Gaia's Champion Ch. 02

He looked about and saw that Darcy was busy tending the food on a portable grill she'd brought. Being a chef by trade, she had been the one to commandeer all the cooking supplies, to make what she deemed, 'proper meals' for everyone. No one argued as she was a sous chef at a prominent restaurant downtown. Anyone who tried encroaching on her turf was given withering, dirty looks.

Even Seamus, a roguishly handsome man of Irish descent, knew well enough to let Darcy work her magic with the food. He tried arguing with her about it once, and the subsequent argument that followed was all the incentive he needed to leave Darce be when it came to her cooking. Jason didn't know the details, but he knew Seamus well enough that if he said to leave it alone, then it was best left alone.

Both Jason and Elizabeth looked about and noticed that one person seemed to be missing. Scanning the group and campsite once again, they confirmed that Amy wasn't anywhere near to be found. Elizabeth went up to Andrea and asked her where Amy had got to.

"After we all came back from swimming, she said that she wanted to go somewhere quiet for some alone time. I guess she thought everything happening was a little much at the moment?" Andrea shrugged. Elizabeth looked a bit abashed at this news, fearing that her aggression had chased her off.

"Well, judging by the way the food smells, I'd say it's just about ready. Liz and I will go look for her and let her know that. Can you tell us which way she went?" Jason queried.

"Yeah. She went down that way," Andrea pointed to a third pathway that went around the cove and led deeper into the forest. "She took her bag with her and a radio, but I don't know if she has the volume turned up. Been trying to reach her for the last five minutes."

"We'll drag her ass back here, don't worry," Jason said with confidence. Elizabeth nodded with him, and the two of them hung their towels and stowed their gear in their tents before setting off. Though Elizabeth seemed apprehensive at the forest that surrounded them, Jason wasn't the slightest bit afraid.

He could sense all kinds of animals nearby, some of them predators, such as wolves, coyotes and a couple bears. He consciously focused his power and sent out a vibe through the forest that such predators were to keep their distance for the time being. That he didn't want his friends frightened or terrified by their presence. He received a general feeling that his request was heard and being obeyed.

He could sense that the wolves, a small pack, had wanted to come and greet him, but they stayed back for now. Jason sent out another command, that he'd get around to meeting them all soon enough, just not now. Sensing their contentment at this answer, he kept pace with Elizabeth, who was looking around and calling out for Amy, once they were far enough away from the camp.

Despite her fear, Elizabeth was appreciating the beauty of the forest around her as she walked, calling out for Amy here and there. Although she was initially haggled to go with them all on this camping trip, she found herself enjoying the ambiance of the place and the company she was keeping. Jason could sense this and was happy that he'd at least opened the woman's mind beyond her narrow views.

They trekked along the path for a good ten to fifteen minutes before Jason gestured for Elizabeth to shush. He was hearing something that almost sounded like music, but of a specific kind. He bade her follow him as he walked through the brush, following what seemed like an old deer run. Elizabeth could barely see it, but she followed Jason step for step, making sure she was being quiet.

Elizabeth couldn't understand where exactly Jason was leading her until she heard the music as well. She looked at him quizzically, trying to understand how exactly he heard it through all the chatter of the forest. She shrugged to herself and chalked it up to his heightened perception he'd possessed. Soon enough, they were just about to go around a wall of bushes when Jason stopped her. She was about to ask what was up when he pointed just around the bushes.

Elizabeth looked past them and saw that just around the shrubbery was a small glen where Amy stood. Only she wasn't standing, she was dancing, but not the kind of dancing that would be considered classic. The dancing that Amy was doing was a hybridization of ballet, hip hop and pole dance, mixed in with some moves that would have made pro strippers proud. The music choices also sounded like it belonged in a strip club, the bass and drum beats bringing up a sort or carnal, primal vibe as Amy moved.

Elizabeth was thunderstruck at the dancing she was witnessing, especially since it was Amy doing it! Amy had always struck as the overly prim and proper type that would never have been caught dead doing anything remotely like this! She glanced over at Jason and saw he was similarly shocked at the elegant, sexy and somewhat raunchy display!

