“You’re hunting an elf?” Kroanette asked. “That’s what you came here to do? To kill one of your own?”
“That’s exactly why I came here. Now, stay here out of sight where you’ll be safe from her. I’ll be back,” Clover ordered before quickly heading off towards the village. Kroanette watched her run off into the darkness then looked around nervously as she felt uneasy about staying put in the forest like this.
“Well, so nice for her to care about me,” she nervously spoke to herself.
A few twigs snapped nearby, causing the centaur to yelp and quickly look all around her as she began to panic. Turning to the shadowy valley where Rackleholm was down below then back behind her at the darkened forest she tried to control her breathing and calm herself.
“It’s alright, it’s okay, she’ll be back soon, and then we can get the hell out of here. It’s alright, Kroanette, you’re going to be fine.”
Slowly she felt a cold chill run down her spine, the sensation that something nearby was watching her becoming more evident while she held her arms around herself with a nervous whine. After a moment she blinked then looked up, seeing a pair of red eyes watching her from the shadowy tree branches above. Kroanette froze in place as she and the unseen figure just stared at each other in silence. A nervous smile came across her face as she carefully got back onto her feet.
“Hello,” she shakily spoke up. “Nice… night, isn’t it?”
The figure above hissed as six other red eyes opened above the first two to look at Kroanette. The centaur gulped as the eight eyes of the monster above locked onto her while moving slightly closer down towards her.
“Yeah, screw this!” Kroanette cried out before she bolted away from the tree and ran off along the trail down towards Rackleholm. “Clover! Wait for me!”
*****
Triska and Lucky slowly made their way towards the village, surrounded by darkness and the quiet rustling of leaves in the trees while the moonlight above provided barely any help with staying on the trail. The gentle clopping of Lucky’s hooves seemed to echo out into the shadows woods all around them while Triska remained on guard, knowing she was left with no choice but to keep moving forward now.
“Okay,” she slowly said to herself. “This was a real bright idea coming here at night like this. I wish Tabitha would have at least mentioned nobody would be out this far, I would have brought a torch or something.”
As they approached the village the moonlight brightened just enough to show the trail leading into the settlement and turning into a cobblestone road. The buildings were built out of pinewood with sloped roofs while nary a light or sound was coming from the empty village. When they got closer to the edge of town Lucky whinnied and backed up, shaking his head with a grunt while Triska watched the horse cautiously.
“Lucky, it’s alright. This place is empty, nothing to be afraid of.”
Again Lucky neighed and backed up more, seeming to avoid going any further. Triska hopped off his back and gently brushed his nose to calm him down while looking around at the village.
“This is just like it was with Eston,” she quietly reminded herself. “Only… I can already tell something isn’t right.”
It wasn’t just the fact that she was standing before an abandoned village deep in The Outerlands, nor because she had arrived here in the dead of night. She could almost feel an ominous vibe to this place, something Lucky obviously could as well since he refused to step any closer to the place. Triska tried to pull the horse forward with the reins but he only bucked back and shook his head again.
“You can tell something’s wrong too, can’t you, boy?” Triska wondered looking back at dark town again. She glanced around then led Lucky off to the side towards a small tree that had a picket fence running near it. “Well we can’t go now, not without Complica. Just wait here, I’ll be back soon. I hope.”
She tied Lucky’s reins to the fence then brushed him one more time before slowly approaching Rackleholm. To her surprise Lucky quickly bit down on her sleeve and tried to tug her back. She watched the horse with wonder as Lucky grunted and pulled her towards him a step.
“You really don’t want me going in there, do you?”
Turning back to the village she knew something was wrong now.
‘He’s never tried to stop us from going anywhere before, not even into Eston. Something isn’t right about this place.’
“I’ll be fine, Lucky,” Triska reassured the horse before drawing her blade out. “But we’re not leaving without that little girl.”
She walked off towards the village while Lucky grunted once more and looked around the area by the fence. Triska made her way into town and slowly headed down the street, glancing around carefully and seeing all the buildings and homes resting quietly in the dark.
“Alright, where are you bastards hiding her?” she spoke quietly to herself.
From nearby she heard a door shut, causing her to tense up and look over to the side where a girl was chuckling. Slowly she was able to make out Tabitha walking into the road, one of her swords held inversely in hand while the other was holding a black carrying bag and shaking it a little.
“I love this job,” Tabitha purred as she heard the contents jingling before she slung the sack over her shoulder then took notice of Triska standing in the road. “Triska? What are you doing here?”
“Um, what are you doing?” Triska asked as she lowered her stance.
“I’m checking the residences to find those human kidnappers of course,” Tabitha snapped. “I told you to wait outside of town for me to finish the job.”
“What are you carrying?”
“Nothing really,” Tabitha casually replied. “Just a small bonus for my troubles.”
“You’re stealing from the homes, aren’t you?” Triska dryly asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s not stealing if they’re abandoned! Besides, no sense in leaving such pretty jewelry and silver lying around out here in the middle of nowhere, if anything I’m rescuing such treasures from this place just as I shall with that little butterfly girl.”
