Lugh, you are to journey to the mortal world—and never return!" thundered the Archfey Nethem. His voice crashed through the silent forest like a falling tree. Nethem passed judgment on Lugh, his oldest friend and strongest ally.
Nethem! How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends! Cried Lugh within his strained mind, though only Nethem heard the plea. Nethem's eye crinkled imperceptibly with something unreadable for such a fraction of a moment that nary a soul noticed.
Guards armoured in hard, oaken plates dragged the quietly sobbing Fae out of the courtroom. Swiftly, the sights changed from raucous forest spirits to cut-down woods. Lugh couldn't think, couldn't feel and could only do nothing for without someone to cling to, he was nothing.
All that power over metal, luck, and mischief—useless. Lugh briefly contemplated summoning a steel rod to fill the hole in his chest... but decided against it.
He had nothing to live for and nothing to die for. Plus, it simply wouldn't be an unending void. The afterlife is much more varied than that. The Soldiers of Nethem marched towards the forest's edge and threw the tear-dried Leprechaun out into the merciless sun and, in perfect rhythm, marched back into the woods. Shortly, they vanished as if they never existed. They left a Fae so still that he seemed dead.
That trickster spirit lay still for days and days. Bugs had dared to crawl across His prone form, and Lugh decided; Yes, I will die here. I will starve here.
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Five weeks came to pass, and the poor trickster still had a ways to go. During Lugh's depression, a lone wanderer came along to check on the dead man.
"Oh my Bina! Are you okay?!" cried a woman, fumbling with a healer's satchel, hands shaking as she pulled out mismatched supplies and tried to apply such trivial healing trinkets onto the Leprechaun's body, hardly noticing the nigh-inconceivable biology of said creature.
She might as well be trying to heal an oak tree with the same techniques that one would fix a buffalo's broken nose! Thought Lugh as the absurdity of it briefly unravelled him from his chronic episode that is so dang long and overarching it might as well be called a season, or a series at this point.
To Lugh's utter shock, this wanna-be healer somehow fixed a bruised rib of his! Without his express approval. This woman bypassed the soul's inherent antimagic properties to certain arcanic effects on a whim! Who is she?! Some kind of deity with amnesia?! The amount of power needed to bypass the soul restriction with brute force is… astonishing.
The surprise is so potent that Lugh sits up as if his back were on fire and stares hard into the woman's eyes, searching for an answer to how she did that. She was a relatively short woman with medium-length brown hair, greenish eyes, almost sickly pale skin and two… Are those cut horn stumps on her temples? This woman possesses clerical garb that resembles the boundary between night and day. How intriguing.
So she's a servant of the lost dual goddess Bina? Beyond that, Lugh had used his mind-probing magic to acquire surface-level factoids about this strange female. Her name is Thena, and she is indeed a cleric of Bina. She hates carrots, was squished by watermelon when she was young, and a squash… Vegetables do not like this poor sap.
Eccentric but a gal of goodwill, mayhaps she can help me? What Lugh hardly noticed was the fingers of foreign magic threaded through his thoughts, nudging them towards a singular purpose, slowly morphing his thoughts. The idea that if he can spread Nethem's domain of the wild around, he will be welcomed back into open arms is planted. By whom he may never know.
"Good Bina! You scared the bananas out of me!" Shouted Thena and slapped Lugh across the cheek, leaving an imprint on his skin. The nerve of this woman! I'm-! Lugh's trail of thought slows and stops as he gradually sinks back into his depression, a bit from the sudden reminder of his… Not demotion, but the supernatural equivalent to being fired from a job that everyone was hankering for you to leave because you were cozy with the CEO despite being a minimum wage paperboy. "Oh no! I'm sorry! I just got scared and overreacted. Good news, you're not dead! Care to tell me why you don't have a pulse?" Queried the ever-inquisitive cleric. He didn't want to care, didn't want to feel that spark again—but mischief returned to him like breath to lungs. It was instinct. Reflex. Defense. Somewhere, deep beneath the wilted roots of his soul, laughter stirred. Faint. Bitter. Alive. Lugh slapped her back with the might of an angry god, and she spun around cartoonishly, abject shock written on her face in an instant.
