Chronicles of Eden - Act IV

by Alexander Gordon

  “What… what the hell is this?” Kroanette cried out.

  “Get out of the way, you stupid horse!” Tora yelled before waving her staff towards Jacqueline. The serpent monster howled while baring its teeth before shooting towards the blonde girl with a loud hiss, its body stretching and expanding out while remaining attached to the ground in front of the witch. Kroanette screamed and jumped to the side as the summoned beast raced by her and snapped its jaws shut on Jacqueline, blood shooting out the sides of the mouth with a loud crunch as the dark serpent thrashed its head around while lifting up into the air. Forrus watched as the serpent then slammed down into the ground, with Jacqueline’s arm seen sticking out the side of the mouth and flailing around weakly. Kroanette stared at the sight with wide eyes while her four legs wobbled in fear then looked over to seeing Rulo’s hammer suddenly being thrown up into the air, with the orc stumbling back in surprise before falling onto her rear with her hammer crashing down behind her. From the ground Jovian retracted her arms while the bolas was seen snapped into pieces below her then jumped out of the small crater that she had been driven down into, her body fully healed again as she leapt over and pounced on Rulo, pinning the orc down by the shoulders with a wicked laugh.

  “You look tasty, my little piggy,” Jovian giggled before lunging down and biting into Rulo’s shoulder, the orc screaming in pain as she tried to pry the monster off of her.

  “Get her OFF!” Rulo cried out as she struggled to push off Jovian.

  Sasha ran over and swung her sword across, slicing through Jovian’s back and spine with a slick crunch. The dark girl dropped down to the side before her hand grabbed hold of Rulo’s breast and gripped it tightly, with Rulo screaming in pain as she grabbed the girl’s hand and struggled to pry it free. Sasha swung down again and again on Jovian’s body, hacking off the arm and slashing apart her back before Rulo scrambled away and grabbed her hammer.

  “What the hell is with these things, why won’t they die?” Rulo shouted out before she swung her hammer over her head and down onto Jovian’s managed body, smashing it into the ground with a crunch. She then dropped to a knee and held her bloodied shoulder as Sasha ran over to her, seeing her comrade having a large wound with blood dripping down her arm.

  “Rulo, are you alright?” Sasha asked quickly.

  “No I’m not alright! The bitch took a bite out of me!” Rulo screamed back before wincing in pain.

  The two then looked over to seeing Tora’s serpent howling as it shook its head around before Jacqueline pried open the jaws forcibly, the blonde girl kicking down the lower jaw with a loud crack before she punched her hand through the skull of the monster’s head.

  “Dammit, no!” Tora yelled out as her summoned beast dropped dead with a painful howl, black ashes and smoke billowing up from its fatal wound as Jacqueline tore through the monster’s skull and hopped back out onto the ground looking as good as new again.

  “Ta-da!” she declared with a graceful twirl and bow.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Kroanette cried out frantically.

  “Just run, Kroanette, run!” Triska yelled before Daniel and his group made a dash towards the nearest alleyway together, all of them holding hands as Squeak led her friends into the darkened village. Kroanette watched them run then looked to seeing Daemon blocking a swing of the deathmare’s scythe before Katie flew over and struck across the Darker One’s face with her nails, the large deathmare howling before twirling its scythe around and trying to strike at her again. The succubus held a hand out and formed a barrier of spinning purple emblems and intricate casting circles to her side, the magical barrier blocking the scythe with a bright flash and crackle before Katie took off into the air. As the deathmare recoiled from its halted attack Daemon darted to the side and swiped off one of its legs with his blade, the Darker One howling as it dropped down onto its side before the boy spun around and swung his blade downward, creating a powerful wave of bright light that shot out and tore through the Darker One’s body with a vicious crunch. The deathmare howled in agony before Katie swooped down and smashed its head into a smear with her foot, the succubus arching her wings back as blood splattered onto the ground around her.

