The wind blew across the leaves quietly as the three stared each other down. The two adults waited patiently, while the boy impatiently bounced in place.
Rider's eyes drifted over to their Master. If the boy took off, then Rider would hold back. Against a warrior like Fergus, it was better for the two not to get in each other's way. Looking back at Fergus, Rider saw he was looking at their Master as well.
Or at least, they believed he was.
It was hard to tell where he was looking with his eyes squinted shut like they were.
While there was a moment of calm, Rider took the time to mentally go over the situation. The geas that they and the boy agreed upon was to not run away from any challenges. Despite Fergus's excitement mere seconds ago, he did not actually issue a challenge to them.
That did mean Rider could allow the boy to face Fergus alone.
On one hand, that was highly irresponsible. As a Servant, it was their duty to protect their Master from potential harm. Otherwise, there was no way that they would achieve their wish in the end. The fact that Fergus simply drawing their sword made Rider draw their own was a testament to how irresponsible it was to send their Master in to fight alone.
On the other, and likely far more important, hand. It was obvious from the few hours Rider spent with their Master that he was incredibly optimistic about his own power. A big fish in a small pond, as it were. He even believed he could take on an army. While Rider was confident that they could defend their Master from any challenger, they knew it was impossible to stay by their Master's side every second of every day.
With warriors willing to go all out against children, it was only a matter of time before such an attitude would end badly. It could be even worse if they ran into a Servant. It was best to nip this problem in the bud now. Hopefully, their Master would learn a lesson and not boast about not needing Rider.
It was decided then. They would let their Master fight until he was beaten down, and then save them at the last second. That was the best way to secure their victory in this ritual.
While Rider finished making their decision, the boy took off.
He rushed headfirst at Fergus, his body low to the ground. The tip of his spear scraped the ground as he ran, cutting small grooves into the ground. The boy ran with the confidence of a warrior superior to his opponent, rapidly approaching Fergus.
Fergus took a single step forward, a seasoned warrior preparing to strike.
The boy's grip tightened on his spear as Fergus raised his sword over his head. Despite the obvious danger, he didn't change his course.
With a roar, Fergus slammed his sword down like an earth shattering hammer. With one more step, the boy would become a nail. Stopping was no longer an option. If even tried to slow down, his momentum would carry him right into the sword's path. Diverting to the left or right would be disadvantageous to the boy. His speed would slow down to turn, and that likely would get him hit by the attack.
In one move, Fergus had the boy pinned.
So the boy took a new option.
Right before the sword could make contact, the boy leapt high into the air. As he flew up, he twisted his body so it was parallel to the ground. He held his spear close to his chest, making sure it wouldn't scrape against the ground. He began to spin, building up power for his next strike. When his small body made it above Fergus, he held out his spear. The weapon's tip barely grazed the ground.
With a yell, the boy performed one final rotation.
The spear spun around, rising up into the air before coming down like a scythe.
Fergus moved his body sideways, avoiding the spear by a hair's breadth. With his free hand, Fergus launched a powerful uppercut into the boy's stomach. He let out a grunt as his fist didn't connect with the boy's stomach like planned.
The boy had tucked in his legs, covering his stomach. Fergus pushed against the defending shins, grunting more as he completed his uppercut. The young warrior was sent flying high into the air, soaring over the treetops.
Fergus watched as the boy flew into the air, a wild grin on his face. His head then tilted towards Rider.
"You're one of them Servants, right? Aren't you gonna help your Master?" Fergus asked.
"No." Was Rider's blunt reply. "This will teach him a lesson."
"Ah, the ol' training regimen of hard knocks, huh? That's harsh." Fergus chuckled. "Well, I guess I'm not one to talk. Every one of my kids went through that and came out stronger for it."
Suddenly, a vertical cut appeared on Fergus's cheek.
The two looked up at the same time. They saw the boy retract his spear as he fell back to the earth. He had a look of intense concentration as he readied to thrust his spear again.
Fergus barely had time to raise his sword before the boy started to rapidly thrust his spear. The sheer speed and power behind each thrust genuinely surprised Rider.
The attacks came down like rain, threatening to overwhelm Fergus. Loud thudding noises could be heard as each attack left behind deep grooves in the earth. The sheer speed of his attacks created afterimages, making it look as if Fergus was attacked by eight spears at once.
