Chronicles of Eden - Act III (52 page)

“Not like they’ll be talking to anyone after this anyway.”

In the world of Eden there are those that harm and attack others without remorse or mercy, without reason or provocation. Monsters, and even humans, are capable of fighting with no other purpose than to simply draw blood. Perhaps arrogance or anger pushes them towards these violent tendencies, or maybe they’ve lost all sense of a conscience and simply derive pleasure from others in misery. Whether they had corrupted souls to begin with or hearts that turned black from a thirst for blood, it didn’t matter in the end. For these evil forces in the world there was no reasoning with them, no bargaining with them, and no swaying their minds. They wanted to kill merely to kill, they wanted to inflict pain and suffering just because they could, they wanted to spill blood wherever they went because it was fun.

There were some in the world that just wanted to watch it burn.

*****

Lying on the soft bedding of grass and flowers a butterfly girl was sleeping quietly, with the morning light from the sun slowly drawing across her body and wings as another day was starting. Falla had one of her wings covering herself like a blanket as she lay on her side on the bedding, a vine still tied around her ankle to prevent her from doing anything sneaky with the human boy in their group. As the sunlight gradually drew across her she murmured something quietly in her sleep, her antennae twitching slightly as she felt the warmth on her cheek. Slowly her eyes opened as she started to awaken, her vision going from a blurry haze to focusing and revealing Jovian lying right next to her on her arm while smiling at the butterfly girl. The newcomer was wearing her mask and just staring at Falla with a creepy smile on her face.

“Good morning,” Jovian said with a twitch of her eyebrow.

Falla blinked then screamed in surprise as she saw the new girl lying very close to her, and then promptly tried to scoot away before she bumped into someone. Looking behind her she saw Jacqueline holding onto her other wing while having an eerie smile on her face, the girl having her mask on as well while she was looking over the monster’s colorful wing.

“These are so pretty, I could just eat them up,” Jacqueline said playfully.

Again Falla screamed as she thrashed around and tried to sit up, the vine on her leg pulling taught as she couldn’t get away from both of the girls lying on either side of her. Jovian and Jacqueline watched the butterfly scream at them before they all looked over to seeing Lucky quickly scrambling to his feet with a loud neigh, the horse having been woken up from his peaceful slumber by Falla’s loud and sudden cry. The horse neighed loudly before it began snarling like a wild animal, its white hair shifting to a deep black as its tail lit on fire. Skeletal wings ripped up from its back and extended out while the horse’s eyes glowed with a deep red. Smoke came from its nose and mouth as it bucked around with a vicious snarl, with Jovian and Jacqueline watching with wonder while Falla shrieked as the demonic horse only scared her more.

“What happened to him?” Jovian asked.

“Aw, he looks so cute like that,” Jacqueline said with a creepy smile, holding her hands together and against her cheek.

“AHHH! WHY? WHY ME?” Falla cried out as she frantically tried to pull herself free from the vine, having no luck as the magical root only tightened more and more with each yank on it.

From the caravan Alyssa stumbled out onto the front seat while quickly rubbing her eyes, the witch then seeing Lucky bucking around in his demon form while Falla was screaming and frantically trying to fly up off of the ground.

“What the hell is going on? Lucky? Lucky, calm down!” Alyssa called out as she jumped down from the ride and ran over to her horse.

Triska climbed out of the cabin and rubbed one of her eyes with an annoyed expression, watching as Alyssa tried to calm down the horse while Falla was screaming from both being scared and the vine now tightening around her ankle to the point that it was starting to hurt.

“What got into him?” Triska asked looking around the area before yawning without covering her mouth.

“Lucky, its okay, calm down, I’m right here,” Alyssa reassured while holding her hands out to her horse.

Lucky bucked around for a moment then stopped and lowered his head so Alyssa could pet him, the horse grunting with smoke coming from its nose while the witch had a worried expression on her face. Triska hopped down from the caravan and walked over to Falla as the girl was screaming and frantically trying to flutter her wings.

“Would you shut up?” Triska yelled out at her. Falla looked to her then to the horse that was starting to calm down yet still looked absolutely frightening to her.

