Chapter 71: Chapter 71: The Village Leader

The green fae reached down and grabbed the straps of all three backpacks, bunching them in his hand. Ven stared pointedly at him.

"Oh, come on. You know why we're all here. Taking their backpacks just means we get a lil further ahead, don't you agree? I'll even share with you all." He slipped one of the bags open and held out a purple grape-apple hybrid called a grapple out to Ven.

It looked too much like it had a colour and flavour. She stuck out her tongue in disgust. Just looking at its shiny, plastic-like exterior made her want to gag.

"K, suit yourself." He pulled the fruit back and returned it to its place, and then started to walk off with the three packs.

Luke thudded the underside of his boot against the floor to command his attention. "You're going to have to share more than just a grapple. Give us one of the backpacks - two for you, one for us. That's already more than fair. Then, take us to the person who owns the city. Then we'll talk about letting you in."

Violet blinked many times in confusion. "Luke, no, that's too much--"

"It's okay," the fae interrupted, "I accept your terms: one backpack and one escort over to the Village Leader. But I've already accepted, so don't go adding anything else this time, alright? Truly, it seems like none of you can agree on what you want from me. I wonder what else there is that you can't agree on."

He separated the three packs and picked each one up, pursing his lips as he judged the unique qualities of each one. Then, he handed one off to Luke.

"There you go. That's step one. Now, for step two, follow me."

Luke slung the backpack over his shoulder. It felt weighty and pointy, like it had been stuffed to the brim with little care for the objects inside.

"You should really loosen up. With me in your party, things are about to get a whole lot easier for you. I'm TarwynWestofTheOrangeFlame, by the way, but you can just call me Tarwyn." He pulled the backpacks up over his shoulders, but with his wings jutting out of his back and his bow resting there too, the space was becoming crowded. He tried a few times to get them settled to no avail.

"Do you want help with that?" Luke eyed one of the other packs - the thickest and chunkiest one - as it slid around, but Tarwyn shook his head.

"You're too kind, but no, I think I've got it." He got one strap from each situated in the crook of each shoulder blade and started out the door. "K, you all follow me and I'll take you to the Village Leader."

Tarwyn made sure he had a firm grip on each sack before he turned around and led them out of the house, his knuckles white.

Nikola gravitated toward Ven and Luke and stood between them, but Violet slid up to walk in step with the newbie.

"Tell me something about yourself, Tarwyn," she said softly as she looked him up and down - not blatantly so, but Nikola noticed her interest.

"What do you mean, purple? Something specific, or just anything?"

Nikola could see the creases in his cheek deepening, indicating a smile.

"Just anything. Since you're our party member now, it would be good to know something about you."

Violet's movements were swingy, loose. She stood close to the fae, who didn't move away when her skin brushed against his.

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"How about this--"

Nikola tightened her fingers around her cleaver.

"--I'm a Cancer. I know horoscopes are a relic, but I still read up on them. How 'bout you?"

She loosened them again when Violet giggled girlishly, unbothered by whatever this Cancer was.

"As long as the internet is alive nothing is a relic," Violet beamed, "and I'm a Pisces."

Nikola looked for where Tarwyn was leading them. They had exited the quaint sunflower-speckled home and were crossing the road to the adjacent one; another home at the center of the village, this one covered in black roses and ashy vines that climbed the sides in gnarled clumps.
There was something charming about it and its colourlessness up against all the other warm, welcoming residences.

But maybe that was just her opinion, as somebody who distinctly disliked most colours besides black and bread, neither of which were colours.

"You seem like a Pisces," Tarwyn stated as he nodded approvingly.

As they got closer to the house, the remaining fae's footsteps slowed.

Nikola thought she could see motion from the corner of her eye, but she kept her head still to avoid attracting attention.

Then there was another rustle, this time from a pocket of bushes clustered together. There was definitely something or someone snaking through them, encroaching.

"So, the Village Leader lives in this house here." He reached out and knocked on the door, once and then two more times.

"Say," Violet began, bringing her fingers to her chin, "how do you know the Village Leader, anyway? Did the people who tied you up live here, or are you the one who lives here and they were trying to take it from you while they held you prisoner?"

The door creaked open just as Tarwyn opened his mouth to respond. A black-haired elf was standing behind it, their stocky body revealing more of itself as the door inched along. "Hello, Tarwyn. Why is it you don't have Glammter like you said you did? Who are these?"

"Oh," the green-themed fae said in a forced dumbfounded voice, "this isn't Glammter?"

"Ha. Ha."

"Don't worry. I had Glammter's stuff and was about to lead them here when these people came by with even nicer stuff and killed them for me. So now I'm bringing them to you--"

An elf stood from one of the bushes, cracking and snapping the twiggy branches on their way up. They drew their sword with a swishing, metallic noise.

"--so we can kill them and take their even nicer stuff, since we were already all set up to take out Glammter."

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