Gaia's Champion Ch. 18

"Could you two stop standing around and give us a hand, please?" Amy griped.

This phrase jolted both fairy women out of their thoughts and they hustled to help out. It didn't take long to help sort everything out and place the books, tomes, and scrolls on the shelves. After that was done, Phalmina uncased her wings and flitted out of the house, thinking to do a sweep of the grounds.

The grounds themselves were extensive, no less than four acres of land in total. Much of that land had been used for gardens, in the growth of flowers, or vegetables and herbs. There were a few fountains and smaller benches around the property that had seen better days. There was even a small gazebo that had been erected a while back that sat in a state of disrepair.

Phalmina smiled at the thought of making this land green and growing again. Even though it wasn't theirs, something about this place just... called out to her. It was almost as though it was crying out to be made into something again, rather than be abandoned. The fairy covered the grounds in several minutes, keeping her eyes open. She was checking to ensure that nothing had dared to venture forward before they'd returned with everyone else to further empower the weakening protections.

It was then that something caught Phalmina's eye, and she flew down to investigate it. On the ground lay a large pile of ash, which was odd. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was more than just ashes, but also tiny bones and bone fragments! Eyes widening in fear, Phalmina enacted a detection spell and called out to her friends.

"Ema, Lina! Come here! Quick!" she yelled. The tinkling of fairy wings announced their arrival as both fairy women landed next to their friend.

"What's wrong, Mina?" Emalia asked, and Phalmina just pointed.

"Is that... was that..." Daelina stuttered fearfully.

"I think so! Hold on a second!" Phalmina replied as she finished the spell. The runes faded and glowed a green color, which relieved the fairy women when they witnessed the result. The ashes were human remains, but there was no trace of Dark Magic on them.

"One of the creatures must have tried to cross into the grounds. But why? What could have driven the creature to risk crossing over?" Daelina mumbled to herself.

The moment she thought of it was the same moment she felt that some... thing was watching her. She lifted her head and gazed out into the forest, searching the trees for the watcher. A gasp from Emalia directed the women's gaze to where Emalia was staring and that when they saw it.

In the black murk of the forest, shaded from the sunlight, a pair of glowing yellow eyes stared back at them. The malevolence from these eyes made all three fairies shudder in fear. The eyes blinked once, narrowed, then were gone, as though they were never there at all. The trio stared in shock and fear at what they had witnessed, before looking at each other, confirming their worst fears.

"Something is out there. Something more powerful than what we've faced before," Daelina yipped, fear strangling her voice.

"Whatever it is, however powerful it may be, it is still hiding in the forest right now. It hasn't even dared to approach the barrier, as far as we know. So, for now, we have an advantage. We are in a place that it can't come after us and we should stay on this side of the barrier. At least until we know what we're dealing with and are ready for it," Phalmina suggested.

"Good idea. Let's get back in and look through the archives. There can't be many beings with yellow, human like eyes," Emalia agreed. The trio of fairies walked back into the house, turning their back on the presence behind them.

*******************************

In the forest, the Dark Dryad, once called Felicitae, walked so heavily she might as well have been stomping. She remembered when the barrier had first gone up, to protect that which lay on the other side. It also acted as a prison for both her and her children, keeping them locked away from the rest of the world.

It was nearly worn down; the magic having become progressively weaker over the decades. Now, that was no longer an option, with the barrier having been empowered by that bitch of a Shaman! The only reason she possessed such levels of power had to be because she had Haida blood in her veins!

She must have been practicing the old ways, as the barrier was now so powerful that it gave even Felicitae pause. Even back in the days when the barrier was new, it didn't have nearly so much empowering it! There had to be more behind it, but she was at a loss on what to do! Angry that her chance to escape had been stolen from her, the Dark Dryad forged deeper into the forest, seeking the one thing that might give her answers: the Dark Heart.

As she neared the darkest part of the forest, where no light would touch, she saw the greater bulk of her children. Many of them were sentries for the Dark Heart, guarding it with their very existence. The children were partly her creation, as they were the remnants of living children who had gotten lost in the forest. The darkness sapped their strength and will to live until they died, finally succumbing to the will of the Dark Heart.