  “Holy shit! Screw this!” Kroanette cried out before taking off down the darkened street.

  Katie eyed over the downed body of the deathmare then glanced to Daemon and winked with a smirk, the boy just watching her with a cold stare before looking over to seeing Rulo’s hammer being tossed to the side again into the orc, with Rulo catching it and falling over onto the ground while Sasha turned her blade towards Jovian who once again got up from the dirt in one piece with no visible injuries.

  “Master, we have a problem here,” Sasha called out while glancing to Daemon.

  “The bitch isn’t dying,” Rulo called out as she got back up and held her hammer in one hand, her other holding onto her wounded shoulder as she glared at Jovian with anger.

  “Seems neither of those two girls are,” Katie mentioned while glancing over to seeing Forrus swinging Jacqueline around by her hair before down into a patch of thorny roots, the blonde being spiked down into the wooden barbs before the ground under it started to shift and rumble as it turned darker. The lycan quickly darted back as a pair of large jaws protruded up from the ground around Jacqueline, the blonde looking around to seeing the serpent’s teeth forming and rising up around her as the summoned monster took form with its black scales and red ones circling around its left eye. Jacqueline pushed herself up off of the thorny spikes and tried to jump out to the side before the snake’s jaws snapped shut, bisecting the blonde girl with a loud crunch. Jacqueline’s top half dropped to the ground with a splatter of blood behind it while the serpent’s head snapped up her lower body and swallowed it.

  “Just die already!” Tora yelled out with fury as she waved her staff around, with the serpent’s head then howling before it rose up and then lunged down with an open mouth onto Jacqueline’s top half, slamming down onto her and digging its face into the ground with dust flying up around it. Daemon watched the serpent thrashing its head around in the street then looked over to seeing Sasha swinging her blade around at Jovian with furious swings, the raven haired girl darting around each one with a wicked smile on her face before she grabbed Sasha’s hands and held her in place.

  “Too slow,” she giggled before she gracefully maneuvered around in a spin and backed up towards the reptile girl, her hands angling the broadsword up in the air before she turned it around and thrust it back down past her, right into Sasha’s side as it struck through her body and out the back with a slick crunch.

  “AHHH!” Sasha screamed as her blade went through and out her backside, blood dripping down her shirt as her hands let go of her sword. Jovian spun around and then grabbed Sasha and held her close, sinking her teeth into Sasha’s chest as the reptile girl screamed and stumbled around as she was held onto by the dark girl.

  “Sasha!” Rulo cried out.

  “MASTER!” Sasha screamed out as she was taken to the ground with Jovian ripping out a chunk of flesh from the reptile girl’s upper chest. Jovian laughed around the bloodied meat as she sat up on her prey, her eyes watching as Sasha screamed and struggled to move under her.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Jovian taunted as she grabbed Sasha’s sword and slowly pulled it out to the side with one hand, the blade slicing through the reptile girl’s body and spilling more blood onto the ground as Sasha cried out in pain.

  “There, does that feel better?” Jovian laughed as she held the large sword off to the side while pushing more of Sasha’s flesh into her mouth to chew on. Suddenly Rulo’s hammer swung by and whacked the raven haired girl with great force, the dark monster’s body splattering back onto the road with blood coating the ground as Rulo stood over her wounded comrade with a furious glare in her eyes.

  “How dare you, you goddamn… whatever you are!” Rulo shouted out.

  She looked down to seeing Sasha hol
ding a hand over her wound on her side and another on her chest as blood dipped down onto the ground.

  “Hey, are you alright?” Rulo asked quickly.

  “Do I look alright?” Sasha yelled out at her before flinching in pain.

  Rulo grabbed her hand and helped the reptile girl slowly stand as the two watched Jovian’s bloodied remains slowly pull itself back together and regenerate, the raven haired girl reforming before their eyes and slowly getting back onto her feet once again.

  “Dammit, what the hell are they?” Rulo yelled out.

