The message from Manannán mac Lir seemed to be an invitation of sorts. It was rather short and to the point and said simply, "Its about time. Come see me at Emain Ablach." Alanna stared at the letter for several minutes with an unamused expressions. "Well that is certainly one way to request someone's presence." Alanna said after a while. She saw the faint grimace on the queen's face. "They," she started then paused. "We have waited for a long time for your return. They longer than most." The queen explained her face expressing pain.

There was a brief pause as Medb took a moment to consider her words. "We knew you would come but not what form you would wear. We did not know what realm you would visit first. We," she paused and looked almost pleadingly to Alanna for understanding. "I wanted to ease you into this Alanna. I did not want your quest to be pushed on you this quickly. I—" She paused and looked toward Grainne who's head stared down into her food but looked up at the pause. "We wanted to ensure you were ready before we revealed the way to the next path."

Alanna was felling rather confused by this. She was unsure why they were feeling guilty. She knew that there was something to be learned here. She had a quest from the land that explained as much. She was extending the quest because she had an opportunity to learn about her abilities and to learn an ancient combat forms from an equally ancient master or perhaps masters. She had not given up hope that she would also learn from Sétanta's teacher Scáthach. It sounded like that may not be the case as she was likely to get some additional information for her quest. Which she would readily admit was disappointing even though a part of her wanted to get back home. She had so much to tell her grandparents after all. This trip was one straight out of a fantasy and she touched, even if only the basics, on a bit of the lost abilities for the druids. Still this response was confusing to say the least.

The queen and her daughter were looking at each other with expressions of guild. "Just what do you have to tell me that weighs upon you this much?" Alanna asked the pair. The queen sighed. "I suppose I will share a bit of truth with you. Even if most is what I have gathered over the last several hundred years. We were arrogant when we walked above." She frowned. "I was a child of a child with just enough of the old blood to have power over many and that power was enough that plenty would call me a tyrant for some of the things I did and what I demanded of my lovers and people. The old ones with the blood of Danu and those that claim the blood of Dagna were far worse.

They felt this was their birthright and the humans that came along after, without their blood and from lands far away, were not worthy of it nor worthy of existing in their presence. Yet the human were clever and allowed themselves to be taken by the old ones as servants and lovers. They integrated into the land diluting the old blood further and giving their champions the power to combat the old ones.

Then with their numbers and the power they acquired they pushed the old ones until they accepted a deal. This as you may know led them to the underworld. However, the deal had consequences the humans could not be aware of. The children of the gods were powerful and their blood lines were powerful. The first king refused to leave his lands without ensuring there would be a way back for his people. There was a promise of a home that was given even before his time and he would ensure a way to allow the fulfillment of said promise.

Through a loophole in the deal they found each one of the old gods could influence the land in certain places of power. So, they sent their descendants to guard and protect these places. The half blood beings were not truly human nor children of the tribe of Danu. They were something else. Something the humans enjoy calling a demigod or in some cases like my own a lesser god. The blood eventually diluted and those that were not bound to the old ones died away as their power waned. Yet the ones that were bound to the Tuatha were empowered in these special places of power."

Still, there was concern that something could one day happen to these places of power so the first king made a choice to trust his essence to the land. He made a pact with the land to create a soul like that of the human out of his essence and that the land could use what remained as nourishment. The land would allow his soul to reincarnate upon the land continually until the time for the promise to be fulfilled.

His line, and those of the other's children were never allowed to lead but could protect the land and advise. For if they led it would negate the foolish deal which caused them to leave their home. So, he reincarnated died and then did so again. One day his fears and the reason for the added measure's came to pass and a new god came to these lands. He was simultaneously kind and cruel. Those that believed in him pushed through the land and tried to bury the places of power that linked the land to the other realms."

Alanna nodded in agreement with the last part as it was something she remembered and that was retold to her. She was still fascinated by the different perspective though and listed intently to the Queen. "This did lessen the power the land was able to pull from and all the lands of power were pushed elsewhere in a plain that could maintain them without much effort. For if they remained the land itself would become lessened and it refused. So, all the mystical places were layered around and sometimes in the underworld in a collection of places we call the otherworld.

This also meant that those with any of the powerful races would be pulled into these otherworlds or the underworld when their physical bodies were killed. It is why the mystical races are largely forgotten in the lands above. They come here to be reincorporated as we do not have souls like that of the humans. We can not reincarnate or go to the new god's afterlife for his servants. Hence why I am here after the cheese incident. Similarly Scáthach is here. She is a deity in her own right yet she does not care to be. She has a sacred mission that was passed down to her from her line and while she is tangentially tied to our history, she is of another tribe or clan as they prefer.

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Regardless the beings of power slowly left and all that remained were the offspring of a few families tied to the Emerald Isle where our greatest claim was. They did their best to keep something of the old ways alive and used what scraps of power they had to ensure the smaller passages would remain open. They crated new lore about the fairy forts and even pushed power into them to thin the veil so that the new children of these otherworlds could walk the overworld for a time. They integrated their traditions into the new religions to help find some additional power to ensure there would always be a gateway open.

