FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 3: Coronation of Taoide Olc

Chaldea

Da Vinci, the four Cuchulainns, and Connla Aibi were in the REM Catcher chamber monitoring both Connla Geal's vitals and the images being displayed to them on the monitor. Da Vinci had been so ecstatic about her invention working that she nearly forgot to begin recording. Luckily, Aibi had the forethought to push the crucial button before the first pictures showed up. Once the dream was over, Chaldea would have the first ever visual record of an Imbas Forosnai vision, rather than just Geal's written accounts of what she saw.

"Well, I'll be damned," Cuchulainn Caster grumbled. "She's wound up in an Ulster Cycle that's going to play out differently."

"There's a chance that her counterpart will actually survive into adulthood," Cuchulainn Prototype remarked with a smile.

However, the other two Cuchulainns weren't so sure. Lancer leaned against the healing pod that Geal slept in, then murmured, "I'm a little more worried about what our counterpart is doing. In that point in time, the Cattle Raid should be winding down after Medb successfully stole Donn Cuailnge. Yet according to the other Connla, she had a terrible dream about a man being swallowed by a monster. I can't shake the feeling that that was just a mere nightmare for her."

"And there was the glowing ring too," Caster added.

Alter sat back in his chair and took a long whiff of his cigar. Unlike his other selves, he knew exactly what all of this meant. Although his memories of the actual Fifth Singularity that he took part in were hazy at best, he couldn't forget the fear and confusion he experienced when Medb first summoned him in that world. He had been engulfed in total darkness, and emerged as someone wholly different to who he once was. This alternate Ulster was probably playing out in the same manner, except that this time, there would be no Chaldea to stop him. Without anyone to keep him in check when he was in such a state, the world would potentially be screwed. This prospect was quite dreadful to him, considering that Geal was now experiencing her counterpart's life as if she were there in person.

Aibi noticed Alter's dejected expression and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grunted, exhaling a long stream of acrid smoke.

"You're worried about Geal, aren't you?"

"I always am."

"I mean, you're worried about her having to fight your counterpart."

"…"

"Do you think Geal will be able to handle the stress? She's already been through enough with the Akakor incident and Daoloth's invasion. If she has to witness a series of life-and-death battles against your counterpart, it might be too much for her to handle."

"She'll be fine."

Aibi felt a bit put off with Alter's brusque confidence, so she glanced away anxiously and didn't say anything further, fearing she would upset him. Da Vinci put her hand on the worried teenager's shoulder and said, "I think what he means is that we're all here to watch over her in case of an emergency. There's also the fact that Alter and Geal are now one Foreigner Servant, so he can easily sense if her Spirit Origin is under stress, and thus lend his strength to her if needed."

"I… guess so…"

The room fell into an unsettling silence, accompanied only by the sound of water gurgling inside the healing pod. A minute later, the door slid open, and an unusual pair stepped through - Florence Nightingale, and Gilgamesh. Da Vinci glanced at them and uttered, "Oh. Now this is a rare combination. What brings you two here?"

Nightingale spoke in her usual commanding tone, "Excuse the intrusion, Da Vinci. The Acting Director is requesting your presence, as well as any available combat-ready Servants, to come to the Command Center at once."

Considering how urgent the nurse sounded, coupled with the Sumerian king's presence, the inventor realized it could only mean one thing:

"Has the Seventh Singularity been found?"

"Yes," Nightingale replied. "Master and Mash are already present for the briefing, and they have assembled their initial team of Servants to accompany them on the Rayshift."

"What time period is it located in?"

"It is in Mesopotamia, in the year 2655 BC."

"Understood. I'll leave the REM Catcher in Aibi's care and come straight away," Da Vinci reported. She then shifted her eyes toward Gilgamesh and said, "I'm surprised you're here. Since we now know the Singularity's in Babylonia, I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to go with Ritsuka."

