Benandonner is taken aback by the ferocity of Thorun's attack... But fights on!
Aoife's cry of pain was completely knocked out of her when she collided with the bolder. Her ears were ringing, and at some point she had dropped her other sword yet Claíomh Solais remained firmly in her grasp. As she looked around for a moment trying to get her head to stop swimming, her eyes landed upon Sister Cobhlaith. How did she get so bloody? When did she..? Aoife couldn't fully understand how, but she knew the Sister's wounds had to be because of her. Spitting out a bit of blood from her mouth, though it did nothing to clear the blood running down from her lips and over her chin, Aoife took Claíomh Solais in both hands and lept towards the giant!
Daire grows concerned but shows none of this in his voice.
"Look how he staggers!"
I'm dead if I don't strike true, Aoife reminds herself as she raises the Sword of Light and leaps into the air. Encouraged by Daire's orders, Aoife's hand is steady and resolute. Claíomh Solais is eager to draw blood. Its thirst is contagious. And as it cuts through the air, Aoife wonders if she is veritably in control...
The sword cuts Benandonner's head clean off. Aoife lands at the giant's feet and glories in the rain of blood that falls upon her...
Daire lowers his blade.
"And it is done. We have slain a giant no less! Let us claim what we came for, and anything else of value."
Daire moves towards the giant and begins to root around, seeking items of worth.
Thorun flings blood from his axe and goes to Aoife. "Another story you can tell, at this rate killing a giant may be one of your more boring ones."
Daire grins.
"I like your thinking, Thorun!"
Aoife closed her eyes as blood fell upon her like rain, gripping Claíomh Solais still. 'I guess red is my color... I've been wearing a lot of it lately...' Aoife thought, yet when Thorun spoke Aoife her thoughts ended and she swiftly snapped her head to him. Her eyes, which had always been a mixture of blue and green, barely came through for him to see with all the blood that covered her. Aoife gave a flick of Claíomh Solais to clean it a bit before sheathing it and moving to get her other sword. "I don't plan to tell any stories." Aoife began as she picked up the lovely blade that they had gotten after their time in the cell. "I only tell stories to friends, and when we leave this place I will have none..."
"I am wounded, Aoife", Daire proclaims with a twinkle in his eye.
"But truly, as rough as our path has gotten in this damned place, none of us have fallen! We may well get out with hearts beating and hands full!"
It is hard to gauge how much Daire believes his own words.
"As am I." Aoife said as she motioned to her own wounds. "I thought this group were my friends, my family, but that has been proven to be wrong. I'll be surprised if I still have any of you at my side." She added truthfully. "I'm honestly surprised none of you hate me."
Aoife then moved to retrieve the eye they had come here for.
Daire looks a little confused then shrugs as he continues searching the giant, then walks into the cave mouth.
"The bloody hell has gotten into you? You're making me from a few weeks go look like a ray of sunshine."
"What's wrong with me? Hell I wish I knew!! Maybe then I could change it! I got my friends thrown into a cell, robbed them of all they held, Padraic's tongue cut out because I wasn't fast enough, I then tried to console you," Aoife said as she pointed to Thorun, "And was disregard so hard I was sure you were just waiting to get away, oh and I finally was able to help my friends, or those I saw as such, when I got this sword and thought maybe things were on the up, the I broke the f*#!ing compass!!!! The last thing my brother gave me, and the main way to find the spear, shattered! Everything I touch... I destroy..." Aoife said, by the end of it she was almost shouting, and breathing heavily. "I thought.... I thought I finally found a place I... Belonged... A group I belonged to... But I was wrong... Again."
"You didn't break the compass. I don't think it was real to begin with." Thorun lets the others give him a confused look for a moment then sighs.
"I'm a superstitious bastard, you all know that, and I thought we were getting tricked by the little creature. I went to check to see if the spear was real. But before I could, the compass was broken, distracting us all. And later we found out the spear we saw was just an illusion." He levels a heavy frown. "No doubt the keeper of the real spear did not want to reveal his hand, and used some other trickery to break the compass. It may have only lead to that location, or to his illusion in the first place." Thorun is not entirely sure how true his theory is, but he's been beyond trusting these creatures for weeks now.
He steps towards Aoife, jabbing a finger into her chest. "Stop blaming yourself for all the worlds ails. We got a job to do, and if you're going to pout because somebody might get hurt on the way, than you don't know us at all."
Daire calls from within the cave mouth:
"Are ye going to come in?"
