“What the hell are you talking about?” Tabitha shouted as she wobbled in her defense. “You really have gone crazy, haven’t you?”
“Nobody is taking Max from me,” Mika growled, the ground under them lighting up with a crimson casting ring that bled upward against the moving wall. The air started to waver with streaks of golden light rippling up from the casting base while Tabitha’s tail and bells hit against the shaft from being pushed closer.
“Scay, a little help here!” Tabitha called out.
“HELPING!” Scay shouted as she grabbed onto Mika from behind. She wrestled Mika around before the hunter screamed with an eruption of light blasting from beneath them, throwing Scay back into a tumble before she slammed into the central alter and wrapped around it. Tabitha was thrown into the wall behind her, smacking against it while being knocked up along it before she halted in midair above Mika from a magical force catching her. Mika held her hand up towards the neko, having three spinning casting rings along her arm and before her palm as she growled furiously at the monster.
“Mika, stop!” Tabitha cried out.
“Stop hurting us,” Scay whined as she slowly sat up.
Mika let out a long yell while energy crackled along her arm, the force being exuded pushing back Tabitha’s fur as the neko stared in shock at the growing red light blooming in Mika’s hand.
“I will put an end to the Dark Queen,” Mika scorned. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she never speaks to anyone ever again! Nobody will stop me, nobody will keep my brother away from me!”
“What are you talking about?” Tabitha shouted. “Didn’t you say your brother is either dead or with The Sisterhood? What does he have to do with letting the Dark Queen out to kill us all?”
“She knows where he is, she knows where he is!”
“Then why do you want to kill her? You’re not making sense!”
“You don’t understand!”
“You’re right, I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about!”
“She needs to die, that’s all you need to know! And I will kill her along with any that get in my way! I’m not after you or your friend’s life, I’m not hunting you, but if you try to stop me from doing this I’ll have no choice but to put you down as well!”
“Stop!” Scay cried as she grabbed Mika from behind. “Please don’t hurt my friend! I really like her!”
Wrapping her tail around the human she pulled the woman’s arm aside, with Mika shouting as she stumbled about before releasing the magical blast of energy. The bolt of crimson light struck one of the statues nearby, exploding into a powerful blast that threw Tabitha and Scay over into the wall while Mika stumbled aside with them, the girls hitting against the moving shaft before tumbling upward with it and dropping to the ground with heavy thuds. Tabitha and Scay groaned as they slowly sat up before Mika grabbed the naga’s head and slammed it down onto the ground, knocking the monster out instantly as she did so again with a furious cry.
“You bitch!” Tabitha yelled as she tried tackling the human down. Instead she was grabbed and thrown down onto the ground before Mika took hold of her sword and held it across the neko’s throat.
“She needs to die,” Mika growled furiously. “She cannot be allowed to live, she cannot be allowed to speak, she needs to die!”
“Could you at least try making a little more sense here?” Tabitha snapped. “Dammit, if you’re going to kill us over this then at least explain yourself properly!”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Mika argued shaking her head. “You’re not the one who crossed the line with me.”
She then slammed Tabitha’s head onto the ground hard, knocking the neko out cold with her legs kicking once below her. Standing up Mika looked down at the unconscious girls before sheathing her sword at her hip, her fierce gaze then aiming downward as her anger was only aimed at another.
“She’s the only one I’m going to slay down here.”
The lift traveled down the long tunnel deeper into Eden, the quiet rustling of the air passing by all that was heard as Mika focused on her task. After lowering down further than Mika thought possible into the world the lift slowly came to a stop at its base inside the underground grotto. The hunter glanced around at seeing the flourishing vegetation within the cave while hearing the tranquil splashing of the waterfalls that fed its many pools scattered about. Seeing nobody else within the cavern Mika walked off the steel platform and down the knoll towards the water that had light coming up from under it.
“Where are you?” she called out. “Show yourself!”
