“Please, Mika,” Scay whimpered shaking her head. “Don’t let her out.”
“She has to die,” Mika cursed.
“Why?” Nuci desperately asked. “Why does she need to die? What has she told you to make you her puppet like this? Please, whatever she said it doesn’t matter. She can’t-”
“She can, and she will,” Mika shakily argued. “She’ll take the last thing I have to live for away from me. She’ll take my whole world away from me. I have to do this, no matter how dangerous it may be. I have to silence her for good.”
“Mika,” Nuci feared as the hunter turned her eyes down towards Aeon. “If you unlock her seal it can never be reformed again. Aeon will be free, she’ll be able to go wherever she wants and hurt whoever she wants. You cannot beat her in combat, I promise you. She’s using you, influencing you with your fear. Please, don’t let her control you like this. I’m begging you.”
“Listen to her,” Tabitha urged. “For fuck’s sake, don’t you see how crazy this is? You’re about to unleash a Dark Queen onto Eden. You can’t be that insane.”
“Why would you want to do such a thing?” Scay worried.
“Because if I don’t kill her she’ll take Max away from me!” Mika cried out. “She’ll make it so I lose him forever, and I can’t lose him! I can’t lose my brother!”
“What are you talking about?” Tabitha demanded. “How is she going to take your brother away from you? Just what is it she can do from down there that could cause you so much trouble?”
“SHE’LL TELL HIM THE TRUTH!” Mika screamed, then to everyone’s horror slammed the key against the barrier floor.
“MIKA!” Nuci shrieked, her voice then being lost in a deafening roar as the seal over the city flashed a blindingly sharp white. The key crackled with energy against the barrier as the grotto rumbled violently, all while Mika yelled in anger and frustration as she held the relic down against the seal. Nuci’s magical barrier shattered as a wave of ominous energy flooded the cavern. In a flash Mika was struck with a powerful burst of energy, throwing her far back along with Tabitha and Scay as the ground ruptured with searing gleams of light breaking through. Before the girls even hit the ground Eden seemed to erupt below them, a powerful bang sounding off while the cave was struck with immense force.
High above ant girls in the tunnels jumped as the entire world appeared to shake around them, the monsters quickly scrambling about in a panic as they clearly sensed something was off.
At the entrance to the City of Eden ant girls and the desuwraith sisters were frozen in fear as a menacing aura suddenly washed over them along with a loud tremor rolling through the area.
“Oh no,” one of them whimpered.
“Oh no oh no.”
“Oh no oh no oh no.”
Ant girls throughout the nest were knocked around as their home was shaken about while all were rendered stunned as they felt something frightening flooding the tunnels and chambers. Their antennae twitched wildly as every ant girl halted what they were doing right away while tensing up.
“What was that?” Hollia cried out as she regained her footing. Looking around the cavern she and the others were in she saw rocks dropping from the ceiling while the ant girls were squeaking frantically in confusion. Some were falling from the upper level while others were knocked off the walls entirely by the sudden quake.
“Something feels wrong,” Forrus worried. “Very wrong. This isn’t them digging again, is it?”
Saffron looked around quickly while her antennae twitched wildly, her senses for danger being escalated to frightening levels now by something that just seemed to appear all around them.
“Master?” Rulo quickly asked as the girls then saw Daemon watching the area sharply, his teeth gritted slightly while his hand was clutching his sword’s handle. He clearly felt what had passed through as well and already had a good idea what it was. Without a word he sprinted off through the crowd of ant girls, knocking a few of them aside as he dashed out of the cavern at high speed.
“Master, wait!” Rulo shouted as she charged after him.
“This can’t be good,” Hollia feared as she and Forrus quickly followed. Saffron squeaked loudly in the air and waved her hand to get the attention of her sisters before another heavy tremor struck the cavern. Ant girls quickly squeaked and ran around in a panic while Saffron steadied her footing, the girl blowing her bangs away from her eyes before squeaking loudly in frustration to get her sisters to calm down.
