Arthur waited for the death blow to hit

...and waited,

and waited.

He knew from stories told around the campfire (and indeed from his own too numerous near-death experiences) that the moment before one thought that one's life was about to end stretched out for an eternity.

His mind was a jumble of images. In rapid succession he saw scenes from his life; his father presenting him with his first pony, the first time he had been properly injured in training, the first time he had seen the sea and swum in it - then almost been swept away and drowned by it's unpredictable currents, the first time he had taken a man's life, the first tournament that he had won, the first time he had set eyes on Merlin...

He frowned at this last memory and wondered why it was there amongst the milestone memories of his life.

And as he frowned at this memory he was suddenly aware that his 'last moment' appeared to be going on for a very, very long time.

He opened his eyes and squinted blurrily up at the beast above him. It still stood on his chest with saliva dripping from it's wicked teeth and it's clawed hand was still high above it's head, poised to swing down and no doubt decapitate him with the force of it's blow. 'At least it should be quick and painess when it comes', he mused.

He suddenly became aware that it was standing stock still. At the same time he realised that there was a strange deep sibilant chanting voice just to the left of him, speaking words that he could not understand. He swung his head around and gasped in shock when he saw no other than Cedric the errant would-be manservant standing there dressed completely in black furs, arm outstretched and eyes glazed in a black film that made him look otherworldly. The voice that came from his mouth was not Cedric's however, and the sound of it made the hairs on the back of Arthur's neck stand on end.

"Cedric?" he asked incredulously in a hoarse voice, "Is that you? You're a s-sorcerer?"

The man gave him a quick glance and muttered some more words and made some strange gestures with his hands. On his command, the Afanc-like beast stepped back off Arthur's chest and hovered a few feet away, pacing and snarling. The Harpy and the Dragon also ceased from thier orgy of destruction and paced impatiently back and forth nearby. They reminded Arthur of hunting dogs locked in the kennels anticipating a hunt.

Arthur breathed in a sharp painful lungful of air and slowly rolled over. He shakily got to his feet, staggering backward away from Cedric.

"Cedric? Is it you?" he repeated."Wh-where have you been?"

The man stared back at him, expressionless.

Arthur moved forward, looking closely into the eyes of the man before him. He clutched at the wound on his chest with his left hand to stem the bleeding that had resumed during the foray with the Afanc-like beast. His sword lay forgotten on the ground.

"You have magic" he stated, looking at the black orbs of the man before him. "You have magic, and command over these creatures and yet you spare my life? Why?"

Cedric continued to regard him impassively and to say nothing.

Arthur took one step closer, now well into the man'as personal space. "You have power over these..things?" he asked, "Was it you that commanded them to attack the Kingdom? Who are you? What have my people done to deserve this?"

Cedric did not flinch and his expression did not change. Despite a feeling of repulsion, Arthur grew insensed and leaned right into the man's face and bawled "I demand you tell me who you are and why you have done this!"

"Step away Princeling", said Cedric in a voice that was not his own. It was deep and sibilant and seemed to vibrate inside Arthur's head. At these words, the three beasts became more agitated and began to move toward the Prince, hissing and screeching threateningly. Arthur raised his hands and took a step back away from the man.

"Do not assume that you can ever give me commands, boy" continued Cedric in the same even, chilling tone. "You are powerless against me, do you understand? You and your father and this Kingdom are all at my mercy. I alone decide who lives and who dies here."

"B-but why?" asked the Prince in consternation. "Who are you? You're obviously not Cedric...where are you from and what has Camelot done to deserve such brutal punishment?"

"This place is rotten to the core" continued not-Cedric, ignoring Arthur's questions. "You, your father and all those of royal blood that have ruled this land...all the same...nothing but lies and deceit come from your mouths. You pretend to be noble and good and virtuous and higher than the common man and yet you disregard the feelings and needs of those around you and cast people aside like so much chattle once you have quenched your lusts and grown bored. Time has only made you worse. For centuries your forefathers have ravaged this place and it's people. Now your father has the arrogance to assume that he is all powerful. The man is a fool. He thinks that he can defeat magic itself! The earth itself cries out in outrage at his barbaric persecution of anyone with magic. He has gone too far! It is time to end it."

