Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Fantasy

Chapter 5 ● Ronan 
                    Ireland, 1915

       "Rí na Farraige, we're not saying this to annoy you. You should be careful around that druid! He's from the east, our-" One of the council men said red-faced.

       "Thorn in our side? The most annoying nit-pickers in all of Ireland? The corporate side of Ireland that also happens to be the side with the less humor? I never would have guessed!" Ronan exclaimed as he pressed his fingers to his lips like a schoolgirl in shock.

      "Mo Rí, this is no joking matter. The East have hated us since you took the throne from Bryan." Another council man chided in. Ronan looked at Henry, with a bored expression. Ronan’s lips were in a permanent frown that was surrounded by his dark beard. He decided to let his hair fall down against his shoulders instead of up in a bun. 
         "Bryan was a corrupted King that not only allowed my mother to be killed mercilessly, but he also allowed foreigners into our land. By doing so the South was reduced to darkness and struggled to even produce magic, the Tree was dying, for fucks sake. When I killed him and took the throne I not only saved the tree I also helped bring miles of land back to us. Our. Rightful. Land. Or did you forget all the good I did for you?" Ronan leaned back in his throne, his face aloof but his eyes were like stormy waves and the council men was the poor ship at sea. They shifted uncomfortably by his stare. 

      "Mo Rí...we would never doubt your leadership." Said the man of the People. Ronan shot his glare at him and watched the council man step back.

       "No?" Ronan said. They all shook their heads. "Then why are you questioning my leadership desicion regarding the Druid Emmet?" He tilted his head, his long dark hair flowing like black water over strong boulders. The council men shifted again. "I am perfectly aware of what the East has done and why the South amd West should be wary of them, but I also know that bringing Emmet here is the perfect choice for this clan. The South is the biggest territory, therefore we need the best people in our ranks." That was that. End of discussion. The council men all nodded and bowed to Ronan then left. 
      Ronan turned his head to a fairy who was standing to the side, she was a spring fairy. Her hair was a reddish blonde and was always tied up by a blue scarf, the color of the South, that always went well with whatever she wore. She was taller than most of the spring fairies but Ronan always found that intriguing, she stood at Five-foot-eight and had a curvy yet athletic build. Her eyes were as blue as the spring sky, her lips were pink like the sky during sunset. She always smelled of wild flowers and campfire wood. In other words, she was the girl of Ronan’s dreams. 

       "Mo Ri," She said, her voice like sunshine. "Must you scare the poor men?" She giggled, a giggle like dandelions in the breeze.

       "Don't act so innocent, Mo fairy álainn. I've seen what you can do." He teased. She smiled and shook her head, blonde strays fell onto her face swiftly.

       "I have no idea what you're talking about." She smiled big then bowed. "I'll chime the bells for breakfast." She said with elegance.

       "You do that, Einin." He said with a smile. She nodded and gave him a small wave and left the hall. Ronan's smile faded as he rubbed his eyes and found himself lost in his thoughts again. He stared at the large doors with a far-away look, his cheek resting on his large hand. It wasn't until the bells chimed nine times until Ronan got up and walked to the dining hall. 
        When Ronan walked in everyone smiled and waved at him, he gave small nods with a smile to greet them. He arched an eyebrow at energetic children who were already chasing each other around the tables, they sat down with innocent giggles and watched him walk by.
    Muirgen was already seated in her usual spot at the Tábla Ceannairí, prim and proper. She wore her hair down as well although she had small random braids in her hair. She wore a cotton blue dress and Mary Jane shoes. She hummed to herself and tapped on the table to a beat only she could hear. Next to her sat Emmet, his dreads were tied up with a few stray dreads falling in random places. His green eyes staring at nothing but everything, when he saw Ronan he bowed his head respectively and went back to whatever he was staring at. It gave Ronan shivers at how odd the boy was, yet his sister acted as if he was just another free mad man. 
       Ronan got to his sit and announced that breakfast could be commenced and sat down. As usual, fairies and nymphs served the dishes for breakfast and poured drinks for everyone before sitting down and enjoying their own food. Ronan ate and sat back in his chair watching his people half-heartedly. He felt small pokes on his arm and grimaced, he looked down and arched an eyebrow at his sister who was poking him while making noises.

