Chapter 25

“I thought that was the plan anyway, Sheena,” Phalmina said to her.

“I know it is, but I’m suggesting that we take it a step further,” the young Shaman stated.

“What did you have in mind?” Jason queried.

“I’m thinking that if the Darkness took root in Felicitae, then maybe, it, along with her corruption, could be ... pushed out,” Sheena said, thinking out loud.

“Then what?” Emalia queried, seeing the merit of this line of thinking.

“Destroy the Darkness that corrupted her, so she will remain corrupted no longer,” Sheena finished.

“Is that even possible? I mean, it sounds great in theory, but even I know that when something is infected past the point of no return, you have to let it die,” Luke stated.

“While true, with Gaia’s magic to aid us, I think it may just be possible,” Jason replied, as he thought the idea over.

“Felicitae? Your thoughts?” Phalmina queried. The Nymph then took center stage from Amy, blinking her eyes green as her consciousness came forth.

“I’ve never heard of this before! But ... if our magic was powerful enough ... our direction correct ... and our desire pure ... I don’t know ... maybe?” the woman replied hesitantly, shrugging.

“Pushing Darkness from someone that it has infected! Is that even something that’s been tried?” Eva questioned.

“It’s ... a fool’s errand...” came a hoarse voice that startled everyone there.

They all turned to the speaker, which was the Oread as he was coughing. He tried clearing his throat, but only wound up sounding worse than before. Xaera bolted away, then came back with a glass of water, handing it to the man. He accepted the glass and downed it, taking a deep breath afterward. He cleared his throat once again, and he sounded much better this time.

“Driving the ... Darkness from one who is already ... corrupted ... will not work ... like you think. It will only ... destroy ... the one you ... are trying ... to save,” he stated.

“How do you know this?” Sheena queried. He made a stopping motion and gestured for more water, which Xaera was happy to provide. He downed another glass before he spoke again.

“I ... witnessed this ... when I ... tried to ... save my ... mother and ... sister. The magic ... broke their ... bodies ... shattered their ... souls. Watched them ... crumble ... to dust. Once ... Darkness infects ... only salvation ... is death,” the Oread told them.

“I would agree, but I think there is one thing that separates me from what happened to your family,” Felicitae/Amy told him.

“What?”

“My soul does not inhabit the body I live in. Not all of it,” the human/Nymph told him. “Because a piece of my soul now inhabits another body...”

“Then what you are ... or what remains of you, may yet be saved,” the Oread stated. “It’s risky and without the Tablet of Creation, the chances of it failing are high.”

“Tablet of Creation? What’s that?” Karla asked.

“It’s just a myth,” Felicitae/Amy said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“It’s not a myth. The tablet is very real, I assure you,” the Oread stated vehemently.

“I’m sorry, but what is your name?” Felicitae/Amy asked.

“It’s Patrok.”

“Patrok? Please tell me how you know the tablet is real,” the human/Nymph asked.

“Because I saw it used to create our kind, on more than one occasion,” the Nymph stated.

“By who?” Jason wondered.

“By Dionysius himself, before he was killed,” the Nymph stated.

“Hold up! I’m sorry, but how old are you?” Luke queried.

“Well over two thousand years old, by human count,” Patrok told them.

“Two thousand years old?!? How is that possible??” Sheena gasped.

“Our kind were made for only one purpose, and that was to please the one who created us to begin with,” the Oread said to them.

“So, you’re saying that Nymphs were created by Dionysius, to serve him and that you were given long life that was to be devoted to his service?” Jason questioned.

“That is correct. When we were created, the old bastard believed himself immortal and invincible. Through the use of the tablet, he gave us what gifts he believed we should have. Though me and Vahlen were ... unexpected,” Patrok told the group.

“So, Dionysius was real? Like ... real, real??” Elizabeth queried.

“Yes, he was. His powers, while considerable, did not grant him immortality or omnipotence. Much as the old man wanted to believe it so, he was not a god. Especially after those titans tore him to pieces,” Patrok scoffed.

“Titans? Tore him to pieces? What?” Darren questioned.

“There are many events that you all clearly do not know, but I will not bore with details about that,” Patrok said.

“But you said that you and Vahlen were unexpected. What did you mean by that?” Phalmina wondered.

