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"I don't see the harm in it. As long as everyone stays quiet and doesn't interfere. It's a very delicate ritual that requires absolute concentration," Sheena told them.
"You don't have to worry about anything from us. Hell, I'd treat this as a history class from beyond, and I'm sure my auntie will attest to how much I love history!" Karla enthused. The others there echoed her sentiment, and both Bert and Sheena allowed them to come along. Xaera joined them as well, after casting her daylight resistance spell, so she could walk out in the sun.
"So, Bert, where do we start?" Sheena asked.
"According to this book, we have to find the exact spot where the Shaman performed the protection ritual," Bert replied as he pulled a thick, leather bound tome from a satchel he was wearing.
"May I have a look?" Sheena asked, gesturing to the book that Bert held. He nodded and handed it to her. She looked through it and leafed through several pages, so she understood what it was she was supposed to do.
"All right. Jason, I'm going to need your help with this. It's going to require a lot of magic to invoke the spirits," Sheena told him.
The redheaded man nodded and let her start by tapping into the primordial power of Gaia. She directed the flow of it, seeking the spot where the Shaman enacted their spell. The magic slithered along the ground, heading for the spot like a heat-seeking missile. It then stopped, pulsing as it waited for Sheena to come and wield it.
"Bert, if you would join me, please? I will need you as part of the ritual in order to bring them forth," she asked.
"I would be honored," Bert smiled as he walked over to the spot where the ball of magic waited.
Sheena was right behind him, as was Jason, who kept his magic handy for when Sheena would need it. The moment they stepped onto the spot, the magic burst outwards, like a firework, lines and runes illuminating the ground. They were flickering slightly, and that's when Jason took his cue, feeding what magic he had to empower the runes and outlines.
"Wha... this is... in the language of our people!" Bert stuttered.
"Can you read it?" Sheena asked.
"Yes... yes, I can!" he replied excitedly. He looked over at one passage, mumbling to himself, before his face lit up.
"This is a summoning that anyone can do, provided they are of the bloodlines needed to enact it!" Bert gibbered.
"It's going to have to be you, Bert. Jason and I are doing what we can to hold the runes in place," Sheena told him.
"Why can't you let it go?" he asked.
"I can sense the magic here and its purpose. It was hidden and done so for a reason. The only way it stays illuminated is if we keep feeding magic to it!" Sheena replied.
"It's also taking considerable concentration to keep it illuminated! Almost like it wants to hide again!" Jason replied, straining slightly.
"Ok! Let me find the start of the ritual!" Bert yipped as he scrambled to find its beginning. He found it a few minutes later and followed it around to be sure he was headed the right way. Once he was certain he had the sequence correct, Bert began doing the ritual, chanting in the tongue of his ancestors. He did the motions that went with each sequence, imploring the souls of the lost Shaman to come forth.
Jason kept his focus on the flow of magic, so Bert could see what he had to do. He was watching Bert go through the motions out of the corner of his eye, and what he saw made him smile. It looked like a rain dance of sorts, blended with something almost like a Maori Haka. Though he wanted to watch, Jason had to keep his concentration absolute, if this was to work.
Bert finally moved to the center, calling upon the spirits of the departed to make themselves known to the living. How blood called them and demanded that they show themselves. Moments after the ritual was completed, a deep thrumming sounded from the ground beneath them. The lines brightened, and the runes flared, giving light and life to the ritual that had been completed.
A bluish mist rose out of the runes, climbing upwards to form a humanoid shape. It coalesced, becoming more defined in its shape and form. Seconds afterwards, it finished forming and the soul of the long dead Shaman stood in front of them. He was bare chested, with several necklaces dangling off his neck. He wore deerskin pants, with tassets in the front and back, decorated with ornamental beadwork.
A staff topped with a wolf skull was in his hands and a larger wolf skull was perched on his head. His features were that of an older man, with weathered lines and sharp eyes that had seen much. His hair was two toned, which suggested that he was graying when he died, but it was difficult to tell, as he was all blue.
"Who has summoned me?" he asked, his voice ethereal and spooky. Bert hesitated and gulped, never having seen, much less performed, a summoning before. Yet he was also in awe that he was in the presence of his ancestor, whom he could speak to.
