Rebirth And Second Chances 85 Trial's End.

Inexorably their attention was drawn to the Elder a.s.semblage. Ignoring the contest that continued between Blayney and Haygan, Una refused to respond to the questions and uncertainty of her children. She would not allow herself to relax her battle intent and stand down.

But she would not act first.

The next move would be the Elders, and they were now aware of the extent she and hers were willing to go. If they would act, her body language suggested the next group of individuals that might need to confront the ravages of the curse were the Elders themselves.

The Elders were not idiots, they would not have survived long enough, schemed well enough to gain their positions if they were. They realized that the decision to sabotage the trail by capturing Blayney's supporters had escalated the confrontation to the next level, a level that included dire consequences for both sides. They knew that what would happen next was entirely in their hands.

"Una," one of the Elders began stepping forward, "there is no need to continue this fight. We would reach a settlement."

"Really? I find it interesting," Una replied, "your previous silence and outward support of Haygan suggests otherwise. I thought you and the other council members blind. Lacking in honor and devoid of any decency.

"I don't believe for a moment that you were not aware of Haygan's treachery. You were complicit in his schemes to sell members of this settlement to Seelie. You enabled his l.u.s.t for power and greed. You stood back and allowed a rightful challenge to be corrupted by those that would interfere in Belisama's trial, that is if you weren't the ones that planned and instigated the corruption.
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"The corruption in this community has spread too deep. I am not sure that the settlement can be saved. And if it can, I'm not sure it should be. Even those that did not partic.i.p.ate in this insane attempt to hold hostage those that Blayney most cherished, they still refused to voice concern at actions taken here today.

"I wonder how pleased Belisama will be if she Awakens to find how far from the path of Peace-brokers some of her Kelpie have traveled?"

Her words seemed to affect those who had hidden or sought protection harshly. Their guilt was obvious, but that emotion was quickly replaced and dismissed as resentment took hold. These people did not like having their faults broadcast, their complicity in evil exposed. It was no wonder none dared to greet Blayney and Una. Their return to the Herd forced these individuals to face the injustice and cruelty they supported.

"We will pay reparations," the Elder offered.

"Reparations?" Una sneered.

"You had us chained with enchanted silver. The pain as the metal burned our flesh and we healed those wounds in an endless cycle was relentless.

"Our abilities, other than healing, had been denied us. Even our children were forced to remain in animal form. Thom would have created a stable of Kelpie for no greater purpose than to claim owners.h.i.+p and mastery over other Sidhe. To prove the Seelie belief that we are nothing better than beasts of burden.

"You and your petty plots, your refusal to allow the natural cycle and transition of power, weakened all of us.

"The G.o.ddess Belisama transformed and gifted us the skills of combat to make us strong. So that we would never again have to bend the knee or become beasts of burden to the Seelie or Unseelie.

"And you and your council. Haygan and his jealousies, you saw fit to abandon all that she had gifted us.

"You want this to end?

"Fine.

"Convince Haygan to surrender.

"I will intervene and stay Blayney's revenge.

"Haygan will live. But he and those that were instrumental in helping him devise and execute this plot will be sent to Great Lord Duer de Belisama. Let him decide what punishment this madness deserves."

Her words seemed to shock the Elders more than the curse had. I had no idea who Great Lord Duer was, but the name suggested he was royal Kelpie, and tied to Belisama by blood and legacy.

"Irvin," I whispered, "how can Una change the rules of the challenge and stop the fight? Blayney and Haygan agreed to a death match."

"Blayney and Una are bonded companions. True mates. They speak with one voice," Irvin explained.

"He would trust and honor any agreement she might reach during the course of the battle. As for Lord Haygan? The Elders might believe they have the authority and ability to coerce his bonded companion to agree to the terms mother has demanded."

"The ability for a bonded companion to set aside challenge is allowed?" I asked.

"It is. Belisama would prefer negotiation and arbitration to combat. She would never create an environment that did not allow for parties to step back from the brink of what she considers insanity."

"Your terms are refused," one of the Elders who to this moment had remained silent, answered. "There is no benefit in submitting our entire Herd to this vendetta."

"Vendetta?" Una sneered.

