FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 26: The Land of Apples and Avarice

Morning came, and the group packed up the camp site before following Manannan further into the forest of dead trees. She pointed ahead and told them, "Just keep going straight from here. The mist will thicken as you venture in deeper, and you might feel a little nauseous while passing through to Emain Ablach."

"Uh oh…" Connla murmured, worried about getting sick again.

"Don't worry," Conall assured, then kneeled down to carry her piggyback style. "I'll make sure you don't collapse."

"W-Wait, I don't really need to-"

"You need to conserve your strength. If the faeries really are as unpredictable as Cuchulainn and Manannan claim, then we need to be prepared to deal with them. Besides, you hardly weigh much at all. Did you ever eat a proper meal while growing up?"

"Um…"

Mini Cu grumbled, "Just give it up, kid. Once Conall sets his mind on something, it's impossible to convince him otherwise. Besides, I'm kind of curious about that as well."

Connla tilted her head and wondered, "I'm not sure what you mean by a 'proper meal'."

"Well…" Conall said, and they diverged into a menial conversation while journeying further into the woods, following behind Fergus as he took the lead with Liath Macha.

Manannan and Morrigan did not accompany the group though. They were worried that the fairies would panic if they saw two of the Tuatha de Danann's gods accompanying humans, which would compromise the mission. They offered to take care of Deirg nDruchtaig and Dubh Sainglend until they returned, since Liath Macha refused to leave Connla's side, and it would be easier to just take one steed anyway. As the trio and their horse ventured further and their forms vanished in the distance, Manannan couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"What's with that troubled look?" Morrigan asked. "You think they won't be up to the task?"

Manannan closed her eyes and murmured, "That's not it. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Concerning Fand?"

"I guess it's that obvious to you, isn't it?"

"But of course. She's the one responsible for starting this whole fiasco. She might be so on edge that she could attack at any moment. You do realize that means Fergus and them will have to defend themselves, right?"

"I know. Ultimately, it's all up to how she reacts. The only thing I can hope for is that Cuchulainn will talk some sense into her."

Despite Manannan's belief that everything was going to turn out okay, she just couldn't fully shake the feeling that something tragic was about to happen. The Pseudo Servant pressed her hand against her chest and gazed into the distance, silently praying for the team's success. She was especially worried about Connla, given how unwell she looked. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to a time that was now lost…

A time when she looked after a certain boy who would grow up to be one of the Tuatha's greatest heroes.

Lugh… Please keep your granddaughter safe…

Fergus and the others continued onward for around 30 minutes without incident. However, that was about to change very soon. It didn't take long before their surroundings started to shift. Just as Manannan warned them, the scenery slowly started to get harder and harder to see through due to a soupy thick mist rolling in all around them. Before long, the only thing they could see were their own hands and the very ground they walked upon.

"Damn, I can't see a thing at all," Fergus cursed. "Keep a tight grip on Liath's reins, Conall."

"Already doing that," the swordsman assured from the horse's opposite flank.

Connla's uneasiness gradually intensified as they ventured further into the mist. For some reason, the atmosphere felt a lot heavier to her, as if there was some kind of invisible pressure pushing down on the core of her body. Her vision blurred and swam, unable to stay focused as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

"You okay?" Mini Cu asked.

"I'm… not sure…" she mumbled.

"Are you going to be sick?"

"No. I just feel… really sleepy…"

"Now that you mention it, I feel like my strength is getting sucked out as well," Conall remarked.

Fergus frowned and said, "This must be an effect of passing through to a closed-off sidhe. Keep your wits about you. We can't go collapsing until we find a safe spot to rest."

Connla turned her eyes toward the back of Conall's head. Her fatigue must have been so potent that she couldn't make him out at first. For some reason, she thought someone else was carrying her on his back. As if her eyes were covered in a haze of their own, she perceived Conall as a different man. He looked very similar to Cuchulainn, right down to the style of his ponytail, but his hair was much darker in shade and seemed to spike a little more noticeably.

She struggled to whisper, "Huh? Who… are… you?"

