“I’ve been confused many times in the past. I’ve gotten lost, forgotten stuff, and a lot of times I don’t know what people are talking about. But this is something I know I want. I want to be here. I want to live with them. I want to be with Daniel. And I want to be a good girl.”
“But… Cindy,” Felucia worried.
“I love him, mother,” Cindy insisted with tears starting to form. “He makes me… so happy. I feel so safe and happy when I’m with him. And the girls here make me happy too. Even Triska. She makes me happy now, even though when we first met she was a real jerk and I hated her so much. I mean it, she was really loud and mean when we met. I didn’t like her at all. But I do now. So very much.”
“I get that a lot,” Triska commented with a mutual glance to Alyssa.
“I love Snapper,” Cindy continued, holding the child up and hugging her. “I love all the girls. And I love Daniel. Living like this… makes me happier than anything else ever has. Even more happier than eating stuff with my mouth. I never want it to stop.”
“But, Cindy,” Felucia protested. “You don’t understand. Living like this… it’s not normal for sand wraiths.”
“Then I’m not normal,” Cindy reasoned with a shrug. “I don’t care.”
“But you’re not listening to me. If you keep eating their food you’ll never grow, you’ll never get smarter.”
“I don’t care.”
“You won’t mature.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’ll never have a daughter!”
“I don’t care,” Cindy said, with Felucia gasping in shock. “I don’t want to eat other people. It’s wrong, it’s mean, and I hate it. I don’t want to have to do that ever again. It makes me so sad just thinking about the people I ate before I met Daniel. I was so mean to them… and I didn’t even know it. I was a bad girl then. And I can’t even say I’m sorry to them anymore because I ate them up. But I am really sorry. I’m so sorry I ate them, I wish I never did such a thing to them.”
“But… Cindy-”
“I don’t care!” Cindy shouted at her. “Do you hear me, mother? I don’t care if this is wrong to you or not! I’m not going to live my life like you do, eating people over and over again just to make a baby sand wraith! I can’t do it, I can’t do that anymore! It’s not just because eating their food tastes so wonderful, it’s because I don’t want to be a real monster like those jerks in that burning forest were! I won’t be like them!”
Slowly Felucia let go of Daniel and turned to her daughter, seeing the adamant look in Cindy’s eyes along with a few tears as she held Snapper close in her arms. The youngling gurgled and pawed at her chest with a curious murmur as Cindy wiped her tears away and nodded firmly at her mother.
“I’m not a bad girl, not anymore. I won’t be like those monsters who hurt those elves, who hurt you, who took Squeak away. If killing other people is the only way I can make a baby… then I’m not going to make a baby. I can’t do it. I can’t be like that.”
“Cindy… you can’t mean that,” Felucia worried.
“I do,” Cindy asserted, turning her eyes down to Snapper as she gently coddled the child. “Killing people is bad. Eating people is wrong. I won’t be like that. And neither will Snapper. We’re good girls now, and we always will be.”
“But… don’t you want a daughter, Cindy?”
“Not if I have to kill others in order to have one. It’s not right. I’ll be Snapper’s mom, I’ll make sure she grows up to be a good girl. That much I can do. That much is enough for me.”
Sitting back down on the bed Cindy held Snapper close, the youngling buzzing her wings and purring as she gently clawed the wraith’s sandy cheeks. Felucia stared at her in stunned silence for a moment before turning back to Daniel with a furious growl.
“You bastard! Look at what you’ve done to her!”
“We helped her avoid becoming a heartless murderer in this world,” Daniel retorted. “She’s a wonderful person on the inside, and now she’s free to show that to everyone. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“She can’t live like this! It’s not normal! It’s not right! She can’t-”
“What if she can?” Daniel shouted back. Felucia backed up a step in surprise as Daniel crossed his arms with a stern look at her. “What if there is another way for her to breed, a way that doesn’t involve eating and murdering others? What if your kind doesn’t have to live like dreaded deathdealers in Eden and there is another way you can breed without killing people?”
