FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 2: Boundary Between Human and Beast

Scathach and Connla spent the rest of the day packing some provisions for the journey to Scotland's Isle of Skye. It wouldn't be a particularly long trip, only being a few days' trek northwest from the mountains to the village of Oban, and then an ocean crossing to Skye. Connla was used to the journey thanks to her previous time training in the Land of Shadows. She felt a tinge of sadness as she boarded up the cabin's doors, knowing that she was never going to see her birth home ever again. Alas, Scathach's command was absolute, and Connla was not going to disobey her. Besides, she would leave knowing that anyone who had gotten lost in the mountains would have a safe place to find refuge.

The following morning, their preparations were complete. Without ceremony, the pair mounted Aife's two horses and began the hike down the Ben Nevis mountain ranges, bounding northwest as much as they could. It was an uneventful day, and they didn't converse much in favor of concentrating on guiding their horses down the steep paths. Eventually, the bright and crisp afternoon gave way to a relaxing night in the woods as Scathach and Connla made camp.

Scathach hunted some game while Connla did the cooking and cared for the horses. They settled on a simple boar meat stew with wild vegetables and water drawn from a nearby stream. Soon, they sat around the bonfire and ate their meal. Scathach closed her eyes in delight as she swallowed some food, then remarked, "Goodness… However despicable of a person Aife might have been, she certainly taught you how to be a world-class homemaker. Is there some kind of secret she showed you to making stew turn out this good?"

"Not really," Connla murmured and blushed a bit, not used to receiving compliments like this. She was more used to being berated by Aife for not making their meals correctly. "I did bring some spices with me, and I picked only the freshest vegetables I could find. Other than that, I made it the same way I always do."

"Surely you jest. With these skills, you will find a husband in no time at all. I almost feel nervous at the prospect of introducing you to greater society in the future for that reason alone."

The girl didn't seem impressed with her mentor's attempt at a compliment. In fact, her lips refused to curl into even the slightest of smiles the entire time during their travels. In the back of Scathach's mind, she recalled that she never once saw her niece crack a smile or look happy. Considering Aife's personality and method of raising Connla, such a disturbing disparity wasn't too surprising. It was something she would need to work on if she truly did plan on introducing the girl to other people later in her life.

"Hah… I guess I'm no good at starting inane conversations like this," Scathach finally admitted. "Fine, I'll just get to the point. You look like you're deeply bothered by something."

Connla tilted her head curiously. "Bothered?"

"You've had that faraway look in your eyes this entire time. That's a characteristic of someone trying to hide something important from those around them."

"I don't understand. I'm always like this. Mother told me that a real warrior is supposed to hide their feelings from the world, lest they wind up exposing their weaknesses to the enemy."

"Well she's wrong. There's no fault in confiding with others. It is part of being human."

"But…"

"She taught you such nonsense out of spite of her own failure. I've told you before about how she lost against your father, didn't I? She must have been so embittered by exposing her greatest weakness to your father that she was afraid of you making the same mistake as a future warrior woman."

"Yes, I had a feeling that was the case. I just don't understand why you're telling me something so different. Is being open with others a right reserved for strong warriors like yourself, and weaklings like me need to close themselves to everyone until they become strong?"

Scathach shook her head in dismay, realizing just how warped her niece's way of thinking had become. As much as she wanted to solely blame Aife for this, she knew she was partly responsible for it as well. Training her in the hellscape that was Dun Scaith, inhabited only by vicious monsters and vengeful spirits, must have further damaged Connla's ability to relate with other people. Alas, Scathach believed she had no choice but to sequester her inside the isolated dimension – she knew that history was about to change in perhaps the worst way imaginable, and she didn't want to expose the confused girl to even further horrors such as this.

"… Teacher?" Connla murmured hesitantly, realizing her mentor had been silent for an unusually long time.

"Ah, pardon me. I was lost in thought," Scathach said. "Anyway, you need to understand something. You might be a warrior woman in training, but I do not want you to lose sight of the fundamentals of being human. Aife and I are not humans – we're practically demons disguising ourselves as humans."

