Gaia's Champion Ch. 36

Jason woke up to the early morning light bathing his face. The Druid yawned and stretched, feeling deliriously wonderful from the night before. Sheena had been an utter succubus the night before, which always left him grinning. His lady was still asleep, as she was still curled up beneath the blanket, snoozing contentedly.

As he came to full wakefulness, Jason could feel the blood rush to his loins, giving him an impressive boner. Groaning with the apparent pressure, Jason felt like he could go again and when he thought about it, he knew he could. Despite the fact that Sheena had drained him dry, becoming a Druid was akin to being on Viagra, minus the negative side effects, all day, every day.

He tried to will the erection away, but there were times it appeared to have a mind of its own. This was one of those times, as his mind wandered to images of Sheena naked, sweating and panting in lust. It quickly conjured up additional images of her tits bouncing as he laid into her. Jason knew he needed to get some and hoped that Sheena was up for it.

Not only had Sheena gone full on cockslut on him the night before, be he too, had been an unholy beast to her. Somehow, he like he had become a mix of demon and incubus, which he knew drove Sheena nuts! While he was tempted to just take her as she was resting, he knew that to be flat out rude and inconsiderate.

Jason leaned in and kissed Sheena gently, earning him a pleased moan as the woman sighed, slowly waking up. He continued to kiss her until her eyes fluttered open, making the Shaman squee in delight at waking up like this! Sheena then kissed him back, more than happy to be woken up like this.

"Good morning, handsome!" Sheena peeped, grinning like an idiot.

"Good morning, beautiful! Glad to see you in a good mood this morning!" Jason smiled.

"After a night like last night, who wouldn't be?" Sheena giggled.

"Good point! Feel like being happy again, like last night?" Jason offered.

Without another word, Sheena pasted her face to his, kissing Jason with an ardent fervor. Jason grinned inside as he knew that the one thing that hadn't changed about Sheena was her love of sex. Especially morning sex, as it was her most favorite thing to start off her day! The redheaded Druid was more than happy to oblige, as his cock twitched in anticipation.

As they kissed, one of Jason's hands went to his lady's impressive rack, cupping and feeling each tit. His other hand slid its way down her body, reaching for the treasure between her legs. Jason took his time though, as it was still early-ish and he wanted this to be a slow build to their climax.

Sheena shivered delightedly as she felt Jason's hands on her body. She knew that this man was hers, as he was able to make her feel thrilled and exhilarated, like it was their first time. Sheena didn't know how this was possible, but she knew it to be a certifiable fact. She also remembered when her mother told her that if she ever found a man like that, to hold onto him as such matches were insanely rare.

The woman had every intention of heeding her mother's advice, as she felt her quim being stroked and teased by Jason's fingers. Sheena's ardor shot up through the roof, taking her by surprise with how quickly her body escalated things. Biting her lower lip, Sheena responded by moving her hands along Jason's body, searching for his cock. She found it pretty quick, as the monster was raging hard and throbbing with need.

"Oh... my... Gaia! Looks like... someone was very... happy when he... woke up," Sheena breathed as Jason continued to play with her pussy.

"I could say... the same for... you! You got wet... fast!" Jason groaned as Sheena's hands on his dick was driving him wild.

"It's what you... do to me, just by... being you!" Sheena responded as Jason's digits teased her slit, sending jolts of bliss along her nerves.

"Touché! Let me do a little... something to help you... feel even better," Jason growled softly.

Sheena would have asked what he had in mind, but her answer was Jason hoisting her ass up in the air and resting it on his face. She breathed hard and her breath stuttered as Jason's mouth enveloped her pussy. Sheena hummed in appreciation as Jason ate her out. With how Jason's tongue was darting in and out of her folds, Sheena knew it wouldn't be long until he sent her to heaven.

Not one to be outdone, Sheena shifted herself to where she was fully atop Jason and lowered her head to his groin. Clutching onto his cock, Sheena opened her mouth and took the head of it between her lips, sucking gently. She could feel Jason's reaction, as he stopped servicing her for a moment to enjoy the sensation. He then went back at licking her quim with renewed vigor, seeking to make her cum.

Shivering with pleasure, Sheena continued to suck Jason off, but not with the intent of making him cum. No, she wanted that seed of his inside her and to give her the babies she had wanted for so long. Right now, all she wanted to do was making him slick enough to enter her without any issues. So, she kept on blowing her man, making the blowjob a wet and sloppy one.

Jason was beside himself as Sheena blew him. As he kept licking and sucking on her nether lips, the man was eager with anticipation. He could tell that Sheena was giving him a wet one, and he was delirious with desire. Jason just wanted to flip her over and bury his dick deep inside her, but he held off on doing that.

The Druid knew that the best way to take a woman was to have her beg/demand that you fill her. As he continued to eat out her pussy, Jason knew he was bringing Sheena close to her peak. The way she was shuddering and yipping here and there told the man as much. He kept going, paying special attention to her folds, as they were far more sensitive than most men realized.

As he kept on with this, he knew Sheena was teetering on the edge of bliss, with how she was moaning. Jason could feel Sheena's clit peeking out as he'd passed by the nub a few times, but deliberately ignored it. Now that she was right where he wanted her, Jason ended her torture and latched onto it with his lips. Once he did, he sucked on it hard, knowing this would send her over the edge.

Moments later, the euphoric high hit Sheena with all the force of a freight train at full speed. Her entire body was wracked and overcome with pleasure as she came, her pussy gushing and soaking Jason's face. Sheena knew what she did, but was too drunk on her favorite high to care at the moment. Not that Jason minded, as in his opinion, a woman's essence was the nectar of the gods.

Sheena continued to ride the wave, until she had at last fell forward, her body spent from the pleasure she had endured. After a few minutes, she shifted, then turned around, ready to apologize to Jason for bathing his face in her girl juice. What she saw made her mouth fall open as Jason scooped up her juice and put it in his mouth. He then swallowed it, grinning up at her.

"What? You know I'm more than a little bit of a freak!" Jason chuckled at her.

"I know that! I just didn't know you liked that so much!" Sheena replied.

"Let's just say that... you doing such things drives me wild!" Jason confessed.

"And I know something else that drives you wild!" Sheena replied.

The Shaman then scooted over and lined up her nethers with Jason's as she took hold of his dick. Once she had the angle right, she then backed up onto his soaking dick, bathing it in the heat of her love canal. Jason moaned in pleasure and appreciation as he watched Sheena's ass sit on his dick.

He always was an ass man, a fact which Sheena knew well and that reverse cowgirl was his favorite position. Sheena took a beat to get accommodated to him again, as he always stretched her out. After a few minutes, Sheena then started to move, and she giggled as she felt Jason's hands on her ass.

"You just had to have your hands on that ass, didn't you?" Sheena cooed as she started to ride him.

"You know me, babe! Whenever I see your ass, I can't help myself! You have one that was sculpted by Gaia herself!" Jason growled as his hands squeezed her cheeks.

"Smooth one, charming!"

Sheena kept riding Jason, eventually picking up her tempo to where her tits were bouncing hard. Using her legs to steady herself, Sheena used her hands to cup her large mammaries, keeping them from bouncing too much. The woman lost track of time on how long she rode the man before he changed things up.

He had stopped, turned her around and taken her in a proper cowgirl, holding her close as he took her. Sheena kissed him as they went at it like this, the pair of them taking their time with one another. It was a low and slow grind, one which the both of them enjoyed immensely as they continued their lovemaking.

Then going, with Sheena eventually going backward and onto her back, with Jason following her to missionary position. While it was a slow grind to the top, they could both feel themselves cresting the peak. They both knew that it wouldn't take long before they got there. Jason could feel Sheena's insides fluttering while Sheena could sense Jason getting thicker, like he was nearly ready to blow.

