Gaia's Champion Ch. 26

Meera stepped out of the car after pulling up to the precinct. Though she had initially thought Konstantin's idea totally crazy, she had to admit that it worked. The detective supposed that from time to time, even the most insane ideas could work. She put her game face on as she stepped out of her car and joined her partner and lover. While Randy was just a morgue tech, he likely had some sort of story ready in case he got caught.

"You really think this will work?" Meera questioned.

"We got him dead to rights with this! He'll talk," Konstantin assured her.

"Though I dislike the idea, I'll follow your lead on this one," she told the man.

"Like you followed it earlier?" he teased with a cheeky grin.

"Don't push it."

Konstantin chuckled to himself as they walked into the station. They headed downstairs to where the morgue was situated. They had doubled checked the shift schedules to be sure that Randy was working today. He was, along with one other lab tech, Damini Bhatt. The pair of them walked into the morgue and found Randy at his desk, typing in the most recent report.

"Detectives! I wasn't expecting to see you for a while yet," Randy said by way of greeting.

"We just dropped in to see if there was anything else you could tell us about the corpses we found," Konstantin started.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing else I can tell you about what I've found so far. The coroner and the other techs, myself included, do not know what's going on," Randy assured them. Meera kept her eye on the man, trying to see if she could catch any tells about him. She spotted nothing, which was odd to her. Either the man was great at lying, or he was speaking the truth about this.

"Really? Because I have a little something that tells me you know more than you're letting on," Detective Thermopolous stated. Randy scoffed until Konstantin pulled out the tape player and pressed the play button. Randy's voice came through, clear as a bell, as did his friend's voices.

"So, how about we try this again? Why don't you share with us what you learned when your... 'friend' paid you a visit?" the detective said softly.

Meera shivered involuntarily at how Konstantin was playing this. The way his voice sounded, it was almost like steel being bared, and she liked the way he was handling things. Randy looked between both detectives and realized the jig was up. He was painted into a corner with no way out. Though he could have tried something, he knew that he'd go down badly, no matter what he did. The only course of action he had was to give the detectives what they wanted.

"He's an old friend of mine from high school. Since I got this job, he's gotten in touch with me and discussed various cases we were working. The man has provided a level of insight about things that we missed. This insight has led to various cases being cracked and us bringing in the perp," Randy stated.

"Truly? Which cases has he provided aid to?" Meera questioned.

Randy took a deep breath and listed off several cases, all of which were real stumpers to the police. The one that caught Meera's attention was the Cotton Candy Killer. The man in question was an entirely different level of sick. He would often troll public places, where there was little to no video surveillance, searching out single moms with children. He would find them, befriend them, and often buy them both cotton candy while out.

Unknown to them, he had an accomplice, who would be the cotton candy vendor in the park, giving them drugged cotton candy. The killer would then take both the mother and child to his place, under the guise of him being the concerned dad. When he took them there, that was where the real horrors began. Meera shuddered at the thought of what he did to all those people and it hit home for her, being a single mom.

No one knew what exactly was going on until they caught a break with some anonymous footage via drone cams. It had been fed to their cyber division and flagged as suspicious. Once they used the evidence they had to figure out and corroborate the killer's methods, they could set up a sting op to take him down. Bringing that monster in had made Meera's nights much easier, seeing her sleep proper for the first time in a while.

"Fuck! If I don't arrest this kid, I might just have to shake his hand! That's some fine work he's done!" Konstantin told Randy.

"I would agree! Why did he not try to come on board as an asset, or a CI?" Meera questioned.

"I asked him that myself, many times. He often said, and still says, that it's better this way. As long as he's not seen with or associates with police in any way, shape or form, he can continue to operate from the shadows. It's the digital age, with cameras and recording devices everywhere. Hell, some people make one profound or controversial tweet and before the day is over, the entire world hears about it!" Randy informed them.

"Hmm! I suppose that a fair and smart way to operate. But, despite the good he's done, he might be stepping into something more than he can handle," Konstantin replied.

