Gaia's Champion Ch. 24

Sheena clicked her highbeams on as she drove her car down the road. There were no other cars on the road at this hour, as most people on the reserve were indoors. She and Jason were just leaving the reserve, having dropped Bert back off home. Though he was reluctant to leave, he eventually did, once he learned that he'd be welcomed back whenever he wished to show up.

"The way Bert was going on about everything he'd learned, I'm surprised that he agreed to leave," Jason remarked.

"Well, there was the whole bit about his wife chewing his ass out if he was home too late. He also remembered that he's human and needs sleep, just like the rest of us," Sheena replied, smirking at Jason.

"Let's not forget the ever popular reason guys stop doing what they do. We need food," Jason said, answering Sheena's look of confusion.

"That's true! My mom always told me that the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Sheena agreed with a chuckle.

"Never any truer words spoken! Though Bert was buzzing about how alive he felt. Kept yammering about how he'd hadn't had this much energy in years," Jason said as he stared out the window at the darkening city.

The both of them chuckled at the elderly historian's exuberance, but he could hardly be blamed for it. Because of how the government had treated his people, most of their history and the ways they had practiced were all but erased. All because of the systematic destruction of their culture and assimilation into white culture.

Jason shook his head when he thought about it, on how everything that Bert's people were, was lost to history. Or it was until both he and Sheena arrived. Now, with them there, it was possible for the histories and cultures of the tribe to be salvaged, maybe even saved. For that, Jason allowed himself a small smile as Sheena drove them back to the house.

"Hello? Earth to Jason? You there?" Sheena asked, getting his attention.

"Sorry. Was off in la la land. What's up?" he asked.

"Did you want a coffee and a donut?" she wondered as she pulled up to the drive through speaker at a Tim Hortons.

"Oh! Yes, please! I'll have a large coffee, two cream, three sugars and a Boston Cream donut!" he told her.

Sheena smirked and put in his order, while adding her own, a large peppermint tea with two sugars and no cream, and chocolate dip donut. They pulled on through, pulling up to the window where Sheena paid for the order and the server handed it to them. She pulled away, after handing Jason the food and drink, which he set up so she could get to it easily.

"Do you think that Felicitae... Amy, got the materials she needed for the spell?" Jason wondered.

"Let's hope so, or this is going to be one quick fight against that bitch!" Sheena mumbled over her tea.

Jason couldn't help but agree with his lady and he hoped that Luke, Emalia and Felicitae/Amy had found what they needed. If they had any hope of combatting the Dark Nymph, they would need all the protection they could get. He was confident that Luke would have found everything, as he was OCD like that. Give him a task or a quest, and he'd latch onto it until it was done. He hoped that was the case again, this time.

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"So, that's where the Guardians came from?" Phalmina queried, still in shock over this revelation.

"Yup! I'm surprised that the princess of the Fairies didn't know about this," Felicitae/Amy replied.

"I may have been the princess, but I wasn't made aware of everything. There were some things that my mother didn't tell me about," the fairy admitted, while looking over the male Nymphs.

Phalmina and Daelina were in absolute shock upon being told that the Guardians who kept the grove safe were, in fact, male Nymphs encased in magical armor. It had been a total shock to be sure, but also, one that made sense. It wasn't too long after the war broke out, that the Nymph population dropped substantially. She had chalked it up to the Xkarites going after the Nymphs first, but that wasn't the case.

Seeing how they had vanished so quickly and the Guardians coming to their aid should have been spotted right away. Only Phalmina wasn't thinking about that. The only thing she was concerned with at the time was the survival of her race. She didn't stop to think that there might be others who were thinking about theirs as well. Both she and the others there glanced over at the men who were there with them and smirked.

Both of them were happily munching away at some food that had been brought for them. While they were in no danger of dying or withering away from lack of food or water, they were still hungry. They were just finishing another round of takeout food when Jason and Sheena walked in the door.

"Hey guys, glad to see that you're back! Did you get the..." Jason started, before his gaze turned to the pair of men that sat on the floor nearby.

"Whoa! Are those... male Nymphs?" Sheena questioned.

"Yup! They are!" Emalia stated, still in a state of disbelief herself.