"Eh? I don't think that's the case…"

"I already know this about myself. I do not think the same way that ordinary warriors do. It simply comes with the territory of being an undying god-slayer… or perhaps even a goddess taking the form of a human. You, on the other hand, still have a chance to retain your humanity. A warrior woman with a truly human heart is a precious trait that you must learn to maintain and cherish as you become an adult. Being strong in battle is one thing, but to be kind and open even to your enemies is a greater feat that I could not accomplish. That is the goal I have in mind for you."

Connla murmured, unsure of how to respond to Scathach's conviction. The woman continued, "That's why the first step you should take toward such a goal is to tell me what is on your mind. I shall neither judge nor criticize you the way Aife did."

Connla pressed her hands against her chest for a long while, debating to herself on what she should say. Eventually, she mumbled, "Well… the thing is… a couple of nights ago, I had a terrifying nightmare."

"A nightmare?"

"I know it's childish of me to say such things when I fight monsters that could come from nightmares anyway, but… um…"

"Don't concern yourself over such a trivial matter. If it was frightening enough to shake you to your core, then you may talk with me about it. What exactly did you experience in this nightmare of yours?"

"It's kind of hard to describe, but well… it felt like I was in someone else's perspective – a man's, to be exact. There was nothing but darkness all around him. Then I heard some woman's voice in the far distance. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but it felt like she was teasing him or something. And then… and then… there was a monster… a huge one…"

Connla suddenly trembled, and her throat choked up so hard that she couldn't speak. Scathach became deathly silent as she listened to her niece's tale. She thought about her former pupil and closed her eyes forlornly.

Setanta…

The child was on the verge of crying, so Scathach rested her hand on her shoulder and assured, "Don't fret so much. It was just a nightmare."

"But it felt so real! At the end, I heard the man crying for help, but no one was there to save him! I even heard that woman laughing in glee as he was being swallowed! What if… What if that actually happened!? What if I was actually witnessing what happened to that man!? Was there something I could have done to help him!?"

Scathach suddenly snapped, "Get a hold of yourself, Connla!"

"Uh…"

"Don't confuse your dreams for reality. Whatever you saw, it was pure fiction. A figment of your imagination. Nothing you saw was real. Understand?"

"…"

"Yes or no! Do you understand!?"

"Y-Yes, I understand!"

"You must answer my questions clearly and concisely. I cannot understand your responses if you remain silent all the time."

"O-Okay…"

"All right, I think that's enough chitchat for now," Scathach said and unfurled some blankets. "I'll stand guard tonight, so get some sleep. We should reach Oban by this time tomorrow, then sail for Skye the following day. If you happen to have any more nightmares, let me know at once. Depending on the severity, I might need to make some adjustments with your cranial Runes."

"You mean I could be sick?" Connla wondered worriedly.

"No, nothing like that. Just a small tune-up, that's all."

"Okay. I'll tell you if anything happens."

With that, the girl tucked herself beneath the blankets and eventually fell asleep to the sound of the gently crackling bonfire. All of this traveling and talking had worn her out, so it didn't take long for her to pass out. Scathach never took her eyes off of her niece as she waited for her to fall asleep. More specifically, she focused her gaze squarely on the girl's thumb ring, and of the Bloodstones embedded in the gold.

Setanta's mutation into Curruid must be extending his influence so much that it's reaching his child's subconsciousness. If Connla keeps having such vivid dreams of her father's corruption like this, I might have to actually seal the ring, or even cut it off entirely. The last thing I need is for Setanta's loss of humanity to start affecting Connla when she hasn't even begun her training.

Coastline of northwestern England

The giant sea monster Curruid loomed over the ruins of what was once a fortress in Liverpool, situated close to the borders of northern England and Wales. The man trapped inside the beast didn't know what happened, but when he awake from a long three-day sleep, he saw nothing but wreckage and dead bodies floating all around him in the water. The harbor behind the fortress was drenched in meters of water, meaning he must have caused a tsunami. However, not everyone had died from drowning. Plenty of warriors had been torn asunder into gory pieces. Curruid glanced at his own hands and noticed blood dripping off of them.

Shit. I must've gone on a rampage.

