The repercussions of Isolde’s actions were immediate.

All fighting stopped, those not targeted by the curse scurried to put as much distance between them and those affected as possible. I wasn’t sure why. The curse wasn’t an airborne pathogen that could be transmitted like the flu. The only people who really needed to be worried were those individuals that had blood ties to the people that had been targeted.

Admittedly, in a closed system like the Kelpies seemed to enjoy, a small community probably all related in some manner or other, that number may be substantial. As I searched the faces of those gathered, I began to realize that the entire colony may be doomed unless countermeasures were enacted quickly.

Only three people had been cursed. But unless they were willing to expend their life energies to stop the spread, the damage would be catastrophic. The horror and desperation on the faces of those around me seemed to validate my reasonings. These people understood the serious nature of the curse, and for those that had been initially targeted, a sense of acceptance, an understanding that there was no choice but to act.

Perhaps their circumstances should have moved me. It didn't. I felt no pity, no sympathy, no understanding for those that would support slavery and treachery. I would like to blame the icy logic I was experiencing on my Cyronax bloodline, but that wouldn’t be the truth.

The truth was, I felt they deserved their fate. They had ruined the lives of who knew how many Kelpie. Profited in both monies and power. And were willing to slay or hold hostage innocent bystanders in order to influence a rightful challenge. And they had done this to friends and family. To children that had not yet Ascended and were blameless and innocent in whatever politics or machinations were factors in those decisions.

Good and evil existed in any world it seemed. And selling children into slavery was evil no matter how you rationalized it.

Belisama gave her children the ability to punish. Her gift was cruel, a nuclear option that could destroy entire communities. But the curse was in a sense, Divine retribution, it was not a gentle scolding. She had enabled those that had nothing left to live for, those willing to sacrifice the very core of who they were, the ability to dispense justice.

Her solution may seem barbaric, for if Slavery was evil, what was the wholesale slaughter and death of an entire bloodline? Death simply because one shared common ancestor? There was no argument. The curse was an instrument of evil. A way to retaliate, to sacrifice everything to inflict retribution.

But the curse had an escape clause. The choice of what would happen, now the responsibility to be shouldered by those who would practice the evils that allowed them to enslave their brothers and sisters. These people were now responsible, and their decisions would decide the events that would follow.

They could expend their own energies, shatter their cores, a process of such pain to be unbearable. But the pain that would pass. They would sacrifice their lives in order to protect those they may care about, allaying the evil that they had done by this final sacrifice of good. Or they could allow the curse to seek and search, spreading to the next Kelpie and the next.

Three individuals. Drops of water in the vast ocean of life. Would decide the fate of this herd.

The truism that all life is precious, but we are selfish and desperate in our desire to live, must be balanced against the importance of those ties that bind.

Mates. Children. Friends.

These three had fought and attacked friends and family to safeguard policies they knew were corrupt. The choice before them would have them remember their morality, and act. Would they have the character of will to turn back from the cliff of despair and incertitude and embrace this opportunity to be honorable once more and strike back against the corruption that had taken hold within this Herd?

Separate and unaware of the drama that was taking place outside the water arena, Blayney and Haygan continued their titanic struggle. Continued to rip and shred each other's flesh. Wounding and healing in a cycle of destruction and anger that was a fitting backdrop for the ignoble torment that was occurring amongst those that would support, disrupt, or influence their battle.

The dichotomy in actions was jarring. The stillness and despair of those cursed against the ferocity and mindless destruction of battle.

Still, their action was needed. And the three finally chose. Chose to save and embrace family. To perform this one last duty that would allow those whom they cared for to continue to prosper. The inglorious decision to sacrifice themselves so that others would not be infected with the ravages of the curse.

Almost as one, the three turned their life force and magics against the virulent energies of the curse. They allowed their inner cores to gather magical energies, to over-extend and compress those energies they gathered to expand and rage against the walls that constrained their cores and expend those energies that made up their bodies.

Life, magic, soul. All energies were sublimated to need. A desire to negate and shape their destiny. To change the fate of the community.

And as one, those energies resonated a disharmony that vibrated in countermeasure to the frequencies and vibrations of the curse. A cacophony of sonorous energies that culminated in a frenzied explosion, as multiple forces coalesced to suppress the intent behind the curse.

My ability to perceive, to see the ebb and flow of energies as they self-destructed allowed me fresh insight into the harmonies and workings of the Sidhe. I was able to more fully understand how life, magic, and soul energies worked together in concert. It was as if the curtains into the secrets of the Universe were contained in that one climactic explosion of forces so well balanced to give the lie to the claim that life was an amalgam of a happy coincidence.

