chronicles of eden - act I (68 page)

"Right, that nixie has been living here in your city, helping out with your library, and
not
raping anyone," she said firmly. She blinked then looked over to Specca.

"You haven’t, right?" she asked carefully. Specca looked at her with disbelief then shook her head.

"I've never even
kissed
a boy let alone mated with one!" she cried out. Triska looked back to the guards with her arms crossed before her.

"There, you see? She's never-… wait, you've never even kissed a boy?" she said looking back to Specca quickly.

"No!" Specca cried out. Triska looked at her for a moment then back to the guards again with a stern expression.

"She's never even
kissed
a boy before, how is she a danger to anyone here?" she yelled out at them. The guardians looked at her carefully then to Specca, the girl standing there with wet clothing as she trembled a bit with a worried expression while in the grip of one of the guardians.

"Be that as it may, it's the law. We cannot change it for any one monster, no matter how…
good
they may show themselves to be," one of the women said shaking her head.

"We won’t execute her despite her deception, however she is still to be removed from the city and never allowed to return," the other guard declared while holding the nixie.

"But… I don't have anywhere else to go. Please, you can't do this," Specca pleaded shaking her head nervously as the woman started leading her away. Daniel looked at her with worry then ran over in front of them, the two stopping as Specca was sniffling while she tried not to cry. She looked at him with remorse then down with closed eyes.

"I wish we could coexist, Daniel, I really do," she said quietly. He looked at her with concern then over to see the others watching her as well. Turning back to her he saw her smiling sadly at him.

"Good luck, on your journey. I pray that you'll be successful," she said before the guard started to lead her off again past him. He watched them as they started to walk away from the group, the nixie looking down to avoid eye contact with the humans that were staring and pointing at her while the guard had her sword held down at her side. Daniel looked down in thought for a moment then back ahead.

"Wait," he called out. The two stopped and glanced back to him as he showed a curious expression.

"Specca, you said you memorized that monster book in the library, correct?" he asked carefully. She looked at him curiously and slowly nodded. Daniel glanced to his friends then back to the girl with a curious smile.

"And, would you happen to know where those monsters could be found in Eden? Say, around here for instance?" he asked. Triska looked at him curiously then over to Specca as the nixie turned to face him.

"Well… I suppose," Specca said unsurely. Daniel nodded then walked up to her.

"And do you want to stop hiding wherever you go, to be yourself and be accepted for it?" he asked gently. She looked at him with wonder and slowly nodded as Alyssa leaned over the side of the caravan to look at them curiously. Squeak walked up to Triska as the two girls watched Daniel with a curious eye as well.

"Yes, I do," Specca said softly. Daniel smiled then backed up a step.

"Then come with us," he offered kindly, gesturing over towards the caravan.

"What?" Specca said with a jump.

"What?" Triska said with an even higher jump.

"What?" Alyssa said with a jump that caused her to fall off the side of the caravan.

Squeak just jumped with a surprised expression and a small squeak.

"Come with us, Specca. We could use a guide out in the world, somebody who knows all about the monsters we'll be coming across. We could use your help," Daniel requested gently. Specca stared at him with a stunned expression while Triska and Squeak looked to each other with wide eyes. Alyssa rubbed her head as she slowly got up, and then looked over towards Daniel and the nixie with surprise.

"Go… with you?" Specca asked looking over towards the others. Daniel nodded then looked over to his companions. The girls stared at Specca with wonder then glanced to Daniel.

"Um…" Triska said slowly.

"Her? Come with us?" Alyssa asked carefully. Squeak looked at the nixie curiously while her antennae twitched a bit.

"Why not? She wants us to coexist as well, and she said she has nowhere else to go. Plus she's very knowledgeable about the monsters of the world, we could use her help with finding the right ones to talk to first," Daniel reasoned looking back to Specca.

"The right ones to talk to first?" the Ashwood guard asked puzzled as she looked to the nixie. Specca looked at the group curiously then slowly shook her head with concern.

