Ahlva: Unbound

Chapter 4

Unknown

"We must attack now Keltoi!, when they are slackened and unprepared for war! You swore to us that you were on our side!" The Leader of the Sasanachs bangs the table with his hand as saliva flies out his mouth and the old wooden table shakes. He watches me with his beady eyes and crooked yellow teeth clentched, over the map laid on the table before us. 

I ignore his haste. "Now is not the right time Sasanach" I shake my head in thought, turning my head to the map and staring at the exact spot of West Kerry. I imagine the 'king' at my feet begging for mercy, while his kingdom burns from my wielded flame.

"Rumor must first spread of a Keltoi chieftain, then they will run around like headless chickens" I chuckle, thinking of the head of the 'king' before me and his body running in circles, spreading his blood on his children's corpses.

Looking at the candles spread out over the large aged map, I notice the shadow has elongated, I look outside the small barred window behind me and find the sun has set and the moon is out. I must meet with her. 

I stand and move toward the door, my cape billowing behind me, 

The Sasanach grabs hold of my shoulder. "Where are you going?!" He grips harder as if to threaten me. In a split second, I turn and in a violent forceful motion push the man to the table, his breath and heart now erratic. 

I stare down at the man, my eyes widening, I can feel the darkness entering my veins, gliding itself against my skin like a serpent in water. The Leader now looks up to me in fear, I can taste it on my tongue. "Do not touch me Sasanach, if you do I will place a knife in your palm, rip off your arm then gut you by your own hand like the greedy pig you are. Do you understand?" I hiss in an eerie serpentine whisper. The man nods furiously before I push off of him and turn to the door.

I stop at the door frame. I shouldn't be scaring them. These people might begin to see me as a threat and would very well turn on me if their Leader commands it. 

In a relaxing huff, I release the obsidian in my veins and clear my face of the serpentine darkness before turning to the Sasanach, as I stand in the doorway. 

"We are to work together Sasanach, that was the deal. You help me, I help you" I nod with a warm inviting façade painted on my face. The man nods. "Of course" he gulps.

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I kneeled in the low glow of the candlelight. The shrine I made in the nearby wood small and the alter I made on a fallen tree is even smaller but it has worked well. The muttering of insects is loud and all around me, the camp of Sasanachs too far to hear me and the moon high in the dark sky, shining down on me, I place the grain from my pocket on the alter before speaking the ancient words.

"Den ghealach as dorcha, den oidhche as dorcha. 

Anns a 'bhroinn, ann an uaigh, ann an ath bheatha. 

De fhoillseachadh agus cruth-atharrachadh, seann bhean-ghlùine crone. 

Fear-giùlain a' choire ghoileach, tha mi gad ghairm ann an Cerridwen"

(Of darkest moon, of darkest night. 

In womb, in tomb, in afterlife. 

Of manifestation and transformation, old crone midwife. 

Bearer of the boiling cauldron, I call thee in Cerridwen)

I turn my face up to the moon and wait 1...2...

The muttering of the wood quiets and the wind stops while the candlelight goes out in one blow and I feel her all around me in the stillness of the night. In the whiteness of the moon she wraps me in her seductive caress. 

"You've returned" Her voice is a mouth-watering whisper in my ear as I keep my head facing the moon. 

"Yes, the Sasanachs are ready and I only require one more potion" I manage to say. Whenever I speak to Cerridwen my mouth fights against forming any words and my throat fights making a sound, like I am not meant to speak to a god.

"Give me your hand" The delicious voice whispers again, her warm breath so faint on the shell of my ear.

I lift my hand out, palm facing upwards. I wait in the void of dark silence before suddenly a cold glass vile is placed in my hand, just like all the times before. 

"Thank you, Cerridwen. The potions are working well, soon I will be strong enough to enter Tir na nOg and make the DragAns mine, then we shall rule together" I smile up to the moon, feeling her looking down at me. 

"Be patient my love" She whispers again, her sweet voice lulling me before the muttering of the wood begins again and I open my eyes to see the candles have been lit once again. I turn to the vile in my hand and note the black liquid inside, it shimmers with purple black malice and I smile once again.