Chronicles of Eden - Act VI (28 page)

“She may have some issues, not going to lie about that,” she admitted before smiling weakly at Daemon. “But I assure you that being what she would call a friend is actually a better alternative to being her enemy.”

“She appears completely mad,” Forrus said as she saw Scay watching her with a twisted smile on her face. “Even speaking to a filthy neko such as yourself is insufferable enough as it is, but what reason could we possibly have for wanting to befriend this one?”

A streak of purple light flew in from the doorway and across the room, striking into the barrels behind the bar and blasting them into a fiery mess. Torches were thrown in from the windows while sounds of females shouting and cackling outside began to grow louder. Black pouches were tossed into the tavern from the openings, hitting the floor and bursting into noxious black clouds that began to creep around the floor and slowly rise up in the air.

“The locals seem upset about something,” Daemon mentioned before glancing around at the girls. “Can’t imagine what though.”

“I thought they were afraid of you,” Tabitha questioned.

“Looks like they’re more angry than afraid now.”

Giant barbed stakes erupted from the ground outside and struck inward through the doorway and windows, the magically summoned timbers shattering glass and breaking through the walls as they shot up from the dirt and blocked the openings.

“What’s happening?” Scay nervously asked.

“They’re trying to kill us,” Forrus dryly replied as she stood up and looked around, seeing fire spreading along the ceiling and walls while the back of the building had become a blazing inferno from the burning liquor.

“Seriously?” Rulo scoffed. “They think they can trap us in here like this?”

Daemon finished drinking his pint then tossed the glass away before he started walking towards the front entrance. He grabbed his sword but before he could unsheathe it Tabitha quickly ran over and took hold of his hand.

“Please, let us help you,” she implored. “Dammit, this is my job. Let’s get something straight here, I have no personal interest in those artifacts, I have no personal interest in you, and although I’m not thrilled about having to work near a damned lycan I’m going to tolerate it because I have to. I’m under orders to help you finish your quest, and I am
not
going to give up on this contract.”

Daemon eyed her for a moment before looking back to Scay, the naga slowly picking up her dagger while watching him with a strained smile.

“Please, let me get money too. I’ll be
your best friend
. Hee hee! Stab,” she grunted before running her fingers along her blade.

“She’s insane, I know,” Tabitha admitted to the swordsman. “But she is strong and willing to help. I can keep her in line, she listens to me.”

Sasha, Rulo, and Forrus growled quietly at the girls then looked to Daemon with concern as he turned his sights back onto Tabitha. He then drew his sword out, a small white glow coming from it before he held it close to Tabitha’s neck. She leaned her head back slightly as she felt the sword resting against her while keeping her eyes on Daemon who was watching her sharply.

“Alright,” he cautioned her. “If you’re so insistent on aiding us then do as you wish. You and your friend can try and earn your gold, it is no concern of mine if you succeed or not, however I don’t trust witches or those they employ very well. If you or your friend cross us I can assure you that you will pay the price, and not with gold.”

“I promise, this is no trick,” Tabitha assured while holding her hands up. “Once you have all your artifacts then I’ll collect my payment from Charlotte and be on my way. That’s the only reason I’m doing this.”

“Forrus, watch this one closely. Should she be lying do as you wish with her.”

“With pleasure, my lord,” Forrus growled while glaring at Tabitha. The neko glanced to her with a low yowl then back to Daemon as he kept his eyes on her a while longer.

“Great,” Tabitha concluded. “Now that we have that settled, we should probably get out of here. Any thoughts?”

Daemon lowered his sword then glanced back to his girls, with Rulo walking up to them with heavy steps holding her hammer over her shoulder.

“I’m thinking we kill those bitches out there,” Rulo snorted as she walked past the neko towards the front entrance.

“We’re sure to have a large gathering waiting for us,” Sasha reasoned as she brought her sword up at the ready. “Since you two are so desperate to serve us then how about you go first and take down as many as you can before you die?”

“I’m to help
him
, not you,” Tabitha retorted with a scowl at her. “He’s the only one I’m being paid to protect.”

