Chapter Twenty
Pomp and Circumstance

Meghan’s eyes widened and she unconsciously licked her lips as Lizzie’s hand touched the stone coffer. Symbols on the box shifted and pin-balled around the surface until they were in just the right spot.

“What’s happening?” Lizzie asked.

The coffer’s top rose about an inch above it and hissed as steam began to escape. Oscar’s grip on the coffer never wavered or weakened. The professor stood still as a statue as the coffer seemingly came to life.

Garnash was kneeling near his father’s body, but the commotion from the coffer drew his attention. “No! Don’t let the Banshee escape, Lizzie!”

Lizzie lifted her staff and prepared to smash the coffer, but her blow was stopped short by an unseen force. “What!”

“How dare you!”

Lizzie looked up at Meghan and her mouth dropped open. Meghan’s eyes were a pool of white with small bits of gold dancing within them. Her skin grew deathly pale and began to hover above the ground.

“I knew it!” Lizzie exclaimed.

Meghan lashed out with her power and threw Lizzie thirty feet back into the rubble of a house.

The coffer’s lid opened completely and a huge cloud of steam escaped. Leprechauns, Gnomes, Griffin, Brett, Vivian, and Frank tried to surround Meghan, but the formation of another Banshee made the effort pointless.

“Farron!” Meghan shouted as her sister’s being took shape from the smoke.

“Kill them now!” Garnash ordered as he clapped his palms together to ignite his powers.

Farron landed gently next to Oscar and cackled. Her laugh was so loud that it shook the already damaged buildings. “Fools!”

Farron took to the air and began a haunting cry. It was loud, piercing, and mind numbing. Everyone had to hold their ears, including Brendan who hadn’t left Dorian’s side. The wailing brought him out of his ambivalence to what was happening, and he gently laid Dorian’s head down.

He picked up a chunk of stone from the statue and flung it at Farron. The stone exploded before it reached her, and she directed the sound waves of her wail at him. The waves slammed into his chest and sent Brendan toppling backwards.

Meghan chanted softly and held her hands towards the ground. Then in a swift motion she raised them to the sky. A trio of obsidian megaliths emerged from the ground, pulverizing what remained of the town’s statue. Farron and Meghan led Oscar into the center of the megaliths and they rode the tether out of Corways, leaving heartbreak and destruction behind.

…

Corways was in ruins. Her citizens walked around numbly, some still clutching their glowing magical weapons. The grounds were littered with dead bodies. Many Gnomes and Leprechauns were injured. Even though they had successfully fought off their attackers, a great sadness still permeated the air.

Gnomes began the task of sending their dead into the earth, while the Leprechauns cradled their deceased. Mourning songs, both beautiful and somber, danced in the air. Garnash buried his father right where he fell. Gnomes and Leprechauns comforted each other. All of them waited for Dorian to wake.

Brendan had carried Dorian into her house and laid her on a makeshift cot. He had Rory and Biddy collect some water and a clean cloth. Lizzie, Frank, Brett, and Vivian hung out nearby while Brendan tended to Dorian.

“Is she going to be okay?” Lizzie asked. She was leaning on Frank and holding her elbow close to her side as she bit her nails.

Brendan nodded. “I will make sure of it.” He considered her ragged breathing and decreasing heart rate and allowed a little doubt to creep into his mind. He had all of these powers, but what good were they if he couldn’t save Dorian?

Lizzie knelt down to rub Dorian’s hair when a glint of red caught her attention. Lizzie stood up quickly and began to rummage around Dorian’s house. There was a lot of debris, so that made the search slow.

“What are you doing?” Brendan asked.

Lizzie ignored the question. She was intent on her search and pushed a large, broken cabinet aside. “Yes!” She reached down and plucked five red vials of magic and turned back to Brendan. “Here, try these,” she ordered.

Brendan took the vials and looked up at his sister with pride. “Thanks, Liz. That’s good thinking.” He opened the vials and held them with one hand while he pulled the collar of her shirt down a couple inches. He poured the contents directly onto her chest and immediately her skin absorbed the red magic. “Now all we can do is wait.”

…

The stream was barely a foot deep at this point in the summer, not enough to run the watermill if it had still existed. It was now nothing more than a stone base that had been overtaken by weeds and high grasses. The three stone megaliths standing near the remains of the mill had seen more use in the past few weeks than they had in centuries with Leprechauns, Gnomes, and necromancers popping in and out of the tether. The runes on the structures ignited yet again as Conchar and Isobel stepped into the meadow.

Conchar smirked with satisfaction as the memory of his last visit flooded his mind. It had been several hundred years since he had killed Toren O’Neal, but to Conchar, it felt like yesterday.

