The Bloodline Inheritance

by Brad A. LaMar

  The Morrigan looked past Caoranach, who faded from Brendan’s view, and stared directly at Brendan. “What was once fractured can never be made whole again, but what was splintered and thrown asunder, now there’s power in the collection. There’s rejuvenation in the marriage of parts. There’s hope in the joining. But it’s only possible within universal power.”

  Brendan stared back at her, his mind soaking in her words, memorizing every sentence, every syllable, etching her message into his brain forever.

  “Now go, Brendan O’Neal; your time is running short.”

  All of the light in the area faded and Brendan was left floating in his sedated mind, yearning to get up, yearning to fight.

  Instead, he lay still, unaware of the visitors standing over his unconscious body.

  …

  Mag Mell was exactly as Dorian’s father had described it to her when she was a child sitting on his knee and listening to his wonderful Otherworld tales. He loved to tell her all about the strange clans and beings who inhabited the six realms. In moments like this, it seemed like the witch had stolen his life away from her a century ago even though it had barely been more than a year. She missed him terribly.

  Her father Duncan would have loved to have stepped foot on the shores of the island of Graw and watch the waters of the Vetnu Ocean abuse the jutting rocks of the coast one relentless wave after another. He would have marveled at the clarity of the sea and depth of the waters as he watched schools of fish swim in their groups.

  Dorian and Airmid had been walking all over Graw searching for a group called the Ossorians that the goddess thought could be helpful. Dorian had never heard of them, but Airmid assured her that their involvement would be crucial to hastening their search. The Leprechaun took her word for it. Dorian was too numb to give the search much thought. She felt ashamed, but the time away from Brendan, especially in his poisoned-angry state, was what she needed. It had been a rough last few months and Dorian felt like her body and her spirit were weary, torn down, and in need of rejuvenation. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get it, but she knew that it was necessary.

  “Want to talk about it?” Airmid asked, looking at the young mortal.

  “Huh?” Dorian replied, a bit caught off guard by the question.

  “About your heavy heart, Dorian. What are you feeling?”

  Dorian stopped and turned her shoulders to face the beautiful goddess. Airmid’s eyes were soft and filled with understanding. Dorian’s shoulders slumped and the tears began to flow. She put her hands in her face and felt Airmid’s arms wrap around her consolingly.

  “It’s been so hard,” Dorian said through a sob. “And now with Brendan being like he is—I just don’t think we can stop Elathan.”

  “There, there, sweet Dorian. That’s why I’m here,” she replied, pulling Dorian’s hands away gently. “Not to stop Elathan, but to help you and Brendan.”

  “What if we’re too late? What if Brendan is past saving?”

  “That’s impossible, Dorian. He has you.”

  Dorian’s brow scrunched in confusion. “I don’t understand. I’m a nobody compared to him. He has powers that most can only dream of, Airmid. I…”

  Airmid shook her head. “You are a strong individual, Dorian. You’re loyal, protective, and most of all loving. That’s how you are going to help me save him. The love and bond you share resides in his heart and that’s one place that Elathan’s poison can never penetrate. The love in his heart will buy him the time we need so that I can treat him.”

  “How can you be so certain?” Dorian asked with large tears welling in her eyes.

  Airmid smiled. “You are a daughter of Ireland. Luck is always with you.”

  The two hugged like old friends before Airmid continued along the path. Dorian wiped her eyes dry and started to follow until she spotted a bright white glimmering light partially sticking out from under a palm leaf on the side of the path. She bent down and pulled the leaf aside to study the source of the light.

  “Airmid, what do you make of this?” she asked.

  The goddess of healing turned back and locked eyes on the object. She closed her eyes and took a deep drawl of air through her nostrils.

  “That object is very special, Dorian,” she said opening her eyes. “Be careful when you lift it, and keep it safe.”

  Dorian raised a quizzical eyebrow and then looked back down at the object. She moved her hand closer to it and as it drew nearer her red magical glow started to softly emanate, pulsing gently but noticeably. She withdrew her hand and looked back up at Airmid.

  The goddess nodded.

  Dorian reached out once more and again her hand glowed. Once her fingers tentatively closed around the white object she could feel her weariness subside. In fact, she felt positively stronger. She clutched the object and closed her eyes, seeing its energy in her mind’s eye, ebbing and flowing, fluid.

  “I feel… I feel something when I hold…” She looked down at the object taking in the sight for the first time through focused vision. It looked jagged but not sharp, very similar to a piece of crystal that had been broken from a flat sheet. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s powerful, Dorian. Very powerful.”

  Dorian nodded in agreement and placed the object into her back pocket. “Let’s go find your friends.”

  “Oh, the Ossorians are not my friends, but they may be able to help.”

  …

  “Excuse us, fellas,” Biddy called out as she and Rory approached the Giant brothers in a field just outside of Corways.

  Tevis brought his enormous face up from a wheelbarrow worth of food and looked at the pair of Leprechauns. He smiled and a few ears of corn fell out of his teeth.

  “Just having a snack. What can we do you for?” Tevis asked merrily.

  “Enjoying your stay in Corways?” Biddy asked politely.

