Kindra trembled in anger while her tails shook behind her, the rustling of the furry limbs along with embers and flashes of fire erupting from them showing how enraged the younger sister was.
“Why are they still alive?” Kindra hissed. “You promised they would be dealt with.”
“And they will be,” Flarah assured holding up a hand. “I’ve just had to wait for the Hellfire’s Edge and Archlight’s Blade to find their way to them first.”
“The Hellfire’s Edge was entombed in Mount Volrof and the Archlight’s Blade was to be handed down by the angels when called for in these dire circumstances!” Kindra argued waving her arms around. “What was so hard about obtaining them and arranging two fucking people to kill the Dark Queen?”
“A few hindrances came up,” Flarah admitted with a shrug. “A witch came across the Hellfire’s Edge before it could be retrieved and the Archlight’s Blade was given to someone by an angel who has deep psychological issues. I didn’t anticipate any of that to happen. Besides things aren’t so bad around here.”
“Have you seen the amount of death the gemini have been spreading?” Kindra cried out. “I followed a very disturbing trail all the way to this land, there are corpses tainting Eden that should never have been slain in the first place! The centaurs of Ruhelia were turned into manure, the harpies of Mount Sereen were slaughtered like chickens, three human settlements were turned into graveyards, and now the elves of Green Haven are going through hell itself! None of this should have happened and you know it!”
“Again, calm down, little sister,” Flarah said with a gentle wave of the hand. “It’s all going to work out. The two swords of legend are in capable hands now and are going to be coming here very soon. The gemini will be dealt with just as I promised.”
“Oh, I know the swords are coming here,” Kindra growled. “I’ve seen where the Hellfire’s Edge is, and who has it! You promised he wouldn’t get involved in any of this, you swore to me, Flarah!”
“Daniel Sorres won’t be involved,” Flarah reasoned holding her hands out to calm her sister. “The blade is in his companion’s hands, she’s the one who can and will use it. Relax, your little human is not in any danger. In fact very good things await him soon, I promise you.”
“He’s coming closer to this land of death with that sword in his company while traveling by the reaper’s hand! For fuck’s sake, it’s not enough you’ve endangered him by drawing his path towards the gemini, but you’ve allowed him contact with the reaper as well? How many Dark Queens are you going to allow to come near my human?”
“I’m not sure if he’s actually yours,” Flarah mused holding a finger to her chin. “From what I’ve seen he has quite a few lovers in his care, however I don’t believe you’re one of them.”
Kindra slowly walked closer to Flarah with a furious glare, her tails shaking while letting off smoke and flames into the air.
“I’m the one who saved his life when he was just a boy, I’m the one who claimed him as my property when I saw him, I’m the one who’s been patiently waiting for him to reach his full potential, I’m the one who owns that human. I don’t need to be a lover for him, I don’t care how many women he sleeps with, just so long as I get what I want from him in the end! That’s all I’m after, that’s all I’ve ever expected from that boy! And I certainly can’t get that if he’s killed by all the danger you’ve allowed him to cross into!”
“I’m not sure you’ll ever get your wish granted,” Flarah giggled. “What you claim to be possible doesn’t sound very probable, little sister.”
“Ragnarok is real!” Kindra shouted in her face. “You know as well as I do that it is the ultimate power in this world! That human is the key to obtaining it, I’ve seen that within him! It won’t be long before he’s able to grasp it for me, and when he does I’m going to beat the shit out of you with it for everything you’ve put the world through!”
“Ragnarok,” Flarah dryly repeated. “Oh, my dear misguided sister. I still question how you came to believe in fables such as that one. There are many powerful and unique treasures in this world, however that mythical sword does not exist anywhere in Eden. We’ve been over this before, don’t you remember? It’s not real, it’s nowhere in the world we live in.”
“That’s because it needs to be brought forth into this world still,” Kindra hissed. “It doesn’t exist yet because nobody has summoned it before. Daniel Sorres holds the key to bringing it into this world, I’ve seen his connection to the ether and know it to be true without a doubt. He’s the one who can do it and I will not have this once-in-a-lifetime chance ruined by your asinine crusade to become a goddess that’ll never happen because you’re fucking crazy!”
“Such cold words to your beloved sister,” Flarah pouted. “Kindra, don’t you love me still? I thought you believed in me. After all Ragnarok doesn’t exist but the ether obviously does, everyone knows this for a fact. My way of bringing order to the world makes more sense because it doesn’t involve believing in children’s tales like a naïve adolescent.”
“Your way of bringing order to the world?” Kindra derided. “You’ve brought no order, big sister. You’ve only brought chaos and death to the world with your actions.”
“Now now, it’s all being handled,” Flarah assured looking back towards the forest. “This is nothing to get your tails in a twist about.”
“The gemini are on a rampage and it’s all your fault, Flarah!” Kindra yelled out. “You were supposed to keep them sealed in that city, you were supposed to be their guardian! But no, you let them out all to plunder their tomb for an accursed piece of shit from the past that doesn’t do anything at all!”
“By itself, no. With the other three, yes.”
