Chapter 25: The Seraphim/Landslide - Part 1
Over 2000 years ago...
In the depths of the forest, a group of hunters quickly but quietly trekked through the dense foliage. Keeping their footsteps light, they followed their leader in single file, wearing cloaks that concealed their presence. The group eventually came to a clearing; the leader gestured to his companions to take positions along a line of bushes. Crouching, they all peer over to survey their target:
A wild boar, grazing amongst grass obliviously...
The animal was on the other side of the clearing, too far for the hunters to shoot with arrows. So, the leader whispered to one of his fellow hunters:
"Aife... cover please..."
The hunter lowered her hood, revealing the face of a grown woman with short hair and brown eyes. She projected a rune before extending her hand to a bush, and then onto the leader's cloak. The rune glowed on the garment before fading, after that the leader gave his instructions.
"You and you circle around," he whispered to anonymous hunters holding bows. "Cut off its escape route. After I get first shot, coax it over here."
The hunters nodded in acknowledgment before the leader then turned to Aife.
"Get the trap ready..."
"Got it," Aife replies with a nod. "Good luck, Kihli."
The hunters all went their separate ways. While Aife was preparing a rune, Kihli circled around the clearing in the opposite direction, as close as he could get without alerting the boar. Even at this distance, it was an ambitious shot to take with his bow. Still hiding in the bush, Kihli pulls out an arrow and fed it through his fingers while gripping his bow with the same hand. With his other, he extends his cloak and carefully exits the dense foliage without making too much noise.
Aife had enchanted the exterior of Kihli's cloak to resemble a leafy bush. That coupled with the size of the garment concealed Kihli as he snuck closer to the unaware boar. The animal perks up in alarm, buts sees no immediate threat, Kihli stops in his tracks until the boar lowers its guard. He creeps closer with his enchanted cloak still extended out, until Kihli was close enough to be able to aim his bow at the boar's side. In a swift motion, he brandishes his cloak and notches his arrow, the boar briefly froze in surprise, and Kihli fires his shot.
The arrow flies and strikes just behind the boar's forelimb. But one arrow was not enough to down the animal instantly as the boar panics before running off into the forest. The hunters lying in wait brandish their spears as the boar ran towards them. They reveal themselves ready to impale the frenzied animal until it changes direction to instead charge at Kihli with the intent to trample its attacker. Kihli rolls out of the way just in time, and the boar runs into the bush near where Aife was lying in wait with a dagger. The animal erupts through the bush and steps on Aife's glowing rune, causing the boar to become entangled in strands of glowing mana.
With the boar struggling, Aife darts in and drives her dagger in the chest of the animal, killing it quickly without unnecessary suffering. Aife exhales as the boars goes limp and the strands of her rune fade.
"Sorry, mate," Aife remarked to her deceased prize. "But better you than us..."
Kihli, along with the other two hunters, regrouped with Aife. Kihli lowers his hood, and cautions to the group:
"We gotta move it quickly, before our uninvited guests arrive..."
The two anonymous hunters lift the remains of the dead boar, but before they could leave with it, the group hears an ominous shriek in the distance, along with the sight of thick gray fog rolling into the area.
"Too late for that," Aife deadpans. Kihli grunts in response before gathering his wits.
"Biggs... Wedge," he addressed the other two hunters with urgency. "Get the catch back to the cart quickly. Me and Aife will hold them off..."
"Aye sir!" Both "Biggs" and "Wedge" respond at the same time and hurry off while carrying the dead boar. Aife turns to the sound of more shrieking, and in response, summons a crimson red spear with her magecraft, while Kihli readied his bow.
"Need some firepower?" Aife asked Kihli before she casually formed a glowing red rune, causing the quiver of arrows on Kihli's back to glow.
"You didn't give me a chance to say "no"," Kihli remarked dryly.
"I know you can use the boost," Aife replied as Draugr emerged from the forest before them. "Besides, Scathach taught us to help each other out when we can."
"You're the mage..." Kihli said as he notches a glowing arrow on his bow. "You aren't really the one that needs help from me."
Just then, an ogre emerges out of the forest accompanying the Draugr, much to the duo's chagrin.
"Don't be too sure about that..." Aife remarked. When the monster charged at them, both she and Kihli dove out of the way from the rampaging ogre. Aife got up and sliced apart approaching Draugr, and Kihli fired his arrows at those remaining with his arrows which caused the undead grunts to be engulfed in flame. Kihli turns back when he heard the roar of the hulking ogre, who turned back and raised its fist to crush him. The young man notched another arrow and fired it at the ogre's face. It roars and pain and thrashes around blindly with embers in its eyes.
"Aife! Move!" Kihli called out as Aife impaled an armored Draugr. She turns and weaves around the stumbling ogre. Once out of the way, Aife cast an ice rune on the ground in front of it, causing the monster to trip over a block of ice and fall forward. The Draugr who foolishly approached stopped and were too late avoid the ogre falling on top of them and crushing them with a crash. Kihli whistles to Aife to hurry and follow him, and they ran back to rejoin Biggs and Wedge up ahead. As they ran, they heard even more shrieks in the distance, indicating that more monsters were coming.
"We really stirred them up this time," Aife said to Kihli running beside her. "I hope sister isn't having her hands tied right about now!"
"She'll be here," Kihli assured. "Scathach is probably just making sure the other hunting parties are safe first."
Aife chuckles despite the danger the two of them were in.
"I guess I should be flattered that sister believes we can manage for a while."
With more Draugr chasing them, Kihli and Aife eventually caught up to Biggs and Wedge, only to find them held up by a Wraith and a Lich. Aife and Kihli come up beside their two fellow hunters and stand their ground, ready to fight. Aife may have been wielding her copy of Gae Bolg, but her modest skills in magecraft pale to that of her sister. Kihli himself knew this, and with three powerful monsters in front and a horde of Draugr coming up behind them, he did not like their chances of escaping.
"Seems that "while" has run out," Kihli remarked as the Lich fired a barrage of curses at the hunters. Aife projected a barrier in front of them and strained as she blocked the spells. The Wraith then approached with its sword brandished.
"Leave the catch, guys," Aife said strainingly to the two hunters still carrying the boar. "Unless you're planning on using it to hit something with..."
"I've got you, Aife," Kihli calls out as he quickly readied another arrow. Aife dropped her barrier to block the Wraith's sword swing with her spear. The Lich prepared to fire another spell while Aife was vulnerable, but Kihli let loose his arrow at it, and it was forced to fly off to avoid getting hit. The hunters dropped the dead boar and readied their spears. They and Kihli turn back to face the oncoming army of Draugr.
While Aife tussled with the Wraith, Kihli attempted to hold back the Draugr by firing his remaining arrows. Down to one left, he spots a deformed Draugr in the horde with simmering boils on its skin. Kihli aimed fired his remaining arrow at it, and when it struck the Boiler, it exploded and melted all the other Draugr around it.
Unfortunately, that move did not take all of them out... and now Kihli was down to just his dagger.
Meanwhile, Aife struggled to keep up with the Wraith, who outmaneuvered her and kept on the defensive, until a poor deflection on Aife's part caused her to get knocked down. She quickly brought up her spear to stop the Wraith's sword from coming down on her. Aife strained as the Wraith pushed its weapon down, bringing the tip of its rusted sword closer to Aife's unmarred face-
(SHRNNT!)
Suddenly, a shadowy blur passed over the Wraith, and its severed head fell beside Aife's. She gets up as the Wraith's body dissolves into dust and she watched as the flying shadow then rained-down several red spears that impaled and stopped the encroaching Draugr in their tracks. Kihli breathed a sigh of relief when the mass of shadow landed in front of him and materialized, revealing a grown woman with long maroon hair with crimson red eyes, and wearing a skin-tight black/violet outfit and holding a red spear.
"Sorry I'm late," the woman casually said to Kihli. "Had my hands full chaperoning the other hunting parties."
"We were managing well enough, Scathach," Kihli remarked. "These monsters don't know how to pick their fights."
"Uh-huh..." Scathach simply humored her "student" as Aife hurried beside them.
"Glad you could make it, sister," Aife greeted. "Me and Kihli were beginning to have fun."
As she said that, the trio saw another horde of monsters in the distance running after them; their growing sounds of insatiable bloodlust not fazing them one bit.
"Sure sounds like it, Aife," Scathach eventually replied as she steps forward towards the coming horde with a flourish of Gae Bolg. Kihli turns back to his two-fellow hunters.
"Biggs... Wedge. Keep going with the catch. We'll clean up things here..."
"Aye Sir!" both hunters resume carrying off the deceased boar, while the trio heard more monsters coming out of the forest, threatening to surround the trio.
"I don't suppose you'd be keen on wiping out this rabble with ease, Scathach?" Aife asked rhetorically.
"And deny the two of you another lesson?" Scathach replies as she tosses her spear for Kihli to catch. "Never use more at your disposal than needed..."
"You never make things easy for us..." Kihli replied with an amused smile as he got into a stance with his borrowed weapon. Scathach then offers a bit of wisdom as the monsters drew closer.
"Nothing worth learning ever is, Kihli. Both of you... show me how much you've grown."
"Yes, teacher!" Both Kihli and Aife reply before charging forward together. Scathach beamed with pride watching them slice down monsters left-and-right. Aife combined her spearman-ship with her magecraft, taking care of liches and dire Wolves, while Kihli weaved through a crowd of Draugr slashing away with Gae Bolg and even nailing one between the eyes with a well-placed knife throw.
A duo of Wraiths then appeared, and both Aife and Kihli double-teamed to fend them off. With flawless coordination, the Wraiths found themselves ensnared in a strand rune courtesy of Aife, and then she and Kihli both threw their spears and struck both creatures down.
Scathach's two model students appeared proud of themselves, having wiped out their opponents and earning a break in the fight. Just then, a trio of ogres came charging at them, along with a Legless that emerged out of the ground.
"Not to seem like a coward, Scathach," Kihli starts concerningly. "But this seems like to be a bit more than what me and Aife can chew..."
"You know your limits, Kihli," Scathach starts, stretching her arms and stepping forward causally. "Nothing wrong with that."
Out of breath, Aife insists to Scathach as she recalled her spear to her grasp:
"I can still fight... sister."
"No need," Scathach said resolutely, knowing Aife had used a lot of mana and would only be a detriment, "I'll take it from here..."
With that, Scathach dashed forward at great speed and grabbed Gae Bolg before slicing apart the massive monsters before, leaving blazing trail of red with each slash. The monsters were helpless against this onslaught, and they all eventually faded to dust within a few, well placed cuts by Scathach's spear. When the fog lifted, and calm silence once again fell the forest, Scathach rejoined Aife and Kihli.
"That takes care of that," she said to them, before then putting an affectionate hand of Aife and Kihli's shoulders. "You've both done well."
"Glad to hear it," Kihli replied with a smile of gratitude.
"Thanks..." Aife did the same, albeit more solemnly. Scathach pays it no mind as she cheerily patted them both.
"Come... we still need to bring the spoils of the hunt back to the village..."
Scathach, Aife, and Kihli soon rejoined their fellow hunters, along with those from other groups. They had all their game and spoils from a fruitful hunt gathered on a carriage, and they proceeded to bring it back to the village. Walking alongside the slow-moving cart, the hunters bantered and bragged to each other on their exploits. Everyone was in a celebratory mood and Scathach could not blame them. This has been one of their most bountiful hunts in a while, and considering the challenge of living in a forest infested with nightmarish monsters, it was quite the achievement for everybody to successfully live out here.
