“We have to go on foot,” Forrus ordered Tabitha. “There is no other way for us. And just to be clear, the only thing that would make our lives easier is if you and your special friend would get lost!”
“We’re lost? Oh no!” Scay whined as she quickly slithered over to them. “What do we do? Where will we go? What will we eat? Who will I stab?”
“Scay, not now,” Tabitha groaned in frustration at her friend. She growled while tugging her hair before looking back to Daemon with urgency. “Please, I can’t let this job slink through my fingers, I need-”
“You need to find another job,” Daemon said shaking his head. “This is obviously not the right one for you. Take no offence to that, it was Charlotte who poorly assigned you with this task without realizing what would be asked of you.”
“But… but…” Tabitha stuttered out weakly.
“You heard him, beat it,” Rulo snorted.
“We’re done taking it slow for your accord,” Sasha asserted firmly.
“Be gone, or else I’ll put you down right here and now,” Forrus threatened with bared teeth.
“No!” Tabitha cried out. “Dammit, I need this job. We need this job. You can’t just leave us behind like this, we’re trying to help you!”
“You’ve been nothing but a bother for us since we found you,” Sasha retorted.
“I helped you all in Helchberg when you were outnumbered and trapped in a burning tavern!” Tabitha shot back.
“We didn’t need your help at all,” Rulo barked as she shoved the neko hard with one hand. “We could have smashed all those stupid bitches into the ground, my master alone would have killed them all singlehandedly.”
“Rulo,” Daemon flatly said.
“I mean, Daemon,” Rulo corrected with a small twitch.
“Still,” Tabitha grunted rubbing her shoulder from the hit as it was now sore. “I handled the situation for you all and even got their gold in the process. That was a win-win for everyone.”
“And just where are you hiding that gold anyway?” Sasha inquired, eyeing over the naked neko with a raised eyebrow. “After we left that town those bags you collected just vanished, yet I’m certain you didn’t leave behind a single gold coin.”
“That’s none of your business,” Tabitha hissed at her.
“Nothing about you sits well with us,” Forrus growled as she got closer to the neko. “It’s all secrets with you, you can’t be trusted at all, and that’s not even counting the fact that you were hired by witches to tag along with us.”
“I’m just trying to do my job, you filthy mutt,” Tabitha snapped with a shove against the lycan. Forrus quickly tackled her to the ground with a roar, with the neko yowling and trying to scratch the wolf while she was held down forcibly by the monster.
“Don’t hurt her,” Scay pleaded with her hands held to her face. “She’s my friend. I want to keep her.”
“Enough!” Daemon called out.
All the girls quickly looked to him while Forrus kept Tabitha down by her neck. The swordsman shook his head slowly then waved for the lycan to move. With a reluctant growl Forrus got off the girl and backed off, leaving the neko coughing and glaring at her on the ground while Sasha and Rulo watched her with discontent.
“We’re done waiting for you,” Daemon said turning away. “Your desire to help us, for whatever reason it may be, hasn’t gone unnoticed. However time is not something we waste and unfortunately you are just not able to keep up with us properly. Find yourself another job, this one is not the right fit for you. Sasha, Rulo, Forrus. We’ve rested enough. Let’s get going.”
“Hey, wait!” Tabitha called out as Daemon took off at a quickened pace. Sasha and Rulo shot Scay and Tabitha glares before following after the swordsman, easily being able to keep pace even with their weaponry weighing them down.
“Don’t show your face near my lord again,” Forrus growled at Tabitha before she ran after her group, feet moving swiftly as she caught up to them with a quickly wagging tail.
“Where are they going?” Scay asked worriedly.
“How can they keep running like that all the time?” Tabitha whined dropping to her knees. She yowled and hit the ground with her fists out of frustration while Scay looked back and forth between her friend and the others that were quickly racing away.
“What’s going on? Did I miss something again?”
“No! I’m not losing this job! I’m not letting all that gold slip through my fingers!” Tabitha yelled before she took off running as fast as she could. Her feet crossed the dirt and dried grass rapidly while her tail waved tightly behind her, eyes set on the cambion and his followers who were still pulling a great lead ahead her.
