Gaia's Champion Ch. 16

"Is that..." Sheena breathed.

"A tome from the Artificer, written in his own hand!" Jason stated excitedly.

"A copy survived??" Phalmina asked, a pleasant shock plastered on her pretty face.

"Yup! I've had a brief look through it and there are a lot of things in there! Amulets, bracelets, necklaces, all of which can be enchanted with specific runes or spells!" Jason replied.

"Xaera will definitely want to have a look through that book! There are several choice items that I'm sure she'd want to craft!" Sheena said happily.

"That is where I have to deliver some bad news," Jason told them.

"What's wrong?" Phalmina asked.

"How bad?" Sheena wondered, concern etching her face.

"Well, it's not exactly bad news, just... more of a roadblock. There are certain items that we will need in the crafting of such things, and many of them... I'm not sure where we'll find them. On top of which, there will be large amounts of magic required in the final phase of crafting these things," he told the women.

"Hmm. Well, some things we still might find, but that will require getting to other glades. Maybe we can enact a spell much like the one that was used to send Xaera here?" Phalmina suggested.

"It's worth a shot. I think we'll all need to give it a proper read and start making lists of the things we'll need," Jason replied.

"That's a good idea. Bring that book to the glade and we'll have Lina and Ema give us a hand with cataloguing everything," Phalmina told him.

"Sound advice. Ah, our food has arrived!" Jason stated happily.

The women turned their heads and saw the waitress approaching with a tray full of their orders. With practiced precision and ease, the waitress arrived and deposited their orders in front of them. After thanking the woman, the trio dug in, enjoying their meal.

Both Sheena and Phalmina enjoyed their meals more than Jason did. Phalmina more so because she wasn't accustomed to human food and hadn't had it often. Sheena's delight came more from the fact that she hadn't had food like this in years. Now that she was no longer on the run, she adapted back to city life without too much trouble. Jason found it adorable when she made cute little noises as she was eating.

The trio took their time and enjoyed their lunch, not having had many opportunities to just sit down and relax lately. The relentless training sessions, along with the studying they'd been doing of the books they'd acquired, had kept them all busy. Jason just sat there, taking the respite in for as long as he could, before they got back to it. Before he knew it, they had finished their lunch, and Jason was paying for their meal.

"So, head for Xaera's then?" Sheena asked.

"I think so. I'm sure she'll be excited to get her hands on these," Jason chuckled, patting his satchel.

"At the rate that woman learns, it'll be maybe a day, two tops, before she asks for more books," Phalmina giggled.

Jason couldn't argue with that statement, as Xaera had become a voracious reader since learning how to read. Elizabeth had taken the time to sit down with the troll woman and teach her how to read. Since learning how, Xaera had been reading everything she could get her hands on, from historical texts to fiction novels.

She'd become quite the fantasy aficionado, having picked up and read several well-known works. J. R. R. Tolkien, Terry Goodkind, and R.A. Salvatore were just a few of the authors she was reading currently. Those were just the ones she'd gotten around to, and only when she wasn't leaning from the Sons' archives. The trio piled into Sheena's car, eager to get this knowledge to Xaera.

The car ride to the park was short, as the restaurant they had dined at was less than ten blocks away. Phalmina didn't protest riding in Sheena's car, but that was mainly because the seats were covered in fabric. Iron and iron alloys made Phalmina feel ill, but only if she touched them. Being near iron wasn't enough to do anything to her, which Jason was thankful for.

Sheena pulled into the park and parked the car before getting out and heading to Xaera's cave. Jason and Phalmina were maybe a few seconds behind her, and she locked the car after they were out. The trio skipped along, while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching them.

Even though they had literally destroyed the local chapter of the Sons of Caesar, that didn't mean there wouldn't be others watching them. Some might be innately curious, but that racism was still a thing among humanity didn't give them much hope. The park didn't have many visitors at that time of day, as most people were still at work. They made it to the entrance with no one tailing them and stood before the stone.

Reaching out with their magic, Sheena and Jason activated the runes they had placed upon the stone. These runes, when activated, would render the boulder weightless, allowing them to lift it with their magic. It opened much like a trapdoor, standing on its edge, revealing the entry to the cavern below. The three of them scurried on inside, not wanting to be seen by anyone.

