AFTERMATH (Descendants Saga), Page 2

  From my extensive studies under Ishbe’s tutelage I had learned much about the Descendant lines and where most of them sprang from among the angelic host that were cast out of Heaven for their rebellion against the Almighty. Gael was the patron angel of the Leprechauns, though he had been consigned to Tartarus long ago with so many others. To our knowledge, he had no access to the mortal world. Still, it had been said the same for Black and Southresh, Anubis and Hageddon, yet my parents had fought against these angels side by side with Sadie’s mother and father.

  A massive hand rested on my shoulder. Redclaw sniffed at the air, towering over Sadie and myself. “I don’t like this business at all,” the great troll warrior said.

  All of Grim Hope’s trolls had emptied into the city of Tidus prior to the destruction of our beloved homelands. Redclaw was apparently still serving in his position as Master at Arms under Brody and Sophia. Despite the loss of our kingdoms, he maintained his duties, out of friendship if nothing else.

  Redclaw had kept a watchful eye on Sadie and me ever since seeing the Leprechauns. What we didn’t realize at the time was that, with his hands on us, Sadie and I had both been rendered invisible with him while our parents were attending this situation. The last thing anyone wanted, after abandoning London in hopes for a new life in Ireland, was a civil war breaking out with the Leprechauns.

  “I’ve not had any dealings with Leprechauns,” Sadie said beside me. “They don’t appear like the drawings I’ve seen of them.”

  “Fanciful nonsense with the four leaf clovers and green outfits,” Redclaw said. “It’s just like with any of our clans. Humans fill in the gaps of their understanding with fantasy.”

  “I suppose,” she said. “Certainly, none of them are so tiny in stature as the stories describe.”

  “Brutes,” Redclaw observed. “Not a one of them under six feet that I can see.”

  “You’re one to talk,” I added.

  “You’re right,” Redclaw replied, grinning. “In fact, seeing them now, I’d say they are rather tiny.”

  “This army of theirs—I see archers but no broadswords,” Sadie observed. “No guns either.”

  “Their skills with a bow are said to rival the kind of talent your mother possesses, young lady,” Redclaw replied.

  “They are also known to be adept with throwing knives,” I added, “though, from my understanding, they are not particularly strong. Maybe a little stronger than humans. Still, they do possess Superomancey to varying degrees.”

  “I don’t understand what the problem is,” Sadie complained. “These lands belong to my parents. How dare they invade our lands like this?”

  “Ease up, Princess,” Redclaw cautioned her. “One man’s claim may be another man’s dispute. The Leprechauns no doubt see us as the invaders.”

  Brody walked behind the emissary sent from the Brian Shade, the Leprechaun King. Donatus and Laish followed after with Sophia in between. Brody had hoped she would remain with Redclaw and the children, but the Queen of the Lycans would not be dissuaded.

  Leprechaun soldiers, with bows and round shields aplenty, parted before their company. A path formed through the middle of their forces, leading to a lone tent that fluttered in the breeze passing through the valley. The tent was red in color and no bigger than the space required for a single person to stand upright inside.

  Brody sighed, forging ahead toward the small tent. Knowing that Leprechauns used magic like water, he expected appearances to be different once they walked through the flap of cloth now guarded by two soldiers. Why this confrontation was happening at all, was less baffling. Leprechauns kept away from other Descendant clans, for the most part. It was no secret that, regardless of any clear title to these lands, the Leprechauns might not want other Descendants settling on the Emerald Isle.

  Brian Shade was known to be territorial. He had opposed the sale of any land in Ireland to Descendant races, but he had no legal power to do so. Now, the Leprechaun King meant to enforce his will despite legality.

  Brody set his jaw as he passed through the tent flap. He had no intention of backing down. Like it, or not, he had been instrumental in the destruction of the spiritual plane. He felt obligated now to lead these refugees to a place of safety and security, just as he had promised them back in Hyde Park a day ago.

  Black waited, standing before Brian Shade, King of the Leprechauns. He had managed to make his way to Ireland just ahead of the Descendants leaving Hyde Park in London. The matter of their destination had been easily heard among the crowd as they prepared to leave. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take advantage of a very interesting situation here in the Emerald Isle with the haughty Leprechauns.

  King Shade spoke in hushed tones with one of his advisors who had just arrived a moment ago with news from the surface. Black eyed the cavernous chamber where Shade had his throne room below ground. It was garishly appointed with gold, silver and huge gemstones of every variety.

  This was typical for the Leprechauns. They had earned a reputation as a people that horded treasure. Gold was a particular favorite. Over the years Leprechauns had plundered every civilization in one way or another.

  In Egypt they had posed as Jewish slaves taking a spoil of their masters prior to the great Exodus that delivered the Hebrews from bondage. In Babylon they had come under the wall when the Persians diverted the Euphrates River. While the Medes and Persians took the city, the Leprechaun raiders had diverted to the temples to loot what they could and escape through magical portals back to their Emerald Isle.

  Unbeknownst to many, the Leprechauns had spent several hundred years attacking ships in the Caribbean and elsewhere as pirates. They were adept seamen, as it turned out, and many Leprechauns captained their crews to great riches and infamous reputations among those nations who sought to capture them. Blackbeard had been one of the most notorious, but there were certainly others.

