Chronicles of Eden - Act III (21 page)

After a while she slowly started to descend towards the forest, her world beginning to spin slightly as she felt growing fatigue.

“I can’t… keep flying… anymore…” she panted before landing on the grass. After a few uneasy steps she dropped to her knees, holding Emily closely as she tried to catch her breath.

“Don’t worry… I’ll… take care of you…” Luna shakily promised as she slowly got back on her feet. She took a few steps before leaning against a tree, feeling her own stomach rumbling while hearing the child’s as well. Looking around she only saw trees nearby, a few rays of moonlight shining in through the branches here and there in the darkened woods.

“I hope… Falla didn’t… get eaten too…” she whimpered before slowly trudging along through the forest. Emily held her stomach with a small whine while the butterfly girl looked around carefully at all the trees, searching for anything they could eat.

“Oh,” Luna breathed out. “What I wouldn’t give for a juicy spotted beetle, with some honey too.”

“At this point I’ll eat anything, Luna,” Emily groaned.

Luna walked a ways while searching around the trees in the little amount of light they had, not seeing anything moving or growing on them that could be eaten. She rounded another tree then stopped with a gasp, backing up a step while holding Emily closer as she stared at something with surprise. Emily held onto her tightly from hearing the butterfly’s reaction, fearing what was in front of them.

“Um…” Luna said nervously.

Standing before them was a girl, obviously not being human, what with her green reptilian feet which had white talons on the toes, skin being green scales that went up to her knees while over her legs were dark green metal leggings, and a long green scaled reptilian tail that slowly swayed behind her. Her upper legs appeared human, the girl wearing green tightfitting underwear along with having black hip armor plates that had white talons on the ends of them. She wore a green skintight shirt that had no sleeves, her impressive bust size being easily noticed even in the darkened woods, and a dark green choker around her neck that had white studs on it. On her lower arms she wore green sleeves that went down to her wrists, revealing her green reptilian hands, one of which was holding a deer by two of its legs over her back. Her dark green eyes were locked onto Luna and Emily as she had stopped in place as well, her long brown hair being tied back in ponytail and moving slightly in the breeze as all fell quiet around them except the rustling of a few leaves. Her ears were pointed and reptilian, with ridges that extended back out slightly, and were able to pick up Luna’s silent whine of fright as the butterfly stared at the reptile girl with a quivering mouth.

“What is it, Luna?” Emily asked quietly.

The reptile girl slowly glanced to the girl then to Luna with a raised eyebrow.

“What are you doing with that human child?” Sasha demanded.

Luna jumped a bit then backed up a step as the reptile girl dropped the deer, which fell the ground with dull thump, and approached the butterfly girl with an accusing glare.

“Answer me, what are you doing with her?”

“I’m trying… to help her…” Luna whimpered.

“Help her? What sort of monster kidnaps a child to help her?” Sasha hissed.

“I didn’t kidnap her, I found her, she’s all alone out here,” Luna pleaded.

Sasha looked at her carefully then to the girl who was trembling in her arms.

“Little girl, are you alright?”

Emily slowly looked towards the sound of the voice with a nervous expression, her eyes not seeming to focus on anything as she held onto Luna.

“Who… who are you?”

Sasha walked up to the girl and took hold of her dress, eyeing the condition it was in before glaring at Luna.

“Where are her parents? Why is there blood on her clothes?”

Luna shook her head nervously while holding Emily close.

“They were killed by monsters,” she shakily explained. “I found her like this. I’m trying to help her find a new home, I’m just trying to help her.” She took a few shaky steps back then dropped down onto her rear, her breathing being ragged while Sasha watched her carefully.

“Monsters ate her family… and then they were going to eat us. I’ve been… flying all night to run from them… I’m just trying to help her.”

Sasha eyed the girl cautiously then looked to Emily.

“Little girl, is this true? Is this monster really trying to help you?”

“Yes,” Emily said nodding. “She’s not bad, she really isn’t. She saved my life, twice.”

She then groaned and held her stomach weakly while Luna slowly got back onto her feet with the girl in her arms.

“What’s wrong?” Sasha asked.

“I’m so hungry,” Emily whined.