"Oops, I just got scared and overreacted. Mind telling me how you bypassed my soul?" Mocked Lugh with a slight grin back on his face as his usual mischief was summoned from deep within his dejected heart, and it livened him up considerably. Of course, 'considerably' is a rather loose word, thinking back to his previous all-encompassing despair.
Thena snorted, annoyed. "Rude. It's just something I've always been able to do. I know that the soul rejects unwanted magical influences, but it's never stopped me before." Said Thena. She playfully flicks Lugh's skin. Thena just wanted the last laugh, and Lugh was too deep in to care all that much.
"You mean you just… That's so dumb! Which god died and made you their favourite?!" Exclaimed Lugh, who is once more surprised. "That shouldn't be possible!" Lugh could only imagine the ruin a spellcaster could bring if they simply decided that they could rip their enemies' bones out or something to that effect.
"Well, I'm a Cleric, so I'm not gonna boil anyone's blood anytime soon. But I use my healing powers to heal people when they're unconscious and incapable of expressing consent." Said Thena. This short queen was giving Lugh a heart attack. "Whelp! We should probably get to the nearby city and figure out what to do. Do you have a home?" Thena questions Lugh, and Lugh is so taken aback by her abrupt request to sequester himself away from sweet isolation is jarring, but he remembered his mission and half-heartedly bobbed his head up and down in agreement. Thena, cheerfully, began dragging him up and away from the forest.
Their footsteps upon the worn path resounded softly with a certain quiet that was uncharacteristic of a sound. Thena was talking amiably to Lugh, who had shaken off his depressive episode but was still processing the utterly wild proceedings of his brief time outside the Fey Realm and his banishment.
"So, yeah. Cherry Blossom's has good pastries, but their milkshakes are kinda… Shaky! Eh? Alright, that's fair. I much prefer eating out at Wendal's Wonderful Wings, which serves some excellent chicken." Thena rambles.
"You eat chickens?" Rumbled Lugh, confusion colouring his voice and slightly offended for some unknown reason.
Thena ignored Lugh and continued with her tangent "but they serve vegetables too and veggies' loathe my entire existence so I make a great effort to avoid vegetables at that place because one time-" Thena was just going on, and on, and on about food which doesn't interest Lugh but marks it mentally in case he needs a quick buck and a good place to rob blind.
The white noise was nice for thinking, but awful for listening, as Lugh was caught up thinking about the implications of this one little girl having an ability typically reserved for the divine. Lugh couldn't help but wonder if there were more like Thena or if she was unique in some fashion.
Regardless, this tiny woman was very intriguing to his mischievous mind. Imagine what he could do if he could transform people's legs into snakes or turn people into some alloy. He'd be unstoppable! Of course, he's no supervillain but the thought has crossed his mind of 'hey, what if I ruined everything?' and right now, Lugh is leaning towards being an absolute pain to the entire world. Everyone will know he exists and suffer for it.
Lugh ceased his train of thought and turned his attention to the nature around them. Trees whistled softly like overgrown instruments, lean shadows brought darkness to the forest floor, bugs flew around aimlessly but without a doubt searching for something, sunshine glared through treetops, with those same trees trying to cover the sun as if embarrassed.
Nice and soft yet mildly mushy ground indicated it rained sometime before. Caravan tracks clawed deeply into the malleable path. Truly stunning. Such a shame nature was being so heavily abused to power society. They cut trees down for carpentry and fuel, clip the grass for the beauty of it and kill bugs because they don't like them. To be honest, Lugh doesn't like bugs either and has a deathly fear of one of their most important and prolific species.
Finally, they crest over a hill and see nothing as a military blockade checkpoint is obscuring the countryside. Some officers see the pair taking a casual stroll towards them and prepare themselves. Spears slammed onto a stone wall in defence, swordsmen gathered at the edges of the bulwark, ready to strike down would-be bypassers, and archers drew back their bows on top of a cobblestone tower about 30 feet tall. Well dang it, I'm gonna have to pull a good trick from my sleeve, thought Lugh.