  Here in their underground cities, they horded vast wealth simply for the pleasure of gaining and having it. Black grinned within himself. Leprechauns were just the sort of greedy power-mongers he was looking for to make matters difficult for Brody West and his pathetic band of refugees. As far as Black was concerned, the debt he owed that bothersome young man for spoiling his machinations in London would never be paid in full. He would take as long as possible to make West and his loved ones suffer for his inconvenience.

  The king’s aide straightened finally, having delivered his report. Black waited expectantly.

  “What you have told me is true,” Shade said with a sour expression. “The Superomancers have indeed led many onto our lands above.”

  Black smiled. His appearance was that of an elf at the moment. A powerful glamour meant to keep the Leprechauns guessing as to who was giving them information and why. No one would trust getting news from the infamous angel, Black. But, as anyone else, it wouldn’t matter to Shade, so long as he could verify it, which he just had.

  “But the Superomancers claim that the land above belongs to them by title,” Black said.

  “Bah!” Shade spat. “I do not recognize paper contracts given by mortals. The Emerald Isle has belonged to my people for thousands of years. We allow the humans to dwell above because it is convenient for us to do so. They may write laws and divide the land for this and that, but we still govern our island. When we want the land above for ourselves again, we will claim it.”

  “Claiming it from mortals sounds easy,” Black commented. “From the Superomancers and these Descendant refugees, I think, not so easy to do.”

  “We will stop them now,” Shade said bluntly. “I will speak with their leaders and make them to know that the Leprechaun King and his people will not tolerate insurrection on our island.”

  Black bowed himself to King Shade. “At any rate, I thought that you should be aware.”

  He turned as though he would leave the king’s presence. Shade banged the golden staff in his hand upon the stone floor, calling the attention of everyone in the
throne room to him.

  “I wonder, elf,” Shade posed, “what gain it is to you by bringing me this information. Do you not seek my gold for your pockets for this favor?”

  Black bowed himself again. It was always best to make one’s adversaries feel that they held some power or authority over you—that you were submitted to them. All the more easy to cut their throats, or take what was most valuable to them while they were placated with flatteries.

  “My lord, I would only ask that you return the favor someday, should I require,” Black answered.

  With this gesture, Black straightened, gave the Leprechauns in the throne room a cursory glance and then departed the throne room in a flash of white light, not unlike lightning.

  Brian Shade sat upon his golden throne for a moment longer, scratching his crimson beard. Finally, he glanced at the same advisor who had given him the report confirming the elf’s warning. “He certainly makes an impression,” Shade observed.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” his advisor, Connic, said.

  A young boy—the spitting image of the Leprechaun King—stepped onto the platform. He had been watching from the safety of the king’s guard.

  “Do you trust him, Father?” the king’s son asked.

  “Trust?” Shade laughed. “I trust no one, Liam, not even Connic here. But this elf did deliver a true report, and that is what is important for the time being.”

  “What will you do, my lord?” Connic asked, waiting beside the king’s throne.

  “I will do what I have said,” Shade replied. “Bring the leaders of this rabble to me here. I will judge their intentions for myself. Then I will decide what will be done with them.”

  Negotiations

  Brody passed through the tent flap, sensing the transition from what should have been a very confined space inside to the cavernous cool of the Leprechaun King’s throne room. Sophia, flanked by Donatus and Laish, followed after along with several Leprechaun soldiers providing escort. They had passed through a portal envelope, no doubt created by one of King Shade’s spell casters.

  It seemed a bit melodramatic to Brody. After all, why even bother with the tiny tent? Still, it was in the nature of this people to be so. Many legends and stories regarding the Leprechauns made it clear that conservatism was not one of their strong points. However, the matter seemed merely garish to him at this point.

  A very important discussion was about to take place that would determine the fate of thousands, and this was the sort of parlor trick atmosphere Brody was walking into. It was one thing to deal with ordinary unknowing humans in this manner. However, to put on such a front with no less than three powerful Superomancers? It galled him on top of the affront of meeting his people with this army on his own land.

  Brian Shade rose from his golden throne when the lengthy corridor finally delivered Brody and the others into his throne room. Brody had heard of the man’s reputation, bringing certain images to mind, but he had never met the King of the Leprechauns. A mop of crimson hair sat atop his head matched by a beard of the same color.

  He reminded Brody of Tom in this way only. Otherwise, Shade paled in comparison with the noble king his friend had become before his untimely death. An overly gem-encrusted crown sat upon Shade’s head with spires that were too tall and pointy. The middle-aged Leprechaun possessed a bulbous nose, possibly due to their penchant for drunkenness.

  Though it was usually not his way, Brody decided then and there that he did not like this Brian Shade. The Leprechaun King’s sneer, as they walked the gauntlet formed by his courtiers and soldiers, did nothing to help his forming this opinion. Brody found himself less and less willing to even begin a normal course of negotiation. This would be a confrontation, pure and simple. Whoever flinched first would lose.

