Rebirth of the Nephilim

“Of course, I know who the Chimera is. We spent twenty years together terrorizing the Strait of Sin.”

Thea looked at Jack with a worried expression, her brow furrowed in concern.

“The S—Strait of Sin?”

“Oh yes, it’s a waterway located on the northern continent that connects the Thadden Sea to the Northern Ocean. Dreadful place, home to all manner of terrible sea monsters that pray upon the trade ships that sail those waters. I’d say one in ten ships doesn’t make it to their destination.”

“And you were terrorizing that place?” Dys asked incredulously.

“Well, about one hundred and twenty years ago, the kingdoms of Rosen and Bowerguard led a joint effort with the aid of several other nearby nations to exterminate as many of the monsters who made the strait their home as possible. They still had a good number of high CLR individuals alive and in fighting form left over from the last Demon invasion, so they put those men and women to work making the waterways safe. Hunted a lot of magic beasts, cleared out a lot of deadly dens.”

“And let me guess,” Maeve said dryly, her chin perched on the knuckles of her right fist. “You and this Chimera asshole went there to fuck with all the hunters who were just trying to do their jobs?”

“No, not at all,” Jack waved one hand dismissively. “We only showed up maybe fifteen years after their work was already done. I created illusions, Chimera transformed into various beasts, and we tormented the ships passing through the strait for twenty or so years, rebuilding the frightening reputation that had begun to fade.”

“Somehow, I am not even a little bit surprised,” Dys said as she glared at the old Fetch. “What’s the point of even doing that? If all the magic beasts were hunted to extinction in that strait, then you’d have to stay there and keep fucking with everyone for the rest of your lives to keep up the illusion.”

“Not at all,” Jack held up a finger. “We only had to keep up the façade long enough for the not quite eradicated monsters to rebuild their population. After twenty years, enough razorbacked sea serpents and hooting mushmen had repopulated the area that we were able to leave with our heads held high, knowing that we had made a difference.”

“Hooting mushmen?” Syd mouthed quietly as she gave Meli a confused look.

The Dryad shrugged, clearly having no idea what the Fetch was talking about.

“The difference you made was making the Strait of Sin a terrible, monster-ridden place that gets people killed,” Dys pointed out.

“Yes, exactly,” Jack agreed. “It’s the Strait of Sin! It’s not supposed to be a pleasant cruise! We were just setting things back to the way they were always meant to be. I’m sure Villthyrial would be thankful for our actions, wouldn’t you agree, my Dryad friend?”

Meli blinked at Jack, her expression showing a mixture of confusion and apprehension.

“While I agree that my God prefers that the wild places stay wild, I do not believe that you were motivated by the conservation of magic beasts or their environments.”

“You can’t always be choosy about who your allies are.”

Jadis felt like arguing the point but ultimately decided to let the issue drop. What Jack had done decades ago wasn’t anything she could change currently, no more than she could ever change the Fetch’s mind. Jack was Jack. Or Madoc. Or whoever.

Besides, Jadis had bigger concerns to focus on.

“Let’s take a step back,” Jay said, holding up one hand. “You said you know the Chimera. Great. Can you tell us why he’s siding with Samleos and his cult?”

“How would I know? I can’t read minds.”

Again, Jadis wasn’t surprised. Frustrated, perhaps. But not surprised. At least she was being frustrated in comfort.

Vetregin’s lair was, for the most part, exactly what Jadis had envisioned. The entire top half mile of the mountain that the ancient dragon had claimed as his own had been broken down, the earth and stone torn apart and replaced with a titanic mass of ice that Vetregin had personally created with his magic. It was, essentially, an iceberg balanced on top of a flat-topped mountain, with a multitude of winding tunnels and cavernous chambers carved within. Unlike Vetraka or Korsregon, Vetregin did not have any hot springs in his home, nor did he seem to want any. The beast was all about ice, and he didn’t give a damn about the creature comforts that most any other being would desire.

Except for the small house that had been carved into one wall for Jack.

House was probably pushing things. The space was more like a big, round, frosted hole in the wall with no windows and only a single door. However, the room was spacious, enchanted devices were set up to provide warmth and comfort, and the various pieces of finely crafted furniture and expensive throw rugs gave the place an air of refinement. There were even sofas and chairs built to accommodate the size of various species, from goblins to Nephilim. It was all quite plush, in a haphazard sort of way, as though Jack had plucked on the highest quality pieces from a hundred different noble households from across the world. When she took a moment to think about it, Jadis felt like the icy chamber was how a cartoon mouse might decorate their home if they lived in an igloo and had way too much time and money on their hands.

While “mouse” wasn’t a word that she would ever apply to Jack, having way too much time and money were concepts Jadis had no problem associating with the Fetch.

“Stop bullshitting,” Maeve leaned back in her gilded chair. “If you were with him for twenty years, that means he’s a damn well anchored Fetch. You have to know what he’s like and what motivates him. Spill.”

Jack looked at her granddaughter with a frown before releasing a tired sigh.

“You’re a lot more serious than you used to be, you know that?”