The rock slowly closed right behind them and they descended, all three of them enacting a basic light spell to see by. They walked on inside the cave, which was much cozier than it had been before. Xaera had taken to learning many things, now that she could move around in the day. She'd picked up stacks upon stacks of books, all about different topics.

One of the first things she learned about was stonework, which is what was responsible for the improvements to the cave. Xaera's troll strength, combined with what she'd learned about stonework, had given the place a more inviting appeal. Since Elizabeth had taught Xaera to read English, there was no end to the troll woman's desire to learn. Jason was certain that the book he'd brought with him would pique her interest.

They approached the main cavern that was her home and smiled. There were torches everywhere now, but the brightness of the cave wasn't just because of the firelight. Because of her troll heritage and unique magic, Xaera could enchant various crystals to hold and refract light. Much like a magical light bulb of crystal, which was both cool in concept and in practice.

Jason had yet to get the spell down himself, but it would take time before he got it right. He glanced around, happy to see most of the old trash that Xaera had collected finally tossed out. There was often a lot of old furniture that was left behind on the curbs by people who didn't want them. When it was dark out, Xaera would venture forth in her disguise spell and collect the items she wanted.

Her home was now tastefully decorated, with Amy and Elizabeth giving her some pointers on home decorating. There were some candles there were also placed around and lit, but they were more decorative than functional. As usual of late, they found Xaera sitting at her table, poring over another book. Sheena couldn't help but giggle at the sight of it, as she'd never thought of the troll woman as the literary type.

"More learning, Xaera? Or is this a break from the usual routine of learning?" Jason wondered.

"Jason! Glad that you're here!" Xaera exclaimed after seeing him, Sheena and Phalmina approach. She rushed up to them, enveloping them into a bone crunching hug, which left the ladies a little breathless.

"It's good to see you too, Xaera!" Sheena gasped, catching her breath after the hug.

"It's a break from the learning stuff. One of those... girlie novels... that Eva likes to read," Xaera admitted with a blush.

"There's nothing wrong with that Xaera! If find they can be... stimulating," Phalmina giggled.

"Is that where you got that idea to try on me?" Jason asked, curious about the source of something she did with him in bed.

"Hey, I don't recall you complaining about that, buster!" Sheena smirked.

"Ok, guilty as charged! Anyway, I have something that I brought with us I'm sure you'd like to have a look at Xaera," Jason told her with a smile. Xaera stared at Jason as he reached into his satchel and withdrew the book he'd been keeping in there.

"Is that...? Is it...?" Xaera breathed, recognizing the symbol.

"It is. The last known surviving copy of the Artificier's work! How the Sons came into possession of it, we'll never know. But we have it!" Jason enthused.

"May I?" Xaera pleaded.

"Yes, but please do be careful with it! I still have to make a proper copy of this book, so we don't have to worry about this one so much," Jason warned her, handing her the book gently. She placed it carefully on the table and started flipping through the pages, hoping to find the item she was looking for.

"It's here! An amulet of protection!" Xaera gushed.

"Most of what's in there, though, will be difficult to craft. Have a look at the spells required, and the items needed to craft it," Jason pointed out. Xaera looked it over, blinked, then read it again to be certain.

"A lot of what's here will be difficult to obtain," Xaera grumbled, her enthusiasm somewhat deflated.

"The metals, not so much. If you have the money, they are easy enough to come by. The rarer a metal though, the more expensive it will be," Jason informed her.

"Some metals, though, need to be specifically enchanted, by powerful spell casters," Xaera stated.

"Which shouldn't be too difficult, as we are growing in power and strength. I'll admit, it might be a bit of a wait, but it's like that old saying; 'Good things come to those who wait,'" Sheena replied.

"That's true. Still, it is exciting!" Xaera giggled, ecstatic to have such knowledge at her fingertips. "I'm sure the others will want to know about this too!"

"Speaking of the others, where are Eva and Amy?" Phalmina wondered, shifting the subject.

"They're in the glade, practicing their magic. Daelina and Emalia are supervising, so there are no more mishaps. Remember what happened when Amy was a little excited about growing things?" Xaera chuckled.

