…
The sweating and the moaning had stopped earlier in the day and that worried Toren. Nuada’s breathing was shallow, but his tremors had, thankfully, ceased. The silver god was nonresponsive, but Toren really had no idea what that meant to a god, to someone who was supposed to be immortal.
The ghostly O’Neal couldn’t do much more than talk and sing old Irish songs that his mother used to sing to him as a boy. He hoped the sound of someone’s voice was enough to keep Nuada going. Toren looked down at his friend who was lying on his back and noticed that his skin was pale and almost as transparent as his own spirit form.
“Where is your mind, old friend?” Toren lamented.
…
Brendan was glad the others had left Dorian’s place, even if it was momentarily since he and Dorian hadn’t had much time to themselves recently. He was sure she felt the same since she closed the door to her house and smiled widely at him.
She took a deep breath. “Are you ready for this?”
Brendan raised a curious eyebrow and smirked. “This?”
She gave him a cross look. “Training with all of us around and then… well, who knows from there. We really don’t have a way to get to Otherworld, so that means we are probably going to have to wait for Elathan to come back to us and have it out here on Earth.”
“That’s not ideal, obviously, since I’m assuming that he will be coming back at us with full force accompanied by a ton of ugly creatures that will love nothing more than to eat everybody,” Brendan said. “No, we have to do better than that.”
Dorian crossed the room and pulled into his chest. They stood in silence for a moment, enjoying the embrace. He closed his eyes and took the opportunity to breathe. There were so many scents in the room, from the candle burning on the table, to the fresh cut flowers that Brendan had collect for Dorian the other day, to the scent of her hair.
In an instant, the fresh, lovely smells faded and the stench of brimstone became overpowering. He opened his eyes and saw that he was no longer holding his girlfriend in Corways but was instead at the scene of a nasty, burning battlefield. Brendan felt that he was still on Earth, but it was hard to say for sure.
The scene was one of absolute chaos. Large dragons zipped across the sky scorching the earth with intense streams of fire, making the air sizzle in the high temperatures. Brendan could see the resemblance to the niseags, but the longer snouts and bulkier bodies made them stand apart—that and the fact that the niseags fired extreme cold whereas the dragons fired extreme heat. The two creatures were cousins, perhaps, but not siblings.
There were other magicks engaged in battle, but Brendan was having a hard time discerning who was on what side and why they were fighting in the first place. Brendan wasn’t sure how he recognized some of the magicks that he hadn’t encountered yet, but he knew them instinctually. Redcap Goblins battling a group of Sidhes were easily identifiable with their large razor-filled mouths and greenish skin. Their signature red caps got their color when dipped in the blood of the goblins’ victims. The Redcaps tried to slash the Sidhes with their short duel-headed blades or their metal-spiked clubs, but the Sidhes were quick and nimbly avoided the deadly blows.
The low end of the hill found Leprechauns and Gnomes fighting against the bronze-skinned Brags and the fierce, hideous Bendiths. The Brags reminded Brendan somewhat of Rohl, but there was a sinister side to these creatures. Many of them transformed into horses or donkeys and tried to stomp the smaller foes. The Bendiths had a reputation for being nasty, vile, bloodthirsty tramps with a propensity for the blood of children, stealing them away while they slept and carrying them on their leathery wings. Irish folktales were full of such creatures, and Brendan could see why people were afraid of them.
A massive, red-scaled dragon swooped in from the north and let loose a hail of fire, igniting the trees and scattering a large group of Leprechauns, Gnomes, Brags, and Bendiths.
“Burn them! Burn them all!” ordered a large figure flapping his wings overhead, hovering where he pleased.
“Enough, Dewi!” boomed a voice from the south, emerging from the flash of a megalith off in the distance. “Stop this madness, or I will.”
Brendan looked up into the sky and spotted three griffins soaring towards the melee with three riders upon their backs. Nuada was flying point with Arawn and a woman who Brendan had never seen before flanking him on either side. He only recognized the silver god by the fact that he couldn’t see his face, just like in the vision with Lir.
