“Haven’t we been nice to you all?” Jacqueline called out. “Haven’t we been gracious to you? Haven’t we given you better lives than the miserable ones you were stuck with? The ones you were forced into having when the world rejected you and sent you away?”
The horde cheered out in agreement as the gemini watched them through their masks. The sisters then turned to a few others on the stage behind them. Felucia was off to the side watching them with a nervous smile, the woman struggling not to show a scowl or glare at the ones who sexually assaulted her earlier. Near her was Sivil and two other elves, the guards wearing darker cloaks to show their allegiance to the elf who was now in charge of Green Haven. Beside them were a few trolls and gremlins, the monsters chuckling as they watched their leaders rallying their army once again. And in front of them were two salamander women, the monsters on their knees with their arms and tails chained behind them. The two frightened women watched the gemini walking up to them with very displeased looks on their faces, something they knew wasn’t going to be good for them at all.
“So is it too much to ask for a little cooperation from you?” Jovian asked the crowd as she stood beside one of the prisoners. “We honestly don’t ask for much in the first place, do we? We don’t need men to rape, they’re all yours! Gold and jewels, help yourselves! Honestly, all we ask is that you assist us with the simplest of things.”
“All we asked of these two was to keep an eye on that little girl,” Jacqueline pouted as she stopped next to the other prisoner. “That’s all. Keep her nice and safe inside her home. Make sure she didn’t get herself killed like her foolish mommy. Was that so hard?”
The salamander women weakly hissed while trembling in fear of the gemini as they turned their cold stares from behind their masks down onto them.
“So where is she?” Jovian inquired. “Where is that little darling we asked you two to watch over? Oh, that’s right. It seems she’s gone missing. She didn’t jump to her death like her mom did, we didn’t find any other elves smeared into the dirt like she was, so where did she go?”
Jacqueline slowly reached out and held her hands on either side of the salamander woman’s head, the monster whimpering as the gemini’s lips flinched slightly.
“My sister really wanted to play with her. She was heartbroken that she ran away. We trusted you two to watch over her, didn’t we? So, where is she?”
“We don’t know,” the monster weakly hissed. “She climbed up into the tree, that’s all we saw.”
“But she’s not up there,” Jacqueline reminded her. “The tree was searched. The temple was searched. There’s no little elf hiding up there. So where did she go?”
“We… we don’t know.”
“I don’t like that answer,” Jacqueline scorned. She then crushed the monster’s head like a fruit, blood splattering onto the floor while the other salamander woman stared in shock at the sight. The gemini then grabbed the headless body and dragged it over to the front of the stage while the crowd of monsters watched her carefully.
“We don’t ask for much,” she called out. “We really don’t. But when we trust our friends to do something for us, when we kindly request a favor from them, we expect it to be done!”
She then hurled the body into the crowd, the monsters quickly stumbling aside as the corpse hit the ground with blood pouring out its neck. Everyone looked at the slain monster with unease then to Jacqueline as she pointed around at them.
“That goes for all of you! When we put our trust in you we expect it to be taken care of, not stomped into the dirt!”
Jovian grabbed the other salamander woman’s jaw and kept the frightened monster’s gaze up at her.
“Where. Is. She?”
“I’m sorry,” the monster sniveled. “I don’t know. Please forgive me.”
Jovian growled then cracked the woman’s jaw with a loud snap. She then ripped the broken jaw off and jammed her hand into the gurgling monster’s throat.
“If there’s one thing we don’t tolerate, it’s being disappointed by our dear friends!” Jovian shouted before she yanked out a bright orange sac from the monster’s chest, the organ dripping with blood and letting off steam while the salamander woman gave one last hoarse cry before dropping forward dead. Jovian looked to the pulsating sac in her hand then walked over next to her sister while gazing around at the crowd of nervous monsters.
“That’s what happens to those who let us down. We just can’t be friends with those who piss us off. Having said that, we’d really appreciate it if you all would be good friends and help us find that little elf.”
“Here’s a little elf!” a troll called out holding up a frightened child.
“Put her down!” her mother screamed while being held back by a gremlin. “Don’t hurt my little girl!”
“That’s not her,” Jovian said pointing to the screaming child. “But I like your enthusiasm.”
“The little brat is named Grace,” Jacqueline announced. “She’s the daughter of the priestess, so surely the elves of this forest will know who we’re talking about.”
“Here she is!” an arachne declared holding up another little elf, this one bound in webbing while crying and shaking about.
“Stop, don’t hurt her!” the girl’s mother cried out.
“Again, that’s not her,” Jovian said shaking her head.
“She has green hair up in little pigtails,” Jacqueline told them. “Pink eyes, and she isn’t a fucking pussy like all of you other elves. She actually has guts. Well, not for long, but you get the idea.”
“I found her!” a gremlin announced holding up another little girl in the crowd that was not the one in question.
“Again, that’s not her,” Jovian groaned. “That one has dark hair and looks a little fatter than Grace is.”
