07-18-2020, 04:18 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2020, 05:27 AM by Aiden Finnegan.)
Aiden nodded at Ethelinda’s statement. How much did the woman actually know? Unless she was an associate of Jaxen's, that he deigned to tell them about, Aiden very much doubted that the Trickster would divulge what they were actually after here. What if she was Atharim? Those rodents were lurking everywhere. The way Nox told it, your own mother could be a high ranking official and you wouldn’t even know it – until you started to touch that violent, magical Light and suddenly she is hoisting a large gun, aimed right at your forehead.
The Atharim always made Aiden think of snakes. Being of Irish decent, it was natural for Aiden to think of St. Patrick when he thought of snakes.
“Legend says that on Easter morning in the year 433 C.E. Saint Patrick lit the paschal fire in Slane county Meath – which you can see from the top of the Hill of Tara – in defiance of the order of the High King Lóegaire. It is said that Saint Patrick came to the Hill of Tara to argue with the King and his druids and to defeat them with his piety,” Aiden said suddenly and without thought. He shut his mouth and looked around at their rag tag group. He took Sage’s hand and smiled, “Sorry. I don’t mean to babble. I was just thinking that – never mind.”
They stood in the car park, a modest gift shop stood off near the entrance to the grounds. A few small ambling groups were coming and going freely – mostly the elderly interested in their heritage and school children forced to care about their heritage. St. Patrick’s church loomed behind the gift shop and then behind that stone monstrosity lay the Hills themselves. There were two ways to get onto the property, one by way of the Church and then a dirt path located at the opposite end of the car park. The tourists naturally went through the Church, which left the dirt path empty.
“The Stone of Destiny does seem like a nice place to start. C’mon, this way,” Aiden said as he nodded his head towards the dirt path, towing Sage along in his wake. He didn’t check to see if the other two followed, the crunch of the gravel driveway was enough confirmation. They made small talk along the way, Jaxen prodding at them with snarky comments or jokes, Aiden taking the bait more than half the time, Sage silently gazing into his digital astral plane, and Ethelinda laughing when appropriate with a few comments of her own.
There was not a soul in sight as the dirt path stretched on into the green distance. A soft breeze wove its way across the hills, making the blades of grass move in a way that almost beckoned to them. The hills were not that impressive, not in the modern age, but when one thought of Antiquity and what life must have been like back then, this whole area must have been breathtaking. With the ditches and banks that surrounded the hills, this was all most certainly man made. Aiden found himself wondering if these hills had stood taller in the past. Erosion was a thing, after all.
The path they took swung towards the An Forradh, the hill on which the Stone of Destiny sat – although the Stone did not always sit there. The Stone had been moved from another mound to the An Forradh to mark the graves of four hundred rebels that had perished in the Battle of Tara during the Irish Revolution of 1798. Aiden was kicking himself for not bothering to find out which of these hills had been the original site.
“There’s the Mound of Hostages,” Ethelinda suddenly said, pointing off to the left. Aiden swung his eyes around to settle on a modest mound of packed earth. A rough stone wall was partially visible from their side of the Mound. Aged mortar and cobblestones had been plastered onto the wall and a crooked iron gate hung closed between the cobblestones.
“Everyone is interested in the Stone, but I’ve always liked the Mound of Hostages. It is the oldest monument here. Did you know that?” Ethelinda asked them before breaking off and walking towards the mound.
Aiden looked to Sage and Jaxen before shrugging and following the woman. Her hips swayed in an almost hypnotic fashion, even Aiden found himself admiring the movement. Her stride was not quick, but it seemed to Aiden that she was advancing far too quickly. Indeed, she was already standing at the iron gate before they were more than halfway. Ethelinda started to peek into the bars of the gate and only ceased when the three of them rejoined her.
“Neolithic, if I’m not mistaken. Duma na nGiall is it’s Gaelic name,” Aiden said to her as she turned to face them.
“Niall of the Nine Hostages made great use of this mound,” Ethelinda said with a familiar air, almost as if she was speaking of an old friend, "There are more bones buried here than you will ever know.”
“You’ve done your research,” Aiden said with a nod.
“My family puts great store in our lineage,” she said simply, “The gate is locked, in case you were wondering.”
“Are you related to King Niall?”
“How could I know that? Niall’s Age has long since passed,” she shrugged.
Ethelinda moved past them and walked to the right, turning to walk up onto the mound. Aiden moved back and saw her ascending to the top. The hill was no more than eight or nine feet in height. She turned from them to gaze off into the distance. Aiden moved towards the gate and whispered to Jaxen, “Keep an eye on her for a second.”
Embracing the Light, Aiden came to the gate and rested his hands upon the bars. Torrents of energy seemed to crash through every fiber of his being as he steeled his resolve to command the God-like power. He wove flows of Earth and prodded along the metal, finding the lock. Within a few moments and some deft flicks of the Power, a loud groaning noise pierced the air as the lock undid itself and the gate swung open. Aiden let go of the Light and wasted no time in calling out to Ethelinda, “It wasn’t locked! Looks like you didn’t push hard enough.”
