Veiled Revelations

Chapter 9 -Veiled Revelations-

In the cozy atmosphere of Alice's dwelling, the trio talks about everything their encountered in the forest.

"A whole manticore den, and then the manticore queen herself!" Alice exclaimed, staring at Adalwolf in disbelief.

"And then we bathed together to get the blood off Seraphina. Her breast felt like clouds," replied the wolf girl.

"Bathed together? More like you proceeded to **** me!" Seraphina protested, slamming her fist on the table.

"All of you are truly amazing," Alice said again.

"By the way, where is the mayor? I just realized I haven't seen him since we returned from the Duke's estate," asked the silver-haired knight.

"He's resting. With Jabulani here, my father-in-law seems to be getting more rest now than before," Alice replied.

Alice began to stand up, gathering the dishes from those who had finished eating. Seraphina couldn't help but observe Alice's attire – a loosely tied bathing robe that revealed she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Before Seraphina could comment, she was drawn to a white liquid flowing down the widow's inner leg.

Concerned, Seraphina quickly spoke up, "Alice, are you alright? It looks like something spilled."

Alice glanced down, seemingly oblivious to the situation, and a flush of embarrassment colored her face. "Oh, I...ugh... it's just spilled milk," she stammered before reaching down, scooping it up, and licking it off her finger.

Adalwolf grinned knowingly before turning her attention from Alice to Jabulani, "Milk, huh? I bet that's the tastiest milk you've ever had," she snickered.

Aisling and Seraphina turned their attention to the wolf girl, waiting for her to clarify, but she remained silent. The room filled with an awkward pause before Alice proceeded to clean up. Filia, standing in the back, now stepped forward to help Alice clear the table and start on the dishes.

"So, you found no further connections to the Fae Wilds?" Jabulani asked, cutting through the current awkwardness.

"None," replied the silver-haired knight, turning her head to Jabulani.

"Hmm, this could be a sign that instead of a direct connection, there are specific anchor points holding these lands and the Fae Wilds together." The shaman speculated, turning his attention to a nearby window and gazing at the fully restored farmland.

"What are we going to do? Are we staying in these parts longer? It's only been about two days, after all."

"Hmm, two days since we first arrived... things are happening fast, too fast. Don't you think everything feels like it's moving at an accelerated pace? We went from dealing with bandits to a spellgazer and facing a Fae-touched hydra. It's as if..." Jabulani spoke, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Almost as if what?" Asked Aisling.

"...someone or something is pulling at the threads of fate, toying with the tapestry of creation, and they are right here, watching it unfold," Jabulani mused, his gaze lingering on the restored farmland.

Seraphina, Aisling, and Adalwolf exchanged glances as the shaman's thought hung in the air, leaving an unsettling stillness in the room.

Unaware of the deeper implications, Alice continued tidying up the dining area. Filia diligently assisted, though a subtle curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she observed the dynamics between the shaman and his companions.

Adalwolf, ever battle junkie, broke the silence with a sly grin. "Well, if someone is pulling the strings, they're in for a real fight with us around!"

Aisling, still reserved, couldn't help but inquire, "What should we do next, Jabulani?"

The shaman closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Minutes felt like an eternity before he spoke again. "I need to consult the spirits... greater spirits. I'll do that later tonight when everyone sleeps."

The shaman said nothing more that night while the rest of the people in the cozy dwelling continued their activities.

Aisling timidly approached Adalwolf and Seraphina, attempting to speak, but the words failed to escape her lips. Adalwolf was the first to notice the elf, and with a big grin on the wolf girl's face, she scooped Aisling up off the ground and carried her under one arm.

"There you are, girl! Now that all the serious nonsense is out of the way, we will seriously drink and celebrate our victory today!" Adalwolf announced loudly as she made her way to the kitchen for more ****.

"What? HEY, WAIT!" The elf called out as she struggled under Adalwolf's hold but couldn't free herself.

As Adalwolf continued towards the kitchen, Aisling glanced helplessly at Seraphina, still caught under the wolf girl's arm. Seraphina, pretending not to see them, simply sat quietly, taking another sip of her drink.

In the kitchen, Adalwolf set Aisling down on the countertop where the elf's feet didn't touch the ground. The wolf girl then proceeded to fetch a couple of bottles of mead, ale, and anything her sense of smell deemed was alcoholic in nature.

