Fate - First Reply The Grove's Protector

[Selina Della Altas]

"It is the seeds that cause such commotion. Before the flowers bloom, they have no such effect on other creatures. In fact, they enrich the soil beneath them with their presence..." Placing a hand on his knee, Nairth raises once more, this time assuming a stance much less formal; his shoulders dipped slightly, and his head tilted casually to one side. "When the seeds are exposed, as the flower blooms, it becomes intoxicating to the surrounding life. Even that serves a purpose, though..."

She listened to his story of the ages past and when he made the violets. Selina had guessed as much, the seeds were the key. Ironically every other creature around it gets to reproduce but not this flower that sacrifices its own means of reproduction in order to help others. Unless the seed somehow survived being consumed to then be spread through defecation, but she doubted even that, otherwise his flowers wouldn't be on the verge of extinction now... And she grimaced at the thought of animals eating the stool of another animal that consumed the seeds.

"Ah. I do not mind you looking at me. If it offends you, though. I will cover myself. Apologies for my immodesty."

She again buried her nose in her spellbook, mostly to hide how red her face went when she realized that her glances were not subtle... Again she checked her wards, she didn't have a way of knowing whether she was being influenced by the seeds in this realm. The fae could make reality what they wished when in their realms, could he even decide that the effects of her magic were nullified in here?
The thought concerned her but she trusted his word, she won't be tricked into anything.
"Do as you will, my lord. I didn't presume to impose. I am aware that such things matter little to the fae, forgive my impropriety."
She finished somewhat lamely, the proper adjective escaped her.

"Magic is the lifeblood of our world. It runs through the ground beneath our feet at all times, charges the air around us with it's strength, fills the water we drink to survive. It is those such as you and I, who draw it out of the leys and harness it who know it as Magic. To everybody else, it is merely superstition, attributed to fate and luck. These energies control so much more than we give them credit for, and even the Fey will never fully understand the way this world works.

She looked up from her spellbook and listened intently as he began to explain his view of magic, suddenly immodesty meant nothing to her as her favorite subject was finally being discussed, her right hand a blur across the pages of her spellbook as she recorded his view of magic word for word.
"Fascinating... Even the fae, one of the oldest creatures in the world, doesn't fully understand it?"
She ran her fingers through her glossy black locks and smoothed the hair out of her face.
"Utterly fascinating!"

You, Selina Altas, have the gift of bending this world's energy to your will, to serve you. Cherish that gift."

She looked at him again and smiled, as one who's heard such praise even if it were from lesser than a fae. "Only gifted with opportunity and the tools, my lord. I do not bend the worlds energy myself, my staff is my crutch in that regard. I have absolutely zero magical affinity or mystical bloodline. Every drop of my blood is mundane without the slightest bit of magic about me."
She ran her fingers across the pages of her spellbook.
"Through study, research and experimentation I learned how to use magic to keep up with my magically gifted peers in the college. In the process I learned a form of magic that anyone could access, people like me who cannot touch magic ourselves, not just the adept or the elite either."

She touched her staff as it leaned against the tree, "My staff attracts magic, takes it and translates it into something I can utilize for my spells. Take away my staff and my other apparatus, and I'm just a smart human girl with a photographic memory."

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

The fae couldn't help but feel that Selina did herself some measure of a disservice with her words. While it was true that her staff was the catalyst for her to put her knowledge to work, she brazenly skimmed through an important detail: It was her mind and passion that enabled her to do the things that she did.

Even as she lit up with passion at the topic of magic and its properties, any trace of other emotion on her face vanishing as she was given reign to speak of her most cherished aspect of life, Nairth found the need to interject. "Yet without the extensive knowledge you've accumulated, and the talent you've accrued, that staff would be worthless in another's hands." He curled his lips, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"If one cannot properly cast a spell, or remember the intricacies that go with it, then a powerful tool such as that is worthless." He smiled as she recorded his words, lowering to sit cross-legged on the cooling grass beneath them and resting his hands on his knees. The night was comforting, for reasons entirely different than the day. When the sun flew high overhead, Nairth reveled in the warmth it provided, the energy it lent to all life as it grew and flourished around him.

When the moon cast a dim glow on his grove, the air chilled, one set of life slumbered while another entirely different group began to make the world their own for the fleeting hours of darkness. It was a beautiful cycle, and a neverending one at that. "I am of the mind that it is not ours to fully understand. The study and pursuit of complete knowledge is admirable, and I do not fault you for it, of course." He looks up at her with a smile, "But it is a world so far above our own, above even the Fae, that I think it only natural for it to forever elude us."