“She was last seen climbing this tree behind us,” Jacqueline continued pointing up. “She went up, but she didn’t seem to come down. Still, there’s nowhere else she could have gone unless she magically learned to fly. She’s still around here somewhere, so we need you all to-”
“Found her!” a goblin cheered as she held up another little girl who screamed and kicked her legs.
“For crying out loud, that’s not her either!” Jovian yelled before throwing the sac at them. The organ hit the elf and burst apart with searing red slime coating her and the goblin, the two shrieking in agony before they were quickly burned away. The elves around stared in horror at seeing the child melting into a pile of bones and charred flesh along with the goblin before the poor girl’s mother and sister screamed and dropped to their knees.
“NO! Haley!” the mother cried out before breaking down into tears. Her daughter screamed and covered her eyes while other elves watched in shock as the fire and smoke from the slime continued on a little longer from the slime’s touch.
“I don’t want another child!” Jovian shouted out, gaining everyone’s attention as the gemini sisters scowled at them. “I want Grace! I want that little brat, and I want her now! Nobody escapes from us, nobody!”
Jacqueline held her sister and gently patted her back, the raven haired girl then slowly calming down and slowly taking her sister’s hand with hers. They then turned to Sivil as she and the two elves were watching them with firm expressions, not seeming to care or show any remorse for having seen one of their children murdered.
“You’re in charge now, right?” Jovian quipped. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? Well, tell your people to get moving and find that little bitch. I was promised that child with our deal, remember? I expect to be given what was promised to me.”
“Of course,” Sivil agreed stepping forward. “I’d rather the young girl didn’t return anyway, this forest doesn’t need another foolish leader like her mother.”
The gemini stepped off to the side while Sivil and her two guards moved forward. The elves in the crowd watched the newly appointed leader with derision as she looked around at all of them with a blank expression
on her face.
“Let’s get something straight right now,” she called out. “We’re done with being humanity’s fuck dolls. We’re done letting those men abuse us so we can continue our race. We’re done hiding in the forest while pretending to be weak little bitches. That all stops today.”
The Sisterhood laughed and nodded while the elves in the crowd didn’t feel so moved by her words.
“As the new priestess of Green Haven, I-”
“You’re not my priestess!” an elf shouted.
Sivil paused for a moment then snapped her fingers. Her two guards drew arrows on an elf in the crowd that everyone quickly got away from, the stunned monster watching as her own kind aimed and fired two arrows right at her. The monster was struck in the head with both bolts, blood spraying out the back as she stumbled a little before dropping dead. Elves around the area screamed while dark fiends near them laughed at seeing the monster struck down with a stunned expression frozen on her punctured face.
“Enough. Enough of that horseshit already!” Sivil yelled out in anger. The elves looked at their fallen sister then to her with frustration as she glared around at them, her guards remaining ready at her sides while also keeping a close watch on their kin.
“Every elf here knows I am the one who trained our archers to be the best in all of Eden. Every elf here knows I do what is needed for our race to continue on. Every elf here knows that with Celine buried and rotting in the ground over there I’m the next one in line to guide you all to a better tomorrow. Even if Grace were here right now she’s not nearly old or wise enough to lead us. I am the priestess of Green Haven, and I am going to do what’s best for our people. If you’re going to defy your own kind and their future with blasphemy like that stupid fucker lying before you just did, then you’re going to face the consequences!”
Sivil slowly gazed around at seeing all the elves remaining still and quiet, none daring to speak out against her now while holding their tongues the best they could.
“We’re going to be a part of The Sisterhood,” Sivil declared. “We’re going to survive in this world, we’re going to be given all the men we want without having to endure a revenge-fuck to get them, and we’re going to become stronger and better than ever before because of it. These fellow monsters at your sides are not your enemies, they are your new sisters. We all share the same goal, to live in peace and comfort while our races live on in this world, to not be pushed around or treated like abominations by anyone ever again. That’s the goal we’re all working towards, so let’s do it together and put a stop to your petty bitching at one another.”
“They killed my little girl!” an elf cried out while mourning her daughter’s stolen life.
“Maybe that accident wouldn’t have happened if what was theirs remained in their hands,” Sivil argued while waving to the gemini. “Grace was placed in their custody, entrusted to them as a sign of goodwill between the elves and The Sisterhood, and then someone takes her from them. Like I said, if you’re going to defy us then you’re going to pay the price. Grace isn’t up there, she isn’t in the temple, so where is she? One of you elves is trying to hide her, I know you are, and you’re only making it more difficult for your innocent sisters who are facing blame for your actions.”
The elves looked to one another with concern, none speaking a word while the dark monsters near them chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“How’s this for the simple version?” Sivil called out. “If we’re not their allies, then we’re their enemies. And if we’re their enemies, we die. Get it? Quit trying to bring us all down with your fucking pigheadedness and just accept that we’re part of something greater. Fuck, we’re lucky to be on their side in this, we’re going to become stronger than ever before with friends like these. So I’m not asking, I’m telling you, we’re going to make this work. And if any elf tries to ruin that for all of us she’s fucking dead!”
