TUATHA AND LAEGAIRE
One cycle had passed since Laegaire had given birth to twins. Celthair and Alliel were as different as chalk from cheese. Celthair was outgoing and not at all shy. She would go with anyone in the city, and she was loved by all. Aillel was shy and reserved. People did not gravitate to him like they did his sister. Her giggles and bright happy face seemed to attract people like a moth to a flame.
She would disappear for hours into the streets of Muinremar, Laegaire was never worried because the people were kind and gentle. No one had any bad sentiments toward King Furbaide and Queen Celthair, they were much loved. Crimes were generally petty, and no one was in need, hungry or greedy for more than they already had.
So, from the moment she was old enough to leave her mother, Celthair was seen being carried, or walking around the city, sometimes by strangers and sometimes by people she knew well. Her favourite person was her namesake, Queen Celthair herself and she was with her whenever the queen could spare time to be with her. Laegaire and Tuatha rarely saw their daughter during the day, and she would come home in the evening and after her bath she would fall asleep, tired from her constant social activities.
When she turned two cycles old, she was seen at the school. She loved this place and from then on, she went there and learned fast, the things taught to five cycle old children.
By four she could fight with a wooden sword and win against eight-year-olds.
As for Alliel, he too was capable and skilled beyond his age. They could ride a horse and would often ride on Tuatha’s and Laegaire’s horses, Sencad and Factna.
It was after Celthair’s fourth birthday that messengers arrived from the south, telling them of the news that the Dark Lord was moving. Tuatha decided it was time to leave for Emain Macha to find out what it was that Queen Dagemar had been trying to tell him.
The whole city came out to farewell their family from the south. Many wept to see them go. As they rode along the streets of the city, Celthair ran from person to person, hugging them, weeping, and kissing those she felt closest to. At the gates of the city, King Furbaide and Queen Celthair, her namesake waited for them to arrive, they would be the last to say goodbye. Young Celthair saw her waiting and ran to her leaping into the queens embrace. Their tears dampening each other’s shoulders. Then they embraced Tuatha and Laegaire, wishing them a safe journey. Then the city grew smaller behind them, and they all kept looking back, already feeling a sense of loss in their hearts for that enchanted and serene place.
Tuatha, Laegaire and Ainnle, rode their horses all the way to Port Cairn, a small port town on the north coast of Muinremar, Celthair and Alliel rode with their parents. When they arrived, they loaded the horses on a ship that would land wherever they could to the west of the mountains of the Emain Macha. They could not travel east because it was blocked by the great Sand reef that went so far north it became dangerous due to the risk of storms running them aground and then if they did get past it there were the pirates of the outer world that would raid any ship that they came across.
Port Cairn was a tiny port that was not much used except for the odd merchant ship that had pacts with the pirates and anglers from Muinremar. The boat they were given was one of two owned by King Furbaide. The crew that ran it were well trained sailors and fighters, who had a small army and could and did protect the port from pirate raids. They would set sail at a moment’s notice and chase down a pirate ship that came too close, fighting them if necessary.
They set sail, to the west, tacking into the westerly wind that seemed to want to blow them back from where they had come from.
The next day after a sleepless night from the choppy seas and the rolling of the ship, every time it needed to change tack. The sky lightened and a sailor shouted, “Land sighted,” and they all scrambled up on deck to see a desolate Island with a smoking volcano at its centre.
“Where is that?” Asked Tuatha of the captain.
“It’s Dungerness Island,” he said gloomily. “A dangerous place because the mountain often erupts with hot molten rock and gases that will burn you inside and out.” He said shaking his head. “My grandfather’s bones lie there; it is his grave after they spent a night there because of a storm. Sometimes you can be lucky and be there for days and without warning, it erupts, and you don’t have time to escape.”
Through the morning, they tacked around it, but on the horizon were ominous black clouds and the wind was getting stronger. The sky was red, and flashes of lightening could be seen in the clouds.
“It’s a pretty bad storm, we need to batten down the hatches and tie down all loose items.” Said the captain. He began to shout commands to the crew and the ship became a hive of activity.