Scathach remembered everyone coming together to help make thriving in this forest possible. It had not been without its difficulties, the most obvious of which was how to hunt game with all the monsters of this forest preying on the citizens. Scathach took it upon herself to ward them off and allowing the hunters to hunt safely, just as she has when the Hunter's guild began. After several successful hunts, the few brave hunters became many, and through careful planning, the yield became greater and greater over time.
And today was the biggest yet; more than enough to feed the village for months. From the cheery atmosphere of the other hunters around her, Scathach thought she could share in some of the festivities that would no doubt pop-up later from this yield.
She could use a bit of break after working so hard for all this time... seven years after she and the Shadow felled the Netherlyst and rescued the children from the Heralds...
The Shadow...
Scathach's face fell, and her mood dipped when her mentor crossed her mind. It was not just the thought of him that caused her to become disconnected to the joyous atmosphere around her. At least until she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder.
"We've made quite a haul, sister!" Aife remarked as she pulled Scathach in close, snapping her out of her thoughts. "We'd probably even catch more if you joined us here on the ground. Probably get this done faster too..."
Scathach forced herself to smile as Kihli came up beside the sisters, addressing Aife.
"You know Scathach needs to keep everyone safe from the monsters, Aife. We can't hunt comfortably if things we aren't equipped to deal with are hunting us. "
Aife's attention splits from Scathach just along enough for her to gently remove herself from Aife's caring grasp.
"Astute as ever, Kihli," she says to the young man. "Even I can't sustain giving everyone a copy of Gae Bolg."
Aife looks on skeptically as Scathach then turned to her.
"Besides, Aife... you know that you shouldn't even be using that spear on animals. We do not want to completely eviscerate the catch; it'll be a waste of effort and meat..."
"Does that apply to using spells too?" Aife asks hopefully. "Because it'll sure us save a lot of time."
"Like we've got anything better to do?" Kihli asked sarcastically before stating: "You're the only mage, and Scathach DID tell you to only use the strand and concealment runes when hunting, and use the others on the monsters."
"You sound like sister here in "teacher-mode"," said an exasperated Aife. "Sounds to me like a wasted effort to need to use boring tactics of yours, Kihli."
"They're not boring, Aife," Scathach assures her sister. As far as she could remember since taking them on as students, Aife was usually the one questioning everything while Kihli simply followed Scathach's tutelage to the letter; both had completely different thought processes. "There's an art to hunting, and Kihli's leadership helps ensure everyone's doing their part and not recklessly putting themselves in danger."
Scathach flashes the young man a proud smile, and Kihli shrugs casually as he remarked:
"I need to make up for my lack of magecraft somehow..."
"And you do a fine job, Kihli..." Aife said before continuing with the same exasperated tone, "I just can't help but feel that Scathach here gets a kick out of watching us work our backsides off..."
Scathach resisted the urge to smirk at that for fear of being caught red-handed. She'll admit early on, it was amusing seeing Aife and Kihli going through her "exercises" in her effort to get them into shape, not that she went TOO crazy with them. Still, Scathach needed to make sure that the two of them could hold their own considering that they would be dealing with the monsters of the forests alongside the other hunters.
"It's good for you, Aife," Scathach insisted. "Knowing you don't need to resort to something as inaccessible as magic to solve your problems ensures you will not be overly reliant on them. Ordinary people need to know that too."
"Speaking of which," Kihli starts, speaking directly to Scathach. "I remember the days just after you rescued us, Scathach. The village-folk came asking you for various favors because of your magecraft. They were all like "could you make my crops grow bigger?" and "can you get rid of the rain?", outrageous stuff like that."
"They sure did..." Scathach replied somewhat solemnly, recalling the days following the defeat of the Netherlyst; the people of the village came at her nonstop looking to exploit her abilities without seeming rude to her. They would flatter her, calling her the village hero or offer her payment for even the most mundane of tasks. It was very difficult for Scathach to deal with for a while.
"I seem to remember one poor woman offering to groom you if you built her another house," Aife recalls hilariously, leaving Scathach with an embarrassed blush. "But sister... some of the more mundane stuff you could have easily done. Easy to start fires with a simple rune, or just move a bunch of stuff with a wave of your hand. I don't get why you never did..."
Scathach's blush soon disappeared as she found herself once again needing to teach this lesson to her sister. Aife always had this issue when it came to magecraft, simply thinking that it would solve any problem and there should be no reason NOT to use it if able. No matter how much Scathach tried to explain that it simply was not true, Aife never seemed to buy her usual response of:
"We never needed magic when we were surviving in this forest, Aife," she tried explaining again anyway. "The way to help people is to help them help themselves. There was no task in the village that couldn't be solved with creativity and teamwork. Magecraft doesn't make miracles, it's but a party trick as-"
Scathach stopped herself, leaving a concerned Aife to ask:
"Yes?"
Scathach hesitated before finishing rather bitterly:
"As he used to say..."
Aife's face fell at the tone of her sister's voice.
"You two still aren't talking, huh...?" she asks rhetorically, knowing Scathach was not going to tell Aife otherwise. "How long has it been... seven years since you last went up to the fortress?"
Scathach take a deep breath before answering.
"Pretty much..."
Kihli had been listening and could see how troubled Scathach appeared despite her trying to not seem as such to Aife.
"Come to think of it," he starts cautiously, knowing the potential severity of the subject matter. "Scathach, everything you've taught us came from your mentor. Since rescuing the children, you've hardly ever spoken of him. You never told us what happened..."
Scathach sighed under her breath as Kihli shot a look at Aife who scoffed without much care.
"He never seemed like a very upstanding man... I could tell from the moment I first laid eyes on him. But I'll admit, sister, it's odd that we never heard from him since way back when the Heralds abducted us..."
Scathach did not look at either of her students in the eye. It was bad enough for her to be reminded of her and the Shadow's last meeting let alone appear distressed and conflicted before her students.
Ultimately, she refused to give both Aife and Kihli an answer.
"It's nothing for either of you to be concerned about. Both of you wouldn't understand..."
Aife and Kihli fall silent as Scathach quickened her pace and walked ahead of the group. They and the party of hunters came to a clearing where the path went between two cultivated fields where some people were tending to the crops. The farmers bowed respectfully to the trio leading the group, with the cart of game meat in tow. Soon after, the hunters came up to a wooden gate along a perimeter wall where Kihli flashed a signal to the guard up top who soon opened the doors.
The gang of hunters passed through to enter a thriving, bustling village. They walked past people going about their daily business, children on the road playing together and eventually parting to let the hunters pass. The children waved at them, marveling at the hunters' bearing with their heads held high and their weapons at their sides. The older folk bowed humbly, thankful for the bounty of game-meat the hunters risked their lives to procure. The amount of meat on the hunting wagon ensured the village would have plenty to eat come winter, which according to the cool-brisk breeze would come sooner than later.
It always amazed Scathach whenever she and the others re-enter the village after a successful hunt. It had grown significantly from the run-down, hastily put-together settlement she and Aife arrived to find it in. The quality of life in this village was better, as was the infrastructure; the huts were built sturdier, clean water was accessible, and crops could be grown. With everyone's hard work, the village became lively; a home for those who previously lost it.
The people even all came together to give their village... their new, cherished home... a name:
Dunscaith...
As the hunting party made their way to the center of the village, Scathach spots a familiar face; an elderly woman who then greets her, Aife, and Kihli.
"Ah, welcome back kids. I see your latest hunt was rewarding..."
"Fimir?" Both Scathach and Aife say in surprise as they stopped before her. Fimir simply smiled as Kihli went up to her.
"Mother... what are you doing outside today?" Kihli asked with concern. "You should be resting."
"I just wanted to get some fresh air today, m' boy," Fimir said cheerily as she gazed at her grown son. "And I wanted to see the three of you return safe and sound. Besides, I'm feeling good today-"
Fimir was cut off as she suddenly started coughing, hunching over as she covered her mouth. Kihli instinctively supports her.
"Are you?" Kihli humored her, yet he did not find this matter amusing. "Let me take you back home."
Scathach and Aife look on silently as Fimir recovered from her coughing fit. She had been having a persistent cold since summer had passed, yet the stubborn woman was always out to welcome the trio back from their hunts despite her fatigue.
"That reminds me," Fimir said in a slightly strained voice. "I need to dry out the pelts, make some more clothes."
"Let me handle it," Kihli said as she started leading Fimir away. "You know you can count on me for anything."
Fimir giggled at her son's insistence on doing tasks in her stead, but she was looking up at Kihli with pride.
"You do too much for me, boy," she said to him. "Shouldn't you and the girls be celebrating the celebrating the success of your hunt with the others?"
"It can wait, mother," Kihli insists. "Your wellbeing is more important at the moment."
Fimir then laughed, worrying Kihli more as she then cleared her throat.
"My my, Kihli. You know that eventually your mother can't be the one important woman in your life..."
Kihli sighed in annoyance.
"Even tired, you are never short on things to say, mother..."
Fimir smiled again, carefree as she allowed Kihli to lead her back home. Scathach and Aife watched as the duo departed.
"Same old Fimir," Aife remarked as she put her hands on her hips. "Not even a cold can keep that woman down..."
Scathach stood staring straight at Kihli and Fimir's departing forms, feeling nostalgic.
"She came for Kihli. Seeing him so accomplished livens her day..."
Aife tilted her head at Scathach's response. It sounded oddly solemn to her ears. She figured Scathach must have been still feeling touchy after bringing up the Shadow, but Aife dismisses it as she then cheerily wrapped her arm around Scathach's shoulder, startling her.
"Well... if Kihli is going to be late to the party, then that means more of the first round of mead for us! Let's be the first to light the bonfire, sister!"
Scathach was stunned as Aife started leading her to the direction of the other hunters. She eventually supposed that with other stuff on her mind, she could spare a moment to celebrate with her sister.
Night fell in the village, but activity was plentiful as fires were lit, and most of the villagers celebrated after a bountiful hunt. Hunters were drinking mead, sharing tall tales of their exploits and encounters with the monsters of the forest; either to each other, or too the awestruck group of children who were still awake and aspired to be hunters themselves.
Scathach was walking around as everybody enjoyed themselves, not making much engagement with anyone. She was making sure the festivities did not get out of hand. With all the posturing by the hunters and drinks going around, one had to be on the lookout incase a fight broke out, or someone's property got damaged. She supposed it was natural on her part to be the level-headed one even in times of celebration.
Then again, there was a lot to be celebrated. Looking at her fellow hunters, Scathach could not help but marvel how things between her and the others close to her age improved these past 7 years. Some of these people were kids who used to throw rocks at her after she and her sister, Aife, settled into the village, and now here they all were, working together to make life in the village easier.
Scathach made it her goal to ensure Dunscaith, though surrounded by a forest full of bloodthirsty monsters, a place where people can thrive. Although she had to jump over many hurdles, between training Aife and Kihli, and finding workarounds for cultivating resources in a place that was inhospitable.
The sound of laughter catches Scathach's attention. She turns to see a group of children nearby chasing each other. Scathach felt a sense of pride and accomplishment at seeing everyone, even the children, happy and not fearful of the horrors lurking in the forest not far away.
Some of the children here were among the first to be born and raised here in Dunscaith. They grew up mostly free from the hardships that initially plagued this village.