“When the Tablet of Creation was made and our kind brought into existence, we had only one purpose; to serve our creator,” Patrok started.

“And that service entailed?” Emalia questioned.

“Whatever Dionysius desired. From the women of our kind, he desired them to be his personal harem, and they were. He created many hundreds, nearly thousands, all of them unique. He created Nymph men, but not to copulate with the women. They were just servants, designed to do his bidding and build his palaces,” Patrok grunted.

“Those servants who obeyed him were Satyrs, right?” Luke asked.

“Among other types, but yes, the Satyrs were made to obey their master,” Patrok nodded. “When Vahlen and I came out of our mothers, Dionysius thought to destroy us. He wanted no rivals to the women he crafted for himself. But, because he had created our mothers and possessed the tablet, he had the same level of control over us as well.”

“I’ll bet he loved that,” Elizabeth huffed.

“Oh, he did. The fact that he didn’t have to do much to make us obey him delighted the man to no end. While the Satyrs were the grunts and his labor force, they were ... inelegant and filthy. In his eyes, they were unfit to serve him around his palaces. So, any male child that resulted from his harem became servants in his palaces. We were pages, errand boys, cupbearers, I’m sure you get the idea,” Patrok continued.

“Didn’t you try to resist his control over you?” Jason asked, disgusted by the servile behavior Patrok was describing.

“It wasn’t that we didn’t want to be free, it was that we had no power to resist the man. Not even a little, as his hold over our mothers and by proxy, us, was absolute. Even if the thought of resisting a command entered our heads, it was gone like wind through a tree. Resistance to Dionysius was futile,” Patrok said with a level of finality.

“That changed the moment he died?” Sheena asked.

“It did. With him dead, the link through the tablet that was used to control us was severed, and we were finally free,” the Nymph said. “It was then that we remembered who were truly were in life. Those of us who were created with the tablet, that is.”

“What do you mean by that?” Eva questioned.

“Those who were created by the tablet weren’t created from nothing. The Tablet of Creation, while it was created with the magic of Gaia, it was a wonderful and terrible thing. With the tablet, Dionysius was able to take the souls of the living and encase them in bodies that were built from nature. The magic and the soul of the being taken would empower the created body and give it life,” Patrok stated.

“Dionysius ... he would ... steal the souls of those still alive ... to create the Nymphs? To serve ... his own needs and ends?” Sheena gasped, thinking that such a fate was a horrible one.

“He could, but that was rarely done. Such a fate was usually reserved for those who had committed grievous crimes and required a punishment of torment. That’s how some of the mixed breeds of many creatures came to be,” the Nymph continued.

“And the Nymphs? What about them?” Jason queried.

“Most of them were on death’s door, either wounded from some sort of battle, or their bodies ravaged by disease. Many who became Nymphs were simply seeking a second chance at life, or something better than what they were given. They were never told the price they had to pay to become a Nymph,” Patrok went on.

“Some probably would have paid it willingly, regardless of the cost,” Jason commented.

“That I can attest to. Some girls I know, or knew of, would have willingly made that trade. Sometimes, genetics and fate can be cruel to people,” Elizabeth agreed.

“If you’d seen what he did to some of these women, you might be inclined to disagree. Regardless, once the old bastard was finally killed, and the compulsion lifted, there was much joy in attaining their freedom. There was also great sorrow, as the removal of compulsion and restoration of free will also brought with it many memories that were suppressed. Memories of the ... awful things that Dionysius did,” Patrok shuddered.

“Those who were created by the tablet cried to whoever was listening, to release them from this torment, and some sought to end themselves. Gaia, however, had other plans,” the Nymph told them.

“What did she do?” Karla asked, enthralled by the story Patrok was telling.

“Gaia appeared to all of us in a great dream, stating that while we were not a direct creation of hers, that we were still her children. In that dream, we could all feel the love that Gaia felt for us and ... some of us ... could barely contain ourselves,” the man said, tears forming in his eyes.

“It was like ... finding a long lost relative ... or a piece of yourself, that you believed to be lost. A ... reunion of your soul,” the man breathed. “Gaia’s love gave us a reason to carry on and to keep living. None wished to throw their lives away after feeling the true goddess’s love. That, and we were given a new charge, by Gaia.”

“Which was what?” Luke wondered.

