“You and I are gonna fight ’em with lead.”
…
Lizzie, Frank, Airmid, Rohl, and Garnash’s wait was tense as the owner of the voice finally revealed himself.
“A deer?” Frank observed, puzzled.
“Airmid,” Sabd said looking at her. “I haven’t seen you in such a long time.”
Airmid looked at the deer’s eyes ignoring his silver antlers and white fur. “Sabd? Is that you?”
The deer bowed his head respectfully low. “It is my pleasure to see you again.”
“What happened to you?” she asked with concern.
Sabd explained how Elathan had murdered his clan in the Sidhe cave and transformed him into the creature that they saw. “It was a long time ago.”
“I don’t mean to rush this reunion, but we are here for a reason,” Garnash urged.
“We’re looking for something specific,” Lizzie warned. She described the dominion pulse to Sabd and asked if he had seen anything like that.
“In this realm of gray and stone something like that stands out.” Sabd went into silent thought and then snapped back to the conversation. “Wait a minute. There was something that caught my eye in there, but it’s so dark I can’t say for sure.”
“This is where it’s supposed to be,” Rohl pointed out.
Lizzie’s body began to glow and she started walking into the cave. “Maybe I can spot it.”
“I’ll go with you,” Garnash offered as he ignited his Gnome magic slapping his palms together.
“Be careful! Dragons dwell within,” Sabd cautioned.
The two of them stepped into the cave and Lizzie got a feeling that they weren’t alone. After a moment they paused.
“Do you hear that?” Lizzie asked Garnash.
“Sounds like heavy breathing, like something is hurt,” Garnash observed soberly. “I think it’s coming from over there.”
Lizzie held out her staff in the general direction that the Gnome King had pointed and was a little surprised to see two large eyes shining back at her. The eyelids were drooping and looked generally fatigued.
“It’s a dragon,” she noted as a matter of fact.
“Look at her side,” Garnash called out. “It’s the pulse.”
The pulse looked like the one that Dorian had given to Brendan back in Sarvaloo, jagged, white and about as thick as a piece of tile.
Garnash looked into the creature’s eyes and pursed his lips. “I think this dragon is dying. I know dragons aren’t the most friendly creatures, but really, at the end of the day, they’re just trying to live their lives, right?”
“I’ve got to get the pulse, so maybe I can help it at the same time.” Lizzie slowly moved forward not wanting to startle the injured creature. As she got closer she could see a trail of blood from the gash and the pulse lodged between a few purplish scales. She didn’t know if the scales were actually purple or if her energy staff made it seem that way, either way the dragon’s hide was rather beautiful.
“Careful, Lizzie,” Garnash warned.
She reached out and touched the pulse causing it to light up and turn hot. Lizzie grabbed it and pulled, the heat cauterizing the wound as it came free. The dragon moaned but didn’t jerk; instead it just looked at Lizzie and blinked. She moved the mineral into her other hand and touched the dragon’s scales with her free hand. Lizzie rubbed the dragon’s hide lovingly.
“It’s alright now, Violet. You’ll be okay.” She turned and led Garnash back in the direction of the cave opening, leaving the dragon to rest.
“Violet?” Garnash asked with a sly grin.
“What? The name felt right to me,” she smiled back.
“I didn’t say anything,” he said holding out his glowing palms.
“Let’s just get the others and get to Corways. Hopefully Brendan and Dorian will already be there.”
…
The streets were still pretty crowded with all of the excitement of the earlier trial and subsequent fireworks. Gods and goddesses were buzzing with conversation wanting to know more about the young human who had defeated Camulos with a single touch. When he appeared again they crowded around him until he and the Leprechaun Queen stepped onto the stage.
“Why are you here? To save us?” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Sort of,” Brendan said sheepishly. “I’m here to save Otherworld and the Earth.”
“Earth? Earth was what brought on so much war and infighting to begin with,” an elder god proclaimed.
“I get that, but one of those responsible for the violence is trying to destroy my world. I can’t let that happen, and I’m asking for your help.”
“Why would we want to help you save Earth? It can be destroyed and we’d say good riddance.”
“Please, it’s our home,” Dorian pleaded.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves and then dispersed, not wanting to hear any more about the troublesome Earth.
Brendan and Dorian hopped off the stage and looked at each other.
“Well, so much for help,” he said.
“Excuse me,” a small girl who looked to be about nine said as she cleared her throat.
Dorian knelt down and smiled broadly at her. “Yes?”
“I want to help you,” she said.
“That’s sweet, dear, but we’re going up against some very bad beings. It’s too dangerous for a little girl,” Dorian replied sweetly.
“But Camulos killed my parents and I…”
“What’s your name?” Brendan asked.
“Olwen.”
“I’m sorry about your parents, but I need you to do me a favor. Can you do something for me?” Brendan asked. Olwen nodded. “I need you to let me and my friends take care of that for you, okay? You concentrate on growing up and try to find happiness for yourself.”
“Who’s taking care of you now, Olwen?” Dorian inquired.
Olwen half shrugged. “I’m sort of on my own.”
Brendan looked around at the thinning crowd and realized that he didn’t see any other children. “Where are all the children?”
