FATE/CURADH BEAG
"Little Champion"
Chapter 13: Blood Connection
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a little break from form, I'm uploading two chapters today to cover for the time some family members will be visiting from England for the next two weeks. Plus, summer is such a difficult time to do much writing because of the heat wave and other activities I want to do. Hopefully this will keep you guys satisfied for the next while.
Chaldea
The heartbeat monitor began to show a slightly elevated level of stress, as the persistent beeping gradually increased in speed. Inside the sleeping pod, Connla showed signs of strain on her face as she struggled to cope with what she was seeing within her dream.
"Geal…" Aibi moaned, pressing a hand against the glass and staring in deep concern at her younger self.
"What's happening?" Gilgamesh asked.
"She's experiencing our Lostbelt counterpart's grief and fear, and it's beginning to reflect on her own Spirit Origin."
"So she has trouble separating herself from a counterpart's psyche. She becomes so absorbed into their world that she temporarily possesses the same mindset as them. That's why it becomes especially difficult to wake her up while in this state."
"More or less."
"I suppose this is what happens when an inexperienced runt tries to mess around with the Kaleidoscope."
Aibi shook her head and insisted, "It's not like it's Geal's fault. She… We didn't ask for this kind of ability."
"Calm yourself. I was merely speaking off the cuff. It was not meant to be an insult."
She really didn't understand how it was supposed to be anything other than an affront. Even so, she always had trouble understanding the Sumerian king's logic, whether it was in Chaldea or from her originating world. She figured it was pointless trying to prod him for more details, and opted to focus on Connla's state.
As the two spoke with each other, Cuchulainn Alter remained seated next to the pod staring at his sleeping daughter. He knew she would pull through this, just like with the other vivid dreams she experienced. However, this time felt much different. All the other times, he could only wonder what she was seeing, then read about it in a report later. This time, he was witnessing it on the monitor. The sight of his own Lostbelt counterpart being reduced to some kind of 'god of destruction' was enough to thoroughly disgust him. If he was able to go to that world and confront this 'Taoide Olc' version of himself, he wouldn't hesitate to gut him a thousand times over.
Alas, Cuchulainn could do no such thing. He had to content himself with holding Connla's hand and temporarily connecting his Spirit Origin to hers. Now that they were a single Foreigner Servant, the process was much more automatic compared to when they were separate classes. All he had to do was think about it, and he would be able to directly feel whatever was going through her mind. Now that she was connected to the Lostbelt Connla's psyche, it meant he could experience whatever she was going through as well. It was as if he needed to sort through two Connlas' emotions just to keep everything straight.
Damn it. This is just too fucking freaky…
If he was this repulsed over it, he couldn't imagine how scared and confused she had been this entire time. That was why he needed to keep his wits together and stay with her. If she could brave through these life-like visions over and over again, so could he.
Celtic Lostbelt
"Why, you-!" Conall snarled, growing annoyed with Cuchulainn's taunting and rushing in to meet him in battle first. Their weapons clashed against each other's so hard that sparks sprayed all around them like blinding rain. The moment Cuchulainn bashed Conall aside, Fergus took over and forced him against the wall of an abandoned home. Fergus attempted to stab Caladbolg through Cuchulainn's chest, but he gracefully leapt over the deadly blow and tried to slash open the king's back upon landing. However, he suddenly felt a large pair of muscular arms wrap around his abdomen, then lost his footing and sailed upside-down. His head and upper back hit the earth with such force that he swore he heard his skull and bones snapping.
Cu Roi scrambled to his knees after performing the German suplex on Cuchulainn, then got on top of him and proceeded to punch him in the face multiple times. Each blow cracked the ground beneath them, and blood sprayed each time a new wound was opened up. Cu Roi even went so far as to power his strikes with Runecraft, giving him the strength to crush even a Fomorian with his strikes. As Cu Roi thrust his fist in for another punch, Cuchulainn suddenly snatched his wrist so hard that his bones started to creak under the strain.
"Gggggh-!" both men snarled at each other. Their glares were ugly and twisted as they struggled to overcome the other for a brief moment. Unfortunately, Cu Roi failed to notice Cuchulainn using his free hand to conjure an Ansuz Rune against his exposed chest. Before the King of Munster could react, the King of Shadows detonated his spell, unceremoniously throwing Cu Roi off of him in a massive arc that covered half of Glasgow. The Runic warrior disappeared from view as he crashed into an empty building in the distance.
