Act IX

by Alexander Gordon

  “You could have killed him,” Twilight spoke with anything but pleasure towards the witches. “If he had not received that ability from the cowardly harpy he would have been dead.”

  “It was an accident, master,” Astreal pleaded. “I only did as you asked; I tried to push him to-”

  “Are you trying to place blame for your misguidance on me?” Twilight demanded, her nails scraping the armrests of her chair with a piercing screech.

  “No, master!” Astreal cried out. “I’m sorry, I really am! I didn’t think he would be cornered so easily!”

  “You struck at him with far too much force,” Twilight retorted as she stood up and began walking towards the witches, her heavy footsteps and the haunting hisses of her snappers causing the sisters to turn pale in fright. “That human is very important to me, girls. You both know this. The amount of power he can accumulate with Synergy will make for a most divine meal for me when I am released from this place. After I devour him when he is channeling all of those monsters’ energy into his being I will gain untold amounts of power, something that I don’t want to see squandered all because you couldn’t control yourselves around him.”

  “I’m so sorry, master,” Astreal whimpered. “I only wanted to push him to reach his full potential, I swear.”

  “I gave you a simple order,” Twilight continued with a scowl. “Go there and help Daniel Sorres in taking all those girls as his mates. The more girls he has giving him their love the more powerful he will become, and in turn the more delicious my meal will be when he opens my seal. That was it. All you had to do was talk some sense into him. And what do you do instead? Hmm?”

  “I… nearly killed him,” Astreal squeaked in fear. “I’m sorry, master.”

  “We got him to take those two as his mates!” Apoch blurted out. “He won’t be hesitant with them anymore, we made sure of that! It’s only a matter of time before the jinx and sand wraith become his lovers too! They really like him and he does show compassion and care for them as well!”

  “And you think that absolves your sister’s mistake of attacking and nearly killing him?” Twilight curiously asked while one of her snappers loomed over Astreal. The blonde witch stared with fright at the teeth that were poised to chomp down at her, her panties becoming damp before she began leaking onto the floor.

  “He had to be pushed,” Apoch insisted. “He was so cowardly with his decisions, if we didn’t force him to act with all his might he wouldn’t have taken the harpy and elf as his mates. Please, we never meant to hurt him, we just wanted to make your meal that you are so patiently waiting for be the best it can possibly be.”

  Twilight glanced to her with an amused murmur, seeing the witch bowing her head while struggling to hold in her tears.

  “We succeeded, master. He is far more ready to fight in this world and take those girls as his lovers. Surely he will only grow stronger and provide you with a more bountiful feast when he unlocks your seal.”

  “Well, when you put it like that,” Twilight mused as her snapper withdrew from Astreal. “It sounds like you did what you had to do, and this was the only outcome that could have worked in my favor.”

  “Yes, master,” Apoch thankfully agreed glancing to her sister, seeing Astreal still alive and breathing albeit terrified beyond belief and having wet herself.

  “Very well,” Twilight said with a shrug. “I’ll overlook your blunder with attacking him this one time. After all it did work out in my favor and nobody got hurt in the end.”

  Without pause one of her snappers lunged down and snatched Apoch up, the witch shrieking in agony and jolting Astreal back to her senses. She watched with horror her sister being swallowed into the limb with a muffled scream, her legs kicking about before she was eaten entirely.

  “Of course,” Twilight continued with annoyance. “There is the matter that you broke into my cabinet and stole some of my precious Exilium. How could you be so rude? Or worse, think that I wouldn’t notice?”

  “Sister!” Astreal cried out.

  The bulge that was the screaming witch slowly moved along the limb into Twilight’s back, the poor girl’s shouts of terror and pain slowly fading away as she was once again devoured by her master.

  “I guess somebody did get hurt in the end,” Twilight chuckled. She looked down to see Astreal crying while staring at her stomach. “But don’t worry, Astreal. I forgive you for what you did. You won’t be suffering the fate of your sneaky sister.”

