The leader’s face twisted as she seemed to search her memories. “The name ‘Keeper Anderson’ is familiar to me. He has helped us in the past and we rewarded him with a vial from our Life Spring. Why has he not come to confirm your story?”
“He has grown old,” I answered. “He simply couldn’t make the trip. I am his apprentice.”
“Is he aware that his apprentice is a Kairu?” she asked.
“No,” I replied. “Nobody does. Cath…The Demon and I are one in the same. Our souls are bound together but I still control things. She is no threat to you.”
“’She?” the leader smirked. “I am unaware of them having gender. The harmony of your soul is unlike anything that has ever been seen. Mistress Velias will be interested in studying you.”
“And I would be interested in speaking with her,” I said.
“One wrong step and we will kill you,” the leader stated. “We have enough problems with Kairus in the forest.”
Here, Cathy said as a memory flashed through my mind.
“Yes, the Tower is here on other business. They are investigating the weird wolf prints,” I said.
“Wolf? Far from it,” the leader said. “It’s a Masquade, an ancient forest guardian that has been corrupted by a Demon. Your Tower was no match for it. All the Mages you sent are now part of the Masquade’s army.”
“How many more did they send?” I asked.
“That is a question you can ask the Mistress,” the leader answered. “I do not wish to be out here any longer than necessary.”
“Then we must hurry,” I said.
The leader held out her open palm and a piece of vine unravelled from around her wrist. She closed her hands around the vine and approached me.
“You must wear the Vines of Sharana,” she said. “It is for our protection.”
“I was waiting for something like this,” I said accepting the vine. “You get use to it after a while.”
I started to wrap them around my wrist and the Nao leader shook her head.
“It goes around your neck,” she said. “The poison can get to your brain faster after I activate it.”
“How comforting,” I said sarcastically as I wrapped it around my neck.
The vines gripped into my skin and grew increasing uncomfortable and itchy. I tried to scratch around it with no luck.
“Shall we go,” I said. “Then longer I have to wear this, the crankier I'm going to get.”
The leader smiled slightly and motioned us forward.
***
Our walk through the forest was pleasant. The Nao moved at a pace that suggested they had all the time in their world and nothing would ever bother them.
Or they are just screwing with you, Cathy said.
That would make more sense.
The forest started to thin out a bit but that only meant the claustrophobic feeling was finally leaving. We stopped and the leader of the group looked back at me.
“You should consider yourself lucky,” she said. “Only a select few of your species have seen what you are about to see.”
She turned to a nonspecific section of forest and held up one hand.
“Watusa Donari Kabu,” she whispered into the wind.
The forest in front of me started to meld and change as the trees disappeared to reveal a small clearing with houses and many Naos walking around.
We walked into the city and I couldn’t help but stare in awe at the houses. They were trees that had been magically shaped as they grew. The city was small, housing a very small population in comparison to a village in Nesqa or Balendar.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was their only village too, Cathy said. We probably could have killed them all.
Shh! They can see through us. If they see your murder thoughts, we are dead before we can move.
The Nao villagers watched me in fear as I walked past. They could see the vine around my neck and my escorts but they still watched in terror as if this was a trick.
The group led me to the large building in the centre of the village. The door guards moved aside and the leader and I entered the building.
Inside the building was a giant spring. The water glowed with a blue light from small creatures that swam in it. The room was otherwise sparsely decorated with only a couple of tables holding scrolls. The leader led me past the spring to the back of the building. A Nao in a horned headdress and wolf pelt kneeled before a large statue of a Tree Creature holding an orb.
“Welcome home, Sister Carlia,” the Nao said as she stood up and turned towards us. “I see you have brought me a person of interest.”
I had noticed that the Nao's vines were the easiest way to distinguish one from another. It seems that they grow in a different way on each Nao.
I don’t think they would appreciate you staring at their bodies, Cathy said.
I’m just trying to learn more about them. This isn’t a perverted thing.
If I end up looking like one of these in your next dream, I am going to beat you with a tree trunk, Cathy replied.
“This Kairu was seen along the western side of the forest, Mistress,” Sister Carlia stated. “We were out training Apprentice Fawna when he gave her quite the fright. He claims to be on a mission for Keeper Anderson.”
The Mistress looked me over and approached Sister Carlia. “Share with me everything.”
The Mistress and Sister Carlia’s eyes both glowed white for a second before returning to their normal black. The Mistress looked back at me and studied me thoroughly. Not wanting to risk anything, I stood quietly and waited.
“Interesting,” The Mistress said. “Share with me everything.”
“What?” I asked nervous as her eyes glowed white.
The world disappeared as images flashed before my eyes too quickly to understand. I don’t know how long it went on for but when my vision refocused I was on the ground staring at the Mistresses feet, gasping for breath.
What the crap! Cathy exclaimed.
What happened?
She watched all your memories, Cathy answered. I just managed to keep mine secure!
A hand reached down for me and I looked up to see it belonged to Sister Carlia. I took the hand and she helped me back to my feet.
