The First Age

Torrents of Power gushed through Aiden’s being, threatening to rip him to shreds. He maintained an uneasy hold on the energy that he commanded. When had he been able to hold this much of the violent, explosive Light? He felt like he had been playing a game of leapfrog, surprising even himself as to where he landed. Nox had warned him of over-drawing. It could kill you… if you were lucky.

Can’t let go yet, Aiden thought with gritted teeth. Despite his better judgment, he had torn down the wall separating Sage from them. It was clear the snakes had no interest in his boyfriend, and Jaxen seemed to be surprised at the amount of Light Aiden could wield. That had been enough for Aiden to give in to Sage’s protests. Aiden had been practicing with Nox whenever he had had a spare moment - before the fallout at the mansion, at least. He was not particularly skilled at fighting, but he still carried on as if he were a storm.

Even so, a game of cat and mouse did not need an atomic missile, so he closed the proverbial dam ever so slightly and checked himself mentally. Calm down, Aiden, you’re not Goku.

He was not trying to kill Jaxen, despite his apparent attempts. These snakes wanted a show. So, he would make up every pretense at one. True they had a mandate set forth, but they never said kill. Simply that one would be worthy. A man could best another without taking their life. Would not besting Jaxen mean that Aiden was worthy? If he could draw first blood – or perhaps even bind Jaxen in place – surely that would be enough?

Aiden had never been particularly good with Air. True, he could pick things up and float them along or throw up a wall, but grabbing a moving target was a completely different beast. Aiden tossed fireballs at Jaxen, intentionally skewing his aim. The flaming orbs crashed harmlessly into the stone floor and dissolved into puffs of smoke. Jaxen rolled back onto his feet and Aiden wove Air just so. Tendrils formed in the space between them, darting out to the other man.

Suddenly, Sage was standing in Jaxen’s place. Aiden faltered and the tendrils halted as if frozen in time.

Aiden half turned to check that Sage was still on the edge of the field as if on instinct. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw the Light flare and altered his weave of tendrils. He turned his head back to Jaxen and saw gray spikes of stone caught in the newly made web of Air. A sloppy lattice of light crowded the space between them, visible only to those that held on to the Light. Aiden smirked and dropped the weave, the spikes going down along with it.

 A spear of flame appeared in Aiden’s hand. He tied off the weave and let the Light drain from his being. He panted, the color draining slightly from the world. His body fell into stance, as if by rote, and Aiden had the strangest sense of déjà vu.

The snake people appeared in his mind’s eye, coming after him with Gods behind them, hurling lighting and commanding the very hills on which they stood. The sky was on fire and a great, winged beast soared overhead as blood fed the ground. He held a spear of light in his hands and had an army at his back.

Aiden shook his head.

Jaxen stood yards away, still wearing Sage’s face. Aiden felt himself growling despite himself. The spear was hot on his flesh, but it did not burn no matter how greedily it licked at Aiden’s palm. He exhaled again and reminded himself that he was not on a battlefield, whatever that had been would be the subject for another night. He sighed again.

“Conjure a weapon, Jaxen. Drop the mask,” he hollered over the distance, “We fight till first blood.”

That would have to be good enough for the snakes.

Sage stumbled forward as the wall of air dissolved in front of him. But the battle raged on. Feats of power unlike he'd seen before. And he'd seen a lot with Nox as a friend. Jaxen was good with the illusion if the Cabaret were any source of judgment, seeing his own face mocking Aiden made Sage angry. Why fight at all?

He wasn't an idiot, as much as he wanted to stop the fight between them getting in the middle of things would only make his life forfeit. "You two are idiots." Sage yelled. "You fight for what. Trinkets. I thought better of you both. At least before Jaxen, you never tried to kill a man. It was for the sport, the game of it, but never to kill, maim, and murder. And you Aiden." Sage hung his head and shook it, his long mop of hair swaying in the motion before he looked up. "And for what. To entertain a bunch of cowards? Who decided that instead of fighting you themselves they'd pit you against one another. Maybe they are the ones that should be running. Maybe instead of fighting you turn your combined force on our captors. Or better yet you try your fucking words."