"Yeah! Ema's tits were so damn huge, it would have been a Guinness world record!" Jason laughed, remembering the comical incident.

"Well, hopefully the practice they've been getting in will help them avoid any further... mishaps," Sheena said, trying to keep a straight face, but failing at it. She couldn't help but snicker a little, finding the incident more than a little funny.

"We probably should check in on them though, just to make sure they aren't getting up to any mischief," Jason chuckled.

"Speaking of which, no experimenting, Xaera!" Sheena admonished the troll woman.

"Just reading, OK? Don't do anything stupid now. At least, not without me around," Jason joked. The comment earned Jason a smack from Sheena, but even she was smirking at his remark.

"Reading only! Got it!" Xaera promised as she bent down to pore over the book. The trio left the troll woman in peace as they moved down the tunnel to where the underground grove waited.

So much had changed in the last few weeks, that it was almost impossible to tell what the place had been before. Bio-luminescent moss covered the walls, giving them a gentle bluish green light to navigate by. Plants of various colors sprouted out of the cracks and crevices in the walls, blooming in the eerie and inviting light.

Small amounts of water trickled down the walls and off some rocky shelves, forming shallow little pools on the floor. The very sight of this looked like something that was surreal, yet amazing at the same time.

Phalmina sighed happily at the change, glad to see Gaia's power finding its way back to where it should be. They moved along, taking in the sight of everything there while heading for the portal stone. They walked up to it and couldn't help but smile at the latent energies that were pulsing through the stone. The runes and lines that surrounded it glowed with the green magic of Gaia, giving off a pleasing, soothing light.

The three of them stepped onto the stone and pictured the mountain glade in their mind's eye. Once they had the image, they breathed, and the magic went to work, taking them there in a heartbeat. They walked into the glade, seeing both Amy and Eva working on their magic as Xaera had told them. They heard the tinkling of fairy wings draw near and a surprised voice call out.

"Jason! Mina! Sheena! What are you guys doing here?" Emalia asked as she flitted in front of the trio, hovering right in front of them.

"Just stopping by to check on you ladies, but you appear to have everything well in hand. But it looks like you are missing someone. Where did Daelina get to?" Jason asked, curious.

Almost on cue, a squeak sounded, with a burst of light coming from a lilac bush. Several seconds later, Daelina appeared with Darren right next to her. The two of them looked more than a little ragged and disheveled, like they had just woken up. By the looks of their clothes and how rumpled they were, Jason figured that must have been the case.

"I am soooo sorry, Ema! I forgot we had a training session with Eva and Amy!" Daelina apologized.

"Another late night there, Lina?" Phalmina teased.

"Looks like it, if my brother's face is something to measure by," Amy snickered as she ambled over. Everyone was staring at Darren now, who was blushing so hard, his face might have been a tomato for how red it was.

"It's not my fault that Daelina keeps wearing me out," Darren protested.

"Hey! That goes both ways, you know! If you hadn't been so demanding last night, maybe I could have gotten up on time. But nooooo, you just had to push me so hard that I was fuck stunned by the end of it," Daelina growled.

"I don't recall you complaining last night, missy," Darren fired back.

"OK, TMI!!!" Amy blurted out, trying to direct the conversation elsewhere.

"In that case, Daelina, apology accepted," Eva told her while trying not to giggle out the side of her mouth. "I know you two are bonded, but please, try to keep yourselves under control. I don't want to become a grandmother just yet, you know."

"Mom!" Darren and Amy groaned at the same time.

"What? I know what you are up to young man and it's not like we are still living under your father's rules anymore. So, I see no reason to be prudish about such matters," Eva went on, just rolling over their protests.

"You make a fair point, mom," Darren conceded, while Daelina smirked mischievously.

"What are you smirking about, young lady?" Eva questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I was just thinking about the demand you just made, about not turning into a grandmother? That's... a little late in coming, because... you will be one," Daelina admitted sheepishly.

"WHAT?!?" Eva exclaimed, with Amy maybe a second right behind her.

"Don't sound so shocked there, Eva. You knew that the fairy race was in decline," Sheena admonished the older woman.

