Bonded Summoner

Book 3. Chapter 20: Tanda - Defense of Harmony Peaks Pt. 2

Despite the hundreds and thousands of enemies arrayed against him, the Dreadbeast Champion laughed.

“Finally, you show your face! That stupid failure of a dragon couldn’t even get you to emerge until the end, and failed his grand task. Even slaying the treants wasn’t enough! We will consume you this time, and you will be dead for good. It’s inevitable!”

Tanda was shocked. The task of the death god was to kill this heroic stag, or the other heroic beasts? Why? They had killed so many of her own people, eliminated all treants, burned their idols and altars, and had tainted the heart of the world. That wasn’t the dragon’s goal?

Tanda screeched her battle cry, telling her people to join the battle with their new allies.

The auril beasts and many creatures came at the werewolves like the tide, but the werewolves jumped into the massive trees. Several triceratops filled themselves in their powerful orange auril, and slammed into the base of these trees. The bases shattered, and several of the massive trees started to fall.

Werewolves leaped out, but a larger brachiosaurus reached out with its mouth and snatched one out of the air.

With its massive neck, it then whipped the werewolf at the ground. The werewolf slammed into it, its bones shattering. Similar scenes played out over the battlefield, the dozens of auril beasts chasing down the werewolves, and the many forest and plains creatures joining in the fight.

Arrows rained down from the trees, but the auril defenses of the large creatures prevented the arrows from reaching too deep into their skin, vines blocking some of them. Auril pushed arrows out of heir skin, their wounds healing rapidly. Tanda’s people swarmed the werewolves, using their new auril beast brethren as shields to soak up damage, for them to advance and score blows against their enemies.

Things were looking much better than before, but then the Champion howled, and his people blew hunting horns. From the distance, Tanda could see that dozens of tamed raptors and other predators came to their aid.

The red auril of the creatures was tainted with black. They rushed with auril enhanced speed, rapidly joining the battlefield. The creatures were armored, and she saw that some of them had werewolf riders as well. She was happy to see that the largest of predator auril beasts were not here.

The enemy champion rushed for the four heroic beast leaders, leaping from tree to tree. No beast could get in his way, and he even slashed a large stegosaurus with his bone spike, drawing a vicious shower of blood as he flew by one.

As the enemy champion drew near, the large stag released an aura filled with the abundance of life and vitality, covering an area of nearly a hundred meters. Vines grew from itself and the three other leaders, the abundance of life forming a sanctuary. Large plants and greenery grew from them, and even the tree’s branches nearby grew towards them. She could even feel this up in the tree she was in.

The other heroic beasts each released their own auril. As each of the creature’s auril flared, it filled their bodies and vines alike.

The red boar released a fiery auril, the creature filled with strength and fertility, as they grew to be the size of an elephant. The vines living on it whipped around like living fire, and it exhaled a gout of flame.

The dark hound released a blue auril of nobility and righteousness, creating an aura of frost. Its vines were coated in ice, its breaths coming out in a frosty fog.

The lion was coated in an auril of courage and skill. Its vines were coated in light, and it breathed a brilliant yellow light like that of the sun, blasting a beam of powerful energy at the enemy champion.

The beam was blocked by the sickly red energy the champion produced. Tanda thought this energy was driven by blood and the thrill of the hunt, as well as the terror they instilled into his enemies, based on what she had seen. She had been moving towards a proper spot to aid in the battle, Aisling and several of her best warriors following her, hidden in the boughs of the trees.

The champion laughed. “You four are too weak. There is no escape for you now that I have your scent! I will chase you to the end of the world!”

Tanda and her flock landed in the trees above the heroic stag, and Tanda could feel their vitality pouring off into the area. Plants were growing and heading towards the stag, as if the world itself was coming to the creature’s defense.

The battle raged on behind the champion, the many creatures, werewolves, and her flock fighting. She thought there was a good chance that her people would win, but the heroic stag’s presence emboldened the creatures in some way. If the stag fell, she thought their chances of winning weren’t good.

