“We’ll listen, we’ll obey!” Astreal promised as she quickly leaned down and started kissing Twilight’s foot. “We’ll be good slaves for you, just as you created us to be!”
“Good girl,” Twilight gently remarked.
Astreal fearfully whined as she kissed her master’s foot then slowly looked up to her before gazing at her belly with a sorrowful frown.
“You miss your sister, don’t you?” Twilight softly said as her snappers hissed at the remaining witch.
“I do,” Astreal breathed out as she knew what had to happen next.
“She won’t come back, not yet,” Twilight spoke as she stood up and walked past Astreal, leaving the witch on her knees with tears falling from her cheeks. “She can’t, not now. You know as well as I you two can only be resummoned together, never apart. You are after all cast from the same spell of my most generous design.”
“Please… eat me… too,” Astreal begged softly.
“What was that?” Twilight chuckled with a glance over her shoulder. “Speak up, dear.”
“Please… eat me too. Eat me, master.”
“Hmm, well, if you insist,” Twilight replied with a cold smile. Her snapper quickly snatched the witch with a painful scream, the girl being sucked into it and chewed by the tail’s teeth before slowly drawn towards her fate in her master’s stomach.
“Let that be a lesson to both of you,” Twilight mused to herself as Astreal cried in agony within her tail. “Another little mistake such as this one and you two will be spending more time in my belly, if only for the principle of the matter.”
With a hearty laugh she looked up at the darkness above her hall, a haunting glow of purple and crimson light wavering around her momentarily as she licked her lips with a wicked grin on her face.
“Not going to lie, you two are rather tasty at least. Although the fairy you fed me last night was by far more delicious. I simply loved hearing her scream in horror before I chewed her up!”
Twilight laughed wickedly to herself while the witch sisters were reunited within her, a fate they had gone through before in the past that was no less horrifying now as it was then. As the reaper felt the surge of energy flowing through her from absorbing her helpers she savored the sensation while growing more anxious for a meal that she believed would be worth the effort of helping Daniel and his companions.
“Hurry up and save me, Daniel Sorres. You have so much potential, you and all your lovely mates. I simply can’t wait to devour you and take it all!”
*****
“Mother!”
She ran as fast as her four legs would take her, the screams and howls echoing throughout the hallway making her fur stand on end.
“Mother, where are you?”
The halls of her home that she grew up in as a child, the same ones she had walked in with her mother while having talks about what it was to rule over their kind and how to keep their civilization thriving, the home she was fated to reside in as the new empress when her mother’s time was over, were now in disarray by a most unexpected attack.
“Mother! Where are you?”
The elegant walls with molded steel and golden ornaments, the long flowing drapes that blew about from the open windows, the smell of smoke and blood filling the air, her home was no longer a palace or even a sanctuary. If anything she feared it would be her family’s tomb.
“Mother, please answer me!”
She galloped around a corner before halting with a gasp, watching in shock as a centaur armed with a spear and finely crafted chest armor was taken to the floor by three goblins, the ravenous monsters bashing in her skull and ripping apart her body with daggers. The three monsters then took notice of her with vicious smiles before she quickly dashed down the other hallway, running as fast as she could while hearing the cackling of those behind her. Stealing a glance out the passing windows she saw her homeland being thrown into chaos, the sight of her beloved kin fighting for their lives against what appeared to be a swarm of horrible monsters that descended upon them without warning.
“This can’t be happening,” she told herself as she ran out onto a balcony and grabbed hold of the railing, gazing past the grand stone statues of former leaders and noble empresses that stood before her palace and overlooked a grand city that stretched out far and wide beneath the royal hillside. A grand city that was being destroyed, burned down, completely desecrated by an endless wave of monsters coming in from the east.
“Why is this happening?” she gasped in horror.
“Hollia!” a young girl’s voice cried out inside the palace.
“Maria!” Hollia called out as she quickly turned and ran back into the palace. “Maria! Where are you?”
“Help!”
Hollia charged through the halls, passing rooms and corridors with other centaurs running about in a panic. A bright explosion erupted to the side, catching her eye and revealing one of her kin being thrown into a flaming tumble while smoke billowed behind her from the blast. A gremlin quickly darted forward from the haze and threw another of her alchemic bags at the centaur, the pouch exploding into an acidic cloud that began to melt the centaur who screamed in agony.
“Where did they all come from?” Hollia shouted in anger as she galloped through the hallway.
She rounded a corner and just avoided a troll’s swing of an axe towards her face, the foul smelling monster cackling wickedly as she swung again and again. Hollia dodged back then caught the troll’s weapon by the handle, wrestling the monster over to the side against the wall before throwing her back against the other. Without looking Hollia struck behind with her rear legs, the blunt force from the hit and the loud crunch it made signaling she had either killed the troll or crippled it for life.
“Vile demons!” she yelled as she continued through her home. Along the way she spotted a dead centaur atop a troll that was speared to the wall. With a swift hand Hollia snatched the lance and continued on, holding the weapon at the ready behind her back just as she was trained to do in battle.