However, this also caused problems with the people of the otherworld. Their purpose could be tainted and while killing them would free their physical form they would be more likely to hold onto some residual resentment when they reincorporated into the cycle. So, most of us that rule an otherworld created dungeons to hold these beings so that they will stop causing chaos here and if they get through the veil the overworld."

She paused and looked at Alanna pointedly. "This is where you come in. Nuada told the others that he would hold the way open and would only return when the original promise was ready to be fulfilled. There are many believes that suggest he received an oracle or he could divine himself. I don't know the truth of this. What I do know is that when I was given this land as it incorporated here when the power transferred from the Isle of Sky, the old ones told me that one day a being will come with power that was tied to the land and its people. They explained they did not know which land you would enter so they warned all that would hold lands in the otherworld. The old ones told me that you would come and I would know you regardless of the form you wear. I would be drawn to you like a moth to the candle flame." She looked a bit embarrassed as did Grainne. "We are all drawn to you and we do not understand why." She explained.

Regardless, we held these dungeons until such a time as you would return to fulfill both the land's promise to us and your promise to us. The otherworld dungeons must all be cleansed so that the original promise can be fulfilled. Then you will have to find the craftsmen in the underworld as you left something with them which you will require for the next step. I have no idea what that is."

Alanna felt overwhelmed and a bit of anger bubbling up. "Wait, wait you people want me to travel to every otherworld and cleanse them for this quest?" She asked in not quite a shout. The queen quickly waved her hands placatingly and shook her head indicating the negative. "No of course not many of the powers that be will do so once it is confirmed you are here." Alanna felt the panic and anger subside. "Oh thank the stars." She said in obvious relief. "I have so many questions." The queen nodded in acceptance.

"Ok, so first of all I remember my first death to Balor which would have been long before all of this happened. So, how could some of that story be true? Specifically, the part about me trying to save the land somehow?" The queen shrugged and shook her head. "I do not know what happened after you were slain by Balor. However, you would have been reincorporated somewhere. I am not a child of Danu I do not know the powers you and your tribe hold. However, when I died I reincorporated here."

The druidess shrugged in acceptance of that answer. It made a sort of sense given what she heard thus far. "Ok you also said that those of the blood of the old ones could not lead or it would negate the deal made with the humans. So, how were you queen? Medb winced at this and looked down in something akin to shame. "That was my curse in the land above." She said in a voice so soft it was nearly whispered. "I am called the goddess of sovereignty because I can make one a ruler by laying with them. This is not exactly true. I took many husbands to make them kings because I was not allowed to rule even if I was actually ruling." Alanna pursed her lips and then offered an apologetic smile. "That cannot have been easy Medb I wish it was different for you."

The queen nodded in acceptance of her words and looked expectantly at Alanna. "Ok," the druid said. "So, I am supposed to do what then go visit this Manannán guy and do what exactly?" "I imagine he will have something to point you to the next step." The Queen suggested. "How did he even know I was here?" Alanna asked. "We had to tell him when you got here." Grainne interjected. "I sent out a missive the same day." "Ah," Alanna said. She was not sure how she felt about that but was leaning toward not great. It was not a big deal and she had a quest from the land that was quite clearly not normal. Instead of clean up the litter on the side of the road she gets an epic quest for the once and future god queen or some such drivel.

It was mildly irritating to Alanna because she did not want to leave yet. "So, why were you so nervous about telling me all that?" Alanna eventually asked. The queen and her daughter shared a look. "Well," Grainne began after a long moment of silence. "We wanted you to stay a while and be with us your presence is alluring but also comforting. It is hard to explain. However, we also were not sure how you would feel about us telling the old ones of your arrival. Not that we had a choice mind you."

That statement was irritating to the druid because not having a choice was one of the arguments that genuinely pissed her off. Everyone has a choice saying there is no choice is just making a choice to comply. She took a deep breath and calmed down . So many people use that to deflect responsibility and after hearing it for most of her life she found it was a trigger statement for her. Still, that was her issue and she should not take it out on them as they did what they thought they should. She was also being a bit hypocritical. She had probably used that reasoning as well in the past and would likely do so again. It was an easy deflection of responsibility after all.

"So when will I have to leave?" Alanna asked. "I was enjoying the training. My soul may be ancient but this body is under 20 years old." She looked down at herself then frowned. "Actually this body is like a few weeks old." The queen smiled sadly. "If it takes to long he may come here and crossing the land of mists is not something he would enjoy having to do without the guide. I imagine you have a few more days to train if you would like but you should plan to leave soon." Alanna wanted to sigh but a fog screen slowly opened up in her mind's eye showing the completion of a quest and the marking of a new journey into the lands of legend.