by J. M. Briggs
He couldn’t argue with the point and quickly informed his confused brother of the rough plan he had. Galath looked worried by the time Bran came back with a couple of rolled up blankets and his bag filled with rations. Unsure about facing more of his brother’s questions, Gofiben rushed out and began to lead the way back towards Emrys’ cave.
They didn’t talk much on their way up the hill, or rather he didn’t talk much though he could hear Galath and Bran speaking behind him. Gofiben paid no mind to what they said; he knew what he was like when a new project sparked in his mind. Their concerns, in this case, were probably warranted, but he wasn’t going to stop. They reached the tunnel, which had closed itself up; had Morgana or Merlin been here he would have asked about how that worked.
Putting his hand on the wall again, Gofiben pushed his magic into the stone and smiled when it melted away beneath his palm. The light orb he’d created was still shining, and Emrys was still lounging on his ledge with an amused expression. Fighting down embarrassment, Gofiben walked out onto the ledge and set down the bag of iron. He glanced over his shoulder to find Galath positioning himself at the mouth of the tunnel and watching Emrys with a very stern expression. Behind him, the tunnel was still open and Gofiben dashed out to collect some smaller stones.
“So what do you want it to do?” Bran asked curiously, staying in the tunnel and glancing towards the edge nervously. “Have you got a plan yet?”
“Badb’s plague isn’t going away,” Gofiben replied as he laid out the stones they’d brought in to make a fire ring. He’d need a secure place to heat the metal for this and while it wasn’t a forge with Emry's flame he was confident they could manage something. “Even with her gone and who knows how far away its effects are still lingering. The dead may not be walking, but we still need to do something.”
“Merlin and Morgana-”
“Aren’t here,” Gofiben interrupted. He shook his head dejectedly. “And to be honest I’m getting frustrated waiting for them.” He licked his lips and sighed. “I’m just… Bran, we’re mages too. I know they weren’t able to train us for long, but we’re supposed to be doing something. Do you think the people weakened by the plague will make it through the winter?”
“It’s not bad in most places,” Galath said behind them. “I’ve been out checking remember; the worst area is here in the valley. Whatever magic Badb used here seems to have kept her spells strong.”
“Then we can at least help the valley,” Gofiben muttered as he reached for the bag of iron causing it to clang against the rocks. “I don’t know; I need to make something that can help them.”
“A healing artifact then,” Emrys suggested in a warm voice. “You’ll need to have a way for the item to direct its power, a way for it to transfer the magic to the subject.”
“Transfer the magic...” Gofiben repeated with a frown. “You mean like touching it, or something more?”
“Healing is dangerous; Morgana taught us that,” Bran reminded him, though he hummed in thought. “Maybe if you made it something that could... No, that’s no good.”
“Weapons are out of the question, but what might work?” Gofiben asked as he reached for his water skin. He took a long drink and then stopped. “Wait, what if I made a chalice? It could put the magic to heal into the water and then the person could drink it.”
Bran paused and looked up at Emrys with an uncertain expression. “I suppose that could work,” the other mage said. “In theory, it makes sense from what I know about magic.”
There it was again; that lingering reminder that their teachers were missing. He wanted to believe that they were trying to return, but he couldn’t help the hurt and anger churning in his stomach. Morgana had at least shouted instructions back to them and he felt a little guilty at not following them. But no part of him believed for a moment that Morgana and Merlin were in his home village waiting for their return. Without a word, he dumped out the bag of wood chips he’d brought and called on his magic.
It surged through him and he opened his palm as orange sparks began to dance around it, releasing the magic in a burst of fire and heat. A burning orb danced in his hand and he lowered it to the wood, lighting the small circle of kindling in an instant. He pulled the wooden handles off the iron daggers and tossed them into the bed of fire. Then he moved back a little ways and set his hammer and tongs to the side before shoving the first two pieces of iron into the fire. Looking up at Emrys, he nodded. Dragon fire spun in the air, and Gofiben couldn’t help a surge of fear. He nodded to himself as Emrys began to focus the flames onto the small pit of coals. This would be the strangest forge of his life. Intense heat was rolling around them and smoke was beginning to fill the cavern. Emrys unfolded his wings and pushed much of it out of the tunnel with one large flap of his wings.
