“How very unfortunate,” Calamity said as she snapped her fingers. Her crystalized barrier began dissolving in ridged pieces, allowing pillars of smoke to slowly swell into the air above. The ant girl shook her head slowly then glanced over her shoulder to where her unseen comrade was watching from the shadows with her glowing white rings in her eyes being visible.
“Tomorrow was Velm’s birthday,” Calamity mused with a shrug. “Oh, how I was so looking forward to her party.”
“Try not to get too distracted with your little friends,” the woman remarked. “Our master is expecting results, and soon. You’d better find it or else he will be very upset.”
“Don’t worry,” Calamity assured, turning her gaze onto the large crater she had formed with her magic. She smirked and gently brushed aside a few stray hairs from her face as she admired the deep hole she had punched into the ground.
“No matter how deep it is, I will find it. And after I do, Stonegate will be nothing but rubble.”
Chapter 12
Honored Allies
In the world of Eden many of its races, both human and monster alike, were part of a great imbalance on the verge of total collapse. It wasn’t just that most human kingdoms were on less than friendly terms with one another, but also nearly every monster race was part of the grand free-for-all that the populace of Eden seemed to be nearly unanimous with having. Allies were few and far between, prejudice and hatred were rampant, and many failed to form friendships beyond that of their own community. In a way, everyone was isolated to their own race among the denizens of the world, which meant there was only one way to bring about true change in Eden.
In order to survive and prosper, the rules must be changed from a free-for-all to a team game.
*****
With their home grove of Green Haven being completely annihilated, the elves of the reclusive timberland in Koskaysil had now made the outskirts of the fallen centaur kingdom Ruhelia their temporary home. With a few hundred elves comprised of young children, feisty rangers, and the elderly who were just as feisty, the women of Eden’s forests had surprisingly high survivability in the wild. All across the empty fields they had been transported to by their revered saviors, the elves had quickly fashioned a new settlement for themselves with the land providing everything they needed.
A sea of tents and slants were formed for the families of the fallen haven, fashioned from the very trees and foliage of nearby forests that the elves had also made their new hunting grounds. Wildlife within the woods and fish from the nearby river offered plenty of meat for the hungry women, while bushels of bushes bearing beautiful berries were harvested clean along with many edible flowers and mushrooms for the many mouths of the elven community. Water was collected from the clean river and brought back to the settlement while fire pits were dug all throughout the camp for families to keep warm during the night and cook their food. Floral medicine was collected and prepared for use as many of the rangers and people of their fallen forest suffered more than spiritual wounds from the disastrous event that claimed their home.
And to top it off, a prison dugout was fashioned for the elven rangers who sided with their traitorous self-appointed priestess and the savage grunts of The Sisterhood. The pit had a tightly enclosed wooden canopy overhead with sharpened thistles wrapped around the bars, with those inside always seen with their heads lowered and backs turned to their former family. Basic rations were offered for the prisoners along with proper treatment of any serious wounds they may have had, however that was the extent of any generosity offered to them.
“I’m counting forty-two of them,” Specca commented, standing on the edge of the dugout with Snapper in her arms. The young swarm was chewing on a bone with hardly any meat left on it, her eyes quickly darting around constantly at the many new faces nearby.
“We did bring back forty-seven during the escape,” an elven ranger commented beside her, showing a dull scowl towards her former comrades while Specca had a more troubled look on her face. “However five of them died from their injuries not long after. This lucky lot managed to survive, though we are still uncertain what to do with them.”
“What do you normally do with traitors of your village?” Specca asked, almost worried for the answer.
“Under Sivil’s original leadership, we executed them,” the ranger replied, much to Specca’s surprise. “Under the late Celine’s leadership, we cast them out from our community to fend for themselves.”
“So who’s in charge now? Who will decide their fate?”
“As it stands now we have only each other, no high maidens survived The Sisterhood’s invasion of our home. Right now it’s up to our captains of each ranger unit to decide what our people do next. It’s worked out well so far, but we still can’t agree on what to do with them.”
“I say kill them,” another ranger added walking up to them. “They murdered our people in the name of those fucking assholes. They just let them waltz right into our home and helped them throw our forest into chaos. I don’t condone anything Sivil preached, but I have to agree on her method of dealing with traitors to our people.”
“Clover ordered that they be spared,” a third ranger said as she approached them. “She is the highest ranking ranger we have, and has our community’s universal support.”
“She should be priestess now,” the first ranger sighed. “Heavens know we’ve all but begged her to be.”
“Clover is next in line for that honor?” Specca wondered. “She’s never mentioned that with us.”
“She would be, if she hadn’t outright said that she didn’t want the job,” the elf reasoned with a shrug. “She always did turn down any honored positions our priestess tried to give her. She just wanted to be a huntress, nothing more.”
“She’s the only reason we haven’t killed these assholes yet!” the second ranger shouted at the prisoners. “If it wasn’t for her saying we should spare their lives…”
“But she did,” the third pointed out. “And I agree with her. Killing them would make us no different than The Sisterhood. We don’t kill our own. Sivil was wrong in that regard, that’s why she was kicked out of Green Haven in the first place.”
