Episode 7: Part 2
The next morning, bright light filtered into the recovery ward of Somerset Valley Hospital as Connor sat down in a chair at Eliza's bedside. As she lay in bed, the young musician cracked her eyes open and gave a tired smile, "Connor… I wasn't expecting to see you. This is a nice surprise."
The Summer Knight returned the smile to his friend, "Hey... how are you feeling?"
"Exhausted," she sighed, "I feel like I just ran a marathon. The doctors said I was going to be okay, but I just need to rest."
Connor nodded, "That's good. I'm glad you and the other victims are going to be okay… but I'm really sorry you got hurt."
"Don't' be. How were any of us supposed to know that a monster attack was going to happen? I'm more curious how you and your other friends didn't wind up here too."
Connor cleared his throat and replied a little evasively, "Oh... well, when we started feeling weird we made a run for it. I guess we just got lucky."
"Yeah…" Eliza said as she lay back on her pillows, "Still, this sucks being laid up in here."
"It can't be all bad," Connor chuckled as he pointed out a small pile of flowers and stuffed animals on a nearby shelf. "Seems like you've got a lot of well wishers and admirers."
Eliza smiled, "Yeah, my boyfriend Greg came by earlier and brought about half of that stuff. Still, I kinda wish he brought my guitar and that I was strong enough to play."
"You really should be focusing on resting and getting strong again," Connor pointed out but Eliza shook her head with a light laugh.
"No, you've got it wrong there. Music is my life. It's what I'm studying here and it's what I want to do for a living. Music is what makes me stronger and I know it can help me beat the effects of that monster's music."
Connor sat in silence for a moment thinking over Eliza's words when inspiration struck him. He gave a bright smile and reached over to squeeze his friend's hand, "Eliza! You're a genius! I think you're on to something there!"
She blinked in surprise as he shot up from his seat, "I am?"
Connor nodded and began to hurry out the door, "I'm sorry Eliza, I've gotta run and take care of something really important right now but I promise I'll be back."
"Oh… okay. Are you sure you're feeling well too?"
The Summer Knight smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Trust me. You'll be feeling better soon enough Eliza. Just focus on getting well!"
Eliza McConnel raised a confused eyebrow before lying back in bed. Whatever that was about, she just had to trust him. Besides, she was too tired to do anything else useful at the moment.
Meanwhile, back at the Student Union Quinton sat in one of the lounges sketching a picture on his art pad while Laura and Noelle reclined on a couch watching some television. For the time being, everyone decided it was best to just try and stay relaxed before any new attacks from the Fomorians flared up again. After having flipped through several channels Laura gave a bored sigh and handed off the remote controller to Noelle before she got up to check on Quinton.
As she approached the Spring Knight, she spied the subject he was sketching and raised an eyebrow. To her surprise, it was a familiar lovely long haired female in an ancient flowing Celtic dress. "Really Quinton? You're sketching a picture of Leanansidhe?"
Quinton looked up and gave a sheepish shrug, "Sorry. I couldn't help it. I guess some of her charm rubbed off and it inspired me."
The Winter Knight gave a sigh as she snatched up the sketch book and lightly smacked him over the head with it. "If that knocked some sense back into you, maybe we can use that for target practice next time we throw darts at O'Doyle's pub."
"Or we could use it for a Wanted poster," Noelle joked lightly as she flipped off the television and joined her friends. "I just hope Kristen can figure something out before the town comes under attack again."
No sooner had she said that was when Laura's phone began to ring and she checked the screen, "Oh Noelle, you just had to say that didn't you?"
The Winter knight picked up and answered, "Yes Kristen, I'm here... yes, I understand. We'll be there."
She hung up quickly and looked to her two friends, "Well everyone, it looks like the witch is back for a rematch. Leanansidhe is attacking just east of campus. I'm guessing she means to steal more energy from people."
"What about Kristen? Has she come up with anything yet?" Quinton asked quickly.
