Chronicles of Eden - Act X

by Alexander Gordon

  “This is the only time I’m going to let you off so easily,” Alyssa playfully warned. “Mess up again and your ass is mine.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Triska agreed with a nod.

  Alyssa winked at her then led her horse off to graze nearby. Triska watched them head off with a gentle smile then lowered her head with a blank expression coming across her face. After taking a slow breath she walked back to the carriage and went inside. Looking ahead she saw Daniel and the other girls coming out of the bathing area, with him and his mates wearing their towels while still being wet. At the front Daniel and Squeak were helping Cindy walk, the sand wraith taking very slow and heavy steps while her hair was still wet and hanging down sharply behind her. In her arms she was cradling Snapper while Daniel and Squeak were holding onto her sides, helping the girl keep her balance with each step she took while Snapper was snapping her teeth and smiling up at the wraith.

  “Easy, Cindy,” Daniel carefully said. “One step at a time.”

  “At least she’s able to move now,” Kroanette mentioned from behind them, the centaur drying off her hair with a towel while Pip was nestled in her breasts.

  “Although very slowly,” Doku worried as she was keeping close to Daniel’s side. “Are you doing alright, Cindy?”

  “Can’t move too well,” Cindy pouted with another slow step. “I don’t like this.”

  “I’m going to have to update our entry about the sand wraiths to include this condition of theirs,” Specca said, her body still wet while her towel was merely set around her shoulders as she made no attempt to dry off.

  Cindy took one heavy step and then another before she started leaning to the left, the girl whining and slowly shaking her head as she began to fall over. Squeak quickly grabbed the girl and stopped the wraith from toppling, her muscles becoming noticeably tense as she used a great deal of strength to hold the waterlogged girl up.

  “Oh my,” Specca commented in awe. “Just how heavy is Cindy when she gets wet?”

  “I’d say a lot since Squeak is struggling to hold her up,” Daniel answered as he tried to pull Cindy back upright, something he was failing at as the girl was extremely difficult to budge.

  Squeak slowly pushed Cindy back onto her feet and breathed out in relief. Cindy sniffled with a teary-eyed frown then smiled a little at the ant girl while Snapper was squirming about in her arms.

  “Thank you, Squeak. I like you.”

  Squeak smiled a little and nodded then jumped with a quick squeak, her eyes looking back to seeing Falla smirking at her while she had a finger held just above the ant girl’s abdomen from where she scratched her.

  “You just love showing off, don’t you? Are you trying to be a tease?”

  Squeak gave a sneering smile to that while the other girls giggled in amusement. Daniel smiled at his flirtatious mates then noticed Cindy was now scowling at something. Everyone then saw Triska slowly walking up towards them, a remorseful expression on her face as she came near the sand wraith who appeared to become more angered by her approach.

  “Triska?” Daniel wondered.

  “You’re done with your punishment from Alyssa already?” Specca asked.

  “Or is it still in there and you’re just that good at not showing it?” Kroanette added with a puzzled look.

  Triska walked up to the group and stood before Cindy, the upset girl glaring at her while Snapper was chewing on the sand wraith’s chest with tiny growls.

  “I hate you,” Cindy blurted out.

  “I know you do,” Triska softly replied. “What I did was mean, I know that. I really am sorry, Cindy. I shouldn’t have thrown you in the bath like that.”

  “Go away, I don’t like you,” Cindy snapped before slowly turning her head to look away.

  “I can tell, you’ve been mean to me nonstop since we met,” Triska said. Cindy glanced back to her as the teen showed a worried expression. “Is it because of my sword? I only used it to stop you from killing Specca. Is it because I’m loud? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be. Please, what is it about me that you don’t like so much?”

  “Go away!”

  “Not until you give me an answer as to why you hate me.”

  “I don’t like you!” Cindy yelled turning her head back to the teen. “I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!”

  Triska watched the wraith growling at her, her eyes then glancing over to the others as they were watching her with unease as this little makeup attempt of hers wasn’t going too well, then looked up with a careless shrug.

