The Lost & the Veil (Part 2 of 3)
Gaia schemes to save The Lost
Links to each part of series:
The Lost & the Veil: Where has all the Magic Gone (Part 1 of 3)
The Lost & the Veil: Gaia Schemes to Save the Lost (Part 2 of 3) - You are here!
The Lost & the Veil: Seeds of Magic (Conclusion)
This fantasy story grew much longer than I had planned and is divided into three parts for Substack. Please check out Part One (linked above) for continuity before reading this. Part Three is ready for posting late October and thank you as always for reading!
Recap: In a world much like ours, Part One saw the arrival of Queen Treise of the Fair Folk (Aos Si) from her home on the other side of the veil. She has been here before and suffered a humiliating defeat in a battle from which her spirit has not recovered. Upon arriving, she was greeted by one she considers her adversary, Lady Moon, and Gaia, her dear friend. A search initiated by Gaia to find one from the human world already steeped in magic is secretly underway - a key element in her plot to restore the Balance and save humanity. Gaia is intent on drawing the Queen into the fray. Gaia and Treise argue over the wisdom and even efficacy of helping The Lost - they are much accustomed to arguing with each other. Night has fallen.
“Queen of the Fair Folk
Brave champion of justice
Mighty is her sword.”
From: The Banshee’s Haiku
The Five Rules of This World’s Magic (abbreviated):
1. [Humans & Magical Beings] Powerful practitioners can draw magic from any of the four elements: earth, air, fire, water. A much less used, and very dangerous method is to open the portal to summon it from one’s own spirit reserve.
2. [Humans & Magical Beings] Magic can NEVER be taken by force from another, UNLESS a powerful practitioner opens their portal in an attempt to summon from their inner reserve. Once opened, this portal can be usurped by any nearby powerful practitioner of magic.
3. [Humans & Magical Beings] Humans can survive easily without magic. Near-immortal magical beings like Aos Si and Leannan Sidhe cannot. If all their magic is depleted, their physical remains lie dormant for one hundred years - only Gaia can decide whether to revive them at that time. During these 100 years, their spirit joins with the deep and abiding energy contained within the Source.
4. [Humans Only] A protective seal prevents any transference or loss of magic until ten years of age.
5. [Humans Only] Magic accrues slowly over a lifetime but more quickly during certain life altering events. Any part or all of it can be willingly forfeited at any time once one is of age. Few humans have the ability to directly summon magic from the four elements, and even fewer can draw from their own internal reserve and wield its power.
No longer music from old vinyl, but a sophisticated surround sound began to play Chopin’s Nocturnes and Treise was suddenly aware of how tired her body felt. A down mattress, covered in fluffy blankets and pillows appeared in a cozy corner of the cave. The air’s scent became earthy – sandalwood and sage.
Gaia hobbled off (did the old gal ever really sleep?) to somewhere deeper in the cave without saying goodnight which meant she was pretty well miffed with Treise. Things usually went this way with Mother, but something else was brewing - something Treise couldn’t lay her finger upon.
Too weary to give it further thought, she walked over to the little boudoir Gaia had created.
The Queen of the Aos Si lay down in the soft bed and felt herself relaxing for the first time since she crossed the veil…had it been dusk, or had it been dawn, she could not remember. She glanced over to where the veil hung modestly in a small alcove and saw it no longer shimmered – the time to cross was gone for now.
Treise snuggled her plump pillow and felt the god of dreams welcome her to his realm - even amongst the taint of The Lost and the Leannan Sidhe, dream magic was still strong.
Meanwhile…
Past the wood and across the meadow, over the rickety bridge sailed the fairy wind, Si Gaoithe. Far from Gaia’s cave but never far from Gaia’s mind she continued her quest. Something near and kindred had called to her, and she increased her spinning as leaves rustled into the air at her passing and joined the dance. She played her 60,000-year-old flute as she always did when on a search, and the magic from the young cave bear who gave his life in its service sang a compelling and soulful song.
“Alvinia! Where are you hiding? We give up, come out, come out wherever you are!” Sang the chorus of children, but the little girl named Alvinia with her button nose sprinkled with fairy kisses did not answer.
Her white-blonde hair was a crown in the sunshine as she turned toward Si Gaoithe with big green eyes and a miss-tooth grin. Si Gaoithe retreated a bit, back over the rickety bridge, teasing the child to catch her. Her chubby, short legs tried to keep up and laughing, skipping and twirling, she followed the fairy wind further and further.
