Fae Woods Ch. 06

Once again I have let my imagination get the best of me an gone a little wild with this story. It seems to write itself to me. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. I'm addicted to your comments and look forward to see what you think good or bad. Please remember to vote too. Until the next installment,

Tah Tah for now.

~sylentpoet~

***

Dillon and his group walked further into the cave, while he shook off the lingering effects of the magic he felt upon entering. The large corridor, with its size reflecting how easily it could accommodate the Tygerwud in their animal form, was dimly lit. Light from torches embedded in the walls, glinted off the rocky surfaces. On a closer look Dillon could see that the walls were threaded through with metal and crystals that the light caught. It was quite beautiful, like nothing he had ever seen before.

The corridor seemed to go on forever. You would never know form the look on the outside that the cavern could be so big but Dillon chalked it up to more magic. Zhana turned off into an archway on the right where there had been two more guards at its entrance but instead of the warrior felines that he was getting so accustomed to; he was almost surprised to see that the guards were males, heavily armed in their human form. He had yet to see a male in animal form.

He followed Zhana in with some very suspicious looks from the guards but they made no move to stop them. The room they walked into looked much like the corridor as the walls glinted the same. But the main difference was all of the pictures depicted on the walls. Much as one would think the cave men from the Earth realm would look but these were much more sophisticated in detail. The pictures covered the walls all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. The room was huge. To him it looked big enough to house the whole tribe of Tygerwud inside. It made him wonder just how big this place was. If this was just one room within, he could just imagine what the rest of it held. To say that he was amazed was an understatement.

Many of the torches that lined the outside corridor also lined the walls in this cavern. The exception was a centralized fire pit that sat in the middle of the circular room that added additional light and the flames danced off the wall, almost giving life to the pictures depicted on the walls. Rayzhan sat staring at a particular section of the wall. Zhana made her way over to her indicating that they should follow. When everyone had gathered around Rayzhan they stood quietly admiring the work of an obviously very talented artist; waiting to see what the queen would say or what the her next move would be.

To his amazement Rayzhan shifted turning into her humanlike form. Just like Zhana, Rayzhan's humanoid form was beautiful and Dillon could see the resemblance between mother and daughter. Their coloring was almost exact with her skin being crisscrossed with the dark stripes. One difference Dillon noted was where Zhana had to be dressed by others; Rayzhan was able to magicly manifest her clothing onto her naked form. The base clothes she manifested were similar in appearance to that of Zhana wore with a few differences. Rayzhan also manifested a crown of sorts. The crown sat atop her head with a filigree of swirling designs. Three pawed arms on each side reached through the swirls to frame her face. It looked as though the paws were caressing her cheeks. Dangling across her forehead were spikes that swayed whenever she moved. On closer inspection he could see that the spikes were teeth. All together she made a very impressive if imposing figure. She carried even in her current form an air of authority that reeked of royalty. This was not a person that Dillon would ever want to tangle with even on a good day for him. Though Rayzhan looked to be no older than her late thirties in her appearance her eyes spoke of agelessness that Dillon knew this woman was a very long lived being.

Rayzhan began to speak, to no one in particular but just a general speech meant to inform anyone that was listening. She pointed out to the different illustrations on the wall as they came about in her story. "The tygerwud was not born but was created by the God of nature, life, animals, fertility and wealth: Cernunnos. For a very specific purpose were we created; to guard."

Dillon vaguely remembered reading about Cernunnos being described as the stag god with antler like appendages but there really wasn't much information to be found on this particular deity. As he looked at the image of the god it triggered memories of other images he had seen as he studied the mythology of Ireland. As he thought more on it, he knew that this was a far traveled god as he was mention in mythology that transcended just Ireland to Roman and even France.

Rayzhan continued oblivious to the internal conversation going on I Dillon's head. "He was given a special gift from the Fates. This gift was placed in his care and he gave it a place of honor in his woodland court displayed for all to see the honor the fates had bestowed to him. The gift was a magically enchanted sward gifting the wielder power and command over the all woods and the creatures born of it. Unfortunately, there were others who were jealous of the gift and hungered for the power the sward could wield for them.