Sage stayed off to the side of the arena but he moved so he could see the oh holy snake thing that spoke to start this whole fucking thing. "You see. This is why they hunt you. Why they hunt them. This is why man eradicated you from their existence." Sage dug into Nox's documents even as he spoke. His stores weren't large on his wallet but still it was his to access. His own personal library of myths and legends. What he wouldn't do for Aurora right now. "You hide in the shadows. The Atharim barely believe you exist, but I see you. I will send them after you. I know where they can find you. These reborn gods the world is so afraid of nothing in comparison to what is out there. You want to watch the world burn in here. Fine. But the Atharim will come."

While Aiden’s spear was quite intimidating, Jaxen preferred to fight with different weapons. “You don’t seem to mind attacking this face. Maybe you don’t love me as much as you think you do,” he taunted with a hurt look on the fake face. Light or no light, it takes a cold heart to slaughter the image of your beloved.

He stepped backward. Even from the distance, the spear’s heat was felt. When a flicker of fear touched the fake-Sage’s face, it wasn’t entirely falsified.

He had to get his shit together. For one thing, he didn’t enjoy the sight of blood. For another, he really didn’t enjoy the sight of his own. Weapon ideas ran through his mind. Jaxen definitely wasn’t John White who pocketed knives like Jaxen carried condoms. A knife would be useless against a spear. What else was there? Sword. Crossbow. Spikes. Guns. Could you even use the ancient power to create a gun? What would that even look like?

He shook his head. None of those would work. They were too literal. Literal weapons. Jaxen’s strength was elsewhere. His sly gaze briefly studied the spear’s construction. Beneath the shaft was pulses of light – now is not the time to joke about pulsing shafts. The tip was hardened. goddamn it, focus It would definitely do some damage if it got close, Seriously that’s not even funny.

He knew he could maintain the illusion of a fake Sage, but when he swiped Aiden’s smirk off his face, he wanted to do it as himself.

The real Jaxen returned, although just to make himself appear grander, because why not, his attire was lengthened to some sort of scaled armor, little plates of light that gleamed blue-purple-green at the turn of the eye. A copy of Aidens’ spear spun to life. Except when Jaxen attacked, a blue pulse of fiery energy lasered toward his combatant. It would probably be deflected, but it was cool as hell.

Spears clashed, and right away, Jaxen was glad for the fake-armor. Aiden’s movements were a blur, and Jaxen was clearly outmatched.

Jaxen dropped the mask and Aiden nodded coldly. The man’s clothing shifted and warped into something out of a video game. Was that suppose to scare Aiden? He had seen the man use an Illusion weave countless times before and this was no different. A copy of Aiden’s spear followed suit and he could only roll his eyes.

“They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Aiden said with a mock-bow. His spear was thrust out to meet the other man’s in an instant. Flashes of blue and white light flared across Aiden’s vision as the flaming shafts collided. Any outside observer could quickly tell that neither had practiced a day in their life. Still, Aiden felt a very slight reflex in his muscles as he blocked Jaxen’s blows. The spear almost felt natural. Almost.

They continued on in that manner for a time before a voice broke through Aiden’s focus.

Sage.

“You two are idiots!” Sage yelled.

Aiden staggered and barely recovered with a block to his left.

Sage kept yelling at them, his words cutting through Aiden’s focus like silk. Every word was true, but despite that, Sage did not get it. The snake fellows had quite literally led them all into an arena that looked to be modeled after the Colosseum in Rome. Who else was going to fight? Not Sage. Absolutely not Sage.

“And for what. To entertain a bunch of cowards?” Sage kept on.

Any other time Aiden would have taken the same course, but could Sage not see? They were not on Earth. They may not even be in their own dimension. Wherever they were, they were at the mercy of these snakes.

Aiden had seen one too many movies, read one too many books to know that they had to play along if they were to survive. They had to play by the rules set forth, but they had to find a way to operate outside those rules. And so, they fought.

“You see. This is why they hunt you.” Sage proclaimed.

That is why Aiden had to win. He could ensure that they all lived. He could disarm Jaxen or knock him out or – something ­– that would result in Aiden being the winner by default. Surely that would be enough. Surely. Aiden did not trust Jaxen to do the same.

Sage kept right on, but Aiden no longer heard him. The weight of the slitted eyes began to press upon him as he danced with Jaxen Marveet upon a dirt-covered floor. Ice formed at the base of Aiden’s spine and gooseflesh rose across his limbs, the eyes still staring – not even blinking. It was as if they were gazing into Aiden. It felt wrong.

