Author's Note: Okay so I decided to upload this chapter as well. Both Chapter 22 and Chapter 23 go on at the same time. And I thought this would be the best way to get to a point where everything comes together. This one is little longer but I wanted to make it a little lighter and some seriousness in it also. Please enjoy and as always thank you for reading and reviewing.
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Hours earlier back at the Dal.
"What do you think Thomas? Do you think you could heal her mind?" Gaia asked the Lord of the Dragons as he focused on the unconscious succubus. His hand was covering her forehead as he focused within her fractured mind. She could see the beads of sweat forming on his brow as he concentrated his efforts into finding the cause of this madness.
"I don't know. Her mind is scattered and I can't seem to find a cause to it. It is like it is fighting me for some reason, every time I catch a glimpse of something it dissipates like it was never there." Thomas answered the Ancient.
"I know you will do your best, my old friend. I know you no longer trust the Fae, but you need to let it go. Mistakes were made by those that are long gone, things have changed. You have a granddaughter, Thomas, one who will need you to help her." Gaia spoke softly, she remembered when Thomas was a gentle soul willing to help anyone that asked. The events of the past had made him a hard and untrusting man especially around the Fae. "What will you do if she decides to stay among the Fae."
"Why would she ever want to stay among them when she learns what they did her people. No she will be safer beyond the Veil, back with her people."
"You must let her decide her own path, Thomas. Marcus would want that for his daughter and you know it."
"And look where that lead to, no it is better that she comes with me."
"She is my daughter also, and I would have her follow her own path." Gaia replied, she knew that Thomas was worried about his granddaughter but she also knew that he would let her choose her own way. It was the way of all Dragons to find their own path in life. It took the betrayal of the oaths given to them, that had truly united them in a single focus against the Fae. It was a terrible price, that both sides paid in the end.
"I know, she is Marcus' child. And if it is her wish to stay here, among them then I can not force her to go against her choice. As sad as it would be for me. But just so you know and to warn you Tia knows of her grandchild, and not even I will get in the middle of that discussion. That woman has got bite that could make the Naga whimper when she has a mind to give argue with her." Bringing a smile to both their faces at Thomas very temperamental wife.
"Well it is good then that you listen to her, I have no desire to go against her in an argument again. I remember the first time that happened and she put me over her knee and swatted me and Nintu until our bottoms were so red we could not sit for a week." Gaia laughed at the memory of her and Nintu first encounter with the powerful Dragon Queen and in their arrogance thinking they were more powerful had tried to subdue the Dragon and paying for it.
Thomas was laughing so hard at remembering his wife's coming home yelling about two beings that thought because they very powerful they could tell her what to do. Well she had taught them a lesson in humility, that every time they met Nintu in their travels she would rub her behind with the memory of it. "So do you really think my granddaughter is going to be able to cure this curse of yours? You know some of our scholars have been researching it as well. We wanted to help even if we had removed ourselves from the world." Seeing the look of surprise on Gaia's face at this news.
"I had no idea, old friend. I know Marcus mentioned he was looking into it, but I thought it was just him. Thank you, though for trying." As she watched Thomas move his hand to the unconscious succubus' temple once more and concentrate on delving into her shattered mind. "Do you want some tea? I will bring you something while you work." Standing as she saw his nod and moved out of the door, surprised to learn that there were others trying to still help the Sisters. As she walked up the stairs to find the waykeeper and Kenzi in a discussion about why vodka should be the national fae drink over the mead that a lot of them preferred. She smiled at the two people that had become dear friends, in her quest.
"Gaia, do you need anything?" Trick immediately asked seeing her come up alone. And moving to stand in front of them.
"Could you make some tea, I would like to take it to Thomas." Gaia answered and smiled at the old Blood King, knowing this could not be easy for him. "It seems your daughter's mind is more fractured than even I thought. But Thomas is doing everything he can to find a cause, rest assured of that."
