Chronicles of Eden - Act XI

by Alexander Gordon

  “Even though they’re monsters you wanted to help them,” VelRyan said.

  “That was our motto at home,” Max replied. “My sisters and I, that’s what we strived to do. Help others. Help those who need it. Help anyone we could. Lelu and Grace may be monsters, but they’re not evil or deserve the pain they’ve gone through. In the end I wanted to help them too. And I still do. I don’t care that they’re not human, or if Lelu has a few odd quirks, or if Grace is rough with me. I still want to help them. They’re special to me.”

  “Good man,” VelRyan commended with a nod. Max looked up to him curiously as the man pointed to him. “You’ve opened your eyes to something that most humans don’t see in this world.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Not all monsters are evil. Not all monsters deserve the hate humans give them. Not all monsters are truly monsters,” VelRyan said, then glanced behind Max and smiled knowingly. Max blinked then turned around to see the girls standing outside the open door, with Syliandanchevas smiling kindly at Max, Bermuda and Vale doing the same, Grace staring at Max in wonder, and Lelu blushing with a loving smile on her face.

  “Some are just normal girls in this world,” VelRyan continued as he leaned back against the wall. “But you already know that, don’t you?”

  “Lelu. Grace,” Max softly said.

  “You really think I’m special?” Lelu asked trotting over to him. “You really like me that much?”

  Max looked around at everyone then to VelRyan, the man raising an eyebrow as he waited for the same answer Lelu was anxiously waiting to hear. He then sighed and lowered his head, with everyone showing curious looks except for Lelu who now had a nervous one.

  “My sisters are going to kill me,” Max groaned.

  “Why’s that?” VelRyan asked.

  “Because my best friend is a centaur,” Max answered, with him then turning to Lelu with a small smile who had a shocked expression now on her face. She twitched, turned bright red, let out a faint whine, then quickly snatched Max up and hugged him tightly in her chest face first while prancing about excitedly.

  “EEEEEEE! You really mean it? I’m your best friend? Oh, Max! Thank you thank you thank you! I knew you cared about me! You’re my best friend too! You’re my everything, Max! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me! EEEEEEEEE! He likes me! He really likes me! Max likes me the most!”

  “Let go of my servant!” Grace yelled as she suddenly grabbed Max and tried yanking him away, the two girls pulling him back and forth fiercely while his arms and legs thrashed about. “He belongs to me, you fucking cow! Stop suffocating him in your huge tits!”

  “Back off, tree sprite!” Lelu barked out. “Don’t you dare interrupt our moment together! And let go of my Max right now! He wants to be with me, not you! And at least I have boobs, unlike you do!”

  The two girls continued yelling at one another while stumbling about with a boy who was slowly losing consciousness in Lelu’s oxygen depriving bosom. VelRyan smirked at the sight while Syliandanchevas nervously held out her hands and stuttered some form of incomprehensible plea to get the children to stop, herself along with Bermuda and Vale keeping their distance from the brawling girls. After a while Lelu and Grace shoved Max aside and tackled each other to the floor, yelling and clawing at one another while Max stumbled away gasping for air. He was caught by Bermuda who smiled weakly at him while holding his shoulders, the arachne keeping the boy upright against her chest from behind. She lightly laughed then shook her head at the two girls on the floor while Vale scratched her head in puzzlement.

  “You really don’t think that elf is evil?” the pixie asked glancing to Max.

  Max merely watched the two bickering girls who seemed more focused on grappling with each other than the fact he wasn’t in their clutches anymore. After a while VelRyan whistled to get everyone’s attention, the man shaking his head a little at the two girls on the floor before looking around at everyone with a calm smile.

  “Well, this has been a very enlightening morning. I have some business to attend to, so I’m afraid I won’t be joining you for breakfast. Syliandanchevas, I trust you’ll help our guests find their way this morning.”

  “Of course, Master VelRyan,” the fey humbly said with a curtsey.