Gritting his teeth, Fergus swung his sword defensively, using all his focus to avoid the attacks. It was something that should inherently be impossible, something akin to dodging individual raindrops from a storm.
Yet as Rider looked closely, they noticed that none of their Master's attacks were actually reaching Fergus. Every time the spear came close, Fergus would slightly adjust his position, using his sword to knock away blows from the spear. Rider's grip on their sword tightened as they watched. Was Fergus simply so fast he could keep one step ahead of a wild assault?
No, that didn't seem to be right. He didn't seem to be reacting to the strikes. After a second of thought, the answer struck Rider.
He was predicting where the strikes would go. The precision and calm Fergus had while making these predictions was truly on a different level. That was something only years of fighting could hone.
Their Master was right. Fergus was a powerful warrior.
After three seconds of the intense attacks, the boy stopped. The ground was fast approaching him, so he adjusted himself to land safely.
The second of respite was all that Fergus needed. As the boy landed, Fergus reared back, gripping his sword with both hands. The 'blade' of the sword began to spin, much like a drill. The boy, not seeing a chance to counterattack, held his spear up defensively, ready to push back against the blade.
But that was a futile act.
Rider could sense the mana in the air. As the sword spun, the mana was drawn to it, spiraling around the blade. This caused the blade to spin even faster, causing even more mana to be drawn in. The way it spun plus the strength behind Fergus's swings couldn't be anything but devastating.
There was no way a simple spear would be able to stand up to that.
Fergus swung, and the boy's eyes widened. Before his very eyes, space was bending. He could see his spear, his fingers, his arms, all bending in an unnatural curve, following the same path as the mana being sucked in by the sword.
The sword made contact with the spear and snapped it in two. It didn't even slow down as Fergus completed his swing.
With this, their Master had no weapons, and Rider knew it. Fergus turned his attention to Rider, a grin plastered on his face as he raised his sword again. Rider got into their stance, ready to step in.
Until the boy took his right hand and smacked Fergus's knee with the broken spear shaft.
Rider watched as Fergus stumbled forward. The warrior tried to catch himself, tried to regain his balance, but the boy quickly followed up by using the other half of the broken spear in his left hand. He swung in a wide arc, allowing the sharpened tip to slice across Fergus's chest, in the opposite direction of his three scars. Blood dripped down from the wound the boy inflicted.
"First blood goes to me." The boy's voice had not a hint of excitement, not a hint of disgust. It was just a simple fact he stated. He backed away, twirling the two halves of his broken weapons in his hands.
"Seems so kid." Fergus's response was much more exuberant, a wide grin plastered on the man's face. He was ecstatic at the realization that he didn't break the boy's weapon. He simply gave him two.
This time, Fergus was the first to move, stepping forward and swinging an unspinning Caladbolg once more. The boy moved forward, using his left hand to hold up the sharp half of the spear. It blocked Fergus's swing, although everyone could tell the boy couldn't hold back Fergus's raw strength for long. Seamlessly, he swung the other half of the broken spear, smacking Fergus's waist, causing a loud slapping sound to echo through the woods.
That strike was more startling than damaging, like a teacher snapping their student awake rather than a punishment. The boy retracted his broken spear, going to strike Fergus's leg again. However, he paused as he realized that Fergus's free hand was coming down. It was an ax-like chop that aimed to strike the boy's head.
The boy quickly stepped to his left and used his right hand to swing the blunt half of his spear. It struck Fergus's wrist and pushed the attack away from the boy.
However, in order to do this, the boy compromised his leverage against Caladbolg. With a shout, Fergus twisted his hips and used his sword to smash his opponent into the ground. The resulting blow shattered the earth beneath their feet. Chunks of the earth were launched into the sky, creating a crater with Caladbolg as its epicenter.
Before the boy could attempt to stand back up, Fergus kicked him in the chest. The force of his kick sent the boy flying away and towards the left. He hit the ground and bounced off, like a rock skipping across a lake's surface. He finally came to a stop by crashing into the trunk of the trees that lined across the road.
A moment passed before the boy stood up, wiping his lips with his thumb. "That's the best you got?" He asked, looking no worse for wear.
Fergus let out a loud, boisterous laugh. "Oh, you want me to pull out all the stops, huh? You only had to ask, nameless!" He raised his sword above his head. The drill began to spin once again, and the earth in response glowed.
