Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII (6 page)

*****

Gazing out from under a canopy of fallen tree branches and leaves she stared at the sight of her kingdom having been reduced to ruins. The vast fields of grass and worn dirt trails were tainted red with blood and corpses littered throughout the countryside. The buildings that once stood with elegantly crafted marble stone and finely sculptured pine were left in smoldering piles of rubble. Where the magnificently crafted statues that were made in honor of prior empresses and noble centaurs had stood before now had only the remnants of those majestic effigies which had crumbled before the grand palace. And it was the sight of that palace, her home, the place where her mother and sister were slain before her very eyes, which struck into her heart the most. The graceful home to the royal family was still standing, barely, with many areas of the large estate having collapsed and broken open from the invasion days ago.

She watched the place where she grew up, where she was destined to rule one day, now lay still and silent under the sun, as what was once called Ruhelia was now a ruined grave of its former self.

“Mother… Maria…”

Under the shaded shelter further away from the fallen centaur homeland a survivor sat on her side in the dugout, her horse legs tucked close to her except for one which had two wooden splints tied against it in an effort to help keep still the broken limb. Her lower body had soft brown fur while her legs were covered in white, the tail being dark colored with a single white stripe going through it. She wore a green long tailed vest with golden embroidery trimmings and a white blouse underneath, the clothing appearing ragged and ripped slightly, and not just from trying to contain her massive bust underneath. Around her neck she had a golden link necklace with three blue gemstones decorating the front, the jewelry sparkling slightly in the sunlight and casting a gleam out from under the canopy. Her long brunette hair was draped over her shoulders and down her back while a fluffy ponytail was tied behind her head with a green bow ribbon. A few freckles adorned each of her cheeks while her eyes were a warm auburn, her expression of forlorn and sorrow as the sight of her home in the distance was all she was able to see the past few days while she remained confined in the covering.

“Those demons will pay for this,” Hollia softly vowed to herself. “No matter what it takes I’ll see to it they burn in hell for all that they took from me.”

The sound of footsteps drew her attention to the side, a quiet sigh escaping her lips as she watched a familiar figure approaching the canopy.

“How are you feeling now?” Cindy asked with a bright smile, the sand wraith taking big steps towards the centaur in her usual large stride.

“Why do you stay with me still?” Hollia nervously asked as Cindy sat down in front of her. “It’s been days, aren’t you bored waiting around this poor soul?”

“Hee hee,” Cindy giggled as she leaned closer and brushed the centaur’s hair. “You always ask that. How come? I already told you why I’m not leaving.”

Hollia trembled as she tried to lean away from the monster, watching as Cindy’s playful smile and happy tone did nothing to hide her true motives for staying near the centaur.

“No!” Hollia screamed as she tried to crawl away, her hands grabbing hold of the sandy beach while her three good legs kicked about to push her body as fast as she could go. “Get away! No! Leave me alone!”

Looking back she saw Cindy slowly walking after her, having no trouble keeping close to the wounded centaur while she giggled playfully.

“Where are you going? What’s wrong? I just want to eat and kill you, that’s all.”

She held out her hand towards the centaur, the limb appearing to be made of coarse sand while her wrist and arm shifted around between being of flesh and grit. Hollia’s eyes widened at seeing the hand that she had tried to reach out for earlier, the shock of Cindy showing what she really was striking only fear into the centaur as she knew very well what was now hunting her.

‘She’s a sand wraith! This can’t be happening to me! How could I have come across one of the most dangerous monsters in Eden like this?’

“Get away!” Hollia cried out as she kicked back with one of her legs, striking through Cindy’s gut with a soft crunch. The wounded princess stared at the sight in horror as her leg was held in place by the wraith’s body which turned into tightly packed sand around her foot.

“Hee hee! You’re funny!” Cindy laughed as she moved forward and crawled over Hollia’s body, her sandy being sifting around past Hollia’s leg before closing up again. “I’m not going to go away now. I still have to eat you.”

“NO!” Hollia shrieked as Cindy pushed the centaur down by the shoulders and held her against the ground. With a fierce slap from her hand she struck the wraith across the face, her eyes watching in terror as Cindy’s jaw and cheek were crushed inward with a soft crunch while the girl showed no discomfort or even appeared to feel the hit at all.

