Disclaimer: Lost girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.
AN: Hey Everyone! Cannot thank you enough for the kind comments and warm welcome back to this story line. Things pick up a bit for our girls and their friends as the story beings to take shape.
The morning had come and gone with various members of the farm completing their normal duties as well as the important new duty of checking on Hilde. After Bo, Lauren, Dyson and then Kenzi checked in with the hag all in one half hour period, the powerful fae kicked them all out of the house with a flash of blazing red eyes.
"You do know they are only trying to help, don't you?" asked Bruce as he bent down a corner of the paper with a reserved smile on his face. The hag shot him a hard look but he just raised an eyebrow and held her gaze. "They will settle down with time. They are excited for us." He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Enjoy the attention." There was a muted humph and Bruce pretended he did not see the half smile that crossed his partner's lips.
Finishing their morning coffee on the porch the foursome was joined by Tamsin who was just getting out of bed. "What did you do to get us kicked out of the house? All I did was walk in the kitchen and Hilde pointed to the door. What are we fourteen years old?"
"Okay, you go back in there and sit down, toughie." Said Bo with a challenge in her voice.
Tamsin took a sip of the succubus's coffee and then said with a smirk, "Do I look stupid?"
With a groan Dyson said quickly, "Nobody answer that." As Lauren, Bo and Kenzi were all ready to step up to the plate and blast that offering over the fence. "We need to decide what we are going to do to prepare the house for the child." It was enough to pull everyone's attention from the rather rough morning they were having.
"The baby mama is not going to be happy if we overdo it. All I did today was stop by to see how she was feeling." Said Kenzi.
"Me too." Said Bo, Lauren and Dyson at the same time. Tamsin just shook her head as she took another drink of the succubus's coffee before Bo snatched it away. They all started to laugh and realized that for someone as independent and strong as Hilde, hovering around her was not really the way to go.
"Dyson what did you have in mind for the house?" asked Lauren and the group fell into deep discussion about what a baby would need and how they could help without being underfoot the whole time. The farm house was old and although well taken care of, it was not meant for the amount of people that were running through it most of the time. There were four regular bedrooms. Hilde and Bruce had one room on the opposite side of the second floor from Bo and Lauren's bedroom. Any given day of the week members of the extended family group could be found in one or both of the two rooms that were fit in between. More often than not it was Kenzi when Dyson was working late.
"With the new property there is another house." Bo said. "It is only about three miles down the road. Not like that is a huge distance, we could offer to move over there and free up some space. Remodel the second floor here to a master suit, the baby's room and a guest room. The second house has plenty of room for us and our…family… guests… whatever." Bo worked her way around the last part and Lauren shot her a quick look with a question but the succubus was not looking at her, but Bo's cheeks were flushed.
"Is it safe over there?" asked Tamsin. "It is on the edge of the property. Have you checked beyond the boundaries of your realm?" the valkyrie asked. She was not being critical but it was in her nature to look for a fight even if there was none to be had. She continued, "The power of your land is growing and there are some who are taking notice. By hiding out here you think people have forgotten your overthrow of the fae council. They haven't."
Bo looked at the blonde with a serious expression, "Yes, all of us including Hilde have checked it out. We didn't find any surprises. Lauren checks the area regularly for disturbances to the land." The valkyrie nodded her approval.
"I don't think you can call the farm a fae realm, can you?" asked Kensi. "I mean there are only four fae living here full time." The druid knew that wasn't exactly true. She had not missed the increase of the supernatural presence in the woods and open grassy areas. Well aware of the community of sprites that existed nearby. They were thriving and had opened up a second colony near a natural spring that had suddenly started to run with water again. There was the Enfield that Bo had befriended during her time with the Wanderer. It had the run of the place and could be found all over the property, even at times sleeping on the foot of any one of the beds in the house.
There were other new developments too. When Dyson would go on runs in his full wolf form, Kenzi who joined him for walks before he took off for long patrols had noticed that his animal form had grown in size. When she asked about it he just said it was the natural surroundings at work. The crops in the fields and the foliage on the untouched sections of land were healthy to the point of being called hardy. There was a rich collection of animals that lived and thrived close by. The biggest development was the new arrivals, pixies were now on the property and there had been gnome sightings.
