Chapter Nineteen
The Battle of Corways

The battle raged before Oscar as the anthropologist stood placidly on the fringes of Corways. He stared at nothing in particular in the horrific scene because the world inside his head looked much different. Conchar’s influence twisted the professor’s mind in ways that took Oscar out of reality and into a manufactured field of thought. The black magic so entranced Oscar that he had no idea he was in Corways. He had no idea he wasn’t just dreaming.

In his mind he stood at the gates of a large maze that had pathways framed by hedges and stone walls. Oscar recalled going to the Longleat Hedge Maze in Wiltshire, England with his parents when he was a boy. It was an amazing time! He enjoyed the mystery of the maze and the joy of having reached the end successfully. Oscar imagined that the maze before him would carry the same excitement, especially knowing that the prize at the end was the stone coffer.

The maze presented two paths for him to choose from, both promising adventure and thrills. The first path had a granite floor that pitched back and forth against walls that wiggled and shook. The second path was lined with dark thorny bushes which spread their vines and roots out to cover the ground. The vines moved like snakes and threatened anyone who would dare enter.

Both options seemed perilous, but Oscar knew this was part of the fun. He chose the path with the thorny vines. Something told him this was the right path. This was the way to the stone coffer. He took his first steps into the maze with a smile on his lips.

…

More giants and their dragon-dogs had entered the village. Leprechauns were fighting bravely, but Rory was sickened by what he was witnessing. One of the gents from his band had been darting in and out of an Alphyn’s legs, stabbing the abomination with quick strikes, but the creature’s tongue was so fast… Niles never saw it coming. There were stories like that all around Rory. Good, hard working Leprechauns were being cut down in the prime of life, and for all their losses the Leprechauns weren’t causing enough damage.

The Descendants of Magog didn’t focus all of their attention on the Leprechauns, either. They were smashing homes and tearing up crop fields. Rory’s own potato field became a casualty of an ugly female giant. He was so infuriated that he climbed straight up her clothing and shot several arrows into her ear and her neck. It took the help of Brett and Vivian to bring the giant down, though.

Rory always kept an eye out for Biddy, but he wasn’t sure why he was worried about her. She was as tough and cantankerous as a cornered mink in a scrap. She was zooming in and around the giants and shooting them with her razor-like feathers. More than one howled in pain and took an empty swipe at her.

The Blanchs were not great fighters by Rory’s judgment, but they were committed to helping Corways. Brett was fair with levitation charms while Vivian was skilled at acceleration spells. After a little trial and error, they were able to remove some of the Alphyns from the village. One of the beasts leapt right at Vivian, but Brett caught it in midair only a few feet from Vivian’s head. The witch smiled sweetly as she blasted the Alphyn with an acceleration spell. The beast was shot like a firework back from whence it came. Brett helped his wife to her feet, and they shared a brief moment of bliss in the chaos before jumping back into the battle.

Griffin was fighting hard, but when two Alphyns were double teaming the flying creature, he had his paws full. Rory was glad that a griffin’s feathers were fire resistant because those two Alphyns were relentlessly bombarding him with fire. Rory had never seen anything quite like it before.

Rory was keeping score in his head. It seemed for every Alphyn or giant they took down, ten Leprechauns were either killed or injured. Corways would not be able to hold up at that rate.

…

“Kill them! Wipe them from the Earth!” ordered Dullahan from a safe distance. The headless demon wanted nothing more than to enter the battle and slice the Leprechauns’ little stupid heads from their little stupid bodies, but he had a job to do. Once Oscar began walking onto the battlefield, Dullahan’s real task began.

…

Nuada was beside himself with grief watching his beloved Corways fall under attack. The Leprechauns were under his protection at one point in time, but no longer. He was unable to physically intercede.

How had he not seen Elathan’s plans? In hindsight, there were clues. The biggest alarm should have been when the obsidian dagger was stolen from Goibniu’s workshop in the Realm of the Gods. Nuada had certainly underestimated Elathan and now the Leprechauns and the world were paying the price.

…

Oscar was precariously balancing on a wooden beam in the center of the maze. He tried to not look down at the river of lava that bubbled and popped below. It was painfully hot and Oscar was sweating profusely. The change in temperature fogged up his glasses, so he took out his handkerchief and wiped them off. He continued to shuffle across the beam and stepped safely onto the soft grass.

