Awakening - The Morrigan Chronicles Read online

  Neil’s mouth hung open in amazement, but I had to give him credit, he said nothing this time. He stopped walking for a moment but continued on when I bumped into his shoulder. Yeah sure, I didn’t need to do that but I couldn’t help myself. It was colder than I was used to and though I was confused, I was in a hurry to get to shelter. Finding out what had happened next to a roaring fire and mug of ale sounded much better than hiking through this cold forest.

  Emrys looked deep in thought. He kept his eyes ahead paying attention where he stepped, but the path was well beaten through the thick woods. The trees held no leaves and the wind had picked up. The whole forest and sky looked as if it had been washed in grey.

  Clearing his throat he asked. “What do you know of Artaius?”

  I was cold and my mood was darkening. I snapped, “Not a particularly powerful God. Mostly goes around causing trouble. He’s like the pesky little brother with a twisted sense of humor.”

  Emrys nodded. “That’s right. Kind of a punk. Turns out he’s not just the little moron we thought him to be. Remember Arthur’s Queen, Guinevere?”

  King Conall answered this time, his mood worse than mine. “We fought alongside Arthur and his Knights. We’ve never met her, but of course have heard her mentioned.”

  Emrys shook his head. “We should have.”

  Neil was now walking next to me. This close I noticed him to be about six foot tall. I hadn’t paid him much attention until now. His eyes were warm like caramel and his short hair a dark rich brown. His face was kind. Sweet even. His eyes trusting. Though we looked to be the same age as he, our eyes didn’t hold that kind of innocence.

  Emrys finally broke his silence and brought my focus back to him. “Guinevere was not Guinevere.”

  “Artaius?” I asked but instantly knew. My gut wrenched. Something terrible had happened. Something bigger than any of us knew. I was piecing the puzzle together. It hit me before Emrys even told the story. He looked at me, slowly nodding. My suspicions were right. I fought to maintain a mask of confidence and calm. Glad that I had figured it out, having a head start to gather myself before Emrys spelled it out for everyone else.

  “Yes,” he continued. “Artaius had taken the form of a beautiful woman and seduced Arthur. Constantly whispering in his ear. Arthur had become a puppet and didn’t know it. We didn’t know it. Artaius convinced Arthur the Tuatha needed his help in defeating Arwan and the Fomoire but once that was done, the Tuatha planned to enslave all of mankind to serve them.”

  “That is absurd!” Deidra shrieked.

  Leave it to the always proper one to be offended rather than looking at the big picture.

  Emrys shrugged. “I know that, but Arthur was convinced. Artaius told Arthur that the battle needed to last as long as possible, so that there would be maximum Fomoire and Tuatha casualties. That both races were a threat to all of humanity. He needed to get the sword of the Tuatha at all costs. With it he could reign and have power over anyone or anything that stood before him. That he would rule over humanity and that the supernatural beings needed to be banished. All supernaturals.”

  He paused though no one asked any questions. I assume he was letting this information sink in. Convinced everyone had wrapped their minds around the tale, he pressed on. “Before the battle began, Artaius gave Arthur a single drop of his blood. It would bond them. The sword is the only weapon that can kill a God, and a God cannot wield it. King Conall willingly gave the sword to Arthur, technically making it his. The moment he struck Arwan down he summoned Artaius’ power and banished all on the battlefield to sleep deep in the Mother Earth. The Druids saw this happening and hesitated in their confusion. Arthur ordered the Knights to take their heads.”

  Emrys’ eyes filled with tears of pain, though he held them back. “The Knights whom the Druids healed, trained with, lived with, even loved, on orders of their King, struck every last one of them down… at least they thought they did. Gawain was stunned at the sudden turn of events and let Marisol and Deia escape.”