  Sasha looked over to seeing Jacqueline tearing through the summoned serpent’s head, the blonde girl ripping apart the monster’s skull with her bare hands as she casually walked out onto the street while appearing completely unharmed. Tora screamed in anger and swung her staff around in a tantrum while Forrus growled loudly at the blonde girl, watching as Jacqueline held a hand to her hip and laughed amusedly at Tora while the serpent dropped down to the ground behind her and crumbled into black ashes.

  “The rumors about them were true, they cannot die,” Sasha cursed with frustration.

  Jacqueline giggled then glanced to Forrus, the lycan glaring at her with fury while she kept her claws ready to strike.

  “You’re the one that ran away after we ate your sisters, aren’t you?” Jacqueline asked with a sly smile. “Such a cowardly little doggy. You didn’t even stay to watch as they begged for mercy.”

  Forrus yelled and ran over to her, swiping again and again at the dark girl before Jacqueline slapped the lycan hard across the face. Forrus stumbled to the side as she recoiled from the strike, feeling as though her jaw nearly broke off from that one hit alone, before Jacqueline pounced and took the girl down to the ground, pinning her down and smiling wickedly at the lycan while baring her teeth.

  “Time for your family reunion,” Jacqueline said with a cold tone.

  She laughed and sat up while grabbing hold of Forrus’s head with both hands, applying great pressure to her skull as the lycan cried out hoarsely and tried to pry the girl’s hands off of her.

  “Scream for me! Do it!” Jacqueline laughed, with Forrus crying out in pain as her legs kicked about underneath the blonde girl. Before her skull could crack a streak of white light struck by and blasted the top half of Jacqueline apart into bloody fragments, with Forrus watching in surprise as the girl was splattered off to the side of her onto the ground. She then looked over to seeing another searing wave of light striking into Jovian, the raven haired girl exploding into bloody pieces onto the street. All eyes turned to seeing Daemon walking towards Jovian’s remains as he held his sword out to the side, the blade glowing softly while he had a cold glare in his eyes.

  “Master,” Sasha and Rulo said softly.

  “All three of you, back off now,” he ordered.

  Sasha and Rulo stepped back while Forrus quickly scrambled over to them and watched as Daemon approached Jovian’s remains. The raven haired girl slowly regenerated again along with Jacqueline, with Katie walking up towards the blonde girl with a scowl on her face.

  “This ends now,” Katie stated as blue and green flames flared up around her hand.

  “Mistress,” Tora said softly while watching Katie with awe, the witch then glaring at Jaqueline with anger as the gemini slowly stood back up again. Jovian looked to Daemon with a cold smile while Jacqueline fluffed her hair casually as she watched Katie with a smug grin.

  “Your pets tasted delicious, I look forward to eating them up real soon,” Jovian taunted, with Daemon bringing his sword up at the ready while staring down the dark girl.

  Jacqueline giggled and eyed over Katie with a hungry smile as she licked her lips.

  “I think it’s my turn to take a bite out of you,” the girl mused playfully, with Katie narrowing her eyes as her tail whipped sharply behind her.

  Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus stood together, watching Daemon closely as the boy prepared to fight Jovian, hoping he would be able to bring the dark girl down for good. Tora watched her mistress getting ready to attack Jacqueline, praying that the succubus would be able to avenge her fallen mother. She then glanced to the side and saw a squirrel nearby next to a building, the rodent’s eyes giving off a crimson hue briefly before it took off into the shadows again. Tora glanced around carefully then back to the standoff in front of her, feeling as though this was being watched by another as well.

  *****

  “Luna! Where are you?” Falla called out as Daniel’s group ran through the darkened village. Squeak was leading the line of her friends, all of them holding hands and relying on the ant girl’s nocturnal vision to guide them through the alleys and pathways. Although the fires from the nearby burning district in the village created a large bloom that could be seen behind them over the rooftops of the passing buildings, the backways were still shrouded in darkness, with the group relying on Squeak to guide them in hopes they could find the missing butterfly girl. Squeak looked around quickly as she led her friends away from the battle behind them, searching for any sign of Luna while sounds of howling and screaming were heard back in the burning street.