  “I hate you more.”

  “No, I hate you more!”

  “Nope. I hate you more.”

  “No you don’t! I hate you the most of all!”

  “Still hate you more,” Triska replied with a smirk at the girl.

  “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I hate you more! I hate you so much!”

  “I hate you more though.”

  Cindy yelled and tried thrashing around, her body barely moving much while Daniel and the other girls were watching Triska with confusion. Snapper was looking up at Cindy with a curious gurgle, her antennae twitching slightly as she saw the wraith becoming angrier.

  “Triska, why are you encouraging this with her?” Specca demanded. “You’re just making her more upset.”

  “I hate you, Triska! I hate you!” Cindy cried out.

  “I hate you more though,” Triska calmly replied.

  “No no no no no no! I hate you more than you hate me! I do!”

  “I hate you more still,” Triska casually said looking to her fingernails. “So much in fact that I apologized for being mean first so you couldn’t.”

  “That’s not fair, you big meanie!” Cindy yelled while budging about in her fit. “I hate you more! I’m sorry first, not you! I’m sorry for being so mean to you! There!”

  “No you’re not,” Triska laughed waving her off. “You’re not sorry at all, you big liar.”

  “I am sorry! I’m sorry for hitting you and calling you a meanie and spanking your butt real hard! I mean it! I do!”

  “Nah, you’re just saying that,” Triska said looking away while rubbing the back of her neck. “I hate you the most. In fact I hate you so much that I’m going to hug you first so you can’t do that to me.”

  “Wait, what?” Cindy exclaimed as Triska walked closer and hugged her. The wraith stared over her shoulder in surprise while between them Snapper was growling as she was pushed further into the sandy bosom of the girl.

  “What is happening here?” Kroanette asked, with the others merely shrugging as they had no idea.

  “See? I hate you more,” Triska gently said into Cindy’s ear before stepping back.

  “That’s not fair! I wanna hug you first!” Cindy whined shaking a little. She slowly started walking towards the teen with a stern look of determination, the girl then pausing and glancing down to Snapper as the swarm pulled her head out of her chest and coughed out some sand.

  “Somebody hold Snapper! I’m gonna hug Triska!”

  “Um… alright,” Daniel unsurely said. He gently took the swarm over into his arms, the youngling snapping a few times at him before he started tickling her feet to make her giggle and buzz her wings below her.

  Cindy slowly marched towards Triska who watched her with an amused smile, the wraith gradually holding out her arms to the sides as she got closer to the teen with her short yet very long walk.

  “I’m! Gonna! Hug! You!” Cindy loudly declared.

  “Oh really?” Triska wondered.

  “Yeah really!” Cindy shot back. She eventually got close enough and slowly held her arms around Triska, the teen smirking over her shoulder as the wraith held her close with a stubborn grimace.

  “There! I’m hugging you first!”

  She then jumped in surprise as she felt Triska holding her back. Looking to the side she saw Triska smiling calmly while having her eyes closed, her hands gently caressing the wraith’s back and hair.

  �
��Triska?”

  “Do you know why I draw my sword, Cindy?” Triska asked, glancing to the girl with a peek. “It’s to protect those I love and care about. Do you know why I get loud sometimes? It’s because I get angry if someone causes trouble for me or my family. So do you know what that means for you?”

  “Um… what?”

  “It means if you’re going to be part of our family, then I’ll draw my sword to protect you, Cindy,” Triska explained as she leaned back, watching the wraith who was now showing a curious look. “It means if someone causes trouble for you, I’ll get angry at them. And if you’re sad or upset, I’ll hug you like this to make you feel better.”

  “But… I hate you,” Cindy quietly said.

  “I hate you more,” Triska replied with a small shrug. She then leaned in closer to Cindy’s ear and whispered. “And do you want to know a secret?”

  “A secret?” Cindy whispered back.

  “Yeah. Did you know Alyssa and I used to say we hated each other every day too?”

