Sorcerer from Another World

I cleared my throat. 

They spun round swords drawn and ready to strike. Their eyes widened and jaws dropped. Morgana’s hand relaxed and her sword fell. The metal clattered against the stone breaking the momentary silence. 

“You’re alive.” Tara said nonplussed.

I smiled and winked, “Of course.”

Morgana dashed, she blurred before my eyes. I blinked. She tackled me to the ground. The air left my lungs. I couldn’t react before she hugged me tightly. 

“You’re naked again.” Her head buried in my chest and her arms wrapped around my skinny bod. “I never said anything last time, but do you have a kink?”

“Don’t talk about the Master like that.” Umbra retorted in my defence. “Marvel in his glory.” She took the opportunity to hug me from behind. 

I laughed, “It is a side effect of travelling between… other places.”

“My lady. We do have work left. There are survivors to gather and the Druid Iris to find.” Tara said.

Morgana pulled me up. “I know.” She said in a rather strained voice. Then punched me in the arm, “Where are these other places, you left!”

I held a lock of her newly whitened hair. I kissed her milky-white hairs, “Beautiful.”

She blushed. 

“You didn’t see?” I asked, pointing up to the sky. 

She half turned and gestured to the mass of dead Redcaps, Cù-sìth and Orges, “We were busy fighting.” She turned back with a cocky smile. 

“Huh.” I shrugged. “Maradon is dead that is all that matters.”

“Wait. Dead dead or run away dead.”

“Dead dead.” 

Tara held out a pile of robes, “Sorcerer, some robes.”

Where did she get them from?

“Thanks.” I said and slipped into the robes.

Morgana stood by my side and Umbra on the other. I snaked an arm around their waists. 

“Maradon is dead dead?” Tara asked. 

“Yes.” I said firmly, biting my lip, determined not to repeat ‘dead dead’ again. 

“The summer court has won then?” Umbra speculated. 

“Naw. I would not be surprised if another Unseelie worm from the court of winter is hiding in a hole out there. But the greatest warriors of either court Maradon and Lugh have fallen. One to sorcery and the other to Mars’ blade. The rest were slain either by Romans or fighting amongst themselves. The time of the Fae Courts is over. New powers rise. Sorcery, Roman Gods or whatever ancient power Merlin is hiding for Arthur. I fear our struggles are just beginning, my Paragon.” 

“Indeed. But before we worry about the future let us go check on Iris and find that dog Bomdall.”

Morgana kissed my cheek and smirked, “You read my mind.”

I conjured a wide hovering metal board under my feet. We three floated up a few metres. I pinged for Iris’s armour. “Ready?”

“Aye.”

I zoomed us through the ruins of Ferisdarm. We passed wrecked buildings as well as the bodies human and unseelie alike littered hillfort. I saw faces I recognised. Too many from the festival. My heart broke when I saw the broken bodies of Amiya and Nazir. Their hands grazed one another. Maradon’s rise and fall of Ferisdarm and crushed them. I closed their eyes and promised to take care of their daughter.

 I left them with a heavy heart. We came across the survivors first. Around them smoke rose off the bodies of hundreds of charred Redcaps. I recognised the survivors of Yolin’s Hill. 

Tulisa ran to me. I discarded the metal hoverboard. I hugged a colliding Tulisa and spun her to a stop. While Morgana did the same with Byrette. Tara clasped arms with some of the warriors. Tulisa was all smiles and kisses. She told me true that she waited patiently for my return. She described how she had told the others I would come. They had all seen the slaying of Maradon. They knew Iris’ claim to be true. I was Slánaitheoir. 

I moved among them. Morgana on one arm and Umbra on the other and Tulisa close by. The crowd parted in my wake but drew close. Namir, Amina, and Samiya were there. I greeted them as well as a few of the other survivors I knew. I asked if they were okay. They praised my name and thanked me. Children grew excited in my presence, bounced and tugged on their parent’s legs. I was a celebrity in their eyes. No, I was a saint. I noted the Faithful and could not tell them apart from the folks of Yolin’s Hill.  

Their numbers had swelled to include a few families and individuals from Ferisdarm. Now, they had survived the ruin of Ferisdarm. Rebecca was there. I offered my condolences and promised I would offer any aid I could. She asked for vengeance for her and their expected child. I vowed Meredith would face justice and her child would always have my protection for all that Galen had for us.

The warriors of Byrette’s family stood guard with a couple of the surviving warriors from Ferisdarm. They were a brave, battered lot of heroes. Our story would be legend I swore to them. I gestured to the young bard. It was his responsibility to weave our saga for tomorrow’s generation. He made an oath to spread our tale. 