While Cuchulainn was busy with Cu Roi, Conall took Connla's hand and made her run further into the town to provide them with some cover. They hoped that Fergus and Cu Roi would buy them enough time for Conall to escort Connla out of Glasgow so she could return to Ireland unseen. The plan wouldn't work out as well as they would have liked however, as Cu Roi's stalling attempt did very little to distract Cuchulainn from the fleeing pair.
"Almost there!" Conall exclaimed as they jumped onto the roof of a small business. "Just a little farther and you'll be home free!"
Connla noticed movement behind her and glanced back. She suddenly screamed, "Look out!"
Without warning, she shoved him with all her might, causing him to collapse onto his side. He wasn't sure what was going on, but then a deafening sound exploded near him. Cuchulainn had hurled a huge pile of rubble at the roof to try and knock both warriors back down, decimating the tiles and construction beneath.
"Holy shit!" Conall cried out in surprise from the narrow miss. Connla rolled aside safely before hopping along some platform Runes to face Cuchulainn, much to Conall's terror.
"Got you!" the corrupted hero cried out and leapt to duel her. However, she had other ideas in mind than a one-on-one. Instead of trying to fight him, she used an advanced combination of wind Runes and a long-lost art reserved for the Celtic gods known as ceo draíochta, or the magic mist, to combine rapid speed and brief moments of invisibility while jumping circles around Cuchulainn. The frustrated king tried to cut her down with mad flails of his spear, but she was way too quick for him to catch. Each time he was so close to butchering her, his blade only sliced through swirling winds and leaves. She got in some cuts to his flesh, then finished with a diving kick directly on his head to throw him face-first back onto the ground.
Cuchulainn, astonished by how agile the little girl was, needed an extra moment to regain his senses before turning back upright. As Connla flipped backwards in the air, Conall took this chance to jump off the roof and point his sword at Cuchulainn's chest. He rolled away, but the plummeting blade caught about halfway along his tail and diced it off in one blow. He wasn't too worried about losing part of the tail though – it was mostly comprised of bone and some minor nerve endings anyway. He was more concerned about fending Conall off as the warrior thrust and slashed his sword about in a mad storm of movement.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cuchulainn noticed that Connla was trying to make her escape out of town while he was preoccupied with Conall. She clamored over to a high-rise cliff that used to be a waterfall and hopped onto any outcropping rocks she could find. Cuchulainn raised Gae Bolg and energized it with enough power to decimate 100 men, then hurled it straight at the cliff's base. Conall had to leap out of the way to avoid being eradicated by the sheer force. He watched in shock as the crimson spear embedded itself into the bedrock and released all of its energy in a fantastic explosion, which was dispersed all throughout the earth.
"Uwah!?" Connla yelped as she lost her footing on the stone she tried to jump off of. Everything crumbled all around her, and she was left helplessly tumbling down the cliff towards Cuchulainn. She noticed him leaping along some falling boulders to catch up to her. Her heart felt like it stopped as their eyes briefly made contact.
All of a sudden, the world rushed around her. Something large had snagged her out of the way before Cuchulainn could catch up to her, and the false god snarled in annoyance from letting his target slip away once again. Connla glanced up and realized she was being carried in Conall's arms, while he plummeted to safer ground. He landed, then set her down and watched as Cuchulainn fell several yards away from them. Cu Roi, now recovered from his long-distance spill, joined by their side, making sure they were okay before glaring at their enemy.
With a snide smirk, Cuchulainn remarked to Conall, "Not bad, brother."
"Don't mind me. Just earning my keep," the swordsman retorted.
"I may be superior to you in many ways, but your raw power was something I was jealous of even in our youth."
"Oh, please. I've gotta have a little something to help me stand up against a bleedin' demigod for a brother and training partner. But more than that, what's with the new digs? Are you ditching your former heroic image and going full Fomorian now?"
"Ditching? No, no, no, that's hardly the case. I always have been and always will be a hero. My life and reputation might have been dragged through the mud by that twisted harlot Medb, and there isn't a damn thing I can do about that. Even so, whether I'm fighting against an enemy country or the entire world, I will singlehandedly come out on top, no matter what. Since she perverted me into something possessing a soul as ugly as hers, I figured it would be fair game to pursue a different avenue of obtaining power."