The King of Heroes folded his arms and muttered tersely, "Don't be stupid, woman. As much as I would be thrilled to re-experience the time when I was alive, there are other matters to take into consideration. For instance, what sort of bedlam would occur should my subjects be faced with both my living self and this Servant self? Who would they obey? Would the enemy take advantage of the confusion? Would our internal conflict serve to hasten the Singularity's effects? I may be many things, but a fool is not one of them. If my living self is already present in that time, then it stands to reason that his authority should be treated no differently than mine."

"You make it sound like you already know Ritsuka's going to meet your living self."

He smirked callously. "Who knows?"

"Gonna play coy, are you? Well that's all right. I guess it's better for us to find out anyway. But then, why are you here in the medical ward anyway? You always love boasting about your perfect physique and health to any of the medical staff you came across."

"Quit being asinine. I am not here for my own benefit. I simply heard rumors about some top-secret project involving the runt, and so persuaded the petulant nurse to grant me access."

"And you went with it?" Da Vinci asked Nightingale. "I thought you always challenged authority figures like him."

"Normally, yes," the nurse replied. "However, given his logic to refuse assisting with the Singularity, as well as how shorthanded on staff we will be when we have two simultaneous incidents occurring, I decided to assign him as my liaison."

"Assign me? You better choose your words more carefully," Gilgamesh said. "I demanded that to be my role, and you obeyed."

"It doesn't really matter what the reason is. In the end, he will send me messages periodically in case I need to come assist with Connla's treatment. Otherwise, I will have my attention focused on assisting Master."

"I see," Da Vinci said. She then shifted her eyes toward Gilgamesh and grinned, "Then it's okay. Knowing you though, you probably just want to watch whatever the REM Catcher is recording for some entertainment."

"Hah. Don't you know it," the king chuckled. "I always wanted to see at least one of the runt's visions for myself."

As if on cue, that was when Cuchulainn Lancer, Caster and Prototype began to make their swift exit. Lancer scratched his head as he passed by Gilgamesh, absolutely refusing to make eye contact as he grumbled, "Then I'm outta here. Taking part in the Singularity sounds more entertaining than having to share the room with an Archer who cheats at fishing competitions."

"It's not quite the same feeling I remember from meeting the Archer of my timeline, but I do get some chills up my spine regardless," Prototype muttered.

"I'm sure Alter and Aibi have this under control. Having too many cooks in the kitchen might wind up being a bad thing, you know," Caster grinned and casually waved at Alter before the trio left the infirmary.

Alter's expression turned foul as he glowered under his breath, "Irresponsible assholes."

"Eh heh heh heh…" Aibi chuckled sheepishly.

"Then I'll leave things to you guys. I'll come back whenever there's downtime, okay?" Da Vinci said as she and Nightingale followed the three Cuchulainns. Once the crowd had thinned out, Gilgamesh approached the monitor displaying Geal's visions and used his Gate of Babylon to summon a golden throne from underneath him. The chair rose in perfect sync with his sitting motion, and he folded his leg while resting his cheek on his balled hand.

"Now that the mongrels have excused themselves, I can finally enjoy myself with a much-needed distraction," he said while summoning a gem-studded goblet and a wine bottle from his treasury. "It appears that I have arrived a little late for the runt's maiden voyage with the REM Catcher. Aibi, inform me as to what has occurred thus far."

"We only just got started, so it's not much," the older Connla said, then proceeded to explain what happened up to this point.

Alternate Ulster

Back in the western territories of Britain and Wales, Medb's soldiers had already raided the nearby villages of their goods and forced the surviving citizens to comply with Connacht's new rules. The northwestern coastline stretching from Cumbria all the way to Gwynedd, and including the Isle of Man, had all been ravaged by Curruid as he drowned countless soldiers and civilians beneath terrifying tidal waves. Anyone who didn't drown were either slaughtered by Connacht's soldiers, or sliced apart by the Phantasmal's claws. Even his roar was enough to disintegrate a small battalion of men into blood-red jelly.

The Isle of Man in particular had been wholly sacrificed as a demonstration of the monster's power, which Medb hoped would persuade England and Wales to surrender before the attack on the mainland. They obviously hadn't, and came to pay for it with the brutal deaths of thousands of people. Since England was part of the Roman Empire at this time, the nation's militia was not as well organized as it would be in later centuries once England established its independence. This made Medb's invasion that much easier, although she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to challenge the Romans directly.

