Gaia's Champion Ch. 19

"Wouldn't its power level stay the same after it fought you ladies?" Luke asked, confused.

"When it comes to Dark Magic, its power comes from either having a direct link to the darkness itself or stealing energy and souls to keep its power stable," Emalia explained.

"So, if it's energy levels were diminishing as you fought it..." Jason said.

"... then we stand a chance of killing it!" Eva and Amy replied at the same time.

"And we can now track that thing!" Phalmina told them all, hefting the caged shard of the wraith. "You two got those... Mason jars?"

"I left them in the car. Hon, I need your keys," Jason told Sheena. She tossed him the car keys, and he was out of the house and back in less than a minute. He held a twelve-pack box of large, one liter Mason jars in his hands.

"Oh, one of these will do beautifully! Everyone who wields magic, gather around! We will need everyone's power to make this effective!" Phalmina stated.

"Everyone? Isn't that a little overkill?" Elizabeth asked, thinking so much magic shouldn't be required.

"When dealing with something that is a fragment of a soul sucking parasite, empowered by magic that is the anti-thesis of Gaia, we take no chances," the fairy told the woman seriously.

"OK. Just thought I'd ask," Elizabeth replied, abashed.

"Additional prison and containment spells placed on the fragment, so it doesn't get loose while we work," Phalmina suggested and everyone nodded.

Each one of them drew upon what magic they knew, tracing additional spells and runes upon the magical cage Phalmina had created. Jason and Eva started, then it was followed by Sheena and Amy, then Xaera and even Darren. Though his magic wasn't much for offense, in protecting people and living beings, it was where he shone. A few minutes later, the shard was caged and nullified to where it couldn't break free.

"OK. Now, we can work on enchanting the jar. Everyone, join up in a circle and let's get to work," Phalmina told them.

"Who leads the chant?" Eva wondered, thinking she or Jason would do so.

"Sheena. Her native blood gives her a level of power that goes beyond what any of us can do here. You OK with that, Sheena?" Phalmina asked.

"Absolutely! Just give me an idea of how to set it in motion and I'll get it started," the ebony woman replied. Phalmina then spent a few minutes going over what needed to be done and Sheena nodded, listening.

"OK. Everyone embrace your magic and focus. I will guide the spells and runes," Sheena told them.

Nodding, each one of them closed their eyes and concentrated. They brought forth runes of containment, imprisonment and of binding, letting their magics flow through them. Sheena focused on her own magic, letting the raw, unsullied power of Gaia flow through her. She sensed a literal torrent of energy that wanted to be harnessed, almost begging to be used.

Sheena had sensed it before, when she was placing the empowered protections around the property. It was almost... hesitant before, as it wasn't sure what she was. Now, though, it knew that she was someone that could wield it. She let it come to her but allowed its flow carefully. While powerful, the magic would consume her if she let it, and that was something she would not allow.

The magic of her ancestors coursed through, beating in time and harmony with her own magic. She felt it add to and empower her own, sending her into a state or near constant euphoria. While the power was enticing, Sheena had a job to do and brought her focus on the jar that Phalmina had placed upon the table.

Focusing her will upon what she wanted, Sheena could feel the runes form in her mind. Once they were fully formed and sharpened into detail, she used her magic to will them into being. They came together almost instantly, snapping into existence, and she moved them to bind with the jar. The others offered their own magical runes to help with the prison and Sheena drew upon them, glad to have the additional reinforcement.

She lined up each rune so that they were placed in the best viable location. Soon, the entire jar was festooned with the runes, each one lending its power to the ones next to it. Though it felt like hours, it was mere minutes before the spell was complete. The once innocuous jar was now a proper vessel to contain the evil that sat next to it. Sheena then let the magic fade from her being, more than a little tired from wielding such power.

"Hoo! That was bit... draining," Jason commented as he yawned.

"Ok, what is happening right now?" Darren asked, pointing at the shard of the wraith. Within the magical cage that Phalmina had created, the fragment quivered and fought, trying to break free.

"It's trying to break out of the prison. But I doubt it could..." she said, but then noted that one of the runes she had placed was flickering.

"Put it inside the vessel, now!" she demanded. Together, Jason and Sheena reached out with their magic, picking up the caged fragment. They saw that what was happening and moved with all haste. Jason used his magic to unscrew the lid, opening the way for the fragment. It continued to fight, but it was futile, as it was placed within the jar and the lid was screwed on tight.

"Damn! If that fragment was strong enough to cause one of your runes to flicker..." Amy started.

"... then facing the creature itself would be a true test of our magic!" Eva yelped.

"Indeed. Now do you see why I say we take no chances with such creatures?" Phalmina asked Elizabeth.

"After seeing that shit, I get it! Will it try to break out of what has it contained now?" Elizabeth asked.

"I doubt it. The vessel not only contains the fragment but also pacifies it, so it lacks the will to fight back. At least now, we can figure out where to go from here," Sheena told her.

"And now, we can see about finding the spells and runes to gain whatever aid we can from this fragment," Emalia said. "Like tracking the damn thing!"