"Are you ready to give me babies, hon?" Sheena asked, looking up at Jason adoringly.

"I've always been ready to give you babies, sweetie! I was just waiting for you to ask me for them," Jason told her, making Sheena meep a bit.

"Then give them to me! Fill me up and make me a mother!" Sheena demanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Jason groaned as he felt the final push that tipped him over the edge.

He felt his cock explode as his balls churned out every drop of seed that he stored up. Sheena had likewise exploded with him, her own juices mixing with his inside her as they came. She shuddered as the high hit her again, but this time, was enjoying it with her fiancé. Her hand went up and caressed his face as she smiled, so happy to have found him once again after her self-imposed exile.

They stayed like this for a bit, just enjoyed the moment as it washed over them. Sheena sighed as Jason lowered himself to her and kissed her soundly. She kissed him back, always enjoying when they were joined like this, but more so at this time of day. They slowly came apart and Sheena nestled herself into Jason, falling asleep shortly afterwards.

Jason himself followed suit, joining his lady in the land of dreams. The last thought that Jason had was imagining what it would be like when the baby came. He also imagined when Sheena's breasts would get larger and fill with milk for the baby, hoping that she would let him nurse from her.

Jason came to a while later, shaking his head as his mind cleared the cobwebs away. Both of their orgasms had been intense, as Sheena woke up from her blackout not even a minute later. She yawned cutely as she came awake, and she smiled lovingly at Jason. He then leaned down to her and kissed her again, making her hum happily, before she winced.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Yeah! I think I'm going to need some rest before we do that again," Sheena confessed.

"Aw! How long?" Jason pouted, feigning the spoiled guy act.

"Oh, shush you! You get your balls emptied plenty by either me or Mina, so quit your fussing!" Sheena said in a schoolmarm voice.

"But... I want more time with you!" Jason told her, which made Sheena meep slightly as hearing this sent a bolt of desire through her.

"Oh, you... if I wasn't sore right now, I'd slam you back down to the bed and just have you! But, as it is, I can't be doing that, so I think we should head on downstairs. I think I hear someone moving about down there," Sheena stated as she slid off the bed and got to her feet.

"I'm thinking that maybe we should shower first. We're both a little sweaty and we reek of sex. Gaia knows Xaera will tease us either way, so I'd like to be moderately clean before heading down for breakfast," Jason told her.

"Good idea! I never tire of using that thing, you know!" Sheena replied with a giggle.

"Oh, I know!" Jason chuckled as he swatted her ass, making her yip and shoot him a glare that told him he'd pay for that later.

The pair ambled over to the bathroom they had both built using both modern techniques and magic. The whole thing looked like it was some sort of green cave where a hot spring would reside. In one corner sat a massive bathtub that they had used their magic to carve from an equally large granite boulder. Much of the décor was in the same red and black stone, glittering in the light of morning.

The shower was a different affair, as it was one of those fancy walk-ins that had a mosaic of white, black, and green stones for a floor. Waterfall showerheads hung from the ceiling, sitting in recesses that made it appear like it was coming out of nowhere. A solid glass enclosure, forged by magic, sat around it, making it look like it was carved from a single sheet of crystal.

The amount of work that had gone into this bathroom was a lot, but the end effect was more than worth it! The couple walked into the shower, with Jason getting the water started, as he didn't mind cold water in the mornings. Once it had warmed up enough, he beckoned Sheena to join him, and she walked through the glass door into the hot needle spray.

Feeling the hot water on her skin made her sigh, but a smile bloomed on her face instantly once she felt Jason's arms around her. Nestled in his protective embrace, Sheena cooed in bliss. This life she was living with him was the one that she had always envisioned. The only thing missing from it was one or three little ones, but with the amount of sex the pair had been having, Sheena knew babies weren't far off.

The pair stood there for a bit, enjoying each other in the moment before they got to washing up. Like the sex had been, they went low and slow, seeing no need to hurry, as they could both hear someone puttering around in the kitchen. It was likely Xaera, as that woman had taken to cooking like a duck takes to water.

Once she learned of the various ways that food could be prepped and cooked, she had become a veritable Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen. Minus the hot temper and profanities, of course! Many of the creations she had made for their meals had been like the fabled ambrosia, the sustenance of the gods!

While sitting in the shower was nice and the hot water was endless, thanks to a few runes placed on the water heater, food was required. Sheena's belly rumbled, which Jason noticed and grinned at, earning him a stink eye look. Jason kept his mouth shut and his hands up, letting her know he wasn't going to say anything.

Sheena kept giving him the eye for another minute before stopping, as Jason was prone to off handed comments around such rumbles. Just then, his belly growled like a feral beast, making Sheena jump in surprise. Jason laughed at this, more than a little amused at how easily she was scared from his stomach growling.

"Shush," she said simply.

"Not going to say anything about it! Although, I do wonder what it is that Xaera is making this morning! I think I hear... something gurgling?" Jason guessed.

Sheena made a face and listened, focusing her senses beyond the sound of the falling water impacting the mosaic at their feet. As her senses came alive, Sheena did hear something that sounded like gurgling. Was it... water? She couldn't be sure, as there was water all around her, so it was tough to discern what it was.

"I don't know. Maybe? You done?" Sheena asked as the last of the soapy water and shampoo was washed down the drain. Jason nodded, and he killed the water before following her outside the enclosure to grab a hanging towel.

Once they had dried themselves off, the pair of them headed back to their room to get dressed before heading downstairs. It was then that they could hear the sounds more clearly, which surprised them both. The smell of breakfast cooking assaulted their senses as they hit the ground floor, making them both smiled in delight.

"Oh, bless that woman's heart! She's making chicken and waffles!" Sheena squeed as she walked over to the kitchen, with Jason following close behind.

"And I smell... plums, but... spiced... oh damn!! I think she's also making gombots!!" Jason breathed as he pulled the scent of the fruit with his nose.

"Gombots? What are those?" Sheena asked.

"You remember those plum dumplings that were spiced with cinnamon and sugar that I would bring to school every now and then?" Jason questioned, hoping it would jar her memory.

"Oh, wait!! Are those that dumpling that is wrapped in a potato-based skin, boiled, then baked?" Sheena gasped, hoping she was right.

"That's the one! Ante's mom used to make those a while ago, before her and his dad, Miro, split. She would make so much that she was afraid that they would spoil before they got eaten!" Jason told her, recalling those pleasant memories.

"Yeah! I remember how Ante started bringing enough to feed all three of us for breakfast, because he had so much!" Sheena sighed.

"Only so you would stop stealing mine whenever I came to school with them!" Jason laughed good-naturedly.

"You liked sharing them with me!" Sheena snickered, and Jason nodded as they pushed the door into the kitchen open.

When the full frontal scent of what was cooking hit them, they knew their guesses had been spot on! Xaera was puttering around in the kitchen, fishing gombots out of the pot of boiling water, then dropping them in an oven plate full of breadcrumbs. Waffles were grilling on the waffle maker and the chicken was frying in a pot of oil. While it looked to be chaos in there, Xaera had everything under control.

"Hey, Xaera, need a hand?" Jason offered.

"Nope! I got this! If you really want to help, go give Mina a hand in setting the table!" the troll woman told him.

Jason turned and spied Phalmina flitting about, pulling plates and mugs off the shelves. He would have protested her doing any lifting with her being pregnant and all, but he then remembered that she was as strong as she was. Fairies weren't the weak and dainty things that legends had made them out to be. They were easily as strong as elite, spec ops soldiers and were tougher than old nails, which made them formidable opponents.

"Need a hand there, Mina?" Sheena asked as the fairy touched down by the breakfast table.

"Sure! Oh, Jason, would you be a dear and fix me a cup of coffee, please?" Phalmina asked.

