“What in Eden?” Daniel said in disbelief.
“Um… this wasn’t Alyssa’s signal… right?” Clover carefully asked.
Further away from the ravaged forest Kindra was staring in surprise at seeing flames shooting high above the elven grove while a few of its trees tilted and even dropped straight down into the jungle with loud crashes.
“What the fuck is this?” she cried out. “What’s happening over there?”
“Is this what you changed, Aeon?” Flarah asked glancing to the chronofly.
“No, no,” Aeon said shaking her head. “That was going to happen no matter what. The ant girls below the forest had a little… accident.”
“No, fuck this!” Kindra yelled clenching her fists. “I don’t care what you’re planning, I’m not letting Daniel Sorres die in there!”
She started to run forward before Flarah grabbed her hand and yanked her back, the younger kitsune then thrashing around and hopping about in anger while her tails rustled with cinders flying off them.
“Why are you stopping me, big sister? I have to save him! I can’t let him die now!”
“Don’t get involved,” Flarah ordered. Kindra opened her mouth to shout all manner of expletives at her older sister before Flarah held a hand over it to silence her. “Remember what Aeon said? He will survive, provided we do not interfere and change his fate. If you really want to make sure he lives then you will not get involved with this.”
“You’re going to trust her?” Kindra yelled pointing to the chuckling chronofly.
“We don’t have a choice,” Flarah reasoned with a shrug. “If you want to actually have his life be in danger then go ahead, step in and throw his fate to the winds. Frankly I’m a bit curious myself as to why Aeon has taken an interest in your little human, and the only way we’re going to find out is to sit here and watch what happens.”
“He could be coming face to face with the gemini any minute!” Kindra cried out. “That forest is being consumed in fire and chaos and there’s a Dark Queen in there with him!”
“Actually he already is facing the gemini,” Aeon spoke up. “He’s standing in front of them right now.”
“WHAT?” Kindra screamed at her.
“It’s true,” Flarah said turning her gaze towards the forest. “He’s standing before them as we speak, and doesn’t appear to be too frightened.”
“He is?” Kindra exclaimed. She quickly looked around at the forest then shook her head in bewilderment. “Wait, where is he? I can’t see him from here. I can’t see anyone from here. How the hell can you?”
She looked at Flarah cautiously, seeing the elder kitsune staring off into the distance at the burning forest with Aeon doing the same, each appearing to be watching something very closely that made an uneasy shiver creep down Kindra’s back.
“Flarah?” she carefully asked. “How can you see him from here?”
Flarah merely glanced to her while remaining silent, seeing her sister watching her with a sharp eye before she turned her gaze back towards the forest without saying a word. Kindra held in her growl as she watched Green Haven suffering a few more loud explosions and falling trees before slowly breathing out while her tails rustled behind her.
“Daniel, you’d better not die in there.”
Felucia slowly crawled over to the broken windows next to Daniel and Clover and stood up, the wraith poking a few broken pieces of glass out and looking around at the elven grove below in puzzlement before shaking her head a bit.
“What the hell just happened? The forest is on fire and falling into Eden now.”
“It is?” Jovian asked with a growing smile. “Well isn’t that delightful. I can hear the screams from here. How wonderful.”
“This is truly a happy day,” Jacqueline giggled. “I don’t know what just happened down there but it sounds simply divine.”
“Green Haven,” Clover mourned holding a hand over her mouth. “My… home. This is a nightmare. This can’t be happening.”
“I really hope Squeak and Cindy are okay down there,” Daniel worried.
“Cindy?” Felucia quickly asked turning to him. “Did you just say Cindy?”
“Yeah,” Daniel answered looking to her curiously. “She’s a sand wraith like you. Do you know her?”
“She’s my daughter!” Felucia exclaimed. She grabbed Daniel and started shaking him by the shoulders as he and Clover stared at her in surprise. “My daughter is here? What is she doing here? How do you even know her? Where is my baby girl?”
“Let go of him!” Clover yelled as she tried prying the wraith’s immovable hands off Daniel. “She’s our friend, she’s here helping us! Let go of Dan, goddammit! Let go!”
“Your friend?” Felucia bewilderedly shouted. “What do you mean friend? She doesn’t have friends!”
Daniel was shaken about a few more times before he and Clover finally managed to pull himself free from the sand wraith, the two stepping back from the upset monster as she looked between them anxiously and the burning village below as she grew fearful for her daughter’s safety. They then noticed the gemini laughing at them while having their swords held down at their sides.
“You have a daughter, Felucia?” Jovian wondered. “That’s fantastic. Why didn’t you ever tell us? We’d just love to meet her. If she’s as fun as you are then we’ll gladly keep her with us so you can be together again.”
“Yeah,” Jacqueline purred before licking her lips. “We’ll all play together. It’ll be so much fun, my sister and I will each have our own dolls to play with as much as we want.”
“Don’t you dare even look at my daughter!” Felucia yelled at them. “She is not for you! You already have me to rape and torture, isn’t that enough? Do what you want with me but keep your fucking hands off my Cindy!”
“Since when does our toy get to speak to us with such commanding words?” Jovian questioned with a bite. “I think you’ve forgotten your place, Felucia.”
“I have an idea, sister,” Jacqueline proposed. “This one’s old and bitchy. Let’s replace her with a better toy. Her daughter sounds ripe and enjoyable, let’s just share her together and get rid of this one. I’ve grown tired of playing with her anyway.”
“That sounds like a splendid idea,” Jovian agreed as the two held their swords out towards Felucia. The sand wraith backed up against the broken window with a fearful tremble before Daniel slowly stepped out in front of her and Clover.
“You’re not laying a hand on Cindy,” Daniel scorned, his eyes deeply glaring at the sisters while he gripped his sword’s handle. “You’re not touching her mother. You’re not going anywhere near my mates. And you’re not going to take away the elves of Green Haven for your wretched and selfish desires. You’ve done too much already, you’ve already ruined enough lives with your damned followers and your bloody crusade. You’re not going to threaten my family, my loved ones, their friends, their homes, their lives, or anyone else ever again!”
“Oh really now?” Jovian mused with a smirk.
“And just who’s going to stop us?” Jacqueline giggled.
Daniel felt something in him snap, his anger towards the gemini for the damage and suffering they caused to countless innocent lives and even those of his own family having reached a breaking point. With a furious shout he yanked out the Hellfire’s Edge, the dark blade giving off not only a dreaded aura that quickly filled the room but also a bright flash of crimson flames that raced along its glowing edge. The gemini watched curiously as Daniel held the flaming sword before him with both hands, his eyes glaring at them with rising fury for their crimes while behind Clover and Felucia stared at him in awe.
“Dan…” Clover breathed out.
“Who the hell is this guy?” Felucia slowly asked.
Daniel growled with his anger for the gemini burning just as hot as the weapon he held towards them. Their haunting multicolored eyes, their wicked smiles, their lack of morality or even a shred of a soul only inciting further rage
towards the heartless monsters as Daniel pushed aside any thoughts of them being nearly impossible to kill or defeat while only one thing became prominent in his mind. That being the answer to their question that he boldly gave them without fear.
“I AM!”
Artwork
Chronicles of Eden Act XI Cover
Syliandanchevas - Fey
Vale - Pixie
Bermuda - Arachne
VelRyan Avelrian
Kryelle - Succubus
Arixis - Succubus
Rolian - Arachne
Minos - Minotaur
Chronicles of Eden_Act XI Page 69