Daemon ran at full speed down the tunnel, something that passing ant girls stared at in awe at seeing while his girls followed further behind. Rocks and boulders dropped about in the corridors while a stifling aura of dread flooded the tunnels. Dashing past ant girls and rounding a corner he was then joined by Sasha who sprinted alongside him from another tunnel with a waving tail.
“Master, what was that?” she quickly asked. Being met with only a small growl from the angered cambion she began to fear the worst.
After racing through the shaking tunnels Daemon and Sasha ran out into the cavern where three desuwraiths were hopping about in distress atop the steel platform.
“This is not good!” one of them cried out with all four arms waving around. “This is so not good!”
“This is bad! Very bad!”
“What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?”
“What is going on here?” Sasha demanded as they ran over to them. The desuwraiths looked to Daemon then to each other before quickly running over and hopping around him in a panic.
“We’re so sorry! Really we are!”
“We thought she wanted to be friends! She tricked us with friendship!”
“We didn’t mean to let her by, we just thought it was okay to let her by this one time! Honest!”
“Who went down there?” Daemon demanded. “Tell me right now.”
“Master!” Rulo shouted as she and the other girls quickly ran into the chamber. Saffron followed behind along with more ant girls before they all stumbled aside from a tremor shaking the cave again.
“My lord, what’s happening?” Forrus asked as they rushed over to him. “My fur is standing straight up on end now, something very unsettling is in the air.”
“Where are the statues?” Hollia said as she noticed the platform was empty. “The lift isn’t here. Did somebody go down there again?”
“Who went down there?” Sasha yelled pointing down.
“Mika did,” one of the desuwraiths said holding her hands up defensively. “She said she wanted to talk to the guardian.”
“She went down there and then your two friends did as well.”
“What were their names? Tamatha and Slay?” the third wondered.
“No, it was Tackleba and Spay,” the first argued.
“That’s stupid. Their names are Tarranda and Vlay.”
“You’re so stupid. Those aren’t their names at all, stupid.”
“Tabitha and Scay?” Forrus growled.
“Oh, that sounds about right.”
“Yeah, it was them. Definitely them.”
“Totally them. They went down there.”
“Why did you let them get by?” Sasha shouted in anger. “You’re not supposed to let anyone down there, remember? That’s your job!”
“We’re sorry,” one of them sniveled.
“Mika said she wanted to talk to the guardian and be friends with her.”
“And then Tabitha and Scay jumped down after her. We couldn’t stop them in time.”
“You idiots!” Rulo yelled out. “How could you fuck up like this?”
The desuwraiths dropped to their knees crying, each rubbing their eyes with two hands while having the other two waving about in a fit. Daemon growled at them then turned his glare over to the closed steel doors in the platform as another tremor rolled through the cavern.
“What is that damned neko doing down there?” Forrus scowled.
“What are any of them doing down there?” Hollia de
manded. “There’s no reason for any of those girls to be there at all.”
Sasha looked around at the platform floor then turned to Daemon with growing concern as he kept a focused glare down at it.
“Master? You don’t think…”
*****
Inside the underground grotto smoke and dust lingered in the air while rocks continued to drop from the cracked ceiling. Tabitha and Scay slowly got up and rubbed their heads before quickly looking forward. They saw Mika standing nearby with her back to them, the woman’s cape fluttering gently behind her while she held her sword in both hands before her. Slowly Tabitha and Scay came closer and stared in shock at seeing half the cavern floor missing now. Where the pools of water once rested atop the City of Eden’s barrier there were now large holes instead. The ground they were standing on was torn up and cracked, revealing various holes and drop-offs into the unseen below while hinting that there wasn’t much holding it up still. Nuci slowly stood up on her flower which remained suspended by its large stem that grew out from the wall behind her, the pond that had been below her before now gone to reveal nothing at all except for total darkness underneath. Water that continued to pour into the grotto from above now fell down into the dark void below them with a gentle trickling. The cave’s light had diminished drastically as only the soft glowing engravings from the lift and its statues provided any illumination.
