The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

20: Manipulator

It was much scarier for Dawn to travel without the cloak she had come to rely on, and oftentimes she felt the need to tuck her head into her shirt as a pathetic form of protection should any monsters cross their path on their endless trek across the land. The further they walked, the more the desire grew to act on this urge until eventually she tried it.

"That's certainly less suspicious." Syrena snorted, highly amused at Dawn's strange behaviour.

Dawn poked her face out of the shirt collar, fixing the Commander with a glare. "What do you suggest I do? If you haven't noticed, I'm too exposed without my cloak!"

"There is no one around, you're free to walk normally." Syrena gestured to the open luscious green landscape that was seemingly void of life aside from them.

Righting herself, the Venturer smoothed down her clothing as she glanced around. "How long will that last? I need to be prepared."

"By becoming a snail?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Dawn frowned at the monster's entertained smile, folding her arms across her chest.

"Perhaps we should find you a more convincing disguise?"

"Yes, we shall waltz into the next market we happen upon and ask them for supplies to hide a human, that will end perfectly."

"If it comforts you, we will not encounter any more towns. There is nothing but wild land and rivers between here and the mountains."

Dawn refused to admit that fact did comfort her slightly. "You cannot guarantee that we will not come across more unwelcome surprises."

"I cannot, so you might want to think of something a bit better than covering your face and hiding behind me."

"I don't even have my bow anymore." Dawn grumbled, kicking a small pebble as they walked. "I've got nothing but knives to defend myself with should we find ourselves in trouble again."

"We're both doomed." Syrena sighed, once again taking a jab at the Venturer's perfectly adequate knife wielding ability. This had been a common occurrence and Dawn still felt resentful at the fact that she had yet to have a chance to prove herself.

"You're just smug because they didn't break your spear."

"I would've liked to see them try." Syrena twirled the weapon in question, the metal gleaming in the midday sun. "It's indestructible."

"Everything is destructible if you apply enough force."

"Not this." The monster sounded confident in her spear's durability, so confident that Dawn was almost convinced too. "You won't need your knives anyway, I'll kill the next enemy that crosses our path."

"Feeling murderous, are we?"

"Feeling as though I need to redeem myself."

Glancing around once more, Dawn couldn't help but feel as though they were being followed. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. "You just might get your chance. We have to assume that the enemy is watching us, or at least knows where we are and that we haven't quit our search." She sighed, doing her best to ignore the hairs on the back of her neck that stood on end. "At least we can take confirmation that we are on the right path."

Syrena's hands stilled, halting the spear's twirling movements. "How do you know?"

"We never shared our destination with a single soul and yet we somehow stumble upon a group of monsters working for our elusive enemy intent on swaying us from our path?" She spoke, voicing the question that had been circulating her mind for days. "Though it is curious that they were under orders not to kill us."