“But you said they couldn’t hear us from here,” she whined. Falla sighed with exasperation then looked closely at the parked caravan.
“Why did they stop here?” she asked curiously. Luna looked around with a bit of wonder and shrugged.
“I don’t see anybody, do you?” she asked.
“C’mon, let’s get a closer look,” Falla said before she flew off towards the caravan. Luna nodded and quickly followed after, the sisters fluttering over and landing in a tree close to the caravan. There were a few clouds of fog drifting by through the tall grass next to it.
“Where is everybody?” Falla asked as she looked around, seeing nobody anywhere near the caravan. Luna looked around carefully then pointed down towards something.
“There, look,” she said, with Falla peering down with a sharp eye. As the fog drifted by they saw a figure lying on the ground. The tall grass swayed slightly revealing Alyssa lying next to her staff.
“That’s the witch that’s traveling with them. Why is she just lying there like that?” Falla asked confused.
“Maybe she’s taking a nap,” Luna reasoned with a curious smile. Falla looked around then slowly flew over towards the caravan. She landed down on the roof quietly and looked around, the girl then glancing back over the edge to seeing Alyssa remaining still in the grass. Falla motioned Luna over, the butterfly sister then fluttering out of the tree and landing down next to her. They slowly made their way towards the front of the caravan, the two peeking over the edge and seeing Triska sitting on the driver’s seat while slumped against the wall next to the entryway. Her dagger was lying next to her feet as one of her arms was hanging over the edge of the seat. Falla and Luna glanced to each other then back to the unconscious girl.
“Why are they all taking a nap now?” Luna whispered. Falla slowly lowered herself down onto the seat next to Triska, watching her carefully. The human had a calm expression as she was asleep, her breathing being quiet as her head was tilted to the side.
“Is she dead?” Luna asked nervously. Falla snapped her fingers in front of Triska then flicked her nose. After a pause she pushed the teen out of the seat, the girl dropping to the ground with a soft thump. Falla and Luna looked over the edge to seeing the teen lying on the ground out cold still.
“They’re not dead, they’re breathing still. But they are really dedicated sleepers,” Falla said with a shrug. She looked at Triska carefully then inside the cabin. There wasn’t much light coming in from the doorway or window, but she saw Specca lying on the floor with her glasses on while Squeak was curled up into a ball near her, the two monster girls seeming to be asleep as well. Daniel however was nowhere to be seen.
“He’s not here, where did he go?” Falla asked quietly. She looked back down to Triska, the human seeming to be in a deep sleep despite having been dropped out of the front of the caravan onto the ground. Luna leaned down from the roof and peeked inside the cabin with curious eyes. Specca and Squeak remained perfectly silent as they appeared to be in a deep sleep.
“Why are they all asleep like this? This doesn’t seem normal,” Luna said shaking her head.
“And if you think it’s not normal, then it’s definitely not normal,” Falla commented dryly. She looked back into the cabin then around with a careful eye while Luna dropped down next to her.
“But a better question is where’s Daniel? Why isn’t he here?” Falla asked. Luna looked back into the cabin then around the area as well, showing a worried expression. She hopped off of the caravan next to Triska then slowly kneeled down next to her.
“Hey, wake up. Hey!” she called out as she gently shook the girl.
“Don’t wake them up, this might be our chance to take Daniel away,” Falla hushed out while looking around quickly.
“But we don’t know where he is. And what about them, something’s not right here,” Luna said looking down at Triska with worried eyes.
“They’re not our concern, Daniel is. If he’s all alone now’s our chance to take him,” Falla said looking around the area carefully. Luna watched Triska for a moment then slowly stood up. The two sisters looked around at seeing the fog drifting by across the trail and through the woods and grass nearby.
“Where do you think he went though?” Luna asked. Falla flew up into the air above the caravan and looked around, seeing nothing as visibility was very poor. She shook her head with frustration then flew back down next to her sister.
“I can’t see anything around here, he could have gone off in any direction,” she said with annoyance. Luna looked around worriedly then back down to Triska.
