“What are you talking about, Falla?” Alyssa asked before the butterfly girl waved at her sharply to silence her.
“And when she rode on that horse,” Falla continued looking back to Pip with a saddened smile. “The way they bounced up and down, up and down, up and down…”
Pip started to tremble with a faint whine, with the group then seeing her wings quickly fluttering before stopping again and again.
“Actually, now that I think about it…” Falla mused while striking an inquisitive expression and holding a finger to her chin. “Yes, I actually think she was lactating these past few days.”
Pip quickly spun around and stared at her with a wide eye as the butterfly girl walked toward the doorway while showing a thoughtful face.
“Such a shame, all that milk going to waste. Oh dear, we may never find a pair of breasts quite like hers ever again.”
“Boobies…” Pip squeaked out as she fluttered up off the table and hovered in place. She gulped and glanced back to the map then to Falla as the butterfly girl turned around and leaned back against the wall next to the entryway.
“Oh well, I guess we can’t force you to go save those boobies,” Falla admitted remorsefully. “The swarm will tear her to pieces, destroying those lovely breasts of hers and wasting all of her precious milk.”
“No,” Pip whined while holding a hand over her mouth.
“Yes,” Falla sighed as she gazed out the doorway at the night sky above. “But it’s not your fault, Pip. It’s just how life goes, I’m afraid.”
“No, boobies, my boobies,” Pip whimpered before flying around in erratic circles near the group. Everyone watched her with bewilderment then looked to Falla. She glanced to them then cleared her throat while quickly shifting her focus to Pip then around at them again. Slowly everyone looked to each other then to Pip as she zipped around in a tight circle.
“Oh, I’m going to miss sucking on those so much,” Alyssa pouted with a frown.
“No!” Pip whined before flying around in a circle vertically now.
“I’m never going to be able to caress them again, I’m so heartbroken,” Specca sulked while holding her hands to her cheeks.
“No! No! No!” Pip wailed before she started flying around in a spherical flight pattern in a blue blur.
“She always loved rubbing them in my face, but never more now,” Daniel droned before holding an arm over his eyes as he feigned sorrow.
“No no no no no!” Pip cried out before flying around in figure eight patterns while spiraling around, forming two lingering trails of light shaped like balls. The group watched the fairy with blank expressions and tried not to notice that she was literally drawing a pair of breasts in the air with her trailing light before Luna looked up and away with a gentle gaze.
“If only someone could save her from such a cruel fate,” she distantly said. “That someone would be able to just dive right into those breasts and squeeze them as long as they wanted to.”
Pip stopped instantly in midair, the sparkly dust from her wings shooting forward ahead of her briefly as she stared into space with an open mouth. She quickly looked back and forth between the entryway and map while murmuring with distress from the dilemma. After a while of suffering from inner turmoil she cried out and let off a golden glow around her.
“BOOBIES!” she screamed before a shot of golden light streaked out of the cabin with a bang. The group quickly looked to the entrance with surprise as Falla peeked out and watched as the yellow trial of light raced into the forest and quickly vanished out of sight.
“Wow,” Luna said with wonder.
“That really got her going,” Alyssa commented.
“Indeed. That was well played, Falla,” Specca complimented with a small smile.
“I figured that would motivate her more,” Falla reasoned with a smug grin, casually crossing her arms in content as she leaned against the doorframe.
“I hope Pip gets to Triska in time,” Daniel said as concern once again came over him.
Alyssa walked over to the doorway and looked out at the night sky above the forest with worried eyes. As she did Falla glanced to her and saw the witch trying to hold back her tears.
“Please come back, Triska,” Alyssa voiced quietly, almost to herself.
“She’ll be fine,” Falla promised, with Alyssa and the other girls looking to her curiously as she smiled a bit at the witch. “She’ll be fine, so don’t get yourself so worked up over this.”
“How can you be so sure of that?” Alyssa asked shakily.
“How can I be so sure of that?” Falla repeated with a laugh. “You know Triska better than I do. Look, if there’s one thing I learned with being around her so much it’s this.” She then looked off towards the forest with a confident smile.
“You don’t fuck with her when she’s got her sword.”
“That’s not true,” Luna mentioned, with Falla staggering a bit before glancing back to her. “Daniel’s had sex with Triska before when she had her sword strapped to her back. He did her in the woods yesterday like that, remember?”
“You were watching us then?” Daniel tiredly asked even though he felt he shouldn’t be surprised to hear that.
“Well, we heard you,” Luna answered with a nervous smile. “And I did see you two walking off together when she still had her sword on her back, and then she kept crying out for you to ride her harder-”
“That’s not what I was talking about!” Falla barked out at Luna. “I meant she can handle herself just fine with her sword in a fight! For crying out loud, she could probably slaughter the entire swarm singlehandedly if she gets pissed off enough! Dammit, Luna, I was trying to have a moment here!”
The group watched as Falla grunted and looked off again towards the forest with a dull expression. Alyssa had a troubled frown on her face from dreading what might happen to Triska that night before she slowly tried to force a smile and turned to gaze out at the woods as well.
