by Viola Grace
"Sure, but get the little ones busy. We need those supplies."
"Why?"
"We are making brownies.” Abby looked over at Seesee while they waited for the kids to be given their tasks. Shrieks of glee reached them.
Just before Terra came back in, Seesee asked, “Do you know what you are doing?"
"I really hope so because this is going to hurt. A lot."
Terra nodded. “They are gathering the supplies. The potter left so we can use her kiln and the clay in her stores."
"Excellent. First the pixies.” She sat comfortably in the second largest chair in the room and then closed her eyes almost completely. She sent her senses out looking for magic, dodging what was obviously the magus with his army and continuing until she saw the small flickering lights in the forest. She used her senses to touch those lights one at a time.
They were bright, curious and only to happy to help. They were on their way.
Her eyes opened to a fascinated Terranor staring at her.
"I saw them. They are coming."
"I didn't even feel you along with me. You learn fast.” She stood and stretched. “Now. Time for sculpting. To the pottery."
Once she explained the principle, Terranor and her family took over.
The application of the poisoned ivy was left to Seesee's hair. She tucked it into a crevice on each and every hideous creature. “Okay people, don't touch them now. The only one who can get them up and running now is you, Terra."
"Me? Why not you? You have such a grasp of the power."
"Because these are your guardians. No one can grab them and they can cause and create so much havoc that you will be amazed. They will live outside the village and they will thrive. I guarantee you. That and, of course I am going to be back in my time and they will not be able to draw power from me if they need it."
"Oh. I see.” The look said she didn't see.
"Terranor, how do you usually draw in power?"
"Uh, well. Not in front of the children."
The little girls giggled.
It was enough to give Abby the last clue. Apparently, power was generated the same way here as back home. “I understand. So why don't you and your husband have a short ... conversation, while I keep the kids occupied.” Abby winked and waved her off. The gnomes were still capering with the children and Terranor needed a fast energy boost. Only sex or heavy petting was going to be enough. The first Nexus was bemused, but followed her orders and, in thirty minutes, the power shot was out. The wave of magic caressed their sculptures, but it was when Terra returned, patting her hair smooth again, that the brownies came to life.
"Missy? Where do you want us, Missy?” They chirped up as one. Terranor looked surprised as the brownies stood and unfolded their multiple arms and legs.
"You can guard Missy best from the outskirts of the village. Make sure no one breaks the circle of rocks.” Abby gave the direction as Terranor was still obviously shocked at how simple the activation was.
"Yes, Missy-friend. We go.” Wave after wave of the slender creatures ran past them to take up their positions as guardians. Phase one of her plan was complete.
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Chapter Forty-Seven
Phase two consisted of shoring up the pebbles and keeping the barrier seamless. For this, Abby used her magic to charge them, simply dragging her hands through a vat of gravel. The gnomes dug a small trough around the village and laid the bits of gravel in it with astonishing attention to detail.
Abby and Terranor were washing their hands by the village well.
Terra asked her, “Are they your creatures? Did you make them?"
"I did and they are. They are great."
"They seem terribly intelligent."
"They are."
"How do you control them? They seem so loyal."
"What? Control them? I just let them do their thing. They choose to stay with me.” She looked over at them and watched them carefully, knowing that her face was showing maternal pride. She couldn't help it, she was proud of all that they accomplished.
"So the pixies as you call them? They will be loyal to me?"
"Probably. It depends on if you were feeling lonely when you created them."
"Very."
"Then, when they arrive, there will be nothing that will stop them from protecting you."
"That is amazing."
"The really amazing thing, to me, is that we came through time and still manage to get ourselves understood. I guess it helps that we were wrapped in your magic when we did.” She looked down at herself. “Sorry about the clothing. I didn't have time to find something more appropriate to this time."
"No worries there. The elves often wear rather risqué clothing, it doesn't matter."
"Speaking of the elves, why have none of them offered to help in our little escapade?"
"They leave human matters to the humans. The elves who are here are prepared to die."
"But they don't want to, right? Because if they have a suicide wish they had better hit the bricks. There will be no deaths in this village.” The look she got was admiring.
"You are sure about that. I can tell. What do you know of the future?"
"All I know is that the village disappeared, with no reports of deaths or capture. I know how to make that happen."
"How?"
"It's a surprise. I don't mean it to be mysterious, but until we are facing the magus and tell him off, it will not be a reality.” Abby shuddered and took a deep breath. “We have to do that before anything else."
"Why? I don't know if I can face him after all these years."
"Because that is the way it was written so that is the way it must be.” The words came out of her mouth without a second thought. Abby blinked and rummaged through her brain for the origin of that comment and found nothing. Not even a stray peanut. Something was weird. She muttered to herself, “Shake it off, Abby,” and earned a long look from Terranor.
"What is it Abby? You are thinking something. Something important."