  “Master… please…”

  “No no, I won’t hear of it,” Twilight said with a cruel smile. “You did a good thing by pushing Daniel Sorres to his limits, I’m very proud of you. For your reward you shall not be joining your sister in my belly.”

  “Master… please,” Astreal whined. “I miss her. Please, don’t keep us apart. I want to be with her. I want to be with her again.”

  “But this is a fate suitable only for those who have been bad,” Twilight mused rubbing her belly. “And your sister did speak so highly in your defense. I don’t believe I want to waste her efforts in sparing your life.”

  “Please, master!” Astreal cried out. “Let me be with her again! Punish me too, please! I nearly killed Mr. Daniel, punish me for it! Eat me! Eat me!”

  “You poor little thing,” Twilight cooed. “The bond you share with your sister must really be great for you to beg for death as you are just to see her again.”

  “I can’t live without her!” Astreal screamed with tears falling from her cheeks. “Please, let me be with her again! I love her so much! Eat me, master, I beg of you!”

  “How sweet,” Twilight gently said. “I suppose if you really desire such a fate, I can be merciful towards you.”

  Her snapper hissed loudly then lunged down towards the witch, chomping down over her waist as she screamed in agony with blood splattering onto the floor. As the limb lifted the witch up and started viciously chewing her, slowly drawing the kicking girl up into its mouth, Twilight laughed and walked back towards her throne.

  “You two do entertain me sometimes,” she admitted sitting back down. Watching her snapper swallowing the crying witch she chuckled and gently ran a hand along the new bulge that was slowly making its way towards her back.

  “Still, I do wish you two would cease this constant habit you have of failing me. Honestly, how hard is it to follow my simple commands?”

  Turning her gaze up at the ceiling she appeared to watch something that could not be seen amidst the darkness that loomed overhead, her attention no longer on the witches she had devoured or their last muffled cries of agony.

  “And you, Daniel Sorres. Don’t you dare disappoint me as well. I’m expecting great things from you after all. Now stay focused and hurry up with finding your way to me, and by all means take as many lovers as you want in your travels. Make your harem as large as your caring heart can support before unlocking my seal. I simply cannot wait to meet you in person, my delicious morsel.”

  Chapter 8

  What Must Be Done

  In the world of Eden sometimes important decisions would have to be made quickly. There was no time to second-guess what could happen if the choice was wrong, having no other option but to push forward and hope for the best. Hesitating would only end badly, either by ruining any chance of success or perhaps even resulting in death. Perhaps there was some time beforehand to plan the best move, the see the correct path to take, or maybe the choice would be thrust upon them and demand an instant decision. However it came to be didn’t matter in the end, all that counted was what they chose to do. Fight or flee. Run or hide. Sink or swim.

  Pull out or stay in.

  *****

  Inside the main court Daniel and the girls who weren’t outside bringing their mobile home closer to the centaur kingdom were watching as Cindy was once again holding a flailing Triska over her shoulder.

  “Put me down!” Triska yelled as she struggled to break from the wraith’s grip. “Let go of me right now, Cindy!”
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  Try as she might though the cambion was unable to free herself. Cindy merely kept her eyes away from the girl in disdain while holding the teen with one arm, paying no mind to her screams or even when she was struck in her back and head.

  “Open the doors,” Cindy demanded before Triska elbowed the back of her head, smashing it inward and appearing to snap it down on her neck. Everyone just watched in stunned silence as the wraith recovered from the hit without so much as flinching or even seeming to notice she was struck yet again by Triska.

  “Cindy!”

  “Open the doors so I can throw her out,” Cindy said before her head was knocked to the side, a poof of sand spraying out from her instead of blood. The group continued to observe in silence as the wraith showed herself to be not only strong enough to detain Triska with just one arm but also was completely immune to her attacks. Her arm wasn’t able to be budged or even have the sand ripped apart, the wraith’s body appearing to have a very sturdy composition despite being made of magical grit, and she displayed no signs of pain or even awareness that Triska was hitting her again and again in a vain attempt to free herself.

