Chronicles of Eden - Act XII

by Alexander Gordon

  “I wasn’t daydreaming,” Zoey sheepishly defended, averting her eyes from Shadow who showed a knowing smile at seeing the blush on the elf’s cheeks.

  “Sure you weren’t,” Shadow chuckled. “You weren’t thinking about anyone that you may or may not touch yourself to the memory of during your breaks, were you?”

  “I don’t do such a thing! Why would you even know that? Don’t spy on me, Shadow!” Zoey whined while thrashing her arms. Shadow laughed as she grabbed and held the elf still, seeing the flustered pout on Zoey’s face that she was unable to hide in the least.

  “Not spying, just checking up on my fellow warden of the dead,” Shadow promised. “Anyway, if you would calm down for a moment I have a question to ask you.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?” Zoey sulked with an embarrassed look still on her face.

  “How would you like to come with me to the mortal realm?”

  “Wait, what?” Zoey exclaimed. “To the mortal realm? You’re going up there?”

  “Yeah. After we finish collecting the souls of the battle going on upstairs I have to head up there and find a troublemaker that’s messing with fate. Got the orders straight from Tora herself.”

  “Someone’s messing with fate?” Zoey cautiously asked. “Oh no. That’s not good. That’s not… wait, is that even possible?”

  “Apparently it is, and I have to find out who’s doing it and politely ask them to fucking stop. This is a big assignment that needs to be taken care of quickly before shit gets out of hand down here. And the boss wants me to take an extra hand up there with me to make sure things go smoothly. So, how about it? Want to see the sunrise again?”

  “Are you serious?” Zoey eagerly asked with bright pink eyes. “You really want me to come with? I can go back up to the mortal realm and breathe actual air again?”

  “Yes, although you don’t actually need to breathe air anymore. This is an important job we’re being given, I’m going to expect you to be at your best the entire time we’re up there. So, is that a yes or a no to coming with?”

  “Are you kidding? Yes! Yes!” Zoey squealed as she hopped about excitedly. “I am so ready for this! I am ready to handle anything! Thank you, Shadow, thank you! I swear I won’t let you down! You can count on me to get the job done! Zoey the grim reaper is at your service!”

  After a few more jumps she tripped and promptly dropped to the ground, with Shadow nodding slowly with an amused smile as she saw the elf lying face first on the dirt with her rear again sticking up to show her underwear off to all the passing souls nearby.

  “I can already tell this is going to be a fun trip.”

  Chapter 14

  We Meet At Last

  In the world of Eden, relations could form and bring people together in the most surprising of ways. While it was common to meet new folks in typical locations such as markets, libraries, pubs, or even the streets of their own neighborhood, sometimes seeing new faces would happen from more elaborate or dangerous means. Perhaps it would take a long journey or the forces of magic itself to finally bring them together in person, or maybe the encounter was fated to happen at the most dire and life-threatening moments to help forge the bond. However it did occur, it was important to be respectful and make a good first impression.

  After all, you never knew if they would one day become your close friend or deadliest foe.

  *****

  Inside the spacious living arrangements provided for Daniel’s harem tension was in the air as everyone anxiously awaited the return of their family along with their mate. Standing inside the court beside the open doorway Doku was gazing up at the night sky while cradling Snapper in her wings, the young swarm sound asleep and rigid as stone while in the care of the gentle harpy. Outside Star was keeping a close watch for any of her family that may be returning at any moment, the jinx poised on the roof of the ride while constantly scouring the horizon both in front and behind them while Alyssa’s lantern gave some light to hopefully guide their missing family back.

  “Any sign of them?” Doku asked, with Star leaning over the edge and shaking her head with a mew. “I feared as much. If they don’t return tonight I believe only Snapper is going to have any peaceful sleep at all. Please let us know the moment you see anything at all, Star.”

  Walking off inside their home Doku watched the young swarm sleeping quietly in her wings, her antennae swaying ever so slightly while the rest of her body was frozen in place with her hands curled up near her chest. Glancing around at the four chambers of their living quarters Doku pondered what to do to help pass the time and what the others were doing as well.