“How can you even believe in that ancient rubbish when the only proof of such a thing lies within the Dark Queens’ lairs themselves?”
“You believe in myths such as Ragnarok but you don’t believe in The Well that so obviously exists?” Flarah laughed.
“I believe obtaining Ragnarok to instill proper order to this fucked up world is a way better alternative to letting the Dark Queens out all on a gamble that you can unlock The Well and somehow control its power!” Kindra shouted with a stomp of her foot, the hit causing a crevice to shatter open behind her.
“But you helped me unlock the gemini’s seal,” Flarah pointed out with a sly grin at her. “Surely you had to believe in your big sister and her dreams if you willingly helped unleash the gemini into the world.”
“I never should have trusted you,” Kindra growled. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into doing that. You promised the gemini would be dealt with before they caused any real damage, you swore to me that Daniel Sorres would never be endangered by them or any of the Dark Queens that you planned on releasing. You failed, Flarah. The gemini have ravaged Eden in a very long path of destruction all because their guardian sought to become a goddess, and Daniel Sorres is now in the hands of the reaper while traveling ever closer towards the gemini and their wretched followers. He is far from safe like you promised he would be.”
“Your precious human won’t die in all this, you can relax,” Flarah asserted crossing her arms. “Try to calm yourself, sister. When I open The Well I’ll become the goddess this world really needs. No more meaningless fighting or death among its inhabitants, only order and peace will reign in Eden just as it’s supposed to. Whatever I need to do in order to achieve that will be worth the cost, surely you can see that.”
“You’re letting the four Dark Queens go free in the process. You’re letting the worst of all evils out of their cages.”
“When I become the goddess of this world they’ll be dealt with easily enough,” Flarah replied with a shrug.
“Knowing you you’re intending for others to strike them down for you without ever having to deal with them yourself.”
“If there are those who wish to slay the horrible demons for whatever reason then who am I to get in their way?�
�� Flarah giggled.
“Ragnarok would bring order to all without having to sacrifice innocent lives. With that sword I could slay all the horrible and despicable evils that roam our world singlehandedly. I don’t mind killing those that deserve it, Flarah. I would find it to be an absolute delight going around Eden slaughtering the horrors that plague this world. But I don’t agree with allowing innocent lives to be taken away for no reason! I may be a Darker One in this world but I’m by no means a demon like I’m beginning to think you are!”
“Ouch, that hurts,” Flarah pouted. “Calling me such mean names, so cruel you are. And those that perish now are not dying for no reason, they’re merely minor casualties in the much bigger picture of it all. This world needs a proper goddess to take care of it, and who better than a kitsune such as myself? We’re already believed to be near-godlike by the humans, might as well take that last little step and become a complete one in their eyes.”
“You’re insufferable,” Kindra snarled with rustling tails.
“Well surely I’d be a much better ruler than any of the Dark Queens,” Flarah countered with a smirk. “At least with me life would continue living. And the world would be better off without them, a much better alternative than having them locked away and waiting to escape.”
“The gemini only escaped because you opened the door for them,” Kindra snapped. “And you’ve failed horribly at stopping them from running amok. Tell me, what’s your plan for the chronofly? Or the reaper? Or the tyrant? Those Dark Queens won’t be so simple to kill like the gemini, they’re far more dangerous and destructive with no fatal weaknesses to exploit. Do you plan to just let them lay waste to the world while you scratch your head in confusion of how to open The Well, or are you hoping there are those in the world who can clean up your mess so you don’t have to?”
Flarah slowly shook her head at the girl then glanced back to the forest while tapping a finger on her arm.
“Trust me, little sister. I can handle all of them easily enough. The world won’t be ending anytime soon, if anything it’ll only be shining brighter when I take control. So relax. Mankind won’t be wiped out by big, bad monsters. Your precious human will remain alive and well for you to hopelessly wait for him to summon forth a sword that doesn’t exist. And everything will fall into place just as I know it will.”
Kindra shook with anger then turned her back to Flarah with a stern grunt.
“You’d better take responsibility for your actions, Flarah,” she warned. “And you’d better make damned sure Daniel Sorres isn’t harmed in all this. Your path to a new world is flawed, mine is not. Do not allow what I’ve waited for to be lost all on account of you being an idiot.”
“You’re so mean to me,” Flarah sighed shaking her head. “And here I’ve always thought of myself as being your favorite big sister.”
“You’re my only sister, and frankly one is more than enough. How I often wish I were an only child.”
“I love you too, dear,” Flarah cooed before looking back to the forest with a chuckle. “Though I must admit you were right about something. Daniel Sorres is indeed a very special human.”
“Why do you say that?” Kindra asked looking over to her.
“I won’t spoil the surprise for you. Just know that tomorrow is going to be a very big day for him. For him and many others.”
Kindra slowly turned to face her sister cautiously, seeing Flarah giggling before glancing over to her with a gleam in her eye.
“He may not bring Ragnarok into this world, but he’s certainly going to bring something else that’s never been seen before.”
