Note: Hello! I'll admit the next bit is kinda a filler, but it does play up into things that'll be seen later.
Thanks to Falchion1984 for pointing out my idiocy again. I don't know if anyone's been confused by it, but there will be a separation between regular thoughts and telepathy.
Normal thoughts
Telepathy
At this point, I might as well hire him to edit this thing.
The Tomato Village
"They should've been back by now," Duran said, brushing more of the undergrowth out from ahead of him, Hawkeye and Angela following behind him. He noticed Angela wincing as she walked, her feet not exactly fit to suddenly deal with walking over roots and a carpet of leaves. "You ok?"
"Yeah, sure." the Princess answered. She could only pray that she didn't get a splinter or have whatever giant insects that roamed around here decide to climb up her legs. She shivered, both from the night air and the thought of her being swarmed with bugs. "Ow! Damn it…"
"Need some help there?" Hawkeye asked.
"No, it's just…I'm just so tired." No one could argue with that. Even upon arriving on this island, the ordeal they had gone through beforehand still made its effects known. Weak bodies, aching joints, and to top it all off, not one bite of food for the last few hours. Sure, there was plenty of fruit hanging from the trees, bright and colorful, not to mention delicious looking. But who knew what just one bite would do? One minute, you could be chomping away, the next, your insides are coming out of you out of both ends. As much as they hated it, the three decided it was better to go hungry than risk potentially getting their stomachs turned inside out.
All these things, coupled with trying to find out where their other three companions were, made everyone truly realize just how lost they were.
Suddenly, Duran thought of something. "Hey, Faerie," the winged woman popped out. "Can you…well, you know, 'feel' them?"
"Hmm, I can try." She said, "But energy signatures can't just be caught onto like that. It's sort of like a scent trail for an animal. It can be tracked, but it doesn't last forever." She then focused. "They WERE here. Not too long ago, actually."
"And where'd they go?" Hawkeye questioned.
Faerie concentrated, looking around in every direction. "They went East. I think." She answered. "We'll have to go further little ways in order to see
where else they go to-"
Faerie's words stopped abruptly. She looked up at the thick canopy above. No one had to ask what the winged woman's silence meant, for they too all felt it. A strange, constricting sensation seized them all, powerful and suffocating. And despite the heat, a cold shiver traveled ever so slowly up each of their spines.
"What…IS that?" Angela questioned, hugging herself. Hawkeye looked around, daggers ready to be drawn out.
"Whatever it is…it isn't human," Faerie answered. "But it clearly wants us to know that it's here." She then looked out into the dense jungle. "The question is, where?"
Everyone's eyes darted about, on the alert for any sign of movement. Yet, ultimately, they were met with only the humid jungle…which had fallen eerily silent. Whatever…or whoever carried this air around them, this aura…they knew better than to just let themselves be seen. Still, nothing had happened yet, and after a short time, Angela found that she had to speak up.
"I know it's all creepy around here," she began. "But shouldn't that be an indication we should probably get going?"
"She's right." Hawkeye agreed. "We're not helping Riesz or anyone out just standing around like this."
While he wouldn't say it aloud, Faerie could sense Duran's apprehension clearly. "Yeah. Well, c'mon!" The young man said, waving to signal for the other two to come. "Let's go!" With that, the trio (technically quartet) went on ahead, the figure was hidden just above them watching intently.
Malocchio looked on with hungry eyes as he saw the violet-haired young woman leave with those other two. Ironic that the thief (Hawkeye, was it?) had been here with them. "There's your little bird, Belladonna."
Well, whatever. He had better things to do, specifically getting to know that young lady better. At first, he had thought he had made a grievous error by allowing his aura to be detected, yet upon seeing the youths going off instead of investigating, the undead being was relieved.
No one to stop him from introducing himself to the dear young lady now. And, should he be so fortunate, the other that he had seen first, if not just to get a better look at her.
