by Peter Green
Terese was shaking him by the shoulders, “My lord! There is news from Derwydd... you must come and talk to Endinou and Erhombu!” Amergin was back with a jolt, his head still full of Sceine’s beauty, and full of questions... the lay line, the alignment, the islands, a secret portal, time travel?
All these questions had to be answered... but another time...
Endinou spoke with the wisdom of the ages, “My lord Amergin, the path of your destiny evolves!
There is no time to dwell here! You must leave! The dark one MacCuacht marches to hunt you down!” Erhombu explained further, “The time has come for the Sea Druid to bring salvation to this island of destiny. MacCuacht rallies at the high mountain fortress of Hawardden. He takes the army of lost souls from the lands to the east, where the portals are infected and compromised by the dark Sidhe. He brings a dark army to hunt you. He intends to drive you into the ocean and away from the Promised Land!”
Erhombu was so certain. Amergin looked at him questioningly. “The spirits of the Woodlands of Derwydd risked their lives to confront the army of lost souls and get this information …By the great spirit we must go to sea!” his expression hardened as he explained why, “MacCuacht goes to the Temple of Xhara. He intends to tear the veil, to corrupt the portal and bring forth the dark Sidhe.
Should the High Priests of Xhara be taken, then the Temple of Xhara will be infected and the great portals of the Western Province will be threatened. The army that hunts you will then have enough power to corrupt Machlleth and the other great portals. You must go to sea, circumnavigate the island of destiny and get to the Temple of Xhara before MacCuacht. You must prevent MacCuacht from tearing the veil at all costs!”
Amergin was in a state of shock now. Only moments ago he was with Sceine in rapture! Endinou encouraged Amergin, “No one can match you at sea! You are Sea Druid of the Sea Kingdoms.The sea is your highway, even circumnavigating the island you will travel faster than MacCuacht. He will have to traverse the island, crossing mountain ranges and meet tribes averse to intrusion.We will contact the Aganti who will use their notorious guerrilla tactics to slow the dark one. All of the enlightened beings will pester and harry him. You will travel around the Northern Province and the sea god Manannan willing, get to the Eastern Province and the Temple of Xhara before MacCuacht!”
Stunned at the news, and even more horrified at the prospect of MacCuacht reaching the fabled Temple of Xhara, Amergin braced himself to the reality that he will soon be embarking on a sea journey even more perilous than that from the Tower of Galicia many lunar cycles ago.
How can that be? He was readying himself to journey south to meet Sceine! Now he sails north!
This time it was Terese who spoke. She had been quietly listening, “There is one thing you have not been told my lord Amergin! The witches Eiru, Fodha and Banbha go to Sliebh Mis as we speak...
Sceine is in grave danger!”
Terese of the Xantha knew what was coming next. Amergin implored her, “Terese you must take your most valiant warriors and journey to Sliebh Mis! Go with all haste, waste no time!”
The dice had certainly been thrown... Sceine in danger! The Temple of Xhara under threat! Reality had certainly come with the dawn.
The rapturous, sensuous encounter with Sceine filled his head, made his heart race and his spirits soar. That morning the Western Province was at its most glorious! New life breathed in to the Woodlands of Derwydd. Verdant energy charged in from the ether. The new dawn crackled with life giving force. The land was bathed in other worldly radiance. Yet the first step on the path to the coast seemed the longest he had ever taken. He should be heading south to his beloved Sceine…
Amergin travelled with MacCuill. He picked his brains. He had a rich local knowledge. He sensed that MacCuill would become a great leader and a maker of legends in his own right. Like Amergin, he had a streak of wrecklessness and eternal optimism. Heartened by his presence and glad to have him as an ally, even so, his familial line was still disconcerting...
Amergin’s resolve grew, the closer he got to the coast. The sea was infused in his blood. Salt water in his veins... the Sea Druid came to the fore, he was ready for the voyage...
His mind was now consumed with the logistics of a marathon sea voyage, the race against time and the arrival of the dark one MacCuacht.
