Dan
Dan hurried across a yard now covered by jagged rocks, beyond the plots of gravestones towards the edge of the woods. She had brought with her a pack of at least a dozen wolves, who now stalked the boundaries of David’s manor. They nodded to him as he passed. He caught the flounce of chestnut hair just as she disappeared into the thong of trees.
“Cahira, wait!” he called, but he was instead met with a giant gray wolf.
He braced for attack, but as soon as he met its dark eyes, he realized it was none other than his old wolf, Geri. She accepted his hug as he scratched at her scruff, amazed that she still lived. How? he asked.
Some things I do not know. I had to protect the leader.
Dan stood but continued to stare adoringly at his old friend. She’d aged over time, her hair matted and white, but her vigor remained. Thank you for watching over her.
It’s your turn now. I will watch over the others.
Dan nodded, letting her run off to join the other wolves before he invoked his supernatural speed. He was next to Cahira instantly, grabbing the crook of her arm.
She whipped around with a sharp blow to his chest, knocking him away from her. “Do not touch me!” she hissed.
Dan reached the pinnacle of his frustration. “We have not spoken in a hundred years, Cahira, how much longer do you propose we wait?”
“There are much more pressing matters to attend to,” she said hotly, spinning around to resume her march.
“Cahira, please stop for a moment,” he pleaded. “At least allow me to take you to town—we could arrive in minutes. On foot, it will be hours.”
She spun back around, glaring up at him with eyes that blazed ochre even in the dark, rainy forest. “What would you say to me? That it was Angelique who seduced you, who tricked you into sleeping with her, disguised as me? I already know.”
Dan was taken aback. “How long have you known?”
Cahira resumed her trek. “I figured it out not long after you left,” she said over her shoulder.
“Then why…why are you so angry with me?”
Cahira froze in place but did not turn around. “Because I cannot give you what you want from me.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.
“You know what I mean,” she said in a low voice. He couldn’t see her face, but he could picture it, a round little face with wide eyes and heavy lashes, her small nose and full lips in a scowl. The sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose. The tiny scar on her forehead.
“That has never mattered to me,” he softly reminded her.
She turned to reveal tears welling up in her eyes. “But one day, it would matter. One day, you will try, and I won’t be able to say no to you because I love you, and it would break me. You might be a grand mix of creatures, Dan, but you are still a man with desires. Desires I’m not certain I can ever fulfill.”
Dan swallowed his own rising emotion. “When I say it does not matter to me, it isn’t to trick you. It’s because I know how you are and my love for you transcends human desires. I am bound to you forever, even without your magic.”
She sniffed, one of the tears escaping down her cheek. “I’m not ready to believe you yet.”
“You don’t have to,” he said gently, taking a step closer. “But please stop hating me until you get there.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Let me take us into town,” he repeated. “It will save you energy.”
She stepped forward towards him, her shoulders falling as if speaking the words she had been holding in for over a century finally allowed them to. He pulled her into his arms, and she closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. His entire body sighed with relief at her presence, his nose filling with the sweetness of spring. He put one hand on the back of her neck to tighten his hold, his heart giving a sharp thud when he felt the braid she still wore in her hair. “Hold on,” he told her as he gathered up the energy around them to race through the forest.
They stopped at its edge, but he found himself unable to let her go. Remarkably, she didn’t resist, briefly savoring their reconnection before pulling away. An icy blast of wind hit as they entered the city, bringing forward one of their last memories together.
It was the end of October, the heaviest the rainfall had ever been since they’d arrived in France, years ago. Cahira paced, frustrated to be stuck indoors for another evening, Geri’s head moving back and forth as she watched her from her perch on Dan’s bed.
“I haven’t been able to get any new books,” she answered his raised eyebrow. “My mind feels like it’s growing stagnant.”
“Why don’t you teach me something?” he suggested, swallowing the last of his ale before rising to scoop up the dinner dishes.
She gave him a look. “I teach you everything I learn right when I read it.”
“Just trying to come up with ideas.”
“Why don’t you tell me a story?”
Dan placed the cups and plates into the soapy dish bin. “I don't know any stories.”
“Yes, you do,” she argued. “You know the tales of the Norsemen.”
Dan paused to think, watching the rain pour down the windows. “Have I ever told you about Ragnarok?”
Cahira lit up. “You have not,” she said excitedly. “Is it another monster?”
