“Um, for the record, I didn’t catch these to show you up, Triska. I just happened to come across a school of them in the river and, well, they looked so tasty,” she reasoned with a shrug. Alyssa giggled and smiled inquisitively at her.
“I’m curious, you didn’t have a net with you at the time, how did you catch all of these anyway?” she asked.
“I can outswim a simple fish; it was as easy as picking flowers under the water for me. I just grabbed what I could carry and then threw them onto the shore,” Specca explained. Alyssa nodded then pointed to Specca’s fish with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, Specca, aren’t you going to cook yours?” she asked as she saw the nixie eating her fish raw. Specca shook her head and looked to it with an eager smile.
“No, that’s alright, I actually prefer them raw,” she answered before biting down onto it with a crunch. Alyssa showed a disgusted expression while Triska was merely glancing to Specca with a cringe as she saw the nixie eating the raw meat. Squeak however was looking at her fish with a curious eye as she had yet to bite into it. Specca looked to her then to her fish which was cooked to eat.
“What’s wrong, you haven’t even tried it yet,” she said with some meat and scales in her mouth. Squeak glanced to her then to her food with a raised eyebrow before carefully smelling it. She showed a troubled expression and looked around at the other girls who were all watching her now.
“It’s alright, it’s just a fish,” Alyssa reasoned.
“Has… she ever had fish before?” Triska asked curiously. Specca looked up thoughtfully then shrugged as she took another bite of her meal.
“Nod shure, it wold depem om-”
“Specca, swallow your food first,” Triska commented flatly. Specca jumped a bit then quickly swallowed with a large gulp, the girl then blushing and smiling nervously at everyone.
“Sorry. As I was trying to say, I’m not sure, it would depend on if their nest had any underground rivers or lakes to fish from. If not, she may never have had such a thing down in her home,” she explained before the girls turned to Squeak, the ant girl just examining her meal questionably.
“Try it, it’s really good,” Specca insisted. Squeak hesitated for a moment then slowly took a small bite out of her fish, chewing off the meat and munching on it while the others watched her curiously. After a few seconds Squeak quickly spat the food out and shook her head while wiping her tongue with her hand. She handed the fish over towards Specca and squeaked with a disgusted expression on her face.
“I don’t think she likes it,” Triska said amusingly.
“Really? But it’s so good,” Specca said as she took the fish from Squeak. The ant girl shook her head and looked to the ones that were cooking over the fire with annoyance. Alyssa bit off more of her meal then glanced to seeing Daniel walking over to them.
“Ok, Lucky is finishing his dinner, how’s it coming over here?” he asked.
“Not too bad, have a seat, join us,” Alyssa offered while taking hold of her staff and tapping it on the ground, causing a large tree root and green vines to come up from the ground and curl downward to form another spot for the boy to sit on. Daniel looked at the makeshift pew with wonder then nodded as he joined the girls.
“That is just amazing how you do that,” he complimented, with Alyssa smiling bashfully and setting her staff down next to her. Daniel then picked up one of the sticks with a cooked fish on it and smiled curiously at it.
“Wow, these do look good, and you caught them all by yourself, Specca?” he asked looking to the nixie.
“Yes, it was no trouble at all, I hope you like them,” Specca said softly with a smile. Daniel nodded then looked to seeing Squeak watching the last cooking fish with a troubled expression.
“Squeak? What’s wrong?” he asked. Squeak looked to him then pointed to the fish while squeaking and shaking her head. Daniel nodded slowly then glanced to Specca, the nixie shrugging with a weak smile.
“She didn’t quite care for it, I don’t believe she likes fish,” she explained. Squeak nodded and looked down while holding a hand over her stomach as it grumbled a bit. Triska glanced to her for a moment then quickly ate the rest of her meal before tossing the stick into the fire. She then stood up and walked over towards the caravan.
“Where are you going?” Specca asked.