"How is this possible? I thought they had all died off!" Jason stated, bringing up what he'd learned from the Sons of Caesar archives.

"This little piece of history, is something the Sons didn't know about," Felicitae/Amy responded.

She then filled the couple in on what the Guardians were and how they were constructed. Most importantly, how they needed a living being to bring them to life. Jason and Sheena were beside themselves with what they'd been told. They both concluded that there was still a lot to learn outside of the books they had taken. The couple stared at the Nymphs, noting how different each one of them looked.

"I'm guessing that these two aren't like you, are they, Felicitae?" Jason asked, taking in the appearance of the men.

"They are not forest Nymphs, that's for sure," Felicitae agreed. "I've seen their like before, but I cannot remember what they are."

"I might be able to help with that," Luke interjected.

"Remember how we found something? In one of the books?" Sheena asked.

"Exactly. I remember the book detailing four subclasses of Nymphs in existence," Luke stated.

"Four? I was only aware of three," Felicitae answered.

"Well, there are four. At least according to what I remember. We already know that you are a Meliae, an ash tree Nymph. Going by what these two look like, I'm guessing that the other one is a Meliae like you, or maybe even a Naiad. A freshwater Nymph," Luke explained to his confused friends.

"Are you like me? A Meliae?" Felicitae/Amy questioned the lighter skinned Nymph. The man shook his head and made a gesture, like he was swimming.

"I think that means he's a Naiad," Luke remarked, and the Nymph pointed at Luke, nodding.

"I guess that answers that. What about that guy?" Darren asked, gesturing at the red skinned Nymph.

"It would be safe to assume that he's an Oread, a mountain Nymph," Luke surmised, and the Nymph nodded with a smile.

"But, if these guys are not guarding the mountain grove, then who's keeping it safe?" Jason wondered.

"I wouldn't fuss, love. Emalia and Felicitae/Amy here sealed it against all intrusions. The only way up into the grove now is via the portal stone, which only we know how to use," Phalmina stated.

"Oh! Well, that was the smart thing to do. At least until we can find a better way to defend it from any outside incursions," Jason replied, breathing a sigh of relief. "Whoa, what is this?"

"It's the golem that Xaera made. I brought it here," Luke stated.

"Why?"

"Little dude seemed like he was all alone, and I thought he might want to hang around with some living beings," Luke explained, and the golem jumped around and nodded at Luke's feet.

"It is sentient? How is that possible?" Xaera asked.

"You're the one who made it, Xaera. Did you make it to be that way?" Sheena questioned.

"No! At least, I don't think so!" the troll woman replied.

"Maybe another read through the Artificier's tome might help clarify things, yeah?" Jason suggested.

"A good plan, but can we get back on track about why we are here, please?" Phalmina interjected.

"Yes! You were saying that you got everything you needed for the spell, Felicitae?" Sheena asked.

"We do. Had to persuade one of Luke's friends to get the most important piece, but we've got it," Felicitae/Amy replied, holding up the withered arm.

"What is that from?" Daelina wondered.

"The corpse of a man who was killed by the wraith. Quite recently, in fact. The Dark energies that are concentrated inside of it will prove sufficient for the spell," the human/Nymph stated.

"Dark energies? Just what do you plan on doing with these energies?" Darren questioned, skeptical of what the Nymph had planned.

"The spell, when it is active, will act much like a magical vaccine, giving a moderate level of protection to all involved in it," she explained.

"So, we won't need these runestones, then?" Karla asked.

"You will still need them, but this protection will make it much more difficult for Dark magic to affect you. Combined with the runestones, it will require a more concentrated effort to harm you. You can even take a few hits before you have to worry about getting hurt," Felicitae/Amy finished.

"I don't know about you guys, but I like the idea of extra protection like that," Jason stated, gesturing to his chest.

"That doesn't mean that you're allowed to do something stupid like that again," Sheena admonished him, smacking him on the chest.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"All right, everyone. Gather around, as everyone will need to participate in the spell, magic or no," Felicitae/Amy responded.

"What do you want us to do?" Luke questioned.

"Just stand where I tell you to stand and don't move until the spell is complete," the human/Nymph stated.

