Chronicles of Eden - Act III (9 page)

“Specca? You okay?” Triska asked. Specca blinked then looked to her curiously as the teen was watching her with a raised eyebrow.

“What? Yes, I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“Because you just plotted our route to go in circles over there,” Triska said while pointing to the map. Specca looked to seeing that during her daydreaming of her night with Daniel she had been absentmindedly drawing in a circle on the map over and over again.

“Oh, sorry, I lost my trail of thought,” she apologized before she quickly worked to correct the blunder. Triska nodded and glanced to seeing Daniel again looking ahead as he held the reins to Lucky.

“Gee, I wonder what from,” Triska remarked knowingly while looking to Specca with a slick smile. Specca glanced to her then looked back down to the map with a blush, remaining silent while her tail curled up behind her. Alyssa and Squeak watched her curiously while Triska leaned closer to the girl.

“So, what happened with you two last night anyway? We never got an answer from you all day. You were both really quiet, sounds like nothing happened at all.”

Specca glanced to her then looked up with a shrug.

“Maybe he muffled my cries of pleasure and ecstasy rather well, did you ever consider that?”

Looking around she saw the other girls staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths from that comment. After a while of silence she giggled and shook her head.

“Relax,” she gently reassured. “He was a perfect gentleman with me all night. We didn’t engage in anything like what you’re thinking. The only thing you may or may not be pleased to hear was that he kissed me goodnight, that’s all.” The other girls breathed out in relief as Specca looked down with a gentle smile.

“We just read a book together.”

“A book?” Alyssa asked. “That’s all you did, read a book?”

Specca nodded and looked over to see Daniel sitting in the driver’s seat of the caravan, the boy looking around at the sights of the passing wilderness while his hair fluttered in the breeze. The nixie smiled lovingly at him as she felt her heart beating faster with her growing love for him.

“Yes. It was the best book I’ve ever read in my entire life.”

In the world of Eden, danger lurks around every corner, even more so when traveling through The Outerlands. Bandits and marauders were a real threat out in the wild, as well as the monsters that roamed the lands. A confrontation could occur at any time, a choice between fighting or fleeing may not always be an option, and one may need to rely on their instincts to survive the dangers they come across. However, not everything that seemed dangerous or evil really was. Sometimes appearances could be deceiving. If one wasn’t certain whether they were facing an enemy or not, it was always best to choose what to do carefully.

After all, even those that were good in nature could still look like monsters.

*****

Flying up in the sky two butterfly girls were seen making their way across The Outerlands, with one of them carrying a small human child in her arms. Emily clung to Luna tightly as the butterfly monster held her securely, the young child’s hair fluttering in the wind while she kept her eyes shut tight. Flying next to her sister Falla was scouring below them in search for Daniel’s caravan, watching as they passed over the land with no sign of the travelers or their ride.

“Dammit,” Falla muttered. “I hope they didn’t get too far ahead of us this time.”

“You okay, Emily?” Luna asked as she saw the child keeping her face buried in her shoulder. The girl shook her head while holding onto Luna tightly.

“I don’t like this!” Emily cried out. “Take me down, take me down!”

“But Emily, you’re safe up here,” Luna replied worriedly. “I promise. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

Falla glanced to the kid then looked around at the landscape below them again.

“She’s right, Emily. Down there you would be in more danger then up here, it’s much safer-”

“ISN’T THIS SO MUCH FUN? WEEEEEEE!” Luna screamed out as she laughed out of control, spiraling around gleefully while holding Emily close. Emily screamed for dear life while shaking her head wildly as she felt herself spinning around in the air.

“No! Please stop, stop! Please, Luna! You’re scaring me!” Emily cried out with tears forming in her eyes.

Luna stopped and looked to Emily with a curious expression, the child then frantically trying to hold onto the monster as Luna had stopped her spiral so that she was upside-down in her flight.

“Scaring you?” Luna asked curiously.

“DON’T DROP ME! PLEASE!”

“Luna!” Falla yelled out. “Stop that, you’re just making this worse for her!”

Luna spun around to fly upright again with Emily crying and trying to push her away.

