“Yes, I am fucking serious, Felucia,” Daniel dryly replied.
“Ragnarok?” Triska repeated. “A sword that both the Hellfire’s Edge and Archlight’s Blade derived from… one that not even angels or demons could control… is now bound to you? It’s… inside you now?”
“I believe so. Sort of like how it is with you and Kitten I suppose, except Ragnarok hasn’t spoken or appeared to me since that night.”
“That’s what happened during the battle?” Clover marveled. “You… you pulled a legendary sword straight out of the fucking ether… and destroyed the gemini with it?”
“Yes,” Daniel confirmed, remembering the last moments with the twisted twins. “When I first heard Ragnarok speaking to me I honestly couldn’t believe any of what she was saying. Everything happened so fast and unexpectedly. However… I wanted to believe her. I wanted what she promised to be true. I wanted Jovian and Jacqueline to pay for what they did.”
“So you just trusted her?” Specca questioned.
“Not entirely,” Daniel admitted with a regretful glance towards her. “Trusting the gemini when we first met them nearly resulted in all of us dying. I knew better than to trust someone I had just met, but… I felt I didn’t have a choice. If Ragnarok was lying to me then I was as good as dead anyway. We all were. Trusting her was the only choice I saw to make, one that I hoped would be the right decision. And as it turned out, it was.”
“The gemini are really dead?” Alyssa carefully asked. “Ragnarok really destroyed them for good? You’re sure of this?”
“Yes,” Daniel answered. He walked closer to Falla and wiped her tears away, the butterfly and her sister quickly grabbing hold of his hands as he smiled a little at her. “I struck them down, and they did not get back up again. Nothing was left of either of them afterward. They even felt real pain from Ragnarok’s blade, and although it wasn’t nearly enough in reparation for all the pain and suffering they caused, it was enough to invoke true fear in their eyes. They’re dead, Falla. The ones that took Squeak from us are gone for good. Our mate was avenged. I made sure of it.”
“Thank you… thank you, Daniel,” Falla whimpered before she grabbed hold of him and buried her face in his chest. She broke down crying with Luna and Cindy letting out their tears as well, with the other girls all feeling the same wave of comfort hitting them in knowing Squeak’s killers got what was coming to them in the end.
“They’re dead,” Sheal praised. “Those monsters… finally paid the price for their lies. For killing my only family. For killing my friend. May they burn in hell forever.”
“Amen to that,” Triska said before struggling to hold in her voice. Holding a hand over her mouth she lowered her head as the memory of her co-mate again struck at her heart, though at least this time it was somewhat softened compared to before.
“Those stupid jerks,” Cindy sniveled as she coddled Snapper, the youngling squirming in her arms with her face buried in the wraith’s sandy bosom. “I’m glad they’re gone. They were so mean. I really hated them.”
“You and me both,” Felucia agreed. “Those two were a real nightmare.”
“Oh, we know, Felucia,” Specca said while slowly nodding. She wiped her tears away then smiled slightly at Daniel. “Thank you for telling us, Daniel. I think we’ll all sleep a little better tonight knowing Squeak can also rest in peace.”
“I pray she finds rest in the afterlife,” Doku hoped. “The poor dear. It won’t be the same around here without her.”
Star nodded with a quiet mew as she distantly gazed up at the ceiling, her tails slowly waving behind her as she absently pondered to herself before she blinked then showed a dull expression as she saw spider webbing covering a side of the ceiling. With a roll of her eyes and a quiet murmur she then turned her focus down to Daniel as he backed up from the butterfly sisters and rested his hand on the sword sheathed at his hip.
“Although I suppose that sword and its spirit are bound to me, I haven’t heard or seen her since that fateful night. And to be honest, I was hesitant on changing that. On top of everything that happened and what still needs to be done, I didn’t want to add dealing with her… it… whatever she is, into the mix as well. She’s… very unnerving to speak to and see in person.”
Pulling the sword out slightly Daniel admired the polished crimson edged steel, the blade and shield he now owned bearing a striking resemblance to armaments seen before in his travels.
