Chapter 76

Getting into Tír na nÓg was no longer easy, the returned Daoine Sidhe had made sure of that. Still, it’s a big old planet and they couldn’t be everywhere at once and other than needing to bring a Seer with us to do an immediate hidden portal elsewhere to fool whatever it was the Sidhe used to track incursions, it was pretty straightforward risk wise, even if initially it could bring us out near a Sidhe stronghold.

As it was we had two Seers with us, well, Seer Jemima and journeywoman Seer Abigail that is, and they had us portalled to where the scheduled meeting with Verenestra and William was to take place before we could be ‘apprehended’.

Our party consisted of Mages Morgana and Arch along with Róisín and myself as well as the two Seers and it was apparent to all of us that Tír na nÓg was changed, the whole land felt as if a malaise had taken over the natural order of things.

“The planet is dying, slowly but surely,” Abi said quietly as we waited for Verenestra.

“Oonagh?” I asked.

“And the Daoine Sidhe returned. I think the form they took to survive in the outer reaches corrupts our universe as it’s not a natural part of it,” Abi replied.

“Bit like an Old One,” I agreed.

“Yes John, pretty much so,” Jemima added after a moment’s silence.

“I’m surprised the real Sidhe put up with it,” I noted.

“Surprised if they bloody noticed, most of them,” Arch chuckled.

“Well, as far as we know they’ve not really attempted to seriously expand anywhere, simply aiding the Nephilim on occasion such as when they attacked our Earth,” Morgana noted. “Not even on the Tuathan worlds where, other than Murias now, the Nephilim appear to be winning a war of attrition which is costing both sides dear.”

“Never thought the Tuathans could be useful for anything, but they’re bleeding the Nephilim white, even in losing,” Arch replied.

“They’re still a bunch of arrogant fools who demand our aid even whilst threatening to attack us over the Council’s recognition of Murias and Ferrimoot,” Morgana chuckled.

“Do they know it was us who raided their museum?” I asked.

“Don’t think so, John. They are demanding Ferrimoot return the Odroerir, which he can’t as the Æsir have it,” Morgana replied.

“I thought Freya was going to break down and cry when we handed it over,” I chuckled.

“Along with her dróttina,” Róisín added.

“I don’t think they expected us to go and get it there and then,” Morgana replied. “I think they expected protracted negotiations and a promise to return it, if possible.”

“Certainly enhanced our standing with the Æsir,” I mused.

“They already think you’re a descendant of the Gods,” Morgana chuckled.

“Don’t you start, my Mage. I’m seriously embarrassed about the way they treat me, as well as Jerhz and Mergna’s people on New Azurana,” I sighed.

“Then there’s that ‘awesome’ statue on Loegria too,” Róisín giggled.

“It looks nothing like me,” I blushed.

“The face is about right,” Róisín said with a grin. “But there’s some serious muscular exaggeration going on below that.”

“My face, Conan’s body,” I chuckled.

“Then there’s Clan Juwes, the Zielona Gora Lycana, as well as the Gorgons,” giggled Róisín.

“Please,” I begged. “I’m not comfortable with this at all.”

“People need their heroes,” Morgana noted.

“I’m no hero,” I replied.

“You’ll do for them until something better comes along,” she chuckled.

“It was luck, same with the Old One,” I said. “Most of the time I was terrified.”

“I rather doubt that, John. Save with the Old One,” Morgana replied.

“It’s true enough, I just don’t let it keep me from doing what I think is right, or hoping what I do will work,” I chuckled.

“Pretty much defines a hero,” chuckled Arch as he completed the defensive wards around the encampment as darkness fell.

“Someone’s approaching,” Jemima announced half an hour later.

“Any idea who ... or what?” Morgana asked.

“Not yet, good use of shielding,” Jemima admitted. “Four of them at least ... three Sidhe and a human,” she finally said.

“Hopefully the ones we’re expecting,” Morgana replied.

It took several minutes for the Sidhe to make an appearance as their party approached on foot as well as scouting and probing the area around our encampment. Finally though they approached from the area that we’d made possible by the use of wards across a clearing Arch had set up as a killing zone if necessary.

“Greetings, Mages,” came the voice of Mage William.

“Greetings to you, Mage William. You and your party may approach,” Morgana spoke clearly so there were no misunderstandings and the Sidhe at least knew that we knew they were there.

“Thank you, Mage Morgana,” William replied as he Verenestra and two Sidhe guards approached into the encampment to face us.

We all stared, it was impossible not to, William was dressed as a Sidhe in adamantine armour, though seriously understated compared to the guards, however it was Verenestra who had our attention as she was very, very pregnant and a quick scan by me told me that the child was a hybrid of Sidhe and human, which meant...

“Well, this is a surprise,” Morgana said in a classic understatement.

