The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  “Aiden!” Wolf cried out. “Are you okay?”

  “No!” he yelled back. What kind of question was that? Who would be okay after being airborne for the second time in only a week? “God damn horse,” he cursed, looking back at Ty accusingly. The large stallion looked back innocently.

  “Don’t make any sudden movements, Aiden,” Wolf called out from his position. His warning brought Aiden back to the current precarious situation. “This is very strange that he came out of the forest. I’ve never seen them show themselves out in the open like this.”

  “That’s great,” Aiden replied dryly. “What do you suggest I do?”

  The beast continued to growl, but surprisingly hadn’t attacked yet. Aiden’s axe fell neatly beside him in the grass. He looked back at Wolf anxiously. “What’s this for?”

  Wolf shrugged his shoulders. “In case he attacks?”

  Aiden swung his head back to look at the animal that waited before him. It hadn’t attacked yet, he thought hopefully. Maybe it was just scouting things like Diana had suggested one day. She told him once that these animals were created by the sorcerer in the north, and that he had made them capable of communicating things back to him. That memory made him regard the animal a little differently. He wondered if the thing could actually think human-like thoughts, and if so, what it was thinking about now.

  “Try getting up,” Wolf suggested. “If you can get back to Ty, we can try to outrun it until we reach the archers’ boundaries. They can take care of it then.”

  “Why don’t you fight it?” Aiden asked tensely.

  “Our weapons aren’t strong enough for them; their skin is hard under the fur. You have to get them between the eyes, or directly in the heart to kill them. It’s nearly impossible when they’re running around you.” Great, Aiden sighed inwardly. He slowly started to move one leg, readying himself to jump up and run over to the horse. His one movement provoked the animal to move too. It lunged a little bit closer to Aiden, making him curse loudly. He could hear Wolf snickering behind him.

  “I don’t know what you find so funny,” he accused, the pitch of his voice raising slightly.

  “I’m sorry. It really isn’t funny.”

  Trying again, Aiden moved his leg so his foot was flat on the ground. That was the last straw for the beast. It lunged at Aiden, slamming his hooves onto his chest and forcing him down. He slammed the back of his head on the hard surface, his eyes seeing stars for a second. The ugly thing’s face was only inches away, as it growled and went for his neck. Aiden used one hand to keep its teeth from ripping apart his flesh, while he frantically searched for his axe with the other one. He finally felt the handle, and quickly gained a firm grasp on it, slamming it across the side of the beast’s head. The impact knocked it over just long enough for Aiden to stand up and face him on his feet. It didn’t take long until the animal was charging at him again, his mouth gnashing at whatever piece of flesh it could. Aiden lunged from left to right, avoiding every attack. After each defensive move, he would follow it up with an attack of his own. He repeatedly brought his axe down hard on the back of the beast, but Wolf was right: the skin was too hard, and his axe would barely leave a mark. Only tiny slivers of blood would appear. At least he was wounding it slowly, Aiden thought hopefully. If he could keep it up, he might be able to weaken it eventually. That was if he could keep it up. The fight was beginning to take its toll on Aiden, who was feeling the fatigue from avoiding the attacks. He desperately tried to push through it, knowing if he had but one minute of weakness, it could be detrimental to him.

  The animal suddenly jumped for his arm holding the axe, so Aiden swiftly brought up his knee, crashing it into the massive chest of the beast. As his leg came down, the animal quickly swung his head to the side, sinking his teeth into his thigh. Aiden cried out in pain, but used the distraction to his advantage. As soon as the animal could taste his blood, he seemed to completely forget about Aiden himself. The blood was intoxicating, overriding every sense of survival in the animal. Bringing the axe high above his head, Aiden smashed the blade down, embedding it deeply into the animal’s skull, right between the eyes. The hold on his leg instantly released, and the animal fell onto his side, his legs twitching a couple of times before it lay dead in the grass. Aiden was breathing hard, and he could feel the blood gushing from the wound down his leg. He fell back onto the grass, trying to catch his breath.

