Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII (11 page)

Mae and Milly glanced to Mika and waited for her to speak, the eldest sister just staring at Triska with a small scowl. After a moment Mika looked over towards the monsters at the table, observing each one carefully, then to Daniel as all eyes were on her.

“You really trust them?” Mika skeptically asked.

“With my life,” Daniel assured her. “They’ve earned that trust, Mika. Even Alyssa, with all the things she’s done in her past, has shown herself to be an angel in life. They just needed to see the error of their ways and be given a chance to correct it.”

“Then you have my sympathy,” Mika said shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Daniel. After that monster killed my parents and tried to take away my little brother I just can’t see myself ever being friends with one of those things. We’re allowing you and your… companions to leave the area in peace. That’s as much kindness as we’re going to offer you. Leave, do whatever you want with your life, just don’t ever come back here.”

“I see,” Daniel said nodding in disappointment. “Well, I can’t force you to believe me. I’m sorry we couldn’t see eye to eye, Mika. You and your family are good people, I know you’re not trying to be malicious. You’re just doing what you believe you need to do. Take care, and do what you feel is needed to keep your brother safe.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Triska offered with a wave out into the hall.

The four girls left the dining room while Daniel sat back down with a sigh, the other girls watching him with concern while Clover was looking down at her meal with an annoyed grumble. With a small smile Daniel glanced to Doku and picked up his fork.

“Sorry to ruin the lovely meal you made with all that. Thank you again for preparing this for us, Doku.”

“It’s no trouble, Daniel,” Doku softly replied. “I do hope you like it.”

“Daniel?” Triska called out from the hall. “You need to come out here.”

Daniel and the girls exchanged questioning looks then stood up to head out of the room. They got to the archway before stopping as they saw Triska and the three hunters standing further out in the hall while watching something that everyone then took notice of.

Sitting down in front of the grandfather clock in the court there was a girl who was making soft meowing sounds with each swing of the clock’s pendulum. She had large black cat ears and long purple hair draped down her back while her tan skin appeared clean without any blemishes. A white skirt with black polka dots was worn around her waist with a rip up the side of it along her left thigh, and from under the skirt she had two long black furry tails gently swaying about behind her, one of them having a white end while the other had a single white stripe at its tip. Her feet were seen to be bare as she sat on her legs before the clock while she wore a bland leather tunic. The cat girl’s head cocked side to side as she meowed to herself in rhythm with the clock’s swinging weight, seeming to be captivated by the moving object and not appearing to notice anyone behind her.

“Who is that?” Triska carefully asked while her hand rested on her sword’s handle. “Or rather
what
is that?”

“She’s not part of your family?” Mika cautiously said while she and her sisters remained on guard.

Triska watched the monster girl seeming to be mesmerized by their clock then noticed Specca and Alyssa staring at the newcomer with horror.

“Not liking the looks you two have.”

“It can’t be,” Specca breathed out.

“Daniel, hide,” Alyssa quietly urged.

Daniel jumped then quickly backed up behind the group of monsters as they watched the cat girl meowing with her head rocking side to side.

“What is that?” Kroanette carefully asked.

“That’s a jinx,” Specca nervously answered. “Where did it come from?”

“Over there,” Luna said pointing to the open door. “Someone forgot to close the door.”

“Clover, you were the last one in, weren’t you?” Falla accused the elf.

“I didn’t think we would be taking our time and having lunch with the fucking bitches who attacked us,” Clover snapped back.

“Friend or foe?” Triska asked while holding onto her sword.

“I thought you said monsters could be allies with us,” Mika quipped as she did the same. “Why are you preparing to fight if that’s the case?”

“Because I don’t know if this monster can be a friend or not. So, Alyssa, Specca? Which is it?”

With a quick meow the cat girl turned around and smiled at Triska, the group seeing her green and blue colored eyes as they gave off a soft glow briefly. The monster slowly stood up and chuckled with short mews while her tails waved around behind her. Facing forward the group saw the tunic was open towards the top showing her cleavage, her bust size being a little smaller than Triska’s while she stood about as tall as the cambion did.

