ERELIA! Ok, this is going to be a long chapter, so just deal with it XP...
No, I'm kidding ;)
But seriously, this is a long chapter ^-^
Dawn broke with a painful scream.
Gaius started awake and quickly turned to the man next to him. Merlin was glowing bright red and writhing in pain. Gaius rushed over to his apprentice and looked in his book for anything to help him, there was nothing. All he could do was cool him off with a wet towel and force a pain relieving potion down his throat.
"I'm sorry my boy, I wish I could help." Gaius whispered.
X-x-x-x-x-X
Sun slowly rose over the mountains, creeping its way into a small kingdom situated in a valley. Sun peaked through a window, sitting on someone's face. The man groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and glared at the offending light. He got up and stretched before looking around the room. There were several people lying on the floor next to him. He chuckled at two men sleeping, cuddled next to each other. He turned to the woman beside him and gently shook her awake.
"Hmm, Arthur?" She asked sleepily.
"Shh Gwen, look over there." He pointed to the two men.
She followed his finger, "Aww" She turned to the snoring men beside her and shook them. "Lancelot, Gwaine wake up."
"Huh" They asked. Gwen just pointed.
"Aww, how cute" They said. Gwaine smirked and softly crept towards the sleepers.
"WAKE UP LOVEBIRDS!" HE shouted.
The two quickly jumped up and looked around frantically.
"You two having fun cuddling?" Gwaine asked with a smirk.
"I didn't know you two were together, Elyan why didn't you tell me?" Gwen smiled.
"Yes, Leon, I would say that this is quite the surprise" Arthur smirked.
The two knights blushed and looked anywhere but each other.
After a good laugh, they all got up and stretched. "Where's Percival?" Lancelot asked.
"I don't know; he wasn't here when we got up." Leon said.
"I'm right here" They turned to see Percival in the door way with a pile of wood. "I went to help Caleb bring wood in." He set the pile down next to the fireplace. Caleb entered not long after along with Sarah and Celine from the other rooms.
"Good morning, I hope you slept well." Sarah greeted.
"Fine, thank you." Arthur said.
"You shall have breakfast, and then you can go off to the castle." Sarah said.
The others nodded. Gwen helped Sarah and Celine in the kitchen while the men helped Caleb with a few things.
When they sat down to breakfast Celine made sure to do all of the talking.
When breakfast was done Celine, Sarah, Caleb stood outside their house with the group. "I wish you luck. I hope you find a cure for your friend." Sarah said.
"Thank you. I'm sorry that you have had to live in fear." Arthur said.
"It's okay, we like it here." Celine replied. She held out her hands and whispered an enchantment. Several flower crowns appeared on her arm. "Lean down please"
They followed her orders and each got a flower crown. "Thank you Celine." Gwen smiled at the girl.
"Good luck" Caleb said.
"Thank you" They all said and turned towards the street.
X-x-x-x-x-X
The knights of Camelot were gathered in the training grounds talking amongst themselves.
"Have you found them?" One knight asked.
"No, I don't even think they're still here." Another said.
"It doesn't matter, the king wants them. We'll search to the edges of the kingdom if we have to." Another said. He left quickly, the others close behind.
Uther, who was standing on a balcony overlooking the entrance to the kingdom, sighed heavily. "Arthur, where are you?"
X-x-x-x-x-X
"Which way is the castle?" Gwaine asked. "I don't remember one when we came in."
"Neither do I, but I think that straight would be the best way to go." Percival pointed ahead of them.
"Incredible" Arthur murmured. They looked ahead at an enormous castle made of glistening ivory stone. Tall towers with beautiful stain glass windows. An ornate iron gate separated the town and the citadel. Black cloaked figures stood at each side of the entrance, their faces hidden in shadows, unmoving.
Well, that wasn't there earlier." Gwaine said.
"Let's go" Arthur instructed.
They walked up to the gate and stood in front of it. "Who wishes to pass?" One of the cloaked figures asked.
"I am Prince Arthur of Camelot, and I bring with me Lady Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table." Arthur said.
"You are not welcomed here Son of Uther" Two of the figures said. More appeared behind the gates.
"Please, we come seeking help for our friend." Arthur said.
"You are not welcome here Son of Uther" They repeated.
"Please, if not me then let my company go in. We need your ruler's help to cure our friend. He's running out of time." Arthur pleaded.
"We do not welcome anyone from Camelot." One said.
"Please, my friend is dying. I'll do anything you ask. I just need help." Arthur begged.
There was silence. The gates opened and the cloaked figures parted. "Enter, young Pendragon" They all said.
The group looked at each other before hesitantly walking forward. "It was that easy, really? I was ready for a fight." Gwaine asked.
"Don't go looking for trouble Gwaine. We don't need it. Besides we haven't met the head person yet. We don't know what problems we'll have." Lancelot said.
