Chapter 82

At four in the morning, Tim woke and felt someone having breakfast, raised the covers, and saw Miss C, smiling back at him. After she had finished, he made his way to the shower; afterward, he slipped into his sweatpants and made his way to fitness room 512 to get his morning workout done. He wondered what Deniece had spoken about the night before, and for what purpose would Violet come to his quarters, just to have sex, or for him to help reacquire her “powers”?

After completing his workout, he returned to his living room and noticed that the women were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He walked in and kissed each of them on his way to check on the kids. Both of the kids were already awake and dressed, so he headed to the shower and saw Tammy waiting for him.

At the breakfast table, Tim asked, “Deniece, last night you mentioned something about me helping to recover a relic. Can you tell me more about it?”

“Yes, well, before the pirates arrived on this world, the fairies had magical powers. The fairy king confiscated the relic that bestowed powers upon them in the hope of preventing the pirates from abducting his people. Once the relic was gone, the fairies lost their powers.”

“So, what am I supposed to do? Should I go out there and search for that relic?”

“Daddy, Bell needs her magical powers. So, could you held her?” Wendy said as she took another spoonful of breakfast.

Tim glanced at Wendy and then at Deniece, saying, “I don’t have many options, do I?”

Both of them said, “No.” Wendy rose from her seat and hugged Tim, expressing her gratitude by saying, “Thank you, Daddy.” She left the table and made her way to her room to get ready for school.

Tim glanced at Deniece and sighed, “You see, this is all because of you. Now I have to find whatever it is to return Bell’s magic powers.”

“Tim, if you need my help, I’m willing to assist you. Perhaps you could get some of the others as well.” Tabitha smiled, thinking it was a joke.

Tim gazed at her and responded, “You are correct; you will be joining us.”

Tim’s pulse quickened as he contemplated the monumental task ahead. This was no ordinary mission—this was a quest to restore magical powers to the fairies and protect their world from the imminent threat of the pirates.

With determination etched on his face, Tim turned to Deniece and Tabitha. “We need to assemble a team,” he declared. “But first, Sarha, I need to talk to Pauline in TOC.”

Tim made his way towards the bridge, eager to gather information about the planet. He was seated when Pauline approached him and asked, “Tim, did you want to talk to me?”

“Yes, I would like to know the location of a large forest and what can be found within it.”

“Tim, there are many forests in this world. Which one are you searching for?” She asked as she stood next to him.

“I am currently unsure, but we must locate the correct one.”

Pauline called Sarha and asked, “Could we send out probes to search the entire planet for a large forest? It could be near the fairies’ village that we are associated with.”

Sarah appeared in front of Tim and Pauline. “I will send out four probes, and we will begin scanning from a height of thirty miles. Once we find something that might interest you, we’ll bring them closer for a better look.”

After some time, Sarah appeared in front of Tim. “Tim, I’ve come across something peculiar in a specific area of the planet. It’s located within a fifty-mile radius of the village.”

Tim straightened his posture in his seat and inquired, “Sarha, could you please clarify what you are discussing?”

“Well, as one of the probes passed over a dark spot on the surface, I thought it might be a forest. So, I lowered the probe, but as it got closer, the amount of information being received from that area decreased. I have sent the probe into the area, but I have not received any communication from it.”

“Sarha, what is the size of this area? Is there another probe nearby that I can use to observe this location?”

“I am currently sending another probe, which will arrive in approximately one minute. Would you like to send it in and search for the first one?”

“No, keep it above the area; let’s see what is happening.”

Tim gazed at the screen and observed a significantly expansive, shadowy region. “Sarha, could you please position the probe over the exact location where the first probe entered the area?”

The probe remained suspended over the spot while something was happening to it. The anomaly did not register on any of the instruments, but the probe started descending and experiencing a loss of power, leading to distorted information.

Soon after, the second probe smoothly entered the shadowy region. Sarah said, “Tim, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what is happening to the probes. Should I send another probe?”