"I have a feeling that you didn't obtain that power through genuine means."
"Think whatever you want," Cuchulainn stood up and pointed his spear at the trio. "Now that I'm the King of Shadows, I have an obligation to topple any opposing nations – to be the strongest king that ever lived in all of human history. Once there is nowhere left for Medb to run… Once I have squeezed out every ounce of agony from her, and then have her mangled corpse gouged upon this blade, that is when my suffering will finally have greater meaning than giving her a few laughs."
Connla murmured under her breath, "His suffering…"
Cu Roi grew livid and screamed, "What 'human history' are you talking about!? You submerged every other nation on this planet beneath the sea, then came back to conquer Scotland! Even if you win against Connacht, who the hell is going to record your achievements!? There won't be anyone left to hail you as the strongest king ever! All you want is pure genocide!"
"Strong people don't need to be celebrated," Cuchulainn scoffed coldly. "All they need is victory."
"By the Tuatha… You've gone completely insane!" Cu Roi shrieked and charged at his opponent, energizing his Runic tattoos to boost his strength to superhuman levels. They engaged in a man-to-man fistfight that culminated with Cuchulainn knocking Cu Roi out of the way with a roundhouse kick. Conall tried to join the fray, but the false god whirled his body around so that his long spiked tail smashed against his body, batting him aside like a baseball hitting a bat. As he spun, he noticed Connla jump over him and try to smack the soles of her boots upon his face. He raised his arm up to block the stomp, then waved it in an arc to toss her off him before jumping directly over her.
While Cuchulainn was high in the air, he hurled Gae Bolg at Connla. She noticed the crimson flash in time and quickly tumbled out of its path, but it instantly exploded in a destructive blast and scooped her up. She flipped helplessly in midair, and he leapt straight at her. However valiantly she tried to dodge his strikes, he raised his leg and viciously kicked her back to the ground, and she collapsed in an agonizing heap. Cuchulainn landed near her, but made no motion to actually attack her while she was down.
He retrieved Gae Bolg from the ground, then spoke to her in an eerily calm tone, "Stop this already. You don't need any more fighting in your life."
"I don't understand…" she murmured. "Why aren't you trying to kill me? I've become one of Queen Medb's Champions. Doesn't that make me an enemy to you?"
"…"
His lack of response felt more unnerving than if he had actually said something. She couldn't read his stoic expression, and she inched back along the grass as she quietly approached her…
"Caladbolg!"
In that precious moment, a massive streak of multicolored light ripped through the ground and struck Cuchulainn with earth-rending force. Stones and boulders blasted everywhere, pelting and knocking him about so ruthlessly that numerous bones clearly broke inside him. Connla would have been caught in the blast as well had she not conjured her strongest Shield Rune to protect her as she flew backwards. She flipped about like a gymnast to regain her momentum, then looked around for the source of this unusually vibrant attack.
The sight of the muscular, violet-haired man with the unyielding smile brought a tremendous sense of relief to her. She ran to his side and called out, "Uncle Fergus!"
"Yo," he greeted her. "Made it out in one piece, I see."
"Many thanks to you."
Conall and Cu Roi joined them, and the former retorted, "Better not get complacent though. In his current state, that bastard will shrug off that kind of attack like it's nothing."
"Feh hah hah hah! Not if I have something to say about it!" Fergus laughed and proudly planted Caladbolg into the dirt. "Aren't you forgetting about the pact that Setanta and I made!? Now that I've used the Spiral Rainbow Sword's most powerful technique on him, he is destined to die by my hand!"
"What do you mean?" Connla wondered.
"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you. During the Cattle Raid, Cuchulainn and I made a pledge – a geas, if you would. I was sent to fight Cuchulainn, but neither of us wanted to do battle due to our relationship as foster-father and foster-son. Besides, Caladbolg was stolen from me, so I had to craft a wooden dummy to hide my shame. We decided to yield, but made a promise that he would be defeated by me the next time we meet."
"Indeed," Cu Roi said. "That guarantee of Cuchulainn being defeated by Fergus is the only hope we have rested on for all these years. If he were to survive, he would be breaking that geas."
