Chronicles of Eden - Act XII Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Artwork

  Author's Thank You

  Copyright

  Chronicles of Eden

  Author:

  Alexander Gordon

  Cover Art:

  AniCrys

  Illustrations:

  Nuciferyne

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights are reserved to the author. No part of this ebook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  www.agordonpublishing.com

  Chapter 1

  To Challenge a Dark Queen

  In the world of Eden, there existed four monsters beyond compare to all others, more dangerous and powerful than even the Darker Ones. Dark Queens they were called, with each possessing powers or strength far above what their lesser sisters could ever dream of having. One of these four were known as the Gemini; a being with two bodies but only one soul, and a never-ending thirst for causing anarchy wherever it could. Near-immortality as their gift, heartless without a doubt, merciless to all those they came across; these murdering twin sisters were the embodiment of pure evil and a blight upon dreams for peace in the world any may have.

  For those who dared to contest them, their bravery would shine the brightest.

  *****

  Within Green Haven’s grand temple atop its towering tree, a crimson glare was cast against a few large windows from inside its meeting chamber, the wavering fiery light emanating from a sword that gave off a demonic aura all its own even in the presence of a Dark Queen. In the hands of Daniel Sorres the Hellfire’s Edge seemed just as violent and menacing as when it was first wielded by the Hellfire Witch, Ember. Flames raced along its darkened steel and heated edge, the crimson runes adorning the blade glowed softly with unholy light, and the air around it distorted slightly as both the heat from the steel and its magical energy radiated profoundly from the weapon.

  Standing behind him Clover and Felucia were rendered motionless, both staring in stunned silence as Daniel held the demonic weapon before them while its light bathed the hall with a warm glow. The two were pressed back against the windows while feeling the blade’s energy pushing onto them, smothering them almost, while standing before Daniel two others were also silenced as they witnessed the human brandishing an enchanted weapon towards them. After a moment to take in the scene, the two girls blinked with their multicolored eyes before they started giggling together.

  “What… the hell?” Jovian chuckled shaking her head.

  “What is that?” Jacqueline said pointing to Daniel’s sword. “Since when do you have a knife to fight with? And where did you even find that anyway?”

  “Wait, wait,” Jovian said holding a hand up. “Let me get this straight. You think you’re going to stop us? And with that? Daniel, what manner of joke is this? I’m so confused yet very intrigued.”

  “Aww,” Jacqueline cooed with a mocking leer. “You found yourself a little magic sword, didn’t you? How cute. Look, it even makes fire and puffs of smoke.”

  “This is too rich,” Jovian mused holding a hand to her head. “You managed to get your hands on an enchanted sword, figured out how to actually hold the thing properly with the non-sharp end, and now you think you can challenge the likes of us? Is that why you’re being so brave now? You think just because you got yourself a magic butter knife that you can beat us? Oh, Daniel. I can’t believe how foolish you really are.”

  “Wait, wait,” Jacqueline laughed waving her hand. “Do that again. Do it again, Daniel. Pull your sword out again and act all tough like you just did. I have to see it once more, it’s just so adorable!”

  “Um, kid?” Felucia managed to finally say. “That’s nice you have a magic weapon and all, but, um… so do they. Not to mention, in case you didn’t know, they can’t fucking die.”

  The gemini burst out laughing while stumbling back a step, each leaning over and holding onto the table for support as they watched Daniel with only amusement and ridicule.

  “This is too good!” Jovian bellowed shaking her head. “You found some magic weapon out in the world, and actually thought you could waltz right up to us and stop us with it! You think that weapon means anything to us? You think we care at all whatever it is you choose to fight with? How stupid are you?”

  “You think just because you’ve got a magic sword you can beat us?” Jacqueline mocked. “Are you mental? What could a pathetic human such as you possibly do against us? We’re immortal, you fool! You couldn’t hurt us with that no matter how hard you try, you yourself must know this from the last time we met! We don’t even need our weapons to kill you at all, we can make do just fine using our bare hands to-”

  “Hey!” Daniel shouted, silencing the twins as he glared at them with rising anger. “Before we go any further with this, clarify one thing for me. The priestess’ daughter. Where is she?”

  “Grace,” Clover recalled with a jump. “That’s right. Grace. Where is she? What did you fuckers do with her? Where the fuck is she?”

  “Oh, her?” Jovian chuckled while Jacqueline was now shaking her head with a hand covering her face. “That’s a good question actually. She was here, but then the little brat vanished on us.”

  “Vanished?” Clover repeated. “What do you mean?”

  “She ran up into the tree, but never came back down. We searched all over and throughout this dump of a forest, but couldn’t find a trace of her. I’m sorry to say we just don’t know where she is.”

  “Liar,” Clover snarled. “You’re lying. What did you do with her?”

