“NO!” Mika cried out as Aeon yanked her head back, the chronofly smiling coldly down at her with a flick of the blade at her side. “Stop, you can’t!”
“Can’t I?” Aeon mocked. “Oh, Mika Harollson. You continue to underestimate me. Tsk tsk. And after Daemon Warrick warned you today not to underestimate those you meet.”
Mika’s eye widened as the chronofly leaned closer to her face with a cruel gleam in her eyes.
“You never learn, do you?” Aeon coldly taunted. “Well now you need to pay the price for your arrogance and insolence towards me. I told you to bow to me, and you foolishly refused. Let this be a lesson to you, Mika Harollson. If you will not kneel before your queen, you will suffer.”
She glanced around at the girls then rested her eyes on Nuci, the alurane crying while being unable to move or speak still.
“You may wish to move yourself from this hole in the world before it collapses. It’s all going down in one minute,” Aeon warned before tapping her foot on the ground. A wide casting ring flashed underneath the four girls while crackling with energy, the neon green lights burning the floor while sizzling where they floated above the holes in the ground. The sheer power emanating from the casting ring sent a tremor through the cave, rocking the place and causing the ground to start cracking apart. Tabitha looked around quickly at seeing the casting base they were standing on, the symbols it had intertwining with the lopsided circles that slowly spun within the ring being of the same design as those that were written into the steel floor above at the lift’s entrance.
“Wait, what’s happening? What are you doing?”
“Scary lights!” Scay whined as she quickly wrapped her tail around herself.
“Now then, ladies,” Aeon said as she turned her eyes down to Mika. “Let’s go up above and have a nice little chat with your friends, shall we?”
Mika screamed as Aeon tapped her foot, a bright emerald flash erupting in the cavern before vanishing to reveal the girls were gone. Nuci suddenly jerked forward as she was able to move again, her scream finally escaping her throat while the cavern began to rumble.
“Aeon!” Nuci cried out. She looked around at seeing the cave beginning to collapse while more of the floor broke away into the dark void below. “Oh no, oh dear lord no. This can’t be happening. This can’t… she can’t… Aeon… no…”
Looking up she showed a heartbroken expression while everything before her dropped down into the darkness. The ancient lift wavered on its platform before falling as well with the cavern floor, the walls cracking and slowly crumbling apart while Nuci held her hands to her chest with shaky whimpers.
“Why, Mika?” she mourned. “Why did you let her control you? What did she do to you?”
The ceiling began breaking apart with loud tremors as the alurane sighed and lowered her head. Slowly she curled back down on her flower bud before its petals closed over her. The plant then began to shrink and pull into its stem that retracted into the wall behind it, the roots that remained in the cave rustling before retreating into the rock. Everything in the grotto collapsed towards the City of Eden that rested far below in the unseen void, the distant crashes caused by the falling debris being heard by nobody as the city’s only resident had finally taken her leave.
*****
A bright flash blinded Mika while a forceful gust of power rocked through her body. Dropping to her knees she tried to steady her mind while catching her breath, the glaring lime hue shining off the steel floor throwing her senses off for a moment before it gradually faded away. Slowly she looked ahead as the light diminished, seeing Daemon along with his companions, the three desuwraith sisters, and a large group of ant girls all standing near the steel platform in silence while showing surprise to what they were seeing. Even the swordsman seemed startled by it, though it wasn’t Mika who he and the crowd were staring at. Mika turned her head and saw Aeon standing behind her, the chronofly stretching her arms with a relaxed sigh while her wings fluttered behind her with ripples of distorted air waving outward. Tabitha and Scay quickly backed away off the platform while Aeon and Mika remained, all eyes focused on the chronofly as she casually looked around the cave while brushing her hair and giving the sword in her hand a light flick.
“Not quite the fresh air I had hoped to breathe after being cooped up in that city for so long,” Aeon dryly commented. “But I suppose that will have to wait a little longer.”
“Who is that?” Hollia carefully asked while gripping her spear tightly.
“Is that the guardian of the City of Eden?” Rulo asked.
“No,” one of the desuwraith’s whimpered shaking her head.
“That’s not the guardian.”
“That’s so not the guardian.”
“Then who is that?” Sasha slowly asked.
“The Dark Queen,” Daemon spoke drawing his sword with a ring. “That’s the Dark Queen!”
“What?” Forrus shouted as everyone jumped back, all eyes staring in shock at the chronofly who gave a small curtsey to them with a wicked smile on her face.
“How could she be free?” Sasha demanded. “What happened? What were you idiots doing down there?”
“Tabitha!” Forrus yelled with rage. “What did you do? I’m going to murder you, you stupid cat!”
“No! Hold it!” Tabitha shouted shaking her head. “Scay and I are innocent! Mika’s the one who let the Dark Queen out! Like fucking hell we wanted this to happen!”
“We tried to stop her!” Scay pleaded as everyone looked to Mika in disbelief. “The guardian tried to stop her! But we couldn’t stop her! She just wouldn’t be stopped!”
“Mika?” Hollia breathed out. “You… you let the Dark Queen out?”
“Why did you let her out?” one of the desuwraith’s shouted hopping up and down. “What is wrong with you?”
