Chapter 22
REAPER’S GONNA GETCHA
Devon stood in the old beech clearing where he and the villagers had first spent the night. The beeches that surrounded the clearing were now a beautiful russet as autumn called the changes. This morning the forest smelled musky and damp from the dew. He happily watched the bustle of so many lives all around him.
The villagers had been ever-present throughout the beginnings of the new settlement on Earth realm. Finn and Madi coordinated all the efforts, and everyone worked hard to assist with the enormous task. Often they took time away from their work and watched with amazement as the dryads cast their spells and made seeds grow from almost nothing into trees more immense than they could even comprehend. Since Devon had entered their lives, every day had been full of wonder and promise. Fate had undoubtedly smiled upon them.
The enormous moon-willow trees already towered over the beeches. The forest in Devon’s realm was well established, and all Aria and her sisters had to do to it was bring it back under their control. It had been doing its own thing for nearly two millennia. It was the forest on the Earth realm side that needed their full attention. It had been an enchanted forest thousands of years ago, but when the magical energy had stopped flowing, it had slowly died back to the mundane.
Moon-willow trees were magical. They survived by bathing in magical energy and absorbing it into their long, dark-green leaves. They used some of that power for nourishment, and the rest went to reinforce their structure and protect their exteriors. They were famous for their lengthy, drooping branches which created a curtain of leaves that reached from the topmost part of the tree all the way to the ground. This species was so coveted because the leaves emitted a protective aura as an effective method of self-preservation, creating a magical barrier that engulfed the entire tree.
In Earth realm, the dryads had already done exemplary work at the centre of the settlement. Devon gazed up at the thick branches that formed aerial walkways between the trees. The thoroughfare was all you could see. Each emerged from one curtain of leaves through an archway woven from the tree itself, then crossed into another. Similar arches were present on the ground in three separate places. They created entrances to walkways that left the floor and spiralled around the tree, up into the heights.
Over one hundred trees wove together around the central circle to form the settlement’s heart. The central clearing was now a thick carpet of short, lush grass interspersed with tiny flowers of assorted colours. Devon listened to the river’s merry tune nearby as it scampered its way down through the forest. Joining the melody was the chatter of the villagers above him in the trees, distant birdsong and the distant tinkling sound of the melodic bells dryads liked to wear around their ankles. Every breath he took was invigorating and fresh. Overnight, the dryads had taken this mundane collection of beech trees and turned the whole area into something magical. One day soon, this will be close to how it all used to be, and it would live again.
Tomorrow the dryads were planning to plant many more trees surrounding the core plantation. They moved swiftly through the forest, their senses and speed enhanced by the environment. They worked hard while laughing and smiling happily, chatting excitedly among themselves. They would toil tirelessly for decades until the forest of yesterday became the wondrous enchanted forest it had been centuries ago, sprawling across thousands of acres and providing sanctity for all creatures. If someone the dryads didn’t like the look of wandered into an enchanted forest, that person would never emerge. The flora and fauna would see to it. While dryads were pacifists, they had a very pragmatic opinion on defence. The moon-willow trees and sentient forest would become the settlement’s best defence.
Devon had commissioned Abi to build customised pods that had greatly expanded capabilities. They had cost him and his mentors dearly but would allow them to feed, cater far, school, and provide hospital facilities sufficient for a community of over two-thousand. He had also commissioned pods that would offer large utility spaces for the community like a town hall, a guildhall, theatres and meeting places. He suspected that all of this would still not be enough, but it was a good start. Enough for the new occupants to gradually develop the skills they’d need to become self-sustaining. The refugees from the fairy queen’s realm needed sanctuary, and they would look to him to offer it. He had also commissioned a secondary mana-forge so that designs could be manufactured within the village. He was tired of people traipsing through Haven all day. It was playing havoc with his carpet.
Pods would be dispersed throughout the settlements in both realms. His realm housed the bulk of the fledgeling city, for now at least. That would even out as the settlement in Earth realm grew in stature.
