Chronicles of Eden - Season II - Act I

by Alexander Gordon

  “Doku, listen to me,” he said, taking the harpy into his arms. She quickly hid her face in his chest while keeping her wings tucked in close to his sides. With a patient sigh Daniel then lifted her chin up, gently parted her bangs to see her eyes, and spoke in a calm voice.

  “You are an amazing woman and you do so much for us that I can’t even begin to show my gratitude for being your mate. You treat our family in the highest regard, you give so much effort to bring smiles to their faces and make them happy, and you do it all with such grace and charm that it’s simply astounding to witness with my own eyes. You are an angel, Doku.”

  “But… Daniel,” she breathed out. Shaking his head to stop her protest Daniel then gently plucked Pip out from her cleavage and lightly tossed her into the air. Pulling the harpy closer Daniel kept a firm hold around her waist while her wings were ruffling slightly in her excitement.

  “No buts,” he decisively stated. “You do more than ever could have been asked or expected of you around here. Not only do you take care of your family with seemingly endless stamina, but you also make my spirit soar every time I look at you. You have a wonderful heart, a pure soul, and you’re beautiful from head to toe. I mean it when I say I love you and want to take care of you. I want that honor. I want that responsibly. I want this harpy as my wife.”

  Doku quietly gulped as she blushed rather brightly, the look drawing out giggles from the girls behind Daniel as he admired his harpy while holding her close.

  “And I want to have a family with you,” he continued, watching as Doku’s eyes widened from hearing that. “So hold no delusions that I love and cherish everything about you, that I admire and adore you completely, and when the time comes for us to lay together I promise to take care of my wife in every way a husband should.”

  “You… you mean…” Doku breathed out. Daniel nodded and leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

  “I promise to make love with you until you’re guaranteed to be pregnant with my child.”

  After a brief pause Doku promptly collapsed in Daniel’s arms, catching him by surprise as he had to quickly hold the unconscious woman up. Hopping her up in his arms Daniel saw the harpy having gone limp in his embrace, her head rocking back with her long hair waving behind while her wings dropped to her sides.

  “Doku? Doku?” he asked shaking her a little.

  “What did you say to her, Daniel?” Luna wondered.

  “Just that I would have her bear my child,” Daniel answered with a shrug.

  “Yeah, that would probably knock her out,” Specca giggled.

  “She really is so fragile,” Falla remarked. “We’re going to destroy her when we have sex with her.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Pip asked as she sat down on Daniel’s shoulder.

  “She’ll be fine,” Daniel answered, lifting the harpy up to carry in his arms. Seeing her head resting against his shoulder with a serene look on her face brought forth elation and appreciation for his beautiful harpy, something he relished for a moment before turning to the girls with a small shrug.

  “She’s just resting right now, too much excitement for her I suppose. I’m going to take her to the bedroom and lie her down, you girls go on ahead.”

  “I hope she wakes up soon,” Luna said. “Visiting the elves sounds like it’s going to be fun, I wouldn’t want her to miss it.”

  “I’ll try to wake her up, Luna. If I can’t then I’ll take the blame for making her miss out on the festivities. You girls go on ahead and… wait a minute. Did everyone else leave for the elven camp already?”

  “Yes,” Specca answered as she hopped up Snapper to better hold in her arms. “Cindy and Felucia should be down there by now. And Sheal is probably being prepped for her public humiliation as we speak. Did you really have to sentence her to such an extreme punishment, Daniel? Alyssa is going to wreak havoc on that poor salamander woman’s ass in front of all those elves.”

  “Sheal wanted to be disciplined for her actions and to be properly forgiven by the elves,” Daniel reasoned with a shrug. “I know it’s extreme, but this is what she wanted. Her conscience won’t be clean until she believes she has properly suffered for her sins.”

  “She’s going to suffer alright,” Falla agreed with a sympathetic frown. “That poor girl has no idea what she’s in for.”

  “Her poor butt,” Luna whimpered as she held her own rear.