"Yeah well he needs a good kick in the ass to get the grumpy out of him." Kenzi supplied putting the ice that Trick had brought for her back to her neck.
"I apologize little one, I did not realize that Thomas' anger towards the Fae was so intense. He really is a good person, just a bit harder and mistrustful nowadays. Let me see your neck though," As she took the hand that held the ice wrap away to see the bruise that had formed, she placed her hand gently over it and sent a soothing amount of healing to fix the young goth up. "There good as new." As Kenzi looked at a nearby mirror, to see the bruise completely gone and her throat stopped hurting when she breathed.
"Man, that feels so much better. So how are you doing exactly?" Kenzi answered and wanted to make sure that Gaia was alright with everything, now that they were close to finding her daughter.
"I am good childe, I feel a little more relaxed and yet excited at the same time. I keep wondering how she has been all these centuries and what she has done with the limited power she has had to use. But mostly I am just excited to see what she looks like." Gaia smile widened and a wave of motherly warmth flowed out from the Ancient and into the room, the bar beyond the walls, and the few surrounding blocks around the Dal itself. As Trick moved back into the room carrying a tray with a kettle of tea and a few cups. Gaia stood to grab the tray, but Trick stopped her.
"Please let me take it down to him. I want to sit with my daughter if he is comfortable with it." Seeing the understanding nod from the Ancient, he moved to the stairs to the lower rooms.
"Is that going to be alright?" Kenzi asked indicating with her head Trick moving down the stairs.
"I think so, perhaps it will help them see the errors of their ways." Gaia answered hoping that it was a start of something different. "So what do you want to do? I am sure you would rather be somewhere else little one."
"Nah, I am good besides I want to hear about this Marcus guy, that got you in a tangle of love." Kenzi infectious smile and excitement aimed at Gaia.
"I think I could tell you something that you would find funny. Do you know that Marcus was considered a great warrior before he became the leader of the Fae. Before he was called The Mountain, the Fae called him Marcus the Bald."
"Let me guess he had a head full of hair?"
"Oh you could not imagine the amount of hair he had on his head. Long blonde hair that seemed to always blow in the wind. But one day him and his best friend Matrim, heard about this ferocious beast that was terrorizing the surrounding countryside. Well they decided that this beast needed taken care to protect the innocents that used the forest for hunting food and medicines. They tracked the beast for several days and thought that it they had finally cornered it when it came charging out of nowhere breathing great gouts of fire from its nostrils. But it got away before they could gather their spears. So for another two days they tracked the beast to a small opening in the forest near a stream that had a huge fallen log near the edge. The two of them set up camp nearby and began to stalk the great beast. Finally, Matrim saw his opening and as he signaled Marcus they both launched their spears at the great beast, which seemed to magically increase in size and numbers of heads as if driven by some dark magic. Each hit on the beast only infuriated it's head multipled and finally it charged breathing fire in its death throes. Marcus seeing that the beast's flames were about to hit his friend dived infront of him knocking him down in the process. The flames shot wide of their mark, but Marcus' long hair happened to get caught and it went up in as if the very beasts willed its dark flames to extreme. Matrim was able to carry his friend to the river and dunked his head to put out the flames, but when he pulled his head out his hair was completely gone and the charred ruin of head remained."
"Oh wow that sucks, so what happened?" Kenzi was on the edge of her sit with the excitement that Gaia had with telling her story. She noticed that both Thomas and Trick were both listening at the top of the stairs. The look on Thomas was one of slight amusement for some reason, but the look on Trick was priceless. Kenzi realized that this Marcus was a hero of Trick's it seemed.
"Well both of them grabbed their spears and once more drove home their victory with the final thrust going to Marcus when he pierced the heart and sent it deep into the waters of the stream. Matrim looked at his friend's ruined head and both of them broke out in laughter that lasted for an hour at the grand victory. Finally Matrim took his friends head in his hands and smoothed the scarring to where it was only a small burn behind his left ear. Both returned as heroes to the county, and a huge celebration was thrown in their honor. They served only served boar and honey cakes in honor of the victory."
