The news that the sword had been drawn from the stone spread like wildfire.
Even she, hidden in her alleys shrouded in shadows, had heard about it. First it was just whispering, but very soon the people could barely keep their excitement in check. In just a few hours, the marketplace was bustling with activity. She couldn't blame them. Judging by their condition and their livelihoods, it was no wonder that the rumors about the return of the Born King had caused such uproar.
Farmers with close to no farmlands, fishermen whose catch couldn't feed even their own families, shepherds whose flocks were consistently plundered by blackguards. Had she been in their place, she would have hoped for a miracle too.
What a load of shit…
She had long since stopped believing in heroes and prophecies to make things right. Not when no hero had come to save her people, not when their miracle had never happened. Not when her village lay in nothing but shambles, abandoned and burned to the ground, looted and left to rot like the discarded carcass of a buck.
Not when most of her friends were deep in their unmarked graves, cold and forgotten.
I remember though…I remember all of it…
"Did you hear about it?"
Broken out of her thoughts, she receded farther in the shadows of the wet alley, making sure that her worn grey cloak shielded her from prying eyes.
"Do you think it's true?" a second voice said.
"Of course it's true you bloody idiot. Why do you think they put up the executioner's block?"
"Fuck, King Vortigern didn't waste any time, did he? Making quick work of the competition…"
"Shut it! There are Blacklegs all around this place. You want them on your ass, or what?"
From her place against the wall, she watched them hurry away, voices reduced to whispers. She frowned.
First a magic sword stuck in a stone, then a promised King and now another one that's out for blood?
She pulled the cloak tighter around her body and drew the hood lower over her face. Tiptoeing to the entrance of the dingy alley, back pressed against the wall for cover, she looked at the people coming and going through the marketplace even though the sun had almost sunk completely in the horizon.
The hairs at the back of her neck stood on edge as she observed the last remnants of sunlight disappear. It was an uneasy feeling, one that made her muscles clench uncomfortably. There was something in the air, an aura so strong and strange that she almost wondered how the rest of the people couldn't feel it.
This is not good…She shifted her eyes to the Dark Tower, standing tall and menacing in all its monstrous glory. And it's coming from there…
She was no stranger to games of power or to cutthroat practices. If anything, it was almost normal that the current King would want to erase every trace of any aspiring challengers.
But there is so much more to this. I can feel it in my bones…
She knew little about the politics of this place, having spent most of her time here trying to survive and blend in as best she could, but what she did know she had heard from those talking in hushed whispers. The late King Uther murdered and betrayed by those close to him…A blind man could see the worn faces of the people and feel the fear in the air.
She pulled the cloak tighter around her, trying to shield herself from the cold. She walked deeper in the alley, hoping that the tall, stone walls would block the chilly evening breeze. There was a single door that lead to the alleyway and she was positive that it was the backdoor of a tavern. She hadn't seen anyone walk out of there in close to a month, but she could hear the drunken shouting and smell the stench of urine mixed with spilled ale.
As unpleasant as that was, she was thankful for the cover it provided. She stood out like a sore thumb among these people and one tiny mistake could result in her being discovered. She didn't know how these people treated peculiar strangers but if their King's determination to keep himself on that throne was any indication, she'd bet it would be anything but pleasant.
Looking around, she made sure that no one was watching before she silently started scaling the wall of the alley. She pulled herself up on the roof and made her way to the old abandoned pigeon house that had served as her makeshift shelter and home for the past year. It wasn't the best or cleanest, but it was something.
Beggars can't be choosers now, can they?
She decided against lighting a fire. With all the unrest spreading through the town like a wave, the last thing she wanted was a bunch of Blacklegs on her tail.
Look at what has become of you…Running from common blackguards…
Sighing deeply, she settled down against a wall for the night. The abandoned pigeon house was good enough a shelter. It shielded her from the elements and provided decent cover from prying eyes. It was highly unlikely that anyone would be making the climb to look at the view from that roof anyway.
Look at what view? Her eyes once more fell on the Dark Tower. No matter where you stand, that's all you can see…
Looking out of her shelter's small window, she let her mind wander back to a time when things were simpler, happier. She missed those times. They hadn't been exactly carefree, but they had been happy. Now everything seemed bleak, barren.