The Winter Knight shook her head, "She's still researching at the moment so we're on our own. Connor should be on his way and he's going to meet us soon."
"All right, what are we waiting for?" Noelle answered while reaching for her magic ring, "Let's ride!"
On the other side of campus, Connor hurried from his room carrying his violin case in one hand while trying to make a phone call with the other. When he heard a response on the other end, Connor gave a relieved sigh, "Kristen! Thank goodness! I need your help. I think I figured out a way to outmaneuver Leanansidhe next time she shows up."
"You couldn't have better timing," the Druid replied from a desk at her antique shop. She was talking to him on her phone while paging through several large dusty old tomes on faerie lore that had been collected by her order. "I just contacted the other knights. Leanansidhe is attacking just east of campus town right now. You've got to get over there ASAP."
The Summer Knight blinked in momentary shock before giving a nod, "Right, I'm on my way but I need to run an idea by you."
"Fire away," Kristen replied while she kept paging through her books.
As Connor burst out the doors of the dorm with his instrument tucked under his arm, he looked around to get his bearings, "Is it possible to undermine the magic of Leanansidhe's lyre with other music?"
From where she sat at her desk, Kristen stopped and thought for a long moment, "I... suppose it's possible. There are many fey in the older legends that have been known to enchant humans with their music so it stands to reason that music itself may contain some kind of inherent power."
"Great, I'm bringing my fiddle into battle with me. I want to see if I can counter Leanansidhe's melody with one of my own," Connor smiled grimly.
"You intend to duel her and play over her own music?"
The Summer Knight shook his head, "Not exactly, I'm going to use music theory against her... the ideas of counterpoint and counter melody. I should be able to piggyback off her magic effects while twisting the music to my own purpose."
Kristen nodded and gave a tense smile, "I hope you're ready for an impromptu concert then. Good luck Connor."
He nodded and hung up the phone only to run right into another student.
"Hey! Watch where you're going buddy," Stephen Gentum Smith frowned as he dusted off his gray wool coat in annoyance.
"Sorry man. I didn't see you there. I'm in a big rush, so I gotta go!" Connor apologized quickly as he gave a contrite gesture and continued running toward the east side of campus.
Stephen could only watch him run off before shaking his head to himself and continuing on home toward his own dormitory.
Despite having arrived at the battlefield early, the other three Hibernian Knights called their weapons and armor hoping they could drive off the mysterious new Fomorian commander. Unfortunately, the battle had not been going very well for them so far. The three knights were thrown backwards again from another punishing burst of energy as Leanansidhe twirled her sword and laughed. While the knights lay stunned on the ground, their armor dispelled in the wake of the advancing Fomorian commander.
"This is not looking good," Quinton groaned, "Anyone have a new plan?"
Leanansidhe calmly sheathed her sword and drew her golden lyre, "I'm afraid you have no more need of a plan Sir Knight. Without your enchanted armor to protect you, I'm going to take your lives and then give your rings to Lord Balor myself."
With that, she began to strum the lyre and sing a soothing song with the reverberating notes. Despite the best efforts of the three downed knights to mentally resist the spell, they felt their bodies weaken and their very strength leave them.
"I can barely move… I can't… go on," Noelle sighed as she slumped to her side.
Even in the face of the beautiful music, Laura gritted her teeth and tried to will herself to stand, "Don't give in you two… we can't fall here…"
Just as the three began to grow even more fatigued, they heard the sound of a fiddle coming from behind. It was playing a counter melody against Leanansidhe's, one that harmonized with hers but changed the song's tone to a major key, resulting in music that was brighter, cheerful, and more lively.
The red headed fey woman glanced up in surprise and her features twisted into anger as the three students turned to see the Summer Knight advancing forward. He was clad in his armor but instead of a sword in hand, he carried a fiddle and a bow, defiantly playing against his Fomorian enemy.