"I'm not worried about people getting hurt Thorun." Aoife said. "If that is what you got from this... I don't believe you were listening. People get hurt, I've made my peace with that, hell just look at me right now. I'm upset at myself for constantly messing up, and for believing that you all were my friends. After all you people put your ass on the line for me, which I believed meant something! Yet you made it clear a bit back that you didn't see it the same way..." She reminded him. "How many times have you and Ruadhán saved my life? Stood beside me in battle? Looked at me as a person and not a slave? Do you understand how little I've had of that?" Aoife asked, "Before now only Fintan saw me as something other than property... then a few others followed, yet each one of them have left Thorun. Padraic, Brother Ó Máille, Kassidy, Braedan... They each left. Now Ruadhán is going to leave us for his wife's soul if he's right, and Sister Cobhlaith has been hurt so badly I wouldn't be surprised if she chooses to leave because she can't do anything more for us. That leaves you, Daire, and me. If we take what you said truthfully this group doesn't mean anything to you, and Daire is here for the stories he can later tell..." She pointed out, she was getting a little light headed now, possibly from the blood she had lost or even internal damage. "I'm upset, because everything I keep trying to hold together... keeps falling apart." Aoife added, though she was getting a bit winded.
Investigating the giant's cave, the heroes find it to be neat and well-kept. No piles of bones. No macabre collection to remind him of his victories. There is a bed of hay, a huge table, a giant chair, and little else. Clearly, Benandonner lived a hard and simple life. The remains of a large fish on the table speaks to his diet, and there is nothing to suggest that the creature did much of anything to pass the time other than fishing and, perhaps, dreaming of home...
It's pitiful and sad, really.
Their hearts heavy – Aoife's gloom proves contagious – they busy themselves with the bloody task of retrieving the giant's eye...
Aoife sighed and shook her head. "I really hate this place." She said "Can we all agree that no matter what happens, we'll get out of this?" Aoife asked the group almost begging. "I don't care, well I do care if we remain together after all of this, but I really need you guys to get through this... if not... I really believe this place will rip us all apart." Aoife told them honestly. "I can feel it all the time... She paused before telling them "I almost put Claíomh Solais through my chest last night...."
Daire looks about, a little disappointed at what he sees.
"Just plainness and hints of sorrow. Let us be away from this place! And aye, Aoife, we will get out of here together, as many of us still live.", he replies with morbid humour.
Covered in blood, they climb back up the stone steps of the Giant's Causeway. Before returning to Abarta's home, Sister Cobhlaith insists that they should all pray – for life, for guidance, and to remind them that the love of Christ is with them even here in these dark lands, and now in their darkest hour.
They find Abarta waiting outside his home, smugly smoking a pipe of some foul-smelling tobacco of sorts. Sincerely pleased to see them alive and well, he offers them his hospitality once again, "Brave warriors! I applaud your courage and skill! Come, eat, drink, and regale me with the tale of your epic battle against Bennadonner!"
"Do you have the eye?" he asks almost too eagerly.
Thorun folds his arms, staring hard at Abarta. "The spear, let's see it. No illusions."
"Yes, courage... that is what it takes to kill that pitiful creature." Aoife said, most sarcastically. "I'm with Thorun on this one. We want to see and hold the spear, each of us, before we hand over the eye. No tricks, no illusions, no lies. We've done the dirty work, so you now have proof we're reliable. Now give us proof you are." Aoife demanded.
Abadar is no fool and while he knows that his hand is strong, he concedes, "I will give you the spear without hesitation if one of you agrees to submit to my geas and promise to consume the eye of Bennandonner along with me. That was our agreement, so I see no reason for you to hesitate."
"Geas?" Aoife asked with a raised eyebrow. She wasn't even sure she was saying it correctly. "What does this geas entail?"
Daire knows not what this might entail, so he awaits an answer.
Thorun groans with impatient. "For what cause would we go and slay this creature, retrieve the eye, then come back only to steal the spear!? Your suspicion of humans knows no bounds, especially considering how you've already tricked us multiple times. Breaking the compass, really? Something a child would do. Show us the spear, now, or we leave and take the spoils with us."
"A geas when we have worked so hard seems unsporting. And regardless, no spear, no deal.", he adds, matter-of-factly.
"I trust human as much as you do me, and your reluctance to submit to my geas only makes me distrust you more," Abadar answers, unphased by Thorun's demeanour. "I do not see why you would refuse to take an oath if you intend to hold to your word. I bear you no ill will, but you will understand that I cannot part with my most prized possession without being certain that you will do as you promised."