“I don’t know of any other children,” Olwen replied with a shrug.
“We can’t just leave her here alone, Brendan,” Dorian appealed.
“Where do you suggest we take her?” he asked, throwing up his hands. “We sort of have to go home and fight for the Earth.”
Dorian knew he was right and turned back to Olwen. “Do you have anywhere you can stay?”
Olwen pointed at an alleyway between two large buildings. “That’s where I’ve been sleeping at night. During the day I just sit outside the buildings and ask for food. Some days I get to eat.”
Dorian stepped back to take in the orphan’s appearance. Olwen was thin, nearly gaunt, with dirt smudges on her face and arms. Her hair was long, stringy and unkempt, but she had the sweetest face and her green eyes popped with compassion.
Brendan stopped a passersby and asked, “Excuse me, is there any place for this homeless girl to go?”
“Sure. How about away?” the god said smugly before he sauntered by.
“I’m fine,” Olwen said. “Lots of them act that way towards me.”
“Alright then, it’s settled,” Dorian declared. “She comes with us to Earth.”
Brendan’s surprised face must have displayed his shock, but Dorian was undeterred; she took Olwen by the hand and began to walk.
“I can see we’re going to have to work on our communication,” he said, more to himself than her, and then he hurried to catch up.
…
Elathan hovered over the Standing Stones observing the area with senses that few had ever possessed. He discerned from what Caoranach had shared with him about Merlin that only the most powerful of beings would be able to both locate the entrance point and open it. The golden god knew that he could do both, but it would take tremendous focus.
He moved with ease through the air, admiring his range of powers and deeply pleased that he was fu
lfilling his purpose. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the megaliths he created flare to life bringing in two more of his servants—Tannus and Boann. He was mildly surprised to see the latter but welcomed her service. He allowed his eyes to relax and to lose focus sensing that he was close to finding the entrance.
“Ah, there you are,” he mumbled as a glint of light nearly imperceptible revealed itself to him.
Elathan manipulated his path and landed next to the light at the northernmost side of the stones, close to where Oscar, Angie, and Sierra were being held. The ultragod didn’t bother to acknowledge the Earthlings. They were specks to him, though he knew they could be useful should Brendan O’Neal choose to show up; they would also serve as his offering to the Crown.
“You don’t have to do this,” Oscar called out.
Elathan didn’t even hear him, so deep was he in concentration.
…
Sabd couldn’t believe how good yet strange it felt to be back in his old Sidhe form, wings and all. He stretched out his spine as he stood upright for the first time since he could remember. He had lived his life as a deer for so long his natural body was positively foreign to him.
“I don’t know how to repay you for this, Airmid. I really don’t,” Sabd said with tears in his eyes.
“There’s no repayment necessary,” Airmid replied, brushing the notion away. “You’ve suffered so much for so long, it feels nice to be able to bring you relief.”
“We better get going,” Frank said, anxious to get back to Earth.
“Where will you go?” Rohl asked, genuinely concerned for the Sidhe.
“There are plenty of Sidhes on Earth. I’m sure they would welcome another into their fold,” Garnash offered. “And if not, then the Gnomes would. As king, I speak for my clan.”
“I appreciate the generous offer, but I believe I still have family in Ann wn. I intend to search them out before anything else.”
Garnash nodded. “Well, if you’re ever on Earth, look us up.”
The Sidhe stepped into the megaliths and turned to face Lizzie and her group. “I wish you success in stopping Elathan. I would come with you but after so many years of soul searching I’ve come to realize that my people were casualties of a war that I didn’t know would happen.” Sabd’s head hung in sadness for his brother and his clan. He looked back up and said, “This is now your war to fight and win. Be victorious for the Earth, be victorious for Otherworld, but mostly be victorious for the side of justice.”
A moment later Sabd was gone.
Lizzie felt for the mineral in her pocket to be assured that it was still there and then she stepped into the center of the megaliths. Frank, Rohl, and Garnash followed her. Airmid stood on the outside and pursed her lips. Seconds later she stepped into their midst.
“What are you doing?” Lizzie asked. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Someone may need my healing powers,” the goddess offered. “After all, this is war.”
Chapter 20
Rally for War
The runes began to cool almost instantly on the black surface of the megaliths in Corways as Lizzie, Frank, Airmid, Rohl, and Garnash arrived. Lizzie couldn’t help but feel like she was coming home, and she couldn’t take the smile off of her face. Her happiness was fleeting; when she looked up she saw that Corways had been decimated.
“It looks like this place has been hit by an earthquake,” Garnash said.
Cottages were in crumbles, the ground was cracked and gaping in some places, and a few of the trees close to the center of town had been toppled. The strange thing was that there wasn’t a solitary soul in sight.
“Where is everyone?” Frank asked.
The group began to fan out to search for clues or signs of life. “Be on high alert. We don’t know what’s happened here,” Lizzie advised.
Lizzie’s staff was firm in her hand as she cautiously moved through the center of town saddened by what she saw, and grieving for the family she had come to know in the Leprechauns.
