Chronicles of Eden - Act V (61 page)

Silence filled the area as Pip backed up a bit with a hurt expression, seeing the furious look in Clover’s eyes while Kroanette and Alyssa glanced to each other questionably from hearing that.

“I don’t understand,” Pip whimpered. “What did I do to make you mad?”

“It wasn’t you, it was another one just like you,” Clover hissed. “She came to the grove, acting all sweet and friendly, like nothing was wrong in the world. I saw her with my own eyes, I saw her befriend
my
best friend. Zoey thought she was so nice and shit, it made my blood boil seeing that fucking fairy making her laugh so much.”

“You saw another fairy?” Pip asked with wonder.

“Yes, I did. I saw her laugh and play with
my
friend. I saw her smile and fly about with
my
friend. And then I saw her cry and scream before she blew up
my
friend and the whole damned grove!” All the girls jumped in surprise as Clover marched back towards Pip with fury. “That fairy took Zoey away from me! She was the only friend I had and your fucking sister blew her to pieces because she was depressed about being the only fairy she knew!”

Pip trembled and backed up more with a nervous whine while Kroanette slowly pointed to Clover with wonder.

“You’re the survivor,” she said softly, with Clover turning her glare towards her. “The one in your story you told the other night. You were the only survivor of your grove’s destruction. That was your home you were talking about.”

“And I have to walk Eden alone from now on because of that fairy,” Clover scorned before turning her eyes back onto Pip. “That’s why I’m mad, that’s why I hate you. That’s why the whole world can fuck off as far as I’m concerned. Got it?”

Pip whimpered and looked down with a watery eye as she hovered in place while Clover scoffed and turned to walk away.

“But where do you live now?” Kroanette asked worriedly. “If that was your home, then where…”

“I live in Green Haven now,” Clover spoke while keeping her back turned to the girls. “They took me in and gave me a home, even though it’s not really my home. Now I have to go back to my new priestess and inform her that I lost her treasure when that thieving elf stole it from her. I’m not going to belong there anymore after I let them know I failed. I fucking hate life.”

“Green Haven,” Alyssa said in wonder. “That’s the elven forest we were going to travel to later.”

Clover glanced back to her questionably as the witch and Kroanette looked to each other curiously. After a moment they turned their eyes to Clover while Pip watched the elf with remorse.

“Listen,” Alyssa spoke up while stepping closer. “Could you possibly allow us to see your priestess?”

“Why the fuck would I want to help you do that?” Clover snapped.

“We could speak in your defense,” Kroanette offered holding her hands up defensively. “I was there with you personally, I saw you try to recover your treasure before the swarm got in your way. And Tabitha took your bag and ran off, it wasn’t your fault you lost it, you’re not to blame for that.”

“Why do you want to see the priestess anyway?” Clover asked turning to them with a sharp eye. “Not that I’m going to help you, but why do you want to?”

“Daniel wants to speak to her, just as he is now with the giant butterflies’ ruler here in Flairwood,” Alyssa explained. “Look, we’re going to Green Haven to try and talk to her no matter what, that was always our plan. But if you would be so kind as to help us arrange an audience with her then we could give you a lift back to your home in exchange.”

“And what does he want to talk to her about?” Clover asked raising an eyebrow in question.

“About there being peace between humans and monsters,” Alyssa answered, with Clover just staring at her with a dull expression. “We want to put a stop to the fighting and raping in our world, we don’t all have to be enemies with each other.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Clover scoffed shaking her head. “What the fuck is he thinking? Monsters and humans can’t live in peace with each other. I’m not dragging some lunatic back home with me; I’m in enough shit with my priestess as it is.”

“Fine,” Alyssa sternly said before backing up a step. “We don’t need your help, we’re going to Green Haven and Daniel will win over the priestess with his beliefs, with or without you. He’s already gotten support from an ant girl nest and an alpha witch, the giant butterflies will see reason today and then we’re going to Kroanette’s homeland to speak to her mother about the idea. Daniel will convince them to help us, he’s going to make a difference in Eden, just you wait and see.”

Alyssa turned to walk away before stopping and glancing back to Kroanette and Pip expectedly. The two glanced to each other then slowly followed after before looking back to Clover.

