Chronicles of Eden - Act XI

by Alexander Gordon

  “You have bows and arrows here?”

  “We do. Had you bothered to kindly ask as such instead of stomping around my home with a gloomy cloud surrounding your head I would have let you know sooner. That being said, I’ll make a deal with you. If you promise not to let your anger towards those who have wronged you explode any further within my home, and you try to use some restraint with your colorful vocabulary, I’ll let you borrow a bow and some arrows to shoot in one of the courtyards outside.”

  “You will?” Grace asked, her eyes lighting up and drawing a smile from VelRyan.

  “As long as you demonstrate self-control, Grace,” VelRyan said holding a finger up. “A good archer needs to have a level head and a calm demeanor to shoot straight. If you abide by my rules in my home you may have such a gift here. If however you let your frustrations and anger control you then I will not allow it. Do we have a deal?”

  “Yeah, okay,” Grace agreed with a nod.

  “A thank you would be appreciative,” Syliandanchevas mentioned as she stood and picked up the tray. “Grace? Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Y… yeah,” Grace slowly said before looking down. “Th… thanks.”

  “To him, not the ground,” the fey sighed as she walked off. Grace twitched then slowly looked up to VelRyan as he sipped his tea.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” VelRyan replied before glancing to the fluttering drapes for the balcony as thunder was heard outside. “I’ll let you play with them later, it seems we may be getting some rain here very soon. That and Vale should be returning sometime soon, I’m sure you don’t want to miss her findings on what she found out there.”

  “Fine,” Grace said lowering her head again. “So… what should I do until then?”

  “Want to play with us?” Max asked, with Grace turning to him questionably while Lelu did so with a more disturbed expression.

  “Is this where you’ve been hiding all day?” Grace demanded walking over to the table. “Have you even left this place once today?”

  “Yeah, I had to use the restroom.”

  “Did you go alone?”

  “Well… no.”

  “I helped guide him down there,” Bermuda admitted with a shrug. “It is easy to get lost for newcomers after all.”

  “Of course,” Grace muttered crossing her arms. “I should have known. You’re scared to walk around down there because of all the monsters that live here. That’s it, isn’t it? You’ve been hiding up here where they can’t touch you because you’re afraid of them.”

  “He’s not afraid!” Lelu shouted. “He doesn’t have to run about down there if he doesn’t want to! And as it so happens we’ve been having a lovely time together up here. We don’t need to wander around aimlessly down there like you’ve been doing, we’re perfectly fine staying right here.”

  “I’m not scared,” Max worried looking down. “I’d just… I’d prefer to take it a little more slowly with meeting more monsters. That’s all.”

  “You know you are safe here, right?” Bermuda asked with a small smile. “You’re welcome to spend your time here in the observatory, I don’t believe father minds at all, but you can walk freely among the halls here without worry. You’re safe within these walls, we promise.”

  “I know that, and I do believe you,” Max assured with a weak smile. “It’s just…”

  “Take all the time you need,” VelRyan kindly said. “I understand it may be a little overwhelming to be around so many monsters all at once. Like Bermuda said you are welcome to spend your time here, I don’t mind the company, but if you ever want to take a look around and meet some new faces please feel free.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  “Coward,” Grace muttered with a dull stare at the boy.

  “Do you want a bow to play with or not?” Bermuda flatly asked her. Grace merely looked down and mumbled something before turning away from them.

  VelRyan shook his head a little at the elf before a sudden burst of light above caught his eye. Everyone looked up to see a square casting base resonating with neon lime lights forming above them, the small magical formation having angular weavings within it while it sprouted four beams of light upward from the corners. From the center of the base a figure slowly floated out in blurred cube-shaped glimmers before coming into focus to reveal Vale hovering in the air. The lights behind her slowly fizzled out as the pixie flew down and hovered above the chessboard while taking notice of everyone nearby watching her.

  “Welcome back, Vale,” VelRyan greeted. “What news do you have for us?”

