“Our connection to our Earth Mother is born in here,” I added, placing my hand on his heart. “Close your eyes and let your heart guide you. Think of the love you have for our Earth Mother and connect to her essence.” He nodded slowly, dissecting my words and I watched him close his eyes and take deep breath. His face brightened as he connected with the elemental essence.
“Try it now,” I whispered.
With his eyes still closed he raised his open hand. “Os cionn Mo pailme.”
The stone instantly lifted into the air and hovered above his palm. Dana and Eisha proudly cheered and clapped in celebration of his accomplishment. Aengus opened his eyes astounded. The stone swayed a bit but remained above his palm, floating. I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“Well done, son,” I stood. Eisha and the children got up as well. I gave them a parting nod and turned to head back towards my hut.
“Aengus, Dana, what have I taught you? You need to pay your respect.”
An appalled voice called from behind me and I turned back to find Merna, the children’s mother. She went down on one knee, holding the children’s shoulders and guiding them down with her. She placed her hand over her chest and bowed her head before me. The children did the same.
I shook my head. “No please, it is not necessary. I have expressed this before. You need not bow before me. I am no one to receive it.” I said holding her arm and helping her to her feet.
“You are our Àrd-shagart, the children need to learn to show respect.” She said looking at them with an admonishing look. They lowered their heads in embarrassment for their oversight.
“It is alright; you need not bother yourself with the formalities Merna. I assure you.”
She bowed her head once more and grabbed the arms of the children, dragging them away. I sighed.
“I am not…” I whispered watching them walk away. I turned around to continue my way to the hut when Eisha stopped me by holding my arm.
“Are you well?” She asked. Concern filled her voice once more.
I nodded and offered her a small smile.
“You need not worry, a chara”
She gave me a smile and placed a kiss on my cheek. Her eyes lingered on mine briefly, still filled with a concern she could not conceal. I detested making others worry about my wellbeing. I should have come back from the waterfall, before the light of dawn. I watched her walk away towards the training ground, to begin the warrior’s preparation for the day.
I closed the wooden door to my hut, and looked around. I stood in the center of the room and chuckled as the memory of the stone returned to me. Only Art would dare throw the stone in front of the High Priest. That was my brother. He had been only five years old back then, but he had a resilient spirit. And he always supported everything I did. He believed in me. He believed that I would accomplish what I set out to do. He understood it was wise to take a moment and acknowledge our failures. Let out our frustrations, and then use the lesson to try once more. He never doubted I would always do the right thing, or take the right path. That is why I would not give up on him. I would never leave him behind…
Once I had helped the remaining of my Druid family settle our new village, I decided to hold a rumination rite. It was essentially a meditation of sorts, one that I had practiced many times. It would allow me to clear my essence and deepen my sense of presence and knowledge. In doing so, I would be able to intensify my awareness of the physical realm, its purity and prerequisites, increasing my connection to all existences.
Once this was achieved I would search for Art’s Essence. I would not accept his failure to arrive at our mother village as declaration of his demise. He was my brother. I would not stop. I would do this as many times as it was required of me. I needed to find him… And I did.
After connecting to his essence and confirming that he was alive, a new sense of purpose flooded me with the force of the wild sea. Art was well. And I needed to find him and the others. I began doing the rite over and over, searching for the essence of my other brother and sister warriors whom had sailed as laochra ceannaire, with their clans that night. Once I had connected with a few of them, I proceeded with the subsequent phase of my mission. Bringing them home.
After I alerted Eisha of my discovery, she insisted that I began training her in the ways of the elemental connection. She was coming with me. Since it was only the two of us who would venture into this rescue mission, I decided the best way for our crossing would be to use magic. There was only one thing that would allow us to cross over and move between the dimensions of space in order to reach our brothers and sisters before it was too late.
Clocha sliocht bheannaithe—blessed passage stones.
Last time I had used them it had been with Mo meantóir. He had been teaching me their power and urged me to use them responsibly. I heeded his warning and never touched them again, except during our practices.
I hurriedly searched inside the trunk for the leather sack I had brought with me. The only possession that I still had from our life in the mother village. I took a small cloth sack from it and emptied it on the floor. I kneeled before it. Twelve honey colored, rectangular slabs of stone lay in disarray. I leaned over. “Ceangal”—connect, I whispered, and watched them slide away from each other, rearranging and forming a perfect wide circle. As they connected to the elemental energy running through them, the stones shimmered. I closed my eyes and let the magic inside me flow through me until it connected with the stones’. Lifting my left sleeve I gazed at my forearm and concentrated on the place I needed to access. The gold light appeared once more forming lines that rapidly swirled and slithered on my skin turning black.
“Seall dhomh an t-slighe”— Show me the way.
In response, the lines formed the map on my skin presenting my destination.
I stood and focused my attention on the stone circle.
“Leigeil le trannsa”—allow passage.