Far from where they first met, Alvinia collapsed exhausted, red-faced. Si Gaoithe paused her dance and circled the child playfully. Alvinia’s grin bloomed anew beneath her button nose, and a rustle of leaves like ancient laughter greeted her smile.
Si Gaoithe bid the child to enter, and she did, arms raised, transfixed.
The magical flute played a new variation not heard since the first man and woman tested the Sky God and ate of his forbidden fruit. Alvinia thought perhaps she was in heaven, or maybe she had entered a world of magic where heaven and earth had not yet parted ways, and in a manner, she had. The young cave bear’s soul spoke to her own as Si Gaoithe bid the leaves to arise from where they had fallen and resume their spinning…there was no choice except to dance, and dance she did.
Gaia’s breath caught in her throat as she imposed her will upon Si Gaoithe, “Bring the child to the cave, unharmed. You have done well, my friend!”
Gaia looked upon the peacefully sleeping Aos Si and whispered in her ear, “Have hope! All are not lost, my Queen.”
Gaia conjured her favorite overstuffed chair and a bowl of buttered popcorn as she switched on her antiquated TV. Patiently and tenderly, she fiddled with its clumsy rabbit ear antenna until an old black and white re-run came in, grainy and coarse. The time to wait had begun.
Lady Moon looked in upon her but only closely enough so that she could see and hear Mother’s television. Though they had spent many an evening together for the last several years watching programs of The Lost and spying behind the veil, she thought it was best to keep her distance while Treise was around.
Proud Lady Moon was not one for sentiment, yet behind the cover of a thick cloud her face fell as she wondered how one such as she, so beautiful, so beloved, could have fallen out of favor with both Gaia and Treise…perhaps it was her pride. The cloud passed and her beauty shown in all its glory again. As she was much accustomed to, yet still enjoyed, ten thousand artists and poets found inspiration, not to mention hundreds of thousands of lovers who stared longingly at her, oceans rose to her command, lunatics howled, wolves and creatures of the night looked upon her with delight. How could such a one as she not be proud?
It was clear to Lady Moon that Gaia was again plotting some way to save The Lost - Treise was part of her plan, and Lady Moon was not. The Lady had mixed feelings about humans - she thought she might like them many centuries ago but over time they became boringly corrupt and predictable in their folly - she found herself wishing them gone in spite of the pleasure their adoration brought her.
Once, long ago, she had refused to help Treise in a critical battle that would have ended the Leannan Sidhe -and perhaps saved humans (for they were not yet The Lost). But she had no choice - the Sky God had forbidden her to help. Gaia exercised considerable restraint in that battle due to His edicts, yet Treise did not hold a grudge against her. Hmph! Fortunately, Lady Moon and Gaia had remained close…as long as the topic of The Lost was avoided, as long as no one brought up the Sky God and as long as Treise had remained behind the veil.
Gaia would never give up on the Lost, but Her ways were not His ways and like parents bickering over the best way to raise their children, the two found themselves at odds with each other. So it had been since the beginning when these lowly creatures first crawled from the primal ooze and somehow distinguished themselves by finding evolutionary favor - Mother would see them become one with nature, and the Sky God would see them use His gift to become what they chose. It was all just a sad mess to watch.
Lady Moon felt immediately bolstered when she remembered that no matter the fate of The Lost, she, all the gods, the Aos Si, along with other creatures of magic would persevere. Someday, they would all be friends again and enjoy each other’s company as eons passed like days. This would come to pass for as it once was, it shall be again - The Wheel turns and returns. Everything would be as it was before Mother and the Sky God conspired to create the abomination called mankind!
In much better spirits, she decided to lurk just outside Gaia’s awareness and enjoy some television; she and Gaia had been watching Game of Thrones, which had given them both much food for thought as they tried to unravel what on earth had gone so very wrong with the trajectory of The Lost. As Lady Moon settled into a safe spot to watch over Mother’s shoulder, the channels began flipping rapidly until settling on an old I Love Lucy re-run (which was a show Lady Moon could not abide).
Gaia chortled and glared directly at her as she suddenly realized in her fullness, being sneaky was never really an option.
