Stumbling Skyward

"You look...beautiful" said Grip. He wasn't sure he could say the same in these elf clothes. But it's what elves wore anyways. He looked around, fulling noticing the table and chairs.

"So...what exactly is planned here...?"

Angella smiled and blushed as grip called her beutifull her expression changed to one of sadness as she noticed the name on the elf clothe's grip wore she put a hand on the gold plate readin "genaral roan of ilver moon' angella backed off she held her hand's to her face she was trying to fight back tears but it was no use and she ran from grip crying as she held her hands ove her face.

Aleena bent down next to grip "ok what did you do now?"she asks concerned

Grip looed at the name. Then the clothes. He recalled Angella saying the name once. In the dridder's web.

"Oh...I...I think these belonged...to someone she knew. A friend...the dridder killed."

He cast his eyes downwards. "We were fighting and the dridder hit us and killed him. I...damn I should have thought of this! Even then, I should have done something back then..."

He ripped the name plate off and threw it away. Fenja and Aleena were sitting beside him.

"We can talk to her..." offered Fenja.

"No...look. Damn. All I've done is hurt her, over and over. I can't do this. I'm not good enough. I...I just want her to be happy...here or not..."

Aleena looked at grip sadly she knew this was her fault "this is all my fault i shouldn't have made you wear those clothes it's my fault" she says sadly looking in the direction that angella ran off in she smiled and dragged fenja in the direction angella had run off in "were gonna go after her"she says to fenja "i want to make him happy cause that makes you happy"

Angella meanwhile had stopped running next to some water she kneeled down beside it and wiped the tears from her eye's when...

Serena had followed Angella before even Fenja or Aleena had gotten the idea. She slowly came up behind her, speaking softly.

"Angella? Um. It's me. I...do you want to talk? Or...well, I think you should get away from the water...might be mermaids or stuff..."

Angella didn't even look serena and shook her head without caring.

"no no i don't want to talk and i don't care i just don't care anymore for this stuff i realy don't care!

"Oh." said Serena. She wouldn't admit it, but she was upset to see the elf so sad.

"Well...in that case...I'll help you run away! Being here just seems to make you sad. So we should try going somewhere else then, right? That guy's probably just a jerk anyways." she said, trying to cheer her up.

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"Wait." said Grip, sitting on the Sphere. Fenja brought it up to her face.

"What?" she said.

"I think we should just go back..."

"Why? The elf's gonna leave if we don't talk to her."

"Maybe that's better. All I've managed to do is make her sad. I...I...these last days have been so...confusing. But...I don't think I should. I'm not good enough for someone like her. Things were simpler when I was alone. She'll be happier without me."

Fenja put the Sphere in it's sling, then picked Grip up and carried him back up. She used her other hand to knock him over.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he said.

"Have you ever though?!" she said, almost yelling "That maybe it matters how happy you are too? I know you love her. I know it. But you're letting your insecurity bring you down. You're just making more problems!"

"But...I am unsure." he said. "I can't...I can't ever tell for certain if she loves me. And I think...but I can't see a reason why she would."

"Why are you so damn...self-hating?!" said Fenja. She was halfway between being furious and crying. "You're my...friend. I know that you're a good person. I know you're a kind person and I know that you love her more than anything!"

Grip sat down. "I don' t know...I think I forgot how to really love a long time ago. If not that, I forgot how to communicate even before that." He looked up. "Can you please, though...try to make sure she's not in danger? Aleena, maybe you could follow her? I don't...I don't want her to get hurt."

Fenja murmured very softly under her breath. "And I don't want you to get hurt."

Aleena looked at fenja arguing with grio she nodded "yeah sure grip i'll follow her though i'm not promising i will keep her safe i do feel like a snack"she says with a smile as she begins to walk off in the direction Angella had ran off in.

Angella stood up straight she looked at Serena and shook her head before turning away from her "whatever just do whatever go back come i don't care it's all the same to me anyway"she says sadly as she begin's to walk from the little naga.

"Wait!" said Grip. "Fenja, follow her!"

"I thought you wanted to go back. I think she's joking."

"I don't want to risk that. C'mon!"

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Serena followed a bit behind Angella. She wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything, so she just followed her.

Aleena smiled softly to herself as she heard grip and fenja she continued to walk spying Serena and angella in the distance she slowed down to a steady pace

Angella sighed she knew the naga was following her but decided to ignore the naga.

Serena kept following. She really wanted to say something, but could tell the elf was not in a talking mood. She looked to her right. The water shifted ominously.

"Um...can we please start walking another way? This river is creeping me out..."

Angella stopped she looked back at Serena and then at the water and finnaly back to serena Angella shrugged before she continues to walk

"look you can go another way or go back i don't care i'm not interested to be honest"

Serena's fears were realized when a large mermaid slipped her head out of the water. She curled her arms to block them off.

"I'm so sorry." she said in a seductive voice while smiling sweetly at them. "But I couldn't help hearing you. Do you say you don't care?"

Serena gulped. Not good.

Angella sighed she was about to say something to Serena when the mermaid came out of the water.