Immediately the energy in the room changed and began swirling around me. It intensified while the map and the stones connected. The portal began to form. Opening my eyes I saw the light blue glow of the stones illuminate the room. Clouded white energy, spun inside the stone circle until an image formed and I could see through it. It had been years since I had last moved between the layers of space. That was about to change. I jumped into the stone circle and saw my surroundings change in an instant from the inside of my hut to the dark stormy sky of our mother village.
“Gluasad gu ciùin sìos”—glide down.
I thought, not even needing to speak the words while I fell through sky. My vision acquired a gray hue when I connected with the air. A gust of wind swept me over, slowing my descent until my feet landed on the earth with a soft thud.
I inspected the area and immediately noticed the differences on the place from when we last came. The trees and grass around the entrance of the village were charred as if fire had been set. The Romans had been here. My senses awakened and I assumed a fighting stance.
“Bogha-saighde,” I lifted my arm reaching back and my bow materialized under my grasp. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and turned in a circle around me, looking for any indication that they were still here. Walking slowly I approached the village. What I saw awakened the pain in me, but it also gave me hope. Among the destruction there were signs that my people had been here. Someone else had shown up after the fifth day of winter solstice. Unfortunately the Romans had followed them. But there were no bodies. Romans or otherwise, which told me my people were still alive. I stood to my full height seeing the danger was gone, and placed my bow and arrow back in my quiver. I instantly felt them vanish from my back. I closed my eyes and tried to sense the remnants of the energies that had been there not long ago. Among the hostile energies I found, there was a familiar…
My eyes snapped open “Art!” My brother had been here. I ran to where the energy was the strongest and examined the ground, noticing there was a gleam amongst the grass. I kneeled and hurrie
dly let my fingers part the strands of grass until my hand felt it. Lying within was an iron pendant, Art’s clan pendant. It was a round medal hanging from a leather cord. Carved on the iron was the head of a wolf with the Triquetra symbol on its forehead.
“Live bold, trust your instincts,” was inscribed on the back.
It represented my brother’s spirit animal and his life’s journey. Mine had the head of a jaguar with the Triquetra on its forehead as well.
“The power within me is greater than any fear before me,” was its inscription.
It was customary that everyone in the clan wore one around their neck, traditionally given by our parents at the age of fifteen. However, ours had been gifts from Mo meantóir when I turned ten, my brother was only nine at the time. We both had vowed to become warriors.
I saw the ripped leather cord and closed my fist over the pendant holding it tight. I jogged back to the clearing just outside the village, stopping where I had landed when I crossed over. I looked at the ground and the blessed passage stones were there in the same place where they fell after my arrival. I picked them up and letting the magic inside me come alive, threw them in the air as the map of the village instantly appeared on my skin.
“Leigeil le trannsa.”
The stones grew in size and changed, forming an archway before me. Its blue light glowed and the inside to my hut appeared within its depths. I crossed over.
“Dùin”—close.
I picked up the stones from the floor once the portal disappeared. The map returned to its essence.
Running to Eisha’s hut, I knocked on the door with urgency and barged inside the second she opened it.
“Of course you may come in, Cyn. Nothing would give me greater pleasure. After all, I am here to tend to your every wish, brother warrior,” she said mockingly closing the door behind me.
Not responding to her jesting, I turned around and held Art’s pendant up. Her face paled and she took it from my hands.
“He was there, Eisha. He arrived at the mother village after we departed…” I considered my next words as her shocked eyes stared at the pendant.
“The Romans had also been there.”
I watched her, as she remained silent for a few moments staring at the pendant she held. Once her shock ended her eyes sought mine.
“How?”
Was the only word out of her lips and immediately I realized my misstep. Eisha was not aware of the full power of our magic. Like the rest of our Druid family, she knew we had certain abilities. That we could connect to our Earth Mother, and channel her essence. Nonetheless, she was ignorant about the full power of our elemental connection, and the blessed passage stones. This knowledge was passed down to the High Priest and only extended to a selected few.
I let out a sigh and sat her down, explaining everything she had no knowledge of. When I was finished, her jaw was slack and her eyes were glazed over. She seemed dazed. I knew she was trying to process everything she had just learned but there was no time. “Eisha are you with me?” I asked growing a little impatient.
She blinked and looked at the pendant in her hand then at me.
“Show me.”
I pulled her up and walked her to my hut as she still stared at me in amazement. Rolling up my left sleeve I thought of the place I wanted to access.
“Seall dhomh an t-slighe”—show me the way.
The map drew itself on to my skin and I picked up the stones form where I had left them. I threw them in the air.
“Leigeil le trannsa.”
Once again the stones grew in size and reformed, creating an archway before us. Its blue light glowed as the inside swirled with cloudy white energy then became clear.
“Oh blessed mother Goddess!”
Eisha gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. She stared right through the portal to the inside of her hut. Without needing indications or displaying apprehension, she stepped through it and looked around once in her room. She laughed incredulous and leaped through it landing next to me. I could not help but chuckle. She was like a child, stepping in and out of the portal between her room and mine. When I was tired of seeing her play, I grabbed her arm stopping her.
“Dùin”—Close.
The stones fell on to the ground turning into their regular shape and I picked them up.
