Chronicles of Eden - Act III (38 page)

Forrus glanced to Sasha and Rulo then back to him.

“I offer you my life.”

“Doesn’t seem like much,” Rulo scoffed.

“It’s all I have to pay with!” Forrus snapped at her. “And I’ll gladly do so if it means my sisters can be avenged. He may use me for anything he so wishes, he may order me to do whatever he needs done. As long as my pack is allowed to rest in peace I care not what happens to me.” She took a steady breath then looked to Daemon with hopeful eyes.

“Please, allow me to help you however I can. Another set of eyes to seek what you wish, another fighter to help you in battle, another vessel in which to violate should you so choose.”

“What?” Sasha and Rulo yelled out as they brought their weapons at the ready to strike the lycan. Forrus glanced to each of them curiously.

“Are you not engaging in such behavior with him?” she asked. “You both seem dedicated to him thoroughly, are you not offering your bodies to him at all?”

Sasha and Rulo showed frustrated expressions as they growled at the girl yet did not speak back. Forrus nodded slowly then looked at Daemon with a solemn expression.

“I will be yours, to command as you see fit, to do with-”

“Stop,” Daemon ordered shaking his head. Forrus looked at him curiously as the boy turned to face her with a cold stare. “If you bring up the notion of these two being used as ‘vessels to violate’ again I will skin you alive, do you hear me?”

Forrus trembled and nodded with a fearful expression as the boy walked towards her. He was only human, yet the lycan felt more intimidated by him than the succubus by far.

“I meant no disrespect, I was only-” she started before the boy held his gloved hand out and grabbed her by the jaw, the lycan halting with a squeak as Sasha and Rulo watched her with dull glares.

“What I seek,” he stated firmly. “The only thing I seek is what that succubus stole, what that demon is after. Nothing more.”

Forrus gulped as she stared at him with a trembling tail. The boy eyed her for a moment then let her go and backed up a step. Forrus closed her eyes and bowed her head to the boy.

“Please, let me aid you.”

“You can’t help us, get lost!” Rulo yelled out.

“Find someone else to help you, we have more important matters to attend to,” Sasha hissed.

Daemon watched Forrus as the lycan whimpered and looked down away then rolled his eyes and turned around again.

“Get up,” he ordered. Forrus looked up to him with wonder as he motioned for Sasha and Rulo to back off, the two monster girls slowly backing up a step and lowering their weapons while watching him curiously.

“Master?” Forrus asked softly.

“Don’t call me that,” he replied. “My name is Daemon. Now get up, I will not tell you so again.”

Forrus looked at him curiously as she slowly stood up, with Daemon then drumming his fingers lightly on his sword’s handle.

“We will not be looking for your two killers,” he declared, with Forrus watching him worriedly before he glanced back to her. “We will not be searching the lands for them in any way. My mission remains the same, that will never change. However, should we come across them by chance, we’ll find out if they are indeed immortal, if they can remain standing after greeting my blade. Your wish will be granted if luck remains on your side and we meet these two monsters face to face. Until then, if this is what you want to do with your life, then so be it. Your new purpose is the same as ours, that is your only true priority now, understand?”

Forrus looked at him curiously as Sasha and Rulo watched her with harsh glares.

“My new… purpose?” Forrus asked.

“Do you understand?” Daemon repeated sharply.

Forrus jumped a bit then nodded quickly while holding her hands behind her.

“Yes, I do,” she replied. “I will take to heart your goal above all else, I swear. And I shall hope that we do come across my pack’s killers again, so that they may finally be slain for their horrendous deeds.”

Daemon glanced to her as the wolf then bowed gratefully to him.

“Thank you, Daemon,” she said softly.

The boy just looked at her for a moment then back ahead.

“You listen well, that’s a plus. Now, let’s go,” he said dryly before he started walking forward.

“But, master, are we really bringing-” Sasha asked worriedly before the boy stopped and glanced back to her, the reptile girl halting then shaking her head quickly. “I mean, Daemon. We’re bringing her with us? Are you sure-”

“Are you questioning him?” Forrus asked. Sasha and Rulo looked to her with glares as the lycan smiled curiously at Daemon. “I don’t believe it is our place to question him. He does know best, right?”

