Daniel was the first human I ever really cared about, the only one I wanted to live with and be happy. But now… I care about you too, and I hate it. I hate it because I know I’m going to feel that pain when you die. You’re so stupid, Triska, you’re only out here because you love Daniel, but you shouldn’t be out here, you should be back home where you can just fight monsters if any come to your home,” Alyssa whimpered. Triska watched the witch while rendered speechless, surprised to see and hear the girl crying over her. Alyssa shook her head and looked away while her hat hid the view of her face.

“I hate you for making me feel this way, you stupid girl,” she said softly.

“Alyssa…” Triska said quietly, watching as the witch wept quietly to herself. After a while she nodded and closed her eyes.

“You’re right, I am out here because I love Daniel,” she admitted, with Alyssa slowly looking back over to her.

“I love him, I always have, and that’s why I had to come out here with him, to make sure he would live. And yes, I did train to fight monsters, never to talk to them or reason with them, only to kill them if any ever dared show their faces near our home,” Triska continued. Alyssa slowly kneeled down next to her as the human looked up at the stars in the sky above with a distant gaze.

“I trained to fight, to protect him from monsters. But at the same time, I always wanted to believe what he was saying, that not all monsters were bad. I wanted to believe that could be true, but just having that belief with me didn’t change the way the world really was, that many monsters out there would still do to him what monsters do,” Triska said softly, with Alyssa wiping her tears away as she listened to her friend. Triska shook her head lightly then glanced to Alyssa with a smile.

“You tried to take him away upon first seeing him, the ant girls kidnapped him on sight, the slime woman tried to rape him in front of all of us, and that nightmare nearly killed us all. Alyssa, there are some good monsters out there, like you, but there are also many dangerous ones. I can believe that monsters and humans will get along all I want, but it doesn’t change the fact that most of those we encounter are a real danger to Daniel,” she reasoned. Alyssa looked down while remaining silent. Triska breathed out and lied back on the grass, making no attempt to remove or struggle free from the vines that held her down.

“When that fluugher grabbed Daniel and tried to reel him in like that, my first thought was ‘It’s going to take him away’. And you know what? I know I’m going to be thinking that a lot with many of the monsters we’ll be meeting, I’m sure their nature will tell them to steal Daniel away or try to rape him on the spot. We have no way of knowing if they’ll listen to Daniel, or if they’ll just try to use him like they have with so many men in the past. It scares me, knowing I have to let Daniel come within grabbing distance of monsters who are known to rape and kill men,” she said softly.

“I don’t like thinking about it either,” Alyssa mentioned. Triska nodded and looked to her with a solemn expression.

“That’s why I draw my sword, Alyssa. First, as a precaution, then, if I have to, to use it, to defend him,” she explained. Alyssa looked to her with concern as the human shook her head slowly with a remorseful frown.

“I know, if I attack one of them, I’m very well ending all hope of forming relations with them. That’s why I only attack if I’m genuinely scared to death, Alyssa, scared to death that he’s a goner unless I do something. I may end up ruining his chances with that race, or add hours of time for him to try to explain and smooth things over if they’re still willing to talk afterwards, but it’s what I have to do, to protect Daniel above all else,” she reasoned softly. Alyssa looked down while remaining silent, sniffling a bit before she waved her hand to the side, causing the vines and weeds to recede back into the ground and let Triska go. After a moment Alyssa glanced to see Triska still lying there on the grass, the human watching her with a calm expression.

“You’re right, maybe I don’t belong out here like this, but I know I belong by Daniel’s side, to help him however I can,” Triska said, then slowly sat up and rested a hand on Alyssa’s shoulder.

“And that means helping you all as well,” she added.

“You’re going to get yourself killed with your stupidity,” Alyssa said softly.

“Then I’ll die knowing I tried to protect you all,” Triska reasoned gently. Alyssa shook her head slowly as tears started to well up in her eyes.

“It’s not fair, I don’t want to like you like this, I liked it better when we hated each other,” she said shakily. Triska watched her with a calm expression then hugged her, the witch slowly holding onto her while closing her eyes.

“Hate me or like me, know that I do like you. I stood up to a Darker One for you before, and I’ll gladly do so again,” Triska said softly.

“You really do have a death wish, don’t you?” Alyssa asked quietly.

“No, I’m just doing my job, fighting with all that I have for those closest to me,” Triska replied with a small shrug. Alyssa buried her face in the teen’s shoulder while Triska looked up at the stars above.

“Dammit, Triska, you’re not allowed to die yet, not until I win Daniel from you fair and square,” Alyssa whimpered.