"I think it might be the other way around. Do you two have any idea of what you're up against?" Randy asked the detectives, concern lacing his voice.

"Some sort of cult conducting ritual killings with a new kind of designer drug," Meera stated, worried about the drug getting into the hands of kids.

"How much of the recording did you two listen to?" Randy questioned.

"Just to that part where you're berating your friend. Why? What else is there?" Konstantin queried.

"Hit play on that recorder and keep listening," Randy told the pair.

Shrugging, Konstantin thought it wouldn't hurt and hit play. They all listened to it, and the eyes of the detectives nearly fell out of their heads upon hearing Amy's power laced voice. They shuddered involuntarily, as they could tell the individual in question was one who was not to be crossed.

"Who was that? The woman who was speaking?" Meera queried.

"I don't know. Likely a recent acquaintance of Luke's, just like that fairy friend of his," Randy told them.

"Fairy? You mean... someone who's gay?" Konstantin questioned, before Meera slapped him upside the head.

"No, I don't mean that jackass meaning of the word. I mean an actual, real life fairy! Like Tinkerbell, but fully sized? With the gossamer wings and such?" Randy asked the pair, seeing if they needed it drawn out in crayon.

"Fairies aren't real," Meera scoffed at the man.

"Tell that to Emalia when you see her. Wherever Luke is, those women won't be far behind," Randy told them.

"OK, so if this Emalia was a real fairy," Konstantin said, with a measure of skepticism, "then who's the other girl who spoke like she was some sort of... sorceress?"

"The only thing I know is what I was told. What they said to me is that you lot would be out of your league if you ever found the one who was killing these people. That you'd be dead, just like them," Randy replied, gesturing at the dried up corpses.

The detectives thought to not believe the man who was telling them this. Logic told them to dismiss his information as that of a rambling lunatic. Yet, when they looked into his eyes, they could tell that Randy was telling the truth about this. His voice was steady and even had a note of trepidation and warning to it. The most convincing part was his eyes, which were filled with light and wonder at what he'd seen.

"Say we believe you. What are we supposed to do when we find this... friend of yours?" Konstantin questioned, his voice dead serious.

"Help them, however you can. They may operate outside of the law, but I got the distinct impression that these people Luke is associating with are the good guys in this. They said they would be fighting and dealing with this... apparition when they find it," Randy replied.

"Thank you for your assistance, Randy. We'll be in touch," Meera thanked the man as she turned to leave. Konstantin was right behind her, less than a step out of pace, so he caught her quickly. Once they were clear of the morgue and down the hall a ways, Meera sighed in disbelief.

"I told you this was a waste of time! Now all we got is a kid telling us wild stories and..." the sentence died on Meera's lips as she took in the worried look on her lover's face. "Konstantin? What's wrong?"

"I think what Randy just told us is true!" the man breathed.

"What makes you say that?"

"I remember stories from my grandmother when I was growing up. Stories about simpler times, before the rise of organized religion. About a time when mankind lived in harmony with the earth and everything that inhabited it. The things that Randy described make me think that my grandmother's stories were more than that," Konstantin told her.

"What were these stories about? Specifically?" Meera questioned, her interest piqued.

"Stories about the eternal struggle between life and death, good and evil. But unlike the stories of gods that humanity invented, this was something more... primal. More... real," the man told her as he shivered involuntarily.

Meera would have scoffed and said that Konstantin was just making shit up. The logical part of her mind told her to do this, but for some reason, she couldn't. It was like a part of her was telling the woman that what he was saying was very real. That it was something that couldn't be explained, but just had to be believed. The look in his eyes told her as much, and she gave voice to the only thing on her mind at that moment.

"What in the name of God did we just step into?"

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

The Gaians burned through a substantial part of the darkened forest. Much of what was there protested against their cleansing fire, as though it was a living thing. Large swaths of bush, deadfall and semi-living trees were torched, turning into ash at their passing. The groups stayed ready, not wanting to be caught by surprise, but their entire path was clear. Nothing rose up to accost them as they reached the final stretch of the forest.