“Yeah, she is pretty dangerous when she gets angry,” she agreed, her voice failing to hide her concern completely.
“She’ll be just fine,” Falla stated decisively. “She’ll be back before you know it, so don’t go crying over this when nothing’s going to happen to her.”
“I hope you’re right,” Daniel softly said as Specca and Squeak looked down with worried eyes, all of them praying for Triska’s safe return. Luna nodded to that then watched her sister curiously, seeing the girl just gazing out at the night sky over the forest with a blank expression. Although she tried to hide it a glimmer of concern came over Falla’s face before she quickly wiped a tear away and pretended to scratch her nose in the process. Luna showed a small smile as she saw her sister trying to pretend that she didn’t care still then looked to the map on the table with worried eyes.
‘Triska, Complica, please come back to us soon. I can’t bear to lose either of you.’
*****
Galloping through the forest trail Lucky continued to make haste as the daylight above began to vanish behind the passing trees. Triska and Tabitha had remained silent during their trek towards Rackleholm after the fluugher encounter, both remaining focused on finding and rescuing the missing butterfly princess. Riding up along a path within the dark woods Triska grew more cautious as visibility around them declined rapidly, and she knew they were by no means alone out there.
“I hope we get there soon,” Triska spoke up to break the silence. “It’s getting a little too dark out here.”
“What did you expect to happen when you came along with me?” Tabitha mused with a smirk. “Didn’t you plan on seeing in the dark out here like this?”
“I thought we would have reached the village by now. It won’t be a problem once we get there, but out here-”
“What do you mean it won’t be a problem then?” Tabitha asked. “It’s going to be pitch-black there, you know that, right?”
“What?” Triska questioned looking back to the neko. “What do you mean?
There’s bound to be lights lit within the village at night, no human settlement puts out all the lights when the sun goes down.”
“You are aware that Rackleholm is abandoned, right?” Tabitha dryly asked.
“Abandoned? You mean nobody’s there?”
“Of course not. Didn’t you and your friends know that? Rackleholm hasn’t been the home to humans for some time now. Nobody lives there, there won’t be any lights waiting for us on this night.”
“Why not? What happened to the humans that lived there?” Triska said looking ahead again with confusion.
“Beats me,” Tabitha replied with a shrug. “Years ago everyone in the village just vanished. I don’t think it was a sickness or lack of food that drove the residents away, but the place is a ghost town now.”
“Another seemingly empty town that we arrive in at night, perfect,” Triska muttered shaking her head. “That seems vaguely familiar somehow.”
“Relax,” Tabitha assured. “You have nothing to worry about. Once we get there I’ll simply slink right into the village and slice the throats of those humans before they even know we’re there. Simple as it gets.”
“Not even going to try to talk them into giving up peacefully, are you?” Triska flatly said glancing back to the neko. Although it was dark all around them the faint amount of moonlight from above was enough to show Tabitha’s slick smile she had, her eyes giving off a yellowish glimmer for a moment as she chuckled with a purr.
“I’m just doing my job, Triska,” Tabitha reasoned. “I do need to make sure that the young princess remains unharmed after all.”
Lucky neighed and started to slow down as they reached the top of the hill within the forest. Triska quickly looked around and saw the trail faintly lit up before them by the moonlight as Lucky was now trotting more carefully with the low visibility.
“It’s getting way too dark,” Triska said looking up, seeing a few clouds drifting by overhead and hiding more of the moonlight. “Lucky can’t even see the path clearly now.”
“Keep going straight, we’re fine still,” Tabitha ordered.
“How do you know that? We could run right into a fluugher or arachne like this.”
“I can see in the dark, Triska,” Tabitha replied, with Triska glancing back to the neko curiously from that. “Why do you think this is going to be an easy job for me? Hunting down humans in the dead of night, this is kitten’s play for a neko.”
“You can see in the dark?”
“Of course, it’s one of my many talents,” Tabitha boasted while looking around casually. To her the landscape was still visible through her eyes, her vision in the dark being roughly the same apart from being seen in a dark golden hue.
Lucky continued to trot ahead while Triska peered around at the forest and worn trail with a careful eye. The moonlight from above came and went with a few passing clouds rolling by, and apart from the occasional glimmer from the stars in the sky it was almost impossible to see anything around them.
After a while they came to the edge of a downward incline into a valley nestled in the forest. As a few clouds above parted Triska was able to make out a village within the valley surrounded by the dark woods. It looked to be about the same size as her hometown of Edgewood, not necessarily a large settlement but big enough to survive out in The Outerlands if properly equipped. Most of the buildings were placed close together yet weren’t built too high. There were no lights seen in the windows or any smoke coming from the chimneys, the entire village seeming as quiet as the forest it was cradled in.
“You think the humans that kidnapped Complica came here?” Triska asked looking back to the neko.
“It’s the only place they could have come to seek shelter from the forest around them,” Tabitha explained. “They would have it all to themselves and would be safe from other monsters at night, and they could hide their hostage easily as well.”
“So what’s the plan then?” Triska said looking back towards the village. “Just ride into town and search for her?”
“No,” Tabitha corrected as she hopped off of Lucky’s back. “You’re going to stay here while I do my job.”
