He brings me closer to him and tightens his restrictions which causes me to bleed, and then he says, “Don’t waste your future by doing something so stupid my young king.”

Laughing a bit, I say, “It is nice to know you care for me, but I can assure you of something your future king can never be restrained from doing what his heart desires.”

“You may be strong, but don’t forget that this is the second time you lost to me.”

“And since when did a Faoláin allow his weakness to remain open?”

Taking in a deep breath, I shout, “RUAIRI!”

“Beast blood battle arts ultimate art; Fás Glórmhar!”

From my mouth, I spit out a swarm of seeds, which all accelerate through their growth forming into massive trees in front of Ronald. I then lunge over towards the humans, and then the boys' troop which is ahead of us, runs down towards us.

“Ruairí, I need you to take both Laeg and Ibar then get them out of here. The rest of you make sure Donald doesn’t follow us.”

Turning to the humans, I say, “Follow me!”

As I run forward, I hear a lack of footsteps, so I turn back to see that Aurelius is the only human who isn’t moving. “What are you doing?”

Looking down at his feet, Aurelius says, “Setanta, you should stop.”

“Have you gone insane? We don’t have time for this now, just follow me and be free.”

“I made lots of jokes about you letting me escape, and I did want you to let me go. But Setanta, I know how much you love your people and this land, and if letting me go may hurt your standing I can’t let you do that.”

Moving toward him, I say, “Thank you for that.”

Then I kick him in the balls which drops him to the floor.

“What was that for!?”

Laughing, I say, “Don’t disrespect me. Do you really think something as small as this could actually hurt my standing? I am a hero, and the one who will lead my people into a better future.”

Reaching out my hand, I say, “Stopping this foolishness is for them as much as it is for you. So please just trust in me, and accept your reward for fighting so long.”

Grabbing my hand, he says, “Right.”

Then we move, but as we do Ronald bursts through the trees and sends his whips towards us. But the boys' troop knock the whips away.

Φ I send my briars towards the boys, but they manage to dodge them while moving at high speed. “Red branch battle arts? Still, it doesn’t matter if Setanta taught you pests that, you’re all still far weaker than me.”

I quickly grab the boys one, by one.

Setanta must have sent all of these boys up ahead, to wait in ambush for any pursuers. A good plan, but now that this giant tree has appeared, more people will be coming, but it isn’t like it matters.

As I am lost in thought my eyes quickly grab a hold of something, and then I quickly send my briars into the boys mouth and keep them open. “You’re trying to bite your tongue? Are you insane?”

“For our king risking our lives is all we need.”

From behind me, I hear, “Red branch battle arts; Starflower.”

Turning around quickly I see three boys I hadn’t accounted for are moving toward my blind spot, so I quickly reinforce my back with spirit energy breaking their spears.

“You’re out of luck!”

The kids smile, and then I turn around and see some of the boys held by my briars have been cut free.

All of the boys start to move around me at high speed.

I can’t sense them due to their lack of spirit energy, and combined with their speed it is like I am fighting a bunch of mosquitoes. I guess I have no choice.

“ Advent.”

Φ In front of us, we see the Hippogriff and I say, “All of you hurry on!”

They all start to run, and I hand Aurelius a bag of stuff and then say, “In this bag there is a map of your current location and where you should head to meet Lillian, from where you should fly to any of the marked locations which are known human hideouts, or even the eastern continent if you want to make the journey.

This hippogriff has the royal family's crest, so no authorities will try and stop you or even double-check if you're flying with it. I have also put a royal ornament with the Faoláin crest and my name on it in case you get stopped. People know I am friends with humans so using this could help in the worst case.”

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As everyone gets on the wonderbeast, I turn to the young boy who sold out Aurelius and say, “Astolfo you're capable of flying wonderbeasts if I am correct?”

“Yeah.” Astolfo pauses for a minute then says, “Why are you letting us all go? Aurelius is the only one who is your friend, and besides you have always shown me you don’t trust me.”

Flicking him in the forehead, I say, “That happened last year, I got over it and so should you. Besides, I don’t believe humans deserve that fate any more than beastkin do, so ride safe.”

Hearing a loud sound coming, I say, “You guys need to take off now!”

As I jump off the wonderbeast, then I hear, “Cú Culainn!”

“What do you want Aurelius?”

“I wish to return to my glorious homeland, so I will name my child Orlando. Please give me and my family a new last name, so we may always remember you.”

“You're kind of putting me on the spot to think of a name. It has to be unique and something I would recognize.”

Snapping my finger, I say, “Solasmionna my unit's name, it should translate to Light sworn. So your new last name from this on will be Aurelius Lightsworn, married to Lillian Lightsworn, and father of Orlando Lightsworn.”

“I like it. Thank you for everything Setanta.”

“No need, just be happy.”

Aurelius and the rest of the humans start to take off, and I get in position as I hear the swarm coming. From the forest, I see Ronald in a strange form riding on a giant wave of briars that are headed towards the humans.