She set those worries aside for now and drank some confiscated wine at the beach, sitting within a palanquin being carried by two of her sturdiest men as they stood within the devastation left behind in Curruid's wake. She spent hours here, enjoying the waves and staring at her pet Phantasmal as he rested while hearing reports from her soldiers. With the more villages she occupied, it meant that her forces would rapidly expand with the addition of captives who could be used as bait, or even suicide soldiers to cause further confusion for the mainland territories. Her dark imagination went wild with the number of possibilities for how she could use her new 'resources'.

She gulped the last of her beverage, then said to Curruid, "Ahhh, I guess break time's over. Now then, Cu. How about we continue our way east and stamp out the rest of the competition on this island? This little invasion was just the warm-up for the main show – a way to help get you accustomed to your new form. We're going to ramp up the chaos and destruction a bit this time, considering that we have to worry about more strongholds in the east."

Curruid shuddered a bit, then glared directly into her eyes and said, "Yeah, you're right. The chaos and destruction will ramp up."

"Oh my! Are you getting into this more than I thought!? I didn't think you were so motivated to serve your queen so faithfully!"

"… Keh heh heh."

"Huh?"

"Who said I was going to destroy everything for you, woman?"

"What?" she glowered, stepping out of the palanquin in frustration.

"I'm tired of playing your self-indulgent games. Now, we do things my way."

"What are you going on about!? Cease this prattle at once!" Medb commanded and used her power to exude an intoxicating aroma of fruits and fresh water that threatened to incapacitate any of her warriors who were unfortunate enough to be nearby. The men who shouldered her transportation died on the spot from how incredible the scent was. She expected Curruid to moan from an intense migraine and quietly yield to her. However, to her absolute horror, the sea monster barely flinched as he reared his head back and let loose a mighty roar that viciously billowed her hair and clothes everywhere. She had to cover her ears and squeeze her eyes shut to protect herself from the intense shockwave.

"Just as I thought!" Curruid declared with incredible mirth. "Your aroma no longer works on me! Ah ha ha ha! This is incredible! Thanks to the Cauldron, I no longer have to obey you!"

"The Cauldron!? As in Dagda's Cauldron!?" Medb shrieked. "How did you obtain it!? No, better yet, give it to me! I must have it!"

"Too bad. I've already swallowed it."

"No way! Then… you were just pretending to be obedient this whole time!?"

"'Bout time you figured it out, bitch. That's right - I am no longer man nor sea creature, but an entity that far surpasses both. As tempting as it is, I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a god. Perhaps being referred to as a sentient Phantasmal would be better. With the invincible might of Curruid, the tactical reasoning of Cuchulainn, and the incredible knowledge of Dagda's Cauldron, I am the sum of all their parts, and your sworn rival in this war to determine this planet's very future!"

Medb couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, that's it," the monster leered, relishing in her shocked expression. "Show me more of that despair. Reel in horror as you realize you have lost control of your most important weapon in your little vanity war. Gaze upon me, for I am the embodiment of your worst nightmares…"

He raised his left arm out and reached for the sky itself. The ocean ebbed unnaturally, then bulged like a rupturing cyst. Something was emerging from the depths of the sea. Soon, a flurry of unusual white tendrils through the water's pristine blue surface and spiraled upward.

"I am the king of this Celtic Lostbelt, and the end of the world incarnate…"

He unleashed another mighty howl, signifying his intent to wage war on Connacht's queen.

"I am… Taoide Olc!" †

At the southern shores of the island of Skye, Scathach and Connla disembarked from their boat and moored it to a nearby pier. As they prepared to venture further inland however, the red gems on Connla's thumb ring started glowing on their own. She asked Scathach, "Teacher? What's going on with my ring?"

"Hm?" the maroon-haired lady wondered as she inspected it. She quickly grit her teeth and reeled back a little.

Connla added, "This is the second time it's happened too. The first time was when I woke up after having that terrible dream of that man. I only put it on a few days ago, so I don't know if this is normal or not."

