Eldritch Girls Chapter 5

The End of a Hard Day's Work

Kip remained cautiously silent for the rest of her and Liz's journey. When they finally reached their destination, Liz's jaw dropped when she found herself standing before a large apartment complex. She instantly recognized it as the building her older sister often referred to as the “lucky apartments.” Not only were they in a prime location, but each apartment within was large enough to house at least six people.

“You live here?” Liz gasped, causing Kip to answer with a happy nod. “But this is Rhodes apartments, the most expensive apartments in all of Manjimup.” Liz leaned in close to Kip's ear. “Are your human parents super rich?” she whispered.

Kip pondered Liz's question for a moment before shrugging. “I don't think so” she answered. “One of them works at a book store while the other teaches karate in her free time.”

Liz raised an eyebrow. “Do they know... You know, about you?”

“Duh” Kip scoffed. “They're the natives I was messing with before. They know all about what I used to be.”

“So then why are they taking care of you?” Liz asked. “Shouldn't they hate you?”

Kip went to speak but found herself unable to conjure a answer. “I... I don't know” she thought, a little stunned at Liz's questions. “Do Leo and Cindy hate me?” After shaking her head, Kip looked up at Liz. “Of course they don't” she said. “Human mommy and daddy are the nicest people on the planet.”

“Hey!” a male voice roared from the apartments, startling Liz. “Where have you been?” Liz looked ahead and spotted a tall, toned man slowly approaching her and Kip. His light brown eyes were fixated on Kip, like a hawk watching its prey and his incredibly long dark brown hair fluttered in the wind. Liz wanted to speak up but the man's intimidating presence and fierce expression kept her mouth shut and her hands trembling.

“Hey daddy!” Kip cheered as the man stopped a mere foot away from her. “I've just been making a friend!”

For a few seconds, the man quietly loomed over Liz and Kip before crouching down. However, the second Kip tried to speak, the man pinched her ear at such a speed that Liz barely saw his arm move. “Listen here you pest!” the man growled. “Do you know how worried Cindy has been? You told her you were going to head straight to her dojo after school, but you never showed up.”

“Sorry daddy” Kip whimpered while trying to free herself. “My new friend distracted me.”

The man turned his angry glare toward Liz, causing her to freeze up. “Kip, go inside and apologize to Cindy, right now” he grumbled after releasing his grip on the small child's ear and standing. Kip didn't waste anytime and quickly ran inside the apartment, leaving Liz alone with the scary man.

However, the instant Kip disappeared from sight, the man's death glare suddenly shifted to a warm smile. “Thank you for taking care of Kip” he said before holding his hand out. “I really appreciate it.”

“O-oh, it's no problem” muttered Liz after shaking the man's hand. “S-sorry I took so long g-getting her home.”

“Relax, I'm sure that's her fault and not yours” chuckled the man.

“She is a bit of a handful” joked Liz.

“You have no idea” the man replied before turning back toward his home. “Still, it's good to hear she's finally making friends. Please, feel free to stop by and visit Kip anytime miss...”

“My name's Liz” Liz answered. “Liz Stewart.”

The man smiled back. “Nice to meet you Liz” he said. “I'm Leo Rhodes.” When Liz looked at the “Rhodes Apartments” sign, Leo chuckled. “Yes, my parents own the place, if that's what you were wondering.”

“So lucky...” Liz thought while thinking about her own home. After waving goodbye to Kip, Liz started to make her way home.

“Sis is going to kill me” Liz thought while staring up at the star filled sky. “She's probably worried sick.” Not wanting to keep her sibling waiting any longer, Liz picked up the pace, only to come to a screeching halt a moment later.

Liz looked back and was stunned at how far she'd run in only ten seconds. Rhodes Apartments had to be a hundred yards away, if not further. After slapping herself out of her amazement, Liz resumed her run home. “Normally it would take me fifteen minutes to run home from this side of town” she thought after skidding around the street corner. “Let's see if I can make it home in ten...”