He allowed a small chortle to escape him, shaking his head. "And you need not continue to use the honorifics with me. Nairth is more than acceptable. Now, you should get some rest. There are plenty of places to lay yourself down for the night, assuming you do not wish to join me." Before, he was merely exhibiting the usual frank traits of the Fae, but now he was admittedly having a spot of fun, finding her reactions to anything besides her studies to be quite amusing and endearing. "We can continue at dawn, or whenever it strikes our fancy. You've done well, but I suspect the real fun has just begun"

Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Yet without the extensive knowledge you've accumulated, and the talent you've accrued, that staff would be worthless in another's hands." He curled his lips, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"If one cannot properly cast a spell, or remember the intricacies that go with it, then a powerful tool such as that is worthless."

She pursed her lips and tried to suppress an embarrassed smile, talking about magic was one thing, bragging was another and she wasn't that great at it. "Yes, I do suppose you have a point." She scribbled down some more of his words.

"I am of the mind that it is not ours to fully understand. The study and pursuit of complete knowledge is admirable, and I do not fault you for it, of course." He looks up at her with a smile, "But it is a world so far above our own, above even the Fae, that I think it only natural for it to forever elude us."

She had to admit, it was a little disappointing to learn that one of the Fae is just as clueless as many others, but that didn't mean he didn't have more secrets, after all that was her payment for when she completed the task for him, surely he would have more to tell her. He may not know everything but he must know a good deal more than any creature living today.
"I've heard such sentiments before. My teachers did their best to caution me about delving too deeply into secrets and forbidden knowledge of the arcane. It would be giving up for me to admit that magic can never fully be understood, I still believe it can and so far I've been able to prove it."

He allowed a small chortle to escape him, shaking his head. "And you need not continue to use the honorifics with me. Nairth is more than acceptable. Now, you should get some rest. There are plenty of places to lay yourself down for the night, assuming you do not wish to join me." Before, he was merely exhibiting the usual frank traits of the Fae, but now he was admittedly having a spot of fun, finding her reactions to anything besides her studies to be quite amusing and endearing. "We can continue at dawn, or whenever it strikes our fancy. You've done well, but I suspect the real fun has just begun"

She closed her spellbook and placed it in its sheath at her side when he seemed to be wrapping up their conversation on magic, but she immediately wanted to pull it out again to hide the plain blush that spread across her face when he invited her to join him for sleep.
"I... Uh... Nairth, right!"
She stammered before she could gather her thoughts again, he was as forward as ever, still trying to seduce her with his inhuman beauty. So far it seemed the seeds couldn't effect her while in the grove so her focus was being divided naturally.
Again, she'd never been with anyone before, even with the few friends she did hang out with she never got herself mixed up in any of their affairs, content to remain a social black sheep so she could remain focused on her studies which she adored far more than any relationship.

"I don't wish to offend, My Lord... I mean Nairth! I've never experienced being with another in such conditions... I would like to preserve myself for the one I find to marry!"
She certainly wasn't offended by his attention, if a creature of such physical beauty found her attractive then she would never feel insecure about her appearance again! But she needed to keep sight of her priorities, even if this Fae had the best of intentions she couldn't get mixed up with such a creature, for better or worse she needed to keep moving on to the next secret.
She couldn't let herself fall prey to her own bodily lusts, experiencing such pleasure as she imagined had the potential to distract her.
"I... I think I'll sleep here under this tree, if that's alright with you..."

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

Of course, Nairth's words in answer to her question were truth, but he had promised her knowledge when her task was complete, and they were only at the midway junction. There was much for her to learn, and much of it he would be able to direct her towards, should his favor be sufficiently gained. It would be quite foolish for him to grant her the reward she sought before her work was complete, would it not? He eased his body back, laying in the grass as his eyes remained locked on her with a raucous curiosity.

It felt odd to have his words recorded to paper as if they were some sort of gospel. Did the opinions of one creature truly hold so much weight? The warnings and caution from her apparent instructors struck him as more humorous than wise, however. "I imagine a woman such as yourself took little heed of that warning. After all, caution about knowledge is a trait of those who do not deserve to know. Only a few brave who are willing to risk their very beings to learn will ever truly achieve wisdom."

He could feel every muscle in his body begin to relax as the air of the night surrounded him, still looking at Selina as she placed aside her book with a flustered stammer at his invitation. It brought yet another smirk to his lips. Nairth was far from desperate, and he wasn't truly trying to bed the poor girl. She'd made the mistake of showing how strongly the lackadaisical attempts affected her, however, and now the ever mischievous Fae was finding no end of enjoyment in prodding further reactions out of her.

