by Jana LaPelle
Chapter 38
(Ashlinn)
I watch in horror as Tolin intercepts the battle ax meant for me. On instinct, I swing my bow around and let loose several arrows that impale the warrior who targeted me. Targeted Tolin. Dropping to my knees, I scramble to Tolin’s side. Not Tolin. Please, gods no. Not Tolin. He stepped in front of me just in the nick of time. He saved me. Our ranks tighten around us, but I know it’s already too late, a keening wail erupts from deep inside of me at the sight of the ax that has all but cleaved his body in half.
I cradle him close and whisper desperately, “You can’t leave me, T.” A sob escapes my throat.
“Shhh, Little Bits. By the Creator… I’m going to miss you.” He breathes heavily and smiles a strained smile back up at me, crimson smears his teeth before he coughs up even more of his lifeblood before gasping for air. A swear escapes his lips as his body shudders in my grasp. All around us fighting ensues, but the sounds of war fall to the background as I focus on Tolin.
“T…, you are not allowed to leave us!” I demand, grabbing his blood covered hand in my own, “Not yet.” I beg. “Please, you have to hang on, Alaric will be here soon, he can heal you.”
He chuckles and then wheezes, “Little Bits… not soon enough. I’m done for, it’s a… killing blow.” He gasps. “We will meet again…, Ash.” He breathes out. “My time… in the realms of the living is not yet done. It’s my choice. My choice to live again.” His voice is but a raspy whisper. I cradle his large frame to me in a fierce hug and my grief cannot be contained as I hold my dear friend and rock back and forth as his last breath shutters from his massive frame.
“No!!!” I cry. Throwing my head back, I wail my anguish for all to hear. Not Tolin. Not, my T… Holding him close, I watch as the light in his eyes fades, all the while my tears splash down onto his handsome, blood splattered face, leaving clean tracks in their wake.
His loving spirit swirls around me in a warm embrace, and his spectral form whispers for only me to hear, “I love you, Ash. You are the sister I never knew I wanted or needed. Don’t mourn for me, Little Bit,” then the wisp of his soul races off to the Soul Reliquary. He knows the way, and for a moment I take some solace in that. Looking down, I gently kiss Tolin’s forehead, my tears raining down on him. I look up to see that the dragons are raining fire down on our enemies and ash is floating all around us in the air. For a moment its as if time stands still and I can hardly believe what has just happened. Looking back down at Tolin, I brush the ash away that tarnishes his façade. I gently close his eyes and I feel broken inside. I desperately hold what remains of him close to me. Rocking and crying all the while. My T. My guardian. My friend. I can’t bare the loss of him. A keening sound erupts from deep within me, the sound carries on the wind. Looking up I see Torin and I pull him down to me and whisper, “I’m so sorry!” He pulls me close and holds me tight before shifting his attention to Tolin’s remains. Seeing the brothers this way does something to me and I whisper, “We will avenge him.”
Closing my eyes, I push my grief at loosing Tolin back to be dealt with later. Standing, I move away to allow Torin room to say goodbye to his brother’s physical form. The site of Torin by Tolin’s broken form guts me. I look over at Alaric who has just reached us, he is as grief stricken as I, and we react. As a united front we stand together. Our grief a driving force. We march forward. A force to be reckoned with, combining our power with the power of three, we are now unstoppable as we march toward Morríganna in our heartache, pushing our enemy aside.
I blast everyone in my sights, all those that side with The Morrígna. All those that are blinded by her misdirection. Needing a more visceral attack I pull my bow to me and begin firing arrow bolt after arrow into the midst of our attackers. At this close range I do not miss my mark. When that is not enough, I send fireball after fireball in their direction. I can feel our power building as our sorrow threatens to consume us, a catalyst for what is to come. Alaric and I are feeding on the power of three, eliminating all those that stand in our path. The power thrums between us and I embrace it. Neamhain urges us on, through my temporary bond with her and Lexie. This is my mess to clean up. I look over to see that Alaric looks more powerful than I have ever seen him. He brandishes the Sword of Light as he takes down our opponents, his flaming weapon arching through the air and Morríganna’s followers begin to move aside in fear. In my anger, my grief has called upon the fire element and for a moment I stand still and allow my fire to encase me, my light. I bask in its warmth and destruction. Centering myself, I reach out before sending my powerful blast out for all to feel. The world rocks around me at the repercussion and the damaged veil between the realms continues to make the realms existence with one another unstable. As I gather more power, I take in the scene around me in a moment of clarity.
