Act IX

by Alexander Gordon

  “So do we,” Daniel politely replied before glancing to Triska with a smirk. “However on the other hand I do have several mates I need to tend to and show my love for. After all they do mean the world to me and I would hate to make them feel unwanted or unappreciated.”

  Daniel’s girls slowly smiled brightly at that while Star looked down and away with a quiet meow. Seeing the looks on his mates’ faces he knew which of the two options he wanted to go with, however he also knew that leaving Cindy alone wouldn’t work too well for that plan.

  “I think I know what we need to do,” Daniel concluded, then turned to Specca with a knowing smile. “Specca, I need to ask something of you.”

  “Anything,” Specca breathed out while gently ruffling her skirt.

  “I want you to read a story to Cindy.”

  “Anything but that,” Specca mourned with a frown.

  “You tell the best stories,” Daniel continued as he let go of Cindy and walked over to the nixie, the girl looking at him curiously as he gently held her cheek. “And you know many as well. Cindy is like a young child, and a young child would of course love to hear an exciting story. I think it would not only be a great chance for you two to bond but also to share your joy of books with her as well.”

  “You want me to read to her?” Specca questioned glancing to Cindy.

  “You’re the most qualified. I know you can find the right story to make her happy, and I’m sure she would love hearing it from you. Please, Specca.”

  “I’d much rather spend time bonding with you, Daniel,” she pointed out with a worried smile.

  “And I’d much rather have that too,” Daniel laughed. “But for now could you please read to her in the library? I promise you and I will spend quality time together later on. However she’s our guest, and I think listening to you telling her a story will be enjoyable for her.”

  “I suppose I can’t say no to you,” Specca sighed. “Very well, I’ll read a children’s tale or something similar to her. But only because you praise me so well with my storytelling. Tell me though, is she the only one going to be listening to me?”

  “Alyssa is going to go see if Doku has learned her lesson yet,” Daniel mentioned with a glance to the witch.

  “Oh yeah, forgot about her,” Alyssa said looking over towards the bedroom.

  “I think she has by now,” Daniel continued. “After Doku has recovered I want Alyssa to escort her to the library, where she can join everyone for Specca’s story.”

  He then turned to Triska with a raised eyebrow and a daring smile.

  “Everyone except for you, Triska,” he added, with the girl jumping a bit from being singled out. “You and I need to have a little chat in the dining hall about your behavior today.”

  “A… chat?” she slowly repeated.

  “Alyssa,” Daniel said while keeping his eyes on Triska. “Once Doku has been brought to the library I want you and Squeak to join me in the dining hall.”

  “Us too?” Alyssa asked pointing to herself. Squeak did the same with a squeak while Daniel walked up to Triska and grabbed her hand.

  “Yes, you two as well. The rest of you are to remain in the library while Specca reads you her tale.”

  “Daniel, what are you planning?” Triska nervously asked.

  “You’re going to get it now, Triska,” Daniel taunted, with the girl gasping a bit.

  “Get… it?”

  “Haha!” Cindy laughed pointing to her. “You’re going to be punished! Bad girl! You’re a bad girl!”

  “Punished?” Triska weakly asked with a small smile.

  “Hold on, us too?” Alyssa worried as Squeak held her hands over her rear with a nervous squeak.

  “All of you,” Daniel answered, with Squeak and Alyssa jumping a bit then looking to Triska in shock.

  “Wait, why are we getting punished for what she did?” Alyssa whined. Squeak shook her head and squeaked loudly while waving her hands around, seeming to protest as well with unknown arguments.

  “Haha!” Cindy continued laughing pointing around at them. “You’re all being punished by Daniel now! Bad girls! Bad girls!”

  “But we didn’t do anything wrong,” Alyssa insisted hopping up and down. “Triska was the one who kept starting a fight with Cindy, not us.”

  “Alyssa,” Daniel sternly said glancing to her. “I’m not going to tell you girls again.”

  “Daniel,” Falla breathed out in awe. “Since when are you so commanding like this?”