With that, Felicitae/Amy directed everyone to stand together in a circle, with the most powerful Gaians in the center. Once everyone was in their places, the human/Nymph took the objects she and her friends had collected and placed them in the center. Once they were perfectly positioned, Felicitae/Amy stepped back and took her place in the circle.

"Now we can begin. I will start with the most basic threads of magic. Follow my lead as we cast," she told them all.

Nodding, the group did as she did, bringing their magic forward as the human/Nymph drew upon Gaia's power. She intertwined what they brought out with her own magic, weaving it deftly. Once she had the weave correct, Felicitae/Amy directed it to the items in the middle, lifting them into the air. Focusing the energies, the items came together, slowly melting together, until it was one large greenish glob.

Everyone there who could wield magic, gave every ounce they could to her, to help fuel the spell. A chant rose from her lips, as Felicitae/Amy called upon the runes to bring the spell to life. As she did this, the composite mix glowed, starting low, before it was as bright as a lightbulb. There was a dark tint to it, which was what remained of the dark energies from the human arm.

The spell continued to rise in pitch and power, building to a crescendo before the chant halted. Ever so slowly, the glob separated, dividing into equal pieces, so there was enough for everyone. The globs hovered towards them before they splattered onto everyone. The shock of the substance hitting them caused everyone to gasp, but it soon vanished, their bodies absorbing it.

"It is done. The spell is complete," Felicitae/Amy replied.

"Ugh!! I don't feel so good..." Luke groaned, his stomach doing flipflops.

"Such feelings are normal when taking this spell. Give it time, it will pass," Felicitae/Amy assured them.

"I felt... something off, but I feel fine," Jason stated, looking at his friend in concern.

"The magical power you wield mitigates the worst of the side effects. I wouldn't be surprised if you could do multiple such spells and walk away intact," the human/Nymph replied.

"We can do that spell more than once?" Sheena wondered, questions abuzz in her mind.

"Yes, we can. In so doing, it would build up our tolerance to Dark magic almost to the point of immunity. The only catch is, finding items of considerable power that are steeped in Dark magic," Felicitae/Amy replied.

"Such items would be rare, wouldn't they?" Luke groused.

"They would be, yes. Which is both good and bad, I suppose," Felicitae/Amy responded.

"Indeed! Looks like it's getting late," Jason observed, his eyes taking in the evening sky. "We should probably get going."

"Yup! The only question is, what to do about these two?" Phalmina wondered. "I mean, now that they're free of their armor, where will they stay?"

"Not sure we could take them. There isn't much room at my home, with the lot of us staying there most nights," Eva commented.

"My place is out. Sure, it's a loft, but even with Sheena and Mina there, it is a little snug," Jason remarked.

"Why don't they stay here tonight? There's plenty of room, and it's well protected," Xaera suggested.

"Now that's a stellar idea! What do you two think?" Amy asked, Felicitae taking a back seat in her mind. The two Nymphs looked at each other and nodded, thinking it was a good plan. They were especially receptive since they knew the house and its grounds were warded against intruders.

"Though I do think we should make this place a little more accommodating," Sheena said.

Just as some Gaians started to ask her what she was talking about, the ebon skinned woman wove her hands in a complex pattern, igniting a spell. She continued to weave her hands in a deft pattern, before she shot the spell at the floor. The spell acted immediately, taking hold in the wood frame as it got to work. Small vines poked through the floor before they grew in size, eventually taking shape.

"Are those... beds??" Luke asked, staring at the growing wood as it finished molding to its shape.

"Yup! Hopefully, they'll do nicely to help these three sleep better," Sheena smiled as she gestured to Xaera and the Nymphs.

"They most certainly will! Thank you!" Xaera gushed, running up to hug the Shaman. Sheena giggled and hugged her back, but the pair were soon mobbed by the male Nymphs. They expressed their gratitude in a similar way, hugging the woman who gave them something proper to sleep on. The group came apart after a few minutes, all smiles, before the rest of them got ready to leave.

"So, back in the morning?" Xaera asked.

"You know it!" Phalmina grinned as she waited for her human lovers to get their shoes on.

"Hey, Jason?"

"Yeah, Xaera? What's up?" the man replied.

"Do you think you could drop a tree or two into the soil here? Like you did for the mountain grove?" Xaera asked. "It's not that I don't appreciate the food you guys bring, but I really could go for some fruit and vegetables."