There are dragons and drakes that ride the winds above us breathing fire down upon our enemies. The day has grown dark and ominous and the skies have taken on a reddish hue that reminds me of The Underworld. Men, elves, Fomorian, and all matter of light and dark fae are embroiled in battle with one another in hand to hand combat. Their clang of swords, axes, and shields ring out across the once beautiful meadow, along with screams and cries of the wounded and dying. Demons from The Underworld as well as Daerok’s lich followers are entangled in the mix, all battling for supremacy. The scene is chaotic, one that nightmares are made of. The war angels of heaven make the scene all too surreal as they defend their realm against any who would dare enter there without permission. They have taken up arms and fight along with us. Their battle is one from above as they engage with the sky sentinels that did not defect from The Morrígan. All I know is that balance must be restored!
Off to the right, what looks like a shimmering mirage appears. Men and women of The Mortal Realm are looking on in horrified fascination. Some even walk forward with their hands outstretched to test the non-existent veil. That’s when they find themselves in the middle of a war, they are ill prepared for. They are innocent and must be protected from… from my angelic sister. There is no hiding from the humans now. Their eyes are suddenly wide open and will be from this day forward. There is no going back, not now.
Alaric and I refocus our attention as we carve a path toward my nemesis. I have my sights set on her and her resurrected demigod. He is fierce and strong in his battle ríastrad that reminds me of Tolin’s berserker form, and my anger begins to boil. All around me I watch as we battle one another in a desperate attempt to save the realms from certain destruction. Looking back, I see that we are flanked by a devastated Torin, Ferg, Lorcan, and Ēolieus. In my heart, I know that our children are safe, and I call to Nym and Khatar for them to join us, they deserve to be here, especially now after what we have lost. They heed my call and appear by their brethren ready to fight for this realm. Declan is standing guard over Lexie as well as Nemus and his druids. They are working on disabling The Morrígna’s majic as well as the Lich King’s, combined with our own. Dorlan and Camoryn are joining our ranks and I watch as Jasmine leads her pixie brigade to sprinkle their pixie dust over our enemies. She never disclosed to me what exactly her pixie dust could do, and I watch in rapt fascination as our enemies begin to mindlessly wander away and drop their weapons. Looking up I see that the war angels as well as the imps from The Underworld are at the ready and my mind is officially overwhelmed with the implications. I worry for Pip and everyone else as this battle unfolds, but now is not the time to be riddled with doubt.
My decision made, I join with Alaric and we work as a single unit. Our intent is clear. We take down The Morrígna and we free the realms of their evil taint. Through our bond, I say, “Let’s do this.”
“Yes, mo grá, this ends today!”
We march forward. Everyone and everything in our path are forcibly removed until we are standing just a mere fifty yards from Morríganna. Cú Chulainn stands by her side. Although, he looks more unsure than ever as the battle continues to be fought around us.
Morríganna sneers, “Change my fate?! Why would I ever want to do that? I will rule the realms, sister!” She sneers, “Everything we see here is destined to be mine!” She screams back at me. Suddenly, it’s clear to me that she has lost her ever-loving mind. I watch as she pulls more power from her frail looking sisters of this realm. Her eyes closed, her arms raised, and look of pure euphoria washes over her features, for a moment softening them to resemble the sister I once knew. I watch as Morríganna sucks the two goddesses dry of any remaining power in her greed to become an almighty queen. Badb and Macha, the two who look so like Morríganna realize too late what their unholy joining is going to cost them. Their lives. A look of horror and disbelieve war upon their strained façades, before they fall to their knees to wither and crumble in on themselves and become nothing more than ashes that scatter upon the wind. Her actions have not gone unnoticed by Cú Chulainn and he looks at me and Alaric in indecision.