When one such child paused and took a glimpse of awe and respect at Scathach, she became reminded of why the people of Dunscaith do not live in fear anymore.
Scathach was Dunscaith's champion. She was their shield against the horrors of the forest... and beyond.
Every aspect of the village; farming, water, hunting, housing, societal structure... it all revolved around the issue that was the forest being the spawning ground for monsters, making expansion impossible without Scathach's ability to fight them. It made her a bit of busy body, needing to be present so crops can be cultivated safely, materials to be gathered, and meat to be hunted lest losing farmers and hunters to the monsters.
It was exhausting, even after training Aife and Kihli to shoulder some of the load. But looking around at everyone living and celebrating, Scathach felt that the hard work on her part was worth the result. She was still reluctant to be recognized as a sort of "divine savior" to the people here, when in reality, Scathach was just here to lend a helping hand to those who really needed her. She did not like the idea of taking all the credit for everything the village has accomplished.
But Scathach did not blame them for believing so; many of the elderly still felt indebted to her after rescuing their children all those years ago. She was considered the Guardian of Dunscaith for mostly that reason.
Scathach would admit, however, it was better than being called "the witch girl."
It sure is great with everybody not hating me anymore, Scathach thought. We've become kind of like a family...
Scathach heard more laughter coming from the side of a nearby hut, as she then saw another group of children, sitting in a half circle as they were being treated to a tale by none other than her sister, Aife. Unlike Scathach, who was reluctant to indulge in praise and attention, Aife was very much the opposite as she spoke to the group of children who eagerly listened.
"It was the BIGGEST and ANGRIEST ogre you have ever seen!" Aife said dramatically, making some of the children gasp in awe and some to even giggle. "There was NO escape... it was coming right at me... closer... closer..."
Aife held up her hands as if making an impression of a monster, which excited the kids.
"Closer... even closer! By the time it lunged at me, you could see the ugly boils on its face! It wanted to eat me, to which I said..."
Aife paused for dramatic effect, and the children were eager to know what happened next.
"What did you say, Aife?" one of the kids asked.
Aife then smiled deviously as her circuits slowly lit up.
"I said... Eat this instead!"
Aife then thrust her fist up and made a shower of sparks with her fire magic, which amazed the children as they clapped and cheered at the spectacle. Scathach smiled amusingly as Aife was always one to prop herself up to a crowd. She enjoys the attention as much as she does amazing everyone with her magecraft.
Scathach would have chastised her sister for using her magecraft so frivolously, were it not for the seeing the joy on the children's faces. Scathach decided to let it slide.
"That ogre's face was turned to ash in seconds!" Aife continued, relishing in the children's excitement. "My slaying of the beast made the draugr turn tail and run! They knew they weren't a match for me-!"
"Look!" Aife was interrupted when one the children noticed Scathach standing nearby. "It's Scathach, the Netherlyst-slayer!"
The kids immediately got up and ran towards Scathach, leaving a dumbfounded Aife in their wake.
"Wait! I was getting to the good part..."
Aife's plea went ignored as the kids surrounded Scathach and bombarded her, much to her surprise. The two boys threw questions at Scathach while the lone girl with them just watched her with wonder.
"Did you slay an ogre too, Scathach?" one boy asked. "I bet you slayed a dozen at once!"
"Did any Legless try to get the hunters?" asked the boy's brother. "How many of them did you kill?!"
"Uhhh..." Scathach struggles, overwhelmed by praise given to her by the kids. Still, they kept pestering her, and Scathach did not have it in her to spoil the kids' excitement seeing her.
"I heard from a hunter that you impaled four fell-beasts with a single spear throw!"
"And you made lightning that turned a hundred draugr to ash in an instant!"
"That's a gross over-estimate..." Scathach remarked awkwardly at the flattery.
"How many then?" said the older of the boys. "Tell us, Scathach!"
"Uhm... ten?" Scathach answers, not wanting to prop up herself too much. The boys did not believe her...
"That's it? Ha! Very funny!"
Scathach sighed lightheartedly. As much as she shied away from flattery, the children's enthusiasm was still endearing.
I guess there's no overcoming the imagination of a child...
"I wanna be a hunter when I grow up too!" the younger boy said, only for his older brother to then laugh at him. Scathach just watched as the brothers got themselves into a minor argument, ignoring her to her slight relief.
"You? You get spooked by rabbits! Of two of us, I'd be the better hunter!"
The younger brother was quick to retort, wiping the smug smile off his older brother's face.
"Says the one who went crying to mother after a spider crawled on him!"
"I wasn't crying!"
"Sure you weren't..."
"What's that supposed to mean?! Hey, don't ignore me!"
The brothers went off to continue their argument, leaving Scathach alone with the girl who was with them, presumably their sister.
"Scathach?" she asks Scathach timidly. "Do you think I could maybe become a hunter like you?"
Scathach simply smiled and knelt to meet the girl at eye-level. Aife watched from afar as her sister then put a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Look here, little blossom," Scathach tells the girl, her voice rich with complete honesty. "As long as you work hard, and keep an open mind, then you can be anything you want to be..."
The girl's face lit up hearing Scathach's words. Then Scathach asks her:
"Want to see something beautiful?"
The girl nodded eagerly as Scathach then held out her hands together and formed a many-petalled flower with her magecraft. Then to the girl's surprise, the glowing flower then erupted into dazzling fireworks around her head.
"Ah! So pretty!" escaped the girl's lips, and Scathach just smiled. They then turn to the sound of a woman calling to her children.
"There you boys are..." the woman who appeared walked up to the still squabbling brothers. "Play nice, will you?"
"Yes mother..." they both reply shamefully. The woman then told them:
"Time for bed, little ones. Both of you and your sister have had enough excitement for one day..."
Seeing this, Scathach turned back to the girl before her.
"You and your brothers run along now... best not to worry your mother..."
The girl nodded again and ran toward her mother and her brothers. Scathach stood up and watched as the family went on their way back home, proud of the fact that this family and others like them are living happily without fear of the forest beyond the village. She then heard Aife coming up behind her.
"Netherlyst-slayer..." Aife remarked as she stopped beside her sister. "Haven't heard THAT one in a while. I really had those kids going before you arrived, sister."
Scathach's head dropped slightly.
"I'm sorry, Aife. Can't help it..."
"Yeah, whatever you say," Aife replied, brushing off Scathach's modesty in a nonchalant manner. "You've been acting like a shadow all night. You finally decided to join in on the fun?"
Scathach turns to finally look at Aife in the eye, who had no doubt been keeping tabs on her since the celebration began and could tell Scathach had been keeping a distance and not interacting with anyone here very much.
For reasons Scathach felt reluctant to share...
"Someone has to make sure there's no trouble brewing," she tells Aife, which was partly true.
"It's still a small village," Aife points out. "Everybody knows each other, nothing's going to happen. Don't you think you're being paranoid?"
Their attention was momentarily diverted to the sound of loud cheers from the hunters nearby. They were gathered around two men with near countless trays of cups filled with mead.
"Oh look, It's a drinking contest!" Aife said before leaning against her sister's ear. "How about I throw your name in the ring, sister? Win some gold for us? Some of these meatheads owe me some..."
Scathach leans back, both surprised and astounded. Leave it to Aife to be the one person left in this village to eager leverage Scathach's abilities.
"Aife," she starts seriously, crossing her arms at her sister in disappointment. "I'm not going to play any part in your hustle."
Aife was undeterred and tried playing up to her sister.
"Well, I would do it myself. But..."
Aife then put a hand on Scathach's shoulder.
"It's just that I don't have your fast healing. I bet no matter how much YOU drink, you won't ever get drunk... that's free winnings for us!"
Scathach then slowly removed Aife's offending hand off herself. It astounded her that Aife could act so juvenile after Scathach had trained and disciplined Aife over the last seven years. She expected better judgement on her sister's part.
"I rather not find out the hard way," Scathach said before letting go of Aife, much to her sister's annoyance. "Besides..."
The sound of more cheering catches the sisters' attention. Some of the hunters greeted Kihli, who had finally joined them after tending to Fimir.
"There're no petty drinking contests allowed when the captain of the Hunter's Guild is present," Scathach stated. "Especially when we are in part celebrating his outstanding leadership. Kihli would be appalled if he saw us squandering ourselves with abandon."
Aife just glanced annoyingly at her sister, looking on at Kihli with a kind of pride Scathach has yet to show to her.
"You two and your petty rules... you two don't like to have fun, do you?"
Scathach simply looked on as Kihli, who was offered a cup of mead. The young man graciously took it but did not drink out of it just yet. In fact, it seemed that Kihli was looking for someone among the hunters. Two special people in particular...
"I'm sure Kihli does," Scathach remarked with a smile, before adding, "Just responsibly..."
Aife inaudibly sighed. As much as she loved her sister, she did not like being lectured by Scathach, especially outside of a training session. If Aife did not know any better, she would think that Scathach's greater degree of power gave her a sort of entitlement of authority over her, alongside being Aife's teacher. She had never seen Scathach been this strict with anybody over than herself. Not even Kihli, who had gone through mostly the same training regimen, minus magecraft, had ever been lectured to the degree and frequency as Aife. It was frustrating sometimes...
Being the sister to "the Champion of Dunscaith" did not earn Aife any favors. Nor did it give her much recognition either.
Aife recalled moments ago how the children she had been interacting with flocked to Scathach without a second thought, giving her the tiniest pang of jealousy towards her sister. Aife did not buy Scathach acting like she was unprepared for the children's praise; she was sure that her sister had it happen to her more times than Aife could count for Scathach to feel that way. What was especially vexing to Aife was how Scathach inspired that young girl among them.
Truthfully, after seeing Scathach interact with that little girl, Aife kind of wished she could be the kind of inspirational figure her sister was; one that everybody respected and looked up to. Maybe if Aife was as powerful as her sister...
And there was still the matter of why she wanted Scathach to train her in the first place...
"Say, Scathach..." Aife threw out towards her sister, earning her a sideways glance.
"What is it?"
"You've trained us over seven years, taught me how to use magecraft. I feel like I'm ready..."
Scathach turned her body fully to face Aife.
"Ready for what?"
Aife then said resolutely:
"To join you in taking the fight to the Heralds... get our home back."
Scathach's face turned serious, but behind her stoic facade, she was always left astonished and apprehensive whenever Aife brought this up.
"Are you still on about this, Aife?"
And as usual, Aife was not satisfied from Scathach's response.
"Why shouldn't I be?" Aife asks brazenly. "It's what you've trained for this whole time since we arrived here, no? Now that I can fight too, I say that we've let their travesty go unpunished long enough."
Scathach, however, did not share her sister's sentiment.
"Aife, I'm not leaving everybody in this place just go on a vendetta. They need us..."
"They're doing just fine," Aife argued. "We spent the last seven years making sure of that. What's stopping us now? I'm strong, sister, just like you!"
"This isn't a question of strength, Aife," Scathach said evenly. "There is simply no need. We will defend this village if the Heralds decide to return."
"I can't wait that long sister! You... you have no idea..."
"Of what?" Scathach asked with concern. Hesitating for a moment, Aife grasped her fist tightly as she confessed to her sister, hoping it would sway her:
"I... I still see our people cut down mercilessly whenever I close my eyes at night... their screams of agony echoing..."
"Aife..." pity and shame escaped from Scathach's lips as she listened to her distraught sister.