Then the waves began to get taller. The sails had been made into small jibs and the rudder was made fast to stop it moving and breaking in the rough seas. They became so big that before long the ship was travelling up one side and slipping down the other. The captains’ eyes grew worried as a wave crashed over the deck almost washing some of the crew overboard.
“Make for the Island,” he shouted, the crew set the rudder for a small bay that seemed to be protected from the massive waves by a natural rocky barrier that stretched out into the sea. Several times the ship was swamped with water and rolled alarmingly.
Below decks Tuatha and Laegaire had put the children in hammocks which kept them relatively stable as the ship rolled around them. The horses were lying down in the tight stables, thumping gently back, and forth against the walls. They looked alarmed but seemed to gain trust from the calm people around them.
Finally, they arrived in the calmer water, but it was still rough. The anchor was lowered and given a long line so the ship would not jerk against the anchor and break to prevent the ship from being dashed on the rocks around the island.
The storm raged through the night and early in the morning Tuatha awoke to a crash and rumbling sounds. The barrels with all their water had come loose. They had rolled and crashed into the side of the ship, and several had burst open spilling their precious water, needed for the voyage. With the help of the crew, they resecured the remainder and continued to wait out the raging storm.
PART II –LEVIATHAN
When the land was new and Riangbra placed all the life on it. It bought with it from another planet, human beings. Young and without a history of their own. They soon forgot their origins and forgot who had put them there. Only those with the skill of keeping record, knew of Riangbra. They called this record the Chronicle prophetica because it held history and prophecy of the people.
Riangbra also placed many other life forms. Animals that did not have the abilities of humans to create and form civilisation. The most intelligent of these creatures were the horses of Fernmaige. That had a simple language, unspoken but able to be worked out by movements of their body. They could reason with humans, and they worked together. Some other horses lost the ability to communicate on this level due to mistreatment and forced labour. They were tamed and became simple animals. There were the great Aurochs of the plains, wild cattle that could not be tamed and provided vast quantities of meat for the hunters to trade in the growing cities of the Deep Lands. The deer of the Hidden ranges were shepherded by the deer herders of Dun Emain.
Many other creatures great and small roamed the young world of Riangbra, some had never even been seen before.
One intelligent creature was made and lived in a small group on the Island of Dungerness. These massive beings were shy and did not go near the larger land mass but stayed over the oceans and fed off the fish that lived in the ocean in abundance. This beast was ten times bigger than a human and could fly both above the waves and beneath them with ease. Their eyesight was powerful too and they would see humans a long time before they were spotted, if they had been seen, people only thought they had seen a cloud or a bird far off in the distance.
It had a long neck and scales along its whole body to the end of its long tail. It was able to speak exactly like a human, but with a deep resonant guttural sound. They were gentle but powerful and had long powerful hind legs and forearms with claws that helped them cling to the mountainous island they called home. They were able to live in caves at the base of the hot mountain that kept them hot, which is what they liked the most. The gases that would kill a human was like a flavoured hot bath for them and they savoured the times the mountain spewed the gases down toward their caves.
The giants knew of them, and they had kept it a secret from humans because they had been sworn to secrecy by the leader of these creatures, Dray Goen. They called themselves the Leviathan and were known to the giants as such.
The largest Leviathan was Dray Goen, and he was three thousand and twenty-three cycles old. Their life span was between two and three thousand cycles. Dray Goen was by far the oldest and one of the last of his kind. Early in Riangbra’s history, they could lay eggs in the lava of the mountain where they were constantly incubated till, they were ready to hatch. But the lava was not as hot as it had once been, no longer could they have young.
The last few eggs laid by old Gin Goen the female Leviathan were preserved in the cooler caves away from the Island, awaiting a time when the mountain would once more become hot enough for the eggs be incubated, to hatch into young Leviathan and so preserve this noble and beautiful creature of Riangbra.
Dray Goen watched the ship nervously, as it entered the small bay at the base of the mountain where his cave entrance was. If he left the cave, he would surely be seen. So, he quietly watched from the dark depths of his cave, which happened to have a view of the same bay.
