chronicles of eden - act I

by Alexander Gordon

  “I guess I can’t blame them for hating monsters,” she admitted with a sigh. She looked over to see Squeak watching the water as she sat on the stone edge of the pool, her abdomen sticking out over the edge.

  “Still, you’re one of the good ones, I know it just as Daniel does,” Triska added gently with a small smile. Squeak glanced to her then smiled, the two then looking over to seeing Alyssa riding Lucky into the courtyard with a quickened trot. The witch searched around quickly before spotting the two girls then promptly rode over to them.

  “Hey, where’s our carriage?” Triska asked looking at the horse that wasn’t pulling anything behind him.

  “Where’s Daniel?” Alyssa asked looking around quickly.

  “He’s at the library researching about the monsters around here. Where’s our carriage, I thought you were going to go get one,” Triska asked with a raised eyebrow. Alyssa shook her head then looked back to the teen.

  “You know, I’m spending my own money to buy something that you’re going to be riding in for the duration of this trip, the least you could do is show a bit of gratitude,” she scoffed. Triska gave her a dull stare then rolled her eyes.

  “Fine, where is this carriage that you were so graciously offering for Daniel’s trip?” she asked with a slightly uplifting tone.

  “I haven’t got it yet, stupid, I just got back,” Alyssa said flatly. Triska growled at the witch with frustration.

  “I can see that, I was asking why you haven’t gotten it yet. You said you were going to meet us here with it, remember?” she said with a twitch of her eyebrow at the end. Alyssa looked around carefully then back to Triska.

  “I ran into a little… problem outside,” she said cautiously. Triska and Squeak looked at her curiously as the witch showed a worried expression.

  “Problem? What kind of problem?” Triska asked carefully.

  “There’s another witch here, one that… doesn’t quite like me so much,” Alyssa said carefully.

  “Really? Can’t understand why not,” Triska said flatly. Alyssa growled loudly at her then breathed out as she closed her eyes. She couldn’t use any magic on Triska while inside the city walls, no matter how much she wanted to throw the human across the courtyard and into a wall. After pausing for a moment she looked back to Triska with a narrowed stare.

  “She and I have a bit of a rough history, alright? The point is she’s here, and I’d rather we weren’t,” she explained sternly before looking around again. Triska looked at her cautiously then around the courtyard as Squeak did the same.

  “Is she dangerous?” Triska asked.

  “She tried to kill me; I think that means she’s dangerous. She can’t use any magic while here in the city, but I don’t want her seeing or following us when we leave, so we need to get going as soon as we can,” Alyssa said looking back to the human. She blinked then pointed to her.

  “Hey, where’s your sword? I thought you always kept that worthless thing with you everywhere you went,” she asked simply. Triska twitched at that then glared at the witch.

  “It’s not worthless you little… anyway, it’s getting checked over by the blacksmith here in the city. Squeak left her pickaxe with him too, we’ll be picking them up later on when they’re done,” she said with annoyance. Alyssa rolled her eyes then looked down to Lucky.

  “We can’t wait long. I’m going to go get us a carriage for Lucky, I trust you got all the other things we came for at least?” she asked before looking back to Triska. The teen nodded then looked down thoughtfully at her duffel bag, nudging it with her foot slightly.

  “Yeah, we got what we needed, at least what we could afford. As soon as Daniel gets back and our weapons are done we’ll be good to go,” she said with a shrug. Alyssa looked down at the duffel bag then shook her head slowly.

  “How the hell are you packing everything into that bag anyway?” she asked in disbelief. Squeak glanced to the duffel bag then to Triska with a raised eyebrow as she had been wondering that as well. Triska looked at the bag and scratched her head in puzzlement.

  “What do you mean? I just packed what we purchased into it, wasn’t so hard,” she said simply. She blinked then looked to Alyssa.

  “Speaking of purchases, maybe I should go buy the carriage for us,” she said pointing to herself.

  “I can handle getting it, I don’t need your help,” Alyssa scoffed.