"What's wrong?" Conall asked. He turned his head back to look at her, and the visage she saw visibly spooked her. Instead of Conall, she saw that the dark-haired man looked incredibly similar to Cuchulainn except for his features appearing a little more mature and refined. His sharp red eyes practically broke through the oppressive mist like a beacon of light.

"Ah… Haven't I… seen you before?" she gasped.

"Shit," Mini Cu cursed. "I think she's hallucinating."

"Then we better hurry. If we dawdle for too long, we might wind up losing our minds as well," Fergus implored, and the group did their best to hasten their pace.

A small creek flowed next to a grove of berry bushes, gently trickling water over the partially buried rocks. Kneeled next to one of the bushes was a lone girl with large moth wings that appeared tattered and ripped. Her short cerulean hair wisped over her pale face and long pointy ears, framing her golden eyes like the sky surrounding the sun. She wore a simple white dress with a sash wrapped around her shoulders, pinned together in the front with an arrangement of flowers, and leather brown shoes. Despite her elegant appearance, her eyes appeared fatigued and melancholic.

I have to meet the quota… I have to meet the quota… I have to meet the quota…

She kept repeating that phrase over and over as a mantra, trying to motivate herself to work harder. She seemed almost desperate to overfill her basket with fruit, rather than passionate about it.

If I don't meet the quota, they'll rip my wings off and serve them for dinner. I can't stop… I have to meet the quota…

A few minutes later, the fairy heard some unusual footsteps disrupting the grass near her. She gasped and yelped under her breath, "Oh no… T-They're going to kill me! They're going to butcher me and-!"

However, she ceased her incoherent rambling when she spotted a group of unusual people she had never seen before. There were two men, a young girl, and a grey-colored horse, all kneeling on the ground next to the creek gasping for air.

"Gah… I-I think… we're in the clear," Fergus moaned.

"Son of a bitch… That was rough…" Conall heaved, practically on the verge of being ill.

Connla had long since lost consciousness, as Conall had set her on the ground to get some proper sleep. Mini Cu pressed his tiny hand against her forehead to feel her temperature, then said, "She should have a fever, but she's somehow okay. She should come around soon enough. Still, I don't remember the passage to Emain Ablach being this difficult. It certainly wasn't for me when I came here all those years ago."

Fergus surmised, "Probably because Manannan doesn't have control over the Cloak of Mists right now. Back then, he likely would have made your journey much easier."

"That's true."

"So what do we do now?" Conall asked. "Manannan said we need to find the village by nightfall."

Fergus declared, "In this very moment, we need to rest. None of us are in shape for battle, and I certainly don't want to deal with an unpredictable bunch like a fairy enclave while exhausted."

"Yeah, you're right. We still have plenty of time, so-"

Just then, the blue-haired fairy approached them from behind when they weren't looking and asked, "Um? Who are you?"

"Whuh-!?" Fergus yelped, not expecting to be interrupted so suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her, and he uttered, "Oh my! Are you a fairy, young miss?"

"Y-Yeah… Can't you tell by my wings?"

"Yes, that would be decidedly obvious. Well, this is most fortuitous. Do you think we could ask for your help?"

Her heart fluttered at the prospect of being useful to these folk, and she cried out, "Of course! What can I do for you?"

"We thought we were passing through a misty region of Ulster, but it looks like we wound up in a fairy realm by accident. As you can tell, it's taken quite a toll on me and my friends here. Is there anywhere safe that we can rest for the time being?"

"Well, I could take you to my place, but it's not big enough for so many. The next best place would be the village, but… well… I think the other fairies will be mad at me for causing a disturbance…"

"Is your place big enough for at least the little one to sleep in?" Fergus asked as he pointed to Connla.

"Yes. She can use my bed."

"Good. Don't worry about the villagers being upset. We're the ones causing the inconvenience, so we will apologize as much as necessary."

"Um… okay. My hut is this way," the fairy said, and she guided the group to a small structure made out of sticks draped with animal furs. Conall tucked Connla into the bed, and both Mini Cu and Liath Macha stayed with her while the others followed the unknown fairy further into the woods. As they ventured further in, the two men introduced their group to her.