“Yes, I am,” Maeve agreed. “At least when I need to be serious. I figured out that I don’t like fucking around when it runs the risk of causing harm to the people I love. That’s who I am. Get used to it.”

“Ugh, fine,” the Fetch turned her gaze onto Jay and gave her a petulant look. “You could have had me, and yet you chose this stick in the mud?”

“Absolutely,” Jay answered without hesitation. “Maeve actually loves me. And I love her. You just want to play with a new toy.”

“Mm, true,” Jack shrugged, before giving her a sly smile. “You could have us both, you know. You’ve got the bodies. We could stage a little competition, see who’s better at—”

“Gods, please, just tell us about the damned Chimera,” Maeve demanded, though not without laughter in her voice. “Those three are giant perverts anyway! You aren’t shocking them as much as you think you are. You need to save your best material for when you meet Severina. You’ll actually get some good reactions out of her.”

“Oh, fine. But you know you just opened the door to me visiting you in the future, hmm?”

“Like anyone could have ever stopped you.”

 Jack’s continuous stream of outrageous statements was certainly having an effect on Thea, Meli, and Noct, but Maeve was right. If the troublesome Fetch was looking to get a reaction out of a prudish audience, then she had picked the wrong crowd. Meli was almost impossible to fluster, and Thea and Noct were too good at maintaining straight faces. Aila, Sorcha, and Severina would have been far more susceptible to Jack’s torments.

Especially with how the Fetch was presenting herself.

Taking inspiration from Maeve’s semi-transparent, orange form, Jack had shifted into a nearly identical version of the younger Fetch. Same body, same face, same gelatine-like consistency. The only difference between them was that Jack had colored herself purple, rather than orange. Whether that was because of whim or a genuine fondness for the color, Jadis had no idea. Regardless, Jack wasn’t satisfied with just being one color, though. Her whole body undulated through a continually shifting wave of purples, running from the deepest violets to the palest lavenders. The ripple of ever-changing purples went from the tip of the Fetch’s toes all the way to the top of her head, a fact that was clearly visible as Jack had completely eschewed any form of clothing or modesty. Hence why Jadis was able to say that Jack had fully and truly replicated Maeve’s look down to the last inch.

When she thought about it, Jadis wondered if maybe she herself was providing Jack with more entertainment than she thought.

Vetregin had accepted Jadis’ request for a powerful weapon, which was a great relief, but he had not given her permission to enter his hoard. So, while the ice dragon was somewhere deep within the mountain, Jadis and her companions were waiting near the entrance to the lair, inside Jack’s little den. In most situations involving a host and guests, it was usually the duty of the host to provide their company with entertainment. Jadis was pretty sure that Jack didn’t view the roles that way.

“Chimera is a true adherent to the call of chaos,” Jack said as she leaned to one side, resting her head on a propped-up hand while letting her legs stretch out across a black velvet couch with legs made of literal gold. “He’s to do whatever he thinks will stir up the most chaos in the world. If that means aiding a group of cultists in their murderous rituals for a while, that’s what he’ll do. Of course, he’s just as likely to betray them and foil their plans at the wrong moment, too. There’s no predicting him.”

“Then he could still be working for them, or he could be long gone,” Jay summarized. “There’s no way to know.”

“Not really,” the Fetch agreed. “I’d treat him like a force of nature. He’ll come and go as he pleases, doing what damage he will. You should kill him, if you get the chance.”

“Isn’t he your friend?” Jay raised an eyebrow at Jack’s recommendation.

“Chimera has no friends. Just temporary allies. That’s one that should be done away with before they get too powerful. But that’s just my opinion. I’m sure you’ll do what you think is best.”

It was always hard to tell if Jack was giving them honest advice or not. Half of what he said was complete bullshit, yet somehow, he never really seemed to lie all that much. If he was suggesting Chimera should be gotten rid of, there was likely a different reason for the suggestion than just the wellbeing of everyone else. But that didn’t mean offing the insane Fetch wouldn’t be to the benefit of world at large. Chimera was a serious threat, Jadis didn’t doubt. It was just Jack’s motivations that she questioned.

“Oh, looks like Vetregin is back,” Jack abruptly sat up, eyes looking past Jay’s shoulder. “Time to exchange that token of yours. I do hope whatever he’s giving you was worth the trip.”

Looking behind her, Jadis saw the shadow of the ancient dragon growing closer through the frosted ice of Jack’s den. As she and her companions rose to their feet, Jack suddenly appeared by the exit to her little bolt hole, wearing a luxurious white fur coat. When Syd looked back, she saw that the black couch was empty.

“Which one of you is the illusion?” Jay asked the grinning Fetch waiting for them.

“Who said either were real to begin with?”

“Jack is s—still on the couch,” Thea whispered hesitantly. “That one is, ah, an illusion.”

As Jack reappeared on the couch with a frown, the apparently illusionary Jack by the exit clicked her tongue and waggled a finger at the brunette.

“You are proving to be a much bigger challenge than I thought. Unlike some people who shall remain named as Jadis, you’ve been doing a wonderful job of increasing your Resilience attribute. However, just because you can see through my base illusions, don’t think that someone with age and experience like me doesn’t have ways of fooling your senses.”

