Chapter 33

At the house where the Gaians had made their home, the group that was there was in a deep discussion about what the next logical step was.

“So, the materials we need for constructing a spellforge are?” Jason asked.

“We need enough iron, silver and moonstone to amount what would be an anvil’s weight in each material. Then we need the magical power of at least one sorcerer or someone of equivalent power to activate the spell. Not to mention some of these other items that I have no idea where we’ll get them today,” Xaera told him.

“Hmm. May I?” Jason queried, and Xaera moved aside to let him have a look. He perused the page of the tome, making sure that he was reading them correctly.

“OK, so those materials we will need for certain. There seems to be an additional list here ... but these are ... what?” Jason questioned.

“I’m just taking a guess here, but that looks to me like those are optional materials. Something to be added in the crafting to the spellforge?” Darnell wondered.

“Not a bad guess, babe, but that’s not it. If I’m reading this correctly, appears to be part of another component to create the spellforge. Those initial materials are for the anvil,” Aaliyah told them.

“How do you know that?” Sheena asked, curious about how she’d figured it out so fast.

“One of the main languages of the old world was Ancient Greek. This seems to be an older format of it. It’s a bit more archaic, but the sound of the words is pretty close,” the witch supplied.

“Then please, give this a read and tell us what it says!” Jason told the woman as he stepped back to let her peruse the book.

Aaliyah smiled in excitement as she walked over and looked down at the tome. She picked up a pair of latex gloves that were sitting in a box just inside her reach. After she put them on, Aaliyah placed her hands on the book, reading everything.

“OK, this part down here that looked like it was optional was not. It is a list of what is needed to help activate the spellforge on the ground it stands on. Once it is all in place, then the spells need to be spoken. You were right about them needing to be spoken by someone of great power, Xaera,” Aaliyah confirmed.

“Thank the ancestors I got that right! I was wondering if I flubbed a few things when what I was reading didn’t make proper sense,” the troll woman replied.

“It’s OK. This particular variant of Ancient Greek seems to be of in a category all its own! I’ll admit that even I’m having a tough time keeping it all straight!” Aaliyah admitted.

“Maybe the Artificier wanted it that way? So in case the wrong kind of people got one of these books, no one but him or one of his students could read it?” Darnell offered.

“That makes logical sense to me! Were I that guy, it’s what I would have done!” Jason agreed.

“I am curious about how it is you were able to read this book! Not everyone can read ancient languages like I can,” Aaliyah wondered.

“A Gaian trait that is unique to those with a direct link to Gaia. Druids and Shaman can read any language that was spoken. This particular one was a hassle, even for me,” Phalmina admitted.

“And I took the time to read many books during my time spent outside of my cave. My friends were kind enough to ... borrow books from a ... library?” Xaera replied.

“Libraries are a wonder, that much is certain! So much knowledge at your fingertips, you wish you could learn it all!” Aaliyah smiled, happy to have found a fellow bookworm in the troll woman.

“OK, so we have the list of what we need?” Sheena questioned.

“Looks like we do! It looks like this is going to get a little costly! Some of these materials aren’t cheap!” Darnell stated as he looked over the list his wife had compiled.

“When it comes to things that the Artificier made, he spared no expense. Much of what I’ve read states that he always used the best materials he could acquire. Didn’t believe in using substandard materials, apparently,” Xaera stated.

“That makes sense. You want to build something good, you do it right the first time and with the best materials you can. That way, you can be certain it will last your lifetime and possibly longer,” Jason iterated.

“You’re not wrong, babe! Gaia knows many of the things we made in our city, we made them to last. Didn’t believe in replacing things endlessly,” Phalmina told her fiancé.

“I’ve heard you refer to your city more than once. Would it be possible to visit it one day?” Jason asked.

“I ... can we talk about this later?” Phalmina implored, not wishing to talk about the home she had lost.

“Sure,” Jason replied as he dropped the subject, knowing he hit a sensitive topic. Just then, noise sounded in the house, catching everyone’s attention.

“Who’s that?” Sheena queried.

“That’ll be Luke, Karla and Ema. I gave them a ring and had them get their butts down here. Took me a few tries before they finally answered,” Jason chuckled as they left the library to go meet their friends in the living room.