“What are you smiling about?” Isobel huffed.

“Murder,” laughed Conchar. Toren had given Conchar so much trouble over the years leading up to his death. He would have gladly killed Toren even if Elathan hadn’t ordered him to do so. Of course, Elathan had his own reasons for wanting Toren O’Neal dead. That was why Conchar had returned to the location of the Irishman’s demise. Toren was going to prove useful to Elathan’s cause. While alive, Toren was a Bloodline Protector of the Earth, and that fact made his sacrifice all the more important. It also meant that his death spot was vastly important to Elathan’s plans.

The wizard studied the open area to the west of the stream. It was flat with grass and weeds that had grown large. This land may have once been a sacred Wampanoag site, but they had vacated the land a long time ago. Conchar liked to think that he had a hand in that, after all, he did turn many of their warriors into Ruas while he desecrated their lands.

Conchar was able to sense the area where Toren had fallen. The blood had seeped deep into the ground and called to him like a child calls to her parents. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, whispering a soft spell that no other necromancer could perform. Conchar exhaled the air from his lungs in a slow, steady stream, and when all of the breath was drained he whispered the final line of the spell. Instantly, his exhaled air ignited into a cloud of fire.

“Impressive,” Isobel complimented.

Conchar directed the cloud of fire and scorched a patch of earth in the exact dimensions that Lord Elathan had commanded, directly where Toren took his last breath. The grass, weeds, and other debris that was present quickly turned to ash and floated away on the wind. When he had scorched the exact amount of land that he needed to, he dispersed the cloud of fire into thin air.

As soon as the area was prepared, the old, moss-covered stone megaliths near the remains of the watermill began to glow. Three figures took shape in the center of the structure as the glowing faded.

“Farron! Meghan!” Isobel said in jubilance. She ran to her sisters, and the three Banshees embraced.

“It has been hundreds of years,” Meghan began, “but it doesn’t look like a day has passed, my sister.”

“We are free from our prisons, sisters!” Farron cheered.

“This is a touching reunion,” Conchar said with a touch of annoyance. “But I’m only interested in what the Seeker has brought with him.”

Oscar strode forward with the coffer in hand. The final part of the plan was set to begin.

…

Dorian looked fragile and helpless lying on the cot. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp. Brendan blamed himself. If he had only acted more quickly against Dullahan, then she would be safe. He remembered the whole that was left in his heart after his mother had passed away, and now the love of his life was threatening to do the same. Brendan stayed by Dorian’s side, wiped her brow with a damp cloth, and held her hand. He dozed off a few times but was awakened when Dorian would have a muscle twitch or a change in the sound of her breathing.

Lizzie stood in the doorway and observed her big brother. He was showing so much love and concern for Dorian that she hoped for both their sakes that the Leprechaun Queen recovered.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” Brendan said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“How is she?” Lizzie slowly walked into the house and sat on the other side of Dorian. She took her hand as well. “She looks good for a girl who was just in a battle against a demon.”

Brendan’s mouth showed the signs of a smile. “She’s so tough.” Brendan looked up at his sister with misty eyes. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

Lizzie hesitantly reached out and took her brother’s hand. They had never had the type of relationship that leant itself to that sort of affection, but he was hurting—they both were. “She’s strong, Brendan. Stronger than anyone I know.”

Brendan nodded and looked down at Dorian’s face. She was so beautiful. He loved her and he had never told her. He wanted that opportunity. When her eyelashes fluttered, he knew he’d have his chance.

“Dorian!” he whispered excitedly.

“Brendan,” Dorian said softly. “My chest hurts.”

Brendan and Lizzie laughed with relieved emotion. “You had a two-thousand pound demon horse nearly crush you,” Brendan told her. “We didn’t know if you were going to make it.” He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “I’m so glad you did.”

…

Dorian’s recovery was rapid. The others marveled at how quickly she had gone from death’s doorstep to the model of health. She wasn’t as impressed with her own progress as she was concerned about honoring the Leprechauns and Gnomes who had fallen in battle. She gathered both of the clans in the center of town and she and Garnash, the new King of the Gnomes, stood on the remains of the statue.

A choir comprised of Leprechauns and Gnomes sang softly as Queen Dorian began her speech. “Many good citizens of the world have fallen here in Corways. Many of our friends and family have given the ultimate sacrifice for us, the survivors.” Dorian stood strong and determined before her people. “Corways came under an unprovoked attack and our people stood up to giants and refused to relinquish what it meant to be a Leprechaun. They refused to give up their lands and hide themselves away. Our fallen brothers and sisters died with honor, and we thank our kinsmen Gnome clan for reaching out and helping us to defend our home.”

