Chaos Lives in Everything - 44. Chapter 44

Samhein: “Patience, Skold. What I’m about to tell you is information that you will not be able to find in any book. This is something that very few fae today know. Anyway, where was I. Yes, moving on. What I’m trying to say is that just as the mortals are inferior-we elves are the closest to humans genetically-to us we are inferior to our cousins.”

Skold: “You’re saying that we come from something else?”

For a moment there was the cracke of static and then: “...you hold the proof in your hands. That is the blood of an Atnncei, which in the human tongue means Ancient. Before us they walked the earth, in fact they created it.”

Skold: “It was the spirits of Vahalla that created the earth, that created us.”

Samhein: “Then who do you think created Vahalla my dear friend? The spirits walked the earth as we once did. They once lived and breathed as you and I are breathing right now. Who do you think created them? Almost everything in this world comes from something, was created by something. But all things come from the Atnnceis. In the end it is them that we should be worshipping, not the spirits of Vahalla.”

Skold: “So if the Atnnceis roamed the earth as we once did and they created us then what happened to us.”

Another interfering crackle of static and then: “...outside of time and space in the cosmos. I imagine like the spirits of Vahalla they are beings of energy without form. I imagine that like most children do with their parents, we revolted against them, killed them, banished them. There are seven Atnnceis that I know of. Crrtea, Sneodiutc, Cshoa, Iegcnnor, Peecsntail, Gerca, and Ksinsden.”

Skold: “How do you know all of this?”

Samhein: “How do you think? It was Paladin and I that discovered it, quite by accident of course. We were over in Scotland. I guess you could say we were taking a vacation. It was in the Ben Nevis mountains that we discovered a cave that led deep underground, beneath the mountain into the earth. That was where we found the tomb of Peecsntail. His body lays there even now, somehow preserved. He was quite a gruesome creature as most fae are.”

Skold: “Pestilance.”

Samhein: “Yes. Paladin and I made sure that the cave was hidden so that no one can ever find it. In your hand you hold a vial of Peecsntail’s blood. It is from that blood that the Black Death comes from. It is that blood that causes terrible mutations much like the ones you saw in Bane’s lair.”

Skold shut off the tape recorder. “I think I have given you a sufficient amount of evidence.”

Aurora no longer looked composed but frightened. “I always thought that the Atnnceis were myths, stories made up by the ancestors of my ancestors. They’re actually real…”

“He was just telling you that to distract you, buy himself time,” Sebastian said, shifting in his seat.

“So then you agree that I’m innocent?” Skold said loftily.

Sebastian’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red. Before he could admonish Skold a voice said, “Skold is telling you the truth.”

Everyone turned to look at the person that had spoken. Annabelle, the seer stood in front of the double doors that led out of the chamber. “I too vouch for Skold.”

“What is the meaning of this, seer?” Sebastian spat nastily. “Your kind lie, cheat, and kill more than any species of our race.”

“I have seen the future,” Annabelle said steadily. Her voice was ernest, urgent. “I have seen what will happen if Samhein is not stopped from carrying out his plan. I will show you. Everyone join me in a circle and hold hands.”

Everyone including the three judges gathered around in a circle formation conjoined hands. When Rebecca tried to join the circle the seer shook her head at her. “Not you, girl. I’m sorry but what we are doing is too dangerous for a human. It would most likely kill you and if it didn’t kill you it would drive you insane.”

Rebecca did not argue but stepped back and watched anxiously.

“Close your eyes and prepare yourself,” the seer did.

Skold obeyed and the moment he did it felt as if his brain was liquifying in his skull, as if his entire body was on fire. Somewhere in the maddening pain that filled his head he heard the seer’s voice as if she was whispering in his ear.

The future that I am about to show you is just one of the many futures that I have seen. It is one card in a deck of playing cards. Do you understand?

Yes, Skold said. He had spoken with his thoughts, not his mouth. His mouth had not moved. He couldn’t feel his body.

Do you believe that there are worst things than Samhein, that Bane?

Yes.

Samhein is just one battle that you will have to face. There are many battles ahead of you. There will be a lot of pain and a lot of death. But first you must focus on Samhein. In two nights if you do not stop him, what I have shown you will come to pass.

I understand.

Suddenly he was standing on top of the mountain that had haunted his dreams for the last six centuries. Only instead of the village that he was so accustomed to seeing was his home city, Roc City. He could see the city in its entired, a 3D replica of buildings, and skyscapers and city streets. The streets were full of dead bodies, both human and fae. Men, women, and children. Their skin was grey and reeking of decay. He could smell it from where he stood.

In the future his beloved city would be come a grave yard of death. And beyond that he could see the city of New York, of London and Japan. He could see a thousand smaller cities and towns. It was far worse than Paladin’s plague had been. No one would be safe. There would no place to run and hide, no place to wait out the storm. Skold felt frightened, a fright that was so strong that he wanted to cower away from it, to turn around and run. The fear he felt now was far worse than the fear he had felt with Bane.

His head felt as if someone had taken an axe and cut it in half like a ripe water melon. He was sure that he was dead or just seconds away from dead. He opened his mouth once and screamed.

And then he knew no more.

Sometime later he awoke to find Dom sitting on the edge of a bed that he didn’t recognize. He watched the relief wash over Dominyc’s face and realized that the much larger elf had been scared that he might not wake up at all.

“Where are we?” Skold asked.

“A hotel,” Dominyc rumbled. “It’s a rather nice, expensive hotel. There’s two rooms. Rebecca is in the other room asleep. She crashed. Probably exhausted, the poor girl.”

“What happened?”

Dom shook his head. “I heard you let out this scream. It the scream of someone dying. And then you just fainted. You were frozen, like a statue. I had to carry you out.”

“Did they make a verdict?”

“No. But I think the seer made sure that your name was cleared.”

Skold sat up. He was still completely dressed. “Did you see what I see? I saw the end of civilization as we know. Everyone dead, animals, mortals, fae. Samhein won’t be able to recreate Paladin’s kingdom because there won’t be anything left to rule.”

“I saw it,” Dom said solemnly. “I wish I could unsee it. Everyone I care about was dead. Poor Rebecca, Candestine... and...” His voice wavered for a moment. “You. You were dead too.” He laid his massive head in Skold’s lap. “If you died I would not have any reason to live.”

Skold ran his hands through Dom’s coarse hair and ponytail. “Nonsense. You’ve lived twice as long as I have. Compared to you I am nothing but an adolescent. You lived without me before and if it comes down to it you can live without me again.”

“No,” Dom rumbled. “Don’t say that. I belong to you. I am yours and yours only. Forever and always.”

“And I you,” Skold whispered. “Forever and always.”

Dom laughed; it sounded like tires grinding against gravel. “I thought Skold didn’t believe in ridiculous things in love.”

“The Skold that told you that was angry, bitter, and lost. He was in more pain then he was willing to admit. He was a fool. Come to bed with me. We have a long couple of days ahead of us.”

Dom stood up and undressed and then undressed Skold. Though the bed was a queen size it could barely hold the two of them since Dominyc took up most of the bed.

Skold turned out the light and allowed Dom to wrap his arms around him and hug him to his chest. The moment that they closed their eyes the two elves fell asleep.