Chronicles of Eden - Act VII

by Alexander Gordon

  Daniel sighed and nodded before glancing to her with a small smile.

  “You have all of us, Doku. We’ll watch out for you in Cilia’s place.”

  Doku nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, with Daniel looking around at the other girls with a sympathetic face as they kept a close eye on the harpy. He helped Clover walk and allowed Doku to keep close to him as he made his way towards the carriage with Triska and Alyssa. The other girls glanced to each other then slowly followed after as the witch sisters opened the large doors and pushed them in. As they did Triska and Alyssa’s eyes widened before Daniel and the other girls showed similar reactions at seeing the inside which was by no means smaller than their previous home.

  “Welcome,” Apoch and Astreal greeted as they stepped in and gestured the group to enter. “To our master’s private study.”

  Chapter 19

  Faces of Evil

  In the world of Eden there were many who could be viewed as malevolent. Perhaps they were dark and sinister in appearance, maybe they spilled blood without sympathy, or they toyed with the lives and emotions of others merely for pleasure. They weren’t always seen to be sinful at first glance, as sometimes they masked themselves well behind lies or gifts. Others were clearly wicked as they made no effort to hide their horrible nature whatsoever. However it made no difference in the end whether they wanted to be seen by all or remain shrouded in mystery.

  No matter who they were, woe to whoever their sights rested on.

  *****

  Everyone slowly walked through the doors of the summoned carriage, which were tall enough for even Kroanette to pass through, and onto a smooth marble stone floor, their eyes gazing around in absolute amazement as they found themselves standing in a large rounded hall. The ceiling above was pointed in a steeple with the walls being painted with stars and celestial clouds that appeared to twinkle and drift about along the flat surfaces. The rounded court had finely crafted blue obsidian pillars that lined the walls while paintings of beautiful scenery were hung between a few. The room had four open archways opposite of each other while diamond shaped white lanterns were hung off a few of the pillars which gave the hall a soft warm glow. Directly across from the main entrance was a large grandfather clock, the well-crafted timepiece softly ticking with each gentle swing of its long pendulum.

  “What… what is this place?” Kroanette gasped with a hand held to her chest.

  “We just told you,” Apoch and Astreal casually said as they stood in the middle of the room. “This is our master’s study.”

  “Her study?” Specca questioned. “This… this place is Twilight’s study?”

  “Yes,” Twilight happily announced. “Girls, please do show them around their new living quarters.”

  “Yes, master,” the twins agreed before walking towards the archway to the right of the group. “Come this way, we shall make this quick.”

  “Where are we?” Pip asked as she fluttered out of Kroanette’s chest and spun around in circles.

  “This place is huge,” Luna marveled.

  “We could fly around in here if we wanted to,” Falla realized as the sisters gazed around at the large amount of space the central court had.

  “Oh my,” Doku worried as she clung to Daniel’s arm while looking up. “That’s… that’s really high.”

  “Okay,” Clover slowly said as she glanced around the court. “Maybe it’s not so small after all.”

  “Excuse us,” Apoch and Astreal called out. They tapped their staves repeatedly on the floor, the clanking echoing out in the hall as the group hurried over to them. “Please allow us to show you around. Now, in here is our master’s library.”

  “Library?” Specca gasped.

  She quickly ran past the witches then instantly halted as she stepped into the other room. Everyone slowly gathered behind her and stared in equal surprise at seeing a large two story hall filled with bookshelves reaching as high as the ceiling. The atrium style library had a wide walkway that rose up to the upper level which overlooked several tables with cushioned chairs set around them, the bookshelves that were placed on the open side having a few side rolling ladders to reach the higher shelves. And next to those along the tall wall were stein glass murals that gave off a soft cerulean and silvery light as if they were windows. The paintings were made to appear underwater, with colorfully painted fish and sparkly bubbles giving off glimmers of rainbows in their light. The same diamond shaped white lanterns were hung throughout the hall, all of them appearing to have been lit just for the travelers’ arrival.