"Honey cakes? Why that?" Kenzi had to ask, she could think of a lot of other things to have to celebrate a victory.
"Who knows, Marcus and Matrim both insisted that those be the only things served. And since no one dared asked the two warrior saviors, the served boar and honey cakes only." Gaia finished her tale. As she looked at Thomas and Trick both seeing a smile on both their faces. "And every since that battle, his hair refused to grow back and so Matrim started calling him Marcus the Bald in honor of the great battle. And others started to shave their head in honor of it."
"Truly a great warrior, honored by many for his deeds. To be loved by so many, hundreds of warriors honored them by shaving their head. When I heard of this great feat even I as Blood King of the Fae, shaved my head for a year in honor of his achievement." The faraway look on Trick's face showed he was remembering those better times. "My wife, thought I was rather dashing and wise but insisted I let it grow back."
Trick, Gaia, and Kenzi all started to laugh at the image that was invoked of a bald Blood King with his Crown sitting on his head. But it was Thomas that laughed the hardest having to grab his ribs in his laughter. Looking at each of them and laughing harder for some reason.
"So what happened to that Matrim guy what was he called after that?" Kenzi asked not sure why the Dragon was laughing as hard as he was.
"He was given the name, Matrim the Bee, by Marcus for his quick stings that brought the beast down." Gaia supplied and she could see Trick nodding in agreement.
"Another great warrior if there ever was one, and loyal from what I hear. It was he that tracked down the underfae that murdered Marcus and slew them almost singlehandlely to a man."
This only made Thomas laugh harder and he had to sit down as tears flowed from his eyes from the amount of laughing fit he was having.
"Thomas? Are you alright? What could be so funny about that story?" Gaia finally asked seeing her friend in such a state.
"May I ask where you heard that story at?" Thomas caught his breath from his merryment.
"Edwick told me that story," Gaia answered.
"Heralds sent word to us," Trick answered at the same time. "There were bards and ministrels that were told first hand of the battle and they carried it to all of the Fae clans as a victory over a great underfae.
Thomas only laughed harder for a moment, "Sorry, really I am. But I have to tell you, that is not exactly how that battle went."
"What do you mean Thomas?" Gaia asked not understanding his amusement at their expense.
"Sorry, its just. Yes, there was a beast roaming the forest and both Marcus and Matrim both went to defeat it. But what you need to know as soon as they entered the forest they found the beast which turned out to be a larger than normal boar. And they started to track it, now on the second day they did make camp near a stream. And being who they were they took many kegs of beer with them, they figured they could hunt and drink while they were out there. Well they were a so drunk that when they cornered the boar it charged them and they could not hit the side of a barn if they were standing next to it. They missed the boar completely, but they did hit a very large beehive that was built on a log nearby. Now to say the bees were angry would be an understatement. As those two ran in circles to avoid the boar that was chasing them they split up. Matrim went one way with the boar hot on his trail, while Marcus went the other way with the hive of bees following him. As they circled their camp they ran into each other both carrying their spears. Well Marcus went head first into the beehive covering his head with honey, while Matrim tripped and stabbed the boar as he was trying to get up while all the bees stung both them and the boar. Well the two of them managed to get up in their drunken state and made a dash for the river with the boar and bees still on their tail. The boar caught Marcus' leg and he went head first into their own campfire which resulted in his honey covered head to go up in flames. Matrim being slightly soberer, grabbed Marcus and threw him towards the river only for him to hit a tree by the river and the boar charged Marcus once again but Matrim threw his spear missing the boar but causing it to trip and impale itself on the spear that Marcus had lifted. Both managed to get to the river and stayed underwater for rest of the day as the bees swarmed above them. When the two finally made it to the other bank, the honey had protected his head but Marcus' hair was all gone. They managed to scrape it all off and but it never grew back properly so Marcus just kept it bald. Matrim told the tale to the bards the way you told to cover their besting by a simple boar and a hive of bees. They gave each other the names as a joke between themselves." Thomas concluded, his laughter starting up once more at the looks of astonishment on the gathered faces. "Him and Matrim were great at pranking each other and it seems they decided to have some fun at their drunken mishap.