“To protect and guide the forests of this world and to preserve all that Gaia held sacred. Now that we were no longer constrained by the tablet, we could go wherever we pleased, with whomever we wished! After being controlled for so long, such freedom is ... intoxicating!” the Nymph said with a smile.

“Oh, I know all about that feeling! Trust me!” Darren grinned. Eva and Amy echoed those sentiments, relishing their newfound freedom.

“If you all survived being controlled by Dionysius, then why are there so few of you left?” Karla wondered.

“That answer has two major pieces to it. The first part was because of the Fairy/Pixie war that erupted many centuries later. When the Pixies declared war on the Fairy race, the Nymphs were obligated to help. The Fairies had done so much for our kind and helped us find places of haven from those who didn’t understand us,” Patrok stated.

“Is that how you ended up in that armor?” Jason asked.

“It is. Through the magic of the Fairies, the first Guardian armor was forged, giving us the ability to fight and survive against the Pixies. For a time, things were tilting in our favor and we were winning. But that was before the Pixies found and unleashed Dark Magic and created the Xkarites. I’m guessing you are aware of that piece of history?” the Nymph asked.

“Oh, that, we know about,” Sheena grumbled.

“When the darkness was unleashed on us like that, we did all we could to stem the tide and contain it. We fought hard against it, trying to keep it from spreading to other races. We had seen the terrible corruption that it invoked in living beings. We couldn’t countenance it going further,” Patrok said to them.

“Thankfully, Gaia arrived to handle things, or we wouldn’t be here right now,” Darren said, smiling.

“Gaia only came to our aid because we summoned her to do so. The losses we suffered were mounting, and the Pixies and Xkarites were overwhelming us. We had no other choice but to beseech the goddess for help,” Patrok told them.

“Wait, Gaia was summoned?” Phalmina questioned, this knowledge being new to her.

“Yes, she was. Did you not know this?” Patrok wondered.

“No, I wasn’t told of this! Mother ... why did you not tell me?!?” she breathed, this information dredging up painful memories in the fairy.

“Mother? Who was your mother?” the Nymph asked, curious.

“Amaltheia Tn’althion, Queen of the Fairies,” Phalmina told him.

“Oh! Your highness!” Patrok yelped, hitting his knees.

“Please, don’t! It’s ... embarrassing,” she sighed while smiling timidly.

“Should I not kneel to the uncrowned queen of the Fae folk?” the Nymph questioned.

“I am not going to be the queen!” Phalmina groused, fixing the man with an annoyed glare.

“But ... your mother...”

“Isn’t dead! Until I see her lying before me on a funeral bier, she is not dead!!” Phalmina almost screamed. Everyone there was taken aback by this outburst, never having seen Phalmina this angry before.

“Apologies, princess. I misspoke,” Patrok apologized.

“No, I’m sorry. You didn’t know where I stood, and I lashed out at you without thinking. Please, stand,” the fairy woman told the man. He did as instructed and stood up, facing the woman.

“So, you said that there were two reasons your kind has declined. What was the second?” Phalmina asked, steering the topic back.

“Humans. After the war, we came together, hoping to rebuild and repopulate our race. Being as amorous as we are, that wasn’t a problem,” the Nymph laughed. “The problem was humans coming to the places that were our homes and taking them over.”

“Taking them over?” Darren questioned.

“Building their roads, towns, cities and such, over the lands where our homes were located. Everything that we knew and held sacred was just destroyed, all because humans wanted the land we possessed,” Patrok stated bitterly.

“You didn’t fight back against them?” Jason wondered.

“We did, and for a time, it worked. Eventually, humans overcame their superstitions and came hunting for us. Most we were able to scare or otherwise evade, but there were those who were relentless. Who would not stop until they had wiped us out, so only their kind remained. Many of them bore the symbol of the cross around their necks and attacked us with a fervor that wasn’t easily quenched,” the Nymph told them.

“Christians. Many of them were positively medieval back in those days,” Karla replied with disgust.

“Today too, babe. Some people these days are just as bad today as they were back then,” Luke replied, catching his lady with a sidelong glance.

“This is a hard and unfortunate truth. Something I wish would change, but there are portions of humanity that insist on clinging to the practices of the past,” Eva agreed.