"I've seen you slay a dozen at once when you came to rescue me back then. I was helpless in the grasp in that chieftain as I was watching our village burn. There's nothing stopping us going back and giving those heathens what they deserve!"
Reining herself in a little, Aife stares into Scathach's eyes.
"Answer truthfully... did you forget, sister?"
Scathach's somber face returned to steadfast resoluteness. In truth, not a day went by that she does not recall the horror of seeing her and Aife's previous home burned down while the adults were slaughtered by the Heralds. It was that anger and trauma that made her go on a rampage to save Aife when she was kidnapped. Scathach learned the hard way that hate was self-destructive and damages more than just your enemies.
"I haven't," Scathach answered at last. "But Aife, there are other methods of retribution that do not involve bloodshed-"
"Like what?" Aife cuts her off. "This place... it doesn't feel like home to me, Scathach. It might be so to you what with all the reverence you get, but-"
"Aife, that's enough," Scathach instructed in effort to get Aife to calm down and see reason. "I taught you to never let yourself become fixated, otherwise...?"
Aife glared in frustration before she relented, albeit callously.
"...Otherwise, I miss what is happening around me. Of course-"
Aife's immaturity was met with a light slap on her face, courtesy of Scathach who was in NO mood to joke. Aife's eyes widened attentively.
"I'm being serious, Aife," Scathach said, leaving Aife with ZERO room to argue. "You should focus on your building your mental fortitude as much as you do your magic and spearman-ship. Kihli understands; let him help you if you're struggling."
Aife rubbed her cheek as Scathach leaves her with:
"And if you say you're strong... I'll be the judge of that. Are we clear?"
Aife's head dropped shamefully, realizing that she may have overstepped her bounds. Not that she liked it...
"Whatever you say... teacher."
Before Scathach could say anything about Aife's attitude, both sisters were drawn to the attention of Kihli, who said to everybody:
"Everyone, settle down! I've got some things to say to you all...!"
Scathach walked towards the crowd of hunters, with Aife following reluctantly.
"Lads, lay off!" one of the brutish hunters yelled to settle the slowly dying chatter. "The captain's speakin'..."
Once the sisters were near enough to the group, they were both given a pint of mead as Kihli stood center in front of everybody with one drink of his own, thankfully still sober. Both Scathach and Aife pushed their argument just now aside as they paid attention to Kihli.
"My fellow hunters... I'd like to propose a toast..." he starts, making sure to look at everybody, though Kihli's gaze lingered on Scathach for noticeably longer than everyone else. "The Gods must be smiling on us... our hunt was bountiful; an amount more than this village has ever seen since its founding..."
The hunters chattered in agreement, before Kihli motioned them to settle back into silence. He then continued...
"So... thanks to all the brave souls present; the ones braving the beasts and monsters so our families can be fed... this is for all of you."
Kihli then held up his cup and declared.
"To US!"
The hunters erupted in cheer before they all took a sip of their drinks. Aife quietly drank a little of her mead, whereas Scathach left hers untouched, enamored by how well Kihli was carrying himself.
It was hard to imagine the young man before her used to be a timid little boy. Then-
"Finally..." Kihli continued. "I'd also like to propose a toast to the person who made all our hunts possible... Scathach!"
Scathach felt her face heat up in surprise as everyone turned to her, especially Kihli who declared with the utmost sincerity.
"Without her vigilance and her tutelage, most of us would've been lost to the horrors of the forest, nor would we have a home we can be proud of. To Scathach!"
Cheer erupted again, and Scathach unexpectedly felt a pat on her back by the massive hunter beside her, nearly knocking her over. Kihli's laughter was drowned out by the crowd as he watched Scathach bashfully straighten herself out and raise her cup of mead to him.
"Thank you..."
Scathach then took a swig, now too engrossed in the cheerful atmosphere to not at least indulge in a little fun, as well as not notice Aife breaking away from the crowd with a disgusted look on her face. Deciding to retire early for the night, Aife mutters to herself:
"Why is it always about my sister?"
The atmosphere of the party grew quieter late into the night, but some of the more "resilient" hunters stayed to keep the celebration going. As long as there was still mead left, there will always be those unwilling to turn in just yet. Scathach watched the remaining hunters cheered and laughed while consuming the remaining drinks, many sounding tired and intoxicated. So long as there were no insults or fists being thrown around, she was optimistic that those still sober will help their fellow hunters return home.
All Scathach had been doing since Kihli gave his toast was making sure tonight ended trouble-free, as she has since the celebration began.
Mostly...
All night, Scathach wandered amongst the crowd and not making much effort to share in everyone's enthusiasm. She had been staying at arms-length with everyone, even Kihli, throughout the night, just watching everyone being blissfully happy; Ignorant, without any care in the world.
Not of life... and not of death...
Scathach found herself, for lack of a better word... envious...
Living in the moment was something Scathach is not able to do. Not since...
"You two still aren't talking, huh?"
Aife's words from earlier today rang in Scathach's mind. With a sigh, she sat down away from the rest of the group. She never told her sister nor Kihli the full extent of what happened between her and the Shadow when she went up to his fortress all those years ago. Scathach doubted if they'd even understand even if she explained everything to them. She herself wanted to forget all about it, but always found herself reminded of it when she gazed upon moments of vitality amongst her friends and fellow villagers. The knowledge of-
"Shadows make for poor company, wouldn't you say?"
Scathach was so ingrained in her inner thoughts that she failed to notice Kihli walking towards her from the corner of her eye, and holding two wooden mugs filled with mead. He had a reserved but cheery demeanor as he stood before Scathach, who could bring herself to object to his presence.
"I would think after that standing ovation I gave you, Scathach..." he starts, seeing her in a less than stellar mood. "-You'd be keener on celebrating with us."
Scathach forces a gracious smile as she looked up to him and said:
"You didn't have to, Kihli. The day is yours... the hunters have accomplished so much because of you."
"And who was it who taught me how to be a leader?" Kihli responds, brushing off Scathach's honest flattery. "And among other things like using a spear?"
Kihli then sat beside Scathach and offered her one of the drinks he carried.
"Here... I saved you some of the mead. It may not be the best, but it being made in Dunscaith is what makes it special."
Scathach graciously took it, but does not take a sip as Kihli added with great nostalgia:
"In fact... it's one of many things that are possible to do in Dunscaith because of you. You should feel proud of yourself, Scathach. Everyone adores you now."
The half-hearted smile stayed on Scathach's face at the fact that Kihli was only trying to cheer her up. She'd be lying if she did not find some comfort in Kihli's company.
It was a much needed distraction.
"I didn't do very much," she said modestly. "I just helped people to help themselves. They'd have given up trying to live here if they could not believe it was at least possible to. You're arguably the best example of that, Kihli..."
Her backhanded compliment was met with an amused snort of laughter from Kihli, who remarked:
"And what would I have done about the local monster population? That was all you."
"Well..." Scathach starts solemnly, not able to help but think of why that was so in the first place. "It wasn't like my mentor was going to help the people here..."
Kihli's face fell slightly at hearing Scathach's tone behind her words, thinking that the Shadow must have been what had upsetting her since their return from the hunt. He felt the need to apologize.
"I'm sorry about bringing him up earlier. I know it's not my place to pry, but I think it's safe to say you two had some kind of... disagreement?"
He hears Scathach make a nearly inaudible sigh.
"That's a kind word for it..." she remarks before then downing her drink in one go. After that, Scathach then changed the subject. "You came to the party late. How's Fimir?"
Kihli's eyes broke away from Scathach's, and his face fell. She was not expecting good news, and rightfully so...
"Mother keeps telling me she's alright and that I shouldn't be worrying for her over the rest of the village," he reluctantly confessed. "Her coughing fits have been growing worse, and I notice she's been clenching her chest in pain."
Kihli made a strenuous sigh as Scathach waited for what he was about to say next, dreading the answer.
"I fear that unless something could be done, then she has not long in this World..."
Scathach was silent as Kihli then took a turn downing his drink. The truth was, Scathach known all along that Fimir's condition was deteriorating, and she was carrying the guilt of not being able to help her despite wielding magecraft.
Scathach had the feeling that Kihli would not believe her if she said that she couldn't magically eradicate Fimir's sickness. If anything, he'd probably scorn her if he knew. Recalling her own words, "magecraft can't work miracles," Scathach felt as equally helpless as Kihli.
Mustering himself, Kihli continued.
"I'm only here right now because mother insisted that I be with you and Aife, as was her wishes." Kihli then forced a smile. "Bless her heart, she doesn't want me to see her suffering. It's admirable how she is still able to smile..."
Scathach's face mirrored that of the young man beside her, taking a slight measure of comfort in the fact that Fimir was still her compassionate self as she always was, if her coming out of home to see her and Kihli's return was any indication.
"Where is Aife, by the way?"
Kihli's question almost took Scathach by surprise. Letting out another sigh, Scathach confesses:
"She turned in early... me and her had a few words."
Kihli dourly turned the cup in his hands, swirling its remaining contents as he added:
"Oh... sibling squabble?"
"Aife is just frustrated," Scathach replies shamefully at being reminded of their argument. "She's eager to go out and take our former home back from the Heralds."
"Isn't that what you wanted when we first met?" Kihli asks rhetorically, knowing Scathach was not going to refute him, but he knew something must have changed. Sure enough, Scathach explained herself, beginning hesitantly as she looked on at the other hunters still celebrating.
"It's just... my home is not lost. It's right here, in Dunscaith... I've come to realize that after all this time seeing this village grow; seeing you grow too, Kihli."
Both Scathach and Kihli found themselves locking eyes for a moment before Kihli broke away, almost embarrassingly. Awkward silence lingered between them, until Kihli felt the need to break it. Scathach could hear his heart beating quickly as he said:
"I... remember when you first started training me and Aife. She was overly eager when it came to fighting. I was feeling intimidated because I couldn't use magecraft like her."
Hearing this, Scathach recalled just as well as Kihli did when she first started teaching him and Aife how to fight. It was very rough going for the boy, and he even thought about quitting when he could no longer see improvement. Scathach learned the hard way that not everyone learns something as well as another. She remembered encouraging Kihli to keep honing himself, even offering training in private apart from Aife. It took work on both Scathach and Kihli's part, but soon...
"You eventually found your rhythm, Kihli," Scathach told him, wanting to cheer him up a little. "Aife usually nodded off when it came to the... admittedly less exciting parts of training."
Her remark made Kihli smile, making Scathach feel a bit elated.
"Focus and discipline..." he stated, turning to face her again. "Right?"
Scathach nodded, proud that Kihli had not forgotten.
"As I recall, after I gave you some extra tutoring, you had no issues with anything I taught."
"Save for the occasional climb up a mountain," Kihli humored her. "Me and Aife both found that brutal..."
Scathach could not help but giggle as she recalled the first time she brought her sister and the boy to climbing; up the same mountain that the Shadow made her climb. It was not a pleasant experience... for her students.
"Now you know how that felt to me at first... guilty as charged."
She then laughed at the memory of both Aife and Kihli protesting and bickering as Scathach back then wore a smug grin on her face as they climbed.
Kihli just stared at Scathach as she eventually settled down, and he wore a look of nostalgia at the almost impossible sight of his friend and mentor just beside herself and overcome with laughter.
"It's nice hearing you laugh," he found himself saying. "You rarely do anymore..."