Although the two of them had just gotten off quite nicely, both Jason and Elizabeth could feel their blood running hot again as they watched from their hidden vantage point. It wasn't just the moves that Amy was doing that was riling them, but it was the attire she wore. The black outfit she wore wouldn't be out of place on a ballerina, but it had been cut in choice places and replaced with a transparent mesh, to show a few bits of skin and some cleavage as she moved.

It wouldn't last though, as Elizabeth sneezed suddenly, and Amy stopped instantly hearing the noise. She stood rooted to the spot and swallowed as she tentatively asked who was there. The music kept playing as Jason flashed Elizabeth a dirty look before stepping out from their hiding place. Elizabeth figured that there was little point since she'd blown their cover and stepped out a second behind Jason.

"Please, don't stop on our account. Keep on dancing if you feel like it," he said, trying to play it cool. Shock, mortification and embarrassment flitted across Amy's face, as she realized who it was who'd found her. She hopped over and shut off her music from the MP3 player she'd brought with her.

"You know, you shouldn't be embarrassed that you can move like that. I know women who'd kill to move and flow with that level of elegant grace," Jason complimented her.

"He's right! Do you think you could teach me how to move like you do?" Elizabeth enthused. Amy's cheeks colored at the compliment and she mumbled her thanks, but so quietly they couldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry, but could you say that again? I couldn't hear you," Jason iterated.

"I said, 'Thank you for the compliment.' I didn't expect anyone to find me out here," she peeped out.

"It was a bit of a chore, but we found you. Anyways, dinner is about ready. Darcy is making kebabs, hot dogs and sausages. I'm sure you must be hungry," Elizabeth stated. At the mention of food, Amy perked up, so she gathered her things, put on her baggy grey sweats and joined them.

"You know, you should keep the volume of your radio up out here. There are many animals out here that you wouldn't want to run into. If you can't call out for help, no one will know where you are, or what's happening to you," Jason said ominously.

"Animals don't frighten me. People frighten me," Amy said simply.

"Why is that?" Elizabeth wondered.

"I rarely ever get to be me," Amy confided, going with her gut instinct she could trust these two. "You see, my family, mainly my dad and brother, are very religious and have certain expectations of me. How I should act, how I should speak and how I should comport myself in public. My father is very... strict."

"I thought I recognized you! You go to that same church that Nancy does, right?" Jason asked.

"You've been there?" Amy blurted, shocked that they had allowed an outsider in.

"Once, just before Christmas last year. It was when Nancy and I were still dating and just before her father had demanded that she end it with me," Jason stated, his voice tinged with a slight bitterness at the memory.

"Ah! Yes, I think I remember. Nancy had brought you in and about half the congregation was ignoring you. You seemed very out of place there," Amy remembered.

"I felt out of place the moment I got out of the car. It was... a less than friendly reception, to put it mildly."

"I'll bet. Our sect is very... demanding... in what it expects of us, and if any of us deviate from that, we are thrown out and given no chance to redeem ourselves. Removal from that way of life is... permanent," Amy stated. Though she seemed that she wanted to stay in that group of people, Jason could tell by the tone of her voice, that she was conflicted on the matter. Especially considering what they found her doing.

"I'm guessing that what you were just up to would constitute being thrown out?" Elizabeth asked, having the same thought process as Jason did.

"Yes, it would but... I'm not sure where exactly I'd go if I were to leave. My whole life has been centered around it and I'm..." she sighed, trying to find the right way to phrase what she was feeling.

"Hey, it's ok to be conflicted about how you grew up and being in the situation that you're in. We all have things we believe, that we outgrow as we get older. The only thing you need to worry about is what is right for you and you alone. You shouldn't let anyone dictate what you should be. Find out what you want to be and what you want to do and be that person," Jason said, commanding both women's attention.

Elizabeth was nodding and thinking exactly of what it was he was saying, agreeing with the logic of that line of thought. Amy, however, was trying to block out what it was he was saying, but somehow, she listened. It was almost as though what she had been taught was being broken down with his words, and she felt the strangest and most curious of sensations running through her. Belief in another way of living.

