“Our senses aren’t as dull as you appear to give credit for,” Calam giggled. “I could feel the pulses of magic from Star teleporting about, and as for Reiko, well, not only does she seem overly excited as she keeps laughing back there but harvesters usually do emit a rather chilling aura of death that sticks out quite well in this peaceful land.”
“I just knew she was going to fuck this up somehow,” Clover scoffed.
“Me too,” Triska sighed. “Listen, girls, we were just-”
“Relax, we don’t care you had your friends secretly following us out here,” Jezzele assured with a wave of the hand. “It’s not like we’ve really earned your trust yet anyway. To tell the truth, we were kind of expecting you to do something like this if you did decide to come back with us.”
“Um… well, yeah,” Triska had to agree with. “But if you knew all this time why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to spoil their fun,” Calam reasoned with a shrug. “I figured the thrill of chasing us like this would have been enjoyable for them. Almost like, well, if you’ll pardon the expression, a cat hunting a, what’s the word… mouse.”
“Thank you for saying mouse and not rat,” Velm mentioned.
“I had to catch myself to be honest,” Calam admitted. “No offense was intended, I promise. At any rate, I’m sure they’ll be getting tired of running after us soon, which is another reason we’re heading to the check-in station. We can secure another horse for them to ride with us.”
“I see,” Triska slowly said, exchanging a troubled glance with Clover before she smiled worriedly at Calam. “I’m sure Star and Reiko would appreciate that. Thank you for the offer, Calam. And… um… sorry for-”
“Don’t apologize, it’s quite alright,” Calam assured her. “We understand you don’t trust us yet, and that’s completely acceptable given the circumstances.”
“We want to trust you,” Triska insisted as the horses rounded a bend alongside a small river. “We do. And so does Daniel. It’s just…”
“We didn’t want to take any chances in case… well, you know,” Clover admitted before looking away. “I mean I was fighting for my life a couple days ago from gremlins attacking me and my family, and now I’m riding on a horse with one from Stonegate. Even if I want to trust you it’s really hard to do that.”
“We do have a horrible reputation in Stonegate, don’t we?” Velm chuckled. Triska and Clover nodded as they skeptically looked over the three monsters who didn’t appear to hail from such a place given how they were behaving.
“Yeah, you do,” Triska agreed.
“Good,” Jezzele spoke up, earning confused looks from the cambion and elf. “If anything, that’s exactly how we want others to think of us.”
Exchanging puzzled glances with each other Triska and Clover questioned the monsters’ logic, their attention then turning onto the outpost that they slowly approached from a wooden bridge over a gently flowing stream. It was in a secluded clearing surrounded by a thick woodland on all sides, having a large dilapidated fence running along the perimeter with protruding wooden spikes sticking outward towards the trees. Within the shadowy compound stood a towering lookout with its top covered in branches and leaves to help blend in with the nearby forest. Beneath it was a barn, also bearing similar floral camouflage on its roof while beside it was a small cottage with a chimney giving off wisps of smoke from its top. A garden with tomatoes and lettuce was seen near the dwelling along with a well that had a bucket gently swaying above the stone brick hole from its slant.
“This is the check-in station?” Triska asked as the riders came to a halt in front of a wooden gate at the end of the bridge.
“You got it,” Calam agreed as she and the gremlins looked around the seemingly empty settlement. “It’s one of our many homes away from home.”
“So… where is everyone?” Clover asked, sharply searching the tower and buildings for any movement. She started reaching back for her bow before Velm quickly reached behind and grabbed her hand.
“Don’t do anything aggressive, Clover,” the gremlin warned. “The guards will not appreciate it.”
“Guards? What guards?”
“Triska,” Calam spoke up. “Please move your hand away from your sword.”
“What’s going on here?” Triska demanded, her hand hovering above the handle of her weapon. “Why are we just sitting here like this?”