While the wolf girl gathered an assortment of alcoholic beverages, Aisling shifted uncomfortably on the countertop, her petite form contrasting with the wolf girl's large and confident stature. Adalwolf grabbed a large bowl and poured different drinks in all at once before grabbing a ladle and stirring it.

While the wolf girl gathered an assortment of alcoholic beverages, Aisling shifted uncomfortably on the countertop, her petite form contrasting with the wolf girl's large and confident stature. Adalwolf grabbed a large bowl and poured different drinks in all at once before grabbing a ladle and stirring it.

The impromptu concoction seemed to mix various alcoholic beverages; the wolf girl would even slice up multiple fruits and add them to the bowl, creating a potent brew that foamed and bubbled in the bowl. Aisling, still on the countertop, watched the chaotic creation with an expression of abject horror across her face.

After tasting and nodding in satisfaction with her concoction, Adalwolf grabbed multiple glasses and began filling them up.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to partake in my own specialty of ****. Spiced using only the finest ingredients I could find lying around," she said with a chuckle.

Everyone but Jabulani stared at the wolf girl, unsure what she had just done. The room filled with uncertainty as Adalwolf presented her unique concoction. Jabulani, seemingly unfazed, paid no mind to the scene at all.

Adalwolf took a glass, sniffed it, and then drank half of it. "It's good; try it! "

Seraphina hesitantly took a glass and sniffed it; the aroma was a mix of sweet, bitter, and fruity. She looked at the wolf girl and gulped before drinking half her glass. Aisling also took a glass, but only because she felt left out. She didn't want to appear scared, so she took a large swig of the drink and immediately regretted her decision.

As the potent concoction worked its way through their systems, a wave of discomfort and unease settled over the room. Aisling, unaccustomed to such strong beverages, struggled to maintain her composure, her face turning various shades of red.

Seraphina felt an unexpected warmth spreading through her limbs, dulling her senses. The knight's captain looked down at her half-empty glass before focusing on the wolf girl.

Adalwolf, reveling in her creation, continued to drink, a second followed by a third glass. "Ahhh, now that is what I'm talking about! I knew I could actually make a real drink if given time!" she exclaimed out loud with a big grin, looking up at the others who were also grinning. "What do you think? Much better than that weak piss humans call ****, right? No offense to all you humans present," she chuckled.

"Well, an interesting fact," Jabulani remarked. "Beastkin have the highest **** tolerance of any mortal race. It takes a significantly higher concentration for them to even feel the effects compared to other races."

As Jabulani spoke, Alice's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could respond, the potent brew finally took its toll. With a soft thud, she slumped forward, succumbing to the intoxicating embrace of sleep.

One by one, the others followed suit, their bodies betraying them as the **** coursed through their veins with a relentless determination. Alice's dwelling's cozy atmosphere transformed into a peaceful slumber scene. The only sounds are the soft, rhythmic breathing of those now lost to the depths of inebriation.

As the effects of the potent concoction began to take their toll, Seraphina found herself engaged in a silent battle to remain conscious. Despite her best efforts, the ****'s seductive embrace proved too strong to resist, and she felt her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment.

Desperately clinging to awareness, Seraphina's resolve wavered as the room swayed gently around her. With a soft sigh, she finally succumbed to the intoxicating pull, her body giving in to the inevitable as she collapsed gracefully onto the ground.

"Lightweights," Adalwolf chuckled playfully, as she downed another cup of the potent brew. Setting her glass down, she shifted her attention to Jabulani with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Alpha, why aren't you drinking any?" she teased, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips. Without waiting for a response, she sauntered over to Jabulani, emphasizing the sway in her hips, and settled herself comfortably on his lap, leaning her head against his chest with a contented sigh.

Jabulani regarded Adalwolf with a faint smile, his gaze softening as he gently placed a hand on the back of her head and started rubbing his hand through her hair and down her back. Despite the jovial atmosphere, his voice had a quiet sincerity as he spoke.

"I won't be partaking tonight. I have something I need to attend to before morning, and I need to be sober to handle it," Jabulani explained, his voice steady and composed. "But you go ahead and enjoy yourself. You've been a good girl, Adalwolf, and your efforts haven't gone unnoticed."