He couldn't remember anything at all. However, the evidence was so overwhelming that he could only reach such an obvious conclusion. The monster lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the horrific sight. Rage and despair filled his heart. He wanted so badly to get back at Medb for turning him into a beast that she could control at her whim.

There was no question in his mind that she wanted to conquer England and Wales first to secure the northern islands. If his tactical reasoning was correct, Medb's forces would then sail towards France to cut off Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe, providing her a stronghold on the mainland for her to go east. From there, it was only a question of if she planned to concentrate on the northern nations like Germany, Poland and the Scandinavian territories, or venture into the Mediterranean Sea and take over Italy, Greece, Turkey, or even Egypt. It was a huge conquest, but after he witnessed the queen's well-guarded secret and was turned into her personal terror of the seas, he was certain she was capable of it.

God damn it… What am I going to do?

If he couldn't find a way to overcome Medb's control over him, she would lead this world into ruin. Everyone she deemed an enemy would be subjected to the same horrors he experienced while imprisoned. Villages would be plundered, farms would be razed, men would die on the battlefield, women would be raped, children would be violently groomed into serving as 'loyal' citizens of Connacht… It would be an absolute nightmare. Yet, he couldn't stop blaming himself for failing to protect Ulster. How did he have any right to protect the world now?

As Curruid somberly turned back toward the ocean and gradually sunk beneath the waves, that was when he spotted a lone bird circling over him. Its black silhouette contrasted the bright blue sky, making it impossible for him to miss. Although the avian was much smaller than the sea monster, it displayed no fear as it descended upon him and eventually perched on his shoulder. The man trapped inside soon recognized the divine aura radiating from the bird, which turned out to be a raven.

"… So you're here," Curruid telepathically spoke to his visitor.

"So I am," the bird responded.

"You already know what I've become?"

"Of course. Your external form may change, but I will never forget your soul's true essence. I must say though – I never anticipated that my prophecies of bloodshed would extend beyond Ireland's borders."

"You're the goddess of death and victory, and even you couldn't predict this?"

"I only foretell the fates of warriors destined to die on the battlefield. The corruption of kings and queens is outside my jurisdiction."

"Even so, you have to know what has happened to Medb by now. You wouldn't be here harassing me otherwise," Curruid grumbled.

The woman's voice echoing from the bird chuckled slightly. "I did some poking around, and discovered what was wrong with Connacht's queen. Quite the predicament, wouldn't you say? If she's left unchecked like this, she'll destroy all of known civilization while deluding herself into thinking she's conquering it."

"Are you here to mock me about it?"

"On the contrary. Though my precognition is limited only to the concept of war itself, I can tell that history is not proceeding according to the planet's will."

"…"

"I might not consider myself any sort of savior representing the world's best interests, but as a sovereign goddess of the earth, it is against my principles to allow some petty human ruler to decide this world's very future. After your capture, I pondered how to counteract this impending disaster, fearing that no other warrior would be brave or strong enough to challenge her. There was one person I had been considering, but they're a tad too young to be of much use to me at the moment. They still need to do some training under Scathach's tutelage before I can recognize them as a true warrior."

Curruid wasn't sure who the goddess was referring to. Who could possibly take his place at this point?

She continued, "Nevertheless, I found out about you being transmogrified into Curruid, which Medb managed to summon from the Reverse Side of the World, and here we are. It seems I arrived just before she could fully erase your conscious mind. She must have decided to keep it intact to make you suffer even further."

"Knowing that sick bitch, most definitely. But what are we going to do? I can't resist her control over me. She has this god-awful scent that always knocks me unconscious."

"Ah, her natural eau de toilette, huh? Now that she's warped into such an inhuman creature, her inherent aphrodisiac has been boosted many times over to the point of rendering any man she desires comatose. You simply need to build a resistance to it."

"'Simply', you say. Do you have any idea how addictive that shit gets? It's practically designed to make men suffer from withdrawal symptoms if they don't get their regular dose of Medb's bodily stink every once in a while."

The goddess laughed again. "Of course I wouldn't know. I'm not so carnal as to be smitten by another woman's wiles."

