Hello again, and welcome to another round of LoCG! Things got dark last chap didn't they? Index is loosing all moral restraints. Story's been chugging along quite nicely, and now the stage is set for the groups to battle their mythical adversaries… but first Reviews!
Whwsms:{The idea of Lovecraft magic was kinda intriguing with me, but it felt too limited if I just did things from his books. So I thought on what exactly was HPL greatest achievement. And thats where I came to the conclusion that it was the genre of Cosmic horror. And decide that it as a whole is what Lovecraft magic really is.
I mean it's either that or bicker until Index comes feeling peckish
Yep, she just keeps falling further and further into madness doesn't she. And her eating trick is a tipping point, she's learned she enjoys it. Meaning she'll want to eat more espers have an excuse to do so.
I'm pretty sure sphinx is currently more concerned that his favorite human has just gone cannibal. Or he's too busy getting it on with the lady kitties.
Weaver is 100% a reference cough cough rip off cough cough of Terraria Calamity's Storm Weaver using Kerubii's gajinka design.}
Mr?:{The main man Is back with another great review!
I am glad you think that way, I knew with this I wanted to show Index's next step into truly becoming a monster.
Awaki, well I just wanted an excuse to have fun with the whole spatial warping bull I could pull there XD. I mean it only makes sense that she'd convince herself this, Index is trying to avoid the truth. But once she does, well, neither ending she'll choose would be good for anyone.
Experimental of course, but hopefully subsequent chapters will explain her a bit better. Not that she won't still be strange.
Wait no more… for at least this chap XD}
BlueJack22:{nice to see another review from you
Oh yes she is, if she isn't stopped before it's too late she might just decided to eat everyone and keep Touma to herself XD}
5had0wHand:{DUN DUN DUN DUN! distant 'fukouda' Touma will have to marry her now to raise a cosmic god eating worm baby ! XD
A god does not fear copyright laws!
That one Amakusa shota "eh!?"
XD lovely head cannon… and actually closer to the truth than you realize}
Onilink500:{again using Google Translate, please forgive bad translations
Indeed it is close to the truth to say Index has herself become a Cosmic horror.
It's not much of a question, she is clearly deceiving herself quite a bit.
I have actually, it's never been updated since, but It was a good bit of fun.}
VLPURN:{character interaction is one of my fave things to play with. And this was fun to write, especially their abilities and skills working in conjunction with each other… also really? You really think Aihana will show up?… you might as well ask for pigs to fly.
Index is scaring you?… good…. Excellent}
Fencer29:{Yep! There is no way she'll be returning to that little dorm in the city of science. Like Touma warned she has given up her normality. And your right, I'll also be addressing the doubts on her 'power' in about 3 chaps from now}
Now then, remember, constructive criticism is both encouraged and desired. And with that out of the way, I think It's time we see what a certain Selkie was up to.
Let this tale of an infinity, commence once more!
Chapter 58
Arms of the Nuckelavee
The Nuckelavee starred Muireann down, both standing a couple meters apart. Waiting for the other to make the first move as they rotated around the other. Beria, formerly known as Black Annis, stood back away from them. She merely observed them from afar as she sat down.
While Muireann wanted to ask what the actual Tír-nall Beria was doing. She had to keep her focus on the Nuckelavee
If it wasn't for the roaring wind and torrent of hail. The silence would be defining between the two.
Muireann felt her fist tighten around the arms, her frozen heart beating rapidly.
'Once the first move is made, all bets are off' she thought as she slowly walked counter clockwise around the Nuckelavee.
Then, as if a pin had dropped, the Nuckelavee shrieked. It was a disgusting sound like a gurgling neigh accompanied by a blood curdling scream. The sound caused a chill to run down Muireann's spine as she readied herself.
It galloped forward and swung one of its arms at Muireann. The selkie snow queen turned to the side to avoid. But the Nuckelavee was grinning, its second arm launched forward, clenched.
Muireann gazed in shock as she was thrown back by the long armed punch of the Nuckelavee.
It was like being hit by a jouster's blunt spear. She grimaced, slamming into the ground tearing up the ground, it was only because of the icy armor she conjured that the stray bits of rusted iron and steel did not cut her skin.
Stumbling to her feet Muireann's eyes widened and she rolled forward. Avoiding the Nuckelavee's arms while also rolling under its legs. She spun to her feet swinging one of her pole arms around, steel daggers glittering.