Perhaps he'd taken his teasing a bit far, though. Altas seemed to believe she may offend him by her rebuttal, stammering apology after apology. It was time to put an end to the game for now. He sat up, and then rose to his feet. "Humans can be so amusing when they don't know what to do. I was merely... how do they say it? Pressing your buttons, Miss Altas. I have no intense desire to or not to bed you. Merely a mind game. You must be looser, less concerned with a single goal. True peace is when you are one with all of your facets."

He begins to float, gliding up the large leaf held aloft over the lake and landing atop it. "Rest well, Selina. Tomorrow we continue our work, and I've a feeling it will not be so simple when we near the end of our time together. Should you need me, awaken me."

Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"I imagine a woman such as yourself took little heed of that warning. After all, caution about knowledge is a trait of those who do not deserve to know. Only a few brave who are willing to risk their very beings to learn will ever truly achieve wisdom."

She nodded in affirmative, it reminded her of her few encounters with The Herald, she has indeed risked being utterly erased or turned into some magical monstrosity for her research.
"Quite right, if I had put stock in the warnings of my teachers I never could have discovered a way for a normal person to wield magic. I never could have become a wizard."

"Humans can be so amusing when they don't know what to do. I was merely... how do they say it? Pressing your buttons, Miss Altas. I have no intense desire to or not to bed you. Merely a mind game. You must be looser, less concerned with a single goal. True peace is when you are one with all of your facets."

When at last he explained himself she only felt more embarrassment at not picking up on it sooner. He was messing with her, she showed him a weakness and he teased her with it. But still, she let out a relieved sigh, she hadn't offended him with her refusal and she visibly relaxed.

"Rest well, Selina. Tomorrow we continue our work, and I've a feeling it will not be so simple when we near the end of our time together. Should you need me, awaken me."

"Good night, Lord... Nairth. I look forward to the challenge."
With that she wrapped herself in her cloak, checked her enchantments once more, and then she laid down in the soft grass under the shelter of the tree.

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

Surely she would have had to expect that a fae, notoriously mischievous, would have exploited her obvious inexperience in the matters of love and pleasure. Nairth had noticed it the moment she so readily averted his eyes from his body upon that moment when they'd met. From there, he'd had his fun.

Tomorrow though, would prove difficult. There were more challenges that awaited his young human friend, and his mind games were an inconvenience that she did not deserve. He would behave himself at next dawn, at least for a time. There was something coming that would be far more consequential than his violets, and Selina's mettle would truly be tested...

Nairth was up and about in the very early hours of the dawn, knelt in front of the spring, scooping water in his palms and bringing them to his face to wash the groggy sleep of night away, while also taking small drinks of the crystal clear water that filled the spring. He would usually be performing his morning exercises around this time, but other things were on his mind, namely the cloaked, sleeping woman at the base of the tree behind him.

"Miss Altas. It is time."

He stood before her as she awoke, his hands locked behind her back and an eye to the woods behind her. Something was different this morning. Something was troubling him. "We must act fast. I may need your help in ways I did not expect..."

Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Miss Altas. It is time."

She awoke to those words from a rather mediocre dream that didn't make any sort of sense, impossible realities and physics that her subconscious mind summoned, images without any basis in reality.
However, when she awoke she was well rested and actually filled with energy, much like how she felt whenever she camped inside a magic nexus.

She looked up, but the fae was uncharacteristically somber.

"We must act fast. I may need your help in ways I did not expect..."

Her eyes narrowed, she didn't know what that meant but she could hazard a few educated guesses.
"I'll be ready in ten minutes."
She unwrapped herself from her cloak and grabbed her staff on her way to the stream. She drank some before washing her face, she muttered a command word and a green colored magical circle appeared in the air above her shoulder.
A small feline stepped out of the circle as if it were stepping through a hole in reality and alighted on her shoulder.

Refreshed she rose and approached the fae once again. When she thought about it, Dale was technically a fey being as well, and such was her guardian Umbar... Well, perhaps she needed to study it a bit more, she didn't remember if a Barghest was a fae creature or not.
"I don't believe I've introduced you yet, this is my familiar, Dale. Dale, this is Nairth." She indicated the margay cat draping itself securely around her shoulders like a scarf, and then indicated Nairth in introduction.
The cat, normally nonchalant and giving off an air of boredom, was keenly alert and watchful of the fae.
"Greetings, Chamberlain."
Dale spoke with a respectful bow of his head.

