Chapter Twenty-Two
AN: This chapter was also written to "Heart of Courage." Also, a little digging led me to discover that the authors of my childhood favorite novels featuring necromantic cauldrons actually took their inspiration from mythology. According to Wikipedia, the Second Branch of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi (the "earliest prose literature in Britain," "originally written in Wales in Middle Welsh") includes a magic cauldron used to bring the dead back to life, though those revived would not be able to speak. Best of all, the cauldron originated from...drumroll please...Ireland.
Bo had imagined the Otherworld as a sort of haunted forest of blackened, shriveled trees entwined with choking mist. Instead, it was more of a barren countryside, though a strand of trees did rise up in the distance beyond the edge of a hill. The grass was a mix of green and brown, dried and withered beneath her feet. The trees, too, looked withered even from a distance, bent as if under a terrible weight. Burnt orange and rust-red clouds roiled above them, lightning jumping from swell to swell in sickening crackles and rumbles. It looked to be a landscape time had left to die, too busy with other things to pay attention to the bleak world that surrounded the succubus and sídhe.
The Fae didn't hesitate to take up their battle positions, Light mingling with Dark as they readied for the inevitable fight soon to come. Those with tower shields lined the army of sídhe in front, forming a sort of Greek phalanx-like wall. Those with smaller shields were split into two groups: one staggered behind the first shield line so anything that somehow slipped between the gaps would go no further; the other shield-bearers stood in front of the archers in the back. While the other Fae could lift up swords or shields as a modicum of protection against a volley of bolts and arrows, the sídhe that could return fire had no such protection.
The ranged fighters in the back stood with the crossbowmen in front and the archers behind, those with longbows taking the flanks for longer-ranged shots. The melee warriors stood in front of the shield-bearers protecting the ranged fighters, and in front of them, the sídhe with battle-ready powers. Gancanaghs stood ready to release their smoke while banshees prepared to keen their death song, though it meant they would have to move up before the phalanx so as not to harm their comrades. All were prepared to fall back to the protection of the melee fighters should the combat grow too close. Bo and her companions stood on the fringe of the melee warriors, knowing that they could not break off from the main force until the battle began if they did not want to draw attention to themselves.
Trick stood behind the second line of shield-bearers, the Spear of Lugh standing like a beacon above the warriors, blade glinting in the unnatural light of the Otherworld. The Morrigan stood by his side, her two-handed sword held in high guard. On the Blood King's command, the assemblage of sídhe began to march.
They had just reached the crest of the hill when the rustling in the trees began. The army stopped, tensing and listening. It wasn't long before the unmistakable growls of Under-Fae reached their ears and the cause of the noise emerged from the forest only moments later. Dobhar-chú lumbered forward followed by the twisting, shambling forms of the ancient sídhe. Upon seeing the army from the world above, the Under-Fae roared their challenge, lifting their swords in the air and encouraging each other forward.
The shield-bearers in the front line slipped apart just enough to let the banshees through and the women grasped each other's hands to form a chain. Seeing this and unaware of their nature, the Under-Fae let out gurgling chuckles as they hastened their advance. They were twenty meters away when the banshees began to keen.
Bo winced and clapped her hands over her ears as the wailing cry echoed around the clearing. A disharmonic cacophony of shrieks rippled out in shockwaves that slammed into the Under-Fae with brutal force. Several were blown off their feet, writhing in agony as they tried to escape the death song. White blood poured from the ears and noses of the dobhar-chú as the creatures fell, their bodies contorting before twitching one last time. Just when Bo thought her own ears would begin to bleed, the banshees ceased, retreating behind the phalanx. The shield-bearers closed rank after them, once again creating their impenetrable wall.
The Morrigan raised her closed fist and the ranged fighters lifted their weapons, tilting them upwards so their shots would clear the assemblage. Evony threw her hand forward in the command to fire and the archers and crossbowmen loosed their bolts into the air. The deadly projectiles formed a perfect arc before raining down into the horde of Under-Fae, felling many of them. The Morrigan commanded several more attacks, all of which proved to be devastating to the rear line of the ancient sídhe army. But the rest were too close for the archers to reach without risking their comrades, and so sídhe in the phalanx braced themselves as the Under-Fae began to charge.