“Maria? Maria!”
“Help!” a young girl screamed ahead.
Hollia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, bounding over fallen pillars and dead monsters, both centaur and otherwise, as she made haste with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
“Maria! Where are you?”
“Hollia!” the young girl cried out.
A gremlin and goblin jumped out in front of her, the dark furred monster throwing a pouch at Hollia while the goblin held a sword out towards her. Hollia quickly darted to the side and ran past the bag that exploded violently, a small veil of dust being thrown in front of her from the blast before she struck forward with her spear and knocked the goblin’s sword aside. Without slowing down she charged right over the gremlin, crushing her under hoof, while she swung around with her spear and knocked the goblin away.
“I’m coming, Maria!”
Running up a long rising walkway she heard the young girl crying out her name. Her breathing started to turn shaky as she feared what was happening, whether or not she would arrive in time, or worse yet, what would happen to them all. After passing more of her deceased kin and several goblins and trolls that were lying about she came to a stop as something caught her attention. Down the hall to the side she saw a young centaur running out of a thick smoky haze, her long chestnut hair waving behind her while her green eyes were filled with tears. The white and golden laced shirt she wore was covered in ash and ripped down the side, her lower body’s dark fur with its single white patch on her rear left hip having dirt and blood on it, and her tail which had white ribbons tied to it looked to have been cut shorter by a sharpened blade.
“Maria!” Hollia called out in relief.
Maria galloped towards her older sister, reaching out for her with a fearful smile, before suddenly jerking forward as a loud whack was heard. Hollia stared in horror as her younger sister dropped down from her run, collapsing onto the ground and sliding to the side, with
an axe struck into her back.
“MARIA!”
Out from the smoke two more trolls came running, one of them throwing another axe at the downed centaur and assuring its kill as the second throwing blade struck into the child’s head with a loud crunch.
“NO!”
Hollia charged forward as she went mad with rage, racing at the goblins with her spear held up to the side. Before the other monster could throw one of her axes Hollia launched her weapon forward with a powerful thrust, soaring across the hall and piercing the troll that was then thrown back into the smoke from the force of the hit. Hollia ran forward and tackled the other troll down with her front legs, the centaur looking down through teary eyes as she stomped the monster’s chest, neck, and face in with her hooves.
“You monsters!” she roared in anger.
Finally stepping back she struggled to hold in her screams, her eyes looking over towards her fallen sister before quickly averting from the sight as it broke her heart seeing Maria struck down at the age of eleven. Unable to hold in her anger Hollia roared in fury before charging through the smoke, racing down the corridor while quickly snatching up her spear from the troll that was now lying dead on the floor. What she yelled out in her rage was incomprehensible, words slurring with her furious shouts and screams as she galloped through the battle torn hallway with a broken heart and a thirst for revenge.
She rounded a corner as another centaur was thrown down by a rope net further ahead, the royal guard being speared by swords and knives by a group of goblins. The monsters laughed and beat the dead girl relentlessly before seeing Hollia racing up to them, her eyes glaring with tears as she struck her spear through two of them and charged right over a third. She kept her eyes locked onto her foes, spinning around on her hooves and throwing the skewered monsters away before she violently struck down and impaled another goblin. She pierced it again and again, wailing in sheer anger as she stabbed and mutilated the monster mercilessly.
After having slaughtered all the enemies she could see she took off deeper into the palace, eyes quickly looking around at the blood and fire being painted throughout the halls while bodies were scattered everywhere from both her kin and their killers. She ran with her bloody spear towards a set of grand double doors she knew were to the throne room. Racing up towards the doors she instantly stopped as she slammed into them, stumbling back with a grunt before trying to press them open again.
“No, no! Mother!” she cried out as she tried to open the doors that were being blocked from the other side. Pushing with all her might she managed to budge them open a small crack, just enough for her to peek into the hall where she heard laughing and screaming.
Inside the grand court there used to be flowing banners strung above the large arches that surrounded the circular hall while sunlight came in through the stein glass skylights to brighten the hall. It was a place where Hollia spent time with her mother, talking to nobles and traders, learning how to be an empress and what decisions needed to be made, and also where they talked about how much they loved their family and their kingdom.
Now it was a place shrouded in shadows as smoke was blocking out the sun from coming through the stein glass skylights. Fires were spreading from the tapestries and bodies of centaurs that were thrown aside with their blood coating the marble tiles and red carpet which was laid across the court. Hollia caught sight of trolls and gremlins moving about, a mob of goblins armed with rusty weapons, and her mother who was being dragged towards the middle of the court bound in rope by three trolls.
“Mother,” Hollia gasped.
The empress struggled in her binds as she was pulled forward, her hooves clacking on the floor while her hands were tied to her sides. Her amber and green colored dress was in tatters, her long golden hair tangled with spots of blood in it, her jewel encrusted crown resting on her head, and her blue eyes wearily looking around at the monsters that had killed her guards and tied her up. The white fur she had with brown spots on her rear was smudged with blood and had patches where it was torn out altogether, her long black tail appearing broken as it didn’t wave smoothly behind her, and her front right leg twitched as it tried to move showing it was wounded.