“I wouldn’t have thought it possible ... genetically speaking,” Arch noted. “Plumbing’s the same though,” he added before getting elbowed by Jemima.

“Greetings, Mage Morgana,” Verenestra introduced herself regally.

“Greetings to you, Princess Verenestra. Forgive our surprise,” Morgana replied before introducing us all, although Verenestra knew fine well who Abi and I were.

“One cannot help who the heart desires,” Verenestra chuckled looking directly at William who looked both embarrassed and proud at the same time.

“Forgive me for asking,” I spoke into the silence. “But the child should be impossible, Sidhe and human aren’t the same species, you aren’t even mammals despite your appearance.”

“We manipulated the basic DNA proteins and enzymes within myself to provide a compatible egg, our daughter will grow and thrive and be a beacon of hope for future Sidhe-human relations,” Verenestra replied.

“Congratulations,” I said with a grin. “Does this solve the Sidhe population crisis?”

“I have my hopes, John,” Verenestra replied with a gentle smile.

“How did your mother take the news?” Morgana asked.

“She was the one who assisted with the genetic manipulation, Morgana,” Verenestra replied.

“Well, it’s none of our business,” Morgana chuckled before approaching Verenestra to give her a hug, which was returned enthusiastically.

“Oh, I hoped for approval from the Mages of Earth, but that’s not the reason why we’re here,” Verenestra said after she and Morgana parted.

“You may speak freely here, Verenestra. We have no secrets amongst us,” Morgana replied.

“We have been keeping the returned Daoine Sidhe busy. They have yet to figure out how the concealment wards your journeyman gave us work and we have had several of my people break free of Oonagh’s thrall to return to us. All are prepared to fight and die to return this land back to its natural state. But the blight is spreading; some areas are now almost uninhabitable around where the returned congregate and we believe they are soon to take the field against the united Earths,” Verenestra explained.

“We suspected as much. How can we help?” Morgana asked.

“We have been informed by one of Oberon’s aides who escaped that their military leadership is intending to assemble here in a few weeks’ time to prepare their plans (Verenestra gave us a mental map reference) and it’s our intention to attack them, but we need aid or it will be a futile gesture as we haven’t the numbers to do much more than blunt the numbers of their guards slightly, never mind get close enough to Goibhniu,” Verenestra explained.

“He’s still in charge?” I asked.

“Yes, Oonagh apparently still favours him,” William replied. “But that’s not the issue, this meeting is.”

“Yes, it matters little who’s in charge still,” Morgana acknowledged. “I’ll put it to the Council and I believe we’ll help along with other Earths. But it may be that this simply delays things as the returned will simply not go back to the outer realms and Azurana even if we hit them hard enough at this meeting.”

“It will show they are vulnerable. All the casualties so far on the other Earths were normal Sidhe,” Verenestra said.

“Really?” Morgana asked looking perplexed. “Still, I suppose we must force them out of our universe if this malaise is to be removed.”

“The source of their energy is there, they can tap it here and on other Earths to form their physical bodies, but if they are forced to return and become energy beings again they will have to congregate near to the source to restore themselves, leaving them weaker. We believe we will be able to detect them and destroy the source leaving them more vulnerable to ordinary weapons,” Verenestra stated.

“We’ll see,” Morgana said thoughtfully. “Even so, it will be worth it to drive them back to the outer realms one day.”

“We’ll need to accelerate the Azuran evacuation, my Mage, before we do that,” I said quietly.

“Yes, John. We’ll need to talk to Jerhz and probably Jeeval,” Morgana replied.

“We might need to go in mob handed,” Arch added. “Set up emergency portals wherever we can make a foothold and bring them out as I doubt the returned Daoine Sidhe will be merciful in the face of defeat.”

“I know,” Morgana acknowledged. “However that will need to be discussed elsewhere, as for all I trust Mage William and Princess Verenestra, I have no reason to trust her bodyguards, no offence intended.”

Neither of the guards batted an eye, nor were they giving any signals off to passive scans and whilst they were standing back, we weren’t fooled as to their inability to hear us, Sidhe in general having enhanced senses compared to humanity.

“I trust them,” Verenestra said. “It’s not like they couldn’t have killed me several times.”

“Even so...” Morgana replied.

“I understand, Mage Morgana,” Verenestra broke in with a genuine smile.

“It’s a case of need to know,” Morgana added. “What we’ll do on Azurana to try and evacuate the innocents has no part in this discussion unless you are willing to aid us.”

“We cannot, our numbers grow, but much as I’d like to, we’re barely holding our own here,” Verenestra sighed.

“I thought as much,” Morgana replied. “There is no shame in admitting weakness; we appreciate honesty, not false promises.”

“Still, if we can drive the returned from Tír na nÓg by attacking their leadership, we will have the numbers to assist you on Azurana,” Verenestra offered.