Bertrand fiddled with his sword as he sat in his camp with his men and their prisoners. They had been riding almost nonstop for a week and their efforts had paid off. By midday they would reach Lord Vandal's castle, just in time for the New Moon. They were getting themselves a little rest as a reward for their efforts.

"My Captain," a voice said.

Bertrand turned around and saw one of his men looking at him with unease.

"What is it Milo?" Bertrand asked.

"We've been traveling for a week. Our charge was to bring back the princess. Why do we still have the man with us?"

"I told you all," Bertrand explained with a sense of foreboding. "Lord Vandal wants the man brought back alive as well. How many people have survived Azrael twice?"

"But he's made no attempts to escape. What if this is a trick?"

Bertrand let out a laugh.

"How can this be a trick? Sir Justin has cowardly retreated, they lost that poor excuse for a squire, and it's just him on his own. He's one man; what can he do?"

"But…"

"And even if he tried to escape, he would try to save the princess as well. That's why I had them kept separate this whole journey. They can't plot amongst each other if they can't contact one another."

"But…"

"We aren't discussing this, go to sleep Milo. Tomorrow we return to Lord Vandal victoriously."


The knight just sat with a grim look on his face. He knew he could escape easily. Those simple bonds on his rope didn't twist his hands, making it easier for him to rotate his wrists. However he refused to make any escape attempts for two reasons. One, he had been unable to communicate to Gwen at all, even the slightest eye contact was prevented. Bertrand and his men weren't stupid. They made sure to keep them from having contact with each other. Trying to do an escape attempt without giving Gwen a heads up would be impractical. The second reason was he was waiting to see what Lord Vandal was up to. The knight couldn't figure out why Lord Vandal would want him alive now but there had to be a good reason and the knight wanted to know what it was. Therefore it was better to wait and see for the time being.

Across the camp, Gwen was sitting by herself angrily. She was angry still at what happened with Bart but she was also angry over the fact that she had been tossed around like some piece of property instead of a person. But the thing she was angry at the most was Sir Thomas. He gave up because he was a coward. He didn't put up much of a fight when they were captured. Sir Justin she had sympathy for due to what happened to Bart, but Sir Thomas, there was no excuse. That knight had let her down and hurt her. And he had broke her heart.

Gwen shook her head. Sir Thomas was right about breaking off their blossoming affair. They had just let their feelings take control without thinking of the consequences. It wasn't love; love didn't exist in her world. The only love she knew was from her father. Anyone who proclaimed to love her was just expressing desire for her beauty or had political motivations. No one loved her for herself.

"Oi, Princess!"

At that moment, one of the guards had walked up to Gwen, chewing on a piece of roasted hare. He took a swig from his canteen and grinned. His teeth were stained with black and yellow smudges. Gwen slightly scrunched her nose at the disgusting smell emanating from him.

"You shouldn't frown. It ruins such a pretty face…" he said with a lecherous smile.

Gwen glared at him.

He began to caress her face. Gwen turned her head away from him.

"Don't look away from me bitch!" the man cried annoyed as he grabbed her face and forced her to face him.

"Hands off her Stephen!" said a stern voice.

The man looked around to stare at another knight.

"Since when did you become a monk Julius?"

"Bertrand has given us specific orders. The prisoners aren't to be harmed or touched in any unnecessary way. Lord Vandal especially wants her unspoiled."

Stephen glared but relented and back away.

Gwen let out an internal sigh of relief. She would never admit it, but the whole week of being prisoner had her terrified. More terrified than when Arthur took her prisoner. These weren't men of honor like Arthur's knights. These were savages and brutes. Even the captain Bertrand looked more like a monster rather than a man. Gwen even caught him stealing looks at her. She feared it was only a matter of time when one of her captors would try to touch her.

But she refused to show fear. She would remain strong and defiant in any way she could. Even if Sir Thomas had given up, she wouldn't.


He didn't feel the slight breeze as he walked along the field. Nor did he pay attention to the soft cries of animals in the woods complaining to the silent intruder for waking them up from their slumber. He was too focused on returning to Lord Vandal's castle to worry about fear. No more than four hours of rest did he allow himself every day. From birth the Order of St. Dumas taught him how to maximize his time and how to only sleep and eat when he absolutely needed to. Azrael couldn't afford to be letting his guard down.

