Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII (46 page)

Turning her sights back onto Sasha she removed her hand from the girl’s cheek and held it out to the side, pointing a finger down the street where a few glows of torches and burning debris remained in the ravaged city. From the rubble and shadows other dark monsters were watching where the angel had landed while staying out of sight, all of them fearing the holy maiden entirely and not daring to try another attack on her or those around her.

“You are a tool,” Valentina reminded her. “A worthless, disgusting, lowly, pathetic peon that my big brother has so
graciously
given a purpose to. That’s all you are, that’s all you will ever be, and never anything more.”

Sasha strained not to speak against the angel while hiding her scowl the best she could.

“All of you bugs should be honored to be used by my big brother,” Valentina sternly spoke while glancing around to the others. “Honestly, there is nothing higher in your meaningless lives you could hope to aspire for.”

“Valentina, that’s enough,” Daemon said shaking his head.

“I’m just making sure we all understand each other,” Valentina assured with a bitter smile at Sasha. “I know how important this is to you, big brother. And you know how important you are to me. But what they may not know is that you and I are together, just you and me, and that’s the way it’s always going to stay. Lustful monsters such as them need to be reminded of their place when it comes to a man and his mate.”

“
Mate
?” Sasha hissed before quickly tightening her lips.

“Yes, mate,” Valentina replied as her pointing finger began to glow at the tip. “So here is the short version since you poor peons can only understand so much in this world. Help my big brother with his quest and you will be commended for your efforts, as worthless as they are since he by no means needs any of you in the slightest. However if any of you should dare have any thoughts of touching him or plotting to gain his seed from your lecherous doings then you should consider this first. To those who violate my big brother or even utter mere words of love and passion to him there is only one fate that shall await them.”

Firing out from her finger with a small bang the sharp bright light shot out through the street into the darkened city away from them. Daemon and the girls watched as the light raced through the city before vanishing into the darkness against the raised palace grounds in the distance. A small flare lit up far away before a blinding flash erupted along with a deafening explosion.

Hollia’s jaw dropped while her eyes widened as far as they could go, everything she had been surprised and confused by up to that point being overshadowed by the shock of seeing her city and palace literally being blown away by the angel’s power. The raised hillside with the grand estate was completely annihilated by the magical strike which detonated like nothing the princess had ever seen before. It was as if Eden itself had erupted from a cataclysmic event, the force of the explosion along with the sheer magnitude of its destructive nature seeming like something out of nightmares. The shockwave rippled outward from the blast, leveling everything before throwing it into the air where the blinding light dissolved it completely. From far above the kingdom of Ruhelia appeared to have a star suddenly blooming within its land, the gigantic burst of energy razing the entire city to the ground while the sky was brightened from the attack to resemble that of a sunny day rather than a dark night.

The deadly wave of energy and light swept across the city, incinerating everything in its path in mere seconds. All the elegant houses that still stood after the invasion, the statues of centaurs which had been crafted with grace, the dark monsters that only had time to briefly scream before being consumed by the light, everything was removed from the face of Eden with unyielding power. The wave seared across the city before colliding against a glowing barrier that formed around Valentina and the others, stopping the magical energy instantly with a fierce shake of the ground. Intricate casting rings of golden and silvery light appeared all around those the angel shielded with her magic, the interconnected magical shields holding off the brunt force and heat of the blast while the wind was parted around the protected space.

“I don’t want to die!” Scay wailed as she quickly held onto Tabitha and wrapped her tail around the neko.

“You weren’t kidding about their power!” Tabitha screamed as she saw the sheer amount of energy colliding against the barrier in front of her.

“It’s frightening to behold,” Forrus nervously said.

“S-So what?” Rulo shakily contended. “M-Master is stronger than that… r-right?”

“I doubt it,” Daemon simply said while glancing around at the destructive wave washing against the dome of energy they were incased in.