"Hmph."

"Aww, don't be so moody. In any case, I suggest you take a look in front of you."

Curruid grew confused as he turned his eyes forward. Just then, a small spark of light glimmered before him. He widened his eyes lightly as he focused on what it was. It looked like a golden goblet filled with shining fluid. An intense aura emanated from it, and he uttered, "Is that… Dagda's Cauldron?"

"Could be. I believe other parts of western Europe refer to this as a Holy Grail. Either way, it functions the same way as the Cauldron."

"Why is it here!? Does even Dagda, the chief of the Tuatha de Danann, recognize the threat that Medb poses!?"

"As simple as it is to believe that oaf of a womanizer is lending you his power, I'm afraid that's not it. Remember how I said that history is being upended by that woman? In fact, history has already changed."

"What do you mean?"

The raven turned her eyes toward the sky as she said, "You were supposed to succeed in defending Ulster from Medb's forces. Not necessarily to protect Donn Cuailgne from being captured by her, but at least keeping your fellow countrymen safe before they could be overrun by her barbaric soldiers, bereft of honor and restraint. Alas, Medb's unexpected corruption was not part of Proper Human History, meaning that everything happening from there is an aberration to history itself. We have already veered dangerously off course from the true history of mankind, meaning that the only future I can foretell is complete and utter annihilation for all life by her hand."

Curruid widened his eyes with rage. "What makes you think I'd believe any of your bullshit?"

"Then why don't you touch the Cauldron for yourself? It'll show you everything you need to know, just as it did for me."

He paused, uncertain if he wanted to be taken in by such a simple provocation. Even so, the goddess' warnings about Medb's growing power were impossible for him to ignore, given what he witnessed back in the dungeon. Compelled by that thought alone, he opened his huge maw wide open and devoured the shimmering chalice, allowing his mind to be flooded with a gigantic wealth of crucial information. Every single bit of knowledge, however inconsequential or foreign it was, strung themselves together into a coherent story for him to acknowledge as the one and only truth.

To be honest, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. So much of it didn't make sense that he wondered if he was peering into some kind of parallel world. Despite the overwhelming amount of information being fed to him, something deep within his soul accepted it all without hesitation. Somewhere within that rush of knowledge was something he was looking for…

A chance at fighting back.

Curruid's startled expression quickly shifted into a sinister grin.

"… Morrigan."

The raven glanced at him and asked, "Well? Have you decided?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna do it."

"You sure changed your mind real quick."

"How could I refuse? If I can't stop Medb herself, I can at least get in the way of her goal. Besides, this world's future is doomed anyway. What's stopping me from going as wild as I want, now that I'm a Phantasmal? This planet is now a grand battlefield hosting the rivalry between Medb and myself."

"Oh, how exciting!" Morrigan crooned. "I'd be more than happy to cast my lot in with you! But how do you plan on interfering with her conquest? You have to have a huge plan in mind if you want to counteract her lust for world domination. After all, if you can't even resist her mind-numbing eau de toilette in the first place, you don't have a shot at anything."

"This is a guess at best, but I think I've gained a resistance to it after consuming the Cauldron. I'll have to test it out the next time she calls for me."

"Makes sense. So what happens after?"

"I want you to gather any forces you can. Preferably, they need to be so strong that it would take a thousand men to kill a single soldier."

"Hmm… I suppose I could rally some of the more bloodthirsty Fomorians from their slumber. What do you plan to do with them?"

"Wage war, Morrigan. A war of my own devising. But I still need some time to prepare for my little… surprise. Before I can do any of that though…"

Morrigan quickly flew off of her perch as Curruid began to sink his upper body beneath the ocean. Before fully submerging, he said something particularly ominous to her:

"I've got myself a tree to plant."

The next day, a heavy rain storm engulfed Scotland's northwestern territories, drenching everything and everyone in a potent deluge of water droplets. Thankfully, Scathach and Connla had left the Ben Nevis mountains behind just as the storm was approaching, so their trek to Oban would be significantly safer on the flat plains. The horses galloped along the tall grasses and sparse forests for as long as they could, only stopping to take short breaks. The rain gradually settled as the nighttime hours waned in, and the duo finally reached the tiny port town once the moon became visible from behind the parting clouds.

