03-05-2022, 02:42 AM
“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 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.”
Russian Dolls and Broken Gods, a new Fantasy novel by best-selling author, Aiden Finnegan, out this December! Preorder online and instore today!