     "Boop dee boop, bippity bee. Tis a fact Ro-Ro loves his little Rinny~." She giggled then took a bite out of her toast. She smiled up at him and tilted her head 

     "You're in a good mood today. What's the occasion?" Ronan asked as he swirled his toast in his runny egg yolk and took a bite. 

     "It's the perfect weather for magic~!" She exclaimed and clapped her hands. She turned back to her food and ate while dancing in her seat. Emmet looked over at her with wide eyes that seemed to flicker with green flames as he watched her excitement. Ronan just thought it was creepy.

      "Magic?" He asked, his egg slipping off his fork. Emmet quickly turned and stabbed his egg again. Muirgen turned to him and nodded.

      "Yes! Practicing magic is the only way to get better at it." She said proudly. Emmet nodded in agreement. 

       "Aye. It's not just something you can put down and forget. It stays with you, even if it's just a card trick." He spoke more to his eggs than to her. Ronan rolled his crystal eyes and ate his food.

        "Of course, that only applies to beings like us in the Dwelling." Ronan said. 
      The Dwelling is what everyone called this realm of Ireland. There was the human side of the realm where the magical beings go into on rare or special occasions, then there was the magical realm where the four Clans stayed. In the Dwelling no one was dead, it was a lot like the human realm, it was a land of living beings who specialized in magic and occasionally meddled with the human realm to turn tides in many situations. Unlike the human realm, however, everyone was immortal to an extent. Kings could only be killed by other Kings and potential Kings, Caomhnóir could only be killed by other Caomhnóir and potential Caomhnóir. Both Kings and Caomhnóir could be killed by the Gods though. That doesn't mean that the Gods were completely indestructible, they were a lot like the residents in the Four Clans, they just had better tricks up their sleeves and more in tune with a variety of things. Whether it be music, seasons, places, elements or even stories, they were powerful, but Ronan sensed a disturbance. It was Emmet's voice that brought him back to his senses. 

       "Though you are right, Mo Ri, about people like us always being tied to magic you cannot dismiss the fact that humans are curious creatures. That's why there are human magicians." Emmet said with an arched eyebrow. Ronan noticed his sister shrink in her seat, the dining hall quieted slightly, the council men peered over at Ronan with curiosity. Ronan sighed softly and put his fork down. 

'Here we go.' The King thought to himself.

       "Human magic is nothing more but illusions brought about by a quick flick of the wrist and  persuasive eye contact. A good human magician always has some distant blood ties to people like us, if they practice enough then there's a good chance they can enter Tir Na Nog when they pass. Or become a fairy in the dwelling or a true seer." Ronan explained then picked up his fork again and ate.

       "You're right, Mo Rí." Emmet grumbled to his eggs. Muirgen sighed in relief and sipped her juice. 

       "Anyway..." Muirgen began "I'll be practicing by the lake if you need me." She said. She quickly finished her meal and stood up, she bowed to her brother and gave him a kiss on the cheek and left. Ronan was almost finished his meal before he looked up at the crowd.

       "Go and watch Muirgen practice." Ronan said finally.

       "Sir?" Emmet asked in confusion. 

       "You might just learn what a real magician looks like." Ronan shrugged and ate.

       "Uh...well, I'm sure she wouldn't want me-" Emmet started.

       "That wasn't an offer that you can decide upon, Druid. That was an order. From your King." Ronan sat back and drank his juice. He didn’t have to look over to see Emmet glare, the dreadlocked boy got up and bowed. Ronan could tell he wanted to say something smart but decided against it and walked out.

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