“Let me go!” Emily whined. “Put me down right now, you’re crazy!”

“Crazy?” Luna asked with a hurt expression.

Falla groaned then flew over and took Emily away from Luna, the human scrambling around in her arms while Luna watched her with worried eyes.

“Calm down, kid,” Falla grunted as she held onto the child. “She wasn’t going to drop you. She’s just got a little condition, okay?”

Emily looked back towards the sound of her voice then over to where she could hear Luna crying softly.

“A little condition? She was laughing like a crazy monster!”

“I’m sorry, Emily,” Luna whimpered. “I… I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Falla shook her head then motioned down towards a nearby wooded area, the two then flying down with Emily holding onto Falla nervously. They landed on the grass and Falla set Emily down before turning the girl to face her.

“I’m sorry about that,” Falla said glancing to Luna with annoyance. “My sister… can get a little carried away sometimes. She can’t help it. Trust me, as ‘crazy’ as she may seem, she’s harmless.”

Emily looked towards the sound of Luna crying, the butterfly girl holding her arms around herself and looking away with remorse.

“I’m sorry, Emily,” Luna apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Emily listened to the monster crying then looked down with a worried expression. Falla looked between the two then up with a silent sigh before kneeling down behind Emily and holding her close.

“How about if I carry you. I promise not to scare you like that, okay?”

“Can’t we walk? I don’t like flying.”

“Flying is the best way of finding our friends,” Falla reasoned. “We can see further and travel faster while in the air. Plus it’s safer that way, nothing can get you up in the air when you’re with us.”

“I don’t like flying,” Emily whimpered. “Please don’t take me up there again.”

Falla looked to Luna with a small scowl as she was watching Emily with remorseful eyes.

“Way to go, Luna,” Falla said flatly. “You scared her from flying ever again.”

Luna hung her head with shame while Falla stood up and looked around, only seeing the hills and trees nearby with no sign of any path or trail.

“Tell you what,” she said looking to Emily. “How about we rest here for a moment, then we’ll see if you feel any better about flying. Sound fair?”

The child remained silent while keeping her blank gaze down towards the grass, with Luna looking to her with a saddened expression.

“I’m sorry, Emily. I really am.” Emily looked towards the sound of her voice as the butterfly girl knelt down in front of her. “Please don’t be mad at me. I know I can lose my trail of thought easily, I just wanted you to like flying like I do.”

Emily hesitated then slowly reached out and hugged her, with Luna watching with wonder as the human held her gently.

“I don’t hate you, Luna,” Emily said softly. “You just surprised me is all.”

Luna held her close with a caring smile while Falla watched the two with a bored expression.

“I promise, I
promise
, Emily,” Luna assured dearly. “That I’ll take care of you out here. I mean it.”

Emily nodded while still holding onto her, with Falla rolling her eyes then looking around the area with a dull glance.

“Great,” Falla muttered. “Daniel’s getting further and further away. This is such bullshit.”

Emily held onto Luna then heard her stomach growling, with Luna and Falla looking to see the child leaning back from her hug with a weak expression.

“Emily?” Luna asked.

“Sorry,” the child said while holding a hand over her belly. “I’m getting hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning.”

Falla held her hands to her face as she tried to keep calm about the situation, taking a few steady breaths before she turned to Emily with a forced smile.

“Well, that’s alright, humans need to eat too after all,” she reluctantly agreed. “That being the case, I’ll go see what I can find around here. You and Luna just stay here and rest.”

Emily nodded while Luna looked to her sister curiously.

“Is there any food for humans around here?”

“I’ll find something for her, just watch over the poor dear in the meantime,” Falla said as she turned to walk away.

“There’s a deer around here?” Luna asked looking around quickly. “Oh, humans eat those don’t they? Should we try to catch it?”

Emily looked to her with a small giggle while Falla rolled her eyes and fluttered her wings behind her.

“Just watch over her, Luna. And don’t go anywhere until I get back,” Falla said before flying off. Luna looked around curiously then to Emily as the girl was smiling at her.

“You’re funny,” Emily said with a small laugh.