“We’re supposed to be saving that little girl, not looting this place,” Triska scolded her.
“Why not both?” Tabitha chuckled as she walked over towards her. “No harm in collecting a little extra for our hard work, right? Hey, where’s your horse?”
“He didn’t want to come in here,” Triska said looking back behind her. “Something spooked him good; he wouldn’t set foot into this place. I don’t know why but I’m getting a bad feeling about being here as well.”
“Aw, you poor thing,” Tabitha purred with a grin. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”
“I’m not scared,” Triska barked back at her. “I’m just being cautious. I’ve been in a situation like this before, it didn’t end well then and I’d rather not come across any similar surprises now.”
“Relax,” Tabitha said glancing around the area. “I see no danger here. I haven’t even seen a glimpse of any humans either, but perhaps they’re hiding in one of these homes as we speak. I’ll hurry and save that girl so we can get you two out of this scary place, okay?”
“Would you quit playing around?” Triska hushed while quickly looking around the area. “We’re here for a reason, one that you’re already being paid for, remember?”
“Hold that thought,” Tabitha quickly said while her attention snapped over to down the street, her eyes narrowing while she tensed up. Triska watched as the neko seemed to stare intently at something before she quickly pushed her bag into Triska chest, the teen holding it with one arm while stumbling back slightly with a jump.
“Hold onto that for me,” Tabitha ordered with a sharp eye to Triska. “And don’t even think about taking anything out of there.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Triska demanded before Tabitha quickly took off down the street. Triska watched as the neko ran swiftly yet silently as she drew closer towards the side of the road near the homes and headed
towards a crossing further away.
“Don’t those bells on her tail ever jingle?” Triska wondered before running after the neko. She made sure to tread lightly on her feet as she followed Tabitha, watching as the neko began to slowly approach a corner of a building near the intersection while drawing her second blade out.
“Hey, what is it?” Triska quietly asked as she got behind Tabitha and pressed against the wall.
“I heard someone,” Tabitha slowly replied while keeping close to the brick and wooden side of the building. Carefully she peeked around the edge, focusing her sights on seeing a figure slowly walking towards the intersection in the middle of the street. It appeared to be a woman, evident by her bust and shapely hips, dressed in dark leggings, brown boots, and a black cloak with the hood pulled up over her head. In one hand she held a bow while the other rested on a black satchel she had tied to her belt. A quiver of arrows was strapped behind her at an angle while her steps were slow and silent.
“There’s an archer in the middle of the street,” Tabitha whispered back to Triska.
“One of the kidnappers?” Triska asked as she set Tabitha’s bag down and gripped her sword with both hands.
“Not sure, there’s only one,” Tabitha said watching the archer cautiously. “She’s heading this way.”
“Do you think she knows we’re here?”
The archer took another step before swiftly grabbing two arrows out of her quiver and shooting them towards Tabitha. The neko jumped back with a yelp before the bolts struck through the corner of the building with sharp whacks before remaining lodged in place. Triska saw the steel tips shimmer in the moonlight as she backed up along with the neko, both keeping on guard while everything fell silent again. Tabitha gulped quietly as she saw the ends of the arrows and noticing the angle of which they had pierced through the wood, the ends being aimed right at her head.
‘Had that building not have been there those would have killed me. How did she fire them so quickly and with such accuracy?’
“Okay, she knows we’re here,” Triska reasoned.
“She knows you’re here,” Tabitha hissed while watching the corner closely. “I wasn’t making a sound. That was all your fault.”
“You sure it wasn’t your stolen jewels rattling around that tipped her off?” Triska shot back while keeping her eyes forward as well.
“I told you it’s not stealing if they’re left behind.”
“Well now what? She’s obviously not friendly.”
Tabitha growled and quickly darted back over towards the corner of the building, ducking low and keeping close to the wall while preparing to swipe out with both her blades held behind her. Triska ran back over to the side and looked around at the nearby buildings, watching for any other movement yet seeing nothing in the dark town.
“This isn’t good, there could be more hiding anywhere here.”
“Be quiet,” Tabitha hissed at her while keeping her eyes focused on the edge of the building. Triska glanced over and watched the neko remaining perfectly still and silent while poised to attack, the girl’s tail slowly swaying side to side while the bells tied to it never made a sound.
“We can’t fight an archer out here in the streets,” Triska quietly cautioned. “We have to take cover.”
“I said be quiet, I can handle this,” Tabitha sternly hushed her while keeping ready to attack.
Triska scowled at the girl then quickly looked around, her eyes resting on a window near them leading into the building they were hiding against. She quickly rushed over then jammed her sword into the wooden frame of the window, jerking it to the side with a grunt as the glass cracked and the frame bent with a creak. Tabitha glanced back to seeing Triska pushing up the window before she quickly climbed through, a small thump being heard from her dropping onto the floor inside.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tabitha hissed. She looked back ahead then gasped with wide eyes, staring straight at an arrow that was poised to fire right into her head by the archer who had now stepped out from around the corner and taken aim at the girl. Tabitha froze in place as she saw the arrow set to strike right into her face then looked at the archer. Even though her hood was pulled up Tabitha’s eyes saw the girl’s face clearly, the narrowed glare and grimace she had showing she was not in a friendly mood. Slowly Tabitha forced a harsh glare in return while keeping her swords held back still, knowing she wouldn’t be able to swing them in time before the arrow pierced through her skull.