“You bring a human and a flaky goddess as your army to face me, the god of dragons?” Dewi asked in disbelief. “Elathan was right to think you mad, Nuada.”
Dewi unleashed a stream of fire from his own mouth, but Nuada deflected it with ease with a simple wave of his hand. The god of dragon’s expression betrayed his surprise.
“You are mistaken to think I need help, dragon.”
Nuada hopped from the griffin’s muscled back and dove straight for Dewi. Dewi, to his credit, didn’t shy away from contact and pushed off of the air, sending his body upward to meet the silver god.
That was a mistake.
Nuada slammed into him with explosive force and smashed him straight into the ground. He landed a few feet away with a bend of the knees and reached out, grabbing the dragon god by the face and shoulder and forcing him to his feet. Nuada lifted Dewi over his head and slammed him straight into the ground. Dirt and grass exploded from the impact, leaving a divot for Dewi to lie in.
High overhead, Arawn and the woman used his sword and her electrified whip to dispatch the dragons directly from the sky. The Leprechauns, Sidhes, and Gnomes were turning the tide against the Redcaps, Brags, and Bendiths. Nuada looked up with great pride.
“Your vermin are dying due to your arrogance, Dewi, and your fool-hearted venture has led to your own demise.” Nuada pulled out his sword crackling with silver energy.
“No, Lord Nuada,” Dewi said, struggling to get to his knees. “I beg you for mercy.”
The silver god hesitated and then he reached out telepathically and hoisted Dewi into the air. “You are banned from returning to Earth, Dewi—you and your favored. Go back to Otherworld, but be warned that if you set foot on Earth again, you will burn.”
“Thank… ” Dewi began to say before he and his small army of Redcaps, Brags, and Bendiths were sent into the tether and away from Earth.
The two griffins landed next to the silver god, and the riders dismounted. They were out of breath, but both were in phenomenal shape.
“Well done, Nuada,” Arawn said.
“I am grateful to your allegiance, Arawn. And yours as well, Argona.” Nuada bowed respectfully.
“It will be good to return to Otherworld,” she replied.
“Your return will have to wait,” Nuada stated.
“Oh?” Arawn asked.
“I have learned of a vile creature that Elathan has unleashed upon the Earth, and I need the two of you to find and destroy it.”
“And what if we can’t destroy it?” Argona asked.
Nuada pulled out a pouch and loosened the drawstring. He poured the contents into his palm. Brendan walked forward and peeked into Nuada’s hand. A few small nuggets of silver bounced around until they finally settled into their places.
“Then trap the creature and bury it deep where no one will ever find it.”
Arawn took the pouch and placed it in a satchel that hung around his shoulders. “What sort of creature is this?”
Nuada was silent for a moment, measuring his words carefully. “She is a serpent-like monster the old gods call Caoranach.” Neither Argona nor Arawn showed any recognition of the name. “When I was a young god, I was told stories of an ancient evil that was the mother of all demons. They frightened me, of course, but I grew up assuming the stories to be just that, stories. It looks like I was wrong.”
Nuada stepped past his chosen warriors and remounted his griffin. “Good luck to you.”
The
large silver-coated griffin pushed off of the ground, and Nuada began soaring back towards the megaliths, only to pause a moment when Argona called out to him.
“How will we know where to find her?” she asked.
“Wherever there is agony, suffering, and death, Argona, that is where you will find Caoranach. That is where you should look first.”
Brendan could hear the regret in the silver god’s voice. Brendan assumed that Nuada was remorseful that Elathan had ever gotten involved in Earth, and that he allowed it. He recognized the humanity in the god’s voice and that brought Brendan comfort.
Nuada sped away and disappeared in a flash, destined for Otherworld. Argona and Arawn turned back to face each other.
“Are you afraid of Caoranach?” she asked the Celtic warrior.
He reached down and took her hands. “My heart only fears losing you, Argona. That is the way it will always be.”