  “Did you go to Green Haven?” Grace quickly asked. “Did you see what’s happening there?”

  “Yes, I did,” Vale said with a nod. “And we are not taking you back there right now. There’s a whole lot of unsavory looking monsters all around the forest there. I mean a whole lot.”

  “What about my people?” Grace cried out. “Are they okay? Are they still alive?”

  “I did see elves in the forest still. They didn’t look too happy. Not that I blame them. You weren’t kidding when you said an army invaded your home, there’s so many mean looking monsters in that forest now.”

  “Goddammit,” Grace cursed lowering her head and shutting her eyes. “How can I help them? My people need me, my home needs me, I have to do something!”

  “Well that something isn’t going back there, I can tell you that much,” Vale said shaking her head. “You were lucky to get out of there alive, Grace.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Max assured the elf. “There must be some way of helping your people.”

  “I only know of one way!” Grace shouted at him. “And that’s grabbing every weapon you’ve got at your home and charging into Green Haven to kick some fucking ass!”

  “Grace,” VelRyan said.

  “To kick some ass!” Grace corrected herself while shaking a fist.

  “Well that’s also a no-go,” Vale mentioned. “I stopped by Max’s home to see if his sisters were there. Nobody was there. And nothing was there. All those weapons and armor you had before in your shop, they’re all gone now. The place was looted, picked completely clean.”

  “Great,” Max muttered shaking his head. “Our home gets blown up and we get robbed.”

  “Sorry again about that,” Bermuda shyly said looking down with remorse.

  “I went to see the human village of Rees that your sisters were traveling to,” Vale continued. “You don’t want to know what I found there. The place was… not a pretty sight. What humans were still alive there likely wished they weren’t.”

  “Did you see my sisters there?” Max feared.

  “I didn’t see any women among the slaves those monsters had taken. I don’t think your sisters ever reached there. Or if they had they may have run away because there were too many monsters to fight.”

  “My sisters don’t run away from a fight,” Max worried. “They knew this hunting job would involve going up against a lot of monsters, but they weren’t scared at all. They wouldn’t back down. This isn’t good, what happened to them? Where are they?”

  “Calm down, Max,” Bermuda gently insisted. “I’m sure they’re fine. They may not have run away but if the opposition was too large perhaps they backed off to formulate a better plan of attack. At the very least I would like to think if the odds were too great they wouldn’t take a foolish risk with it at all.”

  “I’m sure they’re fine, Max,” Lelu promised as she held Max close. “They’re professionals, right? They know what they’re doing.”

  “I scoured the land around Trixton Pass,” Vale continued. “Not a single traveler or monster seen. But I did notice something odd.”

  “What was that?” VelRyan asked.

  “There was supposed to be a human settlement between Trixton Pass and Rees, the city of Nibelvale. It’s gone now.”

  “Gone?” Max repeated.

  “Yep. Gone. Like, completely. Nothing but a desolate field
where there was supposed to be a human city. I thought Max’s sisters might be there, but instead nothing was. Nothing at all. It was all just… gone.”

  “That’s rather troubling to hear,” VelRyan mused holding a hand to his chin.

  “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but it doesn’t seem good,” Vale warned shaking her head. “Lots of monsters prowling and human towns going missing, this isn’t good at all. I think these three should stay here for the time being, it doesn’t seem safe at all out there.”

  “I agree,” VelRyan said with a nod. He noticed the troubled looks Lelu and Max had while Grace was obviously struggling with keeping her mouth shut regarding the current state of her home.

  “I’m sorry, but it seems you may be staying here with us a little longer. As soon as we can find a safe place to take you we will immediately, but until then we don’t want to put you in harm’s way. If we find your sisters, Max, we’ll take you to them right away. And, Grace, if we find any elves out there we’ll take you to them as soon as we can. I’m sorry, but we must put your safety first right now, and that means watching over you here.”