The champion slashed at the vines, cutting them, the four heroic beast’ special vines blocking him. He kept on the attack with numerous cuts and slashes, but the vines quickly regrew, and the auril infused vines of the four creatures went on the attack instead.

A ball of flames was shot by the boar, and an icicle was fired by the hound. The Champion dodged, but he roared in rage, as he was rebuffed by the four.

Another beam of light was fired from the lion, searing the chest of the Dreadbeast champion. He scoffed.

“So be it. I had saved my divine energy for that other champion, but if I can finish this Task, that’s a win of its own. I call upon the god, Dreadbeast. Join me for the hunt, and bring terror as we feast upon their flesh!”

The champion released a black energy full of malevolence and terror, as he bulked up. Tanda’s stomach roiled at the wrongness, as his bone spikes grew out and along his arms, becoming serrated bone blades and filled with viciousness.

His face grew into that of like a crocodile, and his tail extended to match. He was now a werewolf mixed with a crocodile, and despite starting at being three meters tall, he was now even larger than that. He roared, and Tanda became quite worried.

This fight was not at the level her people could aid the heroic auril beasts. Likely, only the spear from her ancestor could even wound such a creature. She addressed her elite warriors in a whisper.

“Go. Aid our people in their fights. The creatures of the forest could use your help.”

Avina entreated, “But what about you, Chieftess?”

“I will do my best to make a meaningful contribution. For that, I need stealth and surprise. Go, my friend.”

Her warriors left, leaving just Aisling behind. Aisling smiled enigmatically at her. “Don’t worry about me, clan-daughter. I will be sure to make a meaningful contribution, as well.”

The Dreadbeast champion leaped at the heroic beasts, and slashed straight through the vines. He was met with the boar’s charge, the creature ready for the champion’s assault. The lion and hound charged as well, vines attempting to wrap around the champion, a large quantity controlled by the stag.

Tanda watched from a branch above the fighting, waiting for her moment. She knew that hunters were at their weakest, when they went for the kill. She looked for an opening in her allies, so that she could attack her opponent’s.

Tanda built up her auril, and she prepared her mortal strike. The champion danced around the four creatures. He slashed, and he spun, the thrill of the hunt filling him. He landed a cut against the hound, but was then rebuffed by the lion. The werecroc bounced from tree to tree, spinning and cutting through vines and attack from the heroic beasts as they countered his assault.

Eventually, he scored a vicious wound against the large boar, causing the creature to rear back, the blood spraying into the champion’s crocodile mouth. This emboldened him as his aura pulsed dangerously, and Tanda saw it. She jumped down from the tree, pushing down from the trunk, her muscles filled to the brim with auril. Tanda gave a powerful flap of her wings, diving rapidly, her approach silent.

The enemy champion leaped for his opening, having a straight line on the stag after causing the boar to be knocked back, and being empowered by the blood. Tanda came out of the line of sight of the champion from above and behind, her spear turned into that of a scythe. She swung it going for the back of the creature’s neck, powered by her sinking her very life force into her muscles using [Mortal Strike] and her auril.

But the champion looked up with a vicious smile, having expected Tanda to strike at this exact moment. He gave an almost lazy, vertical slash at her, filled with evil energy. Her scythe was blasted back away from the attack, exposing her body, and the red slice continued on.

She defended herself with her auril as the slash went into her body, leg to shoulder vertically, even cutting into her face. The cut was deep and filled with wickedness, as she was repelled up and into the air.

“You think a Champion of a god of the hunt, doesn’t know when he’s being hunted? You fool!”

The Dreadbeast Champion continued towards the stag nearly unhindered, an even larger, more powerful attack prepared as he pulled his other arm back, filled with the malevolent energy. He began his swing at the stag, only for Aisling to slam into it with an auril infused shield.