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

((I am so, so sorry! Somehow this thread got unwatched and I had no idea you'd replied!))

The Fae did not observe Selina's ritual, paying her nary a moment's glance as she prepared herself; He himself was readying himself for a good deal more exertion than he often had to call upon, and the time for his playful games with the young woman had temporarily come to an end. Something approached, dark and twisted. It seemed to emit an oppressive force the likes of which he had not felt in this region for some time.

"Something dark has entered this Forest, Selina. Something that does not belong here."

But why? Certainly, it wasn't here for the violets. Something must have attracted such a presence, but even the Duanann could come up with no reason for its arrival. He would need to confront it, and the presence of an ally would be invaluable. Donning an armor over his chest that seemed to be made out of some hard material akin to chitin, with colors of all shades blending together in a rainbow-like medley, Nairth turns to Selina and her newly summoned friend.

He regarded the feline with only a cursory nod initially; familiars in the shape of animals were not uncommon among those disciplined in magic. It made Nairth look again when words left the creature's mouth. Common though familiars were, having one that could speak was something Nairth hadn't seen in quite some time. His head bowed in a much more respectful nod as the sky above their heads continued to grow cloudier.

"Dale. A pleasure. The two of you are well prepared I hope. I'm afraid I have little in the way of knowledge of what we're getting ourselves into, but I'm confident in my ability to handle myself. I should hope you two will be willing to provide any assistance?" It was a question, but one with an obviously expected answer. "This shall be a much better meter of your worth than mere gardening, Miss Altas."

Without another word, Nairth began walking towards the edge of the Grove, the trees parting to allow him quicker paths through the forest towards whatever evil awaited them. "Stay close. The trees are uneasy, and I may not be able to free you should you become ensnared."

Selina Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Something dark has entered this Forest, Selina. Something that does not belong here."

Selina could sense nothing on her own, her own human senses not being able to detect the arcane realms, but even she got the feeling that something was amiss. Not only from his tone but even the sky began to darken when the morning sun should have been climbing.
She withdrew an enchanted ring of iron from her satchel and put it on, the otherwise smooth and polished metal held runes carved in it.
Whispering to it she activated the enchantment which filled her vision with lights and other magical circles, indicators and details scrawled out in the air before her eyes. She turned to face the direction Nairth was watchful of and the lights and details shifted, once she focused the ring started providing her with sight and details she would have been physically unable to detect otherwise.

She could see the physical manifestations of this new sort of magic invading the forest, breeching through the barrier much like she did. The magic twisted and snaked, and it was indeed dark, but beyond that there wasn't enough data for the ring to tell her more. In contrast, the magic of the forest was bright and wild, chaotic but natural.
She held her staff tightly and mentally ran over the spell formulas in her head, the offensive spells.

"Dale. A pleasure. The two of you are well prepared I hope. I'm afraid I have little in the way of knowledge of what we're getting ourselves into, but I'm confident in my ability to handle myself. I should hope you two will be willing to provide any assistance?" It was a question, but one with an obviously expected answer. "This shall be a much better meter of your worth than mere gardening, Miss Altas."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and Dale flexed his claws on her cloak.
"Whatever it is is obviously strong enough to breech your barrier and radiates a lot of mana, my aural ring is unable to discern the exact nature of the magic from this distance except that it's dark and malevolent in nature, which doesn't narrow it down by much. Dale?"
The cat's eyes turned a glowing purple as he scanned the area.
"Your ring is being blocked by a concealing glamour. You'll need to summon Umbra to see through it."

"I'll be summoning Umbra anyways," Selina replied, "if it comes down to a fight, a concealing glamour of that magnitude gives me a pretty good idea of what we're dealing with strength wise."
She cast a few more information gathering divinations to confirm that.

She then began to summon "Umbra". She started chanting a series of words in the fae tongue, calling on the being known as Umbra.
Her shadow grew darker in the fading light and began to twist and morf, taking on the shape of a giant lupin creature. It climbed up out of her shadow as if it were climbing through a hole and soon a seven foot tall Barghest stood with its snout at Selina's shoulder.

Her staff flared with a surge of power at the appearance of the Barghest, the magical capacity she could command increasing exponentially from his physical presence.
The dog growled low in it's throat when it sensed the danger and Selina nodded to Nairth that she was ready.
"Come what may, my magic has always seen me through."
Her voice was calm yet firm, she knew what it meant to fight, and she knew what it meant to face something more powerful than yourself.

"Stay close. The trees are uneasy, and I may not be able to free you should you become ensnared."

