by K. T. Tomb
“Her?” Sulina bellowed back. “You still talk about Eden as if it were a living, thinking being! Eden is mine, sis! In case you don’t know, there is a war going on in your precious garden! An army desecrates the hallowed ground as we speak!”
Myora looked at Ellisia while Sulina yelled at her. Ellisia could not make eye contact with Myora.
She walked up to her former Daughter.
“Daughter that was and Daughter that could be again,” Myora said as she shed a tear. “We all were given a choice. Yours was taken through deceit. I give it back to you now. If you stay with Sulina you will die as she will. You will burn.”
“Now just a minute, bitch!” Sulina interrupted.
Myora ignored her sister.
“Ellisia,I will give you the chance to die as a Daughter. Your wounds are grave, but I can restore you to who you were. Either way you die. At least as a Daughter, you will know peace.”
Sulina jumped in between Myora and Ellisia. She pushed Ellisia back against the wall. Myora never took her eyes off of her Daughter.
“Ellisia?”
Ellisia stood with pride.
“I am, and always will be, a Daughter of Eve. Take me home, Mother.”
“No!” Sulina screamed as her hands tightened around Ellisia’s throat.
Myora touched Ellisia’s shoulder and the decay and stench started to fade from the faithful Daughter. Her skin gained its normal complexion and her eyes returned to their natural color. In one moment, Ellisia was a Daughter again. Blood started to pour from her gunshots wounds as she dropped to her knees. Myora cried for her Daughter as Ellisia reached out one last time. She then reached up.
“Father. It is your humble servant, Ellisia. I lift my spirit to you. Please strengthen my sisters and Mother Daughter. Thank you my Lord.”
“You will sleep well, my child,” sobbed Myora. “There will be no more pain or suffering for you.”
Ellisia smiled and fell lifeless to the floor. Myora knelt down and wept over her body. She placed her hands on her Daughter’s back and said a silent prayer.
Sulina stood over her sister. She seethed with anger.
“You mean to tell me that you could reverse the curse of the Fallen all this time?”
Myora stood to face Sulina.
“I can only do that to those who are worthy. Your heart is too dark. You are lost, sister. You will lose this battle as long as my feet are on Eden’s soil, I will not fall.”
Sulina smiled.
“Well then, it’s a good thing for us that your feet are on metal right now. Isn’t it?”
***
Alexey Konstantin was sweating and frustrated. He had burned through what he believed to be half of the forest, with no sign of either the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge. His patience was gone. He called out to his men.
“Halt! Stop! Or whatever the hell it will take to get you to listen to me!”
Most of the men responded within minutes. They showed up looking tired. The smell of burned foliage and wood replaced the scent of fresh, clean air. Alexey looked behind him at all of the greenery that he sacrificed to find his target. He didn’t care about what he had to destroy to get to the healing oil, but he expected to find something.
He threw the flame thrower to the ground and took off the backpack that went with it. He rubbed his neck as his men stood patiently and waited for an order. Any order.
Alexey looked toward the Mountain of God. He imagined what it entailed to create the inner sanctum within. His eyes squinted as something caught his eye. There were plenty of things to catch his attention on the ground, but this wasn’t on the ground.
On the side of the mountain, about halfway up, was something that finally made the aging Russian smile. There were two small ledges. On those ledges were two trees.
Alexey smiled as he waved his men back toward the mountain.
***
Sulina double punched Myora. Mother Daughter fell backward.
“You dare strike the Mother Daughter?” she screamed.
Sulina cracked her knuckles.
“Since you are neither to me, I thought it couldn’t hurt.”
Sulina went in for another strike. Myora spun out of the way. Morina crouched and then disappeared in a blur. Her fists were nothing but quick flashes to Myora, who felt every blow to her mid-section as she doubled over. Sulina kicked her sister in the head, which caused Myora to reel back into one of the computer consoles.
Sulina saw the computer, which sparked an idea. She went to the console and started typing furiously. She smiled as she found the directory she wanted.
The two Fallen each grabbed one of Myora’s arms and stretched her out, as Morina continued her assault. Mother Daughter spit out blood and she could hear a few of her ribs crack. She was in terrible pain. She wasn’t used to that feeling, but she knew what needed to transpire, if she were to save Eden. She collapsed to the floor.
Sulina clicked her way into the self-destruct directory. She set the timer for five minutes.
“Time to leave boys and girls!” She yelled as she shook her fists victoriously and walked out of the control room.
Morina stopped her attack and left with Sulina. After the last Fallen had left the room, Myora rose slowly from the floor. Her face was bloody and her ribs were cracked and bruised. Her legs were wobbly as she worked her way to the door. She looked at Ellisia’s lifeless body.
“Don’t worry, Ellisia. I won’t allow this travesty to continue.”
With that she sat at the console in front of the computer and began working.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexey and his men made it to within 100 yards of the mountain. He saw the two Chinook helicopters between his army and the mountain. He smiled as if he had already won the war.
He knew that the Daughters were deep into the forest and wouldn’t be able to get back in time to stop him. He picked up his pace as he and the soldiers headed straight for his prize. The Tree of Life. As he closed in on the helicopters, he noticed that the pilots weren’t standing in front of them as they should have been.