"Actually, I didn't know that! The fairies are dying? How?" the older woman queried.

"Well, it's time for a break for you, so sit down and I'll tell you the tale," Emalia told her.

Eva sat down as Jason and Sheena nudged Amy over to the open part of the glade where she'd been practicing. They then started working with Amy, showing her the motions of spell casting. Sheena took a more direct role, being a Shaman teaching another Shaman. Jason had some insightful bits to offer here and there, which helped Amy fine tune her casting.

Most of the practicing that Sheena took Amy through was mostly about summoning the magic when she needed it. It seemed tedious to the woman, but she understood the necessity of the action. Better to be well practiced in calling her magic, rather than it not coming to her when she needed it most. Amy continued her training, sighing at the monotony of it, but doing it all the same.

"Are we going to do any training, Jason? Or are you just going to stare at those young women until you drool?" Eva asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Hilarious. But yes, some training would be in order. You already have a handle in summoning Gaia's energy, but can you control it?" Jason queried.

Eva shook her head and listened to Jason's instructions. Though he was Druid for all of a week longer than her, Jason had a natural affinity and mindset for channeling Gaia's magic. Eva did not understand how this was the case, but his power had grown considerably in the past month. She'd studied the texts as he had, but was still a ways behind him, which puzzled her.

Eva cleared the negative thoughts clouding her mind and paid attention to the man. She focused her thoughts as he instructed her and concentrated. The magic came, as it always had, but the runes eluded her. They stood just outside of reach in her mind, amorphous and teeming with energy. Eva tried to focus, but she was distracted, and Jason could tell.

"Eva, you need to clear your mind of everything," Jason told the woman.

"I'm sorry, but I can't right now. I'm more than a little floored at what I just learned," she complained.

"You will find yourself in situations where you will be distracted, but your focus must be constant! Otherwise, you will find yourself either a prisoner or dead. Now, clear your mind and focus!" he grilled.

Sighing, Eva closed her eyes and brought her will to bear, focusing on what she wanted to do. This time, a single rune of growth came to her mind, and she grasped at it. It was simple, yet it would serve for her needs. She then focused her magic on bringing it to the fore and traced the rune with her fingers, bringing it to life. She opened her eyes and saw the rune had brought forth the burst of magic she wanted, holding it in her hand.

"Good! Now direct the magic where you want it to go," Jason told her.

She glanced over to where she had planted a strawberry a few days ago. Eva loved strawberries and wanted to try her hand at growing a bush using magic. She narrowed her focus to finding the remnant of the berry and loosed her magic at it. Seconds later, a small sprout came out of the ground, flowering almost instantly. It then grew, with more vines coming out of it, and more flowers bloomed from them.

"Not bad, Eva! Not bad at all!" Jason replied, clapping lightly. "That's a good start, but let's see what else you are in the mindset for."

Jason continued with his training, teaching Eva more about picturing things in her mind and focusing. She was still having trouble with it, but she was getting there. Jason kept on her, pushing her focus to better open her mind and heart. It wasn't easy, not with memories of her past still clawing at her. Eva had to take a break more than once, as her mind would sometimes stray off course, remembering a painful memory.

"All right, Eva, that's enough for today," Jason told her a few hours later.

"You sure? I can try a little harder and get the stoneskin rune to form properly," she replied while stone flecks peeled off her skin.

"Yeah. You need to rest and recharge your mind. I pushed you hard today, so we should get back. Besides, I'm sure everyone here could go for some grub," Jason told her.

"You're telling me! I could go for some food!" Daelina commented as her belly groaned loudly.

"Well, let's see what we have when we get back and decide whether to order out something," Eva smiled.

"I'm guessing that everyone will be coming with?" Jason asked.

"Yup. I'll get them," Emalia told them before she shrank down to fairy form and zipped off.

She was back a few minutes later, leading one of the Guardians into the glade. Jason was impressed by how they'd changed since more of them were around. With Gaia's magic unleashed once again, they looked more human and less like trees. They were still mute, which Jason found odd, but supposed something must have rendered them unable to speak.

"Thanks for that. Let me give him a little extra pep for while we're away," Jason stated.