"DRUIDS BANE" A Tundrawolf Story

DRUIDS-BANE 'Escape'

Part Four     3500 BC

"Ready yon table," Arthfael said to his followers.

Judoc and Drest cut the bonds on the corpse laying on top of the table and unceremoniously stacked the body against the wall on top of the others. Haerviu and Morcant put hands on Genovefa and laid her on the stone table on top of the blood covered pentagram. All four of the acolytes tied her hands and feet down. When they were done Judoc handed Arthfael the stone knife and then everyone took their places at the table. There was no thought or discussion that this was Arthfael's sister, to them she was just another sacrifice.

Genovefa had a distant stare looking straight up the cavern ceiling when Arthfael came around and placed his hand on her head. He used the spell of compulsion on her once again to keep her calm and sent her mind thinking of a happy place. He had never done this with any of the other sacrifices. They had either been left in a stunned state or if that wore off left to struggle in terror. It was the last and only caring thought he had for his sister.

Arthfael and the other four young Druids put their hoods up and began chanting the spell of sacrifice. With the shade standing behind him and whispering in his head he brought the stone knife up and in one swift motion down into his sister's chest. The shock of the power from the sacrifice hit all five of them much stronger than the lightning strike they had received from young Cynwrig. The force of it knocked each one of them away from the body. She was the daughter of a High Druid Priest after all. The power of her life force was much greater than that of a High King's son.

The shadow of the spirit of the Black Druid Lugubelenus suddenly solidified around Arthfael. He could see and feel the skeletal arms in a tattered faded black robe. This had never happened before and it frightened him to his core until the arms faded back to the ghostly shadows they had been before. The other boys had never seen the shadow of the shade in all of the times they had been to the barrow and they did not see it turn solid now, only Arthfael. 

Because they were deep under the mound of piled stones they could not hear the mournful howls and wails of the wild animals that lived around the Hills of Tara when Genovefa's life spirit left her body. They did not know the Fae Folk that lived in the mounds, woods and water around the ancient barrow also took notice of the loss of such a small force of nature. Fortunately for the five young Druids the Fae had no idea where Genovefa had died. The evil cairn masked their location just as it had been hiding the black evil that lived there for these hundreds of turns. Even though the Fae did not pay much attention to the affairs of men the loss of such an innocent angered them. If the Faery Folk had known where to find the place of Genovefa's death she would have been avenged. 

Once the five completed the ritual of the sacrifice they started making their plans to empty the cavern of the altar table. They collected the necessary items they needed to continue in their evil collection of life spirits. But they realized that even with their increased strength and size they would not be able to move the large petrified table. It was every bit as heavy as piece of stone and they were still boys after all.

"We must useth the spell of compulsion to bring men hither to lift yon stone for us. It must be'est moved soon methinks. We wilt need'eth a cart, horses and may'haps about ten stout men. The hour is late, let us return'eth to the Druid's Circle, on the morrow we wilt find'eth thine men and make'eth thine plans," Arthfael said.

The five young Druids exited the barrow once again covering their tracks and any trace they had been there. They made their way back to the assembly going through the bogs as it was quicker and they needed to wash off the blood. Putting on the spell of glamour they sent out a spell of compulsion as they made their way back into the Druid's Circle making everyone think it was as if they had never left. They could tell their powers had become stronger and they could also tell their bodies had changed even further.