They rented a room for the night, and traded the horses to a fisherman for one of his spare boats. Once inside the small cottage, Connla took off her rain poncho and undid her ponytail as she remarked, "Phew! I feel like even my bones are soaking wet!"

"You should wash up and have supper before turning in. I'm going to go out and take care of a few errands for a while, so don't wait for me," Scathach said.

"Should I keep the bath water warm for you?"

"No, that's all right. I will take care of it myself."

"Okay. Good night, Teacher."

Scathach left her niece in the cabin and went for a stroll through the marketplace. A couple of vendors remained open around the clock to serve the needs of fishermen and sailors who kept irregular hours, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to buy some more provisions for the next day's sailing trip to Skye. Some of the men also recognized her from her previous visits to the town, and she made small talk with the elderly folk as she made her purchases. About an hour later though, she broke away from the market's hustle and bustle to take a short walk along the coastline.

Soon, the woman's feet ceased moving. She stood there as still as a statue, only allowing her hair and clothing to billow in the cool night breeze. Her expression was stony and terse. Then she spoke to the wind itself:

"… I suggest you make yourself known already, lest I pierce your black heart with my god-slaying spear."

For a second, nothing happened. That was until a branch on a nearby tree swayed as a large bird flew off its perch and circled around the annoyed warrior. The avian landed on an old tree trunk several feet away from Scathach, and a familiar female voice echoed, "Goodness. I don't know why I bothered trying to get one over you, Witch of Dun Scaith."

"You must have realized I had detected you long before we reached the village. You just didn't want to make yourself known while the child was around."

"I suppose," Morrigan said. "I don't know if the little one noticed me or not, but that's irrelevant. I knew I wouldn't be able to fool you, which is perfectly fine with me."

"Hmph. Between the Tuatha, the Fomorians, the sidhe, the druids, and all other entities in between, I have little choice but to keep my senses sharp. Still, I'm surprised to see the goddess of death and victory being foolish enough to catch the attention of a god-slayer. What is your business with me? Are you finally willing to seek penance for your misdeeds against humanity?"

"Oh, come now, why must you be so trite? You know I'm incapable of caring for ordinary humans the same way you do. The only ones who matter to me are the strong and brave, who see death as but a mere obstacle rather than the absolute finality that grips common mortals with fear."

"Then state your business. You're testing my patience enough as it is."

"I'm just here to enlighten you to the current situation between Cuchulainn and Medb," Morrigan coolly said, unperturbed by Scathach's irritation. "The wheels are in motion for this timeline's inevitable conclusion. Soon, all of humanity will cry its final death wails as they plead for mercy against the new Fomorian god that Medb has unwittingly created."

Scathach scowled a bit. "Setanta, a god? Don't make me laugh. He may have divine blood in his veins, but he is still fundamentally human, no matter what form he may take."

"Even so, Cuchulainn's mind has become severely clouded with hatred for Medb, to the point that he believes that world destruction is equivalent to its salvation – at least, compared to whatever she has in mind. Alas, forces beyond our reckoning have decided to intervene and tempt our fallen hero with the power needed to conquer his despised rival."

"Forces beyond our reckoning? What does that mean?"

"Eh he he… A Holy Grail… Or should I say, Dagda's Cauldron appeared before our tormented little soul."

Scathach's body seized with horror. "Dagda's Cauldron!?"

"Tell me – can a broken man wracked with both contempt for his sworn enemy as well as tremendous guilt for his own failure resist the allure of the Cauldron when it appears randomly before them?"

"Gh…"

"Not even one possessing great wisdom like yourself can answer. Well, of course you can't – the answer is so obvious that voicing it would be redundant."

"Are you telling me that Dagda is supporting Setanta in his foolish vendetta?"

"I don't believe so. Many of the Tuatha and Fomorians have long since left this world behind ever since the Age of Gods gave way to the Age of Man."

Scathach felt even more mortified than ever before. "Then who could it be?"