He had already made his farewells to Terese. She travelled south with her amazonian Xantha to intercept the Witches of Hawardden. The Xantha would die for her, their loyalty legendary, their physical prowess fiercesome, and their magic powerful. “They will need all their strengths!” thought Amergin. The forces of the feminine were on their way to help Sceine and perpetuate the Prophecy.
Time was of the essence. His stride lengthened. His resolve strengthened. He was focussed and determined. His eternal love affair must not cloud his judgement. “To the coast!” rallied Amergin.
They marched past the Quarry of Izion, leaving Endinou and the Cyclops Sethse there to protect the source of the Bluestones.
They marched to the Temple of the Sun to meet their loyal Milesian mariners. They marched in to a darkening dusk, and towards a rising crescent moon. In the east the still threatening thunderheads rolled and brewed. To the west, where the sun set over the distant silver ocean, the evening star Venus rose slowly over shimmering, mysterious islands.
Amergin turned to MacCuill, who knows these lands, “What can you tell me about these mysterious Islands on the Western horizon?”
“Very little my lord Amergin,” replied MacCuill, “The Magine Islands are steeped in legend. No one has gone there in recent times. Legend has it that the ancients worshipped there. There are tales that this is the home of the sea god Mannanan. Sailors tell of sea monsters that defend the islands. It has become a place of taboo and myth!” Amergin listened carefully. He had become strangely drawn to these islands. He had seen how the light from the Temple of the Sun channelled towards the largest of these islands. The lay line from the Great Portal of Machlleth appeared to connect with these islands, “The home of the sea god Mannanan maybe.The site of a sacred temple more likely!”
Amergin stared at the crimson red sunset. Venus rising above the horizon pointed the way. The planet of love and harmony shone like a sparkling emerald hovering above the Magine Islands.He was being drawn there by the enlightened Guardians of Light.
In the dead of the night, the planetary beacon shone even brighter. A thin silver crescent of moon rose and traversed the kaleidoscopic heavens, following the milky path of a myriad stars that exuded an ethereal glow over the Magine islands, “Heavenly!” whispered Amergin in to the cool, clear night air. His mind too, was crystal clear... he knew his mission. He was being guided by the stars, the universe, and Sceine...
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
THE TEMPLE OF SCEILGE
The morning light lit up the Temple of the Sun high on the escarpment.The three giant Bluestones guiding their way. Pure radiant sunlight poured over the pristine shoreline of the Western Province.
Golden sands met surging ocean. White cresting waves broke powerfully on to miles and miles of deserted beaches. From the mountains to the east, to the verdant Woodlands of Derwydd, to the fringing shore, marshlands and meadows, then to the mighty ocean and on the horizon, the shimmering Magine Islands, “Breathtaking!” Amergin was taken aback by the beauty of the place...
Following the river around the final few bends, they came across the silty, estuarine anchorage where the Milesian vessels had been hauled up to a safe point above the high water mark. Amergin spotted his trusty helmsman Xomas on the prow of the flagship. He hailed him, and he and the rest of the crew jumped to shore and sprinted to meet Amergin. They hugged and embraced the Sea Druid, delighted their leader and champion had returned! “Anything strange?” interjected Amergin in the customary Milesian greeting. “Plenty my lord!” responded Xomas, “In this strange and mysterious land!” Amergin smiled... Yes, he knew there was always something strange in this land!
The crews of the rest of the fleet soon joined them. His brother Eiremhou was overjoyed. He dropped to one knee and bowed in delight and deference at the pleasure of seeing his long awaited brother. Amergin greeted Eiremhou and looked around in anxious anticipation... Eiremhou read his mind, “Eimbear and the High Priest of the Chapter of Mystics, Gonne, are away on a scouting mission with their crew,” he informed him, “They will return at dusk.” Amergin nodded, thankful for the warning. No more was said...
“We have much to organise my brother!” throwing his arm around Eiremhou, “Come, I will explain... Firstly, you must join me in prayer at the Temple of the Sun. All will become clear to you then!”
Together they scaled the escarpment, in complete wonder at the views of the Western Province unfolding before them. Amergin talked to Eiremhou as they walked and climbed. He was brutally honest with him. Amergin pulled no punches as to the immensity of the challenge that faced them.
