Primalcraft: Crimes of the Father (Book 3)

Chapter 18

The air was thick, steam came out of Blake's mouth every time he breathes but he barely noticed the cold for the atmosphere was strange to him. Denesha, Elliott, and Leon had lit thousands of candles in the clearing. The candles were flickering under the moonlight and the starry sky glanced back at them.

Though Blake barely saw the starry sky because the air was filled with glowing lights, floating around and whispering to him. Will-o'-the-wisp, Denesha had called them. Small remnants of long-lost souls. Memories still floating around, slowly fading away.

Touching one of them sent it scattering away while the whispers from it erupt in a chorus of voices. Blake had a feeling that if he leaned closer, he would be able to hear them.

"Are you okay? Do you still see spirits?" asked Jaxon, worry written across his face. A shadow covered the moon and Blake looked up to see what looks like a flying whale with an island on its back, filled with trees whose roots clang to the giant beast moving across the sky.

"Oh yes," Blake said. "What is that?"

"The spirit of an island lost to time," Denesha said, looking up at the beast. "Quite marvelous isn't it. When islands vanish into the sea, the spirits take to the sky looking for a new place to nest. They will search for thousands of years before finally settling down again and give birth to a new island."

"You can see them too?" Blake asked, glancing at a large stag with white fur, moving among the trees. Its antlers were gigantic and adorned with hanging moss while its tail was long fluffy. Everywhere it walked, the plants turned green for a second. Its glowing green eyes glanced at Blake for a second making him catch his breath.

"Seems like the lord of the forest has come to greet you," Denesha said, her voice breathless as well.

"Where?" asked Jaxon looking around, seemingly not seeing the amazing creature.

"Do they all look like that?" Blake asked, unconsciously bowing his head when the stag did the same. The stag straightens and turned around, walking into the forest.

"No, I've been told that the forest of Britain often has a staglike creature as lord of their forests, but in North America I have seen a giant buffalo guarding the plains, the bear-like creature guards the north. In the deepest jungles of South America it's a giant feathered serpent that is the lord of the forest. India has the elephant while Australia has something like a giant Komodo dragon as its lord. I friend of mine said that it takes the form of an extinct animal from Australia called the Megalania, though the lords of Australia taking that form are far larger. He also found lords taking the form of Koalas and Dingos. I heard a lord in an old Russian forest look like Mammut covered in frost."

"They are all special and have their own temperament. I have come to find since I came here that the forest lords of the British isle are gentle in nature. Not as ferocious as the American ones or as old as the ones in Asia but gentle and wise," Denesha said, suddenly nodding to a couple of fairies.

They were all covered in autumn leaves with bright colors of red, orange, and yellow. "the Autumn fairies are preparing the Samhain feast to celebrate the last life before the rest."

"The rest?"

"Yes, the forest will fall asleep along with the autumn fairies while the winter fairies will wake up to bring winter to us. They will guard and care for the forest and the other fairies during the long and dark winter before waking up the spring fairies and go to sleep once more."

Denesha's lecture was interrupted by Leon who came over with a serious look on his face. "We are ready."

Blake turned and walked over to the circle of candles Denesha, Leon, and Elliott had created. "Are the light necessary?"