  “I assure you I’m telling the truth,” Jovian promised holding a hand to her chest. “Believe me, I wanted to peel her apart only with the best of intentions upon arriving here. I was even promised that child by your dear friend Sivil when she helped us orchestrate our little coup in your forest.”

  “Sivil… did what?” Clover raged. “She helped you? She conspired with you? This whole mess is her fault?”

  “Pretty much,” Jovian agreed with a shrug. “But before I could sink my teeth into the little darling, she ran away and vanished into thin air. We searched high and low for the little runt, yet we came up with nothing.”

  “It’s true,” Felucia chimed in. “The little kid disappeared completely. We don’t know if she’s alive still or not. All we know is she isn’t here.”

  “Disappeared?” Clover breathed out. “But… how? Where could she have gone?”

  “So what you’re saying,” Daniel spoke up, his glare never leaving Jovian’s face. “Is that it’s just us in the temple right now? There’s nobody else in here but us?”

  “That’s right,” Jovian agreed.

  “So there’s nobody at all, anywhere, behind you two right now?”

  “That’s right,” Jovian said with a nod, then blinked and looked at him curiously. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just wanted to make sure first,” Daniel answered, then stepped forward with a f
urious yell while winding back with his sword. He threw all his weight into the swing, focusing all his anger and fury towards the gemini into his attack as he stomped down with his boot and slashed across the air with the enchanted blade. Everyone watched in awe as he swung his sword, then held his pose as absolutely nothing happened except for a few cinders being thrown off the blade’s edge as it came to a halt at his side. Silence filled the chamber while the screams and rumbles of anarchy outside continued on. Clover and Felucia stared at Daniel with stunned faces while he merely glared at the gemini, the evil twins slowly looking to each other then back to Daniel while raising an eyebrow each. After a pause they started to giggle again as Jovian slowly pointed to him.

  “What… was that?” she asked shaking her head. “Did… did you just try attacking us with that thing… without knowing how to use it?”

  “Oh. My. God,” Jacqueline snorted before the two burst out laughing, both dropping to their knees and holding an arm around themselves. “He doesn’t even know how to use that thing! What a fucking idiot! HAHAHAHAHA!”

  “Dan?” Clover worriedly asked, seeing Daniel diverting his gaze down to his sword that he held to his side still.

  “Are you fucking serious?” Felucia asked in disbelief. “All that show and talk, and you don’t even know how to use that damned thing?”

  “I don’t believe this!” Jovian laughed as she and her sister dropped to the ground, both holding their sides and rolling around with kicking legs as they couldn’t contain their merriment.

  “I can’t stop- I can’t stop- I can’t stop laughing!” Jacqueline cried out with tears coming from her eyes. “This is too much! Oh no, I think I peed myself! HAHAHAHA!”

  “What the hell?” Clover bewilderedly said, watching in shock as Daniel merely stared at his sword that didn’t even make the slightest attempt to harm the gemini with its swing. “How did nothing happen? When Triska gave it a little swipe it completely obliterated everything in front of her. How… Dan?”

  Daniel slowly lowered his weapon then turned around to face the elf and sand wraith, his eyes remaining on his sword that had small flames still running up along its steel, showing that it was indeed possessing power of some form. As the gemini continued to laugh and roll around on the floor Daniel slowly turned his eyes up to the two girls that were staring at him in disbelief.

  “Move,” he quietly said.

  “What?” Felucia asked.

  “Move,” Daniel repeated as he gave a stern glance to the side then back to them. Clover and Felucia looked to each other then to Daniel before slowly stepping aside towards the corner of the room near a wall with differently colored flowers growing from small holders on it. Daniel kept his eyes on the two girls, watching carefully as they moved away while staring him constantly.

  “I can’t believe you don’t know how to use that thing!” Jovian bellowed. “What did you do, steal it and run from someone with an actual brain? Hahahahaha!”

  “You really have no idea what you’re doing in this world, do you, Daniel?” Jacqueline laughed while looking to him with a few deep breaths. She and her sister then noticed Daniel glancing back to them while holding his weapon aside, the blade having a rising aura of malice growing from it along with more flames across its steel.

  “Actually, I do,” Daniel corrected. “Sure, I may not be as proficient with this as Triska is, but I do know the basics of wielding a magic sword. And I’ve seen the force this one gives off when it’s properly used.”

  “Really now?” Jovian mused with a smirk.

  “Really.”

  “Then what the hell, Daniel?” Jovian sneered as she and her sister stood up, both holding their swords up to their waists while smirking at him. “Why not let us have it? Why didn’t you try to punish us for all our bad deeds and instead just stop like that?”