No. Life, magic, and soul were of the Divine. A balanced synergy of intent and function. A gift that made the impossible, possible.

Their actions did not trivialize or mitigate the sacrifice Isolde made. She spent her life force to seek justice for Shaela, and she succeeded. Those individuals who would attack and claim the lives of the abused and enslaved those that trusted and loved them paid for their transgressions.

The coin for payment was the decision to sacrifice, to admit the idiocy and evil they had done, and pay for those decisions with their lives. But their choice was not singular, they were also given the chance for redemption. To understand in their last moments that ties of blood had a deeper meaning was more substantive than any transitive riches or political power they may have gained.

Money and power were fluid, but blood was a lasting testament to the resilience of society. Even the long-lived Sidhe recognized that any true heritage or legacy was only possible if people existed to pass that knowledge on. To build the social contract that recognized that the future was only possible because of the work that came before.

Una and Irvin had disengaged from battle, once Isolde had acted. They were watching. Waiting. Testing to see how events would transpire.

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Inexorably their attention was drawn to the Elder assemblage. Ignoring the contest that continued between Blayney and Haygan, Una refused to respond to the questions and uncertainty of her children. She would not allow herself to relax her battle intent and stand down.

But she would not act first.

The next move would be the Elders, and they were now aware of the extent she and hers were willing to go. If they would act, her body language suggested the next group of individuals that might need to confront the ravages of the curse were the Elders themselves.

The Elders were not idiots, they would not have survived long enough, schemed well enough to gain their positions if they were. They realized that the decision to sabotage the trial by capturing Blayney’s supporters had escalated the confrontation to the next level, a level that included dire consequences for both sides. They knew that what would happen next was entirely in their hands.

"Una," one of the Elders began stepping forward, "there is no need to continue this fight. We would reach a settlement."

"Really? I find it interesting," Una replied, "your previous silence and outward support of Haygan suggests otherwise. I thought you and the other council members blind. Lacking in honor and devoid of any decency.

"I don’t believe for a moment that you were not aware of Haygan’s treachery. You were complicit in his schemes to sell members of this settlement to Seelie. You enabled his lust for power and greed. You stood back and allowed a rightful challenge to be corrupted by those that would interfere in Belisama’s trial, that is if you weren’t the ones that planned and instigated the corruption.

"The corruption in this community has spread too deep. I am not sure that the settlement can be saved. And if it can, I’m not sure it should be. Even those that did not participate in this insane attempt to hold hostage those that Blayney most cherished, they still refused to voice concern at actions taken here today.

"I wonder how pleased Belisama will be if she Awakens to find how far from the path of Peace-brokers some of her Kelpie have traveled?"

Her words seemed to affect those who had hidden or sought protection harshly. Their guilt was obvious, but that emotion was quickly replaced and dismissed as resentment took hold. These people did not like having their faults broadcast, their complicity in evil exposed. It was no wonder none dared to greet Blayney and Una. Their return to the Herd forced these individuals to face the injustice and cruelty they supported.

"We will pay reparations," the Elder offered.

"Reparations?" Una sneered.

"You had us chained with enchanted silver. The pain as the metal burned our flesh and we healed those wounds in an endless cycle was relentless.

"Our abilities, other than healing, had been denied us. Even our children were forced to remain in animal form. Thom would have created a stable of Kelpie for no greater purpose than to claim ownership and mastery over other Sidhe. To prove the Seelie belief that we are nothing better than beasts of burden.

"You and your petty plots, your refusal to allow the natural cycle and transition of power, weakened all of us.

"The Goddess Belisama transformed and gifted us the skills of combat to make us strong. So that we would never again have to bend the knee or become beasts of burden to the Seelie or Unseelie.

"And you and your council. Haygan and his jealousies, you saw fit to abandon all that she had gifted us.

"You want this to end?

"Fine.

"Convince Haygan to surrender.

"I will intervene and stay Blayney’s revenge.

"Haygan will live. But he and those that were instrumental in helping him devise and execute this plot will be sent to Great Lord Duer de Belisama. Let him decide what punishment this madness deserves."

Her words seemed to shock the Elders more than the curse had. I had no idea who Great Lord Duer was, but the name suggested he was royal Kelpie, and tied to Belisama by blood and legacy.

"Irvin," I whispered, "how can Una change the rules of the challenge and stop the fight? Blayney and Haygan agreed to a death match."

"Blayney and Una are bonded companions. True mates. They speak with one voice," Irvin explained.