Amergin was animated, galvanised and resolutely dedicated to the cause of the enlightenment. He inspired and instilled that same fervent belief. As they continued walking, deep in conversation, they were unaware of the arrival of Gonne and Eimbear. Amergin’s traitorous brother was more and more closely in league with the sinister High Priest of the Chapter of Mystics.
Amergin and Eiremhou arrived at the entrance to the Temple of the Sun. He showed his brother the cleft where he had moulded perfectly in to the stone. He had become the key, the conduit. He was able to open the portal and bring the Light of the Divine and the Guardians of Light into the mortal realm. He was able to journey beyond the veil in to the spirit world.
Now he felt a sense of déjà vu... the hackles raised on the nape of his neck... he looked down at the base of the escarpment, to see the malevolent Gonne staring up at him. Amergin was aware of his powers of clairvoyance and mind reading. He immediately stopped talking to Eiremhou. The eyes and ears of the dark Sidhe were watching and listening. Eiremhou too sensed their presence. He was particularly disturbed by his devious brother Eimbear, “Come Amergin! We must go to make ready the fleet for sailing. We will sail at dawn. You will show us the way my brother. You are our Sea Druid and champion of the Milesian nation!” Amergin embraced his brother. Eiremhou’s loyalty was heartening, their bond stronger than ever. As they descended from the Temple of the Sun, Amergin was intensely conscious of the sea journey that lay ahead. The dangers, the race against time... his mind drifted... he visualised the encounters... he would soon be confronting the dark Sidhe... firstly in his realm on the ocean ...and ultimately in MacCuacht’s realm in the Eastern Province...
And what of Terese, where was she now? The beautiful, powerful Xanthan was marching to help his beloved Sceine. His spirits rose as he thought of the meeting with Sceine. Scota and Milidh waiting for his signal offshore... As he descended the track down the escarpment, he came to a place where it turned east. He saw the great mountain ranges on the Eastern horizon. Even if he could not see it, he was aware of the high mountain fortress of Hawardden, the lair of the dark one MacCuacht and the raven haired Witches of Hawardden. Stretching far, far to the south, the Iveare Mountains rose imperiously. Here was the high mountain fortress of Sliebh Mis where his beloved Sceine waited for him... The pain of having to sail away from her was almost too much to bear...
The tortuous track wound downwards, he looked to the east again. He saw the threatening storm clouds reaching new heights above the eastern mountain range. Descending to the base of the escarpment, he came face to face with Gonne of the Chapter of Mystics, and a few paces behind his brother Eimbear. Amergin realised in an instant that these two must not be allowed to travel with the fleet. Gonne was most certainly in league with the dark Sidhe, and he was shocked at the appearance of his brother Eimbear. He appeared changed. There was certainly something of the night about him now.
Eiremhou went to make ready the fleet. He must not give away their thoughts and plans. Amergin must deceive Gonne and Eimbear, “Gather your most loyal men!” he said pointedly to Gonne, “You and Eimbear will be the defenders of the last resort. The dark one MacCuacht comes with the army of lost souls. You will defend the Temple of the Sun with your lives! The Western Province depends on you!” He talked matter of factly, closing his mind to the probings of Gonne, “We go west to bring the rest of the Milesian fleet to join you in the battle for the cause of enlightenment!” Amergin said nothing of the circumnavigation of the Island of Destiny. He had given Eiremhou strict instructions not to divulge their destination. Speed and stealth would be the key in this marathon sea voyage to the eastern Province.
Gonne of the Chapter of Mystics questioned Amergin, “Where do you propose to do battle, at sea or on land?” This was a malevolent game of cat and mouse, “Once I have joined forces with Scota and Milidh, we will decide. I feel at this moment, that we will sail south and then march to the high mountain fortress of Sliebh Mis, and there we will make a stand ...”
For the moment, Gonne and Eimbear were oblivious to the machinations and deception afoot.
The dawn cannot come too soon... the fleet must sail!