"No problem, love!" Jason told her as he closed the distance and gave her a passionate good morning kiss.

Phalmina hummed appreciatively as she kissed her human fiancé back, glad to see he was in a fine mood this morning. As he broke the kiss to go and fix her beverage, she tossed a glance at Sheena, who she suspected was the source of his smile. Sheena quirked an eyebrow as she noticed Phalmina's gaze and then grinned when she saw what the fairy was mouthing.

'Double team him later?'

Sheena nodded, thinking it had been a while since they'd given the man a proper sexual thrashing. They let him do it to them for the last couple of weeks, but felt the need to own his ass once again. They loved going back and forth like this, as it kept him guessing as to what they'd try next. Though, to be fair, he had done much the same to them, always taking them and making them squeal in delight when they least expected it.

Jason came on up with the mugs in his hand, handing two of the mugs to his ladies, before bringing the third to his lips. Sheena grinned as she sipped her java, loving how he was always considerate like this. He had fixed it as she liked it, semi-sweet with three sugars and no cream. Sheena always liked it when the caffeine hit her full on, rather than the delayed bit that cream in coffee often did.

"Hmm! Looks like we have the table set for a few more guests, and that you've made enough food to feed a platoon! Someone stopping by?" Jason inquired.

"As a matter of fact, yes! You remember Felicitae said that her and the boys would be stopping by for breakfast?" Xaera reminded the Druid and Jason facepalmed himself for forgetting this.

Just as the girls finished setting the table, did they hear a knock at the back door. Jason walked over since he was the nearest to it and opened it. Just outside was the trio of Nymphs, dressed in practically nothing. This didn't surprise him in the least, as this was the default dress code of the Nymphs. Jason then stepped aside, admitting the trio into the house without comment.

"Morning kids! You got here just in time!" Xaera gushed as she finished with the last of the chicken and waffles and fished the gombots out of the oven.

"Mmmmm! Smells like you've been busy! Very busy!" Felicitae enthused as she found her way to the table. Patrok and Vahlen sat on either side of her as Xaera plonked the trays of food down on the table before doffing her apron. She joined everyone else at the table as Phalmina retrieved the coffee, sugar, and cream, placing it on the table as well.

Everyone bowed their heads for a moment, taking a beat to thank Gaia for the bounty they were about to enjoy. No words were needed, as their intent could be felt by the Earth Mother, which they could sense she appreciated. After they finished their silent thanks, they all dug into the food in front of them.

"I'd say, going by everyone's smiles, that a good deal of snu-snu happened last night," Jason chuckled as he helped himself to some gombots.

"You're not wrong!" Xaera giggled as she piled up her plate with waffles. "That Futa spell Felicitae took Phalmina through was a game changer!"

"Oh, so it worked as expected?" Felicitae asked as she munched on some piping hot chicken.

"Better than expected! I mean, it's not every day that you manage to make a fairy waddle like a duck, you know!" Xaera enthused with a grin. Phalmina abruptly buried her face in her coffee cup, blushing furiously as every looked between her and Xaera.

"Well then... maybe we should make use of that spell more often then?" Jason asked with a chuckle. "Maybe we can see about double teaming, or even triple teaming Sheena or Mina here? Gaia knows they would enjoy such a thing!"

"Jason!!" Sheena and Phalmina yipped, turning to stare at their man.

"Oh, don't feign innocence or disdain! It's obvious that the both of you are turned on by such an idea!" Jason rebuffed, which only made the ladies stutter and blush even harder. Seeing that they weren't going to win this one, not with him hitting the nail on the head as he did. So, they both busied themselves with their breakfast, while everyone else giggled at their expense.

"Damn you and your Druidic senses," Sheena grumbled, while trying to keep a secretive smile off her face.

"It's good that you are eating well, Sheena. Gaia knows that the little one you are carrying now will need all the nutrition he can get," Felicitae told her bluntly.

"Wait, what?!?" Sheena and Jason gasped at the same time. They then looked at each other and joy lit their faces, as what they had both been wanting for a while now was finally coming to pass.

"Oh! My! Gaia!!" Phalmina bubbled, excited at the prospect of Sheena joining her in motherhood. The fairy uncased her wings and flew over, giving her friend and lover a great big hug.

"How... how did you know?" Jason asked, mystified that the Nymph Matriarch knew that Sheena was pregnant to begin with.

"Oh, that's simple. It's an... ability that I have, since becoming a Matriarch. It's almost as though I can... sense such things. That's the best way to explain it really," Felicitae stated.

"So, you can sense things that have happened, which other people cannot tell?" Patrok asked, curious about the full scope of her abilities.

"I suppose, in a way, I can," the Nymph told him.

"Well, that would be super useful for anyone to have. I am curious about something, though," Phalmina stated.

"Oh? What about?" Felicitae wondered.

"Can you tell me anything about my son? I know it might be a bit early, but he's been inside of me for a couple of months almost, and..." Phalmina started.

"You'd like to know anything about him before he comes out?" Felicitae guessed, figuring out where this was going.

"Well, yes! That is, if you can sense anything about him," Phalmina replied almost sheepishly, wondering if it was offensive to even ask for such a thing. Felicitae stood up from her seat and walked over to Phalmina, putting a hand out tentatively, before asking her question.

"May I?"

"Oh, of course!" Phalmina replied, beckoning for the Nymph to come closer. Felicitae then put a hand on Phalmina's belly, with her magic doing the rest. A smile then graced Felicitae's face, as her magic got a feel of the new life growing inside Phalmina.

"He's doing well. He will come out a strong and healthy fairy boy. Though from what I can sense of him, he will be a handful and then some! What I can sense of his soul tells me that he will be a feisty one!" Felicitae giggled.

"Oh dear! Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I remember my childhood and the... antics I would get up to! Really gave my mom a lot of headaches when it came to dealing with me," Phalmina sighed, figuring that she had this coming.

"To be fair, some of that is likely coming from Jason as well. I know he was no angel growing up," Sheena snickered.

"Hey!"

"What? You were a right shit disturber at times, babe! Not as bad Darren used to be, but still!" Sheena said in a gentle rebuke. Jason huffed for a few more minutes before making a face that signaled that she was right.

"I won't argue with that. Hell, there are times where I wondered how I am still alive, with how harsh my dad was with me growing up," Jason admitted.

"Yeah! From what I remember, your dad was just as strict as both my parents put together!" Sheena stated with a fierce nod.

"I probably should give him a call sometime soon. I haven't called him in a while," Jason admitted to himself.

"How long is a while?" Sheena asked, her tone getting suspicious.

"Before I went off on the camping trip for the May long weekend," he said sheepishly.

"Jason!! Call your father!!" Sheena berated.

"OK, OK, OK! I will! But not now, as he is likely working. I'll give him a call this evening!" Jason promised.

"Good! So, what is on the agenda today?" Sheena inquired, curious if anyone had plans.

"Hmm. Well, we are expecting that shipment of metal to arrive later on today, but it won't be here until at least three," Jason replied.

"What about the rest of you? Did you have any plans for the day?" Sheena wondered.

"Nope! I had no plans, other than studying the Artificier's tome, so I can familiarize myself with the magic needed to help in creating the Spellforge," Xaera told her.

"What about the rest of you? Did you have any plans?" the Shaman asked of the Nymphs.

"Other than fucking our Matriarch into a coma, we didn't really have much else planned," Vahlen admitted, making the other two Nymphs grin like fools.

"All right! I have an idea of something that we can do, which I'm sure that we will all enjoy," Sheena stated cryptically.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Phalmina asked, wondering what idea her friend had.

"I was thinking that we all head into town, or at least the outskirts of it, and go to the farmer's market there! There are a few things that we need to get from there that we don't have yet here, like honey, tea, cheese, things like that. We can make a right proper outing of it!" Sheena enthused.