Scathach glanced away and thought, That shouldn't happen unless she's very close to Setanta. The fact that it's reacting when we're so far away from Ulster means that the Cauldron is expanding Setanta's influence at an exponential rate.

"Teacher?"

"Well…" the woman warrior stammered, unsure of how to answer her pupil's questions.

"Hm? What's that?" Connla suddenly asked as she pointed toward the southern ocean.

Scathach looked back, and grew horrified when she saw the water undulating. They could only stare in abject shock as the twisting white pillar burst through the water, extended its branches from the sea, and climbed further upward until they connected with the very heavens. Connla wanted to ask her mentor what was going on, but she immediately noticed an uncharacteristic expression of mortified horror on the woman's face. To see someone so cool and unflappable act absolutely terrified was an uncomfortable sight to her, and she feared further upsetting her if she tried asking any unnecessary questions.

Scathach clenched her fist and uttered, "By the gods…"

The young girl couldn't say anything.

"… Connla. We need to get to the Land of Shadows at once."

"Are we in danger?" her bewildered niece finally wondered.

"Not at the moment. If we stay here though, we will be. Especially since we're on the coast."

Connla gulped, then followed Scathach as they dashed and hopped along the ground at full speed. They made their way northward toward the center of Skye, expecting to reach their destination within a day's time. During the trip though, Connla found it hard to turn her eyes away from the foreign white tree growing in the middle of the Atlantic. Its form became more and more defined as it situated itself near the North Channel where northeastern Ireland and southwestern Scotland were at their closest. The tree was growing so far south from Skye that Connla couldn't afford to look back too much, lest she not pay attention to where she was going.

All the while, her ring refused to stop glowing. An unusual fear crept up on her, threatening to make her fall to her knees and sob uncontrollably. She had to fight back such a crippling emotion and concentrate on following Scathach, consciously devoting her energy to running instead of crying. Despite this, she recalled Aife telling her about how it represented her blood connection with her unknown father, and how the gems would shine when she would meet him. If the ring was glowing now, did it mean he was nearby? The last she heard, he was still fighting some war in Ulster. How and why would he be so far away from his country all of a sudden? None of it made any sense to her. Besides, only one thing mattered to her:

Father's still alive, isn't he?

An entire day after the strange white tree emerged from the ocean, Scathach and Connla finally arrived at their destination. Neither of them had said much since the tree appeared – Scathach didn't want to explain to Connla what it was, and Connla was too busy thinking about her father's fate. Her dejected expression never changed, even when they arrived at the border to the Celtic underworld. At least the sight of steep craggy cliffs spilling torrential waterfalls within the thick mist was a welcome sight for the confused girl. The scent of rain water and wild herbs also helped calm her down. She stared in silence at the spooky yet majestic sights, knowing that this was going to be her home for who knew how long.

Meanwhile, Scathach stared at Connla's back and thought, She must be exhausted, constantly thinking about Setanta. Perhaps a strict exam is what she needs to get her mind off of that fool's fate.

"Connla," the warrior woman said aloud. "What you see before you is the border between the mortal world and the Land of Shadows."

"Incredible…" the little girl murmured. She panned her eyes across the entire area, taking in the hazy bottomless swamps, the many outcroppings of earth sticking out of the water like spikes, and of the grand castle hiding behind the grey fog in the distance.

"Don't be so breath-taken. Here is where the dead wander aimlessly, seeking solace from their miserable deaths and lingering resentment towards the living. Not to mention, this is where your introductory test is about to take place."

"Eh? I'm already going to be tested? But we're only at the front gates."

"That's the point. Those who lack courage to take the first steps have no business traipsing about in my kingdom."

"Hmm…"

"Now then, I will lay out the rules for this exam," Scathach said, then gracefully leapt across the swamp like a soaring swan and landed on one of the rock formations. She gestured around her, then explained, "Your task is to cross these fetid waters and make it to the castle using only the knowledge and power you possess. You have two options – either use these craggy rocks to leap across, or venture through the swamp. Both methods have their benefits and downsides, so carefully consider what you want to do before committing to it. I do not care which path you take. All that matters is the result of you reaching my side once more. Of course, there won't be any hints, clues, or assistance from me. You must overcome this trial through your own merits."

