Chapter VI - Pale Light

Eyes shut tight Furbaide grabbed onto the leg of the giant bird, his hands squeezed the rock hard leg crushing it in his grasp. Burning tears leaked from his closed eyelids as the light burned his eyes even with them closed, the pain however was not his concern as he was in a vengeful fury. Howling out in pain and agony the giant bird began to spin trying to dislodge the living god whose hand was tightly holding onto its broken leg. Aoife eyes closed knelt to the ground and started to speak within her mind a incantation to dispel the blinding light, but the blinding light disturbed the natural energies.

Aoife's powers were useless as the light kept getting brighter, making their eyes burn harshly, just as the pain was nearing unbearable for the warrior witch the pain eased. Bright blinding white became a darker shade of silver, a pale foggy light took its place, although it allowed Aoife and Furbaide to see it also overpowering. Stricken with weakness Aoife was forced to the ground, her body pinned down the stone covered ground that dug her face. Sharp stones scratched at her eyes as she struggled to move but her body was trapped on the ground, her face was stuck on its side limiting her vision.

Hearing a loud crash as the ground shook due to the impact of something that smashed into the ground hard, rocks flew around and Aoife heard a loud groan from Furbaide. Falling from the sky face up his eyes were open wide streaked with tears, he was enraged thirsting for blood which streak across his torso, and his leg arm. In the left hand he held the giant bird's leg clutch tightly in his hand. Blood from the giant bird rained down as it started to fly down towards the ground, making a low growling sound, both Aoife and Furbaide were paralyzed by the power of the pale man.

They couldn't do anything but listened and tried to see with their limited vision Dolus and his bird encircling them both like a bird of prey, Furbaide saw the bird encircle them like a vulture before landing on the ground. The pale man dismounted from his giant bird whose pale silver feathers glistened in the foggy light; holding a bloodstained spear in one hand he checked on his bird's missing leg. A apathetic expression never left his face, tapping the bloodied socket where the bird's leg once was, with the bladed tip of the spear the pale man brought the blade to the wound and made the blood stop.

Aoife and Furbaide felt a wicked power flow around Dolus, after giving a dry whistle he put the bird at ease. Swiftly without pause the pale man went over to Furbaide, standing over the crater Furbaide made when he fell, eyes wild, breathing hard Furbaide struggled to launch himself at the pale man. Briefly he overcame the pale man's powers and lifted himself off the ground by his elbows, that was ended when the Dolus jabbed the spear at the living god's shoulder. Falling back down in an instant he felt a numbing pain fill his body, as he grunted in pain, spit covered his lips as a foaming frenzy started oozing from his mouth.

Pure unfiltered hatred was in Furbaide's eyes as he glared at the pale man, standing above Furbaide the Dolus looked over the living god who laid immobilized before him; walking away abruptly he started towards Aoife. Frustrating grunts escaped from Furbaide's mouth, the pressure holding him down kept his mouth from moving but with great effort he forced his voice free.

"Get away from her," he said "I will burn you worm."

A threat that was futile, Aoife braced herself as she felt the aura of the pale man approach her, her chest felt as though it was freezing over. Her neck stiffened and her eyes became glazed over with water, she kept a stern expression but memories of seeing the Spider Mother's corpse kept coming into her mind's eye. The pale light swirled over their heads, time was growing short so the pale man hurried to a jog towards the witch, Furbaide continued making violent threats and animalistic snarls. Sensing Dolus standing over Aoife, the warrior witch half expected a quick death, the other half however expected a prolonged miserable demise.

Neither was the pale man's desire neither was it part of his plan, standing over her briefly he leaned forward to look at her face which faced away from him; in the corner of her eyes Aoife saw the pale man. Even as he stood in the way of the light she noticed Dolus cast no shadow, being near him felt foreboding, death was starting to become preferred to her over the nerve wrecking anxiety. Still keeping her stoic expression it changed in a instant when the pale man knelt down and placed his face near hers, a hair thread was the only distance between them, he then whispered something in her ear. Furbaide was silent as he felt the crippling anxiety in Aoife, Furbaide knew she was strong however and hoped she would hang on a little longer for him to break free, already he felt Dolus' magic was weakening. .

Struggling to get free Furbaide craved to obliterate the pale man from existence. Dolus not heeding Furbaide took his pocket a small glass vial, then he collected tears that were streaming down Aoife's face after he whispered in her ear. Fading the pale light started to lose more of its influence over Furbaide and Aoife, Furbaide could move a little more but was still held firmly to the ground. Aoife was lost in her mind, her eyes wide open, tears flooding from them, enough to fill the vial countless times over, standing up the pale man walked to the giant bird while he corked the vial.

Climbing onto it's back he gave the bird a hard kick and the giant bird flapped its wings and was carried into the air, then as the pale light faded and Furbaide snapped back onto his feet he looked into the skies for the pale man. Dense storm clouds gathered black and dense, blocking out the light in the sky, lightning streaked the sky lighting up the darkening morning. Frustrated Furbaide went over to Aoife and lifted her body off the ground, he was concerned for her as she was limp in his arms, but he felt her body breathing which reassured him that she was alive. Running into the forest the living god searched for a spot that would cover them from the rain, not long after finding a spot did the rain start pouring.