Which way? He wondered when a dozen pathways were presented to him. Each path hinted at a different peril, but Oscar ignored what he saw and listened for his beacon. The stone coffer’s signal to him had been growing stronger with each step he took into the maze. Finally, he pinpointed what he believed to be the correct path. Oscar entered it with an excited heart even when he heard the wails of fearsome creatures warning him to stay away.

…

The giants and their hideous pets corralled the Leprechauns in the center of town. Biddy soared high above Corways and saw how imposing the intruding army was as they tightened their lines. They were apparently trying to limit any escapes.

Colym flew in beside her and hovered. “It’s not looking good, lass. What do we do?”

Biddy shook her head in exasperation. “I don’t know, Colym.”

The Leprechauns stood shoulder to shoulder around the statue and defiantly faced their attackers. D’Quall stepped forward with his blood-stained club slung over his shoulder. The giants and Alphyns were content to hold the Leprechauns in place as their leader spoke.

“People of Corways!” D’Quall bellowed. “You have fought more bravely than expected, but as predicted your fight was in vain; your lives are about to end.” The other giants chuckled and the Alphyns growled.

Biddy’s heart sank when Rory stepped forward and faced the massive D’Quall. What would the brute do to her love?

“Why are you even here, giant?” Rory demanded. “We’ve done nothing against you.”

“You misunderstand, speck. You are standing in the way of our return to glory.” D’Quall looked around to his brood with pride. “We are a great and glorious race that has been forced into hiding by humanity, and your kind was influential in making it so. No more!”

“You know what,” Rory said shaking his head. “I am so tired of hearing you talk. Shut your hole, oaf, and fight!”

D’Quall was deeply offended and screamed. “You dare call me an oaf?” D’Quall pulled his club off his shoulder and tried to slam it down on top of Rory’s head. Rory was too fast for the lumbering giant and easily evaded the blow.

“I’m going to crush you!” D’Quall promised. “And there’s no one who can save you.”

“No one, D’Quall? I wouldn’t say that,” sang a voice with an English accent.

Biddy looked around to see where the voice came from but couldn’t spot anyone until hundreds of Gnomes materialized out of thin air. “Look, Colym! The Gnomes!” she said, shaking Colym.

“Gnomes? How dare you interfere in Magog affairs!” roared D’Quall. “Kill them all, Descendants! Kill the Gnomes!”

…

The arrival of the Gnomes surprised Dullahan, but it did not change his objective. Oscar looked to be on his way to finding the coffer. That was all that concerned Dullahan.

…

The stone box beckoned Oscar, guiding his choices through the maze. He was so close it was practically screaming at him.

…

A swarm of Gnomes rushed the giants and the alpyhns, causing a huge melee to ensue. The Gnomes were furiously aggressive and violent towards their sworn enemy, the Descendants of Magog.

Rory didn’t need to be told to rejoin the battle as he shouted, “For Corways!” He raised his bow and unleashed arrow after arrow at the giants and their Alphyns. D’Quall’s Alphyn took exception to the barrage of arrows and sprinted at Rory. Rory redoubled his effort and his hands became a blur as his rate of firing increased. The Alphyn took arrows in the eyes, the neck, and down its throat. It stumbled and fell a few steps before it reached the blue archer.

Biddy dove down to join the battle, leading with a torrent of feather darts. “Rory!”

Her love looked up in time to see a massive foot on a direct path with his spot on the ground. He kicked his feet off of the ground and slid on his back as he unleashed his arrows directly into the sole of a giant’s foot. The giant hopped around holding his aching foot as a dozen Gnomes and Leprechauns piled on his back.

Biddy swooped down and lifted Rory by the quiver, giving him the benefit of the “high ground” to fire at their enemies. Rory assaulted the giants but stopped when he spotted Dullahan and Oscar. Rory pointed them out to Biddy and she responded by changing redirecting her path towards the headless horseman and the professor.

…

There! Oscar pointed at a path in the maze. The bushes and stones arched over the pathway forcing him to crawl. He pushed his way through thick mud and swampy water until he emerged on the other side. Oscar stood up and smiled as we walked towards a large statue of a cauldron. He had found the stone coffer’s hiding place.

…

Biddy and Rory came to rest atop the statue just as Oscar reached its base and dropped to his hands and knees.

Rory hopped down to Oscar. “Run, Oscar!”