  “Let me go, Cindy!” Triska yelled as she struggled to pull herself out of the wraith’s arm. “Dammit, I mean it! Daniel, why aren’t any of you helping me? I can’t get down!”

  “We’re a bit too surprised to see her actually holding you like this, Triska,” Specca reasoned while examining Cindy curiously.

  “I didn’t think they were this strong,” Alyssa mentioned shaking her head.

  “You really can’t get free, Triska?” Falla asked.

  “Does it look like I can?” Triska barked out over her shoulder. “You think I want her to hold me like this? Yes, I can’t get free!”

  “But you’re super strong now,” Luna pointed out. “How come you can’t get down?”

  Triska yelled loudly as she strained to pull herself free from Cindy, hands pushing against the back of the wraith’s head and arm while Cindy merely breathed out in annoyance from the girl’s persistence. Everyone watched as Triska used all her strength to escape the wraith’s hold, and fail completely in doing so.

  “She’s really stuck,” Pip said while sitting atop Squeak’s head. The ant girl nodded slightly in agreement with a squeak.

  Daniel stared at Cindy in awe, surprised to see that even though Triska had more strength since she became a monster she still wasn’t able to free herself from the wraith’s hold. It became crystal clear to him and everyone else that if a sand wraith ever got hold of their prey there would be no escape for them unless they had the one element that could harm the resilient monster.

  “Alright, that’s it!” Triska yelled as she grabbed the handle to her sword.

  “Triska, don’t!” Daniel called out.

  “Are you kidding me?” she cried out at him. “How else am I supposed to get it through that mushy head of hers to put me down?”

  “Mushy head?” Cindy repeated. “What does that mean?”

  “It means its all sand and no brains in there!”

  Cindy blinked then scowled before she slapped Triska’s rear hard, the sound echoing out in the hall along with a shriek from the teen.

  “You meanie! I’m going to slap you!” Cindy declared before hitting the girl’s ass again. Triska clutched her hands on the wraith as she screamed with wide eyes, the hit being way more powerful than Daniel or the other girls ever did with her in bed.

  “Stop!” Specca cried out. “What are you doing to her?”

  “I’m doing what Doku said!” Cindy answered before spanking Triska’s rear next to her head. “She’s being mean so I’m slapping the ducking smit out of her! Whatever that means!”

  “Stop!” Triska screamed before taking another painful hit to her ass. “Oh my god, stop, Cindy!”

  “She didn’t say ducking smit,” Luna mentioned shaking her head. “Doku said-”

  “Don’t correct her,” Falla interrupted holding a hand over her sister’s mouth. “We have to deal with Clover’s foul mouth already, don’t let Cindy start talking like that too.”

  “OW!” Triska wailed from another strike against her sore bottom. “Stop! Somebody stop her!”

  “I thought you liked getting spanked,” Pip wondered scratching her head.

  “Not like this!” Triska cried out before lurching with another painful hit. “Holy shit, she’s hitting me so hard!”

  “Be quiet, meanie!” Cindy ordered spanking her again. “Somebody open those doors, I’m throwing her away!”

  “But we can’t open the doors,” Luna said shaking her head. She pointed to the handles of the doorway that were glowing red. “We can’t open them when the carriage is moving outside. Until Kroanette and Clover stop the ride we can’t get out.”

  “You mean I’m trapped in here with this meanie?” Cindy exclaimed while slapping Triska’s rear again.

  “STOP IT!” Triska cried out. “Dammit, that really hurts!”

  “Cindy, stop!” Daniel ordered stepping forth. Cindy looked at him with a worried frown while Triska was at this point rubbing her ass as she had given up trying to break free from the wraith’s hold. “Please put her down, you’re hurting her.”

  “But, Daniel!” Cindy whined hopping up and down.

  “No buts. You’re hurting her and that’s bad. Please, I know you’re a kind girl. Stop hitting her and set her down. Do it for me, please?”