Later
The sun had long disappeared from the sky, the entire island bathed in darkness. This far from benefiting the trio, their search for their missing companions became even more difficult. The jungle grew thicker and thicker, the numerous leaves and overgrowth that had to be cut down seeming to multiply by the second. The ground was uneven, constantly rising or falling, making the trek all the more difficult.
Duran was rather thankful for the fact his boots were still with him, as it seemed Angela was having a bit of a difficult time walking around without one of hers.
"Are you ok back there?" Hawkeye asked the Princess, though he already suspected the answer. With one bare foot and the other in a heeled boot, her stride was slow, awkward, and clearly frustrating her to no end.
"Y-Yeah," she said. Yet as they went along, Angela had gotten to where she couldn't take it anymore. "Hold on!" she called out, sitting down and taking off her boot. While the ground wasn't exactly pleasant underfoot, at least she didn't feel like walking with a clubfoot or in the worst version of a three-legged race she'd ever even heard of. Still, she was beginning to miss the sensation of wet sand beneath her feet rather than the jungle floor.
Duran stopped in front of her and bent down, Angela quite confused. "Well? Get on."
The Princess couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait…you mean it?"
"Yeah. I'm feeling a little ridiculous right now, so…you know," he was interpreted by the young woman's weight on his back. Taking a moment to adjust, he dipped his hands under her knees and lifted her up, she then lacing her arms around his shoulders. "I take it you're comfy?"
Angela shrugged. "You feel…average."
Duran huffed. "I'm glad to marginally fit your standards." He began to move forward, Angela on his back. He would never admit it, but the very fact that he could feel her, feel her warmth, the warmth of a living, breathing thing…as opposed to…
She then looked at Hawkeye, noticing his expression was somewhat grim. "Well, I know I'm ok now, But you're not. What's up?"
"Sorry." the thief said. "Just thinking."
"About?"
He was silent for a moment. "How...similar this night is to the others."
"The others?"
"Back in Nevarl." Hawkeye looked up at the sky, or what little he could see through the trees. "The nights are cold in the desert, but sometimes, a deep chill comes through the entire area." Duran and Angela were somewhat off-put by the thief's shift in demeanor but continued to listen. "It doesn't feel natural. It feels like death is around the corner."
Duran looked around. "Well, what do you think it is? Or who?"
"I don't know," Hawkeye admitted. "But whenever this chill came, someone would-" he then grew quiet.
But then, it came again. The heavy, dark aura.
Angela then felt a hand seize her from behind and rip her right off of Duran's back, she not even having a chance to cry out before she disappeared into the thick, dense foliage above, her bare legs kicking as she struggled against her attacker.
Just like the other nights! Hawkeye thought as he and Duran rushed over to assist the abducted Princess. Yet just as they were about to get close, Angela's legs disappeared from view, consumed by the thick foliage above.
"ANGELA!" Duran shouted, immediately leaping up and trying to grab at her, yet he could've never hoped to reach that height. He was about to spring forward, yet Hawkeye held him back.
"Wait." He listened carefully, tracking the noises above him. There were several sounds of creatures running around, yet he was listening for any potential footfall. Finally, he got what he was looking for. "There!" With a well-timed swing, he flung one of his daggers forward, the sound of flesh being struck meeting his and Duran's ears. "Hurry!"
Both of them ran in the direction of the sound, yet just as they reached a nearby tree, a sharpened blade was swung down from above at them. Both stepped back to avoid getting hit, yet they also noticed that the dagger had met its target, being covered in blood. And then noticed fresh blood dripping down onto the leaves, leaving them a trail to follow.
She felt herself being held tightly as her captor flew through the trees, only occasionally landing on a branch to get in another jump that took both of them further and further. A cold yet smooth hand was clasped over her mouth, keeping her silent, yet to counter this, she began to twist and turn violently in her captor's grasp, hoping to free herself the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately for Angela, this thing's grip was quite strong. Inhumanly so.
Odd that she would still be holding her boot, she thought.