"How dare you!" she cried in outrage as the power of her music waned. She stopped her own song and reared back to throw a projectile spell at him.
The moment Leanansidhe stopped her song, Connor swiftly set down his instrument and rushed forward while drawing his blade. The general barely fired off her spell in time as Connor slashed and deflected it away at point blank range.
Leanansidhe stumbled back from the aggressive onslaught of the Summer Knight and tried to reach for her sword but he was too fast and brought his own blade back down toward her. The witch gave a furious cry as she desperately brought her other hand around to block the blow with her lyre. Connor gave an angry shout and ignited his blade with Summer fire, watching as it smashed apart the lyre and sent both combatants flying backwards in a small shockwave.
"No! What have you done!" Leanansidhe cried in a near hysterical shriek while stumbling to her knees, "My lyre!"
Everyone on the battlefield stopped and watched in stunned silence while the destroyed lyre glowed and released motes of light back into the air. Amid the beautiful glittering sight, the motes of energy dispersed and made their way back to their sources, those whose vitality had been stolen by the vampiric fey woman.
Leanansidhe slumped down for a moment, both in anguish at her destroyed instrument and at all the power she had collected leaving her at once. Connor rose to his feet and advanced again with a blazing sword, "It's over Leanne. I'm not going to let you hurt any more innocent people… especially not my friends."
"Stop calling me that!" she screamed at him as she drew her own sword angrily, "I don't know who that is, and I don't know what you're talking about! Spriggans, to me!"
With a wave of her hand, the fey woman summoned a platoon of spriggan warriors to back her up while the other knights regrouped around Connor. The Summer Knight glanced over at his comrades and hefted his blade, "Sorry I'm late everyone. Are you guys up for a little encore performance right now?"
They all gave a smile and nodded before raising their rings and calling on their powers once again, "Athru!"
Leanansidhe and her spriggan escorts shielded their eyes for a moment against the bright light before they saw the four knights draw their swords and level them together, "Four Swords, One Heart! Hibernian Knights... To Arms!"
The moment the knights broke their unified formation, they rushed forward to clash with the Fomorian foot soldiers. As they collided with the first rank and began to slash their way through, Laura pushed aside another spriggan and waved the Summer Knight through.
"We'll clear the way for you Connor! Take out that general!"
Connor gave a grateful nod to his female comrade before continuing his charge and slashing aside the last of the rear rank spriggan body guards. Without wasting any time, he attacked Leanansidhe directly and locked swords with her.
The unnerved Fomorian commander gave more ground as Connor pressed his attack, "Put down your weapon! If you really are Leanne, then you've got to remember me! We were childhood friends!"
"I don't have friends," she snarled as she tried to ward him off with another wild swing of her own sword. "Especially not with the enemies of Balor."
Connor parried her blow and disarmed her with a quick counter move. Giving a shout, he swung his curved blade and unleashed a burst of Summer fire that blew back Leanansidhe and separated the two combatants with a small wall of flames.
"I don't believe that," the Summer Knight said sternly as he stood his ground, "As long as you fight for Balor I want you to stay away from this town and from my other friends."
Leanansidhe glared at him through the flickering fires that separated them before giving a sniff, "You may have won a small victory today Summer Knight, but mark my words… Lord Balor will have his revenge on you and your friends."
With that, she waved her arm and retreated from the battlefield in another cloud of green smoke. Connor stood in place, watching his opponent withdraw before he turned to see his three fellow knights approach from behind. As the small wall of flames died down, the knights dispelled their armor and exchanged relieved smiles.
Noelle was the first to step up and give the Summer Knight a small relieved hug, "Are we glad to see you."
As he put an arm over her, he smiled while Quinton approached and handed him his fallen fiddle and bow, "Thanks for the help back there Connor, you really saved our necks today."
"No," he chuckled as he let go of Noelle and looked over his fiddle, "Eliza and Kristen were the ones behind this win. This was a team victory today."