"I think that's a marvelous idea! We should get ourselves out of the house from time to time! It does no good to be stuck inside all day!" Jason agreed.

With that, everyone finished up their breakfast, eager to be out and about in the world. Jason gave Xaera a hand in getting the kitchen cleaned up, making quick work of it. Once that was done, Xaera drew from her magic and cast her Daysafe and Disguise spells, turning into the mocha skinned auburn doll once more.

Once her spells were complete, they headed over to the front door to get their shoes on as they waited for everyone else to arrive. They didn't wait long, as the ladies had helped with getting the Nymphs decked out in some clothes. Jason and Sheena had figured to get some spare clothing in the Nymph's sizes, thinking that they would need some to blend out in the world.

Even though Jason felt they shouldn't have to hide, the world as a whole disagreed. So many people out there would have called the Nymphs demons or worse, without bothering to learn the truth about them. While there were more allies out there than they thought, there were still too many intolerant types out there. Jason could only hope that as time passed, humanity would become more tolerant and accept them all one day.

He shelved that thought as the group came downstairs, all dressed up and ready for their little outing. Jason smiled as the flowy blouse and long loose skirt Sheena wore made her even more appealing. She caught his stare and smiled at him, mouthing 'Later', knowing what he had on his mind. The lot of them then stepped out to Sheena's Impala, curious about what the day itself would bring.

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The high priest Jonas had just finished his meal when his spies came into the room. He smiled, hoping for some good news, but going by the downcast looks on their faces, Jonas knew that the news was anything but good.

"Well? What have you learned?" he demanded.

"That whoever these Gaians are, they aren't going around advertising their presence. It's like they are aware we are out there, hunting them!" the small, lithe man complained.

"Our apologies, high priest, but he is correct. I know it is not what you wish to hear, but these Gaians are quite clever. They are not prone to lingering in places that we may find and expose them," the woman next to the man added.

"Was there nothing at Syme's home?" Jonas questioned, wondering if there was anything to be had on that front.

"Only lingering traces of Gaian magic, but they have since faded. As my associate has said, the Gaians are clever, and they are no fools. While the illusory enchantment that was protecting Syme's home is gone, they were careful to make it appear that all was well," the man responded.

"So, they left no traces that were strong enough to get a bearing on?" Jonas huffed, not liking what he was hearing at all.

"No, high priest. It seems like these Gaians are the investigative sort as well. There was nothing left of Syme or anything she collected in her home," the woman said dejectedly.

Now Jonas was livid, but not at them, as they had simply done the duties he had demanded of them. No, his ire was directed at the damned Gaians and the fact that they cleaned out Kathryn Syme's home of anything of value! Rumor had it that Syme was an avid collector of magical items, even if she didn't know what the item did. If those cursed Gaians had it, it just made finding them all the more important!

"What of Syme herself? Did she get herself killed?" Jonas asked, hoping that the Gaians weren't that strong yet.

"From what we could garner, she lives, but is no longer in the city. There was quite the tussle that happened at her home, though. We used our magic to deduce what had happened and know that she fought them, but ultimately lost. She had a sanctum built into the basement and... the damn thing was ruptured!" the man breathed, not quite believing what he had seen, even though his eyes had told him as such.

"WHAT?!? The sanctum of a Black Witch... was ruptured?!?" Jonas gasped, taken aback that such a thing was possible.

"Yes, high priest. If we had not seen it with our own eyes, I would not have believed it!" the woman told her master.

"Hard to believe that these are the same Gaians who decimated that entire chapter of the Sons!" the man breathed, still coming to terms with the power their adversaries wielded.

"Are you certain that this group wielded the same magics you detected at the mansion ruins?" Jonas queried.

"Yes, high priest. The feeling, the sense and even the very magic itself resonated with the exact same signature that was left behind at the former Sons' chapter house," the man told him.

Jonas huffed for a moment and sat back, thinking to himself about what was going on. Just then, a final puzzle piece clicked into place, which made this whole debacle make sense to him. Usually, when it came to encounters with the Sons of Caesar, you rarely walked away from them unless you were insanely powerful or extremely lucky. He thought about lumping the Gaians into the latter category, but understood that to do so was foolish.

The Sons weren't a group to take on more than they could safely handle, as that is what enabled them to be one of the oldest secret societies in existence. They ensured every angle was covered and that every possible ally was neutralized. Since they had been taken down fairly quickly, Jonas had to conclude that it was both the Gaians' power levels and a fair bit of luck that had allowed them to walk away alive.

Since this was the likely case, logic told the man that the Gaians had likely become more powerful as a result. Especially if they had plundered whatever the Sons had, which was a collection of artifacts that was enviable even to him. This also told the man that they weren't dealing with novitiates, but skilled combatants. What they may have lacked in skill, they obviously made up for in boldness and adaptability. Such combinations were quite dangerous!

"Dear Jonas, whatever appears to be the problem?" a silky voice questioned.

His head snapped up, and he beheld Carman walking in with her two new apprentices on her heels. The boy who had been of the Wendigo coven had adapted to his place as her apprentice and looked all the happier for it. The girl, however, still looked a bit saddened by this change. While she was only supposed to serve until Carman deemed her fit to return to her coven, it seemed the Dark Witch had changed the terms of their deal.

"It appears we have underestimated the power and skill level of these Gaians who have been making waves among the other groups out there," the high priest huffed.

"Oh? Do tell," she requested and Jonas relayed everything he was told, having already dismissed his spies. Carman listened attentively, nodding as he told her what his spies had learned.

"Well then, it seems I should step out into the world and make our presence known. Since our current methods of subterfuge aren't working, a more direct approach is needed," Carman smirked as she made to leave.

"My lady, you can't go out there! It's not safe!" Jonas yelped, worried that she would expose who she was to the world before she was ready.

"Worry not, young Jonas! I haven't been idle with my time here, you know. I have been taking the time to learn about how this world has changed from the one I knew. I am aware of how society functions in this epoch and know that displays of magic are... frowned upon. Though I will admit that some things that I have learned are quite... amusing," the woman snickered, as she remembered some of the things she had seen on the internet.

"I can imagine. At least permit me to send a small escort with you. They will be discreet and not obfuscate your search efforts," Jonas offered.

"A fine offer, but I will decline such an escort. For now, these two will be sufficient in guiding and accompanying me into the world at large," Carman stated, gesturing to her two apprentices as the three of them left his study.

Jonas smiled and nodded, knowing that it was best to simply agree with his mistress rather than angering her. If she wanted to go out into the city and search for these Gaians on her own, then so be it. Even though he wanted to send some of his men to keep an eye on her, Jonas decided against it.

That woman possessed enough raw power to nullify his own abilities and tear him apart at the cellular level if she felt so inclined. Carman's power levels were much greater than even the legends had led him to believe, which made the man smile in delight. The thing the legends didn't state was how she was as a person. Jonas had to tread a thin line when dealing with her, especially since he had his own designs.

Carman's independent attitude and demeanor were throwing a wrench into his own plans, but things remained on course, if a little rocky. All Jonas had to do was keep things as they were for now until everything he needed had arrived. Then he would be ready to take her power as his own! He kept his mind on his objective, as he needed to remain focused if he was to succeed.

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

Sheena pulled up to the farmer's market, putting the car in park as everyone came out. The Nymphs, Xaera and Phalmina stared at the place in awe, as this was a throwback to when humans would gather like this. Even though time had passed, little changed about humanity in some regards. It gave Phalmina and the Nymphs some pangs of nostalgia, as they stared at the sea of humanity conducting trade like the old days.

"Oh... my... I smell... everything!" Xaera purred, wanting nothing more than to dive into the press of people and experience what it was like firsthand.