“There isn’t any other way! That can’t be done!”
“I won’t accept that!” Daniel argued before pointing to Cindy. “She has a loving heart and a will to help others, a caring nature that she proudly displays every day by taking care of that baby swarm that she herself took into her arms out of love and affection. Cindy is an amazing girl, she’s capable of so much good in this world, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone corrupt such an angelic soul by taking away who she really is.”
“There must be another way for her to breed,” Triska agreed. “Maybe different food will do the trick. Or even animals. You said it yourself she only needs to absorb the lifeforce of other creatures, that doesn’t mean monster and human only.”
“Critters and livestock only give paltry amounts of lifeforce for us sand wraiths,” Felucia contended. “She would have to devour an entire countryside filled with those smelly beasts before she could even hope to give birth to another sand wraith. Humans and monsters offer the most for us to absorb, that’s the only way she can reliably have daughters in her life.”
“Well we’re going to find another way,” Daniel said, earning a frustrated growl from Felucia as she clenched her hands into tight, grinding fists. “Just because we don’t know of it yet doesn’t mean it’s impossible. But what we do know is that Cindy is perfect just the way she is. She doesn’t want to be a killer, she doesn’t want to eat others, she only wants to live her life in peace. And I swear I will do everything I can in order to help her find the answer to how she can do that and still have a daughter of her own one day. She deserves to be happy in life, Felucia. And I’m going to give her just that.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Felucia snarled. “Corrupting my baby with nonsense and taste, speaking about her as if she’s yours… who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I’m her mate,” Daniel decisively replied, causing Felucia to jump with wide eyes. “And as such I’m going to take care of her and make sure she lives a good life. That’s my responsibility and one I take very seriously.”
“You’re not her mate,” Felucia growled. “Sand wraiths don’t have mates, we only have food. You… you people… how dare you do this to my baby girl!”
She promptly rushed Daniel and slammed him into the wall with a loud scream, causing all the girls to hop with alarm while the wraith held him by the shoulder and neck with a furious glare and bared teeth as she was clearly infuriated now.
“I won’t let you hurt her anymore with your bullshit!” Felucia yelled as she wound back with a fist. Before Triska could unsheathe her sword or Alyssa could focus her magic, Felucia quickly came to a halt as a translucent spectral cutter whipped out around Daniel and stopped right before the surprised wraith’s face.
“Ah ah ah,” Reiko playfully scolded. “That’s no way for a guest of his to behave in his home, don’t you think?”
From behind Daniel the harvester shifted through the wall, arms gently resting over his chest while her glowing eye and eye socket peeked above his shoulder at the stunned wraith. Stepping back carefully Felucia let go of him, herself and the girls watching as Daniel moved away from the wall with Reiko holding onto him from behind. The harvester had noticeably grown since the battle of Green Haven, her size now closer matching Alyssa’s rather than Pip’s, while from underneath her fluttering gown two other spectral cutters were extended out and remained poised on either side of Daniel with the blades pointed at Felucia.
“Not to mention it’s incredibly foolish to attack this man when so many of his mates are right next to you,” Reiko chuckled. “Honestly, how stupid are you?”
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Felucia growled. “Even you, the most insane one of all these people, are actually siding with him?”
“How could I not?” Reiko purred, resting her head on Daniel’s shoulder that he cringed slightly from as all he could see out of the corner of his eye was the side of her skull that was exposed and rotting. “Because of his fruitful plan in going to Green Haven I was able to reap so many souls that day. I’ve recovered more of my power and have grown much faster than I was hunting scraps out in the wild. Besides…”
She giggled and glanced up to Star who was growling with bared teeth at her.
“My dear Star does seem to favor him, it’s not like I could allow any harm to befall him now. That, and whenever I get close to him Star pays the utmost attention to me. It’s a win-win protecting this silly sack of meat.”
“Thank you for that… I think,” Daniel unsurely said.