"The fact is you couldn't help but overhearing us after all you have been following for a few minutes now"Angella says ca;mly while loooking directly at the mermaid she put a hand on Serena's shoulder to reasure her.

"Mmmm. Clever little elf." said the mermaid. Serena couldn't understand why Angella was so calm. She swore she could see the mermaid lick her lips. It seemed to her that it was just toying with them. But Angella just looked...sad.

"Well, I was just so interested." said the mermaid. "You look so hurt. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Serena thought this mermaid maybe had some persuasion magic. She had the urge to tell her alot of stuff but managed to catch herself.

Angella raised an eyebrow at the mermaid she ruffled serena's hair before looking at the mermaid again.

"well a stupid giant tried to get me to love her human friend a dridder killed my brother and now i'm talking to a mermaid" she says as calm as possible even though she was shaking quite a bit.she continued to try and reasure serena by stroking her hair.

"Mmm. Those humans are so disgusting, aren't they? They're only good as food - and not even the best at that. And if you were with a human, I know your tribe won't have you. You don't have anywhere to go, do you?"

Angella shrugged she backed away into the mermaid's arm "hmm what are you getting at here sure i have nowhere to go but seriously what are you getting at"she says a little nervously as she stares at the mermaid's face she held a firm grip on serena

"Oh, nothing" said the mermaid. "You just seemed really depressed. Maybe I can help...ease your pain. And I have no idea where a tribeless elf would go. Think about it. You have no home, no family. That terrible human has ruined your whole life. A lone elf...and a little naga...are just predator food in that jungle. It's only a matter of time."

'I knew it"Angella sighed she knew that the mermaid had wanted this all along she couldn't fight it now she couldn't fight it anyway.

"yeah i know i knew what you were getting at and even i didn't agree you would have eaten us both anyway i just have one request... let the naga go"

The mermaid paused. She would need to think of something to even the deal.

"Hmmm. Alright. The naga still has foolish notions that this life means something. I'm Blackwater and I just want to help people like you find rest. I know you want it too - why didn't you run if you knew I was there?"

She shoved Serena out of the circle of her hands. The mermaid peered at Angella.

"I know how we can work this. That is faaaar too pretty a dress to get all digested. I'm sure I can find some growing mermaid who would love it. Give it to me and I promise I won't try the naga next.

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Meanwhile, Grip and Fenja were still having a hard time getting through the jungle.

"Can you smell her?" asked Grip.

"Hmmm. There's something blocking a big area of scents. I think there's a river that way. That's all I can think of."

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Serena pounded on the mermaids hands.

"Angella! Please! She's using despair magic or something!"

"Silly naga" said the mermaid. "You'd be better off with me anyways. But, then again, you are a predator. If you grow you might have a chance. But your friend is prey. All she has to look forward to is fear. Then maybe molestation by a predator...always the stomach at the end. Elves surive by tribe. Her clock's already ticking. I'm sure another world is better for her."

Angella listened to the mermaids suggestion and took off her dress and placed it on the ground beside her she then listened in on the naga's pleas
"sorry serena but.....the mermaids right your a predator you have lots to look forward to i don't i can't survive on my own out here without my tribe's protection and the human took that away fom me"

"Little naga, this is really the best. You call me a master of despair. But I must then also be a master of pleasure. I already have some female elves in my stomach - from her tribe that was scattered. I'm letting them rest for awhile. And my tongue and juices are made to...pleasure. She can have some last time of fun with her own. And I am a hungry predator as I'm bearing eggs. You wouldn't want my childern to go hungry? She's even doing a good act."

Serena was now managing to shake off the mermaids charms. She could tell most of that was lies. The mermaid opened her very big mouth, her long thin tongue laying on the grass. She playfully rose it up beneath Angella and stroked her.

"Angella!" said Serena "It wasn't his fault you lost your tribe! That was your tribe's stubborness! They tried to kill you! And you can survive without a tribe - because he's been there for you every time you were in danger! He's all the tribe you need and he loves you ten times as much as your whole tribe put together!"

Angella shook her head a little she felt the mermaids tongue beneath her and fell down ontop of it her legs hanging off the sides she heard serena's wwords and they sank in Angella thought for a moment realising serena was right,but she also realised that it was probably too late to back away now and even if she did the mermaid could easily pluck her off the ground as she ran.Angella sat pondering her options confused as to what she should do.
"erm im not so sure about this now"

"Please, come with me!" said Serena. "Your tribe tried to feed you to a dridder. He tried to save you."

"Little naga" said the mermaid, a bit of annoyance in her voice. "You're too young to understand and you are being quite bothersome."

The mermaid tilted her tongue and Angella began to slide into her mouth.Then she moved it forwards again and Angella fell at the front of her mouth, just behind her teeth. She began to stroke Angella with her flexible tongue, vaguely murmuring "Its alright little elf..."

Serena began to panic. There was no way she could help Angella. Where was that stupid fairy? She'd messed with them before, it was about time she helped them.

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Grip and Fenja reached the river and began to run down it, scanning the ground frantically.