We march forward, my attention on Cú Chulainn, but I speak to Morríganna, “Look around you, sister. Is this what you want? Destruction and mayhem for all the realms?”
“What do I care? If I become the supreme ruler for all, how will you stop me?” She demands, her face twisting into a cruel mask as she looks down on me.
My reply is quick, “With the power of three and our kindred bonds. You have lost Morríganna, it’s just you now. Look around you, in your desperate need for more power you have turned your Otherworldly sisters in to nothing more than dust. You are on your own now.”
Morríganna spins around, her cape flapping wildly in the wind to see where her sisters once stood. Only to see ashes floating on the breeze. She screeches in disbelief and I know that we now have the upper hand. She is furious at the turn of events and she attacks callously, calling ebony flames to do her bidding, they form dagger like bolts, and she launches them at me. At the last moment, I know what I must do, I pulse the light within me out to form a protective barrier around me and Alaric. As the black daggers meet my light barrier, they disintegrate and fall away. My response to her attack is immediate, I pull the fire element to me and launch my own assault. From the corner of my eye, I see Cú Chulainn launch an attack on Alaric, spinning his mighty spear like a baton creating a powerful wind. Surprisingly, Alaric is able to slice through the wind as if it were nothing with the Sword of Light.
The phantom queen screeches and calls her zombie like followers to her aid and they begin to attack on all sides. Pulling on the power that is thrumming within, I push it out all around us and watch as those of her army are blown backward and away from us. I begin pushing fire ball after fire ball toward my nemesis, with every wave she is able to counter but eventually she begins losing ground. She stumbles, and before she falls, she morphs into her ravens, but I was anticipating that, and learning from her little trick just moments before I form several fire bolts and target a couple of her birds. I quickly release the fire arrows and they impale two of her ravens. They fall to the ground, pulling all the masses back together again and once more, Morríganna is kneeling before us. Clutching her chest.
Turning to Cú Chulainn I implore, “Now… you need to choose now. Do you side with Morríganna or do you choose a different path?”
At that moment, the heavens above open and a beautiful young woman materializes in front of Cú Chulainn and I know that it’s his kindred, and she pleads, “Lainn, my strong handsome Lainn, it’s time to come home. Please. I love you, and I have missed you.”
“I can’t… Not after what I have done. What she has made me do.” He breathes out looking toward Morríganna, shame clearly evident on his face.
The apparition in front of him is quick to contradict and she reaches up to cup his cheek lovingly, “Yes… you can. We can work through anything, we are kindred, soul mates, do it for me. Do it for you, Lainn., please I beg of you. It’s time to follow your heart. It’s time to change your fate.” With that, her image dissipates into whisper of herself and she ascends once more to The Overworld.
Gaining Cú Chulainn’s attention, I announce, “Only you can do this, Lainn. You can end this right now.” I point to the spear. “Change your fate.” I demand.
Morríganna senses the moment that he falters, the moment that the tides have turned against her, she turns in a circle to take in the fact that she and her army have begun to lose ground. She shrieks, “Lainn, do something. You wield the Spear of Lugh. You swore your allegiance to me. Take them out! Without Ashlinn and Alaric the tides will turn. Do it! Do it for your queen!” She demands.
Cú Chulainn moves to do her bidding immediately and then stops as he realizes the need to follow her orders is unnatural. His steps falter as well as his ríastrad. He turns to his queen and asks, “What did you do to me? It’s as if I’m a puppet and you control all the strings.”
“Finally,” I whisper.
Lugh is now standing on the other side of me and in one wave of his hand he has cleared the top of the knoll. The wind he commands pushes all those that would intervene away from what is about to happen here on this hilltop, overlooking death and destruction below as the battle continues.
“Son, look at me.” Lugh demands. Cú Chulainn looks toward his father and Lugh continues, “You have been given a second chance. Make it count for something. Your kindred waits for you.”