  Cindy sighed heavily then nodded before she let Triska go, the teen dropping back down behind her face first onto the floor with a thud. The group twitched as she then plopped over onto her back with a groan and a dazed expression. Daniel held a hand over his eyes and slowly shook his head before smiling weakly at the sand wraith and nodding a little.

  “Well, you put her down. So… thank you, Cindy.”

  “Triska?” Alyssa asked. “Are you alright?”

  “Just dandy,” Triska muttered as she slowly got back onto her feet. Holding her sore bottom she cringed a bit then glared at Cindy who was looking away from her with a stubborn huff. “You little bitch, I’m getting really pissed off with-”

  “Alright,” Daniel called out. “That’s enough. I don’t want this cycle to repeat itself, so let’s put it behind us and move on. We’re all going to be in our home here for a while since Kroanette and Clover are steering the carriage out there, so let’s all try to get along, okay?”

  “But, Daniel-” Triska started to say before he held out a hand to silence her.

  “I said, enough. I get it you two are having some trouble getting along right now, but that needs to stop. Triska, she’s proof that sand wraiths can behave themselves around other people, this is a major addition to our cause. Please try to get along with her.”

  Triska grumbled and slowly slid a hand down her face before breathing out heavily and nodding with great reluctance. Daniel smirked at seeing his mate struggling to keep calm again then smiled curiously at Cindy who was watching him with an innocent expression.

  “And you, I know you don’t like her that much right now, but I promise she’s not bad at all. Please, try to be nice with her, Cindy. She’s really important to me.” Cindy pouted then quickly ran over and held onto him, burying her face in his chest as if hiding from the world. Daniel chuckled and pet the sand wraith’s head, earning a peek from her and a small smile. “I don’t want to see her hurt, just like I don’t want to see you get hurt. So from now on don’t use violence with those that upset you. Use your words. Show the world the kindhearted girl that I’m seeing right now.”

  “Use my words?” Cindy wondered.

  “Yes. Talk to her if she bothers you. Try to settle your problems peacefully. Who knows, she might be your best friend one day. Whatever does happen with you two again, just don’t hurt her, alright?”

  Cindy hid her face again with a low murmur, seeming to hesitate for a while before nodding and cuddling closer to him. He smiled calmly as the wraith held onto him then looked around at his mates who wer
e all watching him curiously.

  “It’s simply incredible, Daniel,” Specca commented adjusting her glasses. “Of all the monsters you’ve made peace with, a sand wraith is one I never expected to see it happen with.”

  “She’s so nice now,” Luna marveled.

  “Oh yeah,” Triska muttered. “She’s a real angel.”

  “Aside from hating your guts, she is,” Falla reasoned with a shrug. “I don’t know how you do it, Daniel. Sand wraiths are as dangerous as they come, and yet you have her wrapped around your finger.”

  “I don’t have her wrapped around my finger,” Daniel insisted shaking his hands around behind Cindy. “She’s really a nice girl inside. She just needed help showing it.”

  “Is there any monster in the world you can’t convince to be good?” Alyssa wondered with a smile. “You got all of us to control ourselves, you’ve tamed a succubus, and now you’ve got a sand wraith acting like an innocent child with us.”

  “A naïve brat is more like it,” Triska grumbled crossing her arms.

  “Well she is a child,” Daniel reasoned looking to the wraith in his arms. She was peeking up at him with curious eyes, having not a hint of malice or evil behind them at all. “She’s still young, maybe that’s why it’s easier to reason with her about these sorts of things. She hasn’t been corrupted yet.”

  “Corrupted?” Cindy asked. “What’s that mean?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Daniel assured with a kind smile. He then glanced around at all his mates before looking up in thought, the girls seeing him thinking about something carefully for a while as he became suddenly distracted.

  “Daniel? What is it?” Specca wondered.

  “Well on one hand we have a sand wraith who is our guest and should be treated nicely while in our care,” Daniel pondered with a curious glance down at the wraith. “She’s not only proof of my beliefs but also our new friend, we should play with her and see what else she wants to learn about the world around her.”

  “Play?” Cindy asked with a bright smile. “I like playing.”