The Irish Sea roared as Rowan stood at the cliffs of Moher, her silver hair whipping in the wind. The serpent's mark on her forehead throbbed—she could feel the Cauldron's pull, its energy humming beneath the waves. "It's calling to me," she whispered.
Ethan approached, his scales flickering. Since Cahokia, his touch turned water to ice, and his eyes held a faint vertical slit. "You're not going alone."
Rowan turned, her gaze icy. "You can't control the serpent's power anymore. Not after what happened in Newgrange."
Ethan flinched. "Neither can you."
Moira emerged from the shadows, her Druid robes damp from the mist. "Rowan's right. The Cauldron's corruption runs deeper than we thought." She unrolled a scroll—MacLeod's face, twisted into a hybrid of antlers and scales, stared back. "He's using the Cauldron to merge with the stag's essence. If he succeeds…"
Lachlan finished the thought: "He'll become a god of destruction."
Grampa spat. "Then we kill him before he wakes up."
They tracked MacLeod to a submerged cave beneath the Cliffs of Moher—a labyrinth of tunnels etched with Cernunnos' antler symbols. Bioluminescent algae cast an eerie glow, revealing hundreds of skeletons chained to the walls. "Sacrifices," Moira murmured. "The stag demands blood."
At the chamber's heart, the Cauldron of the Dagda pulsed with green energy. MacLeod lay atop it, his chest rising and falling in unnatural rhythm. "Welcome, bridge," he growled, opening his eyes—they were now solid green, split by vertical pupils. *"The stag's throne awaits."*
Rowan raised the Blood Vessel of Lir. Its runes flared weakly—the serpent's power had drained her Awen. *"You're not a god. You're a parasite."*
MacLeod laughed. *"Says the girl who sold her soul to save a dragon."* He lunged, his antlers glowing. Ethan intercepted him, their claws tearing at each other. Black ichor sprayed the walls—MacLeod's wounds healed instantly. *"Your dragon's power is nothing compared to the stag's immortality!"*
Lachlan chanted, vines erupting from the earth to bind MacLeod. *"By the power of the Oak and the Thorn—"*
MacLeod backhanded him. *"Your magic is obsolete!"*
Rowan staggered. The Cauldron's energy surged through her, merging with the serpent's voice: *"Join us, bridge. Balance demands it."*
Ethan grabbed her arm. *"Fight it!"*
Rowan hesitated. MacLeod's antlers pierced Ethan's chest, tossing him aside. *"Die, dragon!"*
Rowan screamed. The serpent's power erupted from her, encasing MacLeod in ice. *"Sleep, stag. The world doesn't need your chaos."*
MacLeod roared, but the ice cracked, revealing his form melting into mist. *"This isn't over!"*
Ethan collapsed, blood pooling. Rowan knelt beside him, tears stinging her eyes. *"You're going to be okay."*
Moira pressed a hand to Ethan's wound. *"The stag's venom… it's spreading."*
Lachlan retrieved a vial from his robes. *"The Spear of Lug's blood. It might counteract the poison."*
Rowan injected Ethan with the serum. His body convulsed, scales erupting—Níðhöggr's form, but his eyes remained human. *"Run!"* he roared.
Rowan grabbed his arm. *"Fight it!"*
Ethan shook his head, fangs elongating. *"I can't…"*
The serpent's voice slithered into Rowan's mind: *"You want to save him?"* She materialized behind Ethan, her hand plunging into his chest. *"Then take his place."*
Rowan's vision blurred. She saw the serpent's memories—eons spent trapped beneath Cahokia, hunger for freedom, hatred of the stag. *"We're not enemies,"* the serpent said. *"We're siblings."*
Rowan gasped. *"Cernunnos…"*
The serpent nodded. *"The stag and the serpent. Balance."* She gestured to MacLeod. *"He sought to unseat me. Now he'll be my throne."*
Ethan collapsed, scales receding. Rowan caught him, tears streaming. *"What do you want?"*
The serpent smiled. *"A new bridge. One who understands sacrifice."* She pressed a claw to Rowan's forehead. *"You'll wear the stag's mark… and mine."*
Rowan screamed as energy surged through her—antlers sprouting from her skull, scales rippling down her arms. The world tree's roots erupted from the ground, binding MacLeod. *"No!"* he roared.
The serpent coiled around Rowan. *"Balance demands a price."* She plunged into Rowan's chest, merging with her body.
Rowan's mind fractured. She was Rowan, the serpent, the stag—all at once. The world tree's voice echoed: *"The bridge must die."*
She turned to Ethan. *"Kill me."*
Ethan froze. *"I can't—"*
Rowan kissed him, tasting salt and iron. *"You must."* She pressed the Blood Vessel of Lir into his hand. *"Destroy the serpent… and the stag."*
Ethan raised the dagger. *"I love you."*
He plunged it into her heart.
Light erupted. The serpent's spirit shattered, MacLeod's body crumbling to dust. Rowan collapsed, antlers dissolving. Ethan caught her, sobbing.
Moira approached, her hands glowing green. *"She's alive… but changed."*
Rowan opened her eyes. The world tree's roots had retreated, but the serpent's mark lingered—a silver scar on her forehead. *"The balance is restored,"* she whispered. *"For now."*