Morrigan glanced away calmly. "I do not know. Regardless of who this benefactor could be, the fact remains that Cuchulainn is no longer the boy you remember. With the miracles granted to him by this unknown Cauldron, he has become the world's newest Fomorian god – a demon of the Reverse Side of the World, representing vengeance, conflict, and finality. Between his newfound godhood and Medb's corruption into a monster of her own right, there is nothing anyone can do to prevent this world from turning into a global arena for their bitter feud."

"Th… This is insane… You and I both know that the planet will erase this timeline should human history veer too far from its natural course."

"That's not going to happen. The Cauldron has given Cuchulainn the tools needed to circumvent the World's Theoretical Pruning systems. It is by his will that this timeline will survive beyond the End of Man."

The warrior woman clenched her teeth in despair. "Do you… Do you understand what this means?"

"Of course I do. It means the Age of Man is finished. With Cuchulainn's help, we Celtic gods will reign over all other mythologies. Soon, the era known as the War of Gods shall dawn upon us. It will be a world embroiled in perpetual war and strife as Cuchulainn and Medb struggle to overcome the other. A fascinating turn of events, wouldn't you agree?"

"And you're in full support of this!?"

"Well… in as much as I am Cuchulainn's partner-in-crime. But that doesn't mean I agree with his idea of forcing this corpse of a timeline to remain alive. I may be the goddess of death, but I also represent victory, you know."

"Ngh… This is all just some kind of game to you, isn't it?"

"Can you blame me for wanting to find a bit of entertainment in all of this?" Morrigan replied with clearly no remorse in her voice. "It's said that in times of terrible adversity, that is when the greatest of heroes rise to face the challenge. What adversity can be worse than the end of the world itself? That's right… I yearn to witness the sort of valor that can only be found when facing the worst crisis imaginable. Bravery, foolishness, recklessness, courage, steadfastness… I want to see it all!"

As much as Scathach wanted to admonish Morrigan for indulging in such a selfish pastime, even outright kill her, she knew it would be a waste of time. It was by Morrigan's own admission that she didn't care about the fate of humanity. She only wanted to watch warriors clash and see who would emerge victorious. Scathach held back her insults and curtly asked, "So what? Do you expect me to do something about Setanta?"

"No. As powerful as you may be, you are but a mere teacher. Your role is to guide your chosen one towards the path to humanity's victory over the warring rival gods."

Scathach became increasingly worried when she heard this. She quietly murmured, "… How much do you know about her?"

Morrigan giggled at the question, then asked, "Conlaoch, I believe it was?"

"It's Connla."

"Eh, to-may-toes, to-mah-toes. I'm not familiar with how she was born, but it's impossible for me not to recognize Cuchulainn's essence within her. Why, even her scent is rather similar to his."

"Do you plan on foisting your deranged fantasies onto her shoulders? You know I won't allow it."

"Not for now. On my honor, I will make no effort to sabotage your tutelage for her. Once she is to be sent to Ireland however, I may have to approach her at my discretion, depending on how the war plays out."

Scathach faced Morrigan with an icy glare as an unexpected fear welled within her. She voiced it by asking, "Have you told Setanta about her?"

"Not at all. Think about it – if he knew, don't you think he would have shown up to try and abduct her already? The poor girl's mind wouldn't be able to handle such trauma, yes?"

"That's a fair point…"

"Don't worry. I'm keeping him ignorant of the little one's existence while he plays war with Medb. You're free to groom her into the warrior she should be in the meantime. Although, I should warn you that you're going to have to cooperate with Medb if you want any chance of completing the little one's training throughout the coming years."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ah ha ha! I'm not giving you any more free hints, my fair lady! From here, you're just going to have to find out for yourself! Until the next time we meet!"

Before Scathach could react, Morrigan flapped her wings and soared into the sky, perfectly blending in with the night's darkness. The maroon-haired woman could only stand there in abject silence. If Morrigan's taunting didn't piss her off, it at least gave her a lot to think about. Although she knew about Cuchulainn's corruption into Curruid, never did she imagine that Dagda's Cauldron would suddenly appear and push him into the direction of becoming a full-fledged Fomorian god. It greatly troubled her that neither she nor Morrigan had any idea how the Cauldron just showed up apropos of nothing, and why it chose Cuchulainn to be its bearer at the worst possible time. It almost felt like some divine force beyond her comprehension was playing with this timeline, wanting to see how horrendously it could be twisted as part of some kind of experiment.