“Hey there, bud!” Luke said to his friend as everyone made their greetings. “Find some new recruits there?”

“More like they found us. Luke, Emalia, Karla, meet Aaliyah and her husband, Darnell. A witch of the Defenders of Yggdrasil and a warrior of the Zulu Brotherhood,” Jason said by way of introduction.

“No way! Witches are a real thing?!?” Karla asked excitedly.

“That we are, fellow Gaian. Have been for millennia,” Aaliyah responded with an amused giggle.

“Oh, dear!! This is ... wow!! I need to ask, but can anyone become a witch? I mean, I know that for other vocations, you have to be chosen by Gaia, but what about being a witch?? I mean ... I’m sorry if I’m saying anything offensive, this is just ... wow!” Karla rambled, her excitement getting the better of her.

“It’s perfectly all right! You’re not saying anything offensive to me! In fact, it’s kind of nice to have someone fangirling over the fact that I’m a witch!” Aaliyah laughed. “But in answer to your question, I don’t know. But there is a test I can perform to see if you have the potential to become one.”

“Would you mind ... testing me?? I’d really like to see if I can become a witch!” Karla asked excitedly.

“No, I don’t mind at all. You will need to stand still for this to work,” Aaliyah told Karla.

The Danish woman did as she was told and stood shock still, waiting for Aaliyah to begin her test. Embracing the power that flowed through her and her focus, Aaliyah channeled the energies she needed and formed the spell in her mind. In moments, the spell was brought to life, and the witch directed it at Karla. The magic settled around the woman, who smiled eagerly, hoping the result would be what she hoped.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t become a witch,” Aaliyah told Karla sadly.

“What? Why not??” Karla asked, getting pouty that she wouldn’t be able to wield magic.

“In order to use magic like a witch does, you would need to have some sort of spark within you. A seed of magic, if you will, which you are either born with or not. If you are born with it, that seed can grow and become your link to the magic that saturates this world. If you don’t have it, then you can’t use magic. I’m sorry,” Aaliyah told the woman in a consoling manner.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t be of help to those like Aaliyah or your friends,” Darnell told her.

“Oh? How? How could I be of help to those who wield such amazing power? What can us normies do?” Karla scoffed.

“You can be their protector. When using magic of any sort, often, martial knowledge isn’t a part of a magic user’s training. Aside from some basics in defense, of course. But this lack of martial knowledge often leaves them vulnerable to physical attack. That’s where people like us come in,” the warrior told her.

“There is also the fact that there are things that normies can do, such as walk past and disable any defenses or traps that are set by magic users,” Aaliyah interjected.

“Wouldn’t any such traps or defenses trigger for anyone?” Luke questioned.

“You would think so, but many such magic users often only view others of their kind as any tangible threat. They often overlook normies as people who are beneath them. Most did, while few did ensure safeguards against any intruders or thieves,” Aaliyah responded.

“But even then, magic users are only a threat when at a distance. Up close and personal, that’s a different ball of wax, as most aren’t strong enough to fend off physical attacks,” Darnell explained.

“Hmm. I think that would apply in most cases, but not when it concerns Druids or Shaman,” Jason suggested.

“Those two are among the few exceptions to that rule. But the rule is still pretty solid across the spectrum,” Darnell agreed.

“You said you were a warrior of a brotherhood of sorts?” Karla asked, turning her attention to Darnell.

“That’s right. I am a warrior of the Zulu Brotherhood. Our mandate is simple, and that is to seek out those who fight for Gaia with magic, and protect them from physical harm,” Darnell told her.

“I don’t suppose your order takes female recruits?” she asked, believing it was all in the name.

“We do not. Not my rules, but the rules of the order since its founding. But there have been all female orders of warriors who did as we do. Some of which have been glorified in pop culture. I’m sure you’re familiar with Wonder Woman?” the warrior asked with a smirk.

“Of course I’m familiar with Wonder Woman! I’m not only about women taking center stage for once in media, but I’m also a huge geek! Or, geekette. Whatever! But ... Amazons were real?” she asked, looking at the man.