“We’re waiting for the guards to let us in, as well as confirm that you’re not going to try anything foolish. Again, please move your hand away from your sword right now.”
“I’ll move it away from my weapon when I know I don’t need to draw it out,” Triska snapped. “And right now I’m not really feeling comfortable with this.”
“Please calm down,” Jezzele urged. “Don’t make any sudden movements. You’re being watched right now, and if you act hostile then the guards are going to put you down before we can explain the situation.”
“I don’t think I like this,” Clover growled. “This was a trap, wasn’t it? You just lead us here to-”
“Clover, please,” Velm begged with a worried glance at her. “If you draw your bow now you will die, you need to trust me on that. Ease yourself right now.”
“It’s okay,” Calam called out. “They’re friends of ours. We’re taking them to Stonegate under special circumstances. They are not a threat, I promise.”
“Triska, lower your hand,” Jezzele whispered. “Show them you’re not going to do anything stupid.”
“Show who?” Triska questioned. “I don’t see anyone on the other side of that gate to greet us. Just what is going on? Where have you really taken us?”
“We need you to trust us,” the gremlin implored with a nervous glance at her. “We need you to be calm and in control, and we need you to show you mean us no harm. You have to listen to us or else you will die.”
Triska hesitated as did Clover, the two then slowly breathing out and holding their hands up defensively.
“They’re just a bit on guard about the situation is all,” Calam defended, speaking aloud to those who the cambion and elf were unable to see. “I promise they’re not going to cause trouble. We just came to exchange our horses for ones who are properly rested and able to take us to Stonegate.”
“What is the purpose of their visit?” a woman’s voice asked from behind Triska. The girl jumped and started to turn around before Jezzele grabbed her hand and pulled her to face ahead.
“Don’t move,” the gremlin ordered. “You really don’t want to move an inch right now, Triska. Believe me.”
“Just visiting,” Calam answered. “I would like to mention that their visit is approved by Countess Eirene. She would be interested in meeting them alive rather than dead, if you would be so kind.”
“Countess Eirene approved their stay?” another woman’s voice questioned, this one coming from behind Clover. The elf’s ear twitched as she quickly glanced over her shoulder, seeing nothing behind her yet very clearly feeling as though someone was there.
“Yes, she did,” Calam agreed. “So, if you would be so kind as to allow them entry I would appreciate it. We need to acquire some new horses for the trip, ours are in need of a good rest. Oh, and there are two others approaching us from behind, a jinx and a harvester. Don’t worry, they’re with us as well. They just… fell behind a bit during the trip. The poor girls could really use a horse to ride as well.”
“A harvester you say?” one of the unseen guards asked. “My my, you don’t see too many of them around these parts, do you?”
“Yeah,” the other laughed. “Well, not as often as one would imagine anyway. Hahaha!”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Triska spoke up. “But, who exactly are you talking to, Calam? Who is behind me right now?”
“I don’t see anyone else here,” Clover mentioned. “Would someone mind explaining what’s going on? I’m trying to be a good guest but you’re making it awfully difficult.”
>
“So sorry about that,” the unseen woman replied before making herself visible. From behind Triska and Clover two ghostly women appeared from a distorting haze, each dressed in tattered gothic dresses while having long flowing raven hair. Their faces appeared decayed and rotting on their visible skulls, their haunting violet and green eyes having an ominous twinkle in them as they smiled eerily at the surprised girls. From beneath their flowing gowns they had long spectral tendrils with familiar shaped cutters on the ends, each of the monsters having several of which were revealed to be circling and poised to strike the elf and cambion from all sides at pointblank range.
“We just had to make sure you were really ‘good guests’ after all,” one of them reasoned with a shrug.
“Nothing personal, just doing our job,” the other pointed out with a careless wave of the hand.
“Harvesters,” Triska breathed out.
“Oh fuck,” Clover quietly cursed as she saw a spectral blade wavering near her face.
