What is dead may live again.

~Arianrhod, Goddess of Rebirth and Fate

Light sparkled in the depths of a mystical pool of water, and like little bubbles, they rose toward the surface. Tiny ripples broke the still surface as hundreds of thousands of Fae exploded into the night sky like a sea of stars. It wasn’t a unique event, but it was rare.

A snow-white owl, the size of an enormous cat, perched on a branch and watched it all. Its vast eyes took in the scenic view and knew that it was almost time. Warily, its head swiveled, taking in the entire area, not just the pool of water.

The water churned once more, and deer antlers broke the surface first, followed by a massive bull’s head attached to a god sculpted body of muscle and mass. He wore a thin, sleeveless robe with a broad leather belt at his waist, cinching the cloth tightly to his body. The being sat in a lotus position upon a massive turtle several times larger than a person.

After climbing out of the water, Cernunnos stepped down from the sea turtle and bowed toward the ancient creature. “Lir, sorry to trouble you.”

They also knew Lir as the Keeper of the Gates, an ancient presence that might even predate the Draoidh. The sea turtle’s origins are unknown, but he deferred to Mother Danu and acknowledged her as his master.

“It is I who must trouble you. Master has decided that the Draoidh need not hide any longer and will require your aid to protect them for a while longer.”

Cernunnos and Lir turned toward the beautiful owl as it swooped down from its perch. As it approached, the air shimmered, and mana rippled before it transformed into a naked woman. On her chest was her heritage of one of the sacred trees—Coll, the Hazel tree. Casually, as if well practiced, she removed a robe similar to Cernunnos and donned it.

“Veleda, it has been some time,” Cernunnos’s bull snout opened, revealing a toothy grin.

“Lord of the Wild Things, you should stop flirting with me. My legs will remain closed to a man or god that cannot control their urges. How many children do you have now? A thousand?” Veleda snorted, shaking her luxurious white hair that fell about her shoulders like snow.

“Just because you are wise doesn’t mean you have to be a prude,” Cernunnos chuckled loudly, not offended in the slightest. This was a game of cat and mouse between them. He just hadn’t figured out if he, the god of beasts, was the cat or the mouse. “I have missed you, and how are the other Maighstir Draoidh?”

“Why so formal?” She asked. The archaic term had persisted even among their group. However, to remain in hiding, they gave themselves the more informal name of Magister and left off the Archdruid. There were only twelve ever in existence, which was in line with the twelve sacred trees and the associated Ogham rune. The twelve Magisters have their Ogham rune etched into the trunk of their heritage. In a formal ritual, the other magisters and gods would call her Coll, the Ogham rune for the Hazel tree. She was the only Archdruid representing Coll, so her title was Magister Archdruid or Maighster Draoidh.

“Two more Magisters have arrived,” Lir informed them. The ancient turtle controlled the Gates—which were Fae Portals and most designated by a ring or a circle. The pool that Lir arrived in was a large well, and around its edge was a line of stones. Veleda entered through a hole in a hawthorn tree.

Mol Saoghal was the name of this realm, which, loosely translated, meant the Nexus of Worlds. It was the only realm that the Draoidh was aware of that could connect to the three major domains: Realm of the Sea—underworld, Realm of the Land—lower realms, and Realm of the Sky—upper realms.

Other than a few gods and the Maighster Draoidh, no one knew of this place. Lir guarded it for this reason, but only Mother Danu knew the realm was inside the ancient turtle’s shell. Lir was a World-Turtle, one of the few void creatures that weren’t corrupted by chaos.

A massive Elkan walked into the clearing, bearing its noble strength in its massive body and a rack of antlers that could rival Cernunnos—who looked over with envy.

“Adlar, you old fool. What are you doing trying to rival my rack?” Cernunnos growled and shook his enormous head, displaying his glorious rack. Veleda’s light giggle rang out, filling the awkward environment with mirth.

Adlar’s body shimmered, and the mana once more changed as a man appeared, crouched down. Once he stood up, he was tall, almost 2.5 meters in height, broad of shoulder, and his brown hair and beard were well-trimmed. The heritage represented on his chest was Luis—the Rowan tree. Even looking at it could push away evil spirits and bad thoughts, but its most powerful aspect was its resistance to all forms of mana.

After Adlar donned his robe, Veleda ran up and gave him a big hug. He laughed and gently patted her on the head as if greeting a daughter that had been away for a long time.

“Is this all of us?”

“One more, the others weren’t near any known Gates. I didn’t have time to wait since our time here must be short,” Lir told them.

At that moment, they all turned toward a crashing sound and saw a rabbit as large as a person stumbling out. The clumsy actions caused it to tumble and trip over the stone ring, falling face-first into the water. Spitting and coughing, the rabbit dragged itself up and out of the water, looking bedraggled. The others weren’t sure if they should laugh, feel pity, or keep staring dumbly in shock.