“Um, should we say hello?” Doku worriedly asked.

“What is it?” Daniel whispered from behind Kroanette.

“Big trouble,” Specca and Alyssa answered.

“Why? What is that thing?” Falla nervously asked.

The cat girl took a few slow steps towards Triska then instantly warped across the hall and appeared right in front of the teen’s face, leaving a small sparkly haze briefly lingering about where she just was and where she had appeared. Triska gasped and dropped back onto her rear while the hunters quickly backed up from the monster that had just teleported across the hall in front of them. The cat mewed and crouched down before the teen, watching her with a curious smile while her eyes gave off an unsettling vibe with Triska.

“How did it do that?” Luna asked in wonder.

“Don’t attack it,” Specca hushed out. “Whatever you do, do not attack it.”

Slowly Mae stepped back while reaching into her satchel, the hunter drawing out her crossbow which unfolded with a click. She took aim at the cat monster with her finger resting on the trigger while her sisters tensed up.

“Don’t do it, Mae,” Specca urged shaking her head. “Please, listen to me.”

Triska glanced over to Mae as the hunter kept her crossbow set to fire. The cat girl mewed then turned her smile over towards Mae while her tails waved around. The hunter grit her teeth and pulled the trigger, with the wire for the bow then ripping off the right end with a loud snap. The wire sliced through the bow and then across her hand and cheek, the girl screaming as her crossbow broke apart with its arrow being flung off to the side and the string razing across her face while striking against her glasses.

“What the hell?” Mae cried out as she dropped her broken crossbow and held her bleeding cheek. “How did that happen?”

“Oh my god, are you alright?” Mika quickly asked her.

“That would have taken my eye out if I wasn’t wearing my glasses!” Mae exclaimed as she saw the crack lined across the lens.

Milly clenched her teeth then charged towards the cat with her axe held to the side. She rushed over and swung her weapon before her foot slipped on the floor with a loud screech. The group watched as she fell to the side in her swing, the heavy weapon soaring just over the cat’s head before Milly dropped down onto her back with the axe sliding out of her hands into the air. It spun around and fell back down towards her, the girl watching with wide eyes as it closed in on her head before it stopped a hair away from splitting her skull in two.

“Don’t attack her!” Alyssa yelled while holding a hand out to keep the axe levitated above the hunter.

Milly shakily looked over to the witch then up at her weapon before she scrambled away to the side in a panic. Alyssa dropped the axe onto the ground while Mae helped Milly stand and held her close.

“How did that happen? My foot just slid out from underneath me,” Milly whined.

“And my crossbow tried to kill me,” Mae said in disbelief. “I don’t understand how it could break like that.”

The cat girl meowed at the hunters in a taunting manner, making pawing gestures while rocking her head side to side as she mewed again and again with a happy smile. She then looked at Mika curiously as the hunter was glaring at her with blue wisps of light rolling around her hand. The cat smirked then vanished before instantly appearing in the center of the court, her eyes locked onto Mika as she gave a mocking bow before motioning the hunter towards her with one hand.

“You think you can mess with us?” Mika growled as she brought out her claymore and got ready to charge. “You think we’re playing around here?”

“That’s what jinxes do,” Specca urgently replied. “Don’t attack her, Mika. She’s literally just playing with you. You can’t hurt her and she knows it.”

“Oh yeah? Just watch me,” Mika retorted before throwing out a fiery blast of blue and white energy at the cat. The magical attack soared towards her then instantly bounced right back towards Mika at the same speed. Mika grunted as she shifted her hand to face outward with her palm, a small triangular casting base appearing in a green light before her that took the magical attack head on. With a flash and loud crackle the attack was dissolved by the counter spell, a wavering haze lingering briefly from the magical forces canceling each other out while Mika gripped her sword in both hands with anger.

“You won’t get the best of me!” she yelled charging forward, raising her sword high to strike down with while the jinx merely stuck her tongue out at her.

