“I wasn’t taken away,” Max pointed out. “I’m not dead. See?”
“That story was nothing but horseshit!” Grace yelled out. “I’m not a fucking Darker One, and you’re completely braindead if you think I give a rat’s ass about my servant like that!”
“A truly heartbreaking tale,” VelRyan sympathized. “But, I have to ask, when do Vale and Bermuda come into play, as well as all the bad monsters that attacked you?”
“Oh,” Lelu sheepishly replied. “They… they were there too.”
“MAX!” Lelu cried out into the air, just as trolls and gremlins burst into the shop from the windows and doorway. The centaur continued to scream her beloved’s name into the air while a blurred mess of invading monsters, Grace running around hitting herself in the head with her bow, and Bermuda and Vale rushing in to join the brawl circled her. Lelu’s hair flowed back dramatically in the wind while she held the sleeping boy in her arms, nothing else mattering to her except her unconscious love that lay sprawled on the floor beneath her as she yelled out his name.
*****
“And that’s what happened,” Lelu asserted factually.
“Bull. Fucking. Shit,” Grace flatly argued.
“It did seem a little fabricated,” Syliandanchevas giggled. “Though it was a touching tale all the same.”
“It was more interesting to hear than the other ones,” Bermuda admitted with a shrug.
“Poor, poor Max,” Vale lamented shaking her head. “Taken away from his one true love by a horrible demon.”
“I’m not a demon!” Grace yelled slamming her fists onto the table. “And I wasn’t trying to steal him away from that cow! He already belongs to me anyway!”
“He does not, you accursed wretch!” Lelu barked back.
“Children, please calm down,” Syliandanchevas begged holding her hands out.
“That isn’t what happened, is it?” Max asked rubbing his head.
“You don’t know?” the fey questioned. “You were there, don’t you remember?”
“Yes,” VelRyan mused. “Do you remember what happened, Max? Please tell us your side of the story next.”
Max thought for a while then slowly glanced to Lelu and Grace, the two girls watching him closely for his verdict on their stories that he didn’t appear to be able to give.
“Max,” VelRyan spoke up. “Do you remember seeing my daughter and her friend at all?”
“Well… not really,” Max admitted.
“I thought not. You see, while all these stories the girls have been sharing with us were entertaining, they don’t seem to match up with one another very well. At least they don’t minus one specific detail that was consistent in every one.”
Max rubbed his head then looked to Grace, the elf merely glancing to him with a scoff and having her arms crossed stubbornly.
“Grace knocked you out,” Syliandanchevas realized. “It happened in every story. My dear, you don’t remember what happened at all because you were unconscious during everything, weren’t you?”
“Um… I guess,” Max said with a shrug.
“Why did she do that to you anyway?” Bermuda asked looking to the elf.
“He wasn’t listening to what I was saying,” Grace snapped. “So I had to beat some sense into him. And I only hit his head against the counter a few times, that’s all. And maybe I threw him onto the floor afterwards, whatever. Fucking wuss couldn’t stay standing after just that much.”
“You’re going to pay for hurting him like that,” Lelu growled with rage at her.
“Bring it on, cow.”
“Excuse me,” VelRyan said raising his hand. “We can go over Max and Grace’s questionable relationship after we sort this first mystery out. Now it seems there are a few common factors from what I’ve heard. Max was rendered unconscious, Lelu was upset about that, Grace tried to fight off the intruding monsters to the best of her ability, and at some point Bermuda and Vale jumped into the fight as well. Does that sound right with you all?”
Vale and the four children nodded as VelRyan rubbed his chin with the bigger picture slowly falling into place for him.
“Well, then it seems we’re getting closer to understanding what really happened tonight. And I think I know who can reveal the truth of what occurred.”
All eyes turned to Bermuda, the arachne lowering her head with a solemn expression while holding her arms under her chest.
