Fairytale Ending 1
Camp Theta Chi is a fairly big establishment nestled safely North of the cave. The women have built tree houses into the canopy of the forest. This provides safety at night from predators on the ground. Meanwhile, archers are placed in multiple locations to guard for any intruders or climbing predators. In the middle of the camp is a well-maintained bonfire where people gather to eat and socialize. All in all, for a society that was made in just a month's time, it seems that this place has become a nice foothold of civilization in the <
"Fuck! It stinks in here!" I exclaim as the pungent smell of body odor hits my nose.
That remark earned me a smack to the head from my passenger.
"Lower your voice," Nifa warns. "They might've been cursed, but these are still ladies."
Fucking Satyr has such poor taste. I look at the people gathering near the bonfire and notice that they look like sasquatches. Seeing us approach, they jump with joy and run towards us.
"Adresin," I call out to him.
"I know, I know," he replies while pinching his nose.
[Purification]
After a brief incantation in Elvish, Adresin removes any impurities in the air. It's a simple spell that's good at removing deadly toxins and it's also good at removing body odor like those sprays they sell in the store.
"Elder Sister!" one of the sasquatches calls out to Nifa with joy.
I really want to take this more seriously, but seeing their sasquatch forms is making it impossible for me.
"Rejoice my sisters," she announces and takes the gross staff from Michelle. "This staff will finally remove your curse!"
After her short speech, the women in the camp burst out in tears and laughter. It just shows that they suffered so much from this curse and just the thought of being free is a cause for celebration.
"Now, everyone~," Michelle steps forward. "Elder Sister needs to get patched up and refresh herself. However, we will proceed with the next steps that we discussed tomorrow."
In response, the crowd gives us an understanding clamor.
"Oi, guy!" Henriette calls out to me. "Follow me."
She then leads us through the crowd and into the heart of the camp. As we walk, I notice that the architecture of the tree houses are similar to the Elves' villages in Garden of Days. I glance at Adresin who's also admiring them with a hint of melancholy.
"Miss your hometown?" I ask.
"Of course," he replies.
We eventually arrive at a treehouse that's more magnificent than all the others. When I say treehouse, I mean that literally. This structure is carved from a massive tree of around 100 feet.
"A treehouse mansion fit for a princess," I comment jokingly.
"They insisted," Nifa replies.
While this house already looks amazing from the outside, the interior is also no joke. Multiple crystal lamps light up the corridors and rooms with the same brightness as a modern lightbulb. The polished wooden walls and simple decor give the entire place a rustic vibe.
"Let me down here," Nifa says.
Following what she said, I gingerly lower her to the ground.
"Please wait at the guest room on the second floor~" Michelle instructs us. "Luna said that your other friends are probably sleeping now so please do keep it down."
"Is Miss Luna unable to meet us herself?" Adresin asks with concern.
"Oh you know~ curse and all. She doesn't want to be seen in that state," she replies.
After a quick wave goodbye, we part ways and we make our way up through the rickety wooden stairs. This entire place feels like something out of a fantasy novel. Well... before reality became one. We try our best to keep it down but the floors creak at our every step. Eventually, we manage to gain the attention of one of our friends.
"Hey, welcome back," Rocco says while peeking out his head from one of the rooms.
"Sorry, were we too loud?" Adresin replies apologetically.
"Yeah, but we're not sleeping yet," he says and gestures us to enter his room. "Come, we have things to discuss with you."
"You go ahead," Grace says with a yawn. "I need to sleep."
"Alright, good night," I reply.
"Good night, Miss Grace," Adresin adds.
We then make our way to Rocco's door and as we enter the room, Tabitha greets us with a wave. Richie, Mark, and Lina are staring at some board with a bunch of pictures and yarn all over it. Pieces of paper are strewn about everywhere and the smell of coffee lingers in the air.
"Don't mind the mess," Rocco says as he removes some sheets of paper on the bed.
"Busy?" I ask.
"It's another case," he replies. "Since we practically finished this missing persons case, we're moving on to our next one."
As we make ourselves comfortable on the bed, Tabitha approaches us and gives us coffee.
"So is everyone accounted for?" I ask as I take a sip.
"Pretty much," he replies while rifling through documents. "We verified both the men and women who went missing and sent our report along with a request for our documents."
"Geeze, can't you take a break?" I chuckle. "Aren't you supposed to go back to New York tomorrow anyway? A little rest shouldn't kill ya."
"Maybe," he chuckles in response. "But enough about our workaholism. I have something to ask you something."
The air in the room suddenly turn tense.
"Shoot," I reply nonchalantly.
"Did you kidnap Grace Von Frederick?" he asks.
His question almost make me spit out my coffee.
"What?!" I exclaim.
"Headquarters sent out a BOLO for you," he replies with a sigh. "Normally, I would've reported you by now. But since you literally saved our lives, I want to give you a chance."
I glance at Adresin who's started to tense up but overall keeping it together quite well.
"So I take it the entire police force is hunting us down?" I ask.
"Pretty much," he replies. "It's top priority since the Von Fredericks are basically royalty in New York."
"And I'm assuming the Von Sigmunds had a hand in this," I add.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that speculation," he cheekily rebuts.
"Wiseass," I scoff. "First of all, I've never kidnapped any princesses lately. And second, if people are looking for me, just let them cooooome. I'm getting bored anyway."
Rocco chuckles nervously and says, "That's what I'm trying to avoid. Please, if other police officers manage to track you down, don't kill them. I'll keep your location a secret for now but I can't guarantee that they won't find you."
"Bounty hunters are also looking for you," Mark chimes in. "You can kill them if you like."
"Mark!" Rocco barks.
"What?" Mark responds aggressively. "Those bounty hunters are cold-blooded thieves and murderers! If one or two of them disappear, this world would be a better place."
"Officer Mark Strauss!" Rocco confronts him assertively. "This behavior is unbecoming of a police officer! Go out and cool down for a bit."
"Tsk," Mark audibly shows his disapproval and stomps off.
....
"You guys need a break," I comment.
"Sigh... Yeah," he responds. "All of you, rest for the night."
The rest of Rocco's crew follow their leader's orders and go to their respective rooms. As they exit, they bump into Michelle who's about to knock on the door.
"Oh? Is everything ok~?" she asks worriedly. "I heard some shouting so I thought I'd check."
"Everything's ok, Miss Michelle," Adresin responds. "Just a little nighttime grumpiness."
"Ok..." she says. "In any case, Elder Sister is calling for you, Richard."
"Alright, boys," I say as I get up the bed. "It's my cue to exit."
"Have a good night, Sir," Adresin bids farewell.
"You too Adresin," I reply.
I then glance at the dejected Sergeant.
"Rocco?" I call out to him.
"Yeah?"
"Go to sleep," I say as I give him a comforting smile. "And when both of you have cooled down, you and Mark should talk it out."
He nods solemnly as I close the door behind me.