"Easy there, Xaera! It's still early in the day, so we have ourselves plenty of time to look around and see everything!" Sheena giggled, putting her hand on the troll woman's arm.

"I know but... this is all so... amazing!!" Xaera gushed, wanting to go out there and mingle among the people there.

"I say we all stick together for this. As Sheena said, we have time, so let's have ourselves a leisurely walk while we pick up the things we need. Anything you all want to see, we will see," Jason said reassuringly.

The Gaians nodded, as they saw the point that Jason and Sheena were making. With the press of people that were making their way through the market, it would be easy to get lost in there. So, they resolved to stick together and seeing everything at a slower pace.

The group started with what they were looking for, going to the honey and tea vendors first. They then made their way over to the cheese vendors, sampling the myriad types of cheese available. The Nymphs loved it and they wound up with more cheese in their bags than they anticipated. While they had a good deal of vegetables and fruit at the house, there were some more exotic ones they didn't have, so Sheena made sure to grab those as well.

Jason insisted they see the meat vendor, who had only started showing up at the market in the past year or so. There were some types of sausage and cuts of meat that few there had tried. Even Felicitae, who was more about fruit and veg, had to admit that they were delicious.

The moment they were done with buying food, the Gaians then turned their attention to the other vendors there. They went from stall to stall, eager to see the various things that they had for sale. One of the last stalls they stopped at had some very beautiful and unique forms of jewelry. The women selling them were all family, a grandmother, mother and daughter team, who weren't seeing much interest in their creations until the Gaians walked up.

"Welcome to Mawu's Creations! If you see anything you like, just let me know!" the mother stated with a genuine smile, happy to see some customers.

"Slow day?" Sheena asked with a knowing look.

"Yeah! More people flocking over to the other stalls that sell more Norse themed things," the mother sighed. While she was happy to see other indie jewelry makers get business, it was a tough go since few people wanted African themed jewelry.

"Oh..." the grandmother breathed, taking in the appearance of the group there. The moment she spotted Phalmina, she broke out in a quick bit of chatter that sounded archaic and not a language that was spoken by humans.

"Mother, please stop! These people are here to do business, not indulge in fanciful..." the mother started, until she heard Phalmina respond in the same language, making both women's eyes go wide.

"Mom, what's going on?" the daughter asked, turning her beautiful ebony face towards her.

"Just... a little something that I'll tell you about later. I think those two there are interested in a few things?" the mother replied, gesturing to Vahlen and Patrok. Indeed, the Nymph men were looking over some pendants that were hanging there on display. The daughter then turned to speak to the men, who had a few questions about the items.

'I never thought I would ever meet one of your kind again in this life! Though we believed you gone from the Earth, Mawu has brought you back to us!' the older woman stated in the Fairy tongue.

'We were pushed to the brink of extinction, but were never truly gone. Just... sleeping, where we were safe, in the embrace of the Earth Mother,' Phalmina stated, glad to see that others had kept the faith.

'Mother... I'm sorry! I'm sorry that... I... didn't... believe you,' the younger woman said haltingly with tears in her eyes.

'There is nothing to forgive, Tasana. I admit that I too had my doubts when I was younger. But, now you can see the truth of things, as I had, back before I had you,' the grandmother stated with a smile. The pair then shared a hug, glad to feel close to one another again.

'I am curious about something. You accent in my language is... different. Where did you come from?' Phalmina wondered, finding it odd.

'The Yumboes were the ones who taught me. While they still came by to see me when I was a girl. It wasn't too long after I became a woman that they stopped coming by. I often wondered why they would just up and leave like that,' the elder woman told her.

'I knew they were still alive! I often wondered what would become of those who went south from the great city!' she told the woman.

'They came from your... city? We always believed that they had originated in a different way!' the older woman stated.

'As time passes, many things change. Especially the stories that tell of how things came to be,' Jason replied, startling the women.

'Since when did you learn how to speak Fairy?' Phalmina asked, more than a little impressed by the man.

'I... kind of cheated,' he said, holding up his arm, displaying the rune of Translation upon it.

'Well, Gaia does provide for those who wish for it. Still, it would have been nice if you learned the language naturally,' Phalmina grumped playfully.

'Teach me and I will learn it,' Jason told her with a chuckle. Phalmina squeed internally, thinking about how much fun it would be to teach Jason to speak Fairy! If her wings were out, they would have buzzed much like hummingbird's wings!

'What of these... Yumboes? Are any of them still around?' Sheena asked, as she also employed a rune like Jason's to be able to speak.

'I don't believe so. I didn't see them die, but I do know that the rampages of other races in my home country ravaged much of it. Much of the damage done devastated the wild places that overwhelmed our lands. The Yumboes lived in these places, preferring them to the modern world as we know it,' the old woman stated.

'Is that why so many people protested and fought hard against the whites when they first arrived, mom? Because of what they would do to the land?' Tasana asked, her use of the language a bit stronger now.

'That and the wanton destruction of anything they didn't understand or want to understand. Their mission was to simply overtake every land they could and remake it in their own image. In many ways, they did just this, but some places were too wild for them to tame or conquer. Even so, the damage was done and much of the magic of our lands was destroyed, with the creatures of them slaughtered,' the older mother told her daughter.

'I don't think so,' Phalmina responded, drawing everyone's attention.

'What makes you so certain that they are still alive?' the old woman asked.

'Simple. If that part of my race had just vanished and died off, then I would have known of it. I would have felt it,' Phalmina replied.

'How? How would you know?' the younger mother asked.

'Because I am Princess Phalmina Tn'althion, First Song of the Morning, the heir apparent to the Fairy throne and the daughter of Amaltheia Tn'althion, Queen of the Fairies,' Phalmina told them, almost making the women kneel in respect. 'Please, don't do that! I don't need that, especially not out in public!'

'Whyever not?' the grandmother questioned.

'Because we are searching for those who serve the Dark and they are no doubt searching for us,' Sheena responded.

'Why? Why are you looking for them and why would they search for you?' the mother asked.

'Carman, the Dark Witch, has returned to life. We don't know how, or why, but the fact remains that she has returned,' Phalmina told them, figuring it was better to stay with the truth on this matter.

'I felt that some kind of... great darkness had overwhelmed my dreams some nights ago! Was this...' the grandmother questioned.

'It likely was. Gaia sent out a warning, letting us know that the Dark Witch had come to terrify the world again,' Sheena told them. The women exchanged glances and paled, wondering what they were going to do.

'Good souls like you should not be without protection. Allow us to help you stay safe,' Jason offered as he looked around.

He spied some rocks nearby and scooped up several of them, holding them tightly in his fist. Jason then chanted quietly, a small light welling between his fingers as he did so. It didn't even last thirty seconds and with all the bustle and hustle and assorted commotion, no one noticed what he had done. He then opened his hand, and the stones had changed into Black Tourmaline, etched with a Gaian rune.

'Oh... my... this is...' the grandmother gasped, seeming almost reluctant to reach out to them.

'Seven stones, for you and those you love the most. These will keep you safe from Dark magic and heal you, if you are hurt,' Jason told them.

The women were almost crying and would have reached out for the stones, but they were instead taken by Sheena. She then closed her own fist and did her own chant, using her magic to add to the power of the protection that Jason had imbued on the stones. They were also passed to Phalmina, Xaera, and Felicitae, who added their own magic to stones, making each one like a magical bulletproof vest.

'Now, you and yours will truly be safe,' Phalmina stated, putting the stones into the grandmother's hands.

'How many will a person need to be safe?' the mother questioned, understanding the immense gift they had been given.

'One for any person is more than enough. With what we have placed upon the stones, it would be like... being in an armored suit. Like Iron Man,' Sheena said, using the pop culture icon as a reference point. The women then brightened, understanding that there was nothing evil that could truly harm them.