“Then I’ll pick you up and use you as a living shield to protect him,” Sasha hissed at her. “We’ll make sure to bury you with your gold for doing your job.”

“Um, the fire is getting bigger,” Scay nervously said as she saw the tavern burning closer to them. A few support beams and rafters fell into the inferno while the flames spread along the floor and ceiling.

“My lord, what should we do?” Forrus quickly asked Daemon. He kept his eyes ahead at the blocked entrance while Rulo swung her hammer back and poised herself to strike at it before looking to him for his approval.

“We’re leaving town, one way or another,” he answered as he brought up his sword.

“Then let’s do this!” Rulo shouted as she swung back and got ready to strike at the barricade.

“Wait!” Tabitha called out. The group looked to her as she slowly approached the orc, carefully listening to the sounds of monsters outside laughing and sneering at them.

“Why?” Rulo demanded.

“If we’re going out that way then let me go first.”

“I agree. Sasha’s plan of using you as a shield will come in handy,” Rulo said with a nod.

“That’s not what I meant. I can help turn this in our favor, just let me go out there first and talk to them.”

“Talk to them?” Sasha repeated with discontent. “What are you going to say to quell that crowd of monsters out there?”

“Trust me,” Tabitha insisted as she turned to Daemon. “I get that you’re all strong fighters, but that’s a lot of monsters out there. What do you have to lose with me evening the odds for us? Let me prove to you that I can help.”

“If that’s what you want to do, then go ahead,” Daemon answered while lowering his blade. “Rulo, open the door for her.”

“Ha, sure thing,” Rulo laughed at the neko before she swung her hammer around and smashed it through the barbed stakes, blasting the barricade apart with a loud crash. The sounds of females outside shouting and laughing more was heard as Rulo then stepped aside and gestured towards the open doorway with a smirk on her face towards the neko.

“After you.”

Tabitha held her hands on her handles and slowly walked towards the opening, seeing a large gathering of angry monsters out in the street with torches waiting for her.

“Tabitha?” Scay worriedly asked as she moved a little closer. “What are you doing to do?”

“I’ll be fine, Scay. You all can come out in just a moment,” Tabitha assured her before carefully making her way out of the tavern. She saw trolls holding spears and rusty blades, goblins wielding dirty swords and spiked clubs, gremlins with their alchemic bags and sharpened daggers, a few orcs holding large stone axes and maces, and witches with magical wands and decorated staves in hand as their focuser gemstones glowed with vibrant colors.

“Are you one of that human’s bitches?” a gremlin called out with a sinister smile. “Hand him over to us or else you’re going to know what real suffering is.”

“You were the one begging to be his little kitten earlier, weren’t you?” a troll laughed while pointing her spear at the neko. “You sure picked the wrong human to chase after. You’d best hand him over now; we’re going to put him to good use before spilling his guts.”

“What’s wrong?” a witch giggled while tilting her head with a playful smile. “How come you came out all alone? Did they kick you out of their burning grave? Hahaha!”

“I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you,” Tabitha shot back at the witch. “You witches are crossing a line that you will sorely regret.”

“Oh? Why is that?” another witch laughed while stroking her wand with a slick grin on her face.

“Because that human in there belongs to Charlotte, your alpha!” All the witches jumped a bit in surprise as Tabitha pointed to them with a stern expression. “What the hell are you thinking? I was told to watch over him by Charlotte and keep him safe, but I didn’t imagine her own followers would be so stupid as to turn their magic against him like that! Are you out of your mind? You could have hurt him, why in Eden would you try to hex and rape what belongs to Charlotte?”

“Wha- wait, what?” a witch stuttered while the other monsters in the crowd watched Tabitha with confusion.

“What do you mean
what
?” Tabitha shouted as she marched over and stood in front of the stunned witches. “Are you trying to play dumb here? Apoch and Astreal sent me personally to aid this human-”

“Apoch and Astreal?” one of the girls nervously repeated.

“All by order of Charlotte who has decreed that the human who goes by the name Daemon Warrick is hereby her property, and is off-limits to all witches in this region!”

“Her
property
?” Sasha growled loudly as she and her enraged companions stood near the entrance with Daemon and Scay watching Tabitha from one of the windows.