The pixies had made themselves know right away. One morning a knotted braid of mouse fur and flowers had been carefully placed on the first step. Bruce had brought it to Hilde and she smiled brightly, "An offering from a pixie court. Looks like we have new neighbors." She had instructed Bruce to place two of Lauren's freshly baked muffins on the step as she found an older cloth that was worn but soft and covered in a stripped pattern to place beside it. The items sat there all day but that night, while they wrapped up their day drinking wine on the porch, a fierce little warrior riding a rabbit came into view.
He wore a loin cloth of sorts and had a fur sash from shoulder to hip. He was no bigger than a sprite but was earthier in appearance, brownish green skin perfect for blending in near the ground. With a mimic of a fast bird call, two more rabbits with riders appeared. They loaded up the muffins and the cloth, one prize to a warrior. The lead rabbit rider nodded to the others who rapidly disappeared into the underbrush while he waited at the end of the steps.
"You are most welcome here but remember we are the overseers. Tell your queen, there will be no battle with the sprites." Hilde voice was quiet but firm as she addressed him. "I will have a word with them as well." There was a quick nod and then the whistling trill of bird song again as the rabbit and warrior bolted away. There had been no full sightings since that time but Kenzi had caught glimpses of stripped cloth in the underbrush from time to time.
The gnomes were more subtle but everyone had started to notice that the pathways around the area were starting to be lined with rocks. Lauren had to smile as she found that every so often there would be six or seven lined up rocks beside a section of her running path. There were also rock cairns in various places. Some of them could be up to nine rocks tall. Unlike the funny little fellow shown on TV commercials, gnomes were homebodies and adored order and the security it provided. As payment for living in an area they would do their best to watch over things and keep them straight.
Bruce had groaned, "The tools in the shop will always be picked up now but in a different order every time depending on which gnome stops by to check on things." Lauren groaned too but Kenzi thought it was cute. Still everyone was glad the shy beings felt the farm was a safe place to make a home.
Tamsin looked at Kenzi, "I believe more than just a few fae live here." There was a knowing look to the blonde. Being fae herself could feel the land when she was here. It was not her place to ask and knowing that Vex would never leave the city but Tamsin would kill to live full time in a place like this. It had the feel of the fae realms of old. Vex and Tamsin both would do much to protect this fragile place.
"This place is experiencing a succession event of sorts." Said Lauren the scientist in her coming out to play. "Like with all land recovery there has to be a good base to develop. Once that is established more complex life can take over. As that level of life matures it opens the way for the most advanced life forms to move into an area. If left alone there is an ebb and flow of creatures and plant life that balance an ecosystem or realm in our case."
"Are we in any danger?" asked Kenzi. She didn't like thinking about other fae trying to take over her home. It surprised her, when had she started to think of the farm as home?
Dyson put his arm around her, "As long as we are here there is no danger." What he should have said was as long as Bo, Lauren and Hilde were on the property there was no danger but his ego couldn't quite let him. Kenzi caught Tamsin's expression at the wolf's words and knew she had just been lied too. Not on purpose but there was something in that look that told Kenzi the others might be ignoring the size of the threat against them. The ring of a phone broke in and Tamsin reached for her cell.
"Vex, Babycakes what is it?" she asked. The others still fought their reactions to the couple's pet names. It was just so wrong. "Well that will be a surprise, do you need us now?" She asked and she snapped her fingers to get the others attention. "Will do. See you soon lover." Kenzi let out a groan that Dyson had to cough loudly to cover. Tamsin spoke after she ended her call, "Seems like Trick agreed with Lauren that the Dahl would be no place for a baby shower so he has the shack all decorated and the food set but thinks we should sneak off and do some shopping before the party starts."
Everyone agreed, Tamsin took off first and then Dyson and Kenzi. Bo had given her best friend money and instructions as to her gift while Lauren said she already had hers handled. The couple saw the others off and then busied themselves around the house and farm. Hilde and Bruce joined them as they checkout the barrel that had been unearthed. The doctor warned Hilde to stay away and was met with a furrowed brow and a determined look.