She followed as instructed and remained close, jogging a little bit to not fall behind and Umbra trotted along behind her, head low and tail down. She held her staff like one might hold a spear, the blue crystal entangled in the crown of roots giving off a steady glow of readiness.
She spoke as she jogged, hoping he'd noticed more than what he initially mentioned.
"Do you have any idea what sort of creature could wield power like this? Another fae of a different court, perhaps? Or perhaps another entity entirely?"

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

Selina's preparations were vast, if not entirely quick. It was appreciated that she was going to such lengths to protect herself from the oncoming threat, but Nairth did wonder how much good it would do. Dale was an impressive familiar, and he could feel the powerful hum from that ring, yet another artifact that enhanced her ability no doubt; her eyes seemed to light up and widen as she slipped it on.

Still, this feeling was... dreadful. Foreboding in a way that made even a being of his strength take pause. If Selina were to accompany him, he would need to ensure that he was the one to take whatever danger came their way first. Of course, Nairth was more than confident in his own abilities. This forest was an extension of him, each tree a limb for him to control. What worried him was the level of interference; through so much of this dark presence, his power over this domain would be lessened.

That could be a substantial problem, one he did not appreciate the implications of one bit. There was no time to waste, then; he would need to quell this madness before it was able to wrest further control from him. It was the oddly tongued fae speak behind him that caused his head to turn curiously. Once again, Selina had found a way to outdo herself; a massive canine creature had been summoned from her very shadow.

Nairth had admittedly found her powers a curiosity at most up until this point, but the more elaborate her displays became, the more the Duanann found himself wondering just how much power her knowledge offered her. Briefly, he would flick his eyes to the large creature. "See you through it may. You have a much greater chance of survival than I would give any other in your position. Come, and bring your beasts with you."

---

The sheer amount of trees that seemed to surround the two of them as Nairth willed them a path through the wall of nature that surrounded the grove seemed unnatural, but it had been the work of the Spring Fae in an effort to keep his demesne well hidden in case of an event such as this. They would emerge out in a much sparser patch of trees shortly, the air still cold and the sky unnaturally dim.

"Another fae? No, I can't think of any who would be so brazen. This level of encroachment would threaten to spark war." That wasn't to say another fae wasn't capable of this, in fact, it had been Nairth's first guess before he'd thought it over. "Selina, I am going to move towards the forest's edge. Whatever is here has only just arrived. I'm relying on you to keep close watch around us from behind me. I do not wish for any surprises..."

Suddenly, a terrible crash straight ahead, the horrific and deafening snapping of trees in the distance as birds flee the tree-tops. The High-Fae's eyes narrow, moving quickly towards the source of the disturbance. The anger that bubbled inside him was one rarely seen in the San'Seya, and never brought about without consequence.

Selina Della Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Another fae? No, I can't think of any who would be so brazen. This level of encroachment would threaten to spark war." That wasn't to say another fae wasn't capable of this, in fact, it had been Nairth's first guess before he'd thought it over.

Not a fae, then. Her next guess would be a demon, some of which could potentially gain the power to rival that of the fae... If not a fae or a demon then something worse, and she loathed to think it might be a dark god.

They traveled through the forest as the trees swayed in agitation and moved aside for them. Selina walked with a determined expression, every now and then getting another idea and summoning up a variety of circles to modify a spell or to very quickly make a new one.
When they came to where the trees grew sparser she looked around, it seemed easier to breathe, but the darkness and corruption became more apparent.
She still couldn't get a reliable fix on the source or nature of the power, which made sense if this thing was as powerful as she calculated it was.

"Selina, I am going to move towards the forest's edge. Whatever is here has only just arrived. I'm relying on you to keep close watch around us from behind me. I do not wish for any surprises..."

Selina nodded, "Of course."
Selina went ahead and cast her defensive spells and cast her eyes around them again.
Umbra sniffed the air a growled a low warning.
Just then the sounds of crashing up ahead drew their attention.

Selina immediately held her staff at the ready, a glowing circle of yellow runes rotating around the head as she held her spell in preparation for a target, but her staff was aimed at the forest behind them.

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

Nairth's mind raced even faster than the curious young woman behind him. It had been many ages since something so ominous had threatened the sanctity of his home. Now he quietly cursed himself for resting on his laurels; Powerful he was, but when it came to combat he had not been keeping himself nearly as sharp as he should have been. Now it seemed karma had come to call him out for such foolish confidence.