"You still have not said what the geas involves or shown that you actually have the spear!", retorts Daire.
"If this geas is reasonable, and I see the spear, then I will eat the eye!"
Daire is riled up enough to actually do it. He'll eat the eye if he sees the true spear!
"My geas only serves to bind you to your promise to consume the eye," Abadar explains. "You take the oath. In your own words. The magic holds you to it."
"And when do we even see that you actually have the spear?"
"My word holds me, without magic." Thorun says with a sneer. "The spear, now."
"Hold!" Aoife declared. "Abarta, I offer you a compromise. One of us makes the geas, which as you say binds the one to eat half the eye with you. So you know it will happen. When the geas is made you will hand over the spear, then the one who made the geas will split the eye to be eaten by you both. This ensures all get what they want. Thorun can look it over and ensure you're not using another illusion, and you will get one who will eat the eye." Aoife explained. "Does that sound agreeable to everyone?"
Abarta nods, then looks at them all to see who among them will volunteer...
Daire grins.
"It is too good a story to miss. I will dine on eye with you, Abarta."
He kneels, and reaches for the eye, intent on tearing it in half.
Thorun grumbles, but he realizes that progress is unlikely without some sort of compromise. He arcs a brow at Daire. "You sure? I have a stronger stomach."
"I am sure enough, Thorun, but I appreciate the offer. I can hold my drink well for a start!"
Seeing the two hesitate, Abarta steps forward and, with quick hands conjuring a knife from his belt, cuts the eye into two bloody pieces. He takes one of the pieces and bites off a big chunk. Pungent clear fluid drips down his chin as he grimaces. He swallows with difficulty and pretends a smile. Then he holds up the other piece for either Daire or Thorun to take.
Thorun folds his arms and raises a brow to Daire, clearly giving him the opportunity to pass the burden onto Thorun if he should change his mind.
Daire looks at Thorun, and pauses just a moment...
It is a damned fool idea to eat this damned thing!
..then before he can think more of it, snatches the other half of the eye and begins devouring it, looking Abarta in the eyes as he does so.
Then, for a brief moment, you see yourself chewing away at a chunk of a giant's eye, from another person's point of view. And everything is brighter, more vivid, clearer. This is how Abadar sees the world! you realize with wonder.
Out of the corner of his eye, you notice the Sword of Light shining like a bright star at Aoife's side. Truthfully, only then do you realize how extremely powerful it is. And how it could prove both a blessing and a curse.
You immediately realize what you've done: you are now bound to Abadar. If you can see through his eyes, then he can see through yours. And as he takes another bite, you know that there is no turning back... You eat the eye entirely, for better or for worse.
Daire takes his first disgusting bite, and Abadar takes another. Daire follows suit, and soon enough the two have made a meal of the raw and bloody eye of Benandonner. The smell is disgusting, strong enough to make poor Sister Cobhlaith falter and cross herself. The taste must be unbearable. And yet...
"You'll find the spear where it always is, on the far wall of the hall," Abadar ushers them in to claim their prize.
Aoife just shuddered and shook her head. "Uha... no way I could have eaten that.... nope nope nope." She said as she tried not to throw up in her mouth.
Aoife stepped in to get the spear but paused and turned back to Abarta. "The compass?"
"It will take some time and I can't make any promises," Abarta answers while accompanying them inside. And then, they see it on the wall, same as before: the legendary Spear of Lugh.
Or is it an illusion?
"Time for us is at an end." Aoife told him as she began walking again. "Just give back the pieces." She said.
Moving up Aoife didn't even hesitate to reach and grab the spear. And God help him if it was an illusion.
Daire wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, managing to not gag.
He cannot help but glance at Aoife's side, at the sword.
He then looks at Abarta.
"Unless you have anything to add, we will have the spear and be on our way."
Thorun stands next to Abarta, looming over him as Aoife goes to grab the spear.
He just saw Abarta eat half of the eye, so he knows that isn't an illusion.
Aoife reaches for the spear... and finds it there, as promised, hanging on the wall. Abarta shrugs, "You are, of course, free to come and go as you please."
He points to the pieces of the compass on the table nearby, "It's a pity. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to fix it. It's beautiful."
Aoife pulls out the shard and hesitates for only an instant before placing the wooden sliver back where it belongs on the shaft of the spear. It fits perfectly. She fully expects the spear to glow or sing or something, but nothing happens...