Several hours later, Connla woke up from her deep slumber and stretched her muscles. She hadn't slept this well in a while, and she felt tempted to just plop her head back on the pillow and pass out again. She resisted the urge, knowing she had to cross the sea with Scathach today. She opened the window to let some fresh air in, and she heard some pigeons hooting in the yard to signify the beginning of a new day. She got dressed and was about to have breakfast when Scathach walked through the door.

"Teacher!" Connla blurted. "Are you getting back just now!?"

"Yes. I had a lot that needed to be taken care of."

"Are you going to be okay? You've been insisting that we cross the sea today, but I don't think it's a good idea when you haven't gotten enough rest."

"Not to worry. I'm using my Runes to help me maintain my strength. Once we reach Skye, I'll make sure to get some proper sleep."

"You always tell me not to rely on Runes like some kind of addiction. Shouldn't you be taking better care of yourself than that?"

"Oh my," Scathach callously put her hand on her hip and flashed Connla a confident smirk. "Is that a lecture I hear?"

"No, no, no! I just thought it'd be a good suggestion!"

"Instead of worrying about me, you should think about managing your own health. We are in a hurry, but I wouldn't want you to strain yourself on account of your age."

Connla gave her a sour glare. "Is that a lecture?"

"It's advice."

"Mmmgh…" the girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Her mood quickly changed as she asked, "Why are we rushing to the Land of Shadows anyway? Is there something big going on?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with," Scathach replied so tersely that it was obvious she wanted to drop the subject. She ignored Connla's curious gaze and ate some bread while brushing her hair. Such a brusque attitude quashed any thoughts Connla might've had about prodding her for more information – she certainly didn't want to make her teacher cranky by being too stubborn. With the conversation aborted so abruptly, they finished eating in silence and gathered their belongings before heading out to the boat that was loaned to them.

"Yes, this vessel will suit us fine," the woman remarked on the boat's craftsmanship. "Are you ready to go?"

"Anytime you are," the girl replied.

"Excellent. Let's depart then."

In Connacht's throne room, Queen Medb and King Ailill admired the bull Donn Cuailgne that was being brought forth to them by the soldiers who raided it from its owner Daire mac Fiachna. Now that Cuchulainn was no longer participating in the Cattle Raid, it was frightfully simple for Medb's men to swiftly breach Ulster's defenses and lay claim to its valuables. Even while Medb had been preoccupied with torturing Cuchulainn, neither she nor Ailill allowed let this opportunity to seize all of Ulster go wasted. In essence, with Medb claiming Donn Cuailgne as her property to compete with Ailill's bull Finnbhennach, the brown bull had become the symbol of Ulster's complete downfall and Connacht's expansion of territory. The declaration to Ulster's kingdom had not been made official yet, but everyone knew the war had been lost.

"And with that, my assets are now worth far more than yours, my dear Ailill," Medb said. "With Donn Cuailnge representing the very essence of Ulster, it is fair to say that I have acquired an entire country's worth of wealth to surpass all your riches multiple times over."

"Yes, I acknowledge that Donn Cuailgne is equal to Finnbhennach as a prized bull," Ailill said. "However, I have my reservations on the opinion that the Ulster territories solely belong to you. Have you forgotten that you and I split our parties during the invasion? We both participated in the raid. Would it not be fair for Ulster to belong to the both of us, as proof of our union as king and queen of Connacht?"

"Both of us, you say?" Medb murmured, looking like she was disapproving her husband's words. "I thought you promised never to express jealousy towards your queen."

"Yes, I indeed promised not to be envious of your many lovers. I even stayed my hand when I learned of your party including Fergus mac Roich. But the equality of our assets is another matter entirely. You and I both know that we have earned the undying ire of Ulster's men, all on the whims we whispered to each other whilst in bed. If Connacht is to amalgamate Ulster into its territories, it would stand to reason that such rapid expansion of our province would require both of us to rule it effectively."

