I Am Ruined (TDA Lord of Shadows Sequel)

[ XXXIX ] Soul's Sacrifice

The sun was high in the sky already, shining at the edge of the field. It was only a matter of time before they had reached them, they knew that. But seeing the riders appear was still enough to raise a sense of terror in Julian's core. They were waiting for them, but knowing the time was coming did not make it any easier. He could feel the lack of power in his runes, the only one drawing any sort of charge being his parabatai rune. The riders were clad in golden armor, armed with weapons older than time. And they were vengeful, no mercy shining in their eyes. Kit, Ash, Emma, and Julian were back to back. The air seemed to shrink away from the eternal beings, fear hanging in the air. Ethna was standing among her brothers, eyes already trained on Emma. She would not forget the debt she was to pay, she had killed Fal. And the riders would not rest until she was dead.

"You have spent enough time fleeing your fate, no? No longer can you run from us, we are here to collect what you owe. Your life." Etarlam spoke with conviction, a shining broadsword at his side.

Eochaid had a longbow settled on his back, "We have been assigned to bring you to your knees, and as it is decreed by Mannan, we will not rest until it is done. Have you any last words?"

Emma lifted her chin, "Do you think we are going to surrender to you? Because we won't. We will never stop fighting, because that's what we do." She had Cortana braced in her hand, the familiar weight of it comforting.

Ethna scoffed, "You have an Angel's arrogance. It will be your demise. The Angel grants you no powers here now." Her eyes were scanning the group, but settled on Ash. "Ah, the Court calls to you, fair one. Do you answer its call?"

"I answer the call of justice, the Unseelie King seeks not justice but revenge. It is not the way." Ash deflected the question, his gloves had been pulled over his hands at some point. Julian did not know when.

"If the Court calls to you, then the Queen is dead, no?" Delan sounded intrigued, circling around the four of them. "Father will be pleased to know the cycle has turned. It has been many a century since the ruler has shifted."

"Father? The Unseelie King?" Kit asked, unable to help his curiosity.

The Riders all laughed in Unison, sounding like a choir of church bells; equally beautiful and haunting. "No, child. Mannan is our father. Deity of time and space. The Unseelie King is nothing more than a lowly servant of he."

"And yet you serve him?" Emma chided, "That's pretty pathetic, isn't if?"

If Emma had expected a rise out of them, she got nothing. Airmed shook his head solemnly, "You try and test us, girl, you will not succeed. Our duty it to Mannan and Mannan only, by aiding the King we are serving our world. If Mannan be, we may one day aid you, Seelie King."

Kit looked at Ash in surprise, "Seelie King? I thought there was always a Queen of the Seelie Court?"

Ash shook his head, "No, there may be either a King or Queen of the Seelie and Unseelie Realms. They are not elected, they are chosen by the Court itself."

"Ah, the Unseelie Queen – She was a lovely women, hundreds of years ago. Cruel as night, she was." Delan seemed to remember it fondly, a vile smile spreading across his face.

Ethna was growing impatient, "Enough of this idle chatter, if you align yourselves with the Nephilim, young King, you will be destroyed alongside them. What is your choice?"

All the riders looked to Ash, eagerness in their golden eyes. He did not shrink under their gaze, he stood straight as an arrow with weapons drawn, "I align myself with no beings that aim to bring darkness and death to this world. So I will not align myself with you."