  All three hundred of us stopped in our tracks, not one of us able to move. It was as if a cold from deep inside iced over our veins, keeping us frozen in place. A sadness of this magnitude simply didn’t get absorbed instantly. A slaughter of our friends, Tuatha and Druid alike, whom we had intertwined our lives with for centuries was going to soak in slowly and painfully. The pain we felt now would be nothing compared to what would come. Tears didn’t fall. Not because we were stoic. We were just not able to believe it. I’ve had plenty of heartache and experienced many losses on the battlefield. This was unimaginable.

  King Conall looked strong and regal. I knew him well and knew his heart ached but he held himself together for his people. He was acting. “Emrys, there are many more questions I have. That I’m sure we all have. How long were we asleep, and where is my sword now?”

  “I’m getting to that.” Emrys began walking again. “We’re almost to our shelter. Just over this ridge.” We slowly followed, our minds not wanting to hear more but knowing we must. “Once the, uh, battle was over and the humans made their way back to Camelot, Gawain was disenchanted with Arthur and went to speak with him. He knew something was not right. Arthur told him that the Tuatha planned to enslave them but Gawain didn’t believe him. He began to notice Guinevere spending more and more time with Arthur, never leaving his side. Arthur began planning a campaign to conquer all the surrounding kingdoms. Gawain tried reasoning with Arthur that this was not what Camelot stood for. That this was a time of peace. He knew Arthur would be unstoppable with the sword. He sought out Marisol and Deia whom he helped hide far to the north. They told him that he needed to steal the sword and get it to them. That they would send it to another realm where nobody would be able to reach it. He managed to get it one night as Arthur slept. He was to meet Marisol and Deia outside the castle walls. He miraculously made it out of the castle with over fifty arrows in his back. They grabbed him, the sword, and disappeared in the forest through a Great Oak. They still didn’t know that Artaius was involved at this point. They were in the middle of healing Gawain when Guinevere, or Artaius as it were, showed up. Their power was weak from healing and they weren’t able to fight Artaius off. Deia fell first and instead of using the last of her power to fight, Marisol sent the sword away, though nobody knows where. Artaius left Gawain to die. But he didn’t… otherwise we wouldn’t know this much.”

  We crested the ridge. This was the edge of the forest. Beyond lay an enormous lawn, crisp with frost that led to a… castle? No, it didn’t look like a castle but it was as big as one. The structure was made out of red bricks and looked to be able to hold several hundred. There were so many windows—it seemed to have a window every few feet. Judging from the way they lined up the building had four levels. It was a marvel.

  Next to it were the stables. It was made of brick as well, looking to be a smaller version of the lodging accommodations and opened up into a massive field with a beautiful white fence. I could see at least a dozen equines. We were going to need more in order to travel.

  Our pace quickened, knowing that we could warm ourselves and get something to eat. The news that Emrys had brought had taken its toll on me and I’m sure everyone else. I grew wary not seeing any smoke coming from chimneys knowing it would be a while before the rooms would warm. Wait… where were the chimneys?

  I’ve seen pyramid structures in a land of sand that stretched up to the sky. Great buildings of white with columns overlooking the sea, bluer than can be described. I’ve even seen large cats bigger than wolves in a forest of strange trees. This was something foreign.

  “Emrys, I’ve never seen a building like this.” My mind was trying to put the pieces together but unable to. “Where are we? Are we still in the Earthly realm?”

  Emrys’ uneasy look worried me but at least he answered. “We are far from Erin. If you were to look west and travel as far as the sea goes this is where you would be. You and I have been here before, Morrigan. Do you remember t
he people who wore leathers not unlike yours? They rode on small horses with no saddles and decorated their long black hair with feathers?”

  “Yes, I remember. We tracked a pack of cannibal dwarves there. Nasty little things. They had eaten several of the people before we were able to take their heads,” I said, recalling the trip. I didn’t remember seeing anything like this while there, though.

  Emrys nodded. “That’s right. Well the land is vast. More so than you can imagine. We are in the middle of that land. A place called Missouri in the country known as The United States of America.”

  In the distance I saw a shiny black metal carriage with no horses pulling it fly down the path towards the house at a speed that no horse could match. The others saw it too and we all slid our swords from their sheaths.