“Sister, I’m getting a bad feeling about this,” she said softly. Falla looked down to Triska then over to Alyssa, both girls seeming to be in a deep sleep. She then looked around carefully, seeing the fog surrounding the area while the sky above was dark and cloudy.
“Daniel, where are you?”
Chapter 23
Endless Nightmare
Throughout the world of Eden there was one common factor with the monsters that roamed the lands, and that was their desire to breed. To multiply, to continue to exist, it was a driving force in all of them. Some would breed like a plague, and spawn dozens of new daughters in a short amount of time. Others may only have one or two in their entire life. However, although it was in their nature to breed, how they did it varied greatly from monster to monster. Some gave birth to their offspring live, some laid eggs and waited for them to hatch, and some would convert or mutate their victims and turn them into monsters or breeders themselves. And there were also a few monsters unlike the rest that would take something else from their prey to breed, something that very few monsters had a taste for.
Their soul.
*****
Inside the moving caravan Specca was sitting against the wall with her tail curled up beside her, resting against one of the dozens of pillows that Triska had somehow managed to pull out of her duffel bag along with the blanket that was spread out as a soft carpet for everybody. Alyssa was sitting up front next to Daniel, holding the reins for Lucky while the boy was looking around at the passing sight of old trees and fields of tall grass. Inside the cabin Triska was sitting back against a pillow while holding her dagger in her hand, tilting it slightly while she had a calm expression on her face. Next to her Squeak was sitting back against the wall, her abdomen sticking out to the side as she sat on her legs. Across from them Specca continued to read one of Daniel's books, her eyes slowly moving side to side as she focused on the story about a daring knight who wished to slay a horrible demon in order to save his true love. The nixie blushed slightly and glanced to Daniel, the boy just looking around casually while Alyssa was humming a happy tune.
'Daniel, my knight in shining armor…'
She remembered back to when he got her out of the library in Ashwood during the monster attack, and how he guided her away from the monstrous serpents that were running wild in the city.
'It's like a dream come true. He's just like the men from the stories, so brave and caring, and he treats me like a normal girl and not a monster. I could never find a more perfect match for a mate if I searched all of Eden.'
"That must be some book, Specca, what with the way you're smiling while reading it," Triska commented. Specca jumped from her voice then looked over to see Triska and Squeak watching her.
"Oh, yes. It is. It's about a man who fights back a demon from hell to save his loved one. It's so romantic and exciting," Specca said looking back down to the book. Squeak crawled over next to her and looked at the pages curiously while Triska smirked amusedly.
"It must be, since you're blushing," she pointed out. Specca looked down timidly as Triska shook her head slightly, knowing that the book wasn't the real cause of the nixie's excitement. Squeak looked at the pages closely then tilted her head with a simple squeak. Specca glanced to her then looked back to the book.
"Did you want to read it after I'm done?" she asked. Squeak looked at the book curiously then s
howed a puzzled expression.
"Does she even know how to read?" Triska asked. Squeak glanced to her then back to the book. After a moment she looked to Specca and squeaked a few times.
"Um… what?" Specca asked. Squeak pointed to the book and squeaked a few more times. Specca glanced to it then looked back to the ant girl.
"Something… about the book?" she asked. Squeak nodded and pointed to the words then back to Specca. The nixie looked at the book then smiled curiously.
"Do you want me to read it to you?" she asked looking over the ant girl. Squeak nodded with a simple squeak. Specca smiled and looked to the book as Squeak sat close to her and eyed the pages curiously. Specca started to read the chapter she was on, about how the brave human knight was riding his horse across the land towards the demon's castle. As she did Daniel and Alyssa looked back towards them, neither of them noticing that the surrounding landscape had small veils of fog forming while the sky above turned darker and cloudy. Specca read about how the knight was riding through an old creepy forest during the night, his horse racing across the dirt path while fog clouded his way. Along the way he ran past dark shadows that slinked around through the forest, all of them seeming to follow him slowly with a ghostly moan.
