Chronicles of Eden - Act III (14 page)

Triska watched the witch while rendered speechless, surprised to see and hear the girl crying over her. Alyssa shook her head and looked away while her hat hid the view of her face.

“I hate you for making me feel this way, you stupid girl.”

“Alyssa…” Triska said quietly, watching as the witch wept quietly to herself. After a while she nodded and closed her eyes. “You’re right, I am out here because I love Daniel.”

Alyssa slowly looked over to her while Triska looked up at the sky above with a distant gaze.

“I love him, I always have,” Triska admitted. “And that’s why I had to come out here with him, to make sure he would live. And yes, I did train to fight monsters, never to talk to them or reason with them, only to kill them if any ever dared show their faces near our home. I know that.” Alyssa slowly kneeled down next to her as the human closed her eyes.

“I trained to fight, to protect him from monsters. But at the same time, I always wanted to believe what he was saying, that not all monsters were bad. I wanted to believe that could be true, but just having that belief with me didn’t change the way the world really was, that many monsters out there would still do to him what monsters do.” Alyssa wiped her tears away as she listened to her friend before Triska shook her head lightly then glanced to Alyssa with a smile.

“You tried to take him away upon first seeing him, the ant girls kidnapped him on sight, the slime woman tried to rape him in front of all of us, and that nightmare nearly killed us all. Alyssa, there are some good monsters out there, like you, but there are also many dangerous ones. I can believe that monsters and humans will get along all I want, but it doesn’t change the fact that most of those we encounter are a real danger to Daniel.”

Alyssa looked down while remaining silent to that. Triska breathed out and relaxed on the grass, making no attempt to remove or struggle free from the vines that held her down.

“When that fluugher grabbed Daniel and tried to reel him in like that,” she recalled. “My first thought was ‘It’s going to take him away’. And you know what? I know I’m going to be thinking that a lot with many of the monsters we’ll be meeting, I’m sure their nature will tell them to steal Daniel away or try to rape him on the spot. We have no way of knowing if they’ll listen to Daniel, or if they’ll just try to use him like they have with so many men in the past. It scares me, knowing I have to let Daniel come within grabbing distance of monsters who are known to rape and kill men.”

“I don’t like thinking about it either,” Alyssa mentioned. Triska nodded and looked to her with a solemn expression.

“That’s why I draw my sword, Alyssa. First, as a precaution, then, if I have to, to use it, to defend him.” Alyssa looked to her with concern as the human shook her head slowly with a remorseful frown. “I know, if I attack one of them, I’m very well ending all hope of forming relations with them. That’s why I only attack if I’m genuinely scared to death, Alyssa. Scared to death that he’s a goner unless I do something. I may end up ruining his chances with that race, or add hours of time for him to try to explain and smooth things over if they’re still willing to talk afterwards, but it’s what I have to do, to protect Daniel above all else.”

Alyssa looked down while remaining silent, sniffling a bit before she waved her hand to the side, causing the vines and weeds to recede back into the ground and let Triska go. After a moment Alyssa glanced to see Triska still lying there on the grass, the human watching her with a calm expression.

“You’re right,” Triska said before she sat up and rested a hand on the witch’s shoulder. “Maybe I don’t belong out here like this, but I know I belong by Daniel’s side, to help him however I can. And that means helping you all as well.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed with your stupidity,” Alyssa said softly.

“Then I’ll die knowing I tried to protect you all.”

Alyssa shook her head slowly as tears started to well up in her eyes.

“It’s not fair,” she shakily said. “I don’t want to like you like this, I liked it better when we hated each other.”

Triska watched her with a calm expression then hugged her, the witch slowly holding onto her while closing her eyes.

“Hate me or like me, know that I do like you,” Triska said softly. “I stood up to a Darker One for you before, and I’ll gladly do so again.”

“You really do have a death wish, don’t you?” Alyssa asked quietly.

“No, I’m just doing my job, fighting with all that I have for those closest to me,” Triska replied with a small shrug. Alyssa buried her face in the teen’s shoulder while Triska looked up at the stars above.