Azrael…

The name given to all of his predecessors. A name that was immortal unlike himself. One day he would fail or the Lord would decide it was time for him to join the kingdom. But Azrael would live on, it always would. Azrael wasn't just a name, it was a legacy. The Angel of Vengeance flowed through every nameless soul who took up the mantle. He was just a nameless bearer out of a long line that upheld Azrael for nearly five centuries. He was still quite young though. His time was not up yet. It had always been his biggest fear he would die before he would be able to pass on the mantle. If he died, not only Azrael, but the entire Order of St. Dumas would die with him. The Order was not as strong as it used to be. Even in the time of Nero when the Christians were persecuted and the Order of St. Dumas was just a nameless society to protect the persecuted, it still had many members.

Now they were all gone. Some had fallen to wars from invaders and worshippers of Satan. Others had let their temptations take hold and left from the path of God. If it weren't for the patronage of others like Lord Vandal, the Order would have died out. Azrael knew he owed Lord Vandal his allegiance and life. Lord Vandal was the only authority in the Order left. Azrael just hoped that Lord Vandal, as a just Christian man, would find it in his heart to forgive him for failing his mission. Azrael needed to do penance. Many had died by his hand before. Their blood would drench his gauntlets while he often looked into their eyes as the light slowly left them. But it was always done with honor. Like how his predecessor and mentor taught him when he was trained, Azrael was a bearer of honor as well. They had something different than the forces of Satan. They had a code of conduct; a code of honor.

And that code was violated a week ago. A youth was killed by Azrael's hand. He didn't mean to, it was an accident. But still the blood was on his hands. Nothing would change that. Thus Azrael swore off fighting, at least temporarily. It would be ridiculous for him to assume he would not fight forever. It was his job to fight the forces of evil. But for once Azrael felt he could allow his enemies a chance to live as retribution for slaying an innocent on their side. As the woods became thinner and the trees more sparse, Azrael could see the shadow of Lord Vandal's castle in the distance. Even though the sky was almost completely dark by the almost nonexistent moonlight, he could still make its image out. It was a powerful image. A symbol to all those around that castle belonged to Lord Vandal, a man of great power and prestige that no one should try to oppose.

How fortunate for Azrael to be working not only for the Order of St. Dumas but for someone as powerful as Lord Vandal. Azrael would understand if Lord Vandal didn't forgive him for failing his job. He was unworthy.

Within a matter of minutes Azrael had reached the walls. Not bothering to alert the gate guards, he pulled out sharp objects from one of his pouches and attached them to his gauntlets. Driving the sharp objects in, he tested them to find they managed to fit snugly into the cracks of the wall. He began to climb. It only took him a few minutes to scale the entire wall before he reached the top and jumped off into the fortress of Lord Vandal. He landed with acrobatic ease. He had snuck in and out of the fortress before. Lord Vandal always felt like the Order of St. Dumas should be a secret.

Due to the fact it was the middle of the night, Azrael didn't come across anyone as he snuck into the manor of Lord Vandal. Even the guards seemed less alert. It made Azrael feel more cut off from the world as if he was just a ghost gliding along.

The rest of the trip was a blur to him as he let his mind take control. He managed to sneak his way back into the manor without alerting the door guards or making a sound. He currently stood in the main hall. Like outside it was just as dark, if not darker somehow. Azrael could hear his own echoing breath in the mask he wore being amplified in the empty main hall. He ascended up the stairs. He had to at least report to Lord Vandal for failing the mission. Azrael ignored the faint pick up in his heartbeat. He wasn't afraid; he never was. All he feared was the wrath of God. As he continued to ascend, his breath picked up more rapidly. Azrael let out an unintentional cough. The small outburst echoed down and up the stairway. He began to cough some more. He was having difficulty breathing.

"Eeegghhh!" he wheezed out as he slowly began to choke.

Azrael stopped moving and pulled out a small pouch he kept hidden among the rest. Holding his breath he gently undid the face plate from his face. He took off the red faceplate and examined the inside. It was smeared with dark dry stains drenched with his sweat. Most of the spores from the mold had waned away. Quickly Azrael opened the pouch in his other hand and slipped two fingers inside, scooping up a black slimy substance. Examining the mold for a bit, he then proceeded to rub it on the inside of the faceplate before wiping his free hand on his armor and slowly putting the faceplate back on. He took a deep breath and relaxed.

He was always dependent on the mold and the spores. He was born in the dungeons and had breathed it from the minute he exited from his mother's womb. His body couldn't breathe the regular air. It was too rich as Lord Vandal would describe it. He needed to breathe in the damp spores from the mold. He couldn't breathe normally like regular humans could. Everything about his life was different from humanity. It was his sacrifice to bear this burden in the name of God. He was something better than the weak, feeble human. He was supposed to be something infallible and honorable. Yet last week Azrael made a mistake. Azrael had murdered innocent blood. No, Azrael didn't do that. Azrael was incorruptible. He did it, not Azrael. He had failed St. Dumas and his namesake. He had let his human side briefly take control.

