The Fifth Beast (ManxMan Chinese/Celtic Fantasy Story)

Chapter 20

It took more than a week for the Stewart of the North to reach his lands. Turned out, the night he and Sencha agreed not to mention again, became a painful reminder that could be felt with every jolt of the horse. With every step, too. Even after a day of rest. Niall had to drop in at the gamekeeper's lodge, although it was out of the way, and send the gamekeeper himself to Sliabh Mis for food, clothes and a chariot befitting the lord. The gamekeeper wasn't even a little bit surprised at the explanation that the lord was attacked and robbed by the barbarians. After all, all the lands beyond the Shield were considered completely wild and lawless.

Beforehand, Niall wrapped his head in a handkerchief and very strictly ordered Sencha to keep quiet about his braid. Basically, the Tuaths believed so strongly in their lord's powers that none of them would have thought that with the loss of the braid, the lord had lost his magic. But still, it was an insult to the lord, and the fewer people knew about it, the better. If the news reached Queen Morrigan, she would understand the consequences of what had happened. And she could strip Niall of his Steward of the North title and even of the Prince of Lightning title, since he could not deter a few dozen robbers. The prospect was very unpleasant, especially now that he was beginning to form a plan to recover not only his braid, but his magic too.

The plan was complex and included many steps, so Niall pondered over it all the days and nights spent in the gamekeeper's lodge. He even failed to notice at first that Sencha, while helping him to undress, suddenly pressed his lips to his shoulder. And once he noticed, he carefully moved away and looked at the boy with silent reproach.

"My lord, forgive my insolence!" Sencha dropped to his knees, wringing his hands again. "I just wanted to comfort you. Let me lift the burden of worries from your brow!"

Great Danu, the boy should have become a bard, not a servant. "The burden of worries from your brow"!

Niall fought back the urge to give him a slap on the back of the head and said sternly but graciously, "Sencha, I promise that whenever I need this kind of comfort, I will definitely turn to you. But not today, for sure. By the way, I will leave for Ynis Celt Castle, on business, for a very long time. I can't take you with me, so during my absence you should consider yourself completely free to take whomever you wish to your bed."

Sencha hung his head, completely convinced that his master despised him after all that had happened. Niall even felt sorry for him, because now the poor boy had no hopes to share his master's bed. And if it were not for the damned Yuizhen of the Kirinches, this would have happened sooner or later — maybe even before returning to Sliabh Mis Castle.

Now he had much more pressing problems. For example, where was the gamekeeper with a chariot, servants and horses? And when would it be possible to send a message to Ynis Celt Castle, to Elatha Mac Lir, Lord of Water, Keeper of the West? Would Elatha receive him? The Lord of Water was capricious and changeable, he could refuse, although he always seemed to favor Niall. And the main question: would the magic of dolmens work without the Elemental Lord's abilities? It should, because mortals too could send messages through dolmens, occasionally, if the situation was dire. But they could not use portals, Niall didn't remember why.

Come to think of it, he never tried to lead a mortal or even a horse through the portal... The Tuatha Dé always did everything the same way as a hundred, two hundred, five hundred years ago. And look at the barbarians, they were always trying something new. Niall very much regretted that he could not find out how Faolan Three Swords had summoned his beast inside the Shield. And how did they catch up with him so quickly? Well, let's say they rode their kirins up to the Shield, but what about further? Fao's white wolf couldn't carry all sixteen people...

Niall slapped his forehead and laughed. Spare horses led by the reins, of course! Without riders, they didn't get tired, the barbarians simply took them as soon as the kirins couldn't go any further. He wondered if kirins just refused to approach the Shield or run against it like against a wall. Or did they simply vanish while crossing the Shield? The bards' song didn't tell of it either. Niall had to admit that in the blessed realm of Mag Tuired, knowledge about their nearest neighbors, their abilities and customs was categorically lacking. And still Niall Mac Nechtan planned no less than a visit to the Kirinch capital, Khanbaliq.

Once Niall reached his castle, he enjoyed washing off all the dirt and made Sencha trim his hair, which had been cut off with a saber blow in the most barbaric fashion. He dressed smartly, took some trinkets as gifts — Elatha loved to be shown consideration. Elatha was the one to teach all those things to the young Lord of Lightning, who had just come of age: how to dress smartly, how to conduct a refined conversation, how to woo and seduce. What a pity that those seeds did not fall on fertile ground. After a year in Ynis Celt, Niall plunged into the dissolute ways of Daire's castle and forgot all about Elatha's lessons. Come to think of it, Lord of Water Elatha Mac Lir, had he wanted to, could bewitch the barbarian chief so that he would have crawled on his knees, kissed his hands, begged... Niall imagined it all too vividly and had to forcefully overcome the surge of lust. No matter, he would make Faolan Three Swords crawl on his knees yet.

With bated breath, he tried to go through the portal to Ynis Celt — it worked, thank Danu. So the necessary magic was in the Sliabh Mis Cromlech, not his own. On the seashore, not far from the cromlech, a boat with rowers was waiting for him. Ynis Celt Castle, the only one in the whole realm, was built on an island in the sea, about a mile from the coast. Elatha himself could easily walk upon the waves of the sea, and all the rest, mortals and Tuatha Dé lords alike, had to reach his castle by boat. Perhaps the Lord of Wind could fly to Ynis Celt, and the Lord of Stone could raise a stone bridge from the bottom of the sea, Niall never asked.

It was rather pointless trying to guess ahead of time what mood Elatha Mac Lir would be, but Niall tried anyway. Of course, he sent the message through the dolmens in advance, asking Elatha to receive him on an important business. Ynis Celt Castle had one dolmen right inside of it, because Elatha was Keeper of the West and Queen's Herald: Queen Morrigan often sent him messages and calls to court in Emain Macha. However, Elatha didn't answer Niall at once. Yes, he agreed at last, but didn't seem too eager.

With a vague feeling of shame, Niall remembered that after a year spent in Ynis Celt, he rarely visited Elatha, although they met at court a few times and even shared a bed on occasion. Well, when Roigh Mac Rowan's bed was occupied — by the Queen, for example.

For the umpteenth time Niall admired Ynis Celt Castle, rising out of the water. The white rock was carved into a lace of graceful bridges, terraces and turrets. Beautiful and unapproachable, like its master. For some reason, Niall didn't seriously consider the possibility that Elatha might refuse his request. Well, he had no reason to. With a sinking heart, Niall realized that Elatha Mac Lir had no particular reason for granting his request either.

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Khanbaliq is a real historical city, the capital of the Yuan Empire, founded by Kublai Khan (Genghis Khan's grandson) in the same place that is now modern Beijing. It's a Mongol name ('city of the khan') and pronounced more like Hanbalyk. From the variety of possible spellings I took the one right from Wikipedia, to show where I was taking inspiration.