Day 14 of Midwinter, Sunset

At Sea, Well of Wisdom

Annwn

Lir and I stepped back into Tir fo Thuinn from the armory of Eiocha. In my hands, I held the disc armor and the shillelagh.

“That armory was an interesting find,” murmured Lir. “We have no other surviving record of Taranis or Eiocha practicing their smith skills."

I stopped long enough to carefully place the armor and shillelagh on the sea floor before turning to face the god. Enough was enough. “Are we really going to just keep chatting about history, pretending there isn’t a war going on? You sent for me to discuss your brother’s war, and now that I'm here, you don't seem to want to talk about it." I gestured around the cavernous room. "What are you even doing down here? Where have you been?”

Lir inclined his head and sighed. “I suppose we should get down to business. Please forgive an old man's meandering. It would seem that when someone lives as long as I have, their sense of urgency changes somewhat.” He gazed around the room. A long pause filled the air until I couldn't stand it anymore.

“You're doing it again," I blurted. "Why am I here? What is it that you need me to do for you?”

Lir gave me an amused look, either oblivious to my growing impatience or simply not caring. “Which question would you like me to answer first? What I’m doing down here, where I have been, or what I must ask of you?”

I felt my face growing hot with frustration. Even my ears were burning. “Well, as for where you've been, I guess you've been down here, probably staring into these water gateways." I waved a hand at the various scenes playing out around us. "So, I guess let's start with what you're doing down here in the first place, and your thoughts on the Overking’s declaration of war on the Fomorians and the fae.”

Lir looked as though I had slapped him. “I abhor it. It is the culminating act of a desperate man. My brother has changed…something I first began to notice 1,500 of your years ago, though I never expected him to stray so far.”

“That number rings a bell.” I thought back to my conversations with Morias. “That was when the sages were killed, and Morias came to Ériu. Right?”

Lir nodded. “Yes. Those were very troubling times.”

“Is that why you left Falias? Because you noticed the Overking had changed?” It sounded a bit far-fetched that a god would leave for such a simple reason as his brother acting weird.

Lir frowned at me. “There is that name again, "overking.' Before Nuada, Bres simply used the title of High King. It implied nobility and responsibility. When Nuada began to change, he took the title Overking, which implies rulership and his expectation of servitude from those he ruled.”

“Yep, that sounds pretty fitting for your bro. No offense.”

“You may doubt me, but he wasn’t always like this,” Lir insisted. “When he led us in the battles of Mag Tuired, he was a sight to behold.” Lir smiled sadly, seeming lost for a moment.

“Was that before or after he killed all of Bres’ Ellyllon and kicked his half-brother off of the throne?” I demanded. I couldn't help but feel rage and sorrow as I thought about what had happened to Fíadan's comrades in arms.

Lir looked pained but nodded. “Fair point. Perhaps within my brother, there were always the underpinnings of a tyrant, and we were just too enamored with him to notice it.”

“Now what? You can’t mean to stay down here forever. The world is going to chet up there!”

“That is why I sent for you.” Lir stepped closer. He pointed in the direction of the various portals. “These weren’t meant to be windows into the wide world, but rather passageways… highways, I believe you call them. But through these aqueous lenses, I have witnessed the subjugation of my brothers and sisters. I have watched as the Fomorians were forced to sneak into the mortal world to further their families and preserve their race. And I have seen countless refugees abandoning the land of magic for the land of the aged. It is time for those with eyes to act."

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I felt goosebumps ripple across my arms at his words. “Does this mean you will help us to defeat Nuada?”

“Not exactly.” He abruptly began to rustle through the pile of armor at my feet. When he found the belt, he expertly removed the two straps connecting the shoulder sets and sternum disc. He handed the reduced belt to me. “Put this on.”

I had no idea what was going on, but took the belt and cautiously reattached it to my waist. “I feel a charge in the air, like before.”

Lir looked me up and down, appearing satisfied. “Yes. You will begin with the belt. As you are ready, you will work your way up, eventually gaining the ability to don the full set. You will need it for where I will send you.”