“They were. Many of them were powerful and feared warriors, many of whom are hallowed as great heroines of ages past. Hippolyta, for instance, was once such heroine,” Darnell answered.

“There is much that is debated about Hippolyta and even a lot more that is unknown of her. Aside from the myths that you find in libraries or older texts,” Karla replied.

“Oh, there is more about that woman and her exploits. A lot more, which is documented in the Brotherhood’s archives,” he told her. “But the point is that there were women who proved to be warriors that would outshine even the men of that era. So you becoming such a protector isn’t out of the question.”

“Well, that works for me! Even though I may not be inducted into your brotherhood, do you think we could train together?” Karla asked, hoping that he’d say yes. Darnell smiled and bowed his head before he gave his response.

“I would be honored.”

“Do you think you could train me, too? I mean, if it’s not too much trouble?” Luke asked, catching Darnell’s attention.

“Interested in becoming a protector yourself?” Darnell chuckled with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Well, yeah! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a badass warrior of a secret brotherhood charged with protecting Gaia’s followers?” Luke questioned.

“Well, if you are interested in training with me, just know that the training won’t be easy. It will be long, difficult and there will be days you will want to give up and go crying home to your mother,” Darnell warned.

“I have had a life that would be considered soft by many accounts. While it is an enjoyable one, it is also one that presents me with little in the manner of a physical challenge. I want something in it that challenges me for once,” Luke replied.

“Good answer! We will sit down and discuss the things that need to be done if you wish to train under me,” Darnell told the pair.

“Whatever training is happening, I think it will need to wait until we deal with a situation that has cropped up,” Elizabeth said out loud as she walked in on the group, taking off her jacket.

“Liz! Didn’t expect to see you back here so soon!” Jason replied in surprise.

“Well, we didn’t expect to run into a trap that was set to take down anyone who tripped it at my friend’s shop,” the woman told Jason in a huff.

“But we did learn about what became of her and how she may yet be freed,” Amy replied as she walked in on Elizabeth’s heels.

“And, we’ve made ourselves a new ally,” Daelina stated with a smile, as she stepped aside to admit Dominique.

“Neeq?!?” Luke gasped as he saw his high school girlfriend walk into the room.

“Luke! What are you doing here??” Dominique breathed, catching sight of her old boyfriend.

“Helping out an old friend with some things! You remember Jason?” Luke stuttered a little, still in shock at seeing this woman here, in real life, when he had believed her dead and gone.

“Jason! Sheena!! You two are helping out a fellow witch?” Dominique asked in surprise at seeing two good friends there with Luke, recognizing the power that Aaliyah wielded.

“Seeing as she’s a Gaian, like us, it’s kind of how we roll, you know?” Sheena replied.

“Wait, what?? You’re ... both Gaians?” Dominique gaped, thinking it impossible.

“Yup! First of the new Druids of Gaia,” Jason stated, giving a brief display of his power to show the woman he was legit. Sheena too, made a display of her own abilities, calling upon Wolf for but a moment.

“This is ... I’m just ... how ... what...” the woman said, breathing heavily.

“A lot to take in! Trust me sister, I know! So, what coven are you aligned with?” Aaliyah asked, trying to see where Dominique stood on the spectrum of dark and light.

“Unaffiliated, at the moment. Too many covens out there dip too much into the dark for my tastes. Especially since that new power showed up a couple days ago,” she stated.

“You felt it too?” Aaliyah queried, wondering how much this woman knew.

“Well ... yeah! Power of that magnitude, you don’t just ignore, unless you’re a blind fool!” Dominique scoffed.

“Agreed, but who are you, exactly?” Phalmina asked, feeling left out of the conversation.

“Oh, apologies! Where are my manners! My name is Dominique Rivard. I was friends with Jason, Sheena and Luke together at school,” she replied, introducing herself.

“I thought you looked familiar! We went to the same school! Was a grade or two below you, but still!” Elizabeth enthused, snapping her fingers in remembrance.

She wasn’t the only one who realized who Dominique was. Karla’s and Emalia’s minds clicked, realizing that she was the woman who Luke had thought lost all those years ago. On reflex, they closed in on Luke protectively, subconsciously letting Dominique know to keep her hands to herself. Given with how Luke had felt about this woman in the past, they thought they needed to establish where they stood.