“No, it is about the end of days.”
“Even better.” She grabbed a blanket off his bed and settled by the fireplace, Geri joining her.
Dan poured another cup of ale and followed suit. “At the end, there will be a Great Winter,” he began, “and biting winds will blow in from every corner of the world and last for years. Mankind will grow weak trying to survive, but the gods will be unable to help them, for they will be waging their own battles. The two wolves who have hunted the sun and the moon through the skies since the beginning of time, Skoll and Hati, will finally catch their prey. The stars will also disappear, leaving nothing but a black void in the heavens, while Yggdrasil, the great tree that holds the cosmos together, will fall, taking all the trees and mountains of earth down with it. Fenrir will break free, while Jormungand, the mighty serpent who dwells at the bottom of the ocean will rise from its depths.”
“Fenrir is the name of your wolf half,” she interrupted.
Dan nodded. “Legend has it that he will run freely across the earth, devouring everything in his path, while Jormungand spits his venom over all the world, poisoning the land, the sea, and the air. Odin, the All-Father will try to fight Fenrir, but he will swallow him. Odin’s son, Vidar, will avenge his father, stabbing his sword through the wolf’s throat and killing him for good.
“Meanwhile, Thor, the god of thunder, and Jormungand will fight, and Thor will succeed in killing him with his hammer. But the serpent will have covered him in so much venom that he will die as well. Then the remains of the world will sink into the bottom of the sea, and nothing will be left but the great void. Creation and all that has occurred since will be completely undone, as if it had never happened.” He took a swig of ale.
Cahira looked thoughtful. “Do you think that will really happen - that Odin will kill you?”
Dan chuckled. “Well, there is more to the story. After the end, a new world, lush and beautiful, will arise out of the waters. Odin’s sons Vidar, Baldur, and Hodr and Thor’s sons Modi and Magni will survive the downfall of the old world and live joyously in the next. A man and a woman named Lif and Lifthrasir, the only humans that successfully hid away will repopulate the earth, with the sons of the gods ruling over them.”
“Apparently they didn’t anticipate that Baldr and Fenrir would be fused together into one immortal creature,” Cahira commented.
“No, I’m sure they did not.”
She ran her fingers down the fur of her wolf, who was snoring steadily against her. “Do you think Odin is still alive, out there somewhere as a human?”
Dan shifted his weight. “I’m sure it is possible. But remember, I have no soul memories that I can recall. I honored the old gods so long ago that I’m not sure I would recognize him even if I did see him.”
Thunder suddenly cracked above them. “It sounds like Thor is still around,” she joked before she let out a yawn. “Perhaps it will be an early night for me after all.”
Dan stifled his own yawn, his belly full and the ale creeping up on him. He started to rise when she shook her head. “Let’s sleep by the fire tonight,” she suggested.
He reached over to grab another blanket, stretching out on the rug by the hearth. Eventually her breathing turned to snores as he followed, dreaming of giant serpents and floods, Geri curled up between them.
“Come, there’s work to be done,” her voice broke through. He blinked, the cozy memory shattered by the harsh cityscape laid out before them.
Although a steady drizzle fell, it was business as usual on the docks, merchants and sailors in slick hooded cloaks as they transported their cargo and made their sales, the urchins tramping through the frothing river muck, searching for whatever treasures they could find. Dan kept his gaze averted as they walked, knowing his size alone was enough to draw stares, following closely behind Cahira as she wove them through carts, crates, and bustling. She ducked into a building where a very bored looking man with crooked teeth and spectacles sat behind a desk. “May I help you…miss?”
“I am here to retrieve my ship,” she told him, pulling folded papers out of the pocket of her trousers
The man peered at them between the smudged lens of his glasses before signing them with a flick of his hand. “Travel is not recommended today on account of the rain.”
“My husband and I are transporting a deceased body home to France,” Cahira told him. “We will be leaving today.”
The man looked from Dan to her with raised eyebrows. “You plan to dock at Calais?”
“Yes,” Cahira nodded.
“Very well. I hope your husband is a seasoned sailor, the waters begin to get rough this time of year,” the man said, continuing to shuffle, stamp, and mark the paperwork.
“Oh no, I will be the one sailing my ship. Thank you,” she snatched the paper from him and hurried out the door before he could comment further.