'But be warned that such a thing can be worn down. If the glow fades to black, then it is at its weakest point and will need to be... recharged. I will tell you where we live, so if that ever happens, then you can come and see us,' Phalmina stated. 'Also, if it ever gets cold around someone, that is a sign that they have evil or nefarious intent and should not be trusted.'

'Thank you so much!!' the grandmother told them, coming up with a few ideas on how to be able to wear these stones.

'Let us go back to English, as I am certain that your granddaughter might be curious about we are discussing,' Jason suggested, and the group agreed, switching back to the modern tongue.

The group then carried on like they were old friends, with them genuinely taking interest in the pendants and necklaces for sale. Even while they had been conversing in Fairy, there had been a few pieces that caught the woman's eye. The daughter stepped in to help, having already given aid to the Nymph men in making their own purchases. After a bit more chatter and decision making, the Gaians then left with much in the manner of new jewelry, making the ladies' day.

"Be well, and safe travels to you all!" the grandmother told them, waving as they left.

"And to you and yours as well!" Jason replied, bowing his head respectfully.

The group sighed happily, as this had been a very nice and upbeat outing, as they'd hoped. They were making their way through the entrance of the farmer's market when something felt off. The Gaians kept moving, not wanting whatever they sensed to know they could feel them. They were halfway to Sheena's car when a voice called out on the air, which made Phalmina freeze in her tracks.

"Well, well, well, the years have certainly been good to you, haven't they, Amaltheia?" a silky, feminine voice asked.

Phalmina stood rooted to the spot, as she hadn't heard her mother's name said by another living being in centuries. She turned around and regarded a curvy woman about her height striding up to her. The rest of the Gaians got defensive and closed in, ready to step in if she needed it. Musical laughter assaulted their ears as the woman found their posture amusing.

"Though I will say I hadn't expected you to be surrounded with so few admirers!" the black-haired woman giggled. A pair of people, who looked like kids just out of high school, ambled up with her, smirking at their leader's comments.

"Carman, I presume?" Phalmina wondered, sounding a lot more confident than she felt.

"Indeed, I am! I'm surprised you don't recognize me! Though I will say, it has been centuries since we saw each other last! Such a length of time will dull the senses, won't it?" Carman questioned, showing a dazzling smile.

"That it will, especially since I am not Amaltheia," the Fairy woman said, delighting in the shock and surprise on Carman's features.

"If you are not Amaltheia, then who..."

"My name is Phalmina and I am Amaltheia's daughter," Phalmina told her, shocking Carman even further.

"I didn't know that she even had a daughter! I always assumed that she was barren! But, since you are here, I'm guessing that I was wrong! Or, she had gone and made some deal with a deity, a spirit or some creature of great power to be able to have you!" Carman smiled, trying to get inside Phalmina's head.

"Back off, Witch! This world has changed drastically from the one you knew!! We're not primitives that are so easily frightened! We know who you are, what you are and what you are capable of! We are thinking men and women and not some unthinking force that can be easily diverted to your own ends! So you can take yourself, and your two little kids here, and just fuck right off!!" Jason growled, being as blunt as he could.

"Hmm! I do like a man who is both direct and bold!" Carman said appreciatively, looking Jason up and down, liking what she was seeing. Sheena stayed close to Jason, making it clear that if Carman tried anything, she'd have her to contend with.

"I think he is a little too bold!" the boy on Carman's left stated.

He then stepped up to face Jason, wreathing one of his arms in Dark magic. Jason saw the runes on it and guessed that they were a strength enhancing sort, going by how this boy was looking to slug him. The punch came much as Jason expected it to and he moved his own hand just fast enough to catch it. The impact caused a small shockwave that ruffled their clothing, but didn't do much else.

"Seriously kid? Is that the best you got?" Jason scoffed, making it appear that the kid was a weakling.

While he was weaker than Jason, he still had a bit of power that had surprised the Druid. Jason held his own, drawing from Gaia's power to aid him, which it did, helping him overcome the blow. Jason then poured more of his magic into his hand, empowering it further, crushing the boy's fist.

The boy then squealed as the pain that lanced through his arm was more than he could bear! He had thought the Druid a newly minted novitiate, who only had some token power. What he didn't expect was a vikingesque sort of man that was like obsidian, solid, tough and hard to crack! He tried to dislodge his hand from the Druid's grip, but found that he could not, as the man held his hand fast.

Carman herself was a bit miffed by her apprentice's brazen attitude, but she did appreciate the sentiment. She was quite impressed by the Druid's strength levels, as it reminded her of the more powerful Druids of old. Few could go toe to toe with a novice of the Dark like this, as few possessed the strength to do so. She would have to keep an eye on this one, as he was far more than she had thought he was.

"Sweetie, that's enough. We're already attracting some attention, so let him go," Sheena told her love.

Jason used his peripheral vision and, seeing that she was right, let the apprentice's hand go. The boy then shuffled over to where Carman was and she took his hand, letting her Dark magic flow through her. The boy's hand was healed almost instantly, and he breathed thanks to his dark mistress before turning to face the Gaians.

"Why are you here?" Felicitae demanded, catching the woman's attention.

"Yes, why are you here? I'm fairly certain that it can't be just to appreciate the city or that you're just out for a leisurely stroll," Phalmina demanded.

"To find you and let you know just what it is you are up against. Going by what I've seen here, I can tell that this is going to be a lot of fun!" the Dark Witch cackled with glee.

Just then, a Dark presence overwhelmed them, smothering their beings with the soul-crushing blackness of it. All the ambient light surrounding them just dimmed, as though a heavy cloud cover was blocking out the sun. The only thing was that there were no clouds in the sky, which the Gaians found disturbing and frightening. The Gaians nearly fell to their knees under the weight of the overwhelming power, but held fast, not giving Carman the satisfaction of cowing them.

"Interesting," Carman said with a quirked eyebrow before she resumed speaking.

"This is my offer to you; surrender yourselves to me and kneel at my feet, pledging your lives in service to me. You will pledge your powers and everything you are to me and to the dark powers I possess. Know that I can be a generous mistress and reward those who serve me well. Many can attest to my generosity to those who come to me of their own free will."

"But understand that if you do not accept this offer, I will come for every one of you. My new coven and I will hunt you down and utterly destroy you. It won't be just you that we hunt down, but all that you call kin, friend, and everyone you have ever loved. Before you all die, you will all suffer fates worse than death and you will beg for the release that death would give you. You have three days to accept," Carman finished.

With that, Carman reined in control of her Dark aura, restoring the light and lifting the oppressive presence around them. Before anyone could utter a word, Carman and her apprentices turned and left, wearing smug smiles on their faces. They were gone just as quickly as they had come, vanishing with the crowd. The group then looked around, wondering why no one had noticed what she had done.

"How did no one else see what we did?" Jason asked.

"I have no idea, but doing something like that is likely no small feat! You would have to be of Carman's power levels or higher if you wanted to pull off something like that," Phalmina guessed.

"It would make sense, as abilities of that caliber would require a lot of magical energy to make happen," Xaera surmised, thinking out loud.

"We could sit here all day, debating what we just dealt with, or we can do something about it!" Sheena said, catching everyone's attention. "That witch just threatened us and our families! I am not going to kneel to that abomination!"

"Neither will I! Let's get back to the house!" Jason said, spurring the group to action.

"What are we going to do at the house?" Xaera asked, curious if Jason had a plan.

"We are going to build that Spellforge! Sheena, call everyone up! I want them all at the house!" Jason said as they got into the car, with Jason taking the wheel instead of her.

"Wait, all of them??" Sheena questioned, wondering if that was wise.