“My dear,” VelRyan kindly said. “Would you please share with us your side of the story? I think once we hear it we’ll be able to piece together what happened once and for all.”
“Yes, father,” Bermuda softly agreed. She took a slow breath then looked around the table as everyone watched her closely.
“Okay. This is what really happened tonight.”
Chapter 7
A New Sanctuary
In the world of Eden there were so few places that were considered truly safe. Even a mighty city or kingdom could be attacked by raiders or monsters, roads marked for travelers and merchants could have danger waiting around any corner, and even one’s own home could be invaded during the calmest of sunny days without warning. To provide a sense of comfort, safety, and refuge to any was a daunting task in this world, but not impossible. There were those who were up to the task, both human and monster alike, and could be counted on to help others who had nowhere else to go. A true sanctuary could be considered priceless to any who needed it.
Especially when a great danger was ever approaching without mercy.
*****
The sun was beginning to drop over the horizon as the day neared its end. Within a small thicket birds were chirping in the trees while a few rabbits nimbly hopped about the woodland floor. As they passed through the serene grove one of them stopped, twitching its nose and perking its ears up, and catching the attention of the others who quickly took notice. A quiet pause ensued as a bird’s repeated chirp sounded out above, the rabbit remaining still and on alert before quickly taking off along with his friends. Not a second later a bright flash washed out from the grove, sending birds off into the air with loud screeches and leaves blowing away in the wind. A perfectly square casting base resonated on the grass with vibrant lime and cerulean light, the inner weavings being angular and shifting slightly as four beams of bright green light shot up at the corners of the incantation high into the air.
“Are we there this time?” Bermuda tiredly asked as she skittered out from the center of the spell, the arachne seeming to blur into focus out of thin air in distorted, cube-shaped glitters of white light. “I swear, this is the seventh stop we’ve made on this quest.”
“No, it’s the fourth,” Vale corrected as she hovered out of the center of the spell after her, the pixie shifting into view from a distorted ripple of energy. “And I’m not the one who keeps demanding to exit out of the breach right after going into it. You know-”
“You know it’s freaky as hell going through that place!” Bermuda shouted at her. “Everything’s so… weird!”
“You’re weird,” Vale childishly retorted. “And it’s not so bad, it’s just-”
“It gives me nightmares! Seriously, that break is just-”
“Breach. It’s called a breach. It’s a breach because-”
“I don’t want to know!” Bermuda shouted covering her ears and shutting all her eyes. “That place isn’t normal! I hate going through it! Everything looks so… garh! Why can’t we just travel out here in the regular world where things aren’t as crazy like everyone else?”
“Because it would take forever for you to walk this far,” Vale flatly replied. “Bermuda, Silly entrusted us on this mission and we can’t keep her waiting. We need an elf, a centaur, and a human. And we can’t get them near Shadow’s Refuge, we need to go far out into The Outerlands to find them.”
“I still don’t understand what she wants a centaur, elf, and human for,” Bermuda questioned. “But if that’s what she needs then that’s what she needs. Still, I h
ate going through that freaky place, Vale.”
“Well suck it up,” Vale snapped. “We need to go deeper into The Outerlands to find what we’re looking for and Silly is waiting back home for us. We need to move, Bermuda. Right now.”
“Just give me a second for my stomachs to settle,” Bermuda whined while skittering over to a nearby knoll. “They’re still a little nauseous from that trip.”
“Fine,” Vale heavily sighed. She hovered alongside Bermuda as the arachne climbed up the hill within the woodland and looked around, the two surveying the area before noticing a large cottage further ahead.
“Is that…” Bermuda slowly said.
“It looks like a human home,” Vale reasoned with a shrug. “But way out here in The Outerlands? That seems kind of stupid.”
Bermuda skittered through the woods before stopping at the tree line behind the cottage, herself and Vale peeking around a tree while staying close to the shadows.
“A human might live here,” Bermuda whispered.
