The Dominion Pulse Page 20

  His ascension was fast approaching.

  Chapter 15

  Identified

  The journey, thus far, had been uneventful compared to the others, unless Conchar took into account all of Lir’s complaining about humans or the occasional cu sith or ki du running around. Both creatures were odd half-spirit, half-dogs that somehow existed in the living realms. Cu Siths were vicious creatures that owed their existence to Elathan. He would take the canines of Earth and contort them, much like how he turned the humans into Ruas. Conchar had mastered the art of making Ruas, but a cu sith was harder to create. Cu sith numbers had dwindled to near extinction in the years of Elathan’s absence from both Otherworld and Earth, but since Elathan hadn’t bothered to create any more upon his return, the population would have to remain low.

  A ki du, on the other hand, was even more of a mystery to Conchar. It was hard to explain and impossible to find an origination point for the species. They were elusive and cunning, sneaky yet loyal to the poor souls who ended up in Tech Duinn, the Realm of the Dead, always willing to guide the soul through the realm and beyond to a place untouched by magicks.

  “…And why Nuada ever treated humans like intelligent beings is beyond me,” droned Lir with righteous indignation.

  Conchar rolled his eyes and blocked out the annoying rant as best he could. He instead focused his attention on the Seeker.

  “Ha!” laughed Lir. “We near the Swamp of Demise. Only the dead and firblogs can cross through that mist and bog.”

  The Seeker didn’t hesitate at Lir’s words and marched directly into the bog, the mist swallowing him whole. Conchar and Lir stopped just before the high marshes and waited, but if Lir’s words were true, then they wouldn’t be waiting long. Conchar would know if the Seeker was taken by the bog to have his soul join the visceral mist or not. He would feel it.

  The wizard hoped that it would not come to that, not because he cared about the Seeker’s safety, but because he valued his own. Losing the Seeker would not sit well with Elathan.

  …

  Lub-dub!

  The dominion pulse was growing closer, though walking was becoming more arduous by the second. Oscar would drive his feet forward only to have to work doubly hard to pull them free from the muck and selfish ground.

  Oscar felt an odd sensation with the calling of this mysterious entity. The heartbeat was loud and rhythmic like any heart would be, but there was much more than flesh and blood in this heart—there was pure energy, a sort of clarity of mind and rush of excitement deep within the heart. He had become so connected to the souls that he was growing addicted to finding them.

  Lub-dub!

  It was louder that time, closer, but where?

  The air was heavy all around him, squeezing in on his body the closer he got to the beacon. It was like wearing clothes that were shrinking in size by the second. He had to fight the push of the water as he waded out deeper and deeper into the bog and had to practically swim through the weighted vapors.

  There was so much fog. It was thick and stubborn, hiding the secrets of the swamp. Oscar was in complete whiteness, unable to see, being compressed, and utterly alone, but he pushed forward knowing his prize was near.

  …

  “What took you so long to get rid of that sword, Camulos?” Tannus asked as he and the young god of war emerged from a dusty megalith portal in Brugh. “And why are we on the opposite side of Brugh? The lake is nowhere around here.”

  “I’ve been thinking, Tannus,” Camulos said, stepping around the god of storms to get a better view of the surrounding landscape. “What if the bottom of a clear lake wasn’t the best hiding place for a weapon as powerful as this? What if Elathan was mistaken?” He turned and gave Tannus a sideways glance. “It would be our undoing and all of our best laid plans would have been for nothing.”

  “If I recall, Elathan was very clear about where the weapon should be placed.” Tannus’s eyes spoke volumes to the amount of fear the golden god evoked in him. “If he finds out that you altered the plan… ”

  “His lake will receive a sword just as he ordered, but this sword,” he exclaimed, lifting the Protectors’ Sword from his back and displaying it for Tannus, “I will personally keep the Sword of the Protectors safe.”

  Tannus shook his head. “You’re playing a very dangerous game, Camulos.”

  “Strategy is needed for all games, Tannus, and to reap the spoils I need to prepare for every possible situation.”