“It’s okay,” Cindy giggled as her face reformed again. “I’m just going to eat you now. It’ll be alright.”

“No! Please, get off me!” Hollia screamed as the wraith hugged her close. The princess yelled out in horror as Cindy’s body began to slowly spread around her own and cover her like a coarse blanket.

“Going to eat you up, hee hee!” Cindy laughed as she held Hollia’s arms together and pulled them into her body.

“No!” Hollia wailed with her legs kicking about. “Stop! It hurts! It hurts!”

The sand flowing around her body didn’t cut or scratch her, rather the centaur’s flesh it covered began to feel like it was simply melting away into the wraith’s being.

“Bye bye,” Cindy gently cooed as she pulled Hollia’s upper body close into her, her bosom pressing against the centaur’s face and smothering it.

“Please! Don’t do this!” Hollia pleaded as she felt her lungs straining to draw in a breath. It was as if her whole body was going into shock and falling numb. “You can’t eat me! You can’t do this!”

“Why can’t I eat you? I’m doing it right now,” Cindy giggled playfully.

Hollia’s mind began to turn hazy, her legs dropping down onto the ground while the feeling in her arms and chest were almost gone. She knew what sand wraiths would do to their victims, how they would dissolve the entire body of their prey into their own. The only thing that could cause a sand wraith pain or discomfort was fire, and there was nothing nearby that could provide that for her. There was nothing she could fend off the near-invulnerable monster with.

Except for one thing.

“Because I’m poisoned!” Hollia screamed as her head began to sink into Cindy’s chest.

A startled gasp came from Cindy’s mouth as she quickly leaned back with surprise. Hollia felt like she was about to faint from being engulfed in the wraith’s body, her eyes wearily noticing Cindy’s fearful expression to her claim.

“Poisoned?” Cindy nervously asked.

“Look at my rump, look at my rump,” Hollia shakily pleaded.

Cindy turned her fearful gaze over to the centaur’s flank, her eyes seeing a small wound where a dagger had once struck into above her thigh.

“I was poisoned before falling into the river,” Hollia softly explained. “You can see where they attacked me. If you eat me now you’ll take the poison in with you, and then you will die. I know sand wraiths have met their end devouring infected victims before, and you too will share the same fate if you do not let me go.”

“AHH!” Cindy screamed before quickly jumping back onto her feet, leaving Hollia gasping in pain as she shakily held her arms around herself. Her clothing was no more tattered than it was before and her skin appeared fine, though the lingering sting she felt was proof that she had been close to being dissolved and eaten alive by the wraith.

“You’re really poisoned? Are you sure?” Cindy whined while showing a disgusted face.

Hollia finally caught her breath and watched the wraith shivering in discomfort.

“Yes, I was wounded in battle in my home. You don’t want to eat me, sand wraith. If you do you’ll surely die from what was put into my body.”

“Are you dying now?” Cindy asked worriedly. “Please don’t die, I can’t eat the dead. They don’t taste good.”

“Yes, I’m going to die now,” Hollia sighed in sorrow as she laid back and held an arm over her eyes. “This is where my life ends I’m afraid. Be gone, I wish to be left alone to die in peace.”

After a while Hollia peeked with one eye to see Cindy standing over her, watching the centaur with a curious expression while her hair gently swayed in the breeze.

“Why are you still here? Perhaps you should go search for another to consume since this meat is tainted for you.”

“I’m waiting for you to die,” Cindy answered with a shrug.

“What? But why? What good is my festering corpse to you? There’s no need for you to remain here with me.”

“I need to make sure you die,” Cindy said with a happy smile. “I can’t just let you go if you’re not going to die.”

“What are you talking about?” Hollia nervously asked.

“My mother taught me never to let any of my prey go, no matter what,” Cindy proudly answered with a confident smile. “If you really are dying by poison I’ll wait to see for myself, I’ll wait as long as it takes to make sure you die. Otherwise if you get better I can eat you.”

“You’re going to what?” Hollia gasped with dread.