  “Good lord,” Alyssa softly said. “I’ve never seen so many books before.”

  “Specca?” Triska asked, the group then seeing the nixie staring at the massive amounts of reading material she now had with wide eyes and an open mouth.

  “Are you okay?” Luna said waving a hand in front of the nixie and getting no reaction.

  “I think she likes this part of the tour,” Daniel chuckled with an amused smile.

  “I meant what I said before,” Twilight promised. “Everything I know you may know as well. In here are not just stories and fables told by man and monster, but also tomes that I personally have written to store vast amounts of priceless knowledge. Specca, I trust you will take good care of my library in my absence.”

  “Ms. Specca, please stop drooling on our master’s floor,” Apoch and Astreal flatly ordered as the nixie’s open mouth began to drip slightly. Specca jumped then quickly wiped her mouth before looking upwards with a grateful smile and hands held as if in prayer.

  “Thank you so much, Twilight. I promise I’ll take very good care of your books.”

  “I’m sure you will. And, Alyssa, there are some very good books in here regarding alchemic creation and magical conjuring. Perhaps you might find a tome or two to be interesting as well.”

  “Thank you, Twilight,” Alyssa gently replied while gazing around at the books, her expression not conveying real joy but merely hiding a frown with a small smile. “I’ll be sure to check them out.”

  “This way please,” Apoch and Astreal politely ordered as they left the library and made their way over to the second archway.

  The group followed after, with Triska dragging Specca by her tail as the nixie kept her eyes on the library as long as possible, and came into a large bathhouse that had a thin layer of steam drifting about. The centerpiece pool was rounded with a constant waterfall gently dropping down the middle from the ceiling, the veil of clear water giving off a sparkly rainbow as it poured into the large bath. The tiles were made with smooth obsidian stone while the walls had a soft blue color with shelves lined with white towels and robes. The ceiling was a dark black with four round orbs hung down around the room that glowed softly like lanterns. The group stared at the pool in awe as it was easily big enough for twice their numbers to bathe in.

  “And this is the bath- Ms. Specca!” Apoch and Astreal shouted, all eyes quickly turning to the nixie who was again gazing at the sight in similar astonishment as she was a few minutes ago in the other room complete with drool that was now hitting the floor.

  “A bath?” Specca shakily asked with a big smile coming across her face. “We have… a bath now? Our own bath? I can wet my scales whenever I want to inside our home?”

  “Well,” Triska commented with a raised eyebrow. “Twilight’s certainly won her over now.”

  “I’m impressed by this too,” Daniel mentioned with a big smile. “We won’t have to clean ourselves in the river anymore. This looks amazing.”

  “Oh, I think we could all use this,” Falla eagerly agreed as she and her sister smiled brightly at the sight.

  “After the tour I say we jump in,” Kroanette insisted while eyeing the sparkling water and gently brushing her hair.

  “That does look pretty good,” Alyssa mentioned with a small smile. The others showed sympathetic smiles at her before Triska rubbed her shoulder.

  “I think we’ll all enjoy a nice bath later tog
ether,” Triska agreed. “It’ll help put this morning behind us.”

  “This way please,” Apoch and Astreal dryly ordered as they left the room, the group following after with Triska once again pulling Specca by the tail to get her to leave.

  Walking through the third archway the witch sisters stood aside and allowed the others to enter, all of them gazing around in wonder once again at finding themselves standing within a large dining hall. A long dinner table was set to the side across the lengthy hall, silky white tablecloth and napkins already set with plates and fine cutlery as if a meal was going to be served soon for a very large gathering. Sectioned off from the eating area was a kitchen complete with pantries and shelves stocked with dishes, silverware, glasses, and a lovely grain aroma that suggested fresh bread having recently been baked. There was even a firewood stove and a large beautifully crafted urn to store water in. The walls were painted a soft white while three chandeliers were hanging over the long dinner table with dozens of lit candles. The ceiling was curved upward with a silvery finish while along the wall next to the table were more stunning paintings of scenery ranging from lush forests to tranquil valleys. The floor shifted from a smooth hardwood underneath the dining table to a light blue marble tile under the cooking area while a few softly glowing lanterns were hung around the room.