The duanann was not used to being at a disadvantage, walking into a danger unknown with little in the way of assistance or control. Again, he would reach out in a plea for the trees to sway and offer them a clearer line of sight as he marched forth towards his unseen foe, but each plea was met with more and more resistance the nearer he got to the forest's edge; He was losing control, and with that loss came an unfamiliar creeping chill of worry.

The dirt itself seemed to tremble beneath their feet as the amount of brush and greenery in their path grew thicker, clinging to their legs as they finally came to a break in the trees, where the sun had once bore down on a vast field of grass unobstructed by the treetop canopy above. It was there that the Fae and the Woman saw the monstrosity that had interrupted their more menial task.

It was a hulking figure, standing on its hind legs, which bent back into horselike hooves that dug into the dirt with each thunderous step it took. It was as tall as even some of the trees that it lumbered towards, and the sunlight glowed against the ebony black skin of the beast. Rearing its head back, the horned creature snapped its maw threateningly at the both of them as they emerged from the forest. Eyes wide and dilated with crazed fury.

It resembled something akin to a minotaur in its appearance, and yet Nairth felt something much different within it. There was darkness, overwhelmingly so but... The creature itself was not as it seemed. Something else was afoot.

No time to ponder though, the beast took another step forward, bending forward and bringing its horns down to charge.

"Move! Now!"

 

[Selina Della Altas]

(Sorry for the delay, work has kept me busy most of the time and tired the rest of the time. I should have more time over the next few weeks.)

The beast they found was both familiar, and not. Minotaurs she knew, but she'd never seen any this big, and her magical sensors and scanners were still unable to discern its nature.
But the time of learning was over now. The beast bent it's massive head to charge.

"Move! Now!"

Selina moved promptly. She jumped clear of Nairth to get line of sight on the beast. With a mumbled command word a magical circle appeared, then wrapped itself around the haft of her staff. She then pointed her staff at the monster, her spell caused the grass and hidden roots under the earth to rise up and grab hold of the beast by its horns, momentarily halting the beast before it could begin its charge.
With the few extra seconds they won from this she began to run off to the right with her Barghest close behind, staying away from the edge of the forest but following the treeline around the beast, giving her a clear view of it's exposed left flank while keeping a good distance of sixty feet.

"I can keep it distracted, hit it hard as you can!"
The mere plants were snapping and tearing against the might of the beast, the binding spell around her staff deteriorating, already Selina was in the process of casting another spell for when the binding failed.

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

The monstrosity had begun to charge forward with the force of an army of dozens, the hulking mountain of flesh that had once been a minotaur tearing at the trees as though they were naught but sticks protruding from the mud. Before it could fully immerse itself in the cover of trees and lay waste to acres of Nairth's land, however, roots that ran through the dirt like the veins of Arethil emerged at Selina's call to clutch the beast's horns and pull back, forcing him to halt his progress.

A mighty roar, bloodthirsty and full of rage ripped from its throat as his giant head swung to and fro, its incredible strength would not be contained by those restraints for very long. Nairth was baffled; this was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed. He could feel the soul, the presence of a normal beast within this creature, but there was something else within it as well, something twisted and menacing that had taken its essence and contorted it.

Selina's magic was impressive, to even draw the attention of whatever this thing was. It would not work forever though, and the Duanann would have to do the remainder of the work himself. As the hooved monster struggled against Selina's efforts, Nairth quickly made his way around the creature's left side, keeping one eye on the treeline, eyes scanning for something, just the right weapon...

There! He skids to a halt, calling to Selina as loud as he can manage.

"Pull him towards the treeline! With all that you can manage!"

Selina Della Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Pull him towards the treeline! With all that you can manage!"

The circle around her staff that controlled the binding spell finally broke and the roots and grass once again became inert.
She acknowledged his words as she finished casting her next spell, summoning another magical circle around her staff.

This spell didn't come into effect immediately until she spoke the command word. The fae word for "bridge".
She smote the ground with her staff and once again it seemed the earth and plant life were coming alive, only this time the plants rose from the ground in either humanoid or monstrous forms, inhabited by the spirits of other friendly fae.
Without a word the fae avatars surged forward as a silent army to attack the beast, striking with thorns, claws, stones and fangs. They swarmed over the beast, once again buying them time.

Selina wasn't idle, she didn't even wait to see the effects of her spell. She was already forming another spell... No, she seemed to be forming two spells at once!
She drew circles in the air with her fingers and her staff, runes and symbols floated in the air around her. Her hands moved dexterously and her mind calculated twice as fast as a human mind had a right to.
The air became practically littered around her; filled with notes, symbols, circles, runes, pentagrams and other geometric shapes and algebraic expressions in arcane script.