  “You and Alyssa hate each other?” Cindy wondered.

  “We don’t,” Triska said shaking her head. “We used to say it a lot, and we both thought it was true. But we really did care about each other, we just didn’t see it at first. Just because we said we hated each other didn’t mean we really did.”

  Cindy looked at her curiously from that as the teen stepped back while smiling at her.

  “I don’t hate you, Cindy. I was a little upset you were being mean to me, but I don’t hate you. I mean it.”

  Cindy remained silent as she watched Triska, the girl then slowly turning her head to see the others behind her watching them in wonder of what she would say next, then slowly turned her head back to face Triska.

  “But I’ll tell you what,” Triska mentioned leaning closer with a smirk. “I was mean to you too, and I’m sorry for that. To prove it, how about I show you where Alyssa hides the cookies?”

  “Cookies?” Cindy squeaked with a very tiny hop.

  “Cookies!” Triska laughed holding her hands up.

  “Cookies!” Cindy cheered as she very slowly raised her hands up in her cheer.

  “Cookies!”

  “COOKIES!” Luna screamed out. Triska turned just in time to see Luna flying towards her at high speed before she tackled the cambion down to the floor with a thud. The group watched in surprise as Luna sat on top of Triska while laughing manically, her wings fluttering wildly behind while her eyes were wide and twitching. She had her flora skirt on but her petal bra was loosely hanging on her shoulders still.

  “COOKIES! YAY COOKIES! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Luna laughed like a deranged psycho.

  Triska watched with a tired expression as the butterfly searched around the court for any sign of the treats while obviously having switched to her special persona. She glanced over and saw Daniel and the girls all staring at the familiar sight in silence, with even Snapper having halted in her movements as she was watching Luna with unblinking eyes. Cindy showed a curious look to seeing Luna laughing out of control atop Triska, the teen merely sighing then noticing Clover walking towards them from the bedroom. The girl was dressed in her elven garb again with her hair put up in her twintails, her eyes going from Luna to the others with a puzzled expression on her face.

  “What the hell happened to her?” she asked. “One second we’re getting dressed and the next she freezes in place with a strange look in her eye before bolting out of the bedroom faster than a centaur.”

  “My bad,” Triska said shaking her head. “I said the C word a little too loud.”

  Clover looked at Luna laughing with the butterfly’s eyes going crossed for a moment then shrugged at the group.

  “Cunt?”

  “Close but so far away,” Falla said shaking her head.

  “Let’s go! Yay!” Cindy cheered, then slowly turned and started taking very ridged steps towards the dining hall. Luna scrambled to her feet and raced ahead of her in a blur of laughter and fluttering wings, with Triska then getting back onto her feet and smiling amusedly at the two girls.

  “Cindy, wait up,” she said, quickly trotting over to take hold of the wraith’s hand. Cindy looked to her curiously as the teen winked at her. “There’s no rush. You don’t have to strain yourself.”

  “Okay,” Cindy agreed, then continued to take very slow steps with a happy smile on her face. After two very long paces she stopped and glanced to Triska.

  “Triska?”

  “Yes?”

  “I hate you more,” Cindy said before sticking her tongue out at her. She then laughed and started running forward, which was of course at the same speed she was going at already.

  “No, I don’t think you do,” Triska playfully replied with a look back to the others. Daniel and the girls smiled at seeing the two making their first, although slow, step to becoming friends. The sight of Cindy and Triska now holding hands without shouting at one another was proof of that progress.

  “Thank you, Triska,” Daniel kindly said.

  “Just giving her a fair chance,” Triska reasoned before walking the sluggish sand wraith into the dining hall. Clover watched them go and scratched her head then turned to the others with a confused look.

  “I’m still lost. What was the C word?”

  Chapter 4

  Don’t Hold Back

  In the world of Eden there would be those who were capable of great potential yet limited themselves for one reason or another. Maybe they were scared they would do something wrong, the fear of failure keeping them back from pushing forward with their goal. Perhaps they were overly cautious, afraid they would do more harm than good if they tried too hard and kept themselves in check to avoid causing any trouble. Of course there may be times when they would be faced with inevitable defeat, trapped in a losing scenario with all hope seeming lost. In these instances there may only be one way out for them.