“Yes, please send another one, but ensure that it is positioned significantly higher than the current location. Please try to determine the extent of the darkness.” Tim turned in his seat and said, “Could you please prepare the MTS? I am going to speak with either Mr. Johnson or Violet.” Tim required information regarding the obscure region and clarification regarding the probes’ malfunction.

Tim was transported to the fairy village after departing from the MTS. Standing outside his residence, Johnson excitedly anticipated Tim’s arrival. Sitting on a tree stump outdoors, they conversed.

“Could you kindly tell me more about the area about fifty miles away from where we are now?” Tim said. “On top of that, I’m wondering why our probes in that area were unsuccessful.”

“The dark forest” is the name given to the place you mentioned, and Johnson waited a second before responding. The dark fairies that live there are the inspiration for the name. In that place, only magic and sheer power will do.

“Why did the king go in there, and why isn’t he here?” Tim sat there, wearing a puzzled expression on his face.

“The king decided to take it in because he believed it would be secure. As for his presence here, he cannot return without the relic.”

“I don’t understand why someone hadn’t gone into the dark forest and retrieved him and the relic.”

“Going in is the easy part; getting out is the hard part.” Despondently, Johnson remained seated.

Sitting there, Tim, started his strategy for extracting the king and the relic. Tim turned to Johnson and inquired. “Can I give it a shot?”

He inquired, “Why would you attempt to recover our king and the relic?” with a look of amazement on his face.

“Because it’s the moral thing to do, and in addition, Violet and Bell desire the return of their magic.” He grinned.

Johnson said, “But you must know that no one has returned from there. You are going to offer to do that for our people?”

“Yes, and we’ll bring back your king and the relic. You have my word.” Tim got up and headed back to the MTS.

Tim entered his office and called for Tabitha, Tammy, Shanae, Tawni, Pauline, and Connie.

About half an hour later, they were all sitting in his office wondering what he was up to. Tim looked at each and said, “Ladies, the fairies need our help. Their king and the relic that controls their magical powers have been hidden in a dark forest. It seems that I have volunteered to go find the king and the relic.”

Each girl looked at the others and then at Tim and said, “OK, what seems to be the problem?” Asked Connie. The other girls nodded their heads, wanting to know too.

Pauline asked, “Tim, why hasn’t the king brought the relic back?”

Tim sat there with a blank look. “No one knows if he is alive or dead, or where he placed the relic.”

“So, what are our options? Investigate what occurred there.” Tabitha asked.

Tim looked around and said, “Yes, that’s what we are going to do. I need volunteers; you have to understand; as far as Johnson is aware, no one has returned.”

“But, Tim, you can’t die; Tabitha, Tammy, and Shanae heal fast. What are we here for?” Asked Connie.

Tim looked at her and said, “Teleporting ability: none of our electronics will work inside the dark area, so we have to use our ability.

“So now I get to let the gorilla in me out,” Pauline said with a smile.

“Yes, to both of you, we may need all the help we can get,” Tim replied.

The girls looked at each other and all nodded their heads. Each said, “Yes, I’ll go.”

“OK, we’ll meet at the MTS in an hour.” Each of them exited the room knowing they were about to enter a different sort of battle.

Tim and the girls were taken to the outskirts of the dark forest. Johnson, Violet, and Bell were waiting for them. “Tim, you don’t have to do this,” Violet remarked. “We’ve gone this long without our magical ability, and we can go much longer.”

Tim thanked them for coming out, but they now had a job to do. They would see them later, with the relic and the king if possible.

The group experienced an unusual occurrence as they neared the dark forest; it was as if someone had placed a speck of ice on their bare back. As we drew nearer, it became stronger.

As Tim felt his nano-bots start to become active, he glanced around and saw that everyone was looking at him with a peculiar expression on their face. As he enters the dark border of the forest, where the heavy canopy of trees towers above him, he can sense something strange in the air.

After about six feet into the forest, the darkness grew so intense that Tim could not see five feet in front of him. He yelled out to Tawni, who was just a few feet behind him, and said, “Could you see if your friends might be able to light up our pathway?”