“You’re very welcome,” Reiko said with a cheery smile at him. “By the way, what’s this I hear of you killing the gemini? Even I could not cleave away their souls, but you… you were able to rob them of life when I could not? Is this true?”
“How did you hear about that?”
“I’ve been listening to you all since you came back,” Reiko answered, floating off his back and moving around to face him. “Well, to be honest I was following Star all day, and she led me back here.”
Star meowed with a puzzled look and shook her head to that. With an excited giggle Reiko waved at her with a lick of what lips she still had before gently spinning her finger around.
“You wouldn’t have seen me, for I was behind you. And underneath. Did I forget to mention? I’ve regained enough power to turn invisible more freely. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Star blinked, slowly looked back down to her rear, then yowled loudly at Reiko with a deep blush forming as she became visibly enraged.
“What right do you have calling me a pervert when you’re the one not wearing anything under your skirt?” Reiko quipped with a coy smile. “Honestly, just walking around with your exposed flesh like that, you’re the one who should be punished for being such a tease. Besides, I didn’t engorge my tastes with your delicious body this time, I merely followed you around like your shadow and… admired the exquisite beauty you hide underneath your dress. That’s all. No harm in doing that, right?”
Star screamed at her with bared fangs, her furious snarl causing Snapper to jump in surprise before quickly burrowing into Cindy’s chest while Luna ducked down low behind her sister with shaking wings.
“Reiko,” Daniel tiredly sighed.
“What?” Reiko complained. “What’s wrong with that? Besides, you’re the one who’s taken my Star as your mate. You get to fuck her however you want, whenever you want now that she’s given her heart to you, while I only get to gaze at her from afar and nothing more.”
“You were stalking her and looking up her dress,” Daniel pointed out.
“Believe me, I would have done much more than that if it wasn’t for you being the one she wants,” Reiko huffed. “Be grateful I’m allowing you such an honor of making her yours at all.”
“I hate to tempt fate and all,” Specca hesitantly spoke up. “But I must ask, why exactly are you being so nice to Daniel now? I have to say… it’s rather unsettling to see.”
“Preach,” Falla agreed raising a hand.
“Like I said before,” Reiko stubbornly said crossing her arms. “Because of his actions I was able to reap many souls and regain my strength. And, despite how much I should be Star’s mate, she’s apparently chosen him instead and wouldn’t quite love me as she does should I kill him. So… I’m tolerating him to the best of my ability, nothing more.”
“Her love for you?” Clover flatly repeated.
“Of course,” Reiko giggled with a bashful wave at Star. “She and I are still soul mates, that can never be changed. Right, my dear kitty?”
Star hissed at her with both tails sticking straight up behind her, the jinx yowling something that seemed more hostile than loving at the harvester before flipping her off.
“Fuck me all you want, you dirty tease you,” Reiko purred.
“For god’s sake, just shut up, all of you!” Felucia cried out. Everyone stopped and took notice of the sand wraith fuming with anger while shooting frustrated glares at them. “What is wrong with you people? You’re all acting like you’ve got mud for brains! A man claiming to love monsters, a swarm and harvester acting like obedient pets, all of you girls doing anything but raping this man dry like you should be, and to top it all off there’s you!”
Pointing to Sheal she saw the salamander jumping in surprise before looking around at everyone in confusion.
“Wait, me?” she raspingly asked. “What did I do? I’ve just been sitting here.”
“Exactly! You’ve just been sitting outside in front of your little fire for days! Why are you even here, why are you staying here? It’s bad enough my daughter insists on living with her food, but having a fucking salamander woman here is crossing the line! The last thing my baby needs to be around is a fiery abomination like you!”
“I’m not hurting anyone,” Sheal defended looking down. “I’m not even talking to anyone. All I’ve been doing is sitting outside and keeping to myself. I haven’t done anything wrong… have I?”
“No, of course not, dear,” Doku assured. “And you know you are welcome inside our home as a guest, you don’t have to spend your time alone out there if you don’t wish to. We’ve told you this many times now.”