On the whole we numbered over fifty. A tiny community, but we had survived hell. 

“Maradon is dead. As soon as Iris is returned we leave with the rising sun.”

“Where do we go?”

“To Alba!” Morgana declared. 

“The will of the Resurrected One is revealed. Slánaitheoir leads us onto the morrow.”

“Tara, Rebecca get them ready. Gather whatever supplies you can. Morgana and I will be back soon.”

They got to work. Geoff the Bard was already singing songs to cheer, rouse, mellow and soothe the survivors. He was a good lad. 

I saw Samiya and called her over. She ran to me with tears in her eyes. I bent low and accepted her rushing hug. 

“He took Iris … “ Samiya told me. “She hid me. Why did she go with him?”

“Sometimes she has trouble saying no when she should. She is better as protecting others than she is herself.”

“Like you, Master Sorcerer.”

I smiled ruefully. “I suppose.” I remembered seeing Amiya’s and Nazir’s bodies. “Samiya about your…”

A tear drippied silently down her cheek, “I know… I felt it.”

I nodded, not truly understanding, but guessing it was a druid thing, “You will always have a place at our side.”

“So, I was told. Is it true? Can I really become as strong as her?”

“Who knows? Maybe you will be stronger?”

She smiled. “Get my teacher back first.”

“I promise.”

“Tulisa keep an eye on her, please.”

She curtsied, “As you wish my Master.”

I conjured the hoverboard and took Morgana with me. I waved goodbye then we chased Iris and by extension Bomdall. 

When he caught up to them, Bomdall had a tight grip of Iris’ arm. He dragged her through the woods. It was not physical force nor druidic power that gave him overwhelming strength. He spoke with violent authority. 

“Your sorcerer is dead, the Witch has her people to protect. She doesn’t have time for what really matters.”

“Don’t say that.” Iris begged, her face stained with tears. 

“You have a responsibility to the Druidry. Only together can we keep the old ways alive.”

“That isn’t true, we can find others out there with the potential. 

“What do you know, whore?”

She stopped and pulled away. “Please, let me go.”

He grabbed her once more and yanked her forward, “If you really wanted to leave you would make me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She sobbed. “I don’t understand why you are like this. Please stop.”

“Enough.” I stood between them. I warned you. You should have known better.” I bit my teeth and spoke with seething rage. 

Bomdall stumbled back and fell to the floor. The man's dignity stripped with a second’s cowardice. 

I turned to Iris, “I’m sorry I’m late.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be.”

I held her hand and guided her over to Morgana who held her close and tight. 

“He won’t listen. He isn’t the man you thought he was.” I said to Iris. 

I faced Bomdall. I towered over him as he cowered in the dirt. 

“How?” Bomdall asked.

“I killed your Master.” I frowned. “It’s over. Confess and let the truth be out.”

“Yes,” admitted Bomdall. “It is. It was I who led the Unseelie to Helen. It was I who whispered into the ears of Shamus. I brokered a deal between Meredith and the Romans. I called upon my Master Maradon. Useless as he ended up being. The world is changing and if it wasn’t for you I could have lived like a King.”

“Anyone else would have done the same if they had the same chances I did.”

“Would they? Would Galen?” I asked.

He bowed his head at that.

“I understand what it is like to be powerless. You were right to fight back and seek power. So, don’t use that fucking excuse on me. I sought power. I risked everything, I left my family. All for the chance of a better life. I sought power, but to use it to protect others. I became better to help myself and Iris. You wanted to use her, you wanted to make yourself powerful even as it cost the lives of everyone else. You acted only in your self interest. Me, Morgana, Iris… Galen. We fought for everyone. The people who are dead because of your actions.”

I wanted to say Umbra, but she had chosen a similar path to power as this guy. Was I a hypocrite for protecting her, perhaps. I’d deal with the moral complexity later. 

“He broke me. You stand no chance, Damian. You’ll die like me. Alone against a God.” 

“If it wasn’t for you she would still live.” Iris uttered without pity. “You said you would look after me. You promised they were safe.”

“I lied,” He admitted.

“Burn!” She raged and consumed Bomdall in flames. “For Helen.” she said. 

Morgana plunged her sword in his heart, “For Galen.”

“So many lost, their blood could fill a river.” I cut his head off with a spell of magic, “For the dead. Countless in number; precious in memory.” 

We walked hand in hand away from the final resting place of Bomdal the traitor. The sound of birds filled the woods with the rising sun.