Scathach stopped and looked at Kihli in surprise.
"I don't?" she asked with a blush. "I've just been busy, that's all..."
Silence fell again between them, and unlike before, it would not be either of them to break it.
"Captain!" both Kihli and Scathach turn to the distant hunter near the crowd calling the young man. "Wedge here thinks he can beat you in a drinking contest!"
"That so?" Kihli asks loudly. "Tell him I accept his challenge, Biggs! I'll be right there!"
"Kihli..." Scathach lightly scolded Kihli as he stood up and dusted himself off. "You know that you shouldn't be-"
"Of course..." Kihli said, cutting her off. He bears a confident smile that would not be there had he and Scathach not shared a friendly moment. "But Wedge has already been drinking mead by the barrel. I'm sure I can make a quick coin if he falls over after one swig."
Scathach chuckled to herself, knowing that as much as Kihli respected rules as she did, he knew that he had to have some fun as well. Scathach was in a much better mood after her moment of respite with Kihli, the melancholy plaguing her all evening disappearing.
But to her shock, that relief was only brief as Kihli than said as he started walking towards the crowd:
"Besides, we can't enjoy ourselves if we always follow rules, can we? Come on! We're not getting any younger, so best to test our livers while we still can!"
"..."
"Scathach?"
When no response came, Kihli had turned back only to see that Scathach had vanished, disappearing like a specter into the dark of the night...
Moments later, Scathach materialized out of her wraith form in the forest away from the village. She had her hand clenched over her heart and was breathing heavily. Alone in the ominous tranquility of the forest, Scathach then leans against a tree, trying desperately to calm herself down.
Scathach felt guilty for leaving Kihli alone like she just did, but his words had triggered a sort of panic attack, coupled with the myriad of other things weighing on her mind. She could not let him see her like this...
And this was not the first time this has happened to Scathach.
Come on... get a hold of yourself...!
Taking deep breaths, Scathach struggled to ease the pain in her heart, clenching her chest even harder. Tears formed in her eyes, only kept from falling due to Scathach sheer will to not shed them out of shame. Her mind was racing, unable to purge Kihli's words that triggered her distress.
"We're not getting any younger..."
Poor Kihli had no idea what those words truly meant to Scathach as she stumbled deeper into the forest, seeking the one place where she could seek solitude. After a minute of combing through the bush, Scathach arrived at her sanctuary:
The Red Grove...
The sight of this secluded place, with its atmosphere of vibrant red spider lilies, releasing mists of glowing pollen, was enough for Scathach to regain some grip on her emotions. The Red Grove never failed to enamor her with its calming splendor. And it her only remedy in times of distress.
This place is beautiful... makes me want to walk around here forever...
Pausing to let out a sigh, Scathach then made her way to her "special spot" in this grove; a large, flat stone that rested beside a gentle stream that ran through the garden. Once she made her way to it, Scathach went down on her knees and put her hands on her lap before taking deep breaths. She closed her eyes, letting the sound of rustling leaves and the running of water replace the corners of her mind weighed by her woes.
It was time for Scathach to meditate and reflect...
Breathe in...
...
Breathe out...
A lot has changed for her over the seven years she last seen the Shadow. Scathach had matured and made a home for herself in the village of Dunscaith, and since then has watched the village and its people grow and develop, everyday making feel more and more like home.
Yet at the same time, Scathach was feeling a growing disconnect between her and everybody else; a reality that made her stay at arm's length between herself and the people of Dunscaith, which only grew worse when Fimir had fallen ill. Her health getting worse as Scathach with all her power could do nothing to help her, and she did not have the heart to tell Kihli or Aife that.
Fimir's deteriorating health juxtaposed with the maturing and aging of everyone around her... it made Scathach acutely aware of the grim reality facing her, brought about by Kihli's innocent remark just moments ago. Nothing was permanent...
...
Except for Scathach herself...
...
Thus was the reality of being immortal, made abundantly clear by her mentor on that fateful day...
Seven years before...
The gate slowly parted its doors, allowing violet light to creep through. Scathach was forced to shield her eyes from the bright light whereas the Shadow simply stood and stared stoically. As the doors opened wider, Scathach noticed her circuits light up without them meaning to, activated by the flood of mana pouring out of the gate. With her eyes finally adjusting to the light, Scathach slowly lowered her hand and peered to what was lying behind the gate.
And she couldn't help but gasp at the sheer impossibility of the sight before her.
Behind the gate was a desolate, yet ethereal stretch of wasteland, with dunes of coarse, gray sand, and a violet sky of ghostly clouds, constantly discharging lightning. There was a prominent wind, lifting the sands and creating miniature cyclones that lasted for but brief moments, and off in the distance were monoliths that were as huge as mountains. What was more were the many trails of countless white orbs that flowed beneath the arcing sky above and the dunes below; numerous souls flying off into the veil that was the horizon of this strange land.
"What is this place?"
Those words left Scathach's lips as soon as they entered her mind, her eyes never leaving this parallel world as the Shadow answered:
"The Land of Shadows..."
Scathach's gaze was firmly fixated on the sight before, unable to comprehend the sheer improbability of the vast realm behind the enormous stone gate. The little girl found her mind reeling just trying to understand it, lost for words to describe it.
"It's- It's...!"
"It defies rational explanation, doesn't it?" The Shadow thankfully read Scathach's perfectly whilst sounding dead serious. "You see, lass... I don't just protect this forest. I also protect the passage to this hallowed realm, as well as the relic that opens it. It's my sacred duty, as the sole survivor that created all you see before you."
As soon as he revealed this to her, the gate slams shut, snapping the near mesmerized Scathach back to reality and causing her circuits dimming down. Scathach looks at The Shadow in astonishment.
"Sorry, but it can't be left open for too long," he tells the girl. "Way too risky I'm afraid."
Scathach was beside herself. She looked back at the relic in the center of the chamber; the object that had opened the gate; the Eye of Odin. The relic appeared to have powered down and become dormant once again. Taking in the moment to process the Shadow's words, Scathach asks her mentor:
"Why? What is the purpose of that place?"
The Shadow cast his head down solemnly, and motioned Scathach to follow him along the walls of the chamber. Even in the dim, magical light, Scathach could see the stone walls etched with various images, a mural like the one drawn on the gates of the fortress above.
Scathach believed that after all this time, the Shadow was finally answering questions she had long wondered about the nature of the forest, the monsters, and why all of this was here. She listens to her mentor with the utmost attention as he tells her a tale using the images on the mural...
Narration:
"Eons ago, beings from across the infinite sky came to this realm to settle on this World. They consolidated their power, what we call True Magic, and formed a conduit deep within this planet's Reverse Side that allowed them to assert their will. This conduit is what is known as the Root, the source of all this World's magic."
Scathach found herself captivated by the etchings depicting the arrival of supreme beings descending from the skies, some of which she recognized, shaping the once barren Planet into a bastion brimming with life, eventually conceiving what looked to be... people.
The pantheons of various Gods were diverse... Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Norse, Hindu, and even Scathach's own Tuatha De Danann amongst others... all of them occupied a region of the World to watch over their own populace of worshipers... Scathach was fascinated.
"These celestial beings, who we would call our Gods, used this magic to transform this barren, inhospitable planet into a thriving bastion for the subjects who would feed them worship. Thus, the Gods created Humanity."
"By Gods, you mean-?"
"Yes... Your Tuatha De Danann, my Aesir, and others who would cultivate their own populace of humans, all of them are Gods of Humanity. When they conceived the Root, the remnants left over from the process became the Land of Shadows; a place where those who have lived and their souls parted from their bodies would rejoin the Root. The one place where the dead can rest."
The Shadow showed Scathach the layers of existence. The skies where Gods reside, the realm of mortals. Below them, a landscape like the one Scathach saw in the gate. Descending past the Land of Shadows was an indiscernible shape where everything converges to a point... was this some sort of depiction of the Root?
Before Scathach could analyze further, the Shadow directs her attention briefly back to the relic that was the Eye.
"The Eye belongs to one of my Gods, Odin. Its eternal gaze can open a portal directly into the Land of Shadows, and it manifest as the Gate of Skye. Odin initially gave up one of his eyes as payment for all the knowledge of the World."
Looking back to a previous image, Scathach sees what had to be the Shadow's Gods, judging by his previous descriptions of them. She sees a helmed man wielding a hammer; Thor, and ahead of him, an elderly man with a raven on his shoulder and an eye that was "all-seeing." Scathach figured that this must be Odin, and his eye looked very distinctive.
And he seemed to have already been missing the other eye. Which begged the question:
"How did he lose the other one?"
The Shadow mulled thoughtfully before he continued:
"For a very long while, Humanity endured a docile existence under the authority of the Gods, wherever they settled. It was a comfortable, but unfulfilling given the various Gods providing all the necessities of life in exchange for worship and unquestioning loyalty. The secrets of magic have been withheld from humanity, reserved only for the Gods to spread their influence."
The image shifts to mankind, living their lives day by day with the Gods above watching over them, and for the most part humanity holding them in reverence. It was a peaceful existence, but then Scathach saw the next image which showed something far more foreboding...
"Then one day... came a calamity..."
The balance of peace was shattered by the arrival of a being that resembled no other God depicted thus far. Scathach saw this... thing... depicted with a tall, slender, humanoid body. The creature had long, flowing hair, a single horn on the left side of its forehead, eyes with pupils that were cross-shaped, and it wore a large, three-pointed crown. It looked majestic... and menacing.
"A Beast descended from the Heavens, proclaiming itself Sovereign, surpassing the scattered, squabbling pantheons of Gods, and it brought down its forces to claim the Magic-rich planet for itself, along with Humanity. Though the pantheons rarely saw eye-to-eye, they all allied together to fight off this threat."
The image showed the Beast landing on the Planet and shattering the very ground it walked on. The people ran in terror... the many pantheons of Gods mobilizing together to fight the Beast and its army of automatons; inhuman copies that resembled the invader, only appearing more... mechanical in nature.
"The Beast's army of seraphs were numerous and overwhelming. This self-proclaimed Sovereign felled all who challenged with a power that twisted the very Planet itself. To turn the tide, the Gods deliberated and resorted to the one thing they swore never to do; they shared their magic with Humanity, who then came together from all corners of the World to help fight these invaders."
Scathach saw the next image showing the various Gods gifting some kind of power to the champions of Humanity. Armies of heaven, and armies of man rallied... they charged to fight the Sovereign's forces head-on. It seemed to be working as the Sovereign's seraphs fell until it was ultimately just the Beast, and its most loyal generals left to continue fighting. Scathach sees a sword, wielded by one of Mankind's champions, shooting a beam at one such foe; a big humanoid creature with enormous hands with cubes in them and killing it.
The Sovereign, meanwhile, found itself confronted with the mightiest Gods from each pantheon. Scathach saw a God with wings and a pair of enormous horns protruding from its head, half-woman and half-dragon, firing a beam from her mouth. Scathach saw Thor channeling lightning through his hammer at the Sovereign, alongside another foreign God wearing a ceremonial headdress, having two pairs of arms, and appearing to be shooting lighting through them. All three of them struck a blow that left the Sovereign devastated.
"The Beast found its forces dwindling, until it suffered a crippling blow from multiple surviving Gods, along with a divine weapon forged by the Fairies of Avalon utilized by the champion of Humanity. So, the Beast retreated to the skies above, never to return."