These thoughts continued to go through his mind as he reached the top of the stairway to the room in the highest tower. The door was shut but he could see the faint light illuminating the crack between the door and the floor. Lord Vandal was awake.

Sighing Azrael knocked on the door.

"Enter," said the hoarse voice of his master.

The door creaked as Azrael stepped in. Lord Vandal was sitting at a table overlooking some things and notes while writing with his quill. Only one candle was lit, making most of the room still cast in a perpetual darkness. Azrael heard the door shut behind him while he patiently stood at attention, waiting for his master to speak. Lord Vandal still didn't look up and kept writing. Azrael wasn't even sure if Lord Vandal even knew it was him who had just entered but he didn't speak a word. It would be bad to interrupt Lord Vandal when he was busy.

Lord Vandal kept writing and after what felt like a tortuous hour, finally looked up.

"I heard from Bertrand," he announced. "He and his men will arrive tomorrow with Sir Thomas and the princess."

Azrael didn't say anything but continued to stand still, awaiting the orders of his master. Lord Vandal then stood up with an aggressive look on his face.

"Now here is the real question, why did you fail to kill him?"

"I'm sorry my Lord but..."

"Apologies are meaningless! Give me a reason why you would disobey a direct order from me! Why did you put everything I have worked for at risk?"

"The boy was killed and…"

"So?" Lord Vandal asked incredulously.

Azrael's eyes widened in shock. Lord Vandal was supposed to be firm, but a just ruler.

"Master, he was a boy! He still had innocence with him! You initially forbade me to harm him or Sir Justin…"

"Things had changed!" Lord Vandal snapped back. "And he forfeited his innocence by joining forces with Sir Thomas, a wicked man who means to do me harm…"

"Master, is it possible you made a mistake? When I fought Sir Thomas, he had every sense of honor about him. Is it possible he isn't working for evil?"

"Did you just question my knowledge Azrael?"

Azrael bowed his head in shame.

"No Master."

"That's what I thought," Lord Vandal said, his words cutting like ice. "What is your mission?"

"To serve the Order of St. Dumas and the Lord Himself," Azrael said, still bowing his head.

"And who runs the Order of St. Dumas now?"

"You do, Lord Vandal," Azrael answered.

"What is the charge of the Order of St. Dumas?"

"To rid all evil from the world in the name of God and protect the faithful."

"So would you say that disobeying a direct order from me is aiding the enemy?"

Azrael couldn't answer that question. Logically he could say yes, but for some reason he didn't. When there was honor involved, the line wasn't so clearly drawn.

"Answer me!" Lord Vandal demanded.

"Y-yes Master, forgive me," Azrael begged and fell onto one knee. "I was mis-mistaken..."

Lord Vandal walked away from Azrael while turning around to look out the small window, clutching his hands behind his back.

"I should punish you. Maybe I should even order your execution. But if I did that, the Order of St. Dumas would cease to exist with your death."

Azrael even felt more guilt if that was possible. Not only did he help the forces of evil, he had jeopardized the legacy of his namesake.

"So I'm going to grant you mercy…"

"Th-thank you, my merciful Lord," Azrael said appreciatively.

Lord Vandal turned around.

"Don't make the same mistake again. Next time I won't be so generous. When I give you an order, you follow it and don't question or subvert me. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master," Azrael said softly.

"Then get out," Lord Vandal ordered.

Azrael quickly got up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The door shut with a soft thud and he quickly descended the staircase. He should consider himself lucky. The Lord had showed him mercy today. He was allowed to continue his mission.

Azrael paused for a second.

"What his my mission?" he asked himself. "To fight evil?"

If that was the truth, why did an innocent boy die and he was sent to kill a man who wouldn't kill? How can someone be evil and yet that honorable? But Lord Vandal was the leader of the Order of St. Dumas for a reason. Lord Vandal's wisdom was so vast Azrael couldn't even dream what Lord Vandal could see and think. Lord Vandal understood things Azrael couldn't understand with his normal, human mind. He was inferior while Lord Vandal was superior. Yet a weird feeling was nagging at Azrael.

Doubt...

He couldn't feel doubt! He had faith in God! He believed in the Lord, Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and the Papal Authority! He had faith in all of them! But there was no denial, he was feeling doubt. Not just at himself and his ability though. He felt doubt towards his mission. Was his mission truly to rid of evil? If so, why did he feel like he was the evil one?