Through the night, the master mariners of Milesia made ready. Provisions and weaponry were stored. Sails furled and vessels made sea worthy. At dusk, Amergin inspected the fleet. Impressed, but not surprised at their efficiency, he gave the order to weigh anchor and set sail! He rallied and motivated them all with a rallying cry, “We sail for the cause of the enlightenment and the fulfilment of the Prophecy! May the Great Spirit bless you and the sea god, Manannan, protect the fleet!”
Only when at sea would their destination be divulged. Now they go to the Magine Islands to meet with the rest of the fleet. Once launched, a signal beacon was lit and the giant conches sounded.
One by one they slipped out of the silty harbour. Vessel by vessel they left the safe haven of the estuary and made for the open sea. In the early morning half light, visibility was limited. They could hear the roaring breakers on either side of the channel. The tide was ebbing, the vessels sped along, the crews occasionally dipping their oars and pulling in unison. Sometimes the oars were used as punting poles as the spring tides were beginning to expose sand banks. Sharp, piercing orders broke the early morning silence, as captains and watchmen navigated their way past sand bars and cresting waves. “Bring her around! Straighten her up!” were the cries, as prows were pointed into the channel. Swell on tide created turbulent, chaotic conditions, a tidal race in a confused sea state.
Oars dipping and helmsman pulling, they sped onwards and out of the estuary and in to calmer, deeper waters of the bay beyond. They soon left behind the sound of the pounding breakers. In the early morning calm and coolness, all that was heard was the dipping of the oars and the shushing of the swell on the prow.
The sun announced its imminent rising with a streak of roseate crimson over the far mountains. The rolling storm clouds were backlit, looking even more threatening. Then a sunburst of radiant light filled the bay. Plumes of vaporised spray from the breaking surf and clouds of white ozone mist filled the air. Rainbows formed and disappeared as the breakers reared up, formed and dissipated their energy into the bay. In the far distance the Temple of the Sun became sun dial and prism, the giant Bluestone standing stones reflecting, refracting and diffracting the natural sunlight.
A pure white ethereal light was channelled along the lay line over the ocean. A burst of Divine Light rushed over the sea surface, and in an instant enveloped and irradiated the now shimmering Magine Islands. A looping circuit of plasma and Divine energy rushed and raced back and forth along the lay line. Once again, the entire Western Province lit up with Divine life giving Light.
This supernatural Light show occurs at every sunrise and sunset once the great portals of the Western Province became aligned and energised.
Amergin was awe struck! There was no doubt a great portal existed on the Magine Islands! Perhaps the greatest of all!?
He went to confer with MacCuill who was instal
led as cartographer on board. His local knowledge and experience is going to be invaluable for interpreting signs and giving directions between land marks. He was able to create living maps, giving guidance in the present moment. “You know of the portal?” quizzed Amergin.
“Yes my lord, in legend at least. The Portal of Sceilge is said to have the greatest supernatural powers of all. Not only channelling the Divine, radiant, life giving Light from beyond the veil, but when aligned with the other great portals of the Western Province can warp time itself!” he went on to explain further, “Tales of the ancients tell of enlightened beings that are empowered to travel in time!”
Amergin was rarely speechless, “Such power!” he was able to utter. Here was the greatest portal aligning with the purest of Divine Light, “You say, none of your race has ventured here!?”
“Not to my knowledge my lord, the tales of sea monsters guarding the islands have kept all at bay! No one has had the courage or the seamanship to venture here in recent times. No one in our history has ever attempted the crossing!” he pontificated.
“So the Portal of Sceilge remains a legend, a mystery?” suggested Amergin. MacCuill understood the thread of his questions, “No one, not even the dark one MacCuacht has knowledge of the Portal of Sceilge,”MacCuill reassured him, “The portal has remained steeped in the mists and legends of time, real but not real, purely a creation of the imagination!”
Amergin smiled inwardly... this sea journey is paying dividends already!
Now well away from land, Amergin gave the instructions to light beacons atop the mast, and for the watchmen to periodically sound the conch. This was to be the signal for the rest of the Milesian fleet, should they be within range. Hours passed, they drifted gently in the breeze. The oarsmen could rest now, the sails were unfurled. The fleet began to make steady progress to the islands. A few more hours and they would be near the Magine Islands.
