Chronicles of Eden - Act VI (27 page)

With a sudden halt Daemon swung his hand back behind him, a circular casting ring of white and black emblems lighting up briefly before a flash sparked against it. Almost instantly the witch behind him jerked back with blood spurting from her ears, a shocked expression frozen on her face as she dropped back with a thump and remained motionless. Surrounding monsters looked down at the girl then to Daemon with surprise as he lowered his hand to his side again.

“What… just happened?” Tabitha asked.

“He countered her spell,” the cyclops said as Daemon glanced back and down to the witch that had blood dripping from her ears and nose. “He just popped her brain from reflecting her magic back at her with even more added to it.”

A troll near the swordsman held in her grunt before quickly jumping to her feet and swinging at him with a dagger. Everyone watched as Daemon knocked the attack aside with his hand, grabbed the monster’s wrist, spun around and threw the troll over him onto the ground, before twisting its arm and snapping it loudly. As the troll howled in pain a goblin scrambled out of her seat and jumped onto Daemon’s back, with him pausing only for a moment before reaching up and grabbing her face with his gloved hand. The monster screamed as he jammed his fingers into her eyes and clutched her head before throwing her down onto the troll.

“Don’t!” a gremlin called out after her sister as the furry beast raced over and grabbed Daemon’s arm. The swordsman tossed his empty glass up, spun around the gremlin, grabbed its head with his arm and snapped it with a fierce spin, then caught his glass as the monster dropped dead. The wounded goblin and troll scrambled back to their feet and roared at the swordsman while other patrons didn’t seem too eager to test their luck as they remained in their seats.

“Who the hell is this guy anyway?” Tabitha asked as she and Scay watched with wonder.

“Beats me,” the cyclops said with a shrug. “I thought him to be a monster hunter at first, but he keeps those other three around him without killing them, so I’m not sure what he is.”

The troll snarled and raced at Daemon with its remaining good hand, the crowd around them watching as the swordsman quickly darted forward and past the monster before grabbing its dangling arm with his free hand. With a hard yank he pulled the troll back off her feet and onto the ground with a heavy thud, the monster howling in pain while the goblin then charged at him. He turned his eyes down to the screaming troll before reaching forward with his free hand and into the mouth of the goblin, jabbing her throat and stunning her before he grabbed her jaw and ripped it off with a loud snap.

“That human needs
our
protection?” Scay nervously asked as Daemon then jammed the broken jawbone in his hand down into the troll’s neck. The monster gurgled and coughed out blood while the goblin dropped to the ground hoarsely croaking while blood was coming from her mouth and eyes.

“He, um… might?” Tabitha unsurely said as Daemon slowly glanced around the room, seeing the other monsters staring at him with fear in their eyes while his companions lightly smirked at the sight.

“He doesn’t need you,” the cyclops scoffed. “From the moment those four came to town the locals have been trying to rape him, and not a single monster has gotten his pants off yet.”

“We noticed some of your dead out in the streets when we arrived,” Tabitha recalled.

“The three that are with him are fiercely protective of that human, they don’t take kindly to any that get to close to him. And even those that manage to get by them are stopped by the human himself. I’ve never seen a man fend off both magic and brute force like he has before. Hell, I’m not sure he even
is
human, something’s not right about that guy. He gives me the creeps when I merely lay my eye on him.”

“So that’s why everyone is on edge here,” Tabitha reasoned as she looked around at the crowd of monsters that remained still as Daemon started making his way towards the counter again.

“They all want him, and they all know he’ll kill them if they try anything,” the cyclops answered with a nod. “He hasn’t even drawn his blade once since he came to town, no telling what that thing can do in his hands.”

Daemon walked up to the bar next to the girls and set his mug down then tapped his fingers twice next to it. The cyclops tried to steady her hand as much as she could in taking the glass and filling it with another pint. As she did Daemon set some gold coins on the counter, the monster shifting her eye to them then to him as he gave a small shrug.

“For the drink and the mess,” he said without a care.

“Thank you,” the woman replied before carefully setting his drink down in front of him. “Much appreciated.”