Dan smiled to himself, jogging to keep up with her as she strode down a narrow bridge to where her boat was docked. It was a basic sailing ship with three masts and square sails, knocking gently against the dock in the sprinkling rain. It appeared ready for loading, the ropes untied, and the deck swept clean. He turned to question her, when he caught sight of a woman standing on the deck as if she waited for them.
Dan scowled when he recognized her, her bright hazel eyes glowing underneath her hood.
“Please forgive me for using my powers against you,” Sandrine said immediately.
Dan did not reply, still not ready to trust any creature that had come out of Angelique’s domain. His clenched jaw released, however, when Cahira rested her hand on his arm. “Sandrine accompanied me here from France,” she explained. “Not long after you disappeared, she sailed to Africa with Lesplaies against Angelique’s wishes. I went back to the Bohemian Forest, where I lived for years before she eventually found me. Not only did she successfully kill that rotten god, but she confirmed that my vision of Anubis was real. She wanted to join me in my search for the Ancient Ones, helping me kill Angelique’s daemons in the process.”
“You do not have to fear anything from me,” Dan said. “But you make sure she keeps those angry eyes of hers far away from me.”
Cahira nodded. “Thank you,” she offered before she climbed aboard to greet Sandrine.
He let loose a large sigh, grateful at least to be with her as he climbed aboard to join them.
Libraean
The journey to the docks was not a particularly long one, but Libraean still dozed off, the lull of the carriage proving irresistible to an aging creature who had barely slept in recent days. He knew they grew close when he heard seagulls, distant bells, and the low utterances of dockmen preparing for nightfall.
The docks themselves were relatively clear in the evening hours, most of the men who worked them retired to the pubs after an arduous day. A few remained, working under the yellow glow of gaslit lamps to unload the rest of their cargo, while pickpockets and river tramps haunted the shadows, and those who slept aboard their ships until daybreak snored. Libraean assumed the cold weather kept many away as sailing season edged closer to its yearly respite.
He took a deep breath when he saw Cahira’s boat, a sturdy but simple merchant ship swaying gently in the dark water. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a twinge of fear. Sailing to an unknown land was not something new to him, but he had grown older since those days, becoming more set in his ways as the years passed on. He enjoyed stability and quiet, and he was unprepared for the turbulent seas. At least he had Jacob, his close proximity bringing him comfort now rather than provoking his fury. But David’s state caused him trepidation, and he hoped he would wake by the time they reached their destination.
He watched Daniel and Lucius retrieve the coffin from the hearse, shaking his head at the irony. Lucius had come up with the idea, with the foresight to come up with a sound excuse for abrupt evening travel, such as transporting their dead brother for burial in his homeland, lest it raise unnecessary suspicion. Libraean had initially protested, but Lucius pointed out that it was not the first time David had slept in a crypt, and coffins had grown considerably more comfortable than in previous centuries. Reluctantly, Libraean agreed, revealing the unused coffins he once discovered in the vaults years ago.
Morrigan played the part of a grieving widow so masterfully that the shipping guards didn’t press the issue, one even offering her his handkerchief and comforting hand. In her elegant mourning gown and black lace veil, she played the frail woman nicely against Cahira’s exaggerated masculinity, the latter dressed entirely in a gentleman’s attire, complete with sailor’s cap and swagger. The neighboring sailors seemed to know her, calling her Captain Pelletier and throwing a few good-natured jokes her way as she finished her last-minute preparations.
Once the ship was packed with their trunks and David’s coffin, Daniel helped Libraean board. His knees gave their telltale crack as he descended the narrow ladder into the cabins, letting him know he’d be stuck in the hold more often than he would be on deck. His thoughts floated to David’s manor, hoping the packs of wolves Cahira brought along with her would prove reliable watching over the household in their absence. He had managed to bring along two trunks, one packed with books, the other filled with various swords and archaic weaponry, but there was still so much left behind in the Lardone vaults—including David’s amassed fortune—that the loss would be devastating. He tried not to think about it, convincing himself their histories would stay safe.
The boat had five small rooms below deck, the captain’s quarters, two smaller rooms for passengers, a galley with a sitting area, and a privy. Underneath them was the storage hold where David’s coffin was stashed. As simple as the boat was, the accommodations were clean and well-kept, and Cahira flitted about to ensure everything was in order. The women had wordlessly agreed to share the Captain’s quarters, while Libraean and Jacob took the room closest to them, leaving Lucius and Dan, who both looked annoyed at the arrangements, to take the one furthest of all.