She looked ahead at the pile of rubble that used to be a home and recalled the first time that she and Brendan had stepped foot in Corways. She was so excited that the Leprechaun myth was actually true. That was just over a year ago, but already it was hard to imagine a life without them.
Lizzie moved toward the large pile and turned the corner; out of her peripheral vision she saw a blue arrow flying at her head. She spun quickly and snapped the arrow in half with her staff.
“Lizzie?” Rory called out.
“Of course it’s me!” she shouted. “Why are you trying to kill me?”
Rory and Biddy led a dozen more Leprechauns and Gnomes out from hiding to greet her.
“One can never be too careful,” Rory quipped.
“I’ve brought a few others with me,” Lizzie said, motioning for them to follow.
Once everyone in Corways gathered, including Tevis and Fergus who now had more than enough room to walk through town, Rory explained what happened. When he got to Caoranach things got a little heated.
“It was her kind that done this to Corways,” an angry female Leprechaun accused Airmid. “She destroyed us.”
“Caoranach is not my kind,” Airmid assured the group. “She is something else entirely.”
The bickering continued for a moment until Lizzie put her foot down. “Enough! This is Airmid, and she is a healer and I’m betting all of us will be glad she’s around once things get crazy.”
Frank raised his hand.
“What is it, Frank?” Lizzie asked.
“Nobody else has mentioned this, but is there any food anywhere.”
“That’s my buddy Frank, always thinking with his stomach,” Garnash joked. “But yeah, is there any food?”
Tevis and Fergus were instructed to remove some rubble off of the town pantry, which luckily was dug into the ground and reinforced with stones.
“Where are Dorian and Brendan?” Biddy asked.
“They are still in Otherworld, but they said that they’d be here,” Lizzie offered.
“Let’s just hope that they get here soon.” Garnash looked at all of the faces he had come to love as family. “Earth may not have much time.”
…
Lir barely spared a glance when he saw the megaliths ignite and welcome the arrival of the Banshees. They were hardly worthy of his attention being below-god status. He even failed to notice that there were only two of them.
Isobel and Meghan didn’t bother to look in Lir’s direction either, focusing instead on the Seeker.
The pair marched directly for Oscar intent on blasting him with their murderous wail, but when another human stepped into their path they were taken aback.
“Out of the way, bug,” commanded Isobel.
Peigi folded her arms in front of her chest and stared back at them in silence.
Meghan’s face changed to her demonic visage and demanded Peigi to move or die. Peigi was undeterred, which infuriated Meghan even more. She reached out to grab the stubborn human by the neck and toss her aside, but Peigi was too fast for her. The human grabbed Meghan’s wrist and twisted it—hard—flipping the Banshee onto the ground. Isobel then tried to slash at Peigi with her claws but Peigi dropped low and struck Isobel in the abdomen, knocking her back in a breathless heap.
“No one gets to these prisoners,” Peigi stated.
…
Crannog couldn’t believe his eyes. Peigi had made short work of two Banshees without breaking a sweat. Elathan’s words rang back into his thoughts.
“You look nervous, Crannog,” Camulos observed. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with you trancing a Ber…”
“Forgive me, Camulos, but I can take care of myself.” Crannog stormed away knowing he wasn’t nearly as confident as he sounded.
…
“Where is this place?” Dorian asked, looking around at an emptiness of clouds and space still holding Olwen’s hand. “It’s like we ceased existing.”
“We
have, in a way,” Brendan replied. “This place is like a pocket tucked between realms. This may be where we will find a little help.”
“From who? I thought we were heading back to Corways,” she said.
“We are, but I need to do this first.” After he received a curt nod from Dorian, he turned to face a smoked-glass structure that floated in place among the clouds.
“How does this exist?”
Brendan considered the question. “I don’t know, but I learned about it when I was sleeping. I just need to figure out how to open it.”
“Don’t be frightened, Olwen,” Dorian said.
“I’m not scared. This is fun,” Olwen said excitedly.
Brendan thought it over and then a simple idea sprang to mind. He reached out and laid his palm on the glass. Instantly the frost retreated from his touch, moving back into the window’s seal. They looked inside and Brendan could see Toren standing with his back to him.
Brendan knocked and had to suppress a laugh when his ghostly ancestor actually jumped.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Can’t you see anyone inside there?”
Dorian shook her head. “But don’t worry, I know enough to know that you’re not a header.”
“Thanks,” said Brendan, although he wasn’t entirely sure she was right.
“I see him. You two look a little alike,” Olwen observed.
“Makes sense,” Brendan conceded.
Toren walked over to the glass and stood with a stunned expression, not understanding how Brendan could have possibly reached this place.
Brendan kept his palm on the glass and slowly caused his hand to vibrate. He began to see ripples shake through the glass.
“Get behind me,” Brendan ordered, and Dorian did as instructed, pulling Olwen behind her for added safety.
He held his hand on the glass and increased the vibrations causing cracks to form. Soon enough the glass looked like it was a mosaic of tiles and it shattered to the floor.
“That’s impossible unless you’re…” Toren began to say but stopped himself short.
“What?” Brendan asked.
“It doesn’t matter. Come quickly.”
The Bloodline Inheritance Page 23