"I ask again, who has summoned me? Did you, Shaman?" he asked, directing the question to Sheena.
"No, I haven't. Bert?" she called. The Shaman blinked, then turned to regard Bert, taking the sight of the man in. He then sighed, which sounded odd, coming from a spirit.
"So, my son did go as I told him to," the Shaman said.
"He did. You know who I am?" Bert asked.
"I do. I can see it in your features. You are descended of my son, who carried news of what we had done to contain the evil here," the Shaman replied.
"He did bring the news, but it wasn't known what lay within the forest," Bert told him.
"That was my son's duty. To stay behind and tell of the sacred charge that was laid upon him and his children," the Shaman stated. "I have sensed the lifeblood, which holds the evil, weakening. Why is this?"
"Because the evil you hoped to contain is far more powerful than you thought," Jason replied.
"That's impossible! We knew we would be called, but the evil should not be this strong! It hasn't had enough time to become like this!" the spirit rebuffed.
"Well, it has had over a century to grow its power, and going by the creatures we battled in the forest, I'd say its power is... considerable," Sheena told him.
"More than a century?!? Why were we not called before then?? Why was the evil allowed to stay here for so long?!?" the spirit raged.
"So much has changed since those days, honored ancestor. Because of what the whites have done to our people, we couldn't come back and finish what they started. We didn't have the power and didn't know how to find it again," Bert told him.
"Because of men like him!" the Shaman accused. "Brothers! Join me in expelling this stain upon our lands!"
The Shaman chanted, and the spirits of other Shaman materialized out of the same blue mist. They were all garbed much like he was, but each represented a different animal. One was garbed in raven feathers, while another wore the furs of a bear. The third had the pelt of a caribou draped all over him, while the fourth sported eagle feathers, as part of his motif.
They all joined their fellow Shaman in the chant, building a spell of power to destroy Jason where he stood. Sheena began a chant of her own, leaping to Jason's defense, but he waved her off. Without a single word, Jason embraced the primordial power of Gaia, letting it flow through him like a river. The sheer might of magic that he commanded got the attention of the Shaman who stopped their chant and stared in awe.
"H... how??" the lead Shaman gasped.
"It was a gift, bestowed by Gaia herself. It wasn't just your people who were betrayed. Many centuries before, my own people of ancient Scandinavia wielded this power in Gaia's name. We were happy, peaceful and in balance with the Earth Mother. Until the missionaries came with their message of conversion. They called us blasphemous and evil, stating how their way and their God was the only true way to believe," Jason stated.
"A message we know all too well. You lost the fight against them as well?" the Wolf Shaman asked, knowing the answer.
"We did, with much bloodshed on both sides. We were driven to near extinction but were held fast and persevered. Today, the message of these people now rings hollow and the true followers of Gaia can be as they wish to be, without fear of death or persecution," Jason told him.
"It is heartening to know that the old ways are coming back. We apologize for taking action against you, Great Envoy. Whites had done much to destroy us and our people and are the ones responsible for the calamity you now face," the spirit apologized.
"It's all right. You have much to be angry about and you weren't aware of everything going on out here. Just know that there are more out there like me, who are done with the nonsense of the old world," Jason told him. This made the Shaman smile, and they bowed to Jason respectfully.
"If I may steer the conversation back to why we're here?" Sheena asked. "We need to know what lies within the forest, so we can fight it and defeat the evil that resides here for good."
"You wish to know of the creatures you face and the dark power that gives them... life?" the Wolf Shaman asked.
"Yes. If we are to defeat them, we must know about them," Sheena pressed.
"Then you will all wish to sit. It is a bit of a tale to be told, so if you will all sit, I will begin," he stated. Everyone present sat down, even Karla, Luke and Emalia, who had been observing from the sidelines.
"Before I begin, how much do you about what occurred here?" the Wolf Shaman asked. Bert told them what he had told Sheena, Phalmina and Jason, to which he nodded thoughtfully.
"That is a good deal of the tale, but not everything that happened. The item that was poured into the grove's wellspring was nothing other than a Dark Seed," the Shaman stated.
"A Dark Seed? What is that?" Sheena asked, at a loss of what it was.