Libraean hobbled into his room and immediately smiled when he saw Jacob. He’d already set out a few of his books and papers on the small desk bolted to the wall. Two single beds had been stacked on top of each other on the opposite side, with barely enough room to walk in between. “Your knees aren’t going to be able to make it to the top,” Jacob said in half-jest. “So I suppose we will sacrifice mine.”
“You take good care of me.” Libraean smiled before he inched down on the firm mattress with a groan.
From above, he heard Dan’s baritone voice.
“I already thought of that,” came Cahira’s haughty reply as she descended the ladder.
Librean peeked his head out to see another woman coming in behind her, ducking to save her head from bumping the ceiling on her way down. She was also dressed in men’s clothing, with wide, soulful green eyes, cool ebony skin, and hair that rose from her head in tightly wound curls. She had an intimidating presence, but her movements were graceful and poised, reminding Libraean of a cobra right before it struck.
“Forgive me, I forgot in all the commotion,” Cahira explained. “This is Sandrine, my dear friend, one of the goddesses Angelique tried to recruit. She is the one who revealed Angelique’s true nature to me so I could escape before it was too late. Africa is her homeland and on her most recent trip there, she met Anubis. He told her where I could find David, and after relaying the message, she agreed to accompany me on the journey.”
“Anubis?” Morrigan surfaced from the back, Lucius trailing closely behind her.
Lucius and Sandrine caught eyes. “You,” he said in surprise.
“Hello, Louis.” She nodded her head once in his direction.
“Sandrine helped me see Angelique for what she was,” Lucius explained in response to Morrigan’s raised eyebrow. “She is trustworthy.”
“Then we are honored to travel with you,” Jacob said politely.
“How is my son?” Morrigan asked her quietly.
“Ah, so you are the Mother of Gods.” Sandrine eyes swept across her in observation. “Unfortunately, I could not speak to him at length, for a war takes place where we are headed. He has seen better days, but he has one of the strongest temperaments I have ever witnessed.”
Morrigan smiled sadly.
“Please get settled,” Cahira told the group. “There are provisions in the galley— human food and bottles of blood. We set sail within the hour.” With nothing more, she and Sandrine headed back up the ladder.
Libraean turned back to his room but felt Morrigan slide her hand around his arm. “May I talk to you?” she asked him gently. He nodded, welcoming her into the narrow quarters.
“Do you need privacy?” Jacob asked immediately. He had already prepared the room for comfort, folded blankets on each bed near several pillows.
“Not at all,” Morrigan assured him. She smoothed her black skirts behind her as she sat on the tiny desk chair. “I have decided to continue the process of accessing my memories. Lucius seems to think this war goes beyond some rogue god destroying our world, that there are other motives at play. The medium who restored the first half of my memories told me in confidence that it is I who is being targeted in this war, since I am the remaining goddess who helped birth this world.”
Libraean sank onto his bed, his mind beginning to spin. He slowed his thoughts down with a sigh, removing his glasses and wiping them with the corner of his shirt. “Morrigan, has Lucius fed in the last few hours?”
She blinked. “Yes, he ate before we left.”
“Call him in here.”
She was surprised but compliant, and soon Lucius’s tall frame appeared in the doorway. He took one look at the tiny room and gestured them out into the galley’s sitting room. “If we are going to converse, let us do so in some modicum of comfort.”
As the creatures settled around the table, Jacob went down to retrieve two bottles of wine out of their trunks in the hold, one tainted and one plain, as well as a quartet of glasses.
Morrigan frowned, rising to her feet. “Jacob, please do not feel as though you must serve us.”
“This is just as much for me, madame, as it is for you,” Jacob explained, taking his seat and prying open the cork of a fresh bottle.
Lucius immediately helped himself, swirling the liquid in his glass as he waited patiently for them to speak.
Libraean was in no mood for wine, blood-infused or otherwise, and instead placed his hand supportively on Jacob’s knee. His gray eyes offered a little sparkle back in Libraean’s direction before he took a long, careful sip of his wine and cleared his throat to speak. “There is something I must tell you all about my time as an angel.”
“An angel?” Lucius’s handsome face wrinkled in confusion.
“Jacob is the reincarnation of the angel, Gabriel, who once served the God of man,” Morrigan explained to him.