“Oh no,” Nuci quietly feared. She held her hands out and waved them slightly, creating sparkling blue radiances that weaved about through the air in slow circles to brighten the area. As they did the girls saw the cavern light up more however complete darkness remained below them.
“The seal… it’s gone,” Nuci dreaded. “Oh dear god, no. This can’t be happening. This can’t…”
The girls slowly turned to Mika as she kept her glare focused down at the darkness, her eye carefully searching for any sign of the Dark Queen while paying the others no mind.
“What have you done?” Nuci breathed out. “What have you done, Mika?”
“Aeon!” Mika shouted. “Come here and face me!”
“You stupid human,” Tabitha hissed as she clutched her swords. “Do you realize how much you fucked up just now?”
“Where is she?” Scay asked looking around at the darkness below them. “Where’s the Dark Queen? I don’t see her. I don’t see anything down there.”
Mika looked around at the dark void below then held her hand down, forming a crimson casting ring around her palm as a black and red light flared up before it.
“Aeon! Show yourself!”
“I’m right here,” Aeon spoke, with the girls quickly turning around to see the chronofly standing behind them. Her wings gently fluttered with wavy distortions of air rolling away from them, her green eyes had a cold glow to them while her smile was just as menacing, and her mere presence made Tabitha’s fur stand on end while Scay felt like she was going to faint from the Dark Queen’s aura smothering her.
“Mika Harollson,” Aeon said walking closer. “Thank you so much for undoing that nasty seal that was keeping me trapped in this world. I honestly can’t thank you enough for your efforts, after all I’ve been waiting inside that gloomy city for years beyond your imagination for someone as compassionate as yourself to come along.”
“Aeon!” Nuci screamed as she held her hands out towards the chronofly. A bright flash of silvery blue light erupted from the ground and swirled around Aeon before instantly stopping in place with a sharp clack echoing throughout the cave. The glittering lights from the alurane’s spell crackled around Aeon before vanishing with another sharp clack sounding off. The chronofly glanced to Nuci and smirked before gently flicking her fingers towards the alurane. In doing so another sharp clack echoed out while Nuci froze in place, her body and even her hair remaining perfectly still while she whimpered with teary eyes.
“Don’t make me laugh,” Aeon sneered. “And don’t be so rude, Nuciferyne dear. I was in the middle of speaking to my good friend-”
“AEON!” Mika roared as she ran forward and thrust her hand towards the chronofly, her magical spell then firing out not even an inch before freezing in place just as she did with a sharp clack sounding off.
“Mika Harollson,” Aeon finished turning to the human with an amused smile. Tabitha and Scay quickly stepped off to the sides as they saw Mika remaining still on one foot while appearing to charge Aeon, the hunter’s body and cape not moving in the slightest while her magical attack was glowing brightly in front of her hand.
“Mika?” Scay worried.
“What… what’s happening?” Tabitha nervously asked. “What happened to her?”
Aeon calmly walked up to Mika, held a hand to her cheek and gently caressed it with a curious murmur, then lightly walked her fingers down along the human’s arm towards her hand where her spell was frozen in place. Glancing to either side with a slick grin she watched Tabitha and Scay tense up while trying not to shake in fear, the chronofly then turning her eyes to Mika and slowly shaking her head.
“Oh, Mika Harollson,” Aeon sighed. “Such a headstrong monster hunter you are. I will admit you do have an outstanding reputation of being one. So many of my lesser sisters have met their end at your hands. You truly are to be feared among the weaklings who scurry about in the world. But honestly now, do you even think your actions through? Do you not think before you act in the slightest?”
She gently brushed Mika’s hair with a chuckle before admiring the spell ring around the hunter’s hand along with the burst of magical energy coming from it.
