Chapter 5

By deDanaan

The Children of Danu

Rory was just entering the dream state. He had prepared for the ritual in exactly the same way as he would have back in Tir na nOg. Everything but one thing--the meal he ate was of dried meat, not fresh meat cooked in its own broth. The meat had come from the same bull that supplied the hide, as was required, but he had eaten it as jerky. The magic of the Tarb Feis involved ingesting the broth after fasting for a specified time and then lying down on the hide to dream. Druids who specialized in the arts of divination performed the Tarb Feis when answers were needed of a less obscure nature than those received from the reading of entrails. Rory felt relief flood through him as he realized its power hadn't been diminished by the substitution.

He found himself standing on a hill looking down at events unfolding before him. A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see a large raven circling above him. He wasn't worried, his family was descended from the Morrigu--the great Battle Raven herself. Ravens were his guardians and familiars. He watched as the large raven was joined by another smaller, sleeker raven that seemed to have a nimbus of fire burning around it. "Hmm..." he said to himself, "that's interesting."

He looked to the west. Something dark and foreboding filled the skies in that direction, and it was slowly spreading outwards. "That has to be the Fomori, they traditionally come from the west." he commented to no one in particular. The Fomori had been the enemies of his people since time began, it sometimes seemed. He often wondered how they could thrive as a race, so destructive a people were they. He looked to the eastern sky and swore at what greeted him. A blight as threatening as the one filling the western sky was growing there. "What in the name of Danu is that?!?" he asked, shrugging in response to the question he had put to himself. Looking to the north he saw a large bull, hound, raven, and horse safe in the light of Lugh. There was no question who that represented. He looked upon himself and his counterparts from Tir na nOg. They were standing defensively against the west. He turned and looked to the south. There he saw four spirits bathed in the serene light of the moon and other planets. They were facing the darkness growing in the east. Suddenly the small flame-haloed raven called out shrilly from above his head and streaked away from him to the south. Once there the raven changed to become one of the spirits, but the aura of fire still surrounded it. The other spirits had strange auras too. The green spirit had lightning crackling around it, the blue spirit was surrounded by a foggy mist. The golden spirit gave off a soft amber light, and the silver spirit sparkled with an opalescence--linked by silver threads to each of the other spirits. "These are the ones we seek and the silver spirit seems to possess interesting powers, but to me the dual nature of that fire spirit is the most intriguing revelation of this dream." Rory stood and watched the rest of his vision play out. He saw the spirits of the south travel north to meet the animals and light that represented the Sadar. They joined forces and battled to keep the evil pouring from east and west from overwhelming them. As he watched, his heart would rise and fall with the fortunes of the defenders below him.

Rory woke suddenly from the dream. The Tarb Feis was like that--it would give you a glimpse of the future, but it never showed the outcome. The help it gave answered many questions, but tended to pose many more. He would be reflecting on the dream's symbolism for many hours.

He stretched slowly and sat up, rubbing his eyes carefully. He stood up, ran his fingers through his hair and stifled a yawn. The Tarb Feis was not like normal sleep. It drained you with it's intensity. He wondered what time it was, as the dream had left him disoriented. He shrugged into a pair of black pants and opened his room door. He walked across the apartment to the patio doors that led to the balcony and looked out on the city. It was twilight and Tokyo was bathed in soft violet splendour. He sighed as he pressed his forehead to the glass, remembering Tir na nOg and how beautiful and mysterious twilight had made it. He wondered what the others were up to out there and stared off in the direction of the hospital. He could feel their minds in his own. That was another of his gifts--he had an empathic link with all the other Sadar, and could feel what they were feeling if he concentrated hard enough. He was still unable to feel the minds of Lorcan and Connor, although they had both been conscious for a few moments earlier in the day. "I hope you two recover fast." he said softly to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Fintan and Kieran stood on the roof of the hospital, not far from the Medi-Vac heli-pad. They had spent the last few hours getting to know the streets of Tokyo intimately. It was mid-afternoon when they finally got around to checking in on Lorcan and Connor.

"Okay, let's do this." Fintan said to Kieran.

"What exactly do we have to do?" asked Kieran.