Daemon glanced to her as the lycan set a hand at her hip while she hooked her bolas to her belt with the other.

“I for one will never doubt him or his commands,” she proudly said. “He’s certainly proved himself as a worthy leader to me after all. And the pack leader is never to be questioned.”

Daemon watched her for a moment then looked back ahead while Sasha and Rulo glared at the girl, his fingers lightly drumming on his sword’s handle as he seemed to be thinking something.

“What is your name?”

“Forrus,” the lycan replied with a bow.

Daemon started walking again while Forrus kept her eyes on him and not on the two other monster girls who were giving her harsh looks. Although it could not be seen with her fur a faint blush formed on her cheeks as she stared at the human that captured her eye.

‘I never thought such humans existed in this world, he’s truly remarkable. I must do whatever it takes to gain his favor, there’s no doubt that his seed would provide me with only the strongest and noblest of daughters.’

Sasha growled and held her sword towards the lycan while Rulo gripped her hammer tightly.

“Now listen up,” Sasha threatened. “I don’t know who you think you are, but let’s get something straight right now. Nobody will come between me and my-”

Before she could continue Forrus quickly scurried around the reptile girl’s sword and darted behind them, trotting after Daemon before glancing back to the two girls.

“
You
need to listen,” she mocked. “Daemon said we’re going, so we’re going.”

Sasha and Rulo growled as they watched the lycan walking behind Daemon with a gently wagging tail, her hips swaying slightly with each step she took as she remained light on her feet.

“That’s master to you!” Sasha and Rulo both shouted out.

“No it isn’t,” Daemon called back flatly. The two girls flinched then showed nervous expressions.

“Sorry, Daemon,” they said together before quickly following after.

The four made their way through the woods together, with Daemon leading the monster girls who kept watching him while remaining silent. Sasha and Rulo glanced to each other then to the lycan who had joined their ranks, neither liking how close she was getting to Daemon. Not to mention she was completely naked, the wolf only having her fur which did very little to hide her features from the boy.

After a short walk Forrus showed a puzzled expression and tilted her head slightly.

“Um, Daemon?” she asked curiously. “If I may ask,
what
exactly is our goal? What is my new purpose you’ve given me?”

Daemon kept walking with a cold look in his eyes, remaining focused on his quest that he knew was of the highest importance.

“To prevent the end of the world.”

In the world of Eden, tragedy could strike at any moment. Many who traveled the world would unfortunately come across such misfortune, either to themselves or others who have lost so much. Bandits would take the opportunity to raid and kill those who were down on their luck, monsters would use the moment to strike and steal away men to breed with, and the world around them would do nothing but watch in silence as the unlucky ones coped with their loss, if they lived to do so. However, sometimes those with kind and noble hearts would lend a hand to those who were lost, afraid, and alone. Those who chose to aid the unfortunate were chivalrous indeed, but would need to exercise caution, even if the ones they wished to help appeared completely defenseless.

After all, you never knew for sure who, or what, you were saving.

*****

Alyssa was standing next to a large tree while having a dull expression on her face, her fingers drumming on her staff she held at her side impatiently while watching something with growing ire. Next to her Daniel was leaning back against the tree with a hand over his eyes while he was looking down tiredly, a stance and appearance that was starting to become common for him during his travels with the girls. Standing beside him Falla was eating an apple with a bored expression, antennae twitching slightly while she slowly shook her head chewing the fruit, while next to her Triska had her arms crossed and drumming her fingers on her arm with irritation.

“Where did you learn to drive anyway?” Falla asked flatly before taking another bite.

