FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 4: The Celtic Isles

Chaldea

"Pfft… fwa ha ha… Ah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah!"

Gilgamesh covered his face in a futile attempt to hide his mirthful expression. He was laughing so hard that he had to wipe a couple of tears from the corners of his eyes. This wasn't his typical arrogant laugh that he'd bellow to assert his dominance – this was an honest-to-goodness fit of laughter one would experience from seeing something absolutely hilarious. It got to a point that he needed to press his hand against his gut to keep it from twisting into painful contortions.

"L-Lord Gilgamesh…" Aibi murmured, unsure of how to calm him down.

"My word, it's almost too much!" the king howled as he tried to settle himself, yet the chortles kept coming. "Did you see that!? The way the runt smacked against the wall like a rag doll!? Goodness, such comedy should be considered criminal! Hah hah hah hah hah!"

"Well, I fail to see the humor," Cuchulainn growled. "If you had to go through that nightmare gauntlet like I once did, you wouldn't be laughing anymore."

"Pah! As if a paltry challenge like that is worth my notice!"

"I bet Scathach would find a way to seal off your treasury. She is the Land of Shadows' queen, after all. Once you step into her territory, you're basically her bitch."

"You speak as if her territorial advantage is something I should fear. Besides, no ordinary mortal would be able to cut me off from my Gate of Babylon."

"Scathach is hardly what you would call an 'ordinary mortal'."

Gilgamesh noticed Cuchulainn's stern expression, realizing the Celt was not joking around. He glanced at Aibi and said, "You've had experience with that woman before. Do tell me that the Mad Mongrel speaks lies."

"Well, um…" Aibi shuffled about uneasily. "Let's just say that she's exceptionally powerful when she's residing within the Land of Shadows. You could say that she and the Celtic underworld are one and the same. You simply can't talk about one without referring to the other."

"Hmm… So it's kind of like with Ereshkigal and her dominion over Irkalla?"

"More or less."

"… Very well. I have little choice but to defer when such a comparison is being made. Still, it is rather remarkable that the runt was able to overcome such a simple trial with naught more than her wits and knowledge. It would be the equivalent of passing through Irkalla's seven gates while already naked – foolish, yet equally brilliant."

Aibi let out a light sigh, relieved that Gilgamesh finally stopped behaving so erratically. She turned her attention back to the monitor as she examined Connla's vitals. She murmured to Cuchulainn, "It looks like her heart rate and breathing were in sync with her counterpart's during the jump across the ravine."

"Yeah," Cuchulainn said. "It was faint, but I could sense the other Connla's sheer terror."

She frowned a bit, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry about Lord Gilgamesh."

"Hm? Why is that?"

"You must be so worried about Geal, yet he's laughing without a care in the world. I can only imagine how incredibly offended you must be."

He paused for a moment, not expecting her to say something so sensitive. It was true that the Sumerian king's presence was getting on his nerves. Yet, he also knew that he genuinely meant no harm. He eventually shrugged and muttered, "I stopped giving a shit ages ago. The guy's two-thirds divine, and you know how screwed up the gods' way of thinking is, regardless of which mythology they come from. Better to just ignore it, rather than argue with him every time he does something stupid."

Aibi tilted her head and murmured, "I guess so…"

"Besides, I'm more worried about what's going on in the alternate Ulster. That weird white tree that popped up in the middle of the ocean is bothering the hell out of me."

"I know. It looks like it's pouring endless amounts of water into the sea. If something isn't done to stop it, the world could be flooded within one or two years. But with all hands on deck to resolve the Seventh Singularity, there's really nothing we can do, is there?"

Suddenly, Gilgamesh blurted, "There is no hope for that timeline."

"What!?" Aibi exclaimed. "How can you be so sure!?"

"What the runt is showing us right now is little more than the prologue to the main story. A flashback, or perhaps a memory, if you would. What we are seeing has already happened. You could say that we are being provided with the context for why that timeline is the way it is before the runt's counterpart sets off on her inevitable journey."

"So then, by the time the 'present' comes around, all of civilization will already have been flooded?"

He didn't respond. He merely leaned his head against his fist and drank some wine with a grin on his face. Aibi faced Cuchulainn, hoping that he could back her up here. Alas, all the Celt grumbled was, "Just ignore him."