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He grew even more nervous when a small boat was launched next morning and four humans came ashore walking off in different directions, one of them up towards the mouth of his cave. Silently he crouched back in the darkness at the back of the cave, willing the human to leave. He did not know why he felt this way, he did not fear the human only felt he was disobeying a law that had been written in his spirit. Three thousand cycles ago, as a young Leviathan he had helped a young man forge some Scatach metal into a sword that he had been told, had written upon it a destiny and a purpose for this world. He had not forgotten this, but afterwards had been commanded by Riangbra to stay away from humans as they would use the Leviathan to their benefit and not for good. He also knew that one day he would be called upon for advice and help. But for now, he had forgotten and did not realise how momentous this moment would be.
The human held a torch and was scrambling over the rocks, toward the back of the cave where Dray Goen was hiding, his scales black as night, he would not be seen even in the starlight, but the fire was coming closer till it touched him and the bearer muttered as he had come up against a wall of shiny metal plates. The torch moved along the wall of his belly and toward his head. He held his eyes closed tight, knowing they would glow red in the fire, and he would be seen. The bearer gasped slightly. He had stopped at the enormous claws on the end of his fingers. The torch stopped and then more slowly came toward his face. Dray Goen opened his eye to a slit, showing a strip of red glowing light. The human cried out and stepped backward, tripping on a rock. The torch fell and Dray Goen saw his terrified face looking at his now open and very red, glowing eye.
Dray Goen growled quietly in annoyance, but to Tuatha it sounded like a roar of a thousand storms.
Dray Goen knew it was now unavoidable. They had been discovered. In the same way the Giants had discovered them more than a thousand cycles ago.
“Do not be afraid” he said.
Tuatha’s face was in a state of abject fear. He had drawn Salchah from the scabbard and held it toward Dray Goen.
It was Dray Goen’s turn to be surprised. The sword he had helped forge three thousand cycles ago was shining in the torchlight before his eyes. He felt young again as the memories flooded back.
“My lord,” he exclaimed, “It’s been a long time since I saw the bane of Sennol Uathach.”
Tuatha’s face became confused. He had never even fathomed or been told something like this vision before him, could exist.
“What are you?” he said, his voice shaking. This was after a good minute of reasoning by Tuatha in his mind and his response to the voice of this creature saying he need not be afraid.
“I am a Leviathan, my name is dray Goen, created by Riangbra for the purpose of Riangbra. We have kept ourselves secret because of the command of Riangbra.” As he spoke, Dray Goen began to come the massive realisation. ‘This was the time. He was being called by the humans for advice and help.’
Tuatha shook his head as if the clear his mind and open it to new possibilities, took a step back and sat heavily on a rock in front of the Leviathan.
Dray Goen slowly put his claw laden paw down in front of Tuatha. “Can I please hold the sword?”
Tuatha complied without any delay. All fear had dissipated but he was still in shock in seeing a creature so massive.
When the blade sat across his paw. The leviathan breath rumbled and grew hot, a glow came from within his open jaw and suddenly fire roared from his mouth and onto the blade for a few moments. Tuatha stepped back shielding his face from the heat. When the fire dissipated Tuatha stepped forward slightly concerned and a little fearful. The writing that was along the lower part of the blade began to glow brighter, till it was white against the glowing metal. Then as Tuatha watched, writing began to appear up the blade that was not there before.
“A little Leviathan fire to bring out the truth, and it will further strengthen the Scatach steel.” said Dray Goen, “This is just how I remember it!”
Read it if you can Son of Emain,” he said.
Tuatha leaned over the blade and read the familiar ancient words.
Tha agus bidh Riangbra, mar a bha e a-riamh, gu bràth na bheatha, gun a bhith ann am pian, lean an cearcall gus am bi e briste, bàs, gu bràth.
“Riangbra is and will be, as always it has been, forever in life, never in pain, the cycle continues till it is broken, death, never again.”
Then he struggled because the ancient text was the language Cathabad had been teaching him and he took time to get the words together into some sort of order in his mind.
It read, Dh’èirich na Lebhiatan, dòchas agus saoradh, còigeamh mac a’ mhath agus nighean an uilc, aonaichte a thoirt cothromachaidh agus Beatha.