The blade hit the flank of the Nuckelavee's lower horse half, and deflected off its flesh. She bit her lip as her body lit up with runes leaping back just as the Nuckelavee spun around its two arms whipping through the air as the horse head snapped at her.
'Great,' she thought sarcastically, sweat froze on her brow as she landed panting.
The Nuckelavee was no mindless beast, demon, fey, devil of the sea whatever. It was intelligent, sentient and above all.
Old
Its mere presence brought disease and sickness, it would terrorise anyone it came across and its black breath would cause any living being to wither and die. As time went on and diseases evolved, so too would its power.
Muireann would not win by beating it on the head with a stick or throwing it into a wall. Her fallen allies behind her the Nuckelavee's human head grinned as it towered over them. A wheezing intake of breath was heard and Muireann's eyes widened.
She may no longer feel the same attachment to them as she used to due to the frozen heart of Kay. But she knew she did not desire them to die and would protect them if she could. Besides they were helping her save Touma and were useful to that end.
Just as the intake of breath stopped, Muireann swung the two pole arms down. Piercing the ground she pulled up a wall of ice around them just as a torrent of black fog slammed into it.
It parted around them before the sound of galloping was heard. The Nuckelavee smashed through the wall of ice just as the fog parted. It raised its horse body's legs up to crush Muireann, she jumped sideways just as they came down.
Swinging one of the pole arms, multiple spikes of ice pierced through the beast's body.
Or she thought they would, instead every ice spear shattered on its body.
It's human head twitched and turned towards her as it tilted with a broad grin. A wheezing noise came from both its heads as it turned.
It was laughing at her, and Murieann grimaced.
She had thought that the ice would injure it due to it hating fresh water. But the words of the Caileach echoed in her mind.
'There won't be any fresh water to save you'
Yes, as humid as the air was, as much water as there was.
It was all salt water, all tainted by the sea, the Nuckelavee's home.
The hoof pawed the ground the moment as the grinning Nuckelavee shifted its long arms.
Body lit with runes garbed in a royal plate made of ice, snow queen Muireann braced herself.
The Nuckelavee charged as its large hands clenched into fists and swung back. Just as Muireann was about to duck away, she found the Nuckelavee's fist, had slammed into her chest.
'What? The Nuckelavee shouldn't be faster than me, not with the berserker spell' Muireann thought as she hurtled into the ground. The air was knocked out of her and she felt her body strain.
She stumbled to her feet only to see the Nuckelavee kick off of a chunk of the sargasso and head towards her again.
No, it wasn't faster
She had grown slower, Muireann realized, her senses were dulled. Scent, taste and touch, and not because of her frozen heart either.
Trying to leap back, she found the Nuckelavee's front legs kicking her gut. Ice shards flew and she found herself rolling along the ground.
Stumbling to her feet again, Muireann found things felt slightly out of focus. She was sick, at first she was confused but then it hit her.
She was merely drawing on the Nuckelavee's powers. Of course the Nuckelavee itself was so much more powerful. While she was certainly inhospitable to most pathogens due to her snow queen form. Those she was susceptible to, were very dangerous, she was only resistant because of the magic she was using.
The Nuckelavee's fists came down and she barely avoided as they smashed into the ground throwing wreckage and splinters everywhere. Creating an ice pillar beneath her Muireann attempted to rise out of reach. But the Nuckelavee's fists carved through it. She fell through the air towards it, twisting her body mid air she managed to roll down its spine.
However as she fell off its rear the back legs reared and kicked her. Ice chunks flew as her frozen ice armor shattered a moment. Slamming into the ground she vomited as her body strained again.
As a selkie she had a few advantages normal humans didn't. Increased scent for one thing, however that had been dulled horribly. Her vision was less reliable due to her dizziness and sickness. But out of her advantages, hearing was her best, but it alone wasn't enough.
The Nuckelavee charged forth again, sweeping its arms low, hands open to grab.
"Tch ,tch tch," a clicking sound came from Muireann's jaws as it approached.
Just as the Nuckelavee's arm swung around, Muireann dodged away, rolling to the side.
Echo-location, that was the biggest advantage she had over humans. Many mammals that used sight, sent, and touch, less had it. Bats, whales, dolphins, shrews all had it.
And so did seals, which meant Selkie's also held this skill.