  “Star has the night watch. Specca has her books. Snapper’s asleep. Triska’s asleep. Kitten… we hope is just sleeping. Hmm… where are the sisters at? And our newest guest?”

  Trotting over to the bathing room she saw nobody inside, the harpy quickly scurrying over to the library next where she saw only Specca seated at a table reading a book. Heading over under the bedroom archway she saw Triska lying in bed while no others were inside.

  “They must be in…” she realized, then hopped in alarm. “Oh… oh dear. Two giant butterflies and an arachne in the dining room. Under normal circumstances that would be a rather ironic and dire situation, but now… surely it isn’t like… I mean Rolian wouldn’t… she wouldn’t actually… would she?”

  She raced over to the dining hall and quickly searched for any sign of the missing girls within, her gaze then moving up at something that caught her attention as her mouth subsequently opened in surprise.

  “What is this?” she exclaimed, rushing over next to the dining table where Luna and Falla were standing and also looking straight up at something. “Rolian? Rolian, what are you doing?”

  “Huh?” Rolian slowly asked, eyes rolling in her head as she was once again, or rather still was as she hadn’t really stopped being as such that night, drunk with a flushed face and drool running down her chin. “What do you mean? I’m not doing anything. I’m just… just… sitting here. I’m just sitting here. What’s wrong with that? Why are you yelling at me? Huh? I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t.”

  She popped off the cork to her jug and moved it closer to drink from before seeing the rum pouring out above her in a glistening stream. Looking up she tilted her head one way then another, seeming to have trouble understanding that she wasn’t looking up but rather down at the girls below her.

  “Hey, Doku,” Falla flatly said as she had an annoyed look on her face while Luna yelped and quickly dodged aside as the pouring rum splashed onto the table near her. “Would you help us explain to her that building a spider nest over our dining room table is not okay? Because so far she’s not getting it!”

  “Rolian!” Doku called out, herself and the sisters watching as Rolian hung upside-down in a large canopy of silky spider webbing that she had, at some point with inexplicable speed, set up all over the ceiling and across a chandelier. “Oh my word, why did you- oh dear its everywhere, this isn’t- but how, how did you do all this so fast and- oh, oh no!”

  “What’s wrong?” Rolian grumbled as she tilted her head one way then another with confusion. “Hey, why are you all up there? How are you doing that?”

  “We’re not up there! You’re up there!” Falla shouted with a stomp of her foot. “What’s the big idea? What do you think you’re doing getting that stuff all over our ceiling? You’re making a mess! What is wrong with-”

  “Sister, shh,” Luna hushed as she hopped over and held a hand over Falla’s mouth. “You’ll wake Snapper. She’s sleeping.”

  “I think we have a bigger problem to worry about than Snapper!” Falla barked out at her.

  “If she wakes up hungry you may be wrong about that, Falla,” Doku warned with an uneasy look at the sleeping swarm before she eyed over the webbing that was plastered across the ceiling above them. “Oh good heavens, there’s no telling how long it will take to clean all that up. How did she even do all that so quickly?”
<
br />   “Hey, what are you all talking about up there?” Rolian asked with a hiccup. She corked her jug and stumbled about on the sticky threads, her vision literally going everywhere as all her eyes were aimed in different directions. “Whoa, everything’s spinning again. Or- or- or am I spinning? Uh oh, I’m getting dizzy. Too much spinning, I don’t do well with spinning. Juggy, a little- a little help here? Which way- umph… which way am I going?”

  “Oh dear, be careful, Rolian,” Doku nervously urged, the three girls quickly moving around as they saw the large spider tripping over her legs above them while letting out a long burp.

  “Rolian, watch where you’re going,” Luna begged.

  “Watch it, you’re going to fall!” Falla warned.

  “Fall?” Rolian snorted with a dopey grin. “How can I fall when I’m on the ground? You’re the ones who are going to fall. I think. Um… where am I again?”

  “You’re on the ceiling,” Doku replied while hopping about anxiously. “You’re upside-down right above us.”

