chronicles of eden - act I (72 page)

“Um, sure, if you want to, Specca, that would be great if you could really do that. I don’t want to trouble you though if you don’t want to,” he said kindly. She looked at him with a small smile and waved her hand to dismiss his comment.

“It’s no trouble at all; I want to be of as much use as I can for your journey. I’m not much of a fighter, but I do have other talents that could prove useful for you,” she giggled. Daniel smiled a bit and nodded as the other girls looked at Specca with careful eye, none of them liking the nixie’s choice of words.

“Well, if you insist, thank you, Specca,” Daniel said gratefully. She nodded eagerly then quickly crawled over towards his backpack. Triska jumped with wide eyes then promptly tackled her down to the ground as Alyssa and Squeak both covered Daniel’s eyes with their hands.

“Stop flashing Daniel!” Triska yelled out.

*****

Up in the sky the sun was slowly starting to settle over the horizon as Lucky had stopped to eat some grass from a patch found near the dirt road. As the horse grazed and ate contently, nearby Daniel was sitting down next to a tree which was bare while looking up at the sky, having opted to watch over Lucky while the horse was taking time to eat during their trip. As Daniel yawned and stretched out his arms, looking around casually at the surrounding landscape, inside the caravan a soft glow was seen coming from the front entrance and the back window.

Inside the cabin Triska was sitting up against her duffel bag as she tilted her sword in her hand, examining her blade while a lantern was lit and hanging from the ceiling near the back of the cabin next to the small window. Her blade shimmered in the light as she tilted it, admiring her trusty sword before looking ahead at something. Next to her Squeak was sitting on her legs with her abdomen sticking out next to her, looking at her digging tool as it had been reconditioned like new again from the blacksmith in Ashwood. Her antennae twitched a bit as she ran her fingers along the metal edge towards the tip, the girl then looking over towards something as well. Across from her Alyssa was sitting up against a pillow while looking at her staff in her lap, seeming to be in thought about something while she eyed the relic. After a moment she glanced over to the side with a raised eyebrow as she too watched something that the other two girls were.

Next to the witch Specca was sitting against a pillow as well with her legs lying crossed before her, her tail lying at her side while she was writing in Daniel’s monster book. She had been writing nearly constantly for a while now, with small pauses to look up thoughtfully before resuming every now and then. The other girls glanced to each other then back to the new travel companion as she seemed to be very engrossed in her work.

“You must have really memorized a lot of monster types in that other book, you’ve been going at it nonstop,” Triska commented. Specca nodded as she kept writing, having a gentle smile on her face.

“I read a lot of books back at the library, and plenty while not working there,” she explained while keeping her eyes focused on her writing. Alyssa scooted over and looked at the book with a raised eyebrow, observing what the nixie was writing down with grace. Her handwriting was far cleaner and more detailed than Daniel’s was, the nixie obviously having improved her writing skills while living among humans. The book now looked like a professionally written book one might find at a library.

“And you know all of these by memory?” Alyssa asked curiously.

“Mostly, there are some that I may need to freshen up a bit on, but it won’t be a problem. I never would have guessed that when I was reading that book back at Ashwood it would come in handy like this,” Specca said with a small giggle. She paused then looked over towards the front of the caravan with a worried expression.

“Something on your mind, Specca?” Triska asked with a raised eyebrow. Specca looked at her then around at the other girls.

“He’s not mad at me is he? I didn’t mean to flash him like that earlier, it was an accident,” she asked quietly. The other girls glanced to each other then back to the nixie.

“I don’t think so; just watch it next time, ok?” Triska said with a slight smile. The only ones that were mad about Daniel once again getting a clear view of the nixie’s private area were the girls, however seeing as how Daniel was quick to both forgive her for doing so and calm the others down as they were ready to viciously attack the poor girl, they allowed the incident to slide.

Specca nodded then looked down to the book as she resumed her writing.