“What happened out here?” Specca asked as she popped her head out of the cabin, adjusting her glasses while her hair was still a bit messy from the night. Triska looked around at the three girls before her then scratched her head.

“Jovian? Jacqueline? What are you doing out here?”

“That’s what I want to know!” Falla cried out. “I wake up and they’re just staring at me while lying right next to me! And then your stupid horse just freaks out and turns into
that
! What the hell is wrong with you people?”

Triska knelt down and grabbed Falla by the jaw, the butterfly girl halting and looking at her with a whimper.

“Number one, don’t call Lucky stupid,” Triska sternly ordered. “Number two, he changed into his demon form to scare away whatever scared
him
. Number three, stop shouting! That’s probably what spooked him in the first place!” She let go of Falla then looked to the sisters curiously while Falla glanced over to seeing Lucky slowly shifting back into his normal form.

“What are you two doing out here? Did you both sleep here last night?”

Jovian and Jacqueline nodded as Falla looked back and forth between them.

“What?” Falla barked out. “You two freaks were sleeping right next to me all night?”

Jovian and Jacqueline huffed with discontent, with Jovian then slapping Falla, causing the butterfly girl’s head to turn and face Jacqueline who then slapped her hard as well. Falla dropped back onto the bedding with a weak groan, her head aching from the hits that struck a lot harder than they appeared to.

“So rude,” Jovian scoffed.

Jacqueline nodded then looked to the caravan where Specca was now standing up on the driver’s seat, the nixie watching as Lucky finally calmed down with Alyssa gently brushing his nose.

“And we couldn’t sleep in there last night,” she explained. “Somebody snores so incredibly loudly. It was unbearable.”

Triska stood up and looked at her with a raised eyebrow then smiled amusedly.

“Oh, sorry about that. Yeah, Daniel’s a rather loud sleeper.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Jovian remarked. “How could any of you sleep at all in there anyway?”

Triska smirked then looked to the caravan as Specca then reentered the cabin, the nixie’s tail swaying about gently behind her before vanishing into the ride.

“I guess that shows just how much we all care for Daniel. His snoring doesn’t bother us at all.”

“It sounded like a tree being decimated by dozens of angry woodcutters,” Jovian said with disbelief. “That didn’t bother you at all?”

“Nope,” Triska giggled while shaking her head. “We don’t even notice it to be honest. I slept right next to him a night ago, it was the most peaceful and relaxing night of my life.”

“I shudder to think what nights you’ve slept through before that,” Jacqueline muttered before the sisters stood up and brushed off some grass from their clothes. Falla however was holding her head with both hands on the ground as those hits to her face left her a bit dizzy. Triska rolled her eyes then looked at the sisters curiously.

“Wait a minute,” she questioned. “Didn’t Lucky frighten either of you just now? He usually scares everyone we meet when he turns into his other form.”

“No, he didn’t scare us,” Jovian said shaking her head.

“We’ve seen many different kinds of monsters and beasts during our travels,” Jacqueline reasoned with a shrug. “A simple enchanted horse didn’t cause any alarm for us.”

Triska glanced between the two curiously then shrugged and turned to walk towards the caravan.

“Well, alright then, that’s good, I guess. Anyway, I’ll get some breakfast prepared for us now that we’re awake. After we eat we’ll be on our way again.”

The sisters watched the teen walk away as her hips swayed slightly with each step then glanced to each other with faint smiles as they licked their lips.

“I say we save our appetite,” Jovian suggested softly.

“I was just about to say the same thing,” Jacqueline giggled, the two then walking after Triska with hungry eyes focused on the teen’s ass. As they walked away Falla slowly sat up while holding her head, having a weary expression of anger on her face.

“Damn, those girls really hit hard,” she muttered. Looking around she noticed the girls had left her before she saw Alyssa walking over with a dull expression on her face.

“Hey, would you mind?” Falla said pointing to the vine that was tightened around her ankle. Alyssa stopped in front of her and just scowled at the butterfly girl.

“What?” Falla asked plainly.

“I was having the best dream about Daniel fucking me in my ass, and then you had to go and wreck it by upsetting Lucky with your damned yelling,” Alyssa snapped.