  “Why are they being punished too?” Luna worried looking at Alyssa and Squeak, the two girls staring at Daniel in surprise while falling silent.

  “Specca,” Daniel said while bringing Triska closer. “Please take Cindy and the girls into the library and find a nice book to read for them. Make sure to pick one Cindy would like to hear.”

  “Um… okay,” Specca nervously said, seeming to be confused and a little worried about Daniel’s sudden change in behavior.

  “Alyssa, go check on Doku and then escort her to the library to join the others. I’ll be expecting you and Squeak to be in shortly.”

  “But, Daniel,” Alyssa pleaded. “What did I do wrong? Triska’s the one that wouldn’t shut up, not me.”

  “Hey!” Triska barked out at her. She was then pulled to Daniel’s side as he smirked at the witch.

  “Alyssa, now,” Daniel ordered again.

  Alyssa stuttered out some form of reply before glaring at Triska. She then slowly walked off towards the bedroom while questioning what she did to deserve any discipline from Daniel. Triska looked to Daniel’s hand that was holding her while blushing brightly, the girl then glancing over to the other girls with a timid expression. Cindy was pointing and laughing at her still, her co-mates were watching her with concern, Star was eyeing Daniel curiously with slowly wagging tails, and Squeak was showing obvious signs of discontent towards the cambion.

  “Well,” Specca finally spoke up. “Let’s go, everyone. Come, Cindy. We’ll find a nice story that you’ll like in the library.”

  “Okay,” Cindy snickered before walking after Specca with a large stride, only to then stop and look around at the girls with a puzzled expression. “One question. What’s a ‘story’?”

  Falla face palmed while Luna smiled weakly and guided the confused wraith into the library, with Specca sighing tiredly again and Pip fluttering around her in tight circles. Squeak walked after them with a worried frown on her face while Star merely teleported into the library ahead of them. Daniel watched them go with a calm smile then turned to Triska as she trembled slightly while in his grip.

  “What’s gotten into you, Daniel?” she asked softly.

  “I’m not hesitating anymore,” he reasoned, gently brushing the girl’s hair around her ear. “I know what I want, and I’m going to have it.”

  “What… do you want?”

  Leaning forward he kissed the girl while keeping her close, her arms resting on his shoulders as she felt an overwhelmingly powerful wave of passion coming from him this time. After he finally broke the kiss and allowed her to breathe again she stared at him in amazement, herself along with her inner demon falling speechless as Daniel appeared to have gained a sensational confidence boost. Holding her securely with one arm around her waist he glanced around to see the other girls were all gone then winked at his blushing cambion.

  “What I want, Triska, is you.”

  *****

  Outside with the wind blowing through her long twintails Clover was more or less watching where Lucky was going, the horse running steadily along the worn path while pulling the carriage behind him without any real effort on his part. Her bow rattled slightly against her side in the front seat while in her quiver behind the arrows she had were so tightly packed there wasn’t much room for them to shake about. Running along at her side Kroanette was gazing around at the passing landscape with an eager smile on her face, anxious to both return to her home and also to have Daniel make love to her during their upcoming
rest stop.

  “This is incredible,” Kroanette squealed with a quick hop in the air. “I’ll be home soon to show mother that not only am I more than capable of being a magnificent courier in the world but I also have a wonderful mate who loves everything about me. I just can’t wait to see the look on her face when I rub it all in!”

  “We’ve got a ways to go before we reach Ruhelia,” Clover pointed out, her gaze still set forward while her eyes didn’t appear to be focusing too much on what lay ahead.

  “Nonsense, we should be there before the sun sets on this very day,” Kroanette proudly boasted.

  “Not even close,” Clover flatly replied before pulling out a paper from her pocket. “Specca wrote down the directions on how to get there for me. We’re still three days away from it.”

  “What? That’s absurd. We most certainly are not three days away from Ruhelia. It was within a day’s time at the very most when we started this morning.”