"You don't have to do anything except stick close to me once I cast the glamour." he shook his head and smiled. "See what happens when you're raised by bards?"

"Don't start about my mother." Kieran replied with a grin "She just happens to be the best bard since before the crossing, and made sure all her children were adept with more than one form of magic...I just don't have the same kind of training you do. You're a master of illusion and weather--I'm adept at combat magic, not to mention being one hell of a musician." The grin on his face widened even more.

"You also have a knack for illusion, Kieran," came Fintan's rebuttal, "how else do you account for that ability of yours to produce multiples of yourself?"

Kieran smiled and shrugged. "It's not exactly the same thing. It's a bit more than illusion, you know, I'm sending out a piece of my soul to fight with each and every one of my doubles." Fintan nodded, then his eyes became unfocused and he began an incantation. In a matter of seconds the air around him seemed to bend and shimmer like heat radiating off tarmac on a summer's day. "How come I can still see you?" Kieran asked his friend when he opened his eyes once more.

"You know I'm here and you saw me work the magic." Fintan answered with a smile. "Now shall we get down to business?" he inquired of the other Sadar as he moved to open the door down into the hospital.

They made their way through the bowels of the huge building without incident. Everyone they saw nodded politely or greeted them as they passed, positive they had just encountered someone they knew. The two Sadar spoke softy back and forth to each other as they retraced their steps from the previous day.

They stopped outside the room where they had left their two injured compatriots, and Fintan looked through the glass to ensure the men were alone. He motioned to Kieran to follow and opened the door. Inside Kieran stopped and looked around the room, still paranoid about being spotted by someone. "Relax!" Fintan told him. "As long as you're close to me you won't be seen as you are."

He moved over to stand in between the beds, looking carefully at each of the Sadar occupying them.

"They seem okay," he told Kieran. Lorcan moaned in his sleep just then and they both turned to study him. "I think he's coming round." They watched as his eyes flickered open.

"Agate, Lapis....." whispered Lorcan weakly as he saw his friends. "I have seen them."

"Huh?" they responded in unison.

"Who have you seen?" prompted Fintan, hoping that Quartz Sadar wouldn't pass out before he was able to answer.

"Moon and Mercury's Guardians. They were here in this very room with me." came the soft reply.

"They were? When?" asked Kieran.

"Last night...I woke to find them both standing over me."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" queried Fintan.

"Positive. They seemed shocked when I called them by their titles." He seemed to be getting stronger as he spoke--maybe he was finally recovering from the shift force damage he received as they travelled between the two planes.

"How are you feeling?" Kieran inquired. Lorcan began to laugh but it fizzled into a wheeze.

"Like I just spent twenty-four straight hours sparring with both you and Connor." he answered with a grimace. "My hair even hurts, if such a thing is possible."

"Well then, I'm glad you came through the vortex before me." Kieran joked.

"There's something different about you, Kieran." Lorcan told Agate Sadar.

"And you're just noticing now?" Kieran answered flippantly.

"No. I'm serious. What have you been up to in the last couple of days." Lorcan studied his friend's face carefully.

"Why?" Kieran asked, a puzzled frown creasing his brow.

"Your aura has changed. It has expanded....You've bonded." Both Kieran and Fintan looked at Quartz Sadar in surprise. "Why didn't you say you'd found her?" Lorcan struggled to sit up in the bed.

"Found her? I don't know what you're talking about. We've had no luck so far in finding any of them."

"You must have. How else could you have bonded? There has only ever been one person you can bond with, it's a predestined fact. I see the truth, Kieran, and it tells me you have bonded with Jupiter's Guardian."

Kieran stood stunned. "But....but...." he stammered, confused. Then understanding suddenly lit in his eyes. "By Mother Danu!" he swore, "It couldn't be."

"What couldn't be?" asked Fintan.

"The girl I met last night. She couldn't be the one, could she?" He shook his head, still half disbelieving what Lorcan had told him. "Well that would explain a lot then."

"What would explain a lot?" Fintan demanded irritably. He had moved to the other bedside and was looking down solicitously on his unconscious brother.

"When I went out to wander by myself last night, I got hungry and made my way to a restaurant. There I shared a booth with a very pretty young woman. When we introduced ourselves to each other we shook hands, and something happened."