“Thank you,” I said still feeling a little fuzzy.
“The Mistress didn’t order your immediate death so I can grant you this small act of kindness,” Sister Carlia said softly.
“Does that mean you will take back your vine?” I asked tugging at it.
“Only when the Mistress says so,” she said looking back towards the Mistress with a small smirk.
I looked at the Mistress who had closed her eyes and stood perfectly still. When she opened her eyes they were just settling back to black and she nodded to Sister Carlia.
Sister Carlia held out her hand and the vine loosened around my throat. I grabbed it and pulled it away as fast as I could and returned it to Sister Carlia’s hand. It coiled around her wrist and she lowered her hand.
“Thank you,” I said to both of them.
“You have led an interesting life Andrew Holcombe,” the Mistress said. “Your situation is also unique and I believe because of it we may be able to help each other.
“You are familiar with the danger in our forest. The Masquade’s army grows stronger as your Order of Magic continues to try and fight it. With you already being possessed by a Kairu, you will not be able to join its army. If you could weaken the Masquade enough, we can perform the ritual that will cleanse the Kairu from the guardian and banish the guardian to the afterlife.”
“We do not have a ritual for such an act,” Sister Carlia stated.
“Andrew does,” The Mistress smiled. “In his Ritual Book is the same ritual that he performed on himself to remove his Kairu. Andrew, if you are willing, will you allow me to see your book?”
“Of course,” I said as I removed it from my pack. “I don’t know how much help I can be against the Masquade. I can’t stand a
gainst everyone. I’m afraid it’s too much for me.”
The Mistress nodded and motioned for us to follow her. “I have seen inside you. I know what you are capable of and the potential you carry. It is not in our nature to trust another species but this is a special circumstance. Our numbers are few and we will need everyone for the cleansing.”
We stopped in front of the spring and I looked down. The little glowing orbs swam towards the edge as if it could sense us.
“This is our Life Spring, the Scared Well as you know it,” Mistress Velias continued. “Inside here is every Nao spirit that has lived and will ever live. This is our anchor onto this world. By giving you a piece of it, we are literally giving up a part of ourselves. This is a sacrifice that I am willing to make, if you are willing to fight for us.”
“I am willing to fight for you but we are talking about an army and an ancient guardian here,” I said looking at her. “You saw my memories, I struggle against one Mage.”
“You have many tools at your disposal,” she said softly. “You hold a Buyi’dati, a focusing crystal, and a powerful Staff. If you allow me those, I will join them together for you. The weapon will be sufficient enough to equal the odds.”
I looked back over the Life Spring. “There is no other way?”
“I’m sorry, human, but no,” Mistress Velias said. “Those are my conditions.”
“You know, this makes the Evenawk Rebellion look like a mild disagreement in comparison,” I smiled looking back at her.
She smiled in return. “You accomplished that though.”
“Very well,” I said as I handed her the book, staff and crystal.
Just like that? Cathy asked. Her case wasn’t convincing.
It didn’t need to be. It was inevitable. Everywhere we’ve gone we’ve had to do something before we get rewarded. If it wasn’t this, it would have been something else. Keep digging through those old spells. We are going to need everything we can get.
You got it, Andy, Cathy said.
“Thank you,” The Mistress said with a slight bow. “I will begin the preparations. I know you are interested in our history and culture. Feel free to ask any question and Sister Carlia will answer in full.”
“You are serious?” Sister Carlia asked.
“I am serious,” Mistress Velias said.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” Sister Carlia said turning to me. “This is the first time another species will hear the full truth.”
“You can trust me with it,” I said.
“Where shall we start?” she asked.
“From the beginning,” I answered.
Chapter 37
The Nao history was very spiritual. As Sister Carlia told me the beginning it felt more of a religious retelling then from an historical point of view.
It started at the dawn of time where the Tree God, Alfoa, created a new species of trees with sentient life serve as guardians after Alfoa left the Physical Plain. He called upon his loyal servants in the Spirit Plain to inhabit the sentient trees and bounded them to the Life Springs. Upon death, they would return to the spring to wait to be reborn and keep the cycle going. When the spirits first entered the Physical Plain, all the memories of the Spiritual Plain were wiped out except for Alfoa’s mission to protect the sacred forest of Szwen and the Life Spring. This has become their never ending quest until the day Alfoa returns.
When Sister Carlia started talking about their rebirthing, I really had to pay attention. She explained that Carlia had always been her name since she was a spirit in the Spirit Plain. She cannot remember her many past lives but she said that any of the skills that she has learned in a previous life will continue with each life. Her example was Tree Crafting. She said that the day she was brought into this world, she grew her house without being told what to do.
The whole history and knowledge transference was weird to me. It seemed like their history was similar to Humans in the sense that everything was told orally until it was first written down. The Nao were probably the same as the Humans or Evenawks, evolving their way through history, but the very magical nature of them leaves me doubting there isn’t some truth in the history as Sister Carlia told it.