"You're kidding… Just how far away is the castle from here?"

"You'll just have to find out for yourself, won't you?"

"Guh…"

"Now that I have laid out the guidelines, the rest is up to you. Take as long as you need – time is not a factor in this realm. Given your hesitation, I wouldn't be surprised if 50 years pass in the outside world before you make up your mind."

"That's not funny, Teacher! I'm not going to take that long! I just need some time to think about it!"

"Heh heh. If you have that much gusto to talk back to me, then you should be fine."

Scathach turned on her heel and continued leaping across the rocks. As Connla watched her, she noticed the fog undulating unnaturally from the lower swamps. Then to her mortified shock, a chimera burst through and soared directly over Scathach!

"Teacher!" Connla shrieked.

"Tah!" the warrior woman shouted an unperturbed battle cry and hurled Gae Bolg at its face. In one clean motion, the spear punctured its skull and skewered its brain, killing it instantly. She elegantly extracted her weapon from the corpse moments before it plummeted back into the swamp.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my…" Connla shuddered, taken aback by the chaotic sight.

Scathach put a hand on her hip and casually said, "It's 50 meters across each rock. If you screw up, you'll die."

"You're just making fun of me now, aren't you, Teacher!?"

"Come now, don't go wasting your energy on frivolous matters. You can always take the safer path, you know."

Connla grumbled bitterly, knowing full well that Scathach was joking. Going through the swamp was practically suicide when there were countless thousands of vengeful ghosts and demonic beasts just waiting to tear her into pieces down below. Up here there was nothing but empty sky and dense fog, so she was reasonably certain that there wouldn't be any monsters capable of flying up this high that could ambush her. There were monsters that could climb the rocks, but so long as she didn't waste any time standing around, she would be okay.

Connla heard a tremendous splash and looked down at the chimera that Scathach killed. More beasts had ganged up on the corpse and started viciously devouring it, visible to her only as a frantic display of splashing water and flailing limbs. She shivered and whimpered, "Yeek… She's right about one thing… If I fall from here, it's all over for me…"

She swallowed hard. During times like this, she needed to remember to take some deep breaths. After focusing on some breathing exercises for a few minutes, she concentrated on her surroundings once more, as if inspecting them with a fresh set of eyes. Now that the shock and awe of seeing the Land of Shadows passed, she could rationally analyze every possible factor available to her and determine the best course of action.

At times like this, you have to remember what Mother told you. The world is a chaotic place, but there is one thing out there that always remains a stable and reliable source of information.

Connla narrowed her eyes and glared at the first rock formation with determination.

Right… I have to use mathematics!

She got down on one knee and formed her fingers into a frame, singling out the nearest gigantic stalagmite that she wanted to jump on, then the second, third, and so on.

Teacher just said that there's 50 meters between each one, and acceleration due to Earth's gravity is always 9.81 m/s2. It's kind of difficult to see how many stalagmites I have to go across, but those should be good starting points. Objects move at a constant speed unless acted upon by an unbalanced force, so therein lie two problems; what should my speed be, and how do I go about achieving it? I would also want to give myself a way to jump higher to compensate for gravity taking effect each time I hop across. I also have to worry about drag since there's a light wind crossing the valley.

She ran around and searched for anything in the vicinity she could use to help herself out, whether they be trees, rocks, hills, or even cliffs. Each time she found something useful, she would spend time calculating the variables and seeing which options would work the best. Launching off of a high-rise rock close to the edge meant she would have to achieve speeds greater than what humans were capable of with one mighty leap. Dashing along the field to gain momentum would tire her out before she had the energy to even jump. Running atop a boulder that was rolling down the cliff would give her some height and conserve her energy, but it was pointless if she couldn't build up the speed. There were so many things she could try, but she didn't like the outcomes of each idea.