"I see… Fergus mac Roich… Conall Cernach… Connla of Dun Scaith… Liath Macha… and Mini Cu…" she murmured. Her eyes shifted about in curiosity as she mumbled under her breath, "Mini Cu… Cu… Cu… have I heard that name somewhere before?"

"Is something wrong?" Conall asked.

"No, it's nothing. So, um, I want to ask you something myself."

"What is it?"

"Are you all… humans?"

"Yeah. Can't you tell?"

"Ah… I guess so. It's been so, so long since I last saw one… Probably hundreds of years. It's the same for everyone else. They're going to be so excited when they meet you."

Fergus and Conall appeared uncomfortable for a moment when they heard that. Even so, their straightened their faces, and the former said, "I bet they will be. Still, it would be helpful to speak with someone possessing a more level head than the rest."

"Halobaromia should be able to help you then. Maybe Onpham as well. I don't know about Douga, but he used to be a top aide in the Fang Clan, so maybe…"

"The Fang Clan?" Conall wondered.

"Oh, right. That's an old term we fairies used to use to refer to beastmen. Once upon a time, there were enough of us fairies to separate us into clans, like the Wing Clan such as myself, the human-like Wind Clan, the dwarves of the Earth Clan, and the Fang Clan's werewolves. Our numbers have dwindled so much though that we don't bother with that anymore. Calling Douga one of the Fang Clan was just a slip of the tongue."

"I see. So we can expect all sorts of different folk in the village," Fergus said. "Are there other kinds of fairies, such as leprechauns or cait sidhe?"

"They went extinct a long time ago. Many of us moved here from Britain, and it caused a lot of problems for the native Irish fairies. We kept our conflicts confined to fairy mounds so as not to disturb the humans, but we British fairies fought against the Irish fairies for territory. Due to our greater experience with combat, as well as the Irish fairies being unpopular with humans, it didn't take much for us to wipe them out within a few years."

"Hmm…"

"Alas, that's all in the past now. Soon enough, we'll be joining the Irish fairies as fellow extinct beings," the winged girl murmured forlornly. "Lord Manannan was gracious enough to allow the last vestiges of our kind to live here in Emain Ablach, so he could close off all the portals to the other sidhe. I guess he was scared of that hideous god of destruction Taoide Olc taking possession of them."

"Considering the power he gained after conquering Dun Scaith, that would've been a smart move."

The fairy hummed to herself in contemplation, then wondered, "Say, that girl from Dun Scaith… Connla, was it? Does Taoide Olc know about her?"

"It's a long story, but she basically had to flee for her life before he could get to her."

"Oh my… that sounds so terrifying…"

"The fact that she survived such a vicious attack is a miracle in itself. Speaking of which, I've got a favor to ask you."

"Sure. What do you want?"

Fergus explained, "Conall and I might be busy chatting with these folks you mentioned, which could take some time. Could you look after Connla for us? She's already not feeling well, and passing through that mist only made things worse for her. Given how notoriously curious your kind are, I'm afraid of her being overwhelmed by fairies who want to poke and prod at her. You know what I mean?"

The fairy nodded. "I totally get it. Everyone will be so fascinated to meet humans like you that they won't care about how sick you are. I'll take care of her until she gets all better."

"Thank you. You've been most accommodating, Miss… um… I don't believe I caught your name."

"Oh," she murmured, and her expression changed to one of disappointment. "I don't have one. I lost my purpose, and thus my identity, a long time ago."

Conall raised an eyebrow. "Your purpose?"

"We fairies are not the same as humans. Unlike your kind, who are flexible enough to adapt their purpose in life, our kind are born with a singular purpose in mind. If we forget what that purpose is, we thus lose our identity and are mocked for it by other fairies. But if we focus too hard on that purpose, we likewise lose ourselves to the point that we can't maintain our original form. A fairy is then considered 'evil', and thus equally reviled as a purposeless fairy would be."

"So it's damned if you do, damned if you don't."

"Yes. I guess if you put it like that, losing my purpose has helped me avoid becoming something evil."

"For sure," Fergus smiled. "A kind fairy is always better than an evil one."

