A Giant's Dream (The Fay Folk Series)

  The Fay Folk Series

  A Giant’s Dream

  By AlanFisher

  Copyright © 2017 by Alan Fisher

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to the publisher, subject “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at info@kyojin-books.com

  Published by Kyojin Books. Which is a fund-raising initiative by the Author in the hope of raising money to help expand his business (www.kyojin-stewhouse.com) and mission of sharing Irish Culture in Japan.

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the email address above.

  Note

  In February 2015, I opened Kyojin no Stewhouse (The Giant’s Stewhouse), an Irish Restaurant in Tokyo with the goal of using food as a doorway to share a little bit of Irish Culture with people here in Japan.

  From the beginning, I looked at our small shop as a trial. A Beta Test of the idea. Over the last few years I’ve worked hard to make this business real and to give it every chance for success. We’ve turned a modest profit year on year, built some good customer relationships and I feel now is the time to consider how best to move forward and expand the business.

  This is the first publication at the heart of our HUG (Help Us Grow) Campaign. Every single yen, cent or penny earned from this novel, and any future publications, will get saved and go directly towards the growth and expansion of Kyojin no Stewhouse.

  Thank you very much for your support and I hope you enjoy entering into this fairy world as much as I did.

  Alan Fisher

  PROLOGUE: Taiko - Part I

  T aiko often glanced in the mirror as she dressed. She would flick her hair and speak to herself...

  “Okappa, Okappa, that's the style I hold dear,

  they just need a glimpse, and it's me they'll revere,

  yet with bobbed hair, they do like to stare,

  what if a lady doesn't mind if they see,

  well then, Okappa, you’re the style for me.”

  She smiled, twisting left and right checking different angles. Of course, there was no reflection looking back at Taiko, she rarely showed her true image, yet she enjoyed going through the motions, mimicking how Japanese ladies normally take their time getting ready.

  Taiko was a Zashiki Warashi, a Japanese fairy. Small in stature and famed for their mischievous nature. Loved by the people of Japan, it is a great honor to encounter one, and if you're fortunate enough to have one living in your home then the household would prosper and gain great wealth. The opposite is also true, if a Zashiki Warashi were to leave that home then all who dwell there would find nothing but misfortune.

  Despite her petite size, Taiko did not have the appearance of a child, she was a beautiful young lady. Today she wore a red Kimono with intricate golden flowers embroidered down the side and back. Her hair was dark and her cheeks blushed red highlighting her soft white skin. She stood barefoot in front of the mirror with a bottle of soap powder in her hand. Her smile widened as she merrily twirled around the room sprinkling the powder on the floor.

  For several weeks now she would stop by this house and appear before the youngest boy of the family. His name was Taro and he was five years old. Taiko had seen him play outside with his friends when she first noticed his good nature, helping those around him and always cheerful. She enjoyed his company and was considering a move into his home. Taro would tell his parents he had seen a Zashiki Warashi but they did not believe him. Instead they punished him for telling lies, in fact this evening he was sent to stay with his grandfather. His parents hoped that by speaking to the head of the family, he would learn not to lie about such things.

  Taiko was sprinkling soap powder on the floor so she could leave footprints. As a punishment for not believing their son, she hoped to scare some sense into Taro's parents while confirming his Zashiki Warashi claims. Her plan was to wake them so they would follow the footprints to the family guest room. Here they would catch a quick glimpse of Taiko, dressed beautifully in her red kimono. Despite their initial shock, this would be fantastic news for the family and welcomed greatly, assuming she chose to live there.

  As she finished marking out her last footprint, the powder suddenly swirled and puffed into the air.

  “Hello.” Ena's entrance lacked his usual bluster and he appeared a little timid standing before Taiko.

  “Ena Chan, it's been way too long.” Straight away she leaned in to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek. He was still a little sheepish in her presence which made her smile.

  “I'm so glad to see you, what are you doing here?” Taiko asked as she pulled back, both arms still loosely hanging from his shoulders.

  Ena stared for a moment.

  “You look so…I mean…It’s so good to see you.” His clumsiness wasn't lost on Taiko and her cheeks blushed a little redder than normal.

  “I've done something foolish, but I'd like to fix it. I was in Ireland thinking about how to make things right when an image of you came to mind. Will you help me?”

  “Show me,” Taiko replied.

  As she spoke Ena gently took her hand. In just a few short moments Taiko understood. She knew everything and hugged Ena again. Tears welled in her eyes as she held him tightly.

  ACT 1

  The Agreement

  Continued...

  A Guilty Feeling

  Taiko – Part II

  The Proof

  The High King

  Oiche Samhain and Mag Mell

  The Dream – Part I

  The Forlorn Leprechaun

  An Eavesdrop

  The Seed

  Remember

  ACT 2

  A Leprechaun Life

  Una

  What to do?