"Yes! I read in the book that there are spells that can be used to track beasts and entities if you have a piece of them. The spells use their distinct essence to latch onto them and we can find them wherever they may be!" Eva replied happily.

"Great! Where do we find these spells?" Jason asked.

"They are referenced in other books, but they don't state which exact books they are. I can narrow it down, but I'll need help in locating the books to find the correct spells," Eva replied almost sheepishly.

"I'll help with that! You know how good of a researcher I was at school, mom!" Amy volunteered.

"Me too! I'm finding a real drive and desire to do... what did you call it, Amy? Researching?" Daelina asked.

"Yup! Come on, let's get at these books!" Amy replied, putting her arm around Daelina. Elizabeth and Darren watched those two get into it, before looking at each other, shrugging and ambling over to join them. Xaera went to join them as well, as she had been getting quite good at reading and thought she would be of some help.

"Well, if things are OK here, I'm going to head into the city. I've got a friend who's a morgue tech there who might be able to help," Luke said to them.

"How can you be sure that he'll have access to the corpses of the ones killed by the wraith?" Karla asked.

"Because some of that Dark Web chatter mentioned where the corpses are being brought to. I know for a fact that he still works there," Luke told her with a smug smirk.

"Don't think you're going alone, buster!" Karla told him.

"Wasn't even going to suggest going alone. Knowing that there's a monster out there that sucks you dry of everything?? No way I'm going anywhere without backup!" Luke agreed.

"Good boy! I'm coming with you two! If that thing shows up, I want to finish what I started!" Emalia stated vehemently.

"No arguments from me! Let's go!" Karla said, and the trio left the house. Carlotta smirked at her niece before turning to Phalmina and Jason.

"So, what was it you wanted to show me?" she asked.

"Follow us," Jason told her, and she, along with Phalmina and Sheena, were led into the backyard. Carlotta was at first unfazed by what she saw but changed her tune the moment she stepped over the invisible line of the protective wards.

"Min Gudinde!! (My Goddess!!) That... is what... Dark Magic feels like?!?" she breathed.

"That's just the outlying area of the forest itself. It gets worse the deeper in you go," Sheena told her.

"Now I understand why you three were so spooked when you came here to investigate!" Carlotta replied, stepping back over. "You said that you could protect my condo from... magic like that?"

"Yes, we can. Did you want us to get it done right now?" Jason asked.

"Yes, please! Knowing that my home would still be a place of safety would put my mind at ease!" Carlotta told him.

"All right, then. Ladies, let's go get this done," Jason told his women. They nodded and went back through the house to get to their vehicles.

"You guys heading out?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah. Just to put a protective spell on Carlotta's place," Sheena answered. "We'll probably head home after we're done there. Did you want to come with us, Xaera? Head on back to your home?"

"I think I'll stay here tonight. Trolls don't need as much sleep as humans do, and even though this place is a little run down, it would be nice to sleep above ground for once," Xaera answered with a smile.

"We'll stop by with some food before we head home then," Jason offered.

"No need. We'll grab something for her before we head home ourselves," Eva said to them.

"You sure, Eva?" Sheena asked.

"Really, it's no trouble at all! Go on, get out of here! We'll be here for a few hours more, doing whatever research we can," Eva stated.

With that, the quartet left the house, leaving the Marston clan behind to go through the archive of books. It was hours later before they would leave, after they had all gotten some food in them. They had found some interesting texts about wraiths and other undead apparitions. They only had a name to go on, which none of them knew, but figured they'd research it the following day.

They all grabbed a book or two, each one of them looking to read them over through the coming days. Though evening was wearing on, they all figured to head home and get some rest. Darren had gone and made Timmies run, picking up a couple dozen donuts for Xaera's breakfast in the morning, while the ladies picked up some basic amenities, to make her stay in the house more comfortable.

Xaera sighed to herself as she waved goodbye to her friends, knowing they'd be back in the morning. She often wondered where humans as kind as these were, when she was living an entire continent away. Xaera quickly quashed the thought, not wishing to dwell on the past, but to focus on the present.

She was happy to be here, among other living beings she could talk to and not be frightened of her. Xaera was also grateful for everything that had happened so far, leading up to where she was now. Sure, the house was a wreck, but it was now strengthened with magic to keep all within its bounds safe. She slowly drifted off to sleep, knowing that between the magic and her being there, this place would stay safe.

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Not far away, on a seldom used dirt road, a dark manifestation of energy crackled into being. It opened into a dark portal which allowed the wraith who had conjured it to pass through. It floated along out of the dark realm, reluctant to leave, but knowing that it couldn't stay there. The moment it left the empty void where it had traversed from the realm of the living, it snapped shut.

The wraith looked around, straining to sense what had drawn it in this direction in the first place. It could sense Dark Magic through the dark void and moved in this direction, as it was the same magic that had created it. If it could find a haven of Dark Magic, then it could rest, regain its strength, and possibly find new prey to hunt.

It sensed the feeling of the darkness, but it was very faint. Seeing no other recourse, the wraith floated along, heading towards the source of the darkness. As it drew nearer, the feeling of it became more pronounced, and it hoped that it would find what it had been searching for.

