Synopsis
After Batman rests after his recent experience and being brought through the portal, he accompanies Wonder Woman on horseback to tour this strange new land, which will help him to try and solve the murder. She explains to him how the Formorians and the De Danann are natural enemies and peace has never been easy between them.
Batman tells her that he had been talking to Alfred about developing some sort of magic detection device and that now he is in such a magical land, he recalls something his Irish nanny had once told him about the folklore of this place. He then says they need to find a stream. On coming across one he looks for and eventually finds a stone with a hole in it. He can see through the hole that they are being followed by cloaked individuals.
They are forced to reveal themselves to be Formorians and Batman question them about whether king Elatha had encouraged them to raid De Danann villages and set them on fire? They do a bad job of denying it, revealing that they had been embarking on campaign to spread fear and terror in Tir na nog. The king wanted change from the malaise that had infected the land.
Batman suggest that perhaps the Formorians had killed their own king in order to frame them and start a war? The Formorians do not react kindly to the accusation and yell that they loved their king as they try and attack the heroes. After a brief fight however the three are subdued by Wonder Woman and Batman.
As they ride back to the city Batman says that they had managed to learn a lot from their encounter. Why was the king so apparently aloof and disengaged when he desperately wanted unity and freedom in his kingdom? Batman believes that the raids were some sort of distraction and that something much bigger is going on here. The people clearly loved their king so nobody had anything to gain from killing him.
Wonder Woman says he should also learn more about this prison they love in and shows him the border wall.
Later they return to the city and are greeted by Cernunnos. Batman says he must return to Gotham but learns that not only has it only been one hour since he left Gotham, even though he has been in Tir na nog a day and a half, but the strange events he saw back in his city are almost certainly being caused by something here as Cernunnos had detected a breach in the wall when bringing Batman here. He goes on to explain that a Glamour has fogged the people’s memories here in this land and they can no longer remember how to leave. But some stories tell of how they were not simply forgotten, but had chosen to hole themselves up here to hide from their darkest enemies. Wonder Woman then recalls the name Balor being mentioned – could he be responsible for their fear?
Nobody can breach the wall except Cernunnos and he can only bring outsiders here. He cannot transport any Formorian or De Danann out.
Later, Wonder Woman and discuss what they have learned so far. Batman believes that the constant skirmishes are all harmless ways to stave off boredom. They yell, the quarrel, they fight and then they forget. And start all over again. And all the while the true reason they are trapped here slips further away.
Wonder Woman says that there must be something they can do for these people but Batman is not so sure. “Nations die. Kings die. Everything has its time”.