Mother scooted over and offered some popcorn to her dear old friend as she returned the channel to GOT. Salty kernels dribbled from each of their mouths as what was consumed rejoined the infinite energy pool deep within the center of the Source. Remnants of their endless snack settled on upon their large bosoms like pale blossoms in a springtime field and pinpricks of light in a black sky.
The peacefully sleeping Queen of the Aos Si dreamed magical dreams of what was and what might be as the fairy wind spun her way back to Gaia’s cave.
But so enchanted was Si Gaoithe by the child named Alvinia, that she failed to realize her magic was dwindling. With a puff and a sigh, Si Gaoithe’s last spin expired, and she deposited Alvinia in a heap under an ancient Hawthorne Tree - just a hop, skip and jump from Gaia’s cave.
Alvinia looked round her with some confusion and disappointment - alas all dances must end though this one had been particularly wonderful. She had grown fond of the Si Gaoithe but realized that she had not even learned a name so that she could call out for her. Perhaps if she sang a bit, the magical being would return.
Alvinia leaned against the trunk of the Hawthorne and hummed a little melody entirely of her own making - she felt terribly alone and afraid having journeyed so far into the wood but determined that she would be brave and not begin to snivel.
Such a concentration of magic! Too small a vessel to contain such a find... Let me dicker and take it lest something tragic Befall her, afore that bounty is mine!
The Leannan Sidhe counted itself very lucky to have come upon the child.
Perhaps it was due to the influence of the Hawthorne under which she sat, that the magnitude of her magic was not broadcast far and wide. While Alvina had always held an abundance of magic in her small frame, dancing with the Si Gaoithe magnified it one hundred times over. She, as all human children, had been protected thus far by an age-old seal. The seal prevented any loss of magic…but only until her 10th birthday.
The thing covered itself in its customary blanket of deception and approached the child from out of the trees as a young girl of about twelve who happened to be wandering the wood foraging mushrooms and herbs.
“What have we here?!”
The Leannan Sidhe closed the top of its medicine bag which contained only a few gatherings - all of a toxic and harmful quality. It projected innocence, surprise and concern.
“My goodness, what are you doing young one, so far from home and so deep in the forest? Come out from under that dark and brooding tree with its thorny spines lest you get pricked and fall into a deep sleep like Briar Rose!”
The fake forager thought its small joke and reference to a fairy tale would put the child at ease. It was accustomed to wrangling magic from children (though never under ten years!). Forager loved to get that first surrender and thought itself a sort of specialist in dealing with those between 10 and 20 years of age. This one smelled to be close to a decade of living. So close…
Forager knew it was pushing boundaries, but no one was around to notice, and this made it alright; if a 9 and one-half year-old child of magic is drained in the woods and no one was there to see…, did it really happen, did it really even matter? So many untenable yet popular philosophical POVs of The Lost supported an answer of “No!” By all the gods that be, how it loved the tractable minds of The Lost with their tender bits of magic deep within their miniscule souls.
It whispered in delight to itself one of their mantras, “Pics or it didn’t happen!”
Alvinia ceased her song, but only stared at the disguised Leannan Sidhe.
She made no attempt to move one muscle from beneath the tree which she already sensed afforded her protection. In fact, she scrunched closer to its base and could have sworn she heard a buzzing and commotion within.
Forager sighed and pulled from the pocket of its cargo pants a shiny bauble of communication and mischief. “Cat got your tongue, little one? Lookie what I have!”
Forager held up the newest and bluest Smartphone on the market. It raised it toward the heavens like a prize or object of worship.
“It’s fully loaded with Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, Yik Yak, TikTok, Hoop…not to mention Grand Theft Auto…. you know, all the stuff the big kids and cool kids have!”
The cell started to emanate a heavy drum beat with indecipherable lyrics which none the less sounded very cool and very grown-up (if one is foolish enough to consider a tween, teen or even young 20-something grown up).
“Come on over here and I’ll let you play with it awhile!”
Alvinia wasn’t buying.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like smart phones, music or games, it was that she didn’t like some indefinable something about the girl; she had already noticed how carefully Forager avoided the shadow of the Hawthorne, never setting a foot (or toe) within its protective shade.
“Why don’t you come here where it is nice and cool and show it to me, instead? We can sit in the shade beside this stream,” Alvinia suggested.
Forager glared at Alvinia as it switched the music to a pop-sounding tune with vapid lyrics. The disguised Leannan Sidhe began to dance a dance that seemed mostly to be calisthenics and sang loudly and proudly a puerile message.