“Where is the girl you kidnapped?” Tabitha demanded.
“What girl?” the archer merely replied with.
Tabitha watched her carefully for a moment then glanced around while keeping her body still.
“You humans stole the butterfly princess from Flairwood, where is she?”
“What humans?”
Tabitha blinked then looked back at the archer.
“You’re… not human?”
The archer shook her head slowly.
“You didn’t kidnap the little butterfly girl?”
Again the archer shook her head.
From around the corner Triska slowly opened the door to the residence she had silently gone through, peeking out from inside as she saw the archer holding her bow onto Tabitha who was on the other side of the building.
“Have you seen anyone else here in Rackleholm?” Tabitha questioned.
“No,” the archer replied while keeping her arrow set to fire.
“I see. Then if that’s the case, I have a missing girl to find. So, if you don’t mind,” Tabitha replied while keeping a sharp eye on the archer.
“Nice try, neko,” the archer scorned. “I know your kind are hired as assassins. You tracked me down to kill me.”
“I don’t even know who you are.”
“And you never will,” the archer said as her eyes turned vicious while her hand holding the arrow tensed up. Tabitha stared with surprise at the archer before the woman quickly looked over to the side and saw Triska rushing towards her with her sword held down to the side. In a flash the archer darted away from Tabitha out into the street and fired her arrow, with Triska swinging her sword out before her with a desperate yell. The blade deflected the arrow with a sharp clank while Triska followed through and ran out from the corner at the archer, swinging her sword around with her wrist before slashing across the archer’s face with it. Tabitha watched with wonder as blood splattered out from the skull with a slick crunch before the woman dropped dead onto the ground. Her bow bounced away while Triska caught her balance and looked down to her kill as the moonlight above shined through a few clouds and lit up the street slightly.
“Did you… just block her arrow with your sword?” Tabitha questioned.
Triska glanced to her sword then smiled a little and shrugged.
“Totally what I meant to do,” she answered, trying to sound calm and collected while inside she was freaking out and thanking the lord for that lucky swing which saved her life.
Tabitha stared at her with disbelief for a moment then quickly sheathed her swords and grabbed her bag of jewels before running over to her. Triska knelt down and examined the archer who had a stunned expression on her face along with a large gash across it which was dripping blood.
“I didn’t want to kill her,” Triska spoke up shaking her head. “But when she was about to fire at you I figured it was the right thing to do.”
“I could have handled myself just fine,” Tabitha reasoned while looking away with a scoff. Triska glanced to her with a raised eyebrow before the neko sighed and smiled at her a little.
“Still, not bad. I guess that makes us even now, doesn’t it?”
Triska smirked at her then looked at the woman on the ground with a careful eye. With the moonlight shining more brightly they both noticed something about the archer. Her head was turned slightly and along with her golden hair they now saw her pointed ear sticking out from her cowl.
“Is that…” Triska said with surprise.
/> “An elf,” Tabitha answered before looking at Triska with wonder. “I don’t believe it. You blocked an arrow from an elf. That’s simply impossible.”
“I just killed an elf?” Triska asked shaking her head. “Oh crap, oh no, what have I done?”
“What do you mean? You stopped her from trying to kill us. You did nothing wrong here.”
“I just killed an elf!” Triska cried out while grabbing her hair. “They’re like the most peaceful and gentle of monsters! Oh shit, maybe she was just defending herself; she probably wasn’t out to kill us at all!”
“Triska?” Tabitha said with a raised eyebrow as she watched the human panicking.
“Dammit, we were going to go visit the elves after we were done in Flairwood, Daniel wanted to talk to them about peace with us as well. And here I just slashed this elf’s face apart!”
“Triska, it’s alright,” Tabitha assured holding a hand out to the teen.
“No it’s not,” Triska mourned with despair. “I just killed an innocent and probably frightened monster. Elves are peaceful and respectful monsters, they’re known to be very kind and caring to everything around them.”
“What the flying fuck?” Clover yelled out from nearby.
Triska and Tabitha looked over to seeing the enraged elf standing in the middle of the street, yanking down her hood and staring at the scene with shock and fury while she held her bow and arrow tightly in one hand.
“Did you just kill her?” she demanded pointing to Triska.
“Another elf,” Tabitha cautioned while reaching back and grabbing one of her sword’s handles.
“Oh no,” Triska said while quickly stumbling back a few steps away from the elf she just killed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I mean I did, but… well we thought she was trying to kill us! She even shot at us, we were just defending ourselves! Honest!”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Clover yelled out. Triska and Tabitha watched the elf with confusion as the girl growled and muttered something while she stomped her feet around before she marched over towards them with a murderous look in her eye.
“Did you just kill her? You killed her?” Clover shouted out at Triska.
Chronicles of Eden - Act V Page 26