Sasha stared with unblinking eyes at seeing the amount of power the angel possessed, watching as the city of Ruhelia was literally wiped away all around them along with the dark monsters that had taken up residence in it. Her gaze then turned to Valentina who was glaring at the reptile girl as she slowly lowered her arm.

“Those that touch my big brother will die,” Valentina condemned. “Remember that while you serve him as the pathetic bug you are.”

The monstrous storm of light and smoke raged around them while the angel’s barriers protected those behind them from even the powerful winds that were blowing by. Inside the glowing shield all eyes turned to Valentina as she stared down Sasha with discontent, not a word being spoken as the muffled roars from the destruction began to slowly die down. The blinding light from the epicenter of the blast gradually faded behind the billowing haze that swirled around the ravaged landscape, the sky returning to its dark and starry appearance as the angel’s attack subsided.

“Now then, I’m glad we all understand each other,” Valentina stated, turning her back to Sasha and twirling her giant hammer to the side. She began walking towards Daemon while her weapon glowed softly, both ends of the magical object shimmering as they slowly disappeared into sparkly dust.

“I hate to admit this, but I can get a little violent if my big brother is threatened,” she continued as she approached the swordsman with her weapon vanishing from her hand. “But as long as you all understand how this works we won’t have a problem. You are going to do as he says to the letter like the obedient pawns you are, you are going to help him with his most important and dear quest, and you are not to even
think
about having him in any way other than the one who commands your meaningless lives. He is your better, you are nothing, and I…”

Walking up to Daemon she lightly flicked her hair back behind her shoulder, a serene smile on her face as she had her head lowered with closed eyes. After a pause she quickly darted forward and snuggled against Daemon’s chest with him staring over her shoulder with a dull expression on his face.

“Am his cute little sister!” Valentina squealed in delight as she again hopped up and down while pressing herself against Daemon. The other girls stared at her in disbelief as the angel giggled with lightly fluttering wings.

“Isn’t that right, big brother? I’m yours and yours alone, forever and ever and ever! Hee hee, I love you so much! Yes I do!”

Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus watched Valentina with stunned faces, all of them feeling both rage and dread for the angel while none of them moved forward this time to remove the overzealous girl from their swordsman. Tabitha and Scay remained silent in each other’s arms as they saw Valentina laughing and talking sweetly to Daemon who didn’t say a word while the angel continued bouncing against him. And Hollia questioned whether she was dreaming or not with everything happening around her, eyes going from the desolate landscape surrounding them that was once her kingdom to Valentina and Daemon as she didn’t know what to feel or say about any of what she was seeing.

“Yay! I’m so glad I got to see you again!” Valentina joyously hailed. “It’s been so long since I saw you last, I missed you so much! I thought about you every night, in such naughty and un-sister like ways. Did you think about me too? Were you fantasizing about me as well? What did you think about with your little sister? Tell me, big brother!”

“Valentina?” Daemon dryly spoke up.

“Yes my love? What is it you want to confess to me? Tell me the sins you’ve been dreaming about with your darling and innocent little sister.”

“Get off me.”

Valentina blinked then quickly hopped back with a weak laugh while rubbing the back of her neck. Daemon showed a dull expression towards her while the other girls kept a close eye on the angel in silence. Crossing his arms he glanced around to see the smoke and haze flowing away from the area while the glowing barriers remained strong, the sight of what was once Ruhelia now being that of a smoldering patch of land with nothing standing anywhere.

“Once again you’ve overdone it, Valentina,” Daemon lectured shaking his head.

“What do you mean?” Valentina innocently asked holding a finger to her lip.

“This was Hollia’s home.”

“Hollia?” the angel repeated with a raised eyebrow. “Who’s Hollia?”

Everyone turned to the centaur that was gazing around at the sight of her kingdom having been wiped out before her eyes. As the glowing barriers around them vanished Hollia stood still with her hair gently ruffling in the wind. The city was no more, the hillside with her palace had been completely destroyed, the wicked monsters who had taken over were dead, nothing remained in what was once the centaur homeland. Speechless she beheld the total absence of anything after the angel’s attack before resting her eyes on the holy maiden. Slowly she walked up to the angel with a few tears forming in her eyes, seeing Valentina watching her without any hint of interest while the others waited to see how she would react to her home being completely annihilated before her.