“You said that a situation had just cropped up, Liz. What kind of situation?” Jason asked.

Elizabeth then filled the group in on what happened at the spiritual shop. They were appalled at what happened to Valerie and were likely still happening to her. Aaliyah and Darnell were shocked that a seasoned witch like Valerie could have been taken and not put up a decent fight.

“She did fight, but it easily went in the Black Witch’s favor. Mainly because this girl here,” Dominique stated, gesturing to the magically bound and gagged girl, “was working for Valerie in her shop. She had gained the woman’s trust enough to where she was permitted to go and get coffee and eats when they needed them. She spiked her coffee with a potion that weakened Valerie’s mind, so she couldn’t focus.”

“Such tricks are usually resorted to when others are weaker than their adversaries. A cowardly move for certain,” Darnell growled, hating that a witch was taken unaware.

“Indeed! The question is, what do we do with this girl? She helped with putting a good witch in mortal danger, which tells me she is just as bad as her mistress,” Jason rumbled, cracking his knuckles.

“To be fair, the girl was being fortified with this,” Elizabeth told the man, showing him the amulet they had taken from her.

“Is that ... that’s ... an amulet of fortitude!!” Xaera exclaimed from the back. Everyone turned to face her and Dominique was shocked for a beat upon seeing the troll woman. Her shock wore off quickly, as she took in the sight of her.

“Half troll, half human honey. You’ll get used to seeing more oddities around this place. Especially those three in the back,” Xaera told her.

“More half trolls like you?” Dominique inquired.

“Nope. Nymphs, all three of them,” the troll woman told her.

“Wait, weren’t Nymphs supposed to be extinct??” Dominique questioned, doing a double take at this information.

“They might have been, but not anymore. Same is to be said for my kind,” Phalmina smiled as she uncased her wings and stretched them, while caressing her belly.

“You’re ... how...” Dominique spluttered, which made everyone there chuckle at her amazement.

“While it is enjoyable to see the witch lose her ish with all of this, I believe we had more pressing concerns?” Sheena reminded everyone, bringing their focus back to the girl and the amulet she was wearing.

“You make a good point! Let me have a look at that amulet,” Xaera said as she pressed forward. She took it in hand and examined it closely, ensuring that she wasn’t missing anything.

“What can you tell us about it?” Jason questioned.

“It is old. Very old. Easily from before my time and possibly from Scandinavia. The art and shape of it looks ... familiar,” Xaera replied.

“If I may?” Aaliyah queried and Xaera nodded, handing the amulet to the witch. She studied it much like Xaera had, but with a far more discerning eye. After a few minutes, Aaliyah spoke her mind.

“It is Scandinavian in origin. Easily at least second or third century, A.D. There is still a trace of magic that is on this, which is old. Possibly a remnant of the original enchantment that was placed on this amulet,” Aaliyah replied with a measure of certainty.

“Can it be used or ... reactivated?” Sheena queried, wondering if they could use such an item.

“It might be possible. I will have to study the item so I can figure out the proper incantation to do that,” Aaliyah replied.

“The only question is what do we do with her?” Jason questioned, gesturing at the girl they had captured.

“I say hand her over to me, so I can make her talk. The spirits know I am more than motivated enough to get it done,” Dominique stated vehemently.

“I would have to say no. While you are motivated, it’s clear that this is a personal matter for you, Neeq. I would suggest that someone else do the questioning, as you would likely cross a line in your quest for answers,” Sheena told her. Dominique opened her mouth to say something but promptly closed it, as Sheena had her via logic. The woman huffed in annoyance at this, as she knew that her old friend was right.

“Fine. I’ll let you have that one. What do we do then?” Dominique asked.

“She does need to be interrogated, no question. But before we get into that, I want to try something,” Aaliyah stated, as she brought her magic to the fore. She worked it into a spell, speaking a quick chant as she cast it. The magic wove its way around the girl and settled into her. Both Dominique and Aaliyah stared at what they were seeing, which appeared to be flickers of light and dark dancing within the girl.

“What is it? What does that mean?” Luke asked, curious about what the dancing motes of light and dark that emanated from their prisoner.

