[st.patrik]

Three foes rose to challenge us. Three threats, three actions, three outcomes. Against one I became the mighty spear thrust, the pebble in the road that throws the rider from the horse, the keen-eyed eagle striking fiercely, the fire that consumes and is gone by the dawn. Against the second we thought to play the peaceful part, thinking that he would find war from another quarter. Against the third, under the deep waters, we fought a strange war with the help of strange creatures against a stranger yet foe.

To this third struggle my miind now turns. This our first foe, and in some ways our most bitter. We drove him from his fortress, in the depths of the great lake, and manned its ramparts with our allies in the fight: slow moving unarmoured creatures who breathed as easily under the sea as in the bright air. They have a tremendous strength, though they bear no arms, and they are tough in body, though they wear no armour. These named themselves Atlanteans, once from an ancient kingdom but long parted from their kin. We also enlisted undersea knights on sea-horses, wielding spears tipped with poisonous coral.

In time we built a strong force and one night in midsummer Tegue and Tuathal led a great company down the long miles of the river to the sea. They passed into the realm of the monstrous sea creatures just as the day was dawning in the sunlit world. Our foes were dismayed by our host, or at least feigned dismay, and fled north. As our forces pursued they saw a huge pinnacle of dark rock, which took the form of a mighty fastness. Here the creatures made their stand. This place seemed filled with menace, and yet we encircled the rough walls and began a siege that would last several months. Twice we were challenged and twice Tuathal and Tegue pushed them back and maintained the watch on the walls, until finally the great strength of our Atlantean allies made a breach.

Summoning what power they could, our forces broke through the walls and a great slaughter began. Hideous creatures that ought not to be were crushed to lifelessness, their bodies ripped asunder and left to float away as a testament to the justice of the silent god. Yet not all foes fell so easily. In the centre of the city a huge pulsating mound was found, that sounded incomprehensible madness to all who dared approach. Brave Atlanteans would be paralyzed merely by the thought of approaching it. This monstrous thing was the mother and god of the race we warred against.

Pain breeds fear among some creatures, and paralyzes others so that they cannot act, but among the sons and daughters of Danu pain brings resolve. At the last the creature was brought down, many blows laid upon her, and it seemed that we had won.

And yet our guard was not vigilant enough. We cast down the rude temple that had been raised to honour this false god, and raised a humble dwelling in honour of the silent god. Many Atlanteans were killed and many more wounded. Our numbers were few.

Reports were heard of fell creatures still roaming the sunless sea bed, but some counseled that these were the defeated remnants of a broken people, and so our guard was lowered.

Yet our forces, weak as they were, woke to find this same hideous creature already once destroyed arrayed against us. Somehow by dark magiks she who we killed was found to be back to life and once again opposing us. This time we fared less well. Tegue was manning the patrol while Tuathal was in the city when the attack fell. The sea-knights were destroyed, and the strength of the Atlanteans failed. Tegue fled to the western shore of the sea. He shall have to explain how a king of the race of kings, in service of the silent god, should fly from battle like an ignorant Fomorian. Tuathal was locked inside the walls of the fortress, which thankfully had been repaired.

The walls of that fortress are thick, if it stands still, but Tuathal was left with barely an honour guard of local fish-men armoured with turtle shells to defend it. Wise in secret lore he prepared the incantations to summon underwater lions to aid in the defense.

Our forces were scattered, and yet a fire burned in Tegue to redeem his name, that it not live forever in disgrace among our people. He travelled the land to put together a great army of any creature that could survive in the watery depths, while Tuathal kept a silent vigil, far away from hearth or home, far away from the forests of his home, and far even from the sun, whose light pierced the gloom of the undersea only in a glimmer at noontide.