned Alyssa’s head to the side and started licking the witch’s cut, with Alyssa feeling her mind going numb in waves as the euphoric sensation of the ant girl’s saliva rippled across her face.
“Squeak…” she said softly before collapsing in Squeak’s arms, the ant girl holding her carefully as she licked and cleaned up the girl’s wound with quiet squeaks.
Chronicles of Eden - Act 2 Page 9