I took a step back, raising my hands. “Woah, woah, woah. I’m already on a mission. I need to find allies for the Fomorians. I don't have time to go on some kind of side quest!"

Lir stepped closer to the massive wall of water. He beckoned me to follow. “If you are seeking allies for your brethren, you will complete this ‘quest’ for me.”

I followed the man, curious despite my doubts. As we walked, I couldn't help but glance at the opaque centers of the doorways. Occasionally, I could see a place I recognized. In one portal, I saw the carved homes and buildings of the Deep Realm. Masses of people stood in the open areas above the water. A procession of large men and women marched through the underground city toward the Hanging Tower, a massive stalactite.

In another, I saw the white caps of the Green Mountains and the púca I had met on my brief journey back to Earth. The huge, extended family had been fleeing the violence and persecution of the Tuatha. I saw my little buddy, Jamie, running and playing with the other púca children. The sight awakened a warm feeling inside of me, as it was Jamie who had renewed my faith in my own intentions and abilities.

Lir stopped in front of a portal that opened into a beautiful, medieval town. The brownstone brickwork of each building appeared ancient and weathered, even while seeming impervious to time. Balconies and elevated porches overlooked the streets.

I realized, with a start, that the city contained no traditional streets like I would have expected in a medieval urban landscape. Instead, it was built more like Venice. Where I would have expected traditional roadways, were only waterways. Small longboat-style water taxis traversed the town, ferrying people to stairs and walkways that ended at the water’s edge. The boats' prows extended far above the water. In some cases, the ferrymen and passengers even appeared to use the long prow to enter and exit the vessels.

“This is the Deep Water port of Murias, home to the largest navy in Annwn,” Lir said with reverence. “This is where the next leg of your journey begins.”

Incredulous, I turned to face the god. “Uh… Unless you're suggesting I hijack the whole navy and bring it back to Cai, I don’t really understand. What exactly do I need to do?”

Lir ignored my question. “After my brother took the crown, he gathered those immediate family members he deemed most dangerous to his rule. We were required to remain in Falias. Nuada wanted us close by, where he could watch us.”

My head was spinning. “Who exactly did he force to remain in the capital?”

Lir looked surprised at my question. “It is easy to forget how little you understand of Annwn. There were five of us. Myself, of course, and Ogma, who holds dominion over the domain of Knowledge. Dian Cécht, the god of Healing. You can imagine the value of having the two of them around. Next, the smith god, Goibhniu, who formed the Silverwhite blades for King Bres. Finally, there is The Dagda, though Nuada allowed the god of magic to remain in Gorias, mostly out of fear of his power.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” I asked. While I knew this was important context, I also didn't particularly see how it was relevant in this particular moment.

“You are seeking allies, if I am not mistaken. Yes?”

I nodded.

“I am not the only Tuatha Dé Danann to defy my brother’s wishes and go into hiding. My brother Goibhniu has disappeared, and I fear the worst.”

I suddenly realized where he was going with what had seemed like an off-topic history lesson. I sighed. “You want me to find him, don’t you.”

It was Lir’s turn to nod. “If you can find him and convince him to aid you, you will have my gratitude... and I will lend the Fomorians the strength of the sea.”

I turned to the Murias portal. It appeared to open into the water itself. “The sea,” I remarked absently, watching the dark water lap against the rocks and stones that made up the foundation of Murias.

Lir’s voice snapped me out of my musing. “Bren. 'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with that there is.'”

I recognized his words, a quote from one of Morias’ favorite books, Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. He'd talked about it so much, that I had actually given in and read the thing. I turned back to Lir, digging the next phrases of the passage from the depths of my mind. “'But every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact.'”

A brief flicker of surprise passed over Lir's face before it broke into a grateful smile. I held his gaze as I continued. “I will find your brother, but there will come a time to reclaim what I ‘do not have.’ When that time comes, I will call on you for the strength and speed of the sea.”