“I was just so eager to help him, I completely forgot about that again. I’ll try to keep that on the forefront of my mind, I don’t want him to think any less of me,” she said worriedly. The other girls glanced to each other carefully before looking back to the nixie.

“Yeah, you do that. So, how did you and Daniel meet anyway?” Triska asked, sheathing her blade and resting it behind her.

“Oh, I was working in the library when he happened by. I helped him find the book on monsters of Eden and... we just started talking about it. I was rather curious why a human was actually trying to find them, I thought he was a monster hunter or something similar at first,” Specca said with a small smile. She stopped writing then looked up to Triska.

“He was so kind to me, even after I revealed myself to him,” she said softly.

“You flashed him then too?” Triska asked with a jump. Specca blinked then shook her head amusingly.

“What? No no, I meant revealed that I’m a monster. I showed him what I was, and he was still so kind to me. He even referred to me as a girl rather than a monster, it made me feel… special,” she explained tenderly before looking back down to the book. The other girls looked at her curiously as she turned the page with a deep gaze in her eyes.

“I spent a lot of time reading books in the library. All kinds really, I wanted to see everything that humans created in their imagination and fantasies. Their art, their music, even the way they play, it really is so beautiful,” she said gently. Triska smiled a bit and leaned back against her duffel bag.

“Never heard a monster talk that way about humans before,” she mused with a curious smile. Specca nodded and looked upwards with a gentle gaze.

“It’s true, I wanted to be around humans, not to find a man to mate with, but to see their world,” she said, the nixie then blushing slightly and looking around at the others.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have been opposed to finding a mate. Truth be told, I was rather fond of the romance section of the library,” she admitted with a slight laugh. The other girls looked at her with intrigued smiles.

“The romance section?” Alyssa asked curiously. Specca nodded and looked down with a bashful smile.

“The way humans write some of their stories about love, I adored reading them so much. Something I always found romantic was the way the men were portrayed, tales of how they would defend and protect the women from evil, how they were the knights in shining armor coming to the rescue. I know as a monster I’m supposed to go out and bring back a man to breed with, but… I sort of liked the concept of the man claiming the woman,” she admitted with a small blush. Triska smiled softly at the girl while Alyssa and Squeak looked at her curiously.

“Really? The man protects the woman? In most cities I’ve been to the majority of human women are the fighters,” Alyssa pointed out with a puzzled expression. Triska nodded and looked down with a solemn expression.

“That’s because we decided to take up the call to arms for them, we needed to protect
them
from… well… monsters,” she said softly. Alyssa and Squeak looked at her then down, both showing remorse to that. Triska breathed out quietly then looked upwards with a distant gaze.

“My mother always used to tell stories about that, how the men used to protect the women from the dangers of the world, how it was supposed to be a man’s job to protect us, not the other way around. Of course, those were just stories. There are some men that still fight, they’re not weak after all, and a lot of them are brave enough to defend themselves and their homes from monsters. But the majority of women now take up the blade, to protect our race. We’d rather die trying to keep our men with us than have them risk their lives and be taken away,” she explained as she remembered her mother and how she used to tell her such tales when she was younger. Specca nodded slowly then looked down with a bashful smile.

“But when those serpents attacked the library… it wasn’t just a story. Daniel protected
me
. He led me out of there before that monster could harm us,” she said lovingly. The other girls looked at her with a bit of surprise as she held a hand to her cheek.

“He was just like the men in the books I read. Even with that monster attacking people nearby he was so brave, and he escorted me out of the building as fast as he could. And when we got outside and saw more attacking around us, he guided me away from the fights, he protected me. A human protected
me
from monsters,” she said closing her eyes. The other girls looked at her curiously then to each other. Specca looked up with a gentle smile, having a faint blush on her cheeks.

“I never would have imagined meeting anybody like him before. A human that is so brave and daring, someone who wants us to live together peacefully just as I had always dreamt of, and he’s so cute too,” she said softly. The other girls slowly looked back over to her with cautious expressions, all of them seeing the way the nixie was smiling.