I don't even know what the hell I'm doing here…
She had been thinking about relocating, but it seemed rather pointless. She had spent the better part of her first year in this place traveling from one town to the next, looking for something to hold on to, something to give this new life of hers some meaning, but…
If sleeping in a pigeon house is supposed to be my life from now on, I'd rather share the axe with the would-be-King on the morrow…
A flash in the corner of her eye broke her out of her thoughts. Crouching low, she all but crawled to the pigeon house's entrance. Making sure that her cloak covered her, she peeked behind the wall. The light of the lanterns spread around town didn't reach so high up, but even in darkness she could make out the broad-shouldered silhouettes of four men. The unmistakable shape of a sword against the tallest one's hip had her on edge.
The sky was clear, and the moon was almost full. The moonlight reflecting on the sharp edge of the blade was hard to miss. She was thankful that she had decided against lighting a fire. That would have given away her position in seconds.
"Are you sure about this, Bedivere?"
The voice was muffled, but she could still make out the tension in the man's words.
"What choice do we have, Bill?" the one with the sword said. "This wasn't the plan, but if we don't act now, he dies. And all our hopes die with him."
She frowned. What the hell are they talking about? Why would a commoner like that would-be-King be so important to these people?
"Ah, our mighty King just had to go and get himself caught."
"Stop it, Rubio. He pulled the Sword from the stone. You heard the Mage with your very own ears. Years ago, I witnessed the blade's magic myself. Don't mock powers you don't understand. If we wish to stand at least a chance against Vortigern's tyranny, we need him."
She let the words of the man with the blade, Bedivere, sink in and her frown deepened. The Mage? Magic? What the hell is going on here? Could it be true? All these rumors about the returned King…
"We need to act quickly, Bedivere. The execution is said to take place at dawn. We don't have time. Can we really trust the Mage?"
"She's an acolyte of Merlin. Given our circumstances, we have little choice in the matter, Percival. We need all the help we can get. Vortigern will be heavily guarded. We will never reach him, but let's hope that the Mage will hold off the Blacklegs long enough for us to get Uther's son out of there. He is our only priority."
Uther? The late King? Her eyes widened. It is true then. The man about to be executed really is of royal blood. The true heir to the throne.
The somber silence that followed had the hairs at the back of her neck on edge. They were tense, she could tell, and it made her wonder. What was really going on? It was obvious that there was a lot more to the Returned-King story than she had initially thought.
Realization dawned. They are planning to overthrow the current King…This sounds like a situation that's bound to go from bad to worse…Her eyes watched them closely, waiting to see their next move. The one identified as Bill shook his head and chuckled, running his hand through his hair.
"This is it then." He looked at the faces of his companions. "For Camelot."
"For Camelot." the other three chorused.
She didn't move from her crouching position until she was sure they were gone, their silhouettes fading away as they jumped the narrow gap to the roof of the nearby building and disappeared into the night.
Releasing a sigh of relief, she relaxed her muscles. She rubbed her eyes, trying to digest the information she had just overheard and come to a decision.
Why do I have to come to a decision in the first place? This is not my problem...If anything, I should run as far away from here as possible.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, a familiar face flashed before her eyes. His sunny smile was absent, and he was looking at her sadly, as if he was disappointed in her. Didn't you hear what they said? They live in pain; how can you not help them? Is this how you honor my memory? his blue eyes seemed to say to her.
"Damn it!"
She looked down at the weapon's pouch hanging from the belt of the worn breeches she had stolen from a washing line a good while ago. She hadn't used her weapons in a long while, fearing that the familiarity of their weight in her hands would cripple her even more emotionally.
Carefully, almost reverently, she reached inside her pouch. A shock passed through her when her fingers brushed against the cold metal and she pulled out a kunai for the first time in almost two years. She held it, reacquainting herself with its weight in her hand. She looked at the blade and her reflection stared back at her. For a moment, her green eyes flashed blue and she chuckled.
You knucklehead…How could I ever let you down?
She put the kunai back in her pouch and settled against the wall. She took one last long look at the moon and closed her eyes, surrendering herself to a restless, dreamless sleep.
Because at dawn, she had a mission.
At dawn, she was going to watch a King die.
XxxOxOxOxxX
The crowd that had gathered to watch the execution was impressive to say the least, and she rolled her eyes at the people's willingness to watch a man's head hacked off his shoulders.