“I doubt it,” Vale said shaking her head. “Again, we’re in the middle of The Outerlands. Monsters could be creeping around this place at any moment. For example, we are doing just that right now. Any human who lives here would have to be incredibly stupid.”
From the back of the cottage the door opened and Max stepped out, the boy carefully looking around the area while staying on guard.
“That looks like a human,” Bermuda pointed out.
“He must be incredibly stupid,” Vale said.
Max took a moment to search the surrounding area for any movement then walked back into the cottage. A few minutes later he came back out dragging a body with him, the boy grunting while pulling the limp figure out and onto the grass. Bermuda and Vale exchanged questioning looks before watching Max pulling out two more bodies and piling them up.
“Are those… corpses?” Bermuda slowly asked.
“Kid must have killed his family out of stupidity,” Vale worried.
Max wiped his hands as he walked back into the home, closing the door behind him and leaving the three motionless bodies outside. Bermuda and Vale glanced to each other before quickly rushing over towards the building, with the arachne quickly and swiftly skittering along the terrain while the pixie floated perfectly level beside her. The two dashed over to the side of the home where piles of logs were stacked up next to a stump, the girls sticking close to the wall where there were no windows and staying in the shadow of the cottage.
“Vale,” Bermuda cautioned as she stared at the bodies nearby. “Is it me, or do those bodies have furry ears and tails?”
“That can’t be right,” Vale argued shaking her head. “That was just a boy we saw. He couldn’t have killed three monsters.”
Bermuda watched the pixie fly over towards the bodies while low to the ground, the tiny monster circling them and hovering over them before poking one a few times. After a pause she quickly flew over to her friend and tensed up while grabbing the handle to her knife.
“Those are monsters. That boy killed three monsters. Those monsters are so dead.”
“Hold on,” Bermuda hushed. “I hear others talking in there. Girls. He’s not alone.”
“Maybe they all killed those monsters,” Vale morbidly said. “In some sort of sick… bloody… monster killing party.”
“Come on,” Bermuda ordered as she slowly skittered alongside the building towards the front. The two made their way around the corner and closer to the windows, with Vale landing on Bermuda’s shoulder and both of them peeking in through the glass into the shop area.
“That’s a lot of weapons,” Bermuda carefully pointed out.
“Those look like monster weapons,” Vale mentioned.
“That can’t be right. This is a human home. We saw one.”
“Oh my gosh,” Vale gasped. She quickly flew over to another window and pressed against it, her eyes darting around the armaments on the racks and tables with quickly humming wings. “Bermuda… those are monster weapons.”
“How do you know?”
“That rapier over there, it looks like a gremlin’s, it’s a plus three. And that spear, that’s a centaur’s spear, it looks like a plus seven. That over there is a troll’s battle-axe, at least a plus six. A goblin’s shortsword, that looks like… a negative one if you ask me. Not sure why they have that one. And that- oh my gosh! That’s a reptile girl’s broadsword! And it’s a plus thirteen!”
She quickly flew over to Bermuda and grabbed her head, forcing her to confusingly stare at the shocked pixie’s expression.
“A plus thirteen, Bermuda! Do you know that means?”
“I have no idea what any of that means,” Bermuda replied shaking her head a little.
“It means it’s thirteen better than a normal broadsword!”
“Thirteen better? What are you talking about?”
“It’s better than a standard reptile girl broadsword by thirteen! By thirteen, Bermuda!”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Bermuda demanded while pushing the pixie away. “And how can you even tell how much better it would be in comparison to another sword just by looking at it from here?”
“I’ve got an eye for these sorts of things, but that’s not the point here. That sword belonged to a very skilled reptile girl. If it’s here and the reptile girl isn’t, then that means someone took it from her. Whoever that someone is, they live here, and they’re a very dangerous fighter.”
Bermuda watched the pixie worriedly then looked inside along with her friend, both seeing the large collection of weapons and armor resting proudly on display in the cottage.