"OMG that is just crazy to the max," Kenzi burst out her laughter as loud Thomas' at the moment. As she watched him stand up and head back down the stairs. She could tell he was still laughing by the way his shoulders moved.
"Well Marcus never told me that, that man had a sense of humor that only a Dragon can truly enjoy." Gaia laughed at the story. "No wonder those two laughed every time there was feast and they told that story."
"I can't believe I shaved my head for a year," Trick stated clearly not believing what he had heard. Which only made Kenzi and Gaia laugh harder.
Thomas ran back up the stairs and looked at Gaia and then Trick. "Gaia I need your help, I found the cause of the succubus' madness. She is possessed by a Garuda."
As both Trick and Gaia stopped their laughter instantly, "Are you sure Thomas?"
"Quite, I caught it unawares since my thoughts were on that story which caused my anger to be forgotten. I am sure of it, and your daughter seems to have been fighting it for quite sometime to retain some control of herself." Thomas explained quickly. Looking at Kenzi, "you need to stay here don't come down for any reason. No matter what, do you understand?" Seeing the young human nod her heading in understanding.
Gaia moved closer to her and handed her the red crystal of her daughter. "Do not let this out of your sight. Don't let anyone see it. And whatever you do, do not come down here with it. Don't even be near the stairs with it."
"I will guard it with my life, I swear it." As sound of thunder could be heard outside. The human suddenly feeling a warmth around her.
"I have shielded you from anything that will try and enter your body to possess you. As long as you keep my daughter's crystal on your body, she is protected as well." Gaia explained.
"GAIA, I need you now." She could hear Thomas yelling for her. "Don't worry little one, it will be alright."
_xx_
Two hours, Kenzi had sit as far away from the stair as she could. She had drawn her entire body into a chair. Her entire body making a human shield around the red pulsing crystal, Kenzi could feel a calm coming from the crystal whick made her feel relaxed. Kenzi did not want to get up from her seat to retrieve her phone which was laying by the table near the stairwell, she was wanting to call Bo but she had swore to protect the crystal. After thiry minutes she had moved to this chair and curled up in it, holding the crystal in both hands to secure it. When the first screams came from below which had come at the one hour mark, Kenzi took the crystal and dropped it down her shirt and clutched it through the material of her shirt. The pulsing calmness helped relax her. At the hour and half mark, Kenzi swore she heard a voice telling her it would be okay and that everything was just fine. The waves of calmness increased to help soothe her frayed nerves, as she lifted her shirt to once again hold the crystal in both hands and watched as it pulsed with a golden light. Each pulse making her calm and soothing her. At the two hour mark, she heard one final scream and then nothing. Kenzi was about to get up and head out the door to make sure that the crystal was safe, when she saw Gaia and Thomas walking up the stairs. Gaia immediately crossed over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulders.
"It's fine little one. Everything is taken care of now." As she moved over the human's head rubbing her hair down to help calm her nerves. "You did great." Taking the crystal from the humans shaking hand, and placing a small kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for guarding her."
"She sang to me." tears starting to flow from her eyes. "I heard her sing to me, I could not understand what she was saying but I know she was singing to me."
"It was in the language of the Dragons. All Dragons are born with the full knowledge of our language." Thomas explained to her as he brought over a glass that he had filled to the brim with vodka and handed it to her. "How do you feel?"
"Scared shitless, but calm...see." As she held up her shaking hand, to show just how calm she was. "What was she saying?"
"I don't know, I wasn't here. But it had to be something that stopped the fear and anger that the Garuda was sending out. Did you ever feel fear or anger?" Thomas asked his voice soft and gentle as he kneeled to be at eye level with her.
