“C’mon you guys, let’s go!” Falla barked out. The girls looked to her with dull expressions as all but Triska started walking towards the ride.
“Falla, just shut up!” Alyssa shouted out.
“You are not in any position to order us around, any more of that and you’re not coming with us,” Specca asserted firmly. Squeak merely squeaked something at Falla while pointing to her, with everyone of course having no clue as to what she was saying. Triska shook her head a bit at them then looked over to seeing Jovian and Jacqueline smiling kindly at Daniel.
“Thank you, Daniel. Um, could you give us just a moment, we’re still a bit shaken up about our ordeal, we’ll be along very shortly,” Jovian requested kindly.
“Yeah, we won’t be long, please?” Jacqueline added.
“Of course, come on over whenever you’re ready,” Daniel said before walking away from them. As he neared Triska the girl raised an eyebrow at him before walking alongside the boy towards the caravan.
“You really are too chivalrous, you know that?” Triska pointed out dryly.
“I’m just doing what’s right, the same as all of you are. We can’t leave them out here all alone, especially with man-eating monsters lurking about,” Daniel reasoned. Triska smiled softly and nodded before taking hold of his hand, with the boy glancing to her curiously as she watched him with loving eyes.
“I know, and that’s part of why I love you so much, Daniel. We’re just not so crazy about two more girls sharing the caravan with us for a while, if you know what I mean,” she said with an expectant tone at the end. Daniel chuckled and looked ahead with a weak smile.
“Oh, c’mon, I really doubt those two are going to cause us any trouble, they seem perfectly harmless,” he said with a shrug. Triska nodded with a slow murmur then glanced back to seeing the new girls talking to each other.
“Fair warning, if they claim at any point during this trip that they love you, we’re going to kill them, just so you know,” she said with a calm smile at Daniel. The boy sighed and nodded with a weak smile to that.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to be honest. Still, like I said, I don’t think they’re going to cause any problems for us, we’re just giving them a lift to the nearest village, that’s all,” he reasoned.
As he and Triska walked together towards the caravan Jovian and Jacqueline watched them with sly smiles on their faces.
“They look delicious, especially that fishy looking one, I bet she tastes really good,” Jacqueline said licking her lips. Jovian chuckled and glanced to her with a twitch of her eyebrow.
“They do seem nice, I wonder how loudly they can scream, I’m sure that little witch could scream just like a little girl for me,” she mused.
“Are we going to eat them tonight though? I’m still full on lycan,” Jacqueline mentioned while rubbing her belly. Jovian giggled and rubbed hers while shaking her head.
“No, not yet, let’s build up more of an appetite for them. Besides, they’re searching for two more, if we stay with them a little longer we’ll have even more to sink our teeth into,” she reasoned.
“A human child that lost her parents to man-eaters, I wonder if they were referring to that little girl that ran away from us the other day,” Jacqueline wondered with a curious smile.
“My my, that would be quite a treat indeed, and to top it off that butterfly girl that escaped us the other night is being searched for as well. This will be so rich, we’ll be able to devour them all together,” Jovian giggled.
“Yeah, then we can honestly say that nobody has ever escaped us, I miss being able to say that,” Jacqueline said with a mocking pout. The two giggled then started walking towards the caravan where Daniel and the other girls were already boarded and ready to ride out in.
“Come, let’s help our new friends find those two poor, lost girls out in the wilderness,” Jovian said with a cold smile.
“Yes, and then they can all scream in agony together, it’ll be a lovely meal to die for,” Jacqueline said with a dark gleam in her eye, the two then giggling in perfect unison with each other as they walked towards their new prey.
Chapter 11
I Trust You
In the world of Eden, trusting new people wasn’t always a simple thing to do. It had to be earned, often times over a period of time. Occasionally, they may prove themselves with an act of kindness or generosity, or give solid reason that they can be counted on and follow through with what they said, while other times there may be no other choice but to put faith in the hands of these strangers out of sheer desperation. Still, there were times where it was easier to trust others, especially if a friendship forms between the two parties. Should similar interests, goals, or point of views be shared, trust could be made more easily between them. However, it was always important to be sure who you placed your confidence with.
You never knew if they were actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
*****
Under the night sky a campfire was seen next to a small stream, the light illuminating a clearing which some travelers had stopped to rest in. At the edge of the clearing Daemon was sitting back against a tree while looking up at the stars with a distant gaze, his fingers gently drumming along the handle of his sword while he showed no signs of fatigue. Next to the campfire Forrus was sitting on a small log while having a stunned expression on her face, her eyes staring straight ahead as she shakily tried to steady her breathing. Across from the lycan Sasha was sitting on the ground with her sword struck into the dirt behind her, the reptile girl leaning back against her blade while her tail lay at her side. Her eyes were just gazing into the fire, watching the flames flicker and crackle while seeming to be deep in thought. And next to her Rulo was sitting down on her stone hammer, the orc picking her nose with a dull expression on her face as she didn’t show any interest or concern in their newest group member’s frightened state.
“That… that simply cannot be,” Forrus managed to get out as she couldn’t steady her breathing properly.
“Well it is,” Sasha merely replied with.