  Dinner for One

  To the Dungeon

  Forty Years

  The Timpan - Part I

  The Cooley Mountains

  Home

  The Trap

  The Fishbone

  ACT 3

  The Timpan – Part II

  The Note

  The Bottle of Whiskey

  The Dream – Part II

  The Awakening

  The Agreement

  L ong ago in ancient Ireland there lived many Celtic Giants. Among these was a youngling known as Tomas O’ Uaigneach. Tomas stood approximately two meters tall, quite small for a Giant and for this reason he shied away from others his own age. Instead, he focused his time on preparing feasts for the legendary Fianna who often passed by his home and small cookhouse next to the great forest, on their way to and from hunting. The Fianna were the bravest and most renowned of all Celtic Giants, led by the wise and powerful, Fionn Mac Cumhail. Tomas looked forward to every visit, because as the Fianna ate, they would share stories of great battles and adventures. He would eavesdrop on their conversations, hanging off their every word, imagining he too was with them on their travels.

  One evening, as they returned after a full day of hunting, Fionn drank a little heavier than usual and smiled all evening. As everyone ate, Tomas heard him explain to his men how the magical traps they set that day would surely catch that audacious little creature. He was referring to a leprechaun, an Irish Fairy, slightly smaller than a child, rarely seen in the open and famed for their misc
hievous nature, not too dissimilar to a Zashiki Warashi. For the longest time now, one leprechaun called Ena would regularly enter Fionn Mac Cumhail's dreams and play his bodhran drum so the Giant couldn't sleep. That evening after Fionn and the Fianna had left, Tomas walked through the forest to search out these magical traps. While passing a nearby river, he heard a whisper calling to him from behind a bush.

  “O’Uaigneach, over here.”

  “Who is it?” Tomas replied.

  “Over here, come quick!” Tomas pushed aside the bush and looked over at this leprechaun caught in a trap. He was different than any sprite from the stories. He was young and fair haired with light auburn in his beard. He wore a simple brown tunic, tailored to his small frame as he gripped the bars of the cage.

  “Wow, a real leprechaun,” he thought.

  “Not just any leprechaun. My name is Ena, the Frequenter of Fionn Mac Cumhail’s Dreams.”

  “You can hear my thoughts?” Tomas asked.

  “I can young Giant,” Ena replied. “I can do many things. Many things indeed, except of course escape my current predicament unfortunately. In fact, if you open this cage, perhaps I can help you in some way.”

  The lure of what this fairy offered was tempting. Tomas could go on a great adventure, perhaps ask for gold and jewels, or a beautiful lady to marry. On the other hand, what would happen if Fionn Mac Cumhail ever found out?

  “I’ve seen his quick temper and I don’t want to be on the wrong end of that,” he thought.

  Ena offered a solution for them both.

  “I understand, I understand. Fionn Mac Cumhail is the powerful and wise leader of the Fianna. If you set me free he will surely come to know of this and you and your family will face his wrath. But, I have the answer. Fionn is only all powerful and wise here in Ireland. If you were to travel to a distant land I can grant you all your wishes and you don’t need to fear him.”

  “What about my family?” Tomas asked.

  “A simple spell should hide their thoughts from Fionn. I can take care of them for you also.”

  “Can you really do that?” Tomas's eyes widened.

  “Yes,” Ena replied, rummaging through his tunic pockets. “Here, take this ring and when you put it on you’ll travel to this far off land on the other side of the world. In this place, you’ll be safe from Fionn to enjoy your adventure, gold, jewels, and you’ll even find a beautiful wife. I can see to all of it, including your family’s safety. You have my word.”

  Tomas leaned down and took the ring. A stained copper band, plain, with no markings that might suggest some magical elements. Yet true to his word, he picked up a rock and cracked it against the cage lock. One swing was all it took and Ena pushed open the cage door. He walked free and turned to Tomas.

  “It’s done, I’m very grateful, young giant. But be warned, you will only be in this land for as long as you wear the ring. If you ever take it off, you’ll automatically travel back to Ireland where Fionn will be waiting and you don't want to face his fury.”

  With that Tomas gripped the ring and was about to place it on his finger when he stopped and looked at Ena.

  “I know, don’t worry, I promise I’ll take care of them,” Ena reassured.

  Tomas continued; the moment the band circled the tip of his finger he was gone, reappearing in blistering heat, by a river next to a small workshop. Passers-by stopped and pointed at this pale Giant standing before them.

  Tomas winced as he raised his hand to block the sun. It was then that a young lady came forward through the gathering crowd and spoke.

  “Hello, my name is Ai, I’m a goldsmith and jeweler. Last night in my dream I saw you standing here, and this morning when I woke I was able to speak in this foreign tongue.”

  “I have many questions. Can you help me?” Tomas asked.

  “Come, let's go inside out of the sun,” the lady replied.

  One by one she answered his questions. For hours they chatted, laughed, and joked with one another. All the while the soft tone in which she spoke eased his worries. Yet the sternness of Ena’s final instruction weighed heavy on Tomas’s mind.

  Continued...

  F ionn flung his sword to the ground, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and sat on a nearby log, scowling into the distance. As he brooded, Oisin and the rest of the Fianna stood by an opened cage.

  “Clearly there's foul play here. Once one of these lock, that's it, there's no way to open it from the inside. He was here, you had em,” Oisin shouted.