Tawni gazed at her fingertips. She asked, “Friends, I need your assistance.” All eyes were fixed on her as best as they could see, and a flame materialized on the tip of her finger. It started to move around as if struggling to maintain its brightness. It lasted about two minutes, and the flame began to dim and finally faded away.

Tawni heard a collective gasp from the people around her. Suddenly, a flicker of light reappeared on her fingertip. This time, they witnessed the mesmerizing sight of three flames gracefully intertwining, merging into a single, magnificent blaze.

With flames dancing on her fingertips, Tawni confidently moved ahead of Tim, revealing a narrow pathway that lay before them. With every step they took, the sound of tree branches breaking under their feet resonated through the air. Ahead of them, there were screams. The pitch of the screams was unlike anything that had ever been heard from a human or animal. It sends shivers down their spines.

Tim paused and gathered the girls around him, then proceeded to take out a rope. He tied one end of the rope around Tawni’s waist and then looped it around himself. Hand it to Tabitha and instruct each girl to do the same. He stated, “In this manner, nobody will be able to get lost or stopped without the knowledge of the rest.”

“Okay, let’s proceed cautiously,” Tim said. Tawni turned, and as the flames moved, they created a path about a foot ahead of her. This illuminated a three-foot area, enabling her to see the ground and anything hanging from the trees.

Tabitha and Tammy, to ensure their footing, extend their claws. Connie is positioned behind them, while Pauline brings up the rear.

Tawni abruptly let out a scream and abruptly stopped. Upon hearing the scream, the others came to a halt. Tabitha turned to her left and attentively surveyed her surroundings, while Tammy mirrored her actions, directing her attention to the right side. Pauline turned around and remained vigilant, keeping her eyes wide open, focused on what was behind her.

Tim approached Tawni, who was pointing downwards. There were four bodies, their limbs scattered, and expressions of shock frozen on their faces. Tim surveyed his surroundings and noticed that there was no evidence of a fight. The people present appeared to have witnessed something alarming, but for some reason, they remained motionless as they were mercilessly attacked.

Tim turned towards the girls and addressed them, saying, “As you pass by, pay attention to those individuals who hesitated to take action. We need to ensure that this does not happen to us. Now, let’s move on.” Tim reminisced about similar moments, recalling instances from different planets during various wars.

As the girls walked by, they glanced around and observed their surroundings. Some of them were experiencing something like this for the first time. Connie clutched her stomach, desperately hoping to avoid falling ill. They were curious about the possibility of finding themselves in a similar situation.

The flames exerted their utmost effort to maintain the brightness of the lighting. However, after approximately thirty minutes in the darkness, Tawni needed to give them a break. Everyone took a seat and formed a circle, making sure that their backs were turned towards each other.

Tim asked, “How is everyone feeling?” as he had his nano-bots increase his hearing ability. The girls each said, “They were doing ok,” each sounding a little unsure of themselves.

Tim’s nano-bot hearing detected a faint sound emanating from the faraway trees. The sound resembled birds taking flight, likely due to some sort of disturbance around them.

Tim leaned against Tawni and asked, “Are your friends able to come back out and light the way?”

Tawni gracefully raised her finger, causing the three flames to come together and elegantly dance as one. Tim ensured that all individuals were up and had established connections before declaring, “All right, everyone, it’s time to proceed and remain vigilant.”

They stumbled through the dark forest, feeling as if they were going around in circles. Something sprang from the darkness and hit Tim across the chest. Tim said, “Stop, down.” The group froze in their tracks, straining their eyes to catch a glimpse of what had attacked Tim. The sound of heavy breathing filled the air, sending shivers down their spines as they anxiously waited for any sign of movement.

Tawni quickly turned towards Tim, holding the flame, eager to find out why he had urgently called for them to halt. She observed a peculiarly shaped spear jutting out from his right shoulder. The object was made from wood, measures approximately two feet in length, and has a thickness of about one inch.

