To grant a human the sacred power of Vercingetorix is blasphemy

Rowan and Eònan struggled against one another. Their swords gave off sparks as they clashed.

“Mairwen has intervened, has she?” Eònan fumed as Rowan challenged his strength. “To grant a human the sacred power of Vercingetorix is blasphemy, and a wasted effort.”

“Shut up! You started this fight, and I’m going to end it,” Rowan growled. “You’re not leaving here alive!”

The two exchanged blows, further cracking the ground below them. The sounds of their blades clashing against one another echoed through the battlefield. Rowan matched Eònan’s strength and speed thanks to Mairwen’s gift.

Aislinn’s gentle chanting swept through the battlefield once more. Rowan spared a moment to look at her. She continued the ritual, protected by a nearly impenetrable barrier that Brid and Pàrlan formed around her.

Eònan found his opening and delivered another kick to Rowan’s chest. Mairwen’s blessing offered some protection, but Rowan was still sent flying backwards. Eònan dashed at Rowan to finish the human boy off, but a shockwave intercepted him from his side and sent him hurtling toward Ceallach and his party.

“The power of the ancient Danan king suits you,” Isolde landed beside him, cloaked in light. Another group of demons surrounded them to protect their lord. Isolde swung her axe above her head, and with one final slash, she unleashed a blade of energy around herself and Rowan. The demons that weren’t immediately destroyed were pushed far back from them.

“Thanks,” Rowan said in passing as he rushed to fight the demon lord. He watched Eònan release a stream of dark flames to repulse Ceallach and create distance between them. Rowan swung his sword down and released a shockwave of magic. Isolde added her own power to his attack. The impact resulted in a massive explosion.

Rowan and Isolde held their weapons ready. Eònan stood in the center of a burning crater. His helmet was cracked, revealing his scowling visage.

“It was you, wasn’t it? You corrupted Aislinn and Raghnall and set them loose on my home,” Rowan accused him. Aislinn, Isolde, and the others were shocked by his words.

Eònan’s scowl turned to a smirk. “Now you understand your situation. You cannot win. My lord will return. The only thing you can do to save your worthless family is lay down your arms and submit to him.”

“Darkness awaits either way. The only thing we can do is fight and take him down with us,” Isolde encouraged him. She gave a playful jab to his arm and nodded her head toward Eònan. He gave her a confident grin and steeled his resolve. The two leapt forward and brought their weapons down on Eònan.

Eònan parried their strikes and swatted them away. Rowan landed on his feet and followed up with another attack. His blade clashed against Eònan’s for a moment until Isolde swung her great axe down from behind Eònan.

Eònan turned around and caught the axe blade in his hand. Rowan gritted his teeth and punched Eònan’s head where the helmet was cracked open. Eònan stumbled for a moment and released Isolde’s weapon. Rowan’s hand throbbed in pain, but he saw that his punch drew Eònan’s blood and grew confident in his victory.

Rowan used his forearm to block Eònan’s punch. He skid to a halt a few feet away, a cocky grin on his face. Eònan gathered darkness around his sword and sent a horizontal slash at his human foe. Rowan countered with a vertical blade of light. The resulting collision sent all three flying in different directions.

Eònan recovered first and saw Aislinn continuing the ritual. Glowing magic runes flowed outward from beneath her feet, a sign that the ritual would soon activate. He cloaked himself in an aura of pure darkness and flew at Aislinn with his sword raised high.

Brid and Pàrlan focused their efforts on the point of contact and strengthened the barrier as much as they could. With one mighty swing, Eònan cracked the barrier and continued to force his blade through. Pàrlan briefly shared a look with Brid as the barrier shattered under the weight of Eònan’s assault.

Aislinn’s eyes widened as Eònan drew closer. She refused to stop her chanting, not when she was so close to ending the battle for good. The cold of darkness bore down on her. “Rowan…”

A warm and inviting light erupted behind Aislinn. Rowan lunged forward just as Eònan reached her. His light briefly stunned Eònan and created an opening. He ran the demon lord through, piercing Eònan’s armor and tough demonic body in one strike. Rowan let out a primal roar and pushed Eònan back as far away as he could from Aislinn. A beam of light shone through Eònan’s back as he faded away into whisps of darkness.

The demons fell one by one until their numbers thinned out. Their leader had fallen, and their power significantly waned. Perhaps in response to the overabundance of light and the loss of their leader, a new rift opened, one larger than all the others. Five new armored generals appeared at the threshold, each bearing different weapons.

The light around Rowan dimmed, and his breathing quickly became labored. It took everything he had simply to hold his sword up. “Bring it! We’re just getting started!” Isolde and the royal knights stood at his sides.

Raghnall landed behind Aislinn and roared. He gave his own magic to Aislinn to complete the ritual of Findlaech. The magic runes spread out around Aislinn and expanded their reach. The ground shook beneath them, and light poured out of the fissures. The demons roared in pain and vanished as the light touched them. The demon lords turned around and walked into the abyss as their rift was disintegrated behind them.

The light of the ritual faded as its work was done. The demons were banished, and the scars of battle were healed. Grass and flowers sprouted within the craters Eònan made with his attacks.

Rowan heaved a weary sigh as his sword fell from his hand. His light vanished from him and his comrades. Darkness took his vision, and he fell backward onto a soft patch of grass.

“Rowan!” Aislinn cried. She ran to him and rested his head on her lap. Pàrlan and Brid used healing magic, but his consciousness was still fading. The last thing he saw was Aislinn’s distraught face. Tears poured from her deep blue eyes as she called out his name.