by Jana LaPelle
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 morphed 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.
She begins to struggle weakly, before uttering, “You can’t do this. I’m a goddess, I’m a queen.”
Luc just looks at her coldly and announces, “No Morríganna, not anymore. You are now one of the Fallen.” No sooner have the words left his mouth than a hideous transformation begins to take place, her once beautiful form twists and contorts to reveal the demon within.
She begins shrieking and crying out as she holds her once flawless alabaster hands in front of her in disbelief, and demands, “What have you done to me?”
Luc’s reply is quick, “That’s just it, I’ve not done anything to you. This is all your doing, and I’m growing bored with this conversation. Bind her. Now.” Much to Morríganna’s dismay they bind her with…
“Where did you? Those binding shackles…” I trail off.
“Let’s just say they come in handy in keeping my brethren in line.” Luc smirks, “I’m the only one in The Underworld that knows the secret of these bindings.”
“You always had the ability to remove them from Alaric.” I accuse.
“And now you know that you, too, have the ability to remove the shackles that bind the gods. Fitting that it would be you, little Keeper that would hold the key. You had to figure it out on your own. I could not interfere.”
“You mean you would not interfere.” Sighing, I know that the fighting must stop, I shake my head and look around us at the gruesome scene before us. Stepping forward, I gesture about, sending a pulse of energy out to gain everyone’s attention, and say to all those that stand below us, “Hear me!!! We are all brethren here today! All of us! The phantom queen has fallen and her wicked ways with her! Already those under her spell are gaining clarity. We must unite to fix all that she has wrought. The veil between the realms must be our priority! Not this fight! Not this battle! We must preserve our way of life! What say you?!” I demand for all to hear. “The Mortal Realm is innocent in all of this! As is The Underworld! We must fix what she has wrought! We must unite! WHAT SAY YOU?!” I demand, and all is quiet as The Morrígan’s followers begin to understand. They begin to step back wearily, not sure what to do or who to follow, their confusion is clear.
I stare out over the downtrodden fields that should be strewn with beautiful flowers but see nothing but the carnage of our battle here today. Blood stands in pools with unmoving bodies strewn about. The day has become dark and ominous and thunder clouds are rolling above us. The dragons and drakes now hover above, along with the war angels of The Overworld, and the imps of The Underworld as the wind picks up, taking the loose strands of my hair away from my face to whip about wildly. It’s at that moment that I feel the power of three thrumming within me, and it is hypnotic in its enticement. I understand now how it could seduce someone to want more power, but it is deceiving in its promise. We must do what must be done in order to end this connection as soon as possible.
All those below move to take a knee, except for a select few that remain steadfastly in Morríganna’s court. I look to what’s left of my guardians and say, “Take them in custody, they are not to blame for what took place here today. We will sort them out soon enough and they will see reason, if not, they will be locked away. We have work to do and not a lot of time to do it.” I’m joined by all those gods and goddesses of the realm that stand with us. Alaric takes my hand, his flaming sword in the other, Lainn by his side. I can’t help but notice that Daerok and his followers have disappeared and are no longer visible on the knoll, as well as Tarron’s father and his followers. They have all retreated to live another day.
Looking over to Jasmine, Lexie and Neamhain, that’s going to take some getting used too, I ask, “How do we fix this?”
Neamhain smiles a sad smile before replying, “Cú Chulainn must die. He was brought back by an unnatural means. We must right,” She pauses, looking remorseful before continuing, “what was wronged on that day.”
“Surely not, he proved himself today. He chose to end Morríganna rather than follow her unconditionally.”
Neamhain’s eyes sparkle, when she replies, “You, Little Keeper, should know better than most that there is life after this one.”
Nodding, I agree, “Yes, I know you are right, but he has been a pawn in all of this. It’s not right for us to stand here and make decisions about what his future holds. That would make us no better than Morríganna.” Turning to the demigod, I ask, “Cú Chulainn, what do you think? What do you want?”
“I need to know… will this death take me to my kindred? Do I need to do more to make sure that we end up together?”
I nod, and say with a soft smile, “Yes, Cú Chulainn, you chose well, you are ready to ascend to The Overworld, where your kindred is waiting for you.”
“Then I’m ready to die, one last time.”
“Thank you, I wish that you could have more time here, but I fear that is something we are in short supply of ,” I say earnestly before turning back to Neamhain and Lexie, I ask, “Besides Lainn having to die, what else must we do?”
“We must travel back to where it all began, we need to go back to his crypt, but we will need all the majic wielders that we can gather, and still I fear that we will need more. The realms have been open to one another for far too long now. Those that dwell in The Underworld and The Overworld must travel back to their realms before we can even begin.”
From the crowd I hear, “Mister, I want to stay here with you.” Pip’s wings beat effortlessly as he gently lands next to us, his mother and uncle behind him. He looks to his mother and says, “I have so much to learn from this realm, I want to stay.” His piercing blue eyes plead.
Paynga’s expression is pained and silver tears appear in her eyes and she asks, “Pipperton, if you stay, I’m not sure if we will ever see each other again.” Her tears course down her cheeks freely, and they remind me of silver mercury, staining her face. A stark contrast to her alabaster skin and crystal blue eyes.
“I know Momma, but have you seen it here? It’s so different, it’s so…”
he pauses, before continuing, “I love you Momma, I will find a way back to you and The Underworld, I promise.”
Neamhain interrupts, “I don’t think that will be a problem, he will be able to make his way back. The Overworld and The Underworld are our first priorities. If we can contain the rift, we will more than likely need the services of the Drakon Dragons, they were once the Guardians of The Realms before The Underworld and The Overworld were permanently sealed to the other realms. I fear that we are once again in need of their services. We will not be able to permanently close the realms to one another. The best that we can do is seal the rift and where the veil is thinnest between the realms station our guardians to prevent those who seek to cross over without permission to access the other realms. It’s the best that we can hope for.” She concludes.
I smile, “Which means if Pip wants to go home, he can, with the permission of the guardians.” Then my smile falters and I look toward Dray, “Are you and your brethren up to the task?”
“Aye, we are very much looking forward to being of use again. Most of us have just recently woken from a very long hibernation. It will be good to have a purpose once more and to resume our post as Guardians of The Realms.”
“Then we need to get busy and get this done!” As soon as the words are out of my mouth another shimmering mirage appears between our realm and The Mortal Realm. This time I can see that the mortals are preparing to dispatch their armies to overtake us. They see our ways of war barbaric, and in their misguided shortsightedness, they are underestimating what we will do to them if they invade us. They are amassing tanks and aircraft to dispatch through the veil. That can’t happen! They seek to destroy Faerie, The Otherworld as we know it. Turning to Alaric, I announce for everyone to hear, “We need to do this now!”
Chapter 40
