FIC: Gathering Gloom, 1/16
I am trying something new: initial postings of smaller segments to my LJ only, holding the public postings of this fic to archives and lists until each Act is done.
I initially had the idea that this fic, which has been in production since October 2004 according to the date stamp, would be one I would hold until I was done writing it. Except I realized that some of the joy of writing longer fic is the interaction. You the reader get to influence me the writer as I direct my characters down their little adventure. Feedback is a beautiful thing and I decided I would actually be motivated to finish this considerably faster if I had some input from people other than mhalachaiswords, my much-abused beta.
This fic is a little tricky because it involves fandoms that people may or may not have read. Both series are books, Merry Gentry by Laurel K. Hamilton and Tir Alainn by Anne Bishop. I am aware that more people have read MG than TA, and have tried to tailor the story to be accessible for the MG folks without needing to know much from the TA world. The story is set in MG world, with one crossed over character from TA, and I hopefully covered all the relevant information as the story unfolds.
It also pairs Morag, the TA character, with one of the more problematic sidhe in the MG world: Sholto. Before anyone runs away screaming, I ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt and see where I take it. If you don't know Morag's story, it may seem unlikely at first, but I firmly believe that he is perfect for her, and she for him. They've got wounds each other can heal, but it won't be an instant thing--and no, I'm not writing tentacle porn. In short: trust me, I do have a plan.
This is designed to be a 16 part story, with 7/16 parts written as of today. I decided that I will start posting the sections now, up until I have reached the end of Act One [part 6] every few days, as my free time allows. When I get Act Two written and beta'd I'll begin posting that next, same for Act Three.
Without further ado, Part 1. It's a short one, think of it as a teaser.
Title: Gathering Gloom
Author: houses
Email: houses7177@gmail.com
Universes: Tir Alainn and Merry Gentry
Characters: Morag
Pairings: Morag/Sholto, Meredith/everyone else. No, I’m not kidding.
Narration: Morag, Merry, Taranis, Usna, Sholto
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Post Tir Alainn trilogy, Post book 4 MG.
Disclaimers: Tir Alainn belongs to Anne Bishop, Merry Gentry belongs to Laurel K Hamilton
Summary: Taranis uses forbidden magic to call an assassin he believes will finally settle his Maeve Reed problem. Only thing is, said assassin has a mind of her own and isn’t particularly pleased to be back from the dead.
~~~ Part 1 ~~~
The sliding lights danced in the corners of Taranis’ vision, swirling with patterns too ethereal to define, too sacrosanct to dwell upon. They skimmed his skin with deceptive sharpness, running nails over flesh and clothing alike. Glittering motes of dust and air, soundless in their fury, his illusions and phantasms caressed mind and heart alike.
Taranis smiled to himself, content in his self-made cocoon of light. In years past, the lights would have been for others, invisible to him, but now he relished their presence and ignored the fact that he could not banish them at will. They supported him in his times of need, after all, giving him fortitude to do the things that needed doing. Why should he wish to see things as they really were? All kings should be so lucky, to have the twin blades of Light and Illusion at their beck and call. To weave wonders from nothing, starlight from shadow. He was pleased with his gifts, the comfort they gave.
When they whispered to him a way out of this trap, the quicksand created by Conchenn and her daring, he listened intently. Maeve, as she called herself now, could not be allowed to tell of his infertility-his court would demand his sacrifice to appease the Lord and Lady, and he wasn’t willing to give his life for anyone. He’d tried to dispose of Maeve Reed before and failed. The lights had warned him about the Nameless: that it would be impossible to control; he ignored them to his peril. That dreadful little Meredith NicEssus had been too smart for her own good, and soon she would have to be dealt with.
But first Maeve. Now assured by the brilliance, he would implement their plan, rather than his own. They promised him fruit for his labors, no matter the cost, no matter the forbidden magic. And it was forbidden fruit, this reaching to other realms for aid, to steal another being’s essence and force it to do your will.
But it was the only option left.
When Taranis, King of the Seelie Sidhe, King of Light and Illusion, pushed his presence into the darkness beyond time, he felt the lights dim and swirl, and was nervous. But they assured him that there was nothing wrong, that he had done the rituals properly, that all he need to do was grasp the figment from another world, and bring It forth.
It would do everything they asked, the flicks of sunshine muttered, It had to. It was bound by the laws of rebirth into allegiance to the creator. It had been taken too soon and was close to the surface, inky and swollen with rage. Just reach, the murmurings said, take your new child from Its world of pain and despair. It will do your bidding; It will answer your call.
Taranis curled his fingers around the tenuous wisps of It, ignoring the pinpricks of disbelief tattering his fingertips, and gripped hard. With a yank, he wretched the other soul from the place beyond, and pulled It to him. He thrust backwards, pulling them both into his solar. They lay crumpled on the floor, Taranis’ lights whirling furiously.
He was doubly grateful he’d dismissed his retinue, banished the hangers-on. It simply wouldn’t do to see their King and leader sprawled on the floor with this creature on his chest.
Not creature, he corrected himself, woman. Sidhe woman. A Fey. He laid her gently down, smoothing black hair away from a fine-boned face. Pale as alabaster, she glowed with the light of the Fair Folk. Faint stress lines around her eyes betrayed her occupation, the very occupation that drew him to her. She could do what she was summoned for, the scintillations said, for she was the Gatherer of Souls.