“The (a word he didn’t know) rises, hope and deliverance, the fifth son of the good and the daughter of evil, united to bring balance and life.”
“What is the meaning of that word I wonder” asked Tuatha under his breath. It was the translation of an unfamiliar set of letters. He tried, translating the letters “L..a..f..i..th..n”
“It is Leviathan,” said Dray Goen, “It is the prophecy, now fulfilled in you and me, son of Emain.”
Tuatha’s eyes widened as the realisation hit him.
“Riangbra has brought us together,” exclaimed Tuatha.
“It is written,” said Dray Goen solemnly. “I was here for so long, three thousand six hundred cycles, that I have forgotten so many things. I must be getting old,” he groaned. “But I feel young again, you have made me feel alive. What is your name son of Emain?”
“I am Tuatha, son of Aillel Findabair, son of Emain the Third, son of Emain the Second and Son of Emain, the first king of the Deep Lands,” he said proudly. “This sword has been named by Queen Dagemar; it is called Salchah.
Dray Goen nodded, “A good name, it is the name of the star from which came it’s power and light. So, there have been four carriers of the scabbard and sword. You are the fifth. I knew your Great, great, grandfather How long did your forebears live? Asked Dray Goen.
“I don’t know much but I’ll tell you what I remember from my reading of the Chronicles. Tuatha recounted the history of the Deep Lands from his limited knowledge of the Chronicle Prophetica.
PART III – RECOUNTING
“Well,” began Tuatha, “there was the First Age from the beginning, when Riangbra set this world in motion. Nine hundred and eighty cycles, Creation to the first city of Athlethan being founded.”
He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
“As I recently discovered in my travels, my great, great, great, grandfather Emain ruled for many cycles and later in life he travelled North and founded Dun Emain. It was here he befriended a man called Sennol who had discovered earth power, energy that can be harnessed in objects. He turned on Emain for trying to stop him. So, he forged a sword called Mac Roth, which he found imbued an amazing energy within it which he was able to harness in giving him amazing strength, but it is earth power, and it affects his mind making him turn dark, he tried to kill Emain and raised an army of supporters who attacked Emain and the deer herders. The sword Mac Roth was destroyed in battle.
Emain explored to the west and was shipwrecked, He never reached there and names it Emain failed. Or Emain Macha as it is more commonly known”.
Dray Goen here interrupted Tuatha, he wanted to share his own point of view with Tuatha. “The Leviathan from this time in history had to withdraw to this Island, because one of us one was killed. There was a great battle near Sennol Uathach where the swamps of the dead are now, against the Witch lord Sencha. It is not even written of in Chronical prophetica so terrible was its outcome. It was forbidden to talk of it and so it was forgotten by the people. The Leviathan are forgotten and promised Emain they would stay hidden till one of his ancestors calls them. That battle convinced us we should have nothing to do with the battles of humans, we no longer take sides and so we are no longer a threat to humans. But we will protect humans from the elemental beasts like the Tor Rigil. So, it was us that helped forged this great sword,” he said looking down at it still lying across his great paw.
Tuatha listened intently to Dray’s long-drawn-out speech. He had often wondered where the sword was made. “What about the Scabbard?” asked Tuatha. Dray nodded, “also made by me and Emain, he doubled its ability to harness its power both in battle and in extending the wearers life.”
Dray Goen continued, “The sword and scabbard were both forged by dragon fire on the great Scatach anvil of Mount Dagemar, when it was a young lava mountain. I witnessed star light also enter the sword at the moment it began to cool. This sword we designed to help good defeat the evil.”
After some silence, as Tuatha was taking this in and had so many questions, he resisted the urge and continued.
“In the cycle nine sixty Emain stayed in Dun Emain and became king of the deer herders. In Esclarmonde I discovered, that long after this, he was taken by Riangbra to a realm of un-dying, I was taken there briefly. This Scabbard went with him,” Tuatha held it up so Dray Goen could see it.
“The sword was then sent back to Athlethan where it was built into the throne and forgotten about. Athlethan was ruled by a government set up by Emain’s advisors the teachers of Riangbra. Namely Rhiannon, whose life is preserved by Riangbra. She is still alive!”