“How could… how could that be true though?” Forrus questioned.
“Hey, you calling us liars?” Rulo snapped at her. Forrus glanced between the two cautiously then over to Daemon as the boy was just looking up at the stars still.
“Daemon, I thank you for agreeing to help me should we come across my pack’s killers, and I meant it when I swore my life to you in exchange, but I must ask, what proof do you have of such a dire tale?” she asked with growing concern. Slowly the boy looked to her with his cold blue eyes, silence falling upon the clearing except from the crackling fire. Forrus started to grow nervous as all eyes were on her, with the lycan then lowering her head with remorse.
“I mean no disrespect, please forgive me for sounding so rude, it’s just… being told about the end of the world like this, asking for any proof at all is a reasonable request in order to accept… such a grave thing,” she said softly. Daemon watched her for a moment then stood up, with Forrus looking to him with worried eyes as the boy started walking towards her.
“There are three legends surrounding those artifacts, only one of which was deciphered correctly yet disregarded in favor of the other two,” he started, with Sasha and Rulo looking down with closed eyes as they listened as well. Daemon approached Forrus who watched the boy with high interest, seeming to tune the world around her out entirely.
“The first claims, ‘Those who find all eight fragments of the Key to Eden will unlock a great treasure’,” Daemon said, with Forrus tilting her head slightly with wonder.
“The second claims, ‘Those who find all eight fragments of the Key to Eden will find the greatest power of all’,” Daemon continued as he started to circle around the lycan. He then stopped behind her, with Forrus looking back to him with a curious glance as the boy gazed up at the stars again.
“And finally, the third claims, ‘Those who find all eight fragments of the Key to Eden will un
lock the greatest power of all’,” he finished.
“But, two of those are the same, they both say a great power will be given to those who unlock this… um, wait, unlock what exactly? Eden is the name of our world, how can anyone unlock that?” Forrus asked with confusion.
“You’re wrong, on both accounts,” Daemon said shaking his head.
“One legend claims you will find such a power, the other says you’re releasing it, there is a difference,” Sasha pointed out.
“Either you find gold or are given some almighty power, of course anyone who tried to figure it out would like to assume they’re getting something great out of this,” Rulo scoffed while rolling her eyes. Forrus looked at them with puzzlement then to Daemon as the boy walked around in front of her.
“That succubus believes opening the seal to Eden will bestow upon her the greatest power of all, that she will become more powerful than any other being in the world,” Daemon said while watching the lycan with a piercing stare, the girl showing confusion still as she slowly shook her head.
“But… wait, ‘opening the seal to Eden’? How do you open the world?” she asked.
“It’s not talking about the world, it’s talking about a place, dummy,” Rulo snapped. Forrus looked to her curiously then to Daemon as the boy nodded to that.
“A city, to be exact, one that is long forgotten and buried in this world,” he explained. Forrus looked at him with wonder then showed some concern.
“A city that holds what within it?” she asked, growing afraid to know the answer.
“A Darker One,” Rulo said cautiously.
“The Darker One,” Sasha corrected solemnly. Forrus glanced to them worriedly then to Daemon as the boy had a serious expression on his face.
“The greatest and darkest power in all the world, sealed away by the power of that ancient artifact, that is what lies within the forgotten City of Eden,” he stated, with Forrus feeling a cold chill running down her spine from his words. Daemon looked to the fire with a distant gaze while Sasha and Rulo watched Forrus carefully.
“That is why we hunt that succubus, why we must stop her from collecting the fragments of the key,” Sasha explained.
“Nobody can open that seal, nobody,” Rulo said shaking her head. Forrus looked at them with wonder then to Daemon.
“A rather dark and unsettling tale, to say the least, but what proof do you have of any of this? If this is just based off of legends and stories, how can you believe it yourself?” Forrus questioned. Daemon slowly looked back to her with a cold stare, the lycan trembling a bit and leaning back on her seat.
“I don’t wish to upset you, and I want to believe what you’ve told me, but do you have any-” she started before Daemon held his gloved hand up to her, the girl watching as he then took off his glove while remaining silent. Forrus gasped and fell back off her seat with a thump, staring with shock at the boy’s hand while he slowly walked closer to her. She frantically scooted back on the grass, with Sasha and Rulo watching her with dull glares as the lycan scrambled back and hit against a tree before she trembled with fright.
“What in Eden are you?” Forrus asked shakily, her eyes staring at the boy’s hand which was reptilian and covered in black scales. He had small sharpened nails and sleek, black scales covering his entire hand and wrist. Forrus shook her head as she slowly stood up against the tree, staring at Daemon with both surprise and fear as he walked up to her.
“I am a guardian of Eden, one of the very few that knows the truth behind this world, and the keeper of the forgotten city from ages past. My family has been charged with this duty for generations, as old as the history books reflect, and will not allow this world to come to an end on our watch,” Daemon stated, having no real pride in his voice but rather saying so merely to explain himself. Forrus stared at him with a stunned expression then glanced to seeing Sasha and Rulo standing up, both watching her with solemn gazes that showed he wasn’t joking.
“The seal he speaks of is real,” Sasha confirmed.