  “It was,” Clover droned rolling her eyes. “Until the path that we were going to take mysteriously dropped down into Eden, remember?”

  Kroanette blinked then looked behind them curiously while Clover sighed tiredly.

  “Don’t you remember that big fucking hole that appeared back there? The one I was yelling about when I first noticed it after you dragged me out of the carriage? The fastest way to Ruhelia went down with it. The new trail we’re on leads around the rocky bluffs and then goes towards your homeland. We’re taking a detour right now in case you’ve forgotten.”

  “Oh damn it all,” Kroanette cursed. “That’s right. I can’t believe this, how in Eden did that even happen anyway?”

  “You’ve got me,” Clover replied with a shrug. “Never seen so much land just fall into a dark pit like that before.”

  “Is it really going to take three days’ time to reach my home now?” Kroanette worried.

  “Well, let’s see,” Clover said reading the note. After a minute she frowned a bit and glanced to the centaur. “Actually… it might be four.”

  “Four?” Kroanette cried out. “This is an outrage! Why is getting to my home so difficult like this? There must be a faster way to get there!”

  “What do you want me to do about it?” Clover snapped while pocketing the note. “This is the only other way there we can take. It’s not my fault the world caved in like crazy back there.”

  “There’s really no other way to get there faster than four days?”

  “Sure there is,” Clover dryly remarked pointing to the side. Passing by them were small rocky bluffs that blocked the view of The Outerlands past them, the steep cliffs and uneven terrain seeming all but impassable by any means.

  “If we could fly over all that shit then we’d arrive in Ruhelia by tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think our winged companions can lift Lucky and the carriage over that,” Kroanette fretted.

  “Gee, you think?” Clover mockingly retorted. “Well how about under it then? Maybe Squeak can dig us a tunnel to Ruhelia from here.”

  “I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not,” Kroanette mused curiously.

  “I am being sarcastic!” Clover shouted at her. “There is no other way to get to your home than this stupid path, alright? If there was a faster way then we’d be taking it!”

  “You don’t have to shout,” Kroanette scoffed looking away in discontent. She jumped then looked to Clover with a bright smile again. “Wait, what about Pip? We could have her-”

  “No, we can’t,” Clover interrupted shaking her head. “Remember what Twilight warned us about? Only her helpers can magically move the carriage. If Pip tries then horrible shit will happen to us.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Kroanette sighed. “Wait a moment, Apoch and Astreal can teleport our home with their magic. Why didn’t we have them do that when they were with us?”

  “Because Dan didn’t want to do that, remember?” Clover snapped with annoyance. “It was the same reason why we never had Pip jump us to Ruhelia or Green Haven with our old ride. We can’t risk passing another possible ally for Dan’s cause. Don’t you remember any of that?”

  “You don’t have to get so snippy with me, I’m only trying to help our journey go faster. I don’t know about you but I’m quite eager to return home and this delay is rather troubling for me.”

  “Look, this as much a setback to me as it is to you,” Clover groaned while rubbing her face. “This means we’re four days further away from reaching Green Haven as well. I still want to help Dan too, I was going to make my priestess listen to him, remember?”

  Kroanette watched as the elf growled while clutching the reins to the horse.

  “She’s going to listen to him, I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  “Clover? Are you alright?”

  “I have to help him now,” Clover shakily replied. “I have to help him and his cause. My kind… they need to listen to him now. I need to make sure of it.”

  “Why are you so adamant about this now?”

  “Because I want to help him!” Clover screamed at her. Kroanette stumbled a bit in surprise then regained her footing, seeing the elf struggling to calm herself while her hair flowed back behind her. “He chose me as his mate, he said he loves me! I can’t lose that, I can’t lose it when I just barely got it in the first place! It’s not enough to be his mate, I need to help him with his quest. He needs my kind to listen to him, he needs their support, so goddammit they’re going to listen to him. I’m going to make my priestess hear him out even if I have to drag her into the commune chamber myself!”