"A seedling that would grow into the beating heart of a grove, but tainted with dark power. Where this power came from, we know not, but it was powerful enough to make the grove into a shadow of what it was. The gas drove us out, but it was a form of protection for the seed. It would take three days before the gas dissipated, but by that time, it was too late," the Wolf Shaman started.
"The seed had cracked and opened, pouring its darkness into the grove, corrupting it from within. The seed had taken root by then and had already turned many of the creatures within it. Even the Nymph, the scared guardian of the grove, was taken by this dark power," the Shaman sighed regretfully.
"A nymph? Are you talking like a real, living, breathing Nymph?!?" Phalmina asked excitedly.
"She still exists, if that's what you are asking. Whether she is alive, that is something I question. We arrived to remove the seed that had taken root but were met with resistance. Many of the creatures there, who had been our friends, turned against us. Our friendships over the years and the memories we shared didn't matter. The darkness that took hold of them consumed everything they were," the Shaman replied.
"Damn! I was hoping that something of her remained," Phalmina said sadly.
"Did you try to remove the seed?" Luke asked.
"We did, but the seed had rooted deep enough that to destroy it was to destroy the grove itself. There was still a connection to the Great Spirit there and we could not do it," the Shaman responded.
"Couldn't, or wouldn't?" Luke pressed. This question earned him withering looks from Sheena and Bert, but the Wolf Shaman waved off their glares.
"The man has a point. We were tied to the grove, and it was tied to us. We wanted to save it if we could not destroy it. So, we retreated and tried to find a way to remove the seed without annihilating the grove. We should have been able to do so, once we figured out how, but our power and connection to the Great Spirit was fading. Each day that passed, our connection grew weaker."
"A group of our best went forth to deal with this power, hoping to end it. When the single warrior returned, telling of what transpired, we knew that saving the grove would not happen. Not with us. It would take those of great power, such as you, young man," the Shaman said, gesturing at Jason, "to find a way to either save it, or destroy it."
"Wait, you're not above destroying it now? What changed?" Sheena wondered.
"When you told us of how the darkness within has grown even more powerful is what convinced me. Now that the grove has been fully corrupted, there is no saving it. We must destroy it, along with every creature that lies within it," the Shaman told them.
"And the Nymph as well?" Phalmina inquired.
"Felicitae? Yes, she must be destroyed. Telling us of those creatures, those... children, it is clear they are her creation," the Shaman replied.
"How do you know that?" Emalia wondered.
"She had always loved children and relished the thought of having some of her own, but many of her species were destroyed centuries ago. If any do still live, then they are too far away and far too late. From what I knew, she was the last of her kind, so her having children could not happen. She held out hope that one day it could happen," the Shaman replied.
"So, you spared her?" Emalia questioned. "Why?"
"Because she was a dear friend and true protector of all things related to the Great Spirit. We couldn't end her then, as she was the last of her people. We didn't want to do to her what had nearly been done to others," the Wolf Shaman admitted.
"So, even though you had the chance to end her, you wouldn't do it?"
"By that point, it wasn't a question of wouldn't, but couldn't. Our power and connection to the Great Spirit was diminished to where there was little we could do to halt the spread of the corruption. Though we should have been able to overcome Felicitae and the new power she possessed, we could not. As her strength grew, ours waned. Because of this, we only had one choice left," the Shaman said.
"To barricade them in, so they could never leave?" Jason asked.
"Yes. We were barely strong enough to invoke this power and only tapped into it, so we could keep the corruption from spreading. What we did not know was that our power levels didn't matter to enact the spell. What was required of us, was sacrifice, to where we would have to give ourselves entirely, to power the spell," the Shaman went on.
"Your souls," Bert stated, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. Because of this sacrifice that we made, the barrier went up and protected the rest of the world from the poison that was the darkness. Before we shed our mortal bodies, we created this as a place of safety," he replied, gesturing to the surrounding area, "so that one day, another Shaman could come and finish what we failed to do. I also wish to thank you, all of you, for helping us," the Shaman said with a smile as he got to his feet.
"Help you? What did we do?" Phalmina asked.