“We’ve seen it ourselves,” Rulo added.
Forrus looked back to Daemon while rendered speechless then to his hand, the boy flexing it slightly before her.
“A gift and a curse for those chosen to protect that city,” Daemon said distantly. Forrus slowly looked back into his eyes as her stance relaxed, the lycan staring at the boy with absolute wonder.
“Are you a monster too?” she asked. The boy’s reptilian hand gave off a cold blue flame around it briefly, with Forrus feeling a sudden wave of energy rippling by her, causing her legs to feel weak as she gripped the tree behind her for support.
“What defines a monster for you?” he questioned. Forrus slowly looked him over then showed a curious expression. He appeared to be human in her eyes, except for his hand which was obviously not natural for a human to have. She remembered his powerful magic and his precise focus when he confronted and drove away a Darker One right before her eyes, his fighting prowess and control being more than she thought a human could possess.
“But your hand… your power… you’re not like other humans. The magic you used to ward away a Darker One without fear, your skill using your blade as if it was an extension of your own self, and the sheer control you demonstrate at all times. If not for you being male I would believe you to be a monster, yet seeing you as you are now, I feel confused about what I know monsters to be,” she said softly.
“There is much you don’t know in this world,” Sasha mentioned.
“If you knew what we knew, you’d never look at anything the same again,” Rulo said shaking her head. Forrus showed intrigue and dread to that as Daemon just stared into her eyes still.
“All you need to concern yourself with is that I have my duty to fulfill in life, something that is of the highest priority, and nothing shall get in my way of doing so,” he stated.
“Your fortitude and strength, your skill in combat, the focus in your eyes, are you a knight of your home?” Forrus asked softly.
“Such a petty title isn’t enough to convey my master’s greatness,” Sasha snapped.
“Sasha,” Daemon said flatly, with the reptile girl twitching then looking down worriedly.
“I mean, Daemon,” she corrected herself with. Daemon shook his head then put his glove back over his reptilian hand while Forrus had her eyes locked onto him still.
“A knight fights for his king and queen, to defend his home and those closest to him. I have no king, no queen, and my home is but a shadow of its former glory. I am merely a guardian of the past, one whose duty will never end,” Daemon said distantly. Forrus slowly nodded as she held onto the tree behind her.
“I understand. Those that killed my pack in cold blood, as heinous as they have proven themselves to be, you have a quest that overshadows my vengeance for them by far,” she admitted, with Daemon nodding once to that. The lycan held a hand over her chest with a timid expression and slowly stood up next to the tree.
“Had I heard such tales from any other, I would have believed them to be mad. But I cannot doubt you with what you say, I know you speak the truth, everything I am tells me to listen to you. Please, I wish to help you with your crusade, for as long as I shall live in this world. Enlighten me, guardian of the City of Eden, tell me more about what I am blind to in this world, open my eyes to the truth,” she pleaded softly.
“You’d save yourself much grief if you would just walk away right now,” Sasha grunted.
“We don’t need another tagging along and slowing us down,” Rulo added with an oink. Forrus looked to them with a glare as she bared her teeth slightly.
“I’ve lost everything in my life! My entire family, my sisters, all killed before me! I had nothing else but my revenge to live for, nothing but anger and hatred driving me forward! But this one saved me, showed me that there are more important matters that need to be handled than just my quest for revenge. I do still hope I can one day slay the killers of my pack, that those infernal demons will
be cast down into hell after all they have done, however this crusade of my lord is as noble as they come, and I’d gladly give all that I have to help him however I can as thanks for allowing me to live this far in life,” she declared proudly.
“What was that? He is not your lord!” Sasha yelled out.
“Yes he is, he spared my life from being taken, he opened my eyes to a great purpose I could fulfill with the life I still have. He is certainly the only one who could help me kill those two hellspawns should they ever show themselves again, I need him more than you could imagine,” Forrus said looking back to Daemon with longing eyes. The boy just looked at her with a dull expression while Sasha and Rulo drew their weapons while growling loudly at the lycan.
“He’s not your lord, he’s our master!” Rulo shouted out.
“Rulo,” Daemon said flatly. The orc twitched then looked down worriedly with an oink.
“Sorry, Daemon,” she said softly. Daemon glanced back to her then to Forrus as the lycan bowed humbly to him.
“You’ve saved my life from the hands of a Darker One, something that I’ll never forget, and you’ve offered your blade to help me against my pack’s killers, even though you have a quest of the highest nature to uphold. I’m not worthy of receiving such an honor, I can only extend my eternal gratitude and services as thanks to you,” she declared. Sasha hissed and prepared to strike before Daemon held a hand back to her, the reptile girl grunting then slowly lowering her sword. Forrus slowly looked up to him with adoring eyes, seeing the boy just watching her with a piercing stare.
“Allow me to serve you, my lord,” she said softly. Sasha and Rulo looked to Daemon, both hoping he would reject and send her away, as the boy remained silent for a while before he rolled his eyes and looked away.
“I am not a lord,” he said flatly.
“Would you prefer I call you master then?” Forrus asked with a small smile. Daemon glanced to her and shook his head.
Chronicles of Eden - Act 2 Page 35