Just as the couple began to kiss, the world around Brendan blanked out of existence, leaving him in pure darkness. For a moment, he was afraid that it would last forever and he would be stuck in the nether, but a small point of light appeared in the distance. He wanted to walk towards it, but his body was locked. All he could do was wait as the light drew closer to him, expanding in size as it came. Soon enough the light shot past him and swallowed his consciousness, bringing him back to Dorian’s arms.
“Whoa,” he said, realizing he was able to speak to her.
Dorian sighed and pulled back a little to look him in the eye. “Vision?”
He nodded. “If this vision is true, then Elathan has even more powerful allies on his side than I thought.”
“We know about Camulos and his god friend, Conchar, and the Banshees, but who else?”
Brendan explained about Dewi and his dragons, Redcaps, Brags, and Bendiths, and then he got to the truly terrifying part. “In this vision, Nuada assigned Arawn and someone named Argona to the scary task of either killing or trapping a being named Caoranach.”
“Caoranach?”
Brendan shrugged and threw his hands up. “All I know is Nuada said that he was told stories about this Caoranach and it frightened even him. He called her the mother of demons.”
“What happened to her?” Dorian asked.
Brendan shrugged. “I don’t know. Elathan could already have her by his side or maybe Arawn and Argona killed her years ago. We don’t really have a way of knowing yet.”
“It’s alright, Brendan,” Dorian said, taking his face in her hands. She could feel the tension mounting in him as if he were literally holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. “One thing at a time, hon. Right now we’re on step one, and we have a million steps in between us and the end of this.”
“Do you think we can win?” He looked her directly in the eye, begging for truth and lies at the same time.
“I don’t know,” she said finally. “No matter what happens, we do this together right up to the end. I promise you that.”
Chapter 14
Warnings
“Arawn?” Oscar said, returning to the cell to find his cellmate strung up by chains and Camulos standing near him.
“Don’t worry, human, there’s enough of him left to recover,” Camulos said dryly before he exited the trilithon.
Oscar rushed over and checked the large man for a pulse. It was there, with the rushing of blood being pushed by the adrenalin in his body. He reached out and took the rag from the top of a basin filled with water at the foot of Arawn’s bed.
“Why are they doing this to you?”
Arawn heard the question but his head was still clanging from the beating. His body felt like one giant bruise, tender all over. He was lucky that he was able to heal quickly, but Camulos was relentless in his attacks and that made for some long sessions.
“They want something from me,” Arawn said softly.
“Give it to them so they’ll stop this craziness!”
“I can’t, because what I know could mean the end of Earth and compromise Otherworld.” He shook his head and winced. “No, I can’t tell them.”
“Even if it means being beaten for the rest of your life?” Oscar asked incredulously.
Arawn strained but was able to crane his neck to look Oscar in the eye. “It’s better for one man to bear the wrath of evil when the alternative leaves everyone dead.” He lowered his head and closed his eyes to rest.
“What do they want from you?” Oscar asked, not knowing of anything that could result in the prediction Arawn was claiming.
“Caoranach. They want to free Caoranach and I cannot let that happen.”
Oscar sat down next to the Celtic warrior and rested his forearms on his knees. “Look, I don’t know who or what this Caoranach deal is, but I’m betting you could trade your freedom for it.”
“The human is wise,” Lir said, entering the cell. “Not that Elathan will ever set you free.”
Arawn looked up at the massive man, his unconscious mind forcing him to wince at the thought of his damaged abdomen.
“I see you are still enjoying my gift to you,” Lir laughed, and switched his Corpse Trident from one hand to the other. “Just feel fortunate that Elathan wanted you alive or your body would now be rotting on a pig pole.”
“I thought you had honor, Lir,” Arawn said hoarsely. “But you’re a coward like Camulos.”
Lir’s expression hardened as he glared down at the prisoner. “What do you know of honor, Arawn? You stood by that silver fool and his love for the scum on Earth. You’re the one who turned his back on your own kind.”