The shield shattered and Aisling was cut nearly in half at the waist, but this slowed the champion down. Her contribution allowed vines filled with vitality to pierce a few places on the enemy’s body, the remainder of the vicious energy blocked by other vines.

Tanda’s dying body hit the ground, some of her bones fracturing in the process. She felt weak, and utterly defeated, the evil energies invading her body. She fought this with her auril, her heart pumping and sending her life force into her wounds.

“You again?! How is it you always manage to get in my way? This time, you die!”

Aisling laughed, as she shook her head with a smile, her torso nearly separated from her legs, her body bleeding out even more rapidly than Tanda.

“Yeah. But I’ll be back. You won’t be.”

The lion arrived, its claw filled bursting with fiery light, and the hound attacked from the other side, as vines tried to wrap around the champion. Tanda didn’t see what happened after that, as her vision in that eye was now covered in blood, her body laying sideways on the ground.

Tanda furiously tried to move her auril to heal herself, but the cut was simply too deep; she had lost too much blood. Her body started to become cold and weak, but she continued to fight. She was filled with anger, of righteous fury. Her people had worked for a thousand years to try to restore the heart of the world, and he was going to undo all of it in one fell swoop.

How many sons and daughters were sent to face their deathly jungles, all in the name of preserving the balance? Their world was filled with danger, and they loved their children as much as any parent could. Yet still, they had to send them off with a high probability of death to live in small groups, when they came of age. They were separated from the children they loved, all for maintaining the balance of the world and nature.

Their people had been nature’s stewards for so long, sacrificing so much. For this evil, wicked person to come trampling all over it without a care. Tanda had never hated anything so much in her life. Adventurers had been the thing she hated the most, but this exceeded even that. As her anger increased, she thought she heard a voice, a whisper.

“Cern…”

The voice trailed off, and she did her best to understand what was happening. Her heart still beat, but it was already slowing, but her spirit reached out, trying to grasp onto anything. The Dreadbeast champion would taint the heart of the world, and even if the war was ultimately won, the balance of her world would be forever ruined. Tears filled her eyes, as she thought of what would be lost.

Her body had landed next to one of her brethren, and she thought that she would die. The heroic beasts did not seem like they could win, and she thought there was quite a bit of time before Jake could possibly arrive. She would live again, but would it matter? Her world would be lost forever.

She wiped away her eyes, looking at her dead comrade she landed next to. On their body, was an adornment. Of a stag, boar, lion, and hound. She remembered the story of her ancestor, and how their idols and altars were burned. Could it be, that her people, too, had gods? That her people had mostly forgotten them, but not entirely. She heard the voice again, louder, more desperate this time.

“Nunnos…”

Cern…Nunnos? Tanda was out of options. Because of that, she prayed. Prayed for the power to defeat this evil foe, that was going to destroy the world as she knew it, that she loved so much. That her people fought for, for a thousand years. That her mother and father died for. She decreed that if she was granted this power, she would give her everything to maintaining the balance, forever. She prayed to Cernunnos.

A presence descended, and time came to an almost halt on the battlefield.

She heard a man’s voice. “Hmm?” Tanda heard a yawn. “It’s been so long, I must have fallen asleep. I was fading away, and… Oh? Who are you, young one?”

Tanda found herself standing in a clearing within a great forest, similar to that of Highlands.

While she was still wounded, she appeared to have her faculties. She was standing in front of an old man, filled with the abundance of life. He looked like a goat beastkin, but he was quite different. His upper body was covered in plant-like green fur, and even his beard looked to be made of plants.

He had a thicker fur for his lower goatlike body, and he had much more human-like hands than her people, and horns on his head like that of the great stag. The man held a horseshoe in one hand, and a snake wrapped around his other arm.

“I’m Tanda, daughter of Dahlia and Timon. You are Cernunnos?”

“Tim– Ah! I remember now!” The man laughed, and shook his head. He looked off into the distance, peering off at something that Tanda couldn’t see. He stared, and even began looking around.

“Oh boy, we’re in some deep trouble.” He turned to Tanda inspecting her, and he smiled.