Conall and Connla didn't seem to share in their enthusiasm, given how fierce their fight with Cuchulainn was. They gazed at the remnants of the multicolored explosion and hoped that the kings' confidence would be well-founded. However, the pillars of prismatic light gradually gave way to an inky darkness that bubbled around where Cuchulainn was standing.
"By the gods… What is that!?" Cu Roi stammered.
Fergus' expression immediately turned dire, and he snatched Caladbolg before thoughtlessly rushing in to confront whatever this smoky substance was. The drill-like sword made contact with Gae Bolg…
No, wait. Was it two spears? Was the sword wedged between multiple spears all of a sudden? The swordsman's confusion was dispelled when Cuchulainn rushed out of the darkness with his opponent still stuck against him. To Fergus' shock, the King of Shadows' head, shoulders and lower arms were fully encased in a demonic carapace comprised of ebony bone and crimson spikes. Most of his face was covered by a horned helmet save for a crack over his face so everyone could see the deranged pleasure in his eyes. Caladbolg had actually been caught between two out of three talons protruding out of one of Cuchulainn's unwieldy gauntlets.
"Impos-!" Fergus tried to blurt out, but barely got the first two syllables out before Cuchulainn slammed him against the nearest wall with enough force to shatter a Demon Boar's bones. The reverberations caused Conall and Connla to lose their balance and fall to their knees. They looked up in time and noticed that Cuchulainn was about to jam his talons clean into Fergus' chest. Connla's heart pounded with fiery hot blood, yet her body was as frozen as a glacier.
Teacher… Uncle Fergus…
Suddenly, Cu Roi tackled Fergus to the side. Everything happened within mere seconds, yet it felt like an entire lifetime flashed before their eyes. With a sickening crunch sound, the spikes dug through the King of Munster's chest, puncturing his organs and skeleton with no effort whatsoever. As if that wasn't horrifying enough, at least a dozen more Gae Bolgs burst through various areas of Cu Roi's body – his back, legs, arms, throat, skull, and torso. Nothing was spared from the wrath of this bizarre and gruesome attack. To make things much worse, Connla briefly caught a glimpse of Cu Roi's viscera as they were violently exposed to the outside world. The gory explosion was so potent that thick drops of blood and stuff spattered onto her stunned face.
This can't be happening…
It was all she could think of as she watched Cu Roi's mangled corpse collapse to the ground. In a surprising moment of clarity, she realized this was probably what happened to Scathach as well. She certainly wouldn't have been prepared for this sort of attack. It never would've been a technique she'd have taught her students.
But… what was it, exactly?
"Wh… What… What did you just do!?" Conall shrieked that question to Cuchulainn, as if on Connla's behalf.
The armored god turned to face the surviving trio, then smirked, "Not bad, huh? This is a Noble Phantasm I devised exclusively to destroy Medb and Scathach."
"A Noble whatsit now?"
"Ah, yes. Those who are still alive wouldn't know of such a technique. It is a power dedicated solely for Servants such as myself."
Fergus winced when he heard that, and he asked, "You're a Servant? You're not alive like the rest of us?"
"Fifteen years ago, after Medb had her fun torturing me, she fed me to Curruid and melded my consciousness with its body, in the hope that she could use me as a weapon to conquer the world."
"Lies! You left Ulster behind after you failed to protect it! You made a pact with that monster to try and get back at her for ruining your country!"
"Oh ho. Is that the narrative she's feeding to the masses? How adorable… To think that I was trying to protect such a naïve bunch of simpletons makes me sick to my stomach. Well, think whatever you like. However it happened, the fact remains that the Heroic Spirit Cuchulainn couldn't have possibly survived such a transformation. Once he died, he immediately reincarnated as a Servant that could manipulate Curruid. Think of me as the manifestation of that creature's cerebral cortex. Its brain, if you would. Coupled with Dagda's Cauldron and the Tree of Emptiness' power, I'm more than capable of bringing this worthless timeline to its miserable end."
"Shit…"
"Uh, you're kinda losing us here, fellas," Conall interrupted them. "What the hell is this 'Servant' thing you're talking about?"
"I'll have to save it for later," Fergus retorted. He grimaced, then prepared to jump back as he shouted, "Here he comes!"
Conall and Connla likewise retreated just before Cuchulainn slammed his claws into the masonry, decimating the area around him in a flurry of chalky smoke. Conall snarled and glared at the mad king. He raised his sword and grunted at Fergus, "Okay, next question: What the fuck do we do now!?"
