Chronicles of Eden - Act VI

In the world of Eden it wasn’t always so simple to convince everyone that change could be for the better. Even with solid examples of how they would benefit from a new idea or with proof that this new arrangement could work, there were some that wouldn’t be persuaded so easily. Either out of habit with the old ways, spite for the new suggestion, or inability to understand this original point of view, some would still reject the idea altogether and claim it as nothing but nonsense. For some it could be harder to let go of what they knew and believed in the world to be the right way of doing something.

How to convince these cynics of a new belief, that was the real challenge of bringing about change.

*****

Under the night sky Kroanette stood with her eyes wandering from one star above to another, a curious look on her face while she watched a few of the heavenly lights twinkling in silence. Slowly she took a few steps on the grassy field she and two of her companions were in, eyes leading her as she turned around a few times while seeming to become engaged with the stars as if never having seen them before. Although the moon and stars gave some light a soft blue glow from Pip provided a more noticeable bloom as the fairy slowly fluttered around the centaur, her visible eye from behind her hair also gazing up at the sky while she gently spun in circles in her flight. Nearby Clover wasn’t showing the same or even remote interest in the heavens but rather a tree that she had etched a few circles into as a bull’s-eye for her target practice. As she brought out an arrow from her quiver and took aim with a sharp eye her cloak gently fluttered behind in the breeze, the grass around them swishing slightly while a few nearby trees rustled with their leaves at the edge of the field.

“So let me get this straight,” Clover said before firing her arrow, the bolt streaking through the air and striking her target in the center. “Dan really believes monsters and humans can live together in peace and shit. That’s why he’s out here with all of you, to speak to monster rulers such as my priestess and convince them to all be friends with the humans?”

“Yes, exactly,” Kroanette answered glancing to her. “We all share hope that he will succeed. It would put an end to so much fighting and raping between our races if we would just talk about living together in peace.”

“Okay, here’s my question regarding that. What the hell are you thinking?” Clover dryly asked before aiming another arrow and shooting it, striking through the first bolt she fired and again hitting the target’s center. “Humans don’t like us monsters, you know that. We’re
monsters
, after all. It’s in our nature to use them to give birth to our daughters one way or another. So what makes him think his kind will want to be nice and live together with us?”

“If our kind weren’t raping and killing theirs it would be a lot easier to form relations with them,” Kroanette replied crossing her arms. “I admit I never used to think of humans and centaurs living together as equals, I never thought of them as anything more than tools we used to breed with. But Daniel showed me how wrong I was.”

“And just how did he do that?”

“He proved his words to me,” Kroanette said, with Clover looking to her with confusion. “When he first said that he would choose any girl to be his mate, monster or human, as long as they were kindhearted and pure, I was skeptical. But then he did just that. He chose to be with not just one monster but three even, and he made love to them all on his own free will.”

“Why would he do that?” Clover asked shaking her head. “I still don’t get it.”

“Because he doesn’t see us as monsters,” Kroanette explained walking over to her. “He sees us as normal girls.”

“He sees
you
as a normal girl?” Clover mockingly repeated while eyeing the centaur’s body over. “Is he partially blind? You’re more monster looking than the others that keep hanging around him, how does he see you as a normal person?”

“Because he sees the kindhearted girl I am inside,” Kroanette reasoned holding a hand over her heart. “The same for Alyssa, Specca, Squeak, and for all of us. Daniel doesn’t judge us by what’s on the outside but rather the inside. That’s what he’s trying to show all of us, all the races of the world. If he can look past what we appear to be than so can the rest of his kind. If our races control themselves and treat the humans with respect then surely we can-”

“No, we can’t,” Clover interrupted shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter if all the monsters of the world want to be nice to the humans or not. We’re monsters, we look different, we act different, and we need their men to breed with. They’re never going to allow that, they’re never going to accept us, that’s never going to happen.”

“But Daniel-”

“Dan is a moron,” Clover scoffed before she aimed another arrow and fired it at the tree, piercing through her previous bolt with pinpoint accuracy. “He’s a wandering idiot preaching nonsense.”

“An idiot that has already persuaded three monster rulers to side with him?” Kroanette retorted. “Three more on our side and he will have enough to make a strong voice on the subject with his queen. He doesn’t sound like he’s preaching nonsense to me.”

“Oh, of course,” Clover chuckled with a smirk at her. “That’s right. There’s that ant girl’s nest far, far away whose only ambassador is a worker who can’t speak to anyone. The giant butterflies which lie through their teeth and have nothing to offer the world, I’m sure the humans will be eager to get closer to them. And as you’ve told me before the witches haven’t actually decided to stand with Dan unless he finds more to join them. Yeah, you’re all doing well with this quest of yours.”

“My kind will make four,” Kroanette argued sharply. “Yours will make five-”

“Provided my priestess doesn’t die laughing from his idiotic babble,” Clover snickered.

“That leaves only one more to find, and we shall find that one before we reach Rockhelm,” Kroanette asserted firmly. “Daniel will succeed in making his belief known, the world will listen to him-”

“And laugh at him as well,” Clover mocked before taking out another arrow and taking aim at the tree. Before she could fire Kroanette grabbed her arm and yanked her bow down, earning a harsh glare from the elf.