Daemon glanced to Tabitha and Scay as they watched him while staying on alert, with the neko looking to where the troll, witch, and gremlin were lying on the ground dead while the goblin was hoarsely crying in pain and holding a hand over her face, then back to the swordsman as he kept his cold blue eyes on them in silence.

“We were going to get that for you,” Tabitha reminded him. “The drinks I mean.”

“Tell Charlotte I don’t need her help, but thank you for the offer,” Daemon informed them before he took his drink and started walking back.

“Hey, wait!” Tabitha called out as she quickly grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. Everyone in the room gasped while the neko froze in place as she realized what she just did without thinking. Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus quickly stood up from their table with vicious glares at the girl, the patrons looking to them with fear of what was going to happen then to Daemon again while he slowly glanced back to the neko.

“Please,” Tabitha implored before retracting her hand with a nervous smile. “We
really
want to help you. Charlotte was going to pay us quite a lot for assisting you, we just can’t say no to her.”

“I don’t need your help,” Daemon repeated.

“You don’t understand,” Tabitha shakily insisted as she ran over in front of him. “Charlotte is expecting us,
me
, to help you find what you’re looking for, as well as to ensure that you remain… untouched. This isn’t the kind of person I can cancel a job with, if you know what I mean.”

“Not my concern.”

“I’ve already accepted a partial payment and have my orders. Please, let me come with you, I’ll do anything you ask me to. Just allow me to help you even in the slightest way.”

“Again, not my concern what you’ve done,” Daemon replied shaking his head.

“Please!” Scay cried out as she rushed over and hugged him from behind. Again the crowd gasped with stunned faces while Tabitha stared at the naga with wide eyes as the girl had her arms held around Daemon’s chest with her bloody dagger still held in hand.

“Please let us help you! I have no money; my life’s savings are gone! I need this job or else I can’t
nrrghmmm
! Or else I’ll never be able to
buy a man then stab him!
Please!”

“That does it!” Sasha yelled as she quickly grabbed her blade. Rulo lifted her hammer up while Forrus threw their table aside, crashing it and their drinks into the wall before all the other monsters in the tavern quickly scrambled to get out of the building in a panic. Tabitha watched the various races of monster might and magic charging through the doors and even leaping out through the windows before seeing Daemon’s companions marching up towards them with fire in their eyes.

“Wait, we don’t want to fight you,” Tabitha pleaded holding her hands out towards them.

“We’re not going to fight you,” Sasha hissed.

“We’re going to
murder
you!” Rulo yelled out.

“Get away from my lord!” Forrus shouted before she and Sasha dashed towards the girls. Sasha swung her large blade at Tabitha, the neko ducking under it then over to the side before she quickly drew her swords out. She only had a brief second to raise them both up to block Sasha’s second swing before she was knocked to the side by the force of the attack. As she crashed through a table and sent dishes and glasses flying Forrus ran towards Daemon and Scay with a howl.

“Unhand him now!” Forrus demanded as she started darting around Daemon who stood still between them, his eyes merely watching as Scay and Forrus circled around him constantly before he took a drink of his pint again.

“I just want to earn money!” Scay cried out as she tried to keep the swordsman between her and the furious lycan. “Please, I have nothing right now! Hee hee! I love
your fur
by the way, can I
wear it
? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Psycho bitch!” Rulo yelled as she swung her hammer down at the naga, just missing her and smashing a bench into the floorboards with a loud crash. Daemon remained still as the dust from the blow flew past his feet before he rolled his eyes from their behavior while Scay quickly slithered away low to the ground and under a table.

“You won’t get away!” Forrus snarled as she tried swiping her claws at the agile snake girl. Rulo swung her hammer over again and smashed through the table just behind Scay as she screamed and darted under another one nearby.

“Would you knock it off already?” Tabitha snapped as she jumped away from Sasha’s blade which swung down and struck into the floor with a heavy whack. The reptile girl yelled in anger and struck her blade out through the ground towards her, tearing apart the floorboards and sending splinters flying as she pressed on with her assault.