Both Lorcan and Fintan looked expectantly at him. "Yes?" Lorcan prompted.

"It was weird." Kieran continued. "It felt like I was tingling all over, and then it seemed like I knew what she was thinking. We walked together in the rain, and she left me at the end of her street." Fintan and Lorcan exchanged disbelieving looks and shook their heads. "Probably also explains why I haven't been able to get her out of my mind since."

"How do you do it? You could fall in shite and come up smelling of roses." Fintan commented, admiration colouring his voice. Kieran just shrugged.

"I guess that's why Agate's my stone. I'm full of surprises." he replied.

"Luck and Surprises." Fintan amended.

"Well at least you know where she lives. That'll make her easier to find." Lorcan told him.

"I sort of know where she lives. I didn't walk her to her door, but I think I could find the building where her apartment is easily enough."

"Good. That's your first priority tomorrow." Lorcan answered and the matter was settled. Kieran was still dazed from everything that had just been revealed and stood there lost in thought while Fintan and Lorcan shifted their attention to Topaz Sadar.

Fintan leaned in close to Topaz Sadar and called his name. "Connor, can you hear me?" There was no response, so Lapis Sadar grabbed his brother's shoulder and started to shake him gently. "Can you not wake?" he asked with a sigh. "Shit! I thought you were made of more than this. Aren't you the one who can call on the Warp Spasm?" He began to goad Connor, thinking to himself that these kind of comments would have been very bad for his health had his brother been awake. His efforts met with silence and he was disappointed.

"I'll watch him for you, Fintan." Lorcan told him. "Maybe he'll wake tomorrow and we can both leave this place."

"Okay." Lapis Sadar answered. "We should be getting back soon anyway. I don't think I can keep this glamour up for much longer. We should check in with Rory anyway, he was doing the Tarb Feis."

"He was?" Lorcan looked at Fintan with raised brows.

"He was. He felt it was prudent given the situation. You were out of commission, and we had no idea how badly hurt you really were."

"Well I guess you'd better be off then." Lorcan told them. He leaned back against the pillow and what little colour he had drained from his face. "I'm feeling exhausted all of a sudden."

"Slan leat, Lorcan." said Kieran.

"Slainte." added Fintan. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow."

"Lorcan nodded, his eyes suddenly heavy with sleep. "Tomorrow." he answered, slipping back into unconsciousness.

The two Sadar made their way back to the roof without any trouble and once they were there Fintan dispelled the glamour and rounded on Kieran. "I still can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "We're here barely two days, without our true seer and yet you still manage to hook up with Princess Jupiter in a city of millions." He began to laugh. Kieran looked back at him sheepishly and shrugged.

"Let's get back and see if Rory's finished the dream yet." Kieran suggested.

Fintan nodded. "Yeah, let's get back. I'm sure he'll be interested in what we have to tell him." They put up the hoods of their cloaks, fastened the veils across their faces and began to jump quickly from rooftop to rooftop

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Kalpernus was sitting in his workroom going over a stack of scrolls. Someone knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply. Without turning, he said to his guest. "Come in, daughter. How are you?" There was no one else who took this kind of liberty with him. His voice was gentle, though, as he had no other tone when talking to his only child. A young woman with long flame coloured hair stepped into the room, a lopsided grin on her face as she regarded her father.

"Bandia duit, Athair." she greeted in return. "I'm very well, thank you." She made her way over to where he was sitting and kissed the shaven crown of his head.

"Hmmm.....I'm always suspicious when you visit me here, and I get even more suspicious when you kiss me. You want something, don't you, Niamh?" he turned to look at her and his eyes were dancing with humour.

"You're in good spirits. I'd heard you were wallowing in despair because of what happened to Kieran and the others." her tone was serious but she was smiling softly.

"Well, it seems news travels fast around here." he replied.

"Indeed."

"Sit!" Kalpernus gestured to an empty chair. Niamh swept her long skirts aside carefully and sat down. She regarded her father with a guileless stare and he was overcome by the uncanny resemblance she bore to her mother. He broke eye contact and cleared his throat.

"It's Samhain tomorrow. Have you chosen someone to go through the stones yet?"