Several hours later, Connla sat on the grass and sighed heavily. She felt incredibly worn out from running around and thinking so much, so she needed to take a short break. Still, she was growing fairly confident in a particular idea she had. She had found a decent cliff that sloped at a 30 degree angle and stretched for about 250 meters. All she had to do was run down the slope at 5 m/s, jump off at the right time, and hop across each platform until she reached the castle… at least, that was the idea. Using kilometers instead of meters, she would have to achieve a speed of 18 km/h. Perhaps that was easy for adults, but she was still a seven-year old child. Sure, she was used to sprinting at fast speeds to either outrun a demon boar, or to make it home on time to fix Aife's supper, but this was genuinely a matter of life and death. If she pushed herself too hard, she could wind up collapsing and falling off the cliff, with no way to save herself afterwards.

Maybe if I made my strides longer rather than focus on a fast pace, I could free some of the stress from my body.

That was probably the best option she had. All that remained was to put it into practice. She took a deep breath, then positioned her body into a sprinter's pose and adjusted her angle carefully. Once she was ready, she finally dashed forth down the cliffside, gaining more and more momentum with each step. However, she soon realized she was going a little too fast for her liking.

"TOO FAST! TOO FAST! I CAN'T STOP!"

Without thinking, Connla performed her mightiest leap off the cliff and sailed across the gap. Her feet hit the first stalagmite, but her momentum forced her onward and she jumped off that rock onto the second one, followed by the third. Each time she bounded in the air, she couldn't resist glancing down at the murky waters below, and into the eyes of curious monsters who spotted her from high above. She broke through the fog and-

"WAAA~AAA~AAA~AAAH!"

… Let out a terrific cry of fear when she instantly saw a wall of pure stone shooting straight at her!

Her entire body slammed against this new cliffside, and her arms and legs hugged what seemed to be a stalactite. The effect would probably be comical to anyone who was watching this scene, but she was still in serious danger. She gradually lost her grip and slid down the rock, but she dug her fingers and toes into some crevices that acted as solid footholds for her.

She couldn't think straight. She spent a few seconds shivering in terror over what she just did. She knew that if she stayed here for too long, her arms and legs would get tired, so she forced herself to climb upward while ignoring the screaming pain in all of her muscles. Her hand eventually gripped the edge of the cliff, and she pulled herself up thanks to snatching some deep tree roots and using them as impromptu ropes.

After a considerable amount of effort, Connla was on solid ground once more. She collapsed on all fours and gasped for air while shaking like a leaf. 'Exhausted' was hardly a term that could justify how run-down she was right now. Scathach approached her student and remarked, "Impressive. Instead of foolishly trying your luck over and over again, you used the local environment to your advantage. Well, I'm not surprised to see you relying on such a tactic. Aife might have been a boor, but she certainly valued intellect, and she would have wanted you to do the same."

"Uuuh…"

"Good grief, you can't even speak right, can you? Oh well. That's a trial designed to separate the boys from the men. Now that you've demonstrated what skills you already possess, I can decide on your training regimen for the weeks to come. For now though, I think you've earned a well-deserved rest."

Scathach kneeled over Connla and made her get on her back piggyback style so she could carry her to the fortress. She spent the next hour walking through the forest, and the fog seemed to rapidly clear each time she took a step. Connla regained enough of her senses to gaze ahead, and she noticed how quickly the atmosphere changed from gloomy and miserable to lush and bountiful. The heavy air gave way to a crisp and refreshing breeze, and water bubbled along a nearby brook. Trees that were in the fog appeared to be dying, but here they boasted lively green leaves and healthy roots.

"Whuh? W-Why is it… so beautiful… all of a sudden?" Connla moaned.

"Heh heh. Are you surprised?" Scathach chuckled. "Welcome to the Castle of Shadows, the hidden paradise that stands tall over the Celtic netherworld. Here, I rule over the dead as their eternal queen, and push back foes that would seek to claim this land as their own."

"But… it looked so… far away… from the front gate. Why is it only… less than… half a kilometer… away?"

"That fog is an illusion I created. There are the odd times when humans either purposefully or accidentally wander into the front entrance. That dreary atmosphere is designed to force them to turn back around, making them believe that the castle is impossible for them to reach on foot alone. Of course, you've seen through the mirage now, so it's fine for you to know this secret of mine."