“Apoch and Astreal were kind enough to create these for me, and I’m very thankful for their efforts. I wanted them so I didn’t have to tempt fate by calling out to Ragnarok again, or be reliant on you girls being so close to me in order to properly fight if need be. I’m sure the blade I create from the love you girls give me is far stronger than this, and even further above that would likely be Ragnarok itself, but still… having this by my side brings a bit confidence towards being a real knight for my family.”
“Can we see it?” Falla asked. Daniel turned to her as she wiped her tears away and nodded at him. “Can we? The sword… the one that allowed you to avenge Squeak… I want to see it. I want to see the weapon that put down those horrible monsters that took her from us.”
“I’m rather curious to see it myself,” Triska admitted. “Would that be alright, Daniel? Even if just for a moment, could we see the weapon that you used to avenge our fallen mate?”
“I’m not sure we should do such a thing yet,” Specca argued shaking her head. “We don’t know exactly what it is that Daniel has in him now. Is it safe to have it out in here?”
“Probably not,” Alyssa reasoned. “The thing totally annihilated the gemini, and they were near-immortal. If that sword is more powerful than the Hellfire’s Edge or Archlight’s Blade, then it’s certainly worthy of great caution.”
“Dan?” Clover asked, herself and the others seeing Daniel staring at his hand with obvious reluctance to their plea. “May we see it? Would that be okay?”
“I’m… not sure,” Daniel finally said. “To be honest, I’m not sure how exactly I summoned it like I did. I certainly haven’t tried or given any thought as to how to do it recently. I didn’t want to deal with… Ragnarok just yet.”
“If you don’t want to do it now you don’t have to,” Doku assured. “You don’t have to push yourself if you’re not sure you’re ready to hold it again. If you believe there’s cause for concern regarding that weapon then it may be best to approach this slowly and more carefully.”
“I do,” Daniel agreed. “Holding the Hellfire’s Edge was one thing, but Ragnarok… it was nothing like that. That sword… its spirit… something is very different about it. And it’s not just me I’m worried about with holding it again, it’s all of you. Like Alyssa said, and like Ragnarok boasted when we first met, it’s a very powerful weapon. I want to make sure I can properly control it the next time I have it out.”
“Then we’ll wait,” Clover accepted. “Take all the time you need to learn how to control it. What’s important is that Squeak was avenged and the gemini are gone for good. My people are going to rejoice hearing about this, and I swear they’re going to think you really are a god after all you’ve done for them, Dan.”
“I really don’t want them to start worshiping me or anything like that,” Daniel remarked with a brief smirk. After a moment to think he looked around at the girls as they appeared to be waiting for him to speak again.
“You’ll all get to see Ragnarok when the time is right. For now… let’s be thankful we still have each other, and that Squeak’s efforts were not in vain. The elves of Green Haven are safe. The gemini are dead. The Sisterhood is going to be in disarray after that battle. And we have each other. All we can do now is pick up the pieces and keep moving forward. If nothing else, we move forward for her and her memory.”
“Whatever you say, Dan,” Clover agreed.
“Her memory will never be forgotten,” Specca promised.
“Nor what she gave her life for,” Alyssa add
ed.
“We’ll succeed with our quest,” Doku confidently said. “For her.”
“For our co-mate,” Luna said as she held Falla.
“For our family,” Falla whimpered.
“For Squeak,” Triska gently said, herself and everyone then turning their sights towards the wall next to the mirrors. Where the magical focuser that once belonged to Alyssa’s mother was hung, so too was another ornamentation that all eyes focused on. Woven together from clothing of the ant girl no longer among them by the magic of witches who were their friends, was a small blue quilt with brown and silver thread used to make a pickaxe emblem that was proudly displayed in memory of their family that was taken from them. Daniel slowly walked over in front of the memorial while holding in his tears the best he could, one hand gently reaching out and touching the insignia as he cherished his ant girl and all that she was just as he always had.
“We will succeed with our quest,” he vowed to both himself and her. “We will fight to bring peace to this world with everything we have. Just as you did, my beloved mate.”