Both Hilde and Lauren had refused to let Bruce go close to the sludge that was slowly weeping from the punctured metal. It looked to have a petroleum base of some type, used oil perhaps, but there was more too it. Lauren shuddered to think what a simple lit match would do to the material. Bo was on the phone with various agencies talking about clean up options. Moving the agreement along by offering to help or even handle the cost of the operation. It was funny how fast things progressed after that. It didn't hurt that the succubus pushed a lust laced voice through the phone when it worked to her advantage.
"The gentleman from the county office told me companies would bury all sorts of industrial sludge, waste oil, and toxic waste out in these open areas before anyone was living out here. Sort of an out of sight, out of mind mentality." She said. Hilde frowned at the idea then stepped back eyes red with the idea of such an act and rolled the earth around her. In a matter of minutes there were four more barrels sticking out of the ground. Lauren rolled her eyes and placed a hand on the fae's shoulder to tell her that was enough.
"Did he say anything about the groundwater?" ask Lauren when she was assured that the hag would not be doing anything more. "When people dump or bury toxins they don't always remember that if the poison gets into the ground water it could move anywhere the water flows." There were towns and other farms that counted on well water in the area. Hilde and Lauren could take care of their farm but it would be suspicious if they were the only ones without a problem.
"He hopes that the barrels have only started to break down and that has prevented a bigger problem than we have already found. He is running a system wide check of the wells in the area to be sure." Bo reported. Lauren shivered as she still felt uncomfortable here. She looked towards the canyons as if she expected to see something there. Turning she found that Hilde was looking in the same directions. All of them had checked the new parcel of land several times. It wasn't the land that was the problem, there was something else that was filling the atmosphere with unease.
"You okay?" the doctor asked the hag. Hilde just shrugged but motioned that it was time to leave. Following behind it was Bruce and Bo's turn to look into the shadows of the nearby topography. The sooner this section of land was cleaned up the better it would be for all of them. They headed back to the house with little to no conversation.
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There was a phone call and Bo fought not to smile as Kenzi gave her the latest report on the festivities. "Bo Bo it is so cute. Your gramps did a great job on the shack and the food. It's to die for." Bo could almost imagine how much taste testing the druid had done. "So the plan is that you come over first and then Lauren brings over Ma and Pa to be."
"Kenzi," said Bo and the girl on the other end just laughed. "How about we all come over together. I will hold the door, okay?" There was agreement and it would be ten minutes to party time.
Gathering the rest up they all entered the kitchen together, "You ready for this?" asked Lauren and received only the characteristic humph from Hilde but a smile from Bruce that reassured her everything was good to go.
Bo pushed the door open and stepped through to hold it open on the shack side. "Congratulations!" yelled a room full of smiling and clapping people. Through the door way there was pink, yellow and light blue streamers everywhere.
Hilde's footsteps halted by the table. It was almost like she wanted to turn and run away. Lauren walked back and took one arm and Bruce took the other. They all started laughing as they nodded to Bo who stood just on the other side of the door with a happy smirk on her face. "Come on Mama," the succubus encouraged the reluctant mother-to-be, "this is for…"
There was a sound that drifted from outside the farm, but it was loud enough to be heard in the shack through the open door. It was a type of horn, otherworldly in it's tone. Hilde's eyes widened and she froze. The hag then screamed a blood curdling sound that force most to grab for their ears to protect themselves. Throwing her hands back as an energy wave rolled the earth knocking Lauren and Bruce to the ground at the farm as well as the room of shocked onlookers in the shack.
Tears were running from the hag's blazing red eyes as they connected with Bo's stunned expression as the succubus fought to regain her feet. "I'm sorry. You must stay alive." Flashed through Bo's mind before the conduit between the farm and the city vanished leaving her holding a door to nowhere.
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Lauren was on her feet in seconds after the shaking stopped. "Hilde what is it?" The hag was mumbling words so fast that the doctor could not make them out. She went to touch the hag but found that her body was too hot to lay hands on with the energy she was expending. The red eyes were frantic, showing anger and fear.
"Daughter you must run. I am sorry. Mate you must run. I am sorry." The words from the hag were finally understandable but they were still being uttered at incredible speed.
"We are not going anywhere, little mother." Lauren snarled the feline protector just under the surface. "What is happening?" The hag moved away as if she didn't hear the question.