Alexey stopped short of the helicopters, but waved his men on ahead. They ran past the vehicles. The Daughters of Eve poured out from both helicopters and immediately engaged the Iranians.
“Damn it!” Alexey yelled. He knew then that the Daughters had purposely led his army away from the mountain. They must have known that he had abandoned the search and turned back. Somehow they reached the helicopters before him. He stepped further back as the battle started.
Even with primitive weapons, the Daughters seemed to hold their own. The surprise attack benefitted them as Alexey witnessed one Daughter ram her spear completely through one of his men. She then acquired his automatic weapon.
He turned around quickly in a bid to run back to the cover of the forest and came face to face with Jess, Knight, and Shala. Alexey backed away from the trio, only to trip and fall to the ground.
Knight laughed.
“Wow! I hope you’re not the formidable Alexey Konstantin, because from what I see…you’re nothing but a coward.”
Alexey stood up and tried to draw his gun. He was angry and yet he shook with fear. “I am Alexey Konstantin and you are all dead!”
Knight slapped him so hard he fell over again.
“We don’t have time for this! Jess! Shala, See if you can help your sisters. I’ll take care of this creep.” He spoke with such conviction that for a moment Jessima IL Eve was motionless, rooted in her admiration of him.
No one had ever made her forget her primary obligations before. No one had ever made her feel such conviction…He WAS the Chosen One.
Jess nodded as she regained her balance. She cringed at the thought of working with a probable traitor, but she would have to until the time she could prove the truth about Shala’s loyalty. Jess would make sure to keep a close eye on her sister.
Shala didn’t like taking orders from a mortal. She saw what Jess and Knight had and it
infuriated her with an envious anger. She had to bide her time. Shala would get her heart’s desire as well…her freedom from Eden. Shala forced a smile as they both left to join the fray.
Knight grabbed Alexey’s arm and brought him to his feet.
“So, are you the leader of this? Are you the one responsible for the war on Eden?”
Before Alexey could say anything, a female voice was heard from just behind Knight.
“No. He is incompetent. If you want a source for the war, turn around.”
Knight turned to see Sulina and three people he recognized from the attack on his house.
“You don’t know when to give up, do you?” he smiled, directing his question to Morina.
Their conversation was interrupted by an explosion that emanated from the mountain. A layer of rock and dirt exploded outward from under the ledges where the Trees of Life and Knowledge stood; they were undamaged. Sulina had a puzzled look; she had expected the entire mountainside to come crashing down in the explosion.
“Damn bitch! We should have made sure she was dead! If you want something done…”
Sulina touched one of the Fallen minions. A black energy rose from him and was absorbed by Sulina’s hands. As he was being drained, the minion’s body dried out. His skin flaked off the more he was consumed. He tried to fight Sulina, but was helpless. The more his body drained of energy, the faster it dried out. Before long there was nothing left of him besides a large pile of ashes. Sulina then moved methodically and positioned herself between Morina and another Fallen. She placed one hand on each of them and began the process again. This time the black energy seemed to permeate her pores as it rose, swirled around and was absorbed into her fingertips.
Morina reached out toward Knight who was in shock at what was transpiring right in front of his eyes. Was it magic…or something else?
As Morina reached out for Knight, he could see her pleading for his help. Knight couldn’t help the feeling of compassion for the woman who had almost killed him and Jess. It was all he could do to imagine the pain that Morina felt as she turned to ash right before him. Her arm was outstretched to him, as if by simply touching him she would be healed. She fell to the ground and was about to touch his ankle when she separated into a pile of black ash. Evan was devastated by the spectacle.
It was a strange sensation to feel for an enemy. Enemy.
Morina didn’t die as his enemy. He turned his attention to the woman who was. Sulina.
Sulina saw his anger aimed at her.
“Good. Come then, Chosen One. Come fight me. I am the embodiment of all I have absorbed. Eden has a way of amplifying my abilities. I think it’s time to test them, don’t you?”
***
Jess and Shala joined their sister in battle. Jess found it difficult to focus on both the soldiers and Shala so she decided to place her full attention on the greater threat. Her sisters had taken no losses, which inspired her to fight harder. The Iranians were surprisingly easy to defeat. Spurred by the will to survive, the sisters didn’t hold back. They killed those men to prevent Eden from being overrun.
Alexey did everything in his power to make it to one of the helicopters unscathed. He watched the Daughters cut through his army with precision and ease. He couldn’t believe how quickly his war had unraveled. All of his planning and bribing, all the money that was spent, all for nothing. He looked up at the Trees of Knowledge and Life. They appeared to mock him and his plan for gaining immortality. He scoffed as he thought of what might happen to him once the Daughters were finished with the Iranians. He fell to his knees, bowed his head, and prepared to accept his fate.
***
Knight noticed something different about Sulina since she had consumed her friends. She smiled at him and then disappeared in a blur. He looked around confused, still trying to maintain a defensive stance. He heard her laughter come from all directions.