"Your words make sense, but... I don't want to leave my mother behind. She's the one taught me how to find a way to embrace being me while still staying a part of the church. Plus, it's the only group I've really known outside of my family and there are good people in there," Amy said, defending her family's way of life.

"I'll give you that, but the thing is, you can't live two lives and maintain any semblance of sanity. You have to find a way to choose your own path and live the life you want. In the end, the only who's living your life is you, not your dad, your mom, your brother, no one," Jason finished, hoping that he was at least getting through to this girl.

Amy felt his words breaking down her already crumbling defenses. She was coming to this conclusion herself, and now this man's words had finally pushed her past that final point. She felt like something had been holding her back, but she knew not what. Though scared at the prospect, she'd been given much to think about and consider. Though Amy wasn't ready to admit it, she felt that the ways and rules of the sect she'd grown up in weren't for her.

It was late afternoon when they arrived back at the campground, and they came back just in time. Dinner was being served as folks had gathered around the fire where all the food was waiting. The trio just strolled on into the clearing, stomachs rumbling at the smell of food that was permeating the air. The three of them were welcomed back and two girls took that moment to berate Amy for disappearing like that.

"Where the hell did you go and why weren't you answering your radio?" Andrea groused at the shy girl. She was about to answer with something when Elizabeth came to her defense.

"Andrea, lighten up. She was busy meditating in a secluded part of the trail. Too much hubbub was going on here," Elizabeth jumped in.

"Yeah. I like it where it's quiet. The quieter the better," Amy agreed, going with the lie.

"It's not quiet enough here?" Darcy asked while handing her plate loaded with a pair of kebabs and a hot dog. Almost like they were of the same mind, both Elizabeth and Amy folded their arms beneath their breasts and glanced at the men. All of them, including Jason, Seamus and Jack were carousing and drinking like idiots, making a commotion. With chagrined looks on their faces, both women looked humbled by this fact and let the matter drop.

Taking her plate, Amy sat by the fire, with Elizabeth joining her on the log she sat on. Jason was nearby, giving both women their space, while winking at Elizabeth. She smiled and blushed slightly before digging into her food. Jason had taken no less than three kebabs and two hot kielbasa that Piotr was kind enough to bring with him. He and his girlfriend, Gosia, who were both blonde, were cuddled up next to each other just across from him.

They'd all brought along their own beers and/or ciders and were all having a merry old time. Twilight was fast approaching by the time they'd all finished their dinner and a couple of them had broken out marshmallows to roast over the fire. Everyone was feeling contented and happy as the sun dipped below the horizon. Some of the couples were talking to each other while a few others held a lively conversation as a group.

As darkness crept up above the forest and the lake, Jason felt nothing but bliss at that moment. He saw that Elizabeth and Amy were chattering away quietly and they seemed to be getting on. Jason smiled to himself as he was glad that Elizabeth seemed to heed his advice. Just then he heard a squeak behind him as Stephanie pointed at her boyfriend, Kevin.

A couple of people glanced over and were similarly shocked, telling Kevin to not move. They all made no sudden moves as each one of them resisted the urge to tackle the guy to the ground. Jason picked himself up to see what all the commotion was about. Stephanie stopped him though before he even moved two steps.

"Don't! There's a huge spider on Kev's back!" she said as she slowly picked up a large, flat rock. Kevin stiffened as he now knew what had caught everyone's attention. He gulped audibly and stood as still as a statue would, hoping that it wouldn't bite him. Scoffing, Jason took a few steps back and circled around to where he stood next to Stephanie.

Indeed, there was a spider on Kevin's back, but it wasn't as big as she was making it out to be. It was just a black wolf spider that was perched on his right shoulder blade. Snorting a laugh, Jason snatched the rock out of Stephanie's hand and approached Kevin carefully.

Reaching out with his power, he touched the spider's mind. Jason got the sense it was looking for warmth for the night and that the fire looked like a good place to get warm. He got right up to where he placed the rock next to where the spider sat. Sensing no fear or malice from Jason, the spider crawled up on the rock and just sat there, wondering what would happen.

