Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII (3 page)

“I’m saying I don’t want to see you get hurt. If they draw any of your blood it’ll cut me just as bad.”

Clover stopped and watched him in wonder as he lowered his head in remorse.

“Please, let it go for now. We’ll set them straight later, we’ll set this whole region straight and hopefully even the world. They’re wrong and you’re right, Clover. But you starting a fight with them isn’t going to change anything. It would only place your life in danger, and that’s something I can’t allow to happen.”

“But-”

“I’m positive you could kill them if you had a bow, Clover,” Daniel assured her with a small smile. “But killing those with a misguided view in life is beneath you. You’re better than that, I know you are. So please, let it go, just this once.”

Daniel let go of her and stepped aside, offering Clover the chance to rush back into the cottage to exact her bloody vengeance upon the monster hunters if she so wished. Clover hesitated then looked down and away while wiping a tear from her eye.

“I’m not going to forgive them.”

“After today you’ll never see them again,” Daniel assured her.

Clover sighed and nodded, then after a pause punched Daniel in his arm.

“
Ow
, what was that for?” Daniel asked while rubbing his arm.

“For touching me,” Clover replied with a glance to him.

“What, no kick to the nuts?” Daniel jested. “I must have really upset you this time.”

“I’m sorry,” Clover sneered with a smirk. “Should I kick your dick in to make you feel better?”

“I don’t know if that’ll make me feel better,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. “Just want to make sure you’re not really mad at me.”

Clover watched him with a blank expression then shook her head a little and looked away.

“I’m not mad at you, Dan,” she said before crossing her arms with an annoyed sigh. “And… thanks for not letting me get blood all over my cloak and boots from killing those bitches in there.”

“Well Specca did do a nice job restoring that for you,” Daniel complimented as he eyed over the elf’s cloak. “And I know how much it means to you. Only thinking about your happiness after all.”

“Of course you are,” Clover dryly replied with a roll of her eyes. “You’re just too fucking nice, you know that?”

“I’ve been told similar things in the past, yes,” Daniel admitted with a chuckle.

Clover glanced to him curiously before they both saw Triska walking out of the cottage holding a bow and quiver of arrows in her arms while Mika was carrying a large leather bag with a single brown flap buttoned at the top.

“Is she alright?” Triska asked as she handed the bow and quiver to Daniel.

“She’ll be fine,” Daniel answered as everyone watched Clover just staring at Mika with obvious discontent. The woman laughed nervously then looked down while rubbing the back of her neck.

“Sorry again about making you feel uncomfortable in there. Anyway, enjoy your new bow. It’s a real elven-grade, just like you wanted.”

“I know what it is,” Clover hissed before snatching the bow and quiver from Daniel then turning her back to the woman.

Triska took the carrying bag from Mika and slung it over her shoulder, with the woman watching her curiously before smiling amusedly at Daniel.

“Making her do all the heavy lifting, huh? What a gentleman.”

“I’m not making him carry all this,” Triska remarked with a smirk at Daniel. “He’s not my pack mule or anything.”

“I always thought of myself as her daring and courageous steed,” Daniel playfully mused before he took the bag from Triska and slung it over his shoulder. The girls watched as he swayed to the side before catching his balance, a weak smile and laugh being made from him before he grunted and hoisted the bag upright at his side. Triska giggled with an amused smile while Clover watched him with a raised eyebrow as he apparently had to use a bit of strength to carry the bag.

“So, got everything?” he asked, although to him it felt like they had more than they planned on buying.

“I think so,” Triska said looking at her list before pocketing it. “We’re all good, let’s head back to the others.”

“Did you walk here on foot?” Mika asked looking around the area. “Where are your friends?”

“They’re camped a little ways down the road. We just headed over here to pick up some things while they rested.”

“You could have rode over here and then shopped,” Mika laughed. “You didn’t have to walk all that way for nothing.”

“Nah, its good exercise. Anyway, thank you for everything,” Triska kindly said before the travelers started walking away down the road.

“Take care,” Daniel called back with a wave.

“Die in a fire,” Clover muttered as she held her new bow and quiver close.