  “That was amazing!” Wolf cried, rushing over to him. “I’ve never seen someone take one of those on and win! If this doesn’t impress the ladies, I don’t know what will!” He smiled.

  “My leg is bleeding quite badly,” Aiden breathed through gasps.

  “Oh, right. We should get you home.” He whistled for the horses. Ty came up, keeping as far away from the dead animal as possible. Aiden ripped a strip off his shirt and tied it around the large bite in his leg, to keep it from bleeding until he got back into the city. As he hobbled over to the horse, he looked back to see Wolf carrying the massive beast in his arm. Aiden struggled to pull himself into the saddle. When he sat upright, Wolf was tying the dead body onto the back of his horse.

  “What are you doing?” Aiden asked in a shocked and slightly horrified voice.

  “What do you mean, what am I doing? Newbie, you just killed one of these things, and are living to tell about it! We need to bring it back to show everyone, and to give to Tiny!”

  “Tiny? Why?” He could already guess, and the thought made his stomach turn.

  “Because we’re having this baby for dinner tonight!” Wolf smiled, slapping the animal’s side. He swung himself skilfully onto the back of the horse and took off.

  That night was one to remember. Everyone gathered around him, cheering and raising their glasses in praise. Beer and wine ran wild throughout the small tavern that the whole company occupied. Tiny had cooked the beast like a pig roast. It circled over a large fire, a big red apple shoved in its mouth. Aiden couldn’t look at it, afraid he’d be sick if he did. Wolf told the story over and over again, re-enacting every movement, and slightly embellishing certain points. Two of the blonde girls he had seen Wolf with on his first night, now sat on either side of him, gushing at the story as Wolf re-created it. Every man cheered for him. Logan pouted, expressing that he wished he’d been there. He didn’t really seem that upset, as he cheered along with the rest, but he did declare his sincere disappointment that he had not been there. Felix sat in awe, stating that Aiden was now officially his hero. Aiden prayed he was just joking.

  As the night progressed, Aiden couldn’t help but smile. His leg hurt. The doctor had given him stitches and some thick green goo to put on it. Aiden didn’t know what it was, but the man insisted it would help heal the wound faster, and keep it from getting infected. It created a hard paste over the bite, covering it so Aiden couldn’t see. He preferred that, since stitches made him feel queasy.

  Even though they all had to get up early the next day for training, everyone stayed out late, celebrating with the large roast Tiny had prepared. He dedicated the feast to Aiden, claiming he expected another one for tomorrow. Aiden laughed, yelling out he’d try, which resulted in a loud cheer from the rest of the room. It hadn’t escaped his notice, however, that Elisa was suspiciously absent. When things had finally quieted down, Aiden leaned toward Logan, interrupting his current relations with a young, pretty redhead. Felix also sat busy with a dark-haired girl about the same age as them.

  “Where is Elisa?” he asked.

  Logan looked up and shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t seen her all day.”

  “Why do you care where she is?” Wolf asked, getting up with one arm around his lady friend’s waist.

  “She’s my friend,” Aiden replied, shrugging.

  “Those two ladies are the only friends you need right now, my boy!” Wolf winked, before walking to the upper floor of the establishment, with the third blonde following close behind. Felix and Logan laughed, turning back to their ladies. The two that s
at beside Aiden giggled.

  The celebration began to simmer down, the men leaving one by one. Aiden excused himself to the washroom, before sneaking out the back door. The night air was cold on his face compared to the stuffy air inside the tavern. He remembered the way to the dormitory from when Wolf brought him there earlier, so he started back by himself. It had been a long day, and a long evening. He needed sleep, and his leg really was starting to ache.

  As he walked silently back, he looked up at the two huge moons that sat in the sky They lit up the whole city with their blue glow, making it seem eerie, yet beautiful all at the same time. His life had taken such a sudden and unexpected turn, he sometimes didn’t know how to handle it. It all felt like a dream, and he would worry sometimes before falling asleep that when he woke up he’d be back at home, and it would turn out it really was just a dream. The city, the people, his friends, everything meant so much to him. He didn’t want to lose them.