Gancanagh smoke billowed from behind the shield-bearers as the first line of ancient sídhe rebounded against the phalanx, many of them dazed either by impact or magic. The shield-bearers used the advantage to strike, pushing the Under-Fae back and driving their blades home. Now the battle cries rang out in the air as the sídhe pressed forward, both armies clashing in brutal melee. Steel met steel and finesse met force as sídhe fought the ancient past for the cause of the future.
Battle underway, Trick fell back to where the infiltration group remained by the archers. "Go!" he commanded. "We'll hold them off here! You find the Cauldron!"
Fíonn nodded and began to lead the group away. Bo pulled her grandfather into a fierce hug before turning to follow but was stopped by Kenzi's arms around her waist. "Get your ass back to me, Bo," the human ordered.
"I promise, Kenz," Bo murmured, returning her embrace.
"And you," Kenzi continued, punching Tamsin in the arm. "You keep her safe and keep yourself safe, you hear?"
"You bet, momz," Tamsin replied with a reassuring smile, kissing Kenzi's forehead. Fighting back tears, the Russian girl gave them both a shove before turning back to the archers.
Tamsin fell back and took position behind Aífe but before they could follow Fíonn, the succubus surprised her by turning and wrapping her arms around her father as Bo had. When she pulled away, Trick was staring at her in shock.
"I forgive you, Daddy," Aífe told him with a smile as she gripped his shoulders. "I forgave you a long time ago." With one last embrace, Aífe turned and followed the others. Trick took a moment to stare after her with utter confusion before shaking it off and returning to battle.
Tamsin watched Aífe grimly as she took the rear of the group, the succubus's actions confirming what she'd known from the start.
…
Leaving the battlefield involved a very tense crawl so as not to attract attention from the skirmishing Under-Fae. When they were far enough away that they could only just hear the sounds of the fighting, the group rose to a crouch and Fíonn held his medallion while reciting the incantation. The triple-spiral began to glow and the gancanagh turned until he was facing the direction it pulled him. "Thank God; it's the same way we've been going," he sighed before beckoning the others to follow him. All complied, but Tamsin grabbed Aífe's arm and pulled her back out of earshot of the others.
"It doesn't have to be you, you know," the Valkyrie murmured as the two moved forward side by side.
Aífe gave her a rueful smile. "I should've known you would figure it out. You of all the Fae see battles as they are."
"I also know that we could find another way."
The succubus scoffed. "You know as well as I do that there is no other way. And I'm just so very tired," she sighed. "You understand, don't you?" Aífe continued with an imploring look at the Valkyrie. "You understand what it means to endure centuries of pain?"
"I do – millennia, in fact," Tamsin agreed. "But I've also found someone who takes that pain away."
Aífe smiled – a fond, genuine smile. "Yes, she takes mine away, too. But even that's not enough. The things he did to me…you can't even begin to imagine."
"That's just it – I can," Tamsin replied grimly. "You said that I see battles as they are. Well, I see what comes after, too. And so I do understand. I don't like it…but I understand."
The succubus's smile was of content sadness this time. "Take care of my baby girl, won't you?"
Tamsin put her right fist over her heart and bowed as best she could as they continued forward, echoing her promise to Aífe when they'd first met. "With everything I am and all I have to give."
Aífe's smile widened. "I knew when I met you that my girl made the right choice in taking you as a lover."
Tamsin bit her lip, momentarily unsure, but decided that the succubus deserved to know, especially now. "You should know…Bo's not just my lover. She's my bondmate."
It took Aífe a moment to understand, but when she did, the look of joy on her face nearly blinded the Valkyrie. "That's my girl."
…
The group heard the growls and smelled the bodies before they saw the Cauldron itself. Dropping to the ground once again, they wormed their way forwards until they were peering over the edge of a grassy ridge. There was a short drop below them into a small, barren clearing, behind which was another clump of trees. One look at the Cauldron made everyone shudder in revulsion.
Though it might once have been a thing of beauty, its very presence now radiated sickening hatred. Made of what looked to be copper, the rim of the Cauldron sagged, the metal warped and blackened. It was about waist-high, just wide and deep enough for a body. The triple-spiral was gouged black into the side, twisted and deformed. But it was the pile of bodies that horrified the group most – that and the two Under-Fae on each side of the Cauldron throwing the corpses into the coppery abyss to climb out of swirling smoke moments later in merely a semblance of life.
