When the dust settled they finally saw what was controlling the nellasway. It was a giant mutated ground fairy. They only knew it was a ground fairy because it still had blue-green iridescent claws and it's skin was like layers of packed earth and bark. Other than that it looked like nothing they had ever seen before.
It was massive and its head was the shape of a large egg with eyes positioned far apart on either side of the wide end of the "egg". Its mouth seemed to have been sown shut and its nose was flat to its face.
Its lower extremities were shredded but it seemed to have had four legs and a scorpion type tail.
Allistar looked at the creature curiously. "Are we sure that was once a ground fairy?"
"Positive. Hortense, what do you think?"
"It was definitely once a ground fairy. Its corruption explains the nellasway's behavior. Ground fairies can cause other races of fairies to go into rages and Nellasway are already naturally unstable."
Both Anabel and Allistar looked to heras if her explanation was not sufficient.
"It seems to have been creating the nellasway as well. They are magical creatures that are usually born when there is an abundance of ground magic trapped underground within a certain set of circumstances. Also ground faries can use ground magic like it was creation magic"
Anabel nodded. "Will you keep it?"
Allistar looked at her. "You don't want to save it?"
She shook her head "That can't be saved. Its corruption is from a magical source. I am guessing the ebon water. It would take me centuries to figure out a way to save it."
Allistar was quiet for a long moment then he shrugged. "Sounds like an excuse but okay." He extended his hand forward. "It will take a few minutes, it has a lot of damage."
Anabel sat down and began meditating.
Green lights in the form of runes flowed forth from Allistar's fingertips. They circled the giant corpse and dirt shifted as it rose into the air. The lines of runes wrapped around it like green bandages and then formed a cocoon. The cocoon pulsed and bulged as if something large squirmed within it.
After five minutes there was a slice in the cocoon and the runes opened up. The fairy was no longer as huge as it had been but it was still in its corrupted form. Its long scorpion tail curved high over its head, its four legs were thick and muscular, its head was still egg shaped with the rounder portion up and its eyes positioned on either side.
As it lowered towards Allistar all of the runic light entered its body. Its blood red eyes focused on nothing. As its feet touched the ground it fell to one knee.
"Master. I am ready to serve. I am ready to do all that is needed of my. I am ready to be your loyal servant."
Anabel frowned and stood. She walked to the fairy and examined it. "How long have they been waking to recite all that gibberish to you?"
Allister looked to his new minion and nodded. The fairy stood. "what is your name?"
"I do not have one master. Can you bestow one?"
"Okay. You will be Brun." The fairy nodded. Anabel looked on in stunned silence and then shook her head.
She turned to walk away "They have been like this for about three hundred years now." Anabel stopped and looked at him as he spoke. He shrugged. "I guess I put it into the spell."
Before she could reply he continued. "I left a quarter of his soul unused. You can have it."
A blue-black haze formed between them and they both could feel the rage pouring from it.
Anabel raised an eyebrow. "I see you didn't subjugate it."
"Why would I? It is for you not me."
Anabel moved her wrist and an ivory urn appeared in her hands. She opened the lid and the blue-black haze was quickly sucked inside.
She looked passed the crater. "Ask your new guy about the situation."
After talking to the ground fairy they knew that they could handle the rest by themselves but it may take a few days or more.
Anabel sent most of her wards to explore the island chain. She only kept Hortense, Femir, and Eveline with her.
Allistar always had his minions with him. But he sent Brun and a few others to help with the exploration of the island at the center of the whirlpool.
Past the crater was a vast magical labyrinth that changed without notice. One moment they were walking in a forest the next they were in a dune filled desert. One moment they were actually in a labyrinth of stone or flowering hedges and suddenly the walls changed position only for them to find there way out and be standing at the precipice of a cliff looking at a vast ocean.
It seemed like they were in the labyrinth for days but when they finally reached the end they had only been inside for a little less than a day.
After the labyrinth they came to a meadow with a large herb garden. Large black herbs with deep purple flowers grew at its center. There were medicinal grasses and a variety of mushrooms that could be used in medicines, rituals, and potions.
Anabel took out containers and collected many things before they moved on. She shared several things with Allistar without a thought.
On the other side of the meadow was a small valley and in the center stretched the vast ebony falls. The water was so black it seemed to absorb all light. The water flowed in torrents and sprayed mists of golden light as it hit the pools below.
They walked towards the falls and after walking for more than six hours both of them realized that they were not getting much closer.
When in the labyrinth they had not rested so they decided to rest now. They quickly set-up camp and Anabel took fresh meat from one of her dimensional storages and began cooking.
"Hortense, Femir try to see if you can figure out why it is taking so long to get to the falls. I can tell we have gotten closer because its magic is stronger." She paused. "I guess that could be an illusion. Damn! Just see what you can figure out."
"Yes Spirit Warlock." They bowed and spoke in unison before moving to the edge of camp and observing.