  Then it dawned on Tannus. “You think he fears this sword. You think that you can defeat him with it, don’t you?”

  “To be quite honest, I hope it never comes to that, but you saw his powers. This sword gives me an advantage.”

  “So why are we here then if you don’t intend to throw the sword into the water?” Tannus inquired.

  Camulos looked towards the sky at a massive shadow racing in their direction and placed the Sword of the Protectors on his back. He pointed at the figure and he and Tannus watched the bulky form of Dewi touch down before them.

  “Why are you here, Camulos? Brugh is in my command,” demanded Dewi, steam escaping his nostrils.

  “I need a witness, Lord Dewi,” Camulos explained.

  “Oh?” the dragon god asked.

  Camulos pulled a sword from the sheath attached to his waist and held it out for Dewi to see. “Lord Elathan has decreed that this sword be hidden in the lake of the Sidhes’ cave, and I want you to watch me put it there.”

  “That is the Sword of the Protectors?” Dewi asked. He eyed the weapon wearily. “Nuada has held the Protectors’ Sword at my throat, and this is not that sword.”

  Camulos glanced over at Tannus who remained placid. “We can’t be certain since we are not Earth’s Protectors, but Elathan seemed to think it was powerful.”

  “Did he? How do you know?” Dewi folded his thick, scaly arms across his broad chest, an intimidating pose to say the least, and waited for Camulos’s reply.

  “Let’s just say that his body language spoke volumes.” Camulos pretended to flinch when he looked at the sword and then raised an eyebrow towards Dewi.

  Dewi smiled a sickening grin and nodded his head. “Of course I will be your witness.”

  Moments later the three gods were standing on the edge of the crystal clear lake in the Sidhes’ cave. They could see nearly to the bottom of the water where it began to grow darker. Camulos held out the sword from his hip and dangled it over the water. He was just about to let it drop when Dewi stopped him.

  “Wait,” Dewi said. “Why did he say to put the sword in this place?”

  “He said it would be hidden here,” Tannus replied.

  Dewi looked down and a thin curl pulled his reptile-like lips. He stepped aside.

  Camulos tossed the sword into the water creating the smallest of splashes. The metal weapon sunk quickly and dropped almost completely out of sight; only a twinge of reflected light sparkled from the lake floor.

  “There, the deed is done,” remarked Camulos with satisfaction.

  “Don’t worry, I will guard the sword and this realm without mercy.” Dewi turned and stalked away, exiting the cave through the large gap in the face of the mountain.

  “Camulos, what do you plan to do with that sword?” Tannus inquired.

  The war god pulled the Sword of the Protectors from his back and looked it over with great pride. “Don’t worry, Tannus, by the time I’m done with this sword, it won’t be recognizable.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Camulos reached down and pulled his own sword, the god killer, from its sheath and held it out beside the Protectors’ Sword. “Oh, I’ve got a plan.”

  “You know that as soon as you step foot in Elathan’s castle, he will be able to read your mind. He’ll probably rip your head from your neck!”

  “I’m not going back to Tech Duinn, Tannus, and neither are you,” Camulos said soothingly. “We’re going to Tir na nOg to spread more good cheer for Elathan�
�s return.”

  Tannus smirked. “Ever the servant?”

  Camulos began to stride away. “Don’t be naïve, Tannus. I only serve myself.”

  …

  Oscar groped his way through the fog and breathed in the heavily moistened air. It was like sticking his face in a hot shower and trying to breathe at the same time.

  The bog was waist-high and growing deeper with each step, but Oscar was undeterred. He would swim to the heart if it became necessary. Luckily for him, it wasn’t. There it was, hidden in the mist and fog, several feet ahead of him.

  “Nochtann do chroí! Reveal your heart!” he demanded.

  Just like the previous three pulses, the heart of Tech Duinn appeared as a tiny pinprick of light. It was absurdly brilliant in the fog and felt so much farther away. Oscar repeated his command and the heart grew larger and larger. When it was as large as a grapefruit, Oscar jammed his hand into its middle and released Elathan’s token. It hovered within the beating heart, rotating slowly as if it were alive just before the familiar wave leapt from the dominion pulse and spread out over the entire realm.