She shifted her gaze to the side. "I suppose it could be interpreted as 'kindness' for a human…"

"Hm? You mean it isn't?"

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just rambling to myself."

Less than ten minutes later, the telltale signs of a civilized village began to reveal themselves through the densely populated tree trunks. By human standards, it was little more than a hamlet constructed out of wood and stone, with buildings and facilities built so shabbily that it was a wonder they didn't fall on their occupants' heads. All of the structures surrounded a large fire pit, as if it was the most important and sacred section of the town. The most impressive sight was of numerous bales of apples being gathered from the nearby orchards that comprised Emain Ablach.

Fergus whistled and remarked, "Oh ho. Pretty impressive, I must say."

"Stay sharp, old man. I think we're attracting a crowd," Conall warned him as he already spotted about 15 fairies approaching.

"Oh my…" an elven woman murmured. "I've never seen these people before. Have you?"

"Can't say I have," a winged boy said.

"Are they intruders?" a dwarf wondered.

"Maybe. The nameless whelp brought them here, after all. Perhaps she's plotting to have them destroy us."

The blue-haired fairy quickly grew pensive and uttered, "Um… Sorry for the trouble, everyone. I've brought some lost humans here. Can they speak with Halobaromia or Onpham? Even having them meet Douga would be great."

All of the fairies' suspicions instantly vanished when they heard the word 'humans', and a wolfman barked, "O-Oh! Humans, you say!? You should've said so right away, you idiot! I'll go get them!"

"Thanks…"

Fergus didn't seem to mind the attention, but Conall looked more and more agitated as he was surrounded by creatures he had only heard of in fantasies and legends, all poking their fingers at his skin and feeling him like he was made out of a pleasantly squishy substance. He wanted to yell at them to stop, but his annoyed expression only seemed to compel them.

"Ahh, such bliss," a dwarf sighed in relief. "I haven't felt this relaxed in years. Humans really are a balm for our souls."

"A balm, you say?" Fergus wondered.

"That's right. If a human's nourishment comes from consuming food, then our kind derives sustenance from just being around humans."

"If that's the case, why not co-exist with us?"

The elven woman said, "That's not so easy. First of all, Lord Manannan forbade us from making contact with humans, and we can't exactly go against his wishes when he did so much to safeguard us from all of those disasters. Secondly, even if we did allow humans to live with us, they wouldn't last very long to satisfy us. Your lifespans are just too short to accommodate our appetite."

"I see," he murmured, then grimly thought, In other words, the fairies would start fighting each other for control over the human populace. It's exactly the same as when we humans went to war for control over our dwindling water supplies.

"That's why I always say we should kidnap humans!" a wolfman blurted. "Especially lost orphans that no one would miss! There were plenty of war babies left after all of Ireland's men slaughtered each other in those battles before Dublin's Fall! They'd still be young enough to satisfy us!"

Conall's eyes widened in fury, and he reached his hand for Curaidin Catutchenn's hilt. Fergus immediately raised his hand to stop him, then warned the wolfman, "I strongly suggest you keep such opinions to yourself. My friend here has a short temper, so there's no telling what will happen if you keep instigating him like this."

"Hmph. I was only stating the truth."

"Wooof!" another wolfman howled angrily and slammed his fist upon his belligerent kinsman's head. "Are you asking to get yourself killed, Stanton!? At this rate, you might as well say to them, 'Please, go ahead and ram your sword through my heart'!"

"Guh… Right. Sorry 'bout that, Douga."

After berating the over-opinionated beastman, the fellow named Douga calmed himself and took a good look at Fergus. He circled around him while exclaiming, "Wow! So you're a human!? Where are your wings!? Your animal ears and tail!? Your skin is so pale, too!"

"Hah hah hah! Calm yourself, my good man!" Fergus bellowed. "You can search us all you want, but we humans possess no such features!"

"Don't mind him. He's denser than a rock," a handsome blonde-haired elven man retorted as he approached. "If you truly were fairies who had lost your wings, you would've had wing stumps on your backs. And your limbs are so twiggy, you wouldn't even make for good firewood. That's definite proof that you're humans."