“Some did fight, and many who fought were eventually found and killed. Others, who hid themselves away, withered, grew old and died, as all things must. Many died childless, while those of us in the Guardian armor watched it all happen. We all eventually were separated by one incident or another. In the end, it was just me and Vahlen and I thought we were the only ones who survived,” Patrok finished.

“So, you believe yourselves to be the last of your kind?” Sheena wondered.

“Yes, unless the Tablet of Creation has been found, I believe we are all that remains,” Patrok stated.

“What happened to the tablet?” Amy wondered as she took control back from Felicitae.

“It was stolen, by none other than Poseidon,” the Nymph replied.

“Why did he take the tablet? To create his own Nymphs?” Jason questioned.

“Yes, and he did, along with his own servants, the Tritons,” Patrok said.

“Think like Ursula from Little Mermaid,” Luke said to them all, clearing their confused looks.

“Let me guess, they were made with the idea of being turned into his subjects?” Eva guessed.

“Yes. They were made to serve Poseidon as his workers, heralds, and armies. They only came into being after Poseidon stole the tablet from Dionysius to begin with,” Patrok stated.

“You’d think that Dionysius would want to get the tablet back, with the power it gave him,” Sheena murmured.

“He tried to get it back and the games he played to do this resulted in his death and our freedom. Since it was taken, the tablet has been lost to us and many are of the belief that Poseidon kept it in the deepest reaches of the sea. The power it gave him was immense and from what I understand, he guarded it jealously,” Patrok told them.

“How do you know about that?” Sheena questioned.

“I did ... have relations with a few sea Nymphs, Nereids, before the war,” Patrok admitted, smirking and getting a faraway look in his eyes.

“Think we could find any sea Nymphs these days?” Darren questioned.

“I don’t know. They could have all become extinct for all we know. But I know that Poseidon had called them all back to his domain, which was the sea, so I honestly don’t know,” Patrok concluded.

“So, unless we get our hands on the Tablet of Creation, you don’t think we can help Felicitae?” Sheena asked.

“The tablet would ensure that she would survive the process, yes. But now, as she is ... it’s very risky. If you still wish to save her, you will have to employ an alternative means of saving her. With a fragment of her soul separated from her body, it might be possible to at least extract that which is her. How you will give her a body ... remains to be seen, unless any of you here have a solution?” the Nymph asked.

“We’ll solve that when it comes to it. Right now, what we need to focus on is drawing her out,” Sheena told them all, bringing their focus back to the reason they were all there.

“Right. Now that most of us have the resistance to Dark Magic and the runestones, we stand a much better chance of standing against ... what remains of Felicitae,” Jason replied.

“Remember, we aren’t to kill her but subdue her, if at all possible,” Sheena stated.

“Please! Though a piece of me is here within Amy, if I am to survive beyond her, I need to recover the rest of my soul that isn’t corrupted,” Felicitae/Amy said pleadingly.

“No mercy on her minions, though. Those poor souls need to be put to rest. It is the only way they’ll find peace,” Xaera said with an air of finality.

“On that, we couldn’t agree more,” Phalmina said.

“I also might be able to help better with coordinating things from here,” Luke said excitedly.

“What do you have in mind, bud?” Jason asked.

“I brought my spy drones!” Luke stated proudly.

“Now that will give us an advantage! How long do you need to set up?” Jason asked his friend.

“Maybe ten minutes? It will go a lot faster if you lend a hand,” Luke told him.

“All right. Everyone, head on out back, but don’t cross until Luke is ready. I’ll join you all shortly,” Jason said as he and Luke headed out the door to the van outside.

“Vahlen and I could help,” Patrok stated, with the Naiad nodding in agreement.

“Patrok, though we appreciate the offer, we don’t want to put you or your friend in direct fire. You don’t know what’s waiting out there,” Emalia told the Nymph soothingly.

“We don’t want to help with the fighting. Our talents lie elsewhere,” the Oread told them.

“What did you have in mind?” Xaera wondered.

“Vahlen and I weren’t strong offensively, or defensively, but there is one type of magic that we are talented at,” the man said.

“Which is?”

“Healing. Few among the Nymph race are strong in offensive magic, which is why the Guardian armor was constructed to begin with. Many were gifted in either defense or healing, and that is where Vahlen and I do our best,” Patrok stated.

“Honestly, it couldn’t hurt to have them with us, ready to patch someone up at a moment’s notice,” Darren suggested.

