Tusks and Dagger Part Thirty-One: A Jungle of a Time!

Lottie:

Somata stepped forward out of the early morning fog, a colorfully haired woman walking nervously next to him. Scooping up my bag, Darwin and Luna weren't far behind me.  Boran waved for me to slow down, a portal leading to the next black heart swirling behind me. My lips pressed into a thin line, the beautiful woman brandished a gorgeous rainbow blade. Her kimono fluttered in the breeze, a warm smile brightening my face. My eyes noted the matching marks, a tiny smile gracing my lips. So Somata disappeared for a day and came back with a mate. How perfect for him? I was so happy for him but I was busy today.

“I am just gearing up to get another one of the black hearts, so don’t wait for me.” I chirped cheerfully, the woman skipping up to me. Poking my new emerald wool dress, her hands cupped my bump. Someone didn't understand personal space, the stranger was already annoying me. Attempting to keep my general calmness, Somata caught on real quick. Tapping her shoulder, she danced into her arms. Pecking him on the cheek, she offered me her hand.  How cute, he was even shy with displays of affection.

“I am Avianna, and I would like to go with you. Somata can stay behind. I want to get to know the queen myself. I knew the old one.” She babbled incessantly, my brow cocking irritably. “You must be the Lottie he keeps talking about.  You are so beautiful. I wish I was as beautiful as you. I look ordinary.” Either she was nervous, or just a bubbly demon woman. Either way, this could prove to be trouble. Choking on my words, Somata and I exchanged matching looks. Clearly she was the most attractive one here. Perhaps she was simply trying to be modest but her compliment getting her nowhere. Urging for me to take her, he pressed his palms together. Mouthing please, it was the least I could do. Why did he have to ask for me to take her? He knew I couldn't say no and was playing his ace card in front of her.

“Of course you can.” I growled through gritted teeth, her arms' squeezing threatening to begin an early labor. “I can’t breathe. You can let go now.” My ears flattened with frustration, my tail whipping with equal annoyance. Once again my personal bubble had been popped, the tension seeming to build in the air. Saying nothing, we all walked through the portal. Frogs croaked in the bubbling vomit green swamp, ashy trees twisted from the thick mud. Humidity caused my hair to puff up, my day only getting worse. Luna whined behind me, her hair just as wild as mine. Feeling her pain, both of our hairstyles had been destroyed.

“Listen up, Avianna! You can’t just ask to join people’s quests!” Luna snapped hotly, clenching her tiny fists tightly. “Today was supposed to be a family day and you just invaded it.” Shooting Luna my angry look, she refused to back down. Why was she so jealous? The tension only grew thicker, Luna's tail swinging violently. Avianna bowed her head in shame, teardrops crashing to her boots. Sobbing softly, my heart shattered for her. Popping up next to her, my warm embrace stunned her. How long had it been since another woman had treated her this kindly? My concern for her had doubled, my heart shattering for her.

“I can’t blame you for wanting to go on every adventure. I for one am happy to have you.” I promised sweetly, ruffling her hair. “Show me what you can do, Avy. I will bring you on half of the quests. Is that okay with you?” Beaming like a Cheshire cat, she spun me around. Her lips parted to speak, the milky fog darkened to an inky sea of black. The heart beat not far from here, my eyes falling on the giant quicksand puddle to my right. Of course it was in the quicksand. Diving in, the hot sand coated my skin. Landing on my  bum, a tiny gasp of annoyance escaped my lips. The rain forest sang with the songs of its creature, the colorful vegetation captured my attention. The heart beat in the distance, the golden temple shimmering in the oppressive afternoon humidity. My hair was begging for help, Avy’s hair remaining in perfect condition. Something felt wrong, no actual creatures had come out. Nature always had noise no matter what, my eyes scanned for any signs of life.

“It gets better, doesn’t it?” Luna whined venomously, Darwin attempting to calm her down. “I just love the jungle.” My eyebrow twitched with irritation, her sarcasm was acting as a front for her jealousy. This was the underworld of the swamp, so that swamp was supposed to be a rain forest. The therapy session would have to wait, our main objective was to destroy the black heart. The sooner we did that, sweet freedom would be at our fingertips.

“The heart is in the temple, so we need to go there!” I ordered briskly, Avy and Luna clinging onto both of my arms. Must people be so clingy! Glancing back at Boran and Darwin, the only thing that I received were sympathetic grins. Turning my attention back to Luna and Avy, this was going to be a long quest. The two of them bickered away, the bushes rustling suspiciously. Praying that this wasn't going to be like that one time with the twins, another noise stole my lost train of thought. Shoving them off, my steady hands untied my scythe. The silver shimmered in the afternoon sun, Dackworth’s eye opening up groggily. At least he was being normal by sleeping in.

