Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Fantasy

                          Chapter 9○Muirgen 
                                                 Ireland, 1915



      Muirgen ignored her brothers beckoning and continued to stomp down the beach, in the opposite direction of where Emmet had absconded, and cursed as she was doing so. Little fairies scurried out of her way as fast as they could, branches stayed clear of her face while the roots strayed from her feet. It was as if nature itself didn’t want to face Muirgen right now. The wind howled louder than usual though. That was to be expected with Cúchulainn around; the wind had finally been tamed by someone even more wild. 
      The snowy haired Caomhnóir finally found her favorite spot, a grassy area surrounded by black rocks that sat right by the sea. Her mother used to sit here and create beautiful necklaces and bracelets, sometimes even crowns, while humming and singing to Muirgen and Ronan when they were younger. Muirgen thought back on all the times her mother danced here, rested here with her children, greeted the twins father on occasion as well; all while being beautiful while doing so. Her blue-black hair fell passed her knees, her dark brows and lashes complimented her pale face, she had the same blue eyes as the twins and she always smiled. 
      The thought of her mother finally broke Muirgen’s resentful expression and allowed the tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally crash down her face. Her body rocked with sobs and gasps of air, Muirgen hugged herself and cried until her throat felt sore and her eyes dried up; she was just moaning softly now as she traced designs made by frost into the rocks beside her. Just then a sound could be heard from behind the tree line.

      Snap. Snap. Snap.

      Muirgen sat up and furrowed her brows, she tied her hair up in a messy ponytail and stood up. She squinted her eyes to get a better look but it did nothing to enhance her sight. Muirgen crept forward slowly, she tread lightly and moved like snowfall; quiet and dainty. She heard the sound again and stopped instantly.

      Snap. Snap snap. Snap.

      The Caomhnóir made her way towards the sound at a quicker pace. The snapping continued as she walked but now it sounded as if the noise came from all around her. She stopped and looked around.
      Muirgen stood on the edge a clearing that is surrounded by trees and gawked at what sat in the middle of the meadow, only twenty feet in front of her. The snapping continued but what Muirgen had thought was twigs was something more gruesome.

      The creature was kneeling in an odd angle, it was slim and crooked. It was pure black. As black and shiny as onyx. Its back was facing her but its head was cocked to the side. No. Its neck was crooked and its head was bobbing out of something laying on the ground in a heap, wet disgusting sounds came from its mouth. Muirgen looked closer and saw that it was a body of a forest nymph with fiery red hair. 
      Her eyes were fixed in Muirgen’s direction but they held no signs of life lurking there. Her mouth was moving in soft and slow movements as her body seized slightly under the grasp of the creature. Then realization dawned on the southern guardian. Muirgen couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She couldn’t comprehend the fact that although the nymph was alive she had no fight left. Her mouth wasn’t moving because she was shaking, she was asking Muirgen to kill her. 
      Muirgen’s hand shot to her mouth to stifle a scream and she took a step back. Her hand was reaching for the small trident charm hanging on her hip, it would grow into a full length weapon once she broke the chain. She hesitated.
      Snap. The Nymphs ribs broke. Snap! There goes her left arm. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. She was being ripped apart. Her golden blood seeped from her mouth and nose, her supernatural glow slowly faded away; her skin looked gray and her hair became dull. A trail of tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at Muirgen. Muirgen lifted her hand and formed a large icicle above the nymphs paralyzed body then shot her hand down causing the icicle to impale her head. The nymph stopped moving and her body began to dissolve into golden dust. The creature noticed and shrieked as it tried to gobble up the dust in awkward and frantic movements. Then it stopped when it noticed Muirgen.