So, I say, “Red branch battle arts ultimate art; Morning Glory.” Then I dash forward at high speed and use the force of my impact to push the wave of briars back allowing Aurelius and the rest of the humans to get away.

Despite all my speed and strength I was unable to reach Ronald behind all of his briars, and am now in the middle of a swarm of them.

They all move around to restrict and catch me, so I say, “Red branch battle arts; Tulip,” and rush out of there as fast as I can, but the amount of briars Ronald it able to make is utterly ridiculous.

From every direction I am overwhelmed as I try to fight back, but no matter how hard I try I am pushed back. Then soon my spear breaks, and the briars come for me.

As I accept my fate, I hear an extremely loud sound coming towards me, and moments later a giant shockwave moves through the briars, and before I can blink, I am moved away from the middle of the swarm into the forest.

Looking around myself, I quickly try to understand what happened, but my brain quickly draws to a halt as I see Ferdiad.

With a smile, he looks down at me and says, “The moment I leave, you get put in such a pathetic state.”

So many things flow through my brain all at once, happiness, sadness, embarrassment, regret, loneliness, but the only thing I can bring myself to say is, “I am happy to see you again.”

Kicking me in the face, he says, “Stop being weird you dumb wolf.”

Kicking him in the face, I say, “That was morning glory, wasn’t it? Looks like you can finally keep up with me.”

“Keep up with you, I am going to surpass yo,u idiot.”

Smiling I reach out my hand towards his and say, “Just how I like it, now help me remove this annoying hunter.”

Grabbing my hand and pulling himself up, Ferdiad says, “Just like the old times.”

I walk forward, and I say, “Just so you know I have changed quite a bit.”

“That’s fine because I have as well.”

Suddenly through my heart, I am stabbed with a spear.

Turning around, I look at Ferdiad, and he says, “I will be taking control of my own destiny now.”

I jump away from the spear in my back, but then I feel a sudden numbness rush through my body. “Ronald’s poison?”

“It should be strong enough to numb even your body.”

Hearing a stream of briars coming towards me, I say, “Ferdiad.”

I am captured by Ronald’s briars which surround me, and then after a few seconds, I hear him say, “Third bloom,” and poison rushes from the briars into my body sapping away my consciousness.

-Break-

Φ With his wife and friends beside him, Lugh talks to a servant who has just entered the room, and as the servant leaves Lugh says, “Setanta was never with Aurelius.”

Péatra says, “How is that possible, you had eyewitness reports.”

Medb then says, “Scáthach has the ability to make copies of people by manipulating their shadows, so Uathach used the same ability to make a false version of Setanta and the humans.”

Conchobar says, “But the shadows cannot talk, so did no one check they were chatting.”

“My men kept their distance as a sign of respect for my son, so they never got close enough to hear any talking even if there was some.”

As Lugh stews in his anger, a large voice says, “To all of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, I ask for you to give me your ears.”

Lugh snapping out of his anger says, “Is that Bricriu?”

Soon all those within the room rush outside, and there they see Ronald Fuinseog in Advent along with Bricriu and his daughter, but worst of all is Ferdiad holding Setanta.

“What is that fool doing?”

Conchobar says, “I need to get up there and put a stop to this right now.”

Holding him, Medb says, “You can’t!”

“Why?”

“Right now, the area is in a state of chaos, and Ronald briars are everywhere. It is the perfect moment for an accident to happen.”

“So I am just supposed to sit here?”

“For now, yes.”

Bricriu says, “I have come to tell you all that the Red branch has decided to launch a full-scale campaign eastward into our greatest enemy, the dynasty of Dā.”

The people start to become scared, but then Bricriu says, “For the last few decades I have made great efforts to destroy the dynasty from the inside out, and now they are merely a shell of their former sell.

But still strong generals and soldiers remain who could destroy us, but do not worry or fret because we have a warrior who we can rely on to stand by and protect us.

A child by the name of Ferdiad Ó Sealbhóir, my son-in-law. The only other child in the empire who Scáthach has deemed worthy to train, just like many of you he is from Fir bolg descent, but his kills rival even the greatest of young talent like this traitor.”

Using his briars Ronald holds up Setanta into the sky, and Bricriu says, “Now listen to this my people. For today you have been betrayed by a man who you placed your trust in.”

Beast blood battle arts: The special nature of blood from certain beastkin called Druids who have branches growing out of their heads, allows them to control all flora through this special fighting style.

By dripping blood from an open wound on their bodies, they gain the ability to manipulate flora. The greater in scale the control they exercise the more blood they use, but for micro adjustments the use is minimal.

Beast blood battle arts; Ceangailte: A technique that makes the surrounding Flora move towards a target and bind them.

Beast blood battle arts; Fás: A technique that forces any Flora no matter the form, in the area to grow at high speed.

Beast blood battle arts; Bog: A technique that allows one to move Flora at their will.

Beast blood battle arts; Aon: Connects ones nerves to Flora of their choosing, allowing them to connect their sense to it, but can also be used to torture enemies.

Beast blood battle arts ultimate art; Glórmhar: A technique which deeply connects one with nature vastly increasing the range of any other technique.