"…"


Alternate Ulster

A week had passed since Scathach and Connla arrived in the Land of Shadows. The mentor didn't want to expose her pupil to a brutal training regime straight away when she needed some time to adjust to her new home. Scathach allowed Connla to take some time to rest and familiarize herself with her surroundings. Scathach had prepared a small corner of the castle plus a section of the yard to serve as Connla's living quarters. It was fortified with plenty of Runes to ward off the thousands of ghosts and monsters that also resided in the underworld, providing the girl with a safe haven that she could retreat to in case she was in danger. If she was careless and wandered into the other areas of the castle, she would be endlessly ambushed and chased around by vengeful spirits. Scathach had to force Connla to comply with such strict living rules as soon as possible for her own safety.

There was also another reason why Scathach didn't get started with Connla's training right away – the mentor was greeted by a certain visitor who arrived to provide her with an update.

The familiar crow perched atop the queen's throne shuffled her wings, then said, "That's the gist of it."

Scathach rubbed her forehead to fend off the stress building in her head. She groaned, "Ungh… Setanta, you idiot. Are you so desperate to obstruct Medb's conquest that you would deprive her of anything and everything that she could possibly dominate?"

"That's what happens when you get too close to Medb – her insanity affects people in ways no one could imagine," Morrigan said.

"Doubly so since she's infected by that thing."

"Indeed. So what do you plan on doing? As the Witch of Dun Scaith, and by extension the most powerful ruler of Scotland, you have an obligation to protect your country. Since Medb is the ruler of Ireland now, that means the fate of the Celtic Isles rest solely on how you and Medb respond to Cuchulainn's provocation."

Scathach's stress levels skyrocketed when she heard that. She couldn't stomach the idea that she needed to cooperate with Medb, but the world was facing a crisis that no one could fight back against. Cuchulainn, now as the god Taoide Olc, had gained Dagda's Cauldron and the Tree of Emptiness for himself, making him too powerful for anyone to challenge. She doubted even she could last in a fight against him, considering that the Cauldron could just heal his wounds. Besides, she was more concerned with training Connla for her eventual role, rather than trying to discipline a former student who would never listen to her anyway. Scathach's top priority was to keep Connla safe until the time came.

"As much as I don't like it, I'll have to speak with Cathbad as soon as possible," Scathach said. "He and I go back to the days when I first learned Runecraft, so arranging a meeting with him and Medb shouldn't be a problem. Getting the other rulers of Scotland to cooperate might be a challenge, considering how they are always engrossed in their petty squabbles. Despite that, I trust that they will open their eyes to the reality of the situation soon enough."

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"A radical one, but yes, I do. I will have to be quick though. By the way the alien tree is gushing so much water out, it may take just a couple of years before all the lands are submerged."

"That in turn will increase the amount of ocean which Taoide Olc can traverse in. This must be his solution to destroying any mainland nations when he is essentially a sea monster. Not to mention that he's thinking of summoning numerous Oillipheist to function as his soldiers." †

"Unbelievable…"

Morrigan suddenly shot her eyes toward the throne room's door. She said, "I think you've got a guest. Since I've told you everything I can, I'll make myself scarce now. I trust you can handle the rest from here."

The crow flapped her wings and flew off the throne, soaring through the nearest open window. As Scathach watched the goddess depart, the door to the throne room opened. Connla stepped through and said, "Here you are, Teacher. I was looking everywhere for you."

"Connla," Scathach replied in a stern tone, "how many times did I tell you not to wander away from your safe zone? If I hadn't already killed the ghosts on my way here, you would have been assaulted."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I was getting worried about how high the lower bogs have been rising lately and wanted to let you know. If nothing is done, the monsters residing down there might be able to crawl up here."

"Don't worry, I'm already well aware of that. I have a plan in mind that will help us out."

Connla tilted her head and asked, "Is that why you were talking with someone just now?"

"Huh?"

"I thought I heard you talking in here, so I figured you had a guest."

"Oh… hah hah. Don't be absurd. I may be Dun Scaith's queen, but that doesn't mean I hold audiences on a regular basis. No, I was just conversing with a druid through my Runes. I'm arranging to travel to Ireland to speak with Queen Medb regarding the matter."