Looking around carefully she saw only a few flowers swaying gently in the grotto while the trickling of the waterfalls remained constant. After a moment she heard a rustling which she quickly turned towards, watching with a sharp eye and hand held firmly on the handle of her sword as a large flower bud near the falling water slowly unraveled its lightly colored purple petals. From within the flower a woman slowly rose up with her vibrant violet colored hair flowing down behind her, the floral monster opening her eyes and taking notice of Mika staring at her while tensed up.
“Hello there,” Nuci softly greeted. “Who may ask are you?”
“Are you Aeon’s guardian?” Mika demanded.
“Aeon?” Nuci breathed out in surprise. “How… how do you know that name?”
“Because she’s my dear friend,” Aeon spoke in their heads. Nuci jumped with a startle and quickly looked down while Mika watched her carefully. Slowly she turned her gaze down to the wavering pool before her, seeing a soft light blooming under it while a wavering silhouette appeared below.
“Aeon!” Mika shouted drawing out her sword.
“Aeon,” Nuci gasped. “Wait, what’s going on here? Who is this human and why is she down here?”
“Why, she’s come to let me out of course,” Aeon chuckled. Nuci looked to Mika in surprise as the hunter kept her furious glare fixated on the unseen monster’s shadow. “She came all this way just to see me in person. Such a nice friend to have.”
“What is she talking about?” Nuci worried. “My dear child, who are-”
“Enough with your callous tongue, Aeon!” Mika yelled. “I’ve come to rip it out along with your heart!”
“Spoken like a true monster hunter,” Aeon complimented. “Mika Harollson, you’re a credit to your profession. By all means, come slay me. I encourage you to with all your might.”
“Please lower your sword and calm yourself,” Nuci requested holding out her hand. “Mika, is it? I don’t know what Aeon has said to lure you here or why, but you mustn’t-”
“I won’t calm down until I’ve driven my sword through her accursed heart!” Mika roared before holding her hand down towards the pool, a spinning casting ring of crimson and golden light forming before her with crackling snaps of energy arching out from it. She quickly fired a blast of magical energy into the water, creating a powerful explosion against the barrier underneath with a heavy tremor. Water splashed high and away from the impact, allowing Mika to steal a glimpse of Aeon fluttering beneath her magical seal. As the pool began refilling again the chronofly chuckled in their minds while tapping the barrier with her finger.
“Remove this seal around my city and then you and I may settle our little dispute once and for all right here.”
“That’s not happening!” Nuci argued shaking her head. “Mika, please listen to me, you cannot-”
“Enough!” Mika yelled at her. “She needs to die! You may have her body trapped here in that prison but her voice is able to travel to those living above, and her words are just as dangerous as she herself is!”
“I assure you that she herself is far more dangerous than anything she may have spoken to you,” Nuci insisted.
“You’re wrong,” Mika cursed looking back down. “She needs to die, right now. Tell me how to remove the seal, Aeon, so that I may then claim your head!”
“With pleasure,” Aeon laughed. “The key fragments to my s
eal are hidden right above you-”
“Aeon!” Nuci cried out at her as Mika looked up at the tangled roots and vines that clung to the ceiling.
“She has them hidden over your head. Recover the key fragments from her, put them together, and place it against my seal. That will dissolve the barrier and allow me to greet you face to face.”
“You mustn’t!” Nuci shouted shaking her head. “Mika, don’t listen to any lies she’s telling you! Please, you can’t-”
She then stopped and stared in shock at seeing Mika holding her hand out towards her, her destructive spell base hovering before her palm as she glared at the alurane.
“No… Mika, please don’t do this…”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Mika told her. “I really don’t. I may be a monster hunter, but I have no desire on harming you. She’s the only one I want to kill tonight. I know damn well how dangerous she is, but keeping her locked away isn’t good enough. She needs to die. Give me the key fragments to her seal and I’ll spare you. However if you try to stop me then I’ll be forced to go through you.”