Tall and hideous, the Dark Tower stood on the edge of a cliff, hanging above their heads like a bad omen. The aura it radiated was powerful and so disgustingly foul that it almost left her breathless. The day was not chilly, but she shuddered, nonetheless.
Knowing that she'd never manage to get through the excited crowd, she looked around for another way to get closer to her target and ultimate objective.
Huh, objective…You fool. You're yet again getting yourself involved in a situation that's way over your head…
The cliffside was steep and jagged, but it was her best option. No one would think to look for someone trying to get close by attempting to scale the slippery surface of the cliff, and if she wanted her plan to work, she'd have to give it her all.
This will have to do.
Adjusting her grip, she stuck herself to the rock and started the difficult climb to the execution site, the waters of the river rushing bellow her. Despite the protective shield of her chakra, she could still feel the sharp edges of the cliff's surface digging into her skin. For just a moment she thought about going back, simply abandoning this crazy idea of hers and returning to the relative safety of her pigeon house.
A pair of blue eyes immediately flashed to the forefront of her mind. She sighed.
I know, I know. You would have done everything in your power to make things right. You wouldn't have turned a blind eye to the suffering of these people. I won't either, for both our sakes.
The closer she got, the louder the voices grew, and she realized that she had long since crossed the point of no return. She couldn't back out now. Excitement flared in her gut.
Admit it, you selfish hypocrite. You've been wishing for something like this. For a chance to feel the thrill of battle after so long…
Applause and hysterical yelling broke her out of her thoughts, and she edged closer, pulling herself up just enough to peek at what was going on.
"King Vortigern!"
"King Vortigern!"
"King Vortigern!"
"King Vortigern!"
Climbing up a few feet away from the crowd and thanking her lucky stars that no one had turned to look, she quickly mingled with the people, making sure that the hood of her cloak hid her features.
She could see King Vortigern looking down at them from his throne as his guards clapped and roared his name in an almost delirious manner.
She rolled her eyes. A flair for the dramatic I see…
Slipping past the Blacklegs that guarded the perimeter of the execution site proved easier than she had anticipated. Even those stationed on high ground were far too preoccupied with observing the scene to really pay attention to her fleeting shadow as she glided past them. Trying to make her way through the people without being noticed was hard, but she managed to reach the scaffolds built at the foot of the Dark Tower.
Damn, these Blacklegs are everywhere…
She pushed herself through the boards and slipped past a few guards who were too focused on the scene before them to notice what was going on behind them. She pulled herself up and onto the second level of the scaffold, ducking behind a low stacking of boards for cover. Peeking over them, she was pleased to see that she had managed to glide past most of the guards and that she had a great view of the scene.
She shifted her gaze to King Vortigern, taking note of the chainmail and the heavy armor. He knows they are out to get him…She looked at the Blacklegs surrounding him, setting up a tight perimeter around the execution site. Leave him be…He is not who you are here for.
"Behold! Your Born King!"
Her eyes flashed at the announcement as two heavily-armored guards escorted a man towards the executioner's block, positioned in such a way that everyone in attendance would be able to see. The axe was already there, logged in the wood, waiting.
"Behold the man who pulled sword from stone!"
He was limping, her trained eyes examined him, taking note of his bruised face. He had probably received a severe beating and she could see the despair in his eyes. He knew what was coming. Shackled and at the mercy of the executioner's axe, he knew that death was coming, she could tell.
Well…We'll see about that now, won't we?
"You wanted a prophecy. This is your prophecy!"
Her gaze flew to the man making the announcements and a low growl emitted from her throat. Enjoying this, aren't you? Let's see how you like what's coming next…She smirked.
"Now tell us, King," the man continued mockingly, "What do you have to say?"
Her muscles tensed, knowing that it was time. Any minute now…
"If you are the King, declare yourself!"
Oh, how I am going to enjoy wiping that smile off your face…
"If you are lost for words, then let the sword speak for you."
Her gaze again fell on the shackled man, noticing the almost defeated look on his face. Hang in there…Just a little while longer…
"Take it! Show the people the power of Excalibur!"
The sword was presented to him, but the man made no move to take it. She sucked in a breath. She could feel the power radiating off the blade in waves, as if the sword itself knew what was coming.
You fools…You have no idea what you are dealing with.
She didn't either. She didn't know anything about this place or who these people really were. What she did know however was that the blade was anything but ordinary. And it was angry.