"You mean you're leaving soon? But what about my training?"

Scathach shook her head. "Good grief, your dutifulness is almost incorrigible… Everything will be fine. I've prepared lots of homework for you to work on during my absence. You also need to hunt, gather and fish to keep your food stores topped, right? I might need you to chop some wood to get us ready for winter too. Relax, you'll have plenty to do until I return."

"Okay. I guess I get a little skittish when I'm bored…"

"He he he… just like your father."

"Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing. Go back to your room now. I still have a ton of arrangements I need to make before I leave."

"I see. Sorry to bother you then," Connla bowed, then quietly returned to her quarters.


Three days later…

In Galway, the capital of Connacht, Medb had assembled her top advisors in the war room for an emergency meeting. She, Fergus, Cathbad, and the generals and high druids all listened in silence as Scathach presented her strategy for saving their countries from the imminent global flood. After the warrior woman finished speaking, the queen closed her eyes and deeply contemplated what she heard.

"So let me see if I have this right," Medb murmured. "You want me to dedicate my Royal Authority towards rising Connacht off of the planet, essentially turning it into a floating island. Meanwhile, you would do the same for Scotland. Then you want us to merge our two nations into one huge landmass?"

"Precisely," Scathach said. "My authority as the Land of Shadows' queen is potent enough to raise Scotland, though I will need the assistance of as many druids as I can find in my country. I was hoping for Cathbad to put in a good word to Scotland's other kings and see if they can loan me their best magicians."

"Hm…" the elderly druid smoked his pipe. "I can't say I'm overly familiar with Scotland's royal families, though I am aware of my name being rather well-known around those parts."

"Oh, it won't be that difficult. All you have to do is tell them of the prophecy you mentioned to Fergus, and they will respond accordingly. It's hard to refute a prophet whose predictions always come true, after all."

"You make it sound like that's supposed to be a good thing."

"It's persuasive, at the very least. If I tried to negotiate with those obstinate warlords myself, I would have a headache the size of Arran Island. We simply don't have the time to put up with such nonsense."

Medb frowned as she asked, "If it's such a bother, why not just raise Skye from the ground and leave the rest of them to drown?"

Scathach glared at her. "The leaders may be fools, but the common people are doing their best to live their lives during these tumultuous times. Maybe this will be hard for you to believe, but I'm not the type to abandon others simply because it's convenient for me. Why would I become as strong as I am if I am not to use such strength to save my countrymen?"

"Hmph… I didn't take you for being so sentimental."

"Unlike you, I'm a human being at my very core."

The tension between the two women intensified by the second. All of the men surrounding them weren't sure if they were being cordial, or if they were about to go for each other's throats at the drop of a pin. Eventually, Medb dully huffed and grumbled, "Well, I don't really care about Scotland's fate one way or another. I'm only concerned about rescuing Connacht."

"You mean Ireland, right?" Fergus asked.

"No, I mean Connacht. Oh, and perhaps Ulster as well, considering that it's now been amalgamated into Connacht."

"B-But what about the rest of our countrymen?" a druid wondered nervously. "Do you mean to tell us that the territories of Leinster and Munster mean nothing to you?"

"They're not under my rule, so they don't matter," Medb replied without any hesitation in her voice.

"Surely you jest, my queen! My family is in Limerick!"

"Your point?"

"I… I want to save them somehow!"

"Then have them move to Galway."

"But my mother is elderly and cannot move such great distances!"

"Then kill her off and bring the rest of them here."

The druid couldn't believe how callous his queen was behaving. He sat back down with a clearly distraught expression, unable to think of anything to say to someone who was so cold-blooded towards her subjects. Several of the other men present had similar thoughts as well, yet were clearly too afraid to voice them lest they wind up the same way as Ailill.

Fergus exhaled a deep sigh and folded his arms as he considered something. Soon, he said to Medb, "How about this, then? I will go to Leinster and Munster, and personally warn their rulers that if they do not agree to join Connacht in this endeavor, they will have no choice but to be caught in Taoide Olc's flood."