Adalwolf let out a soft whimper, her ears drooping slightly at Jabulani's words. "I'm not a dog," she murmured, her voice tinged with a weak protest as her tail began to wag involuntarily.

Jabulani's lips twitched in a faint smile at her response. "Ah, so you prefer that I do not praise you?" he mused, his tone playful as he gently ruffled her hair.

Adalwolf leaned into his touch, her eyes closing in contentment as she nuzzled against his chest. "No, praise me more," she admitted with a hint of vulnerability, her voice barely above a whisper as she sought comfort in Jabulani's reassuring presence.

The two remained in their quiet embrace for some time, enveloped in a tranquil bubble of peace and contentment. Jabulani savored the warmth of Adalwolf's presence against his chest, her rhythmic breathing a soothing melody that echoed in the stillness of the farmhouse.

As minutes stretched into eternity, he felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest slow to a steady rhythm, the soft sound of her breaths growing fainter with each passing moment. With a tender smile, Jabulani realized that the wolf girl had succumbed to the embrace of sleep, leaving him as the sole conscious individual within the farmhouse.

"Rest peacefully, my pup," Jabulani whispered, his voice a gentle murmur as he carefully lifted Adalwolf in his arms, carried her to a cozy room within the farmhouse and tucked her into bed with utmost care.

Silently, he repeated this action for each of his women, ensuring that they were all safely nestled in their own rooms, cocooned in the embrace of slumber. One by one, he tenderly carried them to their restful repose.

Once the ladies were relocated to their beds, Jabulani returned to the common area, his footsteps light and his movements graceful as he made his way towards an empty spot on the ground, his back against the wall as he sat in the Sukhasana pose. The shaman slowly started to take deep breaths in and out, allowing his mind to fall into tranquility. The silence within the room was absolute, punctuated only by the soft sounds of sleeping breaths coming from the rooms beyond. Jabulani's eyes remained closed as he allowed himself to drift into a deep meditative state, his mind and spirit floating away from the present moment as he reached out to the spirits. As the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms blurred, allowing Jabulani to commune with the spirits that dwelled within and around him.

His body experienced a paradoxical sensation, oscillating between warmth and coldness simultaneously. Time seemed to warp and distort, its steady flow bending and twisting like a river caught in the throes of a tempest.

Amidst this surreal landscape, Jabulani found himself surrounded by a cacophony of whispers, thousands of tiny voices murmuring unintelligible words that reverberated through the very fabric of his being. Each whisper carried fragments of various wisdom and shards of knowledge that danced on the edge of comprehension, teasing the boundaries of understanding.

As he listened to the symphony of voices, Jabulani reached out into the swirling maelstrom of sensation and perception, his mind a beacon amidst the chaotic currents of the unseen realm. "Spirits of lore and wisdom," he called out, his voice a steady anchor amidst the tumultuous sea of whispers and echoes, "I call out to thee!"

The whispers coalesced into a single ethereal presence in response to Jabulani's invocation, taking the form of a translucent female figure. Her appearance was captivating. Her body was draped in a single length of cloth that wrapped around her form in spirals, leaving her half-naked, only covering her massive breasts and thick hips. The fabric gently billowed around her, its edges trailing behind as if imitating the motion of a gentle breeze.

She held a featureless, transparent book in her right hand, its pages shimmering with an otherworldly light that seemed to illuminate the surrounding void. Perched on her left wrist, which was raised to the height of her breasts, was a featureless owl, its form mirroring the spectral beauty of its mistress.

Though her features were indistinct and transparent, the spirit exuded a timeless allure, and her presence was imbued with classical beauty's grace and poise. As she hovered before him, bathed in the soft glow of her own luminance, the spirit spoke, her voice echoing with the melodic cadence of a thousand whispers. "You have called, and I have come, child of Xandari. Why have I been summoned?"

"Great spirit, I seek answers lost in the darkness. These lands, the veil between the Fae Wilds and the material planes, have been torn in multiple locations. At first, I believed it was a random, natural occurrence, just the veil weakening over time, and someone was taking advantage of this fact. However, the chances of such a thing happening multiple times in a single location are astronomically impossible."

