Chapter 30
Everyone met up in Cantrell's conference room. The counselors had all been interviewed and only two stated they thought they had been spelled by the witch. One felt compelled to imprison anyone the witch tried to use but couldn't make obey her. The other sent troops into places to kidnap girls for the witch to use to replenish her strength. Kento reported that their patrols and spying narrowed the area in which the witch had to be located. Lauren had put mental feelers out in order to check if any influence from the witch could be felt. The power that she sent out was laced with healing, clearing, and strengthening powers. It was just in case she missed someone that had been bewitched. She flooded the entire earth with power, not just the animal kingdom.
When she hit humans with her power, she noticed the witch's effects. The witch switched her strategies and was beginning to attack humans. Lauren touched every human and broke the witch's hold on every human except one. She decided to use him as a guide straight to the witch. Lauren gathered MaGayla, Cartrell, and the unicorns telling them that they were going to find the witch right now. They fell in step and Lauren began to follow the light that connected the human to the witch on a magic map MaGayla brought out.
The light ended in Scotland near the Standing Stones of Callanish. Lauren wanted to get to where the witch was quickly and she began thinking of how they could. She giggled as she thought that it would be cool if they could portal there or teleport. She was lost in her imagination until MaGayla said, "That was smart thinking Lauren. You imagined teleportation and we teleported." Lauren was shocked. "You might need more of an explanation. You created new bonds and have been able to incorporate their powers into yours naturally. You can create things from nothing and Tom can dream walk. You sort of combined and changed the two." MaGayla laughed. "Don't worry. We will discuss and practice your new abilities later. We don't need you to get lost in the details yet. We have a witch to catch."
They moved on through the standing stones looking for the witch. Lauren yelled out when pain shot through her foot. Everyone ran to her side. "What was it? What happened to you?' Cartrell asked.
"Something pinched my foot. It sent pain through my leg." Lauren stated.
Shirley appeared next to her and was checking her foot for an injury. "I don't see an injury and I tried to take away the pain but there is no source to draw it from."
"Thank you, Shirley. It is not hurting as much anymore." Shirley bowed and disappeared into Lauren's clothes. Lauren sat on one of the stones so she could nurse her foot. She felt a weird pulse coming from the stone. She looked around the henge and realized that things were moving. "Everyone stay still." Lauren commanded. "Everything near this henge is alive and moving."
Everyone stopped. Sure enough, sticks, rocks and leaves were moving in what looked like attack forces. "Earth fairies? I think these are Earth fairies." Tom said. Everyone looked at him to continue. "They are fairies that take on the forms of Earth objects so that they blend in. We have disturbed their ring. They feel threatened. Lauren and Cartrell, you should be able to hear their anger and feel their fear. Everyone carefully stepped back away from the henge. Lauren and Cartrell stay where you are. We will talk to them." Everyone followed his instructions. The twigs and leaves stopped moving and paid attention to the group around them moving away. Two small figures seemed to materialize in front of them changing from butterfly-type creatures into human-like beings and Lauren sat back down wanting to be less threatening. Cartrell and Tom followed her cue.
"Hello. I am Lauren, the new Keeper of the Keys. We mean you no harm and apologize if we disturbed your home. Though this is my home realm, I am new to the reality of imagination beings. I hope that if we offended you, you can accept our apology."
Lauren sat waiting for a response. "You know our language." The male stated, surprised. He looked at the three that were closest to him and a smile broke across his face. "Oh, Now I see. You are an Earth goddess, demigod, and animal kingdom King. This is why you can understand our language. We do accept your apology. You didn't do much damage thanks to your sensitive foot." He laughed holding up his little sharp knife.
"Thank you, but please acknowledge me as the Keeper of the Keys. The goddess part is encompassed within the title and does not reveal my nature purposely." Lauren said.
"I understand. I was lucky to meet Chilayan, a keeper about three hundred years ago." He looked at Tom. "By the feel of you, you must be the young unicorn demigod she helped so long ago."
Tom looked shocked. "How do you know about me? Chilayan never said that anyone knew about me."
"We told Chilayan about you. You were so fragile looking, we had to help." Tom settled back down and the male continued. "We insist on being kept secret. The fewer people who know about us, the better. Or at least that's what we have always thought until the witch started enslaving my people. A surge of power flowed through the world and many of our people began to act a little weird and some got sick. They came to us with tales of remembering doing things against our kingdom and working for the witch. We are trying to sort through it all. The power surged through again today. We thought the chaos had calmed but it all started up once more."
"The power surges were from me. I sent out spell-breaking magic and healing magic trying to break the witch's hold on Earth. She had her hold on so many beings, it felt like it was the best way to free them. I know there were some that were not freed or were still being controlled because the witch has a hold of the ley lines' power. Until I can capture her and break her hold on the ley lines the Earth will not be right. That is why we are here. We followed one of the people under her control to Scotland so we can capture her."
"The witch is in Scotland? Troops go out and find her." Thousands of little men and women shot to the sky on delicate wings.
"Wait," Lauren shouted. Everyone stilled. "We know where she is and if you all go out to find her, you will tip her off. My guards are monitoring her and we are on our way to spring the trap. If you want to help, please join us."
"Very well. Let's join the Keeper and aid in capturing the witch. Tell us what you want us to do."