“You were supposed to be making friends with the guardian! You lied to us!”
“You weren’t supposed to be dooming the entire world! How stupid are you?”
Saffron stared at Mika while holding her bangs aside, her jaw lowered slightly as she watched the human whimpering with a remorseful frown while being rendered squeakless.
“Yes,” Aeon declared stepping forth. “Mika Harollson was my savior. She fought valiantly against my oppressive guardian, assembled the key to my dreadful seal, and granted my freedom just as she promised me. But where are my manners? Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Aeon, the one true Dark Queen of Eden. And the pleasure of my presence is all yours, you humble worms.”
“MIKA!” Sasha yelled out with fire in her eyes. “Why? Why did you do this?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Rulo shouted. “Are you seriously that messed up in the head?”
“You damned fool!” Forrus cursed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“I can’t believe it,” Hollia scorned. “Have you truly gone mad, Mika? Why would you do such a thing?”
Saffron merely raised her hand to flip off the hunter while slowly shaking her head with a harsh glare at the human.
Mika opened her mouth to speak, words faltering in her throat as everyone glared at her with understandable fury. Even Daemon showed anger very clearly towards the hunter, his hand gripping his sword tightly as it gave off a soft glow while his other was clenched into a tight fist.
“Why did you do it, Mika?” he asked turning his eyes back to the Dark Queen. “What reason could you have for siding with this dark creature? Explain yourself.”
“Yes,” Aeon mused looking to Mika with a sly grin. “Tell them, Mika Harollson. Tell them all why you were so kind as to free me from my eternal prison. Tell them just what motivated you to release me.”
Mika looked back to her with growing anxiety as the chronofly chuckled while lightly tapping the hunter’s sword against her palm.
“Tell them all how my new reign over Eden came to be. Or else I will.”
Chapter 3
Lost and Found
In the world of Eden unfortunate events would happen to everyone from time to time. The most obvious cause would be lustful monsters getting their hands on the men they sought after, however this wasn’t the only thing that could go wrong in the world. Encounters with bandits or dangerous creatures, getting lost in The Outerlands, having one’s home wrecked from the inside out, or maybe even failing a task because of a misunderstanding. No matter what went wrong it was always important to keep a calm head, stand strong, and work through the problem however possible.
Sometimes a simple mistake could still lead to great opportunities.
*****
Under the night sky Daniel and Clover were seated on the carriage while Lucky was sitting down on the grass before them. The horse turned his head one way then another now and again, seeming to be somewhat relaxed while remaining cautious of the surroundings. There was an unmistakable ominous feeling in the air, something Daniel and Clover were well aware of while gazing up at the stars together.
“You think she can find her way back here?” Clover asked.
“It’s her home,” Daniel reasoned with a shrug. “She grew up here, she knows this place very well. She should be able to get back without any trouble.”
“She’s Kroanette,” Clover sighed. “Getting lost is what she does best.”
She glanced down and noticed Daniel’s hands clenching at his sides, his withheld frustration being evident as he struggled to hold onto hope his mate would find her way to them soon. Clover scooted closer and took hold of his hand, his eyes turning to her as she gently uncurled his fingers in her lap and traced hers over his palm.
“I remember when Zoey wandered off before,” she recalled with a small smile. “We were out hunting one day, further out from our grove than normal, and after a while I noticed she wasn’t behind me anymore. I. Freaked. Out.”
“You did?” Daniel wondered as a faint smile came across his face.
“I screamed her name at the top of my lungs. I was scared shitless. We were out there in The Outerlands, just the two of us, and she vanished without a sound. I didn’t get scared of anything back then, I was ready to take anything on anytime. But the thought of losing her, I couldn’t stand that for more than a minute. I couldn’t… I couldn’t bear to lose her no matter what.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was hiding in a tree,” Clover sighed with an annoyed smile. “She was never lost at all, she just wanted to see me flip out like that.”
Daniel laughed as Clover shook her head and eyed his palm while moving her fingers around his.
“She knew how nuts I was about her, and she knew damned well I’d lose my shit if she pretended something happened to her. That girl, she always loved to play those pranks on me, getting me riled up and worried sick about her.”
“Sounds like you two had fun back then,” Daniel commented. He then curled his fingers around hers and caught her attention. “Though I can understand why she did those things. It doesn’t sound like she was trying to be mean, she just wanted to see that protective side of you. The girl she fell in love with.”
“Maybe,” Clover admitted looking down to their hands. “I was pretty protective of her. She wasn’t the best shot with her arrows, even after I taught her how to fire them properly. But she didn’t even need them. I always had mine ready to shoot anything that tried to mess with her. She was my world… I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her.”
“You really are a shining example of an elf, Clover,” Daniel praised. Clover looked to him curiously as he rested his other hand over hers. “There are some things you elves fabricated about yourselves, but there are others that hold true to the stories about your kind. That you’re protective of others, that you help those who are in trouble, and also that you’re one of the most beautiful races in the world.”
Clover turned bright red while freezing in place, a faint whine escaping her throat as Daniel gently held her fingers and admired each one.