Cú Chulainn nods, “Yes, father,” and turns back to the phantom queen and announces, “You can’t be allowed to get away with what you have done, Morríganna. You have been reckless… and look what you have wrought. This is not you. Not the Morríganna that I once knew. I no longer recognize what you have become. I am now fully awake since coming back from The Underworld, and I now know that the four main realms are now open to one another because of you. You must be stopped.”
Chapter 39
(Ashlinn)
In unison, I watch as Cú Chulainn and Alaric launch their weapons toward Morríganna. The Spear of Lugh is quick to embed itself in her chest. The Sword of Light finds it’s mark beside the spear and I watch as the phantom queen staggers backward. I stand resolute, as I witness my angelic sister stagger and fall to the ground on her knees. Her hands desperately clutching for purchase to pull the weapons free. Neither the spear nor the sword can be wielded by any felt to be unworthy, and her hands slide through the weapons as if they are made of air. She continues to claw at the two protrusions in her chest as the blood leaches from her wounds. She screams an agonizing screech before collapsing onto her side, her horrendous crown toppling off of her head to tumble down the embankment. I watch her pant as she tries once more to remove the spear and the sword.
She shrieks her anger and frustration for all to hear. Black blood dribbles down the side of her mouth to drip off the tip of her chin. In a desperate attempt she reaches out to me, “Sister… sss… save me…”
Sadly, I shake my head and reply, “I’m sorry, I cannot. You have sealed your fate.”
Her cruel laughter interrupts me, “You choose now to stand up to me?! You were always so self-serving in your need to do good. Well, fuck you sister. Fuck you and your righteous heart!” She breathes out and my heart splinters just a little more at her derision. I wish with all my being that I had not remembered our connection to one another. Her hatred of me is hard to stomach as more memories swamp my mind of the two of us playing together, we did everything together when we were still younglings.
Luc interrupts my internal ponderings, “Her soul is mine, Ashlinn. Don’t even think about stepping in my way.” Lucifer announces as he strides forward. For the first time since the battle began, I take him in, at some point he transformed to become the demon before me. His eyes hold the light of hellfire, and he has m
orphed into a monstrous demon with horns, lethal claws, and his skin is now a dark reddish hue, but he still sports his dark Celtic tattoos. Behind him leathery wings have snapped out in stark contrast to what his once angelic wings must have resembled at one time, these must have grown in their place once they were stripped from him in his fall from grace. His demon form begins to shrink to reveal the Lucifer that I have come to know and begrudgingly like and respect.
“With all due respect, she is my sister, Lucifer.”
His fair head swings my way as I watch Morríganna struggle to breathe, Luc gains my attention, “Ashlinn, you knew it was going to come to this. I demand recompense for what she has done. I want her soul! I demand it! You have no jurisdiction over her now. You know I speak the truth. In exchange, Lainn’s soul is free.” He stares me down, and I concede. He’s right, her soul is darker than dark and Lainn deserves the right to be with his kindred.
“You’re right.” I admit, only to hear Morríganna curse me once more. “So be it! She still lives and may even recover. She is a goddess after all. Do what you must with her. She has sealed her fate by her actions this day and before.” The battle below us is still being fought, and I can’t help but ask, “What now?”
Lucifer and Alaric respond in unison, “We take out the trash!”
Lainn and Alaric walk over to the now barely conscious, broken goddess, and wrench their weapons free from her evil, dark heart. Her screams echo around the battlefield. All those below us still and look back at their broken goddess, their phantom queen. Lucifer’s four-armed, blue she-demons stand guard over her broken form. She has grown quiet now and has succumbed to her wounds, although she still lives.
Sahzu nods to me and then turns to Luc, “My Lord, what is your bidding?”
“Lock her up, you know what to do, I have reserved a special place for her in the farthest depths of Hell. Take the drakes, they can jump you in a matter of moments from here to the rift. The sooner she is locked up the better it will be for us all!” His tone leaves no room for questioning and Sahzu and several others of her kind roughly pick up Morríganna’s twisted and tattered form.