After a number of failed attempts to steal the sward, Cernunnos decided the allure of its power was too strong to let it remain unattended at any time. He knew he needed a guard that was vicious that would be vigilant and strong enough to stop anyone or anything from taking the sword. He knew that the fates had a special destiny for the one who would finally wield the sward but that it was even more special that they had chosen him to be its keeper until it was time for that destiny to be meted out.

Thus the premise of the tygerud was born. Deep from within the core of his magic Cernunnos formed the first tygerwud, the Great Mother. The Great Mother proved to be the perfect guard. Nothing ever got passed her and soon attempts to steal the sward dwindled. But Cernunnos' interest never lessened for his creation, in fact they grew. He became so enamored with her that his emotions soon changed from just adoration to love. One night Cernunnos could no longer hold his emotion for her in check. Cernunnos enchanted her casting a spell that transformed her into a beautiful two legged warrior. He was overcome with passion once he saw her knew form. Cernunnos fell upon the Great Mother, his passion blazing. She did not fight him knowing that he was her master and felt privileged that he wanted her so and returned his passion tenfold. He was addicted from his first taste of her and in a whirl of magic he whisked them away to his private chamber to make love to her through the long night.

In his passion filled haze Cernunnos did not set a new guard to protect the sword and that was just the opening that an evil fae king needed to get to the sword. He himself stole into the court in the dead of the night taking the sword from its place of honor. When the dawn came Cernunnos was reluctant to release the Great Mother from his arms, he had been so completely intoxicated by her and did not let her go but eventually he did. When he took her back to her post he found that the sword had been taken and he was enraged. Not only was he mad at the evil king but he was even more furious with himself for letting himself get so distracted that it left an opening for the sword to be taken in the first place. He immediately sent out an army of warriors, the Great Mother in their lead, to find and kill the evil king for treachery and taking what did not belong from him.

The Great Mother was determined also. Disappointed in herself for not protecting the one cause for her very existence was a dishonor she could not bear. She vowed that if it to her last breath, she would make sure the sword found its rightful place once again.

They searched without success for weeks. Cernunnos was obsessed with trying to find the sword a soon was leading the troops himself for it was apparent that the Great Mother could not do it herself. Their one night of passion yielded some very fruitful results, for the seed of Cernunnos had taken root in her womb and she was heavy with child. The time of her birthing was getting near and Cernunnos was torn between being with her for the birth of his children and the need to find the sword. The need to find the sword won out and he found himself more and more out in the field trying to find the evil king.

Cernunnos had his spies out everywhere trying to root out information on the location of the sword. He was out following the information from an informant the Great Mother was housed in Cernunnos' private rooms when another of the spies came to her covered in blood. He told her that the last message sent to him was a trap meant to capture him and force him into telling the evil king how to activate the power of the sword as he had not been able to do so since obtaining it. He also said that the evil king had aligned himself with some very powerful sorcery and if Cernunnos didn't reveal the secret of the sword that he would take the god's life.

This alarmed the Great Mother so much that she felt the need to warn him. She knew that no other could get to Cernunnos as fast as she so even in her heavily impregnated state. She transformed into her tygerwud animal form and bound out of the court intent on finding Cernunnos before he was hurt. She ran as fast as her feet would take her, ignoring the insistant pain in her side, hoping that she would get to him before it was too late. She saw the lights and felt the evil magic in the air long before she reached him.

The ground was littered with fallen warriors and she feared that she was too late to save her love. When she had neared the area Cernunnos was being held she stalked around the perimiter trying to see what was happening. Cernunnos was not dead but he looked near to being there. At that moment the evil king said that since Cernunnos wouldn't talk that he had no usefulness to him and was about to deliver the death blow to Cernunnos with the very sword he had stolen from him. Without thought for her own life, the Great Mother leapt in the path of the swinging sword and it went straight through her heart killing her instantly.