"Excuse me, mister! My name is Thena Steelstrewn! We are seeking entrance to my city, Kaledome." Shouted Thena, hands rocketed upwards in a gesture of peace. The Captain responded with "Get lost! It ain't your city no more!" Thena took a few seconds for such a statement to go through her ears and into her gray matter as she breezily asked, "Pardon?" With a slight inclination forward.
Lugh stepped forward and gestured for Thena to let him do the talking. Thena was confused and, with no small amount of vexation, she relented and took a few steps back.
"Excuse me, kind sirs. We're emissaries of a foreign monarchy. We've come to discuss important diplomatic issues. It would be immensely appreciated if you could let us pass and allow us our duties." Lied Lugh, ever smoothly. Lugh is starting with a basic lie to try and gauge how that would work and figure out what to do. Something basic, then something more complex. Lugh would've lied about something akin to 'oh, we're refugees. Our home was burned down,' but the gruff soldiers don't strike him as the type to be so empathic. Additionally, he has his pride to preserve.
"Where are your travel papers? Do you possess any proof of this?" Asked the Captain, weapon still aimed at Lugh's heart, having completely forgotten about Thena.
"Why, I was given my King's sword as a symbol of my servility to his orders." Lugh conjures a massive and ludicrously fanciful greatsword behind his back with Orcish make, Dwarven runes, and Elvish design with Human blunder. The weapon is so adorned and draped in various things like gold and unbelievably valuable jewels that it'd be useless in actual combat and is clearly more ceremonial.
"Well, Emmisary, my apologies. Only a King's sword can be so impractically decorated. But as the rules need me to, I need to know the name of your nation, and you must hand the sword over as assurance of your confidence." The guards were telling a half-truth when it came to handing over the sword, while true that they intended to keep it for insurance and confidence.
If the man was a fake, then no fool would waste that much money on such a trivial ruse, and they need to confirm the sword's authenticity. Beyond that, they're gonna pocket some of the jewels. After all, a few pounds less of wealth embellishing the blade isn't going to make a difference visually, as it's more gem than weapon.
"Why, of course! I will come to collect my King's sword after my business is concluded in your protected nation. Yes?" Lugh strided over and easily gave the sword away. While Lugh used it one-handed as if it weighed but a feather, multiple men needed to carry the sword, which brought minor suspicion but was dispersed by the men's greed.
"Yes, yes. You can retrieve your pretty little thing after you're done here. Boys! Make a path for the Emmisaries! And send word to the Castle!" The Captain barked.
"There's no need. We're expected." Said Lugh. The Captain made a 360-degree turn back to them.
"How could I forget? I need a name." Asked the Captain.
"Luthiander." Replied Lugh. "And this is Bina Lovelock. She's named after the goddess, you see? Some sick joke by her parents." Said Lugh. Lugh used a large chunk of his Seidr to alter the memories of the men in the most minor of ways, brute forcing through their meagre Hugr soul defences without them noticing. In this way, Thena never said her actual name, but said Bina Lovelock instead of Thena Steelstrewn. Lugh's Seidr is now significantly depleted, but it should be fine. He's not expecting some epic battle.
"Ah, I see. In any case, you're now free to travel as you wish. Goodbye and safe journey's Emmisaries." The guards allow Lugh and Thena to walk around their boisterous protections and wander on through the gate. Lugh and Thena make sure not to walk too quickly lest they attract attention, but still want to make some distance between them and the guards.
They walk downhill towards a vast and sprawling countryside to their left and a thick, magnificent forest to their right. Clouds seemed to wave at them as they moved by. What a stressful encounter that was for Thena, but not for Lugh. Lugh couldn't have felt better. He was practically hovering with ecstasy.
"So… As a cleric! I cannot condone your actions! But…" Thena trailed off, eyes distracted as her pious mind wandered into places unknown to Lugh. He thought it best not to read whatever's clanking around inside her skull.
"So…? I got it done. A little lying and fair usage of props is what got us this far." Lugh spoke. Lugh misunderstood Thena's thoughts, though.
"W-what was the deal with that sword?" Thena looked up at Lugh's imposing height with wide eyes and a rounded face. She reminded Lugh of a malformed orange, which probably wasn't flattering, so he didn't say so.
"Oh, that? What about it?" Lugh leaned back ever so slightly. His brain was racing as he thought of various lies and half-truths to avoid the reality of the situation.