"But… I'm not a fighter, Daniel; I can't protect you like those three can. I don't want to slow you down," she said looking down with worry. Daniel chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm not asking you to come along to fight, Specca, I'm only offering you the chance to come with us if you want. To see the world, to help with my quest, and not to hide what you really are," he reasoned gently. Specca looked at him curiously as the other girls glanced to each other worriedly.

"I'm… not so sure about this," Alyssa said shaking her head.

"Yeah, the caravan I got for us… it might get a little crowded," Triska slowly cautioned. Squeak slowly nodded in agreement as she eyed the nixie who was clad with wet clothing. The fabric may not have been see-through, but the girl’s shapely body was still easily noticeable.

"That thing has plenty of room, we'll be fine. What do you say, Specca? Would you be our guide?" Daniel asked gently. Specca looked at him with wonder then to the other girls. She glanced over to the Ashwood guard holding her then back to Daniel worriedly. He smiled then glanced to her gloves.

"You don't have to hide anymore. There's nothing wrong with who, and what, you are," he reassured gently as he walked up and slowly took hold of her hands, pulling her away from the guardian.

“No, wait. I can’t touch you, Daniel, it’s the law here,” Specca said nervously looking back to the guardian who was narrowing her eyes at the girl.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind at all. Holding my hand isn’t a crime, Specca,” Daniel said gently. She looked at him for a moment then down to her gloves.

“If you come with us, you won’t be judged for being a monster,” he said, glancing to the guardian with a stern expression before looking back to Specca with a kind smile. She looked at him for a moment then down, gently holding his hands as he held hers. After a pause she let go and looked at her gloved hands with a gentle gaze. She glanced to Daniel and hesitated, then slowly slid her gloves off, the group watching her curiously as she dropped them to the ground. From her elbows down her skin shifted to light teal colored scales. She flexed her hands slightly and smiled at Daniel.

"Those things… were pretty itchy," she reasoned with a slight laugh. After a moment she looked down to her clothing then glanced to Daniel.

"You're sure… it's ok?" she asked worriedly. He nodded with a calm smile.

"You're welcome to join us, Specca, however you are," he said kindly. Triska glanced to him then back to Specca.

"Well, if she's more proof to his belief, I suppose… we can make room," she said with a reluctant smile. Alyssa looked at her for a moment then back to Specca.

"I guess that's true," she admitted softly. Squeak nodded and tilted her head slightly as she watched the nixie. Specca smiled then kicked off her boots to the side, the group seeing that she had webbed toes. She then unfastened her long dress skirt, the wet clothing dropping down to the ground around her feet. Under it she had on a smaller light blue skirt that had green trimmings, the clothing shaped like petals that went down to her thighs. Going from her knees up to her thighs her skin shifted into light teal colored scales just like her arms had. She had a long slender reptilian tail, the extension having scales that were between an aqua blue and light green as it swayed gently behind her. Reaching behind her she pulled out two brown sandals, the nixie slipping them on and looking herself over with a quick glance. She looked around to seeing people staring and talking about her with surprise and stunned expressions then looked back to Daniel, the boy still smiling gently at her.

"You look great, Specca, you don't need to hide what you are," he said kindly. Specca looked at him with wonder and a small blush as the other girls glanced to him worriedly. He nodded then looked over to them, the girls jumping then quickly smiling nervously at him.

"Don't you agree?" Daniel asked. The girls glanced to Specca then nodded slowly.

"Yeah, she looks… great," Triska said, seeing the wet shirt the nixie was wearing that outlined her bust.

"Nothing to be ashamed of at all," Alyssa agreed through a forced smile, seeing that the nixie had a figure that she was sure Daniel was bound to notice.

Squeak nodded with a small squeak while looking back to Daniel with a slight smile. He looked over to Specca as she smiled at the group, her tail swaying a bit behind her. She walked up to Daniel and smiled timidly.

"Thank you, Daniel," she said softly. He nodded then looked to the Ashwood guard as Specca kept staring at him with a bashful smile.

“She’s coming with us,” he said firmly. The guardian glanced to Specca then sheathed her sword.

“Fine, just get her out of here then,” she grunted reluctantly as the other guardian sheathed her sword as well. Daniel nodded then looked over towards the other girls.