“What’s happening?” Scay asked as she slithered alongside Tabitha, her body seeming to glide across the ground effortlessly as the neko strained to keep her legs moving at the same speed.
“They’re leaving us behind! If we don’t catch up to them we’re not getting a single gold coin!”
“What? But I want to get paid! Without gold I can’t buy a man!” Scay whined with a frown.
“Dammit, I can’t keep running like this all the time!” Tabitha panted while her lungs struggled to draw in enough air. “Where’s a goddamned horse when you need one?”
Further ahead Daemon was running swiftly along the ground while his hand rested on his sword’s handle at his hip, eyes focused ahead as he led the way for the girls who were following closely behind. Sasha ran at his pace with her sword held down at her side, tail snapping side to side behind her as she showed the same amount of stamina and focus as her swordsman. Beside her Rulo was running with larger, heavier steps yet was able to keep up with them even with her large hammer held over her shoulder. And Forrus nimbly ran alongside them, having absolutely no trouble keeping pace with her lord as her weapon was very light on her hip.
“Why did we even let those bitches come with us in the first place?” Rulo snorted.
“We gave them a chance to earn their gold by helping us, but they failed,” Sasha retorted. “Not like we were in need of their aid in the first place.”
“I’m glad that wretched neko is gone,” Forrus growled. “I despised having her filthy scent wherever we went.”
Daemon kept his eyes ahead of him as he remained silent, feet carrying him swiftly across the desolate land while he voiced no remorse or comment about the two mercenaries left behind. After a while though he glanced to the side as something caught his attention as well as the girls behind him.
“Excuse me,” Scay asked as she quickly slithered up alongside him, the naga moving across the ground with a rapidly swaying body. “Do you know where I can find a horse?”
“What is she doing here?” Sasha exclaimed.
“Psycho bitch is fast,” Rulo commented with a raised eyebrow.
“I need a horse for my friend,” Scay repeated. “Do you know where I can find one? I don’t have any money though, so I can’t buy one. Do you know where I can find one for free?”
“No, I don’t,” Daemon simply replied.
“Can I stab you now?”
“No.”
“Okay. Thanks,” Scay said before backing away and gliding alongside Forrus. “Excuse me, do you know where I can find a horse?”
“No, we don’t have any horses,” Forrus snapped at her.
“I know you don’t have any, I can see that,” Scay giggled. “But do you know where I can find one?”
“No! Go away!”
“Can I nrrghmmm have your fur? Please? I want to wear you!”
“Get away or else I will kill you!”
“Okay,” Scay cheerily said before slithering away behind them then over to other side of the group next to Sasha. “Excuse me, do you-”
“None of us have any horses or know where you can find one!” Sasha yelled at her.
“But Tabitha needs one, she can’t keep up with you all on her own.”
“Then she should quit trying to follow us
,” Rulo snorted. “Just go away, we don’t have time to be dealing with you two.”
“But we want to get paid!” Scay whined as she slowed down, the saddened naga watching as they continued off without slowing down. She sniffled then looked back while brushing the hair out of her eyes, her tail gently swaying about along the ground as all fell silent around her.
After a long while Tabitha slowly trotted over beside her, the neko panting heavily before she dropped down face first with a thump.
“Sorry, Tabitha,” Scay softly said. “I don’t know where I can find a horse for you. Tabitha? Are you okay?”
Scay leaned down and gently poked Tabitha a few times, getting no response as the neko quietly laid on the ground with a twitching tail. With a few more pokes Scay tilted her head curiously, then grabbed her dagger out from her belt and held it up with a twitching eye.
“Don’t… stab me,” Tabitha mumbled without giving the naga a fleeting glance. Scay blinked then sheathed her dagger before poking the neko a few more times, getting nothing but an annoyed grumble out of the girl.
*****
A cool breeze blew through the area, rustling the leaves in nearby trees while casting ripples across a calm river that gently flowed through the land. Next to the water Daemon and his followers had stopped for a drink, all of them quietly scooping up water without speaking a word to one another. All the girls kept an eye on Daemon, watching as he appeared completely focused on his task in both body and mind.