“Say. What would you say your purpose, your desire, your dreams, are?”

Tanda frowned at the question. That was quite personal, but something compelled her to want to answer.

“My heart beats for maintaining the balance of nature, my purpose. I love the world, and I love my people. Finding harmony in our song, as I grow strong with my family and tribe, is my greatest desire. Accomplishing that goal with my mate and my children, our clan, is my dream.”

The strange man frowned. “I feel like your image of maintaining the balance of nature is wrong. Why must one grow strong for that, when it’s easy?”

Tanda started. “I don’t think so. To maintain the balance requires great strength. That’s what my father always taught me.”

He chuckled, and shook his head. “But nature finds balance on its own. Where a fire burns the forest down, given enough time, a verdant forest will eventually emerge, as it will have cleared out all dead and overgrown vegetation, the balance of life coming back stronger than ever. Where a large predator runs amok and overeats, they will leave and seek new prey. Greenery will quickly regrow from all the herbivores being gone, attracting them once again, restoring the balance once more.”

He continued, “Stewardship is easy, it requires little strength, as intelligent beings such as yourself can speed up this process. Even if beasts in this world are strong, you can maintain the balance with cunning, instead. That’s not to say Highlands isn’t dangerous, but I think the level of strength you need for safety is not that high, all things considered.”

Tanda frowned in confusion. Her father had always taught her that she needed to be strong to maintain the balance, and drilled into her that she always needed to train to be strong. But this strange man was right, she could hardly see how strength was truly needed even in their world.

She could use traps and bait, or she could always flee to the trees. She could often maintain the balance with little risk, after reaching a certain level of strength. Tanda thought about why her people trained, and remembered. Part of the reason her people trained, was in case a Tyrant appeared, to combat the taint in their hearts.

“Ah. Now, that’s why I was confused. It appears your father sheltered you a little too much, you’d probably never even seen a tainted yourself.”

Tanda realized that the man was right. Their people had long since found the balance, to where tainted almost never appeared among her people.

He continued, “Think about this conflict you’re in. Your people have had a mostly peaceful several hundred years, after you found harmony, or balance, in eliminating the curse of the…damned dragon. Sure, your people struggled against the environment, but that made your people better, in the end. What is the biggest threat, what is always the biggest threat to the balance?”

Tanda frowned in thought again. “Tyrants?”

The man looked her dead in the eye, and gave her a vicious smile full of large teeth, and the greenery in the clearing shifted to a dreadful swamp, a mire of death.

“An apt name. To prevent tyrants, to maintain the balance, you need insurmountable strength: to punish the wicked.”

Tanda’s breathing stilled, as her heart changed its cadence, and her mind took in the new possibilities. She had thought that she wanted to be the steward, the sentinel of nature. But the reality was, that this method was flawed, her heart was singing the wrong song.

Only by defeating evil such as Tartarus, or eliminating the curse on her people, could she ever protect the balance. Stewardship and guardians had purpose, but it was all meaningless in the face of the wicked.josei

“That’s right. That’s why, you should be my Champion. These bastard evil gods, along with Tartarus, are getting quite cheeky. They think that just because they beat me down and nearly killed me a millennium before, that they can just stroll in here like they own the place for an easy win. That they can finish me off before the child of the void could do anything. But you and I can turn that around on them, and turn this into a triumphant return instead. What do you say, child?”

Tanda started. “Champion? Me?” She looked at him skeptically, who was the child of the void? She realized something. “You aren’t enemies of Hestia or Echidna, are you?”

The man laughed. “Why do you think the child is even here, of all places, in the first place? That woman of mine really pulled through, managing to send in capable allies for my rescue. I can’t tell you more until you accept, but I promise you, Hestia and I get along well enough. It’d have been better if you picked that affliction specialization like your father, but otherwise, I think you and I quite compatible.”

Tanda frowned, the void child appeared to be Jake, and how could her father pick affliction specialization? She knew he had refused the Framework altogether.