Almost everyone stood and watched with fascination as the dryads magically manipulated vines to haul the pods up into the trees’ boughs. Devon watched in wonder at the seamless way the dryads worked together. They called intentions and actions in their language, and gradually the pods were pulled into the trees and positioned perfectly on their prefabricated platforms.
When the last pod was in place, everyone watching burst into applause, cheering and whistling their appreciation. The dryads looked delighted and lined up to take a bow. It was a long line. The forests were blessed to have so many of these demi-goddesses, and more would be arriving soon.
Devon noticed five of the villagers, including Finn, sidle up to a few of the dryads and strike up a conversation. He wondered what they were chatting about because more dryads gathered around, all clapping and nodding enthusiastically.
He looked proudly at his Shadows, then heard the thwum of the waygate bursting into life which instantly pulled his focus toward the origin of the sound. The noise meant someone was passing through the gate. Izzy was the only one with a token on the other side, so his priestess must be returning finally. Devon and his Shadows lined up in front of the waygate. Aria sidled up next to him. Devon hadn’t seen where she’d materialised from, but she’d kept close to him since she’d arrived. He flashed her a grin. He was very fond of Missy’s oldest daughter. Technically, all dryads were her daughters, but Aria had been the first. A possessive, green-skinned arm wrapped around his waist and squeezed. He stroked her hand softly as they waited. Finn and Madi sauntered over, and the crowd of villagers that had been watching the spectacle of the pod raising now wandered over to watch the next event. Life for them wasn’t dull anymore.
Six figures walked timidly through the large waygate, looking around them in wonder as they emerged from the cavern into the forest. When they realised the sheer potency of the magical energy on this side of the gate, they all stopped and took deep breaths. Izzy hurried to Devon’s side and turned back to face the newcomers.
She smiled warmly up at him.
Devon sent her a mental laugh.
Izzy had enjoyed a long and heartfelt discussion with Sintra, her boss and friend. Izzy had explained about her love for Devon, how torn she was between her loyalties to Defiance, and her need to be by his side. After some thought, Sintra had dismissed Izzy from her obligations to the resistance. She was now officially Devon’s priestess, who just happened to have close affiliations with Defiance. Her task now was to look after elven interests with the Wayfarer. Izzy knew that wouldn’t be hard because her Wayfarer, and he was definitely hers, would always take special care of the elven people. Gwen was the last hurdle. She needed to make peace with her new friend.
She snapped out of her reverie. Izzy had introductions to make. “My lord Wayfarer, may I introduce you to Sintra, head of Triana’s resistance forces. High priestess, Mersia, leader of your faith. One of Defiance’s finest operatives, Mitsey Boo. The distinguished head of the gnomish Tinkers’ guild, Glimmer; and finally, Astley, our best spy,” Izzy said. She had done her best to make sure everyone got the introduction they needed.
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Devon’s smile froze. He did well to manage to keep it on his face at all. Astley was one of his Reaper targets set by the Pantheon. Their eyes met, and he instantly felt her malice.
Everyone jumped when Astley leapt forward and screamed something that sounded like a battle cry. A finely carved bone dagger appeared in her grip, drawn from the folds of her robes. Her face contorted with rage as she hurtled toward Devon. Astley had the look of a thing possessed.
Devon stood rooted to the spot in shock. He knew Astley was an enemy and had long since prepared his plan for her exposé, but this had taken him completely by surprise. She had deliberately shown herself as a traitor by attacking him in front of everyone. Then he focused on the dagger she brandished.
“DEVON! THE DAGGER’S CURSED. MOVE!” Gwen screamed at him, running forward, trying to close the gap between the line of Shadows she’d been stood in and Devon.
Devon was violently thrown to one side as Aria used her tight grip around his waist to thrust him out of danger. Dryads were a force of nature, and she had the strength to move him easily.
As he regained his balance, he heard a pained cry. He spun around and saw Aria fall to the ground, dark smoke rising from her skin. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh no! Aria! NO!” The dryad must have taken a wound from the dagger meant for him. He looked up to see Astley staring at the dryad in horror.