Scathach saw the next image in amazement; seeing the Sovereign defeated, but not destroyed as it was forced to retreat to the sea of stars above. As for the forces of Earth, there was no time for celebration of this victory...
"With the knowledge of True Magic now in their grasp, Humanity refused to return to being governed by the Gods, thus Humanity became independent, the Planet's will was split in two: one of them being Gaia; dedicated to protecting the Planet, and the other, Alaya; dedicated to protecting Humanity."
Scathach saw ultimately the costly result of the battle; countless humans dead, even some Gods did not survive the fight. What remained was a divide between the deities and humans, who decided they did not need them anymore. Thus, the World's consciousness was split forever more.
"Thus was the true beginning of Humanity's history. Sadly... nobody remembers it."
Having heard the Shadow's story thus far, it was a lot for Scathach to process. But still, there was the matter of the relic that they were in the presence of.
"Did Odin lose his eye in that war?" Scathach asked her mentor, who answered:
"No, but it happened immediately after. The war awakened ancient monsters that slumbered beneath the world since before the God age, and they began causing trouble. You've seen my memory of one of these creatures; its bones make up your spear."
The Shadow pointed at the next image on the wall, and Scathach saw a creature emerging from the ocean, and it looked an awful like the one the Shadow showed her with a recall rune.
"The Curruid!" Scathach answered in recognition.
"Yes," the Shadow affirms. "And that very same monster... had a sibling..."
Scathach looks beside the image of the Curruid and saw and equally enormous monster that appeared even more ferocious [more eldritch]. It looked so horrifying that it made the Curruid appear tame by comparison.
"The Coinchienn..." The Shadow stated as Scathach continued to the next image, seeing to her confusion the two beasts wreaking havoc on the lands of the Celts and Norse... before one of these monsters killed the other?
Scathach did not have to wait long for an explanation from the Shadow...
"Your Tuatha De Danann and my Aesir worked together to quell the monsters that spawned in the wake of the war with the Sovereign. Eventually, it came down to both the Curruid and the Coinchienn. The later killed its sibling and combined its power with its own. It got a good hit on Odin before unleashing its wrath on the lands East of the sea to here on the Isle..."
Sure enough, the following image showed the empowered Coinchienn fighting off several Gods, and it struck down Odin, causing him to lose his other eye.
Poor sod, Scathach thought as the Shadow continued.
"This forest, along with this castle... was the site of that great battle. The forces unleashed at the time caused this forest to be bridge between this life and the next; the thinnest possible wall separating them."
Scathach looks at her mentor curiously.
"Is that why the monsters spawn here?"
The Shadow nodded before continuing with the battle against the Coinchienn. The image showed plants and animals dying in this creature's wake.
"The Coinchienn was growing so powerful that it started draining the life from everything around it; plants, animals, people... nothing was safe. Eventually it became invincible to the point where not even the Gods could vanquish it."
Scathach saw the next image of two of her Celtic Gods; Lugh and Morrigan, taking Odin's Eye and tracing runes. They all confronted the Coincheinn again, and after Lugh weakened it with his sword, Fragarach, Odin with Morrigan's help activated the Eye and created a portal out of a gate; one which opened to the Land of Shadows.
"The best they could do was combine their magic; use the power in Odin's Eye to form a gateway, designed by your Tuatha de Dannan, to imprison the Coincheinn inside the Land of Shadows, where it wouldn't be able to hurt anyone."
The next image showed the hellish monster becoming pulled into the Gate of Skye by what looked to be... souls of the dead(?). Inside the Land of Shadows, the remains of the Coincheinn resided in a lake of fire where other, lesser monsters, such as draugr, wraiths, ogres and fell-beasts spawned... along with what Scathach could recognize as Netherlysts...
"Did the Coincheinn... die?" Scathach asked, almost dreading the answer as sure enough, the Shadow shook his head in reply.
"It slumbers... but it is not dead. The Coincheinn hungers to feed off the living... waiting for the Gate of Skye to be left open long enough for it to wake and escape. If this monster got loose, all life on the Planet will eventually wither and die in its presence. So, the Gate, along with its key, need to be kept safe."
The Shadow then took a step back and gestured to himself.
"That's where I came in..."
Scathach stays silent and attentive as now the Shadow explained his part in his tale...
"Although it sleeps, the Coincheinn sends its spawn, the Netherlysts, out of Land of Shadows and into the realm of mortals through this forest's leyline. One appeared and nearly destroyed a village by the coast. MY village..."
Scathach could picture it:
a Netherlyst bursting out of the Earth... taking the poor souls of helpless humans it came across... completely leveling a settlement...
"I watched all my brethren get devoured. I was the only one left... and when my time came, divine intervention saved me. You can probably guess what happened to me..."
With the village in ruins... a traumatized boy stood alone as the monster loomed over him... already dead in the eyes, the boy was helpless as the Netherlyst attempted to devour his soul... but then a giant golden, spear shot down from the heavens and impaled the beast.
The boy's body went limp as in a flash of light appeared, and a grizzled old hermit with two artificial eyes and a raven on his shoulder inspected his body, seeing his magic circuits flickering to life... the boy eventually woke... and his eyes were a vibrant red...
"I was changed... powerful... immortal. My Gods were wary of me... I was dangerous... but too invaluable to kill apparently. So, they put me in charge of protecting this place, and the Gate."
The hermit took the boy to a fortress in a land across the sea... he passed on his knowledge of runes and gifted him two blades made of red bone... The boy grew up and trained himself far beyond what an ordinary human being was capable of... all to forever stand vigil over the hallowed grounds of the forest, and the magical eye that opened the gate to the Land of Shadows...
It was not hard for Scathach to piece everything the Shadow told her together. There was only one thing in her mind about all of this that did not seem to add up.
"Why you, though?" she asked her mentor. "Couldn't your Gods-?"
"Remember when I said that the Gods collectively created Humanity to be fed worship?" the Shadow cuts Scathach off, seemingly to be way ahead of her. "After the war with the Sovereign, Humanity began to think for themselves, and to this day they are slowly but surely waning reverence to higher beings. Without worship to sustain them, the Gods are retreating to the Reverse Side of the World, taking their knowledge of magic with them. They can't live on this Planet anymore..."
Scathach was surprised by this, yet looking back the dormant Eye of Odin, she could not help but point out:
"But they did not take the Eye with them..."
The Shadow nodded in response.
"The Land of Shadows is a derelict of the Reverse Side, and a potential pathway to the Root. Taking the Eye in there will force the Gate open. Wherever the Eye goes, the Gate of Skye goes with it. The monsters will enter this world unimpeded through the Worlds's leylines."
With that matter clarified, Scathach then deduced:
"Because you are the most powerful mage, the only logical thing to do then..."
"Is for me to safeguard it," the Shadow finished for her. "Even with all they have provided for me, my magecraft is still but a fraction of True Magic of the Gods. Humanity is continually unveiling the mysteries of the World, and without Gods to create those mysteries, the World's magic dwindles."
Upon hearing this, Scathach had an epiphany, and a worrying one at that...
"When the gate opened, I felt so much mana coming out of it."
"That's not by accident," said the Shadow. "The Land of Shadows is not far from the Root. Mages of today and the far future will seek out this place for that very reason. The Gate is a source of infinite mana, the force that fuels magecraft. But opening it for too long will wake the Coincheinn and invite its wrath. There are no Gods to stop it, for they are in the process of abandoning Humanity."
"That's horrible..." Scathach responded as she was taking all this in. If what the Shadow said was true, then he was the only thing keeping all of Humanity safe from the horrors birthed in the Land of Shadows, and it her made her wonder for his sake...
"How long have you stayed here?" Scathach eventually asked, and judging from the somber look on her mentor's face, this was the hardest thing he would tell her thus far.
"Honestly?" the Shadow starts in a weary tone. "I've lost count after two hundred years... but in all that time, I thought I was the only one like me."
He then looked at Scathach straight in the eyes as he concluded with:
"Until months ago..."
Scathach's eyes widened.
"What are you saying?" she asked out of dread, her voice shaking in hopes that he did not mean what he was implying.
"I haven't been honest with you, Scathach," she could hear the heaviness in the Shadow's voice, almost apologetic. "There was a reason I agreed when you wanted me to teach you everything I know."
Then the truth finally came...
"I was training you to replace me..."
And it was an absolute shock to Scathach, who felt like she just got stabbed through the heart.
"Replace you?!" she repeated, her mind racing at the thought of her mentor doing this to her. "No... no, no! I only wanted to learn magic to take back my village! To pay back the Heralds for what they did to me and Aife-!"
"Your village is gone, lass," the Shadow cut her off. "The only thing you'll be taking back are ashes. Nothing in this World lasts forever, Scathach. If I were you, I'd start getting used to that fact..."
Scathach realized there was even more bad news in store for her despite her growing anger towards her mentor for this betrayal.
"What are you talking about?!"
"You haven't thought about it, have you?" the Shadow said solemnly, ignoring Scathach's anger like he had all along been expecting it. "Has it ever occurred to you that being immortal is not as great you initially thought?"
This briefly gave Scathach pause. Her face fell as she tried to process what the Shadow said to her. Seeing her unable to answer left the Shadow disappointed.
"How naive... then I'll tell you. Being immortal means you will outlive everything even after the World itself is torn asunder. Your sister... your friends down there in the village; they will all grow old and die... and their children... and their children's children will expend their lives while you'll be forced to watch, unable to age yourself and join your loved ones in the afterlife. That's the reality of being immortal."
The shock returned to Scathach's face upon hearing this. The Shadow had no reason to lie to her at this point as much as she tried to deny it.
"No... No..."
"Is it sinking in yet?" the Shadow asked. "Take nothing else away from me except for this: I've outlived my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. Countless times, I could not take the loneliness of being in this forest, killing monsters every day and night until the years just blended together. No matter how many times I tried having a family, they all died out. This power cannot be passed on. No one I ever loved could stay with me... and I wish that I could join them..."
Scathach's brain lurched as she could picture those close to her withering and dying before her eyes; a vision that would forever haunt her.
Fimir... Kihli... Aife...
They all turned to dust... everything from the villagers, the homes, the trees... they all withered away until there was nothing but a barren wasteland.
While Scathach herself remained unchanging... alone...
This revelation made Scathach fall to her knees and caused a tear to escape her eye. To hammer his point home, the Shadow continued. Scathach could only listen...
"This duty has drained all the life out of me a long time ago... I don't want to be alone, but I can't bear to watch anyone around me die anymore... I paid my debt to the Aesir for saving me countless times over. I want to rest, but can't if there's no one but me to guard the portal..."
Now confronted once again with the truth, Scathach's hands curled into fists, her anger returning in full. She thought the Shadow cared for her, but it turned out that Scathach was only something the Shadow could exploit... to thrust this monumental duty on to her without her willingness to.
All she felt in this moment was heartbreak and betrayal...
He used her...
"So, you would condemn me to slave away and suffer in your stead?" she accused, her voice shaking with barely restrained fury as she looked up at the Shadow. "That's why you trained me?! You selfish bastard!"
The Shadow's gaze only softened slightly. As if out of sympathy, he reached out as if help ease her pain...
"Listen, Scathach. That wasn't all-"
But she did not care...
"NO!" Scathach yelled and pushed his hand away before getting up on her feet. "Stay away from me! I never want to see you again!"