“Why would that make me more compatible?”

He gave another wicked smile. “The wicked are hardly punished when they die abruptly, child. You’ll have to work double time to give me and Arawn more to punish on our side. So, what’ll it be? Becoming my Champion, it’ll bring you the power to punish the wicked, and maintain the balance, the cycle of life and death.

It’ll even help you catch up to that child and his mates a bit, our friends working together to beat Tartarus once and for all. Defeating Tartarus on this world, it’s just the beginning. The war and the wicked will return, if your people don’t continue fighting. Either way, you’ll never be weak again, like you were today. That I promise you.”

Tanda desperately wanted to save the heart of the world, and she finally understood. In order to maintain the balance, she must continue to fight against the wicked–Tartarus. She knew her mother and father would have fought as adventurers, if it meant that their home was protected– if they joined the Framework.

Tanda would have to become an Adventurer, in order to protect her world, today and forever. She had thought that her flock’s duty was coming to an end, but it was really only just beginning. Her people’s great mobility can be useful all over the multiverse, and their diverse abilities would work excellently in any adventuring party.

Tanda looked down at her body, seeing the vicious vertical slash covering almost from her shoulder to her toe, her heart just barely missed. Looking at it, she realized the metallic plate Bloodberri had placed underneath the beast leather had kept her from being bisected entirely, the dent in it deep.

“Uh, but aren’t I dying right now?”

Cernunnos laughed. “I suppose you kind of are, but you’d resurrect, wouldn’t you? Still, I wouldn’t make you my Champion, only for you to just die with no chance a moment later. I suppose there is still a chance for that, given that you’re near an enemy champion, nearly an entire Tier above you.”

Cernunnos flashed another vicious smile full of teeth. “But I believe in your cunning, and your luck. We’ll either win you and I another spark, or we’ll die together permanently, child. This is truly my last chance, and I’m willing to gamble on you. Only my daughter remembers my name, the other gods unable to speak it, me unable to gain followers without you. What do you say?”

Tanda frowned. Couldn’t she just fight another day? But she knew if the heroic beasts died, this god would be gone forever. The heart of the world would be further contaminated, likely before Jake and Ophelia could arrive. This was beyond her, but she had been ready to die for the world before Jake had arrived. Her people had fought in various ways for over a thousand years against this evil, she would not back down now.

“I accept.”

The man laughed with great joy, as he pointed his finger at her. The abundance of life in the clearing returned and rose, then shifted into a palatable feeling of death, as her heart even stopped beating for a moment, before shifting back to the abundance of life. She realized it was just from the drop of dew on his finger, just as it shot at her and entered her heart.

Her heart thundered in her chest, singing the song of joy and triumph. Vitality entered her body, as her heart, and spirit forever changed.

Her heart grew and changed, becoming stronger. Her spirit’s connection to the world improved, and she thought she heard a laugh of great joy from the spirit of the world, a girl’s voice.

He was still laughing as all this happened, but he stopped to speak.

“I can’t believe Brigid really pulled it off. The bastards almost got me, killing all my champions, my paladins, and priestesses, destroying all my idols. Kicked me off to this world, stranded with my daughter. All I had left was a beast avatar, and I’d have been toast, unable to connect to new worshipers, unable to create new divine servants. While my people forgot me, my daughter, the world, never did. I am Cernunnos.”

“Your daughter is the heart of the world?”

Cernunnos smiled. “That’s right. That stupid dragon they sent after me nearly got her and me, but your ancestor really outperformed, defeating an enemy above his tier, and saved us both. I owe your people a great deal, though, you’re ours in the first place. I’m sure Brigid wanted to help more directly, but there was simply too much at stake. Her moving a piece means that they’d have moved a piece. She must not have had anyone good enough to spare to ensure victory, so they sent Hestia’s new champion.”

Tanda frowned, as she took on this obscure information, but she thought she sort of understood.

“But they sent the Dreadbeast champion before Jake?”