“It’s a sign of where the girl’s mind, heart and soul lie. Right now, she is at a crossroads in her life, as she is not fully committed to light or dark. The fact that motes are here in equal measure tells me she’s done good things, and bad things. Nothing super huge or serious in either direction, but enough to where she hasn’t picked a side yet,” Aaliyah stated as she watched the motes continue moving in and out of the girl.

“She currently favors what the dark can do for her, as she has tasted the power it can give and she wants more. But what she’s done hasn’t stained or turned her irrevocably. If she wasn’t hesitant about doing these things, then there would be no light coming off her,” Dominique filled in, further explaining things.

“So, I will question her, but also see if I can guide her away from the darkness. If she goes too far down that path, then she will do things that can’t be undone. Doing such things changes you and not in a good way,” Aaliyah told them all.

“You sure you’ll be able to handle her? I sensed some serious potential in that girl. She’s more powerful than she seems, so if you’re going to interrogate her, I’d advise some caution,” Dominique suggested.

“Darnell will be with me, so we’ll be all right,” Aaliyah smiled.

“Maybe do the cautious and responsible thing and not question her alone? As in, having more than one magic user present?” Darren recommended.

“As in, you help out with interrogating the girl?” Aaliyah wondered, thinking about taking the man up on the offer.

“No, I’m pretty sure ‘us’ helping with interrogating the girl is what Darren meant,” Daelina stated, looking up at her fiancé.

“Well, you lot aren’t going in there by yourselves, you know. I’m coming too,” Phalmina told them. “With you two there talking, she might feel like she could pull something. With the five of us, she’ll know better than to try anything.”

“I’m on board with it. What about you, babe?” Darnell asked his wife.

“I can work with it, but just the five of us. Don’t want to terrify the girl to where she won’t talk,” Aaliyah stated. With that, the five of them assumed the magical restraints holding the girl, and led her away from the group. Phalmina took them to a separate room on the ground floor, leaving the rest of them behind to chat.

“It will likely be a while before we get any usable information from the girl,” Sheena surmised.

“Which leaves us where, exactly?” Dominique questioned.

“Talking, which is a good start. You literally vanished into thin air after your escape from the psych ward of the hospital. What happened to you in those years since?” Jason asked, curious about what Dominique had been up to in that time.

“Are you ... sure you want to know ... what happened to me? You may not like what you hear,” she said with a degree of shame.

“We know what happened to you, Dominique. We found Brad and Dustin’s ... play room. We saw the files,” Luke told her. The woman’s eyes widened, and tears spilled out of them instantly. Though she had gotten past what had happened to her at the hands of those men, it still hurt. It hurt even more now, with Luke knowing what had driven her to the edge of madness.

“I don’t blame you. It wasn’t your fault,” Luke told her gently as he kneeled by her.

“I ... tried ... I ... couldn’t...” she sobbed, trying to compose herself but failing. It was then that Sheena kneeled and wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her close. The gesture surprised Dominique, but she was glad for it as she blubbered into her friend’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to explain anything to us, Neeq. We’re more than just old friends. We’re family, and family doesn’t judge each other for what happened to them,” Jason told the woman as he kneeled with his fiancée and wrapped his arms around them both. Dominique took comfort in this, finding her way through the pain and grief.

“No one blames you for the actions of two very sick and disturbed men, if they can be called that. You had no influence over what they would do to you, and you don’t have to worry about them anymore. They are going away for a very long time,” Luke told the woman, as he joined in on the group hug. Karla was right behind him, as was everyone, as they offered their comfort to a wounded soul.

Dominique sighed happily as she cried, knowing that she had picked good souls as her friends all those years ago. She just sat there, letting herself be hugged by them, grateful for the comfort they offered. Just then, something in her mind clicked, and she raised her head to stare at her friends.

“How did you know about their ... play room? The media didn’t cover that in the stories they reported,” Dominique told the men as she looked at them.

“Well ... let’s just say that ... we had a hand in taking them down,” Luke told her with a smile.

“You ... exposed them??” Dominique asked in disbelief.

“Not just me. Jason was the driving force behind finding out what sick and twisted individuals those two are,” Luke admitted, gesturing at his best friend.