"Well, it can't be an illusory spell. We would be being chased by angry soldiers if it were. But you touched it, and so did the guards. Usually, there are very mild but noticeable tells when something is an illusion. Maybe if it's in the wrong light, it flickers slightly.
"Why are you telling me this, little one? I already know this." Said the internally panicky Fae.
Like before, Thena ignored Lugh's interruptions and continued. "But that? It was real. They plucked gems right off of it, and it maintained itself. They picked it up, examined it and found nothing wrong. You created something out of nothing. That means you belong to one of the Four Mythical Races. Demons, Fey, Celestials, and the Eldritch." Thena gazes up at the lithe Lugh, and Lugh feels immensely… Uneasy and had the strong urge to dart away. Whatever Thena is, it's not what she thinks of herself as.
"My, my. What a fabulously complex question! If I must sate your curiosity, I… Uhhh….." Lugh released a deep sigh that seemed to deflate his entire being. Lugh thought up various deceptions, but none of them could reliably answer that. Lugh was trapped with no way to worm his way out. When in doubt, tell the truth. Lugh remembered one of his many Warlocks saying such a thing once, and he supposed that it holds up now. "I'm a Leprechaun. Part of my abilities is conjuring metals. Usually, Fey are intolerant of metal, but leprechauns are an exception. To regular metals at least." Answers Lugh. Telling the truth feels… AHH icky! Screeched Lugh within the confines of his mind, but the repulsion plastered upon his face told everything.
"I thought you'd be shorter." Says Thena oh-so plainly, and this genuinely angered Lugh. No playfulness here, just authentic wrath.
"Listen here, you little rat! We're hill spirits! Hill-Spir-its! We can be as tall as a hill, and hills can be bloody massive! We're not short! It's juvenile Empyrean propaganda!" Shouted Lugh, who stomped his foot petulantly like a child, however, the gravel road felt the pain of his wrath as the road in now suddenly boot-shaped. For a guy who mastered Arcanum, he's scarily strong. Mayhaps that comes with being a High Fae.
"And I thought you'd have red hair, pale skin, green eyes and tattoos as well." Said Thena, who at this point was baiting a reaction out of the enraged Fae.
"THIS IS JUST ONE OF MY FORMS! I CAN LOOK LIKE A TRADITIONAL LEPRECHAUN BUT THAT'S BORING!" Thena stopped before Lugh popped a blood vessel… Or the Fey equivalent at least. Do Fey even have blood? Lugh just said they manifest differently. Maybe this manifestation does? Thought Thena, paying no mind to the trickster Fae spirit now thoroughly maddened and plotting her demise most elaborately and most painfully.
"What are your other powers?" Queried Thena, curious about the Leprechaun and his Fey magic.
Lugh let out another sigh that made him look shorter, with how deflated he looked now. "Probability manipulation, Metal summoning, memory modification, imperceptibly perfect illusions, superhuman physical and mental capabilities, super-charged Arcanum abilities, the list goes on. When you're a Mythic so high ranking that you're second only to a Power of your Mythic Species, call me." Lugh's anger left him, as did his revenge plots; killing someone would only incite a search. Lugh's power is indeed immense, but his heart still longs for his best friend to return to him, one day, and soon he promised himself. "Maybe I'll give you the full list if you let me peek into what makes you tick. You're capable of freely bypassing the soul's natural magical defences. That's massive." Offers Lugh.
"Absolutely no 'Seeing what makes me tick.' I was dropped off at a Temple of Bina shortly after I was born with an enchanted nametag with 'Bina' inscribed beautifully on it. I was named Thena because it rhymes. Imagine praying to Bina and then another Bina pops up and says, 'Yeah?'" Thena lets out a mild chuckle at her humour, almost proud.
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"Hey, the city is coming up. It's very… Authoritarian looking." Lugh casually remarks.
"Excuse me? We pride ourselves on our democracy and good vibes mind you! How ever did you draw that conclusion!" Thena was getting upset so Lugh decided to quickly explain himself as he knows Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned or something.
"Look up." Lugh simply stated. His indifferent face speaking of seeing a thousand tyrant-ruled cities, being absolutely not surprised to see another one.