The King of Connacht snorted, then grumbled, "This is gonna be interesting, don't you think?"
"'Interesting' is the last word I'd want to use! The kid and I are winded enough just from stalling him, your so-called 'geas' didn't work, and Cu Roi is dead! I'd say we're pretty damn screwed right now!"
Cuchulainn heard this, then taunted, "Why not just surrender to me? If you do, I'll let you be my Champions rather than Medb's. Even though we're enemies, I still acknowledge your strength as peerless warriors, and would be saddened if I had to destroy you because you didn't agree with me. Unlike Medb, I actually don't mind giving my men second chances. Better than being blown to bits like Cu Roi was, don't you think?"
"You've got to be kidding me! How can you say such crap with a straight face!?" Conall raged as he activated his sword's blinding light and swung in an arc over his opponent's head. Cuchulainn was momentarily taken aback when he recognized that light belonging to Curaidin Catutchenn, and understood how dangerous it would be for him if he didn't take caution. Deep down, he wasn't too surprised that the blade would be inherited by his cousin after he abandoned Ireland.
Instead of trying to fend himself, he leapt off to the side and swung his talons in an attempt to cut Conall down. The swordsman noticed this and parried with his blade, but wasted not even a moment to get in closer and launch a frenzied attack of seemingly random swings of his shining sword. Even though Cuchulainn was physically blocking Curaidin Catutchenn, the searing energy ignored his huge claws and penetrated his skin beneath the scaly carapace covering his head and shoulders. Numerous long cuts and slashes spontaneously sliced open, and blood leaked from any possible openings in the demonic armor. Conall finished his onslaught with a rising slash that made him sail high and triumphantly into the air.
Cuchulainn did not expect any weapon remaining in this world to be capable of overcoming his unusual Noble Phantasm. Stunned by how badly he was sliced from within his shell, he tumbled onto the ground in sheer agony. The black bone armor and talons dispelled themselves in blood-red particles, revealing him to be coated in a disgusting layer of blood and deep cuts. Connla thought she was going to be ill when she saw that gruesome sight, and her skin visibly blanched a few shades. Her fear was compounded when Cuchulainn hunched into his feet and stared directly at her.
"Oh, no you don't!" Fergus shouted and charged right at him with Caladbolg pointing horizontally. He stabbed the drill sword through Cuchulainn's gut and kept running forward until they smashed against a tree, pinning the false god down. Fergus called out to the others, "Now's your chance! Get out of here while you can!"
"Right! Let's go!" Conall implored to Connla. Although she was scared out of her mind, she heeded his call and ran alongside him deeper into the forest. This was literally the last shot they had to making it out alive, and they couldn't waste it worrying about Fergus. As they kept running, Conall exclaimed, "If we can find the horses, he shouldn't be able to catch up with us!"
Connla didn't seem so confident about that. During her brief skirmish with Cuchulainn, she could tell that his speed and reaction times were just as impressive as hers. If he really did want to kill her, they could have engaged in a lengthy and blinding duel of snap movements and sudden reactions that she doubted she could win due to her poor endurance levels. She also couldn't forget about the Imperial Privilege ability he stole from Scathach, so even if they did outrun him, he could still pursue them through other means. Nevertheless, she had to do what she could to make it back to Galway, as she promised Medb.
Meanwhile, Fergus jammed Caladbolg deeper into Cuchulainn's torso to cause further pain and agony for him. No matter what it took, Fergus was not going to let Cuchulainn break free. He was certain he had to sacrifice himself to unleash the Spiral Rainbow Sword's full power directly into the King of Shadows' Spirit Origin, hoping to disintegrate him into vapor.
"Sorry, Setanta," Fergus murmured, and a small aurora of various colors shimmered around Caladbolg. "Normally I would never do such a thing to you, but you're not leaving me with any choice."
"Stop calling me… guh… by that name…" Cuchulainn retorted through blood-soaked chokes. "The boy you knew… is dead. Ungh… all that's… left… is his… shadow…"
"He might be dead, but he's not at rest yet. If that's the final gesture of kindness I have to give to him, then so be it!"