“Those are trophies, Bermuda,” Vale whispered. “Taken from mighty and skilled monsters. Monster killers live here.”
“Monster killers? You mean like monster hunters?”
“They’re probably incredibly vicious and savage,” Vale scorned. “If they’re able to collect so many prized weapons from so many different kinds of monsters they must be expert hunters who love to kill without mercy or remorse.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” Bermuda nervously said. “These aren’t the kinds of humans we should be messing with.”
“Of course we shouldn’t be here,” Vale snapped. “There isn’t a single reason why we should stay here a second longer.”
The two started to back away before noticing Max quickly darting into the sales room from behind the curtain, the boy jumping aside as Lelu and Grace stumbled after through the drape while trying to wrestle each other down. Bermuda and Vale watched the two girls slapping each other and bumping around behind the counter while Max jumped over it and ducked down behind the stand for safety. He could be heard yelling something at the two girls who only appeared to be shouting at one another while grappling with frantic clawing and punches.
“What in Eden is going on in there?” Bermuda wondered.
“Is that a centaur and an elf?” Vale asked scratching her head. “What are they doing in there? Wait. A centaur and elf? Bermuda! There’s a centaur and elf!”
“I can see that. But still, what are they doing in there if this is where monster hunters live?”
Max tried to talk to and calm the girls down while holding his hands out, with Grace only shoving Lelu aside then grabbing the boy before pulling him across the counter with a fierce yell. Bermuda and Vale showed puzzled faces at seeing Max then being tugged back and forth by the two girls who kept trying to slap each other around him.
“Maybe they’re trying to kill him,” Vale guessed with a shrug. “Maybe they both came here seeking revenge for their fallen families, and are arguing over who has the right to kill that young hunter.”
“I’m not sure, it looks like the centaur is trying to protect him,” Bermuda pointed out. She watched Lelu yanking Max back and holding him face first in her chest while shouting at the elf in anger. Grace grabbed Max’s shoulders and tried yanking him away with his arms flailing around and lungs struggling to draw a breath in the ce
ntaur’s bosom.
“Protect him?” Vale repeated. “Are you sure? Looks like she’s trying to suffocate him with her boobs. A rather malicious finishing move if I may say so.”
Lelu cried out in desperation while holding Max in her chest, arms gripping him with all her might while Grace roared like a lion and yanked hard to pull him away. After two more heavy pulls the elf pried Max free from Lelu’s grasp, the boy gasping for air before the elf threw him onto the counter by his collar and shouted at him relentlessly while pointing to the wall of weapons nearby.
“This isn’t right,” Bermuda mentioned shaking her head. “I don’t think he’s a monster hunter, he seems more scared of them than anything. Not to mention he’s too young to be an expert killer.”
“Then how else do you explain what we’re seeing?” Vale asked as Lelu tackled Grace aside. The two started slapping each other repeatedly while Max slowly backed away behind the counter. Grace shoved Lelu hard against the wall then pushed her aside, the girl making a furious dash towards Max and slamming him down to the ground with a loud thud.
“Maybe this is just an ordinary store,” Bermuda guessed with a shrug. “That human probably lives here and sells this stuff to other humans. But… still, those bodies in back. If that boy isn’t a hunter and didn’t kill them, who did?”
Grace stumbled to her feet holding Max by the collar, the girl screaming at him with overwhelming fury. The boy tried to say something while shaking his head in protest before she yelled and slammed his head onto the counter. Bermuda and Vale stared with wide eyes as the elf banged Max’s head onto the counter multiple times before tossing him over it onto the floor with a thump.
“I think we know who did it,” Vale plainly said as they watched Lelu rushing over to Max crying. The centaur quickly knelt down and held the unconscious boy in her arms sobbing while the elf continued to yell at them with frustration.
“I smell evil on that girl,” Vale warned holding the handle to her knife.
Chronicles of Eden - Act XI Page 24