"I can't help but feel that something has been pushing me to this point. Even a month ago, I would never have dreamed that magic could throw a person through time. If the gnomes hadn't known what to do, I would have been stuck."
"Well, so far I have not put the knowledge of the portal generator into the book. Where do you think this influence is coming from?"
"I have no idea. I only know that it is unsettling to feel like something is pushing and pulling me to be certain places at certain times.” She shook her head again, trying to clear it.
"I am sure that all will be revealed in good time. I can only be grateful that something is pushing you to be here with us at this time.” Her skirts rustled as she washed her hands and she had no sooner set the table than an elf came through the door with a tray of food. “Thank you, Anwyn. It is most appreciated."
"You are welcome, my friend. We hope that you have success in these endeavours. In fact, we are depending on it."
The grace that the blonde elf used in the curtsy to Abby freaked her out. It was the manoeuvre of a butterfly, dipping and rising with boneless grace. “Anwyn, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, my lady.” She dipped again with that ethereal grace.
"Could you ask the villagers a question? Could you ask them if they would mind being taken out of the living world?” At the woman's frightened look, she struggled to find the proper words. “I mean. Oh. Hell. I suppose I will have to tell everyone or they won't have the chance to agree or not.” Abby squirmed in the seat. Public speaking was not her forte. “I don't have the words now, but if you can arrange a meeting with the members of the village, I would be very grateful."
"I will see to it, Lady.” She almost ran from the cottage.
Seesee took that moment to assert herself, “Well that went well. Why don't you just tell them that you have invented a plague. It will scare them faster."
"I blew it. I suck at confrontation.
Well, aside from when I blew up Miranda, but that was just luck."
Terranor smiled and put the food on the table. “The same luck that has sent you here and created guardians for my village? Good luck, I say."
The gorgon turned to her friend and said, “Tell me what needs to be said. I will tell them at the meeting. I am quite the excellent public speaker."
"Are you sure?"
"There has to be a reason that I am here. This must be it.” She smiled and her hair snapped and curled with excitement. “It is either that or to teach these elves the benefits of good pastry. I can't decide."
Abby hugged her friend with relief. “Thanks. I always want to hurl when I am at a podium."
"All right. Abby. Tell me your plan."
Terranor leaned forward as her family trooped in and waved them to silence. She wanted to hear the plan that would remove the threat of the magus from her family. As the Nexus Abby spoke, she felt her eyes widen in surprise.
"It all started when I remembered the boom..."
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Chapter Forty-Eight
"So, good people of the village, will you stay, knowing what will become of you, your children and your grandchildren?"
"We will. The option to seek mates outside the village is appealing. If necessary, we will hold a lottery so that only one is out of the village at a time."
"That will be fair. But the Nexus Abby has another question to put to you. Will you answer her?"
"Of course we will. She has given us this opportunity, we will listen to what she has to say."
Trembling with fear of public humiliation, Abby faced the group of ridiculously handsome elves. “Elders, have you heard of the magical council?"
"Yes. Of course. Several of us are members."
"Then have you heard of the Eternal Archive?"
Brynwyn, the elder answered, “No. What is it?"
"It is something that exists in my time, an eternal record of all the varagries of magic. Including my own and that of Terranor. Someone needs to keep these records. They need to record the books that have the best spells, the best teachers of each generation and the greatest loves. Would you, this village, become that Eternal Archive?"
"Keepers of knowledge. Keepers of Magical history?"
"Indeed. That is the idea.” Abby smiled as the faces around her took on a new glow, the glow of hope. “Before our plan is in action, you must have notified the council of it, I would get to it, if I were you."
Brynwyn craned his neck to the sky.
Abby saw the spiralling bolt of power that he sent out.
"The answer should be back presently."
"I don't know how to measure time here. What is presently?"
A bright glow centred over the communal fire, it swirled and grew by leaps and bounds. Finally a figure stepped from it.
"What nonsense is this that you spread? A disappearing village and a lost Nexus?"
"We need to bring these things to come, Lady Myfir. Tomorrow Mervyn Atur will be here and we will die at his hand unless these things come to pass."
"I just needed to hear it from you lips, Brynwyn. You have our blessing to keep the records and your village shall be charged with gathering knowledge in it's quest. Will that suffice?"
"More than you could ever know. Thank you."
"Yes, thank you.” Abby should have kept her mouth shut. The fiery creature turned to her. “And what have you to do with it?"
"I am the other Nexus. The one who will return through time.” She curtsied back and was quite pleased, considering that she was wearing jeans.
"Then make sure that all progresses as it has been foreseen or we will return to deal with you.” She leapt back into the flame with that and the sky welcomed her as she flew away.
"Wow.” She couldn't get the ring of that voice out of her head. She needed to sleep. She needed her strength for tomorrow. “Thank you for your time. Where can I sleep?"
Anwyn walked her and Seesee to one of the empty cottages. There were two beds and they were calling. “I will come get you at first light."