Supplementing her vision with hearing and echolocation Muireann managed to regain her bearings fairly quickly as the Nuckelavee shrieked in anger. It leapt into the air back at her and she pulled an ice wall up and rolled out of the way.
Smashing down through the wall the Nuckelavee swiped its hand where it had seen her. But she had already moved, clicking her jaws in such a way to send ultrasonic soundwaves out.
Sure she could still avoid and fight it, but she would grow sicker and sicker if she didn't do anything about the disease.
But what? she thought to herself kicking off to the side as the Nuckelavee's arm came down. An ice wall rose from the ground as it breathed out the sickly black breath again.
She rolled away as the Nuckelavee attempted to use the black breath as cover again. It smashed through the wall the same as the first time but missed her.
Muireann could feel her mind having difficulty focusing, what could she cast to cure the illnesses from her?
Jumping over the Nuckelavee's next swipe just barely she was instead slammed by its flank and smashed into the ground. Icy armor being the only thing saving her from a group of rusty nails.
She rolled away and leapt back from the Nuckelavee as it began to turn around. A curious expression on her face.
Could she use the same spell as the Amakusas and them did back then, against Celt?
A spell from a religion that rejected all others, a spell from a people who crushed the religion which her kind was born of.
What would her parents think?
She didn't know, but she'd use anything right now. That spell had used salt, but there was only salt water of the wrathful sea here.
Wait, she was looking at this wrong, she realized as the Nuckelavee used one of its arms to toss some wreckage at her before closing in.
It wasn't that she only had salt water, it was that she had salt water. The ocean held duality, while it was a stormy violent thing that sank ships. It was also a life giving benevolent force.
Salt and water both were forms of purification in the church. Done correctly, salt water which held both water, and salt. Could easily be used to achieve the same spell.
The knucklave's hand swung around to smack her, but instead Muireann used it as a spring. Launching herself away from the Nuckelavee she rolled across the ground and back to her feet.
She didn't know how this spell would affect her, she didn't know if the nature of christian magic would conflict with her nature as a fey.
But she needed to take the risk, quickly dipping her right hand into the sea she pulled a stream of saltwater out. She quickly fashioned it into a frozen cross, held it over her body, and spoke as the Nuckelavee turned around.
"Though I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and my soul shall be healed" she muttered.
A faint glow came and she felt her senses clear rapidly, but just as she went to dodge the Nuckelavee's next strike.
Her body exploded in pain, blood spewed out from her body much like it would with an esper who used magic.
Christianity denied all other religions by nature, for there was only one god and one scripture. Muireann was a fey of Celtic myths and folklore.
So, it sought to purify her too.
A massive fist slammed against her body and she was sent flying into the ground near her allies. The scabbard of her dad's blade flung from her waist landed next to her as she slid to a halt, its blade slightly drawn.
Blood could be seen freezing inside her icy armor as she panted frost. How had she not died? The amount of blood she lost should have at least left her unconscious.
The sinister glow of her binding runes gave the answer.
She was not allowed to die that way, not easily anyway, not while she was failing Kamijou Touma. Under most circumstances the binding rune would be unable to keep her alive like this. But, she had made the oath in Odin's presence, in doing so the spell was much more potent.
Yes, she could still die if hit hard enough or if she lost enough blood too quickly. But the binding rune would continue to heal her. Ensuring she suffered the agony of freezing to death, while being unable to die from it.
The Nuckelavee was beginning to approach her again; it was cackling at her with that neigh and laugh.
Reaching out to grab her father's Gram replica her hand accidentally brushed its blade.
An intense burning sensation, as agony ripped through her body. It was a pain only surpassed by Imagine breaker itself, a familiar pain.
Cold Iron, and not just any cold Iron.
True, pure, cold forged, cold iron, Muireann's eyes widened as she almost felt a chuckle rise.
"So, My father was as much of a fool as me," she moved her hand, ice forming a gauntlet and grabbed the hilt. Slowly standing as the Nuckelavee loomed above her, her other hand grabbed the scabbard.
A soft smile graced her face despite her frozen heart, 'Thank you, dad, thank you for everything.'
The Nuckelavee's arm swung down to grab her, but a flash of metal was seen.
And the Nuckelavee's hand was cut straight off.
It roared in agony, stumbling back as it lifted its arm in its other hand. Both heads snarled at Muireann as the stump grew back replacing the now useless appendage.