After the final shreds of life had been extinguished, they were raised back from death and granted the gift of Undeath. Who they were in life was stripped away and they were given a new purpose, a terrible purpose. They would serve Felicitae, and by extension, the Dark Heart, for the rest of their existence. The children were now just terrible caricatures of who they had once been and enforcers for the wicked power they now served.

The children weren't the only defense, though, as formidable as they might have been. There were also plants that were just as deadly, armed with whip like vines, deadly poisons, the list was endless. Some of said plants were also carnivorous, much like the Venus Flytrap, only much larger. Any sentient being who thought to come here without permission would die horribly.

The thought of stamping out life as it was always brought a smile to Felicitae's face. She approached the shrouded grove, where the Dark Heart resided and sighed as she embraced the power of this place. The sentinels of the place allowed her to pass, as she had business with the Dark Heart. She walked through the tunnel of poison brambles, coming out in the epicenter of the darkness of the forest.

The Dark Heart pulsed before her, a quivering, blobby mass of evil. It moved and beat much like a real heart would, but instead of pumping blood, it oozed a vile, dark substance. It appeared to be a black pus, which was pure poison, that dripped its foul essence into this place. It floated above a blackened pond, whose waters were still, feeding the darkened forest.

"Master, I come bearing terrible news! The barrier which has contained us for over a century has been reinforced! We cannot get out!" Felicitae growled, kneeling before the shard of evil.

'How has this happened? What is responsible for our prison becoming strong once more?' a horrible, grating voice asked. The voice sounded in her head, sounding like gravel grating on steel.

"Gaians. They have used their foul magic to empower the wards on the barrier, keeping us contained!" the dryad grunted.

'Gaians? Their arrival is most unpleasant! But it is also an opportunity!' the Dark Heart rumbled.

"How?"

'It is through their magic that the barrier is empowered and through them, it can be broken!' the Dark Heart imparted to her.

"How would I do this?" Felicitae asked, intrigued at the idea.

'You must bring a Gaian here, and sacrifice them in a ritual that will not only end them, but leech their magics from them. Then, you may corrupt it and in so doing, corrupt the barrier that holds us here!' it told her.

"Bringing one close to us will not be easy. They stay together and are not entering the forest. I cannot enter the grounds of that home. One of the children tried, and he was incinerated. Taken back to Gaia," the dryad seethed. Worry coursed through the link that Felicitae had to the Dark Heart, but it was momentary.

'You will need more than what you have if you are to carry out the task I have instructed. Come closer,' the Dark Heart instructed.

Her heart fluttering, Felicitae stood up and neared her master, joy abounding in her features. She had hoped for this for a while yet, and now that she was in need, the dryad would finally receive the gift she had been hoping for. Her hands reached out until the ooze that seeped from the Dark Heart stained her hands. The dryad absorbed the poisons and toxins and she laughed, her voice both triumphant and haunting.

******************************

Sheena drove the speed limit now that they were on the reserve. Though it had been years since she'd been here, not much had changed. Every house still looked the same, and spring was in full bloom everywhere. She pulled up to her aunt's place, a newer two-story house that was well maintained. The thing that surprised her once she pulled up was how she saw two toddlers, a boy and a girl, playing in the front yard. They were chasing each other, squealing with laughter, and they walked all over a lumpy mound that lay on the ground.

"Are you sure that we have the right place, Sheena?" Jason asked, looking over at the woman.

"I'm pretty damn sure this is her place. Unless she moved, which is possible," Sheena replied, thinking that might be the case.

"If nothing else, we should at least see if she is here. If she isn't, then the owner might know where she's gone," Jason reasoned.

"Ugh. Fine!" Sheena grumped as she parked the car and killed the engine.

She stepped out and started up the path to the front door. Jason stepped up right next to her and looked over at the two kids, who had turned to stare at the visitors. It was right then that Jason noticed that the mound the children were playing on wasn't a mound at all, but a person! The person then sat up, wondering what had caught the kids' attention.

"Hey you two! What is it?" a man's voice sounded.

"Jackson?!? Is that you?" Sheena cried out.

"Sheena??" the man replied, shocked to see her there.