The colorful light gradually more intense, and a terrible pain shot through Cuchulainn's chest. He roared in sheer agony as all of his nerve endings flared, feeling like he had been thrown into an active volcano and was burning alive. All around the two men, countless ghosts who were obedient to their new king swirled about everywhere and slashed at Fergus' back, arms and face multiple times. Cuchulainn wasn't just crying out in pain – he was also unleashing his Madness of the Spirits skill, inspiring fear and terror to his enemies around him. It also doubled as a command for his undead minions to go on the offensive.
Fergus could hold up against the barrage for a short while. However, the onslaught grew more and more intense until it felt like a tidal wave of pure malice and violence was sweeping him clean off his feet. Caladbolg dislodged itself from Cuchulainn's torso and flew with Fergus within the tornado-like rush of ghosts overwhelming him. The mad warrior gasped for air and clutched his piercing injury tightly, but he couldn't just stand around and wait to recover. Instead, he held his hand out to materialize Gae Bolg once more, then turned and leapt into the forest where he had seen Conall and Connla escape earlier.
The pair kept running as fast as they could, almost reaching to the edge of the woods that led to Sgaradh. Connla looked around, then shouted, "I don't see the horses anywhere!"
"They must've run off after hearing the commotion!" Conall replied. "I'm sure they're waiting for us nearby!"
Although Connla could not afford to worry about the animals during the battle, she was now concerned for them since they still had the group's supplies in the chariot. A bunch of unusual thoughts ran through her mind, such as how she was going to take care of Blathnat now that her owner was dead, or if the steeds had been injured as they made their escape. She really shouldn't have been thinking about such things, but since she had made plenty of distance from Cuchulainn, she thought everything was going to be okay now.
Her relief was going to be short-lived, unfortunately.
Unbeknownst to the duo, the mad warrior managed to track them down and jumped as high as he could over them while they hadn't noticed him yet. It was only when Gae Bolg flared that familiar crimson color that they finally caught sight of him just as he hurled the spear toward them like a cannon shell. It impacted the ground just 10 feet behind them, and all of the energy swirling around it detonated in a fantastic red-tinted explosion, blowing any grass and trees away in a wide radius.
BOOM! KA-BOOM!
"Ugah!" Conall grunted as his back violently slammed against a tree that hadn't been pulled out of its roots.
Connla lost consciousness for a moment as her body went sailing upside-down, causing her to land face-down despite being blown back while upright. Her head throbbing like a jackhammer, she wearily clamored onto her hands and knees and tried to look up. All she could see were a pair of black-scaled feet slowly approaching her, and plumes of dirt-colored smoke curling around them. Her right arm was lifted off the ground, but not by her own volition. Terror overcome her senses as she saw his massive dark-clawed hand wrap around her petite forearm. She widened her eyes, grit her teeth and trembled uncontrollably, unable to think of any way to fight back against this sinister man. She wanted to tear her eyes away from those ruby irises, but her body refused to cooperate with her.
Although her thoughts went blank in that dangerous moment, a rational part of her mind mused, Maybe I should just surrender to him. I'm the one he wants, after all. If it's the only way to save Uncle Fergus and Conall, then…
Before Connla could finish her thought, that was when Cuchulainn started to act strangely. For some inexplicable reason, distinct riastrad lines formed all over his face as his expressed turned to one of repressed shock. A moment later, she felt the same way as well. She suddenly threw off her right glove and cried out, "M-My hand! It's getting hot!"
She clenched her wrist to keep the burning sensation from traveling along her arm. At the same time, Fergus recovered after being swarmed by the ghosts and caught up with them. That was when both he Cuchulainn saw the golden ring attached to her thumb. The Bloodstones glittered intensely, and Cuchulainn's vision blurred before flaring bright white, inadvertently causing him to release his grip on her.
"Aaaagh!?"
The same heat that Connla was experiencing blasted through his entire body, threatening to sear him into a charred pulp. His nerves briefly became visible as the Bloodstones' energy coursed through him. Images that were once long buried in his subconsciousness forced their way out and assailed him with waking nightmares. His memories returned to him in the most violent way imaginable. Although he was a near-invincible god that could destroy the world, his mind was shockingly fragile, and this sudden meltdown he was experiencing proved it.
One particular memory came back to him though, and it absolutely stunned him. He was inside a cottage, lying in a bed beside a woman who strongly resembled Scathach. He was talking, but he couldn't make out the words. He didn't really need to, since the next thing he saw was his past self handing over the very same ring that Connla wore. He knew what it was – a special ring he forged out of his own blood, meant to be worn by his offspring when they were old enough.