Under the canopy Hollia held in her whimpers and tears as Cindy calmly brushed her hair. The centaur shivered from the touch as she was at the mercy of the wraith. After Cindy had dragged her prey away from the beach she had fashioned the canopy to keep her future food sheltered while waiting for the poison in her body to go away. Although Hollia had managed to craft a very crude splint for her broken leg she wasn’t able to run away with it, as the sand wraith always remained close while waiting for her meal to be ready and would easily be able to catch the wounded centaur.

“You look like you’re doing better now,” Cindy pointed out with a wide smile.

“Oh no, I’m not,” Hollia insisted shaking her head. “I feel my grasp on life slipping. Any day now I’ll die, I’m sure of it.”

“Well then hurry up and die,” Cindy pouted. “You’re taking too long with this. I have to find her still and you’re making me wait here.”

“You keep saying you need to find her. Who is it you’re looking for?”

“That’s none of your business,” Cindy snapped while pointing to the centaur’s face. “Now either get better or die, I can’t wait here forever like this.”

“Why don’t you just go and find whoever it is you’re looking for then?” Hollia groaned. “Believe me I’m not trying to keep you from anything and wouldn’t mind at all if you left me alone now.”

“I can’t leave you if you’re not dead,” Cindy explained with a heavy sigh. “My mother taught me always to eat everyone I meet. If I go away and you don’t die by your poison then I’ll be in big trouble.”

“I won’t breathe a word of it to your mother or anyone else,” Hollia promised with a worried smile. Cindy narrowed her eyes at the centaur, the princess then cringing and looking away while holding a hand over her heart. “I mean of course I won’t say anything, I’ll be dead soon from my poison. Oh dear, it hurts so much today.”

“Stop taking so long to die, you big dummy,” Cindy barked while bopping Hollia on the head with her fists. “Just hurry up and die or else let me eat you, I have to go!”

“Hey, knock it off!” Hollia snapped while flailing her hands around against the wraith’s. “This is as much an inconvenience for me as it is for you! Now if you insist on staying with me then did you at least bring me anything to eat?”

Cindy quietly growled in frustration then brought out a few red apples that she then set down before the centaur.

“I can’t believe I’m feeding my food,” Cindy whined. “I’ve never had to do that before with any of my food I found. This is so wrong.”

“I agree that this is rather odd for both of us,” Hollia commented as she took an apple and brushed the dirt off it. She glanced to Cindy then to her flank where the dagger wound had healed now.

‘The poison was merely something to slow me down with; it’s been out of my system after the first day. But if she finds out I’m healthy now… oh dear, what am I going to do? I can’t run away from her, not with this leg, and nothing will kill her short of using fire. This isn’t good. She’s going to suspect I’m healthy soon and eat me, this ruse won’t hold up much longer.’

Lowering her head and closing her eyes Hollia tried to formulate a plan to escape with her wounded leg. After a while of sitting in silence a small smile came across her face as she thought of a way to be free from her captor.

“You’re right. This is getting both of us nowhere. There’s only one thing to do.”

“Just kill you and be done with it?” Cindy grunted as she was now holding a large rock overhead and preparing to smash it down on the centaur. “Okay. Hold still.”

“What? No!” Hollia screamed waving her hands around before her. “Don’t kill me with that! Put that down! I have a better idea!”

“Oh? Alright then,” Cindy simply replied before she dropped the stone next to her, the loud thump it made showing not only how much it weighed but also how strong the girl really was to be able to lift it.

Hollia stared at the chunk of rock that would have easily crushed her with nervous eyes then smiled weakly at Cindy who was now watching her with a curious expression.

“This poison is taking far too long to leave my body, and you have places to go obviously. So the logical solution would be to get me medical help to speed this up.”

“Medical help?” Cindy confusedly asked.

“I need help to rid myself of this dreaded venom,” Hollia reasoned with a hopeful smile. “In fact this broken leg of mine may also be slowing down my recovery. Find a shaman, someone who can cure me. Once I’m cured then you can eat me and this can all be over with.”

“I can eat you then?” Cindy asked with a joyous hop. “Yay! Okay! Wait… where can I find a shaman? And what does a shaman look like?”

“I do not know, but unless you do find one you could be spending
days
more out here with me waiting for my infection to either slowly kill me or finally go away.”