Muireann stumbled back but her breathing began to steady as she strapped the scabbard to her side. Gold embroidered the broad hilt down to the pommel with draconic designs. The iron blade gleaming bright with its sharpened edge which would easily slip through one's flesh.
The Nuckelavee kicked at Muireann who was still gathering herself. She flew back a bit but managed to dig her heels into the ground. Blood stained ice slowly began to form intricate designs within Muireann's frozen armor. Depicting the tale of Sidgur or Sigfreid, the wielder of Gram. An emphasis on the dragon was made as the blood took on properties of the dragon's blood.
"If I had to guess" Muireann said as she grasped the blade in one hand. "My father made this blade, not just to combat the anglicans. But other fey who might threaten my family as well."
Why else would he keep a weapon that could easily kill him so close?
Simple, just because he and his daughter were fey, did not mean other fey would not attack them.
The Nuckelavee snarled as the runes glowed around Muireann, intricate patterns carved into the icy garbs and armor by her frozen blood. Her wounds had sealed up, but her blood vessels still screamed. She still needed to continue the Anglican spell or she would become sick.
Instead of waiting for the Nuckelavee to attack, Muireann launched forward. The tip of the blade heated up and she swung it at the Nuckelavee's legs. It leapt back kicking, deflecting its blow with her frozen gauntlet. Muireann thrust the blade up at its horse torso, the Nuckelavee's eyes widened and it bent away.
Gram was designed not just to kill Fafnir, but specifically to be capable of slaying a beast like fafnir. Not just dragons, but any mythical beast, and the Nuckelavee was very much such a beast.
It galloped forward one hand carving up a chunk of sargasso as the other struck out. Muireann rolled back and then leapt sideways avoiding both before slicing forward at its real attack. The horse head snapped downward but was met with the blade carving into its eye.
But not before it spun around and kicked Muireann sending her tumbling across the ground. The icy armor was slowly growing more red from her blood and parts of it darkened and shifted to draw out more of Gram's power.
While Muireann doubted her or the replica could kill the Nuckelavee. It certainly was hurt by it, and that meant she was getting closer to beating it.
Growling the Nuckelavee grabbed a mast of one of the shipwrecks. Tearing it out it stripped the mast making what amounted to a massive staff. It spun the thing around and slammed the tip down causing splinters to fly.
Muireann glared and smacked Gram against her ice armored chest growling. The glowing runes blue light became purple through the blood stained ice.
The Nuckelavee charged and Muireann leaped upward. A small crater forming where she had been. Swinging the mast the Nuckelavee attempted to strike her from the air. She tilted her blade and swung, it cleaved through the mast and she landed on the Nuckelavee's horseback. Jabbing the blade back she pierced it into the base of both spines and leapt off.
A howling gurgling shrieking neigh resounded out as the Nuckelavee began to recover as Muireann landed.
"Damn it… not enough" Muireann stated, with a click of the tongue. She glanced behind her and saw Lessar shifting. Still alive thankfully, an intake of breath was heard as the Nuckelavee's horse head prepared to attack.
Quickly creating an ice wall to protect her allies, Muireann deflected the black breath.
The cloud faded as the Nuckelavee's human torso lifted, the spine having healed back up. It glared at her as it lifted the mast. It's eye catching the sliced tip, and grinned.
Muireann swore "Otterpack!" leaping to the side just in time to avoid being skewered by the now pointed tip of the mast.
By slicing it, she had sharpened it to a stabbing tip, which the Nuckelavee thrust forward with sadistic glee. The tip pierced through the sargasso ground barely missing Muireann.
As she was its target, Lessar and the others were fine so long as it didn't use the breath. Spinning its new spear in its massive long arms. The Nuckelavee bent its human torso forward and brought the spear forward. Both hands gripping it to give it stability, beginning to gallop it charged forward.
Muireann reacted in kind, charging as well, ice platforms rose beneath her feet. Allowing her to run upwards. She leapt and rolled avoiding being stabbed like a jouster by the Nuckelavee
She sliced through its side, from the human abdomen through the horse flank. Rolling as it rotated around kicking her she used her frozen gauntlets to slow herself down. Coughing as she felt her ribs strain from the hit, this wasn't going well for either party.
