“You’re stuck with your current lovers no matter what now,” Alyssa giggled with a wink at him. “And you’d better not ever forget that. Nope nope.”
“She’s right,” Specca agreed with a knowing smile at Daniel. “We’re your mates for life now, Daniel. You saw to that by giving us your seed, so you’d better always take care of us no matter what.”
Squeak moved behind Daniel and hugged him before squeaking in his ear with a coy smile and giving it a small lick.
“Again,” Falla spoke up with a weak smile and shrug. “If you get too tired or if it’s too much to handle then just tell those other girls no, we won’t get mad.”
“You really are amazing, Daniel,” Luna complimented with a flutter of her wings. “Wanting to take care of all of us because you really like us. We’re lucky to have you.”
“And we’ll be sure to express our gratitude with you every day,” Kroanette purred as she rested down near them. “You won’t mind, right?”
“Keep us forever, okay?” Pip cheered as she flew out of the centaur’s bosom and quickly hugged Daniel’s head. “You promised. You did. Hee hee!”
“You’re so generous and kind towards us,” Doku praised. “Even after the trouble we caused or the amount of work that’s being asked of you to do for us. I’ll be sure to do whatever I can to be worthy of having such a wonderful husband.”
“As long as I can be with you I don’t care who else is,” Clover said with a small smile. “Just remember you promised to take care of me. If you don’t I’ll beat the living shit out of you. I swear it.”
“Is this really what you want, Daniel?” Triska asked as she crawled over towards him on her hands and knees. He turned to the girl as she stopped at his side, her eyes watching him closely as she tilted her head in question. “You’re not doing this because you feel forced to, or that you might become more powerful with your magic, but rather because you truly want to take care of all of us? You want to make all of us happy?”
“Yes, that’s right,” he agreed while holding Alyssa around her waist. “All of you girls I’ve made love to mean so much to me, so much that I’m ready to have families with you and have already started that. I have grown fond of Doku and Clover and I feel like you girls have as well, I can see them joining our family, they belong with us. Star’s placed her faith in the good of others in us, in me, and Cindy’s much happier now that she’s learning to be good towards other people. If I’m able to I would love to take care of them as well, they’re both special and beautiful girls in their own right, and both are trusting me not to break their hearts.”
Star and Cindy blushed while looking down with timid smiles as Daniel chuckled and glanced to the sand wraith.
“Plus Cindy’s already helped us bring the first baby into our home. We have Snapper with us, and I do honestly think we can help her become a good soul in this world. She won’t be a mate for me, but she’ll hopefully be part of the family with our love and care.”
“She’s so cute!” Cindy squealed excitedly.
“And as for Kitten,” Daniel continued, pausing for a moment then as the girls all listened carefully to how the cambion was viewed by him now. He saw Triska watching him with curious eyes, knowing that behind them Kitten was probably biting her lip and pulling on her hair in heightened anticipation for what her master thought of her.
“I’m very proud of her,” he gently said, moving his hand to the back of Triska’s head and pulling her closer as if he was speaking to the demon herself. “Both for how she protected my family but also tried to get closer to them as well. I know it must be difficult for her, so difficult with her inner nature as a lustful demon, but she’s demonstrated control around others and even compassion towards some. Seeing her caring for Snapper like she was her own child, sparing Reiko’s life when she didn’t have to, and even her decision to spend time with you girls when she wasn’t ordered to, she’s impressed me again and again with how far she’s come from the demon she used to be.”
“Are you saying she has a chance of being your mate as well?” Triska asked. Daniel thought about it for a moment then shrugged a little.
“Maybe. I mean she’s not going anywhere, she’ll always be with us. If she truly can change her ways then maybe she and I could grow closer.”
“FUCK YEAH!” Kitten yelled in Triska’s mind, the girl flinching slightly then smiling weakly at Daniel.
“She… liked that answer.”
Daniel chuckled and held Triska closer, the girl blushing slightly as he touched her nose with his.
“She’s come a long way, but not just because of me. You helped her too, Triska. You’ve given her a chance at life and even offered to share your body with her in doing so. I’m amazed and proud of how much you care about not only her but the other girls as well.”
“Well, I’m only doing what you would do, Daniel,” Triska softly said, her eyes closing slightly as she neared Daniel’s lips. “I want to make you proud. You mean the world to me, you and all of them.”
Before she could kiss him she was struck down by a heavy pillow swing, the loud whump echoing out in the room as the girl was dropped straight down onto the bed.
“Don’t kiss Daniel!” Cindy yelled while winding back for another swing. “You don’t get to kiss him, meanie! Now bring back Kitten! I like her more!”
She started whacking Triska relentlessly with the cushion, prompting screams and flailing arms that swatted around to block the wraith’s attacks from the cambion who turned to her with a furious glare.
“Cindy! Knock it off! You need my approval to be with Daniel, remember? This isn’t how you get it!”
“Be quiet, meanie!” Cindy yelled hitting her again with a loud whump. Triska tackled the wraith onto the ground before they started rolling around hitting each other, with Cindy still using the pillow while Triska used her fists, both of which did no actual damage to either girl. Daniel and the others watched from the bed as the two bickering blondes rolled around side to side in their argument while shouting at one another.