  Claiming the Watcher’s blood was the only task that remained.

  …

  The Celtic Heritage House was a three-story Colonial with a large front porch on the edge of Syracuse University’s beautiful campus. It had white clapboards that were in dire need of a fresh coat of paint, emerald green shutters, and a very welcoming vibe. The landscaping was a bit heavy on bushes and trees, but it added to the character of the place, and provided lots of cover for Brendan and the others as they finally reached their destination.

  “Do you think we should have called Ken to let him know we were coming?” Dorian whispered.

  Brendan wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. This was all new territory for him. He felt stupid, when he thought about it, having to hide in the bushes like a creep. He didn’t know what they were going to find in the house or on the grounds, but they were running out of options.

  “No, if Ken doesn’t have to be involved, then we’ll keep him out of it.” Brendan pointed to a set of bushes closer to the front of the house and led his group through the shadows to the new cover.

  “Are we going inside?” Frank asked. “My feet are killing me.”

  Brendan hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

  “You’re not sure?” Lizzie asked. “What are we doing here then, Brendan?”

  “I think he’s here to see me,” chirped a voice from the bushes.

  “Don’t kid yourself, girl,” spoke a second voice.

  “Patty? Wanda? Is that you?” Brendan tried to peer into the bushes, but there really wasn’t a need since the fairy sisters came out on their own.

  “It’s about time you came home, Brendan,” Wanda said.

  “Mmm-hmmm, that Ken was getting tired of us bugging him,” Patty added. “So now we can bug you instead.”

  “Hello, ladies. The name’s Rohl.” The Púca stepped closer to the front and licked his palm to smooth back the hair on his head.

  The girls looked at each other and began to laugh. “You hear this dude? ‘Hello, ladies.’ Thinking he has a shot with us! Ha!” Wanda squawked.

  “He’s out of his mind!” Patty agreed, although she gave Rohl a second look and a small grin, which he seemed to like.

  “We need to know if there is some sort of training area around here?” Brendan asked, trying to get to the point.

  “You played on the soccer team for about a minute, so you tell us,” Patty said.

  “He means for magicks,” Dorian clarified.

  “Oh, you mean the Chamber.” Wanda turned to her sister and the pair of them whispered back and forth.

  “The Chamber isn’t for humans, so they would never be allowed in,” Patty said, pointing at Brendan, Lizzie, and Frank. “The rest of you can go there, but I don’t recommend it.”

  “Why not?” Garnash asked.

  “It’s a rough place, Gnomey. They’d eat you alive,” Wanda warned.

  “Literally, in some cases,” Patty added.

  “I don’t understand,” Lizzie interrupted. “What exactly are we talking about here?”

  “I think I know,” Dorian admitted. “The Chamber sounds like a Nether Corridor, a place that’s here on Earth but not really a part of Earth.”

  “Anyone else confused?” Frank asked, raising his hand.

  “It makes sense now that this spot is a friendly place for magicks like our friends here. With a Nether Corridor so close, they would be drawn to it,” Dorian said. She looked at the others who looked back at her with blank faces.

  “I guess it does, but to be honest about it, I have never seen a Nether Corridor,” Garnash replied.

  “So it’s a place that’s on Earth but not on Earth?” Lizzie asked, trying to reason out what she was hearing. She looked at Frank and raised her hand. “Gotta agree with Frank… still confused.”

  “It’s what it sounds like: an in-between place,” Garnash tried to clarify. “Kind of like another dimension, but it’s really not even that complicated.”

  “We’ll take your word for it. How do we get there?” Brendan asked.

  “The entrance is only open for a few hours when the… ” Wanda began.

  “Full moon is at its apex on a stormy night?” Rohl said with a sly grin.

  “No, idiot, every Saturday night starting at nine o’clock,” Wanda replied with a hand on her hip.

  “Of course, the magical hour of nine o’clock,” Frank said with a grin.

  “That’s tomorrow, so we need a place to stay tonight.” Lizzie turned to the others for a suggestion.