Chapter 2
A Mother’s Concern
In the world of Eden it wasn’t uncommon to come across those with differing views or beliefs. It was one thing to accept that for how it was, it was another to attempt changing their minds on the matter. Maybe they would see the differing path as one they too could travel, either for personal gain or genuine belief that it was right. Or perhaps they wouldn’t accept such a notion and reject it entirely, maybe even violently if they became provoked from it. Either way, it was always important to stand by your beliefs no matter what and do what you felt was right.
If it truly was the right path to take, allow nothing to lead you astray.
*****
“Alright,” Daniel said aloud with renewed focus on his current plethora of issues to handle. “No more dodging or putting this off. It’s time we handled this problem just like I promised we would. I am sorry for the wait, I know this is very important to you, so let’s discuss this issue first so we can find the best course of action to take before we move on.”
“It’s about fucking time,” Felucia growled, the sand wraith holding Daniel up by his vest against the wall next to Squeak’s memoriam quilt. Around them the girls were watching in stunned silence as the enraged wraith had interrupted their prior moment of peaceful remembrance without warning.
“Felucia!” Triska yelled as she grabbed hold of her sword. “Put him down right now!”
“Don’t hurt him, mother!” Cindy cried out. “And don’t make Triska angry, she’ll yell a lot at you! It’s horrible when she does that!”
“Hey!”
“Everyone stop,” Daniel called out, tension running high as he showed a solemn look at the angry woman before him. “Felucia, there’s no need to get physical with this. I already said we could discuss your issue with Cindy being in our care.”
“Oh, it’s more than just an issue now,” Felucia snapped. “For the past three days I’ve been holding my tongue about this matter and doing my best to comfort my heartbroken baby girl. You did manage to save me from the gemini, so I was willing to try and understand why in Eden she liked any of you in the first place. And during that time I’ve witnessed even more insanity with you people that my impressionable little girl is becoming infected with!”
“Go on,” Daniel calmly said.
“First, who the hell got my Cindy hooked on eating filthy human food? Was that you? Did you corrupt my baby with the idea that she could eat that shit? What is wrong with you? How could you people do such a thing to her?”
“Is there a problem with Cindy eating our food? She seems to enjoy it very much.”
“It’s a huge problem!” Felucia roared as she shook him. “Sand wraiths aren’t supposed to eat that garbage! I’ve been trying to get her to stop but she won’t listen to me now! She thinks it’s good to eat that crap!”
“But it is good, mother!” Cindy whined hopping up and down on the bed. “I love eating their food! It tastes so yummy and makes me happy!”
“Stop saying that, Cindy! Stop it right now!”
“You have seemed rather upset whenever Cindy ate with us,” Doku recalled.
“Oh, gee, you think?” Felucia barked at her. “What was your first clue that I was upset then?”
“Well, let’s see,” Luna said looking up thoughtfully. “You kept trying to yank her food away and tell her no whenever she wanted to eat something. You always growled and grinded your teeth angrily like you were mad when she took the food back and ate it. And you also cried a few times wondering where you went wrong as a mother now that your daughter is addicted to eating human food.”
“Anyone see any red flags there?” Falla flatly asked.
“But it’s real good!” Cindy argued. “I don’t understand why you don’t want me to eat that stuff when it’s so tasty!”
“Why is Cindy eating our food so bad?” Specca asked. “Honestly, we have been curious about the fact that she didn’t even know what taste was when we met her or that she even could eat food like us.”
“I will take some of the blame for this,” Felucia growled at Daniel. “I told her many times about this when we were together, but apparently it just went in one ear and out the other. I shouldn’t have let her leave my side so soon without making sure she knew better. But still, you’re the one who enabled her and this horrible habit, you’re the one who corrupted my daughter with that wretched concept you call taste.”
“But why can’t she eat like us?” Daniel wondered. “What’s so bad about her doing so?”