Tawni’s eyes widened in shock as she realized the spear had pierced through Tim’s flesh. Concerned, she carefully examined the wound, noticing traces of blood staining his shirt and a grimace of pain on his face.

Tim looked at her and said, “Tell the others to keep their eyes open.”

Tawni nodded in understanding, her mind racing with worry. She quickly relayed Tim’s message to the rest of the group, emphasizing the urgency and reminding them to stay vigilant.

She turned to Tim and inquired, “Would you like me to remove it, the bleeding has stopped.”

Tim nodded and reached for something to bite into. He didn’t want whoever threw that object to be aware that it had hit someone.

Tawni made a face as she pulled the spear from Tim’s right shoulder and threw it to the ground.

Tim sat still; his senses heightened as he detected a sound approaching their location. In the dim glow of the flames, Tim noticed another spear hurtling towards them. Reacting swiftly to the heightened speed of the nano-bots, Tim swiftly reached out and grabbed the spear just before it could strike Tawni.

Concerned for their friend, the flames swiftly retraced the path of the spear. Within less than a minute, a series of screams abruptly ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence. Once again, flames flickered and danced at Tawni’s fingertips.

Tawni examined Tim’s shoulder and observed that it had fully healed. She thanked him for saving her life and turned and said, looking at her fingertip, “My friends, I thank you also. Now shall we move on?” As she stood.

As they venture further into the depths of the dark forest, a monstrous creature emerges ominously from the shadows, emitting deafening roars and menacing snarls. Tim swiftly positioned himself in front of Tawni, anticipating the creature’s next move.

The creature charged toward Tim and the others, Tim yelled, “Down!!!” At the same time, he ordered his nano-bots to give him strength and speed.

As the creature charged headfirst, Tim reached out and grabbed an arm, with all the strength the nano-bots could give him. He pulled the arm and turned to his left, pulling the creature with him. Within seconds the creature was headed back in the direction it had come from. Tim at the same time redirected the creature’s body toward a large tree.

After lying motionless for a few seconds, the creature rose once more and proceeded to approach Tim. Its eyes glowed with an eerie intensity as it closed the distance between them, and its movements were slow and deliberate.

Tim was ready to do the same maneuver again. The creature abruptly halted and swiftly swung its arm towards Tim, causing him to be forcefully thrown to the left. As Tim hit the ground, he felt a searing pain shoot through his chest. Gasping for breath, he realized that the creature possessed an unimaginable strength.

He stood and moved toward the creature. The creature stood on its hind legs, raised his arms over his head, and brought them down where Tim had been standing a moment earlier. With the creature’s head right in front of him, Tim punched him in the jaw.

The creature’s lips twisted, its nostrils flared, and it began to breathe loudly as it glared at Tim, a look of wrath on its face. Tim could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he locked eyes with the creature, its anger emanating from every pore. The intensity of the moment made it clear that any wrong move could trigger a violent outburst from the beast.

Tim urgently called out to Tawni, “I need a distraction!”

The other girls observed the ongoing fight, aware that Tim would reach out to them if he required their assistance.

Tawni extended her hand, saying, “Friends, I need your help.” The flames were on her fingertips in an instant. “I need you to help, my friend,” she murmured to the flames, “He needs time to do something, could you help?”

As she reached out her fingertips, flames emerged, and they moved forward, heading towards the creature’s head. The flames swirled around his head, resembling the way flies buzz around sugar. He tried to prevent them from coming near his face. The creature frantically waved its arms, desperately attempting to swat away the fiery tendrils. Despite its efforts, the flames persisted, dancing just out of reach, as if taunting the creature with their elusive nature.

While the flames reveled in their encounter with the creature, Tim expressed his desire to the nano-bots to surpass the size of this creature. He began to grow rapidly, reaching a height of twelve feet. With his newfound size, strength, and speed, he felt prepared to confront the creature.

While Tim was preparing for the creature, the girls were under attack. From in front of them, three spears emerged from the darkness. Two of them fell short of the girls, but the third one lodged itself in Tammy’s left leg. In agony, she let out a piercing scream and instinctively clutched her leg.