  Donatus attempted to side-step Brody as they neared the platform where King Shade stood flanked by many Leprechaun warriors in leather plate armor. Some held their bows ready. Others held their sword hands nervously near to the pommels of their weapons.

  Brody did not prevent Donatus from outpacing him, though he certainly took notice. The elf king bowed himself as he came near to the throne, drawing a smirk from Brian Shade. Brody paused behind Donatus, as did the others following. His eyes narrowed on the king, waiting to see the exchange between him and Donatus.

  “Great King of the Leprechauns,” Donatus intoned for all of the throne room to here, “we have come peacefully to your land seeking asylum.”

  Brody cocked an eyebrow, but he was not at all amused.

  “Asylum?” Shade questioned. “From whom are you running?”

  This was growing more insulting by the second in Brody’s opinion. He was not running from anyone. Their leaving Britain had been with the hope of preventing a war against humans—a war he felt the Descendants would certainly win. But killing humans was the wrong thing to do—especially since it could be prevented.

  “A catastrophic event has occurred upon the spiritual plane, driving our various clans into the world of mortals,” Donatus said. “Our kingdoms have been destroyed with the release of the cherubim long imprisoned within the Underworld.”

  “I see,” Shade answered. “Yet my sources inform me that you have arrived by portal from England.”

  Donatus straightened. “Your sources are true, Your Highness,” he said. “We had attempted to come to England where Descendants have long maintained houses and lands, keeping much of our wealth locked away inside British banks. Yet we emerged to find a hostile situation that would have resulted in a war with humans. We did not feel it was worth the risk of so many lives.”

  Donatus would have continued to explain, but Shade took this moment to interrupt the elf king. “So you have come to invade my island instead of staying in

  England?” he asked.

  Brody has listened. He had attempted to give Donatus the opportunity to explain that he clearly desired. But he had now had enough. Brody had anticipated this sort of reaction by the King of the Leprechauns. Surely, listening further would only mean allowing Shade to accuse he and the others of encroaching upon his territory, risking a war with the Leprechauns when they could have won a war with humans in Britain.

  “We have come to take possession of our lands in Ireland!” Brody proclaimed, stepping up to flank Donatus. But he didn’t pause there. He stepped ahead of the elf king. A bold move, and possibly an insulting maneuver, but Donatus had already done the same to him a moment ago. After all, he was no less a king than the elder elf Superomancer.

  King Shade stiffened noticeably at Brody’s proclamation, but he restrained any outburst of his own for the moment. Instead, he looked back at Donatus. The elf’s face had a pained look to it at the moment, having dreaded this possibility coming to pass.

  “Your lands, Donatus?” Shade queried. “I think, perhaps, you should rein in this young upstart before he causes a war between our peoples that would not be so sure a victory as fighting humans.”

  Brody barely stifled a laugh. “This upstart is the husband of Queen Sophia and am therefore King of the Lycans,” Brody said confidently. “And these lands above, where we have come to Ireland, are those that have long stood in our possession. The land is deeded to myself and my brother, Oliver James.”

  “On worthless scraps of paper, held by a Lycan king who is not even a Lycan himself,” Shade said, musing before his court. This comment drew a small bit of laughter from the more pompous courtiers in attendance. The soldiers, however, grew more tense, wondering if an attack would come amidst these insults.

  Brody let the Lycan insult pass, but he wondered if Sophia’s voice would chime in from behind him. To her credit, she restrained her temper and did not interfere, trusting her husband to conduct this business. Brody was glad, as it might have emasculated him before this audience. In a power play, such as this, threats depended upon the perception of those involved.

  So far, he and Shade appeared to be on equal footing. Brody knew that the Leprechaun King still held the u
nstated advantage. This was his throne room, after all, and the soldiers here and above belonged to him. It was time to take the next step.

  “Then let me show you something more than scraps of paper,” Brody said. Malak-esh materialized in his right hand, held out diagonally toward the floor where it would be quite visible to almost everyone in attendance. A flame of fire danced along the surface of the mercurial blade.

  It was flashy, to be sure, but Brody intended on making a statement by this action. He was threatening violence, pure and simple. The appearance of the sword told everyone in the throne room that Brody intended to kill the Leprechaun King if he did not acquiesce to his demand to take possession of the contested lands above.

  Brian Shade, King of the Leprechauns, appeared as shocked as anyone when the blade materialized. Obviously, he had felt safe in his own throne room with his royal guard around him. However, Brody did not think he appeared so confident now.

  “How dare you?” Shade hissed.

  Around Shade, arrows had been nocked to their bows. Swords had been drawn by his guard. They were ready to defend their king, but they would not act until he ordered them to attack. They were, at least, well-trained. An inexperienced soldier might have charged, but Brody had only produced a weapon. He had not moved toward the king.

  The red pallor of Shade’s face deepened. Brody waited for what he knew must be coming. Shade did not disappoint. He would not tolerate this outrage in front of his court. That had been what Brody was counting on.

  “Kill him!” the Leprechaun King bellowed.

  Instantly, the soldiers reacted to the order of their king. Multiple arrows were loosed. The sword bearing soldiers charged forward with their weapons held out toward Brody.