“Mika,” Nuci lamented with a frown. She looked down to the water with a pout as Aeon giggled in their minds. After a pause she sighed and turned to Mika with a gentle shake of her head.
“You will not yield with this? You will not listen to my words?”
“Her words overshadow any that you could make,” Mika said shaking her head. “I’m going to open that seal and kill her, with or without your consent.”
“I’m sorry Aeon has done this to you,” Nuci sadly spoke. “I really am. Whatever she has said to cause such anger and pain within you, I’m truly sorry for.”
“Just give me the key fragments,” Mika ordered.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Nuci said with a remorseful smile. “You see I wouldn’t be much of a guardian if I just handed them over to anyone who asked without putting up even the smallest fight.”
“You’re going to try to fight me?”
“Heavens, no,” Nuci replied with a small smile. The ground rumbled a bit before large roots ripped up from the ground and rocks all over the grotto, swinging about through the air while splashing water about. Vines and tendrils overhead began constricting as they started overlapping one another to guard what was safely hidden above them. And the alurane who stood before Mika gently waved her hand before her, trailing a shimmering blue radiance that outlined a large segmented shield floating before the woman while her hair fluttered behind in a small breeze. Nuci lightly toiled her fingers together at her side, summoning wisps of green and blue light up along her arm towards her hand as she demonstrated that she too was capable of using magic.
“I am going to fight you,” Nuci corrected before showing a weak smile. “But don’t worry, I can see you’re not a bad person at heart. I’ll try to be gentle with beating you down. Sorry in advance if I’m a little… rough.”
Chapter 2
Unleashed
In the world of Eden there was a common belief when it came to those that were locked away, that being they were dangerous and untrustworthy. The simple sight of seeing them behind bars was enough for anyone to treat them with caution. If it were a dog within a cage one would assume it might attack if released. A human who was jailed likely did something to merit imprisonment. And monsters who were sealed by magical barriers might have been trapped there for a reason. Though not always true, the risk otherwise would often be too great to chance for most.
After all, those who were caged from the world often times deserved to be.
*****
The gentle splashing of water falling into the grotto pools were all that could be heard as Mika stared down the guardian of the City of Eden while having her magical attack primed in her hand. Nuci kept one hand held up at her side while holding her magic shield in front of her, the alurane’s many roots lifted up around the monster hunter remaining still as the guardian tried once more to talk down the enraged woman.
“Mika,” Nuci carefully said. “Please, reconsider your actions very closely. You do not understand what you are doing.”
“I know damn well what I’m doing,” Mika snapped. “I’m going to open that seal and then I’m going to kill Aeon!”
“See, that’s where you’re mistaken,” Nuci warned. “You cannot kill Aeon as easily as you think. She’s a Dark Queen, one of the four most powerful monsters in the entire world. You may have been in battles during your time but I swear you’ve never faced the likes of her before. Please understand that she must remain sealed here or else many lives will suffer. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to release her I promise you they are not worth this.”
“Yes they are, she has to die! Right now!”
“Why? What has she told you to make you think this? Please, lower your magic and talk to me, I implore you. I don’t wish to hurt you, I really don’t. But if you try to release her I’ll be left with no choice. I am the sworn guardian of this Dark Queen and I will do whatever I must to ensure that her seal remains in place.”
“The only one I want to kill is her,” Mika countered. “Give me the key peacefully and I’ll spare you. You have until the count of five or else I’m taking it by force.”
“Mika, don’t do this.”
“Five.”
“Please, reconsider what you’re doing!”
“Four.”
“Aeon, what have you told her?”
“Three.”
“Mika, do not make me hurt you!”
“Two.”
“My hero,” Aeon chuckled in their minds.
“One.”