Gofiben didn’t hesitate once he saw the iron turning that beautiful hot orange hue. He pulled the first piece out of the fire with the tongs, moving it over to the top of the flat stone pillar at the end of the ledge. It wasn’t an ideal anvil, but it would do the trick. Magic seeped from his fingertips into the warm metal of his hammer. He brought it down on the iron with a crash, twisting the smooth dagger to create a slight curve. Then he did it again twice more before placing it back into the fire and pulling out the second piece.
As the magic flowed into the fiery orange metal, Gofiben paused in his mechanical actions. The hammer in his right hand was glowing as fiercely as the bed of coals in front of him. His makeshift anvil was beginning to chip and by rights, he knew he should have been worried about what he was doing. Yet he felt only exhilaration: his mind was racing and he could feel the pulse of magic inside of him more strongly than he ever had in the past. It was suddenly so much easier to believe, to understand and to accept that he was the Iron Soul.
Time slipped away from him. He only paused for a short time when Bran begged him to drink something but refused to eat after a few gulps of warm water. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware of Galath pacing nervously in the tunnel and Bran lingering just out of his way. His senses were focused on the stream of dragon fire melting the iron together. He could feel the power pulsing just at the edge of his senses each time he brought his hammer down and pushed his own magic into the metal. It was humming beneath him, twisting more to his will than the force of the hammer as the small bowl began to take shape.
Someone moved up beside him and water splashed onto the rocks as Bran set down a large jar of water. He nodded shortly to his friend but said nothing as he watched the bowl glow in the dim light. Setting it aside he pulled the last piece of iron from the flames with the tongs and began to twist it as well. With every hammer strike he could see more of his magic rippling across the surface. It was like being next to Cathanáil except better; so much better. Soon enough the base was complete and he submerged both pieces into the water with a sharp hiss.
Both pieces were still shimmering with magic, making the metal glow like it was gold rather than iron. He tapped them both carefully, but they were merely warm. Licking his lips, Gofiben pulled harshly on the magic he could feel pulsing through the ground beneath his feet; pulled it from the air around them and pushed it hard into the chalice. It was hot and warmly, tingling across his skin like a hot summer breeze. His fingers traced the place where the base met the bowl, and harsh orange magic surged into the iron. It began to melt the two pieces together as he traced his finger around the circumference. Pulling his hand back, Gofiben inspected the small band of glowing iron he had created with a smile. Then with one final push of magic into the metal, he moved his finger over the band, calling on all his magic and the fire he could still feel thrumming in his limbs, to create a small triskele symbol.
28
Battle for Stonehenge
The first scream was followed by another, and Alex tore her eyes away from the Chalice to look around in confusion. Tourists in the distance who hadn’t already wandered off were pointing at something and moving towards the parking lot. Ot
hers who were closer were running away as the magical bubble encasing the landmark faded. There were more screams and Alex found herself struggling to reorient herself to reality.
Her hands were warm, both still clutching the glowing Iron Chalice, but Alex quickly shifted the Chalice into one hand. Alex climbed to her feet only to almost stumble over the altar stone. There was a pile of ash that was quickly being blown away and a few fragments of charred bones. People were running towards the parking lot with expressions of fear and confusion. Alex didn’t see anything and wondered if this was some delayed reaction to the high levels of magic. Looking towards the others, she noted that Nicki and Bran were both on their feet looking a bit shaky and exhausted, but functional. Jenny was on her knees on the ground with a lost expression on her face with Lance in in a similar state next to her. Whatever they’d seen and felt hadn’t fully passed yet.