How could Forager know Alvinia preferred classical and country? Alvinia rolled her eyes and looked disdainfully at the cavorting girl who was trying hard to win her affection and trust. Too hard.
Forager was beginning to internally seethe and struggled to hide its impatience.
It pocketed the cell and squatted near to but not touching the shade of the Hawthorne. It was usually best to approach The Lost on their level - with adults that meant meeting the depth of their depravity…. but with children, things like smiles, offers to help and even just stooping down to their level fostered trust. The Leannan Sidhe was determined to find a way into the tantalizing vault of perfection contained within the child.
“You are too far from home to cop an attitude with me - don’t you know it’s dangerous for a little girl all alone in the woods?”
“I’m not Little Red Riding Hood, for heaven’s sake! I came here with a friend…who has stepped away but will be back any minute.”
She began to notice that Forager did indeed have a pronounced snout and jawline…wolf-like even… Alvinia felt as though she had fallen into a twisted fairy tale.
Forager smiled but it was not a kind smile. In fact, her mouth was much too broad for her face, her face was way too large for her small-set eyes, and her frame was much too bloated and pale for one who spent time in the outdoors navigating a rough terrain in search of herbs and mushrooms. Alvinia had studied people her whole life and her vast experience of nine and one-half years upon this earth told her something was not right with this one, not right at all.
The sun’s path was reducing shadows in the wood as high noon approached. Soon it would be directly overhead and perhaps a quick snatch and grab could be accomplished as the Hawthorne tree’s power diminished. Forager could wait.
Magic can never be taken against a human’s will - it must be willingly surrendered, and Alvinia was too young to open the portal to her spirit and endanger herself that way. The Leannan Sidhe planned to take the child somewhere that would allow time to accomplish its insidiously clever convincing. Even if she had to remain captive for six months until her 10th birthday…this would be but an hour or so outside the spell of magic; the child’s family and friends might not even have time to notice her “missing”.
The Lost nearly always fell for the wiles and ways of the Leannan Sidhe…surely one so young and nearly ready for the picking would be unable to resist; the chock-full little magic bag would soon be drained of some, if not all of her tantalizing treasure.
Forager smiled even more broadly and both Alvinia and the Hawthorne tree shuddered as if a cold, foul wind had let loose its breath upon them.
Alvinia found herself unconsciously gathering small twigs lying close to her and snapping off their long sharp thorns - she placed them in a little pile by her side.
She was struggling to understand how long she had danced with the fairy wind that had so rudely dropped and abandoned her. She feared she would be in much trouble with her Gram but did not know that in her world, she had only been gone a matter of minutes.
As Forager bided its time and as Alvina fretted while continuing to amass her little pile of thorns, from out of the forest a bent, old woman appeared with a basket of apples. A large odd-looking cat accompanied her - she was the spitting image of the wicked witch from every fairy tale ever told.
The witch and Forager seemed to know each other and if looks could tell, no love was lost between them. Mafdet began to slink and rub up against Alvinia’s legs as the old woman squatted on a stump not too far from Forager but very close to Alvinia.
“Well, well, well, Abyzou. Do your masters know you are lurking about in forbidden places? What might you be doing here so close to my cave?”
“I was merely passing through when I came upon this poor child lost in the woods, alone, abandoned. Of course, I meant her no harm - she is quite young, and no doubt needs someone to help her find her way back home!”
Gaia plucked an apple nonchalantly from her basket and bit into it loudly.
The two studied each other for a good long while as Alvinia studied them both.
Before her stood (and squatted) two total strangers. She noticed that the woman’s bodice looked ancient, greasy even. She was witch-like, disheveled…and had abominable table manners if one could judge by the array of food and drink sprinkled across her bosom. Her cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel that had gathered too many nuts as she consumed more of her apples - it was not a good look - more like an invitation to be laughed at. On the other hand, Forager was clean, neat by any standard; a young, vivacious girl who had been wandering the forest to gather edibles and had even tried to help Alvinia in her own way.
The old woman shot the child a disapproving look and shook her head.
Alvinia nervously lifted the kitty into her lap and stroked her as Mafdet stared deeply into her eyes.