The boy stared in awe as golden motes of light floated into the air. They came from all around. The grass, the trees, the air itself. The golden light surrounded them like a divine blessing from heaven itself. The drill kept spinning, drawing in the motes of light. They spun around the drill, faster and faster.
The winds picked up, swirling around the drill. The trees began to creak, bending towards the spiraling sword, as if to bow to a king. The grass began to sway towards the blade, as if worshiping a savior.
For a moment, it looked as if space itself was twisting around the blade, around Fergus. He stood, unaffected by the howling winds and the twisting space. He held his sword high, undeterred by it all.
"Grow like a rainbow." Fergus chanted, his voice carrying over the winds. "Become a sword of infinite length." As he spoke, the golden light changed. It became the colors of the rainbow, spiraling around Caladbolg in a beautiful double helix. It surrounded the sword like a mystical sheath, bathing the area in a beautiful light.
The boy was frozen in place, enraptured by the rainbows of the sword. The sight of the world itself submitting to the sword, twisting itself to the wielder's desires. He'd never seen anything like it in his short life.
He smiled. The world truly was a big place! He'd get his answer yet!!
Rider saw the same sight and had a different reaction. Where their Master felt excitement, they felt only trepidation. The swirling rainbow, the earth twisting around Fergus's will. Only someone who was truly powerful could pull off a feat like this. A king that stepped forward and claimed what was his.
"Rainbow, spill forth from where the spiral leads. Pierce the very heavens themselves!"
Neither the Master or the Servant were wrong with their reaction. Caladbolg contained enough power to tear apart the world. To level mountains, to create new valleys, to scar the Earth permanently in a single swing. And yet, at the same time, the beauty of the rainbow served as a reminder to humanity. To take the dreams of yesterday and the will of today and weave them together into a double helix. To always walk towards the future, no matter what stood in your way.
Perhaps the only thing that could match such a beautiful power was a divine blade of the gods themselves.
"Caladbolg!" Fergus roared as he swung his sword.
The result was instantaneous.
Rider felt an immense blast of mana shooting out. It was so powerful that even Rider was blown back. They dug their feet into the earth, trying to keep their balance. In the end, they remained upright, but they were pushed back even further away from Fergus and the boy.
The trees behind the boy were all cut right above their roots. The mighty trees were pushed into the air, leaving a trail of stumps all the way back to the beach. The entire forest, standing for hundreds of years, was carved out instantly by a single swing of Caladbolg.
The boy stood up, looking at the sheer destruction. He turned back, looking at Caladbolg. Gritting his teeth, the young warrior grabbed on to both halves of his broken spear with one hand as the other reached behind his back, searching for his dagger. However, all he grabbed was air.
"What the—? Where's my dagger?!" The boy grasped at the air repeatedly, as if his dagger would manifest if he just kept trying.
"You left it back at the beach." Rider called out, neglecting to mention that they were the ones that took the dagger off their Master's person in the first place. The Master didn't answer Rider, instead eyeing the forest.
The trees were beginning to fall back to the earth. It would be dangerous to head back to the beach now. And yet to the boy, his best key to victory was there.
"I'll be back." The boy said before running off towards the falling trees.
"Oy! Who said I was gonna let you get a weapon?" Fergus cried out, rushing to the boy. He reached out his hand as he ran, ready to grab the boy and drag him back into the fight. However, one of the trees slammed into the ground in front of Fergus, blocking his way. "Dammit." The man cursed as he jumped on top of the tree. He waited for another tree to crash into the ground before hopping to that one.
Slowly but surely, he was making progress across the falling forest.
Rider watched the two disappear behind the trees, standing still for a second. After letting a few more trees fall, Rider let out a breath. A golden glow appeared beneath Rider, taking the form of a horse. After a split second, the glow faded and revealed a large black horse.
"Onwards, Kyōgoku." Rider commanded, pointing to the fallen trees. The horse snorted before leaping into the air. It landed on the thick tree trunks and galloped across them. With their sharp eyes, Rider could see Fergus running one step behind the falling trees. He perfectly timed his jumps so he would land on a new tree just as that tree hit the ground.
Further ahead was the boy. He ran across the stumps of the mighty trees, staying one step ahead of the trees as they fell from the sky. He never broke his stride, never hesitated. He just kept running. Even as the trees came close to landing on him, he stayed just one step ahead.
Finally, the running young warrior leapt off the last stump, making it back to the beach without being squashed.
