“They really aren’t that bright, are they?”
A small giggle escaped Grace’s lips, the girl finding some comfort in the woman’s words for a moment before confusion and fear returned to her. She made her way through the tree’s foliage before coming to a stop over the circular gateway. From the top all that could be seen was a soft green light coming from the portal, something Grace had never witnessed before as she was always told never to come near this enchanted ring as it could be very dangerous.
“Do you know what that is?”
“Mom told me it’s a magical portal,” Grace replied. “It brings in water from someplace else for our forest.”
“That’s correct. It’s a gateway that leads away from your homeland, and it’s your way out of here.”
“Do I just… jump in?”
“Not yet. Right now the gateway is set to bring water in from a deep sea far away from here. If you jump in now you’ll appear far below that sea’s surface and drown. First you need to change the portal’s location.”
“How do I do that?”
“Get her!” a troll yelled out. Grace looked around to seeing trolls and gremlins climbing up onto the roof while more salamander women were clawing their way up the walls.
“Tell me what to do, lady!” Grace cried out.
“Jump down onto that branch closer to the gateway.”
Grace quickly leapt down onto the wood, the limb bending down towards the steel ring where an unsettling aura was coming from.
“Unfortunately there’s no time to teach you magic and nobody else can change the portal’s spell near you, so we’ll have to improvise.”
“What do I do?” Grace frantically asked as the monsters below were looking around for any low hanging vines or branches to climb onto. A few salamander women were scaling the tree with hisses, the monsters moving through the foliage as the dark fiends closed in on Grace from all sides.
“Kick it.”
“What?” Grace asked looking up in confusion.
“Kick it. Hard. Right now.”
Grace failed to form any words to that blunt request then quickly kicked the metal ring with a clang. The gateway hardly budged from its suspension while the water pouring out below remained constant.
“Try harder. You need to disrupt the spell that’s in place. Damaging the containment ring will alter the portal’s destination, although it will do so randomly in a rather unstable manner. Still, it’s your only chance of surviving this so no sense in worrying about that little detail.”
Grace desperately kicked the steel ring again and again with loud shouts, the girl keeping her eyes on the green glow of the gateway and not the monsters that were climbing up and crawling towards her. The elf shut her eyes and kicked the gateway as hard as she could over and over, fearing this was where she would meet her end after all.
“This isn’t working!”
“It needs to be damaged more.”
Upon uttering those words a hatchet struck into the ring right next to Grace, the elf screaming and looking down to see a troll winding back with another throw. Grace quickly jumped off the branch and grabbed the ring as the troll threw her axe, the blade flying through the air before whacking into the tree’s limb above the elf. The young girl screamed while holding onto the portal’s outer edge, the water pouring down hitting her feet and nearly yanking her off with it.
“Grab that axe, quickly.”
Grace looked to the hatchet struck into the ring near her before frantically trying to reach for it. Another axe missed her by a hair before it splashed into the waterfall, the elf screaming and making a big lunge out of desperation that helped her grab the nearby hatchet.
“Break that ring, child. Your life depends on it.”
Grace screamed as she started whacking the axe on the steel gateway, each hit causing sparks and an echoing clang that resonated with the portal. She struck harder and harder, desperate to live through this however she could while the monsters below watched in confusion as to what she was doing. With one more heavy swing she struck the blade into the ring’s edge, her grip on the gateway almost giving out before she grabbed it with both hands. The gateway sparked and flashed brightly before the portal’s window flickered while blue flames blew off the cracks against the axe struck into it. Grace looked around below her, seeing more of the fiends gathering closer as the water had stopped falling, then noticed the gateway’s blue and green light was shifting to purple and black while the image seen through the ring changed as well. It melded from the sight of the tree above her to a wooden ceiling as if from inside a house then back again.
“I think that did it. Hurry and jump through the top. I suggest you move quickly, that gateway appears to be growing quite unstable-”
A loud bang sounded off as part of the ring cracked severely, the light around it bending and warping while a bolt of lightning shot down from it and instantly fried a goblin with a bright flash.
“Yes, quite unstable. Do hurry, child. I believe you have about seven seconds before you will be blown to pieces.”
Grace pulled herself up onto the ring and turned to look down into it before the steel below cracked and bent suddenly. With a loud bang another flash of energy erupted off to the side right below her, throwing the screaming girl forward into the gateway.
“Where did she go?” a gremlin asked as they didn’t see the elf fall through the other side. The gateway cracked and sparked before exploding violently, blasting many of the monsters off the vines and roof to fall to their deaths with screams.
Down below the elves of the village were watching as a bright flash erupted along with a thunderous bang from atop the temple, that and also the waterfalls had stopped for the first time ever which raised more concern with the residents. Even the monsters of The Sisterhood watched curiously as a wavering green and blue light flared up above the temple before vanishing, right before several bodies of goblins and trolls slammed down into the ground after their fatal fall.
“What the fuck is going on up there?” an elf asked.
“Get up there, now!” an arachne ordered before she and more of her sisters quickly started scaling the tree.