Laura crossed her arms and calmly surveyed the battlefield, "Then I guess it's only fair that we should go share the good news with them, don't you think?"
The Summer Knight gave a nod toward her with a tired smile, "Sounds good to me. Lead the way Laura."
Later that evening, Leanansidhe sat by herself near a small pond deep in the woods at the edges of Somerset Valley. The caves leading back to the Underworld and Balor's liar lay nearby, but the fey general was in no mood to return at the moment. Instead, she sat by the moonlit water looking into it while contemplating her past battles with the Hibernian Knights. They were a formidable band of warriors protecting this region, despite their recklessness and inexperience. While strong, they were certainly not invincible. Now that she had seen them in action, she could report to Lord Balor and devise new strategies to seize control of the valley. Once they could establish their foothold here, the Four Courts and the Faerie Realm would be next.
Still... something had perturbed her during the battle. It hadn't been that she was exactly defeated today, but rather it was she who defeated herself. She had given ground and faltered in battle against the Summer Knight. But why? The fleeting moments of doubt and uncertainty clouded her mind as the moonlight shone down from above illuminating the pool of water before her. For the briefest moment, she almost saw her own reflection ripple and change with her hair taking on a more auburn and off-reddish color.
She frowned and splashed the water aside before rising to her feet and heading toward the Underworld caves. There was no time to waste on such idle thoughts and feelings. She had work to do... namely finding a way to thwart her new enemies.
Meanwhile, back at the dormitory Connor sat by himself in his room looking out the windows toward the gentle snow that had begun to sprinkle down in the night air. In the light of the old fashioned street lamps outside, it was truly a beautiful and peaceful sight. Despite the serenity that had fallen over the valley, the Summer Knight couldn't help but think of everything that had happened.
While the people who had been hurt by Leanansidhe's enchantment made full recoveries, the fact remained that a dangerous Fomorian general had joined Balor's ranks making the battle against him that much more difficult. Leanansidhe had proven herself to be a deadly foe and yet, Connor couldn't help but wonder if by some dark sorcery or terrible curse that the monster they were fighting was in fact a fellow human... and a friend that he cared about. If so, would he be able to steel his resolve to fight her if it meant putting his own friends or the valley itself in danger?
His thoughts were interrupted as Quinton entered the room with Noelle and Laura in tow behind him. "Hey Connor, I thought we might find you here tonight. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah Quin... I'm fine," he replied trying to brush off the somber mood he had been in, "Sorry. I just had a lot on my mind tonight."
Quinton nodded in understanding before coming to sit down beside him by the window, "Listen Connor, I know you've been really bothered by that new general of Balor's but you should know that we're going to help you find out what happened to your friend Leanne and that it's okay to be honest with showing how you really feel about things sometimes, especially around us."
Noelle came to sit down on Connor's other side and patted his shoulder, "Quinton is right. You don't have to act like someone you're not... even if you meant for it to give the rest of us confidence too."
"Thanks guys. I appreciate it," Connor said with a faint but grateful smile, "And I'm also sorry if it caused any problems before."
"Well then... seeing how that's all settled, we were wondering if you wanted to put all this behind us and celebrate as a team tonight. We were thinking of going to see a movie," Laura said from across the room.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Connor said as he rose to his feet, "What did you guys want to see?"
"We could watch a comedy," Quinton answered with a grin.
Noelle shook her head and gave a hopeful smile to herself, "Nah, I was kinda in the mood for a romance flick."
"You're both wrong," Laura sighed patiently, "I wanted to see a historical period drama."
"Boring. How about an action movie?" Connor offered with a playful smile.
Like the differing seasons and powers that their rings represented, the four friends began to gently debate and argue among one another over their next course of action. In a way, it wasn't all that different from the manner in which the Four Courts of the Faerie Realm functioned, but there was always hope that if four different people could eventually agree on what kind of movie to watch tonight, then four factions of Elven people could come together to stop a common Fomorian enemy.