Oscar didn’t respond. He mumbled to himself and scooted along the circular base of the statue. He ran his hands over every stone very carefully, inspecting each one.

“I don’t think he’s in his right mind, Bid!” Rory shouted.

“Look out!” she shouted in return.

Rory flipped backwards and evaded the death stroke from Dullahan’s ax blade, but he still felt the wind from it. “Whoa!”

“You little pests are still alive?” Dullahan said from his saddle. “I’ll have to remedy that.”

Four quick feather darts planted themselves in Dullahan’s chest and drew his attention away from Rory. “You’re the one who died, git!” retorted Biddy with a scowl.

Dullahan lifted his ax up and examined the sharp edge with his thumb. “I will destroy you like I did Gorgoch.”

“You’re lying!” shouted Rory. “Gorgoch is not gone!”

Dullahan reared his horse back and attempted to stomp Rory out of existence on the down step. Again and again Dullahan’s horse tried to stomp on Rory, but the Leprechaun was fast. Rory kept dodging and moving, climbing the statue all the while. Dullahan took swipes at Rory with his ax, narrowly missing the bowman, and separated a huge chunk of stone from the statue.

Dullahan raised his ax again, but this time a powerful red energy blast knocked him from his horse. The headless horseman toppled onto the ground and rolled straight into a fighting stance with the grace of a gymnast. “Who dares strike a death demon?”

“I do!”

“Dorian!” Biddy was nearly beside herself at seeing the Queen return to defend Corways.

And she brought company.

…

The stones in this one section at the base of the statue just weren’t right, at least not to Oscar’s way of thinking. It was like they were made of plaster or some other artificial material. That couldn’t have been true, though, since the statue had to be centuries old.

This one spot… could it hide the stone box that he was searching for?

…

The whole scene was madness! So much of the village had already been destroyed. Lizzie’s heart ached for the Leprechauns. “Let’s go, Frank!” she said with fierce determination.

Frank’s eyes grew large as he and Lizzie ran directly toward a sixteen-foot-tall giant who was covered in Gnomes and Leprechauns. The Magog was twisting and turning, grabbing and slapping anything and everyone on his body trying to free himself of the small Magicks.

“This is crazy!” Frank screamed.

“We got this, Frank,” Lizzie encouraged. “Let’s take him down.”

The two teens sported matching glowing purple staffs generated from Leprechaun magic, which they put to good use against the giant’s knees. They ran past the giant and each one pounded the knee on their side as hard as they possibly could. Once the big man dropped to his battered knees, they stopped their forward progress, spun, and each delivered a well-placed staff strike to the giant’s forehead. The Descendent of Magog’s head whipped backwards from the impact, causing his eyes to roll back and his body to go limp.

Frank and Lizzie shared a glance before they moved on to the next enemy.

…

Dorian and Brendan stalked towards Dullahan, he with a soft silver glow that illuminated his entire body and she with glowing red hands clenched into fists. Meghan trailed a few steps behind, apparently skittish about the horrific battle that was raging.

“Come to die?” Dullahan asked, his hands gripping the handles of his weapons tightly.

“Where’s my father?” Brendan demanded.

“He’s here,” Dullahan replied. He pointed his sword towards the statue where Oscar was kneeling at the base. “He has served us quite well. Pity he has to die soon.”

Brendan exploded on the inside and let out a primal scream. He ran towards Dullahan even though he did not have his sword. In his mind, he didn’t need it. He was going to rip Dullahan apart with his bare hands, but he didn’t quite make it to his target. He was intercepted and speared in the side by a powerful Alphyn. The two of them skidded forty feet away into the main fighting action of the Gnomes, giants, Alphyns, and Leprechauns, vanishing from Dorian’s sight. That left Dorian and Meghan to face off with Dullahan.

“Well, I guess killing you will bring me satisfaction,” Dullahan stated as he began to walk forward.

“Meghan, go get Oscar,” Dorian commanded.

“What? Who?”

Meghan was frazzled, so Dorian shoved her in Oscar’s direction. “The human. Get him out of here, now!”

“I’m going to rip your soul from your body, Leprechaun!” Dullahan declared as golden flames burst from his collar.

Dorian watched as Meghan ran towards Oscar and out of the way. “Okay, plonker, let’s have at it!”