"You think our actions are a vendetta?

"You are a fool.

"Blayney would destroy you root and branch, in order to tear out the corruption that seems to have invaded our friends and family.

"Vendetta? No this isn't a vendetta, this is surgery. We will excise this cancer, this evil that has grown here, and leave either a healthy patient or a dead one," Una declared.

Turning she, and those who supported her, returned our attention to the fight that had been continuing in the Water arena, it was hard to tell who was winning. The water was stained pink with blood, cloudy almost to the point of obscuring the partic.i.p.ants completely. The notion was frightening, the amount of blood loss necessary to stain that much water was prodigious.

I was frequently surprised that Blayney was able to compete on what seemed a level playing field. He was a Ranked Knight, level 3. Unless Haygan had been awarded a courtesy t.i.tle as part of the fiat granted to him for this colony, he was a Ranked Lord. I wasn't sure how the Kelpie government worked, but I had a.s.sumed it was similar to Seelie and one had to have the Rank in order to claim the t.i.tle.

And if Haygan was a Ranked Lord, he should have been able to defeat Blayney handily. Even if it was difficult, the power difference should have allowed him to win by attrition if not outright might. That didn't appear to be the case.

The wounds that Haygan was taking continued to increase, not fully healing before a new set were created. Blayney's ability to use his claws as well as his teeth was allowing him to inflict substantially more damage during each engagement.

It was possible that the difference in Rank existed, but Blayney's expertise in shapes.h.i.+fting was allowing him to ignore Rank. Haygan was slowing down, becoming warier. He stopped rus.h.i.+ng in, trying to enfold Blayney in coils of flesh, as he learned that attack only opened his under-belly to claws willing to gouge. But slowing the speed of engagement only gave Blayney time to renew spent energies, to regain stamina for the next engagement.

Blayney's next attack opened a gash that seemed to run half-way the length of Haygan's body and had already spilled out intestines. The image of the body trying to re-absorb and re-distribute those organs, while healing the wound was nauseating. I had to force the bile back, swallowing frequently, taking deep breaths to keep my stomach from rebelling.

Watching the battle between others, I learned, was much different than engaging. When you fought, your mind didn't have the ability to notice the small nuances of gore and viscera that splattered the surroundings. The smells or metal as blood filled the air, the sound of flesh tearing.

For the most part, those things had been contained within the Water arena.

Except battle had not remained contained within the Arena.

Battle had been forced upon those Blayney sought to avenge and protect. The effects of the curse had left the ground littered with body parts. And the smells, as the challenge continued, the odoriferous contaminants of flesh and blood, s.h.i.+t and p.i.s.s, added to the destruction we witnessed.

There was no error in judgment. No feint that was missed. Blayney was just better than Haygan. Maybe it was his youth. Or his desperation. Or his fury that fueled his battle l.u.s.t. But his attacks became surer and harder as the fight progressed.

As Blayney noticed wounds heal slower. Haygan's reaction speed faltered, became just a second slower. Blayney instead calculated. He adapted, he learned. He had discovered as the battle progressed just how much force was required to create a wound, and the precision and depth of that wound would be controlled until finally, he was ready.

I was unprepared for the savagery of his final attack. The raw emotion he exuded as his claws raked across Haygan's throat. The depth and barbarity of the strike instantly rupturing and destroying the esophagus, trachea, and jugulars.

Blood that had flowed and spilled before was as nothing compared to the torrential gush as Haygan's heart pumped and his body worked to heal and replace lost blood and flesh. Eyes widened in shock and pain, Haygan transformed back to his humanoid form, hands reaching to clasp his throat. Hoping to staunch his life's blood.

The transformation was not smooth. He didn't have the energy or magic to transition seamlessly. Instead, he was caught between. A monstrous version of Blayney's blended perfection. As his vision dimmed, I wondered if he had time for an epiphany. If he experienced the same moment before true death that I had experienced, where his past deeds were reviewed. And if he had, what eschatology his vision afforded him.

If Belisama was awaiting to pa.s.s judgment, then the punishment for this life may be extreme.

[Quest Complete: You have protected 11/11 Kelpie foals]

[Rewards - New Retainer - Kelpie Commoner Irvin]