Scathach turned and ran out of the chamber. The Shadow did not bother going after her as she ascended the path back up to the fortress, tears streaming from her eyes as she refused to look back.
The Gate... The Eye... The fortress... Scathach wanted nothing to do with all that.
Least of all... she wanted nothing to do with the Shadow anymore. He had nothing left to teach her... no more lessons built on an ulterior motive...
So, she would never see the Shadow ever again from this point on.
Scathach was done...
Now:
-!
Scathach's eyes snapped open in alert. She rolled out of the way as a tree came flying from behind, nearly hitting her. She quickly got to her feet and summoned her spear as the tree crashed into the meadow nearby. Scathach readies into a stance with one hand on Gae Bolg, and another with a spell charged, scanning the tree line for her attacker.
To her relief and annoyance, her assailant turned out to be the last person she wanted to see...
"You're out of practice..." the voice of the Shadow cut through the foliage before the ancient warrior walked into Scathach's view. "Have I not thrown that so softly, you'd be missing tomorrow's sunrise."
Scathach's gaze stayed narrow and focused, and although she stopped charging her spell, she kept a death-grip on her spear as she stood more upright.
"I've been pretty busy," Scathach said to the Shadow coldly as he came closer. "But you wouldn't know that as you've held yourself up in that fortress..."
"Your senses have dulled too," the Shadow ignored her jab, stopping ten feet away from her and crossing his arms as if confronting a problem-child. "Don't think this isn't the first time I've been checking up on you. This has always been your favorite spot."
Scathach was partly disappointed that the Shadow was well away from her, because any closer and she would be tempted to throw her spear at him. The Shadow did not deserve to enter Scathach's personal space after their last meeting seven years ago.
It was a betrayal that Scathach was still bitter about. The Shadow was not welcome in her presence.
"I don't recall asking to have anyone act as my shadow," she told her former mentor, then adding, "especially not you..."
The Shadow held that stern face of his as he did not react at all to Scathach's words, but she did not expect as such as she turned her back and returned to her perch to meditate.
Still, Scathach was determined to get him to go away.
"If you think you could just appear before me and act like nothing happened," she starts as she lowers herself into a kneel and setting her spear down in front of her, finishing with, "then you're not nearly as wise as I once thought you were."
Scathach closed her eyes and returned to meditating, trying to ignore the Shadow in hopes of him leaving her be. However...
"You sure like to hold on to grudges," the Shadow annoyingly remarked, and Scathach inaudibly grunted when it became evident that he did not intend on leaving yet. She tries ignoring him as he continued. "Honestly, Scathach... You wanted the truth, and I told you at your insistence. You have no reason to still be mad at me."
"Who said I was mad?" Scathach asked rhetorically, but when the Shadow fell silent, she eventually got up and decided to cut to the chase.
"Why are you really here, Shadow?" Scathach demanded, turning back and looking over her shoulder at him. "You should know that I never wanted to see you again after you lied about why you took me in. How dare you come after all this time, and stand before me without so much as an apology-"
"No need to remind me," the Shadow curtly said, letting a bit of anger seep through his voice. Silence lingered for a while, until after an exasperated sigh, the Shadow went on to explain, "Things have been relatively quiet since our last meeting with the Heralds. We might have scared them off, but they'll grow brave enough to try to raid this forest again."
Scathach's tense glared fell slightly upon mention of the Heralds. As bitter as she still felt towards her former mentor, she knew the Heralds were an actual threat, as for sure they would attempt to invade and loot the fortress for the Eye of Odin.
But why should she feel concerned? After all, protecting the Eye was the Shadow's job, and Scathach wanted nothing to do with him or what was inside the fortress. Her only concern on the matter was if the Heralds dared attack the village, something she knew the Shadow could care less about.
Besides, Scathach had matured and honed herself more since their last encounter. Besides Fragarach being in that Chieftain's possession, Scathach was confident that with Aife and Kihli's help, she could fend the cultists off.
"I'd almost love to see them try..." she said resolutely before turning away from the Shadow. "I don't have to tell you that I won't let them hurt my sister, or any of the villagers."
"We both know how that went last time," the Shadow was quick to remind her, and he was growing frustrated with Scathach's arrogance; a byproduct of her time away.
"They don't have anything that can harm me that I'm not prepared for," she insisted. "Besides, I'm not as naive as I was back then..."
"No, you're worse," the Shadow scolded. "Don't underestimate these fanatics. What's inside the fortress has the power to change the fate of all of humanity and they know it. Unless all of them are eradicated, the Heralds won't stop coming. If they've been keeping quiet all this time, that means they're planning a big push."
Scathach was growing agitated, and she arrogantly jabbed the Shadow with:
"Well, I don't see YOU doing anything about it... not like you even need me to help you, anyway..."
"You know damn well I can't let this forest go unchecked. I might have addressed the fanatics sooner if you'd bothered lending a hand occasionally."
Scathach simply huffed, not needing to remind the Shadow that anything concerning the Land of Shadows was not her problem. Seeing her reaction, the Shadow decided to chastise her from a different angle.
"Hang on... I thought you were hell-bent on taking back your home from the Heralds. What happened to that drive? Could it be... that you've went and gotten sentimental?"
Scathach's eyes opened, and her hands, which were flat on her lap, curled into fists.
"Your silence says an awful lot," said the Shadow, able to tell that he was striking a nerve. I not only know that you repeatedly visit this grove, but I've been watching what you've been doing in the village. They cling to you like needy vagrants, don't they?"
She grits her teeth in anger, and Scathach seethes at her former mentor's words.
Because he was not wrong...
"It seems that you are more than happy being their do-all caretaker. I warned you-"
"It's not like that!" Scathach finally snapped and turned to face the Shadow. They stare silently for a while as Scathach breathed heavily from her outburst. Only she had calmed down did she eventually confess, "It... hasn't always been like that..."
Scathach cast her head down, partly feeling guilty for answering back at her former mentor. Regardless of her animosity towards him, she long accepted that whatever wisdom he did give always rang true. The Shadow could read her like a book, like he knew about Scathach's mistake of spawning the Netherlyst after their encounter with the Heralds.
The Shadow was right... as much as Scathach loathed to admit it, he was always right. For that, she still holds a modicum of respect for him. Scathach went to explain herself.
"The villagers did ask me many favors. I thought about what you said about using my magic to solve everyday problems would make them complacent, but still... I couldn't say no."
The Shadow gave her a peculiar look and crossed his arms as he listened to his former student. Scathach felt her pride being eaten away by confessing what happened after their last meeting and proving how correct he was.
The village did try to take advantage of Scathach once their fear of her was dispelled. It was just as the Shadow had warned her of.
"But instead of using magecraft, I offered to fill as many roles as I can around the village, showing people that they can solve their problems even without me. I... strived to teach them how to live without my powers."
Scathach could feel the Shadow's judging gaze loom over her; she dared not look at him in the face, but his silence was deafening. Scathach dreaded what he thought of her.
"The only exception I made was for the hunting parties, keeping them safe from the monsters of the forest as they were ill-equipped to deal with them. I'm sure the village would not have lasted this long if I hadn't."
Scathach sighed and closed her eyes.
"I've realized after accidentally bringing about the Netherlyst, that I have a responsibility to the people struggling to live in this place. I guess I gave up going after the Heralds because of how much we're all growing and thriving here. This... this is my home now. I want to protect it... make sure the village lasts as long as I do."
Scathach expected a response from the Shadow, but all she got was more stubborn silence. Letting out a chuckle, Scathach turned back around and resumed her meditation. She supposed she should not have expected even a hint of understanding on the Shadow's part. It was hopelessly naive of her.
Afterall, Scathach just confirmed everything he thought of her...
"Now's the part where you scold me," she called out her former mentor behind her. To her surprise, she eventually did get a response.
"I don't blame you for doing what you believe is right," the Shadow starts. "But you were so busy teaching others that you forgot there were still things that you can still learn. If you insist on keeping what you have going here, you must stay sharp too."
Scathach could tell by his tone that the Shadow was not fond of her actions. From the way he referred to the village, the Shadow made it sound like it was a fruitless endeavor, like it was unimportant compared to Scathach herself. Scathach once again felt a ripple of anger at that.
Even after all this time, the Shadow wanted to lecture her.
"So, what are you saying?" She asked callously, looking back at him. "That you want me back? I want nothing to do with what's in that fortress. You've got no right to coax me into being your protege again... Not after lying to me for months before revealing that I was to be your replacement."
The bitter memory of the two of them deep below the depths of the fortress once again came to the forefront of her mind, along with all the turbulent emotions.
"All that time we had..." Scathach's voice was shaking as she directed all of it to the Shadow. "You training me... giving me purpose... making me feel like I had a friend... and you were going to subject me to your misery."
Scathach glared at her former mentor, whose face remained stoic.
"Shame on you..."
After she had made her feelings clear, Scathach curtly turned away and bitterly ignored the Shadow, hoping what she has said will make him leave her alone. She was too overcome with emotion to argue with him any further.
Scathach tried getting a handle on herself as she attempted going back into meditation, which was not helped by the fact that moments went by... and the Shadow had not left.
His silence was unbearable, but Scathach refused to give him her attention again. To her shock, the Shadow broke it, in a way she did not expect.
"Scathach..." the Shadow's voice was surprisingly sympathetic despite his trademark sternness. He was being serious with her; a different sort of serious at that. The Shadow was searching for the words to best get himself through to her. "You- you might not like what I have to say. But our lives... aren't human lives. I told you that I tried the exact thing you are doing; trying to make something that lasts as long as you do... It- It can't be done..."
Scathach's face relaxed before turning into one of astonishment. She did not let her former mentor see, but she felt the Shadow could perceive what his words are doing to her. Maybe he picked up on the flutter of her heart...
The Shadow let out an audible sigh as he tried to continue.
"You can say that I haven't tried hard enough, but... inevitably, nothing around us lasts... some even less so than others. All I have is my duty to protecting the Gate of Skye, and it is all I will ever have. Contentment and joy are fleeting luxuries when you're immortal."
The glare on Scathach's face had completely disappeared. For some reason she could not help but take the Shadow's words to heart. This was the most vulnerable she had heard from him.
"That's why you seclude yourself here, isn't it? You're slowly realizing it..."
A tear escaped Scathach's eye, as it seemed that the Shadow had once again proven that he knows her better than Scathach knew herself. What was worse was that Scathach knew deep down but fought with all her being to deny it. She could not do that anymore.
"You have no reason to listen to me," the Shadow said almost apologetically. "But I only ask you take away just this one thing if we don't speak again any time soon. You're still very young, Scathach. I don't expect you to truly understand this burden yet... but I'll gravely pity you the day you finally do..."
Scathach was stunned beyond words. There was no obscuring the sad truth that nobody other than the Shadow could understand what Scathach going through: trying to put a brave face before her loved ones, while haunted with the knowledge that she will outlive them all.
It was easy to forget the Shadow had experienced all of this himself... to a degree Scathach could not yet imagine.
Is that reason I still can bring myself to hate him? Scathach thought to herself. After deceiving me like that, was it just to prepare me for when...?
When it seemed like Scathach would not respond, the Shadow turned to leave believing his presence to be completely unwanted. Before he did...
"If you ever feel like you could improve," the Shadow offered her. "Consider this an open invitation."
At first, Scathach thought it was a trick; to get her to come back to the fortress so that she could take his place as the guard to the Gate of Skye. Scathach was not keen on having her feelings toyed with again, especially after feeling that he might actually care for her given his advice just moments ago.