“Kneel!” one of the trolls ordered as they yanked on the ropes. The empress shook about and tried to scoot back before she was pulled down onto her knees with a painful scream from her leg aching.
“Kneel! Kneel! Kneel!” the goblins chanted while gremlins hissed with cruel smiles at the centaur.
“What do you want?” the empress shouted out.
“To play,” two voices called out in unison.
Hollia watched as the crowd of evil monsters quieted down and parted to make way for others to the side, but she couldn’t see them through the tiny opening and with so many monsters standing in her way. She did however see her mother staring at those in question as she was forced to kneel down before them by her captors.
“This is how you wish to play?” the empress snapped with a heavy breath. “Your games do not amuse me in the slightest. We will have no part of this madness of yours. Get out of my kingdom, leave my people alone!”
“Sorry, can’t do that,” the two voices laughed together.
Hollia struggled to push open the doors, both of them unable to budge any further as something was pressed against them on the other side.
“You see we’re looking for more friends,” one of the voices spoke in a happy tone.
“We’ve made quite a lot already,” the other laughed.
“Friends?” the empress scoffed at them. “You wish for us to be friends? You invaded our home, you killed my sisters, you murdered my royal court, and you tied me up after beating me with clubs! What makes you think we would want to be friends with the likes of you?”
Pressing against the doors as much as she could Hollia watched her mother berating the invaders. After a pause two girls slowly walked up to the empress, with Hollia now being able to make them out through the crack in the doorway. One had short raven hair, a black webbed masquerade mask over her eyes, a red cocktail dress with black edgings and tail, and black high boots with green straps on them. The other girl had long blonde hair, a purple floral mask, a long purple slit dress with a sapphire embroidered belt, and black high boots with red bow ribbons on them along with long black stockings.
“The likes of we?” Jovian repeated sharply from behind her mask.
“Isn’t that just typical?” Jacqueline called out to the crowd of their followers. “First the humans treat us like trash, and now the centaurs? At least we look more normal than these horse bitches!”
The dark monsters laughed and hissed at the empress as she struggled to move in her binds. Jovian approached the woman and grabbed her hair, yanking the head back before gently brushing her cheek.
“Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Jovian spoke with a cruel smile. “Or hoof, depending on how you see it. Allow us to explain the situation better. You see we’re looking for friends. We need many of them. Lots and lots of friends, because we’re all going to a party soon. Do you like parties?”
“What are you talking about?” the empress hissed before Jovian ripped off one of her ears, the centaur screaming in pain while Hollia held a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp.
“Sorry, seems you have a bad ear,” Jovian laughed as she tossed it away. “Let’s try that again with your good ear. Do you like parties? Do you?”
The empress strained not to scream or cry as she was forced to look up at the girl’s creepy smile. Slowly she nodded while sharply breathing through her teeth and feeling blood running down her neck.
“So do we,” Jovian gently said. “We’re thrill seekers, my sister and I, and we love to have a wild and fun time. Who doesn’t? And it just so happens that a big party is happening in Rockhelm soon. Isn’t that just so exciting?”
“Rockhelm?” the empress repeated. “The human kingdom? What are you saying? No monster would dare go near that place. W
hat manner of party are you thinking of?”
“Well that’s just it,” Jacqueline pouted with her hands at her hips. “It’s their party, not ours. We weren’t invited!”
“We weren’t, it’s true,” Jovian sulked with a frown. “But other monsters are. Other monsters are going to be there, they’re going to show the world they can be nice, that they can be trusted. That they can all be friends with mankind and live happily ever after together. That’s just so sweet and all, but what about us? We don’t think that’s fair, leaving us out of the fun like that.”
“What? Monsters in Rockhelm? That’s insane, no monster would be allowed in there.”
“Well some are going,” Jovian reasoned with a shrug. “It seems they’re all being invited to be friendly with the humans. But wouldn’t you know it, we weren’t. None of us were asked to be friends. And that’s not fair. Is that fair, everyone?”
The crowd of monsters booed and scowled at the empress, her weary eyes going around the room at all the vicious creatures before Jovian let go and stepped back with her sister.
“So we’re going to crash that party,” Jacqueline giggled. “We’re going to bring all our friends, the ones the humans think aren’t worth their time. And we’re going to show them exactly what happens when monsters and humans try to ‘get along’.”
“You’re planning on invading Rockhelm?” the empress mocked them with a bitter smile. “You foolish girls, you won’t get within those walls, none of you will. That kingdom is untouchable to any monster in Eden, let alone you wretches and your little friends.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jovian innocently asked.
“We’ve made quite a few friends in the east,” Jacqueline assured with a dark smile.
The empress looked between them carefully before slowly shaking her head.
Chronicles of Eden - Act VII Page 63