“Devon! Help! It hurts.” Aria mewled pitifully.
Black mana strands hissed past him and ripped the dagger out of Astley’s limp hand with a loud crack. The elf yelped and held her hand in pain, then collapsed on the floor writhing in agony from sources unseen.
Devon rushed to Aria’s side, fell to his knees and cradled her where she lay. Her skin was flaking away as the black smoke rose. “Oh Aria! What has she done to you?”
Gwen, Sulkiss and Izzy arrived at the same moment.
Izzy quickly pulled her hand back. She’d been about to begin pumping healing magic into the dryad, hoping it might help.
“That bitch Triana is behind this. I can smell her influence. This curse is her work,” Devon hissed. Anger seethed through him. He pushed his hand back through his hair in frustration. He felt the dryad go light and watched as she crumbled into dust. He felt the tears start as his emotions welled up and overflowed. Two arms wrapped around him, one from either side. Bizarrely that small gesture from both of them instantly broke his ire. He would grieve when he conveyed the news to Missy later. Right now, he had a debt to settle.
When Devon got to his feet, surreptitiously wiping the tears away from his eyes, Gwen joined the other Shadows, and Izzy retook her place by his side.
Devon turned to the other four individuals who had emerged from the waygate. “My apologies for the interruption. It seems that not all of you are trustworthy. I wonder if the queen has influenced anyone else?” He flicked his wrist and cast a ‘divine truth’ spell. This was the most effective way to unmask a traitor. He already had one example to make and would soon be leaving a lasting impression on everyone here.
A golden cloud of light descended on everyone within a fifty-yard radius. Sparks of white coalesced around each body present, bestowing all but one figure with a beautiful golden glow. Astley’s aura was dark red. Two shimmering mana-blades sliced straight through her legs from behind, both twisted as they were withdrawn, causing the elf to cry out in agony.
Devon cast a Reaper spell next. The ‘soul chains’ instantly wrapped Astley up in thick black chains that exuded a dark, mana-draining mist.
“Your top spy is, in truth, employed by the queen and is responsible for more deaths among your kind than any other elf ever has. Now the piece of filth has cost me someone very special to me. I am disappointed that none of you realised exactly where her allegiances lay.”
Sintra looked at Astley in horror. “My lord Wayfarer, we are mortified by what has just happened. I swear we had no idea.” Anger flooded across Sintra’s face as the implications finally sank in. “You traitorous whore!”
“Oh, Devon! We brought her through the waygate. I am so sorry,” Izzy said.
Devon ignored Izzy for now. He’d asked her to bring Astley. This situation was of his engineering. “Astley, the Pantheon has issued a bounty for your soul after convicting you of mass race betrayal and genocide by proxy. Oh, and the goddess Fate asked me to make sure this really hurts. I suspect Aria’s mother will want the same now. Lorn, if you’d be so kind. Do your absolute worst.”
Lorn looked at him and grinned. Her brow furrowed, and Astley’s scream rang out through the forest. Her body shivered and twitched as pain tore through her. After a few seconds, she looked like she was suffering so much that she was about to pass out, but Lorn sent a shock through her brain, forcing her to stay awake. The elf shook and spasmed as agony induced by her own mind wrecked her body. The scream turned into a defeated sobbing as every evil she had ever done became ghosts that cursed and tormented her inside her brain. Lorn hadn’t had a chance to lash out with her neuromancy before, and she was making it count.
Devon let it continue for over a minute until he felt Izzy squeeze his waist. He knew his priestess wanted the torture to end. He raised his hand slightly to Lorn in a ‘stop’ gesture, and the elf slumped. Gwen and Ffi had her arms and the chains held her in place so she couldn’t fall to the floor. Lorn relaxed. He leant down and cupped the weeping elf’s chin and raised her face toward his. “I regard your crimes toward my people as a personal slight. What you did to that beautiful dryad has motivated me to make sure your soul suffers an eternity of torment. I will send your mistress the bitch queen along to join you very soon.”
