Chronicles of Eden - Act IV (31 page)

After a moment Daniel climbed out of the overturned caravan holding his carrying bag, the boy walking over towards the others with a firm expression on his face.

“We’re not going to just sit around and do nothing while the world turns its back on us. We’re going to be heard, we’re going to be seen, we’re going to make a difference,” he said in a commanding voice, with girls watching him with wonder as they noticed his change in personality.

“Um, great, but how are we going to do that?” Triska asked with a shrug.

Daniel tossed his bag down in front of Specca with a thump, the nixie looking to it then to him curiously.

“Specca,” he stated while gesturing to his bag. “You’re our monster expert here, so I need your help with finding out what the hell Jovian and Jacqueline were. If they’re not in our book then we need them to be. Those two are extremely dangerous, and if we ever come across them again I want us to be prepared. So, do you have any idea what they were?”

Specca looked to the bag which had his books in it then down while thinking hard about something.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I can’t remember what kind of monster can live through anything like they can. But right before Charlotte killed Tora she said something to Katie about them, that she should ‘fight over the witch’s remains with those gemini dogs’. Gemini, that’s what Jovian and Jacqueline are.”

“Gemini?” Triska asked.

Alyssa looked at them worriedly then down.

“I don’t know what kind of monster that is, it doesn’t sound familiar,” she remorsefully admitted.

“Their eyes,” Specca said distantly. “Something about their eyes seems familiar. Those that cannot die, have multicolored eyes… if only I could remember the rest.”

“Specca,” Daniel said as he pointed to his bag. “I want you to go through my monster book and anything else I have that could be of use to you. Those two are not ones we can talk to peace about, and we need to know how to get rid of them should they ever come back.”

Specca nodded and looked to him with a worried expression.

“Alright, I’ll try to figure it out. I’m sorry, I wish I could remember what they are, I feel as though I’ve read about them somewhere before. I’m just so shaken up right now it’s not connecting. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Daniel reassured with a smile. “You haven’t done anything wrong. If anything you’ve done more than your fair share with being our guide and it is I who needs to apologize to you for tasking you with this.”

Specca looked at him curiously as he then turned to Triska.

“Triska, I want you and Alyssa to please prepare dinner for everybody,” he requested. “It’s been a long night and we need to be going soon, so everyone could use their strength back. Please, you two are the only cooks we have, I need your help with this.”

Triska and Alyssa glanced to each other then to him again.

“Well, I guess we could do that,” Triska reasoned with a shrug.

Alyssa nodded slowly with a worried expression.

“Okay, Daniel. I’ll try not to screw it up,” she whimpered before looking down.

“Alyssa, don’t talk like that,” Daniel gently said. “I know I can count on you to help me. I’ve always known that, and tonight does nothing to change that.”

The witch looked to him with wonder as the boy then turned to Squeak.

“Squeak, you’re our best nurse, so make sure everybody is okay and fit to go, especially Luna. keep an eye on her.”

Falla held her sister dearly and looked to the ant girl, with Squeak squeaking something softly at Daniel with a curious expression.

“Daniel?” Triska asked. “What’s our plan here, to just eat and read tonight?”

Daniel shook his head and looked to Kroanette with a small smile.

“Kroanette, could I please trouble you for a ride into the village?”

The girls looked at him puzzled as the centaur showed a curious smile at him.

“You have a horse, why not ride him?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Because you’re faster than a horse by far,” Daniel reasoned. “And I need to be quick tonight. Please, I know you don’t know us that well, and you aren’t obligated to help us with our troubles, but I’m asking you, would you please help me tonight?”

Kroanette held a finger to her chin and let out an interested murmur before nodding slowly.

“Alright, Daniel,” she agreed. “Since you asked so nicely. Though may I ask what it is you need to return to that town for? It is burning to the ground as we speak after all.”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

“Daniel? What are you going there to get?” Triska asked.

Daniel looked around at the other girls with a reassuring smile and shook his head.

“I need to check on something before we go anywhere. Please, just focus on your tasks for the night, I’m counting on all of you.”