As Mika got closer and swung down with her blade her foot suddenly slipped on the floor, the girl flying forward with a surprised gasp while the jinx smirked at her amusedly. The cat warped away to the side of the hall while the group watched as Mika fell forward with her sword striking down onto the floor. Before she could fall face first onto her own weapon she halted suddenly, her eyes staring in shock at her claymore which was resting against the marble floor on its edge and was about to split her in two from landing down on it. Slowly she looked over to see Alyssa holding her hands out towards the hunter with a dull expression on her face as the witch held the girl up with her magic.

“I think she just did,” Alyssa flatly told her.

Mika was tossed to the side onto the ground next to her blade, the girl quickly scrambling to her feet and looking over to the jinx who was taunting her with the same gesture she had given her sisters.

“Nobody make any sudden movements,” Specca ordered holding her hands out. “You
cannot
attack a jinx. Not with magic, not with force, not with anything. Do you all understand now?”

“Why do you think they’re called jinxes?” Alyssa quizzed while watching the cat monster carefully. “Bad things always happen to anyone who attack them.”

“Are you saying my crossbow tried to take my eye out because of her?” Mae asked aloud.

“They’re protected by magic,” Specca explained. “They’re essentially magical beings themselves. If you try to hit her or shoot something at her you’ll be cursed to be harmed instead. Everything threatening gets reflected back from a jinx.”

“So then how do we hit her?” Milly asked as she grabbed her axe again and tensed up to fight the monster.

“You can’t,” Specca answered. “There is no way to attack a jinx, they’re untouchable. They’re protected by magic that simply won’t allow them to be hit by anything, and they can teleport short distances with their magic at will. You can’t corner or even tie down a jinx, they can always get away from danger.”

Mika glared at the jinx as the monster playfully swayed back and forth on her feet while meowing at her with a sly smile.

“Are you saying we can’t hurt this monster at all?” she demanded back at Specca with frustration. “She’s just meowing with that stupid grin on her face, I’m sure she’s ridiculing me right now.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to say all this time. You
cannot
attack a jinx. And don’t be fooled by her only talking like a cat. They don’t speak in our tongue but they understand it clearly. She’s not a feral creature, she’s sentient. They’re actually very intelligent and crafty monsters.”

Everyone then noticed that the jinx had warped back over in front of the grandfather clock, the cat sitting on her legs and rocking her head side to side as she mewed in rhythm to the moving pendulum. Her tails waved around together while she again became enthralled by the moving weight, seeming to pay no mind to the others who were staring at her in puzzlement. She didn’t even give the monsters at her side in the archway a fleeting glance as she sat before the clock, seeming to lose complete interest in everyone in favor of the ticking timepiece once again.

“Um…” Falla slowly said.

“Intelligent, huh?” Clover dryly repeated.

“What’s she doing?” Pip asked landing down on Kroanette’s shoulder.

“She… really likes that clock,” Doku reasoned with a shrug.

“So what makes them so bad?” Triska asked as she got back onto her feet and kept on guard. “They’re just hard to attack?”

“No, they’re impossible to attack,” Alyssa corrected shaking her head. “But more importantly if she finds out we have a certain someone here she’ll try to rape that someone, and we won’t be able to stop her.”

“What?” Kroanette questioned while moving Daniel back more.

“They can teleport at will,” Specca explained. “We can’t bind her down or throw her out. She’s immune to any form of attack we may try to use, we’ll only hurt ourselves trying to stop her. If they want to rape someone there’s nothing that can defend against them.”

“Can they be reasoned with?” Triska asked. “You said she’s sentient, she’s not a wild monster. Do you think their kind can be allies with us?”

“I have no idea,” Specca fretted. “They’re extremely rare in the world, but all the instances I’ve heard of travelers encountering them didn’t end well. They don’t kill people, at least not on purpose.”

“Not on purpose?” Kroanette repeated.

“People hurt themselves trying to attack them,” Alyssa clarified. “They don’t try to harm others, but they do try to rape men. And almost every time they succeed, there’s just no stopping them when they get a man in their sights. Everyone that tries gets hurt by very bad luck befalling them, sometimes with fatal results.”

Doku and Squeak slowly moved back by Daniel and kept him behind them and Kroanette while the group kept a careful eye on the magical monster sitting in the hall.