“Are the gods doing this?” an elf wondered as she saw the dead bodies of the fiends.
“The gods aren’t here now,” another elf muttered looking down with closed eyes. “Only demons reside beside us.”
Standing near the crowd of elves Grace’s two guardians were looking up at the temple with worried eyes, both having watched the priestess fall to her death along with what appeared to be the temple’s gateway being destroyed.
“This… is a nightmare,” one of them mourned.
“We need to find Grace,” the other spoke while trying to keep her voice steady. “She cannot be lost as well.”
They quickly ran off away from the crowd, they and everyone else in the forest unware that the daughter of the late priestess was no longer there. She wasn’t even close to Green Haven anymore.
*****
Grace slowly opened her eyes, a weak groan coming from her mouth as she had landed on something that was soft and moving underneath her. Actually it was flailing around under her in understandable alarm.
“What the heck?” Max cried out as the young elf lay atop him in a daze.
“Where did she come from?” Lelu exclaimed looking up. They were inside the kitchen area of the cottage and had been washing the dishes after eating their breakfast, something that was quickly interrupted by a bright flash of light and an elven girl falling from the ceiling right onto Max.
“Hey, what’s going on? Who are you?” Max demanded as he struggled to sit up. As he did Grace slumped against his chest with a whimper, the boy and centaur then watching curiously as the elf trembled a little while her hands weakly held onto Max’s arms.
“Did… I make it?” she breathed out before fainting. Max held the girl on his lap with a confused expression then turned to Lelu, the centaur stepping closer with a curi
ous eye on the girl.
“An elf,” she realized. “Where did she come from?”
“I have no idea,” Max said looking to the sleeping elf in his arms. “But based on what happened the last time a monster crashed into me, I have a feeling something bad has happened.”
*****
“Thank you,” Flarah kindly spoke. “That was very nice of you to do that for me.”
“I’m still curious why you wanted that young girl saved,” the woman’s voice said carefully. “But that is a question for another day. Now, I’ve done what you asked, I guided that girl out of harm’s way. I expect you will honor your end of the bargain.”
“Of course,” Flarah giggled. “I always keep promises made to my dear friends.”
“So then answer my previous question. What are you up to, Flarah? Why were you so eager to be there when you already knew what was going to happen regardless of your presence?”
“You’re so silly,” Flarah playfully remarked. “You’re looking at the game board all wrong again. All I’m doing is making sure the right pieces are set in the right places. For someone who can see the future so clearly you seem to be having trouble seeing the simplest of things properly.”
“And what do you mean by that? Was that young elf’s life somehow important to your grand plan?”
“Her life?” Flarah innocently asked. “No, not at all. I just don’t like seeing children crying or about to be eaten alive. I’m not heartless you know.”
“Then what… wait a moment.”
“There was only one way you could have gotten her out of there,” Flarah slyly said. “You and I both knew of this.”
“The Aquarius Gateway.”
“Not only was that unique enchantment responsible for this haven’s flourishing wildlife and lovely green trees,” Flarah started before chuckling. “But it was also a powerful relic that would prove to be… bothersome to high-level fire magic coming near the forest. In fact I wouldn’t have been able to step foot in Green Haven had someone not accidentally broken it in her dramatic escape.”
“That’s why you wanted that child saved? So that her escape from the forest would remove The Aquarius Gateway and allow you entry?”
“Haha!” Flarah laughed shaking her head. “Oh my, you still aren’t seeing the board clearly. I honestly have no need to enter that forest myself. I’m merely setting the pieces where they need to be and preparing to enjoy one hell of a show.”
She smirked and gazed ahead at the forest that was no longer protected by a divine relic, its barrier that would hinder high-level magical sources of fire and flame from entering having been removed just as the kitsune had wanted all along. Not for herself of course, but for another piece of the game she was playing.
“And now the Hellfire’s Edge will be able to properly participate.”
Chapter 6
Underestimated
In the world of Eden it was common to judge others by appearance alone. After all even the most beautiful of monsters were usually just as lustful and dangerous as others. Despite the truth about things not always being what they seem it was normal for many to make assumptions based on what they could see for themselves. If someone appeared dangerous or threatening that was how they would be treated. Should they look plain and weak nobody would assume they could in fact be strong. When enemies suddenly appear it would make sense to view strangers more cautiously or even harshly. However it wasn’t always wise to judge others so quickly when first meeting them.
They may end up being something else entirely if looked at more closely.
*****
Inside their spacious library Daniel and most of his harem were gathered around a table as Specca was tracing her finger on the map she had laid out. Triska and Alyssa weren’t present, as the cambion was currently screaming apologies in a desperate and futile attempt while the witch was preparing to punish her in a way that the group had not dared witness after their breakfast. Clover and Doku were still in the dining hall cleaning the dishes and examining what all was in the kitchen as it was apparent they had missed a few things while living there so far. The rest of the group had moved to the library to plan their trip that day, and also to see how far they were in reaching Kroanette’s home. And as luck would have for them, which was the complete opposite of Triska’s that morning, they were very close indeed.