Sasha narrowed her eyes at Luna who was struggling to just stay standing.

“If you really are trying to help this child then you must know that they need to eat. Why hasn’t she been fed?”

“I know,” Luna said looking down with remorse. “But I have nothing to give. I’m so hungry myself, and tired. We’ve been running all night.”

Sasha glanced to the child then to Luna with a dull expression, breathing out slowly with annoyance before walking back over to her deer and lifting it up with one hand. She slung the dead animal over her shoulder then looked back to the two girls.

“Follow me.”

“Please, we don’t taste good, don’t eat us,” Luna whimpered with worried eyes. Emily started trembling and clung to her tightly.

“Is she another monster too?”

“Yes,” Luna said nervously.

“Is she going to eat us?”

“No,” Sasha said, with Luna and Emily looking towards her worriedly as the reptile girl shook her head. “I don’t eat children, and I’m more in the mood for deer tonight than whatever your friend is. Now follow me.”

Sasha started walking away while holding the dead dear over her shoulder. Luna watched the reptile girl carefully before Sasha glanced back to the butterfly and child with a sharp eye.

“Do you want the child to be fed, or not?”

Luna jumped a bit then looked to Emily with worried eyes.

“Well… yes…”

“Then follow me right now,” Sasha ordered before walking off.

“Luna? What are we going to do?” Emily asked.

Luna looked to where the reptile girl walked away then slowly started following after while holding the child in her arms.

“We hope she’s going to help us,” she said softly.

“What if she doesn’t?” Emily asked nervously. “What if she’s going to eat us?”

“I’m so tired, and hungry. I don’t think we have a choice but to trust her,” Luna said shaking her head. Emily held onto her tightly while hearing the butterfly girl walking through the woods.

After a while Luna stopped and looked around at something as an orange glow bloomed nearby. Emily heard a fire crackling and held onto Luna nervously, fearing whether she would be served food from the fire or roasted over it.

“Who are they?” a female voice asked in a snippy tone.

“Luna? Where are we?” Emily whimpered.

Luna watched Sasha walking over and dropping the deer down next to a campfire that was going in the small clearing they had stopped in. The nearby trees were cast with a soft glow of the fire while the reptile girl glanced back to Luna and Emily with a raised eyebrow. Sitting down near the fire was another girl who was obviously a monster. Her larger body build had a leathery pink texture to it. She wore dull leather sandals on her feet along with scratched brown plate leggings that only covered the front of her legs up to her knees. A dark brown cloth was worn as a miniskirt, the fabric tied around her waist with a dull rope, while a short coiled pig tail stuck out behind her. She had a single piece of hip armor on her right side, the metal appearing dull and scratched, along with a ragged brown shirt with no shoulders or straps, which barely held her large bust. There were metal plates of armor on her arms that were tied with small leather straps, the plates appearing dull and scratched. She had a brown leather collar around her neck with a few chain links attached to the front of it which dangled down over her cleavage. Her short dark brown hair wasn’t combed; rather it flowed freely down to her cheeks and rested above her hazel eyes. And atop her head she had large pink pig ears that were flopped down to the sides.

“What’s with the bug and kid?” Rulo asked.

“This child was lost and hungry,” Sasha said with a glance to her comrade. “And since her escort couldn’t provide anything for her, I decided to offer something.”

She walked over to the side of their camp where her large broadsword was struck into the ground. It had a brown handle with a green hilt, the hefty blade being lifted up from the dirt by the reptile girl with only one hand. Next to it was a stone hammer with a dull wooden handle, the weapon looking to weigh a great deal as the end was about the size of the orc’s upper body.

Luna trembled as the reptile girl started walking towards her, only for Sasha to wave her over before she struck her sword into the thigh of the deer.

“Do you want any or not?” Sasha asked, with Luna glancing to the deer then to the reptile girl while the orc shook her head with annoyance.

“We were just stopping for a snack,” Rulo grunted. “That deer would barely be enough for the two of us. Why are you sharing our food with them?”

“Because I don’t let children starve,” Sasha hissed at her. “I know what it’s like to be in her shoes.”

“So? They’re not our responsibility, and she’s not even wearing any shoes,” Rulo argued while pointing to Emily and her bare feet.