“You’re capable of conjuring such powerful and intricate spells so quickly. You channel the magic perfectly with your body and soul, you see the spell patterns and tethers so clearly in your mind, and you’re able to bring forth all manner of destructive power in a matter of seconds. You’re not a simpleton, Mika Harollson. At least, you’re not in that regard.”
Aeon then held a finger below Mika’s wrist and slowly moved the hunter’s arm up. Everyone watched in surprise as the chronofly moved Mika’s hand and magical attack that was still frozen next to it upward to aim at her face. The hunter started breathing sharply through her teeth and nose as she saw the glaring red light facing her while being unable to move her body at all.
“What are you doing?” Tabitha cried out. “Mika!”
“Don’t blow yourself up!” Scay whined grabbing her hair.
“I’m not trying to!” Mika shouted. “I can’t move my body at all!”
“Aeon, don’t!” Nuci pleaded while remaining still. “Please don’t hurt her!”
“I’m not going to hurt her,” Aeon innocently replied. “It’s her own ignorance that’s going to be her undoing. My my, you put quite a bit of power into this attack, Mika Harollson. So much indeed.”
She gently waved her fingers around the burst of magic, drawing crackling trails of energy behind them while watching Mika staring in fright of the blast that was aimed right at her.
“I wish I could say I was surprised by your actions but I honestly can’t. I knew you would come straight for me if provoked, I knew you would unlock my seal even with all the warnings telling you not to, and I knew you would attack me head-on without any concern for your own wellbeing. I can tell I certainly struck a nerve with you, I had to have. You so clearly wanted to skin me alive, so much that nothing at all, even common sense, could stop you. It’s adorable actually.”
“Listen quickly, her weakness is-” Nuci started to shout before her mouth and tongue froze in place with a loud echoing clack sounding through the grotto, her eyes staring in terror at seeing Aeon showing a cold smile towards her.
“Ah ah,” she said gently shaking a finger at the alurane. “I knew you were going to try telling them my little secret, but I don’t think I’m ready for them to hear it just yet. You don’t mind keeping that little bit of information to yourself for now, do you?”
Nuci whimpered and struggled to speak, her words being trapped in her throat no
w as her entire body became frozen in time. Aeon chuckled then leaned closer to Mika with a sly grin, her hands gently tracing their fingers along Mika’s arm while the human struggled to move.
“Although, you did rescue me, just as I had hoped you would. So I’ll be generous and offer you an out from your… rude behavior with me. Acknowledge me as your only queen, serve me and only me for the rest of your time, and I’ll let you live. I’ll even keep your dirty little secret from your brother, how wonderful is that? Just say you belong to me, Mika Harollson. Say you’ll do the right thing and bow to your new queen.”
“Fuck you,” Mika retorted. “I’ll never bow to you, I’ll never surrender to you, and I’ll never acknowledge you as anything but a horrible demon that needs to be put down for good!”
Aeon watched her curiously for a moment then turned to Tabitha while crossing her arms with a simple shrug.
“Well, I tried, didn’t I?” she playfully said before snapping her fingers.
An echoing clack sounded off as Mika’s magic blasted forth and tore through her head, with the other girls screaming at seeing the bolt of magic tearing apart the human’s skull with a powerful bang. Blood and flames blew out from the blast as her body was thrown back from the force off the ground and down into the dark abyss below.
“Mika!” Scay wailed while hiding behind her hair.
“What the hell?” Tabitha cried out. “What the hell just happened?”
Aeon laughed as she looked back to where the hunter’s body had fallen, her eyes holding only malice in them while her smile held no kindness at all.
“You know, as much fun as that was I feel as though I was a teeny bit too hasty with it.”
With a snap of her fingers a loud clack echoed out, the other girls then watching in shock as Mika’s body flew back up through the large hole in the ground before landing down where it was before. From the air blood and flames appeared to fly backwards into her head that reformed before the spell returned to her hand and remained there. Everyone stared in surprise at seeing Mika standing where she was before in the same pose with her magic primed in her hand and her head in one piece again.
Chronicles of Eden - Act XI Page 6