“Dammit, Triska,” Alyssa whimpered. “You’re not allowed to die yet, not until I win Daniel from you fair and square.”

Triska smirked to that and slowly shook her head as she held the witch.

“Then I’m never dying, Alyssa, because you’re not going to win him from me.”

Alyssa opened her eyes slightly while she held onto Triska.

“Yes I will,” she said softly.

“No, you won’t,” Triska corrected, feeling some sense of amusement at arguing about such a thing again. After a moment she leaned back, gently wiping the witch’s tears away while Alyssa glanced down to avoid eye contact.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you please stop calling my sword worthless?” Triska asked. Alyssa slowly looked back up to her as the teen smiled a bit. “That sword means a lot to me, it’s anything but useless.”

“Why?”

“Because my mother got me that sword,” Triska explained. “She had it forged just for me back home. It was one of the finest weapons she had created for all the fighters. When I’m holding it, I feel like my mother is nearby with me.” Alyssa watched her for a moment then looked down as Triska glanced to her focuser crystal.

“It’s like your focuser, your mother gave that to you didn’t she? Well, I don’t think it’s stupid at all.”

“Of course it’s not stupid,” Alyssa agreed. “It lets me use magic that’s much more powerful and useful than your sword.” Triska narrowed her eyes at the witch for a moment before Alyssa looked up to her again.

“It means more to me than you could imagine, and not just because it lets me use my magic.”

Triska crossed her arms before her with an expectant stare, waiting as the witch stood up and gently brushed some grass off from her skirt.

“It’s all I have left of her,” Alyssa said sadly.

Triska closed her eyes and looked down as she breathed out slowly.

“And the difference between your focuser and my sword is?”

Alyssa looked at her for a moment then started walking back towards the campsite without saying a word, with Triska jumping a bit before spinning around to seeing the witch making her way through the bushes.

“Hey, hey! Alyssa!” Triska shouted out before she quickly followed after.

Back at the campsite Daniel was eating his fish while Specca was happily munching on hers while holding the one Squeak didn’t want to eat. Next to her Squeak had eaten her apple down to the core, the ant girl now starting on the sandwich that Triska had prepared for her. Daniel finished eating his meal and drank his water before looking down to the fire with concern.

“Maybe I should go see if they’re okay. They’ve been gone a while.” Specca and Squeak looked to each other then back to Daniel as the boy rubbed the back of his neck with a worried expression. “I hope they’re not fighting again.”

“Don’t worry about them Daniel,” Specca reassured. “I’m sure they’re fine. And them fighting with each other is normal behavior for those two. Frankly I’d be concerned if they
didn’t
fight with each other at least once per day.”

“I don’t want them to fight at all,” Daniel said while watching the fire. “It’s just those two seem to really have trouble getting along still. I wish there was something I could do to help them.”

Squeak made some gestures with one hand while squeaking something to him, the squeaks being muffled slightly as she had food in her mouth still. Daniel glanced to her and shook his head with a small smile.

“Squeak, don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Squeak blinked then nodded before swallowing her food, then repeated the same gesture while squeaking at the boy again. Daniel just slowly nodded and looked back to the fire again.

“Much better,” he said, with Squeak looking at him curiously then to Specca as the nixie merely raised an eyebrow at her.

“You do realize by now that we can’t understand you, right?” Specca asked.

Squeak just looked at her curiously for a moment before down with regret as she nodded slowly. Specca shook her head then looked back to Daniel with a hopeful smile.

“Anyway, don’t concern yourself so much with them, Daniel. Those two will be just fine. Besides, they’ve certainly come a long way with each other since they first met, they have to be warming up to each other to some degree by now.”

“Alyssa!” Triska yelled out from nearby. “Don’t you walk away when I’m talking to you!”

Daniel, Squeak, and Specca looked over to seeing Alyssa walking out from behind the trees and bushes towards them with Triska stumbling out of the shrubbery after her.

“Of course I could be wrong,” Specca commented.

Alyssa walked towards Daniel while looking down at the grass, her hat hiding the view of her face while Triska marched after the witch with a scowl on hers.