"You mean you want them to amalgamate with Connacht the same way Ulster has been?" Medb wondered, her eyes lightening up with curiosity.

"Right. Instead of invading them, we can give them the freedom to decide what they want to do with their provinces. How the populace will respond to their royal decrees determines what our next move should be."

"How boring. Invasion is way more fun and efficient. Sadly, we don't have the men and resources after what happened with Taoide Olc's rampage in England. I suppose I have no choice but to go along with your idea, Fergus."

"Excellent. I knew you would listen to reason," he smiled. "I'm sure negotiations will go over smoothly, considering the reports of how the coastline provinces are already losing beaches and farmland to the rising waters."

"That's true," Scathach said. "Cold hard facts are indispensable in making even the most debauched of idiots understand reality."

Medb shifted her eyes toward her and muttered, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was an insult directed at me."

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the world doesn't revolve around you. I was only speaking in a general sense."

"Why, you…"

"All right, that's enough, ladies," Cathbad sharply interjected. "Scathach and I will inform Scotland's rulers, while Medb and Fergus deal with Ireland's southern provinces. Once we decide who will join the Celtic Isles, it will be a race against the clock for Medb, Scathach and I to assemble every Runecraft user we can find and raise both countries from the ground. The goal is to fully raise the islands by this time next year, if not sooner. If there is any dissent towards this plan, speak now."

No one said anything. The silence was enough of an indication for the meeting to be adjourned. Although everyone had mixed feelings on the matter, they were at least in complete agreement about having to save the Celtic territories from the monster that they created.


Three months later…

Connla closed the arithmetic textbook she was working on for the day and glanced outside. It was another dreary and foggy day, which made it ideal for ghosts to wander about with total impunity. Even Scathach's fortified Runes that she planted in the yard were not strong enough to ward off every possible spirit whenever the weather turned poor like this. Connla had no choice but to stay inside for the day and make some small progress with the heaps of homework Scathach had left for her before departing on her important journey.

The girl sat in front of the cauldron and cooked some cock-a-leekie soup with wild bird meat that she hunted earlier in the week. As she stirred the broth, she glanced outside and watched the fog quietly roll along the bogs.

I can't believe it's been three months since Teacher left. I can't stop wondering what her important business must be if she has to leave me here for so long.

This obviously wasn't the first time she pondered her mentor's absence, but the result was always the same – she would be left with no answers. She found it a bit annoying that Scathach wouldn't confide with her about what the purpose of her travels was, but what could she do? She was just a little kid who wouldn't understand the implications. She was expected to just sit tight and follow her instructions until she returned.

Couldn't Teacher trust me even a little bit? I mean, we are family, aren't we? Or is that meaningless now that I'm her student?

As Connla sat there pondering such things, that was when she heard an unusually shrill screech coming from the distance outside. She bolted from her chair and peeked out to see what was going on. Although she couldn't make out the ghosts very well, she noticed that they were flailing about, appearing and vanishing in a state of total confusion. She fetched her spear and deftly vaulted through the window. Her boots landed on the soft mud as she looked around to assess the situation.

They're scared of something…

This was highly unusual. Normally the spirits inhabiting the Land of Shadows were always full of hatred and bloodlust, yearning to tear through any living being unfortunate enough to cross their path. Connla didn't even think they were capable of fear since they were already dead. However, some unearthly force compelled the ghosts to fly around erratically. Even some who had gotten too close to her barely noticed her presence as they frantically looked around for any sort of safe place to hide in.

Although Scathach demanded to Connla that she never leave the safe zone, her curiosity got the better of her and she breached the Bounded Field to run towards the edge of the cliff. From here, she had a good view of the southwestern seas where the Tree of Emptiness had sprouted several months ago. She hadn't been able to see it from inside the field, but now that she was here, this was the first time she actually got to witness the endless outpouring of water gushing from gaps formed all over the alien entity. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in absolute shock.

"By the gods!" she blurted.

She knew for sure now; this must have been why Scathach was gone for so long. She had to have been doing something to fight against whatever this disaster was. It also explained why the water in the bogs had been rising so unnaturally in recent weeks, and how the local monsters and wildlife had to find refuge elsewhere. Consequently, this made hunting much harder for Connla since she had to stray further from the castle to find any animals.