  “I am?” Rolian asked, with herself then falling straight down with her web ripping under her feet. The girls cried out as they saw the arachne dropping like a rock before she suddenly stopped before hitting the ground, a tight mesh of silk being stuck to three of her legs holding taut above her as she slowly spun in circles in front of the surprised girls.

  “Oh… oh yeah,” Rolian slowly recalled. “That’s right. I built my bed above the table. That way I wouldn’t miss breakfast with Kroanette when she gets back. That’s right. It’s all coming back to me now.”

  “Who said you could build your bed up there in the first place?” Falla demanded pointed up.

  “She did,” Rolian said looking to Luna. Doku and Falla turned to her questionably as she smiled nervously and giggled from being singled out.

  “Luna?” Doku wondered. “Is this true? You told Rolian it was okay to make her bed right above the dining table?”

  “Why would you do that?” Falla asked in disbelief.

  “Well,” Luna sheepishly replied as she slumped back. “She asked where she could sleep tonight, and I said anyplace is fine. Then she asked where Kroanette sleeps and I said in our bed, and then she wanted to sleep in there, and I thought maybe she shouldn’t because we sleep there with Daniel so I said she could sleep anywhere else. And then she asked if she could sleep in here and I thought that would be okay since none of us sleep in here anyway. I didn’t think that would be a problem.”

  “Is that okay?” Rolian asked. “I don’t want to sleep in the library, sleeping next to books gives me nightmares. And my webbing would get all slippery in the humid bathing room, I don’t want to fall in and drown during the night. I’m not a good swimmer. So I thought this room would be fine. Is it fine?”

  “Books give you nightmares?” Falla dryly asked with a raised eyebrow. “You mean… actual books themselves give you nightmares?”

  “I don’t know, dear,” Doku fretted as she looked up at the spider’s web. “Honestly, we haven’t really discussed your… sleeping arrangements yet. Right now we’re just waiting for our family to return to us, that’s all we’ve been thinking about.”

  “Please don’t make me sleep outside,” Rolian whimpered. “I’ve been sleeping outside all my life, this is my first time being inside a house or whatever this place is. It’s so nice and comfy in here, and I feel so safe and Juggy feels so safe. Please, I promise to be good. We’ll both be good, I swear.”

  “Please?” Luna begged with hands held together. “Please, she’ll be good. Don’t make her sleep outside. Those monsters that attacked Ruhelia could be out there, don’t make her stay out there alone.”

  “I can’t believe you’re begging to have an arachne sleep in our home,” Falla groaned with a face palm. “I know she’s nice and all, but still.”

  “I… I don’t know, dear,” Doku worried with a sigh. “Tell you what, we’ll discuss this with Triska when she wakes up. She would be the one to make that decision for us.”

  “Is that so?” Triska asked, with Doku and the sisters quickly turning to see the cambion standing under the archway while dressed in white tightfitting shorts and her yellow ripped shirt. She rubbed her eye and held in her groan then showed a puzzled look as she pointed to Rolian.

  “Am I still dreaming, or is there an arachne hanging down in front of all of you?”

  “Who said that?” Rolian gasped. “Who’s there? Who’s talking to me?”

  Luna batted the arachne’s abdomen until she spun around to face Triska.

  “Who is that? Who is she? I don’t know who that is. Why is she upside-down?”

  “Triska,” Doku said as she and the sisters rushed their co-mate. Triska walked into the dining hall towards Rolian while the girls quickly gathered at her side. “You’re awake again. How are you feeling? Are you alright? Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “Are you okay now, Triska?” Luna worried. “And Kitten, is she awake too? Can you hear her still?”

  “Triska?” Falla asked as the cambion walked up in front of the arachne with a solemn expression on her face.

  “Um… hello,” Rolian slowly said.

  “Who are you?” Triska asked.

  “My name is Rolian. And… and this is Juggy. Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” Triska replied, then glanced back to the girls with a raised eyebrow. “Anyone want to fill me in? Last I checked we didn’t have an arachne living here with us.”

  “It’s okay, she’s Kroanette’s friend,” Doku explained.

