“We have to do what?” asked Rob.

I explained to him what The Morrigan said.

“I’m still amazed The Morrigan appeared and wants to help you at all. She’s kind of a big deal.”

“I gathered that. When I fought Donn she appeared to me. No one else seemed to notice, not even Donn. She was there at Mom’s house too, now that I think about it. She helped me recall the Oak leaf that empowered me.”

“She really has been watching over you,” said Rob in awe. “So where to now?”

My knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. “We need to go back along the Benicia shoreline where this all started and hope some Dobhar-chus are there so we can piggyback through a rift into Tir fo Thuinn.”

The Morrigan had departed in quick fashion. But she’d assured me we’d get back the way we came; through the mist.

Sure enough, after driving through slowly, I’d made it back to my home world. Oddly enough we didn’t emerge where we left. We emerged in Benicia in the middle of the freeway right in front of a 4 x 4 truck. They laid on their horn and swerved around me, honking and high beaming the whole time. “Thanks for the drop off, Morrigan,” I grunted.

“Shouldn’t we find Gavin? Make sure he’s okay?” Rob asked.

The clock in my car told me I’d only been gone on the Otherside for all of two minutes in Earth-time, but the whole talk with The Morrigan took more like fifteen or twenty minutes. Weird.

“I have to take care of this now,” I said to Rob. Deep down, I also wanted to capitalize on my anger while I was still fueled. It would help me overcome my fear of water enough to cross over.

I exited the freeway and pulled up to Ninth Street Park in Benicia. A large parking lot with all night parking meant I could leave my car with no worries. At the end of the parking lot was Benicia’s boat launch, and on the right of the parking lot was a steep cliff with a walkway that led down to a small beach.

My Keening flared.

“We’re in luck,” I grinned savagely. These monsters wouldn’t know what hit ‘em. I leapt from the car gathering my Mossberg and Jade. “Keep up Rob.” I ran down the path to the beach.

Ahead of me I could see a gang of fishlike humanoids attacking another creature. The monsters on the attack had scales for skin, and sharp claws and teeth, like upright eels with lanky arms and legs, their fins edged like helicopter blades. They had numerous long whiskers like catfish protruding from faces that were too wide, with eyes too big, and mouths too open. Draped over their heads were their magical pointed hooded caps, known as cohuleen druith, which allowed them passage beneath the waves. I instantly knew what they were, for I had studied up on these creatures: Merrows.

They surrounded a mare-like creature that actually trotted atop the water. She gleamed like ivory clouds on sunny day. Her mane was an ever flowing stream of water that fell down her back, clear as glass and peaceful as a brook. Though translucent, her muscles flexed as she trotted on the water, displaying strength and beauty.

The Merrows circled the mare round and round, gathering speed and leaping from the water snapping and clawing at her. But she alluded them, even trampling some of them under her liquid hooves. The fishmen hissed at the water mare, their gills opening wide, a sign of intimidation.

I could tell that this water horse was no Kelpie, and the very fact that the Merrows were attacking her was a sure sign that she was no predator and meant no harm.

I was compelled to do whatever I could to rescue the creature. I ran towards the waterfront hefting my shotgun. The Merrows weren’t even aware of my presence so I caught one of them totally by surprise, blowing its gill right off. It slumped into the water slowly, dark inky blood spilling from the crater in its dome. Several of the Merrows rushed to attack me. They were incredibly fast in the water, but I stayed grounded on dry land. I was about to find out just how mobile they really were out of water and on the sand.

I shot another Merrow twice in the chest. It fell into shallow water yet still crawled towards me. The other two Merrows passed it up, rushing me as fast as their webbed feet would allow on wet sand. I drew my new katana, Jade, out and filled it with Luck magic. Celtic runes raced along the edge of the blade until it glowed emerald, like Skywalker’s lightsaber.

With my Good Luck coursing through me I dipped under and dodged over razor-sharp fins and pulled away from piranha-like jaws. Any onlooker would have bitten their fingernails at how close these attacks were getting to me. My Good Luck allowed me to time my attacks perfectly, parrying and thrusting my sword deep into the fishmen, filleting them open. They fell to the sand lifeless.

I stepped over the other Merrow still clinging onto life and clawing its way through the shallow water. It grappled at my ankle but I shoved my sword through its head and heard it exhale its final breath through its needle-like teeth.

“Sean, you could breathe underwater with that hooded cap,” exclaimed Rob, excited. He snatched up the cohuleen druith and tossed it to me.

As I caught the cap I noticed I’d created an opening for the aquatic mare and she used the opportunity to flee from the remaining Merrows.

She charged me and for a second I thought she would trample me, then at the last moment she dipped her head and fore legs allowing me to climb atop her back.

Starry eyed Rob whispered, “Enbarr… Queen of horses. Can it be?”

Compelled, I sheathed my sword and mounted the majestic creature. Though she was made entirely of water I sat atop as I would a normal horse, as normal as riding a magical mare can be, that is. To free up my hands I donned the Merrow’s turquoise hood cap, looking like some kind of mediocre Legend of Zelda cosplay. The mare reared high on her hind legs and I leaned far forward into her crystal flowing mane catching the smell of fresh sea salt and white sand beaches.

The Merrows hissed and came after us but Enbarr galloped away dropping her head for more speed running along the shoreline. I leaned in close as we accelerated faster than my brother’s Triumph. Instead of being impeded by the water as a normal horse would, she gained speed as she galloped atop the low waves, creating not a splash, only delicate ripples.

Despite being atop an aquatic horse and riding atop the water, I felt some fear, but no dread. The strength of this creature gave me courage even though I was surrounded by water and a short fall could mean complete submersion and drowning. But I felt secure and trusted her on an instinctual level.

She turned towards the watery horizon and made for the open bay, leaving the Merrows far behind us. The moon hovered in the sky over the Carquinez Strait, and soon the body of water met up with Napa River. We rushed underneath the sister bridges named Carquinez and Al Zampa that connected Vallejo to the greater Bay Area. It was like an endless open plane, a mirror reflecting the starry sky above as we rushed on endlessly, unimpeded by any obstacles.

Salmon-Rob swam alongside us, leaping from the water in great arches, wriggling wildly in the air. “You’re doing it boss! You’re riding Enbarr. Go Sean, go!”

We rode out for a ways and I dared to look over my shoulder, the shoreline far gone now. Suddenly she veered hard to the left and began running in a massive circle. The water followed, flowing in her wake. We rounded faster and faster until she created a cyclone, a deep hole reaching into the depths of the bay, much like draining the tub after bath time.

Though her body turned completely sideways, we moved so fast the g-force kept me in place. Further down the cyclone we delved, like a coin dropped in a funnel shaped charity donation. The further we went down the faster we circled until we were far beneath the surface of the bay.

My fear enlarged and edged its way into my subconscious. But I felt less and less like we delved into the depths of the water and more like Dr. Who’s Tardis crossing space-time through an oceanic tunnel.

And before I knew it, I’d entered Tir fo Thuinn, the land beneath the waves.