“You’re all crazy!” Felucia cried out. “None of this makes sense! None of this is how any of you should be acting! For fuck’s sake, you’re all monsters and that’s a human man, why is nobody trying to rape him? There’s even a horde of elves out there, and none of them are trying anything either! All they’re doing is praising his name and acting like his fucking bodyguards! What is happening to the world?”
She received only silent looks from everyone before suddenly seeing Cindy right before her, the young girl handing off Snapper into her arms that she jumped a bit from having forced upon her. Felucia bewilderedly stared at the child that cawed at her with a wide smile then looked to her daughter with a shaky stutter, watching as Cindy showed a saddened frown at her before gently petting Snapper’s head.
“This is Snapper,” Cindy explained. “She’s not my real daughter, but she’s still like my daughter. I love her. I would never, ever, ever hurt her. Look at her, mother.”
Felucia turned her eyes down to Snapper as the swarm was now chewing into her chest and clawing at her shoulders. After a few heavy chomps the youngling smiled up at Cindy then Felucia with a buzz of her wings, electing only a confused look from Felucia as she remained silent.
“People are scared of her,” Cindy continued. “People don’t like her. Because she’s a swarm, because swarm eat people, because swarm aren’t usually nice. But Snapper isn’t like them. She’s not like them at all.”
“She’s trying to eat me right now,” Felucia pointed out as Snapper was mauling her chest.
“She bites now and again,” Cindy admitted with a shrug. “She likes to bite. She likes to eat. But she won’t eat you up. She’s just playing with you, mother. She’s a good girl, she really is. Not everyone can see it, but I can. She’s a great girl and I love her.”
“What are you getting at, Cindy?” Felucia demanded as she started squirming with the swarm digging into her bosom.
“Hold her,” Cindy said.
“She’s doing just fine holding onto me,” Felucia growled as she tried shaking off the swarm.
“Hold her, mother,” Cindy urged. “Please. Just try it.”
“Cindy-”
“Hold her,” Cindy whimpered. “Just try it.”
Feluci
a groaned in aggravation before reluctantly holding her arms around Snapper. The youngling coughed out sand and shook her head with a flutter of her eyes before looking up at the wraith with a curious gurgle. Felucia showed an uneasy grimace as she watched Snapper staring at her, the youngling pawing at her chest a bit before she snuggled closer and cawed twice with a wide smile.
“Now what?” Felucia asked.
“That’s it,” Cindy answered with a small smile. “You’re doing it. Whenever I hold Snapper in my arms I feel so happy, and so does she. It feels so right caring for her. Don’t you feel anything holding her?”
“I’m just holding a piece of meat,” Felucia dryly replied. “A small piece at that. Honestly, what’s so special about them, Cindy? I don’t understand why you like these things.”
Snapper snapped her teeth a few times, getting only a dull stare out of Felucia who didn’t seem to find any interest in the child at all. With giddy clicks of her teeth Snapper crawled up the wraith and licked her face, with Felucia spitting off to the side before yelping as the youngling licked her again and again.
“AH! What are you doing? Knock it off! Cindy! What’s the meaning of this? Why is she doing that?”
“She likes you,” Daniel said, with Felucia turning to him in bewilderment. “She’s learning to show her feelings through ways other than biting. She’s giving you what she considers kisses.”
“But why?” Felucia spat out as Snapper held onto her head and lapped her face. “Why is she doing this? It’s not normal!”
“Because she likes you, mother,” Cindy explained. “She doesn’t hate you. She’s not afraid of you. She likes being held by you. Doesn’t that make you happy at all? Don’t you feel happy knowing she likes you?”
“She’s only pissing me off, that’s how I’m feeling right now!” Felucia yelled as she yanked Snapper away and held the swarm at arm’s length from her face. “Filthy, disgusting, stupid pieces of meat. Why do you want to be here with them, Cindy? What’s the point? Their food is pointless, their company is pointless, and this little brat is just… is just…”
Chronicles of Eden: Season II - Act I Page 5