Arthur stood shocked into silence by the man's words. His mind was reeling. He had to think of a way to stall this sorcerer. He took a step backward and bowed his head. He looked up through his fringe, suddenly deferential, at the man before him and asked, "Before you entirely lay waste to Camelot, could you at least do me the courtesy of telling me who you are?"

Not-Cedric puffed up his chest and looked into the Prince's eyes. "Very well" he said. "I am Cornelius Sagan. I was companion to the first of your line, King Aelrid. I lived only to serve him. I was faithful to him alone. I fought beside him in battle, rode beside him in the hunt. I helped him build this Kingdom and make it great. I did all he wished of me. It was I that built the Citadel in which you stand now."

Arthur gasped in surprise and looked at the man in wonder. He knew very well who Aelrid was, and he knew Cornelius Sagan had been his sorcerer with awesome powers. He had been taught that Sagan was dangerous and mad and thus Aelrid had executed him. What this sorcerer was saying to him now simply did not tally with what he had always believed.

"B-but that's not possible" stammered Arthur, "That was more than five hundred years ago! How can you still exist? You were a sorcerer who became too strong and went mad and tried to destroy the Kingdom. As punishment you were beheaded and interned..."

"Silence fool" hissed the man, "you know nothing. Your history is nothing but lies. The only madness that plagued my whilst I lived was belief in the integrity of Kings! I served your forefather with my whole being, my life was his, my heart was his! Yet on the word of a painted whore that he had known for barely half a year he cast me away - banished me from the Kingdom that we had built together"

"Th-that's not true" interjected Arthur, "What you say cannot be true..."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING, PENDRAGON" said the man, his voice getting louder as he became angrier. "You people have lied and cheated for so long now that you do not know what is truth and what is lies! Enough of your talking - I shall listen no more! It is time to raze this rotten Kingdom to the ground."

As he spoke he raised his arms and the three creatures stirred and took to the air, hovering above thier heads.

"NO!" shouted Arthur in a panic, "WAIT! Please, I implore you, do not slaughter any more of my people - they are innocents in this!" He stood as straight as he could and looked directly into the eyes of Sagan before continuing, "I am the only son of Uther Pendragon, the last of the decendents of Aelrid...I have no children. If you kill me the line of the man that wronged you is ended... won't that be revenge enough? Take me and let the people live, they have done nothing."

Sagan lowered his arms and the creatures dropped back down to the ground again and continued thier pacing. Sagan walked toward Arthur and let out a deep throaty blood-curdling laugh as he did so. He caught Arthur by both wrists. The Prince did not resist.

"Oh, I've got a much much better idea than that" he said as he leant forward. He raised one hand and placed it on Arthur's temple and muttered some words of magic. At the touch Arthur's whole body became rigid and he was held in a trance. "I shall possess this body and use it to slay Uther. That will certainly be a poetic revenge."

Not-Cedric muttered some more words of magic and suddenly his whole body shook and shuddered as the soul of Cornelius Sagan left him and moved over into the form of Arthur Pendragon. When the transfer was complete, both men fell backwards. Cedric remained inanimate, the glaze of death over his staring eyes. After a few moments Arthur sat up slowly. He blinked twice and his eyes became completely black. He slowly raised his left hand and felt over this newly possessed body. Upon finding the wound across his chest, he muttered an incantation. For a few seconds there was a blinding blue light. As it calmed he ripped at the bandages and makeshift sling that had constricted his movement. The deep wound was completely healed. He climbed quickly to his feet and looked around until he located his fallen sword. He picked it up and tested the weight of it in his newly-healed arm. He commanded the three beasts to fall in step behind him. They walked purposefully toward the entrance of the Great Hall.

The last surviving Knight that had accompanied Arthur on this mission stumbled into his path. "You majesty?" he asked, "Arthur?"

Without even breaking step, Arthur raised his sword and swung it in an arc, cutting off the head of the Knight even as he spoke. He did not even look down at the body as he marched onward toward the Castle, intent only on slaying Uther Pendragon...