But then, if this had been going for so long, why hadn't the ghosts reacted to any of it until now?

She looked around, hoping to see if there was some other explanation for why the spirits were so terrified. She didn't notice anything obvious like an incoming threat or an immediate change to her surroundings. Whatever it was, it definitely had a greater effect on spiritual entities rather than physical ones. She doubted she could do anything to change the situation, although she was glad to have a better understanding behind Scathach's prolonged absence.

Something's definitely wrong, but I don't think I can do anything about it. I guess I'll have to ask Teacher the hard questions when she gets back.

Before Connla could turn around to return to the castle, she noticed an ominous set of dark clouds literally lurching toward her at an unnaturally rapid pace. Within the next few minutes, a heavy deluge of rain pounded all around her, dissipating the fog that blanketed the Isle of Skye and giving her a much clearer view of the ocean. Thunder rumbled in the distance, as if hailing the arrival of a savage weather deity.

None of that mattered to her right now.

Her eyes, wide open as saucers, were transfixed on a terrifying creature that slowly ascended from the sea. Its obsidian scales glistened from the water rolling off them, and bright red spikes protruded from its shoulders, arms and back. Its teeth were longer and sharper than any shark's ever would be. A pair of azure eyes glowered from within the skeleton-like head of this beast. She swore she actually saw the monster staring directly into her eyes. That was most likely impossible due to the huge distance between them, but the fear gripping her soul caused her to believe they were making eye contact. Regardless, there was no mistake that it was looking at the Isle of Skye, at the very least.

Connla's knees buckled, and she collapsed on all fours while still gluing her eyes on the sea creature. Although she had never seen it before, Aife and Scathach had told her stories of numerous ancient beasts and demons that had roamed throughout Scotland and Ireland, hailing back from the long-lost Age of Gods. One of these monsters was supposed to be a massive sea monster covered in black scales and red thorns, which could command the seas, summon tornadoes, and bring death to all with its lethal barbs. The legendary spear Gae Bolg was even made from this creature's spikes after it had died in battle against a rival sea monster.

However, here it was.

Alive and well.

Looking straight at her.

"Cu… Cu… Cur… ruid…"

That was all Connla was capable of uttering before losing consciousness and collapsing onto her side. The sounds of pelting rain and quiet thunder seemed to lull her further into sleep, as her mind shut down from the sheer terror of seeing a Phantasmal thought to be extinct.


Out in the Atlantic Ocean, Curruid rose from beneath the waves and gazed upon the Isle of Skye in silence. Through the monster's eyes, Cuchulainn could see the island he once trained in. It felt like ages since he had last been here, but he didn't come here to be nostalgic.

During the last few months, he wandered throughout the seas around England and mainland Europe, brutally slaughtering anyone who tried to challenge him. Most of his rampage was concentrated on England, though northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands suffered some casualties after their nations attempted to send reinforcements to England. So many sailing vessels had sunk beneath the waves he caused that he no longer bothered to keep count.

The most important thing to him was that he wanted to grow more acclimated with his new body and test the limits of the Phantasmal's power. The sheer strength he wielded was almost too incredible for him to fathom. Yet, he also wanted to make sure that no other civilization possessed any similar abilities or creatures who could challenge him. He needed to be the only one on the top of the proverbial food chain. He had to be the one to determine this world's future. To that end, he had to crush any opposition as soon as possible.

However, there was one particular foe that Cuchulainn could never get out of his mind; his former mentor, Scathach. As long as she lived, she would always be a threat to his conquest. Since he had declared himself a god of destruction, and she was a god-slayer who sided with humanity, it was inevitable that the two would meet in combat. As much as he wanted to concentrate on spreading death and chaos all over the mainland, he could no longer ignore this problem and decided to swim back northward to western Scotland, where the Isle of Skye was.

Now he was here. Despite his gargantuan size and immense destructive capabilities, he hesitated. He wasn't sure if Scathach had a trap set up for him. Was she even in the Land of Shadows right now? He was certain she would have greeted him with pure bloodlust and flung spears long before he could get close.

Yet… there was nothing but silence.

Cuchulainn grit his teeth, growing frustrated with the tension.