“You want to watch the world burn in here.” Sage’s voice broke through.

Aiden faltered.

Jaxen’s spear caught at Aiden’s left arm, flame slicing clean through a small bit of cloth and flesh. A puff of smoke and a sharp scent caught in the air as Aiden stifled a gasp. He pulled his own spear tight across his chest and gave a full-bodied shove, sending Jaxen sliding back a pace.

“Fine. But the Atharim will come.” Sage said.

Aiden pulled himself up and whipped his body to the side, gazing down at his left arm. No blood. The wound had been caused by flame. Cauterization? Aiden thought hazily. It hurt like a bitch, but he still seemed to have no trouble with his left arm. He looked up to Jaxen, who hadn’t a scratch on him. Aiden shook his head, trying to regain his focus.

Sage’s words echoed and he was met with an inhuman hissing noise from the crowd. Aiden turned his head to check on Sage and saw some of the snakes on the dais begin to rise, staring at Sage and issuing forth the guttural sound. Aiden felt his body turn toward them instinctually, all thoughts of Jaxen fleeing.

“I’d sit back down,” Aiden called out to the rising snakes. The haze across his mind retreating slightly, Aiden took a step towards the dais. The flame of his spear seemed to intensify slightly, blue flames flaring where skin met shaft.

Slitted eye shifted back to Aiden and more bodies rose in attention.

Sage proved to be a distraction in the end. Though it was through none of Jaxen’s machinations.

The boyfriend's ramblings struck some kind of nerve in Aiden. Just enough that Jaxen took the opening when he saw it. He swung the stupid spear with all his might, but brute force wasn’t Jaxen’s cup of tea. He hit something fleshy and cringed at the sensation of possibly having severed Aiden’s arm from his shoulder. Next thing he knew, he was tossed backward. The back of his head knocked against the floor and the ceiling warped. His head throbbed and as soon as he started to push up, the room rocked uneasy. He should have channeled a helmet for himself, he thought. Next time. A freaking concussion wasn’t on his list today, but neither was dying. Aiden was a little too good; and it would take only a moment to disarm him. He made himself look around.

Only to find Aiden enthralled with the audience instead. Who were they even rooting for? Had Sage taunted too much? As much as that guy irritated Jaxen, he didn’t want to watch the bulge of his body swallowed by these slithering throats. No god or man should be buried in the belly of those bastards.

Aiden’s back was turned. Jaxen climbed to his knees, armored scales having broken here and there in bits where he’d hit the ground.

With a heft of the spear, he pulled back and flung it at his rival’s back.

[[ooc: sorry don't have much to contribute so I'll make a short post here ]]

Very little got through. The crowd started hissing. Jaxen took advantage of Aiden's distraction. Sage didn't have any means of helping his voice was almost raw from yelling trying to get these people to see their insanity. When the spear let loose Sage yelled at the top of his lungs. Aiden! His single word dying out as his voice broke from the strain -- probably the last thing he needed after the surgury he'd undergone only a short time ago.

“I will burn this entire dimension to embers and ash if any of you even take half of a step towards my boyfriend!” Aiden bellowed. He raised his spear to point at the creature on the dais and continued on, “Sage is right! You brought us here for what? This? Get a fucking television.”

The slitted eyes bore down on Aiden, and he returned their stares with the fiercest expression he could muster. His mind was all but clear now that he was talking and thinking. Would threats even work here? It was a risk, but they had to take it. For all Aiden knew, Sage was telling the truth. The Atharim archives were extensive – if Nox was to be believed. They most certainly had a file on these snake people. Would they be able to get into this realm, though?

For half a moment, Aiden almost wished for the Atharim to burst into this realm with their guns blazing. He knew, however, that such an event would only end with his own assured death. Best not to get the Atharim involved. Could these snakes harness the Power, though? Aiden felt no resonance with them, but then, he had only felt it once or twice before with Nox. There was nothing with Jaxen, and he had used the Power more than a handful of times around Aiden. It would be a simple thing to weave a few dozen bolts of air and hurl them through the skulls of the assembly and then – what?

As the thought came to him, Aiden noticed that many of the slitted eyes in the room drifted past him and to the back of the arena. Sage also whipped his head to look past Aiden, screaming his name as his gaze settled upon Jaxen who was no doubt getting back up from the fall he took.