Cernunnos felt a rage like he had never before at the site of the death of his beloved tygerwud. The rage fueled his power and the air crackled with his emotion. The evil king cackled manically at the loss because he knew how much Cernunnos cared for the Great Mother. This only fueled Cernunnos' anger even more he lashed out at the evil king severing his head from his body in a mighty surge of his power.

Cernunnos went back to his love cradling her in his arms, his grief was so great. He pulled the sword from her chest. He covered the wound with his hand sending as much power as he could into the it hoping he could save her, reviving her with hip power. Nothing he did worked and the god cried his tears soaking her fur where they landed.

It was then he noticed that although his love was dead are womb still moved. He placed his hand over her moving stomach panicked on what he could do to save his children. Using his nails, he carefully dug into the flesh of her stomach and ripped her womb open to get to the babies. He pulled the cubs from her still warm body. A total three cubs he pulled from her, and they were all females."

"That is just horrific." Dillon said he was too wrapped in the story to say anything else.

"Yes it was, but the story does not end there. Cernunnos soon realized that the most precious gift that that the Fates had given him was not the sword in itself but knew that its presence in his court had caused him to create the magnificent beast that he feel in love with. And although he loved his children the sight of them reminded him of the one that was lost to him, his heart breaking every time he thought of her. So, when the cubs reached maturity, he sent them away from his court placing in their care the protection of the sword.

He knew that they had the ability to protect it because not only did they have the attributes of the Great Mother but also had a mastery of magical powers that reflected his parentage of them.

To prevent anymore mishaps for the sword, he dissembled the sword into three parts. Each piece of the sword would go with one of his daughters to guard. He gathered his daughters together and told them of the destiny of the sword from what was told to him by the Fates. He said the Sword would only ever have one wielder chosen and marked by the Fates. The chosen would be the only one to ever access the power within it. He would come to the land in a time of turmoil and great evil to defend the land against it. They would be able to identify the chosen by the makings the fates placed on him. He would be of two bloods half fae and half human grow to maturity.

The first generation tygerwud were then given a directive now that they knew how to identify him. The blue blood of a green fae wood lead him into the land. As he would be untutored in the art of war; it would be their job to teach him. And when the time came for the final battle of evil to be fought, the tygerwud would stand as warriors at his side." Turning to Dillon, Rayzhan directed her last statement to him. "and as you may guess, Dillon, that chosen person is you."

Dillon stood agape at all that had been revealed to him. "I don't know what to say. That was an amazing story but I can't be this 'chosen' one you're talking about. I'm human, not fae anything, just human."

Rayzhan stepped to Dillon saying, "But you are the chosen." With a swipe of her hand over his arm, she wiped away the magic Sienna had used to cover the markings on his arm. "Take a closer look at how the fates marked you." With one of her long black nails, she pointed out a particular swirling design on his forearm. And right there in the midst of the swirls and sharp angular lines was the symbol he had seen hanging around the necks on the medallion of all the tygerwud males he had seen today.

"It has to be some mistake. I don't understand. I'm human." Dillon said a bit dazed.

"The fates do not make mistakes Chosen" Zhana said "They are divine and powerful beyond any god that ever existed."

"Quit calling me 'chosen'! My name is Dillon and I'm just a man." He started backing away with his hands holding his head, what he heard being too much for him. Dillon started to randomly gather magic to himself so much so that all in the room could feel it and it did not bode well.

"Calm down, please calm yourself Dillon and listen to what they have to say." Sienna said.

"CALM DOWN! You have got to be freaking kidding me!"

Rayzhan, "We kid you not. You were born for a greater purpose."

"I don't care about your greater purpose! When I woke up yesterday, I was a biologist. Today, I wake up and I'm supposed to believe that I'm some kind of comic book superhero!?" the air literally hummed with the waves of power that rolled off of him.

