Legacies of light

“I have decided that the four of us will go on a picnic with some of my associates today, so get off your buts and let’s get going.”

I stare at Setanta, and say, “No.”

My brother says, “We have work to do, and unlike you, we cannot just disappear when we have to train.”

With a bright smile plastered over his face, he says, “But what does it matter it is not like you two achieve much anyway.”

His brutally honest words caused both me and my brother to fall to our knees. Our pride is currently shattering into pieces and this direct blow to it has taken our remaining strength.

“Hey, where are your usual comebacks?”

My brother says, “No, more, fighting, spirit.”

Setanta says, “Of come on don’t start acting like humans, show me some fire!” as he grabs and shakes Ibar.

Ferdiad moving closer to me crouches down and says, “You guys still need to get used to riding Liath, and Kooacht. So I think this journey to the picnic will allow both of you two get a better feel for them.”

With all my barriers to mental resistance gone, I say, “Ok then.”

Getting up, my brother says, “I will come too, only if Setanta promises to behave.”

Ferdiad says, “Setanta?”

“I know, I know, I will behave.”

My brother says, “Promise.”

“I don’t think that is necessary.”

“PROMISE!”

“Ok, then, I promis-.”

-Break-

Location: Village of Valeria

Each of us rides towards the village each on the back of a different horse and Setanta with a smile on his face says, “How fun was that, right guys.”

Turning back, Setanta is greeted with a face of expected annoyance from Ferdiad, and two faces of rage from his two legs.

Laeg is covered in leaves and her hair is ruffled, and Ibar is drenched in some form of mucus that clings to his entire body.

My brother says, “YOU PROMISED!”

“How could I have known that the shortcut we took would lead us into a swamp?”

Infrusrted I say, “I know you have a keen sense of smell, you smelt that swamp far before we came across it, you bastard.”

“My nose is feeling a bit stuffy today.”

We both say, “EXCUSES!!!!”

“Why are you guys so upset, we killed all of the wonderbeasts that attacked us.”

“Because I was assaulted by giant bugs, and Ibar got swallowed by that big frog-looking wonderbeast.”

“Ehh, but both of you are alive?” Setanta says with a face of confusion.

“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”

Before I have a chance to jump and assault him a woman says, “Is that you Setanta?”

Looking over to here, he says, “Of Abi, how nice it is to see you.”

“If you are here does this mean it is going to happen again today,” The woman says with a face that makes it feel like she can’t hold back her excitement.

With a proud and overbearing voice, Setanta says, “Of course! Tell those within in the village to make their best meals and bring them to me right now, and to all those who make an excellent meal they should know that the favour of house Faoláin will be with them for the foreseeable future.”

The woman jumps with joy, and I ask, “Wait do you make the villagers make you the food?”

Ferdiad responded with, “Of course.”

Shocked, my brother says, “You really can just walk into a village and demand they make you food, and then they jump for joy. It is scary the power you guys have.”

Setanta says, “Don’t make it sound as if we are forcing them, I make an effort to properly compensate them with rewards for their contribution to the health of the next ruler of Gorias.”

Laeg says, “Not to insult the people here, but would food from this village even be enough for you? The food back at the castle is some of the greatest eating I have ever had.”

Ferdiad says, “Village has become known for its association with house Faoláin so many young cooks come to up refuge here waiting for the chance to get into the good graces of our house. Despite how plain this farming village may look, it is actually a centre of culinary skill within Tir na n-iontas

Setanta says, “Exactly now let me be on my way to go collect the food, while the rest of you go and me our associates.”

Setanta runs off, and Ferdiad says follow me. As we all start riding along with Ferdiad he asks, “How are Liath and Kooacht holding up?”

“Liath here is a nice girl though she does seem a bit slower than the rest of them, yet see feels like she has a rather big temper.”

My brother says, “Kooacht, is much the same. A horse meant to be easy to ride, very different from Crunniuc who loves going fast, yet he doesn’t seem to like it when I go too slow either.”

“Both of them were Setanta's first horses, so they were meant to be easy to ride.”

My brother says, “Don’t you think it would be better if you got other horses for the chariot, these two really aren’t on the same level as Macha, or Crunniuc. I also feel like these two are quite a bit older.”

“Setanta refuses, personally speaking, he refuses to give up on those who refuse to give up, and those two horses are as stubborn as they come so don’t expect him to replace them anytime soon.”

“Of course he is like that,”

Following this, I say, “Well I think these two attitudes, might help Macha and Crunniuc stop being so competitive with each other and fall in line.”

My brother says, “Or it could make it worse.”

Ferdiad says, “True, but we can worry about that later since we have arrived at our location.”

A short distance away from our position, we see a big house one that looks like it was five of my family's taverns fused into one, and in front of that big house. We see a woman.