Mika waved them off then headed back inside, closing the door behind then looking around at her kin who were gathered near the counter. Max was counting up the gold coins Triska had paid with while Milly was looking down with a saddened frown with Mae lecturing her.

“Well that sale could have been a bust,” Mika complained walking over to them.

“Blame Milly,” Max plainly replied while putting away the gold.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t see any blood on that bow,” Milly sulked with a stubborn huff.

“We all should have been a little less excited about the weapons,” Mae speculated while adjusting her glasses. “I don’t think they were that interested in them to begin with. Aside from that girl wanting a bow they only purchased typical traveling provisions.”

“We need to better read our customers to know what they want beforehand,” Mika sighed as she walked over and leaned against the counter. “We always jump right to the weapons first, every time.”

“But they’re our best stuff,” Milly insisted. “We get a lot more gold for selling those things than those other things that don’t kill stuff.”

“Well put, Milly,” Max simply replied shaking his head. He looked around at the half of their store that was stocked with monster armaments then scratched his head. “I do have to agree with her though. Those things we collect from your kills are worth good money. Maybe we should travel to the city and sell them there rather than out here in The Outerlands.”

“But we agreed that people who need them most are out here,” Mae pointed out. “There are no blacksmiths or weapon vendors around these parts, so unarmed or poorly equipped travelers have a great need to buy these.”

“And that does equate to more money,” Mika reasoned. “Provided we don’t mess up the cleaning of said weapons and have to sell them at a reduced priced to freaked out customers.”

“I’m sorry!” Milly whined.

“But selling our hot items in the city does sound good,” Mika mentioned with a smirk at Max. “Thing is we usually don’t have the free time to travel out there and set up shop, now do we?”

“I keep telling you I could do it,” Max implored with an irritated groan. “I’m not a little kid. I practically run this store while you’re all out having fun killing monsters.”

“You
do
run this store when we’re out killing monsters,” Mae giggled. “Hence why you can’t leave for the city and leave our shop unattended.”

“And you still are kinda little,” Milly teased him.

“No I’m not!” Max hollered while kicking his legs around. “Quit treating me like a baby!”

“Calm down, Max. We’re only having some fun with you,” Mae insisted with an amused smile.

“Um, question,” Mika called out with her hand raised up, the group looking to her as she pointed to a small carrying bag lying on the counter. “That wasn’t part of Triska’s order, was it?”

“Uh oh,” Mae nervously said. “I believe those are the bandages and herbal cream she asked to have added to her purchase.”

“And why was it not given to her?” Mika demanded as she grabbed the bag while looking around at her kin in frustration.

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” Milly remorsefully admitted.

“I was helping Max count the gold we got,” Mae insisted.

“I can count just fine on my own,” Max barked at her. “You just weren’t paying attention like Milly.”

“We don’t get wrong orders here!” Mika yelled out at them. “Dammit, now they’re going to tell other people we swindle our customers!”

“Sorry,” Mae and Milly apologized while Max sighed tiredly.

“Great, just great,” Mika grumbled as she hopped over the counter and rushed into the back room. A few moments later she ran back out with a steel claymore strapped to her back in a black sheath. “You all just stay here and try not to misplace anything else, I’ll take care of this.”

“You’re going to go kill them?” Milly gasped. “Mika, you can’t do that. It’s bad business to kill your customers.”

“I’m not going to kill them, I’m going to go out there and deliver this bag to Triska along with an apology for you all screwing up her order. It’s just a good habit to always bring your weapon with you when walking about outside, never know when a monster might rear its ugly head.”

“That is true,” Mae commented as she patted her bag. In doing so a bolt shot out from the front and struck a shield with a loud clang, bouncing off the plate and hitting the blade of a broadsword on a rack before flying over behind the group and striking into the wall next to the curtain with a thwack.

“Geez!” Max yelled out in surprise. “Why do you keep that thing armed?”

“In case I need it,” Mae nervously replied while staring at her arrow she accidently fired.

“If those customers saw that happen in front of them it would be all over for our business!” Mika yelled at her. “Don’t keep that darned thing loaded when there are people around you! It’s supposed to be safe in here for them, remember?”

“Sorry,” Mae apologized with her head hung low.

