Alyssa showed a baffled expression and slowly shook her head.

“No way, is he…” she said quietly before slowly peeking into the cabin. The black curtain was pulled across the back section, a warm orange glow coming from behind it while Daniel and Triska’s shadows weren’t cast onto the blanket from where they were. However now Alyssa could clearly hear the spanking sound, as well as how it was timed perfectly with what Triska was saying.

“Oh my god- ah! I’m sorry for being bad, I’m- ungh! I’m sorry, I’ll behave from now on- oh! I’ll be good! Ungh! I promise!” Triska pleaded while the clapping sound started to escalate.

Alyssa’s jaw dropped slightly as she listened to Triska being spanked from behind the curtain. She heard Triska begging and pleading that she would be good again while Daniel constantly disciplined her without letting up. After a while Alyssa slowly and quietly climbed off the caravan and walked back over to the campfire with a stunned expression.

“So? What are they doing?” Specca asked as Alyssa took her seat again. The witch just stared at the fire as it burned while the two girls watched her curiously.

“Alyssa?” Specca asked again. Alyssa slowly glanced over to her while remaining quiet.

“Was that Triska we heard earlier? What are she and Daniel doing?” Specca asked. Alyssa slowly looked over to the caravan for a moment then back to the fire while nodding.

“Yeah, it was her,” she said while drumming her fingers on her staff.

“Well, what is she doing with Daniel?” Specca asked anxiously. Alyssa looked down in thought for a moment then to the nixie with a shrug.

“She’s apologizing to Daniel for being so stupid lately,” she simply said. Squeak and Specca looked at her with confusion then over to the caravan.

“She’s apologizing to him for being stupid?” Specca repeated dryly.

“Yeah, I heard her saying that she’s sorry for everything she’s done, she… was really begging for his forgiveness,” Alyssa said with a nod. Squeak and Specca looked to each other curiously then to Alyssa as the witch just watched the fires burning in the pit.

“Really? That’s not what I was expecting her to do tonight,” Specca commented.

“Believe me, I was surprised too,” Alyssa mentioned flatly. Squeak looked to the caravan then to Specca while squeaking and pointing at the ride. Specca glanced to her then shook her head.

“No, we’ll head back in a little bit, if Triska is taking this time to talk to Daniel about her behavior I’d rather not interrupt them by climbing into the cabin,” she reasoned. Alyssa nodded slowly as she glanced over to the caravan, knowing that Triska was indeed apologizing to Daniel over and over again during her punishment.

“Yeah, I think we should wait a while too.”

Chapter 5

A Bloody Meal

In the world of Eden, everyone had to eat to survive. Humans would cultivate livestock, field crops for farming, and hunt wildlife in order to feed their people. Monsters were no different in this regard. They may have sought out men in order to breed as was their nature, but they needed more than just human semen to survive. They too would use livestock, produce, and even resort to hunting for their food if they had to, just the same as humans did. Some would even eat humans and other monsters, having bigger appetites for meat that needed to be met. This was just how it was; it was the way of things, a natural part of life.

Of course, there was a difference between eating to survive, and eating to murder.

*****

The stars in the night sky were seen through a few passing clouds, with the landscape below illuminated only by the faint glow of the moon. A few fireflies lit up here and there around the area while silence had befallen the land. Near a caravan parked at the base of a large hill a white horse was sleeping quietly in a patch of soft grass, and next to the caravan three monster girls were quietly climbing onboard to turn in for the night. Alyssa slowly stepped onto the front seat then entered the cabin, her eyes gradually adjusting to the darkened interior. Only some faint light came into the cabin through the doorway from the moon above, giving just enough visibility for the witch to make out where her sleeping mat and pillow were. Specca carefully climbed up onto the front seat after her, peering around slowly as she tried to be as quiet as possible so not to wake Daniel and Triska.

“Are they asleep?” she whispered as she slowly entered the cabin right behind Alyssa.

The sound of lumber being sawed through viciously by muscular woodsmen was heard behind the black curtain, with Alyssa raising an eyebrow to it while Specca showed a stunned expression.

“I’d say Daniel’s fast asleep right now,” Alyssa reasoned quietly as she heard Daniel snoring again.

“My word, I slept next to that last night? I didn’t even hear a thing,” Specca said curiously.

“And you didn’t believe us,” Alyssa commented with a glance back to her. Specca slowly shook her head as she heard Daniel snoring rather loudly from behind the curtain. Squeak hopped up onto the front seat, making a small thump and rocking the caravan slightly, and then squeaked at the two girls with a curious expression. Alyssa and Specca quickly turned to her with fingers held over their mouths while shushing her, the ant girl looking at them curiously then showing a nervous smile and shrug before all the girls turned back towards the curtain. Again they heard Daniel snoring without missing a beat, the three girls listening with wonder as the boy was indeed a very loud sleeper.

“Is Triska really asleep with him right now?” Specca asked. Alyssa slowly moved towards the curtain as did the other girls, all of them moving on their knees as they tried to be as quiet as possible.