Jackson Hayes was a man that had once been an old flame of her aunt's. They had been off and on over the years, as both Sophia and Jackson fought often. Hell, there was rarely a time they agreed on anything! But of all the men that Sheena's aunt had dated over the years, she always liked Jackson best.

He stood at just over six feet in height and had a medium build, with light brown hair and gray eyes. His face was youthful in appearance, but his eyes had a wisdom to them that was often seen in older men. Jackson had a rugged masculinity about him, which always drew feminine eyes wherever he went. It was that very aspect of him, which had drawn her aunt Sophia to him in the first place.

"Honey? Who is it?" a familiar voice called out.

Sheena's eyes were then drawn to her aunt Sophia. The woman was a classic full blood Haida, in looks, shape and form and had a beauty about her that was rarely equaled. She stood just a bit shorter than Jackson, at around five foot nine, but she still towered over most women. The more Sheena looked at her aunt, the more she was reminded of her own mother, which pained her some. Sophia's gaze then met Sheena's and her eyes widened.

"Sh-Sheena?" Sophia gasped.

The Native woman walked forward, almost like she was in a trance. She stopped in front of her niece and Sheena winced, like she was expecting a verbal tirade. Instead, Sophia's arms shot out, enveloping Sheena in a hug, which surprised them both. Sheena peeped in alarm, not expecting such a gesture. Before she knew it, her eyes filled with tears and she was hugging her aunt back, overjoyed at being welcomed back.

Jason smiled as he looked on, feeling more than a little smug as both women wept at this reunion. Jackson was shocked beyond all belief, his jaw hanging open almost comically. He then closed it and shook himself, as he'd never seen his wife in such a forgiving mood. Not when it was someone who had hurt in the way that Sheena had. He stood there with Jason, just waiting for the women to finish their bit.

"I never thought I'd ever see you again!" Sophia blubbered, breaking their embrace. "I thought those assholes tracking your mom and dad had found you!"

"They almost did! Had a couple of close scrapes here and there, but thanks to the friends I had made, I was able to get away before they got too close!" Sheena replied, drying her tears.

"I would like to meet these friends of yours! If they helped you stay a step or two ahead of those bastards, I'd like to thank them!" Sophia responded.

"I'll be sure to tell them that and ask them to come with next time!" Sheena laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jay! I forgot you were there!"

"It's all right, Sheena! This is family and it's OK if you forget yourself from time to time," Jason smiled.

"Jason?? I thought you moved on after Sheena had vanished!" Sophia replied.

"I tried to. Couldn't get past this woman, no matter what I did," Jason smiled, and Sheena grinned while blushing. Though she knew Jason by sight, Sophia remembered him as some scrawny little kid, not this... Norse God standing before her. Shaking herself out of her reflections, Sophia went about introducing Jackson and her two little children: Jonathon and Sarah.

"Wait, you're a mom now?!?" Sheena stuttered.

"And a wife," Sophia replied proudly, displaying her rings for them to see. The wedding band on her ring finger matched the one that Jackson was wearing.

"So... you're my uncle?" Sheena blurted, her voice full of wonder.

"Yup!"

"Awesome! Welcome to the family! Now I have two tiny little cousins that I can spoil!" Sheena sighed happily, as the two little toddlers were looking up at her shyly from behind their mother.

"Well... we'll see about how much you spoil them! Would you like to come in for some tea?" Sophia asked.

"Absolutely!"

Without further ado, the quartet moved into the house, while Jackson and Sophia herded their children inside. Though the little ones fussed, they soon went down for a nap, leaving the adults some time to talk. Sophia put some water on and soon, she had brewed a pot of tea for the four of them to share. They sat down in the living room, which was clean and tastefully decorated, like the rest of the house was.

"So, before I get into it, auntie, I need to know something," Sheena began.

"Hmm?"

"Does Jackson know? About our heritage and what it entails?" Sheena wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

"Soph has been honest with me about what happened with your parents, Sheena. She concealed nothing from me and though everything sounds plausible, I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around it," Jackson replied, taking a sip of his tea.

"Well, there's your answer, Sheena. Though to be honest, unless either of you has access to the Sacred Power of our ancestors, you're going to..." Sophia began before her words trailed off.