  “We understand,” Lelu agreed with a nod. “Thank you for doing this for us. I hope you can find Max’s sisters for him.”

  “We will, I promise,” VelRyan gently assured. “Don’t worry, Max. Your sisters are famous for being skilled monster hunters. If anyone could survive in those dangerous parts it would be them. I have faith in that.”

  “Me too,” Max said looking down. “I don’t care if I can’t go to them right away, I just want to know that they’re okay. That’s all I want right now.”

  “I’m sure they are,” Bermuda said.

  “Maybe they’re the ones that grabbed all the weapons from your home,” Vale guessed as she touched down on the chessboard. “Maybe they went back to load up all their weapons and then go out there killing all those bad monsters like an unstoppable three woman army!”

  “Milly probably could carry them all,” Max reasoned with a small smile. “She is pretty strong.”

  “And she’s a Harollson!” Vale cheered with a hop. “Everyone knows how good of hunters your sisters are. I feel sorry for any monster that stands before them, especially when they’re carrying an entire arsenal of weaponry with them!”

  “Yeah, I feel the same way, Vale,” Max softly agreed. Lelu hugged him and rubbed his shoulder with a sympathetic smile as Max tried his best to convince himself that his sisters would be okay.

  “Yeah, they’re probably just fine,” Grace muttered as she wiped away a tear. “They can handle anything because they’re monster hunters. But what about my people? They can’t fight an entire army of monsters on their own. Where’s their help? Where’s their rescue? Who’s going to save them from those fucking assholes? It’s not fair!”

  The elf took off running with a loud yell, with everyone watching in silence as she raced towards the stairs then down them into the lower levels of the building with another furious cry.

  “Poor girl,” VelRyan softly said.

  “She may be hard to deal with,” Bermuda sighed. “But she doesn’t deserve that pain.”

  “What can we do?” Vale asked. “We would need an army ourselves to free her home and her people.”

  “I’ve wished many things upon that elf,” Lelu sighed. “But losing her home to the same monsters that took mine isn’t one of them.”

  “Grace,” Max softly said as he looked down to the chessboard. He picked up the fallen queen piece and eyed it for a moment before turning to where the elf had ran away in distress.

  “I hope someone does come to save them before it’s too late.”

  *****

  “Let me make sure we’ve got this straight,” Daniel carefully said. He along with his mates were watching Rolian who was bound in tight vines with caution after the arachne had finished telling her story.

  “The Sisterhood is a large group of monsters that you and your mother were a part of. They destroyed Ruhelia because the centaurs wouldn’t join them. They captured Kroanette to be taken to the leaders of The Sisterhood to be eaten. And you helped free her, with the aid of Reiko, all because you didn’t like being with The Sisterhood anymore.”

  “Uh huh,” Rolian agreed with a nod.

  “But you don’t remember what The Sisterhood wanted the centaurs to join them for, who their leaders are or what they want, or any sort of goal The Sisterhood is after? They’re just out there killing and destroying, but you don’t know why?”

  “That’s correct. Um… I think my mother said something about it at some point, but I don’t remember. I don’t have a good memory.”

  “I wonder why,” Specca flatly mentioned as she glanced to the nearby drinking jug on the grass.

  “Reiko?” Daniel asked looking behind him. “Is all this true?”

  “Yeah, sure, whatever,” Reiko called back as she was currently engaged in a fierce stick fight with Pip, the two growling in each other’s faces while holding small twigs that they used as swords. The two tiny monsters pushed against each other’s harmless weapons while locked into a power struggle of miniature proportions on the ground, with the fairy pushing forward with her feet while Reiko floated in the air and held her position.

  “You can’t have Star’s juices of life!” Pip shouted. “They belong to me!”

  “I can and I just did!” Reiko sneered. “She’s my kitty and I’ll fight to the undeath to have her! Just try and stop me!”

  “Have at thee!” Pip yelled as they begun swinging their sticks at one another with light clacks, both slowly moving in a small circle while engaged in twig combat, and neither paying any mind to everyone else that was watching them from all around.

