Gaia's Champion Ch. 34 - Teaser (Patreon)

“Valerie!” Dominique cried out as she raced to the woman’s side. Valerie was unresponsive, which made Dominique cry out in dismay, before she realized that her mentor must have been under some sort of spell.

“She’s in a magically induced sleep! Help me break her out of it!” Dominique called out.

“It’s not just a sleep spell she’s under. It’s tied to a locking spell that keeps her chained to the pentagram! We will have to break them both if we are to free her!” Aaliyah told the woman.

Having recovered from her ordeal in breaking the spells hiding and guarding the sanctum, she stepped up to where Dominique was and starting incanting. Hayley joined them, knowing that her mistress would require her help in making this possible. The others looked around, some staring at the various knickknacks that decorated the place.

“These poor souls need to be released! They shouldn’t be chained down here like this!” Sheena growled, her distaste apparent.

“Unless you feel confident enough in taking on a Black Witch right this second, I suggest that we come back when we are certain that we can defeat her. As it is, I don’t like being in this sanctum any longer than I have to be! I can’t feel Gaia’s power down here!” Jason griped, feeling like his magic was hampered somehow.

“That’s the whole point of a sanctum. To hamper any users outside of the magic that your sanctum is attuned to. Now hush! I need to focus!” Aaliyah admonished them as she kept her attention on the prone woman.

Jason shut his mouth, but kept his guard up, as this whole situation felt wrong. Being in a place where his power was limited to what Gaian strength he had made his skin crawl. He didn’t like being cut off from Gaia like this, but had little choice in the matter. If Valerie was down here, then here was where he needed to be.

He watched as Aaliyah brought the spell she was working to a crescendo before enacting the final words. With a final gesture, the spell activated and lanced into Valerie, causing the woman to stir. She shuffled and spasmed, until she finally sat up, taking a deep breath as she woke. Her eyes darted around, full of fear for what horrors would come next. The moment they alighted on Dominique, her visage softened.

“Neeq?” she breathed, scarcely believing what she was seeing.

“Yeah, Val! It’s me! I’m here!” Dominique sniffled, trying to keep herself from crying.

“How do I know this isn’t some trick… Kathryn?” Valerie questioned, staring hard at her onetime apprentice.

“Remember where you found me? In that alleyway in Sao Paulo?” Dominique asked.

“What did I say to you?” Valerie questioned, hoping that this was her apprentice and not some sort of illusion.

“You told me, ‘You poor little thing! The world has almost broken you, hasn’t it?’” Dominique replied.

“Dominique!! It’s so good to see you!” Valerie sobbed, reaching out to wrap her former apprentice in a hug. Dominique kneeled down and pulled the woman into a hug, crying her eyes out, happy to have her friend and mentor back.

“Not as good as it is to see you, still alive!” Dominique blubbered, holding her friend close.

“Who are all these people… LOOK OUT!” Valerie screamed, as a portal opened up at the rear of the sanctum. From out of the portal came blasts of magic which hit the fairies first, grounding all three of them. Darnell turned to rush the portal, but he too was hit by this magic, which crippled the man and forced him to his knees. More blasts of energy fired out, but the others enacted shielding spells in time to block these bolts.