  “But Alyssa hasn’t gone yet, has she?” Daniel asked looking around. “I was waiting for her to get Rolian so we could head out together, but that was a while ago. Did I somehow miss them leaving?”

  “No, we were waiting for you outside,” Luna said shaking her head. “Nobody was coming out so we came back in.”

  “Alyssa!” Falla called out. “What’s the holdup? Did you find Rolian? Is she coming or not?”

  “Oh yes she is!” Alyssa enthusiastically replied. “Here we come! Yee-haw!”

  “Yee-haw?” Specca confusedly repeated. A loud rustling was heard from the dining hall, with everyone then seeing Rolian rushing out of the hall with giddy laughter and stumbling legs, the arachne reaching out for Juggy which was dangling from the end of Alyssa’s staff in front of her by a colorful ribbon. And riding on the arachne’s back was Alyssa, the witch using the spider’s drink to drive the skittering monster around the courtyard and even up the walls.

  “Alyssa?” Daniel exclaimed, sharing similar surprise as everyone else from the strange sight.

  “Wow, this is fun!” Alyssa cheered as Rolian chased after her drink, riding the swiftly moving spider up along a wall with playful laughter.

  “Alyssa, what are you doing?” Specca cried out.

  “What does it look like I’m doing?”

  “Are you riding Rolian?” Falla exclaimed.

  “That’s what I’m doing.”

  “Be careful, Alyssa!” Luna whined as they saw Rolian skittering upside-down on the ceiling with Alyssa sitting on her back. “Watch out! You’re going to fall off!”

  “Relax, Luna, I’m strapped in.”

  “Strapped in?” Daniel bewilderedly repeated. “Strapped in with what?”

  “Her strap she uses to carry Juggy with. Fits me perfectly.”

  “What in Eden are you doing, Alyssa?” Falla demanded. “Why are you riding Rolian like that?”

  “It was the only way to get her off her ass,” Alyssa reasoned with a shrug. “She wasn’t budging from the new nest she made, all she was doing was drinking nonstop and forgetting who I was the entire time I talked to her.”

  “The new nest she made?” Specca repeated. “What new nest?”

  “The one in the far corner of the dining room.”

  “She made more webbing on the ceiling?” Falla loudly groaned.

  “Nope. This one was on the ground.”

  “For crying out loud,” Specca whined shaking her head in defeat, with Snapper giggling and waving her hands around at the upset nixie. “How much webbing does she need to make anyway?”

  “But why are you riding her?” Daniel asked in disbelief.

  “I told you, this was the only way to get her to move,” Alyssa answered, using the dangling Juggy to steer Rolian towards the doorway.

  “Juggy, come back!” Rolian giggled, stumbling with her many legs as she relentlessly chased the almost-within-reach jug that continued beckoning to her. “Where are you going? Come back, Juggy! Wait for me!”

  “Out of the way!” Alyssa called out, with Luna and Falla hastily diving aside as Alyssa drove Rolian out through the doorway in a skittering stampede.

  “Alyssa, you can’t treat her like a horse!” Falla shouted out.

  “That looks like fun,” Luna said with a big smile. “Alyssa, can I ride her too? Pretty please?”

  “Luna!”

  The butterfly sisters quickly got up and took off flying after the drunken arachne and the riding witch while Daniel and Specca walked up to the doorway to watch them dropping over the bend towards the elven encampm
ent.

  “A witch riding an arachne,” Specca dryly mused. “Well I suppose if the sight of a succubus flying into their camp doesn’t do anything to cause a panic with the elves then neither will this.”

  “Wait for me!” Pip cheered, zipping off after the girls in a blue blur of light. “I want to ride in her boobies!”

  “What about a fairy flying into their camp?” Daniel wondered.

  “I have no idea what that might cause,” Specca sighed shaking her head. “The elves at least know of Pip and that she’s with us. She fought for them in Green Haven, so surely they wouldn’t fear her now… I hope.”