  “I wanted Clover and Felucia to get away from the windows first,” Daniel said, then promptly swung around with a furious yell, striking the sword through the air at the gemini while gripping the handle tightly. A flash of blood red light erupted in an arc from the slice before a wave of monstrous energy blasted forward in a wide bend, casting outward searing flames and snapping black electricity. The gemini managed to raise their swords up just as the brunt of the attack struck, the two enchanted blades flashing with bright green and white light for a mere moment before being engulfed in the destructive wave of hellish energy that stormed past. A powerful boom of energy exploded in the room, blasting out the windows behind Daniel with great force while the walls and ceiling before him were torn apart from the forceful wave. Felucia and Clover dropped down against the corner of the room and pressed back against it, both bracing themselves from the mighty blast that shook the entire building. Fire, charred rubble, smoke, and red light crashed through the hall and blasted all the way through multiple rooms behind it before barreling through the last wall and out into the open air above the ravaged Green Haven. A split second later every chamber next to those that were annihilated in the onslaught erupted outward as well from the force, casting fire and debris high into the air and the lowest branches of the grand tree as the priestess’ temple violently burst apart from the attack.

  Down on the ground elves and monsters nearby quickly looked up from hearing a loud explosion going off, all of them witnessing the temple appearing to viciously detonate from its side and set fire to more of the towering timber with a hail of flaming debris.

  “What the fuck is happening?” an elf cried out.

  “What did you bitches do?” another shouted at a nearby group of trolls and goblins.

  “We didn’t do this!” a troll shot back.

  “Oh really? Is there another group of diseased-ridden cunts that decided to drop by and cause trouble?” an elf retorted. “We’ve been dealing with your shit with goddamned smiles on our faces, so what’s with all this fucking hell you’ve brought upon our home in return? What in Eden’s asshole is wrong with all of you?”

  “We weren’t planning on doing anything like this! This isn’t our fault!”

  “Well then what the fuck is happening?” an elf shouted before screaming as the ground gave away under her. The other monsters quickly backed up as the dirt began caving in areas all throughout Green Haven, with some having patches of flames and smoke blasting up from them as the entire area shook again.

  “Sian!” an elf cried in horror as she watched her shrieking friend fall into the dark abyss. “No! God fucking dammit, no!”

  Elves all around the grove screamed in terror as their homes built into the sides of mighty timbers began shaking loose and even dropping straight to the ground with horrific crashes. Tall trees started sinking in some areas while a few just dropped straight down into pits with their branches snapping off as they tore through elven dwellings below. Rope bridges snapped and toppled more monsters of various kinds while others were scrambling about aimlessly on the ground as debris rained from above and the ground threatened to give away below them at a moment’s notice.

  “This can’t be happening,” an elf whimpered, grabbing onto the rope railing of a wooden crossway for dear life. Another stood by her side, struggling to retain her balance on the swinging walkway as they both observed their once peaceful and beautiful home being turned into a hellish nightmare of calamity.

  “The gods…” the elf faintly spoke. “This is their doing. It must be.”

  “What did we ever do to deserve this?” her friend cried out. “First an army of savages invades, then our priestess is murdered, and now our home is being swallowed up by hell itself! What the fuck did we ever do to deserve this?”

  “We’ve angered them somehow, we must have. Those horrid demons we harbored here, it must be because of them. We never should have let them take our home like this. We never should have let them step foot into our sacred forest. We have to do something!”

  “Do something? Do something?” her friend shouted out with terror. “What the fuck are we supposed to do? Our priest
ess is dead! The gods are pissed! And we’re surrounded by blood-thirsty warmongers! What the fuck are we supposed to do now? Just who the hell can save us now?”

  Up in the temple chamber Daniel watched as smoke and dust swirled outward in the trail of his strike, with fire catching on what remained of the temple nearby as a good portion of it had been blasted clear off the grand tree. Clover and Felucia stared with wide eyes as debris crumbled down around the large outward arc of leveled ruins that lay before them, their gazes then slowly turning to Daniel as he took a few steps forward while keeping a close eye ahead on the charred remains of the palace that had been sheared clean off from his attack.

  “Holy… fuck,” Felucia breathed out.

  “Dan…” Clover softly said.

  Daniel kept his stance while eyeing the smoldering remains of the temple before him, seeing everything that had been caught in his wide-reaching wave of destructive energy completely annihilated, with only a few rooms and walls remaining above and around him on what was essentially one-third of the overall palace on his level. Walking forward he carefully glanced up, seeing the tree branches above starting to catch fire as well while smoke was billowing up from the elven grove below into the sky. After reaching what was once the hallway outside the meeting chamber he stopped and aimed his gaze downward, catching sight of a skeletal arm slowly pushing out from the rubble further away. As flesh began to magically reform around the limb Daniel could hear a rustling beneath the charred debris that he could easily take a guess as to what it was.

  “What the fuck was that?” Felucia demanded as she and Clover carefully approached him. “Who the hell are you, and what… what is that you’re holding anyway?”

  “Dan,” Clover said with a smile faintly forming. “That… goddamn, that was amazing. You do know how to control that sword, don’t you?”