"We are going to need every ounce of magic we can muster, if we hope to make the Spellforge powerful enough to create artifacts and weapons to take Carman down!" Jason said as he turned over the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Jason is right, babes. Taking down Carman is a massive task, and some people would consider such an aspiration all but impossible! We are going to need everyone to help with this effort!" Phalmina agreed.

"It's not impossible to defeat Carman! She's been beaten before! That just proves that she can be beaten again!" Jason nodded, as he wove his way in and out of traffic.

"I only pray that there's something we can find back at the library that can give us the clues we need to win," Felicitae breathed, knowing that taking on beings of great power required knowledge as much as skill. Sheena took all this in and nodded, seeing the logic line up with what Jason was saying.

"All hands on deck, babe?" Sheena asked, thinking this was such a situation.

"All hands on deck!" Jason confirmed as he pulled onto the highway, heading home.

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

Luke was just focusing on breathing as he brought his heart rate down. Eventually, his heart settled on a normal rhythm, while his body left him in a euphoric state. Grinning, he moved his head and stared at the two women whose nude forms were snuggled into his. Both Karla and Emalia were out like lights, as his efforts to make the ladies happy had paid off and they had, in turn, made him happy.

Chuckling to himself, Luke sighed and held them close, knowing that for him, this was it. These two women were his endgame, and there was nothing that could change his mind about that. As he thought about it, his mind wandered to Dominique and he could feel his heart speed up a little. While they were no longer a thing, thinking about his ex did get him a little riled, which was unusual, since he thought he'd gotten over her.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized maybe he wasn't past her just yet. Then, there was also the fact that he'd actually seen her for the first time in years, which was a surprise! Luke didn't know why, but seeing her had an effect on him and he wondered why this was. The man would have thought on it more, but his musings were interrupted by the sound of the TARDIS, which was a ringtone he'd assigned to his cell phone.

"Mmmmnnnnhhh!!" Karla groaned, the sound of the ringtone stirring her awake. Luke grumbled as well, wondering who it was that was calling him today! He picked up the phone and saws it was Sheena calling, so he picked it up.

"Hey there, Sheena. What's up?" Luke asked tiredly. As Sheena talked, Luke's tiredness faded away, and he sat bolt upright, waking Emalia and startling Karla.

"Luke? Sweetie? What's wrong?" Karla asked, and Luke held up a finger before he tapped the speaker function on his smartphone.

"Sheena, Karla and Ema are listening right now. Tell them what you just told me," Luke implored.

"Carman found us. She threatened to come and end us if we don't go to her in three days and surrender," Sheena stated, grabbing the ladies' attention.

"Wait, Carman found you guys?? How??" Karla wondered, stumped as to how she found them so quickly.

"Spies using Dark magic to search for Gaians. Such tactics are as old as time," Emalia growled, as memories from the past resurfaced in her mind.

"Regardless of how they found us, Jason is calling everyone in now. We need to get that Spellforge built tonight!" Sheena told them.

"Did Jason say 'All hands on deck'?" Luke asked.

"He did."

"All right! We'll be along soon!" Luke informed her before he cut the line.

"'All hands on deck'? What does that mean?" Emalia looked at her lover, puzzled.

"It's a code that Jason, Sheena and I came up with back in our high school days. If any of us said those words, it means that help is required! A lot of help, as the situation has gone from bad to worse," Luke explained.

"Carman coming at them like that, I should damn well hope so!" Emalia squeaked, as facing down someone as powerful as the Dark Witch was no joke! This news blew away the lethargy that hung on the trio and kicked them into overdrive. Less than five minutes later, they were dressed and on their way to the house, answering Jason's call.

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

"Easy now, Hayley! You have a lot of power, but that power won't mean anything until you can fine tune its use," Aaliyah instructed as the pair of them were in the middle of a teaching session.

Hayley scrunched up her face and took a breath, focusing on the coffee cup that she was trying to move around with her abilities. She thought that such an exercise was a waste of time, but she trusted her mistress in this. The exercises that Aaliyah took her through reminded her of something she'd heard not long ago. 'If you can't do the little things right, you'll never get the big things right.'

The girl focused her mind and concentrated on using her magic as instructed. Hayley surrounded the coffee cup with her energies and pictured it lifting, like she was picking it up with her hand. The cup had just started to lift when Darnell barged in, startling the women.

"Darnell! What in the name of Gaia are you doing??" Aaliyah snapped, glaring at her husband as the coffee cup plonked down to the floor once again.

"I've got the kids in the car, and you two need to wrap this up. We need to go, now!" he stated.

"Why? What's happened?" Hayley asked.

"I'll explain on the way, but know this; shit just got real," Darnell informed the women.

"How real?" Aaliyah asked.

"As real as when we went toe to toe with that Bokor, down in Louisiana," Darnell told his wife. Aaliyah's eyes widened, as the pair of them barely got out of that encounter alive! If things were that serious, then they needed to get moving, now!!

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

The Marston family was just finishing with putting away their groceries when Amy got a call from Sheena. Amy listened to everything that Sheena had to say and her face paled at what she heard. Elizabeth was right there and noticed the look on her girlfriend's face, stopping in her tracks.

"Babe, you all right?" Elizabeth wondered.

"No, I'm not all right! Mom, Darren, Daelina, we have to go!" Amy called out, getting her family's attention.

"What's going on?" Darren asked, walking out of the kitchen with Daelina on his heels.

"Carman happened," Amy said, and she relayed what Sheena had told her to her family. Daelina's usual cheerful demeanor evaporated and was replaced by utter fear. Darren held her close and his Fairy fiancée took comfort in her love's embrace. Eva was shocked but hid it well, shoring up with her resolve.

"If Jason needs us, then I say we go and help in making the Spellforge! Gaia knows we need it!" Eva said, as she hurried over to grab her purse.

"But I didn't think we'd need it this soon!" Darren huffed, thinking that this was happening a little fast. But he could at least say that life wasn't boring or predictable like it used to be. When things like this happened, he couldn't help but feel more than a little excited! How often was it that you got called in to help save the world like this?

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

Dominique and Valerie had just finished setting her apartment back to rights when her cell rang. Seeing that it was Sheena, she picked up, glad to see that her friend was probably calling just to say 'hi'! Her smile faded almost instantly, and she turned to Valerie, beckoning to come closer as she activated the speaker function on her old Razr.

"By the ancestors!! You are sure it was Carman??" Valerie questioned, hoping this wasn't true.

"Pretty damned sure! Unless just any Black Witch can dim the light around you and make it seem darker in full daylight!" Sheena responded.

"She did WHAT?!?" Valerie gasped, taken aback at what Carman had done.

"She dimmed the light around us in full daylight! I'm still wrapping my head around how she did that!" Sheena replied.

"Carman drew from her inner darkness and projected it into a Dark Aura! It's something that only those steeped in the Darkness can manage!" Valerie told her. "Are you all OK?"

"We were a bit weakened, but we're fine! Why?"

"A Dark Aura is something that is used to drain the magic and willpower of anyone in the presence of the one using it! If someone is weak enough, it can take their very soul as well!" Valerie yipped.

"Oh... oh damn!!" came the response.

"Did anyone fall to their knees?" Valerie demanded, hoping that no one had.

"No, we all kept our feet," Sheena replied.

"Oh, thank the ancestors! If any of you had hit your knees... it would be bad!" Valerie stated, and Dominique looked on worriedly.

"How bad?"

"Really bad! I'll explain in better detail when we get there!" Valerie said as Dominique hung up and the pair of witches dashed for the Winnebago.

"You think any of them are lying about hitting their knees?" Dominique questioned, wondering if this was the case.

"I sure hope not! If any did, then the fight ahead will become all the more difficult!"

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

Jason pulled up to the house, putting the Impala in park just as the delivery of metal came. The delivery driver walked into the property and started looking around weirdly as he crossed over. The rest of the group got out of the vehicle, taking their purchases with them as they went inside. Jason then walked over to the driver, getting the man's attention.