Her hands began to glow a brighter red than they had ever glowed before. Dorian put the power to good use and sent blast after blast at the demon. Dullahan blocked a few, but the blasts were starting to take their toll on him. Dorian was heartened by her success and increased her efforts.

“I want you to stay dead this time!” she screamed, a violent red sheen overtaking her eyes.

Her attack was cut short when that powerful body of Dullahan’s demon horse slammed into her light a freight train and knocked her to the ground. The horse rose up on its hind legs and brought its massive front hooves down on her chest again and again. Dorian’s body instinctively threw up and full-body glowing shield, but she knew that it wouldn’t last long.

…

Oscar felt the plaster-like stones and giggled. They were warm and vibrated at the touch. He began picking at one of the corners of the plaster rocks. He dug his nails in time and again until the mortar began to flake away like paint. He grew more and more excited as the mortar and plaster fell away in larger chunks.

Oscar had a real sense of joy as the last of the plaster fell to the ground exposing a small space. He reached in and felt the familiar coolness of the ancient stone box. It took two hands to pull it free.

Oscar put it on his lap and leaned his back against the base of the statue. He was exhausted and needed to rest.

…

“Two Gnome royals?” D’Quall chortled. “This must be my lucky day.”

Garnash slapped his hands together and strings of magic hung between them. He dodged D’Quall’s club and then grabbed a hold of it as the Bloodright Lord of the Magogs hoisted it back in the air. Garnash jumped from the club onto D’Quall’s big head, trailing his magical line from the club. Once he reached the giant’s head, Garnash smacked his palm against it and then descended down D’Quall’s back. The giant tried to bring his club down on Flums, but the magical string held between D’Quall’s head, his club, and the weapon recoiled and crashed into the giant’s head knocking him backwards.

“Well done, son!” Flums said.

Garnash looked around to see how the others were faring, but his eyes were drawn to Dorian. She was battering Dullahan with powerful blasts and had the upper hand, until the demon horse barreled into her and knocked her to the ground.

“No!” Garnash screamed.

He started to run to her, but D’Quall scooped him up in his enormous hand.

“Got you now, pip!” the giant bellowed.

…

The horse had flaming eyes and steam billowed from its nostrils. Dorian felt her magical protection begin to crack under the strain of the massive beast. She thought how unfortunate it was that this ugly face was the last one she was ever going to see.

“Fair well, Queen Dorian,” chuckled Dullahan. “Your reign was brief and forgettable.”

Dorian began to black out, but suddenly the weight on her chest was gone. She turned her head to the right and saw that the demon horse and an Alphyn had crashed through the top of the statue and were lying in a tangled heap in the distance. When she looked back to the left, she saw Brendan sprinting back towards her. Dullahan stood over her and cocked his ax above his shoulders as she lost consciousness.

…

Brendan had never run so fast in all his life. The headless demon was already bringing his ax down on Dorian! Brendan was so far away, and there were so many combatants blocking his path. The world was like a blur as he moved, zigging and zagging, and then at the last possible moment he jumped on top of an Alphyn’s back and pushed off as hard as he could. His push shot the Alphyn in the opposite direction with tremendous force. Brendan zipped through the air like a bullet in a direct path with Dorian.

Dullahan’s ax was a foot above Dorian’s chest when it ricocheted off of something and bounced out of the demon’s hands. Dullahan was in complete shock.

“You!” Dullahan yelled.

Brendan lay across Dorian’s unconscious body, surprised that he was still alive.

“You should be dead!” Dullahan moaned.

Brendan popped to his feet and moved towards the headless demon. “No, you should be!”

Brendan jumped, spun, and executed a perfect flying back kick to Dullahan’s chest. Silver energy exploded on impact, and the headless demon was thrown into the stone cottage that housed the treasure room of Corways.

“What have you done to me?” croaked Dullahan. He clutched at his chest as a spiderweb of silver energy crackled out from Brendan’s point of impact.

“I just killed you,” Brendan replied, his muscles tight as adrenalin rushed through his veins.

“Noooooooo!” Dullahan protested, but it was too late. The silver energy had invaded deep into the demon’s essence. Silver cracks raced faster and faster until Dullahan had a silver glow of his own. The energy became too much, and the headless horseman exploded in a silver detonation that blew apart the front of the stone house.

Brendan searched for signs that Dullahan had somehow survived the explosion, but when he found none, he came back to Dorian. “Dorian?”

