To the north was Ráith na Seanadh, the Rath of the Synods, a small ring-shaped fort protected by three banks. His father had been among the men who had built, fought and died inside of the fort.
It had been built to protect their village from the Roman invaders who threatened them; but in the end, the fort was ineffective against the waves of Roman warriors that trod through their lands.
Crowning the hill was Lia Fáil, the Stone of Destiny. A warrior who sought to become High King of Ireland must travel to the hill. If found worthy, the stone would cry out to the people of the land announcing a new High King had ascended.
In later years, some doubted the honesty of the story: that stone could speak. But Daniel knew it was true; he knew it was true because he had placed the stone as a marker for Enoch.
He first met Enoch in the town tavern after the death of his father. He was wary of Enoch as a stranger and Daniel was concerned that Enoch was a Roman spy. Enoch knew Daniel’s thoughts and smiled, “I am no Roman.”
“So you say. But who can be sure?”
Enoch looked at Daniel. “You know what I say is true.” Daniel did know and he nodded as such.
“You have heard of the Christian god that some of the Roman armies worship?” Enoch asked.
“Aye, I have heard of the Christian god.” Daniel was a pagan.
“And you have heard of the writings of the followers of the Christian god?”
“I have.”
“Some of these writings are very old. They tell of the time before the crucifixion of the Christian god. They speak of a garden and the people that lived and came from that garden. From those people came a man named Cain. He is your ancestor.”
Daniel did not know the stranger and did not like him speaking of his family. Daniel stood up and as he did, he hit the side of the table with his hip, spilling his drink.
The others in the tavern turned towards the commotion. The men were accustomed to fighting and readied themselves for a brawl. But to their disappointment, the fight did not happen. Instead, Enoch placed his hand on Daniel’s arm. As he did, a vision came to Daniel and he saw that of which Enoch was speaking. The vision only lasted a moment but it quelled Daniel’s anger and he sat back down. Instead of anger, confusion crossed his face. “What did you do to me?”
“I gave you the knowledge that you seek.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I’d like you to come with me. There are others. You must build a way for them to find you.”
Daniel didn’t understand but he found himself agreeing. Then, as if in a trance, he stood and then the two men walked together out of the village.
“You must leave your village,” Enoch instructed. “You will come back but when you do, nothing will be as it was.” Enoch paused. “Are you ready?”
Daniel gave a final look around the village and as he did, his head cleared. He knew this was his purpose in life. “Aye,” he agreed and the two men disappeared.
Daniel thought of that day as he looked down at the stone. Much had changed within himself and the world since that encounter.
He had learned from Enoch that there were other Sons of Cain and he would now use it to call them to the Hill of Tara. They did not know who they were but soon they would.
The serene beauty of the hill was deceptive as this was the last time the stone would be used. He paused for a moment to enjoy the land of his ancestors before touching the stone. It was cold beneath his palm but at his touch, began to warm. A low hum sounded and grew higher pitched as the stone began to vibrate.
The vibrations grew faster until the stone pulsed so rapidly it seemed not to be vibrating at all. An intense heat began to rise from the core of the stone, which Daniel ignored. He slid his hand to the crown of the stone and instantly, the vibration stopped, shattering the stone. But as it did, the jagged stone shrapnel did not discharge outwards; rather the stone imploded and a voice cried out. It was not loud and only few in existence could even hear or comprehend the words.
It was intended for the Sons of Cain; and they responded.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
“Have you been to Ireland before?” Diego asked the priest.
“I have not.” He inhaled. They were still several miles from the sea but he could smell the salt on the air.
“This is the Hill of Tara. We’re being called.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I can’t explain it. I can only tell you that it’s something I feel.”
“Does it feel as if one’s soul is humming?”
Juan looked sharply at the priest. “You have that feeling?”
The priest nodded. “I have felt it since before Diego and I left the church. What does it mean?”
“It means you are one of us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I, but it appears your pairing with Diego was not coincidental. Are you sure you never met Enoch previously?”
“I would remember.”
“Very well. It’s not surprising that you would be one of us. After all, you guarded the Ark of the Covenant for many years. There are few in history who have been given that immense responsibility.”
The priest looked around. “The land is beautiful.”
Diego agreed. He scanned the area, taking in the deep green but paused and noticed something amiss. He took a long look and finally realized what was missing:
