All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 31: Once Upon a Time.
Bill had almost gotten used to the silver chains that held him against the wall. His skin had become numb to the burn. He was more concerned about his appetite. He hadn't had blood, real or synthetic, since he was chained up and he was hungry. If his hunger grows he knows he won't be able to control his actions or emotions.
"Guess who is here?" The familiar warm and southern fueled voice of the man that Bill had expected to see, but still had dreaded since he first came there, carried through the underground halls of the complex.
"Mississippi Fried Vampire," Bill said as he remembered the appearance of the old vampire the last time he saw him. "Extra Crispy."
"More like original recipe," Russell said as he came into view, dressed in the same burgundy jacket and beige slacks that Bill had met him in. His hair and fangs were back and everything had healed. "If I didn't know any better I would say I'm the one who looks better, Compton."
"You looked better when we dumped you in cement," Bill said and looked down.
"Preparing to bow to your true king?" Russell asked in a smug tone. "You can offer yourself to be my royal asshole licker and I will still have you killed."
"Why are you stalling?" Bill asked. He had a theory.
"I want to make sure I have both you and that Viking. I want you both together, chained together so the last thing you both see will be each other's eyes." He smiled and leaned against the wall. "Now I heard you made a little deal with my boy, Gerald. I believe part of the deal would be the location of Eric Northman."
"He is in New Orleans."
"If you are telling the truth then I appreciate it," Russell said. "But if you are lying I will have your fingers and toes chopped off one by one until you tell me the truth."
"It is the truth and I'll give you the address," Bill said and licked his lips. "If you give me just a spoon of Tru Blood."
"I cannot call myself a proper gentleman if I refuse refreshments for my guest." He clapped his hands. "Hilde fetch me a bottle of Tru Blood for Mr. Compton here and a notepad and something to write with."
"I take it you don't want to work with us," Bill said. "The Authority is after all three of us."
"Oh the Authority?" Russell rolled his eyes. "We will be taking them on, building a bit of an army as we speak, just made hundred new vampires who will be rising soon."
"And you will torture those as well?"
Russell seemed to be actually confused at that. "Oh." His eyebrows rose in recognition. "Nicolette is quite upset about losing her progeny. She has a score to settle with the bitch that stole him. Her words not mine. I watched the good reverend on that show with Mrs. Walters. I did take Gerald aside and told him I was displeased with what he had done. My Golden boy also gave him a verbal lashing."
"You have many progenies to care for," Bill said. "Are you sure you can handle them all?"
"We will all be able to handle the new members to our family," Russell said.
"Family members? Don't you mean cannon fodder?"
"I prefer the term foot soldiers."
Bill shook his head sadly. "You are a sad excuse for a sentient being. The vampire that turned you made a huge mistake."
Inis na bhfiodhbhadh (Ireland) 900 B.C.
The stone circle was now complete and all that was left was for an offering to be made to the goddess, Druantia. They marauders from the north keep plaguing their land and after the multiple fires from two nights ago the villagers were in talks of packing up everything they had and travel even further south.
Fiachra and the others told them it would be foolish to keep running. They would soon run out of south to run to will end up running into the sea and drowning. He told them to have faith in Druantia and once the circle was built and the sacrifice made things would change for them.
"Fiachra I brought him," Rhydach said as he brought in the lamb that was kicking it's legs in desperation to get out of the young man's arms.
"Good lad," Fiachra said pointed to the one flat slab of stone. The others were standing straight up and ended in points. It wasn't the most beautiful or well-organized circle but it would be enough.
"I have him prepared," Rhydach said and used every muscle in his limbs to hold down the lamb and keep it from wiggling away.
"Druantia we call upon you to protect our village," Fiachra said as he pulled out a knife. "We have built this circle upon your honor. My people need your help." With one quick swipe of the knife he had slit the throat of the lamb. "We give you one of the best of our sheep, that we depend on food and clothing. Please accept our offering and help our people."
"Protect our people," Rhydach added. "Save our people."
After several minutes Fiachra stood up. "Rise." He waited for the youth to stand up. "You have done well my apprentice."
"Thank you, Fiachra," Rhydach said with a smile. His bright blue eyes were full of pride.
"Rhydach I am not young," he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have entered the winter of my life and soon shall no longer be part of this world. When my body returns to the Earth you will be the one to pray for the people."
"I will be here for our people."
