Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 263: Tuatha Book 1 Chapter 2

"No," I replied emphatically, almost dismissively. "The Hunt, Fairy, and I will not be used by Asgard and Olympus.

"Our memories are long, and we remember it was just this kind of aid that placed the Tuatha de Danaan at a disadvantage.

"Danu agreed to Zeus's and Odin's plea for help. A Universe was dying. A young scion, unique across all existence, a man of prophecy was destined to heal a breach of a divided and fractured Eternity.

"She directed Gwyn ap Nudd to provide a path, a way through the Summerlands so that a conclave of Pantheons could imbue a stone with the power of the Divine. The stone was created, the word and the will of that world protected. And the titanic battle between the forces that would see Eternity whole and those that would hold on to power with It fractured was won, not once but twice.

"You repaid Danu's gift and aid with jealousy, betrayal, and greed.

"You coveted the power of Gwyn ap Nudd, even as you feared him.

"You saw for yourself the true power of the Summerlands, and you would control them.

"Every transaction, every meeting, every discussion from that moment was a battle of control as you whittled away at the Tuatha de Danaan Pantheon until you offered a choice. They would enter sleep or Talahm would be destroyed.

"You sentenced them using spurious claims that only the mind of Athena could unravel. You forced them to choose between their duty and their Duty. And you did it, hoping that while they Slumbered, you would have the opportunity and the time to wrench away control of the Summerlands from the Sidhe.

"And you might have succeeded if they had forced Gwyn ap Nudd into Sleep along with the rest of the Tuatha de Danann Pantheon. But He is beyond. You found out too late that His Power is immutable and transcendent.

"He is an abstract concept. He is Justice and as Justice, He stands beside Eternity, Time, Death, Life, Chaos, Order, Infinity, Love, Hate, and Oblivion.

"It doomed your scheme to fail from its inception, but the Tuatha de Danaan and the Sidhe paid the price for your hubris," I continued, my voice steady, my rage apparent.

"And now you come to me with the same request?" I demanded.

"Only the Sidhe can help?" I sneered.

"Only Gwyn ap Nudd can save the Multiverse?" I taunted.

"Just do us this little favor.

" Open the Summerlands but this time, instead of allowing us to send our Divine mandate through to create an object of power capable of determining the Destiny of a Cosmic Entity, power into the hands of a Man-King and trusting he would succeed, you would have the Sidhe sacrifice the first person who stands as the fulcrum for our people.

"Yes, our memories are just as long as yours. And I find it suspicious that now that the Sidhe have broken the bonds that held them to Talahm. Now that Olympus has been sanctioned twice. Now that we are about to claim another world for the Tuatha de Danaan and get our first real update to System.

"Now you call for a meeting and tell me the fate of all Multi-verses will be determined by how I act.

"You would have me serve as Hero and Fool.

"My duty to Talahm, Ijal, and my throne placed in jeopardy. If I were to agree you would keep your bargain. Danu might be woken, for the briefest of moments before Zeus and Odin noticed and forced her back into Sleep. And I wonder what would happen to the Sidhe that foiled their schemes for the third time?" I asked, knowing full well what my fate would be.

"He is too angry to see reason," Set advised his fellow Gods. That they had added him to this meeting was the only reason I hadn't left as soon as they made their offer. The Egyptians had been instrumental in allowing the Sidhe to take their seat at the Senate, and I would not repay that help with insult.

I wasn't foolish enough not to know they had offered their help for any reason of altruism. The Egyptians had been furious that Zeus had conscripted spells, artifacts, and techniques and bastardized what had been stolen in order to gain control of the secrets behind CERN.

I believed wholeheartedly, that if Zeus and Odin had approached the Egyptians and offered them a partnership, events and outcomes would have been drastically different. It was the nature of Gods. When a being is worshiped by billions, They become convinced that what They want; They deserve.

The secrets of CERN and the god-particle were Theirs by right of Their Divine Mandate.

"If you won't consider Our offer," Coyote said, the glint of humor, his devious nature now active, "make us one of your own."

And there it was, the trap laid. But perhaps a trap that could be turned back on those determined to catch and control what they hunted. The other Gods were not idiots, they knew what He had done. By offering me the option to set terms, He had telegraphed their desperation.

Whatever Zeus and Odin were doing in this Universe embroiled in Ragnarok, they were frightened. There could be no other reason for them to even consider letting me set terms. And I would set those terms.

Terms as harsh as those that had forced the Tuatha de Danaan into Sleep. Terms that were carefully worded using the skills of Sidhe to turn truth into a lie, lie into truth and do so without breaking Oath or gaining the attention of Gwyn ap Nudd.

These Gods for all their power and Hubris, even the Gods Loki and Coyote that used guile and deceit as easy as they drank Ambrosia, could be bound by the skills of a talented Sidhe word-smith.

Coyote had offered, and I would accept that offer.

The Sidhe would set terms. I would call the Hunt to travel to this other Universe, and I would call a conclave of my own to get the best bargain for my people and our Gods I could. I would have Morrigu and Queen Brigda craft the words that would bind us all.

They had walked with the Tuatha de Danaan before They were enjoined into Sleep. They had learned and weaponized the power of words and Oath long ago. I had certain advantages. The most important at this moment was the ability to know when my skills were lacking, and the humility to admit that lack and call for help.

I hoped that humility and understanding of what my strengths and weaknesses were would be enough to see the Sidhe and the Tuatha de Danaan through the bloody waters I was about to unleash.

"We will see," I informed them. "I will make no final decision here today. I will discuss your offer with my fellow Monarchs and determine if there is an agreement that we can craft that is satisfying.

"But know this, I am inclined to deny your request. In the end, the final dying gasp of Gods as the multi-verse comes to an end is of little import to the Sidhe of this universe, of this time.

"I will not betray or leave to fate our future, not for anything. Maybe that means they eventually destroyed this universe as Zeus and Odin enact their plans, but that is so far into the future that even the Sidhe with their pseudo-immortality will be long dead before it happens.

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