“Hey! I was talking to you!” Triska yelled out before a vine popped up from the grass and snagged her foot, causing the human to trip and drop onto her face with a thump. Alyssa walked over to Daniel and stood beside him while the boy looked back and forth between the two with a puzzled expression.

“Alyssa?” he asked. “What’s going on, why did you leave like that?”

“What was Triska talking to you about?” Specca asked.

Squeak merely squeaked something while tilting her head curiously.

“What was that for?” Triska barked out as she looked up to the witch with frustration.

Alyssa paused for a moment then slowly looked up to Daniel with remorse.

“Please, give Triska her sword back tonight,” she said softly. Everyone just looked at her with wonder as the witch gently held her focuser crystal with one hand. “You can’t take it away from her ever, never ever, Daniel. It means the world to her.”

Daniel looked over to Triska, who had a stunned expression on her face, then back to Alyssa as the witch smiled gently at him.

“Please, don’t keep it from her, not even for one night.”

Daniel opened his mouth to speak before pausing and just staring at Alyssa as he wondered if he was hearing her right. Triska slowly stood up and watched as Alyssa just waited for Daniel to respond, the boy glancing over to Triska then back to Alyssa again before scratching his head in puzzlement.

“Is that what’s been bothering you tonight? Me taking her sword away?”

Alyssa looked over to Triska, the human seeing the witch holding back her tears well, then turned to Daniel with a troubled expression.

“It is something that’s been bothering me, yes. Please, don’t take it away from her.”

“Alyssa…” Triska said softly.

Alyssa looked over to her with a smirk before glancing to Daniel with a small smile.

“Please? I’m not angry about what happened earlier, really, so please don’t take something precious away from her.”

Daniel looked over to Triska as the girl was showing a small smile at the witch before turning her eyes to him hopefully.

“Am I hearing this correctly?” Specca questioned unsurely. Squeak glanced to the cup of water she was holding and twirled it around a bit, wondering if something funky was in the drink, then looked to Alyssa curiously as the witch glanced down and away from everyone. Daniel looked down for a moment then to Triska with a small smile.

“Alright, if it means that much to both of you, you can have your sword again, Triska. But from now on no more-”

“No more swordplay in the caravan, I know,” Triska quickly agreed with before looking down with a remorseful smile. “I’m sorry about that, I really am. I promise it’ll never happen again.” She then glanced over to Alyssa, seeing the witch watching her with a small smile.

“I promise never to hurt my friends with it again.”

Daniel smiled at her then Alyssa while Squeak and Specca had confused expressions.

“I feel as though we’re missing something here,” Specca commented, with Squeak nodding slowly in agreement.

Alyssa waved her staff towards the caravan, the group then watching as a clanking sound was heard from inside before Triska’s sword flew out in its sheath, the weapon flying into the air before gently floating down towards Triska. She slowly held her hands out and caught it, looking at her trusty sword with a small smile before glancing to Alyssa. The witch winked at her then started walking towards Lucky.

“Triska, what happened with her?” Daniel asked as they saw the witch waving her staff around and creating a soft bedding of grass and flowers for her horse to rest on. Lucky grunted softly as he got down on the bedding, with Alyssa gently brushing his nose, while Triska watched the witch with a calm smile.

“She and I just had a talk. Everything’s fine now,” Triska replied before looking back to her sword again.

Daniel looked at her curiously then back to Alyssa as the witch was petting her horse gently.

“So, you two aren’t fighting anymore?”

“Oh no, we’re still fighting, Daniel,” Triska said with a small laugh. Daniel looked to her puzzled as the girl held her sword behind her with both hands while smiling curiously at him. “We’re still fighting over you.”

Daniel smiled a bit to that as Triska glanced up and around at the stars in the sky.

“It’s getting late, we should probably get ready to turn in,” she mentioned before looking back to Daniel with a timid smile. Daniel looked at her for a moment then up at the sky, nodding a few times before looking over to Specca and Squeak. The two girls glanced to each other then back to him with small smiles.

“I suppose she’s right. You two go on ahead, it is her night after all,” Specca agreed while gently waving to the caravan.