The child felt calmed in a way that Forager had been unable to do; her growing apprehension left and was replaced with a sense of confidence, curiosity and urgency. Instead of feeling like a hapless character in a twisted fairytale, Alvinia began to feel like a valued player in an important event, maybe a main character…even a warrior in an ancient battle between good and evil!
The old woman smiled and stole another quick glance at Alvinia and winked.
Alvinia felt a bond of trust growing between herself and the witch regardless of outward appearances and set about increasing her pile of long, sharp thorns.
Forager crept closer to the edge of high noon’s receding shadow, smiling all the while.
The forest was silent as Treise quietly arrived and hid behind a nearby bush. Of course, her presence did not go undetected by Gaia, Forager, or Mafdet - it was only the child who remained unaware that the Queen had joined them.
Shortly after breakfast, Dog had led Treise leaping and bounding so joyfully into the wood that the Queen found herself forgetting about her hesitation to leave Gaia’s cave. Dream magic from the night before had worked its balm upon her soul and Dog’s magic was so powerful that she was drawn to his bravery and innocent willingness to face whatever demons might come. Had her defeat, burgeoning hatred and resentment of all whom she felt betrayed by, destroyed her spirit? Was the threat of the Leannan Sidhe so powerful that she was destined for naught but to hide like a coward behind the veil and watch The Lost come to an end?
Treise took in the scene before her and knew immediately that the tween was a disguised Leannan Sidhe. She saw the human child radiating magic, bravely crouched beneath the Hawthorne, and she noticed Mafdet shooting her an accusatory look -what was that for?! Treise had done nothing wrong…. except for retreating behind the safety of the veil for centuries…except for wallowing shamelessly in her victimhood…except for denying that any of the remaining Lost were worthy of saving...except for blaming the Sky God and Lady Moon for her centuries old, humiliating defeat.
Why all this came upon her suddenly, she could not say, but something about the child’s courage and the incredible well of magic housed within her tiny being seemed to open the Queen’s heart and mind.
Treise had no fear of one rogue Leannan Sidhe, but she sensed even as Mother, Mafdet and Dog did, that many more had secretly gathered.
Dog began to sniff and flush the bushes.
Gaia with her nearly emptied basket, sat on her haunches and stared calmly at Forager - juice ran down her chin and a fierce light shown from her eyes.
The thrumming within the Hawthorne intensified.
“A war is coming.
The Leannan Sidhe lurk
Curled like eager snakes.”
From: The Banshee’s Haiku
Timeline for this world:
Year 000: There was naught but the Source. It held potential but no substance - nothing lived within it, and nothing existed outside it.
Year 00: The Source became self-aware, began to gain substance and in so doing felt loneliness for the first time.
Year 0: From the abundance and love within the Source, all that is spewed forth. The Source rejoiced in the magic of its own creation and splintered itself so as to fully experience each part of its whole.
Year 1: Gods and magical creatures came into being.
Year 2: The first human crawled from the primal ooze and was gifted by the Sky God the freedom to choose and for the first time, the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine found themselves at odds with each other.
Year 3: The entourage of the Sky God begin to argue among themselves as a group of them splinter away. This group loathes humanity and determines to destroy it. They travel to earth for this purpose, but the Sky God places a curse upon them so that they cannot kill humans unless attacked, and that for all their days they will need to consume magic from humans in order to survive - they become known as the Leannan Sidhe.
Year 4 - Unk: The veil forms to protect the store of magic as war, dissention, and evil alliances play out on the human side of the veil - good and evil vie for dominion over all that is.
In this world I created, it works thusly…but now that I think about it, so does it work this way in ours:
Masculine Energy = Logic, Order
Feminine Energy = Feelings, Chaos
No living thing exists solely on either side -
Each one is an eternally vacillating concoction of both!
You have just read Part 2 of this series. If you enjoyed it, please comment, like or restack. Be sure to check out the other 2 parts:
The Lost & the Veil: Where has all the Magic Gone (Part 1 of 3)
The Lost and the Veil: Seeds of Magic (Part 3 Conclusion)
Thanks as always for taking time to read, reflect and enjoy!
So imaginative, Tracy! Love it!
" No living thing exists solely on either side " I breathed a sigh of relief when I read this. This one line, made it all the preceding descriptions of Male Female, plausible . It has been a long long time since I have enjoyed reading books of other worlds. The convergence of wills, in the Woods, is beautifully Nuanced.
Thank you so much.