“I am? What did I do?”

Emily shook her head and hugged her again, the butterfly monster then holding her with a curious smile.

“You’re just you, but that’s okay,” Emily reasoned with a giggle. She then showed a worried expression and held Luna close. “Luna, I’m sorry I called you crazy. That was mean.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I can just get a little carried away sometimes. And flying really is fun, but I guess humans don’t like it as much, I’m sorry.”

Emily looked up towards her with a blank stare, her eyes not focusing on anything as Luna gently held her.

“I wish I could see you,” she said softly. “You’re so nice. It’s hard to believe you’re a monster.”

Luna looked down for a moment then held Emily close again, the child’s head resting against her bosom.

“Just because I’m a monster doesn’t mean I don’t care about others. I’m not some Darker One after all,” Luna reasoned, with Emily showing a relieved smile from her words.

Again the child’s stomach growled, with Luna giggling and looking down to her with an amused smile.

“You must be really hungry. Just wait a little longer, I’m sure Falla will bring something back for you.”

Emily nodded then looked to Luna curiously.

“What do you two eat?”

“Food, the same as you.”

“What kind of food do you eat though?”

“The kind of food that we can eat, I just said that,” Luna replied with a puzzled expression. Emily giggled and shook her head.

“I was just wondering if monsters ate the same kinds of food that humans do. I wasn’t sure what your kind eats.”

Luna nodded slowly then looked up thoughtfully.

“Oh, well, I’m not sure what others eat to be honest, but Falla and I love tree sap, and sweet bugs are sweet too, oh I love those so much. And then sometimes we find a nest of spring beetles, I could munch on those all day,” she said with a giddy smile before drooling a little. Emily stared at her with a disturbed expression as the butterfly girl wiped her mouth and looked back to the child with a curious smile.

“Bugs?” Emily asked carefully. “You and your sister eat
bugs
?”

“Yes we do, and sap from trees is good too. Though I think my favorite is the dew from honey blossoms, but it’s been so long since we found a field with those in it,” Luna said with a saddened smile as she thought about it. Emily looked towards the girl with curiosity then showed a disgusted expression.

“Falla’s not bringing me back bugs to eat is she? Humans don’t eat bugs.”

Luna looked at her curiously for a moment then up in thought.

“Hmm, well if humans don’t eat those, then I don’t think she’ll bring those back for you to eat since you won’t eat them. What about tree sap, do humans eat that?”

“Um, not exactly,” Emily said with a weak expression. Luna nodded then looked around carefully.

“Hm, maybe I should try to find that deer Falla saw. Humans eat deer, I’m sure of that.”

Emily looked at her with a worried expression then down while feeling her stomach rumbling.

“Well, I’m sure your sister will find something… I hope.”

“Don’t worry,” Luna reassured her. “She said she was going to find food for you, she’ll find something.”

Emily looked around then back towards Luna with concern.

“But what if she runs into trouble, or if those man-eaters find her?” she asked nervously. “Is she going to be okay on her own?”

Luna nodded and held the girl gently by the shoulders.

“She’ll be fine, Emily. We’re giant butterflies. If we even sense there’s danger or trouble coming we can fly away, remember?”

Before the child could say anything there was a rustle from a nearby bush, with a bolas being thrown from the thicket towards the two girls in a sharp spin. Luna looked over with surprise to see the rope and three round rocks flying towards them before the throwing trap hit against her, with the rocks quickly spinning around the two girls and binding them together. Emily and Luna screamed as they dropped down onto their sides, both of them struggling to move as the rope held them tightly together.

“What’s happening?” Emily cried out.

“Danger is coming, and I can’t fly away!” Luna whined loudly as she kept trying to move her arms, her wings having been tied behind her in an uncomfortable fold.

The girls struggled about then looked towards the sounds of growling coming from the nearby bushes, with Emily whimpering and trying to move still while Luna held her close with a fearful expression.

“Luna…” Emily said nervously.

“It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, Emily,” Luna tried to reassure with a shaky tone. She watched as a figure came out from the bushes, her eyes widening at the sight as she held Emily close.