"No. I have to meet with your mother and Emer from the council first. I'm the representative of the Druids, your mother represents the Bards and Filidh, and Emer represents the Brehon judges. I must have their consent, it is not my choice alone."

"Who are you considering putting forward as a candidate?" she inquired.

"I have a few possibilities in mind." he answered evasively.

"I suppose I'm not one of them." she said flatly. His eyes widened. She was right, he hadn't considered her at all.

"Um, well....I was considering someone with more experience. Someone like Cahal or Malachy, or even Deirdre." he stammered.

"You just won't accept the fact that I'm an adult. Will you?" she snapped angrily in response. "I'm just as qualified as they are, if not more."

"You only attained the age of majority recently. You are very inexperienced." he answered in what he hoped were reasonable tones. "This is a very important operation. I must have complete confidence in the person I nominate." Niamh hung her head.

"Thanks for the vote." she muttered, her cheeks flushing hotly. He realized his mistake then, as he watched the tears form at the corners of her beautiful green eyes. "I'll never be an adult where you're concerned, will I? No matter how many awards I garner from the colleges, will it ever be enough?" she asked, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"It's not like that, Niamh. I just don't want anything happening to you."

"So I am to be forever babied, Danu help me!" she snapped bitterly. "You aren't so slow to condemn my brother to the unknown!"

"Kieran is predestined for this. Without him there would be no hope at all." he answered. She looked appraisingly at her father as he continued. "I know you are qualified, Niamh, but it is hard for me to put your name forward as you are my only child.......I would like to see my grandchildren." His face coloured with the admission and she softened.

"Father, don't embarrass me!" she admonished. "You'll see your grandchildren, just trust in me and give me a chance." His shoulders slumped in defeat, she had always been able to wrap him around her little finger.

"Alright. If they ask me for a list of candidates, your name will be on it." he conceded. She jumped up suddenly and hugged him enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Father. You won't regret it." she planted another kiss on his forehead and left the room with a wave. Kalpernus' shoulders slumped.

"What did I just agree to?" he asked himself as he rested his forehead in the heel of his palm, not wanting to know the answer.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Rory was sitting cross-legged in the living room looking out of the patio doors on the darkening Tokyo evening and thinking about what had been revealed to him during the Tarb Feis. He turned to look as he heard a key in the door. Fintan and Kieran entered, chatting back and forth to each other as they hung up their cloaks and shrugged off their boots. Rory sat in silence, waiting for them to finish.

"Hey, Rory, how's it going?" Kieran called in greeting when he noticed him sitting there. Rory smiled in response.

"It's going fine." he replied. "And how's it been going for you two?" Fintan stepped forward at that question, a sly grin pasted to his face.

"It seems that there have been some developments." he answered. Rory's eyes widened and he gestured for them to join him on the carpet by the patio doors.

"So, what are these developments?" he asked them. His friends looked at each other with raised brows--where to begin? Fintan decided to delay the inevitable by asking Rory how the Tarb Feis turned out.

"What did you find out?" he asked the diviner in response. "Anything of interest?"

"Well it was certainly informative." came the reply. "I've been trying to make sense of it since I woke."

"And?" his friends inquired in unison.

"I'm not sure yet. There are still a few things that puzzle me."

"Like what?" Fintan asked as he sat down beside him.

"Like these women we must find, their natures are very interesting. There is also another evil growing that is not of Fomori origin."

"Who or what are they?" Kieran asked as he kneeled next to Rory.

"I've no idea--but they do."

"Who?"

"The warrior women we seek. I think this other evil is their traditional enemy--an enemy that formed an alliance with the Fomori."

"You're kidding, right?" Kieran frowned darkly at him.

"No, I'm afraid not." Rory said apologetically with a shrug of his shoulders. Fintan decided that now would be a good time to change the subject and talk about what they knew.

"Lorcan has seen both Moon and Mercury's guardians." he told the black haired man. Rory's eyebrows shot up. He was genuinely surprised.

"How did he manage that?" he inquired. "Isn't he still in hospital? I haven't felt his mind since earlier today."

"Yes. When we went to check on them earlier today, he woke and told us of what had happened. It seems that when he came to last night they were standing over him."

