The Fifth Beast (ManxMan Chinese/Celtic Fantasy Story)

Chapter 4

The village of Airenn lay at the intersection of roads leading to all four cardinal directions. More precisely, the road to the south, to Mag Tuired, passed through the Shield and after about fifty miles came to a river ford, behind which rose the powerful walls of Ath Luain Castle. The northerners were not allowed further, and Daire Mac Cormac took a huge toll from the Tuaths who wanted to trade with the North. For a while, a spontaneous market existed right under the walls of Ath Luain, until Daire dispersed it in a state of heavy alcoholic intoxication. Daire showed no regrets, but Niall suspected that his income had dropped significantly since trade had moved north to Airenn. After only fifty-some years, a decent-sized settlement had grown here.

Cumal Mac Ruadh built Da Derga Mansion away from inns, market stalls, and merchant houses, on the rocky shores of Lochlann Lake. But the Tuaths, of course, sought to settle closer to the only Elemental Lord in the area, and the mansion itself grew: houses for servants, warehouses, and cattle pens were built. In a word, the village of Airenn threatened in a few years to spill over onto the banks of Lochlann Lake and swallow Cumal's house.

Niall joked that it was time for Cumal to build a castle and call himself the lord of Airenn. Cumal replied with feigned seriousness that he thought about it, thanks, but no thanks! Two-thirds of the population was barbarians (the Kirinches and the multilingual rabble coming from various distant coasts), and he would have to take them under his wing too, and it would be a bore to resolve trade disputes and sort out drunken fights in taverns, which happened here every other day. Or every day, period.

When Cumal visited Niall in Sliabh Mis, he always came via Ath Luain Cromlech. Niall had no doubt what kind of a toll Daire was imposing on Cumal, but he never asked either of them about that. It was considered indecent to inquire which of the Tuatha Dé lords was sleeping with whom, just as it was indecent to show jealousy or give preference to one partner for a long time. Considering how long the Elemental Lords lived and how few of them were left, they all ended up in bed with each other sooner or later.

Niall himself preferred to get to Airenn by forest paths from his own castle, not to send, for example, Sencha with horses ahead, and go himself through Sliabh Mis Cromlech to Ath Luain. Daire would have made a feast and kept him for at least three days. Young and innocent Sencha would very quickly lose his innocence somewhere in the hayloft, and hardly very voluntarily, if the morals of Daire's retinue did not change. Niall felt responsible for the boy. After all, he was only seventeen years old. In addition, Niall didn't want to go along a wide busy road, among carts with goods and cattle, which were driven for sale.

It was an incomparable picture, when he crested another hill, and a wild northern landscape opened before him, full of wonderful, unfamiliar charm. Bare hills, strewn with stones, overgrown with feather grass, surrounded Lochlann Lake. The lake gave off the same unbearably bright blue as the eyes of the Lord of Water. In the cold, transparent air, the colors seemed brighter, richer, and the horizon was distant, boundless, limited only by the snow caps of high mountain peaks. No plowed lands, no mills, no grazing herds. Wild, barren country. No wonder the Kirinches called magical beasts into their service. There was simply nothing to feed ordinary horses with.

He saw the red roof of Da Derga Mansion from afar and spurred his stallion around the village of Airenn. At the mansion, Niall spent maybe half an hour in a hot bath and at a light lunch, and then he and Cumal fell into bed and did not get out of it until the next morning.

It was not as Niall had imagined on his way to the lands of the Kirinches. It was so much better.

Cumal was hot as a stove, his skin exuded fire, his kisses burned. Niall arched his back, moaned and even cried out loudly from a particularly sophisticated caress.