He took one second to scan the beach, looking for their campsite. He quickly spotted the remains of the campfire they made and dashed off towards it. He ignored the sounds of the forest crashing into the earth behind him, the sounds of rumbling thunder, and the yells of Fergus. All he did was run.
When he got to the campsite, he quickly found his dagger. He scooped it up, spinning it in his hand as he looked around for another one of his possessions.
"Where's my cape…?" He muttered to himself. He remembered leaving here, but he couldn't find it at the campsite. His eyes drifted over, seeing Fergus charge at him like a runaway bull. He had about five seconds before Fergus would be right on top of him. That wasn't a lot of time.
The boy quickly turned around, looking further down the beach. That's when he noticed it. His cape was blown further down the beach, and caught on a group of rocks. It looked as if it could slip away and fly into the ocean at any second.
Ignoring Fergus, the boy started to run again. Once he had the cape, his final attack plan could be put into motion. However, before he could truly get going, Fergus rammed right into the boy shoulder first, sending him flying into the sand.
"You done running?" Fergus asked with a grin as he dusted off his shoulder. The boy didn't answer. He pushed himself up to a knee slowly, his hands clenching around his two pairs of weapons.
With the speed of a viper's strike, the boy spun around and struck Fergus's knee with his broken spear shaft. Fergus let out a cry of pain as his body slumped. He caught himself, kneeling on one knee instead of laying on the ground. That was until the boy smacked him across the face with his spear shaft.
Fergus fell to the ground, groaning a little. The boy dropped his broken spear halves before turning and rushing towards his cape once more. It didn't take long for him to grab his cape. The boy grinned to himself. With this, his victory was sealed.
He turned around to face Fergus, watching the warrior stand back up. He also noticed Rider riding up to them on a horse. He blinked in confusion. Where did Rider get a horse from?
He shook his head, focusing back on his battle.
Once again, he charged at Fergus, his cape flapping behind him as he ran. His dagger reflected the sunlight as he closed the distance. Fergus took a wide, sturdy stance once more, watching the boy's moves.
The boy himself kept an eye on Caladbolg, measuring it mentally. Once he was just outside Caladbolg's reach, he threw his cape up between them. This created a blue curtain that concealed his next move.
It didn't last for long though. Less than three seconds later, the cape was quickly pushed aside by the dagger the boy threw. It rocketed at Fergus's stomach, threatening to pierce him like an arrow.
A grin came across Fergus's face. If the boy was trying to distract him with the sheet and dagger, then…
Fergus swung his sword in front of him, knocking away the dagger that was flying right at his stomach. This was an obvious sequence of events, planned meticulously. A sheet to block his sight, a knife to draw away his attention. To force him to look down and create a blind spot above him.
Essentially, it was the same move the boy pulled at the beginning of the fight, but with more planning behind it. If he was a lesser warrior, then this might have worked on Fergus.
Fergus was anything but.
Without looking, he quickly threw a punch into the air above him. His fist would connect with the boy that was leaping up to strike him. With a successful counterattack, he would follow up with a—
His neck exploded with pain as his fist hit empty air. Something had hit him from behind. The force of the blow sent Fergus careening down the beach, his body bouncing off the sand several times, leaving small impressions of his body in the ground.
When he finally came to a stop, Fergus quickly stood back up, rubbing his neck. He knew he was hit, but by what, he couldn't imagine. It wasn't Rider's sword, or he likely wouldn't be alive right now. He looked up, seeing he was blown a fair distance away from where he was. But more surprising than the distance he crossed was what the boy was doing.
He was landing from a kick, his body glowing with a mystical power.
Did that kid… kick him in the back of the neck? But how? To get behind Fergus in a blink of an eye and to strike him before he could even register he missed his counterattack? That kind of speed could only be reached with the use of—
He couldn't finish his thoughts as the boy crossed the distance in a blink of an eye. His fist crashed into Fergus's stomach, causing the man to gasp out in pain. The ground shook from the impact, throwing sand into the air. Fergus took off like an arrow, flying across the beach before crashing into the earth.
It was at this moment both Fergus and Rider realized they made the same mistake.
They greatly underestimated this boy.
Fergus realized why the boy was glowing, why the boy's speed had nearly tripled in an instant. Honestly, there was only one explanation. The young warrior was using the power of Primordial Runes.