“Going to get something for Squeak to eat, she needs something for dinner too,” Triska reasoned before she hopped up onto the ride and went inside. Squeak watched her leave with a curious eye while Daniel smiled a bit from hearing Triska saying that.
“Oh boy, I can only imagine what she’s going to make for her,” Alyssa said dryly before biting into her fish again.
“You really don’t like Triska, do you?” Specca asked with a raised eyebrow. Alyssa remained quiet while Daniel looked around at seeing everyone falling silent, the crackling of the fire being the only sound heard.
After a while Triska came back out from the caravan, carrying her duffel bag in one hand as she hopped down onto the grass and walked over towards the group. Setting her bag down on the ground behind her seat at the campfire she started sifting through while everyone watched her curiously except for Alyssa, the witch merely giving the human a dull stare.
“Let’s see here… well, like I mentioned I only have basic ingredients with me, is that ok?” Triska asked looking to Squeak. The ant girl nodded while her antennae twitched slightly. Triska rummaged through her bag then brought out a small pouch, which contained some bread that she pulled out and started cutting with her dagger. She paused then glanced to Daniel with a weak smile.
“Um… its ok if I still use this, right?” she asked. Daniel just nodded while watching the girl curiously. Triska smiled and cut some pieces of bread apart before placing the rest back in the pouch. She then put it away and pulled out a small tin container which had lettuce in it, then another which had some cheese, then another which had some jelly that she spread onto the bread with her dagger, then she took out another pouch which had some apples in it which she grabbed one from, and then she pulled out a small white cloth to use as a napkin, the girl putting together a sandwich for Squeak while the group just stared at what she pulled out of the bag.
“Seriously, how did you fit all of that in there?” Specca asked carefully.
“What are you talking about?” Triska answered as she placed the freshly made sandwich and apple on the napkin before handing it towards Squeak. Everyone just stared at her in silence as she held the food out to the ant girl.
“Here, nothing fancy, but it should taste good nonetheless,” Triska offered with a shrug. Squeak slowly took the food and looked at it curiously while Triska put away the rest of her supplies before pulling out a cylindrical container and five cups, with the group watching as she poured water into each cup before putting the container back.
“Not going to lie and say the fish was bad, but it does make you thirsty, so here,” Triska said while holding a drink out towards Specca. The nixie just stared at her for a moment, glanced to the duffel bag, then looked at Triska with puzzlement.
“How…” she said softly.
“It’s just water,” Triska assured while shaking the cup a little. Specca slowly took hold of the drink as she looked from Triska to the duffel bag then back to the human again while showing a confused expression. Triska handed Squeak a cup of water, then another to Daniel, and then handed one towards Alyssa who just raised an eyebrow at her.
“It’s just water,” Triska repeated.
“You’re only doing all this to make Daniel think you can be good again,” Alyssa said flatly. Triska gave her a dull glare and lightly shook the cup at her.
“I’m trying to be nice here, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she stated.
“You’re not fooling anyone, you’re just trying to get on Daniel’s good side since your turn is tonight,” Alyssa accused sharply.
“All I’m trying to do is hand you some water to wash that fish down with,
quit being such a little bitch and take it,” Triska shot back. Alyssa scoffed at her and got up, grabbing her staff and walking off towards Lucky while muttering something to herself.
“Alyssa,” Daniel called out as he stood up. Before he could move Triska handed him the cup of water and marched off after the witch.
“Stay there and eat, Daniel, I’ll handle this,” Triska called back. Daniel looked to the two cups of water and the fish in his hands then to the other girls, not being sure what to say. Squeak was chewing on her apple with small squeaks while Specca was watching Triska head off after Alyssa with a curious expression.
“Well… at least she doesn’t have her sword with her this time,” Specca reasoned with a small shrug. Daniel looked back to seeing Alyssa walking past Lucky with Triska following after, the two girls heading away from the campsite and around a few trees before vanishing from view.
Alyssa grumbled to herself as she made her way through some bushes, with Triska quickly following after through them.