  “Holy shit,” Triska finally said as the group was rendered in shock from seeing their new eating area.

  “It’s like we’re living in a castle,” Specca marveled.

  “This is Twilight’s study?” Daniel asked the witch sisters in disbelief.

  “Yes,” they simply replied with nods.

  Specca and Squeak ran over to the kitchen and opened the pantries, seeing freshly stocked bread, vegetables, fruits, canned goods, spices, sauces, and a few jars with chocolate and cinnamon in them. Squeak opened her mouth to squeak but nothing came out as she gazed around at the food they had. Specca took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things before putting them back on and stepping back as she held her head in awe that she wasn’t seeing things.

  “This is unbelievable,” she said looking around at the others. Pip was zipping around the large hall with wonder while Kroanette trotted over to the table and eyed it over, seeing that it had places for over a dozen people to sit.

  “Does she study things alone in her study?” Kroanette asked curiously.

  “Yes,” the twins again replied with a single nod.

  “I think your family will be able to eat and rest well here while you travel the land, Daniel Sorres,” Twilight mused with a giggle. “I hope you find everything here to your liking.”

  “This place is so big!” Pip exclaimed as she flew back over and landed on Alyssa’s shoulder.

  “Why is it so big if you’re here all alone?” Luna asked up at the ceiling.

  “Well, I figured if I was going to create something for myself to relax in and allow me to learn of the world in peace, I may as well make it a little extravagant. There’s no harm in that, is there?”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Falla agreed with an impressed smile.

  Clover took a step forward before cringing and hanging onto Daniel’s arm as her legs gave out. He quickly dropped the relic in his hand and caught the girl as she fell to her knees, the others then watching as she held her side while breathing through her teeth.

  “Fuck,” Clover cursed as she tried to stand again. She then gasped quietly as Daniel lifted her up into his arms, her hands freezing at her sides as she stared at him in surprise. “What are you doing? Put me down! I can walk on my own!”

  “No, you can’t,” Daniel corrected. “Hence why you’ve been holding onto me ever since we got here. Quit being so proud and let me help you.”

  “Put me down,” Clover snarled at him with a blush.

  “I’d rather not have you collapse on the new floor, Clover. Tell you what, you can hit me later if you really hate me for this, but for now you need to accept what help is being given to you. I’m not going to leave you on the floor while we look around at our new home.”

  “You’re not well enough to stand yet,” Doku softly warned the elf. “Your body needs to rest a bit more. Please listen to him.”

  Clover growled then looked down and away while clutching her cloak close to her chest. Daniel smirked at her then glanced around at the other girls with a small shrug, all of them showing some amusement at seeing the elf getting flustered in her injured state.

  “Come this way please,” Apoch and Astreal announced before leaving the hall. The others followed after, with Triska picking up the relic and glancing to it curiously before catching up with the group.

  The twin witches walked through the final archway and stepped aside for Daniel and the girls to enter, all of them again showing awe at seeing what the final chamber held.

  “I believe you’ll appreciate this room most of all, Daniel Sorres,” Twilight mused with a chuckle.

  Daniel’s heart began beating ever so slightly faster as he saw the last room was of course the bedroom. It was a large rounded chamber with a soft white carpet and smoothly painted beige walls, the lanterns in this room appearing to be built right into the walls rather than being hung on them. Wardrobe cabinets and dressers that curved with the wall were placed on the left side while on the right were shelves with small framed pictures of scenery and marble pottery. A few full sized mirrors were set next to them in a dressing area with a small cushioned stool placed in front. And in the middle towards the back of the room was the bed, which was actually set into the floor with the grand mattress rising up out of its nook with blue satin sheets and purple covers laid over it. There were dozens of fluffy red pillows gathered towards the back while over the sleeping area thin veils of white silk were draped from the ceiling near the wall down to the sides of the bed. The roof of the bedroom was curved upward in a dome with the same moving starry backdrop that the main court had in its ceiling.

