Day 13 of Midwinter, Sunrise

The Deep Realm

Annwn

Ruadan let me go first, which I later realized was kind of suspect. Anyone else would likely have had Ruadan at daggerpoint and for good reason. Not only did I not have a dagger, but I also didn’t truly doubt Ruadan’s intentions. I knew him to be a trickster, and to say what was on his mind, but he had looked out for me in the past.

The stone pillars were covered with runes that ran up and down. Though the runes were symbols that I couldn’t recognize, I could guess at the meaning of some, like squiggly lines representing water and a circular symbol that must represent the sun, but the order and meaning of the entire structure were lost to me.

My skin felt fuzzy as if the air was thick. My vision blurred, and I could have sworn I saw an image superimposed over the cave passage. Before me, I could see tiny lights and an underground city. As I continued to walk, the world above faded and gave way to the underground image. I found myself standing underground staring at a city carved into the walls and stalactites of what I guessed was the Deep Realm.

I heard Ruadan behind me and I turned to him. I was going to ask him if I was the first human that had entered the city, but I quickly remembered I wasn’t actually human... and I remembered he and Cai were also here.

Ruadan could read my expression. “I told you not to worry. The city is filled with Fomorian and human partners. We aren’t the only shorties walking around here.”

I thought about that. The presence of both Fomorians and humans seemed to answer one of my questions. I had already known that Fomorians often took human partners to procreate. Their whole line, in fact, had come from a man who used to be human. It sounded as if the Fomorians had not only been reproducing here for centuries, but they had secretly brought their partners from Earth to the Deep Realm.

“Let’s take a walk,” Ruadan said. “Ask me anything. Though I reserve the right to save a question for Neit and Cai.”

We appeared to be on the edge of the city. As we walked, I could see water at the lower levels. The sea seemed to permeate this space, too, which led me to wonder if this was a separate place or if we were truly just underground. The city itself had been built up and out into a massive cavernous space that extended as far as I could see. The walls had a phosphorescent glow. The average person wouldn’t have the slightest problem seeing around.

I craned my neck, trying to take it all in. “Where are we?”

“Ha… that’s the question you want to ask me after all this time?” Ruadan seemed truly amused. “Fair enough, Runt, fair enough. The origins of this place are not something King Neit has ever shared with me or with anyone to my knowledge. But it was certainly established well before High King Bres was deposed. Some of the Fomorians came here for a time after the change of power.”

“But is it a part of Annwn or is it some other place entirely?”

“It’s a part of Annwn the same way Hy-Brasil is a part of Annwn. We are still in the realm of magic and the Sidhe, but there are a few ways to enter the Deep Realm outside of the Protected Isles.

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We continued walking as we talked. Huge platforms carved into the stone appeared to serve as roads between great domed roofs. The supports of these roads reached down into the dark of the water, hundreds of feet below.

I stopped and looked at my red-haired friend. One question had been burning at me. “Tell me WHY?” I finally asked.

“Why what?”

“Why have you aligned with the Fomorians? These people raided your home!”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Should you be judged by the deeds of the people that look like you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I spent a fair amount of time on Earth, back in the day. Should we judge all Germans, for all time, based on the deeds of the Nazis in the 1940s?”

“Of course not,” I said, taken aback. “I heard Tethra speaking on the ship about Balor. Is it true? Is there really a separate faction inside the Fomorian camp that disagrees with the actions of that crazy tattooed freak?”

Ruadan appeared to be considering the best way to answer. Finally, he said, “For years the Fomorians had been oppressed by my family. And when Prince Elatha was killed, there were many angry Fomorians. Then, you and your brother came out of the Pool. King Neit had just lost a son and was grieving. He adopted your brother and the two of them began to rethink the future. That didn’t sit well with Balor and Corb. Many Fomorians resented Cai and wanted to respond, in kind, to the kingdom.”

“Was Prince Elatha killed by one of the Tuatha?”

He nodded. “They believe so. Yes. I met Cai the first time he visited Gorias, at the invitation of my father. I spent more time around them than anyone. We walked the beaches of Flamebright for hours when he visited. I could see the kind of bond they had formed.”

“So, when Brigid suggested that Cai killed Bres, you didn’t believe her.” I wasn't asking a question so much as making a statement.

He nodded again, his expression sad. “I stole the Spear of Victory from Lugh and delivered it to Cai, hoping to even the playing field.”

“What do you mean?” I already knew that King Nuada had the Sword of Light. Was Roo saying the king also had the missing Cauldron of Plenty?

“When the agents of Falias took the Caldron from grandfather, I decided to act quickly.”

“But how did you know that they took the Cauldron?”

“Once you talk to Neit and Cai, you will see the depth to which the Tuatha are willing to step to destroy their opponents.”

I thought about the declaration of war and the Slaugh Doctrine. Overking Nuada and his allies in Hightower were definitely making moves, but to what end I still couldn’t tell.

“Where are we going now?” I asked.

“Túr Crochta...the Hanging Tower.” Ruadan stopped and motioned ahead to a massive stalactite. From our new vantage point, I could see that the city grew out from around this upside-down tower. “Are you finished asking questions?”

I chuckled at his clear discomfort. For the few days I had known him, I’d never seen him able to remain serious for more than a few minutes. “I’m sure I’ll think of more.”

“Thanks for saving my castle, Runt.” Ruadan’s voice was more blunted than usual.

I gave a half smile, but thinking back to that morning made me feel hollow inside. “I just wish I knew if Fíadan and Morias are okay.”

I had expected Ruadan's usual lighthearted, mischievous demeanor to float back to the surface, but he seemed lost in thought.

“What is it?” I asked.

He sighed. “Bren...I know you think Tadg is a good man. I’m proud of you for following him for that reason. But when you talk to Cai and Neit, I want you to remember the siege of Flamebright. I want you to remember all the Fae that died for their Fiery Queen…a Queen who wasn’t there.”

I wasn’t sure what Ruadan was saying at first. Was he blaming his mother for not being there to defend the castle? What was the connection to Tadg?

“We are here,” he said. “I’ll walk you in, but then I will leave you. You should talk to them by yourself.”

“I’d rather have you there with me.”

“That’s because of my charming personality,” he said with a hint of the old Ruadan snark. I think he was doing it for me.

We walked a few more minutes to a place where we could descend into the hanging tower. There appeared to be natural lava tunnels that we used to move inside the stone. Inside, the natural open space blended with carved rooms that seemed to be ancient and worn.

A double-wide doorway in front of me opened into an even larger room. Ruadan put a hand on my shoulder. “Goodbye, Runt. Don’t do anything I’d do…without me.”

I looked at my friend with a confused look, as he turned to walk away, heading back the way we had come. As quickly as he had come back into my life, my Otherworldly friend left me to the whims of my brother and the Fomorian king.