Still, part of Scathach could not help but feel she could use his company, for there was no one else she could turn to help with her plight.
"I'll..." Scathach starts hesitantly, making the Shadow freeze for but a moment. "I'll keep that in mind..."
Scathach heard a rush of wind then all sign of the Shadow's presence had disappeared. She was once again alone in the Red Grove.
Elsewhere...
In a vast, dimly lit chamber, the seven masked zealots of the Sovereign stood apart around an elaborate ritual circle, glowing bright blue with mana. The seven were chanting, carrying their voices above to the giant crystal hanging directly above; it hummed as the insides resembling the night-sky swirled and distorted. The words spoken by the zealots were not of any language spoken anywhere on Earth, not now, nor in the future. It was not a language that man could ever conceive.
For these of the words of their God... their great judicator...
From the entrance of the chamber, the Chieftain of the Heralds bore witness to this sight; one not seen before in lifetimes since this cult existed. He and his men have been supplying materials for this ritual over the course of months; some of which took years to acquire, from other parts of the World no less.
But the Heralds of the Sovereign were no singular group, but an organization that took many forms, and in civilizations past and present. They have seen the fall of Babylon, the exodus from Egypt, and warring factions of Greece, and the founding of Rome. They themselves had a hand in instigating such history-altering conflicts. The World was theirs' to exploit.
All for a singular purpose of preparing humanity for the Sovereign's glorious return.
There were but few instances in the Heralds' history that could not work in their favor through violence or manipulation alone. When such matters arose, when ventures were a lost cause, those the Heralds call the Zealots, summon one of the Sovereign's envoys from across the cosmos to restore balance, and wipe the slate clean.
Seraphim... automaton soldiers made in the Sovereign's image... to act as its swords... an extension of its will...
The thought of calling one of these beings filled the Chieftain with anticipation, as well as dread. From what he knew of such creatures, they were responsible for the countless casualties in the Great Ancient War, armies of Seraphs wiping out forces of heavenly deities, and the forces of Mankind. Each one had power capable of laying waste to a small city.
There was no doubt that a Seraphim would be the Heralds' best chance of raiding the fortress of Shadows and seize the divine relic within. The Chieftain would have loved seeing the insolent little girl who humiliated him mutilated several times over by one of the Sovereign's divine soldiers.
But there was a danger... even if the Sovereign answers the zealots' prayers by sending one of its Seraphs, these soldiers answer to no human. The Heralds had no hope of controlling one. The Seraphs only took orders from the Sovereign, or its trusted generals, such as the deceased Sefar.
If a Seraph decided that wiping out the Heralds for their incompetence to the Sovereign... they would be helpless against it.
Nevertheless, the Seraphim follow directives relentlessly; never resting, never feeling, and never stopping until their purpose on Earth is fulfilled, after which they return to the Sovereign's cradle.
As the ritual progressed, the Chieftain's second in command came up behind him.
"Sir, the men are inquiring on the progress of-"
"They are not to know until the ritual has concluded," the Chieftain said quickly and quietly, his tone admonishing his subordinate for violating the sanctity of this sacred chamber.
"But sir," the Lieutenant insisted with a hushed voice. "It has been months since the zealots have started this ritual. They have been doing nothing but gathering the provisions you've requested. The soldiers are growing impatient and want to know when-"
"I have not the faintest idea when it will end," calmly said the Chieftain, dully closing his eyes with exasperation. "But I have my orders by the zealots, and that is we will continue provisioning until the ritual is done. We will return to Alba after the Seraph has secured the Shadow's fortress. No one goes home before then..."
He then opened his eyes and glared as he finishes with:
"Not before I see that little witch's corpse..."
Surprised, the Lieutenant looks from his superior to the ritual before them.
"So... is it true then?" he asked with wonder. "That the zealots are calling for one of the Sovereign's envoys?"
The Chieftain's tense silence was all the affirmation the Lieutenant needed. This was no laughing matter...
"I see... Maybe the men will rest easier if we some idea of when it will appear before the zealots..."
The Chieftain looked back to the seven zealots as the ritual continued, as it had routinely for months. It seemed that their mighty God of all Gods does not offer a lending hand so lightly, demanding the utmost loyalty and dedication to earn the aid of a Seraph.
"From what the Enlightened Ones have said... the last one answered the call centuries ago, and it took years of constant ritual practice to summon. But once it did, it wiped away all who directly opposed us. Thinis, Iram, Yamatai, Atlantis... cities whose existence has been thoroughly wiped from history."
When the Lieutenant stared back at him agape, the Chieftain looked back him judgmentally. Afterall, the Lieutenant had never even heard of such exotic places. The World being so astronomically big was near incomprehensible to him.
"Forgive me, sir," the Lieutenant eventually humbled with a bow. "I wasn't aware of the scale that our great cause wields on the World."
"Our cult reaches across the World, Lieutenant," the Chieftain went on to explain. "We, the Heralds of the Sovereign are a many-headed beast. Not even I have seen a fraction of-"
He was cut off as there was suddenly a disturbance in the chamber. The chanting of the zealots stopped when the ritual circle went dark, and there was a chill in the air that both the Chieftain and Lieutenant felt to their very bones. The Lieutenant shook anxiously as the Chieftain was on high alert. The zealots looked at each other, wondering what had gone wrong.
As it would soon turn out... nothing.
The crystal above the chamber lit and hummed to life, shaking the entire chamber and making the zealots back away. The two militant spectators watched with existential dread as the crystal then fired a column of light towards the ground, giving off abstract, geometric patterns, like a portal. The light was blinding, and forced the Chieftain and Lieutenant to cover their eyes...
Then all fell silent, as the light from the crystal faded, the torches around the chamber once again providing natural light. The zealots stood speechless at the being who appeared over the center of the ritual circle, and the Chieftain and Lieutenant lowered their arms and stared at the creature with awe.
Before them, hovering its pointy, metallic "feet" inches off the floor, was a creature not of this World... if it even could be considered alive. It was a metal humanoid that stood over seven feet tall, had a robust mid-section, elongated arms, and a head with a single, open eye with an "X" shaped pupil. The way it moved and "looked" everybody was unnatural, as if scanning for threats. Its joints made the sounds of metal being galvanized whenever it moved. Its body was bright and reflective, not of flesh but metal.
The creature, in its expressionless complexion of stoicism made it appear intimidating... a perfect machine engineered for destruction.
It seemed to everybody that the Sovereign had answered the prayers of the zealots.
And sent a Seraph.
One of the zealots had the courage to speak to this creature. When he approached, the Seraph immediately directed its gaze at him, calculating if it was a hostile.
"Oh... great envoy of the Sovereign," the zealot started, their voice shaking with fear. "You grace us with your presence. Do you know of your great purpose we so humbly summoned you here for?"
In response, the Seraph made an unintelligible noise, one so horrible that it pierced the ears of all humans present. The zealots, along with the Chieftain and Lieutenant clutched their heads in agony. Then, as if hearing words that were seemingly stabbed into their heads like a knife, they could make out what the Seraph was "communicating" to them.
SH-HA-A-DO-OW...
The noise stopped, and once everyone recovered, they saw the Seraph hover higher in midair, its body transforming and forming fins and its arms morphing into wide blades. The Seraph then shot upwards at tremendous speed, blowing a hole in the chamber ceiling, causing the Chieftain and Lieutenant to recoil from the impact. The zealots shielded themselves from falling stone as the Seraph disappeared into the night sky, moonlight creeping into the chamber and leaving everyone to try and process what had just happened.
Looking up at the hole in the ceiling, the Chieftain stood absolutely astonished. The Seraph knew what its purpose here was... it was going to the fortress to retrieve the ancient relic capable of opening a path to the Root, prepared to kill and destroy anything in its way.
The Chieftain should have been feeling assurance of victory now that this Seraph was going to do what his battalion had failed to seven years ago, but instead, his only words were...
"What sort of demon have we brought forth?"
Inside a hut back in Dunscaith, Aife was tossing and turning in her sleep. With it being the dead of night and her all by herself, nobody was aware of the horror she was experiencing.
"No... No... STOP!"
Aife screamed and woke up with a cold sweat. She jolts up from her bed, breathing heavily from the same nightmare she'd been seeing frequently over the past seven years. Aife struggled to calm down, haunted by the vision of her old home burning along with her family and friends being slaughtered. It seemed that with each time she has experienced this nightmare, it became more surreal and terrifying.
"I'm sorry..."
This nightmare reminded Aife of how weak she was back then; utterly powerless and unable to do anything to stop the death all around her. The Heralds had taken more than just her home, but Aife's innocence as well.
Aife wanted so badly to become strong like her sister, Scathach, recalling how she cut through many soldiers to save her, with death not even being an inconvenience to her. Aife thought that when her sister started training her that it would give her some sort of closure, especially with the knowledge that Aife too could use magecraft.
But honing herself and trying to meet Scathach's expectations was seemingly only making her nightmares worse, and making Aife grow frustrated; not just at herself, but at her sister too.
Scathach was never around to see Aife like this, always going off into the forest and never coming back until morning. Aife was totally alone with her misery.
Even after Aife told her sister of these nightmares earlier this evening, Scathach did not appear to take it seriously, along with Aife's desire to hunt down the Heralds. This led to many disagreements between them in recent months.
They hardly ever spoken as sisters in that time.
But sister never passes up an opportunity to lecture me... I'm not much more than a student to her.
Aife wondered if Scathach even cared anymore about exacting vengeance against the Heralds; if was her idea after all, and after seeing how powerful had become, Aife was all for it. But overtime, it became clear to Aife that Scathach's priorities were elsewhere. She shot Aife down whenever she brought it up.
"If you say you're strong... I'll be the judge of that."
Scathach's words echoed in Aife's mind, souring her mood further. Thinking about it now, it was naive of Aife to think she would ever be strong enough for Scathach to grant her the retribution she seeks.
Especially when her sister's level of power was beyond Aife's reach. Had Aife too had been enthralled and changed by the Netherlyst as Scathach has, then she wouldn't be seeking her sister's approval.
With Aife not being the same caliber of mage that Scathach was, it was clear that Scathach will never let Aife leave to go after the Heralds.
How could you hold me back like this, sister? You were there when our home was destroyed... our lives stolen from us! Do you not care anymore?!
Aife gripped her blanket tightly, so much that she was on the verge of tearing it.
I suppose with all the attention she gets here, Scathach is not losing any sleep over it...
Aife felt the familiar pang of envy, and unlike other times before now she was feeling it was justified. She knew deep down that all Scathach had been doing was holding her back.
But Aife was not alone in her growing dissatisfaction with the circumstances around her. While Scathach was never around to comfort Aife after her nightmares, one precious trinket of hers was...
Aife unfurled her blanket to reveal the crystal that she kept secret for all these years... the one dropped by the Herald Chieftain and fell into Aife's possession. She picked it up gingerly and help it up to eye-level, observing the swirling cosmic energy inside it and filling Aife with a mesmerizing euphoria. Whenever Aife was feeling like the World was against her, the unseen entity behind the crystal kept her company.
Like it has so many times after Aife had a nightmare, it listened...
It was comforting... consoling... and conspiring...
Aife could almost hear it speak not with audible words, but by feeding them directly into her mind.
The Entity understands her...
"Your sister does not..."