“I am sorry about your loss,” Kroanette empathized. “But you need to let your anger go otherwise you’ll never be happy in this world.”

Clover grunted and looked away while crossing her arms before Pip flew over in front of her again with a remorseful frown.

“I’m sorry about what that other fairy did. Please don’t be mad at me. I would never do something like to you.”

The elf glanced upwards with an annoyed huff before looking away again, with Pip then slowly flying back over to the girls and landing on Kroanette’s shoulder. They started walking away while Clover growled to herself before she turned to them with a stubborn glare.

“Hold it,” she called out, with the girls looking back to her curiously as her lips furrowed as she tried to hide her scowl. “You want to get on my priestess’s good side? Then don’t leave her huntress stranded behind. I’m not walking all the way back to Green Haven, and since you’ve taken my centaur and horse-”

“Neither of those were yours!” Alyssa shouted at her.

“The least you can do is offer me a ride back to my home,” Clover continued without pause. “If you do that, and also explain that it wasn’t my fault at all that her artifact was lost, then I’ll help your human talk whatever nonsense he wants with her.”

“I’d rather take our chances with Daniel speaking to her without your ‘help,’ but thanks for the offer,” Alyssa dryly countered.

“He’s not going to speak to her, not without me,” Clover stated with a slick grin. “You think visitors can just walk right up and talk to her? You’ll never even catch a glimpse of her while you’re kept away by her guards. If you want that nutcase to speak to her then you need me to help.”

Alyssa and Kroanette glanced to each other cautiously while Pip merely looked down to the centaur’s breasts and licked her lips with a hungry smile.

“If we take you then you promise to get Daniel an audience with your priestess?” Alyssa demanded looking back to the elf with a stern expression.

“I’ll make the request, that’s all I can do,” Clover replied with a shrug. “It’ll be up to her if she wants to speak with him afterwards. But without me speaking on your behalf who are you going to get to help you?”

“Any other elf in Green Haven,” Kroanette answered.

“With
her
around you?” Clover asked pointing to Pip, the fairy then glancing back to her curiously. “And also speaking nonsense about humans and monsters living together in peace? Good luck with that. Nobody there will want to listen to you, let alone help you speak to the priestess. Very few visitors are allowed into the grove, and those that preach nonsense are quickly turned away.”

Alyssa grumbled while drumming her fingers on her staff before walking up to the elf and narrowing her eyes at her.

“Alright, here’s how this will work. We’ll take you back to your home, and you will put in your best word for Daniel to meet your priestess.” She then pointed to her accusingly while the elf smirked amusedly. “But on the way you will keep your foul mouth shut, I don’t want to listen to you spewing bullshit every step of the way. And you’d better not mistreat Kroanette or Pip at all or else we’re kicking you out of the caravan while driving it alongside a cliff. Got it?”

“I’m the only way you’re speaking to my priestess at all,” Clover reminded her with a raised eyebrow.

“And we’re the only ones who would bother to speak in your defense about you
losing
your priestess’s treasure,” Alyssa snapped, with Clover then glaring at her with discontent. “So either walk home empty-handed and accept your punishment or ride with us and be excused for your failure!”

Clover growled at her with frustration then glanced to Kroanette with a scoff.

“Fine, whatever. But I’m sleeping in your caravan at night; I’m not sleeping outside with the livestock.”

Alyssa wasted no time winding back with her staff then smacking it across the elf’s face, knocking Clover back with a painful gasp before the witch struck her in the head again with the skull ornament. Kroanette watched with surprise while Pip’s legs were once again kicking about and sticking up from her breasts as Alyssa swung Clover around with her magic before swinging her staff over her head and towards the ground, throwing the elf in an arc over the little monster onto the ground with a hard thump. After striking her staff into Clover’s gut hard one more time she aimed the relic’s wooden end at the elf’s face with a stern glare. Clover coughed and grunted then looked to her with surprise as the witch’s eyes glowed softly while her hair fluttered back around her ears.

“If you ever call Kroanette
livestock
again I will kill you where you stand,” Alyssa threatened sternly. “Do you get me?”

