I run as fast as I can moving through the forest with great haste. This is too big, I think I might understand why Lugh saw it fit to bring so many allies with us to this battlefield.

Humans who can comfortably move through an area filled with wonderbeasts are insane. Even if they cleared out this entire area beforehand, it is still an amazing feat.

Not even us beastkin can overcome something like this without ridiculous amounts of planning. But what is most worrisome is that there were no human corpses anywhere around, so they didn’t overcome this place by throwing massive amounts of soldiers into it, they have people with skill enough to do this themselves.

As I enter the proximity of our campsite, I start to hear a scream, and say, “Oh no.”

Moving through the forest, I see that our camp is being assaulted by humans. Few are on their feet, and many of them are on their horses.

The area around here is protected by trees but isn’t dense with it allowing one to fight on horseback, and using this advantage and the fact that we were caught off guard by the humans they destroy us.

I quickly scan the area and look to see where a spear is, but as I do this I notice that the humans are attacking all of the horses, and defending them is Ibar.

Seeing a spear dash forward grab it and then say, “Red branch battle arts; Starflower.” Then pierce all those who stand in my way till I reach Ibar and defend him.

“Ferdiad!”

“Ibar! I need you to gather up all of the men you can and keep them together. Individually we can be overwhelmed but as a single unit we will crush them, if we lose here many will suffer in the future, fight with all you have got!”

“I WILL!”

I start moving around the battlefield and pierce the necks of the riders one after another, “If we can’t have our own horses we will simply take yours.”

I continue to do this until I am met with another man on foot who is holding a sword. I try to kill him in one blow like the other humans, but I am deflected as I try, all the momentum I had built up was brought to a stretching halt.

So I stare at him and ask, “Who the hell are you?”

“My name doesn’t matter, the only thing that I need to do is bury beastkin like you.”

We begin to clash against one another and strangle on a physical level he can keep pace with me.

No human should be able to do this, they physically can’t.

Shaken by this I mistime a thrust and am hit with a kick to my stomach which sends me backwards. As I shallow my rushing vomit, I stare at him.

Around his body, I start to see this flowing aura that reminds me of water, so I say, “What the hell is that surrounding you?”

With a surprised face, he says, “Did you become aware of it? That means you just need to die even faster then!”

He rushes at me at full speed, and as we clash I am surprised that his chipped sword can even compete with the quality of my spear, but it does. His body is acting in ways that aren’t physically possible, and so is his weapon.

Getting knocked back again, I say, “Still skill and strength are necessary, and you only have one.”

The human rushes at me, and as he does, I say, “Red branch battle arts; Sonic thrust.” And then I quickly pierce his neck, then move on.

But as I do I see throughout the battlefield many men with flowy auras are fighting. “There are about twelve of them and each of them is capable of defeating the average beastkin, they also have at least two normal humans being used as shields for them, if this goes on we will be killed.”

I start to look around and try to regain myself, but as I do I see something on the hill above us, Téad.

Did his party return from their investigation? If the Lúcogadh were to run down with their cavalry we would be able to at least make the battlefield more chaotic to our benefit.

Me and Téad meet eyes, and then he stares at the battlefield and runs away. I want to react to this, but I am soon assaulted by many different humans so I have no time to waste.

At least three of the humans with the flowy aura surround me, and as they do their followers come for me as well, Making nine humans who I have to fight back against all by myself.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I don’t even have time to feel frustrated as my life is constantly on the line, and I can barely keep up with their attacks. I get hit again and again without making equal progress back and eventually one of them strikes me in my head onto the ground a little distance away from them.

I can feel it, the same feeling of imminent death that I had experienced when doing Lugh’s trial. Raising my head slightly, I look around and see a battlefield that is all but lost.

My motivation is lost, and my body is exhausted and hurt, so I say, “Can I just die now?”

While I feel my consciousness fading, I say, “This feels familiar.”

-Five years ago-

Many years ago a man by the name of Cian Ó Buadh had two sons. His land was bountiful, not to the extent of any noble, but was much more than the average peasant could ever wish for.

To decide which of his sons would inherit his land, he decided to gift both of them small pieces of it to cultivate and grow. His youngest son was diligent in his work and grew the land, while the eldest was reckless with it and used it as collateral for debt he had.

So Cian gave the house to the younger of the two siblings leaving the older one bitter, and in that bitterness the older one tried to kill the younger of the two.