"All right, boys and girls! This is the home stretch! If my math is right, and it usually is, the corrupted grove is only a hundred meters ahead!" Luke said into the comms buds, informing everyone of their progress.

"OK! Stay close and keep your defenses up! We may be at the last patch, but we take no chances! Slow and steady, everyone!" Jason barked out in command.

Everyone acknowledged his word, and they pressed on as they had, keeping a tight knit formation. Sheena and Amy kept their fire magic burning, while Jason, Eva and Xaera brought down everything around them. The fairies kept flying around, keeping an eye out for any incoming threats, but found none. Even the defensive group moved up to stay with the advance team, so no one was isolated or alone.

Eventually, the group came upon a patch of forest that stood out from the rest. It looked like it was a normal swath of trees, but the energy in the air told them they had finally reached the corrupted grove. Oddly enough, the area surrounding it was devoid of anything dark or foreboding. Many of the traps and guardians that the group was expecting were just... gone, which left them scratching their heads.

"Wouldn't such a place like this be festooned with all kinds of creepy crawlies? Things that go bump in the night?" Amy asked.

"We must have wounded the Dark Nymph enough to where she had to pull in all her defenses! This is good news!" Phalmina stated.

"How? How is that good news?" Luke asked over the comms buds.

"Darkness and Dark Magic feeds on death, rot, and decay. With us not only decimating her forces, but her as well, the corrupted part of Felicitae likely had to draw upon that which was here to survive! If she's that weakened from the damage Amy did to her..." Emalia said, leading the group down that train of thought.

"Then she's in a mode of desperation! Backed into a corner with little room to fight back!" Sheena enthused.

"But we should be careful. I'm sure we all know the old saying about things being backed into a corner," Eva cautioned.

"Regardless, we have reached the grove and can finally ready ourselves for this final fight! Let's clear the trees and such surrounding the grove! I don't want that bitch slipping away if we can help it," Jason told his friends.

Nodding, everyone got back to work, but this time, they went around the grove, burning down anything close by. Not only would doing this prevent the Dark Nymph's escape, it would also give them a clear line of sight from any angle. The better the angle you had in a fight, the more you could see and respond to. While the grove was sizable, it didn't take the Gaians long to burn down the trees and bush surrounding it.

"All right, so now what do we do?" Jason wondered.

"Stand back. I will open the way into this grove," Phalmina told them.

Everyone did as she bade and backed up, letting the fairy princess work. They watched as she invoked the magic of Gaia and brought up powerful runes. Once formed, Phalmina directed them to the grove, trying to coax it into opening for her. The runes settled into place and the magic swirled heavily around them, but the way remained shut.

"By Gaia! Why won't it open?!?" the fairy woman griped.

"Maybe you need some help there, Mina?" Emalia suggested.

"Not a bad idea. Cast your own set of runes to work in conjunction with mine. We'll get this damned thing open!" Phalmina growled.

The fairies wove their magic to aid Phalmina's, using their own runes to help power it. The intricate latticework of the spell was powered by the magic of two fairies now, but it still wouldn't open. Daelina joined in with her own magic as well, but even then, it still wasn't enough.

"Why the fuck won't it open?!?" Phalmina groused.

"I think it's pretty obvious. Look," Emalia replied, pointing at the entrance to the grove. At the entryway, the greenery that lined it was writhing and pushing back against the spell, easily winning against the Gaian magic.

"The fucking bitch locked the grove and is using what magic she has to power the lock!!" Phalmina almost yelled.

"Mina, chill! I know this sucks ass, but stop your screaming. Not only does it do nothing, but it's also not healthy for the baby," Sheena admonished the fairy.

"I know! I was just really thinking we finally had this nipped in the bud! If we could break in and end this, then we could put our focus on healing this land. Bring it back to the way it used to be, before the Darkness took hold," Phalmina mumbled as she rubbed her belly absentmindedly.

"I get that, but it looks like the only way we're getting through is if we find the proper way to unlock that entryway, without burning through a shit ton of magic. Gaia knows we'll need it for what's ahead," Jason reminded her.