  “What the fuck are they doing?” Clover asked waving to the dueling girls.

  “Didn’t know Pip could fight like a swordswoman,” Falla commented with a raised eyebrow.

  “Where did she learn to do that?” Alyssa asked.

  “They’re so cute!” Cindy squealed as she held Snapper in her arms. The young swarm was snapping her teeth with flailing claws as she watched the tiny monsters moving about before her.

  “Watch out, Pip!” Luna cried out with both hands holding her face. “Oh! Be careful!”

  Pip and Reiko continued their duel, scooting back and forth with their fencing as they swung and blocked with their flimsy weapons, before slowly drawing away with everyone turning their heads to watch them go. The tiny monsters crossed twigs again and again as they moved into a patch of tall grass, with the two then lifting their sticks up higher to strike at one another overhead, before coming back out onto the dirt and continuing to parry, dodge, and clack their sticks together with fierce glares at each other. Squeak watched the two moving closer to her then lifted her boot for them to pass under, the ant girl following their moving duel away from the group before setting her foot down and squeaking at Daniel with a shrug.

  “Okay,” Alyssa slowly said before the group turned to Rolian again. “If your story is true then how did you get here before Kroanette? There’s no way you could outrun her.”

  “I don’t know,” Rolian whined hopping up and down in her binds. “Like I said I thought she’d be here by now. I don’t understand why she’s not here yet.”

  “You don’t think she got lost again, do you?” Falla tiredly suggested.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Specca sighed.

  “Are you kidding me?” Clover growled. “How hard is it for her to get back to her own goddamned home? She grew up here, she knows this place better than all of us, how is it she doesn’t know where it is?”

  Doku slowly walked up to Rolian and tilted her head one way then another as she watched the monster shaking a little with a fearful grimace.

  “Do you swear you didn’t harm Kroanette?” Doku carefully asked.

  “I swear,” Rolian whimpered. “I didn’t hurt her. I mean it. She’s my friend. She’s… the only one I’ve got in the whole world. Nobody
ever talked nice to me before, nobody treated me so kindly like she did, not even my own mother. I would never harm her. I promise.”

  “I believe you,” Doku softly said with a nod. “I can see the sincerity in your words and face. Falla? What do you say? Do you think she’s lying or telling the truth?”

  “I don’t think she’s lying,” Falla answered shaking her head. “I’m only hearing the truth from her.”

  “Daniel?” Doku said looking to her mate. He slowly breathed out and ran a hand down his face before watching Rolian squirming in her binds with a remorseful frown.

  “Falla would know a lie if she heard one,” he reasoned. “And Doku can see the good in anyone’s spirit. I trust their judgement. Alright, your story checks out with you and Reiko being here, but that only raises more questions that I need you to try to answer. Do you have any idea where Kroanette could have run off to this time? And what is The Sisterhood planning to do with an army of monsters? You’re the only one who can answer these questions for us, Rolian. We need you to think hard about them.”

  “Can you please untie me then?” Rolian begged. “Please. I have to make sure Juggy is alright. She gets lonely when I’m not with her.”

  Daniel and the girls exchanged glances before he nodded and waved his hand at Alyssa. The witch rolled her eyes and tapped her staff on the ground, sending shimming lights rolling through the grass towards the arachne before the vines around her retreated back into the dirt. Rolian quickly skittered over and picked up her jug while Falla and Luna kept behind Star and Squeak as they felt uneasy about the arachne being near still.

  “Are you okay, Juggy?” Rolian softly cooed as she hugged it close. “I’m sorry, I never meant to drop you. It’s okay, I have you again. We’re together once more.”

  “This is weird,” Clover flatly said aloud.

  “She… really like her drink,” Doku slowly agreed with a nod.

  Rolian took several large gulps of the brew, the group watching in silence as she downed the frothy liquid before she gasped and wiped her mouth with a blissful smile.