  “You don’t have to call me master,” VelRyan replied with a weak smile. “Anyway, you’re all welcome guests here so make yourselves at home. Breakfast is being served in the dining hall, but I know that you may still be a little shaken up from last night, so I’ve arranged for your meals to be delivered to your room here in a short while. If you need help with anything or have questions please let us know. We’ll discuss the matter of sending you three back later today, until then please rest and recover your strength. Now if you’re excuse me, my job is unfortunately never done. I’ll see you all again soon.”

  He started to walk away then stopped and glanced back to Max.

  “Oh, and Max? I do have a small warning to give you while you stay in my home.”

  “A warning?” Max asked.

  “What you do with Lelu and Grace is entirely your own business, but please do watch your words, hands, and eyes when around my daughter. Otherwise you and I will need to have a very special talk.”

  “Father!” Bermuda whined hopping about.

  “Haha! Oh come now, I hardly ever get to play the role of a protective dad around you. Don’t take away an old man’s pleasures in life,” VelRyan laughed, and then looked at Max with a knowing smile. “Besides, I’m only joking around. I trust Max would treat you with respect just as he does his two friends. Isn’t that right, Max?”

  Max showed a nervous smile and nodded before the man walked away with a wave of his hand. He then noticed Bermuda still holding him with her breasts pushing against his head, something that the others also took notice of while the arachne was watching where her father left with a pout.

  “Honestly, father,” Bermuda sighed. “Embarrassing me like that. That wasn’t necessary.”

  “Um, Bermuda?” Syliandanchevas spoke up with a weak smile. “You can let Max go now.”

  Bermuda blinked with all her eyes then looked to see how she was coddling Max close, the arachne then quickly backing up with hands held away and a nervous smile on her face.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to- I was just catching you from- and he was just kidding- that’s all, don’t pay him any mind- he’s such a joker, haha!” she stammered out. Looking around at all the stares she was getting she coughed and cleared her throat before crossing her arms with a flustered murmur.

  “Anyway, like he said we’re having breakfast delivered to your room this morning. We figured it would be easier for you to eat when not surrounded by many other monsters here.”

  “Your clothes are also being washed,” Syliandanchevas added. “We’ll have them returned to you shortly as well. In the meantime, while we wait for your food to come how about I give you a small tour of this wing of the monastery? I’ll show you where the restrooms are first, just in case nature is calling for any of you.”

  “That… would be nice actually,” Lelu admitted looking down with a blush.

  “Thank you, for all of this,” Max kindly said. “You’re being so nice and welcoming to us.”

  “We just want you to be comfortable here,” Syliandanchevas gently told him. “VelRyan was the one who proposed giving you breakfast in your room so not to overwhelm you with seeing so many other monsters nearby on your first morning here. And Bermuda was the one who offered to take your clothes to wash them, they were incredibly dirty and certainly needed it.”

  “Just doing my part to help,” Bermuda humbly admitted. “It’s not like you’re the first guests I’ve tended to while living here.”

  “So you’re like a permanent maid,” Grace flatly assumed. Bermuda twitched from that then growled at the girl.

  “I want to help out here,” the arachne hissed. “I’m not being employed to. Helping others is what I like to do.”


  “Thank you,” Lelu said tugging on her shirt and squirming slightly on her legs. “Um, about the restroom? Which way is it?”

  “Of course,” Syliandanchevas said quickly walking off. “This way, my dear. It’s not far. Come along, children, I’ll show you around before we eat this morning.”

  Lelu trotted off after her while Max followed behind, leaving Bermuda and Vale to see Grace just standing in place with her arms crossed and a scowl aimed towards Max.

  “Oh, and Grace?” Bermuda sharply added, getting a silent look from the elf. “Don’t worry. My father made sure to have extra bacon added to your plate this morning. Is there anything else we can do for the princess of Green Haven while she stays here? Perhaps a nice foot rub or shoulder massage?”

  “Fuck off,” Grace snapped before turning to walk away.