*****
Running swiftly through a darkened woodland Kroanette kept sprinting as she had been doing all day. Her stomach was growling and her thirst was keeping her throat dry and sore, yet even so she pushed on with sheer desperation to reach her homeland as soon as possible. Fatigue hadn’t dropped the distressed centaur due to pure adrenaline which kept her moving, her body refusing to rest for even a moment while the notion of her home and family being gone kept her mind in a frantic state of alarm.
“It can’t be true,” she panted while charging through bushes and knocking aside branches. “Ruhelia isn’t gone. That stupid sand wraith couldn’t have seen such a thing. It’s not possible. It’s not possible. It’s not.”
She looked around quickly, seeing moonlight passing through the trees above while distant howls showed the forest wasn’t empty on that night. There was no trail anymore, the centaur having bolted off the road quite a while ago in order to make a straight shot towards Ruhelia, or at least so she thought as she now questioned where she was.
“It has to be near here, it must. I know for a fact this is the way back home, I’ve been through these woods countless times when I was young. I think. Yes, I have… haven’t I?”
Pressing forward with all her might she pushed the thought of her being lost out of her head, the wayward centaur refusing to accept that she could have once again lost her way in the world and especially when she had to get back home no matter what.
“This is the right way. I’ll be upon my homeland’s fields in a matter of moments. Everything will be as it should be, everything will be just like I left it. Mother, Maria, Hollia, I’ll see you all very soon, I swear it.”
She dashed through the forest, weaving around trees and leaping over fallen logs, all while never reaching the end to it as the timbers seemed to stretch onward in all directions. Searching around the passing woods Kroanette began feeling a painful sensation in her chest. At first she thought it to be the growing realization that she was indeed hopelessly lost once again, however after a few minutes she quickly found it to be her lungs straining for air while her stomach rumbled painfully to get her attention.
“Oh dear,” she panted before running through low hanging branches that whacked her face. “I think… I think I’ve overdone it… just a tad…”
Slowing down to a trot she tried catching her breath, the girl stumbling in her steps as her legs finally got the message through that they were about to give out. She tripped a few times then gradually came to a halt while gasping for air, her hand resting on a nearby tree to help keep her balanced while she began to feel lightheaded and incredibly weak.
“Alright… I think… I need to rest… for just a minute.”
After taking a few deep breaths she paused as something poked into her mind. Slowly she looked over to what her hand was resting on, seeing that it wasn’t a tree but rather something large with a leathery feel to it. Ever so carefully she looked up, her eyes widening in fright to seeing that it wasn’t a timber she had stopped next to but instead the leg of an ogre that was watching her with a cold look in its eye. The centaur let out a quiet whine before stepping away, fearfully watching the lumbering giant turning to stare at her while having a large stone club held over its shoulder that had blood smeared on it from a recent kill. It was then she heard laughter sounding off around her, the frightened girl turning about on wobbling legs to see arachne, trolls, gremlins, goblins, and mites coming closer into the clearing from all sides. The evil monsters laughed and watched the shaking centaur with hungry eyes, seeing the alarmed girl scampering about in circles before freezing in sheer terror.
“Oh my god,” she breathed out before grabbing her whip. She snapped it hard at her side, earning only amused laughter from the many brutes that surrounded her, then slowly turned around while trying to catch her breath.
“Get back. Get back!”
“Look what we found,” a troll mused while running a finger along her axe’s blade.
“More meat,” a mite droned.
“What was our quota we needed to bring back with us?” a gremlin asked. “We already met that, haven’t we?”
“No, not yet,” an arachne answered shaking her head. “Remember? We ate the last one we found not too long ago. We need just a bit more to bring back otherwise we’ll be in trouble.”
“So we can’t eat this one
?” another troll scoffed. “That’s just our luck. And I’m really hungry too.”
“Orders are orders,” the arachne said with a shrug as she and another skittered closer to the trembling centaur. “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll be able to sink our teeth into this one soon enough.”
“Centaurs are becoming rare delicacies in the world,” the other arachne mentioned. “Perhaps if we offer this tasty cow to our leaders we’ll be rewarded even more greatly.”
“Yeah, yeah,” a goblin cackled hopping up and down. “Give her to them. Give her to them. We do very good. We be praised.”
“Fine,” a troll agreed holding her axe back over her shoulder. “Just grab her so we can go. I’m starving here too.”
Kroanette shook fearfully while clutching her whip, seeing the two arachne skittering closer while the surrounding monsters had her trapped on all sides. The arachne chuckled while they parted their hands, showing a sticky webbing glittering in the moonlight between them that caused Kroanette to whimper fearfully from seeing.
“You’re coming with us, little centaur,” one of them sneered. “We have some very special friends we’d like to introduce you to.”
Artwork
Chronicles of Eden Act X Cover
Flarah - Kitsune
Rio - Scorpia
Alice - Witch
Grace - Elf
Tara, Lara, Sara - Desuwraith
Nuci - Alurane
Aeon - Chronofly
Kindra - Kitsune
Mika Harollson - Act X
Monster Class - Ogre
Monster Class - Salamander Woman
Monster Class - Copycat
Chronicles of Eden - Act X Page 56