“I’m not sitting here and doing nothing, I came to rescue that girl too.”
“And how are you doing to do that if you can’t see what’s in front of your own nose?” Tabitha chuckled with a purr. “Wouldn’t be much of a daring rescue on your part to have you running into the buildings face first, now would it?”
“I’ll be just fine. I’m not waiting here in the dark while you go after the princess.”
“Yes, you are,” Tabitha said before she looked around at the village down below them. “I can move about more silently when I’m alone. Now I suggest you stay right where you are, there are fluugher to your left and behind you near the trees. If I come back and you’re being raped to death I’m just going to leave you this time.”
“Tabitha!” Triska shouted as the neko swiftly ran along the path down towards the village. “Dammit, get back here!”
Tabitha ran off without making a sound while Triska tried to track the agile monster. However the neko melded into the shadows as she sprinted ahead and vanished from sight entirely. Triska peered around at the dark trail ahead and saw nothing moving along it while the moonlight from above slightly lit up the area again. She then looked around behind her, not being able to see any of the plant monsters she had been warned about but feeling their eyes watching her from the shadows very well.
“Oh hell no, we are not waiting around here like this. We’re going to save that girl and show the monarch not all humans are the devil, and not even a little dark is going to stop us. Let’s go, Lucky!”
She then snapped the reins with a yell, getting Lucky to start trotting forward along the trail slowly with a grunt. Triska watched the horse with a dull stare as the animal carefully made his way along the path towards the village at the speed a five year old child could easily outrun.
“Oh c’mon, quit being such a coward, Lucky!”
*****
On the other side of the valley that Rackleholm dwelled in Kroanette was breathing heavily while leaning against a tree, her eyes wearily looking down at the seemingly abandoned human village while next to her Clover was watching the settlement with a sharp glare.
“Okay,” Kroanette panted. “We’re here. Now… why did we come here again?”
“What’s with you?” Clover snapped with a glance to her. “I thought centaurs loved to run everywhere.”
“I’ve been running all evening and night, nonstop, while you constantly slapped my rear and yelled at me to go faster!” Kroanette barked out at the elf. “I’m tired, alright?”
“Whatever. Just stay here and rest then, I’ll be back soon,” Clover said before she started walking towards the village with her bow in hand. She pulled her hood up with her long pigtails draping down over her shoulders then brought out an arrow and held it in her bow while keeping a sharp eye out around them.
“Hold on!” Kroanette called out, halting the elf who merely glanced back to her while remaining silent. “You expect me to just wait here in the dark forest alone? I will do no such thing. You can’t just leave me here like this when I can’t see even five feet in front of me.”
“You’re too easy a target to follow me into Rackleholm,” Clover said shaking her head. Kroanette looked at her puzzled as the elf eyed the village before them while scowling slightly. “She’ll pick your fat ass off in a heartbeat if you stray into there.”
“Hey!” Kroanette shouted out with anger. “I am not fat! I may have the body of a horse but I am lean and well fit just as any other centaur in Eden!” She then blinked and looked at Clover curiously.
“Wait a minute. She? Who are you talking about?”
“Just shut up and wait here for me to get back,” Clover snapped at her. “Don’t even think about running off on me either. If you do then you’d best pray the monsters lurking in the shadows kill you before I find you again.�
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“Hold up,” Kroanette said holding a hand up. “You’re just going to venture into a human village at night alone? They’ll kill you if they find out you’re a monster.”
“There are no humans in this village, the place has been deserted for years,” Clover explained shaking her head.
“It’s deserted?” Kroanette asked looking back to the village. Sure enough she saw no lights or signs of anyone living there. “But are you sure it’s best to venture in there when it’s dark like this? You won’t be able to see too well.”
“I can see in the dark,” Clover dryly remarked. “Thank you for your concern but I’ll be just fine.”
“You can?” Kroanette said looking to her curiously. Clover nodded while watching the centaur out of the corner of her eye, her vision showing the centaur clearly with a dark green hue from her eyes adjusting to the night.
“Of course, what elf can’t? Now sit down and shut up, I’ll be back soon.”
“Wait just a moment, you can’t-” Kroanette started before Clover shot an arrow right at her with a loud twang, the bolt striking into a tree just past the centaur’s head.
“Sit down,” Clover ordered.
Kroanette gulped then slowly sat down on her legs while watching the elf with a nervous whine. Clover turned to walk towards the village then glanced back to the centaur with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s for your own safety,” she mentioned, with Kroanette watching her with wonder as the elf brought out another arrow and held it in her bow. “There’s another elf here, one that stole a relic that belongs to our priestess. If she spots you before I find her she’ll put you down before you can blink.”
“Another elf is here? Are you sure?”
“Yes, tracking and hunting is something we elves excel at, and I’ve followed her trail through Eden towards this village. This place is abandoned, surrounded by monsters, a perfect hiding place for her to lay low. With any luck she’s still here, and I can take back what she stole after I fucking kill that traitor. It’s my job, given to me by my priestess and my sisters, and I’m not going to let anything get in my way.”
Chronicles of Eden - Act V Page 25