  “Or maybe just a romantic view of the mountains with your beloved servant?” Bermuda quipped, with Grace halting and glancing back to her with a glare. “Would that be something you’d want instead?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I think she’s talking about the way you were cuddling with him in his bed this morning,” Vale snickered.

  “I already told you I wasn’t doing that!” Grace roared. “I don’t know how the fuck I got in his bed! The stupid dolt probably dragged me in with him after I fell asleep, it’s not my fault I’m more attractive to him than that fucking cow! I never wanted to be in bed with that pathetic boy and never will! So drop it!”

  “Here’s some advice, Grace, even though you don’t deserve it,” Bermuda spoke while slowly skittering closer. “If you really do like Max, if you really do care about him, if you really do want to be viewed as a nice girl in his eyes and not a horrible monster, then you’d best keep this in mind. The more shit you spew from your mouth and the worse you treat him, the further you push him away from you entirely.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what my servant thinks of me,” Grace snapped as she turned to growl at the arachne. “He’s nothing but a useless wimp in my eyes.”

  “If that’s true then you have nothing to worry about,” Bermuda reasoned while turning around and skittering off. “It won’t be of any concern to you when he inevitably gets tired of your crap and turns you away completely.”

  “I don’t care what he thinks or wants!” Grace yelled as Bermuda headed off down the hall. She turned to snarl at Vale who merely hovered away with a disturbed look at the elf.

  “I smell evil on you,” Vale said shaking her head. “How Max doesn’t is beyond me.”

  She zipped off in a straight line after Bermuda while Grace growled furiously, the elf stomping her foot then looking back to where Syliandanchevas led Max and Lelu away. After a pause she marched off after them while grunting with a blush forming on her cheeks.

  “Like I give a fuck about some stupid human.”

  *****

  The sun slowly rose over the nearby woods of Rystone as witches were waking up to another day in their village. Walking down a hallway within their alpha’s stylish manor in perfectly symmetrical steps Apoch and Astreal both yawned at the same time before exchanging questioning looks with one another.

  “It’s not like her to be up before we are,” Apoch said.

  “I know,” Astreal moped. “We usually have the pleasure of waking her up and helping her get dressed in the morning. This is quite unexpected.”

  “We came earlier than usual too,” Apoch wondered looking up. “What could have caused Ms. Charlotte to be up and about so early in the day?”

  “I swear if she spent all night and morning fantasizing about Mr. Daemon again,” Astreal growled. “Perhaps we should give our neko accomplice the order to execute that bastard and bring us the key fragments he has. I hate that he’s distracting her so much these days.”

  “She has been a little distant with the village doings lately, hasn’t she?” Apoch worried.

  “I meant distracted from noticing us!” Astreal whined hopping about and waving her arms. “Mr. Daemon is all she ever talks about, all she ever thinks about! What about us? We’re her devoted helpers and far better choices for lovers than that goddamned freak! Let’s just have Ms. Tabitha slit his throat and give us the key fragments. Might as well anyway, Mr. Daniel will need them to unlock our master’s seal eventually. Why put it off any further?”

  “Sister, calm down,” Apoch softly pleaded as she held her enraged twin. “I hate Mr. Daemon just as much as you do, he’s nowhere near worthy enough of Ms. Charlotte’s heart or even a fleeting moment of her attention. But having him find more of those fragments for us will help recover them faster. Master will be pleased with-”

  “I don’t care!” Astreal pouted as she buried her face in Apoch’s shoulder. “I don’t want to make our wretched master happy, I want to make Ms. Charlotte happy! I want us to be the only ones who get to do that, not that half-human abomination!”

  “Sister, shh!” Apoch implored nervously. “Master could be watching us right now, she could hear you.”

  “She’s not watching this place, she’s still busy with preparing her gift for Mr. Daniel,” Astreal grumbled shaking her head.

  “Even so, watch your tongue,” Apoch begged. “I don’t want her to hurt you again should she find out how you spoke of her.”