It took her no less than two minutes, but it seemed like an eternity, during which the beast was kept busy with the fae guardians, tearing them apart and scattering their temporary bodies of roots and stone.
Finally she put her arms wide with staff in hand, and brought her hands together; all of the glowing symbols and script organized themselves, compacted, arranged, and formed two large magical circles in front of her aimed at the beast, one for her hand and one for her staff.
"Stay clear! This will probably leave a mark!"

She activated the spell.

The beast had just finished off the last of her fae guardians... When suddenly the ground began to tilt upwards. The beast looked around in puzzlement, the ground was supposed to be flat. Rocks and branches began to roll past it as the ground continued to tilt upwards, elevating the beast up into the air as well.

Selina had a hard time thinking of a way to move this thing where she wanted it to go, besides trying to use herself as bait.
Wind likely wouldn't be enough, this beast seemed as dense as a mountain.
An explosive spell would have been her next choice, but an explosion big enough to move this beast would likely wipe them off the map.
So, she was left with earth, and simpler calculations.
She simply picked up the earth underneath the beast, and the beast with it!

The angle became sharper and more severe, the beast tried to stay on its feet but soon the ground it was standing on was now a vertical wall that it had to cling to.
Selina guided the motion of the earth with her staff, with the wall of earth straight up and the beast clinging like a rat towards the top on one side, she slammed it down to the ground.

A square of earth was dug out of the ground, and that earth sat beside the hole, flipped over with the beast underneath, right at the edge of the forest.
Selina let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the beast hadn't jumped off before she was done. Then she hissed in pain, her staff was hot to the touch and smoke rose from the twisted wood, she quickly dropped it. That had used quite a bit of magic, and she didn't have time to add safeguards to the spell.
"... Is that... Close enough?"

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

San'Seya had been hoping it would be as simple as tugging the beast with what bindings she already had in place towards the treeline so that he could execute his plan, but as the monster snapped at the roots and vines that clung to him it became clear such a feat was not plausible. The duanann was sure that the talented Selina had something in mind. Nairth need only ensure he was ready to strike when the time came.

That would be a challenge in itself. The presence of whatever was lingering within the creature they battled was still interfering with his powers, the world around him panicked and unfocused. Nairth could still bend it to his will, but not without considerable effort. He worked as he moved, focusing on the skittish and nervous trees as he weaved through him, eyes closed and body led only by the sounds of combat between the beast and... who?

Nairth stopped, opening his eyes to see the tall hooved behemoth swiping at the visages of other Fae, built from the ground up and taking up arms for their cause. An incredible display of power, another to add to the list of times Selina had impressed him. The time for praise would come later, however; those guardians were impressive, but they were weak and wouldn't last long against the brute strength they served to combat. Even so, the brutish crime against nature was distracted by them, swiping down at them with its massive hands, kicking with its hooves and gnashing with rows of teeth.

Altas said something, but Nairth couldn't pay attention to her words. He was in position now, hidden amongst the trees he'd told Selina to send their foe towards. Now came the greatest challenge; making this land heed his call under all of this stress. Outstretching his hands, the duanann placed them on the bark of two nearby trees, sliding his eyes closed once more and attempting to shut out the world around him. Only when he did not hear the scared cries of the trees, the deaths of the guardians or the roars of the beast would this plan be viable.

Silent reassurances, hushed whispers of comfort, gentle touches of care slowly brought the trees back to him. Nairth San'Seya would not slay this foe, but this forest would. The rumbling of the ground beneath his feet battled to steal his attention away, and unsure murmurs amongst the forest turned to shouts and screams as Selina upheaved the land itself to send the massive corrupted minotaur his way.

There was no more time to waste; the beast now hurdled towards the treetops, towards him. Nairth thrust his hands downwards, and the branches of all the trees around him shot down suddenly, extending, growing towards the duanann commanding them. Then turning his palms up and raising his arms they would shoot skywards, pointed tips formed from the rapid growth serving as the perfect weapons as they met the falling beast's flesh.

The monster was impaled, dozens of sharp branches piercing his skin, driving through his body and out the other side. The force was so tremendous that it prevented him from completing his fall; the body was suspended in midair, the creature letting out a tremendous roar before going silent.

Selina Della Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Selina could only watch in awe... The sheer power of the fae was staggering, if she made a spell like that she would need a far more powerful Arcane focus, or several and just accept the fact that they would all disintegrate from the amount of magic being channeled through them.
It was something else she found amazing and had done some research on, those born or blessed with magic or have magic inherently by their race like these fae.