"Raise that sword!" the guard yelled and then chuckled when the shackled man lowered his head. "I thought not."
Taking a deep breath, she rose from her hiding place and closed her eyes, expanding her senses, reaching all the way to the rushing waters below. Her fingers formed a seal, something they hadn't done in a long while. She allowed herself a moment of silence, and she plunged herself into the darkest corners of her very own being.
And there it was. The familiar feeling of her chakra that she had kept suppressed for close to two years, only allowing herself to use the absolute minimum. It started as a spark, but it soon turned into a fire that spread throughout her body, warming her and electrifying her every cell.
It felt like home.
Th wind picked up and the cry of an eagle from above reached her ears, as if the mighty bird was giving her the order to move.
It's showtime…
"This man cannot be allowed to bring discord to our flourishing nation!"
The shackled man was brought to his knees and they pushed his head on the executioner's block, tying a tight rope around his neck to keep him there.
She went through the seals slowly, almost reverently, as if remembering them again. No one seemed to notice the gushing of the river below or how the waves seemed to crash a lot more forcefully against the cliffside. Her cloak billowed around her body as the wind picked up and the wood beneath her feet cracked from the force of her chakra. She had kept it suppressed for so long that it was returning to her with a ferocity that left her breathless.
The executioner moved forward, making to grab his menacing axe.
The second cry of the eagle mingled with her sharp "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" and all hell broke loose.
The water dragon that rose above their heads was ferocious and its formidable roar had the crowd scattering for cover like ants. It flew above the guards, and their horses reared in terror, throwing their riders off and galloping off in a frenzy.
"Protect the King!" she heard someone shout and she smirked as they pulled King Vortigern inside the Tower.
The dragon snapped its jaws at the executioner who made to run but tripped over his own feet and fell. He crawled behind a pillar. The man, the Born King, was still immobilized against the wooden block so she had her dragon stay above him, snapping its jaws at anyone who tried to approach him.
"Percival! Grab him!"
Her eyes snapped to the side, her heightened hearing immediately catching the familiar name.
About damn time…
"Do you see that thing?!" the man, Percival, retorted, hesitating.
"It must be the Lady of the Lake! She's helping us! Make haste! Our time is running out!"
She tilted her head to the side. Lady of the Lake? She chuckled. Oh well, much better than Billboard Brow.
Percival managed to cut the other man free, but they were immediately surrounded by Blacklegs who tried to corner them. Her water dragon ducked, putting its body between them and creating a ferocious protective wall, giving the men just enough time to grab the Sword from where it had been unceremoniously dropped, and jump down from the execution site.
Some of the guards still standing slipped past her dragon and started chasing them. She shifted her eyes below and cursed. There were Blacklegs everywhere, swords drawn and bows already nocked with arrows.
Damn it, there are still civilians around.
She searched the crowd and cursed again. The group trying to save the Born King was in trouble, cornered against a wall of wood with Blacklegs pressing them in. She released her jutsu and with one last ferocious roar her dragon dissipated. Without much thought, she took out a kunai and leaped down from the upper level of the scaffold, jumping over the head of a guard that tried to grab her.
She hurled her blade at the Blacklegs, catching one in the ribs just as he was about to raise his sword against the man she was trying so hard to save. Startled, he looked at her and their eyes clashed for a moment before her gaze was torn away. A Blackleg tried to headlock her from behind, but she elbowed him sharply in the chest and he released her, doubling over in pain.
A guard swung at her with his sword, but she jumped away, stopping the second swing of the blade with her kunai. She pushed the sword aside and kicked him in the stomach, sending his body crashing through the wood of the scaffold.
"Watch out!" someone yelled, and she instinctively ducked as an arrow whistled past her head.
She looked up and her eyes once more clashed with the man's gaze. Despite the bruises marring his face, his blue eyes were sharp and intelligent. She nodded her thanks at him and focused her attention on the armored guards flooding their surroundings.
Damn it, not even I can take all of them at once. That Suiton took a lot out of me. She looked in the opposite direction and noticed that they were standing dangerously close to the edge of the cliff with only the river below them. Damn it!
Her hair whipped around her face in the wind. Wait, hair…? Damn! My hood! Now they know what I look like.
The Blacklegs seemed only to increase in number, and soon they were nearly pressed against one another and just a few steps away from the edge.
