The sight made her stomach cramp in hunger, while also causing a new realization to cross her mind, everything finally making sense.
It was toying with them.
To what end, she didn't know, perhaps for its own enjoyment, but without a doubt it was toying with them.
She knew it was true the moment she slowly began easing away from her unconscious comrades to grab at the severed venison rump...only for a midnight clawed hand to appear like lightning, abruptly yanking it away, back through the small crevice.
She immediately jerked away, in fear of losing her own hand from those razor-sharp claws, knowing without a doubt that they were all going to die. Horrible gruesome deaths, the three of them were all going to be slaughtered, never to see daylight again.
She knew because, with that impossibly swift motion, an unnerving giggle echoed into the room, sounding like it came from an amused girl. One from hell.
"Tee-hee."
* * *
I woke up groggily to find that the sun was beginning to rise, the sound and vibrations of the horse-drawn wagon filling my ears as I vaguely recalled making a brief stop at the second outpost village a few hours ago to get fresh horses, only to continue on our journey to the third and last stop in the northeastern region of the Delanor kingdom.
To the place where a horrid demon had been spotted, that must soon be slain, lest it reproduce too quickly and overrun the continent by sheer numbers. At the very least, there had already been a report of a second
Arakna'cabra
, or Flesh Collector, spotted elsewhere, indicating there might already be many more.
If left alone, in a week there might only be a hundred, but by the second week there would then be a thousand, and within a month there would be millions, as the spider-like monsters bred at an alarming rate.
Currently, the elf scout Celestine was at the reins, her older sister Astaer now asleep next to me after having sat at the front nearly all night. Both of them were dressed in brown leather pants and tan tunics that were loose everywhere except their modest chests.
I was currently reclined against a pack of supplies, my head and shoulders supported, while my beloved Eliza snuggled against my chest, her full figure relaxed in my embrace as she slept soundly. The mature woman was beautiful even when uncomposed, a sort of youthful look to her peaceful expression, even despite her age. Her skin was pale and flawless, strands of her pitch-black hair resting on her soft cheeks.
The blonde elf Sylvia was then sitting up, at Eliza's feet, having already roused after getting a few hours of rest, and also being the one responsible for using her blue silk cloak to conceal the Queen as she slept when we made our second stop, knowing it would be problematic for the Elf Guard to catch sight of their Ruler lying with a human who was both relatively unknown and far younger than she.
As was the mystery of our existence, the fact that Eliza and I had been about the same age when we were young, only for one of us to somehow end up frozen in time, stuck within a Dungeon, while the other aged a full century.
Thankfully, elves had longer lives, or else fate might have prevented us from reuniting after so much time. Still, that left her basically a full century older than me, despite there being less than a year between us when we first met.
And then, there was my Red Oni girlfriend, Melantha, along with my half-Holstaur betrothed, Valshia, who were similarly both awake and sitting up, seeming content as they occasionally yawned while Astaer, Eliza, and I all slept.
But now I was awake, with Mel being the first to notice, speaking up softly, her gold eyes content, her white hair blowing gently in the breeze, both a sharp contrast to her rosy skin.
"Oh, good morning, Allie," she said warmly. "How'd you sleep?"
Val chimed right in as well, before I could even respond, the busty blonde Holstaur sounding eager. "Good morning, master."
"Good morning," I replied with a controlled yawn, being careful to speak softly so as to not rouse Eliza snuggling against my chest. "I slept decent, considering the occasional jarring bump." I then grinned as I glanced toward Sylvia, her icy blue eyes now focused on me affectionately. "I think I was a little worn out after staying up so late," I added.
Of course, between the look and my words, the tall blonde elf knew I was implying that she wore me out, though it would probably be more accurate to say that she gave me great pleasure that allowed me to fully relax and feel content.
Celestine spoke up then, glancing down at me over her shoulder. "My sister told me about last night when we switched. Wish I'd stayed awake," she added playfully.
I couldn't help but grin.
While last night had been mostly shared between me and Sylvia, both Astaer and Eliza were fully attentive, though the former didn't get to participate much since she was busy attending to the reins. Still, having the older sister's hands running through my hair at one point had been surprisingly very pleasant.
I cleared my throat softly as I spoke. "Any idea how long we have?" I wondered.
"Should be there by mid-morning," Celestine replied. "At our last stop, they said a runner had been sent from that area, requesting for assistance, not being aware that help was already on the way."
"Oh shit," I hissed. "Does that mean it's already worse?"
"Possibly not," the brunette elf replied. "I did not stumble upon the Flesh Collector's lair, but instead came across it while it appeared to be hunting. Thus, neither me, nor my sister, got to see how established it was. It is possible that it had already constructed a small lair, and a nearby village only recently came to notice it."
"Let's hope," I replied quietly, knowing this situation could get out of hand very quickly if not dealt with as fast as possible.
Queen Eliza unexpectedly sighed heavily then, revealing she'd roused, speaking up quietly. "Oh love, how I've missed your scent. It was one of the only pleasant smells in the otherwise stale air within that Dungeon, and even after all this time, I have not forgotten it."
I squeezed her tighter, closing my eyes in response to the memories briefly hitting me.
"But nevertheless," she continued. "There is nothing like the real thing. My memory doesn't do it justice."
I smirked then. "Well, I like your smell too," I admitted, though I knew it was a bigger deal to her because she had both sharper eyesight and a better sense of smell, as did pretty much all elves. For her, my natural scent truly was something she cherished, knowing she'd commented as much when we were stuck in a living hell together for three months long ago.
Eliza sighed heavily then, taking her time to inhale my scent for a while longer, before finally sitting up and yawning loudly, her purple eyes appearing sleepy but content.
Sylvia spoke up. "My dear Eliza, might you perchance be inclined to have a little something to hold you over before we arrive?"
Queen Eliza shook her head, yawning again. "No, I can wait like everyone else. Better to save our supplies for the wilderness, as the village should have a meal ready for us when we arrive."
"Of course, my Queen," the blonde elf replied simply.
Eliza then focused down at me, still lying on my back. "What about you, my love? If you are in need, I am fine with you having some of our rations."
I couldn't help but laugh at that, causing her to give me a bizarre look. "Sorry, and thank you, but I'm a Scourge Suppressor. Being forced to skip meals is a part of the job description, not to mention surviving in that Dungeon wasn't too long ago for me. My perspective on dining has probably not changed as much as you might think. I would still very much resort to eating a raw frog if required of me, only smashing its head in before tearing the meat off its bones."
"
Eww