  “That’s not what I meant. The blacksmith here said that sellers normally charge double or even triple the normal costs of merchandise for monsters. If I go buy it we can get it for a better deal, if you go they might charge more than you have,” Triska said defensively. Alyssa looked at her for a moment then towards the city.

  “They do? Those goddamned lousy humans, you mean they’ve been ripping me off all this time?” she asked with discontent.

  “Daniel’s one of those ‘goddamned lousy humans’, in case you forgot,” Triska said flatly. Alyssa jumped a bit then looked at her with a concerned glance.

  “I know that, I didn’t mean… I only meant… oh never mind. Fine, I’ll wait here for Daniel with Squeak then, but you’d better hurry,” she said before she hopped off of the horse. She tossed Triska the bag of gold with a dull expression.

  “You’d better not screw this up,” she mentioned flatly. Triska glared at her as she lifted up her duffel bag with one hand then walked over to Lucky.

  “Just keep an eye on Squeak, I can handle getting a simple carriage for Lucky,” she said grabbing the reins to the horse. She paused then glanced to Alyssa.

  “Of course, it might help to know where I can get one. Where are the stables in this city?” she asked. Alyssa pointed her staff towards a nearby street.

  “They’re over towards the eastern wall, just head that way. And make sure nothing spooks Lucky, you won’t be able to calm him down fast enough like I can,” she said cautiously. Triska nodded then smiled calmly at the horse.

  “I’ll keep an eye on him. C’mon, boy, let’s go for a little walk,” she said as she gently pulled on the reins. The horse followed after her as she walked down the street from the courtyard, with the witch and ant girl watching them go as they sat down on the edge of the pool.

  “She’d better not screw this up,” Alyssa muttered with a dull tone. She looked up thoughtfully then shrugged a bit.

  “Though I guess with her yelling all the time maybe she can haggle with the merchants easily enough,” she reasoned. She sighed then looked over to Squeak as the ant girl was looking down at the water in the pool with a gentle gaze.

  “Squeak? Are you ok?” she asked. Before the ant girl could answer somebody walked up next to the witch, nearly bumping her into the water.

  “Hey, watch it,” Alyssa snapped as she turned around to seeing someone learning over the water.

  She was taller than Triska; however had a larger body build and a leathery pink texture to her skin. She wore dull leather sandals on her feet along with scratched brown plate leggings that only covered the front of her legs up to her knees. A dark brown cloth was worn as a miniskirt, the fabric tied around her waist with a dull rope, while a short coiled pig tail stuck out behind her. She had a single piece of hip armor on her left side, the metal appearing dull and scratched, along with a ragged brown shirt with no shoulders or straps, which barely held her large bust. There were metal plates of armor on her arms that were tied with small leather straps, the plates appearing dull and scratched. She had a brown leather collar around her neck with a few chain links attached to the front of it, which dangled down over her cleavage. Her short dark brown hair wasn’t combed; rather it flowed freely down to her cheeks and rested above her hazel eyes. She was obviously a monster, as she had large pink pig ears that were flopped down on the sides of her head. People around the area stopped and stared at the sight as she was leaning over and using one hand to scoop up water from the pool to drink, the girl gulping it down with a few small oinks. At her side resting on the ground was a stone hammer with a dull wood
en handle, the weapon looking to weigh a great deal as the end was about the size of the girl’s upper body. After a few mouthfuls of water she stood back upright and glanced to Alyssa while she wiped her mouth.

  “What… are you doing?” Alyssa asked cautiously.

  “Getting a drink, I was thirsty. What’s it to you?” the monster quipped in a snippy tone. Alyssa glanced to the pool next to her then back up to the monster.

  “That water… isn’t for drinking though,” she said shaking her head.

  “Why not? Water’s water,” the monster said carelessly, lifting up her large hammer with one hand and holding it over her shoulder. Alyssa glanced to it then back to the girl as Squeak watched her curiously.

  “Yeah, but that’s not… never mind,” Alyssa said glancing back to the pool. The monster looked at her with a raised eyebrow then over to Squeak, the ant girl just staring at her curiously still.