  “I’ll be fine, sister,” Astreal sighed. She stood up and took a few slow breaths before giving Apoch a small smile. “I just… wish we could be with Ms. Charlotte always. I hate that we lie to her about ourselves. I hate that we’re using her just like Mr. Daemon. She trusts us and we’re so deceitful with her.”

  “We have to keep some things from her though,” Apoch tried to reason with. “We must if we wish to stay by her side and protect her.”

  “But we keep so much from her, we’re so dishonest with her,” Astreal whined. “We pretended not to know what the gemini were even though we did. We called Mr. Daemon a human even though we know he’s not. We acted surprised that he had the Archlight’s Blade when we knew he had it from the start. We pretend not to know what’s going on in the world when we really know far more than Ms. Charlotte does. I feel so dirty lying to her all the time.”

  “As do I,” Apoch sadly agreed.

  “I just want to be with her forever. I don’t want to hurt or betray her. I don’t want to be a bad witch with her.”

  “As do I,” Apoch softly said, wiping a tear from Astreal’s cheek and showing a similar saddened smile as her sister. “Come. We can be with her now. Let’s find out what’s gotten her moving about so early in the morning and help her with whatever that may be. We are her trusted helpers after all, that is our job.”

  “Yes,” Astreal agreed with a nod. They continued walking down the hall with Apoch giving her sister’s hat a tap forward.

  “And for the record,” Apoch playfully added. “I want to be with both Ms. Charlotte and you forever.”

  “You know I want to be with you too,” Astreal giggled. “You’re my sister. We belong together, just as our spell was written and our bond stands true.”

  The two smiled at each other then made their way towards their alpha’s study. They stood before the doors, straightened out their skirts and hats in the same fashion, then knocked twice at the same time.

  “Ms. Charlotte?” they asked together. “Are you in there?”

  After they got no reply Astreal opened the doors a peek. She saw Charlotte seated at her desk, the witch heavily focused on a crystal orb that was perched on the counter atop three obsidian shards within a silver base. Charlotte hardly seemed to blink, her eyes never leaving the sight of the orb that had a shimmering glow moving about inside it.

  “She’s staring at her crystal ball again,” Astreal quietly growled. “She must be gazing at that despicable swordsman. That does it, we’re giving Ms. Tabitha her final orders right now.”

  “Hold on, sister,” Apoch said as she peeked through the crack below Astreal. “She doesn’t appear to be happy. Wh
enever she ogles that man she’s always in a good mood, and she’s usually playing with herself too. I think she’s seeing something else in it this time.”

  The two exchanged curious glances then proceeded to enter the room, with Astreal again knocking on the door in another failed attempt to draw Charlotte’s attention.

  “Ms. Charlotte?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

  “You’re up awfully early today,” Apoch mentioned. “Is something wrong?”

  Charlotte slowly glanced over to them, a serious expression remaining on her face as she spoke not a word before turning her eyes back onto her crystal ball. The witch lightly drummed her fingers atop her desk while in her other hand she held her wand that she slowly twirled at her side.

  “Ms. Charlotte?” the twins asked walking over in front of her desk. “What’s wrong?”

  “Tell me,” Charlotte ordered with a sharp glance to them. “What is going on out there, girls?”

  “What is going on out there?” they replied in confusion.

  Charlotte merely stared at them with a clear look of umbrage on her face, the twins gulping together with nervous frowns as they shook slightly.

  “What’s troubling you, my grace?” the sisters carefully asked.

  “You want to know what woke me up this morning?” Charlotte quizzed them. “An ether crow.”

  “An ether crow?” Astreal gasped. “Are you serious?”

  “Do you think I would joke of such a thing?” Charlotte demanded loudly, causing the girls to jump with a squeak. “An ether crow is not something that is ever taken lightly and you know it. Whenever a witch sends one it is for dire reasons only, no witch ever sends one for a trivial matter.”