“Your skill with a bow is unmatched, you gracefully handle arrows with these fingers without any trouble, and you possess a guardian spirit that’s rare to find in this world. I can understand why Zoey fell for you, Clover. After all I myself have as well. You’re an amazing woman.”
“D-D-Dan,” Clover stuttered before shaking her head and trying to force a stern expression. “It-It’s n-not like- I m-mean I only- you can’t- and I- and-”
“Still retreating back into your shell?” Daniel playfully asked. Clover looked down with a quivering lip as he held a hand to her cheek while closing his other around hers. “You don’t need to hide who you are on the inside, especially with me. It’s alright.”
Clover opened her mouth to speak, getting only a small sound out before hesitating and turning her head away.
“I’m not… trying to hide…” she slowly said before glancing back to him. “I mean, I’m not… it’s just…”
“You’re scared,” Daniel empathized. “Scared that you’ll lose us, lose me, just as you did with Zoey.”
“I don’t want to be,” Clover insisted. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I know you’ll always be here for me, that the other girls will be too. It’s… it’s just-”
Before she could finish Daniel pulled her over and kissed her, silencing the elf who stared at him with wide eyes. Slowly she closed her eyes and held onto him as he kept her close, the feeling of his kiss sparking a warm feeling within her that eased her worries and relaxed her mind. To her surprise Daniel pulled her closer with one arm holding her securely around her waist while the other gently caressed her cheek. Although everything was already dark around them her world faded completely away as Daniel became the only thing she could focus on. After the kiss finally ended Daniel watched the blushing elf remain in place with closed eyes and a quivering lip. When her eyes opened he saw the real Clover behind them clear as day, the benevolent soul who gazed back at him with nothing but adoration in her eyes.
“I love you,” Daniel genuinely told her. “And I promise you’ll never lose me. You’ll never lose any of us. So don’t worry about showing us who you really are. We want you to. I want you to.”
“Dan,” Clover whimpered with tears forming now. “I… I…”
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” Daniel promised holding her cheeks, the girl quickly grabbing hold of his hands while feeling a wave of emotion beginning to break through. “You don’t have to be afraid of losing us or being alone ever again. I swear I’ll always take care of you, so that you can smile that smile of yours that you often hide from the world. I’ll take care of you, so please don’t hide yourself anymore. You don’t have to.”
“Dan… I LOVE YOU!” Clover cried out before kissing him fiercely. He dropped down onto the seat with the elf lying atop him, her hands holding his head while she kissed him with more passion than he expected. Holding his elf close he relished the sensation of her love coming through very clearly, along with feeling her aura glowing more radiantly in his mind now. The dark green light from her star became rekindled within his thoughts as her monster energy could easily be felt now.
‘Her aura, I can feel it so clearly. Her love isn’t being held back anymore, it’s free once again. Clover…’
Clover purred while passionately kissing her mate, her feelings for him having suddenly spiked from his loving words towards her. She felt a surge of emotion flowing wildly through her now, her arousal quickly rising as well as her love for the man that truly cherished everything about her and wished to keep her with him. The elf held her mate in their embrace for as long as she could before breaking for air, a gasp escaping as they parted lips while she leaned back above him. As she did Daniel watched his elf in awe as not only had she lunged at him with unrestrained love but something else happened as he took notice of her dark green star in his mind.
Time seemed to slow down. Literally. Daniel saw Clover leaning back with a deep blush on her face, her eyes opened slightly
to show they were unfocused as she was still reeling from the kiss, her hair gently flowing back in the air, and all happening at a snail’s pace. Everything seemed to slow down, and not only that but it all came into focus like never before. Without averting his eyes from his elf he saw Lucky out of the corner of his vision with perfect detail, he noticed a few leaves falling from a tree nearby and could make out the ridges on each one from where he was, the fine texture of paint covering the carriage’s roof was brought into crystal-clear focus, and his hearing picked up the faint whistle of the wind as it slowly blew by. The entire world around him slowed to a crawl while Daniel was able to make out everything with precise detail without even trying to focus on any of it, his perceptual awareness having become so acute that everything around him was prominent.
‘What is this? What’s happening?’
A flash of an insignia raced through his mind, the fleeting glimpse of a sharp looking eye within a circlet bathed in dark green light passing by before everything snapped into motion again.
“Dan!” Clover moaned before kissing him again. His arms flailed around above her for a moment before he regained himself and held the girl close. As perplexed as he was about what just happened he slowly fell back into the moment with Clover and closed his eyes, enjoying his mate’s affection just as she was holding him dearly with a quickly beating heart.
“I love you so much!” Clover quickly said before kissing him again. Her hands gripped his vest while she felt Daniel holding her back and rear with his hands, something that only accelerated her growing desire for him.
“I want to be with you forever!” Clover confessed before resuming her kiss. Daniel felt her aura growing even more with her love for him, the star in his mind burning brightly while Clover believed she was melting in his arms from the increasing pleasure flowing through her.
“I want to have babies with you!” Clover blurted out before kissing him fiercely again. She grabbed his shoulders and rubbed her hips against him, every thought in her mind being of her mate in every sense.
Chronicles of Eden - Act XI Page 8