"You all right there?" Jason asked as he drew near to the driver.

"Yeah! Just making sure I have the right address!" the man said as he showed Jason the delivery paper.

"Yup! You have the right address! Just come on in! I'll move the car!" Jason told the man.

Nodding, the driver headed back to his truck that was parked on the road, while looking about oddly. Jason noted this as he went back to the Impala and turned it over, moving the vehicle. Once it was out of the way, he heard the telltale beeping sound of the truck backing up. He saw another man moving behind the truck, guiding it down the driveway. The man kept the truck's mirrors in sight as he moved along, making sure the truck didn't tip or hit any dips.

"How close did you want to get to the house?" the man directing the truck asked.

"A few meters more and then you should be good," Jason told the man.

Nodding, the man continued to use his hands to show the driver where he should go. Once they got to the point that Jason had indicated, the truck stopped and both men climbed up the back, ready to get to work. Using the small robotic arm that was attached to the truck, the men selected the metals that were part of Jason's order and offloaded them with ease.

"Is that all of it?" Jason asked, surveying the metal he had ordered.

"Yes, sir! If you will sign here, to show that your order was delivered to you?" the driver asked, eager to get on with his day. Jason nodded and signed the paperwork, but only after everything looked to be in order. Once the papers were signed, they secured the arm, then hopped back into the truck, as they still had more orders to deliver.

"Well, they certainly got it offloaded in a hurry!" Sheena commented as she walked out of the house.

"I think they sensed something about the place and it freaked them out. That might have spurred them to that speed," Jason chuckled.

"Why would they do that? This is a place of sanctuary and healing now!" Sheena responded, not understanding they why of their fear.

"It might be they aren't as balanced as the rest of us are. Many humans have an inner turmoil that disallows them from understanding or accepting true peace when it is offered to them," Felicitae told the woman as she too came out of the house.

"That does make a certain kind of sense, I suppose," Sheena replied, as she mulled the thought over.

"Besides, it's not like every human in existence wants peace. There are those who know nothing but conflict and can never accept peace," Phalmina added in as she flew out to join them.

"Well, either way, I'm glad they're not around to witness this," Jason stated as he walked over to a massive block of steel and picked it up. The way he moved with it looked like he was carrying an empty box, not several hundred pounds of solid steel.

"Hey! No starting without me!" Xaera called out, rushing over to help.

Jason just chuckled as he ambled along with the block of steel, heading to the rear of the house. Xaera followed along behind him, carrying some titanium and copper under each arm as she followed the man. They moved over to the spot that was agreed upon to be used as the site for the Spellforge, depositing the metals there.

Phalmina and Sheena headed inside, as watching their man perform such feats of strength got them hot and bothered in record time. The pair knew that if they stayed to watch, which they dearly wanted to do, they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from tackling Jason to the ground and have him right there. So, they put their focus on why they had come back to the house; to figure out how to create the Spellforge.

As those two stepped inside, Jason and Xaera continued to move the metals left up front top the back. Between the troll and the Druid, it didn't take long to get everything moved and ready for later. Once they were done, they walked into the house, getting themselves some water, as it was a very warm day out. They drank deeply as the cool water slaked their thirst, then they heard the front door open.

"Hello?" Jason called out.

"Hey! It's us," Aaliyah called out as Jason walked out of the kitchen and to the front hall. He smiled, happy to see that Aaliyah had gotten there first, as her translation skills were needed to make sense of the Artificier's tome. It wasn't just her and Darnell there though. Hayley was with them, as Jason figured, but there were two other additions in the form of their children.

"And who are these two little ankle biters?" Jason asked as the pair of toddlers hid behind their mother.

"This is Zara and her little brother Matthias," Aaliyah said affectionately as she put a hand down for her little ones to reach to if they wanted it. They peeked out shyly from behind Aaliyah, looking at Jason curiously before looking up at both their parents.

"He's... good people?" little Zara questioned.

"He is. His name is Jason, and he's a warrior, like daddy," Darnell said, quell his daughter's fears.

"You fight like daddy?" Matthias questioned, coming out from behind his mother slowly.

"I... can fight like him. But, I can also do magic," he said with a grin as he kneeled down, getting on the kids' level.

Jason then placed his hands on the floor and concentrated, willing an image into existence. The image was that of a small tree growing out of the wood of the floor, and like it had with growing the shelves of the library, a tiny tree rose up from the floor. It was small at first, barely more than a seedling, but it started to grow, eventually becoming a sapling.

The children were entranced by such a magical display, staring in awe at the magic tree. Once it was large enough, Jason had it disconnect from the floor and walk over to the children, who cheered at their new plaything. Even Darnell and Aaliyah were impressed by this, never having seen such a thing before.

"Was I a Druid, I'd ask you to teach me how to do that!" Darnell stated, shaking his head at the way his kids were playing with semi-sentient tree.

"Don't worry! I'll see about making it respond to you and Aaliyah," Jason chuckled.

"Like... a pet?" Darnell gasped, thinking this was a joke.

"Something like that, yeah!" Jason told him.

"I'm thinking that birthdays and holidays are going to get real interesting with you lot as friends," Aaliyah giggled as she hung up her coat and headed through the living room and into the library. Jason directed the tree into the living room and the kids followed, with Darnell watching over them.

"Oh, thank Gaia, you're here, Aaliyah! Been trying to figure out a little something here and I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is real or an illusion," Phalmina stated as she looked over the tome.

"What is it?" the witch questioned.

"I think there's a page missing here! It looks like there is more that the Artificier is leading up to, but it then cuts off. I looked over the book as carefully as I could and found no tears in it, so I'm wondering what this could be," Phalmina told her.

"Let me have a look," Aaliyah said as she put on a pair of latex gloves before walking over to investigate the book. She looked it over as thoroughly as she dared and found that Phalmina was right. There was a missing page, but there were no tear marks that indicated the missing page had been torn out. Aaliyah was stumped for a moment until Sheena spotted the solution.

"Is it just me, or does that page look a little thick?" the Shaman asked.

"What the... oh damn!! I must be having a blonde moment!" Phalmina huffed, as she shook her head, as she had failed to spot one of the most obvious ways pages could be lost in a book.

"Good eye there, Sheena! Let me see if I can separate the pages without damaging them," Aaliyah breathed as she drew upon her magic.

As careful as a surgeon wielding a scalpel, Aaliyah cut at the edge of the page, gently separating the stuck pages. It was slow at first, as something had caused the pages to stick together like glue. Once Aaliyah was a third of the way in, the pages fell apart easily, gently landing on the pages beneath them.

"Wasn't expecting that, but this makes things much easier!" Aaliyah smiled as she looked over the sealed pages. The pages themselves were a little faded but still legible, with none of the ink from either page having bled into the other. Her smile then faltered as she read the contents, her breath catching slightly.

"Aaliyah? Are you OK?" Phalmina asked, noting the bit of distress the woman was exhibiting.

"If I'm reading this right, and I am, then we need to sit down and have a word with Luke about him becoming the smith of the Spellforge," the witch told her new friend.

"Why? Is there something he should know about it?" Sheena asked.

"There is a lot he needs to know about it! Both him and his ladies need to know about it!"

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And here is where chapter 36 ends! Yes, I know I'm being an ass by leaving behind yet another cliffhanger. But I think that you will all be happy once you find out what is planned for Luke! With Carman making all the early and aggressive moves, you can be sure that she's far from done when it comes to dealing with our heroes! More to come soon, so stay tuned everyone!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please rate and comment on my work down below and ask me questions if you wish, as I love hearing from my fans! If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share with your friends, though your views, ratings and comments are enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C. H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!