“Ah.” Lucius still appeared bewildered, but was quiet, waiting for him to continue.
Jacob cleared his throat again. “We angels were taught that God was the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, that it was He who was the only one true God. He kept us isolated from all other gods and creatures, keeping us in compliance with His laws. Whether that was His intention, or the intention of those who soon took control of the Heavenly realm, I am uncertain. Jesus was the only one I could communicate with towards the end of my tenure.” His eyes fixated on his glass, briefly transfixed before he continued.
“God Himself had become a fragmented deity as so many different cultures and religions claimed to know Him—each proclaiming that their version was correct. Humans didn’t realize that they were creating a contradicting deity that no one could access, something like tiny orbs fused together to create a larger one. I remember bits of my life as a young angel when we served Him directly, when he was known to us as Yahweh, but those memories have long since disappeared from my consciousness. I’m not sure if it was intentional, or if it was this human life that took them for good. What I can remember is a group of angels who call themselves the Holy Watchers became the ones who exclusively speak to God, and they are the ones who currently run the Kingdom of Heaven. All other angels must answer to them. Jesus has been relocated to his own heavenly realm on their orders, separated from his own Father.” He took another sip of wine, visibly nervous.
“You are amongst family here,” Morrigan reminded him in her soft, melodious voice.
Jacob gave her a small, shy smile. “Forgive me, it frightens me to speak so plainly about these things. I am embarrassed to admit I still fear repercussions.”
“That is the very nature of modern religion, is it not?” Lucius commented scornfully.
Jacob sighed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his comment. “My brothers and I continued our work on earth regardless of how things were being run, hunting the occasional daemon, answering the petitions of our human following. Then one day, I overheard a conversation about a rogue god who was destroying the realms that existed outside of ours, including the Egyptian Underworld. Frantic, I tried to tell my brothers he must be stopped, but none wanted to intervene. Finally, it was Jesus who gave me his blessing to contact Ms. Cahira, who I hoped would be the one to find Mr. David and prevent the destruction of the realms. It was I who alerted her, but the price I had to pay for it was my wings—I was born again in this land with half of my memories wiped clean. They could not prevent me from remembering Libreaen, however, and I've started to remember more, the longer he is near me.”
“I understand.” Morrigan looked down at her folded hands.
“Well, that’s it,” Lucius interjected. “These Holy Watchers have recruited an agent of destruction to work on their behalf, to destroy the other gods and goddesses who threaten their power.”
Libraean felt a wave of unease. “So we are not merely fighting one rogue individual, but an entire army of angels backed by the most popular God among us.”
The room was quiet.
“What I cannot understand is why the hundreds of different religions that serve that God aren’t going after each other, even though most of them exist in eternal conflict,” he continued. “Why target us?”
“We all know why,” Lucius said dryly. “Having different sects does not threaten the Watchers’ power over man.” He pointed a narrow finger in Morrigan’s direction. “But she does.”
“How can a goddess be the creator of all when it should be a man,” Jacob murmured in agreement.
Libraean threw his glasses on the table in frustration. “Well, then how do we stop it?”
Morrigan sighed. “We will access my memories, join Anubis in Africa, and restore David back to health. As long as you all remain by my side, collectively, we are a powerful force against them.”
“Yes, of course,” Libraean reiterated his loyalty, Jacob echoing the sentiment.
He didn’t expect Lucius to respond, but he watched him look down at his glass. He spoke in a tone a little above a whisper. “There is no me without you.”
They were interrupted by Cahira at the door. “Drinking already? We have yet to set sail.”
“Cahira, I must ask you a favor.” Morrigan rose to her feet. “Daniel told us about your power long before we met. I am assuming David told you everything regarding me as well. I have full confidence in your abilities, yet the choice is ultimately yours—will you help me access my repressed memories, the ones that existed right before I was reborn in this life?”
Cahira looked taken aback, but she agreed. “Of course. Let us set sail, then I will be at your service. We will travel down the Thames and around the Dover Strait, where we will cross the English Channel. I’m confident I can step away for a few hours once we’ve reached the Atlantic. As long as the weather holds, of course.”
“Thank you,” Morrigan said softly, a faraway look settling in her eyes.
The ship began to sway as its anchors were lifted, shifting into position. “It is nightfall.” Cahira looked to Morrigan. “Can we have clear skies?”