“How does it work?” She asked enlightened.
Eisha was going to be the death of me. Taking a deep breath I proceeded to explain.
“The stones originated from Drombeg circle, near our mother village. The stones forming the circle are powerful portals. These are part of them and the same energy from the Drombeg stones flows through them. They are an extension of it, if you will. They are connected to the map that appears on my skin, their energy is one in the same. One cannot be used without the other. And only by having the blessed stones do you gain connection to the map. I join with their magic and ask the map to show me the way. Then I ask for permission to cross over and the portal opens granting me passage to where the map has shown. If the essence of the stones does not deem your essence worthy, it will not grant you passage. Even if you can connect to the magic.”
She stared at me, her eyes wide in amazement, taking it all in.
“Focus Eisha, please.”
She nodded blinking and looked at the pendant in her hands. Tying the ripped ends into a knot, she slipped it over her head and took a deep breath. The playfulness gone from her face was replaced with a fierce determination. A Warrior’s determination.
“Can you connect to Art’s essence and track where he is, accurately?”
I pondered about it for a moment then nodded, still pensive.
“I have never done it before, but his energy is strong enough that I believe I could. The map can aid me.”
She nodded pleased by my answer as she clasped her hand over her pendant together with Art’s on her chest.
“Then there is no time to waste. Teach me.”
*
I performed the rumination rite for several days until I was finally able to hone in this new facet of my ability. Ultimately connecting to my brother’s essence long enough to decipher his whereabouts. During this period, I dedicated the rest of my time on teaching Eisha the very basics of the elemental connection. I wanted her to be able to connect and harness at least one of the elements in case she needed to defend herself. Anyone could have access to the magic, they just needed to have an uncorrupted essence and learn how to connect to it.
“I am ready.”
Eisha said, coming into my hut as I tied the strings on the side of my warrior vest. She was also wearing her warrior suit. Much like mine, hers consisted of a brown leather vest that tied on the sides. The symbol of the order of the Druids was engraved on the back panel. Leather, iron-lined bracers, brown leather trousers and laced up calf boots. Unlike me, she carried her weapons strapped to her back. The double-ended Battle-axes, hung crisscrossed behind her. Ready to be put to use.
She stepped closer and helped me tie my brace, then held my hand standing next to me. The map appeared on my skin as I concentrated on the place I had last felt my brother’s essence. I grabbed the stones and threw them on the floor.
The portal formed. Eisha and I exchanged a nod and jumped in.
We landed on a low hanging cliff on the rocky side of a beach. The sky was dark and a storm was brewing. The waves of the sea rose high, splashing against the cliff. It was the start of battle. The Romans were attacking. My brother and his warrior supports were fighting to the best of their ability but they were greatly outnumbered.
Without missing a step, Eisha removed her axes from the back and threw one at the soldier to her right. The axe rotated in the air until it inserted itself on his back. With a battle cry that matched the howls of the wind around us, she lunged forward stepped on a nearby boulder and jumped. Wrapping her thighs around the neck of the closest soldier, she snapped his neck by rotating her body and brought him down with the force of the fall. Sh
e swung her second axe at the chest of another soldier in front of them, freeing a family. Standing she turned in a half circle. She used the momentum, along with her upper strength to hit the one coming towards her in the face with her iron brace. As she kicked him on the chest throwing him a few feet backwards, I placed my palms horizontal to the earth and my vision acquired its copper hue. I connected to its essence and called on my strength.
“From my essence to yours, I beg for your protection.”
I lifted my fists and brought them down slamming them to the earth. Instantly, perfectly formed cracks split the rocky ground, spreading like veins only to where the soldiers stood. My hands still glowed while my eyes connected with my brother. He looked around trying to assess what was happening. When the soldier in front of him fell through the crack but the same averted him, he looked up and met my eyes. I could see the confusion and relief on his face a second before he turned and ran to the group of children standing a few yards behind him. The earth was still swallowing soldiers when I turned and headed towards Eisha. I retrieved her axe from the soldier she first took down, and whistled at her throwing it in her direction. The Roman before her swung his sword and she leaped out of the way, returning his strike with the sharp spear at the end of her bottom axe. It went straight through his heart, ending his fight. Turning, she jumped in time to catch the axe I threw.
I turned to my right, side stepping my attacker’s mace. I reached for the chain and pulled him forward, then spun with all my force, my knee hitting him in the middle of his spine. The cracking sound reverberated as he fell. The mace slipped from his grasp. I reached for my quiver as the bow and arrows materialized and flung an arrow into his chest, ending his suffering. I ran forward and intercepted the next soldier. Swinging my right arm, my iron brace connected with his trachea, crushing his windpipe. I lifted my left arm and brought the bow down with force hitting the back of his head. He fell limply on to the ground.
We continued battling the soldiers. I saw Art taking a couple towards the other end of the cliff, and realized he was gathering the people there as he freed them from the Romans. Pulling two arrows from my quiver I whispered.
Hidden Magic: An Ancient Magic Novel Page 6