  “Garnash, can you slip inside and bring Ken out here? I think he may be able to help,” Brendan said.

  Garnash camouflaged his body and entered the CHH through an opened window. It took exactly two minutes and three seconds for Ken to appear on the front porch.

  “Brendan?” Ken whispered.

  “Quiet, dolt,” demanded Garnash’s invisible voice. “He’s around the side in the bushes.”

  Ken stood for a moment on the porch, stretching and bending this way and that way.

  “What are you waiting for?” Garnash asked.

  “This detective has been asking a lot of questions and I think he’s having me tailed. I know I’ve seen some people surveying the CHH, so we have to be careful.”

  Ken stepped off the porch and walked as normally and nonchalantly as his could to the side of the house. Brendan grabbed Ken by the arm and pulled him into the shrubbery.

  They exchanged greetings and Brendan introduced Rohl, which sort of caught Ken off guard, but to his credit he took the introduction of yet another magick quite well.

  “What are you guys doing here? I thought this would be the last place that you would want to be.” Ken waited for the reply, eyeing the Púca cautiously.

  “We won’t be here long, just until tomorrow night, and then we’re moving on,” Brendan replied. “We need a place to stay tonight. You know of anywhere?”

  Ken thought about it for a minute and then shrugged. “You guys can stay here. Most of the guys are gone for fall break and the ones who stayed are usually off doing whatever, so we have the space.”

  Ken led the group around to the backdoor entrance and into the CHH. They walked into the living room and a wave of nostalgia and regret hit Brendan in the chest. He had once thought this place was his future, a way to have a life free of violence and death, but it wasn’t meant to be. Fate had a different plan for him, and it was something way bigger than what he wanted for himself.

  The rest of the group either began splitting up rooms and deciding on sleeping arrangements or went to the kitchen to see if they could scrounge up a bite to eat, which was a bit like trying to find a four-leaf clover since college boys were notoriously out of everything in the kitchen except dishes and empty pizza boxes. Instead of doing either of those things, Brendan sat down on the sharp-springed couch and rubbed his knuckles into his eyes. It
had been a long couple of days, and he was ready to get some rest, but when he opened his eyes he knew rest was going to have to wait.

  …

  “This has to be New Zealand,” Brendan mused aloud, although no one around him would be able to hear his words.

  He stood on a hill that gave him a good view of some large, snowcapped mountains that looked just like a scene from Lord of the Rings. He half expected to see the fellowship marching up the mountain but instead he saw Arawn and Argona on a pair of griffins entrenched in a battle with the biggest and ugliest niseag Brendan had ever seen.

  The creature flapped its wings and drove itself higher and higher with the two warriors in hot pursuit. The creature roared and spit out a wave of its frozen breath straight ahead, directly in its own path, and shot straight through the cloud of super-frozen gas making its pursuers bail to either side to avoid a frozen death.

  The creature cut back with exacting precision and made a beeline for Argona. It snapped at her, but she and her griffin rolled away from its sword-sized teeth and skated along its muscled torso. Argona pulled out a strange electrified whip and used it to strike the niseag over and over again as she passed it. The beast lashed out with its spiked tail and smashed it directly into her griffin. The griffin, though powerful in its own right, called out in pain and began the long plummet towards the earth with Argona clutching onto its back.

  Thirty feet up or so, Argona dropped to the ground ahead of her griffin and reached up and caught it before it crashed too heavily into the ground. She put the steed down gently and looked up with venom in her eyes. The beast was circling back, cranky and still smarting from the gash in its side. It locked eyes on her immediately and pulled its wings back, rocketing its way down to her.

  “Are you well?” Arawn shouted from the air, his own sword stained with blood.

  Argona ignored the question and ran towards a rock formation, taking only a few leaps to get to the highest point. When she reached the top she jumped directly at the niseag, even though its teeth were bared and its cold eyes were red with anger. Argona pulled the whip back and then snapped it forward faster than any weapon Brendan had seen in use. The whip snapped towards the niseag growing longer and longer and moving as if it had a mind of its own until it wrapped around the creature’s throat and went taut.