Holding the rock level, Jason carried the spider down next to the fire, placing the rock right by it. Close enough to warm the arachnid, yet far enough away so it wouldn't burn. Everyone stared at Jason, dumbstruck at how he had done that and why he didn't squish it. Stephanie even voiced her concern over it and he answered her.

"Simple. The little guy was just trying to get warm, he had no intention of hurting anybody. Besides, squishing him would have pasted Kev's sweatshirt with spider guts and I'm sure he wouldn't want to ruin his shirt like that."

"How do we know it won't crawl into our tents and lay eggs in our ears?" Stephanie fired back.

"It's a male, not a female. Look at the size of its abdomen compared to its thorax. They're about the same size. If it was a female, its ass would be much bigger. Anyways, he's just sitting here, not bothering anyone. Look," Jason gestured. They did and were stunned to see that the spider was just sitting there, all huddled up, taking in the fire's warmth, minding its own business.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll keep an eye on the little booger, make sure he doesn't skitter off where he's not supposed to go," Jason supplied. Huffing in annoyance but grudgingly accepting his answer, Stephanie beckoned to Kevin. The two of them ducked into their tent, zipping it up behind them as they went.

Jason just sat there by the fire, keeping the spider company as one by one, everyone excused themselves to get some sleep. It was full dark by the time everyone had gone to bed, with only Jason still awake. He was still jazzed up on his new power as a Druid, so his adrenaline levels were still high. So much had happened in the last day that he was still processing it all and it was a lot to take in.

Still embracing his power, he sensed that he was being looked at and he saw that the spider was looking up at him. He could tell that it was curious about a lot of things that had just happened. Most of all, it was curious why a human who were notorious for squishing his kind, had spared it.

"Well, it's not like you were bothering anyone, really. Besides, I'd have hated it if someone tried to squish me simply because I was trying to get warm too," he said to the spider.

For a moment, he thought he sounded absurd, talking to a spider of all things! But the arachnid just continued to look at him, then it bobbed it's body up and down, almost like it acknowledged and agreed with him! Figuring that since he was a Druid, it could understand him, so he continued talking to it.

"I suppose that it's not every day that your kind meets a nice human, especially one who has awakened his Druidic power," he whispered. Right then, the spider was bobbing almost feverishly, and Jason caught a sequence of thoughts being imparted to him. It seemed like he was being asked if he truly was a Druid and if that was how Jason could talk to it and be understood.

"Yup. I'm the new Druid in these parts. Mind you, I'm still new to all of this, so bear with me if I don't exactly understand everything that's going on," he breathed. A new series of images came to him, conveying excitement and elation. Jason also saw and felt what the spider had sensed through the forest earlier in the day. A general feeling of happiness and joy, that one of Gaia's sacred guardians had returned.

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Amy tossed and turned as she tried to find a comfortable spot to sleep in, but found that she couldn't. No matter what she tried, her mind was still churning, keeping her awake. Though it wasn't the safest thing to do, she had to get away from camp and think. The best way to think, as far as she was concerned, was to dance.

Sitting up, she crawled out of her sleeping back and grabbed her pack she had with her from earlier. As quietly as she dared, she unzipped her tent flap and stepped out. Amy could see that Jason was still awake, but he seemed to be occupied with the fire. That worked out perfectly for her as she could slip away unnoticed by anyone.

She snatched a small flashlight from inside her tent before closing it completely. Carefully walking away, she would only turn on the light after she was just out of eyeshot of the campground. Once she could see just the glow of the fire, she relaxed her pace and flicked on the light. She was careful to pick her way through the brush. Confident that everyone was asleep, Amy hurried back to the glen she had found earlier.

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As quiet as she was, Amy's departure from camp didn't go unnoticed. Even though Jason's back was turned, the spider he'd been talking to had spotted her walking away. Jason was alerted to this by the spider's communication with him. Despite his send out to the animals of the forest earlier, he still didn't want her getting lost. He let Amy leave, thinking no one had noticed, until he was sure that she was gone.

Once the arachnid confirmed that she was, Jason stood and turned to go after her, but the spider was still there, trying to catch his attention. He sent his own thoughts towards it, asking the little guy to stay put and keep an eye on the camp. It then chittered excitedly, feeling that it was being honored by him, in asking to watch over his friends.