“Hey!” Triska called out, with Alyssa stopping in a small clearing while still looking forward.
“What is your problem?” Triska demanded with her hands at her hips. Alyssa kept looking forward while not saying a word.
“Look, if this is about earlier, I said I was sorry. You kept riding me about my sword and wouldn’t back off, I lost my temper. I’m sorry for hurting you like that, alright?” Triska said with annoyance.
“I don’t care about that,” Alyssa snapped.
“Then what is it? I’m trying to be nice to you and you just blow me off, why?” Triska asked.
“Just leave me alone,” Alyssa muttered while still looking forward. Triska watched her for a moment before she shook her head with her arms held out to the sides.
“I don’t get it; I thought we were past this. I can talk to Specca and Squeak no problem, well, I can with Specca, Squeak isn’t exactly someone to start up a conversation with, but with you, you’re always trying to put me down and criticize me at every turn. If you’ve got a problem with me still then say it,” she demanded. Alyssa turned around and glared at her with frustration, with weeds and vines slinking up through the ground around Triska’s feet.
“You don’t belong out here with us, all you do is yell and wave your sword around like you know what you’re doing, but you don’t, you don’t have a damn clue what you’re doing!” Alyssa yelled out. Triska watched her carefully as the vines around her feet slithered through the grass and dirt without touching her.
“You attack anything that even looks at you funny, you shout practically everything you say every day, and even with your dumb sword you can’t protect Daniel and you know it!” Alyssa shouted as she struck her staff into the ground, a pulse of light rippling away from it through the grass as the witch shook her head before pointing to Triska accusingly.
“You’re going to ruin Daniel’s plan of getting monsters and humans living together, I just know you are! Daniel’s wrong with choosing you to make the call whether we attack a monster or not, knowing you you’ll just charge at anything you see thinking Daniel’s in danger!” Alyssa accused loudly.
“Is this about the fluugher earlier? I saw him get pulled under by that thing, it was staring at him like it wanted to rape him, I did what I felt was right!” Triska shouted back.
“And if that had been a different kind of fluugher Daniel would be dead right now,” Alyssa argued. Triska looked down with concern as the witch walked up to her.
“I don’t care that it’s your turn with him tonight, I don’t care you cut me on the cheek. What I do care about is Daniel succeeding in his quest, that everything he’s doing and risking with his life won’t be wasted. And the more I think about it every day, the more I realize that you’re the absolute worst person to be traveling with him,” Alyssa scolded. Triska looked to her with discontent as the witch shook her head slowly.
“I’m just waiting for the moment where you attack another helpless monster, one who could have led to mankind having a new ally in the world, and instead just made an enemy with. I’m just counting the minutes until you wreck everything with your temper and your sword, and I’m praying that when you inevitably do you don’t drag Daniel down into the underworld with you,” she stated solemnly. Triska looked at her with disbelief then down as she remembered the fluugher’s painful cries as the group left it alone, after she had cut apart its petals and vines.
“I hate you,” Alyssa said shakily. Triska looked up to seeing Alyssa seeming to be fighting back tears as she glared at her.
“I hate you, because I like you, Triska,” she admitted before looking down and away.
“What do you mean?” Triska asked.
“I mean I hate you because I like you. I like you, Triska, I don’t want you to get hurt out here or die, I don’t want to see that happen to you,” Alyssa said softly. Triska showed some surprise from hearing those words as she saw Alyssa slowly holding her staff close with both hands.
“I’m not blind, I know you’re not a bad human, I know you risked your life to save mine. You wouldn’t let me be alone when I was sad, and you actually tried to fight a Darker One all for me,” Alyssa said before looking back to Triska with a frown.
“And it’s because of your damn kindness that I like you, which makes it harder for me to deal with that you’re going to get yourself killed out here. You may have trained to fight monsters at your home, but we’re not out here to just fight monsters, we’re out here to talk about peace with monsters, something you and your sword can’t do,” Alyssa stated with remorse.