"You are a good lad." He tucked a few strands of blond hair behind Rhydach's ear. "You may return home. I will stay here and continue to pray to the Goddess."
Fiachra had prayed for several hours not realizing he had fallen asleep when he had. He woke up to hear the sound of someone or something drinking. He looked towards the direction of the circle and the sacrifice and saw someone that appeared human lapping up the blood.
"What creature are you?" Fiachra asked as he made his way to the circle. "Reveal your true form and be gone from this holy ground."
The figure leaped back further into the shadows before scaling on top of one of the stones and in the moonlight she was beautiful. She had long dark hair that seemed to float in the breeze and was dressed in white swathes that wrapped around her pale body and limbs.
"Druantia," Fiachra gasped before he kneeled down in front of her. "You have accepted my sacrifice?"
"The blood is good and filling," the goddess said. "I will need something stronger. Tell me why did you seek my counsel?"
"Roving bands of pillagers come down from the north and attack my village," Fiachra explained. "They steal our food, violate our women, set fire to our homes and have harmed and killed many a men who seek to defend it. I keep telling our people to keep the faith and you came."
"Those who seek harm upon your people shall be punished," Druantia said. "But in order for me to assist you I will need a stronger sacrifice."
"I will give you anything."
"Even your life?"
"To save my people, to save those who I care and love? I will gladly give up my own life."
"Then we have an accord. This will only cause pain at the start." She leaped down and landed on Fiachra , knocking him back. The last thing he felt was the piercing bite in his neck.
The marauders returned the next night, just as Fiachra crawled out of the dirt along with the goddess, hungry oh so hungry and furious at the attackers. He ran, twice as fast as a deer and snapped the neck of one before he tackled the other and ripped out his throat with the new set of fangs in his mouth. The blood tasted delicious. He gulped down some before he killed another marauder and then another. With Druantia's help they were able to kill everyone in that band.
"What has happened to me?" Fiachra asked after he had drank his fill. "I thought I were to die."
"You are dead," the goddess said. "You are a creature that is neither dead or alive. You are stronger and faster than before. You can protect your village, except you cannot show yourself to them, not anymore."
"Rhydach will lead them in your worship," Fiachra said.
"We may see your apprentice live up to your expectations," she said and pointed at the bodies. "We need to remove them."
Bon Temps, November 2009.
Sookie had leaned in as she listened to Ismene's tale. It was hard to believe that Russell was once a Druid priest in ancient Ireland and was willing to sacrifice himself for others.
"So what did you do with the bodies?" Jason asked.
"Sliced off all the heads and took the bodies with us," Ismene said. "I was part of a small nest and decided to share the wealth as well as show off my new progeny. When we returned to watch over the village the next night we had discovered the villagers had put up pikes and placed the heads on them." She smiled. "Never attacked again, well were never attacked for the next fifty years before we moved along."
"What about Godric?" Jessica asked. "I mean what about his Maker?"
"Oh Maximus," Ismene closed her eyes. "He was a mistake almost from the start. He was a Roman soldier, nearly died trying to get his men to safety and as you can see I have soft heart for those who believe in the self-sacrifice. I turned him."
"Why was he a mistake?" Sookie asked.
"He did not hide completely from his people, just hid what he was. He continued to fight, rose in rank, became a lord who had many fields a large house and slaves and he was brutal towards them and one of the slaves was Godric. I do not blame that boy for killing Maximus."
"Will you help us?" Sookie asked. "With the Authority and Russell?"
"Of course, my dear that is why I came here. Now we shall reconvene at a better location? Perhaps the estate that has been taken over by a bunch of puppies?"
"Bill's house?" Jessica asked.
"That would be perfect," Ismene said. "I hope there is a working DVD player there. We shall meet there tomorrow night, discuss the details and watch a movie."
"Sure," Sookie said and the others nodded in agreement. She just hoped it wouldn't be too late for Bill then.
A/N: I went with the backstory Dennis O'Hare came up for Russell and made him an Irish Druid. Russell said his original name meant Raven in his old tongue and Fiachra is Celtic for Raven.
Inis na bhfiodhbhadh Is the oldest name for Ireland that I came across.
Druantia is a Celtic goddess associated with fir trees and. Also known as Queen of the druids and was a fertility goddess as well as goddess of protection.
In one of the True Blood extras Pam talked about Godric and his maker and said Godric's maker was a Roman soldier that took Godric as a slave a few years before he was turned.