Finally, it seemed that they had enough of her struggling because they had stopped on a high-up branch, Angela being brought up to an upright position and held tightly by her shoulders. "Are you quite finished?" A voice asked her, she was quite surprised by how it sounded. It was mellow and smooth, there being a silky quality to it. Against her better judgment, she found it sounded rather attractive.
But it didn't take long to be reminded that he was responsible for her recent abduction. "Like hell!" She retorted, grasping at the hands that held her. "Who do you think you are, grabbing people like that?! You-" she found herself silenced as a hand took her chin firmly and held her still.
It was then that she saw a glimpse of this…thing's face. The darkness all around her didn't let her see it well, but from what little she could see, her captor had the face of a man, a chiseled, smooth face. A face that she found made her realize that all his features were perfect. What she wanted in a man. She shook her head, what was she thinking? This bastard just kidnapped her! Better yet, he was staring her down with these creepy, red eyes! And his smile…it spoke of fascination with what he was seeing, but also of deep lust and hunger. As if she were a cut of the best quality meat. And something to perhaps "play" with.
Angela quickly turned her head away. "Disgusting pervert." She snarled. "This is how you get your sick kicks, isn't it?"
"I get no such thing, my dear." Her abductor answered. "What I do get, however, is to decide on whether or not to make you mine. Despite my main interest being in another."
Angela didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean by that?" She tried to back away, yet found herself being lifted off the branch and thrust into the trunk of the tree, her abductor holding her there firmly.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." He looked at her again, taking in her features: the angles of her face, the curve of her nose, the color of her eyes, the shape of her lips, all the delectable little details that mattered with regard to whether he'd make some use of his catch. Besides a meal, that is. "Hmm…I'm still undecided on you." He admitted. "I'll have to do some…experimenting."
"The hell you are!" Angela kicked her feet out, trying to beat this creep off her, yet she found her captor undeterred. "Get off of me! Get-"
Excellent. He thought, seeing her angry eyes look into his now glowing orbs. Now I have you.
Angela was filled with fury and a growing sense of panic when she saw the humanoid's eyes suddenly spring to life, the irises gaining a red glow to them that shined in the darkness. "W-What?" she said, yet found it steadily becoming more difficult to form words. "What are you…"
"Hush, my dear." the being crooned, his hold becoming more gentle. "Focus on me."
Angela found her breathing steadily growing more relaxed, her eyes locked on this creature's own. His irises were blazing as if they were balls of fire, yet this fire didn't burn. In fact, its warmth was...pleasant. Desirable even. Yet this was wrong. She knew that this was wrong. And yet she couldn't bring herself to look away. "S-Stop…" Angela strained to say, the being guiding one smooth hand to gently massage her back. She to in a large inhale, unprepared for the sensation that coursed through her. Goddess, it felt wonderful! Yet the sensation was coming from someone who surely meant her ill will. She knew it was wrong, she was in danger, but…his eyes…they made her feel…so good.
A finger came to her lips, her abductor shushing her. "No need for words, darling." He gently took her by the chin. "No need for thoughts." He drew closer, his face mere inches away from hers. "No need for anything but me." He felt her growing limp and unsteady, he held her securely against his chest. He looked his prey over, eyes falling on her chest. "Very nice. Well developed." He took some of her hair in his hand, taking in her scent. It spoke of a young life that had yet to truly be lived and realized, one that he would far outlive. Perfect. "You may not be what was desired, but for now, you will suffice." He tilted her head up. "Now, let's see how you taste."
Angela found herself torn between wanting to take him out and wanting him to take her. The calm bliss and desire for him were smothering her common sense. His eyes were making it near impossible for her to concentrate. There was no way she could cast magic in this state, but what else could she use to…wait.
He drew closer, Angela saw him open his mouth to reveal a pair of striking fangs, but he didn't seem ready to lean in and bite her, not yet. Instead, he went to put his lips on hers, Angela shivered, his kiss was cold but titillating.