What are you plotting, Teacher?

Regardless if he was falling for some kind of ploy, he needed to advance. If he could occupy the Celtic underworld and turn the resident ghosts and monsters against their queen, he would have a significantly better territorial advantage when it came time for him to dominate Scotland. So many ideas rushed through his mind about what he wanted to do once he took the Land of Shadows for himself that he needed to coax himself to focus on the task at hand.

Fine. If that's the way you want to play this, then I'll humor you. Let's see what sort of games you've set up for-

Before Cuchulainn could finish that thought, that was when the ground beneath him quivered unnaturally. He lurched forward, nearly smashing his head against the seabed as he lost his balance.

Gh! What the-!?

A tremendous cracking sound nearly deafened him. As he shook his head to regain his bearings, that was when he noticed something unusual happening with the Isle of Skye… no, all of Scotland!

Are they… floating!?

The huge sound he heard was the earth breaking free from the rest of the planet, fully dislodging before gradually ascending higher and higher into the air. Countless boulders and dirt clumps rained around the craters being left behind, which were quickly filling up with water before inevitably submerging beneath the depths. Then a second huge cracking sound caught Cuchulainn's attention, and he whirled around to see what was happening with Ireland. He watched in total disbelief as his beloved Ulster, along with the rest of Ireland, started to rise from the ground. It was only when he could get a good look at the undersides of each landmass that he noticed thousands of Runes activating all at once.

Although that part made sense to him, what happened next didn't. As both islands continued rising, they reached each other's altitude and slowly started coming towards each other, with the area around the North Channel as the center point. As they came closer and closer, they began to merge with each other to form a singular continent that was cut off from the rest of the world.

You've got to be kidding me.

It was the only thought he had as he took in the sight of the newly-formed floating country. What he just witnessed was the birth of the Celtic Isles – the final bastion that would obstruct Taoide Olc from fully destroying all of humanity.

Eventually, the rumbling and cracking ceased. All that remained were the sounds of waves and water gushing into the craters left from Ireland and Scotland. It took him a long time to understand what just happened, but once he did, he grew apoplectic and raged so much that the water boiled and steam curled all around him.

"Damn you, Medb… Damn you, Scathach…"

He realized what their strategy had been. If they couldn't stop the water from rising, they could at least keep the two countries far out of Taoide Olc's reach so that he couldn't destroy his two greatest threats. After all, he was a sea monster. While his dominion of the ocean was absolute, he had no method of commanding the skies. He certainly couldn't jump high enough to reach them either. This would give Medb and Scathach plenty of time to prepare some kind of counterattack from above while he was trapped far below them.

Loath as he was to admit it, he couldn't do anything to retaliate. His sea minions were useless, he couldn't reach the coastline, and any tornadoes he conjured would only tickle the island's underside. If he stayed here any longer, he would no doubt be attacked from above. As far as this battle was concerned, he was defeated…

For now, anyway.

Hmph. Very well. If that's what you want, then I'll respond in turn.

Resigned to his loss, Taoide Olc turned away from the Celtic Isles and swam back southward to England. No doubt, the country would have been crippled with the sudden loss of Scotland, meaning it would be terribly easy for him to crush before moving back to the mainland. As he departed, he glanced at the Tree of Emptiness as it continued pouring water from the dimensional rifts he had Dagda's Cauldron create.

It'll take some time, but I will return here one day. Besides, there's a hard limit to how high Medb and Scathach can raise the island before humans are unable to survive such altitudes. So long as the flow of water remains uninterrupted, my territory will expand endlessly. All they are doing is delaying the inevitable.

The monster gradually sunk beneath the ocean, until nothing left of him remained. He had one parting thought for his former countries as he left them behind:

Enjoy your false peace while you can.


"…la! …nla!"

Uuuh… let me sleep some more…

"C… la! Answer… Co… Conn… Open your…"

Who's calling for me?

"Connla! Wake up, dammit!"

"Hmmngh…" the little girl moaned as she stirred in a half-asleep state. She opened her bleary eyes and looked around in a blank daze.

"By the gods! You're still alive!" a familiar woman's voice exclaimed.

"Huh? Is that you… Teacher?"

