Chapter Text
The music stopped at the first scream. That was all Lucia could remember when that heart-wrenching sound echoed throughout the clearing. All she could think about at the time were her husband and young son as she and everyone else scrambled to find weapons to defend themselves. She prayed to all the Gods that they were safe in the chaos.
Lucia was fighting an innumerable number of enemy soldiers, and the challenge she faced was keeping her focus while avoiding any harm to her from all fronts. It wasn't a surprise that she didn't hear the cry of a young man. Be it through man's steel or the dark ether of the shadows and those who conjure their malevolent spirits into this realm.
"Your Majesty!" A soldier, she thought. And based on the coat of arms that she could see on his armor, one of her husband's troops. He was a young lad, hardly of age, to have passed the trials to become one of their soldiers. His limbs are too long for his body, and she suspects he only recently reached maturity. But he was fighting just as bravely as any of the more senior warriors. As Lucia contemplated the young man, who tried so hard to grab his lady's attention, he failed to see the lethal blow until it was too late.
"NO!" Lucia yelled. At that moment, her opponent took advantage of her lapse in concentration; as she turned to help the young man, her opponent took his broadsword and suddenly broke through Lucia's defense and gouged a deep gash into her side.
Lucia screamed with pain coursing through her body. Her hand went instantly to her side. With a glance around her, she took in the battle. The grove they had chosen for their Samhain rituals quickly became a war zone. The altars for loved ones were either torn apart or burned. The tables and food were overturned and on the ground. Lucia could determine that both sides were having trouble fighting in the grove. While the forest was big, it wasn't big enough for soldiers or dragon fighting. The once earthly shade of the rowan trees was incinerated to flakes of ash by dragon fighting, and many of the sacred trees met their demise by the same fate. Lucia was leaning against one of the Rowan trees on the outer edge of the grove, near the cliffside. She could see fighting near the forest center and above the sky. Lucia looked down to her side, and she quickly had to look away. Her entire side and thigh were soaked in her blood-the crimson continuing to gush from her wound like a river rushing downhill.
"Damn it!" Lucia muttered, grimacing in pain as she twisted to gaze out into the battle. No one seems to have noticed her in the chaos of the fight. She hissed when she felt her wound tear open just a little more. Looking back at the gash, she knew that the wound was fatal. Her natural healing as one of the Tuatha De Danann wasn't working fast enough to replace her blood. Lucia knew that she wouldn't survive this battle much longer. She quickly closed her eyes against the pain and acknowledged that she wouldn't see her son grow into the brave man she knew he'd be. The tyrant killing off the clan's changes everything. She shakes her head; she has to keep her head in the here and now. Her fate was in Lady Morrigan's hands now, as well as the fate of this battle.
Lucia opened her eyes, quickly moving her gaze back to the fighting, surveying to ensure an enemy didn't sneak up on her. Fighting to stay awake, Lucia just faintly heard someone cry out for her.
"Mamma!" Lucia's gaze caught sight of a young boy. The black smoke was making it hard to catch a glimpse of who the young was. She pushes herself away from the Rowan tree that she is leaning on. With a hiss, Lucia turned to attempt to find the boy once more. As she was looking, something moved in her peripheral vision. A glimmer of something slivered, but it was enough for her to zone in on what was happening. And it was something that made her heart of hearts stop.
"Mamma!" Aaron yelled out. That was the only thing going through Lucia's head. One of the tyrant's soldiers had gotten to her little boy.
"Aaron!" Lucia cried out! Stumbling over her feet in her haste to get her little boy. Scrambling up, adding minor scrapes and bruises to her already battered body. The bruises and broken flesh were a reminder that she was mortal. Though her spirit had resilience, her flesh gave out on her and would be incapable of carrying her as her heart could. She choked back a scream as the wound on her side pulled, her sight blacking out for a few precious moments. Lucia knew she didn't have much time when the world came back into color. She had to sin her son and get him somewhere safe. Lucia pushed herself up, lightheaded from moving too quickly; she quickly looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Aaron in what was fast becoming a massacre.
Bodies of soldiers, enemies, and friends were lying on each other. The once emerald green grass of the grove was stained a red so dark that it was almost black. The blue sky was clouded with grey from the smoke, and ash fell like snow. The fire was so hot that Lucia could barely breathe. There's a ringing in Lucia's ears as the cries from her people, and the battle cries from the soldiers seem to be from a dream.
"Aaron!" Lucia screamed, trying to focus her hearing on listing for Aaron's response. There she can barely pinpoint the faint wail. Lucia turned to the right and started running the way to the woods. She was running out of energy to keep up the pace. But she was desperate and could dig deep in herself for power. After a few moments, Lucia could hear cruising.
" Stay still, you little runt," A gruff voice yelled.
" Let me go!" Aaron cried out, hiccupping, as tears and snot ran down his youthful face. The guard snarled, and before Aaron knew what was happening, he was dropped onto the forest floor. With a yelp, Aaron looked up at the frightful man. Scared out of his mind, all Aaron could think about was that he wanted her mamma and daddy. The guard smiled, showing broken and yellowing teeth.
" If you keep crying, kid, I'm going to give you something to cry about" He grinned, raising his hand and getting ready to strike when something knocked him away from Aaron.
" Get away from my son!" Lucia yelled, sprinting out of the trees and knocking the guard to the ground. "Mamma!" Aaron yelled happily. With some effort, Lucia quickly gazed up at him and pushed the guard away from them. Huffing, Lucia grabs Aaron by the shoulders, looks him in the eyes, and says, "Aaron, I need you to run, baby." she quickly looks back at the guard and sees him pushing himself off the ground and grabbing his sword. She turned back to Aaron quickly, moving him towards the woods.
"I need you to run right now, Aaron and get as far away from here as possible. Can you do that for me?" Lucia said, actively pushing him away. Aaron looked behind his mamma and saw the wrong man running towards them with an evil smile on his face.
" Mamma, look out!" Aaron cried out to his mother. Lucia saw the sword with a curse, shoved Aaron out of the way, and quickly brought her short dagger to block the blow. Lucis promptly went to her knees, her strength finally failing her. She slightly turned her head and saw Aaron standing by the tree line, watching her and the guard fight. She called out to him once more.
"Aaron!" He quickly met her gaze, and Lucia could tell he was terrified. His eyes were wide open, and terror was swimming in them. "Aaron, run. Run NOW!" Lucia shouted, shoving the man off her and quickly stabbing him in his side. "AHHH!" He yelled out. Aaron choked back, cried at the yell, and sprinted towards the trees.
"NO!" The guard howled. And with a quick turn of his wrist, he shoved his sword into Lucia's abdomen. Groaning in pain, Lucia fell to her knees. She brings her hand to the new stab wound in her gut. Darkness was quickly claiming her vision, but there was still one thing she needed to do. She felt around the forest debris for her dagger, and It took a few seconds to feel the hilt. But just in time, because as soon as she had her wrapped around it, her chin was forcefully garbed, and she was staring into the blacked eyes of Morelli's guard.
"You know that you didn't save him, your Majesty," He told her, mockingly using her title. "Now that you're out of the way, all I have to do is find the little brat and kill him." With the last of her strength, Lucia started laughing. His face twisted into confusion, "What's so funny, Majesty?" Lucia stopped laughing and answered him with a smile on her face, "What's funny is that you think that I'm going to let you leave here alive." And quick as a viper, she shoved her dagger into his heart. The shock was evident on his face. As if he couldn't believe what had happened was real. With his last breath leaving his lungs, he topples over. Lucia sank onto her side, and as her vision faded, her final thought was, be safe, Aaron; I love you.