“We’re almost there!” Specca exclaimed with a bright smile.
“Are you serious?” Kroanette anxiously asked. “Even after running off-course through that underground mess we’re even closer than we were before?”
“Yes, look,” Specca marveled as she traced her finger from the valley they were in, around the mountain next to them and then east towards the marker for Ruhelia. “Because of that detour we’ve essentially taken a shortcut to your home, Kroanette. We’ll be there by tonight!”
“Tonight?” Daniel wondered with a hopeful smile.
“Yes, tonight,” Specca agreed while Kroanette hopped on her hooves with joy. “And I’m happy to announce that we’ll be there even if we take a short break next to this lake over here near the mountain. We can take a nice dip in the water, go fishing, read a nice book on the beach, and-”
“Specca?” Daniel asked with a weak smile. “You do know that getting to Kroanette’s home is our priority, right?”
“We have time,” Specca nervously insisted. “With the new route we’re on we’re very close to her home. Besides we need to stock up on more fish, Star ate them all. It’s all her fault we need to stop again.”
Star meowed and shook her head arguing with her while Specca scoffed and looked away with a stubborn frown.
“You ate all my fish, it most certainly is all your fault.”
“We can get fish from Ruhelia,” Kroanette interjected. “I promise you, Specca. I could even get you a discount since I’m royalty there. We’re not making any more stops when we’re so close to finally reaching my home.”
“Ruhelia?” Cindy wondered. She looked up with a curious expression while holding Snapper in her bosom, the young swarm again mauling the sandy breasts of the wraith with tiny growls that the group was paying no mind to.
“Kroanette’s right,” Falla agreed. “We’ve been trying to reach the centaur homeland for a long while now, we shouldn’t put it off any longer when we’re so close.”
“Centaur homeland,” Cindy repeated while seeming to be thinking about something really hard.
“Besides, Daniel needs to meet with my mother and help put a stop to any more of my kin from dragging our nobility through the mud,” Kroanette added crossing her arms. “Every day they go on without knowing what they’re truly doing is another day they give centaurs across Eden a bad name. That needs to be stopped today.”
Cindy went cross-eyed for a moment then looked at the map with a puzzled expression, the girl leaning closer while eyeing over the markers the group had on it while Snapper started coughing out sand once again.
“Fine,” Specca sighed. “I suppose we can wait until we reach the city to purchase some fish. Though I still blame Star for that inconvenience.”
“That’s just one step backwards for her with joining us and Daniel in bed then,” Falla quipped with a smirk at the jinx. Star jumped with a yelp then frantically meowed something at the group and Specca while waving her arms around, seeming to be pleading for understanding of her actions that nobody could understand.
“Then it’s settled,” Kroanette stated proudly. “We’ll head straight for Ruhelia and Daniel shall have his audience with my mother on this very night.”
“I better get my speech ready for her,” Daniel chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. “After coming this far to meet her I certainly don’t want to blow this.”
“You’ll do fine, Daniel,” Kroanette assured him. “I never had any doubt you couldn’t convince my mother to see the truth just as you showed me.”
“That’s not how I remember you thinking when we first met you,” Spe
cca mentioned with a raised eyebrow.
“Do you want your fish or not?” Kroanette demanded with a flustered stomp of her front left hoof.
Daniel and the other girls laughed a bit while Specca smiled nervously at the centaur and nodded then noticed Cindy showing a confused expression while examining the map.
“Cindy? Is something wrong?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t understand,” she complained shaking her head. “Where are we going?”
“My homeland, Ruhelia,” Kroanette answered.
“But why are we going there? Nothing’s there anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Kroanette asked with a confused smile.
“I was at Ruhelia a few days ago,” Cindy said looking back to the map. “It’s all burned down. Why are we going back there?”
“What?” Daniel wondered. “What do you mean you were there?”
“Cindy, do you even know where Ruhelia is?” Specca plainly asked.
“I assure you my home is not burned to the ground,” Kroanette lightly laughed. “That’s simply absurd. You must be thinking of something else you’ve seen while wandering The Outerlands.”
“But I’m sure it was,” Cindy whined. “I even saw another centaur from that place. And she was really mean. She lied to me and got away before I could eat her. The dirty liar. Grr.”
“You met another centaur?” Luna asked. “Are you sure?”
“She looked just like her,” Cindy said pointing to a confused Kroanette. “Her name was Hollia.”
“Hollia?” Kroanette repeated with a jump. “That… that’s my sister’s name. You saw my sister?”
“I don’t know, was she your sister?” Cindy asked with a shrug. “She kept saying she had a sister named Maria. You’re not Maria, are you?”
“Maria?” Kroanette gasped. “My… little sister?”
“Ohhhhh,” Cindy said with a slow nod. “So you have two sisters, I see. So then Hollia is your sister too?”
“Yes! Yes she is!” Kroanette exclaimed before rushing over to Cindy. “Are you telling me you’ve met both of them?”
“No, I only saw Hollia. Maria is dead.”
Chronicles of Eden - Act X Page 19