“I can’t believe you’re encouraging this!” Amy admonished her brother.

“We need every advantage we can get in this fight, and your brother makes a good point. Though it might be risky, having them there ready to heal anyone who takes a hit would be helpful,” Daelina replied, coming to her fiancé’s defense.

“I can hit them both with a spell of Obsidian skin to give them an extra measure of protection,” Xaera offered.

“How often can you use that spell?” Felicitae/Amy questioned.

“The spell can be draining, as it requires a lot of magic to channel and cast. I can cast it three times before it gets taxing,” Xaera responded.

“All right, then. Set it on Patrok and Vahlen, but keep the third one in reserve, for now,” Felicitae/Amy told her as the group moved to the backyard.

“You don’t want the third one cast right now?” the troll woman wondered.

“Something tells me we’ll need it cast before the day is over, but not yet,” the human/Nymph told her.

Shrugging, Xaera stepped outside with everyone, but only after she placed the daylight resistance spell over herself. She joined the rest of the group outside and motioned to the male Nymphs. They smirked and gave her bedroom eyes, which made Xaera giggle and roll her eyes, but she smiled all the same. Marching to where she was directing them, both men stood still as she drew upon her magic.

The yellowish Troll magic burst into being, wreathing her arms as she called upon it. It obeyed her bidding, the runes for the Obsidian skin spell coming into being. In a few seconds, she had the first spell formed and placed it over Patrok. Wasting no time, she brought the same spell back into her hands before firing it at Vahlen.

The moment each spell touched them, the Nymphs’ skin hardened and turn black. Both men were a little perturbed at the transformation that was happening, but neither one resisted it. In a few seconds, both men were encased in the spell, their skin shining in the sunlight. When they turned to look at each other, they were shocked at what they saw.

“This ... wow! We look like living stone!” Patrok told Xaera as he flexed his hand experimentally. Vahlen nodded as he looked at his friend with a sense of awe at their transformation.

“That’s more or less the point. To turn your skin into living stone, so neither of you can be hurt by anything that would rend flesh,” Xaera stated.

“You have tested it against Dark Magic?” Patrok asked.

“Not defensively. But I decked the Dark Nymph while in stoneskin form. It was enough to send the bitch flying,” Xaera giggled.

“How strong is this form?” Patrok wondered. In answer, Xaera picked up a nearby stone and lobbed to Patrok. The Nymph caught it easily and held the stone in his hand, rolling on his palm. His eyes caught Xaera’s, and she smirked before speaking her mind.

“Crush it.”

Mildly surprised by her command, Patrok tried his luck, anyway. He held the stone in one hand and squeezed gently. As nothing was happening, he squeezed harder, and the stone fractured, before disintegrating in the Nymph’s hand. Patrok was shocked at this, not expecting to have the raw strength to crush a rock into sugar!

“Convinced?” Xaera asked with a chuckle.

“Um ... yes!” Patrok gasped, thunderstruck, yet delighted with this new power he had.

“Take care, though. Obsidian skin will eventually fade away, so if you see a chance to crush anything that could hurt anyone here, do not hesitate,” Xaera told them.

“OK, kids! You all ready to go?” Jason asked as he stepped out of the house.

“Yup! Just waiting on your sorry ass to get here,” Sheena quipped as she giggled to herself. Jason walked on by her and pinched her ass, making her yelp. Everyone guffawed at this, and Sheena glared at her boyfriend.

“Punish me for that later, if you wish,” Jason laughed. Sheena’s gaze narrowed, and a smile bloomed on her face.

“You’re going to be sorry you said that,” Sheena giggled, fixing her man with an evil gaze.

“Luke, you got your drones going?” Jason asked, tapping his ear and raising his friend on a comms bud.

“Look above the house,” came the reply. Jason looked up, and he saw all three drones hovering above the roof.

“How is he controlling three of those things at the same time?” Sheena wondered.

“He says that he has a basic program in each drone that allows it to fly independently of his control. Luke monitors all three of them and makes any necessary adjustments and course corrections as he needs to,” Jason informed her.

“He can hear us?” Phalmina questioned.

“Like you were right there in the room with him,” Jason stated. “Everyone got their runestones?”

