Kurt was listening to Layla explain how she had gotten here. And finally got a chance to figure out where exactly here was, and it was not the best place. It was basically a dried up piece of land, with a small canyon that must have at one time had a stream. Cracked earth, that was surprising flat, nothing but a few hills this way or that way. Though they were above the canyon, the other side looked much the same., it was out in the open, and even Kurt could see a very bad position to defend himself from even wild animals.
It was definitely on the other side of a gate, this certainly was not earth. That was easy to determine, a moon was out. And you know when it's not the right moon, the size and look of it's all off. I mean it's still just a big grey rock in the sky, but it's a different big grey rock in the sky. They were on Terra, the other side of a gate.
Layla had explained her companions were actually Gnomes, and not children. Kurt, 22, was somehow the youngest there by a lot, but you'd think the opposite if you walked up to them. And that they were sort of a race of construction workers, or at least this group was prepared to create some fortifications. Layla was on the run, but not from an exact enemy. Gnomes apparently saw Faye as higher beings, which apparently was normal for Layla, so helping her establish a well was a pilgrimage to them. And often gave Kurt looks and glances of disappointment or disapproval, they didn't like speaking to Kurt but Kurt also felt they didn't like speaking to each other all that much either, there was obviously some hierarchy Kurt couldn't exactly establish who was on top other than Layla.
Apparently Layla was born near where one of the gates were and learned the human language from listening to them. But left soon after she realized the other Faye were there.
"Wait, the natural predators of the Faye are other Faye?" said Kurt.
"Is that so odd, wouldn't you call the natural predator of humans — humans."
"Well," Kurt paused, "I wouldn't have put in those words. but I could see that coming from your perspective."
"It is actually simpler for us, we are very territorial. I'm told once I establish the well, I guess I should explain what the well is," Layla paused and rubbed her chin, "it's hard to explain because, I don't just exist here in the physical world, and words don't do it justice. And the manifestation of a well is like me becoming what I was always supposed to be, the well and myself are the same thing."
"Huh"
"Basically, other Faye do not want their well tainted by mine."
"Tainted."
"Yes, that's why we will naturally chase away other Faye from our lands when it's time for them. It's not that they hate me, nor I them. It's just blasphemy to make your well beside their's. There are ways we can attack each other, in the ether as well, but that's more…like how you can punch someone, I just can punch them in another way. We can dislike each other for more personal, or petty reasons just as any intelligent being. But doing so purposefully would be seen as an act of aggression, one that they would fight against. When I was really young they didn't see me as much of a threat, but because…I'm about to…and…" Layla stumbled through some words, but eventually continued, "Tainted might not be the best word, subjugated, or annexed maybe like I said it's hard to explain. And your language, I think I know fairly well listening to others like you,but… sometimes I mix up things. I don't know how to write in your language for example."
"So what do you want from me?"
"Well, as you can see I'm not exactly a hunter, and my companions here—"
"The gnomes"
"Yes, they are more than capable of fortifying a location, it's just," Layla waved around, "There are not that many good locations, we have one picked out and I'm afraid we weren't the first to think it would be a nice place to stay. My well is somewhat fragile, especially at first, I can't just plop it here."
"So why not find another place."
"Well, the thing is…I don't think I can hold it back for much longer."
"Hold what back"
"It's not like I have much of a choice, I'm going to…transform, evolve, mutate…into having one. And if we don't find a good place soon, I'm afraid I'm just gonna end up dead, from some passing wild animal."
"I'm just some line cook, I'm not a warrior or a hunter."
"Well, I can't send you back until I do it, it will suddenly cause me to start the process. I can't hold it back and send you is what I'm saying, and I can't exactly sit here to die in order to send you back. Sorry. The gnomes aren't going to leave me either.." Layla trailed off.
"But why me?"
"I don't know, I'm not exactly the best at summoning, not many of your kind have ever been directly summoned, if any, I really just hoped for the best because if I didn't do anything, well, we'd try but I don't see my well-being being very safe in the end. Did I mention that if you destroy the well I die, that's kind of important, we aren't separate things, that is the part that I'm having troubling explaining."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"I have a theory…" said Layla, "it is because of that Faye magic in you, it must have resonated with my summoning. Maybe you just had the right amount, any more or less it would have been someone else."
"What?"
"The Faye magic in your body, it's clear as day to me it there, a little weak, but…" Layla pushed with something, not with her hand, not anything physical but it felt like it was on his chest, it was weird, but it definitely came from her. But most of all the mana reservoir just got a huge influx of power, the strength boost was certainly twice if not three times more than what it was originally from the day he first drank, that even felt weak now.
"That, see, how do you say that in your language." Layla said as she noticed the visible reaction from Kurt.
Kurt looked at her dumbfounded, "I… I….I don't know, you did something to the mana."
"Mana? Is that what you call it, of course that's what they were saying. But they talked like it was some container mana that isn't a container."
"So, your 'well', is it a mana spring?"
"A what?"
"Like the water, you drink it and gain powers, you just like it's boosted The power I had — somehow I can feel it."
"Hmm, not exactly, I don't think you drank the water from a well, far too impure, but it was, I guess we will call it a 'mana spring', is that right, like off shoots of my well." Layla, started waving her hand a bit, "Like I'm part of the whole realm's ecosystem, my well is going to bring life energy into this world, which in turn will bring life. You humans can experience a rather potent reaction to some of the — 'mana spring' but so does the planet and the rest of the life here. It is also how I intend to send you back with that power."
"So what do you want me to do, I actually feel pretty great."
"Just slay the occupant of that place," Layla pointed to the distance, which stood a pillar in the distance, which happened to be at the end of the canyon. "There is only one creature there, and it's rather starving. So I don't think it will be impossible for you, especially since you're big enough for it not to consider you a meal. Unlike…." Layla turned towards the Gnomes, "…there were more of us at one time." The gnomes silently turned their heads down. "So you see it's not like we didn't try to do it ourselves. I hope you're not too mad at me, I didn't know what else to do but I see now I just sort of grab you out of nowhere. And that wasn't exactly fair to you."
Kurt looked down at himself, normal work clothes, jeans a shirts and a light jacket. Not exactly a warror's outfit. His short brown hair was covered with straight brimmed dark ball cap, that was very worn in. Kurt wasn't exactly the athletic type either.
"Do you have any weapons? Or armor?"