“You sound just like Falla did when she and her sister joined Daniel on this journey,” Kroanette pointed out before letting go of the girl’s arm. “She thought he was an idiot, that he would never succeed, that he could never love a monster. She was proven wrong, and is now a believer just as we all are. I don’t know if you’ll ever believe in him as we do, but you will be proven wrong just the same.”

“So he managed to woo you bitches, so what?” Clover snapped. “You think I’m going to be tricked into joining his little harem like she was? That’s another thing I don’t get with you people, what’s so special about that guy anyway? He can use a little magic, big deal. There’s nothing in him you can’t get from any other man in the world, and at least they look sexier than he does.”

Kroanette wasted no time in slapping the elf across the face. Pip fluttered nearby while watching them curiously as the elf growled at the centaur and held a hand to her cheek.

“You just don’t get it,” Kroanette scoffed. “We’re not with Daniel just for his seed. We love him, we care about him, we don’t want to be without him. And he feels the same way about us, even though we’re monsters he loves us for who we are. That makes him more desirable to us than any other man in Eden could ever hope to be.”

“What, just because he fucks all of you? So he’s messed up in the head and chooses to have sex with you all, so what?”

Kroanette grabbed the elf by the tunic and lifted her up off the ground, with Clover watching with surprise and kicking about while Pip showed concern at seeing them not getting along well.

“If you talk about my mate like that again I will make you
sorely
regret it,” Kroanette hissed with anger. “He is not messed up in the head, he sees us as more than just lustful monsters in this world. His kind would do well to listen to him, and we’re going to do everything we can to help him with that. I don’t care if you never understand what we feel for him or why we believe in him like we do, but don’t you ever speak about Daniel like that again. Do you get me?”

“But why?” Clover grunted as she grabbed the centaur’s hands. “I don’t understand, we don’t need to be allies with humans. We just need them for their seeds, and we get it one way or another. Even you centaurs rape humans every day to get pregnant, what more do you need them for?”

“Don’t remind me what my sisters are doing as we speak,” Kroanette demanded. “As soon as we reach my home I’m going to put a stop to their horrendous behavior. We shall
not
be as cruel and evil as Darker Ones in this world.”

“Whoever said you were?”

“Only Darker Ones rape and kill, only they would bring such misery and sorrow wherever they go, I will not allow myself, my friends, my loved ones, or any other noble monsters in Eden to fall to such depths as that. I will not!”

“But what about her?” Clover grunted as she pointed to Pip. “She’s a Darker One, and you’re keeping her with you.”

Kroanette glanced to Pip with a frustrated grunt as the fairy whimpered and looked down with a closed eye.

“She is not a Darker One, she’s not evil.”

“Fairies
are
Darker Ones,” Clover argued. “You can try to kid yourself all you want, but the truth is she’s right up there with the likes of a succubus. It’s the truth about them, you can’t run away from that.”

Kroanette dropped the elf to the ground and turned to Pip as the fairy whined and landed down on the grass. Slowly the centaur walked over towards her while Clover stumbled back to her feet grumbling with discontent.

“Pip, you’re not a Darker One,” Kroanette gently assured before she knelt down and picked the weeping fairy up in her hands. “Even Daniel agrees you’re like an angel. Please do not cry.”

“I’m not a bad monster,” Pip softly said while keeping her eyes closed. “I don’t want to be a bad monster. I’m not bad, am I?”

“No, you’re not. Everything is alright, you’re with your family who love and care for you. Nobody here thinks you’re a bad monster, I promise.”

Pip sniffled then quickly flew over and sandwiched herself in between Kroanette’s bosom. The centaur sighed quietly with a weak smile as the fairy nuzzled in between the soft mounds before hugging the girl’s chest dearly.

“What is wrong with you?” Clover asked with what seemed to be genuine curiosity. Kroanette looked over to see the elf slowly walking towards her shaking her head with disbelief. “You’re all crazy, you know that? Following that guy around talking about monsters and humans living together happily ever after, keeping a Darker One nestled in your chest like that, I don’t understand how you can be this fucked up in the head. Don’t you see the mistakes you’re making?”

“I’m so glad I met Daniel,” Kroanette softy praised. “Because had I not met him and learned how I truly was in the world, I may have ended up as heartless as you without ever having realized it.”

“I’m not heartless, and I’m not brainless either,” Clover snapped at her. “You’ve got a Darker One between your boobs and you’re criticizing
me
? You’re going to talk to your sisters and mother about how raping humans to survive is evil and yet
I’m
the crazy one here?”

“Yes, and yes.”

“Fuck all of you,” Clover scoffed before walking back towards her firing position. She took out an arrow and aimed it at her target again while muttering something to herself. Kroanette watched her fire the arrow and strike her target in the center once more before she started walking away. As she did she looked down to Pip as the fairy glanced up to her with a worried eye.

“Why is she still so angry?” Pip softly asked.

“I fear the wounds she hides inside haven’t healed so easily.”

“Is that from the fairy that ruined her home?”