“Don’t!” Nuci cried out as Mika fired her magical attack with a sharp flash. The crimson and black streak of energy shot through the air before crashing into Nuci’s glittering shield, the barrier holding strong while the impact blew water around wildly and tossed leaves and vines about in the air from the nearby foliage. Mika screamed as she focused another spell in her mind, her arm crackling with crimson and gold arcs of light while she ran towards the alurane with her sword held back.
“Don’t let her manipulate you!” Nuci pleaded while striking at Mika with many of her roots. The hunter slashed one apart with her sword before ducking under another, the woman jumping into the water then holding her hand out towards the alurane with a furious yell. Another root snapped around her arm and yanked it aside as she fired her attack, the magical blast of energy streaking across the grotto before exploding into a wall with burned plants and rocks flying about. Nuci yanked Mika down against the edge of the pool while more of her roots tangled around the woman’s body, firmly ensnaring and keeping her pressed against the rocks while water splashed around her.
“Mika,” Nuci cautioned with a hand held out to her. “Please, don’t do this. I don’t wish to cause you injury.”
Mika yelled out while focusing her magic, a bright red light coming from the water as distorted glyphs were seen below its surface.
“Mika, don’t!” Nuci cried out. “Don’t hurt yourself with-”
Without pause Mika screamed as she released her spell, a powerful explosion erupting from the pool with rocks and water being thrown all around. From underneath Aeon watched with an amused smile as the destructive magic rippled across the barrier while tearing apart Nuci’s roots with a vicious shockwave.
“Mika, you’re going to hurt yourself using magic like that!” Nuci warned. “Please, control yourself!”
Mika stumbled to her feet and charged the alurane with her sword, the blade clashing against Nuci’s barrier with bright flashes from each furious strike. Holding her hand out against the monster’s barrier a large casting ring of red light and emblems formed before her, the circle crackling with energy before rupturing with a wild shockwave shooting outward against the shield. Water splashed and flew around while the ceiling above cracked with rocks dropping down between the vines.
“Stop, please!” Nuci begged before waving her hand before her, casting out a powerfu
l burst of magical force that threw Mika across the pool and onto the ground with a hard impact. Mika tumbled back onto her feet and braced herself as Nuci waved her hands around before her, a bright aqua glow shimmering in the air with a casting ring made of dozens of tightly overlapped bases forming in front of her. The slowly spinning glyph drew torrents of water from the pool below up in front of it before they shot out in blinding fast bolts of kinetic liquid. The first hit struck Mika’s chest, clanging loudly while puncturing a dent in the steel, before another two struck Mika’s belly and arm, blasting the woman back with a scream before more blasts struck her with the strength of iron clubs.
“I’m sorry,” Nuci whimpered as Mika tumbled back with a shriek as she took the magical bolts of water one after another. Sliding back along the ground the human groaned in pain while her sword remained on the wet rocks further ahead. With a furious shout Mika waved her hand before her, creating a powerful barrier of red and gold light that shimmered with angular lines and circular glyphs within it. She got back to her feet before a barrage of the alurane’s ballistic water crashed through the shield instantly and struck her all over, the woman flying further back with a hoarse cry before rolling to a stop with a bleeding lip.
“I thought you were an expert monster hunter,” Aeon tiredly remarked in her mind. “She’s beating the shit out of you with water.”
“Shut up!” Mika roared as she made a mad dash towards her blade. She dodged and waved around incoming blasts of water that passed with hard swashes of air before jumping into a roll, the woman grabbing her sword and following through with a fierce slash of the blade. She cast out a shadowy arc of light that shattered when another of Nuci’s water blasts tore through it, the hunter continuing her dash towards the alurane with a fierce cry while narrowly avoiding the endless shots cast out from the guardian. From the ground roots and vines ripped up and swung at her, knocking aside her sword before slapping her in the face, right before another three ballistic bolts of water struck her chest and head. Dropping back into a roll she held her face with a strained groan while collapsing to the ground, taking another four hits from the hard water to her side which knocked her over with a painful cry.
Chronicles of Eden_Act XI Page 4