“Another day on the job.” He groaned exhaustively, rolling his one eye. “I just love being your guardian. You are always the greatest ray of sunshine.” A snarl curled on my lips, his attitude only pissing me off further. Flicking his eye, he cursed under his breath. That was what you get for annoying me, and trying to control my life every now and then. Who saved who!

“Clearly something is bothering you as well.” I snapped hotly, several shadow animals coming out of the woods. “Are we okay or do we need to talk?”  My breath hitched at the silver water swirling around my arms, silver vines burst from the moist forest floor. All of them charged at me, one swing towards them released a wave of silver water. My face paled, half of them decaying to ash. Cold sweat drenched my skin, blood pouring from my nose. I hadn’t planned on going that strong, the vines strangling the rest of them. Rescinding my attack, my body felt as if a train had hit me. Shaking off the pain, everyone watched me with concern. Marching forward, Dackworth cleared his throat. Somebody had a lot on his mind, his opinion was always rather valuable to me. Why else would I have let him take over a part of my scythe?

“Something is bothering me. I am worried for you.” His voice admitted sheepishly, my expression softening to a kind smile for him. “You took on a huge amount of power and that can’t be great for your health.” Chuckling lightly to myself, his worried tone pleased me. He had grown since I first met him, his god complex seemed to be nearly gone now.

“Don’t go soft on me Dackworth.” I joked tenderly, the temple seeming to grow further into the distance. “Why is our distance never shortening? Do you know?” His voice began to answer, chaos erupting behind me. Turning around, every single one of my friends were gone. Panic twisted my face, all of their weapons remained where they stood. Tying the weapons to my back, their screams echoed through the forest. Sprinting towards the temple, the distance refused to shorten. A frustrated howl burst from my lips, my lungs begging for air. This endless running taunted me, reminding me of why pregnant queens shouldn't run so much.

“Smash through the barrier.” Dackworth suggested simply, a green glow devouring my scythe. Spinning it above my head, a blast of energy blasted me back the moment my tip stabbed the smooth surface. Rolling into a nearby tree, the temple was right in front of me. My jaw dropped to the ground, all of my running was for nothing. A steady stream of curse words flooded from my lips, my tongue licking my fangs. I didn’t have time to fume at the major inconvenience, my vision blurring. No, there was no time to lick my mental anguish. The ornate details kept distracting me, the round door rolling open. Marching forward, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Shadows darted around me, silver water swirled around my arm. Shock rounded my eyes, an arrow whizzing by my head. Too much was going on, my focus lacking at the moment. Stale air lashed at my face, the arrows narrowly missing me with each step. The arrows slowed to a stop, my first step out of the trap leading to a collapsing floor. Stabbing the golden rock with the tip of my scythe, my arms protested the moment I swung myself over the growing hole. Panic gripped my face, my fingers narrowly missing the other side. A gruff groan left my lips, my scythe was the only thing keeping me from falling. Sweat greased my palms, the feeling of dread sinking further into my stomach. Swinging my body back and forth, fresh sweat dripped off of my brow. The heart beat directly below me, my grip loosening. Kicking the crumbling floor, surprise widened my eyes as I landed into a tube. Bruises formed on my arms and legs with each crash and bump, disgust scrunching up my nose at the murky swamp water drenching my skin. God damn it! I hated getting wet when I didn’t want to. Well, at least the source of the problem has been found. Gears churned around me, my heart sinking into my stomach. One by one, more swamp water flooded in from each tube. Must all of these temples have so many traps! Taking a deep breath, the water splashed behind me while I swam to the bottom to find the drain. No drain existed, just the black heart. The bulge moved, the burning sensation in my lungs haunting my mind. Relief washed over me, all of the air flooding into my lungs. Tentacles wrapped around my ankle, the heart choosing to drown me instead. Did evil things have to play so dirty? Clawing at the surface, several splashes broke the surface. Avy and Boran swam next to me, snatching their weapons from my back. The sound of my bones creaking sickened me, the last of my air bubbles floating to the air. The roughness of drowning plagued me, the intense burning mixed with the sheer desperation to live. Darkness enveloped me, Dackworth’s voice woke me up. 