“You fucking bitch-” Clover spat out before Alyssa jabbed her staff into her nose, the elf screaming in pain before she held a hand over her face with a cringe.

“What’s her name?” Alyssa demanded. Clover looked to her with frustration from behind her glove before Alyssa started to manifest thorny vines out of the ground around them. “What’s her
name
?”

“Kroanette,” Clover slowly forced out through bared teeth.

Alyssa stepped away while Kroanette watched her with wonder, the centaur slowly reaching into her bosom and pulling out the giggling fairy while her eyes were locked onto the witch. Clover stumbled to her feet while holding her hand over her nose, glaring at the witch with anger before Alyssa glanced to her with a scoff.

“Call her by her name, or not at all,” Alyssa ordered before walking towards her horse. She mounted Lucky then looked to Clover with a raised eyebrow. “Well? Do we have a deal or not?”

Clover growled with fury as she glanced around at the girls before resting her harsh glare on Alyssa.

“Fine, deal. Just take me home,” she snapped with discontent.

“Alright then,” Alyssa said with Lucky turning around. “Let’s go.”

“Alyssa?” Kroanette spoke up, with the witch glancing back to her as the centaur and fairy were watching her with wonder. “Does this mean you’re alright with us staying with you still?”

“Where else do you belong but with us?” Alyssa asked with a small smile. Kroanette and Pip showed joy from hearing that as the witch motioned for them to follow with her staff. “Both of you get back to the caravan, Daniel will be expecting to see you there when he returns.”

“Yay!” Pip cheered as she flew over and hugged Alyssa, the witch smiling gently at her as the fairy nuzzled her head against her chest. “I love you, Alyssa! Even though you have no boobies, I love you!”

Alyssa showed a dull smile to that then sighed as she started riding Lucky back towards the caravan.

“Yep, where else but with us?” she dryly repeated to herself.

Kroanette watched her go with a caring smile then saw Clover growling and flicking off the witch with a scowl and a twitching nose.

“What the fuck is with that bitch?” she snapped, right before Kroanette grabbed her whip and snapped it right at the elf. Clover jumped back with a yelp as the flail just missed hitting her face then looked to the centaur with surprise as she turned to glare at her with discontent.

“Don’t you dare speak ill about any of my friends, Clover. Or else my whip lashing your face will be the last thing
you’ll
ever see.”

Clover stared at her with a stunned expression as the centaur huffed and trotted away after her friends. The elf looked around with disbelief then growled heavily as she reluctantly followed after them.

“This whole trip is nothing but bullshit.”

*****

Walking through Flairwood along the dirt roads Daniel and his girls were making their way back towards their ride, all feeling more confident about their journey with the monarch’s approval of Daniel’s idea. He himself walked with a proud stride, feeling like nothing could stop or slow him down with completing his goal of bringing peace to Eden. Of course that feeling wasn’t stopping him from being slowed down as two overzealous butterfly girls had once again attached themselves to his arms and were pulling him side to side in his march, only this time their praise and excitement seemed a little higher to him.

“You did it, Daniel!” Falla squealed with delight as she practically hung on him, her breasts rubbing along his arm while she hopped about as she held him tightly. “That’s one more ruler to side with you at Rockhelm!”

“MY MATE IS THE BEST!” Luna screamed out with a deranged smile, quickly fluttering wings, and an iron hold on his other arm which was pressed into her bosom. “I’M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“You were so bold and spectacular speaking to Florence with no fear,” Falla purred as she eyed him over with an immoral smile. “Nothing scares you at all, does it, Daniel?”

“I’M NEVER LETTING YOU GO, DANIEL!” Luna laughed while hopping about erratically. “YOU’RE THE BEST HUMAN IN ALL OF EDEN!”

“I always knew you would succeed, Daniel,” Falla insisted. “I knew you could help our sisters learn to be good, kindhearted monsters, just as you’ve taught us to be.”

“HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!” Luna cheered while her wings fluttered quickly behind her. “YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY, DANIEL!”

Daniel listened to them going back and forth with their compliments and words of confidence before glancing tiredly behind him to seeing Triska watching them with a blank expression.

“Still not going to help?” he dryly asked.