This story is especially for my younger sister, Mr Chipson, as she loves Freya so I thought I would write this story specially for her! Be certain to check out her amazing stories!
Chapter 1: Free Freya
"YOU! STOP!" demanded a tall, bulky bald man with fierce green eyes, who was dressed in a grey wolf skin coat. He and his three other men, who were also tall and bulky and wearing grey wolf skin coats, were chasing a young teenage druid girl.
The girl was Freya, an unfortunate victim of the Bastet curse, a vile enchantment that transformed her at the stroke of midnight into a Bastet, a large, vicious, man-eating monster resembling a panther with bat-like wings. This is what caused her to be chased by so many Bounty Hunters.
Freya had received the curse when she killed a woman's son when he attacked her, but she had only killed the man in self-defence! However, the man's mother had failed to see reason, and so had avenged her son by cursing Freya to turn into a Bastet every midnight. Freya truly despised what she was. She had been desperately attempting to rid herself of the evil spell for years, however her efforts had been futile each time.
The pitch-black night sky hung heavy above with the stars beating against the dim black blankets and the moon grasping on to the sky, desperate not to release it. Freya could feel her thighs starting to seize in all the hard work they were being forced through. Thick layers of sticky sweat formed across Freya's forehead and cheeks, which had now turned as red as roses.
Freya was heading for Camelot, as she knew it was the only place she was safe...as long as Merlin was there. Freya smiled dreamily as she remembered her last encounter with Merlin. How he had freed her from her cage, hid her in the underground tunnels, and visited her every day with food for her. Merlin had been so generous to her, he was also the only person who did not seem to hate her or fear her for being a Bastet. It was this that had brought them so close together, so close in fact, that it had been...Freya snapped out of her daydream, the Bounty Hunters were hot on her heels. She needed to escape them, and fast!
Fortunately, she noticed the Camelot Castle growing closer to her from beyond the packed tree branches. Relief swept through her. "Don't worry, you'll be safe with Merlin soon!" she assured herself. "Just give up will you?! You'll get a stitch or a pulled muscle if you don't rest! Just stop running for three seconds!" pleaded one of the men. Freya ignored him. They were just trying to trick her so they could capture her! She wouldn't give up now, not when she was so close to safety!
Using all her remaining energy to quicken her speed, Freya sprinted through Camelot's entrance and across the courtyard, glancing around for any signs of Merlin. There were none. "Oh Merlin, where are you?!" she cried. Gaius heard someone call Merlin's name, so he turned round to see who it could be. He was shocked when he noticed Freya.
Sensing by her facial expressions that she was in danger, Gaius ran up to her. "Freya?" he asked in a surprised tone. Freya spun round and narrowed her eyes when she saw the old man stood before her. She never recalled seeing him before.
"Who are you?" she questioned, suspiciously.
"I'm Merlin's guardian, Gaius." answered Gaius, wondering why she did not know who he was if she knew Merlin.
"Merlin? Have you seen him? Take me to him, please! I beg you! I must see him now!" she pleaded.
"Alright, he's in Arthur's chambers cleaning, I'll take you into our chambers and we'll wait for him to get back, does that sound alright?" suggested Gaius.
"Anything! I don't care, I just want to be somewhere safe from these Bounty Hunters who've been chasing me!" she yelled. Gaius nodded and quickly led her inside, before the Bounty Hunters started to cross the courtyard on the lookout for Freya.