“What do you think?” the second ranger asked Specca. “Do you think these traitors deserve any mercy after what they did? After murdering our people, casting us into slavery, allowing that tragedy to happen in the first place? Do you think they should be spared too?”
“That’s not really my call to make,” Specca worried as the elves keenly watched her for a response. “But… I think if I had to make it, I would agree with Clover. I’m not saying I approve of what they did or why they did it, however killing them simply out of revenge isn’t right. You’re better than that. You’re better than The Sisterhood. Don’t become like them and spill blood just to solve an argument.”
“Well said,” the first ranger conceded. “From what we’ve seen of you and your friends, honor and virtue come naturally to you all.”
“I can’t argue what she said,” the second grunted in frustration. “But I really want to. I watched these elves kill our own. If we’re not going to execute them for that then what are we going to do? Just let them go? So they can kill again all in the name of their fallen leader? We can’t keep them here forever, what would be the point? They’re never going to change.”
“Have any tried to apologize for their misguided ways?” Specca wondered.
“They haven’t spoken a word to any of us after we brought them back,” a ranger said shaking her head. “They just sit in their jail with their backs turned to their former families. I don’t think they’re feeling sorry for what they did.”
“When Clover returns hopefully she’ll have an idea of what to do with them,” the third elven woman sighed. “Not killing them means we have to keep feeding them, and that’s food that could go to other valued members of our community.”
“Or to a baby swarm,” the first jested as she smiled amusedly at
Snapper. She began leading Specca and the elves away from the prisoner pit and towards others sitting near a fire while looking at the youngling with a curious yet cautious eye.
“I have to say, I’ve never seen or heard of anyone coddling an infant swarm like that. You people are just full of surprises. I must know, what possessed you to claim her as your own?”
“Daniel Sorres chose to save her,” Specca humbly admitted.
“Lord Daniel Sorres chose to save a baby swarm?” the elf repeated in surprise. “I… I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Does that man fear anything?” the second elf wondered. “He walks into Green Haven, challenges The Sisterhood to combat, fights them and their horrendous leaders, prevails, and saves our people from slavery. And now you’re telling me he has a swarm as his pet?”
“Snapper is not a pet,” Specca huffed. “We don’t see her as a wild animal or treat her as such.”
“She’s chewing on that bone like a dog,” the third elf pointed out as Snapper was now chomping hard on the meatless bone in her hands.
“Yes, she does that,” Specca admitted with a shrug. “But she is by no means a pet of ours. Daniel chose to take her with us because her whole family was killed. Rather than let her die alone, he adopted her into our family with the intent to raise her right as his own daughter.”
“That swarm… is Lord Daniel Sorres’ daughter?” the first elf exclaimed.
“Wait, what did you say?” a nearby elf asked in surprise.
“Did she just say that little swarm there is Lord Daniel Sorres’ daughter?” another gasped.
“She is,” an elf next to Specca marveled. “He adopted her. He chose to take her in as his own child.”
Elves quickly rushed up around Specca and started whispering in awe as they crowded the nixie, all of them gazing at Snapper in both surprise and disbelief. Specca nervously smiled and tried to keep Snapper from being smothered as the women gathered close and stared at the child as if they had been told the swarm was a descendant of god. Snapper merely looked around at them with a curious gurgle before she resumed gnawing on the bone, with the elves turning to each other in wonder then to Specca as she noticed a rather large crowd standing around her now.
“That’s Lord Daniel Sorres’ daughter?” a child asked pointing to Snapper. “Is that true?”
“A swarm?” a woman questioned. “I thought that was one of his pets.”
“No, she’s part of his family. He adopted her after finding her in the wild.”
“Why would he make a swarm his daughter?”
“Could you please… step back a bit?” Specca carefully requested, with the elves slowly backing up and letting the nixie breathe again. “Thank you. Now then, yes, it’s true. Snapper here is Daniel’s adopted daughter. She’s part of our family and we’re doing our best to raise her to be a good, well-behaved member of society.”
“Is that possible?” an elf asked in disbelief. “I can understand Lord Daniel Sorres having swarm as pets. From what I’ve heard the man is the bravest knight in Eden. But raising a swarm as his own child? Can that even be done?”
“We’re going to try,” Specca asserted. “Snapper here did act like most swarm do when we first met her, and she still does bite now and again, but she’s considerably more docile than swarm naturally are in the world. She has a kind soul inside her, she just needs help bringing it out. Daniel has seen the good in her, and like the rest of us, wants to raise her right.”
“So what you’re saying is…” an elven woman carefully questioned. “That swarm is blessed by Lord Daniel Sorres and chosen to be his daughter because he sees a pure soul within her?”
“Unbelievable,” a child breathed out in awe.
“I thought that monster was one of their pets,” another elf worriedly whispered to her friend. “I had no idea she was so revered by Lord Daniel Sorres.”
“Neither did I. Fuck, I didn’t mean to think so little of his own family. I won’t tell them if you won’t.”