"Well now. While I can agree about the lack of wings, I do take pride in my musculature, which is the result of years of dedicated training and swordsmanship. Even so, what we humans lack in bulk, we certainly make up for with intellect and ingenuity."

"So I've heard," a stout dwarven faerie with a thick and bushy grey beard remarked. "You folks were brilliant enough to even raise Ireland and Scotland from the earth to escape Taoide Olc's eternal flood. That takes guts, let me tell you. That contemptible demon must be seething at being so thoroughly outsmarted."

Conall said, "Maybe so, but it's only a temporary measure. Sooner or later, we will have to do something about him. In fact, we're actually a small band of warriors sent on a mission to find a way to stop the God of Destruction. If we can do that, we think we can halt the flow of seawater drowning the planet."

"Hm. Pretty bold of you lads," the dwarf remarked. "So why are you folks traipsing all the way out into Emain Ablach?"

"It wasn't intentional. We found ourselves caught in some kind of thick mist. Before we knew it, we were here."

Once Conall said that, the faeries glanced at each other uneasily, as if they were silently accusing each other of something. The humans knew what this meant; they were probably blaming each other for losing the Cloak of Mists and causing the gateway to open for them. Before the tension could get any worse, Fergus said, "Well, not much we can do about it for now. It's getting dark, and we're a bit tired. Could we trouble you good folk to allow us a night's lodging?"

"Lodging? Don't be silly," Douga said. "We can't just give you a free bed and leave you to it."

"No? Why would that be an issue? Your village seems plenty big enough to allow for two or three more. Or are you asking for some form of payment? I'm not sure what it is you folks accept, but I'd be happy to-"

"That's not the problem! Don't you know what our custom is for welcoming new folks into our town!?"

The blonde elf scoffed, "Of course they don't, you fool. We don't exactly advertise ourselves to the human world."

Conall raised an eyebrow and asked, "So what is this custom of yours? Do we have to perform some kind of bizarre ritual for your amusement?"

"What do you take us for, a gaggle of Irish fairies? Your silly fairy tales have misled you into believing we are an uncivilized folk who enjoy cursing humans. No, no, it's nothing as petty as that. All we ask is that you be the guests of honor for our banquet tonight."

The two warriors already knew this was coming, due to Manannan mentioning that the fairies always held banquets every night. Even so, they did their best to act surprised, and Fergus exclaimed, "Oh, what a treat! If humans knew they received such a hearty welcome from fairies, we'd have more disappearing incidents on our hands! Personally speaking, I have a geas that forbids me from turning down a feast, so I have no reason to decline your invitation!"

"Then it's a deal," the blonde elf said with a smile. "So it's just you two we have to worry about?"

"No, there's one more. She's resting in our nameless friend's hut, but should come around soon enough."

"Oh, really?" the elf appeared displeased when he heard that. He faced the blue-haired fairy and demanded, "Speaking of which, where are those berries you said you'd gather for us?"

"I'm sorry, sir!" she frantically apologized. "I got distracted by the humans, so I accidentally left the basket behind!"

"No excuses. Go back and fetch it at once."

"Yes, sir!"

Conall felt so bad that he said, "I'll help you out."

"Don't bother," the dwarf retorted. "She needs to learn to take responsibility for the jobs she takes on."

The swordsman's expression tightened as he snapped, "I'm helping her because I want to. If there's a problem with that, I'd be more than happy to challenge you to a duel to defend her honor. I also suggest you stop berating her for every little thing, at least while Fergus and I are within earshot."

The stout fellow pathetically mumbled, "Er… Well… Fine. Do whatever you want."

"Hmm," the blonde elven woman murmured to herself. "Is this what the humans would call a 'gentleman'?"

"Seems like it," another elf whispered. "It takes real guts to stand up for a fairy who's lost her purpose."

With that, Conall followed the winged girl back through the forest, while Fergus remained behind to chat with the townsfolk.

Day gradually gave way to night. All that time, Connla remained asleep in the nameless fairy's hut, getting the rest she needed to recover from the double whammy of physical ailments she suffered over the last few days. Mini Cu remained by her side, watching her sleeping face intently as he mulled over many thoughts. There were many things he was worried about, both as the human Cuchulainn and as the demonic god Taoide Olc, but now that he was in Emain Ablach, one concern kept pressing him more than anything else.