Running out of the house fast Hilde looked to the sky, "My father has come for my child. He will either take the child from my body or he will kill me and babe in the process. Too late to run for me, they have my scent." From the direction of the canyon the sky darkened and the metallic clicking of insects filled the air. "He has sent his Gatherers, you must run if you have any hopes of survival." The hopelessness in the ancient fae's voice was heartbreaking.
"Like hell," came a deep rumbling voice and Bruce, ignoring the heat of the hag's body, pulled her to him. "No one touches our child. No one touches you." The Ogre let out a roar and within seconds the Enfield appeared at the edge of the woods. "Tell the others to hide." His speech slower than normal as if he was tapping into something more primal in his nature. The fox-like creature yipped his understanding and then ran into the woods. The big man ran towards the shop and Lauren knew what he would return with, in seconds he was running back with two huge sledge hammers in his hand.
Touching the ground Lauren shot a warning into the Earth and was jolted with massive power that left the taste of concern in her mouth. Her green eyes sparkled with the energy she had been given. "We have seen them in the air but there are more coming by land from the canyon." The nature fae rolled her shoulders as she felt her skin begin to crawl. Lauren could feel the earth being scrapped by hundreds of thousands of legs, the mass destroying everything in its path. Tiny mouths ripping at the plants. The earth being burned by the acid spit in the approaching attack.
"The master gatherer is an insect shifter simply called Wasp." There was hate in the woman's voice now. "Wasp travels with a Swarm Demon, he has no name but brings with him the insect hordes and an old pryofae named Orson, one of my father's favorite tools of violence," There was a pause. "They leave total destruction in their wake." The hag dropped her head down. "I am so sorry to have put you in this danger."
Lauren's mind flashed on the last insect shifter she had encountered, a spider shifter on the fae council. She tasted the bile in her mouth as she fought down the fear. All at once she longed for Bo and then relished the fact that she was trapped almost a thousand miles away. Safe from harm but not worry. Lauren wondered when the last time she told Bo she loved her. Her champion would know how deeply she cared, Lauren had to believe that as the buzz of the enemy's approach began to vibrate the ground.
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Bo's blue chi sword had cut a huge hole in the wall in a matter of seconds. The only thing on the other side was the walkway to the door outside. She cried out in anger and her eyes flashed as she turned around. The rolling double voice filled the air, "Get me to the farm now. I need to get to Lauren." Turning she saw the fear in the others and struggled to get a hold of herself before she thrashed out in anger and hurt someone. The rage she had released on the wall had been terrifying to the room of friends who knew if she directed that fury at anyone of them, they would be dead.
Trick and the others were finally on their feet, "Bo what happened?" yelled Kenzi as she ran to the now useless door. Shut it and opened it over and over, "Are they okay? What would make Hilde scream like that? What was that sound?" The druid was giving voice to all the questions everyone wanted to ask.
"Hilde's aura was gone, it was like she lost herself. She is the one that closed the portal as a form of protection for us. Hilde told me she was sorry. Trick I need to get to Lauren now." What little control she had was starting to slip. "Get me to the Earth Folder now."
In less than ten minutes Bo and the rest of the group was standing in the office of Peggy the only sanctioned Earth Folder in the region. Tayyalard Travel Agency looked very much the same as when Bo had made her first visit. The red lights of a small box in the back illuminated to show the number twenty-six. It passed through Bo's mind that she had been number twenty-three on her last visit. Pulling the tab and waiting Peggy quickly switched the sign and then call for number twenty-seven.
"I need to go here now." Bo handed the address to the fae behind the counter and then held her hand out for the pen to sign the document she knew was coming. The succubus knew better than to try to rush this, Peggy was very precise with her work. So it surprised her when the Earth Folder stepped back with an angry look on her face.
"Is this a joke?" the Indian woman asked not looking one bit amused.
Bo felt her energy start to rise and knew her eyes were about to pop bright blue. If she scared this woman who knew where the succubus might find herself. "There is no joke. I need to go to this address right now."
"As far as my abilities can read this location does not exist." Peggy said in confusion seeing that it was not a joke being played on her. The agitated state of the waiting room full of people conveyed that much.
