chronicles of eden - act I (12 page)

“They may be monsters, but they’re not all that different from us. We do have some common ground if we take the time to look,” he said softly. Triska nodded and just watched the crying witch with wonder. The girl had incredible magical powers at her disposal, was able to move through fire and take down multiple threats with ease, yet she was scared to death of ordinary wolves.

After Alyssa cried for a bit she wiped her tears away then looked to Daniel with a gentle smile.

“Thank you for saving me, Daniel. You really are chivalrous,” she said graciously. He smiled weakly and rubbed the back of his head.

“Yeah… it’s a curse, believe me,” he said tiredly. Alyssa giggled and shook her head.

“No no, it’s a gift. Believe me, Daniel, it makes you very desirable,” she said with a wink. Daniel looked at her with a bit of surprise as he remembered Triska saying those same words with a wink as well. He glanced away while Triska glared at the young witch, the girl also having remembered the similar gesture and saying earlier.

“So, Daniel, where are we off to next?” Alyssa asked looking towards the horizon.

“What? We?” Daniel said in surprise looking back to the witch with wide eyes.

“For the last time, Alyssa, you are
not
going with us!” Triska shouted out.

“She’s going with us?” Daniel asked, looking to Triska in disbelief while pointing to Alyssa.

“There, you see? He said I’m going with you. He even pointed to me in saying so,” Alyssa said happily.

“He said no such thing, Alyssa, you’re not going with us!” Triska yelled out with anger.

“Why does she want to go with us?” Daniel asked in surprise.

“You need me silly. You won’t last a day out there without proper protection,” Alyssa said with a giddy laugh.

“He almost didn’t last a day because of you, remember?” Triska barked out.

“I wouldn’t have harmed him, he’s so cute after all,” Alyssa said looking to Daniel with an adorable smile. Triska growled then took out her sword. She raised it up before it, and along with her, flew back and crashed into the ground. Alyssa smiled playfully as she held her staff out towards where the teen was thrown to while Daniel looked at her worriedly.

“Wait, I never agreed to this,” he said nervously. Alyssa giggled then looked to him with a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry; I’ll protect you out there. I promise,” she said softly. He stammered some form of protest while shaking his head then looked to see Triska struggling to pull her blade out of the ground, the sword being held down from a magical force by the witch.

“You need me, Daniel, somebody has to keep you safe,” Alyssa said happily.

“That’s my job, you bitch! I’m going to protect him, and I’m going to start by hacking you into little pieces and feeding them to those wolves!” Triska yelled out. Alyssa shuddered at that thought then glared at her, lifting her staff up and causing Triska to fly up into the air with a scream.

“That’s not very nice!” Alyssa called up to her.

“Hey, stop it! Don’t hurt her!” Daniel said looking up with wide eyes as his friend tumbled around high above before falling back down towards the ground. Alyssa giggled then held out her staff as she smiled at him. Triska screamed as she flew down towards the ground, and then suddenly stopped an inch before impact. She blinked then shakily looked over to the witch before she dropped down with a thump. Alyssa giggled and looked at Daniel with an adorable smile.

“If you insist, Daniel,” she said with a cheery tone. He looked at her worriedly then over to his friend who was rubbing her head with a groan. Sighing he shook his head then looked back to the witch who was keeping her eyes on him still.

“Why are you coming with us, Alyssa?” he asked weakly.

“I told you, you have your desires, and I have mine,” she said simply.

“Yeah, I noticed. So you’re still fixated on
that
are you?” he asked with a dull expression. She smiled happily at him and tilted her head slightly.

“What I desire, Daniel, is to be with you,” she said softly. He looked at her with wonder as she nodded.

“Besides, you need a monster that can help you against others that aren’t very nice and keep you safe, and that’s me,” she reasoned cheerfully. Daniel just looked at her curiously as she giggled to herself. She may be a monster that nearly raped him, but she did have a point. They would need protection out there that Triska’s blade alone may not be able to provide. He just hoped that Alyssa would be able to control herself properly if she was going to be near him.

The witch looked around curiously then down to the sleeping blanket with an innocent smile.