The spirit's form shimmered faintly, her translucent figure seemingly pulsating with the ebb and flow of the unseen energies surrounding them. Her luminous eyes, devoid of pupils or irises, gazed at Jabulani with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of his being.

"Your observations are almost correct, child. The von Winterbourne territory is slowly being pulled into the Fae Wilds, and it is not accidental or random. It is being done on purpose."

"By whom?"

"One of the fae gods. A powerful one which I cannot answer name."

"A Fae god did this? Why?"

"That I cannot answer."

"Do you know how to stop it?"

"Destroy the anchors being used to pull this territory into the Fae Wilds."

"Anchors? How many are there, and where are they?"

"Seven, and you've already destroyed one."

"I've already destroyed one... the fae-touched hydra!"

"Correct!"

"Where are the others?"

"Again, child, I cannot answer, but I can tell you what they are."

"I'm listening."

"The first was the fae-touched hydra, which has already been slain, and the fae magic has dispersed throughout the entire region.

The second is a fae-touched spellgazer. Like the fae-touched hydra, the spellgazer will be much more dangerous, and its spells are much more potent. I suggest you no longer hold back against it or the rest.

"I'll take it into consideration. What are the rest?"

"The third anchor is a fae-touched behemoth lying dormant since its infusion.

The fourth lies deep underground, traveling through underwater channels, a powerful Aboleth.

The fifth is lost somewhere deep in the forest, an Echidna of incredible beauty and womanly charms... Do not try to stick your dick in it.

Th- the..."

The spirit started to disperse as she released a scream that would even give a banshee a run for its money.

As the spirit's form dissipated into the ether, an eerie sound of laughter,

"Hello, child of spirits. I don't have much time before the primordial spirits sense my presence and interfere."

Before Jabulani materialized a majestic-looking woman with blue skin and elven facial features. Her body was barely covered in light, semi-transparent clothing. An emerald gemstone was fused into the middle of her forehead while her eyes glowed white. She was adorned in the splendor of nature, with long, flowing locks of radiant grey hair cascading around her shoulders. Delicate flowers and verdant vines adorned her slender form, twining gracefully around her legs and hips, weaving a natural tapestry that formed G-string-styled underwear. A collar-like necklace of plant life encircled her neck, with a singular vine extended gracefully between her ample breasts, dividing into two delicate tendrils that wrapped around each breast, embracing them all the way to her nipples without ever losing her breast's shape.

"Child of spirits, be aware that you have entered my gaze," the mysterious woman declared, casting a solemn, almost melancholic stare upon him.

Before more could be said, the ethereal figure vanished as quickly as she had appeared. Jabulani's vision suddenly went utterly white, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. His consciousness felt like being bombarded with infinite information streams, overwhelming his senses and threatening to engulf him in a sea of knowledge.

Amidst the relentless torrent of information, rapid images began to coalesce into hazy forms. Jabulani watched as scenes unfolded before him in a blur: the gradual erosion of rocks and landscapes, the rhythmic ebb and flow of tides against a sandy beach shore, and the shifting phases of the moon as it waxed and waned in the night sky.

The shaman's ethereal form hovered in the boundless expanse, his astral mouth parting as a single word emerged from his translucent lips, "Isikhathi."

Suddenly, the flood of images halted as if frozen in time, leaving Jabulani suspended in a void of blinding white. His astral form hovered in the emptiness, surrounded by an infinite expanse of pure whiteness that seemed to stretch into eternity.

"Good," a disembodied voice spoke, its tone filled with a mixture of approval. "If you could not discern my name from such mundane imagery, then you are unworthy to wield our power."

As the word reverberated through the whiteness, Jabulani felt a surge of recognition wash over him, a deep-seated knowledge stirring within his soul. Speaking to him now was a primordial spirit – the primordial spirit of time, Isikhathi.

If Jabulani's astral form could breathe, he would be holding his breath right now. The primordials were only ever mentioned and spoken about in Xandari stories and lore. There was no recorded documentation of their existence nor any instances of them interacting with mortals. In fact, most tales portrayed them as having little to no interest in what they deemed to be lesser creatures, such as mortals.

"We are very real, my child. If we were not, how would you know of us?" the disembodied voice spoke.