Anabel looked at Allistar and was amused to see the hungry anticipation on his face. In the labyrinth they had only eaten dried fruits and mear jerkys. They had not had a meal in more than two days.
'What do you think?
'I think I am very hungry."
Anabel scoffed. "You have food. Eat a snack while I cook."
He shook his head. "I want to be able to properly savor the food."
"So dramatic. And what do you think about getting to the falls?"
"I think we need to rest and in the morning we will figure things out."
She looked at him for a long moment. "Is there something you know?"
He smiled. "Right now I only know my hunger."
Before the first sun rose they were both up. His minions and her wards maintained watch so that they would be well rested.
She could not remember why they slept in the same tent and she quickly rose, cleaned up, and began cooking so that she would not need to think about it.
'Spirit Warlock I think the falls are wanting us to complete something. No. I sense that they are waiting for something.'
'I agree with Hortense. They are waiting for something before they will allow us near.' Femir looked toward the falls. 'I think something was given or they liked something so they allowed us to get a bit closer.'
'Yes. Like they do not want us discouraged.'
Anabel nodded. 'Okay. If you think of anything else tell me immediately. '
'Yes Spirit Warlock.'
After breakfast Anabel looked seriously at Allistar. "I have an idea. Let's try your dream magic to get to the falls."
Allistar looked at her then towards the falls. "Okay. I can use some of the mushrooms you gathered to perform a dream trance."
"Use some of the draco grass as well. It will help to keep the dream stable."
"Hmmm. I wondered why you gave me that black grass. I guess you are right. I need to understand herbs that are beneficial to my different magics."
As Allistar prepared for the ritual she broke camp and sent Hortense. Eveline, and Femir through a portal to Clare. It took her three tries before her portal actually opened to the correct destination
"I think that we are still in a labyrinth. It took me three tries to open the portal through the spirit realm."
Allistar looked up at her in surprise. "Three times?" His tone was incredulous.
Anabel nodded. "Do you have harpy scales? You will need them to help focus the ritual and keep it on the course you want."
Allistar looked at her with a smile. It seemed so strange on those lips that were dead to most emotion.
"I do. Why do you know so much about my magic?"
She sat across from him. "You are my husband. Why wouldn't I know about the things that interest you?"
Allistar drew his minions into him. Then he scryed runes in the air around them. As he held a pile of dust made of mushrooms, black grass, and iridescent scales in his hand he spoke words of power. He blew the dust into the air and it fanned out and adhered to the runes he had scryed. He and Anabel laid down, the tops of their heads touching, and the iridescent dust covered runes fell atop them like thick blankets and they were instantly asleep.
Anabel sat straight up and looked for Allistar. He was slowly rising as she looked to him. His skin was the fair and pale. He had shoulder length hair that fell in soft flowing waves. She felt herself swallow hard as she noticed he had no clothes on.
She wanted to look away. She wanted to accuse him of impropriety. She wanted to be outraged. But all she could actually do was listen to her heart thump way too loudly.
Suddenly she wondered about her appearance and before she could look he turned to her. His eyes widened and a slow smile spread broadly across his lips.
She felt like she was looking into the sun. Her head buzzed and her eyes tingle.
'What the f*ck was going on! We are here for the ebon falls Anabel.'
She quickly stood and swayed a bit because her head was still a bit dazed. 'How many frigging times are you going to sway Anabel!?'
She took a step forward and an arm wrapped around her waist only to remind her just how naked she was.
His skin was still cold but she could feel magic flowing over and under his skin. The tingle of magic made her body tingle and she forgot herself again.
He kissed her neck and then her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I never would have guessed that this is what the falls would want from us. It has been such a long time since I have seen you like this."
She had realized they were both in their spirit bodies only seconds before. They had traveled dimensions many times, over spiritual planes, so they both knew exactly how their spirit bodies looked.
Still she was not expecting this. She was not expecting his spirit body to look the same after all these years, especially since the spirit realms denied him entrance.
His fingertips pressed into her abdomen then lightly ran over her skin. Her entire body quivered and he breathed a small laugh into her ear before he kissed it.
"We will take care of our son first. After that we talk." He kissed her one last time and moved from behind her.
She refused to look at him and stared blankly ahead. "Thank you for putting him first. I promise to talk to you later."
Suddenly the world swirled and in the next moment they were standing at the pool beneath the falls.
They both looked to the falls. They could feel magic and intense heat and cold flowing off of them.
"This is why we are in our spirit bodies." Anabel moved to the smooth Rock and looked up into the falls, she was looking for footholds or a cave. They had to collect the water before it hit the pool below and preferably a good ways up the falls.
She found what she was looking for. "Let's go to the center cave. What do you think?"
Allistar looked up at the seven caves. "I think we should look in all them though."
She thought about the containers she had. "Do you have containers with you?"
"If we do not have enough I can make pocket dimensions inside my dimensional storage spaces."
She nodded and started up. With Allistar close behind.