"Alright then, we have our gear and our guide. Let's head out, we have a long journey ahead of us still," he announced. The girls nodded and slowly started to climb back aboard the caravan. Triska and Squeak sat down inside the cabin while Alyssa sat at the driver's seat, the girls exchanging worried glances. Specca walked over and climbed up, then moved past the witch and into the cabin as well. She sat down on one side while Triska and Squeak were sitting across from her, the two girls watching the nixie with a careful eye.

"Thank you for allowing me to come with you," Specca said gratefully. Triska nodded with a slight smile as Squeak glanced to her.

"Sure, the more the merrier, right?" Triska asked with a forced laugh. Alyssa rolled her eyes and glanced away.

"Not quite what I was thinking," she muttered quietly. She then smiled as Daniel climbed up and sat next to her, the boy smiling at her then looking back to the others sitting behind him.

"All set?" he asked.

"Ready," Triska said with a smile at the boy. Squeak nodded with a quick squeak.

"All set," Specca agreed eagerly. Daniel nodded then looked ahead as Alyssa snapped the reins, the white horse then neighing before taking off with a calm pace down the street. As the group made their way towards the city exit into the outerlands the two Ashwood guards watched them go with a curious eye.

"What are those two thinking traveling with those monsters?" one of them asked.

"I have no idea, but I feel sorry for that lad. Heading out into the outerlands with monsters for traveling companions, he's just asking for it," the other commented, shaking her head. Her friend nodded then glanced to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What was that he was saying, about finding the right monsters to talk to first?" she asked curiously. Her comrade merely shrugged as they started walking away from the courtyard.

"Doesn't matter, I bet you anything one of those 'three good monsters' is going to give in to their nature before nightfall. Poor lad," she said simply.

Lucky traveled out through the large gate separating Ashwood from the outerlands, the single horse pulling the larger caravan with little trouble at a brisk pace down the worn dirt road. Daniel looked up at the sky with a calm gaze, feeling more confident about his journey. He had met and befriended three monster girls, all of which having agreed to come with him to aid in his quest as well as be proof of his beliefs that monsters and humans could coexist peacefully. The group had a new caravan for their travels, new supplies, and a guide to the outerlands in the form of their new companion, Specca. All that was left for them was to seek out possible allies in the world, to help bring Daniel’s belief of coexistence into reality.

*****

Far away from the city of Ashwood two figures were seen atop a hill with a few trees along the side. Tora was holding her staff and the artifact while looking at her mistress with concern, the succubus holding a hand to her leg wound as she growled with frustration.

"I can't believe that lesser monster managed to strike me like that," Katie hissed as her hand glowed with a dark purple and red light. Her wound slowly started to close and heal as her pain vanished.

"Alyssa is nothing but a curse, my mistress. I swear next time I see her I'll put an end to her life for daring to draw your blood like that," Tora said with discontent. Katie breathed out as she removed her hand, the wound on her leg now gone as the demon stood upright again. Her wings shifted slightly behind her while her tail swayed around casually. She looked at the artifact as Tora handed it to her, admiring it with a sly smile.

"I'm sure you will, my dear Tora, I'm sure you will," she mused, obviously more interested in the artifact than the witch that had managed to get in a lucky strike against her. Tora nodded then looked at the artifact carefully.

"Where to now?" she asked. Katie chuckled and looked off into the horizon.

"Off to find the next piece of the puzzle of course, and the sooner the better. I have a feeling our friend is already on the trail of the next one," she said with a slight tone of annoyance. She held the artifact up to the side as a green and black flame flared around it, the object appearing to waver and distort slightly before vanishing into a dark void.

"Come, my dear girl, one down, seven more to go," she said as she started to walk away. Tora nodded then looked off into the horizon as she followed after.

"As you wish, mistress," she said calmly. Katie narrowed her eyes slightly as she smiled, her eyes giving off a faint greenish glow. She took off into the air with her wings as Tora hopped up onto her staff, riding atop it sideways as she followed the demon up and over the land. While flying through the air Katie chuckled and glanced behind her briefly before looking back ahead.