“Nicki,” she called over to the redhead, “Stay with Lance and Jenny.”
As Nicki nodded, Alex moved around the stones. Her feet kept trying to slip on the snow as she focused on Bran. His green eyes were moving across the landscape with a stern and worried expression. She forced herself to look at Lance and Jenny again as she moved towards them. Reaching Lance, Alex tried to call his name, but only got a weak groan in return as the large man shook his head like he was trying to clear a fog. She bit her lip in worry, but another scream made her look around in alarm. Alex shifted around Lance and unzipped his backpack, reaching inside and moving her hand around until she found one of the spare bottles.
Moving quickly, she marched towards Bran while people continued to rush past them like they weren’t even there. Then she heard strange crashing and crackling sounds from beyond the visitors’ center. It sounded a bit like electricity and heavy things moving. Alex rushed to Bran and uncapped the bottle of water with her teeth.
“Alex? What-”
She spit the cap out and began to pour water into the still glowing Chalice. A soft gasp escaped Bran and Alex watched the water in the Chalice shimmer and ripple. Bran glanced towards the horizon for a moment before taking a deep breath to calm himself. Moving closer to him, Alex let Bran lean on her as she handed him the Chalice. He felt light against her, thanks to the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She risked a glance towards Nicki who was standing in front of Lance and Jenny. Thankfully they were on their feet now.
Grunts and growls from the distance made Alex look up. The air rushed out of her body as she saw a number of creatures rushing towards them, surrounded by a black mass of energy. There were more of the same beings they’d seen in Fishguard: they looked human at first glance but their eyes were too purple, their skin too translucent and their nails too much like claws. Around them were more of the small pixies, redcaps and many more strange and twisted looking beings of many shapes and sizes. Some were crawling on the ground like animals, some seemed to float through the air like ghostly figures and some marched like human soldiers to war. Alex’s head ached and her vision went fuzzy as she focused on the black fog of magic circling and seeping into all of them.
“Shit,” Alex hissed without taking her eyes off the approaching legion. “We let them all know exactly where we were,” she said with a look towards the glowing Chalice that was still in Bran’s hand. “Practically put up a beacon.” He was staring at the Chalice in shock with a far off look in his eyes. Shoving down a jolt of guilt, Alex bumped him gently. “Bran, not to put too fine a point on it, but we’re being attacked so you kind of need to decide if you’re drinking now. If not then get ready for a fight.”
Her words spurred him into action and with a shaky hand; he reached down to undo his brace. Alex helped him hop over to the nearest standing stone and then leaned him up against it. Part of her rallied against the disrespectful action; she wondered if that was her own inner little girl who’d always wanted to see Stonehenge or something much newer, or perhaps much older. Shaking her head, Alex banished the thought.
The spark beneath her heart that connected Alex to her magic throbbed painfully. Reaching over, Alex placed her hand on one of the standing stones and tried to keep her heart rate steady even as the animalistic creatures began to rush ahead of the others. She felt a trickle of magic flowing through her body and willed it to manifest in her right hand. A strange large black cat-like creature was almost upon her when Alex snapped her hand forward and released a bolt of lightning that hit it in the chest.
It yowled and hit the ground with a thud as Alex looked over her shoulder to check on Bran. A spear of glistening ice from Nicki shot past Alex and struck another one of the advancing creatures. Bran took a deep drink from the Chalice as Alex summoned forth more magic. She could feel the spark in her chest humming and pulsing with a dull raw pain. Her body was already protesting at her trying to use magic after so much had been conducted through her. A desire to shout at the sky that it wasn’t fair surged through her, but Alex shoved it down and focused on the approaching horde.
A small groan next to her made Alex whirl around to find Bran slipping down the weather worn standing stone with a pained look on his face. He was breathing hard and clutching at his leg with the Chalice clutched tightly in his other hand. Glancing between him and the horde, Alex forced her magic to manifest, groaning in pain at the harsh ache that spread through her chest. Dark silver energy spun in her hand and Alex watched it ripple around her fingers like the aura of a flame.