“So can I sleep with you tonight, Daniel?” she asked sweetly.

“What?” Daniel and Triska cried out together. Alyssa giggled happily then looked to the blanket as she bounced a bit on her knees.

“Please? I’m still so scared of those wolves still; won’t you please hold me tonight? I would feel so safe in your arms,” she asked with a sweet tone. Triska yanked her sword out of the ground then ran towards the witch with it held high.

“Like hell you’ll sleep with him!” she yelled out swinging downward. Alyssa held out her staff, the relic glowing orange as Triska’s blade stopped in place. The teen growled as she tried to push the blade down while Alyssa looked at Daniel with a sweet smile, not seeming to pay Triska’s threat any mind.

“Please? I’ll make sure you have good dreams,” she said with a wink.

“Alyssa, that’s not something we’re going to be doing. Is that clear?” Daniel asked tiredly. Alyssa giggled as she pushed Triska back with her magic once again, and then leaned closer to Daniel with a playful smile.

“Aw, c’mon. I don’t bite, unless you like that,” she said with a seductive tone.

“Alyssa!” Triska yelled out as she held her duffel bag over her head. Alyssa looked over to her curiously as the girl threw the bag towards her. It crashed into her and pinned her down on the ground, with the witch crying out and gasping for air while her arms and legs flailed about underneath the bag.

“Holy crap, what’s in this thing anyway?” she cried out as she struggled to budge it. Triska jumped onto it then bounced up and down to push it down onto the witch.

“Keep your hands off of him, you got that? You hear me, witch?” Triska yelled out with fire in her eyes.

“I can’t breathe! Get it off of me!” Alyssa cried out.

“Tell somebody who cares!” Triska shouted down at the girl.

Daniel watched the two yell and curse rather loudly at each other with a tired expression, then dropped back down onto the blanket with a sigh. He had avoided being used for a monster’s own inner desires and was back on track with his journey. First, off to Ashwood, then to the surrounding areas outside the safety borders where other monsters could be found. He had his trusted companion and friend Triska, the sword wielding fighter from his hometown that he grew up with. And now he was being joined by a little witch named Alyssa, a powerful magical caster, who was determined to remain by his side as his protector.

Whether he and Triska wanted her to or not.

In the world of Eden, monsters roamed the lands searching for those they could use to breed with, something that was a driving force in all types and classes of monsters. They were compelled to mate much as they could, and some were more forceful than others. Certain monsters would savagely rape their prey wherever they could, sometimes seriously harming them in the process. Others would try to charm or ‘poison’ their victim into giving themselves willingly. However, one thing was consistent with all monsters in the world, no matter how peaceful and innocent they may appear to be.

The desire to breed would always take over eventually.

*****

Sunlight started to rise over the horizon as another day began, with the grass around the rolling plains swaying gently as a calm breeze rolled by. Near the dirt road a group of travelers were beginning to wake as light slowly crept over the fields nearby.

Triska yawned and slowly sat up, opening her eyes and looking over towards where the sunlight was coming from with a tired expression. She shook her head and blinked a few times to clear her vision then stretched out her arms with another yawn. Her duffel bag was next to her with her sword propped up against it, her dagger being stuck in the ground next to the blanket that she had slept on during the night. She rubbed her eyes a bit and smiled contently as she looked around.

“Wow, I slept like a rock last night. Hey, you awake, Daniel?” she asked looking over next to her. As her eyes looked down to her sleeping friend she showed a surprised expression that quickly turned into a furious one. From around the plains her yell could be heard echoing out.

“ALYSSA!”

Daniel shot up with surprise as he had been ejected from his peaceful sleep by his friend’s sudden cry. He was wearing his gray outer shirt still while his chest and arms had bandages still from the previous night. He looked around franticly as he slowly came to his senses.

“What? What’s going on?” he asked quickly in a daze. Shaking his head slightly he realized he was no longer in dreamland, and then looked down. He too was sitting on a blanket with a pillow just like Triska, and something else that caught his immediate attention.

“Oh, good morning, Daniel,” Alyssa said with an innocent smile, the witch dressed in her usual clothing while leaning over his waist with her hands hovering above his pants. She giggled then looked over to Triska who was glaring at her with murderous rage.