As she read the story, with Squeak listening closely while looking at the book with wonder, Specca started to get a bad feeling in her chest. She paused and looked around to seeing the others watching her.
"Um… is something wrong?" she asked.
"No, keep going. Squeak's loving it," Triska said looking at the ant girl. Squeak nodded with a few quick squeaks as she kept looking at the words in the book, her antennae twitching slightly as she looked from it to Specca then back to the book anxiously.
"We're just listening to you, Specca, please continue," Daniel said kindly. Alyssa nodded with a curious smile, also wondering how humans told such stories about the man coming to rescue the woman. Specca smiled a bit then looked back down to the book, continuing her story as the others listened to her. After a while the feeling in her chest started to get worse, the nixie then stopping and looking around with worry.
"Specca? What's wrong?" Triska asked.
"Are you ok?" Daniel asked. Alyssa looked back ahead at seeing the fog building around them.
"Whoa, Lucky, slow down," she called out. Daniel looked back outside and around as Triska watched Specca curiously.
"So much for our sunny weather," Daniel said with a shrug.
"Specca?" Triska asked. Squeak looked at the nixie as the girl was showing a concerned expression.
"I'm not sure, it's just… something feels off," she said doubtfully. Squeak nudged her with a few squeaks, the ant girl looking to the book then back to the nixie.
"What's wrong, Specca, what do you mean something feels off?" Triska asked curiously. Specca blinked then looked to the book she was holding. She slowly closed it and examined the cover closely.
"Wait a minute…" she said softly.
"Wow, it got foggy, I can hardly see anything out there," Alyssa said peering around as visibility dropped rapidly. Lucky slowed down to a casual trot as the fog surrounded the caravan in thick clouds.
"Specca?" Triska asked again. Specca looked at the book with disbelief and shook her head.
"Wait… how… where did this come from? This isn't one of Daniel's books," she said puzzled. Everybody looked over to her as she stared at the book, remembering having read it before but not seeing it with Daniel’s collection that he had brought along with him. She stared at it for a moment then looked over to Triska.
"I haven't seen this book since I was at Ashwood. Where… did it come from?" she asked looking back to it.
From within the fog a dark shadow flew by the caravan, the shade passing Alyssa and grabbing hold of her. The witch screamed as she was plucked from her seat and carried off into the thick fog, her voice fading away as she shrieked in terror.
"Alyssa!" Daniel called out as he darted over and looked around over the side of the caravan.
"What happened? Where is she?" Triska asked rushing up to the front. Another dark shadow flew past in the fog, with Daniel being yanked forward and pulled into the unseen with a loud scream.
"DANIEL!" Triska yelled as she jumped out of the cabin. Specca and Squeak watched with wide eyes of fright as Daniel's scream echoed out before vanishing. Triska yelled as she unsheathed her sword, looking around franticly as Lucky came to a stop.
"Daniel? Daniel!" she cried out. A ghostly howl echoed out around in the fog, with the girls looking around nervously. Suddenly Triska was yanked up out of sight, her scream echoing out as Specca and Squeak watched with wide eyes. Triska's sword dropped down onto the seat with a clank as a dark shadow flew around in the fog.
"What's happening?" Specca cried out. Squeak grabbed her pickaxe and looked around franticly as Specca trembled with fear. A dark shadow engulfed the back of the cabin, the girls looking over to it before it flew towards them. It raced by in a black wave towards the front, with Squeak letting out a high pitched squeak before she was dragged out and into the fog outside.
"Squeak!" Specca cried out as she scrambled towards the front of the cabin. She looked around franticly, seeing nothing around her as the fog lingered inches away from the caravan.
"No… Daniel… everybody… no…" Specca whimpered as a few tears started to form. She gasped and started to back up fearfully as a dark shadow emerged from in front of her, the shade creeping towards her as a ghostly howl was heard. Specca scrambled back toward the rear of the cabin, pressing against it as the dark shadow crept into the caravan and toward her.
