Book 2 chapter 8.

Catbad, Steven and I.

"Your mother made me do it!"

Catbad screamed as the crow pulled his eyelid open with its claw.

"Wait!" Annan ordered the black crow squawked madly in protest but obeyed.

It backed away from Catbads eye for now.

Catbad siged in relief and wished he could move any of his frozen limps to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"You lie." Annan hissed. "Our mother has no interest in the world of man. She bore us to harvest that crop."

"She believes you failed her." Catbad said. "She bore you to end man's time on earth. She claims mans war lust is not enough to satisfy your greed. You want to end all life. You want to end her."

"Life, hurts my eyes. It screams in my ears makes me sick every moment we have to endure its existence. All life is nothing but sickness. I am death. I come for all. Our mother is arrogant to believe I would not come for her."

"True." Catbad agreed. "Her arrogance believes man is the sickness you goddesses are only meant to cure. Your mother will not let you succeed."

"She cannot interfere." Annan told. "Soon the earth will be a raging hell storm and life will never infect it again."

"She is been made flesh-" Catbad said. "and is coming for you!"

"You lie! She cannot change what is about to happen. Time cannot be changed!"

Catbad smiled. "You are standing here because time was changed. Those rules no longer apply?"

"Your smile Druid sickens me. At least I can end that now!"

"Oh! Goddess I wish you could I too am tired of life but kill me and I will only be reincarnated else where.Your mother will stop you. However together we can stop her. I know where your mother is. Together we can go back destroy her before she gets to powerful."

"You will help us? Knowing I will destroy your world and all life ends."

"So?" Asked Catbad. "Take me back and I will help you defeat your mother then reward me. Help me be king and I will conquer the world in your name. Death will be mans only desire. All life must end. The will of man will be yours. Not even your mother can fight against that."

"You would want power at the expanse of your own race?"

"I am a man." Catbad said. "Why does this surprise you?"

"He's tricking us!" Badb goddess of fear said. "He's trying to save his own skin."

"No." Anann replied. "We need him. Our mother must be stopped."

She turned and whispered in Bedbs ear. "Besides I find the best way to torture a man is to give him everything he wants."

She turned waved her hand and the vortex opened once more on the stage.

"The Druid Catbad comes with us."

Annan ordered Badb.

Badb obeyed bent down and kissed Catbad once more on the lips.

Fear melted it's grip on his body. He found he was able to move once more. Wiping the dust from his eyes he jumped up and bowed.

"Goddesses. Let us go we don't have much time!"

He moved towards the vortex.

Annan death stopped him.

"I said the Druid Catbad comes with us. We have no need for the rest."

Catbad looked confused.

"The eyes are not just the window to the soul but it's keeper as well!"

Annan informed him.

Before Catbad could answer the crow flew straight into his face.

He raised his hands franticly fighting the raven off, but the crow seemed to be everywhere.

Scratching and clawing his face to bits.

Then he felt an almighty pain and his world went black.

The crow flew off the face and landed on Annan's outstretched hand.

Steven screamed holding onto the socket where once his left eye filled.

He scrambled on all fours on the ground.

Found Macha discarded black gown and held it tightly over his missing eye.

Suddenly it dawned on him.

"....I'm free..He cried...I'm free ..he's gone..."

The raven dropped her ghoulish prize into Annans left hand.

Annan stirred into the ball of jelly that was once an eye.

Inside the blue iris, she could see Catbads soul screaming to get out.

She gazed over at Steven Catwell, who still on all fours, despite the loss of his eye, broke down crying with joy of been free.

"Yes you are free. The dark Druid is gone. But so is his magic that held your years back. "

He felt it.

His other arm started to shrink?

Shrivel up.

Fear gripped him.

He felt it all over, arms, legs, face his innards failed.

His hair fell out in clumps and turned grey, then white as it hit the floor.

He spat out teeth.

He hadn't the strength to even stand on all fours. He collapsed hitting the floor unable to stop over forty years ravaging his body.

Annan felt sorry for him.

"I'm afraid time has caught up with you. At least you are free. Death has freed you. As I will the rest of your world."

With that Steven watched Anann, Bedb and the crow enter the vortex leaving him dying of old age.

He blacked out.

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