"Hmm. That's an idea! Did you have anything specific that you wanted planted here?" Jason asked.

Xaera gave him a quick list of several fruits and a few vegetables, a list which was met with enthusiastic nods from the Naiad and Oread. Though they were omnivorous, they favored fruit and vegetables more and were eager to get some. Jotting down the list on his phone, Jason promised to grab the fruit and vegetables she wanted. Once that was done, the group made their farewells and walked out of the house.

"Well boys, I don't know about you, but I could do with some sleep," Xaera replied, stretching her limbs.

If she had kept her eyes open, Xaera would have seen the lust filled looks on the men's faces. Though it had been centuries for these two, they knew that to go for a woman uninvited, was always a bad idea. Since it was just the three of them there, they knew that once the troll woman was asleep, they could do something to alleviate the pressure in their balls.

The Naiad glanced over at the Oread and cocked his eyebrow in question. The Oread shook his head, telling the man silently that he didn't swing that way. The Naiad shrugged, knowing that it would have to be just him working it that night. The trio all climbed into a different bed, the men letting Xaera have the largest one there. It was not only good manners, but she was much bigger than they were and needed the space.

Though there was danger that lurked outside of the grounds of the house, they all knew that while inside, they were safe. The men passed out quickly, the pair of them exhausted from all the excitement they had that day. Xaera wasn't far behind them, joining them in dreamland as she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.

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Xaera blinked her eyes slightly and came awake slowly. Her senses were signaling her mind to wake up, but she didn't know why. Her danger sense wasn't going off, so anything that could threaten her or her guests was out. She couldn't see anything that was off, not immediately at least, so she sat up quietly and listened. It was then that she heard something, like something was grunting.

She immediately thought it was the golem that Luke had left behind, but she didn't see it anywhere nearby. Figuring that it must still be making its rounds on the property, she glanced about and sniffed the air. The moment she breathed in, she knew exactly what was going on. Xaera could almost taste the scent of male arousal on the air, and she smirked to herself.

One of the Nymphs was likely playing with himself, and it didn't take Xaera long to figure out who it was. She could see the shape of the Naiad on his bed, beneath the covers, shifting quickly. Biting her lower lip, Xaera thought just how much torture the man must be in, having been trapped inside that armor for centuries. She knew that if it had been her, she likely would have jumped the first male she came across!

A wicked idea entered her mind then, and she carefully crawled out of her bed. Avoiding any creaky floorboards, she padded over to where the Naiad slept. She stayed low, so as not to attract attention, and sidled up to the bed. Xaera could feel the constant shifting of the bed, which might have been imperceptible to others, but not her.

Her troll senses were so finely tuned, she could have heard a pin drop and told you where it was. The Naiad's scent on the air was heady and fresh, like fresh water from a spring, and Xaera licked her lips in anticipation. Mustering her nerve, she stood up slowly and pulled the blanket off the Naiad, revealing his naked body to her.

The Naiad's face was one of shock and alarm, but she smiled at the man and put a finger to her lips, shushing him. He calmed then and looked up at the woman quizzically, as she glanced down to his hard cock, and almost gasped. The Naiad was much bigger than she expected, easily ten inches long! His thickness wasn't anything to sneeze at either, looking close to two inches in girth!

Xaera blinked a few times, before pinching herself to be sure this wasn't a dream. Feeling the sharp pain on her pinched flesh, she knew she wasn't dreaming and licked her lips. Scooting down to where the Naiad was manhandling his cock, she peeled his hand away, before taking it in her hands.

The Naiad stared at her, enraptured that this woman wanted to do this! He wasn't going to complain, as it had been centuries since he'd had a woman touch him like this. Moaning at the sensation of this, he leaned back and sighed, enjoying her hands stroking his length. He then felt something warm and wet on his dick and looked down to find Xaera taking his cock into her mouth.

His heart hammering in his chest, the Naiad groaned quietly, loving what she was doing to him. He could have taken the initiative earlier and made his intent known to the troll woman, but he kept it to himself. At least, until he could communicate better to her, once he found his voice. He also didn't want her to misconstrue his intent and think he was being a complete pervert.