"No… Daniel… help me…" she said shakily. She screamed as she closed her eyes, curling up into a ball as the shadow moved towards her, the cabin turning pitch black as she peeked through her fingers at the approaching darkness. As it got closer a skeletal hand reached out towards her with a ghostly moan.
"DANIEL!" Specca cried out, shooting up from her dream with fright. She breathed heavily as her eyes were wide with fear, the girl then quickly reaching over and grabbing her glasses. Putting them on she saw she was sitting up inside the cabin with the others staring at her with surprise. Alyssa and Daniel were sitting in the front again while Triska and Squeak were sitting across from the nixie against the wall like before.
"What? What is it?" Daniel asked quickly.
"You ok?" Alyssa asked curiously. Specca caught her breath and held a hand to her head.
"Oh my… it was just a dream," she said shakily.
"About Daniel?" Triska asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Like you haven't had the same," Alyssa commented flatly. Specca shook her head and slumped against the wall as she calmed her breathing.
"Are you ok, Specca?" Daniel asked worriedly. She nodded and looked to him with a relieved smile.
"Yes, I'll be fine, Daniel. Just… a bad dream," she said before looking down.
"About Daniel?" Triska asked puzzled.
"How could that be a bad dream? He's so dreamy," Alyssa said happily as she looked at the boy with a giddy laugh. Daniel chuckled and shook his head amusingly at that comment. Triska rolled her eyes while Squeak watched Specca curiously. The nixie shook her head to gather her senses then reached over to grab a nearby book.
"It was nothing, just my imagination running wild about creepy monsters. I just need to focus on something to take my mind off of it," she reassured as she opened the book and adjusted her glasses. Squeak crawled over next to her and looked at the pages curiously.
"So you're going to read a story about monsters to take your mind off of a nightmare about monsters?" Triska asked flatly. Specca smirked slightly and nodded.
"Reading helps me relax, Triska, and I'm well aware these are just stories. Besides, I feel in control of my own imagination when I'm reading a book, reading about such things doesn't frighten me," she said with a shrug. Squeak looked at the pages closely then tilted her head with a simple squeak. Specca glanced to her then looked back to t
he book. She paused for a moment then slowly looked back over to the ant girl.
"Did… you want to read it after I'm done?" she asked carefully. Squeak looked at the book curiously then showed a puzzled expression.
"Does she even know how to read?" Triska asked. Squeak glanced to her then back to the book. After a moment she looked to Specca and squeaked a few times, the nixie watching her with a careful eye.
"Um…" Specca said slowly, and then looked back down to the book. Squeak pointed to it and squeaked a few more times. Specca glanced to her then back to the book.
"Do you want me to read it to you?" she asked looking over the ant girl. Squeak nodded with a simple squeak. Specca hesitated for a moment then showed a small smile.
"Sure, I'd be happy to, Squeak," she said looking back down to the book. Squeak sat close to her and looked at the pages, her eyes darting around at the words with wonder while her antennae twitched a bit. Specca started to read from the book, the story about a lone woman who crossed through the outerlands while being chased by murderous bandits. The heroine ran through tall fields of grass and tried to lose her pursuers in an old forest, hearing horses and yelling behind her as she was hunted down like an animal.
The group listened to Specca's telling of the story about the human that tried to outsmart and elude the bandits while hoping to cross the outerlands and reach her love far away. As the nixie told the tale she started to get a bad feeling in her chest again, reading another page then pausing with a concerned expression.
"Don't stop now, Squeak's loving it," Triska said looking at the ant girl. Squeak nodded with a few quick squeaks as she kept looking at the words in the book, her antennae twitching slightly before she looked from the book to Specca then back again.
"Yeah, keep going. This is getting interesting," Alyssa added as she and Daniel were looking back at the nixie, neither of them seeing the fog starting to form ahead of them as the caravan traveled along a dirt road through fields of tall grass and by old trees.
chronicles of eden - act I Page 73