He tried to pinpoint her locations. Be careful what you wish for. He felt a hard jab to his ribs. It caught him off guard and caused him to stumble a bit. Another hit to the ribs, followed by one to the abdomen. All he could see was a blur of movement. Sulina had acquired Morina’s speed.
Knight backed up just as Sulina served up an upper cut to his chin. The punch threw Knight to the ground. He had no defense against an attack he couldn’t see. Some Chosen One he had turned out to be.
Sulina stopped suddenly. To his relief her attention no longer seemed to be focused on Knight. She looked toward the skirmish, then down at him.
“It appears that we will have to continue this little one-sided fight later. Bye-bye.”
She disappeared as quickly as she had before, but that time the blur left with her. Evan Knight collapsed to the ground.
***
Jess was excited that she and her sisters were making short work of their enemy. She had expected that the battle would have been bigger. She smiled as she looked up at the trees, knowing that they would be safe. She saw a figure standing by the Tree of Life. She squinted her eyes to see better.
Shala came up beside her and pointed at the tree.
“Mother Daughter!” she yelled.
The sight of Myora IL Eve surprised her more than anyone else. She could have sworn Mother Daughter was dead. That would be the last time she underestimated anyone ever again.
With the last of the Iranians dispatched, all of the Daughters ran toward the mountain cheering victoriously. Shala stopped and looked behind her. She saw Sulina put her index finger up to her mouth and smile. Shala breathed a sigh of relief as she joined her sisters.
Sulina knew that her victory would lie in the difference between the time that she completed her task and the time that the Daughters of Eve saw her. She went to each of the Iranians and touched them in the chest. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but it did. The dark energy flowed out of her and into each and every one of the soldiers. She knew they would be no match for the Daughters. Despite the fact that they were heavily trained military men, Sulina knew that they had no chance. She needed them to be in Eden though. Everything that she had predicted had come to pass. If she could just seal the deal.
After she transformed the last one into a Fallen, she had them line up single file. She kept looking back at the spectacle of the Daughters cheering at the base of the Mountain of God. Sulina’s eyesight was extremely sharp and she could tell that Myora was still. She was still bleeding.
Alexey heard the commotion, or rather the lack thereof, and looked up. He saw Sulina’s line of newly recruited Fallen, with the queen, herself at the front.
She saw Alexey and walked confidently over to him. “So Alexey, I assume that you are aware of my plan now.”
Alexey looked confused and then had a spark of realization. “You! You were planning to sacrifice my army all this time! Вы суме коровы! I can’t believe you would betray the man who got you into Eden!”
Sulina laughed. “Poor, poor, Alexey. Did I burst your little bubble? Ultimate power is mine and I would never allow a simple mortal to get in my way. If I were you, I would run and cower in one of those helicopters with the hope that someone might feel sorry enough for you that they will carry your whimpering hide back to civilization. You could die here too. Either way is fine with me. Goodbye Alexey.”
He ran toward the helicopters, unseen by the Daughters, as Sulina started to absorb the life force of her newly formed minions.
***
Myora had difficulty standing, let alone speaking, but she knew she had to address her Daughters.
“Daughters!” Her voice crackled.
For the first time since they had seen their Mother appear, they realized that something was wrong.
“Daughters!” Myora repeated, to make sure that they heard her. “As you know, there is a traitor in Eden! But at the present time, that is not our greatest concern! Sulina the Fallen, has infiltrated our paradise as well!”
“The traitor is Jessima IL Eve!” yelled Shala, to the surprise of everyone
. “She exchanged perversions with the Chosen One, mere minutes ago!”
Myora tried to stand straight. “Love is never a determination of betrayal, Shala! As I stated, the traitor is unimportant only because she has already done all of the damage she can do! We have a much bigger problem that must be addressed!” She fell to her knees in pain.
“Mother!” yelled Jess. “Why do you not partake of the Healing Oil? The Tree of Life is right there!”
Myora smiled weakly at Jess. “If I do that, then I will not be able to do what I must to try to save Eden! You will understand soon!”
***
Evan Knight slowly pulled himself up, feeling quite emasculated. He groaned as he felt his chest. Three cracked ribs. He saw all of the Daughters at the base of the mountain and then saw large piles of ash all over the ground. He knew that the three Fallen, who were absorbed by Sulina didn’t make those extra piles. He swallowed hard as he saw the source of the ashes.
Sulina was standing several yards ahead of him, at least he thought it was Sulina. Her eyes were yellow and had a crystalline reflection to them. She had a misty black aura that moved constantly around her. She was also a few feet taller than he last remembered. Her hair was jet black, even darker than it had been before. It appeared as if it had a life of its own and flowed in correspondence with the black aura. When she smiled, she showed off a set of oversized, chiseled teeth. They resembled the teeth of a shark. Her clothes appeared as if they were made out of the black mist. Her body was completely covered up to her neck. Her arms and legs were ripped with muscles. Her skin had a red hue to it, but what surprised Knight the most, was that…she had a tail. The tail was long and appeared to be prehensile. It was about twenty feet long and swished back and forth in response to her mood. It was thin and red and had a fork at the end.