He smiled. “Every action causes ripples, and even the little things he’s done have had a profound impact, a butterfly effect. I guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself, we haven’t won just yet. They were able to send that champion because a small spark of my divinity was in that beast– more than what a paladin or priestess might receive, but less than what a champion does. It was also because a nascent one exists in the heart of the world, despite being weakened, or cursed, reduced in tier. There is plenty of wicked to be punished, gathering on this world. You’re level 8 now, and you don’t really have time for the usual Trial, so we’ll have to use a Task instead.”

Tanda received a notification within her [Menu].

[Trial Task Received: Defeat the Dreadbeast Champion. Land the killing blow, or fail your Trial. Rewards for Trial based on contribution.]

“In order for there to be a great reward, there must be great risk. If you lose against the champion, you will die permanently, him harvesting our spark. This is my last spark, descendant of my friend. If you win without landing the killing blow, you’ll fail your trial, keeping you from being a true champion until you take a trial of the first tier, instead, your potential forever harmed. I think this is a sufficiently difficult task, given that you are facing an enemy almost an entire Tier above you, despite having allies. That bastard out there is a Tier 2 brought down to Tier 1, if we harvest his spark it’ll be a major victory.”

Tanda nodded, as she reviewed her notifications, feeling the change brought about by her Champion Skill.

[New Champion Ability: Cyclic Resonance]

[In battle, your ravenwolf heart sings the song of death, joining the songs of your brethren. By harmonizing with your allies creating a song that encompasses the cycle of life and death, your attributes, and weight of your spirit, are increased. With each cycle, resonance increases. As it reaches its peak, it empowers you significantly, drawing auril from the area and transforming it, to be released into a powerful attack.]

Tanda was filled with joy, knowing she had the power of her heroic ancestor. Her wounded tail was wagging, and it didn’t bother her one bit.

Cernunnos smiled at her. “It’s an old one, but it’s a good one, isn’t it? Getting it in Tier 0 is really something, but it does rely on you being able to find resonance with your allies, rather than them finding resonance with you– only an auril hero can manage that. The power of death of the ravenwolf, allows you to more easily complete the cycle of life and death in your song, creating a more perfect resonance. You would need a hyena, vulture, or snake parentage beastkin’s song with you in order to be successful otherwise– or perhaps, a hound of the underworld, or a heroic stag.” He winked at her.

She reviewed another important change, feeling it in her heart, besides.

[Enhanced Auril Heart]

[Your heart and spirit have been enhanced by becoming a champion, and your race being compatible, containing a spark of your patron deity. The weight of your spirit’s connection to the world is increased, allowing you to perform a half-tier higher in this respect than you would otherwise, as well as improving your stats further, your auril capacity higher.]

Tanda saw that nearly all her attributes were boosted by five, some, almost ten. She looked at him in question. “You can think of it like you are now almost an auril hero. It’s not quite the same thing, but an auril hero’s spirit is strong enough, that it can draw the extra life force and spirit of the surrounding environment to aid them. You should be able to accomplish this too, but in a much smaller area– very small, in fact, without your resonance. But when you do become an auril hero, it’ll allow you to do significantly more than before, as your attributes increase.”

Tanda thought she now understood. Her heart now beat both stronger and in tune with the world even more.

“Now, we are out of time. Become Brigid’s Druid after this, and she just might have a gift for you, for saving her dear mate. Those bastards really won’t see this one coming, thanks to that void boy. Our counter-attack begins now. Go and defeat that champion, descendant of my dear friend. Luck is on your side.”

Tanda disappeared from the clearing, and Cernunnos smiled. Gods and goddesses appeared in the clearing. Three appeared near him, and several more scattered in the clearing.

Cernunnos said to the woman next to him, “Brigid, my love, thank you. You really came for me, and gave me such a grand gift, at the same time.”

“Of course, my dear. How could I leave my mate and daughter? Still, I know you’d have rather died alone along with our daughter, than let the wicked take me. The fight must continue, the wicked punished, until the war is won.”