“Don’t kiss Daniel with your mouth! That’s gross!” Cindy whined while smacking Triska’s head with the cushion.
“I’ll kiss my man whenever I want!” Triska yelled as she was hitting the wraith’s body and knocking sand around in small spurts. “I’ll do more than kiss him too, I’ll have sex with him and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”
“I won’t let you!”
“I already have!”
“Meanie!”
“Bitch!”
Cindy knocked Triska to the side of the room with a powerful hit from the pillow, causing feathers to fly up into the air while the teen tumbled over and crashed into her duffel bag that was set near the wardrobe. Triska growled heavily as Cindy got to her feet and charged at her with a yell then grabbed the bag by its strap and swung it around, striking the wraith with a loud whump that splattered the girl’s sandy body across the floor behind her. Daniel and the others watched with a jump as Cindy was smeared across the room while Triska snarled at her with the bag’s strap held in both hands. Slowly Cindy reformed again, the sand magically being pulled back together to form her body and clothing as well as the upset scowl she had on her face.
“You meanie!” Cindy yelled sitting up and thrashing around in a fit.
“Oh shut up, you little brat!” Triska yelled throwing the bag over to her. Cindy blinked and watched curiously as it flew at her before the bag slammed into the girl and took her to the ground. Daniel and the other girls watched with more surprise as Cindy’s arms and legs flailed about underneath the bag while the wraith was yelling in frustration. She tried to budge the heavy bag off her, grunting as it was nearly impossible for her to move, then screamed as Triska stomped down on it with one foot.
“You need to learn some respect for Daniel’s mates if you ever want to be with him!” Triska roared while pushing down with her boot. “And that means showing some respect for me!”
“Get this off me!” Cindy whined. “It’s so heavy!”
“Tell it to someone who cares!”
“I don’t like you, meanie!”
“I don’t like you either!”
Cindy cried as she tried and failed to budge the duffel bag off her, the girl’s head being smeared slightly as it was turned to face Daniel and the other girls who were staring in disbelief at the sight. The sand wraith whined and flailed her limbs about as she was partially crushed underneath the incredible weight while Triska kept stomping down on her with frustrated growls. After a few more grunts Triska scoffed at the pinned sand wraith then turned to see Daniel and the others watching her in stunned silence.
“What?”
“Triska, what in Eden is in-” Doku started to say before Specca rested a hand on her shoulder and slowly shook her head.
“What?” Triska asked expectantly.
“Seriously,” Clover said pointing to the duffel bag. “Explain that shit to us, because it is scaring the fuck out of me.”
Triska watched them with a quizzical stare for a moment then scowled down at Cindy who was crying and still calling her a meanie. Everyone else exchanged puzzled looks with one another while Triska was shouting at Cindy some more and shoving down on the bag with her foot, with Daniel then shrugging and petting Star behind her ears. The jinx purred and practically melted in pleasure, his fingers finding just the right spots to touch as her countess always used to, then slowly lied down next to him and hummed in content as she let Daniel pet her. Alyssa watched the jinx with a curious glance while holding onto Daniel, the witch then reaching down and scratching behind the cat’s other ear. Star meowed and rolled onto her side with a blissful expression, the girls around her watching as she became docile with amused smiles.
“That’s the Bloodcat of VanEllovan, huh?” Kroanette mused crossing her arms.
“Yes it is,” Specca said adjusting her glasses. “The very same who is feared all around the world.”
“Such a scary cat,” Alyssa cooed as she rubbed the jinx’s ear. Star glanced up to her with a smirk and meowed with a clawing gesture then closed her eyes with a gentle purr as she loved the attention she was getting.
“A world-famous killer, a sand wraith, and a swarm,” Falla mused looking around at the three girls. “And Daniel tamed all of them.”
“I didn’t tame them,” Daniel countered shaking his head. “I merely saw the good in them. They’re not evil girls, they were just misunderstood. All they needed was a chance to show the world that.”
“You helped bring out the best in them,” Doku praised. “I would expect nothing less of my husband.”
“Yeah, you did,” Clover dryly said with a dull smile at the boy. “You’ve proved your point, Dan. You can charm any monster you meet. I take back all that I said about you being crazy and that you couldn’t do it. Now quit stealing the hearts of other monsters and focus on just us.”
“I never intended to steal the hearts of so many girls out here,” Daniel reasoned with a weak smile and shrug. “Wasn’t expecting to find a mate at all during this journey. Still, I’m glad I did find you girls and helped make you happy in life. And I will be responsible with what I’ve done and chosen to do, I’ll protect and care for all of you with everything I have. I won’t forsake the love you’ve all graciously given me.”
“Good,” Luna giggled as she and Squeak held onto his back and looked over his shoulders. “Because we’re not letting you go-o.”
Squeak shook her head as she, Luna, and Alyssa hugged him tightly, with Star nuzzling against his side and Clover taking hold of Daniel’s hand. He looked around at seeing all the girls smiling at him, their eyes conveying that they loved him like no other, and he counted his blessings with each of them as well as reminded himself he had a very big responsibility now. He not only had to bring peace to Eden with his quest of uniting monsters and mankind together, but he also had a very large family to take care of that was depending on him. And he couldn’t have been more eager to do just that.