  “Clover…”

  “He needs the elves for support,” Clover stressed. “And he’s going to get it. I’m not letting his dream fall apart, I’m not losing him. He actually loves me, I can’t let that slip through my fingers by failing him.”

  “Clover, you wouldn’t be failing him,” Kroanette promised. “Should your priestess decide to decline Daniel for any reason that would be her decision and fault, not yours. Merely escorting us to your home and offering Daniel the chance to speak with her is all you can do, and you’re already doing it. You can’t let him down like you fear.”

  “Maybe you couldn’t tell, but I’m not exactly in high favor with the girls right now,” Clover mentioned with concern. “I’m not even sure how the fuck Dan can love me after all the trouble I put him through. You all may be able to take no for answers with your rulers, but not me. I need to make it up to him by making sure he succeeds with this. I need to prove to all of you that I’m worthy of being his mate, that I can help him when he needs it. I can’t… I can’t lose him now.”

  “You won’t,” Kroanette assured. Clover glanced over to see the centaur smiling curiously at her. “I must say you’ve surprised me. I didn’t think you truly cared about him this much, Clover.”

  The only response she got was the elf quickly looking away with a scoff, obviously trying to hide her blush that she was struggling to fight off.

  “Still trying to hide it, huh?” Kroanette giggled. “Well, I’m glad you have this softer side to you, it’s certainly an improvement over your icy shell you used to wear. This side of you is much more pleasant to talk to, and sympathize with. I suppose this is the kindhearted girl Zoey saw, isn’t it? You really are a loving girl after all.”

  “Kroanette?” Clover timidly asked. The centaur tilted her head in question before the elf turned and glared at her with a blush on her cheeks and teeth bared in her scowl. “Stop talking right now or I’m shooting you in the knee and putting a stop to your journey for good!”

  Kroanette smiled nervously with hands held up defensively to that. Clover growled in frustration then set her gaze ahead again while clenching the reins tightly. The centaur galloped alongside the carriage while silence came between the two girls, the travelers making their way along the trail that stretched out across a few rolling bluffs ahead of them. After a while Kroanette felt she had to break the uneasy tension between them and smiled weakly
at Clover.

  “So… how was Doku doing?”

  “She’s been better,” Clover simply replied with a shrug. “Before I left she-”

  Suddenly the land violently shook about with a loud rumble echoing in the sky. Clover and Kroanette jumped and looked around quickly before seeing a few of the rocky cliffs above them appearing to fall back out of sight.

  “What’s going on?” Clover shouted.

  “It’s happening again!” Kroanette exclaimed as she struggled to keep running straight on the shaking terrain.

  “What’s happening again?”

  Without warning the ground below them gave out, the two girls screaming along with Lucky whinnying loudly as the trail fell apart. The slabs of rock they were on fell down at an angle, with the horse and centaur now running into where there was a tunnel in front of them. Lucky and Kroanette kept galloping forward, mostly because there wasn’t time to stop, as the wheels of the carriage bounced and rocked about from landing down on the level ground again.

  “What is this?” Clover cried out looking around as they entered the underground passageway.

  “Lucky, stop!” Kroanette called out. “Stop, Lucky!”

  “Don’t stop!” Clover shouted, with Kroanette looking to seeing her watching something behind them with fright. Turning her head she saw the ceiling caving in behind them, the tunnel appearing to collapse a few feet away from the carriage while the walls of the corridor were crumbling from the weight of what was above.

  “WAAAH!” Kroanette screamed, waving her hands around as she ran faster. “Run, Lucky! Run!”

  The echoing of thunder sounded off inside the tunnel, the floor and ceiling shaking about while cracking apart severely. Another horrific explosion was heard before the wall behind them appeared to erupt with fire and smoke blasting through. Clover screamed while frantically searching for a way out, the two girls only seeing the single tunnel reaching further and lower ahead of them while streaks of fire were literally searing through the walls. Kroanette shrieked as she ducked her head down and covered it with both arms, feeling rocks and debris pelting her and her backside while the floor of the corridor rumbled violently.