This kid… This kid is-! No, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOO~OOO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENIII~IIING!
"Gh… Aaaagh…"
He grabbed his throbbing head and stumbled away from the stricken child warrior. He threw his head back and started to shriek. His deafening scream reached a crescendo pitch, becoming loud enough to cause anyone around him to go deaf if they didn't protect themselves.
"AaaaAaaAAaaaAAAAAaaAaaAAaaAaAAaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Cor blimey! What the hell's going on here!?" Conall yelped, while grabbing Connla's shoulders to keep her steady.
Fergus stood guard in front of them and watched Cuchulainn struggle against whatever was ailing him. He thought the corrupted hero would go on a rampage, so he needed to make sure his allies would be safe. However, Cuchulainn stepped further back and kept shrieking before leaping high into the air and swiftly retreating out of sight. Once the noise died down and a terrifying silence surrounded them, Fergus clenched his teeth, clearly confused about what just happened.
Connla's thumb stopped burning, and she gasped in relief. Conall asked her, "You okay?"
"Yeah… I think so…"
"Holy hell in a handbasket. I thought we were goners. What did you do to make him go crazy like that?"
"I don't know… I really don't know…" she murmured and fervently shook her head.
Fergus visibly paled as he kneeled in front of her, then took her hand with the ring and inspected it closely.
I knew it. If the Bloodstones reacted to Cuchulainn's presence, then…
He shook his head, then blurted, "Never mind that! Now's our chance to escape!"
He carried the disoriented Connla and took the lead, with Conall following close behind him as they broke through the forest's edge out into the plains of Sgaradh. To their combined relief, they found Liath Macha, Dubh Sainglend, Deirg nDruchtaig, and Blathnat all safe and sound as they roamed through the grass waiting for their owners to return. The steeds reunited with their riders, but Blathnat appeared rather concerned when she didn't see Cu Roi among the group of humans.
"Shit… What an embarrassing defeat we've been handed," Fergus cursed to himself. "How am I going to explain this to Medb?"
"Screw what that woman says. The fact that we managed to make it out alive is an accomplishment in itself," Conall retorted.
"Even so-"
Before either of them could continue this discussion, that was when they heard a young boy's voice calling out from the forest, "-la! Co… la! Conn… Connla!"
"Huh?" the despondent girl turned around and looked to see who was shouting her name. Finally, she spotted a familiar grey-haired boy carrying his exhausted twin sister on his back piggyback style, accompanied by a black bird that guided them through the woods. Connla gasped and shouted, "Fir! Fial!"
Fial heard their friend's voice and managed to moan, "Connwa…"
"I thought you two were out exploring Scotland! What are you doing way out here!?"
"The… The scawy man… Auntie towd us to wun away fwom the scawy man… that we'd be safe… in Iwewand…"
"A scary man?" Conall wondered.
He suddenly yelped in surprise when the sentient bird explained in a feminine voice, "She means Cuchulainn. Now that he's taken Scathach's place as the Land of Shadows' ruler, he's been able to spread his influence across all of Scotland, infesting it with monsters and ghosts from the underworld. I told the twins to turn around and come to Ireland for their safety."
"Wh-What the-!? That bird can speak!?"
"Of course I can, silly."
"Well I'll be damned," Fergus remarked. "I didn't expect to bump into you, of all people. Or should I say, of all goddesses? It's been quite a while, Morrigan."
Conall couldn't believe that Fergus was making casual conversation with the infamous goddess of death, war and fate. He was too gobsmacked to say anything about it as she replied, "Likewise, my virile friend. As much as I would like to engage with pleasantries though, I'm afraid our chat is going to have to be cut short. I can sense some powerful Runes being placed upon the ground further ahead."
"That's rather worrying. Could it be a trap that Cuchulainn left for us?"
"I don't think so. Someone else was planting them during your fight with him in Glasgow. If we don't hurry, we could be caught in something quite nasty."
"Very well. The twins can borrow Blathnat. Let's hustle, people!"