  To hold nothing back and give it their all, no matter the odds.

  *****

  “Very good,” Doku kindly said. “Now cut them evenly just like I showed you.”

  “Like this?” Clover nervously asked, the two standing in the kitchen area of the dining hall while the elf was following the harpy’s advice with preparing breakfast for the group. Everyone had gotten dressed and came in to have their morning meal, except for Alyssa who was still out walking Lucky.

  “Yes, just like that,” Doku agreed as Clover chopped something with a knife on a cutting board with her gloved hands. “Once that’s done add that to the bowl and start stirring.”

  “O-Okay,” Clover hesitantly said as she finished cutting then scraped something into a bowl. She picked up a wooden spoon and started stirring while Doku hopped about over to her other side.

  “You’re doing fine, Clover. Just like that.”

  “I don’t think this is working, Doku,” Clover said shaking her head.

  “Relax, Clover. You’re worried about nothing.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure I should stop with this right now.”

  “Nonsense, you mustn’t give up so quickly. I’m certain you’ll be able to prepare a lovely meal for your family if you only try your hardest.”

  “I am trying, I’m doing everything you said, but I really don’t think I should feed this stuff to Dan or the others.”

  “Why in Eden not?” Doku asked.

  “Because the spoon is starting to melt,” Clover said lifting up what was left of the wooden spoon. Doku looked at the withered stick curiously then to the bowl while the elf groaned and lowered her head.

  “Odd,” Doku mentioned. “You were only making egg salad.”

  “Why is this so hard?” Clover groaned, setting the bowl down with a clatter and tossing the wooden stick away. “Zoey used to make wonderful meals for us in the morning, everything she made was perfect every time. I could never figure out how she did it. And I definitely could never figure out how to make a damned thing for her.”

  “This is just a minor setback,
Clover,” Doku reassured her.

  “I turned egg salad into a deadly acidic poison,” Clover flatly said holding a hand over her face. “That’s more than a minor setback, Doku.”

  “How’s it coming over there?” Kroanette called out from the table.

  “No pressure, but we’re getting a little hungry over here,” Specca added.

  “Luna, stop trying to eat your own hand!” Falla snapped.

  “Food!” Luna whined. “Need food!”

  Squeak squeaked something from the table, followed by Star meowing after her.

  “I don’t understand what they’re saying,” Cindy complained.

  “Don’t worry, none of us do,” Triska dryly said.

  “Boobies!” Pip cheered.

  “Is everything okay over there?” Daniel asked. “Do you need some help?”

  “I need a fucking miracle,” Clover quietly muttered.

  “Everything is… fine,” Doku hesitantly called back. “We’re just going over a few details with this… lesson.”

  Clover tiredly rubbed a hand down her face, her eyes going over the newest mess she had created in the kitchen with nothing edible coming from the girl’s efforts.

  “I can’t do this,” she said in defeat. “I just can’t make Dan anything good.”

  “Don’t show any alarm,” Twilight said in her and Doku’s heads, the two girls jumping a bit before exchanging curious looks. “I can see you’re having a little trouble with cooking, Clover. I can help you salvage this situation, but you need to do exactly as I say.”

  “Twilight?” Clover softly said.

  “Doku, please fetch some new eggs from the pantry, a dozen or so should do. Clover, clear the stove top off and light the fire, we’re going to do some fast cooking here. Hurry, and act natural.”

  “Um… okay then,” Doku slowly agreed. She shrugged then hurried over to the pantry while Clover moved aside her mess and cleared the stove. The elf stoked the fire and got it going as fast as she could while the harpy gathered more eggs in a basket while glancing to the group.

  “I hope you’re all hungry,” Doku called over with a nervous smile.

  “You could say that,” Triska replied. “Is everything going alright over there?”