Fate/Curadh Beag

Chapter 26: The Land of Apples and Avarice

FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 26: The Land of Apples and Avarice

Morning came, and the group packed up the camp site before following Manannan further into the forest of dead trees. She pointed ahead and told them, "Just keep going straight from here. The mist will thicken as you venture in deeper, and you might feel a little nauseous while passing through to Emain Ablach."

"Uh oh..." Connla murmured, worried about getting sick again.

"Don't worry," Conall assured, then kneeled down to carry her piggyback style. "I'll make sure you don't collapse."

"W-Wait, I don't really need to-"

"You need to conserve your strength. If the faeries really are as unpredictable as Cuchulainn and Manannan claim, then we need to be prepared to deal with them. Besides, you hardly weigh much at all. Did you ever eat a proper meal while growing up?"

"Um..."

Mini Cu grumbled, "Just give it up, kid. Once Conall sets his mind on something, it's impossible to convince him otherwise. Besides, I'm kind of curious about that as well."

Connla tilted her head and wondered, "I'm not sure what you mean by a 'proper meal'."

"Well..." Conall said, and they diverged into a menial conversation while journeying further into the woods, following behind Fergus as he took the lead with Liath Macha.

Manannan and Morrigan did not accompany the group though. They were worried that the fairies would panic if they saw two of the Tuatha de Danann's gods accompanying humans, which would compromise the mission. They offered to take care of Deirg nDruchtaig and Dubh Sainglend until they returned, since Liath Macha refused to leave Connla's side, and it would be easier to just take one steed anyway. As the trio and their horse ventured further and their forms vanished in the distance, Manannan couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"What's with that troubled look?" Morrigan asked. "You think they won't be up to the task?"

Manannan closed her eyes and murmured, "That's not it. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Concerning Fand?"

"I guess it's that obvious to you, isn't it?"

"But of course. She's the one responsible for starting this whole fiasco. She might be so on edge that she could attack at any moment. You do realize that means Fergus and them will have to defend themselves, right?"

"I know. Ultimately, it's all up to how she reacts. The only thing I can hope for is that Cuchulainn will talk some sense into her."

Despite Manannan's belief that everything was going to turn out okay, she just couldn't fully shake the feeling that something tragic was about to happen. The Pseudo Servant pressed her hand against her chest and gazed into the distance, silently praying for the team's success. She was especially worried about Connla, given how unwell she looked. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to a time that was now lost...

A time when she looked after a certain boy who would grow up to be one of the Tuatha's greatest heroes.

Lugh... Please keep your granddaughter safe...

****

Fergus and the others continued onward for around 30 minutes without incident. However, that was about to change very soon. It didn't take long before their surroundings started to shift. Just as Manannan warned them, the scenery slowly started to get harder and harder to see through due to a soupy thick mist rolling in all around them. Before long, the only thing they could see were their own hands and the very ground they walked upon.