Kenzi came forward fast, "How about close, can you get close to this address."
The Earth Folder pulled up a map on her computer and studied it. Kenzi was rubbing Bo's back to keep her calm. Peggy stood and smiled. "I am afraid that the closest I can get you is … here." The Earth Folder looked relieved that it was not a problem from her side. "It is not the place but the person or…" she motioned to the whole group, "or persons wishing to travel. You have been blocked by a curse or spell of some sort. You will have to make arrangements to take human transportation. Don't worry it is not you but all fae. Someone has stopped travel into or out of the area by mystical means. A powerful someone at that."
"What?" yelled Bo and Kenzi together as Dyson, Trick and the rest mumbled their disappointment. Peggy ignored the group and then flipped the number on the sign, number twenty-seven's business had been concluded.
Bo let out a low growl and Tamsin and Dyson had the smarts to grab her and get her outside before she turned Peggy into a bloody puddle as the reality set in that Lauren was alone and most likely fighting for her life. Kenzi grabbed the next number and held it out as Peggy smiled and called for number twenty-eight.
"Hello and how can I help you today?" Peggy asked as she smiled at the druid. Kenzi knew it was up to her to make arrangements for a long flight back to the farm. She stopped herself when she imagined what they might find.
"We need to charter a flight." Said Kenzi determined to get back to her home or what was left of it.
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Shifting to her feline form, Lauren bolted forward and swerved sharply as she felt a blast of Hilde's power just miss her. "Daughter NO!" yelled the hag. Lauren knew that Hilde would try to take her out of the fight and she wasn't going to let that happen. Pouring the energy into her run as she released a primal scream to warn the invaders she was on her way and giving them fair warning to get out of her territory. There was thundering steps coming behind her and Bruce was on the attack as well. Hilde followed without a sound but she moved with graceful strength and a look of great sadness on her face.
It had been foolish to try to stop Lauren or Bruce. They trained regularly and they were both strong enough that if the hag wanted to take them down she might have to hurt them. If they had been closer to the door she would have shoved them through but the hag had not been in control and if she had used her power to move them they more than likely would have been slammed into the far wall of the shack and injured or killed by her hand. As Hilde moved behind them she thanked them quietly for their love for her. She placed a hand on her stomach and tried to convey the love she had for him. The new one would be a boy if he could survive.
"I feel them everywhere," yelled Bruce, "But I can't see them." A wriggling mass of insects swarmed around the Ogre as he roared his anger at the stinging attack that had arisen from nowhere. Swinging wildly he bolted away and the insects followed.
"You should learn to look harder, Underfae." The voice had a tremor that ran through it that put your teeth on edge. Like when an insect flies too close to your ear and you unconsciously jerk away. Crashing down to earth, the tall lanky fae folded her wings behind herself. The insect shifter had yellow and black markings striping her body, wide shoulders to a tiny waist which lead to powerful hips and thighs. Her hair was jet black and her pale amber eyes were too big on her face. Off her overly developed forearms there were two long black spikes.
"Sorrow, it is time for you and the mixed blood child you carry to die." Flying forward with the stinger like blades extended the Wasp, as there really could be no other name for the creature, made her first strike. At the same time Hilde was swarmed by a mass of flying insects that left her unable to defend herself as they blocked all of her senses. Lauren was there instantly and knocked Wasp off course. She slashed with her claws and drew first blood as she raked the face of the shifter. Shrieking in frustration and pain, Wasp screamed, "Mutant filth you dare touch me." The insect shifter beat her wings violently and blasted forward dragging Lauren in her grip and smashing her into a tree.
The doctor was dazed but knew that she could not stop moving. Shifting fast to nature fae Lauren touched the tree and two thick branches burst from the rough surface and slammed into Wasp. They then exploded with hundreds of tiny offshoots that entangled the insect and punctured the tissue of the large wings. With a scream of pain and shock the shifter twisted violently and took to the sky to escape the trap the nature fae had unleashed. Hilde, within the swarm, took her hand and waved it in the air. The atmosphere crackled and in a flash the swarm of flying insects that had descended on her turned to dust and fell to the ground.