“Did you have to shout like that? He was sleeping so peacefully,” Alyssa said disappointedly. Triska yelled and grabbed her sword, unsheathing it and lunging towards the witch. Before it could cut her down Alyssa held out her hand towards the blade, which whipped back and flew over into the ground from a magical force. Triska flipped over it and onto the ground with a thud as Alyssa giggled and held her hand back, with her staff flying over into her grip. Daniel looked around confused then to Alyssa, who was giggling and looking to him with a cute smile.

“How did you sleep?” she asked sweetly.

“Alyssa… what are you doing?” he asked looking to her hand over his pants which was slowly retracting back. She smiled and looked down timidly.

“I was just checking to see if you were having a good dream. That’s all. Hee hee,” she giggled. Triska growled loudly and yanked her blade out from the ground, then ran over and swung down at the witch again. Alyssa held up her staff and stopped the attack in place while keeping a smile on her face. Triska thrashed about and tried to push the blade forward, which she wasn’t able to do so in the least.

“What the hell were you doing, Alyssa?” she shouted out as she tried to force the blade down with both hands.

“I wasn’t waking him from his peaceful dream, that’s for sure. Why must you be so noisy?” Alyssa asked casually.

“Noisy? You were going to rape him in his sleep and you’re complaining I was being noisy?” Triska yelled out. Alyssa looked up thoughtfully for a second, holding a finger to her lips, then over to Daniel with a curious smile.

“So what were you dreaming about? Anything good? Anything with me?” she asked leaning in closer to him. Daniel looked at Alyssa for a moment then to Triska, the girl still growling and trying to strike down the witch.

“Alyssa, I thought you wouldn’t be doing that anymore,” Daniel said looking to the witch tiredly. She tilted her head and looked at him curiously.

“But I didn’t do anything to you, Daniel,” she pointed out.

“You were going to! Admit it!” Triska yelled out as she backed up and held her blade with both hands at the ready. Alyssa looked to her for a moment then to Daniel with a cute smile.

“I only wanted to make your dream all the more enjoyable, nothing wrong with that is there, Daniel?” she asked innocently. He sighed and shook his head.

“No more of that, Alyssa. Please, I need to be able to trust you if you’re coming with us,” he said plainly. She leaned closer to him, batting her eyelashes with an innocent smile.

“You can trust me with your life, Daniel; I won’t let
anything
happen to you. I swear it,” she said softly. He looked at her with a worried expression then glanced down. Triska growled loudly and narrowed her eyes.

“That’s nice of you, Alyssa, now say that without grabbing me down there,” Daniel said looking back to the witch. Alyssa blinked then looked down to what her hand was holding onto while Triska snarled like an animal. After a moment’s pause Alyssa looked back to Daniel.

“Like I said, just making sure you were having a good dream. And… I’d say it feels like you were. Hee hee,” she giggled.

“ALYSSA!” Triska yelled out, her voice echoing out around the plains once again.

*****

As the sun was up in the sky the three travelers were walking down the dirt road together. Daniel had his backpack once again strapped behind him, and was walking with heavy steps as he once again was carrying Triska’s duffel bag that did indeed seem to get heavier with each passing step. He was wearing a new pair of shirts, his wounds having been healed overnight by the healing potion provided by Alyssa. Next to him Triska was keeping stride with her sword sheathed behind her and her eyes locked in front of her in a narrowed stare. Skipping ahead of them playfully while humming a gentle tune was Alyssa, holding her staff that she twirled around playfully every now and again. She hopped about and smiled happily as she looked around at the scenery, seeming to act like an ordinary child at first glance.

“Explain to me again why the hell you’re ok with
her
coming along with us,” Triska said in a hushed tone to Daniel. He grunted a bit from holding the bag in his arms then looked ahead at the monster who was acting like a happy child.

“Well, we could use her magic to help us along the way. She could come in handy if we run into serious trouble,” he said quietly.

“You already
are
in serious trouble. She was going to have her way with you this morning if I didn’t wake up first,” Triska said shaking her head.