Hearing everyone chime in with a yes, Jason then bent over and picked up a pair of blank stones. Drawing upon his magic, Jason formed runes of protection upon the stones. Once the runes were formed, he filled the runes with the protective magic of Gaia, then sealed the magic within them. He then handed one stone to Patrok and the other one to Vahlen.

“Keep these on you at all times. The magic from the runestones will give you an additional layer of protection from Dark Magic,” Jason informed the Nymphs.

“Thank you!” Patrok replied with a grateful smile.

“You’re welcome! All right, let’s get going!” Jason called out.

Everyone turned towards the forest and walked over the barrier, heading for the spot they stopped at the day before. The group kept their defensive magics up, half expecting an ambush. Nothing came at them or accosted them as they made the quick jaunt to the burned ground. Once they arrived, the group was surprised to see that no Dark Magic lingered in the areas, nor had it taken root in what they razed.

“Is it just me, or does the foreboding around here feel ... less than it was before?” Sheena wondered.

“You’re not wrong there. It feels like the ground is ... bare ... clean ... I don’t know any other way to describe it,” Phalmina replied.

“The scorched earth tactic seems to be working! I sense no Dark Magic in the soil! It’s only coming off the surrounding forest!” Felicitae/Amy responded.

“Then let’s keep burning! The less Darkness there is here, the less power Dark Magic has to draw from!” Xaera stated.

Without any further prompting, the group got to work. Sheena brought out a small flame to draw from with her shamanistic magic. Jason drew upon the flame, as his arms were wreathed in Gaia’s magic. Drawing deeply from it, runes came into being around his arms and pure flame encased them.

Jason then raised his arms and slammed them down on the ground, kicking up a small shockwave from the impact. Fire erupted from his arms, engulfing the corrupted foliage in front of him. When he stood up again, his arms were still encased in the fiery mass of energy. Even Sheena, who had been raised with Gaia’s magic and had seen in action, was both impressed and a little turned on by her lover’s display.

“Easy there, Jay! Save some of that enthusiasm for the battle ahead,” Phalmina told him as she flitted to his shoulder before planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Just testing out some new theories is all,” Jason grinned.

“Care to share those theories?” Eva asked, similarly impressed by what Jason had just done.

“Keep a sharp eye on the runes I use. I’ll demo each idea as we go,” Jason told the Druidess.

The Gaians moved forward, keeping their magic at the ready as they burned down the fetid corruption. As per the plan, Darren hung back, supported by Daelina, while Elizabeth and Karla stayed on the other side of the barrier. Phalmina and Emalia stayed aloft, keeping their eyes peeled for incoming threats while helping with the purge. Xaera lent her aid as well, while the Nymphs stayed close to the center of the group.

Jason, of course, took point with Sheena, using what fire magic she conjured to aid him in his casting. Sheena wasn’t idle though, as she too had some gnarly spells of her own to put to use. Eva and Amy, who was now in charge of her body again, mimicked the pair in front, using their magic in a similar fashion. They burned through a good chunk of the rotted foliage, pushing a fair way ahead, before they even heard anything coming for them.

“Guys, you’ve got incoming!” Luke warned over the earbuds.

“I hear them coming!” Daelina called out, warning the group of the impending attack.

“As do I! Sounds like those damned children again!” Sheena grumbled.

“I hear something else too! Sounds like ... wolves!!!” Phalmina shouted in warning.

Not a second later, a pack of wolves and coyotes burst out of the underbrush, charging the Gaians. Thanks to Phalmina’s warning, they were ready for the attack and brought their spells to bear. As the animals moved against them, Jason couldn’t help but note how drawn and emaciated these poor beasts were. The darkness had surely corrupted them as it had the children, so ending them was a mercy.

The animals were quickly incinerated, many of them burning down to ash before they even got close to the group. They attacked with no hesitation and no mercy, looking only to end the lives of the offending Gaians, no matter the cost. What they did not understand was that they stood no chance of fulfilling the command of their mistress. The Gaians were on guard and not letting one of them through.

The last of the group, a massive hulking brute, leaped to tear Sheena’s throat out, but Jason intercepted the beast. He caught it by the throat with both hands and held it aloft, letting his flame wreathed arms do all the work. The wolf snapped at Jason, trying to bite his arms, but all that did was light the creature’s snout on fire. Seconds later, the beast was engulfed in flames and burned down into nothing, coming apart in Jason’s hands.