  “What are you looking at, bug?” she asked with annoyance. Squeak showed annoyance at that as did Alyssa.

  “She’s not a bug, she’s an ant girl, and her name is Squeak,” Alyssa said firmly. The other girl laughed a bit and looked at Squeak with an amused smirk.

  “Squeak? Haha, what kind of dumb name is that?” she jested with an oink at the end. Alyssa looked at the monster with discontent while Squeak merely gave her a dull glare.

  “Nobody asked you,” Alyssa replied with a tone of anger. The monster laughed then turned to walk away without a care.

  “Squeak, what a stupid name,” she mused with another small oink at the end. She walked off down the street with a calm stride, the people around the area parting for her as she headed off into the city. Alyssa watched her go then looked to Squeak, the ant girl having a dull glare aimed at the rude monster still while she squeaked softly.

  “If we weren’t in a human city, she would be sorry for speaking to you like that,” Alyssa said looking back down at the ground while holding her staff in one hand. Squeak glanced to her and smiled slightly from the comment, then looked around at the city with a curious eye as people started to walk away.

  The pink skinned monster walked away from the courtyard then turned to head down an alleyway between two large buildings. She glanced behind her then walked down the darkened corridor while she had her giant hammer over her shoulder. After a few more steps she quickly turned around as she gripped her hammer tightly, spotting a figure in a black cloak and hood walking towards her.

  “You were supposed to wait here, remember?” the figure demanded with annoyance.

  “I was thirsty, I just stepped out for a moment,” the monster snapped with a stubborn expression while the figure removed her cloak and hood.

  She stood about as tall as the other monster, however was obviously not human as she had green reptilian feet with white talons, her skin being green scales that went up to her knees. Her upper legs appeared human while she wore dark green metal leggings that went up to her knees. She had green underwear on along with black hip armor plates that had white talons on the ends, a green skin tight shirt on that had no sleeves with the girl’s bust being easily noticeable, and a dark green choker around her neck that had small white studs on it. Green sleeves were worn on her lower arms that went to her wrists, revealing her green reptilian hands as she tossed her cloak over onto a broken wooden rack next to a wall. A long green scaled reptilian tail swayed behind her while she glared at her comrade with her dark green eyes, the girl having long brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail. Her ears were pointed and reptilian, the ridges extending back out slightly.

  “Master gave you an order, you were to remain here until he returned,” she scolded sternly while she walked over to the broken rack and reached behind it, pulling out a large broadsword with one hand. It had a brown handle with a green hilt, the large weapon being held easily with one hand.

  “It was just for a second, it’s hot out here,” the other girl whined.

  “And you went out there without concealing yourself, you could have been seen,” the reptile girl said shaking her head.

  “She wasn’t around here, I checked first before I took a drink,” the other argued with an oink. The reptile girl showed discontent then looked over behind her comrade with a quick glance. She jumped a bit as the other girl looked back behind her to seeing somebody walking up to them.

  “Next time I tell you to stay put, Rulo, I expect you to do so,” a male’s voice said calmly as a figure approached them. He was human and looked to be slightly older than Daniel. He had cold blue eyes and short messy dark hair, the boy dressed with black boots that had brown straps at the top, dark pants, and a black shirt with a leather strap at an angle across his chest holding a gray metal armor piece on his right shoulder. Strapped around his waist was a dark brown belt with a sword held at his left hip in a black sheath, the straight edged blade having a black handle with a finely polished white hilt and bottom while the sheath had a slight wave design etched into it. He wore a black leather glove on his right hand that was down at his side as his other hand rested on his sword at his hip.

  “Yes, sorry, master,” Rulo said as her ears drooped down a bit more, showing a worried expression. The human rolled his eyes and looked back behind him with a dull glance.

  “I keep telling you two not to call me that,” he said flatly.

  “Sorry, master,” Rulo said again while looking down with remorse, this time being whacked in the back of the head by the reptile girl.

  “Thank you, Sasha,” the boy said looking back over to them. The reptile girl smiled slightly and nodded, then showed a focused expression again.