"Who else could I be!? What were you doing out here, you fool!?"

"I, um… I can't recall…"

Connla struggled to sit upright since her head felt like it was splitting apart. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before looking around. Although her clothes were still slightly wet from the storm, the pleasant sunshine helped dry them off enough that they didn't feel too uncomfortable for her to wear. Songbirds chirped, and the fresh scent of drying rain permeated her nostrils. The beautiful afternoon helped wake her up somewhat, and she stumbled onto her feet.

Scathach examined her niece, then said, "You don't appear to be injured. Looks like you merely lost consciousness."

"Oh… that's right," Connla murmured as she brushed some dirt off her bodysuit, then pointed toward the ocean. "I… I saw something out there."

"You mean the white tree?"

"Well yeah, that… But there was something else."

"What was it?"

"I'm not sure if you'll believe me or not, but… well, um… I saw… the legendary demon of the seas. You know, the monster that Gae Bolg was forged from?"

Scathach appeared mildly surprised. "You saw Curruid?"

"Mm," the girl nodded. "There's no mistaking it."

"Why did you come all the way out here? You know you're not supposed to leave the castle for any reason."

"I know, but the ghosts were flying around in a panic. I wanted to see what was wrong, and that's when I saw the monster. I think they were scared of it."

The warrior woman closed her eyes and grumbled to herself. She was both upset with Connla for disobeying her orders, and relieved that she was safe. However, her mixed feelings were superseded with thoughts of how dangerously close Taoide Olc had come to invading the Land of Shadows. If she and Medb hadn't cooperated soon enough to raise Ireland and Scotland off the ground, they probably would have been too late to stave off any disaster that the vengeful god would have brought upon them. It proved that Cuchulainn saw Scathach as much of a threat as he did with Medb and wanted to eliminate her.

"Teacher? Are you okay?" Connla tilted her head when she saw Scathach looking rather exhausted.

"I apologize," the woman groaned and sat down on a moss-covered boulder. "I'm afraid my journey has thoroughly worn me out."

"You sound like you were in a hurry. Did you know the Land of Shadows was going to be attacked like this?"

"Yes. The same is true for Ireland. I wanted to do what I could to help save both countries."

"What did you do? I don't see the monster anywhere, so whatever it was had to have worked."

"Hm? Haven't you noticed by now?"

"Noticed what?"

"Look at how high we are above the ocean."

Connla turned around and panned her eyes along the clear blue horizon. Her heart leapt when she realized that the Land of Shadows was floating! She stepped back in shock and yelped, "Whoa!? How in the world did this happen!?"

Scathach realized, She must have been passed out while we were ascending.

"I don't believe it!" the girl kept exclaiming. "We're soo~ooo high up! There's no way the monster will be able to attack us from all the way down there!"

"That's the whole point. I was assembling as many Rune users as I could to help me raise Scotland. I also spoke with Ireland's rulers, and they did the same for their country. We've successfully merged them into one continent known as the Celtic Isles."

"Incredible! I know Runecraft is strong, but I didn't think it was this amazing! Now I really want to know more about it!"

"Calm yourself, child. There is still much you have to learn before I can teach you how to bend nature to your very whim."

"I know, I know. You already told me that I have to have the utmost respect for nature before it will lend me its power."

"That's right. Besides, I think it's more important that you understand why you have to learn how to use spear techniques and Runecraft like I do. Unfortunately, it seems you've only had a glimpse of the terror lurking out there that you will have to face in the future. I was hoping to avoid showing you too much, but it appears I'm too late."

Connla's excitement immediately diminished once she heard Scathach say that. She thought about Curruid, then shuddered and moaned, "Y-You mean, I have to fight that sea monster?"

"No, not him. He will be my problem. I've designated another opponent for you."

Although the girl was relieved that she didn't have to worry about Curruid, she then asked, "Who would that be?"

"Not 'who', but rather 'what'."

"Huh?"

Scathach pointed out into the distance, then made a firm declaration:

"Your target will be the unknown white tree."


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - The Oillipheist, or ollpheist ("great beast/worm/reptile"), is a sea serpent-like monster in Irish folklore. It could be considered an inspiration behind the famous Loch Ness Monster legend.