Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Adorably Deadly Capall Agamecht

     Happy Spring and welcome to my fantasy blog.  My name is Christine and I am writing a fantasy novel currently titled Music of Dragons.  For a while I had one of my characters, Keena Mythweaver, "writing" posts for this blog.  The post below is on a character in the book, the Capall Agamecht.  He is my invention, but is based on a couple of water horses from Celtic folklore.  Recently, he made his re-entry into my main character's life and I thought it might a good time to re-post his story.  I hope you enjoy it and enjoy getting to know a little about Keena.
The Capall Agamecht
       Many apologies for the blog silence over the past few weeks.  As I said previously, flu season hit in Baile Eile and my life got hectic with tending the sick.  Then I caught the flu myself.  After all these years of  treating ill humans, I would think that I should have built up an immunity to viruses such as the flu, but apparently I haven''t.  Not only that, but the flu wreaks even more havoc with a Faerie's body than it does a human's.  My body flirted with the idea of transforming the flu into pneumonia.  It nearly succeeded too, but fortunately, an extract of Willow bark, many doses of mint and chamomile tea, menthol vapor and a bit of rest turned the course of the infection.  It isn't entirely gone, but I am able to work again.

     I've started telling you a bit about my homeland of Cu Tailte, the five magical lands.  Today, I want to tell you about one of the creatures who lives in Ghost Sprite Grove: the Capall Agamecht.  He is beautiful to look at and has quite a charming personality.  The Capall Agamecht is a Water Horse.  Well, he falls into the category of Water Horses, magical horses that live in or near water.  He is a kin to the Irish Kelpie, the Irish Each Uisge and the Welsh Cffyl Dwr.  Those three actually are horses.  The Capall Agamecht, however, is a pony.  His pony size makes him particularly cute and harmless-looking.  Don't be fooled though.  He is far from harmless.  Indeed, he is both dangerous and malicious.  The Capall Agamecht is, by nature, black with a red mane.  His eyes burn with flame and he has two, large, feathery black wings.  If you saw him in his terrifying natural form, you would know instantly to avoid him.  Unfortunately, he has the ability to change his coloring.  Often, he appears as a purple pony with a silver or multicolored mane and large, innocent-looking violet eyes, looking something like those adorable stuffed Pegasus toys many human girls have had as childhood friends.
Want to go for a ride?
    Unlike human horses, the Capall Agamecht can talk and he will speak in honeyed tones pleasing words that you want to hear.  He is quite a charmer, as I mentioned above, and he will offer to give you a ride on his back.  Don't do it!  Once someone mounts his back, the Capall Agamecht flies high into the air then disappears, leaving his victim to fall to his or her death.  And that is his goal: to murder. Despite the toy Pegasus appearance he often adopts, he is, in the words of my sister, Keira, a cree du nathar--a serpent-hearted monster who kills for no reason other than the sport of it.

Want to reconsider?

     Blessings on your week.  I will leave you with one last thought, some advice that Cay the Unicorn once gave my niece, Siobhan: Beware of those who promise to give you all that your heart desires.

Keena Mythweaver, Faerie Healer

*Please note: Capall Agamecht, Cu Tailte, Baile Eile, Cree du Nathar, and Keena Mythweaver are copyright Christine Dorman and Christine Fallon