  “That only raises more questions.”

  “Yes, we… have much to talk about,” Doku admitted with a nervous look. “Though as troubling as much of it will seem, I assure you Rolian there is the absolute least of our worries. She’s perfectly harmless, I promise.”

  “I see,” Triska mused with a curious eye at Rolian.

  “You’re not upset we let an arachne into our home?” Falla carefully asked. “You’re not going to yell or anything? Usually you’re the first one of us to go on the offensive when we meet a hostile monster, or at least hostile looking.”

  “I’m not hostile!” Rolian whined. “That’s so mean! It’s not my fault I look like this! Don’t say such things about me!”

  “Falla,” Luna scolded. “That was very hurtful to say about her.”

  “I’m sorry,” Falla defended holding her hands up. “I didn’t mean to offend her, I was just saying, Triska’s the last person I expected to be calm from seeing an arachne in our home.”

  “About that,” Triska sighed as she held a hand to her head. “Honestly, I’m still feeling like shit and I don’t have the strength to yell at anyone right now even if I wanted to. But seeing you girls standing right next to her without any concern or fear at all doesn’t make me believe she’s dangerous. You appeared to be having a normal conversation with her, that’s a good sign. Plus, she’s crying like a little girl right now. Not very threatening if you ask me.”

  “Waaaaaaah!” Rolian whined as she slowly spun around in the air. “I’m not a bad monster! I’m not a bad monster at all! I told you that before, I told you I never hurt anyone in my life! I’m not mean like that! I never wanted to look like a scary monster in the first place, I can’t help how I was born!”

  “Falla,” Doku sighed.

  “I said I was sorry!” Falla cried out. “C’mon, knock it off already, stop crying! I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry!”

  “And now Snapper’s awake,” Doku weakly mentioned as she saw the young swarm opening her eyes. Snapper blinked and then immediately started snapping her teeth relentlessly as if that was the only thing she knew how to do. Doku sighed and started rocking the swarm in her wings, with Snapper quickly halting and looking up at her with an excited gurgle. She began batting the harpy’s bangs with her claws that Doku leaned forward so as to let the child play with them, the harpy’s golden eyes watching the swarm with a gentle gaze before glancing to Falla with a mor
e tired one.

  “Please keep your voice down, Falla. I do like holding the little one but she’s often quite a handful to care for and keep still.”

  “Sorry,” Falla grumbled with slouching wings.

  “Well she’s not the only one awake now,” Triska spoke up, taking a slow breath before glancing back to the girls with a small smile. “Kitten’s not feeling too well either, but she’s still in one piece inside me. She responded when I woke up. She’s going to be okay.”

  “That’s so good to hear,” Doku breathed out in relief. “I am so terribly sorry for the trouble and pain I caused you both. I do hope you can forgive me. It was never my intention to hurt you like I did, I only wanted to help.”

  “It’s okay, Doku. I know you were just trying to help us. I don’t hate you at all,” Triska assured. She then showed a mean smile and pointed a finger at the harpy. “But Kitten’s rather upset. I think she mentioned something about roasting you alive when she comes back out and feeding you to her master. I think you’re in trouble.”

  “What?” Doku gasped as she started trembling nervously. “She said that? Really? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please tell her I’m sorry!”

  “Joking,” Triska giggled with a weak smile. “I’m just joking with you, Doku. She would never do such a thing, she would lose Daniel forever if she harmed any of his family. She was a little angry at first for what happened, but I think you’re safe now. She said she’s willing to forget about it, this time.”

  “Heh… haha… ha… ha…” Doku uneasily laughed before gulping. “I… I see. Glad to hear she’s not… angry with me anymore. Oh my.”

  Triska smiled at the harpy then noticed Rolian chugging away at her brew while still hanging from her feet and slowly spinning above the ground, the arachne appearing to have withdrawn into her own little world as she didn’t pay anyone else any mind.

  “So, a few questions,” Triska mentioned glancing back to the girls. “Where’s Daniel? Where’s my sword? Where’s Kroanette? Where did the alcoholic arachne come from?”