“Pfft,” Veleda burst out laughing, followed by the others. Eve Lir couldn’t resist a chuckle.

“Fool, when did you learn this Beast Form?” Cernunnos stared at the furry creature with undisguised lust. He couldn’t look past her soft curves and plush fur. Even the ears and tail drove him mad. After all, he was a beast god and the Lord of Wild Things.

“Riley, is that you?” Adlar asked after racking his brain and trying to think of the clumsiest of Maighster Draoidh. The wet rabbit grumpily hopped over and nodded its head. Her floppy ears bounced around, spraying everyone with water.

It wasn’t long before she shifted and stood before them as a petite young woman that didn’t look any older than twenty. That was considering her face. If one were to look at her underdeveloped body, they might think she was twelve, and it was always a source of embarrassment for her. Even after thousands of years, she was still self-conscious of her body, which is why she had her back turned toward them while shifting. As soon as she donned her robe, she turned around to face them. While they didn’t get to see it, they all knew her heritage was Huath—the Hawthorn tree. Veleda, as a woman, was the only one present who examined Riley’s chest and was surprised to see the heritage flowering based upon the girl’s mood.

“Why are you a rabbit?” Veleda asked the question everyone wanted to know. This little woman had discovered the beast core of a Shadow-Star Fox, and its soft fur could absorb light or dark mana at an alarming rate. Day or night, she was invisible unless she wanted to be seen. During the day, she could bend light around her, and at night she could absorb light, creating a pocket of infinite darkness. When not using any of her abilities, she was like a black-haired version of a red-tailed fox.

“Creepy old man… again,” she mumbled with a red face.

“Are you talking about Gort?” Veleda asked. Gort was the name of the heritage, and oddly enough, his real name. He represented the sacred Ivy, but out of the twelve Maighster Draoidh, he was the strangest. Technically, it qualified as a sacred tree but depended on other Draoidh. While his nature was more parasitic, his heritage augmented others. Still, that old man was quite the pervert.

“Yes. I found a rabbit core and made it one of my Beast Forms to escape him, but I’m not sure what kind of core it was. At first, I thought it was just a rabbit beast, but I was moving so fast in that form that I couldn’t control it. And that was why…” Riley pointed toward the well.

“Little girl, would you like me to take you away when we leave? I’ll protect you.” Cernunnos chimed in, acting like a valiant hero and savior, but that was all ruined by Veleda’s loud humph!

“You are a god, and yet still trying to trick women into bedding you.”

“Mercy, woman! Riley isn’t a little girl. She can make her own choice.”

An awkward silence ensued, which was only broken when the giant sea turtle coughed.

“House of Egan still lives,” Lir told them, his long head bobbing as it extended outside its shell so it could watch them all. It stunned everyone into silence. “This is confirmed. The dragons did not kill Tadd Egan but held him captive. What they failed to tell everyone is that Tadd had the Vortex Pin.”

“What!? And what do you mean had?” Cernunnos’s big cow head turned sharply to stare at the turtle. He’d been asked along to help locate the Maighster Draoidh but hadn’t known the entire reason they were trying to gather them.

“Don’t worry, it is in the hands of a young Draoidh, and I’d consider this his good luck,” Lir explained and looked over at Adler. “He is a son of Maddox.”

“Is that true?” Adler asked softly, thinking that those monsters had exterminated his descendants. Even Veleda couldn’t keep her emotions in check, much less Riley, who wore her emotions on her sleeve. They’d all lost people during those times, and to know that a large group of their people had escaped was excellent news. Even if the bloodline had declined, they all had methods to help future generations.

“It is, and his name is Crow, and if all goes well, his first Beast Form will be a Silver-Eyed Crow.” Lir was smiling now. “And he is unfated.”

The last part stunned even Cernunnos.

“Wait, I’m not sure what that means. Why is that important?” Riley asked.

“The Silver-Eyed Crow can see the lines of fate,” Veleda informed her. “A boy without a fate, that can see fate lines, that’s a brilliant stroke of luck.”

“Indeed, the Maddox bloodline remains strong.” Adler couldn’t help but brag, and the others let him have his happy moments. “Since we are Mother’s servants, so what is it you need from us?”

Lir looked at Veleda, Riley, and Adler, and they were all nodding, ready to help.

“It is time to let the betrayers know fear,” Cernunnos grinned.

“And what do we do about Crow, son of Maddox?” Adler asked, more curious about this boy that shared his blood.

“We wait. The False Dawn tower protects him, and until he arrives in the Sky Realms, we shouldn’t bring any attention to him. After all, he survived the soul-link process with the Vortex Pin, which is impressive enough. If others find out, that kid won’t be able to sleep peacefully for the rest of his life,” Lir was frowning as he talked and felt they should do more. However, he trusted his master, so he didn’t embellish, nor did he push for action.