  “That we are,” Fergus answered. “Your place is secluded and that’s hard to find when you’re big like us.”

  “I could see how that could be a problem,” Rory said. “We were wondering if you knew anything about the Crown of the World. You see a few of our friends are on a journey to try and discover whatever it is, and we know, or at least think we know, that this Crown is located somewhere in your part of the world.”

  The Giant brothers exchanged looks.

  “What is it?” Biddy asked.

  “Well, just stories really,” Tevis replied.

  “Things we heard growing up, is all,” Fergus added. “Nothing crazy.”

  Rory prompted the Giants. “Anything you can tell us may be useful.”

  “We don’t know much about this Crown but we do know about the stones,” Tevis said.

  “The Standing Stones of Callanish? Why do you mention those?” Rory asked, puzzled.

  “Well, it’s just that the only time I ever heard anything about the Crown mentioned was when I heard stories about the stones.” Tevis sat up a little straighter and used the back of his enormous hand to wipe his mouth clean.

  “We know a little about the Standing Stones and the war that happened in that area,” Biddy said.

  “And the horrible things that the wizards did to many of our ancestors, turning them into the stones and all,” Fergus interjected, his eyes hinting at the anger of it all.

  “No one ever said anything specifically about the Crown?” Rory prodded.

  “Just that it was the reason that they fought,” Tevis answered.

  “We always assumed they were referring to becoming king or something,” Fergus explained.

  “To be honest, we really don’t know exactly what the Crown is, but you can bet that if wars are being fought over it, then it’s something very powerful.” Rory looked at the others warningly, as if they didn’t know that the world was already in danger.

  …

  “So, where are you taking me?” Tannus asked Della from atop his horse.

  She rode next to him on a miniature black unicorn. S
he stroked the unicorn’s mane gently, keeping him calm as he walked next to the larger animal.

  “I thought it would be a nice change of scenery to get out and explore the realm. There are many types of creatures that call Ann wn home.”

  “And what of clans?” Tannus asked.

  “There are tribes of Pucks and Goborchind and various Goblins have been known to scavenge from time to time,” she replied.

  “Goblins? Goblins were banned from Earth a long time ago; I wonder if that will change?” Tannus stared off into the distance not really sure how to feel about what Elathan had in store for the people of Earth.

  “We’re approaching Goborchind lands.”

  Tannus nodded and looked off the side of the road at a pair of particularly aggressive deer doing their best to tear each other’s heads off. It was way out of character for these animals to behave that way, not that they didn’t fight when jockeying for the best mate, but this was savage.

  “That’s strange,” he said, pointing it out to Della.

  “It seems to me that the whole realm has grown grim in recent days.” She spurred her unicorn and began to trot a little faster. “Up there is Wassit, the chief of the tribe.” She waved her arm to try and gain his attention.

  Up the hillside Wassit and a small group of Goborchind were standing for Tannus’s arrival.

  “Greetings, Chief Wassit. I am Tannus the new Watcher of this realm.” Tannus remained on his horse, although his actual position compared to the small group was lower. He didn’t like that fact.

  “We know who you are,” Wassit replied plainly. “Be warned that the sickness that was wrought upon this realm will destroy it.”

  “He’s really uplifting, eh?” Tannus said out of the side of his mouth to Della before turning back to Wassit. “Look, all that happened was a change in management. I’m just here to ensure that there is peace in the land. That’s it.”

  Wassit dropped his gaze to Della, and she could see the look of disgust on his face. She had been the one who said that her days of being subordinate to gods were over, and here she was riding beside another. She had to look away until the Goborchind turned their backs on her and departed.

  “Well, meeting the people is off to a rousing start I’d say,” Tannus said with a smile. “Nothing like a doomsday warning to get the old juices flowing.”

  “We are talking about Elathan here, Lord Tannus. What do you think his end game is going to be?”

  The smile disappeared from Tannus’s face. “Things of that nature are of no concern to insignificant Pucks.” Without another word he prodded his horse into a sprint, leaving Della and her unicorn behind.

  …

  A patch of fog moved rather quickly across an open field in Tech Duinn easing around trees and skirting a stream until it finally came to rest at the base of a hillside. Slowly the fog dissipated to reveal Oscar O’Neal and his ghostly dog.

  Oscar took a few steps away from Ruger and scanned the area. “Do you think she’s close?”

  Ruger barked a happy bark in response before he leaned down and smelled the grass. He walked around the area drawing in the scents that were scattered about. Finally the ghost dog began to grow excited about a particular smell.

  “Find something, boy?” Oscar asked.

  Woof!

  “Is it the Bogle?” Nothing. “Is it Angie, Ruger?”

  Woof! Woof! The dog barked emphatically.

  “Angie,” Oscar lamented. “It’s all my fault she’s here. I used the medallion, and she walked right through the portal without hesitation. I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t even stop myself.”

  Ruger whimpered a little and moved his head under Oscar’s dangling hand.

  “I don’t even know what Conchar’s motivation was for taking her away from me. I’ll never know.”

  Ruger looked up the hill and began to growl and bark. Oscar turned and spotted a trio of Dunters gawking at him from the apex of the hill.