“Because eating your food is pointless!” Felucia shouted. “Sand wraiths breed by eating real food. People! Monsters! Living creatures! It’s not just their flesh and blood we devour, it’s also their lifeforce! That’s what allows us to develop and eventually breed! Your food is just empty pleasure for her! She’ll never grow up or have a daughter if she keeps eating that trash!”
“What?” Alyssa asked.
“Just what I said! Eating your food is completely pointless for her. She could eat everything you put down in front of her every day for the rest of her life, and it wouldn’t do a damned thing for her! She’ll never grow up, she’ll never get smarter, she’ll never have a daughter!”
“I… won’t?” Cindy worried.
“No, you won’t,” Felucia told her with a heartbroken frown. “Don’t you remember all the warnings I gave you, Cindy? Eat all the people you come across, but never eat their food. Taste is a toxic sensation to us. It tricks you into wanting more of that useless crap they call food, but it’s not food at all for you. It’s nothing at all. Your body dissolves it and nothing comes of it in return. You’ll never mature or have a daughter if you keep eating that stuff.”
“I won’t have a baby?” Cindy feared. “Never? Like, never ever ever?”
“Never,” Felucia warned shaking her head. “You can only grow and breed if you eat living creatures, things with lifeforce for you to absorb into your being. All those meals you’ve had here, all the food and sweets you say you love, they’re nothing but a waste of your time.”
“That’s why sand wraiths only devour others for food?” Triska wondered. “For their lifeforce? But… is there really no other way for her to have a daughter of her own?”
“What other way would she need?” Felucia snapped at her. “Yes, it’s the only way. And until she met you assholes she would have been perfectly happy with it. But nooooooo, you stupid bitches tricked my Cindy into eating that disgusting manure you call food and-”
“Enough!” Daniel called out. Everyone turned to see him taking a slow breath while keeping a sharp eye on the angry sand wraith. “First, don’t you dare call Doku’s cooking filthy or trash. She is a wonderful cook, and if Cindy were to taste anything in this world then she’s lucky she’s able to have Doku’s meals.”
“I-I-I am?” Doku stuttered before quickly hiding behind her wings. “No, no, I’m not tha
t good. I mean I’ve made a few things Cindy has liked, but I’m not… I’m really not that good of a cook. Please don’t embarrass me by saying such things in front of everyone.”
“Second,” Daniel continued. “We only showed Cindy there was more to life than eating others. When we first met her she was lost and confused, not knowing what to do or even what was right. She’s not a bad girl, she’s not a bad person at all, she just didn’t know what was good or evil in the world.”
“Your daughter chose to be kind towards others because she wanted to be a good girl in life,” Triska added. “She chose not to eat us and instead wanted to be our friend, and look what became of her because of it. She’s now the happy surrogate mother to that young swarm in her arms, she’s a wonderful and kind person to those around her, and she even braved the dangers of going to Green Haven to help those elves because she wanted to save them. She’s a hero, Felucia. All because she fought against her inner nature to just blindly eat everyone she meets.”
“Your daughter is an amazing girl, Felucia,” Daniel praised. “Sand wraiths are known to be dangerous, murderous monsters in the world, but Cindy isn’t like that at all. She’s kind, caring, and only wants to enjoy life with those around her.”
“She can’t live like this!” Felucia argued, almost desperately. “She’s a sand wraith, this isn’t normal at all for her! Dammit, this isn’t what I wanted for my baby, this isn’t where she should be in her life! And didn’t you hear what I said earlier? Eating your food is worthless for her! She can’t grow or breed if she does that! She needs to-”
“She needs to decide on her own what to do,” Daniel countered, silencing the sand wraith. “And she has. This is the path she wanted to walk in life, this is what she wanted to do with her life. Can’t you see how happy she is living her life the way she’s chosen? Don’t you want her to be happy?”
“She’s not happy like this, she’s just confused again!”
“No I’m not!” Cindy shouted loudly, with everyone turning to her along with Snapper who quickly halted in place with a low gurgle. Standing up with the youngling held close in her arms Cindy showed a stern look towards her mother, the elder sand wraith falling silent while continuing to hold Daniel against the wall.
Chronicles of Eden: Season II - Act I Page 4
