Chapter 14: Bait and Switch
Percival was pacing in her forge… she had been ever since she had seen Taira and Sabre off down into Avalon's plains. She grumbled to herself, regretting having mentioned the prophecy at all whilst she waited for an expected visitor. She occasionally looked to the violet skies, feeling strangely uneasy. This would have been unusual for Percival already… but she was a bag of nerves as she waited.
"You told her didn't you..?"
She turned suddenly, not expecting the voice to come from the dark corner. he had arrived… "Not per se…" a couple of seconds passed. "why else would you be so… on edge?" Percival glared into the darkness in reply. "I had to tell her… them… something… I spoke of a prophecy, I didn't say what was to come, except that my ending is written in stone." Stepping out of the darkened corner came the sorcerer. "So they are aware that a prophecy exists… such a shame. Could have done without them knowing seeing how… sub-conscious that girl is." He realised something which both himself AND Percival had said. "They..?"
She nodded her head, "Yes, the princess has an accomplice, I am sure that he will eventually grow to become a fine protector for our future Queen." The sorcerer pondered quietly. "So that… Tadpole lives on. No doubt he will become a fine warrior… If I allow him to live. However there is yet one detail you are mistaken about…" "I mistake nothing, you know as well as I do the full prophecy"
"I will see to it there will BE no queen. Prophecy or not…" Percivel folded her arms nodding, "I'm sure Merlina will take kindly to that." She turned away from him. "I couldn't care less what Merlina thinks or believes… She has already demonstrated potential for defiance… She is too dangerous to keep alive."
Percival turned her head, a little bemused by this, "Then tell me… why keep her alive? It sounds to me as though you are afraid of her." He closed his eyes as he spoke, "She will become a potential… problem if she discovers my relation to that… poorly formed, misshapen creature." Percival laughed almost mockingly, "Ahhhh… you're yet to tell her…" "She must not know that the great mentor… the one who she looked up to so much who 'mysteriously vanished' was in fact reduced to… that thing. All because it attempted to cross me… It could create… complications."
"Hmph… I do not care for your 'complications' and 'woes', my best interests lie here and always protecting my people." She walked outside. Following her out, the sorcerer growled a little beginning to take his own leave. "I will not forget this you impertinent knight… when I come to rule, I may see to it that you have no people TO protect. Or even a life of your own…" Percival stopped for a moment, letting his words collect in her mind. She turned suddenly summoning flames in the palms of her hand, "Get… out!" she hissed through clinched teeth.
His right eye twitched as the flames danced, ready to attack. "You continue to only make idle threats. So you truly wish to challenge me..? Against all that will soon become just in this new world..?" "I've warned you, foul scum, leave my home! My allegiance is still to that of the crown! So until you are officially ruler, my allegiance goes to the soon new Queen. Even if you did come to power, I'd still rather side with her."
"Percival… you're trying my patience…"
"I believe I had already tried them, but I bought them back, to say you wish to have royal quality I was hardly satisfied with your patience" She began to smirk a little. Hearing her defiance… he sighed, seemingly at a loss. "It's a waste… for a knight with so much promise you lack initiative, the grander vision which is perfect…" He began to slowly reach into his pockets… "I however, do not resort to mere intimidation…" his gaze fixated.
"Hmph, I do not wish to have your black stain of praises upon my honour." She glared back at him with a steel gaze, "Now perhaps you should leave, or do you forget that you have left Merlina to her own devices? What if she was to… 'create a complication' as you put it yourself?" "Then she will be erased… No questions asked. Granted… The absence of her abilities under my study will be a bother to lose… but what will it matter? When history can be rewritten from a fresh slate?" His voice began to raise, "Yourself on the other hand… You… you can look forward to a MUCH more swift end!" He released the contents of his palms, sending a powder to the floor. As it landed, three wraith erupted from plumes of violet mist. All of them hissed darting towards Percival.
With flames still at the ready, she trusted her palm forward, exploding the fireball towards them, catching all three of them. They were dispatched easily, their ragged hoods falling to the ground. As she watched, she noticed the sorcerer standing back… there was something else in his hand…
Two vials with labels, each had pictures of flames upon them… Percival edged backwards slowly, her gaze still remained on him. She held her hand out to the hilt of her own sword. "Just what are those?" Before she could get a reply… the sorcerer, holding the bottles by a small insulated ring had started to pour drop by drop one vial into another! The colour of the solution began to glow with a fierce red light. "Two… such ingredients I had in case a happening such as this would arise… A concoction of the purest concentration of hell's fire… Ready to ignite and blaze…" She looked to him, "You dare to challenge me with the element I have control over?" she pointed the blade of her sword towards him. "Lest you forget mere peasant… I do not simply challenge you with the element you have control over… I will destroy you with it!" the vial began to rattle… it was looking increasingly unstable. Given it's size… the light it gave off grew more intense producing an incredible amount of heat.
"Very well…" Percival pulled down her visor, already sensing the hear and braced herself for an attack. The blade of her sword began to glow a vibrant orange as a golden flame surrounded it. The walls of nearby buildings began to creak… the intense boiling heat of both of their 'arms' taking their effect. "Get ready… This will not take long!" Lifting the vial up, he then strangely placed it down on the ground… Percival held back… holding her sword high and horizontally in defence.
"Whilst I am all for a fair fight… This vial will up the stakes for this duel a touch…" He looked at the vial on the ground… It began to hop around almost madly as it rattled unstably. "Let this vial mark the time limit for your final battle… Defeat me, and this concoction will subside… Fail, and witness this bottle explode with the power of a thousand suns… consuming the entirety of your pathetic settlement… it looks set to ignite in… a few minutes." She looked down at the vial… it was rattling like nothing she had seen before and giving off the heat and light to match! "This is ludicrous! I did not wish to duel, but just for you to leave… but fine… if this is my final fight…" She jumped at the sorcerer slashing the flaming blade down his black robes.
Cut cleanly, some material fell away smouldering. He looked at it in disdain. "Such passion… It is such a shame that you wish to oppose… But you are a sacrifice… I am willing to make…" He took his ground, casting the smoking robe aside. Percival landed with skill and grace as a knight should and stood again, she swung her sword round a couple of times before summoning yet more fireballs in the palm she had free. "Stop this whilst you can and leave!" the fireball lunged at him. He dodged to the side before standing still. "…Very well."
He fished around in his pockets, bringing out a powder which he poured over the excited vial. The vial settled down, before cracking and leaking it's now useless by-products. "I will leave you to your little 'haven' up here… After all… it would be a waste." She watched as the vial broke down into small pieces, then calmed the flames on her own sword, but kept it ready, sceptical of his actions, "I am humble grateful on my knights honour that you will leave." The sorcerer recovered his robe, still smoking and placed it over his shoulders. "Have your little sanctuary up here… I'm finished." He walked away as if nothing had occurred… Percival panted a little as she nodded after him watching him leave.
Little did Percival know however that the sorcerer had achieved exactly as he had hoped to do on his visit… he walked down the mountain with a concealed smile… back to the castle…