The Celtic Gods

Corrin took a deep breath before giving a whistle and leveling his bow. He knew he was right to build the fortifications. No matter how impromptu they were, such barricades were always useful. He whistled and Grif sprang into action leaping over the pew and diving onto one of the shadows, lashing at where its hamstring would be. He started to fire, only using two arrows before changing target to the god. He examined the plate for a moment, watching the brute in the black glass attack.

He took longer with shots now. He pointed the arrows towards the joints, slowly walking so that he some distance behind the god, and allowing Corrin to shoot him in the back of the knees, and the pit of his arm. If a person was to move in plate, it would have some weak spots.

 

There was too much movement in the church for Ben to continue, too much opportunity to pin one of his friends. He aimed at the phantom mouth and waited for the shadow to rear at him as the last one. As it came to his face he let fly, then dropped his bow and grasped.

The sword came out so easily when not hidden. In a wide arch from waist to sky he clove the demon in half, head and shoulder flying off, arrow protuding from it's throat.

Ben move to the center aisle and ran towards the battling gods.

 

Caer focused on Goibhniu again, she needed a clear shot to the head, and then he would fall into a dream. Corrin had not listened, which was something she was glad of, he will not be easily lead. The kind she required.
Ben ran towards them, small, weak, scared yet determined. He had done well removing that shadow, though. Now she wanted him back even more. Humans, I love them, she thought as she levelled up her spear. Gods however, she shot another burst of energy at him, are all boring, excluding me, of course and maybe Caber. With Corrin behind, she struck at the neck of the great god from the side as he went to turn towards Ben and possibly Corrin.
Goibhniu lolled to one side and glared at her. She just nodded at Corrin, scratching under her arm. Hopefully he would get the message.

 

"No." Brinley cried into grandfathers chest. The old warrior nodded at his grandson.

Ben turned away from all that was left of his family and looked at the demon. A colossal man with piercing eyes, thick red beard, wearing all the simple earth color and pageantry of the clan. Noble warriors stood close enough to give an illusion of one being, while still presenting three separate people that Ben could fail.

"This is what you were born to do."

Ben punched his fist into a shadowy mouth and grabbed the inside of it's throat. He pulled his sword towards his face, the blade passing through the hollow, foul head, and striking into his own forearm. Blood mingled with the demon, crimson shadow death throes spasming and mingling in his eyes and nose. He pulled the corpse from the ground and pointed the bloody shadowy blade at the black armored herald.

"Get out."

 

Goibhniu was nearly dead. A blueish, glowing blood was seeping from his cuts and bruises, a large cut on his arm was bleeding particularly a lot. He stood, his sword raised, about to strike Aidan down, but then Caer slammed into him. "I will make sure your essance stays in the belowmatter of the Death Realm FOREVER!" He screamed as he leaped towards Caer. But some arrows from Ben confused him, and when Caer sent her dream attack, he fell into a dreamless coma.

The 3 Shadows Caber were batteling all exploded as he killed them, Griff's Shadow never even stood a chance, and anytime an arrow struck a Shadow from Corrin, the immediately died. Gwydions easily beat her Shadow, and was pleasently surprised when Aidan was there, and killing his Shadow.

Suddenly, Shadows poured from the roof and started towards the alter, where the Stone was still in its protective glass. She had bought them some time if they didn't realize her illusion yet. "LETS GO! GET TO THE SKIES!"

 

Get to the sky? Faer wondered. He spent the entire battle poking his spear at Goibhniu desperately, hoping to survive. He didn't regain his senses until the god was out of commision. More shadows arrived. Hed didn't have a flying form, so he changed into a horse and trotted out of the church.
"I can carry one of you," he called. "We can catch up on land."

 

"I'll accept that offer if no one else minds," Caer said, running after Faer, the serpent hissing in her ear. Do pucas follow goddesses? If not, I'll make him the first to. She smiled to herself, ready for yet another she could ensnare.

 

Faer shuddered and knelt on the ground, allowing the goddess on his back. He could not believe it, he was actually serving as a mount to one of the immortals. If the Sidhe could just see him now. Some would laugh of course, call him a mule of the gods, but they would kill themselves with envy.
"Hold on," he said. "The humans have a saying that the only experience to match riding a puca is riding a kelpie. We gallop fast and rough."

 

Corrin continued firing as he walked, never turning his back to the creatures. He gave a whistle that drew Griff back to him, the dog clearly tired from the fight, and his fur stained with the black powder that the shadows turned to when they were slain. When he was outside he switched to his spear and shield, using the door as a natural choke point that would force them to attack him from the front. Right into his spear and shield. Just like with the boar.

 

He is going to be so easy to give a dream, and then claim.
Caer wrapped her arms around Faer's neck, and whispered in his ear, "That's how I like it."