  Fionn didn't stir, he was already several steps ahead. When Fionn was a boy, he discovered the key to unlocking all the wisdom of the world was by placing his thumb in his mouth. As a naive youth, he burned his thumb cooking the mystical salmon of knowledge and from then on by sucking the burn mark that remained Fionn could access all the knowledge and wisdom in the world.

  He knew someone had jarred open the cage, setting Ena free; he also knew that whomever dared to defy him would be eager to strike a deal to hide this fact. Leaping to his feet, he turned to Oisin. “Call the hounds.”

  Oisin gripped the hunting horn tied to the saddle on his horse and blew. Bran and Sceolan were Fionn’s devoted Celtic Wolfhounds, both standing chest high to any normal man and scarred from the countless times they followed their master into battle. Bran was the larger and stronger of the two, all black but for his terrifying bloodshot eyes. Sceolan was a lighter shade, more nimble and sleeker than his brother. These fearsome creatures would always follow Fionn, waiting to serve their master, lurking in nearby shadows as he travelled. They now appeared before Fionn, who pointed to the cage.

  It was clear to all that Ena may well have been in the trap which now lay open. However, in the past the mischievous leprechaun had been able to mask his scent from Bran and Sceolan, but if Fionn's assumptions were correct, there may now be a new scent from whomever helped him escape his cage. Perhaps the hounds could track this new lead.

  Sensing their master's intention, they sniffed around the trap. It didn’t take long for them to find a scent and Bran turned to Fionn, almost nodding in confirmation, seeking his master's approval. Fionn jumped to his feet and ushered his dogs into action.

  “Follow the hounds!” The men climbed upon their horses and chased after Bran and Sceolan who'd already set off in pursuit.

  Meanwhile, at the cookhouse on the edge of the great forest, the daily grind was in full swing. People were busy rushing around preparing for the day ahead. This morning, however, pots and pans clanged and clattered a little louder than normal. Eamonn, the owner, was preparing all the food by himself since his son, Tomas, was nowhere to be found. As the noise grew louder and louder, his wife, Aine, entered through a narrow doorway into the stove area.

  “Calm down will you. I'm sure he'll be here soon, it's not like Tomas to miss work.” At the same time, she was a little worried for her son. Where was he? What would take him away from his duties without telling anyone?

  Despite her comments, Aine’s tone was uncertain. Tomas had neglected his duties. Eamonn paid little attention to his wife and continued to clatter and mumble, moving from counter to stove, chopping and stirring. As he lifted the lid on one of the pots, a small man jumped out.

  “Boo!” Eamonn startled backwards as Ena emerged and burst into laughter.

  “By the Gods. What the…?”

  “Hello. Ena is my name and I bring news of your son.”

  Eamonn and Aine stood silent, puzzled by what just happened and by this small person now standing before them.

  Ena shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the family dog who sat by the kitchen door. “Frequenter of Fionn Mac Cumhail’s dreams. No?” The dog tilted his head to one side.

  “Anyway, we don't have much time, he'll be here soon.” Ena leaned forward and grabbed Eamonn and Aine's hands, upon doing so images of everything that had happened flowed through his touch. Their eyes glazed as their minds processed this barrage of new memories. At first sight of Tomas, Aine pulled away abru
ptly breaking the link.

  “Where's my son, Leprechaun?”

  Ena filled in the gaps, explaining how Tomas helped him escape his magic cage and was now on the other side of the world. Aine’s stomach sank.

  “What? He’s gone where?” She asked.

  “Before leaving he made me swear that I let you know what happened. Trust me when I tell you not to worry, he'll be okay. He drove a hard bargain, life will be good. I’ve even introduced him to his future wife.”

  Aine turned to Eamonn, he was still silent, shaking his head.

  “He's married?” Aine followed.

  “Well, not yet.” Ena said “He will be soon though I expect. Look, there is a more pressing issue right now. When Tomas set me free, I rushed away and neglected to mask any tracks or scent that we may have left behind. Knowing Fionn, I'm sure he'll have his hounds track whomever helped me escape.”

  Bewildered, Eamonn finally questioned Ena.

  “Why on earth would you choose to annoy Fionn Mac Cumhail keeping him awake at night with your bodhran? Look what this has led to—”

  “What's happened is regrettable but it's not too late, Eamonn. I'm sorry for bringing this drama to your door but I can help. It's hard for Fionn to track a shadow, I can cast an Illusion spell.” Ena continued, breaking down the details of what he was planning. An illusion spell fades memory, creating déjà vu or fleeting thoughts. Once cast, Tomas would become a shadow memory locked away in the subconscious mind of all who may have encountered him previously.

  While recommending this as their best course of action, Ena also cautioned Aine and Eamonn, “Once the spell is cast you too will no longer have any clear recollection of your son. Memories will fade, hiding deep in your subconscious. Now and then you may experience some déjà vu linked to objects, smells, or sounds that you associate strongly with Tomas, but the image you have of your son now will no longer exist. I believe this is for the best. Fionn could pick up any trace and that thumb of his will do the rest.”