“Nobody touches my master!” Sasha yelled as she swung her blade around wildly at the neko. Tabitha backed up and blocked a swing then parried another, the forceful attacks pushing her back while her blades screeched and sparked as she tried to fend off the reptile girl with all her strength.

“Alright, I can see I crossed a line with you,” Tabitha grunted before she started swinging her blades at the reptile girl with swift strikes. She hit Sasha’s weapon which did nothing to knock it aside then jumped up as the reptile girl whipped her broadsword around in a crosscut. Landing back down she darted forward and swung one blade towards Sasha’s leg and another towards her hands from the other direction. To her surprise the reptile girl quickly shifted her stance down to block one of the attacks with her hip armor while she angled her broadsword and parried the second attack with her sword at the same time. Before Tabitha could recover from having her swords knocked to either side of her Sasha lunged to the side and whipped with tail at her, smacking the neko across the chest hard and throwing her back into a bench which she crashed right through.

“A mistake that you shall not live long to regret!” Sasha declared as she ran towards the neko while spinning her blade around then holding it up behind her.

“Hold still!” Rulo oinked as she swung her hammer down onto another table again. Scay darted out from under it right before it was crushed into the ground, sliding quickly along the floor before Forrus grabbed her tail and yanked her back with a yelp.

“This ends here,” Forrus growled as she knocked the naga’s dagger away then held her down by the shoulders while snarling at her with bared teeth.

“But I don’t want it to end here!” Scay cried out as she wiggled about underneath the lycan.

“Hey!” Daemon called out. All the fighters stopped and looked to him as he slowly turned his gaze from one girl to the other while drumming his fingers on his sword’s handle. “I just can’t take you girls anywhere, can I?”

His companions slowly looked around to seeing floorboards smashed and sticking up in places, tables and benches knocked over and wrecked, shattered dishes and glasses with food and drinks spilled about on the floor, and the windows and doors all broken after the other patrons had fled in haste from their outburst. Sasha held in her frustrated grunt then looked down to Tabitha as the neko was leaning back against the broken table she was slumped against away from Sasha’s broadsword which was held in place an inch away from her face. Rulo and Forrus glanced to each other then to Scay as the naga was whimpering with watery eyes while trembling in fear under the lycan.

“You three have done enough damage for today. You’re done,” Daemon ordered.

“But, master-” Sasha pleaded at him before freezing as he watched her with his cold blue eyes.

“Sasha. Enough.”

Sasha’s hands trembled as she slowly nodded then backed away from Tabitha while looking down with remorse.

“But, my lord,” Forrus worriedly said. “This one touched you, she held her dagger close and-”

“She’s not a threat,” Daemon interrupted her. “Look at her, she’s terrified of you. They just want work, that’s it.”

Forrus looked down to Scay with a growl, seeing the naga holding her hair over her face and peeking through it at the lycan with a shaky whimper. Rulo grunted and looked over to Tabitha as the neko slowly got back up and held her hands and blades up defensively.

“We just want to get paid for doing our job,” Tabitha insisted. “Please. We’re on your side, we’re here to help you. I have no interest in touching him, in fact I was strictly made aware that in doing so I would be signing my death warrant with Charlotte. I’m not going to do anything stupid with him, if I even talk to him badly Charlotte will have my fur for her new carpet. This is all just business, that’s it.”

Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus eyed her carefully then looked to Scay as the naga slowly parted her hair while watching the lycan with watery eyes. Tabitha glanced down to her then sheathed her blades and slowly walked over towards them.

“And go easy on the poor girl, she just wants to earn some money. She’s got literally nothing now, she’s lost everything coming out here; she
needs
this job. Besides she’s harmless-”

“
Stab
,” Scay grunted with a strained expression, hands grabbing her face as she slowly smiled and giggled with a twitching eye. “Please, want to earn money, then I can have a man and
nrrghmmm
! Rape. Stab.
I want to wear your fur, so sexy
.
Nrrghmmm
! Please let me help. Please?”

Everyone just stared at her in silence before turning to Tabitha. She hesitated for a moment while listening to Scay murmuring to herself again then sighed before glancing down to avoid seeing their dull stares at her.