But his attempt failed, and all those who knew of him called him, a fool, and his children were called.

As me and my sister walk hand in hand towards our little hut, a group of little kids throw rocks and say, “Children of the clown!”

“Degraded beastkin.”

“Faulty existence.”

“Danu’s mistake.”

They mock both me and my sister again, and again, but we just move away and head towards our house. My sister starts to tear up, so I look at her and smile with all my heart while making silly faces so she laughs.

We walk home into a rickety old house and as we enter I see my mother. Many who see her would call her beautiful, and her smile was one filled with compassion.

If Danu was alive today, I am sure the mother of all beastkin would look something like her.

Upon seeing us my mother runs to me and says, “You're bleeding, what happened!”

My sister hugs my mother, and I say, “Some people were just being annoying, but I managed to make sure that Minagrain wasn’t hurt, aren’t I a good boy Mom!”

My mother flicks me on the head, and says, “You did good, but be careful with wounds you take, not all of them heal.”

Proudly, I say, “I don’t care wounds make me look more manly.”

My mother puts both her hands on my face, and says, “I don’t want anyone hurting my handsome little man’s face, this adorable face which I love so much!”

She then plants my face with kisses and says, “Look how adorable you are, I want to just eat you up.”

I laugh from how ticklish these kisses are and say, “Ok, I will be careful.”

“Good.”

Minagrain looks at my mother and gestures towards her, so my mother says, “You feeling jealous, well then here are your kisses as well.” She plants kisses on Minagrain's face causing her to have a giant smile.

Minagrain then makes more gestures and shapes her tail to look like a book, so my mother says, “We will read the storybook today so go and grab it.”

With joy, Minagrain heads out to go grab the book, and as she does my mother asks, “Did she manage to say anything today?”

Dropping my face to the ground, I say, “No, she still hasn’t spoken a single word for some time now.”

I clench my fist and ask, “Mother, maybe if we left this place and begged uncle for somewhere else to stay we coul-.”

My mom stops me and says, “We are family, and family stays together forever.”

With a sad expression, my mother says, “I know the sadness of a family of people who couldn’t bother to care for each other and the sadness of loneliness. Despite everything your father has never left us, and we will never leave him so just trust in me and wait.”

My mother hugs me tight and says, “Trust in his love, and I am sure we will all be happy. I am sure even Minagrain will get better.”

Drowning in her embrace, I say, “Ok Mom.”

Minagrain who has returned with her book sees us and looks down. Then with her tail, she spells, “I am sorry.”

Hugging her, I say, “Nothing is wrong with you.”

And my mom quickly follows up and says, “Your brother is right, you are perfect.”

She cheers up a little and then looks at the book, so my mother says, “Let’s go read.”

Together in a corner of the room, my mother reads the book to us, recounting a tale of Danu.

A long time ago a being who was engraved with the powers of infinity gave birth to six children, and one of them was Danu.

These six spread through the world and sought to help people, in ways they could never have known. Danu knew countless people who lived on the planet didn’t appreciate all it did to protect and cultivate the lives of humans.

More than anything she wanted humans to learn empathy, and understand the world exists for them to flourish, so they should respect it. So she gave those who gave their blood to her the ability to be bound to nature, so they may understand the impacts it has on the world.

So humans joined with their surroundings again and again, and eventually, they became truly bound to the planet for the rest of all time.

Yet an arrogant being who named himself god the messiah saw this as blasphemy, and sought to destroy Danu and her family, so they fought back and were defeated by his angles.

As my mother ceases reading she says to us, “The story doesn’t end here, it continues on in our blood since we have inherited the abilities of Danu. We have a right to hold our heads up high and be strong, so remember this both of you are precious.”

While my mother hugs us I feel a strong sense of pride and happiness within me and I say, “I will be strong for everyone!”

My mother rubs my head and says, “That’s my little warrior.”

We laugh and enjoy each other’s company and as we do we hear the door to our house open, and my mother instantly says, “Go to your bed Minagrain.”

A voice says, “Is this how I am supposed to be greeted when I return!”

Both me and my mother ran towards the entrance of the house making as much noise as possible to mask the sound Minagrain makes while moving.

When we arrive at the entrance, I say, “Hello Father.”

And my mother says, “I am so happy you are home husband.” She quickly moves towards him with sweat trickling down her face and takes his shoes off and as she does, I stare into the face of my father a man who I am supposed to find safety in and shake out of fear.