“I know her well,” said Dray Goen. “We are very good friends; I am glad she lives.”
Tuatha continued, “Then the Second age started, nine hundred and eighty cycles to Twenty-nine hundred and eighty cycles. Emain the second, after his father goes missing, set up a government which ran until, the rulers decided to make the son of Emain the first, king.”
In Fourteen hundred and Eighty, Emain the second had five daughters. He lived to Five hundred cycles and died, four of his daughters’ married princes from all parts of the Deep Lands. But the fifth and the oldest of his daughters, kept the Emain bloodline recorded and married a prince of Athlethan, this family were always regarded as royalty by the people, but never took power, they regarded the government a system that the people wanted it stayed like this for over five hundred cycles.”
He paused and took a breath. It was good to go over these things in his mind. He felt energised because it made him feel part of a big picture. What he was seeing, was a continuation of what had already occurred.
He glanced at Dray and noticed he had his eyes closed. Tuatha assumed he was still awake. “It wasn’t till One thousand nine hundred and eighty that over the next thousand cycles, the world descended into chaos, corrupt rulers went into battle against their brothers for the desire of ultimate power. The grand dark Lord Sennol took the sword Mac Roth, conspiring to start a battle from which he planned to rise and bring his cruel laws to the Deep Lands.
In two thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, it was my grandfather, Emain the Third who took the Scatach sword from the throne as instructed by Rhiannon, where it’s handle had been inset into the structure as a headpiece. He rallied all who wanted good the come to the Deep Lands and with a massive army he bore down on Sennol and his armies and defeated them, causing them to retreat, leaving Sennol exposed. Emain the Third captured him and put him in a cave at the base of Mt. Triune, covering the entrance with boulders and throwing the sword Mac Roth into a boiling pit of molten rock.
After this, began the Third age. Two thousand nine hundred and eighty to three thousand eight hundred and forty-six.”
His studies had paid off, he remembered the time periods as Cathabad had drummed into him.
“This was my grandfather, Emain Findabair the Third. After the defeat of Sennol, was a time of peace. He lived the longest of all my ancestors and died after seven hundred and twenty cycles in three thousand six hundred and twenty.”
Here Tuatha paused for a long time. After about two minutes, drays eyes opened to a slit, “go on,” he growled, “I am enjoying this.”
Tuatha nodded, “No one knew that Sennol the grand dark Lord was still alive and now incredibly old. He had preserved his life with the power from the elements. He recruited Mac Roth because he is only just alive, unable to move. Mac Roth is taught all the ways of Sennol Uathach. In turn he teaches Amerghin and now Ruad.”
“King Aillel toward the end of Emain the Thirds life, his son, my father, took the throne. He is two Hundred cycles old. I was born in the year three thousand eight hundred and twenty, and here I am.” He paused to take another breath.
“I have learned so much and now I can see the big picture, I can see how Riangbra is making things happen in a certain way. Now it is even more amazing because as you said, our meeting was foretold in prophecy.”
“I really must go, the others may come searching for me,” said Tuatha. “You must remain hidden till the time is right, now I need to ask, where can we find water?”
“Riangbra will guide us,” said Dray Goen. “We will be there when needed! The Leviathan will be watching the south, and I will be watching you from the skies, I think your water problem is solved.” He pointed his claw outside the cave. Down by the shore two men were loading heavy barrels of water into the boat and one was calling Tuatha’s name.
“Just as well you are leaving too, the mountain is becoming active again, it is too dangerous for you to stay here much longer, make sure you leave before dawn tomorrow.”
Tuatha jumped up and bowed to Dray Goen. “It has been my honour to meet you, and I thank you for your assistance.”
Dray Goen rumbled deep in his throat, it sounded like far off thunder, it was a deep satisfaction. “Tuatha, you have made me feel young again. New hope has sprung up in these old bones. Your recounting of history has awakened thoughts long dead in me, the time is coming where we, the Leviathan, will be once more loved and accepted by all, that is my hope,” he paused, “I know why you came here,” he said, “you need water, there is plenty in the next cave across from this one. Help yourself but keep your people out of this one.”
Tuatha nodded, “I will,” he said, bowing again.