That's it! With as mighty a swing she could muster, the young woman hit her attacker with the boot in her hand, the footwear flying out of her grasp as soon as she did so.
With her assailant disoriented, Angela took her chance and tried to move away from him, her balance off and her legs feeling quite like gelatin. Her foot slipped and she fell, the branches racing by as she plummeted earthward. Even if she was still somewhat out of it, the Princess realized the peril she was in quite well. Pointing her wand towards the ground, she tried to string words together for the spell, yet found her tongue wasn't cooperating with her.
"Wi…wiiiindd…wind…" she stammered. Finally, she managed to speak. "W-Wind! Air Slash!"
Thin, sharp wisps of wind flew and hit the ground, creating powerful gusts that stopped her fall, pushing her upward. Then, the wind died down, slowly lowering the magician to the ground, her knees buckling as she fell.
"ANGELA!" she heard Duran cry out, she rose up, seeing a bright light approaching her. She saw him a short distance away, coming towards her, Faerie flying in front of him, lighting his way.
"Are you all right?" Faerie questioned. Angela nodded, though she wasn't entirely all there.
"Did that thing do anything to you?!" Duran asked, looking her all over.
"No, no, nothing like that," she said, giving herself a few small slaps to the face. "But...we've got to find the others." especially since that creature might be looking for them too. He did say he was interested in another, and she doubted there were many people on this island aside from their small group. "Where's Hawkeye?"
"He's hanging back for us," Duran explained. "But…" he looked to the thick jungle behind him. "He should be close by-"
Suddenly, a large amount of weight was thrown in Duran's direction, sending him to the ground. Angela and Faerie saw that Hawkeye had hurtled into Duran from above, having been thrown from a considerable height. Angela and Faerie immediately approached them both, seeing that, thankfully, they were ok, if disoriented. Her abductor flew to the ground, what appeared to be a pair of long wings (or perhaps a cape?) trailed along the jungle floor as the being rose to his feet, red eyes locked onto her.
His intentions were clear, Angela, tightening the grip around her wand. "Holy Bolt!" she shouted, bright light shooting out from the carved wood. The bolt of light forced the creature to leap away from it, he brought up some sort of object (wings or cape?) to shield himself. So, you don't like the light, huh? She thought. Ok, I can work with that.
She cast the spell again, this time managing to strike his dark form. The light seemed to melt or burn away the small portion that it had touched as if its very existence was toxic to him. Duran tried to rise, yet a foot pressed down hard on his back, keeping him in place. The creature bent down and took him by the head, lifting him up off the ground. He tried to swing his sword, yet the being's arm shot forward and seized his wrist, twisting it at a painful angle that forced him to drop the weapon. Damn, he was strong, whoever he was!
"Let go of him!" Faerie shouted, rushing up and getting in between her host and his aggressor. She began to shine brightly, the creature wincing as he found the light to be too much. It was soft and small, but its origin was holy, deadly to him and his fellow undead. "Now, Angela!"
"Holy Bolt!" Angela shouted again, shooting the creature right in the gut. He reeled back, hissing loudly, or that could've been what was burning away by Lumina's light. It sounded like something was sizzling, like a piece of meat that had been hung over the fire for too long. Finally, at long last, the beast saw that Perhaps it had better change tactics. It then flew up and disappeared into the trees above. "Duran!" she ran over to him, he going to reclaim his sword. "Are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah, but Hawkeye-" Duran shifted and got himself up off the thief. Hawkeye began to stir and after a low moan, opened his amber eyes.
"Oh, hey," he said. "What'd I miss-"
"Shh!" Faerie interrupted. "Something's coming."
"Where?" Duran asked, everyone, looking around. From what they could see, there was nothing but the dense jungle all around them.
Just then, some of the jungle began moving.