With a quick pull of energy from her land, Lauren shifted back to her feline form rolled and felt the blast of heat that seared tree she had just been resting against. Orson the pryofae had just blasted the area. He came in fast from the side, preparing for the worst, the feline shifter sprang to her feet. Lauren then felt the Earth shake and saw the red of Hilde's eyes as they blazed, "You will not touch my family." The pulse of energy crashed into the pryofae. Orson tumbled to the side causing his blast of flame to go wide.
Lauren kicked out hard connecting with the pryofae, dragging sharp short claws across his steaming body keeping him on the ground as she ran by fast. Orson was rolling to try to get to his feet when Hilde opened a fissure in the ground. His body fell into the crack in the earth and then the hag slammed it closed. There was a blast of heat as the fae attempted to melt and burn an escape from his tomb but Hilde shook the earth violently causing more soil to fill any escape route with new material. The ground sagged with an orange glow but it did not reopen to release the attacker.
The massive beats of the insect shifter's wings sounded, the sonic disturbance so massive the direction of the attack was camouflaged. Wasp made a crashing attack from straight above their position. The hag screamed as she was driven to the ground with the rapid attack. Lauren was there blocking the stabbing motion of the spike like stinger that swung towards Hilde's midsection. She snarled and bit hard into the shoulder of the yellow and black being then scratched violently at the attacker.
Once again Wasp took to the air in retreat whirling around fast to spread her wings. The steel like edge of the extensions smashed into Hilde hard and the hag went down with a thud. Holding on by embedding one claw in the meat of her enemy, the feline shifter continued to destroy any tissue she could get her teeth or second claw into. Looking back for an instant she thought she saw the hag move. Then there was no time focus on anything else but the body she was attacking.
Spinning hard in the air, the Wasp flew low and Lauren felt the flesh of her back ripped and torn as the tops of the trees raked her body as she clung to the flying fae. The cat did as much damage as possible but her grip was slipping. As if sensing the weakness the Wasp made a sharp turn which shook the claws loose and Lauren fell off and plummeted towards Earth.
Switching to Nature fae as she fell. Lauren pushed out hard with her energy and felt branches grow to ease and slow her fall. Still hitting the ground hard Lauren was momentarily too stunned move. There was a moaning roar of pain and it touched something so deep in the doctor she pulled herself up fast and bit back the wave of pain that came with the motion. Lauren called for help from the land again and it answered.
Switching back to the big cat, Lauren bounded towards the sound. As she crested a small hill, the doctor winced at what appeared before her. Bruce was fighting the Swarm Demon. The thunder of clicking and ticking mandibles and exoskeletons was unnerving. The Demon was in humanoid form but made of nothing but insects. As Lauren approached she saw that the Ogre's skin was raw and oozing with bites and stings. His eyes were almost swollen shut and he had white foam coming from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
Bruce swung the huge metal hammers in his hands hard and the Demon was forced to separate and move away from the blows only to reform again and drive forward in attack. Surging at Bruce the Demon would cover portions of the ogre's body with insects and they would attack with stings, bites and acid spray. Bruce would drop and roll across the ground to dislodge the clinging insects but the damage would be left. Lauren could see that Bruce was all but defeated. He was simply fighting to stay alive.
Looking around desperately for something to work with Lauren realized she was near the dead spot on the new property. There were at least things in the area she could use. Mustering her all her strength the doctor enacted her plan.
Lauren switched to her succubus mode and pulled on the demon's energy. Feeling the attack it fell to the ground and giving her nothing solid to focus on. There was a screeching wail from the demon and a wave of insects seemed to appear from nowhere as if they had just been waiting to be called. The attack of the demon was redirected and focused solely on Lauren. Shifting to feline she turned and started to run for her life.
Springing away from the rolling mass of life behind her, Lauren tried to vary her path. It did not work as the flow of insects would split to cover the new route. She was shocked to hear the moaning roar of Bruce as he stumbled to follow her trying to continue the fight. The doctor wanted to tell him to find Hilde but he was going on instinct now and knew she needed help.
Seeing the toppled tree with the barrel in it's clutches she angled towards it. Running by she held out her claws and ripped at the rusted metal side. She forced herself to curve around and had to run through the mass of insects. Crying out in pain, even her speed in her shifter form could not get her past the bites and stings of the hoard. This time she swiped at the barrels that Hilde had exposed. The insects were on her and she desperately pawed at the vile containers opening three of the four.