Falla just raised an eyebrow at her then shook her head with annoyance.

“Hey, I just woke up to those two twisted sisters lying next to me,” she retorted. “It was really creepy, alright? If you want to get mad at someone take it up with them.”

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at the butterfly girl, with Falla then leaning back away from her with an uneasy frown.

“C’mon, I didn’t want to wake up like this either,” Falla defended. “I never wanted to sleep out here to begin with.”

“If you ever come between me and Daniel, here or in my dreams, again, I’ll make you
beg
for mercy,” Alyssa growled through bared teeth.

Falla glanced down to her vine shackle then to the witch while lifting her foot a bit.

“Fine, I’m sorry, okay?” she dryly said. “Now, would you
please
get this off of me? I have to pee.”

“Then pee, not like I care,” Alyssa snapped before walking off towards the caravan.

Falla growled with agitation then crossed her arms with a scowl while looking down to the vine holding her.

“I hate my life,” she muttered.

Alyssa walked over to the caravan and climbed aboard, hopping back through the entryway into the cabin where the other girls were busy getting ready for the morning. Specca was brushing her hair while looking in a small mirror, being very critical about getting her hair to look smooth and pretty for when Daniel woke up, while Triska was rummaging through her duffel bag near the side of the cabin. The black curtain was still pulled over, with Alyssa then walking back and slowly sliding it over with a careful eye. Triska and Specca glanced over as well, seeing the witch pulling the curtain aside to show Daniel lying sprawled out on his sleeping blanket while Squeak was curled up into a ball next to him. The ant girl had a blanket covering her body while her antennae were poking out from underneath, her abdomen sticking out the other way while she made quiet squeaks with each breath she took. Daniel was snoring with an open mouth as he lay on his pillow, with the other girls slowly approaching them while looking between the two curiously.

“Okay, show of hands, does his snoring bother
any
of us?” Triska asked quietly.

Alyssa and Specca glanced to her then each other, with none of them raising their hands. Triska smirked and nodded while watching Daniel sleeping loudly as he always did.

“I guess that really does make us the best choices for his girlfriend.”

“I suppose so,” Specca agreed. “I honestly never really notice it when I’m falling asleep. It’s so strange, I only hear it when we wake up before he does, yet I never pay it any mind.”

“Jovian and Jacqueline couldn’t handle sleeping in here with him,” Triska snickered. “That’s why they left and slept outside with Falla.”

“Those poor girls,” Specca giggled. “I guess not everyone is able to tune it out like we can.”

“No, not everyone can,” Triska smugly reasoned. “Something like this could be so irritating to others. Whoever does want to be his mate has to be able to love everything about him, and I mean everything.”

“I already do,” Specca replied with a glance to the girl. “I absolutely love everything there is about Daniel.”

“Well I do more,” Triska challenged. “There isn’t anything at all that could scare me away from being Daniel’s mate.”

“There isn’t anything in all of Eden that could turn me away from him either, Triska,” Specca retorted with a smug grin. “And I do say that I love him the
most
out of anyone.”

As the two girls stared each other down with cocky smiles Alyssa continued to watch Daniel, seeing him sleep with a bit of drool coming down from his mouth while her heart fluttered with her rising emotions.

‘I’d go through hell itself for you, Daniel. Anything to show you how much I love you, anything for you to see me as the woman I am inside.’

Triska nodded then grabbed the blanket over Squeak and pulled it off to the side, the girls seeing the ant girl sleeping in her ball while wearing her normal tunic. Her boots and gloves were off to the side along with Daniel’s boots, although the girls were only concerned if Squeak had her clothes on still, and were relieved to see that she did.

“She always sleeps in her ball, even during her turn with Daniel,” Triska said curiously.

“That’s how ant girls sleep, it’s just her way,” Specca reasoned.

“I know, I’m just saying,” Triska pointed out with a shrug. “It felt good to sleep in Daniel’s arms when I had the chance too, but she doesn’t even give it a try. Just seems like a waste on her part.”

“Yes, I have to agree,” Specca said softly. “Sleeping with him so close certainly makes the night complete.”