All around them, what appeared to be bushes or small clumps of grass began twitching and shifting, as if something was underneath them, stirring up the dirt. Then, that something "rose" up from the ground, the three youths (and one Faerie) were caught off guard by what they were seeing. From below the jungle floor, a large group of small creatures emerged, resembling small humanoids with large, melon-like heads and short, stubby limbs that made them appear like they were waddling as they walked forward. They wore tribal masks that covered their faces, and the plants that the humans saw moving served as some sort of "hair" for the tops of their heads. Around their waists were little grass skirts that served as something of a garment for them.
"Uh...hi?" Hawkeye greeted, only for one of the beings to pull an impossibly long spear out and point it right in his face. "Yeah, nice to meet you too." soon, every other one of them had drawn out surprisingly large weapons ranging from axes to clubs and peashooters, all of them aimed right at the three.
"I guess this is the welcoming committee," Hawkeye whispered to Duran, yet flinched when he felt the tip of a spear meet his side. It wasn't near enough to pierce him, but the poke was delivered with just enough "oomph!" to get the message across.
The strange, bulbous-headed humanoids led them through the jungle, circling the three humans and leading them ever forward, down winding paths and past sharp corners, places that had yet to be seen by the three outsiders. Yet they knew it like the back of their...hands? Would you call those things hands? Duran asked Faerie.
...I honestly don't know. Faerie admitted. I don't even know if these things are either plants or animals.
Technically, they're both. Lumina answered.
So, do YOU know what they are? Duran asked.
Yeah, these guys are Tomato Men. Lumina confirmed. I came across them...what was it..half a century ago? I don't exactly remember.
And...are they aggressive? Faerie questioned nervously.
Oh yeah! They're little firecrackers. They'll skewer you if you look at them funny. While she couldn't hear their conversation, Angela glanced over at one of the large-headed creatures only to have one whip its head around and stare her down, eyes concealed behind a tribal mask fashioned to look somewhat like a bird's face. A bird's face that looked eager to rip her face off. The Princess wasted no time in turning away, making a mental note to NEVER look one of those things in the eye again. Just stay calm and go with them. They're hostile, but they're not evil.
Well, not evil doesn't exactly mean they won't cut your head off.
Not unless you give them a reason to. Shade cut in. So if you wish to remain in one piece, then you will do as Lumina says.
What? Faerie asked, Duran also expressing his confusion. But isn't Duran supposed to be-
"Look!" Angela suddenly whispered, grabbing Duran and Hawkeye's attention. A few yards away stood a gate of sorts, along with a wall of sharpened logs that had been lodged into the ground, surrounding a small collection of tiny huts. Or perhaps it was a big collection, for they while they were small, there were a lot of them.
The group of Tomato Men led them down a path that ran between the houses, the three humans taking care not to step on anything that might set off their captors. As they went along, they eventually came upon a large, throne-like structure decorated with leaves and feathers. And ironically enough, a Tomato Man sat upon it, the throne's size dwarfing him so completely it was almost comical. He wore a long grass skirt like the others, yet he was longer and fit around his neck, making the leaves appear more like a robe. He wore a small headdress of long, green feathers and a mask that bore a resemblance to a bird-like the others. His skin didn't appear to be smooth or, as strange as it sounded, ripe. His color was dark and he looked much more like a dried-up root than red fruit. One of the others went up and began speaking with him, muttering in some strange language no one understood save for the Tomato Men themselves.
Yet that wasn't what got everyone's attention. On the other side of the throne stood three other figures surrounded by the island's natural inhabitants.
"Riesz!" Hawkeye shouted, more than a little relieved to see the amazon.
Surprisingly enough, both groups suddenly found themselves free to go, the Tomato Men surrounding them separating before huddling together again. The six were trapped altogether now.
The wrinkled old fruit sitting atop the throne hopped off and waddled his way towards them all, a small hunch in his form as he moved forward. No one was entirely sure whether to find the movements oddly cute or unsettling. These Tomato Men in general shared the same air about them as well: short, stubby limbs and overly large heads, yet had faces concealed by masks and somehow were able to wield weapons far larger than themselves. Weapons that they would surely make use of if provoked.