"No just calm, sometimes I would start to get afraid and the crystal would pulse and the voice got louder so I could only hear it." Kenzi explained what she had heard. "So is mommy dearest cured?"
"If you mean Aife, then yes. It seemed she was possessed shortly after been sent to jail many centuries ago. Her anger drew the Garuda straight towards her and he was able to possess her, it did not count on her being strong enough to lock it in a battle of the mind. It trapped itself when it possessed her, it was just recently able to wrest control for short amounts of time." Gaia further explained. "But now it is no more. It will never bother anyone again."
"Thank you Thomas. I owe you everything for saving my daughter." Trick replied as he and Aife walked up the stairs. As she leaned down on him for support until he could get them to a chair for her to sit on.
"I ...your welcome." Thomas answered, some of his anger having dissapated at the Fae. "Perhaps it is time to make peace, not that it will be fast in coming but it is a start."
Gaia walked over to her friend and handed him his granddaughter's crystal. "Thank you old friend, here hold your granddaughter for awhile." She watched as he seat in chair near Trick not too close but enough that she could see them occasionally speak and talk among themselves.
"So where is my daughter, I figured she would be here?" Aife asked the group at large, not understanding why Bo was not here. She really needed to talk to her and try to make up for so many things.
"Yes where is that girl at anyway," Gaia looked towards Kenzi who was already moving towards her phone.
"Yeah let me give her ring. She probably just lost track of time giving Lauren her chi." Kenzi turned to dial Bo's phone.
"Who is Bo?" Thomas asked.
"She is Trick's granddaughter and the person that is helping me find my daughter. She has a lead she was sure would lead her to her." Gaia explained to Thomas so that he was caught up on everybody.
As Kenzi walked towards the private bar that was in the backroom where they all were at she waited for Bo to pick up. Finally she heard her friend pickup and before she could say anything.
"Kenzi, not a good time." Bo answered immediately, sounding a little out of breath.
"Hey you need to get back here, its been hours Bo. And the natives are getting a little restless." Kenzi replied her nerves starting to calm down a little more as she hurriedly continued. "I hope you found who they are looking for."
A smile appeared on her face as she turned to look at the gathered Fae and gave a thumbs up that brought smiles to all but Thomas and Aife's faces. Still not sure what was going on with this Bo character.
"Yeah, we will be there in a few. Give me 10 minutes, okay." Bo answered and Kenzi heard a ragged breath come through the phone and an out breath voice continued. "Bet...ttter mmaakkkkeee it thhhirtty min.." As the young woman heard a soft moan come from her best friend. And for a moment she grew worried for her friend.
"Are you okay Bobo? You sound like," As Kenzi heard the sound of the unmistakeable moan she had heard many times in the Crack Shack before. "OMG...ARE YOU HAVING SEX while talking to me on the the phone." The look that came over here face as she her entire face blushed at the fact she informed everyone in the room exactly what her friend was doing. "Dude that is just wrong."
Kenzi waited a few for Bo to say something but only heard the sounds of Bo's soft moans and knew that Bo was not answering anytime soon. So she decided to shout over her friends obvious sexcapades. "Yo SEX-FIEND...you got 45 minutes otherwise you are toast." As she hung up the phone and getting only a long drawn out moan of an orgasm in response.
She turned to Gaia, Trick, Thomas, and Aife, and trying to keep a straight face to the assembled Fae. "Yeah so Bo is running a little late, she will be here in about a hour." Looking at the faces of the group she saw Trick move to the the bar to pour her drink. "You so owe me for this, I am going to have to wash my ears out." As she slammed back the offered drink and poured herself another. She heard the quiet laughter from Gaia and Aife, at her embarrassment. 'Yeah you owe me big time, Succu-sex,' the young human thought. As she moved down the bar towards the fax machine that had long stopped printing out paper. Kenzi picked up one and glanced down the paper, trying to avoid the looks that the Fae were giving her. As she got about a quarter down, she spit out her drink in shock.
"Oh christ on a cross," she blurted out in shock.