  “Where are you off to?” he heard a woman’s voice call out. He looked to his side, squinting to see in the dark. A body appeared out of an alley, walking slowly toward him. As she entered into the moonlight, he saw it was just Elisa.

  “Where have you been?” he asked, relieved it was just her. He couldn’t take any more admirers that night.

  “Did I miss a good party?” she asked, her teeth glowing in the darkness as she smiled.

  “Yeah, a little too much for me, though. I was just heading back home. I’m too exhausted to keep this up.”

  She laughed, falling in beside him. “I’ll walk back with you.”

  “Where are you coming from?” he asked as they began to walk.

  “I’ve been patrolling the walls this evening. My father wants me to work on my night vision, so he had me stationed up there. I don’t think I have any problem seeing in the dark, but it does help to practice. You have to really focus on actual objects, rather than shadows, or you can make serious misjudgements.”

  “Shouldn’t we all do that then?” he asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sure my father will plan a night-time exercise at some point, just in case. I heard the big news—congratulations on the big kill.” She playfully nudged his ribcage. He moaned in pain, grabbing his side. “Oh! Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, Aiden. I didn’t mean to,” she cried, covering her mouth with her hands. He started to laugh, straightening up again. “You liar!” she yelled, hitting him full in the chest.

  “Aw, I was just joking with you. I am a little sore all over, but it’s not that bad.”

  “Well, I don’t care now if it is that bad, after that little stunt! You made me feel horrible!” They walked in silence for a second, before she started to giggle too. He was forgiven. She hooked her arm through his and sighed. “I guess that was a good one. You got me.” Aiden laughed.

  “My leg honestly is really sore, though. Those things have some sharp teeth.”

  “I don’t doubt. Well, we’re here now, so you go up to bed and get some rest.” He smiled, thanking her and referring to her as Mom. “Okay, that is the last time I feel bad for you, you brat. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and walked toward the main hall, a slight smile on her face. Aiden turned, chuckling to himself, and headed straight up to his room for some much-needed rest.

  On the fourth morning, Aiden woke up to find the High Priest in his room. He screamed in surprise, apologizing at once.

  “No need to apologize, my son. I should be the one to say sorry; I didn’t mean to startle you.” Alistair was a tall man, his presence instantly giving you a sense of his importance just from the way he carried himself. Sitting up, Aiden kept the covers on, too embarrassed to get out of bed in just his underwear.

  “How is your leg this morning?” the High Priest asked.

  Aiden looked down nervously. The old man waited patiently, making Aiden finally give in. He threw off the covers so his wound was exposed. The green paste still lay thickly over the injury, making it hard to see.

  “Let’s get it cleaned up,” the High Priest said, heading to the bathroom and coming back with a towel and a basin of water. He sat on the edge of the bed by Aiden’s feet. “Let me know if I hurt you.” He started to rub the paste off, using a bit of force since the stuff stuck to him like glue. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt. When he finally stopped, Aiden looked down to see how bad it was. All the colour in his face drained. He looked up questioningly at the priest. “Just as I expected,” he said, almost to himself.

  The place where the animal had torn his flesh was completely healed, just like his injuries before. Aiden had thought it wouldn’t be possible, since this wound had actually needed stitches to keep the skin together. The High Priest literally brushed away the thread that had once kept his skin closed, revealing a perfectly healed spot, with no trace of the bite.

  “I don’t understand,” he breathed. Alistair looked up and smiled at him.

  “Some things are just beyond our understanding, my dear boy. We need to go see the King. He is waiting for us.”

  When they entered the throne room, Aiden could see the others waiting with the King. The room was a massive hall, the walls made of a dark wood with gold sconces lighting the place in a warm glow. The ceiling held a massive chandelier that had what looked like thousands of candles. There were paintings of angels and what Aiden assumed were the God and Goddess on the ceiling. The only pieces of furniture were the throne, which sat on a raised platform, and a table that looked like it was placed there momentarily. It didn’t really fit the room, so Aiden assumed they had brought it there only for the time being. The throne was a massive chair made of gold and wood. The crown sat on a deep purple cushion, gleaming in the pale light. Aiden could see rubies and emeralds embedded in the crown, which sparkled as he walked toward it.