“Wait! Please! I will tell you everything that I know about the queen. She made me attack you. I can be useful to you. Let me make amends for my crimes. I’ll do anything. Please! Just spare me.”
“What could you possibly tell these people that could persuade them to forgive you?” Devon asked in a voice dripping with contempt.
“Uh… the queen’s daughter! Yes! The queen’s daughter; she’s on your side. The queen just found out she is a sympathiser to your plight. She believes April masterminded last night’s rebellion and ordered her executed in the morning. April and her lady in waiting have been taken to the arena to be torn apart by wild animals. You see! I know lots of things that could help you. Just let me live, I beg you.”
Hmm! That sounds promising. The fairies that we rescued could have been on their way to the arena, Devon thought.
“Where are they being held?” Mitsey asked. “The terracotta tower?”
“No. They were there, then the queen’s guard took them to the arena last night. They will both die when the sun rises. The queen wanted their deaths to be entertaining, and so it will take place in public.”
“And who told the queen she sympathised with us?” Sintra asked, not bothering to hide her hatred for the traitor.
“Not me, I swear.”
Devon watched her aura turn an even darker shade of red as his Wayfarer magic judged her for the lie she had just uttered. “You are even stupid enough to try and lie to us while you are in a truth aura. Thank you for the confession of yet another betrayal, though.”
His anger at Aria’s death resurfaced. “Now die the death you deserve, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” He put out his hand and summoned the elf’s soul. Astley’s scream chilled the blood of everyone within earshot. It was a terrifying thing. Agony coursed through her. She shook and spasmed as the pain overloaded every cell in her body. Devon watched dispassionately as the elf’s soul violently ripped free from her living essence, and Astley’s life instantly ceased. Dark mist oozed from Astley’s body and formed a floating shadow that represented the person she’d been. A creatures soul reflected the lives they’d led. Astley’s was black, disfigured, and brutally twisted. The girls let her corpse go, and the chains faded away. Her soul came to him meekly; deformed head bowed in repentance. He took the soul into his care, sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. They only ever regretted their actions when he caught them. No torture could compare to that of having your soul removed while you still lived.
Devon decided to try a new skill that Shalim had donated to his weapon. He touched Astley’s body with his staff and watched in fascination as it sucked all the energy from every molecule out of her and into him. The body became dust in seconds. There! Now you know how poor Aria felt, bitch! Just for good measure, he stomped on the elf’s dust.
Every eye watched him in amazement and shock. Finally, they saw the true power of the god that he had always been.
“Again, my apologies,” Devon said to the four remaining visitors, who were now visibly shaking and looked terrified. “I am afraid that I must deal with all traitors this way now that I have returned. Justice is only effective when it is seen to be done. The queen and a fairy called Entwaine will soon share Astley’s fate.”
Sintra nodded grimly. “It is right, lord Wayfarer. You are justice and death; that is why we are devoted to you.” Then she and her friends sank to their knees.
Devon looked around in frustration and embarrassment. Not only were the delegates on their knees, but Izzy, the dryads, his shadows, and quite a few of the villagers, including Madi and Finn. “Oh, stop! We’re all friends here,” he shouted. “Please, just don’t.” His face had gone scarlet. People bowing to him made him feel; icky. He hated it.
Slowly people started getting back to their feet.
Devon was desperate to change the subject and move things along. “Where would you all like to start? You can get a symbiot, have a meal, or we can talk about plans,” Devon said, trying to smile and look reassuring. It proved hard to fake.
Four heads snapped up and looked hungrily at Devon.
“We could have magic? You would give us that blessing?” the goblin girl asked in amazement.
“Of course, most of the good people of this settlement have received it already. These five ladies behind me are fine examples of the magical skills you could possess.” Devon checked behind him to make sure his Shadows had resumed their places. He smiled when he saw they were all there in the same order as they always stood behind him. He’d have to ask about that.
“The villagers are preparing the new homes for your people as we speak, lady Sintra,” Grace said.
Devon could have wept with pride at his youngest prodigy’s words. She’d just nailed the issue of elf-human relations. She was going to get the best magical staff he could make.