Looking at Ferdiad I notice his face become noticeably more cherry when he sees her, and he says, “Let’s go meet our associates.”

As we ride forward I get to have a better look at the woman, and see is rather skinny to the point where I think I could even make out her bones if she flexed.

But more than that, she has a horrible burn wound on her face and marks that look like they could only be inflicted on a warrior who has seen countless battlefields.

She is also a squirrel beastkin though she has two tails so she must be a form of wonderbeast as well. One of her two ears is also noticeably damaged, and all of these factors together make her rather hard to look at, she just looks like a rather disfigured person.

When we reached a certain distance we hopped off our horses, and when we did I started to feel a terror, as if I expected this person in front of me to reveal herself as some kind of demon.

But instead, I see a bright cherry smile, and she runs over to us saying, “My little man, are these friends of yours! I thought you would never make another one after Setanta!”

As she runs and hugs Ferdiad, he says, “Mom, please don’t embarrass me.”

“Aww, don’t be like that, you have barely come over recently mommy was lonely.”

Embarrassed Ferdiad turns to us, and says, “This is my mother, Minabród, and mother these are me and Setanta Charioteers, Laeg and Ibar.”

“Nice to meet you,” me and my brother say.

She stares at both of us and after a moment she places her hands on our shoulders, and in an understanding nod she says, “Setanta.”

We both nod back confirming her guess, and she says, “My that boy truly needs to learn restraint, not everyone can keep up with his antic.”

Ferdiad says, “I don’t want to hear that from you, why are you doing laundry didn’t I get you servants for that?”

“Oh, I put them on leave.”

“WHY!!!!”

“They said a bunch of things like, how they were feeling unwell, and how they needed to go to tournaments to find husbands, so I paid them their full wage and let them go early. I just couldn’t bare their saddened faces begging for help.”

Ferdiad, “How early.”

In a rather ashamed tone, she says, “About since you left.”

Ferdiad uncharacteristically makes an emotive expression and says, “MOM DON’T BE SUCH A PUSH OVER!”

She slaps him and says, “Don’t take that tone with me!”

“Can’t you do that with other people?”

In a rather pathetic voice, Minabród says, “They just looked so sad.”

“They will look sadder when their heads roll!”

Ferdiad looks far more annoyed than he ever is with Setanta, but also far more worried.

As the two talk from behind us, I feel a tap on my shoulder, and then turning around with my brother, I see a girl around our age, who is very clearly related to Ferdiad.

She is the same type of beastkin as her mother and has scars just the same, though her face isn’t disfigured, and she is more plump. But one thing that is exactly like her mother is her cherry demeanour.

She makes many different expressions and gestures towards us but does speak and eventually, she brings one of her squirrel tails to the front of her body, and suddenly the hair on the tails starts to shape into the words, “What are your names?”

Doing this seems to put quite a lot of physical strain on her, so I quickly realize why she is doing this instead of talking. But my brother says, “Please stop with the theatrics and speak words. Didn’t anyone teach you that you shouldn’t do strange things in front of people you don’t know.”

She makes a very saddened but also a panicked expression, so I slap my brother in his mucus covered face, and say, “Don’t worry about him.”

Grabbing her arms, I say, “He is Ibar, and I am Laeg it is nice to meet you.”

See jumps up and down with joy and as she does I can’t help but say, “Cute.” Which makes her jump even more with joy.

In all honesty, she looks rather plain, someone you could find off any street corner, and when you add a bunch of scaring on top of that it doesn’t make for the most attractive girl, but the way she is makes it so I can’t say she is anything but cute.

Minabród running over to us, says, “My son is being a bully.”

“No, I am not, come back over here and let’s finish our talk.”

“No, we have guests who need to be cleaned. We also need to prepare for the hoard of food coming our way.”

Sighing, Ferdiad says, “Fine. Ibar come with me and bring your horse, we will clean you up.”

Grabbing me, Minabród says, “Then I will take care of her.”

“Ok then, Minagrain go to your room and wait there for me.”

She makes a series of gestures, and then Ferdiad says, “If you don’t do this I won’t be giving you any of the presents I bought.”

She makes a pouty face and then loudly stomps away, with that both of our groups separate.

Name: Glórmthai

Height: 170 cm

Type: Wonderbeast, Herbivore

Description: A wonderbeast that looks similar to that of a horse. It has greats flowing which it can light on fire to attack and defend itself. By taking in large amounts of air, it can increase this firepower and even shoot it from its mouth, though this can drastically reduce the level of oxygen in an area to unbreathable levels.

Fact: They have been selectively bred by those who own them to minimise the fire abilities within them. This removes a lot of danger for the riders, and ones with weaker fire abilities are far less aggressive, this essentially makes faster and stronger horses.