She let out a ragged cry as the mass of tiny bodies began their attack. Fighting them off she was now ankle deep in the mass and they were still coming. The Demon was reforming to a fighting form, the screeching sound was beginning to increase as he called his minions closer.
There was a crunching sound as Bruce made it too Lauren's side. He roughly pushed the feline fae aside and grabbed a barrel from the ground and pulled up. Lauren fighting for breath with the amount of venom the creatures had injected her with used her claws to tear open the sides. The black smelly contents of the barrel ran free. As expected the insects fled from the noxious mixture. The two fae worked together to open the barrels and get the oil running on the ground.
When Bruce had heaved the third barrel from the ground he screamed. Throwing it down hard it broke open and covered the insects nearest to him with the black sludge. He lost it then and staggered away, finally falling to the ground. Lauren was frantic as she watched a path of the insects break away and start to cover his body. With a last rip at the metal of a barrel she dove into the river of stinging creatures and found first one and then the other of Bruce's hammers. She held one and then tossed the other into the edge of the black oil. Fighting through the pain that she was experiencing, she stuck the hammers at an angle using the speed her feline form lent her to create a spark as the metal met. The area burst into flame.
Lauren felt the burn as she made her way from the fire. She looked at her burning paws and scrapped them onto the insects which recoiled as the flames were smothered. Moving to Bruce's body she rolled him and brushed frantically at the black swarm on his body. The fire close but not spreading in her direct blazed. Lauren, detached from her own pain, watched as the flames raced from the oil to the mass of insects finally hitting the frame of the Demon as he tried to escape creating a moving torch. As the Demon became engulfed in flames the hold it had on the insects it called vanished and the swarm turned on itself as it tried to escape the flames and each other.
Shifting with the little energy she had left, her injuries had pulled most of her strength, Lauren used her succubus form to push chi into Bruce's still body. There was no longer a threat to his body from more stings but his system was going into shock from the massive damage he had taken. His ogre nature was the only thing that had kept him alive this long.
There was a crashing sound and Lauren watched as Wasp shot through the air and then landed hard on the ground. Hilde was not far behind. The hag's eyes were like lasers as she moved forward, blood dripping from her forehead to create a truly frightening appearance. The ancient fae appeared to be favoring her left side. Lauren looked up from her place near Bruce to see that when Wasp stood the wings had been ripped from her back. Hilde shot energy forward and the insect's body slammed to the ground. Peeling strips of soil up the hag rolled the earth and caught the shifter in a coil of land. Hilde jolted the earth and the coil jumped and then slammed to the ground again and again. The hag then rolled the earth again until the mass crushed the fae in it's grasp. Releasing her hold on the land it lost it's shape and then domed on top of the insect shifter's body in a heavy heap.
Turning to find her family, the hag moved forward as fast as she could. With a wave of her arm she killed the flames of the fire as she approached. A smile had just touched her lips when there was a blast from a horn in the distance.
The sound that had signaled the start of all this rang through the sky. Hilde spun around and paled at the sight of three riders approaching on horses. The Gatherers were not the only ones sent for her. She felt her blood turn to ice. The riders were on steeds with eyes red as her own. She dropped her head and then looked at Lauren, who was still clutching Bruce. "I am sorry daughter." Lauren knew what the hag was going to do. She would not let her. Watching as Hilde pulled her energy to one massive spell. Lauren stood shaking with the effort.
"No little mother," she said.
"I will protect you both." Said Hilde more in Lauren's mind than out loud.
The horn sounded again and Lauren could see the men on horseback were closer now. Lauren still in her succubus form did not shift again. She saw the lead man raise a bow in their direction. Sensing the change in energy Lauren turned to see Hilde's shoot a beam of energy at her. Lauren focused as she had never before and caught the energy in one hand and then redirected it with the other directly back at the hag.
Hilde let out a surprised shout as the massive energy beam shot around her body. Hammering at the glow that was encasing her, the powerful fae knew it was useless as the protection became too much for even her to touch. The arrow that had been fired at Hilde touched the spell and then burst into flames. Falling as harmless ash to the ground.