“Oh good!” she called back.
Aiden walked into the mound proper, having to stoop a little as he moved into the space. Just inside, to the left, was a large orthostat with roughly engraved designs. He ran his hand across the stone slab, tracing a small circular indentation that had several larger circles emanating from its core. There were other circular shapes, squiggles, and even a few arches on the stone; but Aiden’s eye had been drawn to the biggest one at the center.
The passageway ran down to Aiden’s right, with entrances to chambers lining the walls. Only the light from the gate shown into the Mound, leaving much to darkness. Aiden had to remind himself not to weave a globe a light, not with Ethelinda in attendance. The screen of his Wallet would have to suffice. He shuffled a little further into the Mound and called out for the others to come and take a look.
Jaxen came in first, followed by Sage. They both crouched slightly and made their way towards Aiden and the Stone. He eagerly pointed out the designs to them, “It almost looks like a map of the area, but I suppose we can’t know for certain… Ethelinda are you going to come in for a peak?”
The woman stood a few feet away from the mouth of the Mound, sunlight shining behind her, obscuring her features and rendering her to nothing more than a feminine silhouette. She said nothing. Aiden shifted on his feet, trying to crane his head around Jaxen and Sage to speak directly to the woman.
“Did you hear me, Ethelinda? I asked if-“ Aiden’s words froze on his tongue.
Ethelinda’s backlit profile looked odd. It almost appeared as if her hair had been swept about by a great gust of wind, in such a way that it created a large hood that flared out from her head. It made Aiden think of cobras. Goosebumps rose across his skin, covering every inch of flesh. Her silhouette did not change, she did not move, and Aiden could not help but notice that the light gust from earlier had died down entirely.
“Ethelinda?” Aiden asked with a shake in his voice.
The woman suddenly broke into a run, heading straight for them.
The hood remained.
Aiden screamed and reached out for the Light.
Ethelinda leaped into the air, arms thrust out before her, head tilting down and that horrible hood flaring wider.
The Power surged into Aiden and he wove flows of Fire, Earth, and –
Ethelinda crashed into the three of them.
The Power fled Aiden’s grasps.
The world was tumbling.
Flicker
Aiden felt himself rolling through the air, flashes of light and shadow dancing across his eyes. He reached out for the ground but found only air.
On and on, the spinning of his body seemed to stretch out into infinity. He became disoriented and the flashes of light winked out. Shadow engulfed his body.
Aiden screamed for Sage. Aiden screamed for his mother. Aiden screamed for mercy.
Flicker
A light seemed to spring up in the darkness, directly before Aiden. He realized he was no longer spinning.
Aiden was falling.
A grey stone floor rushed up to meet him.
With a crack, Aiden’s body hit the stone floor and he sank back into darkness.
The Atharim always made Aiden think of snakes. Being of Irish decent, it was natural for Aiden to think of St. Patrick when he thought of snakes.
“Legend says that on Easter morning in the year 433 C.E. Saint Patrick lit the paschal fire in Slane county Meath – which you can see from the top of the Hill of Tara – in defiance of the order of the High King Lóegaire. It is said that Saint Patrick came to the Hill of Tara to argue with the King and his druids and to defeat them with his piety,” Aiden said suddenly and without thought. He shut his mouth and looked around at their rag tag group. He took Sage’s hand and smiled, “Sorry. I don’t mean to babble. I was just thinking that – never mind.”
They stood in the car park, a modest gift shop stood off near the entrance to the grounds. A few small ambling groups were coming and going freely – mostly the elderly interested in their heritage and school children forced to care about their heritage. St. Patrick’s church loomed behind the gift shop and then behind that stone monstrosity lay the Hills themselves. There were two ways to get onto the property, one by way of the Church and then a dirt path located at the opposite end of the car park. The tourists naturally went through the Church, which left the dirt path empty.
“The Stone of Destiny does seem like a nice place to start. C’mon, this way,” Aiden said as he nodded his head towards the dirt path, towing Sage along in his wake. He didn’t check to see if the other two followed, the crunch of the gravel driveway was enough confirmation. They made small talk along the way, Jaxen prodding at them with snarky comments or jokes, Aiden taking the bait more than half the time, Sage silently gazing into his digital astral plane, and Ethelinda laughing when appropriate with a few comments of her own.
There was not a soul in sight as the dirt path stretched on into the green distance. A soft breeze wove its way across the hills, making the blades of grass move in a way that almost beckoned to them. The hills were not that impressive, not in the modern age, but when one thought of Antiquity and what life must have been like back then, this whole area must have been breathtaking. With the ditches and banks that surrounded the hills, this was all most certainly man made. Aiden found himself wondering if these hills had stood taller in the past. Erosion was a thing, after all.
The path they took swung towards the An Forradh, the hill on which the Stone of Destiny sat – although the Stone did not always sit there. The Stone had been moved from another mound to the An Forradh to mark the graves of four hundred rebels that had perished in the Battle of Tara during the Irish Revolution of 1798. Aiden was kicking himself for not bothering to find out which of these hills had been the original site.