“I’m giving this back to Triska. Don’t burn down our home while I’m gone,” Mika dryly ordered before running out of the shop. Shortly after she left Milly blinked then looked to her brother and sister curiously.

“Say, weren’t we cooking lunch before coming out here?”

“Oh no, the stew!” Mae panicked before she and Milly rushed into the back room.

Max groaned and rested his head on the counter with a small thud as the smell of burnt stew started to fill the cottage.

“I wonder what it’s like to have normal sisters.”

*****

Sitting up front on their new carriage Alyssa was gazing up at the sky between the tree branches overhead, one hand holding the reins to Lucky who was hitched to the front of the ride and the other gently rolling her staff side to side against the seat. Sitting on the brim of her hat Pip was looking around at the leaves rustling above them, her legs gently kicking about over the edge of the witch’s cap while her wings quickly fluttered once behind her.

Standing further away Kroanette was looking around at the nearby woods where they had had stopped next to on the road, seeing a few rabbits hopping about through the shrubbery while a squirrel ran up along a timber. At her side Falla and Luna were searching in the bushes for a snack, with Luna trying to hold in her eager giggles while Falla sighed in annoyance as she moved aside grass and dirt.

“How much longer?” she quietly whined.

“I’m sure they’ll return any minute,” Kroanette reasoned with a shrug. “They were just going up ahead to buy some things and then come right back.”

“How come we had to wait here again?” Luna asked while parting the bush with a curious eye.

“It’s a human trade post. A carriage rolling up to it filled with monsters wouldn’t be welcomed in any regard.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Falla groaned rubbing her face. “How much longer must we wait before we can have sex with Daniel?”

“We already can, can’t we?” Luna asked her then turned to Kroanette in question.

“Falla, it’s not that simple,” Kroanette said shaking her head. “Triska and the girls have given us their blessing to be more intimate with Daniel, but none of us are quite in the mood for such things while Alyssa is still coping with her loss.”

“It’s been four days,” Falla sighed. “Every night we sleep in bed together and every day we spend with Daniel, I’m not complaining about that. And I do love it when he kisses me and holds me close, I know he wants to go all the way with me, and I’m more than ready for that myself. But yet we can’t get more intimate with our man because Alyssa’s still feeling sad? Why does it have to be this way?”

“Her daughter died,” Kroanette sternly reminded her.

“That Kitten killed to protect Alyssa and all of us from,” Falla argued. “Besides, Alyssa hasn’t been crying these past few days, she’s just been staring off into space and being super quiet all the time.”

“Falla, we’ll have sex with our mate when all of us are ready,” Kroanette firmly told her. “How can you be so inconsiderate of Alyssa’s feelings like this?”

“It’s okay to wait, Falla,” Luna reassured her. “I don’t mind waiting a little more to be closer with Daniel. We should make Alyssa smile and be happy again so she can join us when we all have sex, it wouldn’t be right to leave her out.”

“That is very true, Luna,” Kroanette agreed with a nod. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Falla. Only thinking about getting Daniel’s pants off when Alyssa is hurting from her loss still.”

“I’m not saying I don’t feel for her,” Falla defended waving her hands in front of her. “I am sorry she went through that, but still, how come we all have to wait like this? We finally got their approval to have sex with Daniel, and then all this shit happens to us. It’s not fair.”

“How do you think I feel?” Kroanette retorted. “I was ready to receive Daniel’s intimate touch just as you girls were, it’s not like I’m in favor of how this turned out. But truth be told I would rather wait while my loins burn even more for Daniel than have my moment with him while one of my co-mates is feeling depressed.”

“Me too,” Luna softly agreed.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Falla reluctantly admitted. “Still, I hope Alyssa feels better soon. It’s getting really hard to control myself around Daniel. I can feel my urges building up inside the more we wait, and I don’t want to do something I’ll regret later if my nature pushes me too much.”

“You can do it, Falla,” Luna enthusiastically encouraged. “We can both control ourselves. It’s what Daniel wants for all of us, to be able to control our inner nature and be good girls. It’s hard on me too, on all of us. But our love for him can give us the strength to resist those naughty thoughts for now. Just think about the love you have from Daniel, and from everyone. That’s what I do, and it really helps.”