Then he showed a concerned expression and walked over to Triska, kneeling down in front of her and placing his hand on her cheek. The girl stared at him with wonder as he smiled kindly at her.

“Keep everyone safe while I’m gone, Triska,” he said before he kissed her, the girl then closing her eyes with a quiet sigh as she relished the gesture. To her surprise he even used his tongue with the token of affection, with her heart beating faster as he truly gave her a real kiss. The other girls watched with surprise before he leaned back and gently caressed the girl’s cheek.

“Daniel,” Triska breathed out.

Daniel then moved over to kneel in front of Specca and held a hand to her cheek.

“I know you can solve the mystery of what they are, we’re in good hands with you guiding us,” he said before kissing her, the nixie’s eyes fluttering before closing as she got lost with the feeling. Her tail slowly swayed behind her along the ground as she felt the boy’s tongue slowly rolling over hers. The other girls watched him with wonder as he then leaned back and winked at the nixie before moving over in front of Squeak. He held a hand to her cheek as the ant girl watched him with adoring eyes and squeaked quietly.

“Make sure everyone stays here and safe until I return. I know I can count on you while I’m gone,” he said before kissing her, the ant girl closing her eyes as the other girls watched with puzzlement as he kissed her. Daniel felt the powerful euphoric sensation of her saliva washing through his mouth, his mind struggling to remain focused as Squeak sighed happily from the tender kiss. The boy then leaned back and blinked a few times before smiling kindly and rubbing her cheek gently.

“Daniel, what’s this all about?” Triska asked as the boy then walked over and knelt down in front of Alyssa, the witch watching him with worried eyes while she wiped her tears away.

“Don’t you ever think for a second that I regret having you with us, with me, or that you came with us on this journey,” Daniel assured before he held Alyssa’s cheek, the witch taking hold of his hand with hers as she sniffled.

“But, Daniel, I’m-”

“You are the famous and powerful Wildfire Witch, and I’m damn grateful to have you by my side,” Daniel said before he kissed her, the witch then holding onto his shoulder as she closed her eyes and relished the sensation. She felt her heart beating faster as the boy actually used some tongue with her, taking her by surprise as he was being more forward than he had been in the past. Daniel then leaned back and smiled gently at her, the girl slowly opening her eyes and looking at him with wonder and a small blush on her face.

“Daniel,” she breathed out.

Daniel stood up and walked over to Kroanette before he glanced back to the girls, all of them staring at him with wonder while Falla was just watching him curiously.

“Stay here until I get back, I shouldn’t be long,” he ordered, with the girls just slowly nodding while they were rendered speechless by his actions. Daniel then looked to Kroanette while gesturing to her back.

“May I?” he kindly asked.

“Oh, you have the decency to ask first. I’m impressed,” Kroanette mused before lowering down on her legs onto the ground.

Daniel smirked and carefully got onto her back, holding onto her human waist with both hands as she stood up again. The boy then glanced to the other girls and nodded before they took off towards Eston at high speed, with Daniel then having to hold his arms around Kroanette’s waist to keep from falling off.

“Okay, that was weird, right?” Triska asked unsurely.

“What got into him?” Alyssa asked looking back to the others.

Specca shook her head then quickly reached into Daniel’s bag and took out the monster book.

“I’m not sure, but he’s counting on us to do our part here. This quest isn’t over yet, and I’m not going to give up now if Daniel isn’t,” she reasoned before quickly looking through the pages, desperately trying to figure out what Jovian and Jacqueline were before Daniel returned.

Triska nodded then looked to Alyssa with a small smile and shrug.

“Well then, want to give me a hand with dinner?” Alyssa glanced to her as the teen waved back to the caravan. “I’ve got my supplies in my bag still, we could use those and anything you could think of to get something ready for everyone. What do you say?”

Alyssa looked down for a moment then nodded slowly.

“Sure,” she replied softly.