  “Foolish human,” Zat taunted. “You will never have your precious wife back. We’re going to cook her in a stew.”

  The other Dunters laughed and pointed.

  “But you’re welcome to try because Bodach awaits your challenge,” Squig offered.

  “Go to the Nez Canyons. That is where you will find death,” Zat proclaimed.

  The Goblins disappeared over the hill leaving Oscar and Ruger standing at the base. Oscar began sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him up the hillside only to find it empty.

  “Okay, Ruger, do you know where that is?”

  Ruger barked.

  “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  …

  Peigi’s mind didn’t feel like her own. There was a weird presence inside her consciousness; something that was clouding her thoughts, her emotions, even her will. What it was she couldn’t say, but there was a strong desire to find someone, someone special. But who was this—a Dryad? She supposed that if a Súmaire could exist in the world then a Dryad could as well.

  “Peigi?” a voice off in the distance called her name.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Do you sense what we seek?”

  She thought about it for a moment and then a faint smell of something interesting came to her attention. “Yes, but it’s weak.”

  “Lead the way, my dear.”

  “Okay, but there are two others with her,” she advised.

  “Leave them all to me.”

  Chapter 10

  Imprisonment

  You’ve done well, Boann,” Camulos said as he cautiously walked around the Protector’s prone body.

  “He came without rousing. We probably could have killed him a hundred times on the way to Sarvaloo,” Boann boasted.

  “Not likely,” Camulos corrected her. He patted the hilt of his god killer sword. “There is only one way to end his life, and I’m going to do it in a very public way.”

  “This sword was with him,” she said, laying a broad sword on the table next to Brendan.

  “Ah, Arawn’s weapon.” Camulos knew where Brendan had been and offhandedly wondered what had become of Dewi. “Interesting. Leave me be.”

  Boann bowed low and then left the room. Camulos had placed Brendan’s body in one of the guest quarters after he was assured that Airmid’s slumber incantations were exceptional.

  Camulos leaned in towards Brendan’s face. “So you are the one who’s given Elathan issue. You don’t look like much to me, Protector.”

  The god stood and then began to stride towards the door. “What will Elathan say when he learns that I have done something that even he could not? My day is coming, and I’ll have your death to thank for it.”

  …

  The Ossorian territory wasn’t far from where Lizzie, Frank, Rohl, and Garnash had arrived in Mag Mell. Aine had explained to them a little about who her people were and what they had become.

  “So you can turn it on and off as you please?” Rohl asked, looking at Aine who was in human form.

  “Yes, but from the stories I’ve heard that was a gift from the Morrigan thousands of years ago.” Aine turned left on the path, and the others followed. “To hear tell the first of our kind were cursed to change forms by the full moon, their minds lost while trapped inside the beast’s body.”

  “Who did this to your ancestors?” Frank asked, his own fascination with werewolves peeked.

  “There are many theories that speak of varying gods and goddesses and demons and monsters, so I can’t really tell you where the initial curse came from, but the stories about mercy with the curse are all clearly accredited to the Morrigan.”

  “That’s interesting since the humans from my home all accuse her of mischief. King Arthur is supposed to be the good guy,” Garnash added.

  “Who?” Aine asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Lizzie said, raising her hand. “Let’s just find the council and get your wolf… uh, man back.”

  “We’re here.” Aine pulled back a heavy, low-s
lung branch from the path and revealed a wide-open area where human-like figures were holding market.

  Frank and Lizzie stepped in first and received a modicum of stares. No one in Aine’s village seemed to be too threatened by the newcomers, even after seeing Rohl and Garnash walk in from behind.

  “This way,” Aine declared as she moved around the group and marched through the center of the town.

  The group walked in file behind Aine as she led them through the crowded street fair. Lizzie took in the many smells of food cooking on open flames and in stone ovens. It reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything in awhile. Frank must have been thinking the same thing.

  “Wow, that smells amazing! I can’t remember the last time we had a hot meal,” he said.

  “Come,” Aine said, hearing the conversation. “Let me serve you Ossorian cuisine. The council will no doubt welcome your presence.”

  Their path led them away from the delicious aroma of the market and into a more formal area for business. It wasn’t like the governmental plazas in the larger cities in America, but rather an arrangement of tents, wooden structures, and stone buildings. None of them matched the others, but yet they managed to stand together in harmony.

  “Here is where the council resides.” Aine said arriving at the stone building, the coldest structure in the area. She grabbed hold of a rope that hung near the door and pulled. A low sounding gong clanged, and in moments the door was flung open.

  “Aine?” a gruff-looking, heavily-bearded man asked as he answered the door. He looked at the newcomers with a wary eye. “What do you want of the council?”

  “We seek audience with them.”

  The large Ossorian sneered. “You have already wasted enough of the council’s time.”

  “We are not here to waste anyone’s time, Harn. My new friends have requested to meet with the council. They are of Earth.”

  The doorman scowled and closed the door. They stood there waiting, and after a few minutes the door opened and Lizzie’s group entered the council’s hall. They were led back to what looked like a small auditorium and they were made to stand in a circular space that sat lower than the members so that they were surrounded.