"So, what do we do now?" Darren questioned as he walked to up Daelina and put his arm around her, drawing her close to him.

"Well, we could head on back and dig through the library of books we have. There's always answers in books, if you look often enough for it," Eva stated. Everyone there had their own 'Oh!' moment, with Phalmina facepalming herself cutely.

"But who will stay and keep watch on the grove? We need someone here to keep an eye on things, in case the grove opens when we're not here," Xaera said out loud.

"I can handle that," Luke replied over the comms buds. "My drones can hover nearby and monitor the grove. I modified them specifically to stay airborne for extended periods of time, in case I ever needed to stake a place out for whatever reason."

"That's a great idea, bud! But before we do that, a little something to help your boys ensure they aren't duped," Jason stated, as he drew on his Druidic magic.

He mentally formed the runes to protect the drones in the air. While they weren't living beings, the runes would still work on them. With a few tweaks and shifts in their design, the runes then formed before Jason sent them towards the drones. They latched on with ease and green energy surrounded each drone for a moment before fading away.

"What did you do?" Luke asked, having seen the fancy display of magic.

"Just gave your drones a little shielding, so they can't be shot down. It should keep them protected, should the Dark Nymph or any of her minions try to bring them down. I also empowered them with runes of True Seeing," Jason told his friend.

"Runes of True Seeing? Like runes that will help my drones pierce any disguises or illusions?" Luke asked with a smattering of enthusiasm.

"Basically, yeah."

"Dude, have I ever told you how awesome you are?" Luke enthused.

"More than once! You sure those drones will be able to stay aloft without a recharge?" Jason wondered.

"I have a spare that I'm tinkering with here at the house. Once I'm done with it, I'll send this one out and bring another one in to recharge," Luke informed him.

"Fantastic! I'll be sure to enchant that drone before you send it out. I guess we can all head back and get our research on," Jason chuckled amid a few groans.

"Not me. I have an idea for something that should help contribute to keeping an eye on the grove," Xaera offered.

"What did you have in mind?" Amy asked, eager to hear this idea.

"The golem I created! When I first put him together, the magic I used was basic, but open-ended," Xaera stated.

"Open ended meaning?" Sheena asked.

"That the magic I used to create him was unfinished. Which means I can delve into the spell again and continue to build him up," Xaera finished.

"Oh!! Well then... that certainly sounds like something you should finish!" Jason told the troll, and she smiled before replying.

"There is one little problem though," the troll woman said with a sheepish look.

"Which is?"

"I will need the Artificier's Tome, if I am to complete the spell and make the golem work as intended. I left it in my cave, back in the park," Xaera replied.

"If you need it, then you need it. Anyone willing to go with Xaera to fetch the book?" Jason asked the assembled Gaians.

"I'll go with her!" Karla and Emalia said at the same time. They turned their heads to stare at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"All right, you three. Get on over to the cave and get the book, but hightail it back here. We're close to finishing this, but I have a feeling that we're going to need all hands on deck for this," Jason stated as he turned and stared at the locked grove. He couldn't explain it, but staring at the locked grove gave the man the shivers. As though there was some reason to be afraid.

"Let's get back to the house and start diving into those books. The sooner we find answers, the sooner we can end this," Sheena ordered, and everyone hopped to.

They all headed into the house, while Xaera, Karla, and Emalia headed to Luke's van. While some of the Gaians weren't too keen on doing more research, it was their best shot at finding answers. With the male Nymphs there to help, the process could only go faster, or so they hoped. At least they had something watching the locked grove, so nothing could get in or out without them noticing.

"Since we're all going to be here a while, does anyone object to me stepping out to grab some food?" Eva offered. This was met by enthusiastic and appreciative words, which left Eva smiling. She grabbed Darren to help her with the food and the pair were off.

Everyone then headed to the library and picked up a small stack of books to study. A couple stayed in the Library, while others migrated to different parts of the house. While the house was still old and in need of repairs to some degree, they had taken the time to clean the place up. The detritus of the house had been scooped up and thrown out, while magic was used to make each room in the house more livable.