"Those bodies…" Lauren whispered. "They're not Under-Fae. They just look like Fae." She glanced over at Fíonn. "I thought all the ancient sídhe in the Otherworld were Under-Fae."
"Not all," Aislinn answered. "You found the information yourself: that ancient sídhe felled in battle returned as Under-Fae. Not all denizens of the Otherworld are as twisted as this Cauldron makes them."
"These sídhe, then…they must have been killed specifically to feed the Cauldron," Dyson realized.
"Slaughtered like animals," Kayleigh agreed.
"Ok, so now what?" Bo hissed.
"There are…" Fíonn took a moment to count, "nine of us and about…" he glanced over the rim and counted some more, "seven of them currently – no, eight, one just got out of the Cauldron – and about four more bodies in the pile. If we attack now, we should be able to take them out. Then we'll split again – some of us to keep an eye on the Cauldron, the rest of us to look for the Sword."
Aislinn and Lauren had already loaded their bow and crossbow. "Let us fire as many shots as we can, first," Aislinn requested. "We may not have any openings once the fight really gets underway."
"Better hurry; there are nine of them now," Hale noticed.
Lauren took a deep breath. "For the Fae."
"For the Fae," Aislinn agreed. Then the two popped up and fired.
The blonde women managed to take out three Under-Fae before the rest got close enough to attack. The rest of the group leapt over the ridge and into the clearing to form a defensive semi-circle against the oncoming sídhe. Seeing that they were under attack, the Under-Fae by the Cauldron began to work faster, dragging revived sídhe from the smoke so they could throw another body in immediately. The Under-Fae on the left side dropped, clutching at the crossbow bolt in his neck, and the remaining sídhe screamed in rage before working even harder.
Dyson was mid-shift, roaring as he clawed at the two sídhe attacking him and sending sprays of white blood around the clearing. Hale had tried his siren song on the Under-Fae coming after him but they had shaken it off, forcing him to draw his sword. All of the sídhe were men, so Fíonn's smoke was useless, the gancanagh fending off his attackers with his knives instead. The fighting was too tight for Tamsin to extend her wings, but she defended herself with ease, beheading one of her attackers with a single sweep of her blade.
But it wasn't quite enough. The remaining Under-Fae at the Cauldron had finished with his pile of bodies and the group of defenders was close to being overrun. Kayleigh was knocked off her feet and only a quick arrow from Aislinn saved her from being impaled. Dyson had taken a fair few slices across his arms and chest and Hale leapt to aid him as a sídhe nearly sliced his throat. Bo was holding her own well enough, her dagger leaving deep wounds and weakening the Under-Fae enough for Tamsin to slay. She had just kicked away the body of a sídhe she had stabbed through the heart when her mother grabbed her by the shoulders.
"You may be his, baby girl, but you're mine, too, and I love you so much." The elder succubus smiled at her bewildered daughter, stroking her cheek. "My little Isabeau." An embrace, a kiss to her forehead, and then Aífe was running. Running towards the Cauldron.
"Mom! Mom!" Bo cried out in terrified realization. She made to move after her but was stopped by strong arms around her waist. "Let me go! Let me go!" she shrieked, but Tamsin held her back in a fierce grip. Bo kicked and sobbed and reached for her mother, begging and pleading for her to stop.
Aífe didn't stop. Didn't look back. She stumbled when one of the Under-Fae sliced across her stomach, but she merely pressed her hands to the wound and continued forward. Staggering the last few steps, she grabbed the blackened copper rim and vaulted into the Cauldron.
"Mom!"
There was a single puff of fog, then the angry cry of twisting metal rent the air, as if the body of a bell had begun to warp mid-ring. An explosion of fire and sparks and smoke shrieked through the clearing, causing the defenders to duck and cover their heads. Copper shards struck home in each of the remaining Under-Fae, their twisted bodies dropping with sickening thuds.
When the smoke had cleared and the group returned to its feet, the Cauldron lay in pieces around them. Aífe was gone.