“Wrong!” Arawn shouted. “I stuck up for my own kind, remember? I wasn’t born into being a god like you. I had to earn it.”
Lir’s lip curled and began to quiver. His stance shifted and his grip on the trident tightened. “You will die for that insult!”
The war god strode forward and cocked his Corpse Trident, intending to impale Arawn’s heart, but at the last moment he found that his weapon was impossible to move, frozen in the air behind him. He struggled against it, but the trident didn’t budge. “Come on!”
“There are more important things than your pride, Lir,” Elathan hissed from the outside of the trilithons’ boundary, Conchar at his side. “I believe you have a task to complete.”
The resistance vanished and the trident clanged to the stone floor. His pride wounded, Lir bent down and picked up his weapon.
“Come with me, human,” Lir ordered.
Oscar got to his feet, shaking a little, and followed Lir out of the cell. Conchar joined the pair and they disappeared down the corridor.
Elathan stood and stared at his prisoner, but to his credit, Arawn stared right back.
“Why do you resist me?” Elathan finally spoke. “You know what I offer.”
“I’d rather die than take my 30 pieces of silver,” Arawn spat.
“In time, Arawn, your whole world will die, and only then will I allow you to join them. I will find Caoranach with your help or without it.”
Elathan faded out of sight, leaving the Celtic warrior to his thoughts and fears.
…
“When was the last time you got to experience the opulence and gaudiness that is Sarvaloo, Tannus?” Camulos asked holding his arms out, gesturing to the massive capitol of the Realm of Gods. “The fools think more of science and art than of power and might. Preferences of a dying regime, if you ask me.”
“It’s been so long since I have been here, Camulos. Who now heads the Congress of Sarvaloo?”
“Pwyll and Rhiannon, a husband and wife tandem that fancy themselves gods of virtue and poetic incantations and garbage like that.” Camulos scoffed and led Tannus into the plaza near where the council met.
The pair walked up to the large glass doors from the plaza and directly to a counter where a few people were standing around. At first they simply ignored Camulos and Tannus, but when the war god grabbed one of them by his throat and slammed his head through a big wooden desk, every
one’s eyes turned to them.
“Now that I have your attention,” Camulos quipped. “Take us to see Pwyll and Rhiannon.”
“How barbaric!”
“Worse than a human!”
Camulos reached for his god killer sword and was ready to slice them all, but the arrival of Pwyll and the shouting of Rhiannon made it unnecessary. He turned and faced the congressional heads, offering an exaggerated bow.
“Distinguished overseers of all that is virtuous and beautiful,” he said with a wink in Rhiannon’s direction, “I come bearing wonderful news.”
“What gives you the right to assault a member of the congress like that, Camulos?” Pwyll shouted. “We have rules. We have decorum.”
“What gives me the right?” Camulos glanced to Tannus and scoffed. “Elathan, the golden god, the Bringer of Death, has returned to Otherworld. All you know is about to change. Consider yourselves informed.”
Camulos and Tannus marched past the congressional heads and were ready to leave when he turned and took a few backwards strides and said, “I told you I was bearing good news.”
Camulos turned on his heels and the two messengers left without further fanfare.
…
“So, this is the great Seeker?” Lir asked, doubt dripping over his words.
Conchar nodded but chose not to reply. If he had learned anything from his time in Otherworld, it was that the beings here were very powerful and dangerous, especially the gods.
“Using humans, ridiculous!” Lir sneered in Oscar’s direction, not that Oscar would notice since Conchar tightened his spell over him, again bringing the Seeker back under the wizard’s control. “Humans are for killing, not for this, not for leading a god.”
“That human has found the dominion pulse in three realms, Lord Lir, and he’s just getting started,” Conchar said.
Lir looked at the Seeker as he maneuvered around jagged rocks and fissures. As the mighty god of storms studied him, he imagined the Seeker taking on the persona of an insect; the man was crawling around searching for crumbs, waiting for a foot to squash him flat. Why had Elathan given such an important job to an insect?
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