“Thank you,” Hollia finally said with a shaky breath.

“You’re thanking her for destroying your home?” Forrus questioned.

“I’d rather Ruhelia be removed from Eden than be given to those who slew my sisters and family with such malice.” Hollia then knelt down on her legs before Valentina with her spear held low at her side. “You killed those that took my home from me, you did what I had prayed to have happen to those horrible fiends. Thank you so much, you truly are an angel.”

“Such kind words,” Valentina mused with a slight smile. “I do so love to see those beneath me knowing their place in life. You are welcome, though I do not believe I enacted for your benefit in the least by slaying those troublesome pests. However your gratitude is noted.”

Hollia lowered her head in respect while Valentina watched the centaur with an amused smile. The angel then turned her sights back onto Daemon and giggled as she stepped closer to him.

“By the way, big brother,” she cooed playfully. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh really?” Daemon flatly replied.

Valentina smirked and held a hand up at her side, a bright glow coming from her palm while two casting rings formed above it. Everyone watched as two bright glows appeared from the rings before a cerulean band of emblems spread out around them, focusing the lights that then took the shape of two very familiar looking artifacts.

“It can’t be,” Sasha gasped.

Daemon took full notice of seeing Valentina levitating two of the key fragments in the air, the unique pieces gently spiraling in place with their indentations giving off glowing trails of blue light.

“Two?” Rulo said in awe. “She has
two
of them?”

“It appears so,” Forrus cautioned.

“Tabitha, look,” Scay marveled.

“Where did she get those?” Tabitha questioned as she narrowed her eyes at the relics.

“What in Eden are those things?” Hollia wondered as she backed away from the angel.

Daemon carefully eyed over each of the relics, seeing very clearly they were the real things, before noticing the smug grin on Valentina’s face as she saw she had his full attention now.

“Well, actually,” she chuckled with a flick of her fingers, causing the fragments to gently spin around in a circle above her hand. “I have two surprises for you.”

“I must admit it is a surprise to see you having those,” Daemon carefully replied. “Where may I ask did you find them?”

“Far, far away, big brother,” Valentina answered as she watched the spinning artifacts with a gleam in her eye. “I’ve been searching all over for these things, just as you have. They’ve been a little difficult to track down, though I think it’s been worth the trouble. Beautiful, aren’t they? Aren’t you proud of me for finding these all on my own? Will you praise me now? Please, big brother?”

Daemon remained silent as Valentina giggled with a curious smile at him. She then glanced back to Sasha and eyed the pouch she had at her hip, the reptile girl noticing it then quickly backing up a step while turning to her side.

“You’ve only gotten one so far?” Valentina wondered. “Oh, big brother. Have these incompetent worms been slowing you down? Perhaps I was wrong about them, maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to hinder you any further.”

“They’ve done nothing of the sort,” Daemon replied.

“Actually,” Forrus said raising a hand before pointing to Tabitha. “Those two were slowing us down for a while. They’ve been more trouble than anything to his cause.”

“What the fuck?” Tabitha snapped at her. “I helped you all before and you know it!”

“We don’t need you and your crazy friend holding us back. My lord does not require the help of a filthy neko such as yourself.”

“Your lord?” Valentina repeated with a glance to her. Forrus jumped a bit and shook a little as the angel turned to face the lycan with a sharp eye. “That sounds rather devoted to refer to him that way. I wonder why I don’t like hearing such things as that coming from you.”

“Maybe because she wants to be Daemon’s pet doggy,” Tabitha sneered at Forrus.

Valentina’s eyes gave off a brief glow as her lips curled into a scowl. She began approaching Forrus with a quiet growl, hands flinching slightly at her sides while she gave off a violent aura of death.