"I… see…"

"Weren't you worried that you wouldn't have made it across the swamp? That the castle was simply too far away for you to calculate jumping along the stalagmites?"

"I was… kind of skeptical… about that. But… I could only… work with… what was… around me."

"How true. Well, I suppose allowing you to see all of the rocks you had to cross was a hint in itself."

"Ahhhh… bwuh… uuuuh…"

"Wow, your throat must be parched. There's a nice spring you can use to refresh yourself."

They reached the natural spring in question, and Connla gleefully shoved her head into the water to gulp as much as she could. Scathach resisted the urge to chuckle at the sight. However, she was more relieved that they had made it to the Land of Shadows in time. Her biggest fear of getting Connla involved with Cuchulainn could be put to rest, now that they were fully cut off from the chaos that was about to occur within the outside world. What he was going to do with the Tree of Emptiness was beyond her knowing, but she was afraid it would become a disaster of epic proportions. All she could do was wait for Morrigan's report, and plan her next move from there.

Panic erupted all over northeastern Ireland and northwestern Scotland. Those who were able to witness the Tree of Emptiness emerging from the sea did not understand what was going on. Some believed it was an incarnation of one of the Tuatha de Danaan's gods arriving to save them from Medb's tyranny. Others thought it was a Fomorian who had awakened from its long slumber. Some turned to it as a sign of hope; others saw it as a terrible omen. Prophets, druids and magicians from every land could not answer the people's questions. They too were equally as puzzled with this mysterious entity's appearance.

Those from the captured Ulster province were especially terrified of it. Many of them saw it as the symbol of Cuchulainn's wrath towards Connacht. They weren't too far off, either.

As fear and uncertainty spread among Ireland and Scotland, Medb had barely made it back to her homeland intact. What happened after she lost control of Curruid was absolutely harrowing, to the point that she didn't want to recount it with any of her best men. In particular, her lover Fergus mac Roich noticed how disturbed she looked when she returned with only a battalion of 500 shell-shocked men, having left with 10,000 two weeks ago. None of those soldiers were fit for combat anymore, and some had to be imprisoned for their own safety.

Fergus decided not to ask Medb for any details. Instead, he headed to the dungeons and asked his fellow warriors if they could share with him what had happened. Most of them had been reduced to incoherently blubbering wrecks, but a couple of more stoic fellows were able to tell him what they saw:

"Total carnage…"

"The ocean turned red."

"All of my boys were crushed beneath that monster…"

"He destroyed a fortress with just his weight."

"I thought I heard a man's voice inside that thing's mouth…"

"I lost my entire family."

Every testimony became increasingly disturbing, to the point that Fergus could no longer stomach it. Unlike them, Medb had confided in Fergus about how she merged Cuchulainn with Curruid, meaning he knew that a fellow Ulsterman had completely turned against his countrymen. How Cuchulainn was able to break through Medb's hold on him was a mystery to Fergus, but he knew this was only going to mean trouble. He knew how dangerous the boy known as Setanta was – born as a half-human, half-god with incredible combat prowess and a libido that was hard to match. The only things that helped maintain Setanta's humanity were his pride and honor as a Red Branch Knight. Clearly, such virtues no longer mattered to Cuchulainn, now that he had embraced his inner monster and lashed out at the woman who wronged him.

Since Ailill's death, Medb had given Fergus the right to rule as Connacht's king while she went off to wage her territory war. With her out of commission for now, and with the anxiety caused from the Tree of Emptiness' appearance, it was everything Fergus could do to keep the populace calm without going insane himself. As much as he wanted to hunt Cuchulainn down and force some answers out of him, he had to remain to hear the people's concerns and address them as he saw fit.

During a brief reprieve before his next audience, the exhausted warrior sat back and exhaled in sheer frustration. As he rubbed his forehead to relieve some building stress, the door to the castle's royal library opened. The person who stepped through was an elderly gentleman wearing black druid's robes, except that his were styled to resemble a trench coat with intricate Celtic patterns embroidered on the hems. His greyed hair parted over his eyes, and he wore a thin set of glasses, giving him the aura of an unapproachable scholar who knew all the secrets of the world.

