America

The streets of New york

Audrey had already started walking to the Sumner. She lived pretty close by to the bar, it was one of the reasons her and her sister visited it so much. The other being that they were friends with the co-owner Beth.

She was dreading the walk, not because she didn’t want to accept the invitation but because she had to pass something on the way there. Only one path led to the bar and it was the path that held Allie’s dreams.

Lost in her thought she reached an abandoned building with a for rent sign on it. She stopped and turned to the front of the building saying nothing, just staring at the glass door. Here was the building they would have rented to start the bakery, for Allie’s dreams and passion to finally ignite.

It wasn’t fair. No one in this world deserved to live more than Allie in Audrey's mind. She sucked her teeth in frustration and started to turn her body and continue her commute.

“It should have been me that died.”

After uttering those words she felt a cold chill as if she was being watched. In the shadows of the alley near the building a ghostly figure started to ascend into the sky.

“My lord, I located the human.” The ghost telepathically sent this message to its master. The ghost itself wore grayish Chinese style clothing. As the ghost flew higher into the air, it took out a pair of ghostly binoculars and looked ahead to the area Audrey was heading.

“She’s going to a building called the Sumner. Should I inform Lady Damaris, as well?”

///

Elysium

Tuatha Dé Danann

Nuada and Lugh stared at each other for a good while, sizing each other and the godsends they took from their respective vaults.

“Hey you got the crown back on,” Lugh said cheekily. “Definitely not my style but it always looked cool on you.”

Nuada looked at the small wooden boat Lugh was pulling, analyzing each weapon and item. Of course there was Lugh’s trusty familiar/deity in his own right, Failinis, his spear, and one of the Celtic treasures, Gáe Assail. His sword Fragarch was also there, and other trinkets like his cloich tabaill and steel cesta, a throwing weapon/sports equipment that allowed the person to throw a magical ball that returned and then be fired back, provided that you caught the ball when it returned.

There was other clothing, armor, and jewelry in the boat but those didn’t matter to Nuada; he was focused on the spear and the boat itself.

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“I see you’re taking almost all your godsends, even wave-sweeper. What about Aenbharr?” Nuada asked. Aenbharr was Lugh’s horse familiar that could walk on water. During the Great rebellion he allowed other Cetlics to use Aenbharr and they became attached to the great steed.

“Well, wave-sweeper should be good enough as a vehicle supporter godsend. Besides, I’ll leave him for you if you want to use him,” Lugh replied. He looked extra smug as he spoke to Nuada. “If those are all the godsends you have so far, you’re going to need Aenbharr more than me.”

Nuada soured into a quiet rage; both Dian and Lugh felt the shift in his demeanor. “Lugh, I’m tired of this. I know the real you. I will take Aenbharr but only to take him away from you and your savage trickster nature. All our kin are still upset with you for tricking the humans of Ireland, for making them think of you as a deity of many avenues and aspects for them to worship. And for taking godsends away from us.”

“I didn’t trick the humans. It’s not my fault you guys weren’t loved the same way I was by them! Maybe you should have gone down to Earth more and revealed yourselves, like I did,” Lugh replied with a bit of snark in his tone.

“Because we weren’t supposed to be on Earth, Lugh! You took accomplishments and accolades away from us! You think you're so cunning and know everything, yet look what happened to you. Tricked by Lucifer and you almost died to a silly curse you created. If you do anything to disrupt these honorable battles, there will be punishment.”

Lugh had forgotten how strict Nuada became when he wore the crown. It pissed him off to hear what Nuada said, especially about his failures. “This is why you always lose against me in Fidchell and mock army battles, Nuada. You want to go blow for blow, man to man, on even playing fields and that’s always been the way to your defeat. You fight for honor and I fight to win.”

Lugh pushed past the two deities, unable to quell the savage rage in his heart, the one he tried to hide away after the many mistakes he made. Lugh was a true warrior using every resource in his power to win; many of his victories were caused by his ranged abilities and his cunning trickster nature. Winning was all that mattered to Lugh but that changed after the Great Rebellion and his near death experience at the hands of the Piseóg… No, he was just too scared to tell anyone what really happened.

How Lucifer appeared in front of him and mind crushed him on Earth, letting the Piseóg escape, that was really when Lugh mellowed out and became a husk of his former self. He already felt disrespected by the other deities before the Rebellion, because they were just jealous at how strong he was. How much love he was given by the first generation humans who worshiped him the most out of all the Celtic deities.

Only Lucifer, a few angels, and the other tricksters ever respected him…wanted to be with him for him. So, it hurt to see it was a lie from Lucifer. He really tried to understand Lugh and listen to his worries. He was a mentor, a brother, and a father to him, and when he saw him again on Earth while hunting the Piseóg all he saw was red.

An unstoppable rage and hatred, it didn’t matter to Lugh that it was a spiritual form in front of him. He wanted to kill Lucifer yet he couldn’t, because Lucifer was in a league of his own. Once he wrapped Lugh in his chains, he sent everything Lugh had confined him with, all his worries and doubts, his trauma and feelings that he would never truly belong with the other Cetlics.

The fact that his actions caused the deaths of the five deities, of Brigid and Thor, and the disappointment he felt from Father and Nuada, was too much to handle at first. But those wounds slowly started to heal over time, thanks to the other tricksters and meeting Ariel.

Ariel was just like Lugh, lost with a savage nature, someone who felt like a disappointment to their kin… for being true to themselves. Ariel just wanted to make his dad proud of him, such a simple request that had many different meanings and outcomes for a wish. Yet it was just like Lugh’s request to be respected, to be truly forgiven… Not by Nuada, God, or anyone else.

But by himself.

Much like Nuada, Lugh was running away as well and just like him… No. More. He turned to face Nuada one last time with an expression like that of the true mature warrior he used to be.

“I’m going to do anything and everything to win. That is my Dagda, my Celtic way, my honor.”

Dian shifted his eyes to see his King, he thought that Nuada would still hold that quiet rage in his face but he was pleasantly surprised instead at the face of a warrior accepting a challenge.

“Dian, I must go and speak with Damaris about the Tryfing. Lugh is returning to his old self just like me. I can’t let him get the better of me.” Nuada warped out with even more determination.

3rd Tryfing

Official judge: Heroic Greek deity, Achilles.

Support judge: Angel, Damaris.

Chosen deities:

Ra: Demi-God: Darren Donaldson

Lugh: Knight: Ariel Morales

Zhong Kui: Exorcist

Inari: Polymath: Kento Sanosuke

Freya: Assassin: Charlie Wilson

Nuada: Conqueror: João Machado

Minerva: Tactician ???

Team Arc-Angel: Hero Luther Satenly

Fantasia world: The world known as Helioan

Starting year: not yet decided.

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