by Prax Venter
She took no time in digging her claws deep into the supple skin of the creature's top-half. The monster reared up, but Ahnix hung on by digging both of her claws deep into its flesh.
Vale's Shield Bash ability must have also cooled down by now, and she employed it to stun the bucking creature.
Undisturbed, Ahnix was able to do some severe damage to its spine, and moments later it slumped to the marble floor, motionless.
A massive rush of essence poured into Mark, and he felt himself reach maximum capacity. To his dismay, he could still feel some of essence rush past him and out into nothingness. He hated losing out on any of the precious resource, but there wasn't much he could do about it.
He ran over to check on his girls. Ahnix seemed to be okay, nimbly jumping down from the dead crustacean-woman. When Mark got close to Vale, he noticed that she had cuts and bruises all over her body. He had thought she was blocking everything, but it seemed like a few of those claw attacks got through. He walked up to his beautiful, white-haired naga and embraced her.
He focused a heal on her, and she put one of her large hands on his back, pulling him closer. The naga only let out a quiet moan as pleasure washed over her.
Mark’s face was pressed against her flat stomach and turned his head to speak, "Thanks for taking the hits, Vale. We'd all be dead if it weren't for your strong shield arm."
"Yeah, way to soak up that damage. You did well." Ahnix said before joining Mark, and wrapping her furry arms around her too.
They not only just healed a massive tear, as a team, for the first time, they also just won what Mark thought of as their first real boss fight.
"Aw, you guys are so nice," Vale said tears forming in her large, violet eyes.
The water manipulating teenagers approached, and Mark broke the embrace with his girls and turned to face them.
"You kids have a stinking mess to clean up, but it could have ended a lot worse."
A bright flash from his left drew everyone's attention. The girl that Mark had used his precious protective bubble on had placed the object she had been holding on a pedestal in the center of the pavilion. It looked like a shimmering, spherical gemstone- like looking up at the sun from deep under the ocean.
Mark took a moment to get a good look at this Water Temple for the first time. It was mostly made out of polished marble and seashells, and there were fountains everywhere. They had been fighting under a huge pavilion, and the roof was held high in the air by four ornate columns on each corner.
Every fountain began to overflow at once, and Mark watched with growing concern as the water flowed unnaturally into the center of the floor, right in front of the glowing blue-green ball.
"What's going on?" He asked generally, at the group of tan teenagers.
"It's father. He's coming to visit," said one of the young boys. Mark thought it was the first one they met, but he could no longer be sure. They all looked so similar.
The water pooling on the floor began to coalesce into a figure of a person. It walked toward Mark and his party, and he tensed, ready for anything. It was still forming as it walked and eventually looked like an older, muscular man with green robes and a flowing beard.
The kids ran toward him and encircled him, huge grins on their faces. The man stopped to look down on them.
"My children. I never imagined I'd see you again. Hundreds of years, adrift..." His tan, weathered face couldn't decide on looking happy or looking sad, flickering from one to the next.
"What do you mean, father. We saw you just yesterday?" one said.
"Father, did you see the great battle?" said another.
"The Sea Witch came for the Aquamarine Pearl again, and we defeated her, once and for all!" said yet another, and pointed at the lobster-woman corpse right next to Mark, Ahnix, and Vale.
The mysterious, bearded man glanced over at the dead monster and then at Mark and his team.
He nodded once, smiled and then turned his attention to the children again.
"You don't know it, but you have been lost for hundreds of years, and I have been disconnected, floating helpless in the void. My temple was marred by a terrible rip in the word and you, my children, were trapped inside. It sounds unbelievable. But it's true. Your father cannot lie to you."
He looked down on his children, taking time to look each one over. Then he looked back up at Mark.
"And, yes, I was watching. This Collector and his Enthralled were somehow able to close the rift and restore you, and my temple. They then put their own lives at risk to protect you and defeat our ancient enemy. We all owe them a great deal of gratitude."
Everyone turned to look at this powerful Collector and his unstoppable battle harem.
Mark liked where this was going. "Hello," he waved awkwardly. "I'm Mark. This regal cat-girl is Ahnix, and this stunning naga is Vale. We did heal the tear, but I had no idea there would be an epic battle raging in here when we did. Glad everything worked out."
The water-formed man walked past his children and over to Mark.
"I am Sodden, an ancient water spirit that has existed since before the beginning. These water nymphs are my children. I owe you a reward for what you have done. Mark, I see you are one enthralled short of your maximum capacity."
Mark was stunned to learn the exact number and was glad to know he only had one slot left. He had a feeling that was the case, but it was good to be sure. The old man looked over his shoulder at the water nymphs whispering among themselves and called out.
"My children, come over her and arrange yourself by ability. You will present yourself to this Collector for potential enthralling." After he gave his command the teenagers began to move, some reluctantly. He turned his attention to Mark.
"Collector, this is not something I offer lightly. To gift you one of my children to service you is not a gift would bestow just anyone. Don't be fooled by their appearances. They are all hundreds of years old and capable fighters- as you have seen for yourself."
