The Choice.

Outside the tree.

"You can't keep escaping using with your crappy magic. You don't think you'll get off my grasp this time. You thought you could fool me? Or what were you thinking. But it's a pity to see that I --"

Prium stopped chanting as soon as she stood up, and turned to the group of people looking at her.

"What in the actual fuck!"

She muttered. Trying to hold her gaze on one of the group. She didn't know who precisely to pick on or get on a brawl with.

Her father was standing in the middle of the group and beside him was Ayla. To the left was Tahni holding unto that princess who had caused the death of her father?

Then isolated, by the fallen and uprooted trunk of the tree in which they used to live, was that wierd lady who had came to threaten them in the wood many days back.

She tried to understand what was going on as well as struggle with the implication of the whole matter. She couldn't lay her thoughts on a specific argument. She wished she could but simply couldn't help the...

"Sister."

Tahni called at her immediately as though she was just seeing her. She untucked her hand from the grasp of the princess and rushed to Prium. She hugged her tightly chanting,

"I thought I would never see you again."

Prium hesitated for a while, but since Tahni would not let go of her anytime soon, she put her palm to Tahni's back in a forced embrace. She didn't know what to feel, joy of meeting her sister or the complications of her presence.

"I could had died."

She muttered as Tahni looked up at her, staring at her deep blue eyes. She continued,

"That bitch almost killed me. As you all saw."

She pointed at Ayla and Tahni turned to see. Before Tahni could act, Vulcan had spoken up,

"Now you're at it again. One of the things you do best. Misjudgements. Ayla never did that, Aynea did."

Tahni looked away from Ayla to Prium to catch the reaction which would affirm the words of their father. She let go of Prium, not because of Vulcan's speech of course, but because of... whatever.

Vulcan continued, seeing that he had won the audience of almost all of them,

"We all remembered the day she came to warn us that she wanted her house back but we refused to take her seriously. Today was definitely the day she chose to get what she wanted. I tried to stop her from destroying the tree but she was so bent on it. And since I was the only one fighting to stop her, my mortal strength wasn't enough."

He paused, taking a glance at the princess in emphasis on what he meant with some of what he had said.

Vulcan continued intermittently, noticing the reaction of Prium. He knew that sooner or later she would find a defense for herself.

"But what good is there to dwell in the past? This is the present and we shall treat it with great reverence else we have spelt our own doom."

He was going to continue when Prium snatched the stance, pointing at the princess,

"But how about her, what is she doing here? Isn't she the one who brought this whole mess upon us? If it isn't because of her, we wouldn't had been in this forest let alone meet this annoying Nymph and creepy dryad."

She shot unapologetically. Her eyes keen and her face smothered by rage. The expression she wore gave her out already.

"You should ask questions, Prium and not make conclusions. No one makes you the leader here."

Vulcan started again, owning to the stance he used to assume,

"We definitely all had reasons to be here now. I was here because I was framed and beheaded but was restored back to life by my lover, Athena."

He looked at everyone of them, not leaving out Prium. He didn't want an interruption, he continued,

"Prium, you are here because of me and I appreciate all you've done."

"Ayla is here because she was sent by Athena to help me and she had been so much helpful. She had saved our skins times weary of counting numbers."

He allowed himself the distraction of catching the reaction of Prium. He caught her gawping at Ayla. He scoffed and continued,

"Aynea, the wonder lady is here because we stole what belonged to her. We shouldn't had. No matter how rightfully we claim to own the tree, we lie. The forest is her home and she had every right to do whatever she wished with the trees."

"The Princess is here because she's pregnant and the chiefs would kill her because of the secret she share..."

"Let her die, indeed! Adder!"

Prium interrupted, glaring at the princess. Vulcan snapped at her,

"I'll send you away from here if you speak out of turn again."

She didn't care, you could tell, but she held her tongue and watched. The first time you might say she had a cool. Vulcan continued,

"Though I have no idea why Tahni is here but I'm certain she's got her reasons too. So, given by the fact that none of us has acted in isolation, then all our choices should be respected. Everybody would be treated in same regards else whoever the defector is, would find his or herself in another place."

Vulcan quit talking and walked off in another direction to leave everyone to ponder. He had his back to all of them wondering what he would do but he had no idea yet. Then he heard approaching footsteps behind him. He didn't turn. He knew whoever twas would eventually get to him.

"You know I said it. You amaze me. A time I think I know you, another I'm clueless."

The princess had gotten to him, standing beside him. He looked at the stretch of wildlife ahead of him. The huge trees housed nocturnal animals he yet strove to find.

"Remain clueless and don't get in my way. You have no idea how mad I am at you."

He left her standing at the spot and walked back to the place of gathering. Ayla stood there with neutral expression, Tahni and Prium talking indistinctly. Aynea on the other hand was already walking off away from them.

As soon as Tahni noticed her, she said,

"She's going."

"Let her. If she belongs with us, she'll be back. After all we all have choices to me. "

Vulcan said. Prium shot,

"I'd rather she died than be in league with a half goat, half human."

"I'd rather be her slave than your friend. You sassy dollophead."

The princess had snapped at Prium and was hurrying to catch up with the Dryad. She felt like her place was not with them. Not after what Vulcan had said to her.

"Go, bitch! Pray I don't find you alone... I'll strangle you at once."

Prium cussed. The princess didn't say a word. She gawped at Vulcan instead and kept on her pace.

"What now?"

Prium asked, turning to their father.

"You might as well follow them."

Vulcan snapped and began walking towards the depth of the forest where the wiles of nature was at its peak. Probably as they walked on, an idea of what to do would pop up in his brain.

Ayla hurried after him to catch up with him as well as Tahni, who called at her,

"Come sister."

"You go, I'll catch up."

Prium said, feeling no guilt as Tahni hurried to catch up too.

Prium stood there watching them go. Her emotions were raving and raging. She couldn't sort them out.

Then suddenly, she looked in the direction of the princess who was almost on the Dryad.

Her thoughts were assorted.