Garnash bowed low to acknowledge Dorian’s appreciation before he spoke. “Fellow Gnomes, Leprechauns, and humans,” he said with a nod towards Brendan, Lizzie, and Frank. “Our heroes have fallen here today defending the right that every being has, the right to live. My father… ” Garnash said, pausing to collect himself. “My father fought hard to make sure our clan stood for justice and freedom from oppression. The giants know only to oppress. They know only to kill, and our two clans would not stand for it. We bury many of our loved ones today, but they honor us with their lives. We honor them in how we choose to live.”

“This fight will not be the last,” Dorian added. “Time and again, evil will rise up and we have to stand ready. We have to be willing to fight for what is right and just.” Dorian looked out and saw the dejected faces in the crowd. She knew they were weary and downtrodden. “That’s what our people have died for today. They believed in defending their homeland and their neighbors against tyranny, and they sacrificed their lives for us.”

Garnash waited a few moments for the clans to reflect. “Let us now send our loved ones into Otherworld with raised voices.” Gnomes and Leprechauns sang their songs of mourning and their songs of hope as a blessing and a remembrance of those that passed before them.

…

The air in Elathan’s tower was cold and sterile—refreshing to the golden god. He looked out at the Black Forest, which was now peppered with jagged obsidian rocks, and he knew that his plan was nearly complete. He walked over to his throne and caused the seatback panel to vanish, exposing the three charms of Nuada. He pulled them out one at a time and placed them into an inner pocket of his cloak.

Elathan walked back to the balcony and hopped over the railing. His trusty Niseag emerged from the water, and Elathan landed securely on its back. His thoughts guided the Niseag to land atop the highest point of the castle. The golden god held his arms out and started an ancient chant in the Tech Duinn dialect. His muscles tightened and he began to sweat, even as the temperature around the castle dropped in response to his words. Thunder rolled and black lightning flashed as icy rain fell from the sky. Elathan’s eyes boiled like molten gold within their sockets as he forced seven enormous megaliths to rise out of the moat at the base of the castle. The smooth, black megaliths stretched high into the sky with their tips extending some thirty feet above the castle. Once they were at their full height, Elathan ended his chanting.

He took a deep breath. The strain from a feat like that was draining. Elathan sat upon his Niseag and lifted his face towards the sky, allowing the icy rain to pelt him and refresh him. He stayed like that until a bolt of black lightning struck one of his megaliths and countless ancient runes began to write themselves from the top down. The remaining megaliths were hit by consecutive bolts and they too were dressed in ancient symbols.

Elathan whispered softly and the runes on the skyscraper-sized megaliths came to life, illuminating the Black Forest. Finally, at the completion of his chant, the megaliths gave a nuclear-like blast as Elathan, his Niseag, and all of the Ruas in the castle were transported to an ancient Wampanoag site some 3,000 miles away.

…

It had been a trying day for everyone in Corways, but Dorian felt an extremely heavy weight on her shoulders. So many of her clansmen had perished in the battle, and so many others were injured. That she was so preoccupied with the thought of what she needed to do that she didn’t consider that Brendan’s father wasn’t out of danger yet. He joined her after the ceremony near the waterfall that Brendan and Lizzie had fallen over more than a year ago.

“Man, that was a plunge,” Brendan said, looking at the falls.

“I used to jump off of that as a kid,” Dorian admitted. “My Dad used to take me up there as a child and he and I would jump off for fun. It was a good memory.”

“I’ve only gone over once, but it led me to you, so I’m good with that.” Brendan took her hands in his.

“Let me ask you something,” she began.

“Anything,” Brendan replied.

“When my lights were going dark, I thought I heard you confess something to me.” Dorian looked him in the eye, playfully searching for something that she desperately wanted to know.

He thought back to the moment where she slipped into unconsciousness and he knew exactly what he said to her, but he wasn’t going to let her off that easily. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought I heard you tell me that you loved me.” Dorian searched Brendan’s eyes for the truth. “Did I hear right?”

“Hmmm,” Brendan teased. “Let me think.”

Dorian slapped him on the arm. “Come on, admit it.”

“Fine, okay, you got me,” he said, taking her in his arms. “I admit it. I love you.”

They looked at each other with the understanding of two hearts knit together. “You have never said that before,” Dorian said.

“No, but I mean it with all my heart.”

She looked in his eyes and knew that he was telling the truth. “I love you, too.”

Their lips met and for a brief moment there was peace in a chaotic world. When they parted they shared a look that spoke to the acknowledgement of the hard times that lay ahead and to the support they had in one another, no matter what the future held.