But how? Even ignoring the fact that only a select few warriors had access to that, Fergus had his eyes on the boy the entire time. There was no point where he drew any runic symbols. Even if he miraculously had a way to activate them without drawing them, there was a telltale glow, one he couldn't miss.
Unless there was a cape blocking his vision.
"You clever kid." Fergus grunted as he stood back up. By now, the mystical glow around the boy vanished, signifying the end of their benefits. Fergus cracked his neck, as he rubbed the bruise forming on his stomach. "I'll admit, those were some pretty good hits."
"And there's plenty more where those came from." The boy retorted as he threw a few punches, the air whistling around his fists. "Unless you wanna just give up now?"
Fergus laughed. "It'll take a lot more than some good hits to get me to surrender, kid!" He got back into his stance, readying Caladbolg.
"Couldn't hurt to ask." The boy stated as he lowered his body, making himself a smaller target.
"Oh, it can definitely hurt to ask. Just got to find the wrong people." Fergus commented as Caladbolg began to take in mana once again, spinning faster and faster. The two stared at each other, ready to make their next blow their last blow.
The sound of a woman screaming stopped the two in their tracks. The fact that it came from the ocean was very concerning. Looking out to the water, they caught a glimpse of a woman's head being pulled underwater.
Fergus took off in an instant. Without hesitation, without thought. As if the battle he was in never happened. His heroic figure rushed to the ocean, Caladbolg's spinning only intensifying. He moved faster now than he ever did during the fight.
All to save one woman.
"Hold on, fair maiden!" He roared at the top of his lungs. His body disappeared under the waves. The only evidence he was ever there was the water beginning to swirl due to Caladbolg.
The boy stood there, the tension in his body loosening as he lowered his arms. "Uh…" There was no way the fight was over yet, right? No one won yet. They… they had to finish! They would finish. There was no way a warrior would abandon a fight like that.
The air grew eerily quiet as Rider found themselves staring at the waters. This felt too familiar to them. A woman being drowned… was this the work of a monster?
Their Master still stared at the ocean, unable to tear his eyes away. Why did Fergus— suddenly, it clicked for him. He knew what happened and what was going to happen. "Rider!" his voice rang through the air, drawing Rider's attention. "There's going to be more of them! Get ready!" He shouted as he ran towards his dagger.
Rider noticed their horse starting to get restless, their head turning to the left. Following the horse's gaze, Rider discovered their Master was correct in his assertion.
From the forest galloped forth three creatures. They resembled horses, although their size paled in comparison to Kyōgoku. They appeared to be made of water, with a fish's fin replacing their tail and a noticeable lack of eyes. They looked harmless, but when it came to monsters, looks were very often deceiving.
Which was a hard lesson the three girls 'riding' on the horses' back were surely learning at this moment. The lower halves of their bodies were submerged into the horse. No matter how much the girls struggled, they couldn't pull themselves free. They could only watch in horror as the ocean came closer and closer to them.
Rider drew their sword, black lightning crackling around it once more. Kyōgoku took off towards the water horse, doing its best to intercept them before they went into the ocean. The three monsters were of the same herd but kept some distance between them. Perhaps they caught their prey at separate times.
It didn't matter though. At this moment, both Rider and their mount were of one mind.
Monsters must be eradicated.
Without a word, Rider swung their sword through the air. An vertical arc of black lightning was formed from the swing and shot out towards the monsters. The arc traveled for less than three seconds before it sliced off the hindquarters of the horse at the back of the pack.
The two halves fell apart, both turning into water and a small squishy mass that resembled a jellyfish. The black haired girl screamed as she fell into the sand, but she was otherwise unharmed.
Rider noticed a glint of light streaking towards the head of the horse leading the pack, the one whose hooves were entering the water. The light struck the horse right where its eye would be. The head exploded instantly as the boy's dagger flew through it and into the ocean. The rest of the horse's body fell into the water, leaving behind only the small gelatinous mass. The red headed girl riding its back fell into the water, although the water was shallow enough that she was not in any real danger.
The final monster, realizing the danger it was in, reared up, braying like a horse to try to scare away its attackers.
It didn't work.
The boy dashed past Rider, his speed once again empowered by his runes. He grabbed the waist of the blonde girl off the horse's back. With a grunt and a heave of effort, he managed to pull her out of the horse's water. He held her close to himself as he leapt away from the monster. Rider followed up by swinging at the horse's stomach. The lightning infused blade easily sliced through the water, and the lightning electrocuted the horse even as it was sliced in half.
