Each-uisge

 

Never mount a Kelpie if you happen upon one by the shore.

It will joyfully carry you out to sea.

While it carries no malice, you will die.

 

"Mentor, it's ready!"

"It looks like we somehow managed to prepare everything on our side too."

Lufelle dragged along a large ship, and I replied to her.

It had been almost a year since we figured out how to make the ship run using elementals.

Finally, the preparations were complete.

Bringing a ship of Lufelle's size to the coast was quite a task.

As it was evidently much harder than transporting her, we transported the materials and parts via the waterway, and assembled them over several months next to the merfolk's village.

The food and living supplies during that time were brought by the lykos species via the highway, a culmination of Lufelle's years of activities.

"Alright, Rin… I'm counting on you."

"Yeah!"

Lufelle, Tia, as well as myself.

Once we all boarded the ship, Rin touched the magic formation drawn to the coast.

"Thou who flows, formless, cold."

Everything had its own various aspects.

"Swiftly moving, progressing, gentle waves that carry us."

Just as the flame that burns and destroys everything warms the body and cooks delicious food. In the capricious waves of the sea, there would always exist a flow convenient for us.

"Show thyself before me! Thy name is—"

That particular convenience would be brought forth.

"Kelpie!"

As Rin's spell went through the magic formation, magic power flowed into the magic circle at the bottom of the sea, and suddenly a large wave rose.

The undulating seawater turned into a horse's head, and the white, foamy wave spray became its mane.

Then, as if born from the sea, its forelegs and torso appeared, and the lower half with a fish's tail fin leaped at the water surface before sinking back down.

Rin fluttered her waist fins and wrapped the chain attached to the front of the ship around the neck of the Kelpie, tying the end back to the ship.

"Each-uisge. Pull this ship and go forward!"

Following Rin's command, the Kelpie began to move forward briskly.

Spirits were like cut-outs, extracting natural phenomena from this world into a form of their liking. Hearing 'water elemental', I'd unintentionally imagined a capricious and fickle beautiful woman. Even more so because the waterwheel hadn't moved at all.

But there was no need to be confined by such an image. Just like Rin created a giant Undine, it was enough to extract only the necessary properties.

The each-uisge was a horse-shaped monster from Scottish lore, said to live in seawater. While Kelpies were generally more well-known creatures, given that they were freshwater aquatic horses, they were technically a different monster.

The name didn't matter, but it was easy to convey the image to Rin, so I borrowed the name. It was originally the name of an ominous monster that dragged people riding on its back into the sea to kill them… but I didn't mention that part, so it should be fine.

It was an elemental that cut out only the waves heading in a direction convenient for us, even amidst the waves standing in the sea. Waves didn't not occur underwater, only appearing on the surface. Therefore, Aha Ishuke would not drag us underwater. The frothy white mane of the waves would always remain above the water.

"We should arrive in a day or so if we keep on at this pace."

"That long?"

Tia asked back with a bored expression as I looked at the length of the waves. It's a distance that would take hours by flight, so it couldn't be helped.

"There's nothing much to do until Aha Ishuke disappears, so let's relax."

Saying that, I lay down. It was inconvenient that we couldn't move the ship by making use of the flow of the river or with sails, but it wasn't all bad. Since we're not being carried away involuntarily, there was no change of us going off course since the Kelpie should only continue going straight.

"Then I'll go get some food!"

"What?"

Before I could stop her, Rin dove into the sea.

"Rin!"

It was hard to tell since we were moving at a steady pace with nothing nearby to compare again, but the Kelpie was moving quite fast. The water column Rin created quickly receded behind us and disappeared.

"… I'm going to help!"

"Wait. If both of you leave, what are we supposed to do?"

Tia pulled back on my clothes as I stepped towards the edge of the ship.

"Rin knows where we're going, right? If worse comes to worst, she'll wait there and come swimming or flying."

"Ah… right. Sorry."

It seems I lost my cool too. Even if I can't catch up by swimming, Rin can fly.

It was two hours later when Rin returned, carrying a lot of fish.

"I forgot that the ship was moving. I had to go looking for it, aha."

"We have enough food for the round trip. Didn't I say that?"

"Oh, did you? Sorry, Mentor."

As she said this lightly while cooking the fish, I slumped my shoulders. Did she not realize how worried I was the past two hours?

"Is it because she rejuvenated? I feel like she's been returning to more of her childhood self lately."

Forgetfulness, freedom.

I thought she'd calmed down, but maybe that was just aging…

"Ahahaha. Mentor, you sound a bit like Shig."

"Ah, yeah… I really sympathize with him."

Thinking about it now, I can't help but think he did well dealing with her.

Well, maybe it's also my problem.

"By the way, about what we'll do after landing."

Rin finished her meal and was resting when Tia suddenly brought it up.

"Lufelle, bring it out… Yes, that's right, put this on."

What Lufelle took out was a cloak with a hood. There were ones for everyone except Tia, tailored to size.

"What's this?"

"A cloak of concealment. If you wear it when I cast the spell, I can apply my concealment to others. You guys are fine, but Lufelle stands out too much."

I see. That's… honestly, I hadn't thought of that. I thought it would be fine to go quietly since there's a considerable distance between the cave and the village, but it's even more reassuring with this.

"Wow, that's really convenient. Teach me how to use it again tomorrow."

Rin turned the cloth inside out and felt its texture, impressed.

"There's no particular way to use it, just wear it. I'll cast the spell."

"Oh, is that so?"

While saying this, Rin put on the cloak and hood.

"Shall we try it? Become like a shadow. The voice of grass, the footsteps of a cat, the breath of a fish, the heartbeat of an insect."

As Tia chanted the spell while circling around Rin, golden particles fluttered from her feather and enveloped Rin. The moment I thought Rin was completely covered by them, her presence entirely disappeared.

"… Am I invisible now?"

"I can hear your voice, but yeah, I can't see you at all."

Even when I reached out to where Rin was just now, I couldn't touch her.

"Ah… Mentor."

As I groped for Rin, Tia coughed uncomfortably.

"Even if you can't see or feel it, it doesn't mean it's not there."

"What?"

With a rustle, Rin's hood came off.

"Mentor… it's a bit embarrassing."

Her face was flushed red, and my hand was firmly on her chest.

"Sorry!"

I quickly withdrew my hand.

"So… even if you can't be seen, you can still be hit if you're discovered. Be careful."

Tia said, trying to regain her composure.

I felt like I was the one who received the worst attack.