When she finally walked up her front porch's ramp, Liz checked the time on her phone. “That only took five minutes?” she thought after almost dropping her phone. “But, I'm not even out of breath or sweating...” Liz looked down at her body. “What else did you do to me Koth?”

“Is that you out there Liz?” a woman called from inside.

Liz gulped. “Y-yeah Rachael, it's me.”

“Well don't just stand there out in the cold” said Rachael. “Come inside and put your feet up.”

Liz let out a relived sigh and opening the front door. “Thanks sis, I could really use a rest after today” she said before entering her home, only to immediately get knocked back outside by a strike from her sister's bokken.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Rachael growled while wheeling herself onto the porch, wooden sword in her lap. “Why didn't you call me?”

A teary-eyed Liz picked herself up off the grass and felt the enormous lump on her forehead. “I thought you might be asleep” she answered. “I didn't want to wake you.”

“Like I could sleep while not knowing where you were squirt” Rachael growled while rolling down the ramp, stopping her wheelchair mere inches from Liz's feet.

Liz was about to snap back but stopped herself when she saw how sad her older sister's yellow eyes looked. “Sorry sis” she mumbled. “It won't happen again.”

Rachael gave her short white hair a rub before gently slugging her sister in the arm. “Good to hear it Liz” she chuckled. “Now come on, dinner is on the table. I only just finished cooking it so it's still warm.”

“You didn't have to cook me something sis” said Liz. “I'd be fine with leftovers. But thank you.”

“We never have leftovers” Rachael grumbled while rolling back up the porch's ramp. “At least not when you invite your friend Helen over. Seriously, how does one girl eat so much and not get fat?” Liz smiled and shrugged before following her older sister inside.

An hour later, a tired Liz collapsed onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow. “So... Today was a thing that happened” she thought before letting out a low groan. When five minutes of laying in that position didn't put her to sleep, Liz snuggled under her blankets and stared at her bedroom's window. Unfortunately, the image of the knight riddled with holes wouldn't leave her mind and kept her wide awake.

“Hopefully... I won't have to do something like that again” she thought before turning her face toward her roof and closing her eyes.

Suddenly, a deep chuckle echoed from beside Liz's bed. “Don't get your hopes up little human” a familiar voice snickered.

Liz's eyes sprung open and she immediately let out the loudest scream possible when she spotted what appeared to be a towering man with short black hair looming over her bed. His crimson red armor shimmered in the moonlight, making the large curved spikes on his shoulder plates stand out. His bronze eyes were staring daggers directly at Liz. “Calm down human” the man said as Liz continued to scream. “It's me, Koth-Ladon. I've assumed this human disguise so as not to frighten you.” Liz continued to scream, incredibly maintaining the same pitch. “But that doesn't seem to be working... I guess I can wait until you finish.” Koth-Ladon's patience lasted a meager ten seconds. “Enough! Stop that forsaken screaming!”

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Meanwhile, the fire department had finished their duty and left the school grounds. Much to their dismay, they couldn't determine what caused the large scorch marks in the school's field. They'd have to continue their investigation first thing tomorrow.

However, a pair of knights were undeterred by the late hour and closely studied the sight of their comrade's last battle. The shorter knight, wearing similar angelic armor, knelt down and picked up a pinch of ash. “No doubt about it” she said before clenching her fist tightly. “This is where Triff was defeated... Damn... Why did that fool have to go off on his own.” The female knight sighed and stood. “What are we going to do general Godfrey? Everyone is counting on us to bring the monster back.”

The much larger knight lowered his head, silently thanking his fallen comrade for his sacrifice. “We will not fail them Templar Zora” he said in a low gruff voice after putting his hand on his companion's shoulder. “I will make sure of that.”

After grieving for their friend one final time, the two knights pressed a button on their belts, instantly disappearing a second later.