  “Here’s hoping you’re right,” Daniel said. He looked down to the sleeping harpy in his arms, seeing her quietly dreaming with her hair gently fluttering over her closed eyes in the breeze. “You might as well follow after them and make sure the elves know everybody visiting is harmless. I’ll be joining you after Doku wakes up.”

  “I suppose so,” Specca agreed as she started making her way towards the elven camp. “At least with there being sand wraiths, an arachne, a salamander woman, and even a fairy amongst us, I doubt little Snapper here will cause much of a panic in comparison.”

  She then yelped and yanked an arm away after Snapper’s teeth found their way into it, the nixie shaking off the stinging bite and struggling not to lash out at the child who was just snapping her teeth with a happy smile on her face.

  “Perhaps Cindy would enjoy holding the little darling again as well,” she added with a sore tone. “Yes, I think the dear child misses her mother very much. Very much indeed.”

  Daniel watched the nixie leaving with the young swarm then turned his gaze down to the sleeping harpy he held. After a moment he headed back inside their home with his beloved mate, the doors to their home being gently closed behind them. Nearby Lucky grunted softly while lying on a bedding of grass and flowers, the horse merely swatting flies with his tail while slowly looking around the area as everything fell quiet. Well, almost quiet, as the crowd of elves down below began cheering and shouting in excitement, which was to be expected as their esteemed guests had finally arrived for a visit. However not everyone was attending the merry gathering, as from an adjacent knoll that stood higher with trees enshrouding it rather densely there was an individual who remained hidden from all.

  “How much longer is this going to take?” Kindra muttered, standing close to the trees within the shadows while her fiery tails rustled behind her. “Dammit, is he going to do anything special or not? This is taking forever. What’s the holdup?”

  She paced side to side while keeping her piercing gaze focused on Daniel’s mobile home, her lips flinching now and again in her scowl as she felt her impatience burning hotter by the moment.

  “This is stupid,” she said coming to a halt. “What am I waiting for? He’s already got Ragnarok with him, he doesn’t need to do anything else but hand it over to me. I’m done wasting my time doing nothing here, I’ve got a world to clean up and a sister to beat the shit out of.”

  She started to run forward before one of her tail’s snagged on something, the kitsune letting out a sharp yelp as she was yanked back forcibly. Looking behind she jumped in surprise at seeing someone holding onto her tail who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

  “You really are the hotheaded sister of you two, aren’t you?” Aeon dryly remarked. She flung Kindra back across the thicket into a tree with a hard slam, knocking the timber loose as it crackled and started to fall over before it collided against another.

  “Aeon!” Kindra shouted. She quickly charged the chronofly, coming within two feet of the monster before Aeon snapped her fingers, halting time with a sharp echoing clack. Kindra yelled and struggled to budge as her body was frozen in place, with Aeon sighing in aggravation as she stood before the enraged woman with a dull expression on her face.

  “I’m going to kill you, you accursed demon!” Kindra yelled with fire in her eyes. “Just you wait until I get my hands on you, I’m going to wring your fucking neck and shove those wings so far up your ass that you-”

  “Would you shut up?” Aeon snapped. “I thought it was already made clear to you how pointless it is to attack me. You really think you pose any threat to me at all? That you could even touch me? You’re nothing but a lowly fox in this world, one whose bite is considerably more pathetic than her bark.”

  “What are you doing here?” Kindra shouted. “Where’s Flarah? What the hell did you two send me here for anyway?”

  “She and I are still discussing things,” Aeon replied as she looked at her fingernails without a care. “A lot to talk about, her and I. We have so much to catch up on now that I’ve been freed from my prison after all.”

  “And just what do you two have to talk about? Why is my sister even friends with the likes of you in the first place?”

  “Friends?” Aeon repeated. “I do wonder if she truly thinks that of me. No. No, I think I’m just another player in the game that she still thinks she’s winning. I don’t believe I’m really her friend. I honestly don’t think she has any friends in my opinion.”

  “You could have fooled me with how buddy-buddy you’ve been acting! Now let me go so I can rip you apart, you goddamned monster!”