“How did he get it? I thought the only way into the Trail of the Six Dragon Gods was with your aid.” Adler wasn’t accusing Lir but felt something was off.

“Do you remember the gift I gave the Draoidh?”

“Oh, gods… the Arena! They figured out how to use it?” Veleda felt that was a calamity waiting to happen.

“No. It was pure luck. Not even the dragons realized a connection existed between the two, but that is where the good news ends. Their invasion infuriated the dragons, especially when they discovered Tadd had passed on his legacy. They’ve already decided to kill him since he no longer had value, and I’m pretty sure Tadd already knew it would happen. Although that man is more tenacious than a cockroach, we do not know whether the man is dead or alive. The House of Egan may truly fall this time.”

“What are we to tell the Draoidh?” Veleda changed the topic, as there was nothing they could do for that man. While it upset her, the man knowingly gave up the thing that had kept him alive all this time. She suspected death was mercy.

Having spent a lot of time in the upper realms, Veleda had a knack for finding those that didn’t want to be found. Draoidh had the blood of Fae in their veins, which drew lovers to them like a bee to honey. After gaining enough power, it was also easy for Draoidh to detect their own, but unspoken rules prevented them from acting on their discoveries. They’d even go as far as ignoring each other if the situation wasn’t good. It was how they survived in the upper realm.

“Tell them Brodgar will be open to them. They know the rituals to perform at any Fae Portal, and I will watch them all. As long as they come, I’ll move them over.”

“That could take decades,” Riley said. Not just because spreading the news couldn’t be done rashly, but because the Brodgar was like a dilapidated home. Someone needed to fix that place up before their people could call it home once more.

“It may,” Lir confirmed. “But the boy is almost seventeen and hasn’t started his climb yet. If he’s fast, we’ll have twenty years. If he’s slow, maybe thirty or forty. Crow is coming, and he is shaping up to be the thirteenth Maighster Draoidh.”

“Is that even possible?” Adler was curious, as he’d only ever known of twelve sacred trees. The trees weren’t as important as the heritage, and as far as he knew, a new Magister couldn’t rise unless a previous one died. “Unless brother Duir…?” Duir was the Ogham rune for Oak.

“I’ve not heard whether that man is still alive, but master believes Crow is different. That his heritage is evolving, and his bloodline has additional latent powers. There is no doubt he is Draoidh, it is in his blood and soul, but he might have become the champion of your people because of the fate that brought you low. Karma is heavily at work, and this kid is your redemption.”

That was a heavy onus for the Maighster Draoidh to accept, but they were a proud people that had long been stewing in their anger. They’d all lost sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, parents, and more when they were betrayed. It wasn’t just one or two sects that turned against them, and as far as they knew, only one sect stood by them—the Sacred Sun.

Lir wasn’t telling them that Crow would arrive like a god but that his presence was the impetus they needed to rise. That he brought with him the luck of their people, and it wasn’t for him alone. As long as he survived, their people had hope. And he had the Vortex Pin, which stirred the hearts of the Magisters.

“I’ve said what I had to. The Ring of Brodgar is now active, but Brodgar has not seen a human soul in over ten thousand years. You’ll need to get people over there as soon as possible to help recover the collection and defensive arrays.”

“Send me over there,” Adler said. “I’ve long remained in seclusion and wouldn’t even know where to look for our brethren. I can at least get the arrays sorted and organize our people.”

“I’ll take Riley with me,” Cernunnos said. “Don’t worry, little owl girl. I won’t touch her unless she gives me permission. She travels more than you, and with me helping her, we can reach more places faster. Maybe I’ll see if the ice hag will help.”

“You better remember what you said. If I find out you bullied sister Huath, I’ll rip off your shillelagh!”

“Do you need to be that damned fierce!?” Cernunnos shouted, and Adler chuckled at his outrage. Veleda and Lord of Wild Things had always fought like this, and it was good to see some things didn’t change.

“And you… where should I send you?” Lir asked Veleda.

“Put me near Maeshowe.”

Riley gasped, but Adler nodded appreciatively. It was the burial chambers of all the Maighster Draoidh, and he considered it the Draoidh’s true ancestral grounds. However, the only people that knew of it were the gods of Tuatha de Danann and the Magisters. All Draoidh knew it was a sacred place, but there was only one way to enter the burial chambers. Not even the gods could break it open. Not even Lir had access.

“Mother would be proud. Do not let yourself get caught.” Lir said nothing else about it, but inwardly he worried. If Veleda was lost, the soul of the Draoidh might be lost, too. Adler was the leader, but this fearless woman was the heart.

One by one, they all stepped into the pool of water and disappeared. Once gone, Lir sighed. In his heart, he knew the Draoidh would suffer the fate of war once more, and it would further stain their kind souls. Those old monsters gave the Draoidh a way out, fearing if they didn’t, that karma would destroy all of them. However, there was no way they’d sit back and let the Draoidh rise once more.