All the elves in the crowd remained silent, some lowering their heads while others tried to force brave expressions to her words. Sivil glanced around to seeing no further complaints then waved her hand down, her two guards then stepping back while holstering their bows.
“Now that we all understand how much you fucked up with your insolence, we need to address the problem of our friends here. Search this forest from the ground up for Grace. Return her to her rightful guardians unharmed. If she has a single scratch on her then you’re answering to them,” Sivil ordered before pointing to the gemini. The sisters gave friendly waves and smiles to the crowd while the elves watched them nervously.
“We’re on the same side now, ladies,” Sivil lectured. “Let’s keep it that way, for all our sake. So get going and find out who took Grace from her home. If anyone is trying to keep her hidden away then they’re only going to cause more trouble for all of us. Now find her. Move it!”
The elves and dark monsters dispersed into the forest while Sivil watched over them with a sharp eye. She then turned to her guards and motioned them closer so to speak in private.
“I don’t want any elves messing this up for us,” she sternly told them. “Make sure all our archers refrain from firing their arrows at The Sisterhood, if they start a fight with them we’re all finished. Find that little girl and bring her back before they decide to use us as target practice.”
“Do you think they can be trusted?” one of them cautioned.
“Hardly,” Sivil scoffed. “It doesn’t matter though. They’ll be on their way soon enough. If they want archers for their stupid conflict we’ll give them the weakest we have, a fair price to pay for our survival. Once they’re gone we’ll have the forest all to ourselves again while they go to war and get themselves killed.”
“What about the destroyed gateway?” the other asked looking up. “With no fresh water coming in this forest is going to wither soon.”
“We’ll fix it,” Sivil snapped. “Right now focus on keeping the elves in line and getting our ‘friends’ on their way as fast as possible. The sooner this is over with the sooner we can rebuild Green Haven in a better light.”
“Understood,” the two replied with a salute. They hopped off the stage and rounded up others under Sivil’s command, the elves then scattering to make sure their kin did as they were told no matter what.
“What were you talking about just now?” Jovian asked as she and her sister walked over.
“Merely reminding them of their place in life,” Sivil answered. “And to make sure all the elves find that little girl as soon as possible for you.”
“That’s good to hear,” Jovian said before coming closer and grabbing Sivil by the crotch. The elf cringed slightly as the gemini held her firmly and brought her near. “Because I am rather hungry, Sivil, and I do plan on eating before we leave this forest with all our new friends. So I’m either going to be enjoying the delicious screams of that young girl that I was promised before then, or I’m going to eat you out with enough passion to kill. Am I understood?”
“Crystal, Jovian,” Sivil replied while holding in her grunt. Jovian shoved her back and carelessly gazed around at seeing the other monsters scattering into the forest then started walking away with her sister, their group of followers, and their enslaved sand wraith who briefly glanced back to Sivil once before looking ahead.
“Don’t fail us, High Priestess,” Jovian mocked before the sisters laughed in unison, electing laughter with their followers while Sivil kept her frustrated glare down on the ground and hidden behind her hair.
“God fucking dammit,” she muttered before glancing around at the forest. “Where the hell did that stupid brat go?”
*****
Grace slowly opened her eyes, a weak groan escaping her lips as she sat up and held her head. She blinked then noticed she was in a bed with the covers pulled up to her lap. Looking around she saw herself to be in a room with sunlight coming through the window nearby. Within it was a bookcase with only a few old tomes resting in the shelves, obviously belonging to som
eone who didn’t read too much. A table that had wood shavings littered atop it along with a small log that was apparently being carved into something with a small knife that was jammed into it. There was a dresser that had some of its drawers opened slightly with clothing and overalls hanging out, the same kind of clothes that were seen scattered about freely on the floor that looked to belong to a young boy. And standing in front of an open closet was that same young boy and a very flustered centaur whose tail was wagging sharply behind her.
“For the last time,” Max sighed while rummaging inside. “I was just trying to be nice. You know, like how I’ve been with you.”
“That’s no reason to put her in your bed,” Lelu huffed, crossing her arms and looking down with a deep blush. “You could have given her a blanket, sure, but carrying her up to your bed like that? You didn’t do that with me!”
“I can’t carry you at all!”
“So that’s why she gets to sleep in your bed and I never could?” Lelu whined. “That’s not fair!”
“Why is this such a big deal for you? What was I supposed to do, leave her on the floor downstairs?”
“You could give her a pillow, that would be enough,” Lelu argued stomping her front left hoof. “I’m just saying we don’t know anything about this monster or where she came from. There’s no reason to be so… nice to her like that when she could be extremely dangerous!”
“She’s an elf,” Max pointed out. “A young one at that. What is she going to do?”
“You don’t know what they’re capable of,” Lelu insisted. “Not to mention she’s a monster, she’ll try to rape you, remember? You’re not safe with her, especially in your bedroom with her in your bed that I never got to sleep in!”
“Why are you getting so upset?” Max tiredly asked. “I was nice to you when you ran into my home uninvited, wasn’t I? Why would that be okay but allowing her to stay and not throwing her outside is crossing the line with you?”
Chronicles of Eden - Act X Page 28