      Its face was the thing of nightmares. Its face was like the rest of its body, shiny and black but its features were androgynous. Hollow pools of golden light served as the creatures eyes, golden tears streamed down its unnaturally black face and dropped off its chin. The eyes bothered Muirgen the most, the way they burned with a divine light yet held so many more emotions. The creatures expression was that of a benevolent saint, like the paintings you see on prayer cards or in cathedrals. It stared down Muirgen with that same melancholic expression for a few more seconds before sprinting towards her at alarming speeds. 
     It’s mouth split open across its face and the creatures jaw unhinged. A bone chilling screech erupted from the creatures throat and slithered its way into Muirgen’s soul, shaking her to her core. The screech reverberated through every bone of the guardians body, it was a cry of anger yet there was something so sad about the way it cried out. It ran on all fours which made its already terrifying appearance seem more animalistic more…demonic. No matter how lively it’s eyes glowed or how devastating its screech was Muirgen knew she could not be captured by this thing. Not after what it did to that nymph. 
      Muirgen bent her knees and braced herself for a fight, she yanked her trident charm off her hip and it elongated into a six-foot length weapon. The knot designs engraved into the weapons shaft glowed a bright pale blue. Muirgen pointed it at the monster and dodged to the left just as it pounced, she summoned water to swell beneath her feet to carry her quickly to the other side of the meadow, she rose but kept eye contact with the sleek creature. Its head jerked up and its eyes bore into Muirgen’s, foam began to froth at its mouth.

      “You’re an ugly son of a bitch.” She hissed, the creatures eyes turned to slits. Muirgen thrusted her trident towards her enemy, water gushed out of the tip and crashed down on the creature in the form of ice. It dodged her attack but Muirgen didn’t need her trident to control water. 
      The Caomhnóir snapped her hand and shards of ice sprung up from the ground, impaling the inky body of the creature. It began violently thrashing its body against the ice, ripping part of its body in the process. Foam splattered everywhere but Muirgen saw no signs of bleeding. It screamed with pure loathing but it never stopped staring at her with those golden sockets. Muirgen twisted her hand and thrusted her trident, more ice appeared and shot through its body over and over. Finally it dissolved into nothing. Muirgen lowered herself onto the emerald grass and walked over to where the golden dust was scattered and said a prayer for the nymph.
      A sickly feeling began to creep up Muirgen’s spine, something wasn’t right. She turned her head and her eyes widened in horror. The creature was reforming. 

      “What…what are you?” Muirgen whispered. 

      Usually Muirgen would stay and continue to fight, it was her duty as the clans guardian to deal with things like this but something felt off. She felt as if her victory over the creature was too easy, as if this was just a test run. Before she could gawk at the regeneration progress of this monster anymore the Caomhnóir took off back into the forest. She wasn’t even to the beach yet when she heard the creature screaming behind her, its body crashing through trees and bushes with ease. Muirgen summoned the water again and barreled through the forest like a tsunami, she had to get to town. That was her only thought. It was safe there. Witches and druids walked about freely, fairies mingled with everyone, Ronan was there. He was there with the most legendary warrior of Ireland. She would be safe.
      Muirgen surged upward on her magical wave and rolled over the cliffs, the monster not far behind. She couldn’t believe at how fast this thing was, it terrified her and the screeching was not helping her anxiety. Every time it cried out Muirgen felt heartbroken but she had no idea why. When it screamed it wasn’t just trying to scare her, Muirgen felt as if it was trying to communicate. She felt like she was running from someone she knew. Someone she had once confided in, she started to slow down and turned her face to see the monster but something in her snapped her back to reality. Something told her to run and if she was to stop then she was going to have to face a wrath more terrible than the jaws of the creature. 
      So she kept going. She didn’t slow down, she didn’t look back she didn’t think. She just rocketed towards the town. That dark feeling that had attached itself to Muirgen’s spine grew faint as she approached the walls of the town. She yelled at those below her to get behind the safety of the walls, which they gladly obliged. Muirgen allowed herself to look back only when she felt safe. In the distance Muirgen saw the monster lurking past the field just behind the tree line. She stared it down until it finally disappeared into the forest. Her heart was pounding and her body was trembling with fear. 

      So many questions ran through her mind. What was that thing? What did it truly want? Why would it maul that nymph? How could it have reformed so easily? The question that rang the loudest in her head was; Are there more? Muirgen looked up at the sky but the clouds were still, the Gods were silent and everyone was staring at the small woman staring up at the sky for answers. One thing was certain, the Kings would have to gather, this wasn’t something the South could handle alone.