"What makes you believe that you are not the Chosen?" Asked Zhana.

"I can't be. For one, The Queen here said that the 'chosen' would half fae and I'm not. I know who my parents are." Still agitated Dillon said.

"Don't be so sure of that Dillon." Sienna said remembering her visit from the Fates when they were children.

"Oh, and what's that supposed to mean? What if I choose not to do this? I don't know how nor the desire to be some hero for anybody. I'm not going sit here and let somebody use me! Why don't you all just leave me alone!" On that last word, the storm that had been brewing in in Dillon came to a zenith. A wave of power bounded from his out stretched hands like a sonic boom knocking everyone away and against the wall and the slid to the floor. Dillon was shocked into silence by what he had done and stared at his hands in amazement.

Everyone slowly got back to their feet. Sienna was furious at how selfish Dillon was being and had had enough. She snapped on Dillon.

"You can't just decide to walk out on your destiny because it's not what you want to hear! You are not the only one who is being affected by all this. There are a lot of lives on the line here. Queen Rayzhan prophecy is right. There is a great evil out there and it is tearing through the fae world. No one has been able to stop it and many lives are being lost. If you think that you can go back to the "safty" of your Earth realm, you are sadly mistaken. If this evil devours our land, yours would be next. And please don't disillusion yourself, you ARE the chosen.

You know, I remember you always having to go to your healers earth side because you were so sick all the time. Well I know why you were sick. It was because you were born of two worlds both fae and human, the fates themselves confirmed this to me. Your blood was warring against itself and I couldn't stand to see you in pain. So even though I knew it was against our law to help a halfling child, I did it for you. Most children born to fae and humans die before they reach their tenth year. It was my blood, my blue blood, because I am a princess that kept you from dying. Think about it Dill, you know what they say is true." Sienna started to walk away then turned back, "Oh yes, If my memory serves me correctly, you made me a promise, a blood promise that binds you to me. You owe me."

Dillon's mind wandered back to the letter he had found from the man he believed was his father. He also remembered how that man treated him all his life. He fell to his knees. He remembered how hard he worked to try and make that man proud of him so he wouldn't walk around in that perpetual state of disappointment. And if he was truly honest with himself, he knew they were right. His gut told him so and his gut was never wrong. That's what made him so frustrated and angry, he didn't want to believe but he was the chosen. DAMN IT.

Dillon was so wrapped up in his mind that he didn't noticed when everyone left. They left him to give him the time he so obviously needed to come to grips with his new role in life. When he'd gathered his wits a bit and realized that he was alone he got back to his feet and strode over to the wall where the illustration of Cernunnos stood out to him.

Cernunnos sat strong, with his legs crossed and stag antlers seated proudly on his head. He had one hand placed on the back of the head of a mammoth tygerwud that was the great mother. There was so much care in that one gesture that it was easy to see how much the tygerwud meant to Cernunnos. Dillon voiced his concern out loud.

"You wouldn't have a problem all this if you were in my place would you? You'd just take it and run with it I'd bet." Dillon dropped his head shaking it thinking about how much his life had changed in the last two days. He lifted his head once again looking in to the eyes of Cernunnos.

"What is a normal John Doe like me I supposed to do? I don't know how to save anyone let alone a whole world of people I didn't know truly existed until yesterday. I'm at a loss. Man, you have to know what it feels like to have so much responsibility thrust onto to you all of a sudden. I don't know if I can live up to the expectations that are being laid at my feet." Kind of dejected and not really expecting an answer Dillon turned walking towards the exit of the cavern.

"Your doubt would have you defeated before the first blow is thrown." Said a disembodied voice that had Dillon looking around for its owner.

After quickly scanning the room, Dillon's eyes were drawn back to the illustration of Cernunnos. Then the freakiest thing in this waking dream Dillon was having happened. The illustration took on a life of its own and started to writhe and move. Dillon's fight or flight reflex had gone into over drive but his feet were glued to the spot.