  The King and his Chancellor started to walk toward them, leaving the others behind. Wolf and Logan stood beside the table, looking down at something that lay across it. Felix and Elisa looked at Aiden with concern on their faces.

  “How is he?” the King asked, not Aiden, but the High Priest.

  “As good as new,” Alistair announced, smiling. The King slowly nodded, understanding his meaning.

  “So it is as we thought,” the Chancellor said. Wolf and Logan were looking back at him now too, confusion written on their faces. The four of them started to walk toward the table, with neither the King nor the Chancellor addressing Aiden directly.

  “We are extremely pleased that you are okay, Aiden,” the King finally said to him, as they approached the rest of the group. “Do you mind if I see the area that the beast bit?”

  Aiden nodded his head and pulled up the leg of his pants to reveal the untouched patch of skin. Wolf gasped, being the only one who had seen how bad the wound had been.

  “How is that possible?” he asked, bending down to look closer.

  “We need you to explain to us what happened when you fought the animal,” the King said, purposely ignoring Wolf’s question. Logan and Felix looked at him with expressions just as shocked as Wolf’s. Only Elisa kept her face neutral, hiding her amazement.

  The large wooden doors that led to the throne room slammed open, and large boots came stomping toward them. Aiden looked back to see Captain Turk rushing in.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized, following everyone’s eyes to Aiden’s leg. “Interesting,” he muttered, almost to himself.

  “Aiden was just about to tell us the story of his fight,” the Chancellor explained. They all remained quiet, waiting for Aiden to begin.

  All eyes were on him expectantly, making him nervous. His mouth felt dry, and the air inside the room suddenly felt hotter. Clearing his throat, he tried to sound as sure of himself as he could. “Well, the beast attacked me, throwing me to the ground, but I hit him off with the butt of my axe so I could get on my feet. Then I just dodged his attacks until I could strike him in the skull with my axe.” He shrugged. What else is there to know, he wondered.

  “How di
d you manage to do that, child?” Alistair asked, encouraging him to elaborate.

  “Um, well, he bit my leg,” he said, motioning to the now clear spot on his thigh. “I noticed that when he tasted my blood, he appeared to forget about me and my attacks. He was in a trance, I guess, so I used that opportunity to strike. I don’t think he knew what hit him.”

  The King slapped his hands together, laughing loudly. “That’s it, then,” he exclaimed. “We confuse them and get their attention with blood, and then kill them.”

  “It does seem simple, but I don’t think it is so,” Alistair commented, visibly bringing the King’s mood down. “The beasts most likely crave fresh, warm blood, from a live source. Our men don’t all heal like this young man here, so it won’t be as easy to find a way to distract them. How do you suggest we do that?”

  They all sat in silence. “What about animals?” Aiden suggested. They all turned to him, making him nervous again. He went on to explain. “Perhaps if we bring some livestock, maybe sheep, we can let them graze in the field where we choose to fight. This might draw them out, and take their attention away from us as we approach them.”

  “I’ve seen what they can do to other animals,” Captain Turk said. “They would tear them apart in seconds. We wouldn’t have a large window of time.”

  “It still has merit,” the King replied, slapping Aiden on the back. “Anything is worth a try.”

  “We don’t know how many they will have,” the Chancellor argued. “We can’t afford to sacrifice too many animals at a time of war.”

  “He has a point,” Alistair commented.

  “Then we’ll bring what we can afford to bring, and hope that it helps lower their numbers by at least a little. The taller beasts are easier to kill, because they stand on only two legs. Their hearts are more exposed than these hog-like creatures. You almost always have to get them in the skull, and that is extremely difficult due to the speed at which they can move their heads.”