The boy landed by the water. He effortlessly held the girl he rescued with one hand, using his other to grab the girl who fell into the water by the ankle. He then dragged her out of the water, bringing the two to the final girl who fell into the sand.
He dropped the girl in his hand unceremoniously, the girl letting out a little surprised sound as she landed on her butt. He pulled the girl he was dragging right next to the other two girls.
Rider came to a stop by the girls, climbing off Kyōgoku to stand in front of the girls and next to their Master. The girls huddled together, afraid of the armored giant that stood before them.
Looking down at them, Rider took in the differences between the girls. They were all of varying ages, the oldest looking to be about 14 while the youngest looked to be about 7 years old. Their eyes looked over to their Master. He looked to be about the same age as the youngest in this group.
Rider turned their attention back to the girls. "What are your names?" They asked in their monotone, robotic voice. The three girls looked confused, taking the time to look at each other.
"I… don't think it's wise to give our names to the fae." The oldest girl, the one with the black hair said, doubt and fear creeping into her voice.
"They ain't the fae." The boy stated as he folded his arms. "They're a spirit, that's totally different." He shrugged. "Besides, why are you all so jumpy now? You climbed on the back of water monsters thinking that'd turn out fine for ya."
"Oy!" The red headed girl in the middle said as she tried to stand up, only for the oldest and the youngest to keep her sitting. "We thought those were steeds of Manannán mac Lir!"
"Well, they ain't." The boy snapped back. "Those were kelpie, not Manannán's horses." he explained. "They lure people to ride on their backs before rushing them into the ocean and drowning them. Then they feast on the people's flesh." The girls turned pale at his horrifying explanation.
"Like kappa…" Rider muttered to themselves. Their Master's head turned as Rider muttered, tilting his head in confusion.
"Kappa?" He asked. The gears turned in the boy's head, and something seemed to click for him. It wasn't really fair to chew into someone about a monster not native to their home, right? "Well… I guess it ain't your guys' fault you confused a kelpie for one of Manannán's horses." He admitted to the girls with a shrug. "That does make me wonder why kelpies are here. They're from Alba…" The Master rubbed his chin. While that technically wasn't too far away, monsters didn't normally wander across the entire ocean.
"... Perhaps they are drawn here due to the Cauldron." Rider stated. "Attracted to its massive amount of mana."
"... That makes some sense…" The boy muttered. "I guess we'll have to be a little more careful then." Who knew what other kind of monsters, foreign or otherwise, might come crawling out of the woodwork due to the Cauldron.
As the two talked amongst themselves, the three girls looked at each other. After a second of silence, the youngest, the blonde, finally spoke up. "Cadhla." she said. The boy looked at her, blinking.
"What?"
"Cadhla. That's my name." The girl explained. "Your spirit friend wanted to know it."
"Roisin." The oldest one said, keeping her eye on Rider.
"And I'm Aigneis." the middle child chimed in. The Master and Servant nodded at the same time as they processed the names. Rider went to speak, but before they could, the boy went first.
""Well, Cadhla, Roisin, and Aigneis, can you three make it back to your homes by yourselves?" He asked. The other four present turned to look at him as if he was crazy.
"Master, I do not believe that is the proper response to give to them." Rider stated. While of course their focus should be more on the war, sending the three young girls out on their own would likely not gain the duo any favorability with the country's inhabitants. Which was not a position the two could afford to be in.
"I mean, I'm sure they wanna go home as soon as possible, but it ain't like we can escort them. We gotta deal with him first." The boy pointed to the ocean. "I doubt he'll just let us get away after—"
The boy's sentence was interrupted by a gigantic pillar of water erupting from the ocean. It swirled like a whirlpool even as it stretched up into the sky. The group turned to look at it in confusion and awe.
From the top of the pillar flew out Fergus. The force of the spinning pillar launched him through the air. Like a meteor from the heavens, he crashed into the beach. The sand was blasted into the air, obscuring the view of him for a few seconds.
When the sand was blown away, they could see his muscular back facing them. In his arms was the woman he saved, unconscious, but very much alive. The girls stared in awe of Fergus, but Rider's sights were elsewhere. Their gaze was solely on their Master.
"Took you long enough!" The boy grinned as he took his stance, bouncing on his toes. "Let's do this quick then!"