Abby already slept. She dreamed of Xander. His fingers, his hands, his smile and his body moving over hers. The blast of power that she woke to was no surprise.
Good thing, it was time to make war on a magus.
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Chapter Forty-Nine
The entire village had turned out to face the oncoming threat. It was going to be quite the audience.
Terranor met her and, with the charge buzzing on her, she and Strykr had just said their morning greeting. The naked kind. Tough to do with so many kids around, but Terra had said the elders were always wishing to babysit.
They stood side by side as the forest lining began to rustle. Soon horses came forward, each carrying a battle-hardened warrior. At their head was the butt-head who had caused it all.
"Mervyn Atur, I presume.” She heard gasps behind her and knew that the insult of dismissing his titles was a good call.
"What manner of ill-favoured wretch are you?” He had hair that was whitening around the sides and he simply let it flow. Not attractive, but not a spud either.
She turned to Terra. “He just called me ugly, didn't he?"
"Yes. In revenge for the insult no doubt."
"Gotcha.” She took a deep breath. Time for the show to start. “You have something that does not belong to you."
"And what would that be?"
"The magic in your weapons. It was obtained by force and drawn out of a child just to create death and destruction.” She stood and Terranor took her place at her side. “Today she will take it back."
Terranor concentrated and pulled on her magic.
Abby could see it start to flow to her, one tendril at a time. As she became more confident, the flow increased until it was a river of power that was working its way back to its originator.
She glowed with the power. It was beautiful to behold.
"No! She cannot do this. She has not been trained to do this!” Mervyn was panicking, it was a fine sight to behold.
"All weapons, which were enchanted, are no more. There is only one blade created that still has power and it resides far from here, only the most pure of heart can withdraw it. It lies beyond your grasp, Mervyn."
He was practically foaming at the mouth. “Then I shall take the Nexus and have her redo what she has undone."
"But which Nexus?” This was the show. She pulled her own magic to her, spurred on by remembering her dream last night. Power pushed at him, frightened the horses and had the army turning tail in moments. Terranor did the same on her side.
They turned to face each other and poured the energy into the pebbles they had started. The bubble of energy grew rapidly, their powers collided and swirled in a beautiful combination until a bubble covered the whole of the village. Terra and Abby inside, the army outside. Mervyn was shrieking and he ran toward them, sword upraised. And kept running, right through them. He could not touch them. They were in a bubble out of time.
They watched him flail and scream at Terranor, his fury was palpable and when he began to gather his magic for an assault, the pixies went into action. He was surrounded by a cloud of whirling wings and giggling girls in a matter of seconds. When they finished their laughing tornado, they dissipated to the point where Abby could see the magus covered with a fine glittering powder. Pixie dust.
He screamed as the magic he had summoned was now trapped inside the veil of dust.
Abby looked to Terranor and stifled a laugh when she said, “Oh, that has to hurt."
"Did you design them to do that?"
"Not particularly, but I remember wishing that he could keep his magic to himself that day.” She giggled.
It was a relief for Abby that Terra had not been broken by the experiences of her early life as a Nexus.
"I guess I put that into the pixies."
They turned from Mervyn railing and cursing at the discomfort of
the confined power.
Abby smiled and hugged the first of her kind. “I guess you did."
"I do foresee one problem with them though.” They were returning to her family and the astonished villagers who were looking out through the bubble of magic to the forest beyond.
"What is that?"
"I made them all girls. There won't be any more of them."
"That is a problem. Perhaps you could make more of them?"
"But they couldn't go through the bubble, could they?"
"Of course they could. Just like the elves and your kids can. The bubble will wrap them in your magic and they will be able to come and go as long as they don't all go at once. That would tear the bubble apart and leave you to the mercies of whoever was nearby.” She tried to be matter of fact about it, but she didn't want Terra to mistake her lightness of delivery for lack of seriousness.
"I understand. And although you have not said it, I know that I will never leave this village. You are from the future, what have you seen for my children?” Her voice was choked with emotion, but she was doing what was best for her family and the friends who had taken her in.
"I don't know any specifics, but I do know that the magus who trained me looks so much like your Strykr that he could be his grandson. Your grandson. Or some form of descendent.” At the sceptical look, she continued, “Seriously, when I came to and saw him there, I could have sworn that it was Xander."
"Really? You were trained by a magus and you still have your freedom?"
The villagers were touching the barrier and murmuring to themselves. Smiles were on their faces so it wasn't all bad.
"Really. The magical council created an equally represented, um, village for me. There is a werewolf, mermaid, the gorgon you have met, a magus, a vampire, I think, I haven't met him yet and there was one human who was trying to kill me. So it was a pretty safe environment for me to learn."
"You are serious? They let you roam free?"
"Yeah. Apparently, history has shown them that if they want the magic to continue to flow, they need to keep the Nexus from burning out. Our time is short on natural magic so my appearance was a big deal for them."
"How could your time be short on nature?"