Mark didn't know how to feel about this. He looked over at Ahnix and Vale, and they only watched him impassively. He knew they would abide by any decision he made. They trusted him to do right by the team.
The teenage water nymphs organized themselves into three groups. Sodden walked in front of the first group, which were mostly girls and one boy.
"These nymphs are healers." Then he moved to the next group who were mostly boys. "Hexers, moderate damage over time and slowing abilities," he said, and then he stopped in front of the last group. "These are Mages. They do considerable damage from a distance."
Mark could see there were only two kids in the last group. The boy they first encountered and a girl. The boy was looking at Vale with a big grin on his face, and the girl was looking at the ground. He wasn't interested in a hexer or another healer, so that eliminated the first two groups.
Mark walked up to the last group and focused on the girl looking down. He could tell she really didn’t want to go with him. The vibes he was getting from this cute, but very young looking girl was that she would probably not be compatible. Mark had only one more slot in his party left, apparently, and he wanted to make damn sure he filled it with the right woman.
His mind made up, Mark turned to the old man and hoped the ancient water spirit wouldn't be pissed at what he was going to say.
"While it's a great honor, I'm afraid I am going to have to turn down the offer to enthrall one of your fine kids here. They are certainly formidable warriors. I just don't think any would be a good fit with my current team."
The girl quickly looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes, and he knew he made the right choice. Before Sodden could say anything, Mark wanted to offer an alternative.
"But, what I am lacking is knowledge. I would consider us even if you could tell me how to locate the shards of the Crystal Heart, the objects that caused these tears. I am on a quest to reshape the Heart and restore this world to its former glory, and I'm just aimlessly wandering right now."
Sodde
n, brought his hand up to his beard and considered the request. He waved a hand over the groups of water nymphs.
"My children, please go and attend to the temple, won't you?" They all scattered and began cleaning up the mess from the battle.
The water spirit studied Mark for a moment then spoke. "You are a unique Collector, Mark. I watched you and your Enthralled fight, and you work well together. You must have formed a tight bond with them. I am not slighted in any way by your rejection of my children, quite the opposite. It shows you are serious about your task." The water spirit paused and then heaved a sigh. "I cannot tell you what you want to know for I do not possess this knowledge. But I can send you to someone who most likely does. She is as ancient as I am and has a network of connections all over this land. If anyone knows where to find these accursed shards, it is her."
Mark nodded. "Thank you. Where can I find this person?"
"She is no more a person than I, but worry not. I am able to move you to her instantly through the channels of water. It will drain me to send you so far, but I truly owe you this much, at least."
Mark raised an eyebrow, "How far away are you sending us?"
"Many, many hundreds of miles to a still pond inside the Murmuring Forest."
Mark looked at both Vale and Ahnix. "You guys okay with this? We might not be back this way for a while."
"I go where you go," Vale said like it was silly to ask.
Ahnix just nodded.
"Okay, great. One way trip to the Murmuring Forest it is. How does this work?"
"Like this," the spirit said, and waved his hand. Water engulfed all of them, and Mark started to panic. The solid marble floor dropped out from underneath him, the world flipped, and it felt like he was rising to the surface of a deep body of water at an incredible speed.
Before his brain could tell his mouth to scream his head broke through the surface of the water. He looked around and took a huge gulp of air. Both Vale and Ahnix were splashing in the cool water next to him, and he let himself relax a little. He started to laugh, his voice echoing off the tall trees.
"I wish that crazy old spirit would have given us a little warning first. You guys okay?"
"Yes," Ahnix said, crawling out of the small pond.
"Yes, Master. Everything seems to be here," Vale said, sliding out also, and checking her whip and the shield on her back.
Mark found that the bottom was actually very shallow, and he walked out of the pond as well. He looked around and saw that they were surrounded by ancient redwoods; massive trees that stretched higher than he had ever seen a tree grow before.
As he stood, mouth agape, staring up at the trees, something wrapped around his feet and yanked him to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the same thing happening to Vale and Ahnix. He looked down and saw vines wrapping themselves around his legs and arms, pulling him tight to the ground.
From one of the redwoods close by, a voice echoed across the small clearing the pond created.
"How did you shadow chasers get so deep into my domain? I'll crush the life out of you for such audacity!"
The vines were crawling all over him now, and he looked over and saw Vale break a few with her brute strength, but two more just took their place and pulled her down too.
He also saw Ahnix struggling to cut hers with the same results, then she stopped and looked around, searching.
"Oh no you don't, little shadow cat. I've got you, and you aren't stepping through the darkness as long as I have you."
Mark wanted to explain everything, to tell whoever this was to hold on a second, but vines and roots had covered his mouth. His mind raced and came up with a desperate plan.
He reached out with his will and erected an impenetrable bubble around Ahnix. The vines around her instantly severed, and she was free to stand. They both knew if she attacked any of the vines that the bubble would burst, and they would be right where they started.