 

"Haha, skytime!" Ben stumbled through the remains of his dreams as they took shape around him. A man rode a god and a horse carried a killer. Or the other way around? "Mongrel!" He stomped into the head of a pew, a strange face mewling at him, stumbling over the solid wood construction. "Ah, it took a bite out of me!" He sucked on his forearm. "Damn blacksmith made my sword to sharp. Caer!" He pushed out the door, leaving his first true fight gloriously deflowered by the whore of battle lust.

"Caer!" Ben held up the last fistful of shadow and his own blood that mingled in his hand. "I have a soul to sell!" It was all the same. "I am brave!" He yelled at a house. "I am a brave warrior!"

 

Caer heard a call as she clung to Faer. He was begging for her. I listen to begging. But Faer was within her grasp. Ben wanted her, though.
Kissing Faer's mane, she leapt off him and tumbled onto the grass. Caer picked herself up with ease, but she found it difficult not to run. Did he want me? Or was it just nightmares pushing him back my way?
Caer took Ben by the shoulders as he yelled at madness that surrounded him.
"Hush," she soothed. "I am here, and I promise not to forsake you, my most wonderous follower, again." She pushed the shadow he grasped into her own hand where it disappeared. "Hush," she whispered.

 

Faer didn't understand Caer's hint. He stood and waited for the other gods to join them.

 

Gone. All gone. "What do I do to keep it like this?" Gods, he'd injured himself with his own weapon. He hated that old sword and the old man it belonged to. "I know neither what you ask, nor what I must give, but done. I strike the bargain."

 

"Somone close the doors." Corrin murmured, glancing back at the group as he continued slaying the shadows as they came through the door. He wondered if there was a limited amount of them, or if he would have to carry on till they flew as the deity put it. "Or at least help me keep the tide back." He instructed, bashing one of them back into the church with his spear before going for another.

 

Caer lifted Ben's head and looked into his eyes. He was a truly sad soul. His eyes spoke of it all. And now, she had him.
"Worship me, be it so that I am everything to you, the food you eat, the air you breathe. Renounce all other gods, for they are just a wicked trick, forget all other people, for they only look to harm you," she said. "Now, weep. You do not need to be strong. You need me. I am the one you dream of."
She then took the snake from about her neck, placed it around his and then kissed him on the forehead, every inch of her body trembling. It has been so many years since someone has struck a bargain like this with me.
"You have agreed with the terms already. Are you happy with your choice?" Caer asked, blinking away tears.

 

Gwydion glanced nervously towards the sky. Bloduwedd wasn't outside yet, and where was her help? She hoped they wouldn't have to retreat towards Mirage, they would all die. She took the other longbow, and shot from a quiver of arrows. When she ran out, she created illusion arrows. Because they were just illusions they didn't do anything, but Gwydion hoped the Shadows would find it confusing if an arrow went threw them!

 

Faer looked at Ben sadly. The gods were mighty, they were respected and noble, but striking a deal with one of them was as big a mistake as with one of the fae. The gods ways were different from those of men, and a human could never understand the goals of the of he had bargained with.

 

Gwydion was trown backward as an army of Shadows burst out the door. A loud pop! echoed through the air, the Shadows reached the alter, and found her illusion. Now they were coming for them! Thousands of Shadows started emerging from the street, and more descended from the sky! Commeners flew around the cobblestone street in a desperate attempt to escape, and smoke rose from the port, where only a bat that was as big as the Mirage was burning.

"Bloduwedd!" She called into the Church. "Where are you?" She knew that her help was just seconds away, and she knew Bloduwedd needed to come! But just as she had the thought, a loud CAW echoed through the air, and Gwydion sighed with relief. Twenty huge falcoons swooped from the sky, tearing through Shadows as if they were nothing, and each one picked up one or two of the questers. Corrins and Faers bird spireld back into the clouds, Caer was picked up and her falcon followed in prisuit, Aidan was also picked up and his bird shot into the clouds, surpassing Caers, and Gwydion was suddenly plucked off the ground in yet another birds talons, in the other talon was Ben. Gwydion thought she might thow up, her stomach was lurching dangerously. One bird nabbed Caber in the nick of timeand flew up along side them, to where the birds were waiting.

All the birds flapped, and hung in mid-air, and suddenly a huge splash of light exploded around them. A golden eagle, with two tails had appeared, and it was flapping towards a huge mountain in the distance, obviously leading them.

 

Faer was startled as the giant eagle grabbed him ad soared to the sky. He changed to human form. His survival instoct kicked in and he was about to stab the giant beast when he saw how high he was in the air. There was nothing he could do right now, he knew. He had seen once an eagle kill a tortoise by dropping him from fifty feet in the air. His heart hammered against has chest.
Then it occurred to him. These demons had just saved them. Could they have been seen by the gods? He looked around to see his friends all carried by other birds. Then a golden eagle appeared before them.
"Tell me," he called to the eagle carrying him. "Who do you serve? And where are we flying?"