"When you came here and empowered the spell, it granted us strength we did not have for years. We felt powerful, vital, alive! It was then where we knew our power was fading and hoped that our vigil had bought enough time for the Shaman to return," he told them.
"Well, in that case, you're welcome!" Jason replied with a smirk.
"At least we know what we're dealing with as far as who or what is controlling those children. Any ideas on how to deal with those little shits? There are way too many and we have no idea how to take them out, without burning the forest down," Sheena queried.
"That is simple. Felicitae. She was the one who gave them... life. Because of this, their... lives are linked to hers. Destroy her and they will fall," the Wolf Shaman told them.
"Here's hoping that you five won't have to keep your vigil for much longer!" Sheena told the spirits, igniting hope on their faces. Because of the sacrifice they had made, they were bound to the land, until the spell they had invoked was finally dismissed. The only way that would happen was if the grove, and the corruption that ruled there, was destroyed.
"Thank you for telling us of this. At least we know what we're up against," Sheena told them, bowing out of respect. Jason, Phalmina and everyone present did the same, thanking the Shaman for their sacrifice.
"Before you go, I would like to ask some questions, if I may?" Bert queried.
"What questions did you wish to ask about?" The Wolf Shaman wondered.
"The histories of our people. Our ways, our language, everything related to the tribes who roamed here," Bert told them.
The Shaman were more than happy to speak of these things, and Bert pulled out a notebook and started writing things down. Jason chuckled at the elder but was happy all the same. Too much had been taken, and not just from his tribe, but from Native Americans as a whole. So much history, culture and tradition had been lost, because of the enforcement of white values. Hopefully, here and now, they would get something of it back.
"So, we're up against a corrupted Nymph, undead children, and Gaia knows what sorts of traps that may likely have been set for intruders. Any ideas on where to start?" Jason wondered.
"Actually, I found something on Nymphs a while back, in a certain grouping of books," Xaera replied, catching everyone's attention.
"What kind of books were they?" Emalia wondered.
"They related to everything concerning magical creatures and how to fight against them. Strengths, weaknesses, that sort of thing," Xaera stated.
"Well? Show us these books!" Sheena implored. Without another word, Xaera turned on her heel and led everyone inside to the library. She perused the bookshelves pensively until her face lit up in recognition.
"Here! There's this one... and this one... that one too... and...." the troll woman said while picking up and handing out books. They were snatched out of her hands and everyone was searching for the relevant passages.
"I think I found something!" Luke called out, attracting everyone's attention.
"What is it? What did you find?" Emalia asked as she flitted over.
"There are four subclasses of Nymphs; Meliae, Naiads, Nereids and Oreads. I'm guessing that what we're dealing with is a Meliae," Luke surmised.
"What makes you so sure?" Karla wondered.
"Meliae are known as 'ash tree Nymphs', or 'forest Nymphs', that dwell in the forests. Naiads are freshwater Nymphs, Nereids, sea Nymphs and Oreads are Nymphs born of the mountains," Luke clarified.
"Oh. Makes sense," Karla replied, chagrined.
"From what I'm reading, they are somewhere between human and plant. They also have a serious aversion to fire and will avoid it if at all possible," Luke continued.
"Well, there's a bit of good news!" Jason smiled.
"Yes, but it has to be a magical fire in order to truly hurt them. Regular fire will damage them, but the effect is only temporary. If you want to permanently damage a Meliae, it must be magical fire," Luke read.
"Why magical?" Emalia wondered.
"Because they, like you Ema, are magical creatures, with their own set of magic and rules for using it," Luke clarified.
"Are there any other weaknesses other than fire? If we can't bring fire to bear, we should have an alternative," Xaera suggested.
"Good call, Xae! Having more than one angle of attack will ensure that we win any fight we find ourselves in," Sheena agreed.
"Xae?" Xaera asked, confused.
"A nickname which is made from shortening your actual name. I can stop calling you that if you want," Sheena apologized.
"No, no, you can call me Xae. I... kind of like it," the troll woman grinned.
"Let's see, Meliae are somewhat vulnerable to water magic, but more effectively, ice magic!" Luke read out loud before facepalming. "I keep forgetting that so many of the same rules in the games apply to real life!"