“OK, pause!! I want to hear this story before I tell you all mine!!” Dominique stated with a measure of vehemence.

Luke looked over to Karla, who was looking thoughtful, before nodding her assent to her and her aunt’s role in this tale. Dominique caught the look and smiled sadly to herself. She supposed it was too much to hope that Luke hadn’t moved on in the time she’d been gone. Still, she was happy for him, as she could sense that Karla was a good woman, and she’d only let a good woman have a man as fine as Luke.

“So, where do we start, Jay?” Luke asked his friend.

“I think we start at that day where I put Brad in his fucking place, for once!” Jason stated.

“Wait, you did what?” Dominique and Sheena questioned, looking at Jason.

“I put the fucker in his place. Almost laid him out, except that he took off like a scared little kid in his truck with his buddies,” Jason said nonchalantly.

“Brad is a pretty big guy! How were you able to do that??” Dominique questioned.

“Druidic power, honey. Even the most newly awakened of Druids gain physical attributes and strength levels that are on par with, say ... Captain America,” Sheena told Dominique, who was unfamiliar with Gaian power and how it worked.

“Damn!! I would have loved to see you do that to him!!” Dominique giggled, while Sheena looked at her man lustfully.

“So, back to the story,” Luke said, getting everyone’s attention. “It was after that little incident that Brad went and complained to the woman who was employing Jason’s company, Ms. Carlotta Van DerBrandt.”

The story was told in complete detail, with Jason trying to get his job back, but failing. Then there was the whole bit of the darkness that was coming off Brad, which prompted Jason’s investigation. How he dragged Luke into it, as they both wanted revenge on the asshole, then what they had found in the Gerkie men’s home.

The thing that surprised Dominique most was who Carlotta was, before she’d become a respectable business mogul. She’d seen a few vids of the woman Carlotta was, Lillith Black, and could tell that the woman was really into what she was doing. She then glanced over at Karla and figured that if this woman had even a tenth of her aunt’s ... enthusiasm, then Luke truly lucked out!

“Damn!! I’d say that you guys did the whole world a fucking favor by taking these assholes out! Especially since others were being hurt like I was...” Dominique sniffled.

“As far as we’re concerned, the only people who are being hurt are them, when they meet their three-hundred-and-fifty-pound fiancé named Duke,” Jason chuckled evilly. This caused everyone to break out into a fit of laughter at the thought of it, and they couldn’t help themselves. It took a few minutes until the laughter died down to where they could talk and not burst into a fit of giggles.

“Well, we’ve told you the story of what happened with them. Now, we’d like to hear yours,” Sheena told her friend.

“Well, since you already know the unpleasant part, I can pick it up right after I got out of the psych ward. I know my parents were trying to do the right thing for me, but that wasn’t the place to do it. Not only were the drugs fucking up my mind, but I was pretty sure that some of the orderlies working there were just as bad as Dustin and Brad. That’s why I broke out and ran as fast as I could,” Dominique began.

“I did go home, but only when my mom and dad were off at work. I broke in, grabbed some clothes, and scrounged for whatever money they had around the house. After everything that happened, I couldn’t stay. Both my parents were in denial about what happened, even though the evidence was plain as day,” the witch went on.

“Why would someone deny what had happened to their own children?!?” Emalia asked, incredulous about the whole idea of it.

“It is a parent’s job and duty to protect their children. When things occur outside of their sphere of influence, they feel like they should have been able to stop it. Denying it happened is a coping mechanism that some parents use, consciously or subconsciously. To accept that such a thing happened would be like admitting that they failed as a parent. That they couldn’t stop their children from getting hurt,” Karla stated.

“That’s right! That’s exactly right!! You go to school for something like that?” Dominique questioned.

“Been taking classes to become a psychologist. Working for my auntie helps pay the bills,” Karla replied with a shrug and smile.

“Smart girl! Anyway, after I left my parents’ place, I also left the country. I was old enough to have my own passport by then, so I hopped on the first bus to anywhere and left. With what had happened to me, I just ... couldn’t stay. So I traveled around, with no destination in mind, just trying to find a direction, a purpose,” Dominique continued.