  “She’s here, master, her and that witch. I don’t think they saw me though, I held my distance and kept my form concealed,” she reported in a professional tone. Rulo whacked her in the back of the head with a stubborn expression.

  “He said don’t call him that, remember? Don’t you reptile girls listen?” she said with an oink. Sasha growled at her with narrowed eyes.

  “You’re one to talk, orc,” she said with a hiss. They glared at each other before the boy cleared his throat, both girls then looking to him as he had a dull expression on his face while watching them.

  “Ladies, could you please remain focused here?” he said dryly. The girls nodded and watched him worriedly as he glanced back behind him down the alley.

  “If she’s here then there’s no doubt she’s after it as well. We need to grab it before she does,” he said carefully. Rulo and Sasha glanced to each other then back to him as they stood ready.

  “What’s our next move then, master?” Sasha asked cautiously. Rulo whacked her in the back of the head, the reptile girl flinching then looking at the human again with worried eyes.

  “I mean, Daemon,” she said softly. The human gripped his sword’s handle then looked back over to the two monster girls.

  “We take what’s ours, one way or another.”

  Chapter 14

  Under Attack

  The world of Eden was full of mystery and surprise, with lost tombs and ancient ruins being hidden within the outerlands. Secret caverns in the mountains, forgotten temples within the forests, or even catacombs deep under the desolate wastelands often held strange and powerful relics within them, and also monsters that may have inhabited the lands. Mystical artifacts and weapons of civilizations past, or ancient knowledge and wisdom of a time long ago; you never knew what you might stumble across while venturing through the world. Of course with such powerful artifacts one must always be careful when claiming them.

  You never know who, or what, may come after it.

  *****

  The city of Ashwood was located between the rolling plains to the west and the outerlands to the east, the large settlement dividing a forest to its northern and southern borders. Surrounded by a fortified stone and brick wall, the people of the human city were protected from the more malicious monsters that roamed the outerlands as well as from human bandits. Within the city fortifications the stre
ets were lined with homes and shops, along with a school for the children, a blacksmith for armor and weapons, a marketplace for humans and prohibited monster traders to do business, a church for praying and worship, a ranch and stables for the horses and travel merchants, a library that housed nearly everything for research and study, and all the typical locales that were common with the larger human settlements.

  And towards the northern side of the city there was another building that stood out against the others, the large circular temple that had finely crafted stone pillars around its base and multiple stories that held trinkets of unique and special interest to mankind.

  "I think you'll be happy with this find, Mr. Claymore, it's certainly the most promising of all the artifacts we've uncovered," a male's voice was heard as footsteps echoed slightly within a corridor inside the temple. Walking along the marble floors were two men dressed in white shirts with red trimmings, black pants and fine dress shoes.

  "Are you still hoping to uncover some lost relic or power in that old mine near the northern mountain? There's a reason it was closed off ages ago, its minerals were exhausted and nothing but rocks and shadows remain down there," Claymore commented, his eyes looking through a pair of small glasses as he glanced to his colleague.

  "Oh, but we have found something, I'm sure of it this time," the man said with an eager nod.

  "You were sure of it last time, and all you had as your incredible discovery was some old rusty piece of metal that likely came from a miner's pickaxe," Claymore said rolling his eyes.

  "Now hold on there, that 'rusty piece of metal' did not come from any digging tool used by our miners or any others, it was nothing like what our blacksmiths could forge and you know it. But this is different sir, this is… well, special," his colleague reasoned as they walked up to a large doorway inside the temple. Through the entryway was a spacious grand hall holding various display cases and tables while dozens of other people dressed in the same style of clothing were walking around, the area being illuminated with tall lamps that were set around the hall. Some people were holding old worn scrolls of strange scriptures while others were examining chunks of stone for anything out of the ordinary that was recovered by their explorers. The two men entered the hall and walked across towards a table that had a few people gathered around it, all of them talking amongst each other as a woman sitting at the workbench held something in her hands. She glanced over to the two men as they approached then back down, examining something intently while her surrounding colleagues were talking amongst themselves with curious expressions.