Those were the most common magic users, especially in Elbion. Those to whom magic came easily and natural. Really she, and those like her, were anomalies... Without any form of magical talent, bloodline, curse or blessing. People like her have found a way to use magic in spite of everything stacked against them by using Arcane Foci.

The beast was now suspended in the air, resting on a spike of forest. Selina cast a simple divination spell which displayed a pulsating glow in front of her, the heartbeat of the monster, beating rapidly... But slowing down... steadily... Until...
"It's heart has stopped..."
She sighed and sat down where she was.
The clearing was trashed, a battlefield stained only by the blood of the beast creeping down it's pure.

Selina tentatively touched her staff, it was still too hot to touch, but thankfully it hadn't disintegrated.
"I honestly expected more," she called across the clearing, "I don't think that took more than... Maybe twenty-four seconds?"
She chuckled and laid back in the grass that was already beginning to regrow.

 

[Nairth San'Seya]

The display that Nairth had put on may have seemed effortless and powerful, but the duanann's body ached with the sheer exertion he'd put it through. Selina called across the field, declaring how simple the matter had been, but had it not been for their teamwork, the battle would not have gone so smoothly. What was more, if it had been only a little more powerful, Nairth would have had no hope of performing such a feat.

And even then, the San'Seya knew they hadn't truly won the fight. It was not the Minotaur they had been battling, but the darkness lingering within it. No amount of piercing force would kill that. What was worse, Nairth wasn't entirely sure what could. All that he could do was gasp for air, attempting to catch his breath as he stared up at the beast suspended in the air by his branches.

It wasn't the body that he was watching though, it was the black substance sliding from the corpse, like a shadow that had wrapped the minotaur in a sinister embrace and now saw fit to flee, unwrapping itself from around the poor creature. That strange darkness, that... shadow. That was San'Seya's true enemy. He knew not what it was, or where it had come from, but it held a power mightier than he'd felt in ages.

The shadow separated completely, hanging in the air like a dark stormcloud seeming to taunt Nairth and Selina with its very presence before flying off to who knows where. Behind it, it left an ordinary beast, shrunken back to normal size once Nairth removed the wooden javelins. Slowly the trees returned to their upright positions, the branches receiving, though still far too long to be natural; this place would be scarred for some years as Nairth repaired the damage, but they had prevented a much worse affair.

For now.

It was that element of time that gave Nairth the look of dissatisfaction on his face as he re-emerged from the trees to meet with Altas.

"Our true foe has fled. A shame... but you did well. Incredibly so, Selina. Without your aid, I cannot guarantee that skirmish would have seen me unscathed..."

Selina Della Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

As Selina lay in the grass, she watched the black cloud oozing from the minotaur, releasing the creature from its corrupted state.
She sat up and watched the vaporous shadow move away until it disappeared.
Possession and corruption, a demon could have done this, or a dark god of some sort, perhaps even some dark fae? Heck, even some dark magic user of considerable power could have done this, maybe they even had the aid of a demonic artifact... But she suspected something darker and more sinister, a creature of the Shadowfell.
The fae certainly had their own problems to deal with, she would have to add on to her writings on the fae, perhaps she could even research some of their culture and society. Publishing such a work would do wonders for the general population of Arethil to better understand these fae creatures.

"Our true foe has fled. A shame... but you did well. Incredibly so, Selina. Without your aid, I cannot guarantee that skirmish would have seen me unscathed..."

She looked back at him; he definitely was looking exhausted. Manipulating the forest seemed so effortless to him before, but that final attack must have taken a lot out of him.
"My thanks for the compliments, Nairth. I hope we've seen the last of creatures such as that, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. You seem to have enemies in the Shadowfell."
The Barghest, seeing no further signs of danger, found Selina's shadow and stepped through it like a portal. Dale relaxed a bit, lounging across her shoulders as he added his two cents.
"It could be any number of things, but the Shadowfell is the antithesis of the Feywild. So, the odds that it comes from there are considerably better than the other options."
Selina nodded in affirmation as she tested her staff once again. It was still uncomfortably hot, but she could at least pick it up.
"I used quite a bit of magic, if my staff were any weaker it would have disintegrated."
She looked at him again before fishing for something in her satchel.
"I wonder if you would indulge me a small experiment..."
She removed a small stone etched with runes and handed it to him, another arcane focus.
"Creatures with a magical nature have magic permeating their bodies. If I guess correctly, you should be able to draw the magic out of this stone to replenish your power."