  “What are we going to do?” Specca asked worriedly. “The fighting could move to reach us at any moment.”

  “We need to find Luna and get the hell out of here, that’s what we need to do,” Triska answered as she stumbled a bit while running with the others, all of them holding hands tightly so not to lose anyone.

  “Even if we find her we still need a way out of this place,” Specca reminded. “Our caravan’s broken outside the village.”

  “Yeah, thanks a lot, Alyssa,” Triska snapped. “Great timing to break our ride.”

  “I didn’t mean to break it,” Alyssa shot back. “And I certainly didn’t know we’d be running for our lives in this stupid village.”

  “All just so you could sleep with Daniel in a nice warm bed,” Triska retorted. “Didn’t work out how you wanted it to, did it?”

  “Just shut up, Triska!” Alyssa yelled at her. “It’s not my fault Jovian and Jacqueline turned out to be cannibalistic monsters that can’t die!”

  “Enough!” Daniel interrupted. “Fighting isn’t going to help any of us, so just drop it, alright?”

  Alyssa grunted and looked around quickly, not having any luck seeing anyone or anything but total darkness.

  “Look,” she reasoned quickly. “We need to find Lucky and Luna then hopefully something in this place we can use to escape with. That’s all that matters right now.”

  “Yeah, you’re not done hearing the end of this, just so you know,” Triska mentioned dryly.

  “Luna! Are you here? Luna!” Falla desperately called out again.

  Squeak led them down a pathway then came out into another darkened street, looking around quickly as she wasn’t sure where to go. She saw houses and small buildings lining the street in both directions with the intersection further away leading back towards where the fight was taking place. The crimson glow of the fires lit up the intersection, showing the buildings on the corners with the warm light while smoke was seen drifting high up into the sky nearby.

  “Where do we go?” Daniel asked. “She could be anywhere, if she’s even still here.”

  “Lucky! Here boy!” Alyssa called out.

  “Luna!” Falla shouted out. “It’s me, Falla! Where are you?”

  “They could be anywhere, how do we find them?” Specca asked worriedly.

  From the illuminated intersection nearby Kroanette ran over then scampered around in middle of the street in a panic.

  “WAAAH! Where the hell is the way out of this place?”

  “Kroanette? What are you doing?” Daniel called out.

  Kroanette stopped and looked towards the sound of his voice, seeing the group running up towards her out of the darkened street.

  “Daniel? What’s going on here?” she asked as she trotted over towards them.

  “What’s going on here is all manner of hell is breaking loose right in front
of us, that’s what,” Triska said looking back down the street towards the battle, the group seeing the darkened silhouettes of the fighters in the street as the village was burning brightly near them. There were a few flashes of bright light and large silhouettes resembling Tora’s snake monsters moving about as well, showing that magic was being used in the battle. Triska shook her head then looked back to Kroanette with confusion.

  “But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be traveling to Rystone to get rid of that artifact?”

  “Wait,” Kroanette said looking around with puzzlement. “I thought this was Rystone. Where is this?”

  “This is Eston, the human village south of Rystone,” Specca informed, then showed a puzzled expression. “Wait a minute, did you just now arrive here?”

  Kroanette looked to her and nodded, with the group just staring at her with disbelief.

  “Wait, you just now got here?” Daniel asked. “But how? You should have had plenty of time to get here then travel to Rystone and back again in the time it took us to backtrack looking for Luna.”

  There was a long pause as Kroanette looked around curiously for a while before she turned back to them.

  “Hold on, it took me forever to reach this place. How did you catch up so quickly?”

  “What are you talking about?” Alyssa yelled out at her. “It was a straight shot here!”

  There was another long pause as Kroanette looked around with confusion before back to them again.