The old fruit gurgled, sounding as if the creature had water in its throat. It then spat out what appeared to be a large tomato seed, Angela picked it up to find that it filled her palm. "Ugh…" the fruit groaned before hacking again. "Damn things keep getting lodged in my throat." Everyone looked at each other, then at the shriveled-up creature. He had a low, crotchety voice, yet it was oddly pitched, high, but lower than the other voices they suddenly heard around them. "Yeah, I can talk. We all can," he said. "And I can tell that none of you youngins' are from around here." the other Tomato Men began to gather closer. "Which isn't exactly good news for you, because around here, we don't like strangers."
The others aimed their spears in the six's direction, closing in on them.
"WAIT!" instantaneously, Faerie emerged, the Tomato Men's concealed eyes shifting focus and staring in awe at the winged woman.
The old fruit didn't seem to be impressed in the slightest. In fact, this reaction seemed to be just what he was looking for. "Heh! What'd I tell you, idiots? It IS them! Or...at least one of them."
"One of what?" Faerie questioned.
"None of these idiots believed me when I said that the one with the Faerie was here!" the old fruit explained. "So I told them to go out and...invite you guys for a barbeque." he then motioned to a great, empty pit that had been dug into the ground a short distance away, within which several Tomato Men were building a fire. "Because while we don't exactly like strangers, we ARE willing to provide for you." he then said, looking directly at Angela.
"Uh…" Angela shifted her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You ARE the Goddess' chosen one, right? One of my buddies here told me of how you and the Faerie took down that monster!" the old fruit asked. "I mean, we've got an entire night planned and everything, so if you went and got yourself killed, it would kinda ruin it for everyone else."
"What?"
"Yeah, we've got food, drinks, and some brewed-up, fermented fruit juice! You kids might be a bit too young for that stuff...but hey, we've got the Wielder of the Mana Sword here!" he then looked up at Angela. "And it's all for a hot babe like you."
Hmm, a lot of that DID sound good. "Hey, she's not-" Duran began, yet Angela interrupted him.
"Yeah. Yes, I am." the Princess proclaimed. "And this here is my Faerie." she gestured to the winged woman as if she were something on display.
"What do you mean YOUR Faerie?" Faerie asked, crossing her arms.
The Tomato Men immediately began to gather around Angela, pushing the others out of the way. Soon, the Princess was surrounded by dozens of large-headed, stubby-limbed beings that were looking at her as if she were some strange animal or creature they had never laid eyes on before. True, they had known what humans were, yet they were only in fables and legends. Never had one come to the island in what must've been a good century or two, and none among the six youths had ever seen one up close. Stubby hands (with surprisingly small but strong fingers) felt over Angela's legs, the Tomato Men were shocked that her skin felt so…soft. Did that mean this area was bruised? But there appeared to be no marks of any kind. And the purple leaves on her head felt more like long strands of fur. Not long after they had begun examining Angela, more of the Tomato Men huddled around everyone else, poking and prodding, seeing what a human was made of. They tugged and pulled at what remaining clothes the youths had on, though Charlotte and Kevin were garnering the most interest. Several of the fruit-based people felt through and pulled on the werewolf's fur while they poked and prodded Charlotte, surprised to see that one of these "humans" was around the same size as they were, give or take a foot or two.
"Hm…" the old fruit rubbed his chin with his stub, looking over the six. "Yep. You're gonna need a new pair of duds." the Tomato Men then parted ways for the old fruit to go through. "Well?" he asked. "Get over here! Or we're going to make you shishkabobs!" All six of them got in a line and followed him without question. While they couldn't see it, the old fruit smirked from underneath his mask. Got 'em!
Note: I'm kinda looking to make the old fruit more of an ass than Domperi. Get ready for some morbid humor next chapter! This was somewhat shorter than my other chapters, but I hope it was enough to satisfy you!
Thank you for reading!