A pressure began to push at the center of Aiden’s forehead, boring deep into his skull. It throbbed as if something was trying to push out through the skin and into the atmosphere. His pulse quickened as his heart began to race. The Power was a raging torrent inside of him, but he knew – somehow – this feeling had nothing to do with that. He spun around quickly, spear arm reflexively springing out and knocking back the spear that Jaxen had whipped at his back.

A deafening clap reverberated throughout the chamber as spear met spear; Jaxen’s flying off to the side and dissipating unceremoniously into nothing. Aiden’s head felt like it was going to explode as the pressure built at the center of his forehead. He let out an animalistic roar as the pain began to build quickly; Aiden's vision became clouded and his eyes rolled up into his head. Light exploded from him as the scream issued forth, blinding everyone in the room.

Time stood still.

The light flickered three times and then receded just as quickly as it had come - and for the briefest moment, Aiden was not Aiden. A man of seven feet in height was standing in his place. The stranger had a long, golden mane and amber eyes. He wore strange clothing in shades of red and orange. The top half of the man’s face was hidden behind a golden mask worked into the image of a gleeful Sun. Countless necklaces of uncut citrine and rubies dangled from his neck as he held the spear out towards Jaxen.

“IT IS DONE,” bellowed the Stranger before the image faded completely. Aiden was left standing in the same exact position, his spear of flames still pointed at Jaxen. His pulse had returned to normal and the pressure at his forehead had completely dissipated. His face holding the same hardened expression as the Stranger.

Aiden walked towards Jaxen, seemingly unaware of the transformation that had just taken place; spear still pointed at the man. He continued on as if uninterrupted, slowly marching towards his opponent. As he came to stand above Jaxen, he let the spear dissipate completely – leaving an outstretched hand in its place.

“I’m sorry I got carried away,” Aiden said as he offered his hand to help Jaxen up.

“IT IS DONE!” The snakes all intoned at once, leaving goosebumps across Aiden’s limbs. “WE ARE THE NEAR ANCIENT, THE WARRIORS OF FINAL REGRET, THE KNOWERS OF SECRETS. THE ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES THE PLIGHT OF TWO GODS. THE ASSEMBLY RECOGNIZES THE VICTORY OF THE KING OF THE TUATH DE. THE ASSEMBLY RELINQUISHES TWO TREASURES TO THE VICTOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPACT OF DANU. CLAIM YOUR BIRTHRIGHT AND BEGONE FROM OUR SIGHT.”

Aiden felt his eyebrows rise as he looked about at the snake people, speaking perfectly in unison. The dais began to shake and move backward, a brilliant light pouring forth from the spot on the floor that it had begun to move back from. Aiden’s hand dropped before he could help Jaxen up. An eerie sense of déjà vu overtook him as he felt himself moving towards the glowing light.

As the dais settled into its new position, the light began to fade. Aiden found himself staring down into a hole of stone and soil. At the bottom of it all sat an exquisite sword in its bejeweled scabbard and a long, elegant spear. Aiden’s eyes fell upon the spear, and he felt that same pressure in his forehead begin to rise. Without thought, he grabbed the spear from its spot at the base of the hole. A jolt of the Power flooded through Aiden and the image of the Stranger filled his mind. He felt the unmistakable traces of Fire and Earth emanating from the Spear.

Time stood still as Aiden looked upon the spear that he now held and he heard one single name whispered in his mind, “Lugh.”

The spear clattered aside, swatted by Aiden’s swing. Then the man somehow expanded. Jaxen’s slack jaw was genuine, even as his neck craned backward. It wasn’t an illusion. Not the kind of warping that Jaxen might have sewn. Light burst forth from the enormous body. Had Had Aiden truly grown in stature or had Jaxen shrunk to the size of a worm? It was probably the concussion, but Jaxen quivered despite himself. He hid his eyes beneath the shelter of his arm and screamed in pain. Or maybe defiance. The chanting of the snake-song rung in his ears and Aiden’s proclamation pounded his already hurt head. The voices curled like slithering tongues into his brain. Their hissing snapped upon something old and vulnerable. He wanted shout, but he found himself squeezing the sides of his head like a vice as if it might withstand the pressure of those taunting sounds. He was beaten body and spirit, and worse, he just wanted it over. He wanted to yield. I yield! I yield! he said to himself, then, shaking, looked up to find the extended hand of his enemy offering peace.