Mark looked his beautiful cat-girl in the eye and tried to make her understand what he was thinking. He poured all of his power into stimulating her teleport ability. It was strangely familiar to the first day they met. Only this time he knew she could teleport. He focused on all the days they had spent together- all they had been through and willed her to get far, far away from here so she could continue to live. He looked over at Vale struggling, and losing, and felt horrible he could do nothing for her.
The glowing rings appeared, and Ahnix inhaled sharply. Her legs started quivering as Mark filled her with intense bliss.
Ahnix looked up at him inside her bubble. "I'm not leaving you!"
Vale ripped off the vine that was over her mouth and got out, "Go!" before a thicker vine replaced it.
Ahnix hung her head and vanished.
- 13 -
As soon as Ahnix was gone, the vines started to loosen. The one over his mouth slid off, and he sat up coughing dirt out of his mouth and filled his lungs with sweet fresh air.
"Stop," he said weakly. "We come in peace." Another coughing fit wracked his body, and he felt Vale break free and move over to him. She grabbed him under his shoulders and pulled him to his feet.
"I may have misjudged you, Collector. No Moondusk would act so selflessly. You love that shadow cat, don't you?
"Yeah, and I really need to go find her."
The forest was quiet for a moment. Then, one of the trees near the pond cracked and twisted until a face appeared in the bark.
"How did you get here?" the face asked. It was definitely a female voice.
"Sodden, the ancient water spirit in the Amethyst Deep. We sealed the tear over his temple and saved his children from sea monsters. His reward was to send me to someone who could help me find a way to finish my quest. I fear he must have made a horrible mistake. We will take our leave- if you'll let us."
Mark looked up at Vale and made sure she was okay. Her usual cheerfulness was replaced with defeat, but she looked okay otherwise.
"Not so fast, young one."
The face pushed forward, and an entire body formed out of the bark. A voluptuous female carved out of wood stood motionless in the still forest. If he didn't currently hate this creature, he would think she was a knockout. She strode towards Mark and reached out a carved wooden hand. Mark stepped back, and Vale slid between them with her shield raised ready to protect him to the death.
"I'm not going to hurt you, child. Order your Enthralled out of my way."
Mark crossed his arms. "Vale is a big girl. She is very capable, and I trust her instincts. Maybe you should try talking to her like she actually exists."
The wood woman tilted her head to the side, studying Mark and then looked up at his guardian.
"Vale, I will cause no harm to you or this Collector."
Vale lowered her shield and studied the wood creature, and looked over her shoulder at Mark for his opinion. He nodded, and his naga protector slid backward, taking up a position close to him.
The wood creature walked up to Mark and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked into her delicately carved, wooden eyes and saw a multitude of expressions pass through them. She let go and stepped back from him.
"First things first, Mark. You don't know it, but you have an ability already unlocked called Harem Recall. You can use that to instantly bring your Enthralled to your side from anywhere they happen to be. Ahnix teleported a few miles away, but its range is limitless. That was quite the powerful enhancement you channeled. Not being able to see your skills or your path has its advantages. Many Collectors are not aware that they can focus their power so finely as to single out one ability like that."
Mark was almost knocked on his ass. Harem recall? He had more questions, and this thing seemed to finally have some answers, but he needed to try and bring Ahnix back.
He focused on what this forest spirit had said. He could recall his Enthralled to him whenever he wanted? Mark hoped she was telling the truth and honed in on his need to have Ahnix back by his side. He reached ou
t into the universe, as far as he could stretch is imagination, and tried to pull her to him. He focused on her scent and his desire to have her fit, little body in his arms again. Right now, more than anything, he needed to see that small frown and her gorgeously exotic eyes looking into his.
He pulled with everything he had and then something popped in his mind. There was a movement by his side, and he turned to see Ahnix standing next to him, looking around wide-eyed.
He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her furry body. She was so stunned by her confusion she didn’t respond at first, but she eventually returned his embrace.
He turned his head and whispered into her ear. "I told you I would never let you go."
Vale joined herself to the group hug, and they just stood there under the tall trees feeling each others presence.
"See, I'm not so bad." The wood lady spoke, and Ahnix hopped backward, breaking the embrace.
"What just happened?" Ahnix asked, looking from Mark to the wooden woman standing next to her.
Before Mark could talk, the tree lady spoke up first. "I am Mother. I am this forest and every forest. I am every blade of grass and spot of mold in this world. I see everything and know all... except I sometimes miss the finer details."
The curvy wooden woman bowed deeply before Mark and his Enthralled. "I offer my sincerest apologies for causing any of you distress." She straightened and turned her delicately carved wooden face to Ahnix. "To answer your question, first I sensed the dark, Moondusk artifact you have tucked away near your bosom. I also sensed your shadow step ability and assumed that all of you were in league with those vile shadow chasers. Then, I watched Mark here pour all his love for you into a way for you to escape." At this, Ahnix looked over at Mark. He gave her a half-smile and shrugged.
The tree lady continued, "The Moondusk people aren't capable of such acts. That is when I realized I might have acted a bit too hasty with you intruders. Then, I looked into Mark's... soul, if you will, and learned a lot about his past, and his abilities. I told him of an unlocked but still unknown ability- Harem Recall. And here we are."