"So they know we are here and where some of us are." commented Rory. "That's interesting."

"And Kieran has bonded." Fintan added bluntly. Garnet Sadar was stunned and it showed plainly on his face.

"How in the name of Danu did you manage that?" he asked Agate Sadar in awe. Kieran just shrugged in his usual nonchalant manner.

"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself." he replied.

"Will someone please indulge me?" Rory requested of them. Fintan sighed and began to tell Kieran's story to the astonished Sadar, who looked dazed by the time it was finished. "You have the Fomori's own luck, don't you!" he directed at Kieran. Agate Sadar just smiled in return and Rory continued, "I guess we all know what you'll be doing tomorrow."

Kieran made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge, gazing on its contents. "Is everyone hungry?" he called to his friends.

"Yes!" Fintan answered, coming to stand beside him and stare at what there was to eat.

"I'm more tired than hungry." commented Rory. "I just want to get some real sleep, as I haven't had any since before we crossed over." He stood up and stretched, then padded softly to his room door. As he turned the handle of the door he looked back over his shoulder and spoke to the two Sadar standing in the kitchen. "I'll see you two tomorrow. We've got quite a few things to take care of." They nodded in agreement and bid him goodnight.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Emer and Aislin were already seated in their places at the table when Kalpernus arrived. The guards at the door saluted as he passed by them and entered the room. He nodded to both women as he took his seat. "Aislin. Emer." he greeted.

"Kalpernus." they replied.

"Shall we get down to business?" he asked them. They both nodded and he continued. "The reason we are here is to nominate and elect a candidate to go through the stones tomorrow night when the gates between worlds open. I have narrowed my list of recommendations and I trust the both of you have done the same."

"Yes. I have only two names on my list." began Aislin. "If you wish, I'll start off the proceedings by declaring my choices." They gave their assent and she sat forward, steepling her hands in front of her. "We all know why we are here. We are sending agents through the stones to find and assist the Sadar, as we have lost contact with them and have to reinstate the link. After much thought on the matter I wish to nominate Malachy and Niamh." The others digested her choices silently. Emer spoke next.

"I too have two people on my list. I wish to put Deirdre and Malachy forward for consideration." she told them. "And you?" she turned and looked over at Kalpernus.

"I likewise recommend two. I nominate Cahal and Niamh." he answered.

"We seem to have a tie between Malachy and Niamh. How do we deal with this?" Emer asked them. Aislin sat forward

"Would you think I was out of line if I suggested we don't make a choice, but send them both." Aislin queried. "Malachy is a competent battle mage as well as a warrior, and Niamh is talented, but needs she needs guidance and experience. She could learn quite a bit from him." After a minute or so of reflection, Kalpernus nodded in agreement to the proposal.

"Hmmm!" commented Emer, looking at the other two suspiciously. "Do we have a conspiracy here?" she inquired, her eyes sliding carefully over the pair of them. Aislin and Kalpernus looked at her and then each other in surprise, so she clarified for them. "You two never usually agree on anything except the fact that you disagree."

"I decided to recommend my eldest daughter as soon as I was informed." Aislin told her. "I'm surprised that Kalpernus agreed, if you must know." She turned to look at the man who had once been her husband under Brehon contract. "She came to see you, didn't she? Otherwise you wouldn't have even considered her." she said to him.

"How did you know?....No, wait, forget I asked that. It's pretty much her standard method of operation." He laced his fingers together behind his head and looked up at the vaulted ceiling and around at the walls. Anything was better than meeting Aislin's gaze.

"Yes, Niamh's predictable in these cases." she acknowledged before turning to face the Brehon Judge. "So what do you think of my proposal, Emer? Is it agreeable?"

Emer gazed levelly at her. "It is agreeable because she is not going on her own. You are right when you say she is inexperienced, but Malachy will temper her impetuousness with his wisdom, and she, in turn, will bring him insight." She smiled then, "You have my support in this choice."

Kalpernus stood up and addressed the heads of the other two druidic societies. "I'm going to tell the Ard-Ri of our decision. Will you join me in relaying the news?" Both women apologized for having prior engagements and dismissed themselves from the chamber. Kalpernus stood lost in thought for a few minutes before remembering he was on his way to see the High King.