She was unmoving and barely breathing, the red glow gone from her hands. “Stay with me.” He stroked her hair and traced his fingers on her cheek. “Dorian, stay with me. I need you.”

Tears filled his eyes as he held her close to his chest. “Don’t leave me. I love you.”

…

Oscar felt good enough to get to his feet, but the stone box was heavier than he remembered the other boxes being. He was sweating and a bit dirty, though he felt a real sense of accomplishment.

“Dad!” a voice called to him from some far off distance. It sounded like Lizzie’s voice. She was probably trying to wake him up for work. She always was a nice girl.

…

“Look, Frank, there’s Dad!” Lizzie shouted excitedly. She didn’t bother to wait for a reply and sprinted in her father’s direction. Frank would have to try and keep up.

The pair ran through the melee, fighting off giants and Alphyns with their staffs, intent on reaching Oscar, but they were forced to skid to a stop when the massive leader of the giants stepped into their path.

“Do you know what I hate more than Gnomes?” D’Quall asked without introduction. He held Garnash in his hand and flopped the Gnome around as he spoke.

“By the smell, I would guess baths,” Frank replied.

D’Quall tossed Garnash over his shoulder and pointed at Lizzie and Frank. “Humans.”

“Out of the way, ugly,” Lizzie ordered. “That’s my dad over there, and I want him back.”

D’Quall glanced back to see the Seeker standing by the broken statue holding a stone coffer. “You are the Seeker’s daughter?” he said, turning back to Lizzie.

“You bet your big butt I am.” She readied her stance and Frank followed her lead.

“Probably a big, hairy, pimply butt, if I had to guess,” Frank said with a shiver.

Rage showed in D’Quall’s eyes. “You would dare insult D’Quall, the Bloodright Lord of the Magogs?”

“Wow, that’s a mouthful,” replied Lizzie.

D’Quall stepped forward intent on stomping on Frank and Lizzie, but they spun away and thwacked! him in the knees with their staffs. D’Quall slung his hand out and backhanded Frank aside while bringing his club down at Lizzie. She sidestepped, but when the giant swept his club back in her direction she was knocked from her feet. He hoisted his club and brought it down at her while she was prone on the ground. Flums appeared beside the youngest O’Neal and shoved her aside with his powers.

“Flums!” D’Quall screeched. The giant raised the club again and bashed the King of the Gnomes. He smashed his club down again and again.

Garnash pushed up to his elbows and saw what was happening. “No!”

D’Quall clubbed the injured Gnome again. “Die!”

Lizzie was horrified! She ran underneath the giant and stood over Flums. She brought her staff up and planted it directly into D’Quall’s chin. The Magog’s head flung backwards and he staggered back a few big steps.

“Murderer!” she screamed. Lizzie felt like her eyes were burning. She had no idea that purple flecks peppered her eyes or that her body had a purple glow.

“Now you die!” the giant promised.

Lizzie ran right at D’Quall and sprung from the ground to his right knee, his left bicep, and then to his neck where she spun like a vortex and thwacked! the giant across his jaw, breaking it in three places. Lizzie grabbed a hold of his collar and planted her staff at the base of his neck. She grabbed the top of her staff with both hands held over her head and planted her feet against D’Quall’s trapezius muscles. Her eyes flared; energy surged from her body and down the staff where it became affixed to the giant’s skin. Lizzie dropped from the giant’s back and pulled on her staff with all her might, catapulting the giant high into the air out of Corways.

She landed with both feet on the ground in a Samurai’s Hasso-style fighting position, ready for the next opponent.

Frank shook his head in wonder. “I swear your family has to come from ninjas!”

“Look!” shouted Rory from the remains of the statue. “They’re retreating!”

Lizzie looked around, and sure enough, the giants and the Alphyns were on the run. The Leprechauns and Gnomes shouted in victory.

“Dad!” Lizzie ran forward and embraced her father who was still clutching the stone coffer. “Dad? Say something.”

“I think he’s spellbound, Lizzie,” Meghan offered. “I’ve been trying to shake him out of it for awhile, but his mind isn’t here.” The flecks of purple swam throughout Lizzie’s eyes and Meghan leaned in for a closer look. “Your eyes?”

“Nevermind that,” Lizzie said, brushing aside the question. “Let me have the box, Dad.” She reached out for the coffer and touched it, and then something she hadn’t expected happened!