“Now that you know they’re with us,” Calam mentioned with an amused smile. “Would you two mind refraining from reaping their souls? Like I said, the countess would much more enjoy meeting them when they’re alive and not dead.”
“Of course,” a guard happily replied, the two harvesters then recoiling their cutters under their dresses.
“If you say they’re okay then so be it,” the other reasoned. “Though if they cause trouble we’ll be forced to stop them without further warning.”
“I assure you there will be no trouble,” Calam promised with a hand wave. She then noticed Triska and Clover staring at her in disbelief. “Something wrong, Triska? Clover?”
“What… they’re… you…” Triska uttered.
“Are you surprised we have harvesters for friends?” Calam mused. “Why is that so shocking? You have a harvester in your circle, don’t you?”
“Not by choice,” Clover pointed out. “She’s… more or less someone we’re cursed with.”
“She sounds fun,” a guard giggled. “What’s her name?”
“It’ll be fun to meet a new fellow reaper of souls,” the second merrily said with a clap.
“Her name is Reiko,” Calam told them. “She and their friend Star should be approaching soon, I’m sure you’ll get along well. That being said, we really must prepare our mounts for travel so as to make good time. Could you dears please allow us entry now?”
“But of course,” a harvester complied with a curtsey. The two ethereal monsters floated through the fence into the compound, with one giving a rolling whistle before they circled around started pulling open the wooden gate. As it creaked and moaned from swinging inward Calam and the gremlins rode into the outpost with Triska and Clover taking notice of the locals now emerging from their hiding places.
From the tower gremlins leaned out to observe the newcomers, one being armed with a crossbow while the other two exchanged curious looks with each other. Coming out of the cottage were a troll and goblin, both dressed in brown and white dresses while having their hair neatly combed and draped behind their shoulders. The barn door opened slowly before a group of goblins in blue overalls came out, with one holding an axe over her shoulder while the others walked alongside her with mostly good posture and even steps.
“Where’s Valarie?” Jezzele asked looking around. “I thought she was still stationed here for the week.”
“She got transferred back home yesterday,” a harvester replied with a shrug. “Had a bit of an accident in the woods.”
“What happened?” Velm asked.
“A fluugher got hold of her,” the other guard replied, earning surprised looks from Calam and the gremlins.
“Oh no. What kind was it?” Calam worried.
“A Violet Princess,” the harvester sadly answered.
“Oh, shit,” Jezzele fretted. “Not one of those. I thought we uprooted all of them around here.”
“Looks like we missed one,” the other harvester sighed. The two ghostly women finished opening the gate and floated up towards the tower and its guards while Calam and the gremlins slowly rode into the camp with all eyes focusing on them.
“I hope the poor dear will be okay,” Calam empathically said.
“Violet… Princess?” Triska slowly asked. “What’s that?”
“It’s just a nickname we give the fluugher with bright violet petals and dark purple hair.”
“Nasty flowers,” Velm worried shaking her head. “They breed not with men but with women and monsters.”
“They grab you,” Jezzele distantly spoke. “Paralyze you with their sap, reel you in, and then… pollinate you.”
“Pollinate us?” Clover carefully repeated.
“They pump their own seeds into you,” Velm told her, much to the elf and Triska’s surprise. “Gallons of it. They fill you with seed from their vines and then keep you there with them until… until…”
“Until the newborn fluugher emerge from within their host,” Calam solemnly finished. “Sprouting forth with new life at the cost of the miserable soul who now serves as their seedbed in this unforgiving world.”
“Would you stop being so goddamned poetic all the time?” Jezzele complained. “Especially when we’re talking about our friends dying horribly.”
“That sounds awful,” Triska said in disgust. “I didn’t know such fluugher existed in Eden.”
“So… is your friend…” Clover hesitantly said before falling silent.