As the light faded into darkness, the disembodied voice continued its words, carrying a weight of finality. "You've already been granted the information you seek. You face a Fae God now, and not only will the Fae, but we shall also be watching. Do not disappoint us."

With those last words spoken, the shaman fell into darkness. When the light returned, he found himself back where he was sitting in the farmhouse, surrounded by everyone, their expressions filled with concern.

"What's going on?" Jabulani inquired, meeting the gaze of everyone in the room.

Before anyone could respond, Filia rushed over and enveloped him in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What th..." Jabulani began, but before he could finish his sentence, Alice and Adalwolf joined Filia in the embrace, forming a tight circle around him.

As Jabulani found himself enveloped in the unexpected embrace of his companions, a mixture of confusion and concern washed over him. He glanced around the room, taking in the tear-streaked faces of those gathered around him, each expression reflecting myriad emotions ranging from relief to apprehension.

"What's going on?" Jabulani asked.

"You've been **** for two days now," Alice said, struggling to regain her composure.

"Two days?" Jabulani echoed.

"At first, we thought you were doing your communing thing, but I noticed it didn't have the usual effect. After about three hours of you not moving, I could tell something was wrong," Seraphina followed up in a deadpan tone.

As Jabulani processed the information, it didn't take him long to comprehend that it was the work of Isikhathi, the primordial whose domain was time after all.

"But why?" The shaman mumbled before tearing his gaze away from the women and looking down, only to find Filia holding him tightly now within his view.

"No, a mere mortal can't hope to begin to understand the divine. If the primordial kept me in light and darkness for two days, then there has to be a reason that the spirits will reveal when I'm ready. Until then, I have something important to tell you all.

He pulls himself out of the girls' grip and tells them to sit on the couch or grab a chair. Once he was free and the women seated, he stood up and stepped in front of them. "Now, let's begin!"

The shaman's eyes began to glow blue, and he looked into each woman's eyes one after another, causing them to glow blue as well.

"In realms of slumber, where memories dwell,

Dreamwalkers' call, weave your spell.

Threads of time entwine and enthrall,

Merge our minds, heed the shaman's call.

Dreamwalkers Recall, let memories fall!"

As the incantation echoed through the room, a serene energy enveloped them, wrapping them in a cocoon of tranquility. Their surroundings seemed to fade away, replaced by a vast expanse of ethereal mist, swirling and shifting like the tides of a cosmic ocean.

Within minutes, the memories of his encounter with a spirit of lore and wisdom, the interruption by the Fae Goddess, the overwhelming influx of information, and the subsequent conversation with the primordial were transmitted into everyone's minds.

"Selenea... The Green Mother," Seraphina said as her eyes stopped glowing.

"Domains: seduction, forests, plants, freshwater bodies, and the mother of nymphs," continued Aisling.

As the words hung in the air, a somber silence enveloped the room, each group member grappling with the weight of this newfound knowledge.

"Wait, how did we know that?" Filia blurted out, her voice betraying a mixture of surprise and confusion. She quickly covered her mouth, remembering her place as a personal servant.

Jabulani nodded in understanding. "Remember, the primordial spirit said I had the information I needed? It was he who bombarded me with infinite knowledge. That was the primordial's doing. It only allowed me to retain what it deemed necessary. When I first communed, as you saw, I was reaching out to a lore spirit. Lore spirits tend to be Ascended Spirits and fall under the domain of Isikhathi, the primordial of time."

He paused, noticing some puzzled expressions in the room, and continued, "Oh, and for those of you who don't know, there are five ranks of spirits: Minor Spirits, Adept Spirits, Elemental Lords, Ascended Spirits, and then the most powerful and oldest of them all, Primordial Spirits."

Seraphina slammed her fist into the nearby wall in a burst of frustration. "All of this chaos, just because some damn Fae God wants to pull the Duke's territory into the Fae Wilds, but why?" she seethed.

"That's what we need to find out," Jabulani replied.

"At least we know how to stop her plans now. We just need to locate and destroy the remaining six anchors," Adalwolf interjected.

"Yes, and considering one of the anchors was already what I was hired to deal with, our task remains unchanged, except now we have confirmation that the bandits are indeed being led by a spellgazer... I mean beholder," remarked Jabulani.