“There’s the Mound of Hostages,” Ethelinda suddenly said, pointing off to the left. Aiden swung his eyes around to settle on a modest mound of packed earth. A rough stone wall was partially visible from their side of the Mound. Aged mortar and cobblestones had been plastered onto the wall and a crooked iron gate hung closed between the cobblestones.
“Everyone is interested in the Stone, but I’ve always liked the Mound of Hostages. It is the oldest monument here. Did you know that?” Ethelinda asked them before breaking off and walking towards the mound.
Aiden looked to Sage and Jaxen before shrugging and following the woman. Her hips swayed in an almost hypnotic fashion, even Aiden found himself admiring the movement. Her stride was not quick, but it seemed to Aiden that she was advancing far too quickly. Indeed, she was already standing at the iron gate before they were more than halfway. Ethelinda started to peek into the bars of the gate and only ceased when the three of them rejoined her.
“Neolithic, if I’m not mistaken. Duma na nGiall is it’s Gaelic name,” Aiden said to her as she turned to face them.
“Niall of the Nine Hostages made great use of this mound,” Ethelinda said with a familiar air, almost as if she was speaking of an old friend, "There are more bones buried here than you will ever know.”
“You’ve done your research,” Aiden said with a nod.
“My family puts great store in our lineage,” she said simply, “The gate is locked, in case you were wondering.”
“Are you related to King Niall?”
“How could I know that? Niall’s Age has long since passed,” she shrugged.
Ethelinda moved past them and walked to the right, turning to walk up onto the mound. Aiden moved back and saw her ascending to the top. The hill was no more than eight or nine feet in height. She turned from them to gaze off into the distance. Aiden moved towards the gate and whispered to Jaxen, “Keep an eye on her for a second.”
Embracing the Light, Aiden came to the gate and rested his hands upon the bars. Torrents of energy seemed to crash through every fiber of his being as he steeled his resolve to command the God-like power. He wove flows of Earth and prodded along the metal, finding the lock. Within a few moments and some deft flicks of the Power, a loud groaning noise pierced the air as the lock undid itself and the gate swung open. Aiden let go of the Light and wasted no time in calling out to Ethelinda, “It wasn’t locked! Looks like you didn’t push hard enough.”
“Oh good!” she called back.
Aiden walked into the mound proper, having to stoop a little as he moved into the space. Just inside, to the left, was a large orthostat with roughly engraved designs. He ran his hand across the stone slab, tracing a small circular indentation that had several larger circles emanating from its core. There were other circular shapes, squiggles, and even a few arches on the stone; but Aiden’s eye had been drawn to the biggest one at the center.
The passageway ran down to Aiden’s right, with entrances to chambers lining the walls. Only the light from the gate shown into the Mound, leaving much to darkness. Aiden had to remind himself not to weave a globe a light, not with Ethelinda in attendance. The screen of his Wallet would have to suffice. He shuffled a little further into the Mound and called out for the others to come and take a look.
Jaxen came in first, followed by Sage. They both crouched slightly and made their way towards Aiden and the Stone. He eagerly pointed out the designs to them, “It almost looks like a map of the area, but I suppose we can’t know for certain… Ethelinda are you going to come in for a peak?”
The woman stood a few feet away from the mouth of the Mound, sunlight shining behind her, obscuring her features and rendering her to nothing more than a feminine silhouette. She said nothing. Aiden shifted on his feet, trying to crane his head around Jaxen and Sage to speak directly to the woman.
“Did you hear me, Ethelinda? I asked if-“ Aiden’s words froze on his tongue.
Ethelinda’s backlit profile looked odd. It almost appeared as if her hair had been swept about by a great gust of wind, in such a way that it created a large hood that flared out from her head. It made Aiden think of cobras. Goosebumps rose across his skin, covering every inch of flesh. Her silhouette did not change, she did not move, and Aiden could not help but notice that the light gust from earlier had died down entirely.
“Ethelinda?” Aiden asked with a shake in his voice.
The woman suddenly broke into a run, heading straight for them.
The hood remained.
Aiden screamed and reached out for the Light.
Ethelinda leaped into the air, arms thrust out before her, head tilting down and that horrible hood flaring wider.
The Power surged into Aiden and he wove flows of Fire, Earth, and –
Ethelinda crashed into the three of them.
The Power fled Aiden’s grasps.
The world was tumbling.
Flicker
Aiden felt himself rolling through the air, flashes of light and shadow dancing across his eyes. He reached out for the ground but found only air.
On and on, the spinning of his body seemed to stretch out into infinity. He became disoriented and the flashes of light winked out. Shadow engulfed his body.
Aiden screamed for Sage. Aiden screamed for his mother. Aiden screamed for mercy.
Flicker
A light seemed to spring up in the darkness, directly before Aiden. He realized he was no longer spinning.
Aiden was falling.
A grey stone floor rushed up to meet him.
With a crack, Aiden’s body hit the stone floor and he sank back into darkness.
Russian Dolls and Broken Gods, a new Fantasy novel by best-selling author, Aiden Finnegan, out this December! Preorder online and instore today!