“She should be fine,” Calam answered as the horses came to a stop. Jezzele and Velm hopped off and took the reins for their steeds while the ant girl showed a gentle smile towards Clover and Triska. “It takes time for the seeds to grow and root into their victims. It sounds like they took her back to Stonegate so as to treat her before she suffers that fate. We’ve treated such conditions before, it’s quite easy for our doctor to handle. Provided we get to them in time of course.”
“Yeah,” Jezzele said while trying to calm her voice. “Doc will take good care of her. She should be as good as new when we see her again.”
“Well… lucky her,” Triska said before looking around at the crowd of monsters that had gathered nearby. The troll and many goblins were whispering to each other and keeping a close eye on the newcomers while up above the harvesters were laughing merrily with the gremlins who seemed to be talking about their guests as well. Calam hopped off her horse and gestured for the girls to do the same, with Clover and Triska slowly dismounting before Velm and Jezzele walked the horses off towards the barn.
“Yeah… this isn’t making me feel any better,” Clover mentioned as she and Triska got closer. “It’s like being back in Green Haven during that night.”
“We don’t have a choice but to trust them, Clover,” Triska said as she did her best to calm her nerves. “For better or worse, this may be the only way we find Kroanette.”
“We’re surrounded by them now,” Clover hushed at her. “They have harvesters with them. And apparently there are fluugher out in those woods that will turn us into seedbeds if they get their hands on us.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Triska quietly insisted. “Just keep your cool and don’t fire an arrow unless absolutely necessary. They haven’t been hostile with us so far, we need to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.”
“I’m just glad Dan didn’t come with,” Clover worried. “This isn’t a position I would want him placed in ever. If he was here right now I just know I’d lose my shit.”
“That is something Kitten has been constantly mentioning,” Triska admitted. “I just hope this bears fruit and we don’t have to fight our way back to him in the end.”
Calam spoke to the troll in the crowd, giggling and smiling happily while the troll only showed a brief smirk as she kept a sharp eye on Triska and Clover. After speaking privately the two proceeded to walk closer to the cambion and elf who quickly tensed up as the goblins gathered near as well.
“Triska, Clover,” Calam said befo
re gesturing to the troll. “This is Salio. She’s in charge of this outpost and wants to ask you two something before we take our leave.”
“I’m only going to ask this once,” Salio firmly announced. “Am I correct in hearing you two are going to Stonegate to find a centaur who is your friend?”
“That’s right,” Triska answered.
“Wrong answer!” Salio shouted back. Triska and Clover jumped in surprise as the troll shook her head at them with a stern scowl. “There are no centaurs in Stonegate except those we butcher in our dining halls! Your friend isn’t there, or if she was she’s probably been eaten by now!”
“What?” Clover demanded. “What do you mean she’s not there? Yes she-”
“Wrong answer!” Salio again shouted. “Try again!”
“Try again?” Triska questioned. “What are you talking about? Calam, what’s going on here? Why is she-”
“Triska,” Calam expectantly said with an urgent eye. “Listen carefully. You’re not going to find a live centaur in Stonegate. It would be foolish to expect such a thing, don’t you agree?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Clover yelled at her. “Why would you say that now? What are you playing here? You were the one who-”
“Silence!” Salio ordered. Triska and Clover growled in rising frustration before noticing one of the harvesters floating down behind them with a wicked smile on her face.
“You lied to us, didn’t you?” Triska accused at Calam. “This was all a trick to bring us out here. You goddamned-”
“Triska,” Calam again stressed with a knowing look. “You’re not listening to us. You need to listen to us right now, understand? We’re not going to Stonegate to find your friend because she can’t possibly be there.”
“Then why are we going to Stonegate?” Clover demanded. “What the fuck do you want with us?”
“Listen!” Salio shouted. Triska and Clover tensed up and prepared to draw their weapons before Calam held her hand out towards them.
“Don’t,” she carefully urged. “You’re not understanding us. Please, just listen carefully to what we’re saying.”
Chronicles of Eden - Season II - Act I Page 32