“Yeah, he’s something alright,” Triska added carefully. Specca sighed quietly then looked back down to the book in her lap.

“He’s like a dream come true,” she said softly with a blush. Triska narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms before her.

“Keep dreaming, Specca,” she said with a bite. Specca looked up to her as the human shook her head slowly.

“Before you get any more wild ideas about him, you need to know right now that he’s already taken,” she asserted firmly.

“Taken?” Specca asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m the one who’s going to be his mate,” Alyssa said pointing to herself.

“Like hell you are, Alyssa, he’s going to be mine,” Triska barked out at the witch. Squeak pointed to herself while squeaking with a firm tone. Specca glanced around at the girls then raised an eyebrow.

“So… which one of you
is
his mate then?” she asked inquisitively.

“I am!” Alyssa and Triska shouted, looking to her with discontent while Squeak pointed to herself with another stern squeak. The three girls then looked at each other with narrowed eyes while Specca glanced down in thought. After a pause she looked up to them with a careful eye.

“Has he actually chosen any of you?” she asked curiously. The girls all looked to her with slightly frustrated expressions then downward, all of them remaining silent. Specca nodded then started writing in the book again with a solemn expression.

“I see, well then it sounds like he
isn’t
taken yet,” she stated simply. Triska growled loudly as Squeak watched the new girl with a careful eye. Alyssa held her staff at her side as she watched the nixie closely.

“He’s going to choose me, I am the one protecting him out here and the one that’s even provided a ride for his travels. I’m the one who deserves to be with him,” Alyssa declared firmly.

“He’s going to choose me, I was his childhood friend who was with him the longest
and
I’ve saved his life and all of yours using
my
sword. I’m the one who’s earned the right to be with him,” Triska growled through bared teeth.

Squeak waved her hands around while squeaking at the girls, having a firm expression as she seemed to be giving some sort of speech about what was assumed to be why she should be Daniel’s mate.

Specca looked around at the girls then back down to the book, not saying a word while she continued her work. The other girls looked at each other with discontent then to Specca again.

“He’s mine, Specca, understand? There’s no way I’ll let anyone else take him from me,” Triska said firmly.

“Thank you, Triska,” Specca casually replied. Triska looked at her puzzled as Specca merely glanced up at her.

“You said any
one
, not any
thing
. I appreciate that, however if he hasn’t chosen you then you really have no right over him,” she reasoned with a shrug. Alyssa growled and held her staff tightly, the relic glowing with an orange hue while Squeak narrowed her eyes at the nixie. Before anyone could say another word the caravan gently rocked a bit while a horse neighed outside. The girls all looked ahead to seeing Daniel climbing back onto the driver’s seat, taking hold of the reins before looking back to the girls.

“Alright, I think Lucky has had his fill. We should be able to ride further out before stopping to make camp for the night, you all set?” he asked. The girls glanced to each other then looked back to him.

“Yeah, ready whenever you are, Daniel,” Triska said as she gently brushed her hair around her ear with a playful smile.

“Thank you for feeding Lucky and watching over him, you’re so considerate,” Alyssa said with an adorable smile while resting her staff down on the floor.

Squeak nodded and squeaked something with a smile as she quickly hid her digging tool behind her.

“Oh, Daniel?” Specca asked, getting everybody’s attention.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I should be nearly finished with this when we stop to make camp. Would it be alright if I go over it with you then, just to make sure it’s to your liking?” she asked with a curious smile at him. He smiled and nodded as the other girls gave the nixie narrowed glances.

“Sure, that sounds great. I didn’t think you would be finished with that so soon,” he said with a bit of amazement. She giggled softly and shrugged.

“It was no trouble at all. I told you I have many talents,” she said with a wink. Daniel smiled with a small laugh before looking back ahead, snapping the reins and having Lucky take off again onto the dirt road. Specca smiled and glanced around at the other girls, all of whom were glaring at her with annoyance. She smirked and looked back down to the book as she resumed writing in it.