Sasha’s eyes glanced to the sword at his hip then back to him as he took another drink, her tail slowly swaying behind her as she used all her willpower to remain as concentrated as he was.
‘Master, we will succeed in collecting and hiding all those key fragments, I swear it. So please, once your quest is over, ravage me like the monster I know you are. Make me your woman in every way you can.’
The reptile girl’s thoughts drifted behind the solemn expression she wore, thinking about her master in ways that she hoped would become reality soon for her. As she imagined what it would be like when her master took her as his mate with all the stamina and strength she knew him to possess, so did Rulo and Forrus who shared similar dreams in their heads about their swordsman. Although for the orc it involved more whipping and stepping on as she longed to be his sex toy while the lycan envisioned being incapacitated by her lord’s intense and possibly brutal lovemaking that she would gladly endure.
‘Once that sword is no longer needed…’ Sasha thought to herself with a blush.
‘Show me the wild monster you are inside…’ Rulo mused with a timid smile forming.
‘And keep me with you for all time,’ Forrus prayed while lowering her head.
A twig snapping instantly got all their attention, the travelers quickly glancing behind to see a centaur and blonde haired girl slowly coming around a few trees towards the river.
“Ow, ow, slow down,” Hollia whimpered as she trotted on her three good legs with her broken one lifted off the ground. At her side Cindy was helping the centaur walk by supporting her weight with an arm held around the wounded monster’s waist, the wraith having no trouble holding up the heavier girl while she watched her with worried eyes.
“Don’t fall down again,” Cindy lectured. “Dropping the baby is bad.”
“I’m trying not to, it’s not easy walking like this,” Hollia grunted before cringing in pain.
The girls took a few more slow steps before noticing the others next to the river, silence befalling the area as the two parties stared at each other without moving. Daemon glanced between the two new girls before resuming with drinking the water, his followers slowly doing the same while keeping on guard of those behind them.
“Um, who are they?” Hollia quietly asked. She was then gently set down by Cindy, the wraith pushing her down onto her belly with a bright smile. Cindy patted the centaur’s side lightly then started walking towards the others with a large stride.
Sasha took a drink of water from her hands then glanced behind to see Cindy standing over her, the wraith having a wide smile on her face while her blonde hair swayed in the breeze.
“If you’re thirsty go drink over there,” Sasha ordered pointing to the side.
“Not thirsty, you silly. Hungry,” Cindy replied.
Sasha slowly looked over to Hollia, seeing the centaur shaking her head in fright and waving her hand to get the reptile girl to run away.
“You’re not human, are you?” Sasha questioned turning back to the wraith.
“Nope,” Cindy answered before quickly grabbing hold of Sasha with both arms. She yanked the reptile girl back and threw her onto the ground with a heavy thump, holding her down from behind while Rulo and Forrus jumped in surprise.
“You foolish-” Sasha hissed before seeing Cindy’s body turning to sand against her, the wraith slowly enveloping the reptile girl with a happy giggle. The look on Sasha’s face shifted from rage to shock as she saw what the girl really was.
“Sasha!” Rulo yelled.
“She’s a sand wraith!” Forrus exclaimed.
“Get her off me!” Sasha called out while trying to thrash around. She then screamed as her body began to be covered in the wraith’s sand. Her tail was pulled into and engulfed in the sand while her arms were held close to her chest by Cindy’s with her body being pinned to the ground under the monster.
“Please die now, okay?” Cindy politely asked as Sasha tried to shake her off, being unable to budge the wraith in the slightest.
“Let her go!” Rulo ordered, grabbing Cindy’s arm to yank it away. All she grasped were loose grains of sand as the wraith’s body flowed around her fingers and hand before forming into place again.
“Sasha!” Forrus yelled as she tried swiping her claws against Cindy, the blows knocking sand around before it just reformed again without a scratch.
“Run!” Hollia cried out. “She’s going to eat you all!”