Fand… I'm going to have to confront you, aren't I? I wonder how well it'll go over, considering the mess we're in because of you.

Manannan had told the group that Fand was likely on the run from the other fairies, and that it would be difficult for the humans to track her down. Unlike the regular fairies, Fand possessed a lot more wisdom, and thus would be aware that Fergus' group was here because Manannan sent them to resolve this matter on his behalf. Luckily for them, Cuchulainn was familiar with Fand's behavior and would know how to look for her. He just had to wait for the others to regain their strength before they could make their next move.

However, Mini Cu was equally as concerned about whether or not Connla should be involved in any of this. He was literally showing his daughter a sordid part of his past that he normally would have never allowed her to witness. Then again, considering how brutal the battle in Glasgow was, maybe dealing with one of his former lovers would be of little concern to her. Or maybe it would be… considering her mother Aife was another one of Cuchulainn's passing flings, and was the only relationship that produced a child for him. How did Connla feel about it? She never mentioned anything about what it was like growing up as a bastard child.

The vagueness of it all unsettled him. He really wanted to ask her a lot of questions about it, but he knew now was not the time. All he could do was be patient and wait for the right opportunity, when no one else was around to bother them. For now, Mini Cu hopped off the shoddily-made hammock and poked his miniature Gae Bolg into the tiny bonfire that warmed the inside of the hut, trying to reignite a log that was almost going out.

A couple of minutes later, the entrance flap was tossed aside, and the blue-haired fairy entered as she wiped her forehead of sweat. She noticed the doll staring at her, and she asked, "Oh, is the fire dying out? I should get some more twigs."

"No, it's fine," he assured, then activated a small Ansuz Rune on Gae Bolg's tip to rekindle the flame.

"Oh, how neat. You know Runecraft?"

"Just enough to get by. Are Fergus and Conall talking with the other fairies?"

"Yes. Halobaromia and Onpham are establishing a diplomatic bond with him. Fergus told me that he's a king in the human world, so they thought it'd be a good idea to make peaceful negotiations."

"Makes sense. I'm not holding my breath for it lasting long though."

The fairy frowned. "You don't trust us?"

Mini Cu scoffed, "Hmph. Let's just say I've had a few bad experiences with your kind before."

"I see. Um… So… I hope you don't mind me asking, but… what exactly are you, anyway? You seem to be a human, but I've never heard of your race looking so… small. You definitely don't look like a puca, so…"

"I'm Connla's guardian. That's all you need to know."

"Oh… okay…"

As their awkward conversation trailed into silence, they heard the child warrior stirring beneath the blankets. It took a minute for Connla to come to her senses, but she soon opened her eyes and made eye contact with the duo. She wearily sat up and moaned, "Hmm? Where is this?"

"You're finally up," Mini Cu said as he leapt onto the hammock. "We're in Emain Ablach."

"You mean we finally made it through?"

"Gh…" he winced, realizing she just said something she shouldn't have.

"Made it through, you say?" the fairy asked curiously. "Fergus said you humans stumbled upon our realm by accident. You make it sound like you were looking for us though."

"Oh," Connla gasped upon noticing her mistake. "Um… I'm sorry."

"So which is it?"

"Hmm… well…"

"Tch," Mini Cu cussed under his breath, then asked the blue-haired girl, "We'll tell you what's going on, but promise not to say anything to the others? We're on a very important mission, you see."

She looked pensive for a moment, but noted the sincerity in their eyes and eventually relented. "Okay. I promise I won't tell anyone else."

With that, he proceeded to explain everything about Manannan's mission to her, especially with how they were trying to find Fand and the Cloak of Mists. The fairy listened intently, then nodded and murmured, "I see… I see… Lord Manannan didn't want to agitate Lady Fand, so he sent humans here to speak with her."

"Right," Mini Cu said. "If at all possible, I would like to avoid a confrontation with her. Our only objective is to restore some semblance of harmony to Emain Ablach by returning the cloak to Manannan. Once that happens, no one will have any reason to fight with each other anymore, and it won't wind up spilling out into the human world."