TBC...
Part 2
I initially had the idea that this fic, which has been in production since October 2004 according to the date stamp, would be one I would hold until I was done writing it. Except I realized that some of the joy of writing longer fic is the interaction. You the reader get to influence me the writer as I direct my characters down their little adventure. Feedback is a beautiful thing and I decided I would actually be motivated to finish this considerably faster if I had some input from people other than mhalachaiswords, my much-abused beta.
This fic is a little tricky because it involves fandoms that people may or may not have read. Both series are books, Merry Gentry by Laurel K. Hamilton and Tir Alainn by Anne Bishop. I am aware that more people have read MG than TA, and have tried to tailor the story to be accessible for the MG folks without needing to know much from the TA world. The story is set in MG world, with one crossed over character from TA, and I hopefully covered all the relevant information as the story unfolds.
It also pairs Morag, the TA character, with one of the more problematic sidhe in the MG world: Sholto. Before anyone runs away screaming, I ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt and see where I take it. If you don't know Morag's story, it may seem unlikely at first, but I firmly believe that he is perfect for her, and she for him. They've got wounds each other can heal, but it won't be an instant thing--and no, I'm not writing tentacle porn. In short: trust me, I do have a plan.
This is designed to be a 16 part story, with 7/16 parts written as of today. I decided that I will start posting the sections now, up until I have reached the end of Act One [part 6] every few days, as my free time allows. When I get Act Two written and beta'd I'll begin posting that next, same for Act Three.
Without further ado, Part 1. It's a short one, think of it as a teaser.
Title: Gathering Gloom
Author: houses
Email: houses7177@gmail.com
Universes: Tir Alainn and Merry Gentry
Characters: Morag
Pairings: Morag/Sholto, Meredith/everyone else. No, I’m not kidding.
Narration: Morag, Merry, Taranis, Usna, Sholto
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Post Tir Alainn trilogy, Post book 4 MG.
Disclaimers: Tir Alainn belongs to Anne Bishop, Merry Gentry belongs to Laurel K Hamilton
Summary: Taranis uses forbidden magic to call an assassin he believes will finally settle his Maeve Reed problem. Only thing is, said assassin has a mind of her own and isn’t particularly pleased to be back from the dead.
~~~ Part 1 ~~~
The sliding lights danced in the corners of Taranis’ vision, swirling with patterns too ethereal to define, too sacrosanct to dwell upon. They skimmed his skin with deceptive sharpness, running nails over flesh and clothing alike. Glittering motes of dust and air, soundless in their fury, his illusions and phantasms caressed mind and heart alike.
Taranis smiled to himself, content in his self-made cocoon of light. In years past, the lights would have been for others, invisible to him, but now he relished their presence and ignored the fact that he could not banish them at will. They supported him in his times of need, after all, giving him fortitude to do the things that needed doing. Why should he wish to see things as they really were? All kings should be so lucky, to have the twin blades of Light and Illusion at their beck and call. To weave wonders from nothing, starlight from shadow. He was pleased with his gifts, the comfort they gave.
When they whispered to him a way out of this trap, the quicksand created by Conchenn and her daring, he listened intently. Maeve, as she called herself now, could not be allowed to tell of his infertility-his court would demand his sacrifice to appease the Lord and Lady, and he wasn’t willing to give his life for anyone. He’d tried to dispose of Maeve Reed before and failed. The lights had warned him about the Nameless: that it would be impossible to control; he ignored them to his peril. That dreadful little Meredith NicEssus had been too smart for her own good, and soon she would have to be dealt with.
But first Maeve. Now assured by the brilliance, he would implement their plan, rather than his own. They promised him fruit for his labors, no matter the cost, no matter the forbidden magic. And it was forbidden fruit, this reaching to other realms for aid, to steal another being’s essence and force it to do your will.
But it was the only option left.
When Taranis, King of the Seelie Sidhe, King of Light and Illusion, pushed his presence into the darkness beyond time, he felt the lights dim and swirl, and was nervous. But they assured him that there was nothing wrong, that he had done the rituals properly, that all he need to do was grasp the figment from another world, and bring It forth.
It would do everything they asked, the flicks of sunshine muttered, It had to. It was bound by the laws of rebirth into allegiance to the creator. It had been taken too soon and was close to the surface, inky and swollen with rage. Just reach, the murmurings said, take your new child from Its world of pain and despair. It will do your bidding; It will answer your call.
Taranis curled his fingers around the tenuous wisps of It, ignoring the pinpricks of disbelief tattering his fingertips, and gripped hard. With a yank, he wretched the other soul from the place beyond, and pulled It to him. He thrust backwards, pulling them both into his solar. They lay crumpled on the floor, Taranis’ lights whirling furiously.
He was doubly grateful he’d dismissed his retinue, banished the hangers-on. It simply wouldn’t do to see their King and leader sprawled on the floor with this creature on his chest.
Not creature, he corrected himself, woman. Sidhe woman. A Fey. He laid her gently down, smoothing black hair away from a fine-boned face. Pale as alabaster, she glowed with the light of the Fair Folk. Faint stress lines around her eyes betrayed her occupation, the very occupation that drew him to her. She could do what she was summoned for, the scintillations said, for she was the Gatherer of Souls.
TBC...
Part 2