Everyone got on their respective horses and commanded them to gallop as fast they could southwest toward the Ireland-Sgaradh border. It took them about 30 minutes to make the crossing, all the while feeling on edge as they feared whatever these Runes were could activate at any moment. Luckily, nothing happened as they made their way closer and closer to Ireland. Eventually, Fergus noticed an older gentleman in druid's garb riding astride a fifth horse out in the middle of the plains. He used a small Dagaz Rune to fire a glowing flare that alerted everyone's attention, and they hurried closer to the source.
"Cathbad!" he shouted in astonishment, immediately recognizing the old man's embellished robes and ever-present smoking pipe. "What are you doing here!?"
"There's no time for that!" the magician snapped. "We must return to Connacht soil at once!"
Cathbad commanded his horse to charge ahead of the others, leading them back to the northeastern-most border of former Ulster. Along the way, the three Champions noticed that there were a series of Runic circles established along the Ireland-Sgaradh border that they hadn't seen when they departed before. Once they reached a good distance away from the Runes, everyone dismounted their steeds, and Cathbad stood upon a rising hill as gallant as a leader rallying his troops.
"Interesting," Morrigan remarked as she inspected the many Runic formulas blanketing the ground. "Those Runes are supposed to represent destruction, aren't they?"
Cathbad replied, "Indeed. They are designed to break Sgaradh apart and force Scotland away from Ireland."
"Certainly not taking things in half-measures, are we?"
Conall scowled, then said, "I don't really know what's going on here, but it's the best thing we can do right now. The fact is that Cuchulainn's bad news all around. If he manages to spread the Land of Shadows' influence any further, it'll pervade into Irish territory."
Cathbad scowled darkly, then raised his hands in a chanting gesture. "Then there is not a moment to lose. All of you stand back. If at possible, find something to grab on to."
The other humans paled in horror, then ran from the vicinity without saying another word. The High Druid stood tall on his elevated perch and waved his arms around like conductor's batons. Each time his thrust his hands forth, the many gigantic Runic patterns flared with light and fire. The ground shook tremendously each time a Rune lit up, causing everyone else to crash to the ground. Conall tightly gripped some tall grass, while Fergus held Connla and the twins close to him. The horses collapsed upon the quaking earth and neighed in shock. Morrigan took flight and watched the spectacle unfold from a safe distance.
CRASH! BANG! BOOM! KE-RASH!
Deafening sounds assailed their ears in tune to Cathbad's destructive orchestra. The druid continued casting, refusing to let the loud sounds disturb his work. Eventually, a most deadly cracking noise vibrated the air itself. The land crunched, practically roaring in pain as a gigantic crevice opened up like a gaping wound. Soon, the earth began to part ways. Everyone watched in total awe as Cathbad commanded his wind-based Runes to push Scotland away from Ireland. Within minutes, Scotland was already kilometers away and shrinking from everyone's view. Any semblance of Sgaradh was thoroughly wiped out.
Connla's jaw dropped. All she could utter in sheer stupefaction was, "Amazing…"
"I heard that Cathbad the High Druid was a mage in his own right, but this is just beyond stupid…" Conall agreed with her.
Once Cathbad was finished with his casting, he hopped down from the outcropping of land and casually lit his pipe while approaching the others. He inhaled a puff of burnt herbs, then said to Fergus, "It is done."
"All right. That should buy us some time while we figure out a way to deal with Cuchulainn."
"Indeed. Though it is a stopgap measure, it won't last long. If he really has taken Scathach's power for himself, then he should be able to make Scotland return here in due time."
"Which means we need to prepare for an outright war with Scotland, which has now become an extension of the Land of Shadows," Fergus said. Then his expression quickly turned dire as he said, "But more importantly… I've got some questions for you."
Cathbad remained unflappable as he blew some smoke through his lips, then asked, "Like what?"
"Did Medb tell you to part the Isles after we had left for Scotland?"
"Hmm…" the druid mumbled to himself, realizing that this conversation was going to take an ugly turn. "What makes you suspect such a thing?"
"Your timing was too convenient. If you weren't already here, we would have returned to Galway and requested for you to do it anyway."
"…"
"It tells me that Medb ordered you to do it, regardless if we were in Scotland. Am I wrong?"
Everyone else stared intently at Cathbad, waiting in anticipation for his answer. The elderly druid inhaled deeply, then stared at the sky and exhaled for a long moment. Finally, he spoke three simple words that had incredibly dark implications behind them:
"… You're not wrong."