"I guess so. But everyone is so on edge that it might take just one insult before everyone starts killing each other. That's part of the reason why I live outside the village – to protect myself from such a dangerous environment. I sure hope Fergus and Conall will be okay…"

"I'm sure they're fine. If there's any way to effectively distract someone, it's with a party, and no one parties it up quite like them."

"Eh he he he. Yes, Fergus said he has a geas that forbids him from turning down a feast. He'll never have any problem with it while he's with the others."

Connla listened quietly, feeling guilty for letting the truth slip so easily. She hung her head low and murmured to Mini Cu, "I'm sorry. I should've been more careful."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her. "You're only half awake, and not fully recovered yet. No one would expect you to think rationally like that."

"Mm."

"Come on, enough feeling sorry for yourself. You must be starving. Get some food in you already."

"Okay."

"Great!" the fairy exclaimed. "It's not much, but I have plenty of fruit, bread and fish. You must be too tired to go to the village tonight, so let's eat together."

"Sure," Connla mumbled, and she shuffled toward the bonfire, sitting beside Mini Cu and opposite of the fairy. She roasted some fish on sticks, then nibbled on that and some berries. As she prepared the food, she told the unknown girl, "I don't believe I've heard your name yet."

"Well… I actually don't have one."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I had one, but I don't really remember it anymore. It must have been so long since anyone called me anything other than 'you there'. I'm starting to think that's what my name must be."

"That won't do. It'd be difficult to talk with each other if you don't have a name. If you can't remember it, then I'll give you one."

"Huh? B-But that's-"

Connla disregarded the fairy's insistent blubbering as she brainstormed for a moment. She then asked, "How about Mioruilt?"

"Mio… ruilt?"

"It means miracle in Irish. I think it sounds nice for you."

"Mio… ruilt… Mio… ruilt… Mioruilt…" the blue-haired girl kept murmuring over and over again.

"Do you dislike it?"

"N-No, I don't dislike it… I'm just not… used to it… that's all."

"Maybe we can just stick with Mio until you're more comfortable with it."

"Yeah. I guess so… Mio it is, then. So, Connla, what's it like living in the human world?"

"Huh? Well, it's just… normal to me. I've heard that there have been a lot of hardships for people over the years, especially after Taoide Olc flooded the rest of the world. But from what I've seen, everyone seems to be getting by as best as they can. That's not really saying much, considering I lived in Dun Scaith for 15 years. I was isolated from all of that for so long, so I'm really only seeing the aftermath."

"Oh yeah, Fergus said you're from the Land of Shadows! I wanted to ask you something!"

"What is it?"

"He said that the God of Destruction invaded Dun Scaith and took it over as his territory, and that's where he rules Scotland from. You had to run away from that, didn't you?"

Connla frowned and shifted her eyes to the side forlornly. "I did."

"Can you tell me all about it? That sounds like such a fascinating story to me. What was Taoide Olc like? Was he was scary as the stories claim? How did you survive without him catching up to you? What did you do afterward?"

"Um… It's hard to say. At the very least, it's nothing short of a miracle that I'm still alive."

"That's the part that's so interesting! Even though you look so young, you're a real adventurer! Those are the kinds of stories I could only dream about!" Mioruilt exclaimed, then crawled on all fours next to the bewildered Connla. "I want to hear all about it! Can you tell me? Pleee~eeease?"

"W-Well, okay. I wonder where I should begin…"

As the pair talked for the whole night, Mini Cu sat next to Connla, remaining completely silent the entire time. Although he was concerned about Connla getting friendly with a fairy, he was also relieved to see her look so relaxed and comfortable. It was since staying at Emer's house that Connla was not able to settle down and think about anything other than her missions. It had literally been going from one incident to the next, without much time for her to pause like this. She had also lost Fir and Fial's companionship along the way, so Mini Cu felt that Connla was sorely lacking in good company to share her joys and tribulations with.

It's good to see the kid letting her hair down for once.

As he thought this with a smile, he closed his eyes in concern.

I just hope this doesn't come back to bite her in the ass.