Sister Carlia teaching me the history also gave me a chance to get to know her. She was Mistress Velias apprentice and would take over as the leader of the Nao after her death. She spoke as if she was dreading the day. Despite being wise, knowledgeable and her smooth treatment of an ‘anomaly’ like me, the Masquade situation weighed heavily on her mind.
“How long do the Nao live for?” I asked.
“100 years,” Sister Carlia answered. “After that we return our spirit to the Life Spring so another spirit can live and serve.”
“How old are you and the Mistress?” I asked.
“I am 46 cycles old and Mistress Velias is 99 cycles old,” she answered. “She has one more cycle to make sure I am prepared but I’m afraid I won’t be the Mistress we need.”
“You will do fine, in time,” Mistress Velias said as she emerged from another room. “I am glad that we are both here to deal with this Masquade problem.” She turned to me and handed back my items. “Thank you for lending them to me.”
“Thank you for upgrading my staff,” I said as I looked over the white Staff. The crystal was secured firmly at the top but I couldn’t see how.
“Sister Carlia, how fast can your scouts get our friend out to the Daru’ka?” Mistress Velias asked.
“We can have him at the border before the sun hits the highest point,” Sister Carlia said.
“Wait, what?” I said shocked. “We’re leaving today?”
“The sooner the better,” Sister Carlia said.
“The longer we wait the more the forest will get corrupted,” The Mistress said. “We don’t get an opportunity like you falling into our laps every day. We must take it without delay.”
“Lovely,” I groaned as I ran my hand through my hair. “Okay, how many Mages have your scouts seen?”
“15 entered the forest in total,” Sister Carlia answered. “How many survived being enthralled I can’t say.”
“Oh, that’s not bad. When you said army I thought…” I stopped then shook my head. “Never mind. I’m just silly.”
Yes you are, Cathy said.
“Lead on, Sister. Should I be vined up or is this okay?” I asked.
“You have earned enough trust to walk without a leash,” she said slightly hiding a smirk.
“Yay for me,” I smiled.
“We will meet you at the Daru’ka temple when we have found all the ingredients for the ritual,” Mistress Velias said. “Be careful out there. I don’t think we will get another chance to solve this problem once and for all.”
***
The forest darkened the deeper we travelled. Sister Carlia and her scouts grew increasingly disturbed at the sight of the gnarled and blackened trees. The Demon appeared to be drawing strength from the forest itself, leaving a wasteland of dead foliage. My escorts stopped and lowered themselves close to the ground. I crouched down next to Sister Carlia as she surveyed the forest ahead.
“We are getting close. Feel with your magic and it will lead you to the temple,” she said quietly.
“You’ll be ready, right?” I asked as I gripped the Staff tightly. My other equipment was left at the Nao village.
Except for my hat.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep rubbing it in, Cathy said.
“Mistress Velias will always be ready when it is needed,” she answered.
Not as comforting as I would’ve hoped, Cathy replied.
“Remember,” Sister Carlia continued, “stealth isn’t your friend here. The more Mages you meet out in the forest, the less you deal with at the temple.”
“So bonus points for shouting obscenities?” I said.
“I don’t know what that is but sure,” she replied. “Good luck. I hope to see you alive after this, Kairu.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said glumly as I stoo
d up.
I stretched out with my mind and felt a large power source in front on me. This had to be either the temple or the Masquade. Hoping it was the former was an understatement. I didn’t want to just run into a forest guardian all ‘willy-nilly’.
Cathy chuckled. Why not? It builds character.
I started walking towards the power source searching for any Mages. There was plenty of activity but nothing that I could track down. It was starting to look like my joke about shouting was the right course.
You aren’t even trying, Cathy said. I think you just want to shout obscenities into the forest.
It sounds like it fun.
Cathy sighed. Just be tasteful about it.
“Son of a…pickled…beet!” I shouted into the forest.
Wow, Cathy said sarcastically.
I’ve never done this before. I froze under the pressure.
Excuses, excuses, Cathy said.
I could feel a mind drawing closer to my position. I readied my staff as I scanned the area and saw a girl in a purple robe drawing closer. She stopped when she saw me and smiled. Her smile was as unnatural as her white eyes and grey skin.
“Another Mage comes to play with the Master?” she asked in an echoing voice.
“Not quite,” I said levelling the staff towards her.
I pushed energy through the staff and a large Pulse shot out from the crystal. I staggered back two steps as the Demon girl took the shot into the chest. She was lifted off the ground and thrown back until she collided with a tree 50 meters away.
“Whoa,” I said.
How about we stick to lethal spells so we don’t have to chase everyone around this forest? Cathy asked.
“I’ll agree to that,” I replied.
I stretched out with my mind and felt more minds approaching. The massive discharge of magic must have alerted the group. It wasn’t all the Mages, but it still promised to be a good fight. I removed my hat and robe and covered myself in scales. When they arrived they were in for a surprise.
Three Mages grouped together broke through the dense forest and charged at me. I pointed the staff at them and concentrated some power into it.
The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 Page 30