Sheena held the totem of the Wolf in her hand, calling upon her shamanistic powers. At first they sensed it, then they could feel it in the air, with goosebumps rising on their arms. It wasn't long before the ghostly silhouette of a wolf could be seen, then it came in clearly. The spirit of the Wolf stood there, regarding Sophia and Jackson with curiosity, before sitting down in front of them.

Eyes wide, the married couple then saw the green energies of Gaia surround Jason. He reached out his hand to the severed roses sitting in the glass vase on the table. The moment his fingertip touched one of the petals, the flowers were revitalized. Not only did they return to full bloom, but they could see roots growing out of the cut stems. Jackson gasped in awe at the display of power in front of him, almost disbelieving what he saw.

"Believe me now, honey?" Sophia smirked at her husband.

"Um... yeah!" Jackson replied, astounded by what he witnessed.

As a white guy, Jackson's world growing up wasn't filled with wonders like this. It was filled with order, structure and a firm disbelief in anything that wasn't followed by society. Though he had broken away from the world he'd grown up in, there were still some beliefs he held to. Seeing the magical power of Gaia in full swing in front of him broke many of those beliefs, and he was willing to see what else differed from what he knew.

"You ready to hear my story, auntie?" Sheena questioned.

The older woman nodded enthusiastically and was all ears, as was her husband. Sheena told it in full, how she had vanished from her job and apartment. Going into hiding the moment she heard the warning call from her parents. How the Sons of Caesar had almost caught her more than once, as they had sought the power that she possessed.

Jason added his part in the story as well, which was more towards the end. Which was when she deemed it safe enough to make contact with the newest Druid of Gaia. She then moved on to the most recent part of their story, which detailed their encounter in the forest. Sophia shuddered at the mention of this, and a look of familiarity crossed her features.

"You know about the forest that I'm talking about?" Sheena queried, noting the look.

"Yeah. It's not something that is spoken of in the tribe. It's a... sore spot, a black mark in our history," Sophia replied.

"Auntie, we need to know about what happened there," Sheena implored.

"Why? What is so urgent that you need to know about what went on there?" Sophia ranted angrily.

"There's something that Sheena forgot to mention about her story. A minor oversight on her part," Jason responded, catching the older woman's attention.

"Yeah? What is that?" Sophia growled.

"The magic that was protecting the land... it was weak. Weak enough to where whatever is trapped there could escape," Jason filled in.

"WHAT?!?"

"With Sheena leading, we restored power to the magic that had been placed there before, but we're unsure of how long it will last. It's solid now, but if it is what Phalmina said it was, then it's only a matter of time before it weakens again. We need your help, Aunt Sophia, if we are to have any hope of ending whatever black power lies in the forest," Jason finished.

Sophia's face had turned ashen white at the mention of this. Whatever was trapped in the forest it was enough to cause her a great deal of fear. Sophia took a few breaths to calm herself down, but she knew that shit just got serious. She gulped before speaking again, trying not to sound like her voice was quavering.

"You really need to know about it?" she asked.

"Yes. If we're going to deal with whatever lurks in the forest, we will need to know everything we can about it. Going in blind to a fight is a sure way to get yourself killed," Sheena replied.

"I can attest to that!" Jason added.

"Very well. I will tell you what I know about what happened there," Sophia began.

"Hon, are you sure you want to do this? I can tell talking about this makes you uncomfortable," Jackson piped up.

"It's OK, Jackson. I need to do this," Sophia told her husband, before turning to her niece.

"It started centuries ago, when whites had first come to this land, exploring, but also looking to pillage it. Back then, our people were strong, unbreakable. The Great Spirit had charged our tribes with guarding a site that was sacred to it and to us. It was a place where the Great Spirit communed with the Shaman of the times. Such communion gave us strength, guidance and hope," Sophia began.

"The tribes were safe and happy, knowing that the Great Spirit watched over us. With the power bestowed upon the Shaman, there was little that could stop us from living as we were meant to. That all changed when the whites finally found us. They moved into our lands, taking what they wanted, without regard for anyone or anything. The only thing that mattered to them was them and what they wanted."