In the next instant, both Jacks were gone, while a third Jack appeared standing directly next to Thea, causing the woman to jump in surprise.

“There are always skills to overcome any offense or defense.”

As Jack walked out into the greater chamber where Vetregin loomed, Maeve put an arm around Thea’s shoulders and spoke quietly into her ear.

“Don’t let it bother you. He’s just excited to show off his power to people who can appreciate it.”

Following the powerful illusionist, Jadis and her companions were greeted by the sight of the mighty Vetregin sitting lying down in the wide, icy chamber his magic had created. Seated on the ground like some huge lion, the dragon exuded an aura of calm power that radiated like a frozen mist from his body. On a whim, Jadis cast her Succubus Eyes spell to see how the aether reacted to the massive beast. Strangely enough, there was almost no difference between Vetregin’s hidden ethereal aura and his visible real-world one. The dragon simply oozed that much magic.

The world had really lucked out when Jadis and her companions had saved the dragon from demonic possession.

Aside from Vetregin’s aura, Jadis’s eyes were drawn to a pile of glittering objects gathered between the dragon’s massive forepaws. There weren’t many items, maybe thirty at most, but the power contained within each enchanted object was obvious to her enhanced vision. Magic was practically humming inside each item, to the point that Jadis was surprised that the others couldn’t feel the tingle of power in their presence.

A deep, guttural rumble issued forth from the dragon’s throat, causing the pile of enchanted items to shake and clatter against each other.

“Choose,” Meli spoke up, motioning with her hand at the collection. “He says you may choose one.”

“Thank you,” Jay said as she stepped forward, holding the scarred stone in one hand.

As her other selves and her companions watched, Jay moved to stand between the giant dragon’s clawed paws. Doing her very best to show nothing but confidence, Jay knelt down before the pile and began to carefully sort and separate them so she could get a better look at each object. She had asked Vetregin for the strongest weapon he had in his treasure hoard, preferably one that had been designed with Nephilim hands in mind. Considering the wealth of enchantments she had seen in Korsregon’s hoard, Jadis had assumed Vetregin would have even more, with possibly more powerful items. Looking at the array of options before her, Jadis was gratified to see that her assumptions had been right.

Not every item was a weapon. Or at least, not a melee weapon. As Jay sorted the pile, she categorized the objects as best she could so that she could get a better idea of what she was looking at. Four swords. Seven spears. Two maces. One war hammer. Two axes. Four halberds of various shapes. A single gauntlet meant for a left hand. A cape that was seemingly made from chainmail, with a black fur shoulder mantle. Two staves with jewels mounted at their tops. One ridiculously intricate wand. A large silver ring that was big enough to go around one of Jadis’ thighs. And finally, a bow with a golden string wrapped around the top limb.

Twenty-seven items in total. It was quite a selection. Each object roiled with power to her Succubus Eyes, and even without the enhancement to her vision she could see that they were all masterworks of craftsmanship. Not all had been designed for a Nephilim’s greater size, despite Jadis’ request. One of the swords, three of the spears, two of the halberds, one of the staves, and the bow were all small enough that they were clearly designed for people of a less grand stature. However, the fact that Vetregin had included them in his offering meant that they were likely of such incredible power that they could be worth taking, even if Jadis couldn’t use the items herself.

“So…” Jay said as she sat back on her haunches and looked over the collection spread out before her. “What do they do?”

Vetregin’s cold stare lingered silently on her, offering not a hint of answer, or even comprehension of her question.

Stepping forward, Meli growled out a few strange syllables and beastly noises. When she was done, Vetregin rumbled back, his bass so deep it was more like a tectonic movement than a sound.

“He doesn’t know.”

“What?” Jay turned back to look at the Dryad.

“He does not know,” Meli repeated with a shrug. “He is a dragon. He does not use weapons.”

“Then how does he know these are the most powerful weapons he has?”

The quick back and forth between Meli and Vetregin left Jay with an earache, though that pain wasn’t as bad as her mounting headache.

“These have the strongest taste of magic,” she explained. “And a few of them were worn by very powerful enemies, before he killed and ate them.”

“Oh, well, that’s nice,” Syd commented wryly as she tried not to think about whether Vetregin had removed the objects from his victims before having his meal.

“Do you have any idea on which one to choose?” Dys turned an eye onto Jack.

Appearing next to Jay, the possible illusion pointed at one of the spears.

“This one is pretty,” Jack said. “Look at all that filagree.”

“Very helpful, thanks,” Jay muttered before picking up the strange silver ring. “Does Vetregin mind if I try to test these out?”

“You may,” Meli answered once the dragon finished rumbling. “So long as you test them on yourself and do not cause any damage. You may only have one, so if you break one during your testing—”

“I’ve bought it, right,” Jay nodded in understanding.

“No, he’ll eat you,” Meli corrected. “Vetregin would be very upset with such carelessness directed at his treasures.”

“Of course,” Jay eyed the ice dragon looming over her. “I promise, I’ll be really, really careful.”

“You better be,” Jack said as she picked up one of the maces and gave it a light swing. “Vetregin gets terrible indigestion when he eats Nephilim.”