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Triska purred with an immoral smile forming.

  “Wow,” Falla and Luna breathed out in wonder.

  “Now that’s a bed,” Specca commented with an impressed smile.

  Squeak walked over and tested the bed’s mattress with her foot before diving down onto it with a happy squeak. She bounced slightly as it was soft yet firm enough to rest on, the group watching as she curled into a ball and rocked around slightly before smiling at the group. Daniel walked towards the bed with the other girls while Pip quickly circled the room near the ceiling in a blue blur.

  “The bed will easily accommodate all of your mates, Mr. Daniel,” Apoch and Astreal formally announced. “With room to spare.”

  “Um, all of us?” Kroanette asked them with a worried smile.

  “You will not break it with your weight,” Apoch assured her shaking her head.

  “You could jump on it all day and do nothing to it,” Astreal reasoned with a shrug.

  Kroanette slowly approached the side of the mattress while brushing the veil away, the group watching as she carefully rested down on the bed that was easily big enough for her along with everyone else. She laughed lightly as she felt the bed holding perfectly under her then laid on her side with Squeak facing her with a similar look.

  “This is quite comfortable indeed,” Kroanette complimented.

  Pip zipped down and bounced on the bed like a skipping stone, hopping about all the way towards Kroanette before landing down between her breasts with legs kicking about above her.

  “Bouncy!” Pip’s muffled cheer was heard before the fairy turned around and crawled out of the centaur’s assets. “It’s so bouncy and soft.”

  Falla and Luna fluttered over and gently landed down on the bed, both of them looking around at it with curious smiles while Specca crawled onto it towards Squeak and rested beside her. Alyssa sat down on the edge and hopped a bit on it before looking down with a quiet sigh.

  “Alyssa,” Twilight gently spoke.
“I see that your daughter’s passing has troubled you greatly, even if you do hide your tears well.”

  “It would have been great if she could join us, if she could have forgiven me.”

  “I believe you have every right to be sad, however you should also be happy for your daughter. I saw how angry she was, the pain she was enduring, the weight she bared. I can only imagine the hardships she must have gone through that took away her innocence and love. She was suffering, Alyssa. If even the loving words of her own mother could not soothe her internal wounds, she must have truly been through hell itself and was left forever scarred from it.”

  “Why would I be happy about that?” Alyssa asked in disbelief. “How can I find any joy in what happened to my baby girl?”

  “Because in the end she was not slain, Alyssa. She was freed. She was allowed rest. Your family did not murder her nor kill her unjustly. They put an end to her suffering. Your daughter is now resting in peace, for that you should be happy for her. I’m sure wherever she may be in the afterlife she’ll come to terms with herself and her mother. She’ll forgive you, and she’ll love you.”

  “You think so?” Alyssa whimpered with teary eyes.

  “I know so. It is alright to be in mourning over losing your dear daughter, I understand that. But this was the only outcome for her, the only way she could finally be free from the pain of fate that was so cruel to her. Your daughter is finally at peace now, Alyssa. Be happy for her.”

  Alyssa nodded and lowered her head as the rest of the group did the same in respect for the fallen witch. Doku sniveled and hid her face behind her wing, all eyes slowly turning to her as she sat down on the edge of the bed and whimpered quietly.

  “I don’t think I can find any happiness in Cilia’s passing,” Doku confessed in sorrow.

  “I understand your feelings, Doku,” Twilight sympathized. “Her passing was indeed unfortunate and hard on you. All I can say to help you is what I genuinely believe regarding the loss of a loved one. Do not mourn that she died, rather celebrate that you knew her.”