The Sacred Thievery

Chapter XXII: Maenads.

I was very sure I'd be the first one to complain this time. However, Bryan was still faster.

"See, Ava," he started. "We can't depend on satyrs and clothing to solve our problems."

Ava instantly contradicted him, defending her satyr boyfriend, and they began bickering like they were related(Oh wait!). This got me, Leroy, and Jesse uneasy, since we weren't part of the family argument, and Leroy's horn-topped head turned red. I tried to look everywhere but them for the time being, and found myself gazing upon the tree.

Something about it felt wrong. It was right in the middle of the path that should have been clear, for one. Secondly, it smelled familiar, like grapes, but in a more intentional way. And on top of all that, the roots in the ground had begun to slowly rise upwards.

I nudged Jesse slightly, who turned from Ava now picking out some choice words on why Bryan wasn't always right. She instantly noticed what I was pointing out, and Leroy, with the sharpest nose of all of us, had figured it out before the rest of us.

I was wary, and Leroy was twitching like a wire was bound to his horns, but Jesse was as opposite to me as she could be, so she pulled an arrow back and launched it forward without hesitation.

The plasmaiads' attention was caught by the string's releasing sound. They watched as the arrow soared through the air and planted itself into the tree's bark. Everyone was silent as a single drop of purple wine fell from the tree.

Just as the tree disappeared, Ava tripped in surprise with a squeak, and ended up turning back into a squirrel from it before she could hit her head. I was too focused on what was the tree to notice it too much, but Leroy scooped her up in his small hands.

In the tree's place was a tall and pretty woman, with long purple hair matching her lavender robes, which had an arrow through it to her skin. The wine was still dripping, but she simply removed the arrow and slid it at her waist, like a form of jewlery that would undoubtedly impress Artemis and Apollo.

Chari was waiting for us. Jesse released the arrow she'd already nocked, but Chari simply caught it as if Jesse had passed it to her.

Bryan seemed to want to attack her, but couldn't move, whether out of fear or something else, I couldn't be sure. Chari was now only a few meters from us. But then she stopped. She grinned widely, her purple lips reaching her ears. "I assume you are unhappy to see me. But there is nothing we can do now. Your anger will have to wait."

I was about to openly state my confusion, when she snapped her fingers and called, "Maenads!"

Bryan swore at her command, as if knowing what these Maenads were and hating them with all his heart. I braced reflexively, sure we'd never have a chance against whatever we were about to face. Bryan had much less qualms than I did in that case. He instantly pulled a replica of his destroyed dagger from his waist, not as curved or dark, and charged Chari.

Why he didn't throw it is still a wonder to me. However, as soon as he brought the blade across, Chari was gone.

Bryan froze in his tracks, looking around warily. I was still worried about the Maenads, but Jesse was thinking ahead. She shouted a single word to all of us. "Run!"

We all ran. None of us wanted to see Chari again, and Ava even reverted back to her former form as she sprinted through the path with us.

Which came to a stop five minutes after it started. Over a hill I was sure we passed before meeting the plasmaiads, I clipped something with my foot. In retrospect, it shouldn't have caused me to collapse and almost break my wrist, but it managed to. Everyone stopped at my fall, and Jesse helped me up with her bow-less hand.