Sasha grunted as she twisted her sword, cracking the bones and ripping the flesh of the deer, before looking to Luna with a stern expression.

“Well?”

Luna jumped a bit then slowly walked towards them.

“Y-Yes, please, th-thank you,” she stuttered quietly.

Sasha held in her growl of annoyance then lifted her blade out of the deer before she swung down and sliced the animal into two across its middle, the crunch of meat and bones causing Emily to whimper and shake her head.

“What’s happening, where are we?” she asked while clinging to Luna fearfully. Luna stared at the deer having been bisected with a startled expression then slowly smiled nervously.

“It’s okay,” she gently reassured. “These nice monsters are offering some of their food for us.”

Emily slowly looked up to her as Sasha grabbed the front half of the deer and tossed it over to Rulo, the orc catching it then tearing apart the side before she started munching into it with grunts and oinks. Luna nodded slowly and set the child down as Sasha sliced off a chunk of the deer’s thigh with her sword, the reptile girl then striking her blade into the ground behind her before sitting down against it.

“They are?” Emily asked.

Luna nodded then caught the chunk of deer meat that Sasha tossed at her with surprise, the reptile girl then starting to eat the leg of the deer while closing her eyes.

“Um… yes,” Luna said looking down to the bloodied chunk of meat she was holding. She hesitated then slowly knelt down with Emily near the fire, with Rulo just watching them with a harsh stare while she ate her meal. Sasha ate cleanly and evenly along the deer’s leg while her tail slowly coiled back around her blade, while Rulo more or less dug into her food with her face.

“Here,” Luna offered as she gently held the meat in front of Emily. The girl slowly moved her hands around to find Luna’s then traced them towards the meat while Rulo watched her with a raised eyebrow. Emily felt around the bloodied chunk with a worried expression while Luna watched her curiously.

“What is this?” Emily asked as her eyes gazed over the meat.

“It’s deer,” Rulo scoffed. “What is she, stupid?”

Luna looked to her with concern while Emily whimpered and looked down and away.

“She’s blind, she can’t see it,” Luna said shaking her head.

Sasha glanced to the child questionably while Rulo looked at the girl curiously, both watching as the human slowly took hold of the meat before looking at it with a blank stare.

“She’s blind?” Sasha asked.

Luna nodded as Emily smelled the meat then showed a disgusted expression.

“What am I holding?” Emily asked unsurely. “It smells… weird.”

“It’s deer. Don’t humans eat deer?” Luna asked.

Emily felt the bloodied piece of meat she was holding with a worried expression. Her stomach groaned again, the girl shuddering as she felt so hungry. Not being one to turn down the only food she might get for the night she slowly leaned closer to take a bite despite how it smelled. Everyone watched as the girl bit off part of the meat and chewed it slowly, her body lurching slightly as she tasted the raw food with blood dripping from it. After a moment she shook her head and spat it out before gagging slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Luna asked before Emily scrambled back behind her on her hands and knees, the young girl quickly crawling away from the campfire before throwing up, with Sasha and Rulo staring with wide eyes at something as she did so. Luna held a hand over her mouth as she stared at something too, with Emily coughing out the raw meat and what little she had left in her stomach as she felt sick from eating the uncooked food.

“Oh… no…” Luna breathed out.

“Master,” Sasha and Rulo said nervously.

Emily coughed and spat out the meat before wiping her mouth, then slowly looked ahead as she heard something right in front of her. Standing before the girl was a young adult, the boy having short, messy dark hair and cold blue eyes which were looking down at the child. He was dressed with black boots that had brown straps at the top, dark pants, and a black shirt with a leather strap at an angle across his chest holding a gray metal armor piece on his right shoulder. Strapped around his waist was a dark brown belt with a sword held at his left hip in a black sheath, the straight edged blade having a black handle with a finely polished white hilt and bottom while the sheath had a slight wave design etched into it. He wore a black leather glove on his right hand that was down at his side as his other hand rested on his sword at his hip, his fingers gently drumming along on the handle of the blade as he had a blank expression on his face. He glanced down to see the child’s vomit on his boot then looked at the young girl carefully as she slowly stood up and looked around in front of her with a weary expression.