“That’s the first time you actually said… that you liked me,” Triska mentioned, feeling taken aback by the witch’s words.
“Don’t let it go to your head, I also like Specca and Squeak, but they’re not out of place here, you are. You’re too angry and loud, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into when you’re challenging a monster to a fight out here, you’re not going to survive this journey,” Alyssa said while looking down and away while trying to force a scoff to hide her frown. Triska opened her mouth to speak then paused, not being sure of what to say to the witch. After a moment Alyssa sighed and shook her head while still looking away.
“You shouldn’t be here, you’re going to ruin Daniel’s dream and wind up dead,” she said softly.
“Alyssa, I won’t let Daniel’s dream die out here, and I’m not dying either, none of us are,” Triska reassured gently. Alyssa looked back to her with a frustrated glare and started walking towards the teen, with Triska backing up a bit before she tripped and fell to the ground from vines and weeds binding her feet together. The vines slinked about and grew in size as they spread around Triska’s legs up to her waist, the human watching as Alyssa walked up and stood over her.
“I’m going to watch you die soon, and then you know what I’m going to do?” she asked with sorrow. Triska watched her with gentle eyes as the witch started crying.
“I’m going to cry, and be sad. Daniel was the first human I ever really cared about, the only one I wanted to live with and be happy. But now… I care about you too, and I hate it. I hate it because I know I’m going to feel that pain when you die. You’re so stupid, Triska, you’re only out here because you love Daniel, but you shouldn’t be out here, you should be back home where you can just fight monsters if any come to your home,” Alyssa whimpered. Triska watched the witch while rendered speechless, surprised to see and hear the girl crying over her. Alyssa shook her head and looked away while her hat hid the view of her face.
“I hate you for making me feel this way, you stupid girl,” she said softly.
“Alyssa…” Triska said quietly, watching as the witch wept quietly to herself. After a while she nodded and closed her eyes.
“You’re right, I am out here because I love Daniel,” she admitted, with Alyssa slowly looking back over to her.
“I love him, I always have, and that’s why I had to come out here with him, to make sure he
would live. And yes, I did train to fight monsters, never to talk to them or reason with them, only to kill them if any ever dared show their faces near our home,” Triska continued. Alyssa slowly kneeled down next to her as the human looked up at the stars in the sky above with a distant gaze.
“I trained to fight, to protect him from monsters. But at the same time, I always wanted to believe what he was saying, that not all monsters were bad. I wanted to believe that could be true, but just having that belief with me didn’t change the way the world really was, that many monsters out there would still do to him what monsters do,” Triska said softly, with Alyssa wiping her tears away as she listened to her friend. Triska shook her head lightly then glanced to Alyssa with a smile.
“You tried to take him away upon first seeing him, the ant girls kidnapped him on sight, the slime woman tried to rape him in front of all of us, and that nightmare nearly killed us all. Alyssa, there are some good monsters out there, like you, but there are also many dangerous ones. I can believe that monsters and humans will get along all I want, but it doesn’t change the fact that most of those we encounter are a real danger to Daniel,” she reasoned. Alyssa looked down while remaining silent. Triska breathed out and lied back on the grass, making no attempt to remove or struggle free from the vines that held her down.
“When that fluugher grabbed Daniel and tried to reel him in like that, my first thought was ‘It’s going to take him away’. And you know what? I know I’m going to be thinking that a lot with many of the monsters we’ll be meeting, I’m sure their nature will tell them to steal Daniel away or try to rape him on the spot. We have no way of knowing if they’ll listen to Daniel, or if they’ll just try to use him like they have with so many men in the past. It scares me, knowing I have to let Daniel come within grabbing distance of monsters who are known to rape and kill men,” she said softly.
“I don’t like thinking about it either,” Alyssa mentioned. Triska nodded and looked to her with a solemn expression.
Chronicles of Eden - Act 2 Page 11
