Book 2  Chapter 7.

The torture of Catbad.

The crowd roared and cheered with anticipation.

The arena felt it was about to burst as the excitement of thousands of  preteen and teenage girls  spread infecting the whole audience.

No one was immune. Even the judges sitting in full view front and centre of the stage felt swept up in the audience euphoria.

All judges that is but one.

Catbad sat bored.

He knew this was going to be torture.

He knew its  gonna take some good editing to make any of these acts tonight appear half decent.

One by one he slated them all.

He played the bad guy every well.

All part of the script.

The inevitable build up to the last act which will blow the roof off and end the auditions on a high.  

Every now again he'd scowl over at Liamie Wallie.

Who kept coming back with the mantra.

"Ireland won't let us down." 

Finally it was almost time for the last act to come on.

Catbad shivered.

It started as a small breeze.

The breeze felt like it was coming from the back of the arena.

Down past the audience.

Past the judges and onto the middle of the stage. 

Did some stupid roadie open the doors at the back?

It's a live show for Danu's sake.

"Gone bit chilly in here." Cherry Cola shivered beside Catbad.

Catbad wasn't surprised she felt cold.

She barely wore her little black dress with its plunging neck line and High thigh split.

"Really I can't feel a thing. Deary!"

Smiled  Karen Awesome other side of her who was wearing terminal colthing in comparison to the Pettit Cheery Cola.

But Catbad felt it too.

Cold air and it wasn't blowing from behind them as he first thought.

It was more like the air in the theatre  was been sulked down onto the centre of the stage.

Catbad knew something was coming and it wasn't good.

The lights flickered off and on.

The audience jumped in surprise.

Girls giggled.

A roar and a clap went up when they saw a a giant vortex of light appear on the stage everyone thought it was part of the show.

Everyone but Catbad.

"Stop the show!  Get us off the air NOW!"

Ordered Catbad into his mike.

His director Hampton buzzed into his earpiece.

<< Don't know what's going on but ratings at 19.7million.  Shows not going anywhere. Relax Steven let's play this out.  >>

Three figures began to emerge out of the centre of the vortex. 

Three silhouettes unmistakably female.

Catbad jumped out off his seat.

Fear filled his being.

He wanted to run but knew it would do no good.

The crowd around him was cheering even giving wolf whistles to the three goddesses on the stage.

Slowly the vortex disappeared behind them and their full beauty was revealed.

"By the Gods these people don't know what their dealing with-."

Catbad said aloud but the only one listening was the director Hampton.

"-Their all dead."

<< What was that Steven? >>

Hampton buzzed in thinking he must have misheard.

The audience kept clapping and cheering but the goddesses stood not saying a word giving the audience no reaction.

No emotion.

Cold spectres of death.

The clap died and the laughter dwindled to an awkward silence.

Everyone felt uneasy as if something primal in the back of their brains  was telling them they are in danger.

"Who are you?" Asked Liamie Wallie into his mike.

Catbad couldn't tell if Liamie was brave or just plain stupid.

Can he not feel the danger that everyone else in the room felt?

"WE ARE THE MORRiGAN!"

People screamed in fear as the voice didn't come from the mikes but from inside their own heads.

"WE ARE THE GODDESSES OF WAR!  IT IS TIME FOR ALL WHO WORSHIP WAR  TO OBEY OUR COMMAND."

"TO DO WHAT YOU ARE BRED TO DO!"

"KILL YOUR ENEMY BEFORE HE KILLS YOU!"

Catbad heard a bit of commotion coming from the audience. A few men where trying to leave.

One young lad was been stopped by his girlfriend.

"Where you going Jimmy?"

She asked trembling and  holding his arm. "You can't leave me here ."

"Got to go luv." Jimmy pulled away from her.

"Wars coming. Have to report to me barracks!"

<< Steven what the hell is going on! Just got News the prime minister has just declared a state of war. This some publicity stunt your pulling. This can't be happening!" >>

"Told you to stop the show." Catbad answered and sighed-"

"-Now it's to late."

"<< Christ their launching against Russia! >>

Catbad took his earpiece out.

"NOW CATBAD!"

He felt pain shoot through his body then the lights flickered off.

The place screamed in the darkness.

Seconds later when the lights flickered back on. 

People screamed even louder as they saw Catbad's body floating above the stage.

He roared out in pain.

People had had enough.

Panic consumed them.

Over Four thousand stampeded to the exits crushing anyone who fell to get out.

Catbad still screaming floated down onto the stage onto the floor surrounded by the three sisters of death.

He turned his head and saw his fellow three judges.

Cherry Coke looked as if she was going to help.

Then Awesome grabbed her arm. 

Cherry gave him her sympathetic look and he half accepted her to say.

""Hard look pet. But your just not doing it for me."

Then she turned and ran out with Liamie and Karen Awesome.

Despite the pain.

Catbad laughed.

He laughed more when he saw the three disgruntled judges been pushed back from the crowded exit.

The Morrigan looked at him as if he was mad.

"Enjoy your last jest Catbad! it is time for you to pleasure us with your death!"

Anann the blond said.

Badb the dark haired bent down smiled and kissed him on his lips.

He felt cold fear spread into his body.

As she pulled away he realised he was paralysed with fear.

He could move nothing.

Except for his eyes and mouth.

"I left his mouth free. We can enjoy his screams."  smiled Badb goddess of fear.

Macha the red spat in his eye.

"This time your soul won't escape. Turn us into crows what right had you to wrong gods. Prepare to die-" 

Macha the red goddess of Revenge warned and her eyes turned  black.

He watched as she floated up and up arms out becoming smaller.

She stopped as she reached the arena's high roof.

Floating above them like a swimmer in water.

She raised her arm and touched the roof.

Suddenly she dropped as if whatever power made her float had gone. 

She fell madly gaining speed until like a black sack of cannon balls she  crashed hard into the ground inches from his face.

Unable to move to protect  his face he choked in the blast of the  dust cloud.

His ears ringing and eyes watered.

As the dust finally settled he could see no trace of her body.

Just her black tunic lay beside him.

Had the impact destroyed her?

No.

Something moved within the tunic.

Something alive.

It flapped out.

Black wings beady eyes and shining menacing long grey black beak.

A Hugh raven screamed into Catbads frozen face.

"Turn us into crows. It's only fitting we turn you into crow food!"

Smiled Anann the blond the goddess of death.

"Now let's start with the eyes."

"I didn't turn you into crows!"

Screamed Catbad as the crow hopped onto his frozen face.

"I don't have that much power!"

"You lie!" Annan spat. "Your death freed us only the Druids death that cast the spell can brake it."

"It would take a god to turn gods into crows. You know this. I cast the spell. But it was a god that gave me the power to trap you!"

"I am death. Nothing wins against death.  What god would dare oppose us."

"Your mother." Catbad spoke and saw even death can be taken by surprise.

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