It stopped, right at the edge of the barrier which protected the lands from the outside world, and paused for a moment. It knew that if it proceeded, then it could become trapped. But at this moment, with the fragment of it left behind, it knew that it was only a matter of time before those cursed Gaians found it. It moved forward, crossing the barrier and into the dark forest.

The moment it floated across, it could sense the darkness that emanated from its center clearly. It keened in triumph, as it could feel the power of what had created it close by. It moved along as quickly as it could, eager to be around those it considered its brethren. The traps that were set for outsiders didn't trip, and the children that stood guard over the Dark Heart let the wraith pass, seeing it as kindred.

It floated through the dark tunnel which led to the Dark Heart of the forest and was surprised at what had greeted it there. It saw a Dark Nymph, receiving power from the Dark Heart, to where it diminished some. The power transfer was complete, and the Dark Nymph rose and turned. She was equally surprised to see a wraith find its way to them, but was nonetheless pleased.

"Welcome, wraith! I knew there were others born of darkness in this world but was unsure if any would find their way to us," Felicitae said to it, her voice dripping with dark power. The wraith wailed in reply, unable to speak the same language she was, but understanding her all the same.

"I see. You have encountered Gaians? Tell me of them," the Dark Nymph spoke, understanding the wraith. It wailed and moaned in its indecipherable language, telling Felicitae of the fairies that nearly destroyed it.

"This one fairy, with the red-gold hair, describe her to me!" Felicitae breathed, hoping it was the same fairy she saw earlier. The wraith did that, and it described the other two as well, hoping that she could help it.

"It seems we have a common enemy! You came seeking help against these Gaians?" she asked, spitting the final word. The wraith wailed an affirmative, which made Felicitae smile.

"The Darkness favors us then! Help me break free of this prison and you will not only have your revenge, but the power to feast on their souls and magics!" the Dark Nymph promised it. It screamed in agreement, eager to feed and to gain its chance at vengeance!

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Donald Mannheim arrived in Seattle and passed through security with no trouble. He took a cab to Redmond, a small city just east of Seattle itself. He was glad to see that the Sons and Praetorians were still active here, and strong. There was a powerful chapter here, with ties to the local government, among other parts of the city.

He arrived at his destination, a small, nondescript house built in the 1950s, which was a secret safe house for the Praetorians. He paid the cabbie and tipped him fairly, as Donald did not wish to be remembered for being too cheap or too generous. He walked into the house as the cabbie left, chasing down another fare. As Donald closed the door behind himself, he was greeted by the familiar sight of his two friends.

"Nicholas! Eric! It's good to see you!" Donald enthused as he walked forward, dropping his bag to clasp hands with his compatriots.

Like Donald, both men were older and nearing their retirement years, but they were still fit and trim like men several decades younger were. Among their order, they were considered legends, as it was extremely rare for men in their line of work to grow old. But they had defied the odds and survived, earning a generous sum of money for their service.

Though the money was enough to see them well-looked after for the rest of their lives, it wasn't why they did this job. For them, it was a matter of pride and duty, seeing humanity shepherded in a safe direction. They believed, as the Sons did, that humanity could not fall into the old ways of living before order had been made from the chaos. So, they hunted and killed, all in the order's name they so wished to preserve.

"I was surprised to get the call, which brought me out of retirement," Nicholas told him. "Mind if I ask what exactly prompted this?"

"Has the representative of the Sons been by yet?" Donald asked.

"Not yet, no. Why? What has you shook like this, Don?" Eric questioned, worrying for his oldest friend.

"An entire chapter of the Sons has been decimated. Only their Pope and his bodyguard survived the attack on their stronghold. What's worse, is that a group of our finest, our proteges, have been slain, trying to contain the threat," Donald told them.

"What?" Eric yelped, eyes widening.

"How could this have happened?" Nicholas questioned, shocked to his core that such finely trained men were taken down.

"I do not know, but at least we have a name and where to start looking to bring them down. I know we are among the greatest our order has produced, but we are in for the fight of our lives now. It's clear that whoever these... creatures are, they are not to be trifled with lightly. We will have to break out our best tactics and most creative solutions, if we are to win the day," Donald informed them.

"We will follow your lead, as always, Legatus," Nicholas said, using Donald's honorific.

"Good. I was informed that we would be receiving an information packet from the Sons about our targets. If they have yet to arrive, then we should sit and wait for them. The greatest weapon a warrior can hone..."

"... is patience," Nicholas and Eric replied in unison.

"Good! I'm glad to see that old age hasn't dulled your minds," Donald joked.

"Don, you said that we have a name of our target. Would you please share it with us?" Eric asked politely.

"Yes. Our target's name is Jason Bjornsson."

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And that's where chapter 19 ends! The situation gets dicier as enemies begin closing in around our favorite Druid and his friends! What will they face in the coming chapters? What horrors will the Dark Nymph and the wraith unleash upon our heroes? What battle plan will the Legatus of the Praetorians devise to destroy them? For all those answers, stay tuned for when Chapter 20 drops!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please feel free to rate and comment on my work down below. If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share, though your views, ratings and comments are enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!