They all walked to the large iron doors that opened for them. They walked into a large room filled with sun light streaming from the open windows. The walls were a polished, light tan stone with several tall columns holding the ceiling up. The ceiling was made of clear crystal causing the light to shimmer on the floor. Across the room was a single chair. The chair was a throne made of polished wood with a silver cushion on the bottom and back. There were several large tapestries of magical creatures adorning the walls. "It's beautiful" Gwen whispered as she gazed up in awe at the room.
"I'm glad you like it" A deep voice said. They turned to see a tall man with shoulder length dark hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. He had a friendly face and a closely shaved beard. He wore a deep blue cloak. "My name is Mathias."
"Hello, my name is Arthur and these are my friends Gwen, Gwaine, Percival, Leon, Lancelot, and Elyan."
"Pleasure to meet you Sir" Gwen curtsied.
"Please, bowing isn't necessary." Mathias chuckled.
"Why not, are you not the king of this castle?" Elyan asked.
"Me? Oh no not me" Mathias chuckled. "I have nowhere near enough power to be the creator of the Old Religion. I am just the advisor."
"Wait, so if you aren't the king, who is?" Leon asked.
"And will they still help us?" Gwaine added.
"Follow me. I'm sure that you will find the help you are looking for." Mathias turned and walked out one of the doorways.
"Can we trust him?" Elyan whispered.
"He seems trustworthy. Let's go before we lose him." Arthur jogged out of the room, the other's close behind.
X-x-x-x-x-X
The knights of Camelot walked through the forest near the Kingdom. "Tracks, over here" One called. The others quickly came and followed the hoof markings.
"Where are they going?" One whispered before following the group.
They followed the tracks for a few minutes before they came to a large cave. "It looks like they go inside." The lead said. They all walk in and eventually come to an end.
"What happened, there is nowhere to go." One asked.
"This isn't possible. This is where the tracks lead and they should be here."
"Well, maybe there was something we missed."
"Let's go back, look elsewhere" They all left.
X-x-x-x-x-X
They followed Mathias outside to a large garden. It was beautiful; full of tall trees and stone pathways weaving every which way. Colorful flowers decorated the ground; small magical creatures filled the air. Several people in work clothes tended to the garden, leaning down to water, feed, and weed the plants. Mathias and the group walked down a path until they came to a shimmering pond. With a closer look, Arthur, Gwen, and the knights noticed that the pond was filled with strange fish that had glistening scales of several different colors. Above was a wooden bridge, a woman standing on it. The woman was of slight build. She wore a long white gown with gold embroidery. Her over-the-shoulder sleeves were cut short and hung loosely on her pale arms (think of Princess Jasmine's top from Aladdin if I didn't explain that well ^-^). Some of her long brown hair was pulled up and held by a pin with cascading golden flowers, the rest fell to her lower back. A thin, beautiful crown of woven gold and silver softly lied upon her head.
Mathias approached the bridge and bowed, "My lady. These men and lady have asked for an audience,"
The woman turned and the group gasped as they saw her bright amber eyes staring back at them. She walked over to the group; she looked as if she was floating.
"My lady" Arthur bowed.
"You have traveled far, come." She said; her voice soft, yet powerful.
The group followed her to a large sitting room overlooking another lake with more shimmering fish. They all sat in the comfortable chairs offered as the woman and Mathias sat before them. The woman looked around, "I see that my identity has shocked you."
The group started to argue, but Gwaine cut them off, "We were expecting a king, not a queen. At least, I was. My lady" He added the last part at the last minute. The others glared at him, but were surprised again when the woman chuckled.
"I guess that is acceptable. Why do you think I keep my identity a secret? Too many suitors would come here trying to take over my kingdom. And please, call me Kynthia."
"I'm sure that you have no problem defending yourself." Gwaine winked.
She laughed again, "Your freshness is appreciated, but you try in vain, I am not looking for any such attachments. And I believe that you have already caught the eye of another young girl, seeing as you all have flowers. What will she think when she hears of your unfaithfulness?"
The group looked confused for a moment before Gwen, Lancelot, and Percival smiled while the rest blushed slightly. Gwaine was about to retort, but Arthur interrupted, "I don't mean to be rude, but we are here on a deadline."
Kynthia nodded, "Yes, I would be lying if I said that I am not surprised of your arrival in Erelia. You have even passed the Caves of Iseri. What have you come for so desperately that you need my help?"
"Our friend is very ill and our physician told us that you are the only person who has enough power to cure him." Arthur explained.
"Will you help us?" Gwen asked.
Kynthia looked down for a moment, pondering over something. She looked back up moments later, her amber eyes brighter than before. "I shall" They all sighed in relief, "We shall leave at high noon. Until then you shall accompany me to my library. I want to see your friend so I can treat him." With that, she and Mathias rose and exited the room.
"Do we…do we follow her?" Percival asked unsurely.
"I don't really know, but I'm doing it anyways." Gwaine rushed out of the room.
Elyan sighed, "Not again" They all rushed after them.
Okay! How was that? Horrible ending to the chapter? Sorry about my horrible descriptive skills ;)
Review please!
I just realized that I haven't put in a disclaimer o.O I am sorry ;)
Ok here it is...I OWN NOTHING!
Well, maybe a few characters ^-^