"Jump!" the tall man from last night, Bedivere, shouted and he hurled himself off the scaffold and into the waters below. The other three, Rubio, Percival and Bill, whom she had just noticed, followed his example. She looked at the spots they had been standing incredulously.
"What the hell are you waiting for? You idiot! You'll get yourself killed!"
She looked at the man she was trying to rescue. "What-"
Before she could utter a word, he grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her over the edge with him.
Bloody hell!
Her body hit the water just as a small rain of arrows whistled past them. The force of the impact left her dazed, but she pushed herself to swim to the surface. Breaking through the water, she took large, frantic gulps of air, hoping to ease her burning lungs.
She looked around, noticing the others starting to surface too and without wasting another minute she followed Bedivere's example and swam to the narrow riverbanks. She pulled herself out of the water and dropped down to her knees, heaving as air rapidly rushed back in her lungs. Something cold met her skin and she raised her eyes to see a sword pointed at her neck.
Oh, give me a break…
"Who are you?" Bedivere, who appeared to be leading this rebel group, sent her a sharp look.
She looked at the faces of the others, noticing a woman she hadn't noticed before. Her eyes rested a second longer on the man she had put her life and cover in jeopardy for.
I still don't know his name…
"Please point that away from me," she said, her accent nearly unnoticeable. "I mean you no harm." It hadn't taken her long to learn the language. She had had a lot of free time on her hands these past two years anyway.
"Why should we believe you though?" asked Bill from behind Bedivere.
Because I just helped save your sorry ass you ungrateful- "Because had I been against you, I wouldn't have put my head on the line for your sake."
"Indeed."
She looked to her right and saw the man approach her with a suspicious look on his face.
"Which begs the question; why did you do it?"
Why indeed… "Let's just say that I never was one to turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering of those around me." Her green eyes locked with his blue ones and for a moment she worried his penetrating gaze would see right through her.
"I say we leave her here," proposed Bill and she fought the urge to smack him. "We've wasted enough time as it is."
"Hey!" she protested, not in the least intimidated by the sword still positioned dangerously close to her jugular. "I just made an enemy of the King for your sake."
"Boo hoo, cry me a river." Bill turned to Bedivere. "We need to leave now Bedivere. They are definitely looking for us and we are standing here wasting time. If we get caught now, all our efforts to rescue Arthur will be in vain. Let's leave her here."
Arthur…So that's his name.
"No." All heads turned to the dark-haired female of the group. Her almost soulless stare made the kneeling woman shift in discomfort. "We take her with us."
"But-"
"Merlin commands it."
The males looked at each other, before they all looked at Bedivere. He stared at her for a moment and withdrew his sword with a sigh. "You heard the Mage. It has been decided. You will be accompanying us from now. It might be for the best. We can keep an eye on you." He turned his back to her and put his blade back in its sheath. "Let's go."
Sheesh, not one to joke around, is he?
She made to stand when she noticed someone's hand reaching for her. She looked up and her eyes fell on the face of the man that had caused all this pandemonium. Arthur…
"Need any help?"
She took his offered hand and he pulled her up. "Thanks."
"I should be thanking you. You saved my life back there."
"And you returned the favor. That arrow would have gone through my neck. We call it even."
He examined her strangely, as if still suspicious of her. Oh well, I can't really blame him for that.
"You still haven't answered the question, you know."
She raised an eyebrow. "And which question would that be?"
He crossed his arms across his chest and shot her an amused look, as if he knew she was playing with him. "Who are you?"
She chuckled. Raising her eyes to meet his, she smiled at him. "Sakura. My name's Sakura."
TBC?
Eerrr…yeah. Have I ever mentioned what a knack I have for the weirdest, most peculiar crossovers? This one is a prime example of just that! And it usually starts like this: "Hey, I love the new Arthur (and Charlie Hunnam, mind you) and I love Sakura too. Let's throw these two together and see what comes of it!"
So, yeah…There you have it!
Despite the weirdness of this crossover, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. I'm really hyped so if this pairing and crossover is something you'd be interested in reading more of, then please drop a quick review to let me know!
Personally, I'm super curious to see where this could lead. I'll try my hardest to keep our heroes as in character as possible considering the circumstances of this story. It will probably be a challenge and that prospect is certainly exciting!
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts so please, READ AND REVIEW!
Until next time,
Lots of love!