  Instantly Aeon appeared in front of the frozen kitsune, hand clamping over her mouth while the other grabbed the woman’s arm with a painfully tight grip.

  “If you keep barking like a rabid mongrel then I’m going to show you what ripping someone apart is really like,” Aeon warned. Kindra growled as she continued to glare at the chronofly, feeling Aeon threatening to break her arm like a twig if pressed further.

  “Now listen closely,” Aeon hissed, stepping back and snapping her fingers. Stumbling forward from her release Kindra quickly regained her footing, eyes glaring at Aeon while she rubbed her aching arm. The chronofly slowly breathed out before she turned her focus towards Daniel’s carriage in the distance.

  “I only came here to stop you from charging over there in your fruitless endeavor to forcibly take Ragnarok from Daniel Sorres as you were just about to attempt without thinking at all of what you were doing.”

  “I know what I’m doing,” Kindra barked back.

  “No, you don’t,” Aeon scolded her. “I saw what you were planning to do. Going over there and confronting Daniel Sorres, telling him everything about the sinister hands of the reaper that are so gently clasped around him and those he holds dear, and then berating him to present you Ragnarok so you can take it from him by force.”

  “Name one thing wrong with any of that,” Kindra demanded.

  “For starters, you can’t take Ragnarok from him,” Aeon bitterly laughed. “It’s bound to him and him only, you stupid fox. Ragnarok belongs to him now, you can’t take it from him no matter how hard you try, I assure you of that.”

  “What if I break every bone in his hand and pry it from his limp fingers?” Kindra calmly questioned.

  “Wow, you are dark,” Aeon playfully purred. “Perhaps I don’t give you enough credit. I didn’t imagine you would be so willing to harm that human who you so insistently claim to be your special little boy. Still, such a plan won’t work. You can’t take it from him. Only he can draw it out, and only he can hold it. It will only serve him as its wielder now. That’s how the weapon works. You saw him wielding it in Green Haven. His grip on the handle never loosened in the slightest, he was unable to turn the blade in his hand even when it would have made attacking the gemini easier. He can’t let go of the sword once he summons it.”

  Kindra merely glared at her in silence, lip flinching slightly in her grimace as Aeon slowly shook her head at the kitsune.

  “Second,” the chronofly continued. “As much as I hate the reaper, and I do, I mean I really do, for now Daniel Sorres is better off traveling with her as an ally rather than an enemy. You would do well not to expose the truth to that boy just yet.”

  “And just why is that?”

  “She will help k
eep him alive,” Aeon reasoned with a shrug. “That glutton has her eyes solely fixated on Daniel Sorres for her next meal, she’s not going to let anything take that from her. For now she’ll keep him safe, she needs him alive to eat after all. And that works out well for us. In all honestly there couldn’t be a better guardian for that boy than a Dark Queen, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Why do you want that monster protecting him?” Kindra demanded. “Why do you want him safe and sound at all? Why did you have Daniel Sorres take hold of Ragnarok to fight the gemini in the first place when he never needed it? What is it you’re up to here? Tell me what the hell this is all about or you’re going to have to stand here every second of every day to keep me from going over there and taking hold of Ragnarok by any means that I have to! Tell me, chrono wench, just what the fuck are you doing all this for?”

  “Because the tyrant is coming!” Aeon shouted back, with Kindra falling silent in shock. “Seraph… is going to be here soon, and we are not ready to face her yet.”

  “What did you say?” Kindra carefully asked. “The tyrant… is coming here? The fourth Dark Queen is coming to this land?”

  “In less than a month she will be here,” Aeon solemnly answered. “It cannot be avoided. It is destined to happen.”

  “What do you mean it’s destined to happen?” Kindra cried out. “How the fuck can that be possible? She’s locked up in her City of Eden, she’s sealed away forever!”

  “Is that what you think?” Aeon quipped. “Is that a fact?”

  Kindra slowly backed up as Aeon stepped closer to her.

  “Do you know where she’s sealed? Have you seen her City of Eden with your own eyes? Spoken to her guardian in person? Have you known anyone who has?”