But the Knucklavee was healing rapidly, while Muireann was merely doing first aid. The beast turned around and snarled, charging again. Muireann kicked to the side as it threw a chunk of wreckage, slicing it out of the air before it hit Galistic.
But that distraction cost her as the Nuckelavee grinned, kicking off the side of the sargasso, it thrust the spear forward. Muireann barely bent back but screaming burning pain pierced her foot. She screamed loudly seeing the tip of the spear stab through her foot. Blood staining the ice around it, tears formed in her eyes as the Nuckelavee glared down at her with a sadistic grin.
It twisted the tip of the spear, causing the pain to erupt through her. Muireann glared back however and caused multiple pillars of ice to erupt from the ground. They slammed into the Nucklavee, sending it back.
She tore the mast out of her foot, this was normally a horrible decision as it had plugged the wound. But blood stained ice formed to replace it, her foot was screaming in agony now.
Stumbling, Muireann prepared for the Nuckelavee's next attack as it got up. But it wasn't looking good, she couldn't outlast it. "I really need fresh water don't I?" Muireann grimaced.
Her, Galistic and Baobhan Sith never had the time to get any. So she had none on her, and she couldn't get any from her friends.
She glanced to the side, seeing Lessar shift with her eyes slightly open. Sweat covered her face but she was looking at Muireann. Lifting something in her hand shakily she spoke "...you mean… like this?" Lessar asked, holding a bottle of water one could find on a plane.
Muireann's eyes whipped around the Nuckleavee charging again, but nodded.
"Then…" Lessar groaned out, "CATCH SEAL GIRL!" and used her spiritual Item to toss the bottle. Her head falling to the ground, eyes closing as she finally fell unconscious.
Unlike everyone else here, Lessar had only recently gotten here from england. And on a plane, meaning she had plenty of time to get a bottle of water.
As the Nuckelavee swung its arm at Muireann to hit her. The young Selkie swung her blade through the eco-friendly plastic bottle.
She was sent flying back by the Nuckelavee's fist as it sneered.
Before roaring in pain as its entire arm fell off.
It stumbled back shrieking as it looked at the stump pouring black blood. Confusion covered its faces as it realized something.
It wasn't regenerating, its arm was not regrowing! Fury filled its gazes as it turned to Muireann who was standing with a cold grin.
Scarlet armor made of blood stained ice covered her, her blood. Glowing runes covered her body as the scarlet armor's designs felt almost like dragon's scales. Gram held at her side its blade glittering in the light, It was covered in ice.
Not just any ice either, clear, pure, freshwater spring ice. The ice formed almost an extension around the blade itself.
She raised her blade as frost exited her lips, the Nuckelavee snatched the mast tipped in her blood from earlier. And charged its eyes wide in panic and agony, thrusting the spear forward.
It missed, and Muireann's blade carved into its side, it howled as she pulled the blade up ripping through it.
Fear, anger and panic had clouded the mighty beast's mind. It had stopped thinking rationally and now lashed out like the beast it looked like.
Skidding and rotating around the Nuckelavee snarled and screamed again. Swinging the mast down to strike Muireann, she instead slide forward under it grimacing. Thrusting the blade upward she carved into the Knucklavee's stomach.
It howled and black blood poured out, Muireann used a sheath of ice to deflect it from hitting her.
Rolling to her feet she turned around and deflected the massive fist as the Nuckelavee grew more predictable. "I may not be the Mither of the Sea," she began before ducking to the side and piercing one of its front hooves.
The Nuckelavee stumbled and bucked kicking at her but Muireann tilted away.
"And I may not have the power to kill you," Muireann continued, slicing into its opposite back hoof. The Knucklavee stumbled back and wobbled. Nearly unable to stand as it tried to balance on two opposing feet with a body not meant for it.
Its fist came down and Murieann this time didn't even need to move as she used ice to deflect the attack. It slammed into the ground besides her and she merely swung her blade up.
Carving up its chest, Muireann ducked from a swipe by the hand. calling up walls of ice as the Nuckelavee used the black breath. "But Celt and the false hero have pushed you back before, which means."
Muireann leapt up as the black fog faded, kicking off the incoming mast and slashing the face of the Knucklavee. It shrieked in agony as she landed on its back.
It must have realized what she was about to do as it's hand whipped back. Only to be carved through as Muireann spun the blade around. She stabbed down into the spine causing it to shriek, "Even I, a half Selkie good for nothing magician. Can send you back to whatever phase you came from Nuckelavee!" Muireann shouted out as it began falling to its knees.