“Just be quiet, Falla! It was an honest mistake!” Specca yelled out as she was sitting at the front of the caravan at the reins with a flustered expression. Lucky was trying to move forward with frustrated grunts while the caravan was tipped over on an angle, tilting to the side away from the others and leaning against a small bent tree which was keeping it from sliding down a steep incline. The group had traveled up along a winding path that was alongside a large hill before the caravan slid off the narrow trail and wedged itself against a tree, the lumber both keeping the ride in place as the rear wheel couldn’t get over it while at the same time kept the caravan from falling off the overhang. On the other side of the caravan Squeak was pushing with all her might against the ride while standing on a small boulder sticking out of the ground, having her pickaxe slung behind her while she squeaked with a stern expression as she tried to get the ride off of the tree.

“That’s it,” Alyssa said shaking her head. “You’re done driving for the rest of the day, Specca.”

“What?” Specca cried out. “Why? This isn’t my fault!”

“You steered Lucky towards this path when we should have just kept on the trail in the direction we came from before, we shouldn’t have even come this way!”

“But Triska said we should take the left turn!” Specca whined.

“No, I said
don’t
take the left turn!
Don’t
!” Triska yelled out.

Alyssa scoffed and walked over to the ride, hopping up onto the seat and leaning over the other side to seeing the steep drop-off that led down towards a rocky gorge. She watched Squeak pushing with her hands and all her might, budging the caravan slightly yet not enough to get it away from the trunk of the tree.

“Don’t worry, Luna, help is on the way,” Falla said dryly before taking another bite of her apple.

“Oh shut up, Falla,” Triska barked out at her. “If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t even be in this mess.”

“Yeah, that’s right, this is all her fault!” Specca shouted out as she watched Lucky trying in vain to pull the caravan forward, his feet digging up the dirt and grass below him as the ride rocked slightly back and forth.

“My fault?” Falla shouted back with a full mouth. “I wasn’t the one driving that thing, don’t blame me!”

Specca let out a flustered huff then looked to Alyssa who was watching Squeak with worried eyes.

“Alyssa, can’t you lift the caravan up and back onto the trail with your magic?”

The tree budged a bit more, with Squeak letting out a high squeak as she kept trying to push with the little footing she had. Alyssa quickly grabbed onto the side of the ride as it rocked more while the tree cracked slightly.

“Are you kidding me?” she retorted. “I can’t lift the whole thing with my magic, let alone pull it away from here. Why do you think we use Lucky to pull the caravan for us in the first place?”

Again the tree moved with a cracking sound, the ground under it shifting slightly with a few roots popping up through the dirt. The others watched the ride slowly slide more off the edge while Alyssa and Specca quickly grabbed hold of the front seat.

“Hey, get off of there, right now!” Triska called out.

Daniel ran over behind the caravan and saw Squeak straining herself to push the wagon back, her boots sliding on the boulder as she kept trying to keep the ride from going over the edge.

“Squeak, get over here, it’s going to fall!”

Again the tree budged again, with the caravan sliding more before the two side wheels dropped down suddenly as the ground under them gave away. Specca and Alyssa looked to each other then over to the side as they saw the gorge far down below slowly coming into view over the seat.

“Oh my god, it’s going to go over,” Specca said nervously.

“Cut Lucky loose, now!” Alyssa cried out.

Triska yanked her sword out and ran over to the horse while Falla watched the caravan rocking as the tree holding it cracked apart more. Squeak started to slip on the boulder before she quickly grabbed onto a wheel for support, the girl looking back to seeing the steep incline the caravan would be going down soon right behind her.

“Squeak!” Daniel called out as he held his out towards her while holding onto the corner of the wagon, trying to reach for the ant girl as she stumbled with her footing.

Triska swung her blade and hacked the leather straps at the front of the caravan, the girl then quickly jumping onto the front seat near the other two girls and hacking off the other straps holding the horse. Lucky scampered ahead with a neigh before Triska quickly tossed her sword over onto the trail and grabbed Specca and Alyssa, the girl then throwing them over onto the grass as well. The two tumbled onto the ground while Falla watched with wonder as the caravan started to budge even more with rocks and dirt giving away at the edge of the drop-off. Triska wavered from the shaking ride then quickly looked over the side while holding onto the frame, watching as Squeak was still on the edge and about to be knocked off of her small footing.

“Squeak, get out of there!”

“Squeak, take my hand!” Daniel shouted out.