The two stood up and walked towards the caravan while Squeak moved over to sit next to Falla and Luna, the ant girl watching as Luna remained asleep in her sister’s lap. Falla gently brushed her hair then glanced to Squeak, with the ant girl smiling worriedly at her then looking to Luna with concern.

Riding further away from the campsite Daniel was holding onto Kroanette tightly as the centaur galloped quickly towards the village. The centaur certainly lived up to her reputation as Daniel could easily tell that she was much faster than Lucky or any horse he had ever been on, which was good in the sense that he was making good time with his errand while also bad in the sense that there were no reins or straps to hold onto with the monster girl as she ran very fast along the dirt road.

“Alright, Daniel, what are we going back here for?” Kroanette asked looking back to Daniel, the boy watching as they passed the sign for Eston and made their way back towards the burning village. The fires had spread throughout the empty town on one side, with the buildings crumbling into fiery piles of ash while smoke and embers were drifting up into the air.

“Head straight down this road, to where we were before,” he said as the centaur galloped along the dirt road.

Kroanette raced through the town with a small dust cloud trailing behind her, with Daniel looking around at where he and his friends nearly met their end a little while ago. The two arrived in the middle of the town, with the fires burning nearby and lighting up the area around them with a warm glow.

“Okay, now where to?” Kroanette asked.

“Head north, that way,” Daniel said pointing down a road.

Kroanette quickly raced off in that direction while Daniel looked ahead with a solemn expression, the two passing by darkened and lifeless homes of the village while the roaring of the fires behind them was heard. After a while the two exited the village and continued along a dirt road that stretched out towards a darkened forest up ahead, with Kroanette showing a puzzled expression before she came to a halt.

“Wait, hold on, we just
left
the village,” she pointed out, looking back to Daniel with confusion.

“I know, keep going this way,” Daniel answered.

“But I thought you wanted to go there for something, is that not true?”

“That’s not the village I need to visit, we just needed to pass through here first.”

Kroanette looked forward at the dark and creepy forest ahead of them, then back to Eston as the warm glow from the fires lit up the area around it, and then to Daniel with a careful eye.

“Daniel?” she questioned cautiously. “You are certainly not talking about going to the village of Rystone, are you?”

“I am,” Daniel replied, with Kroanette jumping to that and looking at him with surprise.

“What?” she yelled out. “Are you mad? We’re not going there, are you trying to get us killed?”

She turned around and started to run back towards Eston before Daniel slapped her rear, the centaur screeching to a halt with a yelp before looking back to him with surprise and a faint blush.

“Stop,” he sternly ordered. “I need to go there, I have to see Charlotte.”

The centaur trembled slightly before shaking her head with a flustered expression.

“Okay,” she said while glaring at him. “First off, don’t you
dare
spank me again, got that?”

Daniel blinked then smiled weakly and nodded.

“Um, right, sorry about that,” he apologized with a small shrug.

“And secondly,” Kroanette continued. “Rystone is full of witches, witches who don’t want you there, remember? Why in Eden do you wish to go there?”

“Because I have to try to talk to Charlotte again, I have to get them to help us with this.”

“Daniel,” Kroanette slowly said as if trying to reason with a stubborn idiot. “You’re trying to venture into a village full of witches and an alpha witch, how do you not see the stupidity in this?”

“I know it’s stupid,” Daniel said looking back to the forest with a distant gaze. “That I may not ever come back. But dammit, I have to try! I can’t just walk away from this. This is why I’m out here, why all of us are out here. I’m not going to fail in what I started.”

“Daniel,” Kroanette said while slowly shaking her head. “Please, reconsider this. If you go-”

“I have to go there, we need this!” Daniel shouted out at her. The centaur watched him with wonder as he seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. “We’re out here to find monster races to talk to, to gain support for our idea of peaceful coexistence, to have proof to show the queen that this can be done, to enforce great change in this world. It’s a crazy idea, I know, it sounds simply impossible to be realized. We’re fighting against the odds to do this, to put a stop to the fighting, to create real peace in this world. And to do that we need all the help we can get.” He then looked towards the knoll further away to the side of Eston, seeing a small flicker of light that he knew was their camp.