Snow surged up around them like a wave, drawing all the powder near them together into a wall. Nicki’s blue magic rippled across it and Alex flinched in automatic sympathy as she realized what was about to happen. The snow exploded in a shower of icy spikes into the rows of creatures creating a cacophony of pained screams. For good measure, she released a few quick blasts of energy, striking down a few more of the creatures.
Bran kicked the brace away and uneasily stepped forward as yellow magic licked around his hand. He stepped up next to Alex and pushed his hand forward, sending yellow magic blasting through the air. It rained down over the creatures as tiny sparks making them jump back, though not killing any of them. Alex was confused for a moment before the yellow sparks hit the ground and the newly exposed brown grass twisted upward. The blades lengthened only a bit, but they tangled around the feet of the creatures, causing many of them to stumble.
One of the humanoid beings snarled, purple eyes flashing with rage. The dark aura around it flared wildly and it lunged forward with three more of its kind on its heels. Silver magic exploded in front of her, forming a wall of fire that flared out towards the creatures. Stumbling back, Alex pulled Bran with her and looked around frantically. The color was familiar. She spotted a pair of figures running towards them across the main road.
Green magic erupted around them, shaking the ground: Alex looked frantically towards Stonehenge, but the stones remained upright as small chunks of earth surged up and grabbed three of the cat-like creatures. It was Merlin and Morgana. Not waiting for Merlin to finish the job, Alex reached out her fingers and beckoned the black magical energy towards her. It spun in front of her, the dark color fading away and she shoved it back at the creatures as three bolts of lightning.
Morgana reached her first, raising her hands and placing them firmly on either side of Alex’s face. Intense green eyes met her own and she watched Morgana’s face run through a gambit of emotions. The professor looked her over quickly and frowned in worry.
“You’re exhausted,” Morgana said. She turned to look at the magical creatures still advancing. “Stay behind us.”
Alex was gently pushed behind Morgana as another of the humanoid creatures lunged for her. Morgana and Merlin began slinging magic all over the area, forcing the horde back. Alex scanned them quickly, trying to count the creatures. There were at least twenty of them left with the corpses vanishing all around them in flickers of magic and rapid decay. The creatures that remained were clumsy and stumbling, surrounded by the inky black magic that clung to them like a slime.
; One of the humanoid ones dashed forward from Morgana’s right, slashing at Alex with a long knife. Ducking out of the way, Alex moved back and grimaced in pain as she pulled more magic into her hand. It pulsed wildly and Alex shoved it hard towards the creature. The magic exploded outward as a bolt of lightning and Alex closed her eyes against the sudden brightness. It screamed only to have the sound cut off as its body dissolved. Alex opened her eyes and turned her attention to Bran who two of the creatures were attacking. He blasted one with a bolt of yellow magic, sending it flying back several feet.
Stumbling towards him, Alex pulled on the black thread of magic around the other creature. She felt it fight her for a moment before it streamed towards her easily, as if she’d pulled out a blockage on a river. Spinning around her hands the magic turned dark silver and glinted in the low light, but most surprising was that the being in front of her stumbled back with a frightened expression. Its violet eyes were wide and confused until a blast of yellow magic struck it in the side. Mouth open in a silent scream, it collapsed on the ground and shuddered as its body began to dissolve.
Staring at the spot where it had vanished, Alex felt a heavy weight in her stomach and a cold confusion sweeping up through her chest. A sharp cry of alarm pulled her back to the fight and she turned to see Lance and Jenny dodging away from a group of dark, quickly moving shapes. The energy in her hands reacted before the thought had fully formed, reacting to her intentions automatically. It leapt from her hands as a bolt that curved around Lance and Jenny to strike the first of the creatures, only to turn into a cloud of lightning that caught the others.