The Assault - Taking of the Mounds

Essus glanced back as Cel and Siobhan arrived. He could have lived without his nephew being there, but it Andais wanted him to be a part of the raid, Cel would be part of the raid. Doyle, playing the politician, took a step back and to let the prince have his place. He and Siobhan exchanged contemptuous glances, but today they were allies against things hidden in the darkness, things they had to conquor.

Frost, anxious to be away, cleared his throat, catching Essus' attention. "Ready to go?" Essus asked him.

"Yes."

"I hope so, because now it begins."

Essus turned back to the dark tunnel and readied his sword. Raising it, he waved them forwards. The final assault on the mounds was beginning. Deep in his heart Essus did not want to destroy the spirits of the mounds but contain them until he could figure out what to do with them. But one way or another, by the day's end, the mounds would belong to the fey of Europe.

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Goblins do not do things subtly. Goblins do not do things quietly. Goblins do not do things with grace and dignity. Goblins attack! Goblins kill! Goblins rage in the darkness! Ash and Holly didn't think twice about what they were doing. This was war! They would kill and destroy until their king forcibly called them off.

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Shloto's nightfliers swept past Essus and disappeared down the passage. Faint screams followed them.

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Creatures of darkness do not tolerate light very well, and Crystall made sure he had the brightest light possible eminating from his hands. Aisling with Adair and Creidne behind him sprinted into the darkness with the entire fianna behind him. The mortals of this new world believed in hell; they would not have been disappointed if they could see what the fianna was facing.

Mongfinn, another female warrior, was leading a group of male warriors along the left wall of the cavern. Her sword was glowing like fire, and in front of them was a dragon, although no true dragons ever called the Americas home. Aisling glanced her way, saw she was managing it, order Crystall to stay at a central location and then led the rest of the fianna after the Tach, fury, he had felt the first time he had entered the mounds. Creidne and a fianna named Aed raced along the other wall, Crystall's light throwing their shadows against the cavern wall.

The Tach was deep in the cavern. A creature of pure darkness, born at a time when the Earth was covered with ice, it had been bred from human fears, humans who had followed the herds along the coastal ice free zones. Then it had fed on the fears of the people who had come down the central ice free zone following the ancient horse and bison herds.

Aisling felt it like a prickling along his skin. It was raging! Screaming silently as it was being attacked on all sides.

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Essus threw up a flair of light from his hands as they entered a small cavern. Shadow warriors approached to stop them, their shapes determined by the minds of the men and women who were facing them. Siobhan, brutally direct, began the fight, her only purpose in life to protect Prince Cel, who though armed with a sword, was encouring everyone past him.

Doyle, confronting a huge shape shifter, smiled cruelly and sent his blade deep into the thing. The thing screamed and became more solid, its claws slicing wickedly at the captain of the Ravens. Darkness against the Queen's Darkness. Something was going to die.

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Holly's blood was hot as he stood before a towering beast that stared down at him with gaping jaws and cruel eyes and mixed body parts, some of them completely unknown to him. Claws as long as he was tall swiped at him, but the creature had been so focused on Holly it had not noticed Ash until the goblin warrior's blade was sinking into its flesh. Then it screamed and swiped at Ash, but in turning, it exposed itself to Holly's blade. Holly shouted his pleasure as his sword sank deep into the quivering mass.

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The Tach was just ahead. In the total darkness of the underworld, it glowed red hot, a living fire of pure liquid rock, every fear imagined turning it into the monster it was. It took shape and reared as high as it could before the charging fianna. Aisling looked up but detected Mongfinn's arrival out of the corner of his eye. He moved quickly, a deadly claw swiping at him, the heat of its body burning his face and exposed hands. He dove for cover but the hand followed him, a fiery claw snagging him on the flank and spinning him around. Aisling tripped but Mongfinn and Adair were suddenly at his side and dragging him to his feet.

"I bet that hurts," Adair mused and dragged his brother to shelter.

"It does smart," Aisling hissed, afraid to see how much damage his ass had jsut taken.

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Frost frowned at Rhys, who appeared to be enjoying himself way too much. The creatures they were facing were not worthy of being called creatures of darkness. That could only mean the Tach was facing the Seelie sidhe, something he considered with regret. Essus was also probably disappointed too since he had hoped to take the thing alive.