"Ah… so you've finally decided to show yourself, you old coot," Fergus grumbled.

"As much as I would love to sequester myself from you and your sharp tongue, I'm afraid that reality deems to deny me such respite," the druid retorted as he smoked his pipe.

"What's going on? Is it another one of your prophecies?"

"Perhaps. Or it could be an imminent warning."

"Seriously? How the hell could this possibly get any worse?"

"I only tell what I foresee as I rest upon the branches of my favorite oak tree. They portend of how 'the element of the sea will soon dominate every land, from the far west boroughs of Portucale, to the snow-capped peaks of Rossiya, to the rich territories of Zhongguo, and further beyond to Yamato and the uncharted seas. All sovereign states exist to quench Taoide Olc's thirst'."

Fergus' blood practically froze in his veins. If it had been any other druid making these outrageous claims, he would have had them dismissed immediately, if not outright executed. However, this man was a fellow famous for his prophecies always coming true. He was the High Druid of Ulster, and the only man superior to the fallen province's King Conchobhar before his untimely death. In a way, this man could be considered a precursor to the legendary Arthurian wizard Merlin, although this man was hardly as famous as his later brethren.

"… Cathbad."

The druid smoked his pipe again. "I don't need to be a prophet to figure out what you're going to ask next."

"Yeah."

"The fact is that whatever time we have is precious. If we cannot challenge Taoide Olc directly, we must devise a method of escaping his influence, before we can then figure out a means of defeating him."

"Shit. He's not giving us a chance to organize."

"His retribution is swift and without mercy. Even if it is world destruction, everything he does is to spite that woman. The boy we once knew as Setanta has truly lost his mind."

Fergus faced Cathbad and asked plainly, "Got any ideas?"

"I do have one in mind, though it is an unorthodox approach."

"Screw it if it's unorthodox. I'll take anything at this point."

"It's going to involve cooperation from Medb and Scathach, as well as myself. If you can speak with the queen, then I will discuss this matter with the Witch of Dun Scaith. Unfortunately, Medb does not share the same respect for my authority as Mother Nature's messenger like Conchobhar once did. She only seems to share her ears with those whom she has fostered a certain… relationship with."

"I get it, I get it. No need to moan about your sagely advice constantly being ignored. I'll convince Medb to cooperate with you and Scathach for this plan."

"We must be swift. If the prophecy is to come true, then we may only have a month before Taoide Olc succeeds in his revenge."

Fergus raised an eyebrow, then wondered, "What is he going to do, anyway? You said 'the element of the sea will dominate every land', or something to that effect."

"Well…"

Curruid emerged from the depths of the ocean before the Tree of Emptiness which he had allowed to blossom in this timeline. He couldn't remember anything that happened after he officially declared war on Medb, but he knew he must have devastated her forces. After regaining his senses, he scoured the coastline for Medb's corpse, but could not find it. She most likely escaped with just a small handful of survivors, and was now recuperating in Connacht. He didn't care though. His next step of the plan would surely cement him as the god capable of deciding the world's future.

Curruid turned to face his former home country, then howled as loud as he could. Inside the monster, Cuchulainn activated Dagda's Cauldron and made a horrific wish. Then, one by one, various 'holes' opened up all around the Tree of Emptiness. At first, nothing obvious happened. A few moments later though, numerous downpours of seawater rushed through the gaps like gigantic hoses, spraying endless amounts of water upon the ocean. The Tree had turned into a massive waterfall that would dump millions of gallons of water being siphoned from a different world into this one, effectively giving these oceans twice the amount of ocean that Earth was capable of handling.

It wouldn't be immediately apparent, but as long as the portals never closed, the water would continue to flood the North Channel. The coastlines of southwestern Scotland and northwestern Ireland would soon experience slightly rising water levels, which refused to recede no matter what anyone did. As the days passed, it became readily apparent what the Phantasmal's ultimate plan was:

To drown all of human civilization.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - "Evil Tide"