The Nuckelavee was unable to roar, unable to shriek anymore. Its spine had been severed by freshwater, and cold iron. And it was permanently injured so long as it did not return to the sea.
Whole body lighting up with glowing runes under her frozen blood-plate. Muireann rolled off the Nuckelavee blade aimed up towards its chest. Unable to move anything beyond its torso, the only thing that showed the Knucklavee's fear.
Was how its back hooves, injured and healthy, attempted to dig into the ground.
But to now avail as its entire body fell onto the blade and it was run through the horse heart.
Black blood poured down the blade but faded before it reached Muireann as the Nuckelavee grew still. She pulled the blade out and let it fall over unmoving, the beast's hind legs didn't even twitch as it began to fade from the world.
…
Beria stared in shock at Muireann as she quickly got to her feet. "You wielded norse magic to help yourself defeat it" she said in disbelief. "Even going so far as to use a spell of the cross to cure its effects despite being a selkie."
Muireann stumbled but was caught by Beria before she fell.
"Why?" asked the Cailleach, lowering Muireann to the ground. "Why would you use magic directly opposed to your nature?"
The young selkie tilted her head with an almost confused look. "Why should the origin of the magic matter if it helps me reach my goal?" she asked.
Beria Looked away "Even if it comes from people who wronged you?"
"Magic isn't the person who uses it," Muireann stated simply. Her frosted gaze was dulled of emotion yet she spoke honestly.
Beria felt her eyes widening, it was so obvious, yet so easily overlooked.
A perplexed look came across Muireann's face as Beria laughed.
"I, I'm sorry," Beria said as the laughter subsided, "I've just realized how stupid I've been"
Of course magic wasn't its user, Ainmire had wronged them. But she hadn't just stopped using celtic magic because of it.
"I let my anger and prejudice blind me, of course an old fool like me can't get her former power back" she sighed as she examined Muireann's injured foot. "My experience has made me bitter to other cultures. But you," she began, "your family raised you with those cultures."
Muireann listened with a hint of curiosity on her face. The snow queen's garbs shifted ever so slightly as Beria began healing her foot.
"Your father studied norse myths, your mother was a scottish woman. And both of them worked alongside the anglicans. So, you can do what I never could, I see that now," Bera smiled at her. "You can bridge our cultures together, only then can my actions be undone."
Muireann turned to face her, foot now healed, "bridge our cultures?" she asked confused.
Beria chuckled, shaking her head, "I can never regain my former power, because I wasn't meant to." She slowly lifted Muireann's hands, "But I don't need to, because the perfect successor is right here."
She could see Muieann's eyes widen in shock, even with the frozen heart of kay. "Successor? What, do you mean?" she asked it, almost dazed, like in a dream.
The queen of winter nodded, "It's entirely your choice, but the slot is open, you could inherit my former power for yourself."
"But why me?" Muireann asked, still trying to comprehend what she was being told.
"Because you are not tainted by my biases," Beria stated simply. "But before you do, you must overcome the frozen heart of Kay."
Muireann was silent for a moment looking down as she thought. "If it allows me to help Touma-sama…" she began before raising her head. "How do I do that?" she asked Beria.
Beria sighed in relief, "Never use your power to spite others, protect those you consider family. Do not let the actions of one color your view of the whole. Do not harm those who haven't wronged you. And most importantly, don't lose sight of who you are."
Muireann nodded, but stayed silent as Bera continued.
"Then, once you're ready and you've mastered the path of winter and spring. On the eve of Bealltainn after Imbolic at the foot of Ben Cruachan. As the clock strikes Midnight, release yourself of mortal bonds."
She stood, producing a frozen staff from her hands. "Do you vow to follow the values I've given you, and overcome your frozen heart?"
Muireann paused and brought a finger to her chin. "Before I give my answer… can you tell me something?" she asked.
Beria nodded "of course, what would you like to know?"
"Why didn't you help me defeat the Nuckelavee? With your help it would have fallen quicker." the young selkie asked.
A sad smile graced Beria's face "For the same mother a mother should never hurt her son."
Muireann blinked but smiled slightly, bowing her head and kneeling. "Then, I Muireann Conan, vow under Gungnir and the Sword of Nuada himself."