“I’m sorry I got carried away,”

Aiden was his normal self again. The blinding light had fallen. His eyes darted around the body of the winner, wide and suspicious of those behind. The motion of grabbing Aiden’s hand dislodged more scales of the illusionary armor, until he had the wherewithal enough to recall the flow and send it to the abyss. They faded and Jaxen was likewise himself, albeit paler and much more disheveled than his usual devilish self.

The two combatants were frozen by the proclamation that followed. He didn’t understand many of the words and names, but the title of king was clear. It viced his heart all the more bitter as his gaze took in Aiden’s profile.

He followed Aiden to the hole that opened, wondering if this would be the pit into which he was tossed, locked, and abandoned. But instead, a glimmer and power wafted like a scent he could taste.

Aiden snatched a weapon a hundred times more grand than the spears they previously wielded. But it was something a thousand times more beautiful that Jaxen’s frozen gaze devoured. Aiden was understandably entranced by the spear. The snakes held their place and the raucous of before was disturbingly gone. He licked his lips and wondered if they would charge him if he lunged for the sword. Better to react second than think first, he realized, and quickly scrambled for the hilt before anyone realized that he was taking it.

The moment he grabbed the hilt, strange words twisted on the mind that he could not decipher. The images of gnashing teeth, snarling saliva and moribund wounds filled his mouth with the taste of bloody violence. If he was connected to this sword, it was distant as a witness to its legendary power like a father connected to the deeds of a son. It radiated power in a way that made the narwhal tusk confiscated from his apartment like a child’s toy.

He looked at Aiden with a sense of awe. Whatever truce settled between them seemed to return to their default state like the bloodlust of before had been a passing anomaly. Finally, it was the serpentine form of a feminine Naga that approached. Jaxen protected his prize as Ethelinda came forth, but rather than abduct the relic, she shook out the hoods of her head and a portal appeared.

Everything happened so quickly. Sage stared in awe. He had no idea what was going on. Sage saw the portal open. The outside world streamed through the opening and Sage didn't hesitate. He ran to the portal and through stumbling into the open air and the internet connected and Sage felt a rush of information flowing to his brain. He dropped to his knees and let it flow through him. Nothing he saw could be explained, but the moment he found the connection he reconnected with his backups and stored the memories and information to study later. He couldn't process it now.

Being back on the main land -- home on Earth Sage lost what little he'd had in his stomach. Being away from his power of information was sickening to his stomach. He knew it was withdrawal... but that changed nothing.

Sage ran towards Ethelinda as she opened up the portal. Aiden held up a hand to stop him, but Sage practically dove through the opening. Instead, Aiden brought the hand over to Jaxen’s shoulder and guided him through – the man clutching at the sword that Aiden forsook. He made a mental note of the strange sense of calm that had come over him since taking the spear in hand. The thing just felt right in his hands. Aiden said nothing to the woman as he followed Jaxen through – although her eyes seemed to follow them.

They were deposited back into the real world, although Aiden noticed it was not into the chamber that they had left the world in. Indeed, if Aiden was not mistaken, the snake people hadn’t even brought them back to the Giant’s Causeway. The stone standing before them was evidence enough of that.

The Lia Fáil had stood upon the Hill of Tara since time immemorial and had long been rumored to have come to Ireland because of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Aiden found himself staring at that very stone with a renewed sense of wonder. It was about 3 feet tall in height and rather unremarkable. The stone was one of the four treasures of Ireland. Aiden held another in his hand.

Who would have guessed? Aiden mused to himself.

A loud retching pulled Aiden from his thoughts. Sage had emptied his stomach a few paces off to the left. Aiden, still carrying his spear, walked over to his boyfriend, and helped him as best he could. A green handkerchief appeared in his right hand as he dabbed at the spittle and bile that had remained on the other man’s lips.

“Might not be the best time for bad news, boys, but it does appear that we are three hours south of the Causeway,” Aiden said loud enough for Jaxen to hear, “I can hire a car to bring us back to Belfast just as soon as we’ve all stabilized ourselves a little.”

---

The Spear of Lugh