Fergus didn't answer him. Instead he walked towards the forest. He didn't even look back. It was as if the boy and his challenge never even existed for him. The group stared in stunned silence as the water pillar collapsed back into the ocean.
"Oy!" The boy shouted at Fergus. "Where're you goin'?! Get back here and finish our fight!" He took a step forward, only for Rider to grab him by the shoulder.
"The fight is over now, Master." Rider told him in a monotone but gentle voice.
"What? No it ain't!" Their Master shouted, ripping his shoulder away from Rider's grasp. He spun around to face Rider. "This fight ain't over until he's in the dirt and telling me who Scathach's greatest student is!!"
"It is obvious he is not going to fight you." Rider countered.
"That ain't true!" The boy's shouts only grew louder. "A warrior doesn't just back away from a fight, especially not one like him! He'll put the girl down, and then I'll put him down!" He turned around to face Fergus. "Now leave me alone and—"
The boy's voice died in his throat as he looked at the beach in front of him. Fergus was gone. His footprints went into the forest, and his figure had long disappeared in between the still standing trees. The boy stood there, stunned. Did Fergus really abandon their fight?
The next sound out of the boy's throat was a vicious scream of anger. With a voice that would awaken spirits sleeping in the earth, the boy screamed towards the heavens. His anger and his sorrow all poured out in that single scream.
Rider looked down at the young girls, seeing them huddle together. Whether it was in fear of their harrowing experience or the wrath of the boy, Rider wasn't sure. Perhaps it was both. It was a pathetic sight, honestly. Perhaps it would be better if they were to—
"Well, I guess we can take you home after all." The boy suddenly turned back to the group, an exasperated look on his face. His chest was heaving, his body shaking from exertion, but other, he looked normal. Like he didn't just scream like an angry monster.
"You sure? We wouldn't want to inconvenience you after all." Every word Aigneis said dripped with sarcasm, something the other two didn't agree with. They tried to stop her, but the words came out, unable to be taken back.
"Thanks for your concern, but it's not really an inconvenience." The boy said as he shrugged, missing every drop of sarcasm. "The only thing I had better to do ditched me." He stated as he pointed to the sky. "'Course, if you wanna go home alone, we can let ya do that."
Aigneis went to open her mouth, but Roisin slapped her hand over it. "Please, take us home." She almost begged.
"Okie dokie." The boy stated, stretching a bit. Rider got on a knee and held out their hand towards the girl.
"Come then, we will make sure no harm befalls you." They stated in a neutral tone. The girls looked at each other for a second. Roisin cautiously reached out her arm, placing it into Rider's palm. With a gentleness and grace unexpected from one so heavily armored, Rider helped the girl onto her feet.
Aigneis was next up on her feet, and Cadhla soon followed her.
"So… where's your village at?" The boy asked. The three girls looked at each other before Aigneis walked forward.
"I'll lead the way." She said enthusiastically as she walked off. The boy nodded as he followed her. Rider took a step, before noticing that there were two strange weights on their body.
Looking down, they saw that Roisin and Cadhla grabbed their hands. That was… less than desirable. Rider was tempted to force the two to walk on their own, but deep down they knew it would be faster to let them have their way.
And besides, these children weren't the problem.
Rider followed behind their Master, walking carefully so the two girls wouldn't be dragged behind them.
Aigneis led them through the forest, taking careful steps. Everyone stayed behind her, letting her lead. They made it through the first forest without issue, getting to the dirt road where they met Fergus.
The group stopped at the dirt road. They looked to their left. No one was coming their way. To their right, the way was clear too. At the very least, there would be no more distractions. The group crossed the road to go into the forest on the other side.
The forest itself was very quiet. Rider carefully observed their surroundings as they walked through the trees. Now that they had more people in their group, Rider would have to be more vigilant. Their group was large enough to look appetizing to a larger monster, but not large enough to dissuade any attacks.
Thankfully, besides a few grazing deer and several birds, Rider saw nothing in the forest. Although, perhaps a little more worryingly, it was getting harder to tell where they were. The trees loomed over them like silent sentinels, and all looked similar to each other.
Yet Aigneis walked forward without faltering. Her confidence really convinced everyone that she knew where she was going. They followed her without questioning, even as the minutes stretched on.
However, children's patience was a very finite thing.
"Wow, this is takin' a while." The boy finally commented as he put his hands over his head.