Cernunnos nodded, and looked at another womanly figure across from him.

“With this, the pact formed. We four will fight along your side, share, and work with you, whatever challenges may come. You can count on us, to fight till the end.”

Hestia nodded with a smile. “We have many challenges ahead of us, but you were right in that our counter-attack within this sector begins now.”

Heimdall spoke from next to Odin, “The stars have aligned. We will raise our banner, and strike a fierce blow against our enemy. We shall win a victory worth remembering, and change the tide of war.”

Lugh shook his head, and asked, “I still worry about Highlands. Is your champion strong enough, Hestia? He is driven, and he has talent. But he’s no Cu Chulainn, no Hercules. He has a giving spirit, but I wouldn’t really call it a heroic one.”

Odin laughed. “I suppose those two were heroes even as children, how could the child of the void compare? But the void has something that they don’t. Few gods have noticed him, on both sides. It won’t stay that way, but the ‘good’ side of the alliance have mostly ignored him up to now, their vision, and foresight obscured. By the time they discover him and realize he’s a threat to their status quo, he’ll have already staked his claim. If he was one of our descendants, you know that he would have been hampered from the beginning, with enemies on both sides arriving even on his first world he set foot on.”

Tyr scoffed. “I still say he’d have been better off with my daughter! She’s positively wonderful, and would have made an amazing wife for Jake! Why, she’s so beautiful–”

Bastet spoke from next to Hestia, looking disgusted with him. “He’s made his choice, Tyr. Why is it, that when he talks about his daughter, it feels creepy? Don’t you think you like your daughter a little too much? We talked about this, the void needs to be balanced, or it’ll no longer be a void. This stage and the next are the most important. If there’s a spot for your daughter, that’ll be the void’s choice.”

Athena nodded. “As Heimdall said, the stars have aligned. We have prepared for our counter-attack. Still, I’m having trouble understanding, Hestia. Didn’t the void already defeat two Champions? How is it that nobody has taken notice? I’d expect Ares, Loki, and others heading into this area and already mucking things up, making things more difficult for him.”

Hestia laughed, and shook her head. “Did he kill two Champions already? I seem to recall something else happening.”

Athena’s eyes blazed with golden sight. She sighed. “Luck, really? I have too much to lose if this doesn’t go well, you know this.”

Odin nodded. “Fortune and fate are like the wind and the waves. They cannot be controlled, but they can be harnessed. A wise general knows that luck is a powerful ally, but it is not a strategy. Hestia and I were prepared, I think you’ll find that Ares and Loki like many others were just the appropriate level of being distracted; not enough to be alarmed that something was wrong.”

That appeared to mollify Athena. “Still, their potential choice in the ravenwolf changes their balance. I’m not so sure that my power is the right fit for them now.”

Hestia nodded. “We have other options for her, there are others that might resonate better, but one can never know how all their other choices may influence this until we get there. For now, the battle for Highlands is not yet won, but I have confidence my champion and his wives will pull us all through. The people will find resonance in their faith, and Highlands will be our blueprint for success. We must keep our cards close to our chests, and not overplay our hands.”

The discussion continued, until all but the Celtic gods disappeared from the clearing, leaving Arawn, Lugh, Cernunnos and Brigid. Arawn, exalted of the underworld, flourished his hand, and four souls appeared.

Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld, spoke to the four souls. “It is just as I promised, your daughter and your people given a chance at salvation. They have joined the Framework, to protect the balance of your world forevermore, against the wicked. Now, will you four give your oaths?”

The four souls flickered in affirmative, and Cernunnos laughed. “Luck is truly on our side, what abundance. You have truly given me a great gift, wife of mine.”

Brigid smiled. “Now watch, friends, as your daughter shows us all a new version of the same play, of harmony and nature triumphing against the wicked.”

A mirror appeared, showing Tanda’s battle, the souls flickering with interest.