Lauren sagged back in relief but did not fall to the ground. Instead she stood over Bruce's body and watched his labored attempts to breathe. The thunder of the hooves stopped and the men jumped from their mounts to surround the hag. Hilde snarled at the trio from within her armored cage. One of the men pushed forward and reached to grab at the hag. Falling backwards with a scream as the appendage he reached with was now gone, the man fell to the ground in anguish.
"You are an idiot, this is the Sorrow of Abelard the Grand. Did you think she would be taken so easily? The bounty on her child has made the best of us stupid." With that he kicked the maimed man into the energy cage again and this time it severed his head and he fell to the ground in two pieces.
"Hildegard the Sorrow, I see the rumors of your reappearance are true." He breathed deeply, "This new realm of yours is as always so unrealistic. To build something like this in the middle of the human world is just like you." Nodding towards Lauren and Bruce the third man finally dismounted and then walked towards the unprotected fae. With all her might Lauren focused and then switched to her nature fae form. The man approaching her faltered and then continued.
Touching the earth there was little to gain, they were by the dead spot and there was little energy for the Earth to offer. Lauren pulled on what was there. She reached into the earth to find what remained of the oak tree underground. She pulled on it hard and fast, roots snaking just under the surface closed around Bruce in a protective shield. Lauren fell to a knee with the effort. The Ogre had used his last stores of energy to help her, the least she could do was return the favor. With only the energy to stand up left, Lauren watched the man reach out for her.
She felt a vise like grip on her arm, but it did not squeeze to pain just held her firmly. The touch was cool like stone. She saw the man was covered in scales of rock of all types. He looked unhappy, almost apologetic with his expression. Dragging Lauren towards the cage, the doctor figured she knew how she was going to die.
The man walking around the cage turned with a questioning look. The stoneling said, "She protected the Ogre. We can waste time chopping the wood casing open or we can move on. Wasp and her people looked to have done him in anyway."
"Wasp, Orson and their creepy little friend looks to have been done in as well." The first man smirked as he took in the destruction around him. "They did the dirty work for us but others will be here soon with our same idea. Kill the mutant filth, throw her into the Sorrow's cage. Let the hag's magic do its worst." Said the man dismissively. Taking Lauren the first man pushed her into the glow that surrounded Hilde. Nothing happened, he tried again, still nothing. Narrowing his eyes he looked at the hag who had said nothing and strangely enough had done nothing.
"Oh Sorrow you meant this cage to protect her didn't you." His eyes danced with joy. "That was the arc of energy we watched, she sent it back to you. This cage is just as much a trap for you as it is a trap for us. Father will love this. He can keep you as his little pet and you can do nothing to stop it short of killing yourself in an escape attempt. When your child comes to term it will be killed by the magic of the cage as a threat. This is truly a priceless moment. The man will triple my money for this."
Lauren whimpered at what she had heard. The first man turned on her with a grin. "You can pass through the cage unharmed. It recognizes you." He saw the tears on Lauren's face and gently wiped them away. "You care for our hag. How is that possible?" he said in disgust.
Hilde uttered her first words, "Brother don't." The fear in her body had her overwhelmed. The hag had pushed all but the smallest amount of her magic into the protection spell and was now trapped inside it. The last wisps of her energy had been used to surround the child she carried. He was safe as long as she was alive.
"Do not call me brother, hag. My sister died long ago when she turned against our father." He turned his attention to Lauren. "We need to fix this threat but killing you outright would be too generous. I have a much better idea."
He took his glove off and told the stoneling to hold Lauren. "I will not. She does not deserve this." said the scaled man as he looked at the bare hand of his companion. "It is a grievous crime. I will not take part in such an act." With a nod he walked towards his horse. "I will create a set of rails for this cage." Turning with a look of disgusted he said, "Kill the woman or let her go. We have our prize and that is enough. My debt to you runs only so far Roldan."
"Fine, fine, Hyde, but she is not truly fae so no laws are being broken here." Said Roldan the Cruel, son Abelard the Grand, "Make the rails, I take full responsibility for my actions." With that he drew a finger down the side of Lauren's cheek and then with an eager grin he ripped the fae from her body as he had done to his sister so many years ago.