“One of you stupid girls tried to
hex
him in there!” Tabitha continued while pointing back towards the burning building. “The rest of you are joining this mob so as to rape and murder him? Do you have a death wish or something? How stupid are you?”

The witches before Tabitha trembled while backing up a step, all of them glancing to each other with fear while the other monsters in the crowd watched them with dull expressions.

“But… but…” one of the witches stammered before Tabitha glared at her.

“If you don’t believe me then just you wait,” she threatened, with the witches turning pale as she eyed them with a low hiss. “If you end up being responsible for a single hair on his head being out of place, then
you
are royally fucked. Charlotte will
not
be happy with you, and I could only imagine the hell she would put you through for harming what is hers.”

“You’re lying,” a witch shakily said while pointing to her. “Our alpha has said no such thing about that human.”

“I assure you I’m not, although even if I was would you really want to take that chance?”

The witches looked to each other nervously before Tabitha backed up and waved for the others to come out. Scay slithered out towards her while Daemon and his girls followed after. Tabitha crossed her arms and glared at the witches while Scay rushed up to her side and Daemon’s group walked up behind them.

“You have two options,” Tabitha warned. “You will protect what is your alpha’s from harm, or you will answer to her for failing to do so. Which is it going to be?”

The witches turned to Daemon then the crowd of monsters behind them before back to Daemon while trembling in fear. After hesitating with nervous glances to each other they quickly rushed over and sided with Tabitha while aiming their wands and staves at the gathering of monsters.

“What the hell are you doing?” a troll shouted out. “You’re going to side with that human? After he killed one of your sisters in there?”

“If he belongs to my alpha I’m not going to let you hurt him!” one of the witches cried out. “What happened to May was her own fault for daring to charm what belongs to my alpha!”

“We’re sorry!” another desperately pleaded to Daemon. “Don’t tell our alpha about this, we didn’t know you were hers!”

“I didn’t hurt you with that bolt did I?” another shakily asked him. “I wasn’t aiming for you, I swear!”

“You little cowards!” a gremlin scorned while holding two of her alchemic bags in her hands. “That human doesn’t belong to anyone but us!”

Tabitha slowly unsheathed her swords and held them at her sides while slowly eyeing over the crowd.

“Looks like you lost your magical reinforcement,” she called out. “I’m pretty sure you all know how dangerous this human is along with those that travel with him, but are you so suicidal as to challenge all of us when the odds clearly aren’t in your favor?”

“You think just because you tricked them into fighting with you we’re going to run away scared?” a gremlin retorted. “All this means is we get to kill even more stupid monsters before we take turns raping that man to death.”

Sasha and Rulo held their weapons tightly as they tensed up, each standing in front of Daemon while Forrus quickly unhooked her bolas and spun them sharply at her side. A few magical casting circles appeared in front of the witches as they stood alongside Tabitha and Scay at the front, with the neko tensing up and crossing her swords before her while Scay gulped and nervously glanced around at the large number of monsters glaring at her.

“Fine, you all can die together!” a goblin cackled as the mob bared their weapons and harsh glares at the group.

“I’m not dying, not here, no way,” Tabitha argued while gritting her teeth in her growl. “I’m not going to fail with this job, not a chance in hell.”

Daemon glanced around at seeing all the monsters getting ready to charge at each other, the tension in the air growing stronger by the second, the radiant lights from the witches’ magic giving off a soft bloom against the red glow from the burning tavern behind them, and a small breeze blowing by ruffling skirts of many of the girls and throwing dust across the cobblestone street.

“HEY!” a furious woman’s voice sounded off from behind. Everyone looked back towards the tavern to see the cyclops shambling out from the entryway while dragging a large claymore behind her. The blade had one edge stained black while yellow spiked gemstones were clustered near the hilt in a spiral formation. A soft glow came from the sword as it gave off wisps of blue and yellow light around its razor edge. The woman’s clothing was burned as was her skin, hair charred and falling off, eye glaring with rage, and her free hand pointing at Daemon who merely watched her out of the corner of his eye.