"Well, excuuuuuuse us for not having a horse!" Aigneis snapped as she turned to look at the boy with a wild look in her eyes, her flame red hair only making her look even wilder. Rider was sure she was ready to start swinging at him right here and now. Still, she kept walking, not letting her annoyance distract her.
"Actually, come to think of it, Rider has a horse." The Master turned to look at his Servant. "Where did that horse even come from?" He asked. "Heck, why aren't you ridin' it now?"
"Kyōgoku comes when I will him to." Rider explained. "The reason I do not do that now is because he is too big to run swiftly between these trees."
"Eeeeeh, no real way to speed up then? Boooo…." The boy pouted.
Suddenly, a large growling noise echoed throughout the forest. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, causing Rider to stiffen up in preparation. The birds took off in a panic, as the deer disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
"Was that a monster?!" Roisin asked, clinging to Rider's arm. The growling rumbled through the trees again, causing the girl to cling even tighter to Rider.
"Ah, no, sorry." The boy raised his hand. "That was me. I ain't ate breakfast yet." He shook his head as his stomach growled once more. "Imma go see how much further we have until we get out of this forest."
With that, the boy latched on to the nearest tree, and started to scale the trunk at an inhuman speed. He soon disappeared into the leaves above, the rustling of the leaves being the only proof he was there.
"He's weird." Cadhla muttered, pulling herself closer to Rider.
"Is he?" Rider asked rhetorically as they stared at the trees.
"Well, whaddya know?" the boy's voice echoed from the treetops. "If we stop yapping, we can be outta here in five minutes!" he suddenly fell out of the tree, landing next to Aigneis. "You were headin' the right way too, good job!" He grinned.
What was sincere sounded condescending.
"You twat!" Aigneis shouted as she punched him on the shoulder. The boy stumbled back a bit, caught off guard.
"What was that for?!" He asked. Aigneis didn't answer. She simply stormed off, headed towards the end of the woods. The boy stood there, more confused than anything else. He looked to Rider, as if they had some sort of answer.
"Worry not about it, Master." Rider said simply as they went to follow Aigneis. Their Master sighed to himself as he rubbed his head. He gave himself a second to try to figure out what he did wrong before he went to catch up with the group.
Soon, they managed to exit the forest, the sunlight hitting their eyes. What felt like an eternity was probably nothing more than thirty minutes of travel. Yet, everyone found themselves thankful to finally be out of the forest.
A wide plain of the greenest grass stretched out in front of them. And a little further into the distance, they could see a quaint little village. The girls' faces lit up at the sight of it.
"Almost home!" Roisin cheerfully cried out, finally letting go of Rider's arm. Aigneis began to run towards the village, obviously hoping to leave the Master and Servant behind. Roisin was quick to follow her, both girls running across the field without a care in the world.
Cadhla on the other hand, refused to let go of Rider's hand.
"Hmm? You ain't gonna join them?" The boy asked.
"I—" The little girl hesitated. "We rode the horses because we thought it would help the village. And… Now we're going back without helping the village. Mommy's gonna be mad…" she muttered.
"Ah, yeah, that'd make sense. She'll probably be livid." The boy said in a sincere tone as he folded his arms. "Well, you might as well face the punishment now rather than later, right?"
"Do not listen to him." Rider stated, causing the two to look at Rider. "I am sure she will be happy to see you safe." The boy gave a look of confusion as the girl gave a look of relief. "Come, let's not keep her waiting any longer."
With that, Rider walked towards the village. Cadhla happily walked alongside them. The Master stayed behind once again, once again trying to figure out what he said wrong. With no answer coming to him, he decided to not think about it for now and just follow the two.
It didn't take long until the three made it to the village entrance. Roisin and Aigneis were already heading home, not even sparing a look back as they went. Rider didn't mind that though. What they did mind however was a sudden pressure filling Rider's body.
It wasn't anything threatening. In fact, it was something helpful. That pressure told Rider that there was something involving magecraft happening. The worst part of it was, it wasn't coming from a singular house, nor was it something as simple as them crossing into a Bounded Field.
No, this entire village was being affected by it.
"Master." Rider stated.
"You can sense it too, huh?" Their Master muttered as he rubbed his head, as if he was trying to soothe an ache. Rider simply nodded in response.
"Sense what?" Cadhla asked as she turned to look at the boy. The boy took a deep breath, steeling himself before answering.
"There's some dark magecraft going on in this village."