"He would trust and honor any agreement she might reach during the course of the battle. As for Lord Haygan? The Elders might believe they have the authority and ability to coerce his bonded companion to agree to the terms mother has demanded."

"The ability for a bonded companion to set aside challenge is allowed?" I asked.

"It is. Belisama would prefer negotiation and arbitration to combat. She would never create an environment that did not allow for parties to step back from the brink of what she considers insanity."

"Your terms are refused," one of the Elders who to this moment had remained silent, answered. "There is no benefit in submitting our entire Herd to this vendetta."

"Vendetta?" Una sneered.

"You think our actions are a vendetta?

"You are a fool.

"Blayney would destroy you root and branch, in order to tear out the corruption that seems to have invaded our friends and family.

"Vendetta? No this isn’t a vendetta, this is surgery. We will excise this cancer, this evil that has grown here, and leave either a healthy patient or a dead one," Una declared.

Turning she, and those who supported her, returned our attention to the fight that had been continuing in the Water arena, it was hard to tell who was winning. The water was stained pink with blood, cloudy almost to the point of obscuring the participants completely. The notion was frightening, the amount of blood loss necessary to stain that much water was prodigious.

I was frequently surprised that Blayney was able to compete on what seemed a level playing field. He was a Ranked Knight, level 3. Unless Haygan had been awarded a courtesy title as part of the fiat granted to him for this colony, he was a Ranked Lord. I wasn’t sure how the Kelpie government worked, but I had assumed it was similar to Seelie and one had to have the Rank in order to claim the Title.

And if Haygan was a Ranked Lord, he should have been able to defeat Blayney handily. Even if it was difficult, the power difference should have allowed him to win by attrition if not outright might. That didn’t appear to be the case.

The wounds that Haygan was taking continued to increase, not fully healing before a new set was created. Blayney’s ability to use his claws as well as his teeth was allowing him to inflict substantially more damage during each engagement.

It was possible that the difference in Rank existed, but Blayney’s expertise in shapeshifting was allowing him to ignore Rank. Haygan was slowing down, becoming warier. He stopped rushing in, trying to enfold Blayney in coils of flesh, as he learned that attack only opened his under-belly to claws willing to gouge. But slowing the speed of engagement only gave Blayney time to renew spent energies, to regain stamina for the next engagement.

Blayney’s next attack opened a gash that seemed to run half-way the length of Haygan’s body and had already spilled out intestines. The image of the body trying to re-absorb and re-distribute those organs, while healing the wound was nauseating. I had to force the bile back, swallowing frequently, taking deep breaths to keep my stomach from rebelling.

Watching the battle between others, I learned, was much different than engaging. When you fought, your mind didn’t have the ability to notice the small nuances of gore and viscera that splattered the surroundings. The smells or metal as blood filled the air, the sound of flesh tearing.

For the most part, those things had been contained within the Water arena.

Except battle had not remained contained within the Arena.

Battle had been forced upon those Blayney sought to avenge and protect. The effects of the curse had left the ground littered with body parts. And the smells, as the challenge continued, the odoriferous contaminants of flesh and blood, shit and piss, added to the destruction we witnessed.

There was no error in judgment. No feint that was missed. Blayney was just better than Haygan. Maybe it was his youth. Or his desperation. Or his fury that fueled his battle lust. But his attacks became surer and harder as the fight progressed.

As Blayney noticed wounds heal slower. Haygan's reaction speed faltered, became just a second slower. Blayney instead calculated. He adapted, he learned. He had discovered as the battle progressed just how much force was required to create a wound, and the precision and depth of that wound would be controlled until finally, he was ready.

I was unprepared for the savagery of his final attack. The raw emotion he exuded as his claws raked across Haygan’s throat. The depth and barbarity of the strike instantly rupturing and destroying the esophagus, trachea, and jugulars.

Blood that had flowed and spilled before was as nothing compared to the torrential gush as Haygan’s heart pumped and his body worked to heal and replace lost blood and flesh. Eyes widened in shock and pain, Haygan transformed back to his humanoid form, hands reaching to clasp his throat. Hoping to staunch his life’s blood.

The transformation was not smooth. He didn’t have the energy or magic to transition seamlessly. Instead, he was caught between. A monstrous version of Blayney’s blended perfection. As his vision dimmed, I wondered if he had time for an epiphany. If he experienced the same moment before true death that I had experienced, where his past deeds were reviewed. And if he had, what eschatology his vision afforded him.

If Belisama was awaiting to pass judgment, then the punishment for this life may be extreme.

[Quest Complete: You have protected 11/11 Kelpie foals]

[Rewards - New Retainer - Kelpie Commoner Irvin]