"Perhaps…" the pink-haired lady murmured in contemplation. "But have you forgotten? You're the one who married into my kingdom. The only reason you were granted such an auspicious privilege is because you lacked jealousy."

"Yes, I understand. I do not dare to question the bloodline of Queen Medb and her foremothers. Your advances towards other men are for the good of preserving your lineage."

"Then by that logic, your very existence is in service to enhancing the prestige of my bloodline. You should also accept that you're the inferior one between us by virtue of you marrying into my family. Therefore, you are in no position to declare what you believe should belong to me and what should belong to you, regardless if you're the one who earned it or not. Even if we are neck-to-neck, the inevitable result is that I always win over you with a 51:49 ratio. There is no such thing as 50:50 in my book."

"But my queen… to suggest that the entirety of Ulster is solely your property is the summit of folly, is it not? We engaged in this war with the intent to seize a single bull, not a whole province!"

Medb paused when she heard this. Slowly but methodically, she seethed, "The summit… of folly?"

"You know that is not what I meant," Ailill told her. "I did not mean to insult you. I simply wanted you to understand how much of a mistake it would be to hoard so much territory to yourself if you are not prepared to face the consequences of invoking Ulster's ire. Would you truly be able to cope with so much resentment on your own? I am merely providing you with my heartful support as your king and husband."

"Hmmm… I suppose you have a valid argument," Medb murmured. Her eyes shifted to the side as she added, "But you know what? I never have and never will concern myself with the opinions of the lower class."

"Even so, while one impoverished person may be weak, the sum of an entire nation's people rebelling against us would be- Gah!?"

Before Ailill knew what happened, a terrible pain shot through his back and exploded out his chest. His eyesight rapidly faded as he noticed the bloodied tip of a halberd poking through his robes. He couldn't do anything as he slumped to the ground and closed his eyes, dead as could be. Medb coldly stood over the corpse for a moment, then said to the soldiers, "Clean this mess up at once. I have an audience later today, and I cannot offend my guests with the sight of a useless man's blood all over the floor."

"At once, Your Highness," one man immediately responded and began hauling the body away, while his allies got to work cleaning the blood and polishing the floor.

Medb boredly sauntered out of the throne room as she said to one of her serving druids, "Ah, that feels so much better. I was getting rather bored of Ailill's silly contests of wealth. It was a fun diversion while it lasted, but he was becoming rather brazen for someone of his lower stature."

"How right you are, my queen," the druid responded without hesitation, obviously acting as one of her many 'yes men' who would kiss the ground she walked on if it meant advancing their careers. However, Medb's natural scent had been heightened so much that any man within her immediate presence would fall to the effects of a charm status. "Ailill may have been bereft of jealousy, but he was showing his true cowardly colors the more the Cattle Raid dragged on. It was almost as if he married you solely so he could get his proverbial slice of the pie, sacrificing his dignity as a man in order to line his coffers with your assets."

"I had a feeling that was the case. His insistence on taking part of my Ulster territory was proof enough. I no longer need a greedy king to dictate how I should rule my country."

"Now that the deed has been done, what shall you do now, my queen? You are free to pursue further expansion of Connacht's supremacy without that teat-sucking excuse of a king weighing you down."

"Teat-sucking? Ah ha ha ha ha! I like that analogy! You certainly have a talent for choosing the right words!"

"You humble me, Your Highness. I am but a mere scholar at your service."

Medb dramatically tossed her hair, then declared, "Have the men ready my bull and chariot. I must continue my expedition of England. Of course, I will be bringing Cu with me. Expect to hear news of my latest victory soon."

"Ooh, how ambitious! Already you seek to put the killer hound through his paces! I tremble with excitement, and pity the poor fools who dare to challenge your greatest weapon!" the druid exclaimed.

"Then without further ado, I must be on my way!"

As Medb strutted out of the castle, the druid accidentally dropped his scrolls as he snapped awake. He glanced around for a moment, then muttered, "Whuh… What was I doing just now?"