“Well, one thing is for certain,” he said looking over to Triska who was now hopping up and down on the bag while it slowly crushed Cindy into a sandy smear on the floor.
“It’s certainly going to be livelier around here for us.”
*****
The moving clouds above allowed moonlight to pass down onto the land. Just outside the edge of a grand forest that stretched out as far as the eye could see a large encampment was seen where fires were burning and women were heard shouting, the sheer number of tents and supply crates spread out in the field showing a large and well-equipped army had stopped there for the night. The thick timberland that laid before the campsite remained quiet and still, the shadows that filled the woods between all the large trees having a few specks of light seen drifting about before fading away. Warm glows from fire pits and torches painted the edge of the forest in a foreboding light as the occupants of this settlement planned to march into the forest with the most ill of intentions the following day.
In the center of the camp stood a larger pavilion with corpses of men and women lying in a deep pit beside it. Those that were raped to death, eaten alive, tortured until they breathed their last breath, they all were disposed of in an unceremonious way while the smell of rotting flesh and blood filled the air for a wide distance. From inside the leader’s tent a woman screaming at the top of her lungs was heard, the sound overcoming the laughter that accompanied it from within as well as the constant shouting and crying that was happening throughout the settlement. The few centaurs that were still left screamed from their cages, though they knew nobody would be saving them now. Human men and woman who were bound in chains and stockades were raped and abused by the horde of bloodthirsty monsters. Suffering, torture, and cruel laughter filled the air along with the stench of those that met their grisly ends at the hands of their captors. Many that were taken as slaves by the unforgiving horde died in horrible ways, with the rest being forced to watch and wait as their time grew closer.
However for one particular victim death wasn’t a liberty that was going to be granted, as this enslaved soul wasn’t being allowed release from her capture nor given a moment’s reprieve from her suffering.
“STOP! AHHHHHH!” she screamed, getting another round of laughter from trolls and arachne that stood within the large tent. The sound of a sizzling iron was heard before the woman again shrieked in horrible pain. While the wicked monsters all enjoyed watching their special victim pleading for mercy there was one among them who was standing outside gazing up at the stars.
“Such a lovely night,” Jovian happily sighed, her ears picking up the sounds of countless souls crying out in agony all around her, and her smile being that of pleasurable bliss. She giggled and merrily spun around on one foot, her enchanted sword strapped to her hip trailing a crackling arc of electricity that danced around her as if sharing in her enjoyment.
“Death is in the air, the smell of blood is tickling my nose, and the music of meatbags screaming in pain is making my heart flutter. I love this all so much, it’s like a beautiful paradise for me and all my friends.” Stopping her spin she chuckled as her smile turned vicious, her multicolored eyes looking straight ahead at the tall forest that lay before them.
“And soon this so called haven will be a wondrous hell for us to dance in. Won’t that just be divine?”
“I’d rather the forest remain standing after this if that would be alright with you,” a voice spoke up from behind. Jovian smirked and looked over her shoulder with a gleam in her eye.
“That’s up to you,” she mused with a shrug. “If you own up to your promise, I’ll consider honoring ours.”
Standing next to the tent flap a woman was seen, almost being a shadow against the pavilion in the fire’s light. She wore dark brown knee-high boots with golden soles and brims, her tunic and skirt being of the same design and color. A green cloak was worn with a quiver of arrows fastened to her back. Holstered around her
shoulder was an elven bow, the weapon being more angular and sharp looking than most while strung to the bottom of it were three crimson talismans. Her long black hair was smoothly combed and draped over her shoulders with elven ears seen sticking out from the locks, a few strands falling down across her face where her hazel eyes were watching Jovian closely. The elf had a small scar on her right cheek, her expression being that of a dull scowl while her arms were crossed before her and clad with long dark sleeves. Her fingers were gently tapping on her arm while clothed in dark gloves, her irritation at the gemini being evidenced although it was difficult to tell if she wasn’t naturally in such a foul mood with the bleak aura she gave off.
“You’ll have your archers for your army,” the elf stated with a raised eyebrow. “Just as soon as I’m crowned priestess of Green Haven. Our current leader is much too foolish to realize she can’t stand against you, but I see things more clearly than she does.”
“Very well said,” Jovian complimented with a mocking bow to her. “Such as I would expect from a treasonous rat who wishes to overthrow her queen. Tell me, are all elves from Green Haven as deceitful as you are?”
“Only those that follow my command,” the elf reasoned with a smirk. “And as the priestess’ trusted advisor I can make my fellow sisters do almost anything I want. She’s the only hindrance to both of us getting what we truly desire, you with your silly army and me with a forest to properly rule over.”
“So why haven’t you killed her yourself?” Jovian questioned. “If you want her job so badly why not take it already?”
“It would cause too much of a riot within the forest. I wouldn’t escape with my life should I draw my arrows onto her. But you coming here looking for ‘friends’ works out well in my favor.” The elf chuckled and walked up to Jovian then gazed ahead at the forest leading to her home.
Act IX Page 65