Snapper chomped the bone in her mouth into bits and swallowed it, giving a small burp before looking around at everyone with curious eyes and twitching antennae. Slowly an elven woman stepped closer, glancing down to the skewered meat she has roasted from the fire then back to the swarm who instantly locked her eyes onto the cooked food as it drew near.
“Um… may I?” the woman asked Specca with a small wave of her stick. Specca giggled and nodded, with the elf then carefully holding out the treat to Snapper who stared with unblinking eyes at the tasty meat. As soon as it got close the young swarm snapped her teeth over it, snatching away the meat and part of the stick that quickly got chomped up inside her mouth. Stepping back with a startled gasp the elf watched in amazement as the child gobbled up the food. After swallowing it Snapper cawed at the woman with a wide smile, something that brought a smile onto her face as well while Specca hopped the little swarm up in her arms a bit.
“I think she’s thanking you for the meal,” Specca mused. “It should come as no surprise, but this little darling just loves to eat.”
“Oh my,” the elf marveled. “I always thought of these creatures to be the devil, and yet… this one is acting so… innocent. It’s simply unreal how you’re able to carry her around like that. I never thought swarm could behave as such.”
“Daniel is out here to prove something along those lines to the world,” Specca proudly stated. “I believe when he arrives he’ll have much to talk about with you and your people.”
“Is that so?” the elven woman replied with a curious smile. “I look forward to meeting the man. It would be an honor.”
“Can I feed her too?” a child asked, running up with meat on a stick.
“Can I?” another elven child asked, this one carrying a wooden bowl of apples and mushrooms.
“Would it be alright?” an elven woman timidly asked. “I mean… with your permission of course, we would love to treat the child Lord Daniel Sorres has adopted with some friendly hospitality. If that wouldn’t be a bother, of course.”
“I don’t think Snapper will turn away free food,” Specca giggled as she saw the young swarm staring intently at the food the elves were waving near her. “However if you’re going to feed her I recommend doing so very carefully. She does still bite, and it’s rather hard just so you know. I don’t advise using your hands to feed her unless you don’t fear losing a finger or two.”
“I’m not scared!” the first child declared holding her hand up. “I can do it!”
“I’m braver than you!” the second argued as she did the same. “I can feed her barehanded better than you can!”
“Fuck you!”
“No, fuck you!”
“O… kay…” Specca slowly said with a stunned smile.
“Both of you little shits are using sticks,” an elven woman quickly argued. “She’s still a swarm and you’ve just been advised by this lady to use caution. Don’t be fucking stupid.”
“Yes, mother,” the two children sulked.
“Spectacular… parenting,” Specca quietly said to herself. She quickly cleared her throat then moved to sit on a log near the fire, with Snapper snapping her teeth and flailing her arms around with loud caws as she tried looking around to find the food she had spotted.
“Uh oh,” Specca playfully said to the children. “She’s seen something to eat and now she’s hungry. There’s no going back now, not unless we want to make her cry. So, who wants to feed her first?”
“I do!” an elven youngster insisted as she ran forward. She held her skewered meat over the fire before Specca laughed and shook her head.
“You don’t need to cook it. I assure you, she’ll eat anything you put in front of her. Go ahead, just make sure your hands aren’t close to her mouth.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the elf quickly replied. She held the meat towards Snapper in a slow and careful manner, watching anxiously as the swarm remained perfectly still while staring at the food. As soon as it
got close Snapper quickly snatched it with her mouth, biting off the end of the stick and chewing everything up with heavy chomps. The elven child giddily laughed and hopped around while the second rushed over for her turn. Specca watched in amazement as the children and even some of the women in the crowd took turns feeding Snapper, with the elves growing merrier and livelier as they witnessed a swarm acting as innocent as a young child. Of course Snapper voiced no complaints, as she eagerly devoured everything that was handed to her with a wide smile on her face.
“That swarm is really the daughter of Lord Daniel Sorres?” an elven woman asked sitting down next to Specca.
“Yes, she is,” Specca said, gently brushing Snapper’s hair while the swarm was chewing a mouthful. “She may have been born a swarm, but that doesn’t make her evil in the world. She just needed someone to teach her how to be good, and luckily for her Daniel came along when he did.”
“We’re all lucky he came along,” the woman gently replied.
Specca looked around and saw the elves gathered nearby, all watching her and Snapper with adoration and reverence. She felt as though she was surrounded by a garrison of skilled archers, that she and the young swarm were as safe as could be in being there as honored guests of the elven community. The children feeding Snapper laughed as they held their hands close to the swarm and pulled away just in time to avoid her teeth, playing with the little monster that they soon felt no fear towards, although their mother did quickly smack their heads and scolded them while elves nearby laughed at the sight. Meeting the elves this way, while having come at a great cost for both sides, still lifted Specca’s spirit as she saw this race being so benevolent towards them. No tricks like with the giant butterflies, no mystery or danger like with the witches, no language barrier like with the ant girls; only welcoming arms and joyful faces greeted Specca and her family that night.
Chronicles of Eden - Season II - Act I Page 38