  “Calm down! Calm down! Everything is fine,” Emrys boomed. “That is a mode of transportation, like a horse or a carriage. It’s what is used now to travel.”

  We kept our swords drawn and King Conall asked what we were all thinking. “Used now? How long have we been sleeping, Emrys?”

  Emrys didn’t look at the King but at me. He didn’t blink. I held my breath. All three hundred of us held our breaths. The seconds stretched. Finally he answered. “You were spelled and held under in sleep for… one thousand three hundred eighty-five years. It is now the year 2017.”

  Chapter 4

  One thousand three hundred and eighty-five years. I had trouble grasping everything Emrys had told us but managed to hold myself together. The loss of so many. Us ultimately losing the battle we had fought. I even knew that we had been spelled into sleep but I thought it to be no more than a year or two. I could even accept ten. A hundred. One thousand three hundred and eighty-five years. I was no longer cold and hungry. I felt nothing. I was numb. I don’t know how long I stood like that. Nausea hit me as my head spun out of control, dropping me to my knees. I couldn’t panic in front of our people. I just needed to get my wits about me.

  Warm hands gingerly touched my shoulders and helped me up. “Put your sword away and let’s get inside,” Neil said softly.

  I looked at King Conall. He had his hands intertwined with Deidra’s. Gross. One more thing I had to endure on this damned day. His eyes met mine. I stiffened and put on the bravest face I could muster and nodded to him.

  “Emrys, lead us into the shelter,” King Conall ordered.

  We followed Emrys, not saying a word. There was no digesting this kind of information. You just had to sit there and wait, hoping that it would eventually make sense. One foot moved in front of another but I don’t know how. I felt hollow. Not paying attention, I stumbled on a rock. Neil caught my elbow and waist to keep me from toppling over. I grabbed his arm to steady myself. I kept walking for who knows how long and realized I was still holding his arm. I didn’t care. I felt that if I let go the world would spin so fast I’d fly off of it.

  We were close to the lodging when Emrys stopped, turning to us. “There’s more to discuss but for now let’s get you settled. There are humans here that are on our side. I’ve gathered the bravest descendants of the Knights and the half-breed Druids I could find. We are not alone.”

  Emrys stopped speaking aloud and began speaking to us in our minds, something he didn’t do very often. Only in times of great signifigance. “Tuatha de Danann hold strong. The Knights are human and the Druids I’ve gathered are the bastard children that were half Druid half human. Their Druid blood was diluted even more through time. They have pledged to help us and I believe them. As Gawain risked his life to do what was right I know there is great good in humanity. But, this would not be the first time we were betrayed. They are unaware of your strength and skill. Nor do they know much about you. You are of myth and legend to them. Do not fully trust them. I’ve told them you have a powerful King and are supernatural warriors forged by the Creator himself to fight the evils of the world. That is all that they know. Give them no more information about yourselves or me. We do not know what details could come back to haunt us.”

  We made our way inside. I saw no fireplace but instantly felt warm. The scent of vanilla wafted faintly through the air. The floor was marble with thick rugs running down the center and the walls a highly polished dark wood. It was beautiful.

  We entered into a large open hall. Long wooden tables with benches, enough to seat hundreds, filled the room. At the back table in the center sat another one of our treasures. The Cauldron of Dagda. The cauldron ensured that whomever ate from it never left wanting more. It supplied an endless amount of food. My eyes misted at the sight of it. Not because I knew my hunger would be satiated, but because it was a familiar sight. It represented home. A home that no longer existed, at least not one that I knew anymore.

  We ate our fill. Afterwards, we were shown our living quarters, each of us with our own room. King Conall, Emrys and I met in what he called the library. The sun had long set but glass globes placed in the ceiling and on poles glowed bright. I preferred the candles I was used to, accompanied by a fire in a hearth. As long as I could remember I always found the warmth and flickering of the light comforting. This light felt harsh. Books lined the walls, floor to ceiling. A large desk at one end with a metal box on it. There were eight leather chairs surrounding a round table in the center of the room where we took seats.