Sasha screamed as pain began to streak through her entire body, the horrible sensation of slowly melting away into the coarse sand consuming her as her breathing became ragged. Cindy giggled as she slowly covered the reptile girl’s lower body and proceeded to pull Sasha closer by her head, her hand covering the girl’s mouth and muffling her screams while a blissful smile came across the wraith’s face.
“I’m going to eat you all up, yes I am,” Cindy giggled.
She then let out a horrific shriek with wide eyes, the girls watching in wonder as Daemon grabbed hold of the wraith with his gloved hand which had blue flames licking off it. Hollia stared in awe as Daemon pushed his hand into Cindy’s back, the wraith screaming in pain as the fiery touch scorched and turned her sand to black ash that slowly crumbled away. She screamed in agony before she quickly let go of Sasha and tried to crawl away while shaking uncontrollably. Sasha gasped for air as her body slowly regained feeling, her tail twitching slightly while her arms and legs felt drained of strength. Rulo and Forrus quickly pulled the girl over into their arms while watching as Daemon grabbed Cindy’s foot with his gloved hand, the wraith screaming in pain as she rolled onto her back and stared at him in horror.
“Fire! No!” Cindy wailed with her arms flailing around. Her foot charred and turned to blackened sand before falling apart, leaving the wraith screaming in pain with tears forming in her eyes.
“Master,” Sasha whimpered as she slowly caught her breath.
“Master?” Hollia repeated. “Wait, isn’t that human yours?”
“No,” Forrus corrected. “We’re his.”
“You’re his?” Hollia questioned in disbelief.
“Fire bad!” Cindy screamed. “Fire bad! No! Don’t touch me!”
Blue and black flames streaked around Daemon’s gloved hand and up along his arm, with all the girls staring in wonder while Cindy turned pale with fright. She slowly shook her head and held out a hand towards him, her body trembling in pain and fear as she tried to back away from him along the ground with her one foot.
; “Don’t! I just wanted to eat her! That’s all!”
“She is not your food,” Daemon retorted before holding his fiery hand towards the wraith.
Cindy froze in sheer terror, eyes wide and unblinking as she saw the swirling flames around his hand aimed towards her. She whimpered with a quivering lip then started crying and thrashing around in a fit, kicking her legs about while she screamed with tears dropping from her cheeks.
“No! I don’t wanna get burned up! No no no no!”
Daemon watched her with a raised eyebrow as the wraith cried like an infant, the other girls behind him showing the same blank expressions as they saw the murderous monster sobbing and flailing her arms around.
“What is she doing?” Rulo asked shaking her head.
“I don’t wanna get burned up!” Cindy whined loudly. “If I die I can’t see my mom anymore, and I want to see her again! This isn’t fair! No! Waaaaaaaaah!”
“This is just sad,” Forrus dryly commented.
“You cheated! You used fire, that’s mean! I don’t like you! Waaaaaaaah!”
“I was nearly killed by a childish sand wraith?” Sasha grunted as she slowly sat up. “I don’t know what hurts more, my body or my pride.”
“That hurt! That hurt! I don’t like that! Waaaaaaah!” Cindy cried while thrashing around. After a while she stopped and noticed Daemon just watching her with a dull expression and both hands down at his sides as he had recalled his magic.
“You’re not… going to burn me again?” Cindy whimpered.
“I don’t want to kill a child if I can avoid it,” Daemon replied before glancing over to Sasha. “I suppose it’s up to her if you need to be put down or not.”
The reptile girl slowly stood up with the help of Rulo and Forrus, her eyes glaring at Cindy before she scoffed and looked away.
“She’s too pathetic to kill, master. I wouldn’t find any decency in slaying someone as stupid as her.”
“Sasha,” Daemon dryly said.
“I mean, Daemon,” Sasha corrected with a twitch.
“Master?” Hollia quietly wondered.
Cindy sniffled and looked down to her leg where her foot was slowly growing back from where it was burned off, the regenerating limb gradually taking shape while she whimpered and held a hand to her back where her burned skin was also renewing itself.
Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII Page 16