“Wake up, Lottie!  You need to finish the job.”  He yelled loud enough to wake the universe. “Let’s go!” Jerking awake, my hair floated above me. Curling my legs and arms around the tentacle, blue flames raced towards the throbbing mass at the bottom. Boran and my friends swam to the surface, waiting patiently for me to finish. The skin bubbled, a blast of energy threw me into the ceiling. Rock bounced off of my head, the musty air swirling around me. Boran caught me in his strong arms,  the water began to spin us around. A current ripped us down the portal, a spout of water tossing us into the real rain forest. Wild animals scurried past us, Darwin’s face lighting up with pure wonder. Luna sulked behind me, my boots sloshing towards her. Water, I hated water. I suppose the irony of my powers proved to be rather present. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, her slender hands shoved me off of her. Avy hung back, her eyes reading the situation. So Avy did understand social cues, she was simply thrilled to meet me. Guilt dimmed my eyes, my lips forming a dark frown.

“Like you ever cared about me.” She retorted sarcastically, turning to run. “Look at me and my perfection! I can just make friends wherever I go! That is you! I hate you so much!” Realizing the problem from her sarcastic outburst, Luna was afraid to let go and become a part of my group.  A warm smile brightened my face, her attitude reminding me of my mother when she was mad at everything. Every now and then her temper would flare, and her level of sarcasm rose quite a bit. That being said, I was used to these kinds of outbursts.

“You don’t have to act tough for me.” I teased lightly, her eyes narrowing in my direction. “You are a part of my pack now. You are only being so sarcastic and mean to block the urge of loving someone like a family member once more. I won’t abandon you or die as long as you live. I promise to stay by your side.” Her fists clenched tightly, her white summer dress clung to her body.  

“You don’t know what I want!” She protested venomously, her body smashing into mine. “I just want to be loved like everyone else! I can’t trust anyone! How do I know that you won’t leave me like everyone else?” Her head rested on my shoulder, her clawed hands gripped my dress. Curling my arms around her shoulders, the wall had been cracked. A broken wail burst from her lips, Darwin watching with intense concern. His fingers dug at his legs, his hair dancing in the hot summer breeze. Their mate bond sure was a special one, his future looking brighter by the day. She still had to grieve her parents, my own experience bound to help her out at some point. 

“I wouldn’t leave my family behind.” I uttered sweetly, my finger lifting up her chin. “You are my family now, so don’t you forget about that. Our train should be arriving soon.” Ruffling the top of her head, she snuggled into my hand. Her tiny fingers refused to let go of my arm, the train squealing to a halt. Such moments were ones that I wish never ended, the pure innocence of a welcome change glistening in her eyes.  Emmie popped his head out, his wide grin a welcome sight. He was one hell of a conductor after all.

“All aboard!” He called out excitedly, motioning for us to come on. “I see we have new guests today. I am Emmie, your conductor. There are books and toys in the back. Feel free to play with them as you wish. If you behave you can even bring one of each with you.” Luna and  Darwin rushed on, heading straight for the toys, Boran helped me with a sheepish grin. Confusion dawned on his face, Avy already leaning out of the window. The freedom in her eyes was a cause of relief for me, Emmie yanking on the string by his head. The whistle sounded out, the wheels beginning to turn. Emmie hugged my legs. He was a kid after all, his gentle smile melting my heart. His generosity knew no bounds, my hands rubbed his back gently.

“I am beginning to think you are my little hero.” I joked jovially, examining my ruined dress. “I appreciate all of your help lately. I am not affecting your train schedule, am I?” Waving his hands around in gleeful protest, Boran wrapped his arms around my waist. Resting his chin on my head, his eyes watched the flickering scenery. 

“It is my pleasure to serve your majesty.” He chirped cheerfully, bowing in my direction. “I am always keen to help out a friend. You did help me after all. I am off to get you some towels and hot tea.  I will be right back. Now behave everyone.” Skipping off, Boran kissed the nape of my neck. Shivers shot up my spine, every nerve in my body tingled. A pleasant buzz stole my stress away for a moment, my eyes watching Luna and Darwin play like children should. Yeah, at least they got to be kids for a moment.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” He growled huskily into my ear, playing with my ears. “In case I don’t do it enough, I love you. I love you, Lottie.” Spinning me around, his lips kissed mine sensually. Melting into his arms, none of the stress mattered for a minute. My heart fluttered, time stopping for a moment. A throat clearing snapped me back to reality, Emmie holding a huge pile of towels.  

“I am really grossed out by what I just saw but I am happy to meet the king.” He babbled excitedly, leaning against the window. “You are a lucky king, your majesty. Before Lottie, I was so lonely but her constant visits and the new friends she keeps bringing has given me a new zest for life. Thank you both. I am off to run the train.” Turning to leave, Boran still held the towels. Embracing Emmie warmly, his arms wrapped around my shoulders. The warmth between us heated up my heart, his lips pecking me on the cheek before he bounced off. His smile told me that he was happy, his words causing tears of joy to stream down my cheek. Offering me the last towel, Boran’s strong hands wiped my tears away.  Why was I so lucky to have what I had?