  King Conall wasted no time. “Emrys, explain to me how you were spelled to sleep along with us and yet you escaped.”

  As a Teulu I am a King’s bodyguard. There are twelve of us. We are the most skilled in battle. Thankfully, after the massive losses we incurred, we at least had survived. I am the leader of the Teulu and always accompany the King in important matters. I was numb from the day’s events and felt ridiculous for not having thought the question myself. I guess that is why I am not King.

  Emrys mirrored King Conall’s urgency in answering. “I was awakened ninety-seven years ago. I am unsure why or how. It was as it was with you. The Earth opened up and I saw all the Tuatha sleeping. I poured every ounce of my magic into trying to wake you, but nothing happened. I walked out and the Earth instantly closed. There was a leatherbound book encased in glass with Gawain’s letter telling of what had happened.”

  Emrys rose and walked over to a shelf, lifting a glass case and bringing it to us. He opened the case and removed the book. Opening it, he slid out a piece that was unbound and handed it to us. I moved closer to the King so I could read it as well. I had to focus on not getting sidetracked by King Conall’s scent. Musk, Earth… man.

  “This is the letter that was lying on top of the book when I came out. Read it for yourself.”

  With all the Druids gone I have no way to break the sleeping spell the Tuatha de Danann are under. I hope that by awakening the Mighty Emrys, Lord of all the Druids, you are able to break the spell and restore balance to the world, for evil outweighs good immensely at the moment and I fear all is lost.

  Seek out Druantia, Queen of the Druids, Lady of the Lake, safe in the realm between twilight and night. She will give guidance where I have none.

  She will lead you to me when the time comes. You will know I am friend when I speak the words, “Long lost friend. Long lost enemy. I am nothing more than a memory.”

  What in the hell did that mean?

  King Conall spoke my thought aloud. We were always in sync with one another. Well most of the time.

  “Fuck if I know.” Emrys rubbed his temples. I forgot how stressful this had been on him as well. I would need to check in on him later.

  “Next question.” King Conall was on point and down to business. “What does Neil have to do with this?”

  Great question, King. Again, I was so behind playing catch up that I’d lost all reasoning, it seemed.

  Emrys took a long drink of water. “Getting to that. I planned to do what the note suggested. Getting to the land between twilight and night is not easy, though. It can only be entered on Samhain. It is now called Halloween. It is the day that our two realms are closest
to one another. I assume whomever woke me knew that and did so the day before. When you enter on Samhain, regardless how long it may seem that you are there, minutes even, you come out on the following Samhain. One year.

  I entered the other realm and was met by Queen of the Druids, Druantia. Lady of the Lake. I am not ashamed to say I was terrified at being alone and lost for what to do. I wept, and wept hard. She soothed me and told me that not all was lost. That there was still hope. How I was awakened was clouded to her. She was unable to see how it was done and that if she could not see, it must have been by a great magic. My quest was to attain the Stone of Fal. The true King of Erin, which would have to be a descendent of Arthur, would scream when he stood upon it. Once I had the true King, he could blow on the sacred horn of a sacrificed white bull that would awaken the Tuatha.”

  Emrys took a bottle and poured a red liquid, wine, into a glass for each of us.

  “Here,” he handed them to us. “This has been a great day for me. I know you are grieving and still trying to grasp everything that I’ve told you but I’ve had almost a hundred years to cope. I’ve been a hundred years without my family though, and I feel like celebrating.”

  King Conall smiled and took a drink, as did I. The King softened and nodded. “Emrys, I am eternally grateful to you for awaking our people. Did Druantia say what needs to be done or how we are to defeat Artaius?”

  Nodding, Emrys continued. “She told me that I would need a great fortress, to gather the descendants of the Knights and Druids and that once the Tuatha arrived they would help train them for the great battle. But that it would still not be enough. We need to retrieve the sacred sword. The sword is the only weapon that can defeat Artaius. We just need to find the sword and have Neil formally give it back to you.”