Chapter 12 - The hits keep coming and they wont stop coming!

Chapter 12

We really gotta burn this place huh? I didn't think I would really be that spot on. The entire village is looking at us. The merchants in anger, the villagers in bewilderment, the Keeks in… well she didn't notice, still fighting with the bear woman for her food.

"So… considering we are definitely with the Golden City Adventurers Guild… you can tell me all about the effects it has on a person right? Cause I'm assuming you don't eat your own supply, cause of the bad effects and all… right moo?" I nudge the Gnoll and they nod before spilling the beans worse than Cali spills the Carrots.

"Yeah, yeah this stuff will mess you up good, but the nobility have gotten a real feel for it ya know, like it makes you basically hallucinate and feel really good but then you need to start living off this stuff, it's not just an addiction, it grabs you in a vice ya know and reeeaallly puts the squeeze on ya-nyee!" He grabs his neck and throttles himself gently to make a point. Well shit.

"Any uhh signs when you eat this stuff? Any new and old you know of, just in case we need to track down any people eating the supply you know moo." I try my best to try and come up with reasons that would make sense for someone that already knows this stuff to be asking… Either he is already way onto me and stopped caring, or the man hasn't got any brains under his mohawk.

"Ahaha well ya wouldn't know it but ahh, when this stuff first started getting brought out of the village, the nobles suddenly gained an interest in dying their fur blue… crazy coincidence right nyehehe!" He scratches his head with a wooden fork and then stuffs something akin to chicken on the table into his mouth, chews and starts speaking again. "But ya know, I think it's the whole creepy ass smiles that give them away, big increase in emotions, like… all of them! Anger, sadness, yikes and you should see the ones that are holy, turn em into really religious freaks. Nyee gross!"

"Huh… thank you for your time… moo." I look at Zel and she smiles wryly back. Looks like this is pretty big, I hope this stuff got contained… considering we are in the past and we haven't heard anything about it, maybe it stayed in the Golden city.

We sit down together and leave the Gnoll to his meal. Zel puts her head on my shoulder and sighs before repeating what I was thinking. "We are going to have to burn this town down huh wan…" I nod and bend over, kissing her on her furry cute forehead.

"Yup, blaze of glory moo~" We giggle together and look out over everyone. The food thankfully is not blue, there must be other fields somewhere. There is meat and vegetables, soups and pastries, the entire village is huddled on their own tables, hands pressed together in prayer, all of them muttering and seeming to repeat the same things by the way their lips are moving. Creepy.

We hear a plonk to the side of us, the side with the other Gnoll, Keeks basically pushes him off his seat, a yelp and angry muttering but not piping up to properly complain. I raise my eyebrow and she gives me the rudest grin. The Gnoll gets up and finds another seat, his companions seeming to know what's going on and putting an arm around him in comfort.

"Keeks what was that about wan?!" Zel gets to her first, same thoughts except mine would have contained more swearing. Keeks Laughs openly and stuffs food in her mouth.

"Why do you think I love Gnolls so much! Matriarchal, I could tell he was from a rough clan as well, poor bastard could never look me in the eyes. I bet he was whipped everyday into not being able to disobey any Gnolls, it probably works with all women a little though nyehehe" She is so proud of herself, but I guess it kind of makes sense… also makes sense why they were more than happy to help answer our questions as well.

"Damn that's a brutal cutie, I hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass tho moo." She makes a Psht noise with her mouth and stuff's her face even more.

"Nothing wrong with some friendly rivalry! Like with that bear lady Enaline or something, just all fun and games, just because I'm faster, she gave me a few nice hits though, nice and soft with her paws mmnnyee." Keeks is looking up in satisfaction. Damn we need to do something with our girl, she's gone too long without normal loving.

We take our own plates and start filling them up, countless food types, rich aromas and flavor to make the mouth water. I wonder if they would be willing to share the recipes. A few minutes later a bell sounds off, deep and surrounding. Looking up to the main house where we took Anna I see her sister, standing upon a stage erected out the front, her sister by her side.

She speaks outwardly, loud and booming, the crowd split into reverent concentration and hushed whispers. "Welcome honored guests from outside our walls, in conjunction with the treaty bestowed upon us, thank you for coming… I have personally helped prepare all the meals here today, I can only hope they are to your liking. May our trades be successful and our relationships concrete. My sister is to become the bride of the Blue Fairy and to watch over us all forever and always… But that is later, for now, eat, enjoy… and farewell. Donng

Speeches always made me sleepy, Donng I barely paid any attention to it until the end, until she said farewell, weird words but still… maybe it's something normal… Donng like something… from a fairytale… Dong

Not being able to keep my eyes open, food still half-way into my mouth, the feeling of warmth against my side, the grabbing of Keeks' paws. Looking to the other side, Zel's sleepy look that I adore, but in the wrong place. Aren't… we at some kind of… party? Donng I gently fall into a slumber.

…

I remember the heat of the western Australian desert, the unrelenting sun that always poured down on us, the heat of the sand and the dirt. The animals were unable to get shade much less humans… not that there was much wildlife left when I was growing up. The town is a refuge from everything around it. The only place that gave us solace was that beautiful tree, the one I sat under with my best friend, as we watched the world end.

This heat… was different, it came from the sides, around us, gentle but sweat inducing. I can feel the heat screaming at me, tugging at me as I try my best to sleep, not that I was any good at it. "Mnn what moo?" A piercing sharp noise assaults my brain as I'm instantly wide awake, I swat at my ears in pain, hitting something, or I guess someone, as Keeks is now laying on the table looking up at me hurt, that I would do such a thing. "Sorry Keeks but that hurt moo!" She responds with a pout while I try to get my thoughts together.

"About time, the village is on fire, we need to find Anna wan!" Wait… fuck, the village, we were at the 'party' and had the food and then there was a noise or something. "Stop thinking and get moving wan!" I feel a sharp sting on my cheek and eyes wide nod my head getting up from the table.

The village was burning, first thought being that it was our fault, second being, fuck. Around us everyone was still asleep, not just the merchants, but the villagers as well, the fields of fruits were on fire, the buildings, absolutely everything burning as if it had been raging for 10's of minutes, not just now. I look around and see that the merchants that were next to us have all vanished, only the mess of half eaten food showing that they were there only just before. Was it them that did it?! No it was too much of a profit and they all seemed happy to leave this village be for the coin.

Looking around I try my best to see where Anna could be, noticing the manor in the village seeming to not burn as badly. I point to it and pick Keeks up with a happy squeak. Zel by my side and Keeks under-arm we dash across tables as best we can, trying not to step on people.

We get to the manor entrance and see Anna, her arms bound with rope, her sister by her side, both of them together in the entrance hall. Her sister turns to us, undaunted by everything around her, she grabs her sister and puts her behind her. "Milky, my sister's crazy don't let her do this pleheheassee" She sobs while pleading, her tears running down her white fur and onto the wooden ground. Her sister hisses at us as we approach.

"We will be the end of this village, the end of the bloodline, the end of the Blue Fairy. We will die and she will wither in her fucking prison nya!"

Behind us the fire rages, in front of us the one who started it. And here I thought we were going to burn it down, shit.