As if on cue, a flash of images went through his mind. All the people he had killed in the name of the Order. The looks of horror on their faces as he killed them never bothered him before. They were evil so why should he feel pity for their deaths? But now he wasn't so sure. How could he be sure they were evil now? What gave him or Lord Vandal the power to decide?

His mind flashed back to the look of horror on Sir Justin's face as the squire collapsed to the ground from his fatal wound. It terrified Azrael. Sir Justin didn't care about anything other than saving his squire. What kind of evil man cares about others before himself? Azrael was so lost in thought he didn't realize he had, on instinct, wandered to the chapel room in the manor. He hadn't been in there for a long time and it didn't look like no one else, not even Lord Vandal, had either. The whole room was dusty and rank of wet cobwebs. Wasn't Lord Vandal as a Christian man supposed to pray here every day?

Azrael shook his head. The feelings of doubt were destroying him. He could feel his own identity slowly slip away. The word Azrael was becoming nothing more than a figment of the imagination now. He looked up to see in the back of the chapel was the crucifix. It was a simple carving of Christ the Lord on the cross. His eyes like most crucifixes were closed. Yet somehow Azrael felt like they were looking at him.

"Is this you?" Azrael demanded angrily in a half crazed tone. "Is this all a test?"

No response was given other than pure silence.

"I have showed you my faith! I have done everything in your name! What did I do to deserve this? Why are you trying to test me with doubt now?"

Still no answer. Azrael in response got on one knee and stayed there the rest of the night, praying and hoping he would get an answer.


The Next Day

Bertrand and his party were riding up the hill before the captain suddenly ordered his men to halt at the top. Sir Thomas took the opportunity to look around. Even though he was in the very back, he could tell they were at Lord Vandal's castle. That sinister monolith was easy to recognize. Meanwhile up front Gwen was held prisoner as a haughty Bertrand turned around to grin at her.

"Lord Vandal would like to welcome you to his lodgings," he taunted.

Gwen glared and did something that caught everyone off guard. She spat right into Bertrand's face.

Bertrand cringed involuntarily as many of his own men gasped before bursting out into laughter. The knight couldn't help but grin at the sight. Bertrand wiped the spit from his face and glared. His men immediately ceased their laughter and just watched with apprehension. Gwen however wasn't intimidated and just gave a challenging look. For a second it looked like Bertrand was going to lose control and smack her; the anger in his face was noticeable. But the captain seemed to have found his cool and just grinned again.

"So unbecoming of a lady. Let's hope Lord Vandal and Madame Minerva teach you some manners."

Bertrand then gave the order and he took off on his horse to the castle, with his men and their prisoners right behind him.


Lord Vandal watched from his window while smiling. He could see Bertrand and his men running down the hill in the distance. He finally had the princess! Excited, but keeping his composure, he exited the room and descended the steps to the main hall. Madame Minerva was already there waiting.

"I upheld my end of the bargain, Witch," Lord Vandal ordered, not intimidated by her at all. "Hand over the medallion."

Madame Minerva just gave him a suspicious look.

"This can still be one of Merlin's tricks. Until I have confirmation it is her, I won't give it to you."

"Why do you want her so bad?" Lord Vandal asked.

"That is not your concern," the old woman said.

At that moment the doors swung open and in stepped Bertrand followed by two of his biggest men. Each carried one of the prisoners on their own. The Sir Thomas without his armor seemed passive and cold. The princess however, was struggling to free herself. She was looking angrier by the minute.

"Stop struggling'" the man holding Gwen complained and shoved her against the wall violently.

WHAM!

"Don't you touch her like that!" the knight suddenly snapped angrily.

BAM!

Bertrand smacked Sir Thomas across the face.

"Lord Vandal," he said with a gloating smile. "We have brought both of them to you."

Lord Vandal smiled.

"And still no sign of Sir Justin?"

"Like I told you earlier my Lord, we think he's fled. Even if he went back to Camelot, it would take him another week to get there."

"Excellent," Lord Vandal said with a beaming smile. "Have five of your men take this fallen knight to my study in the highest tower. Make sure he is tied up and chained on each limb separately. I want five men guarding him at all times."

"My Lord, don't you think that is a little excessive?"

Lord Vandal just narrowed his eyes and the usually haughty Bertrand showed nervousness.

"Of course my Lord," Bertrand said. With that he turned around and beckoned four of his men to go with the one holding onto the knight upstairs to Lord Vandal's study.

Lord Vandal looked at Bertrand with a look of pride as the knight was dragged away with the five guards in charge of him.

"You have made your master proud, Bertrand. You will be rewarded later. You both can leave us."

Bertrand beamed and beckoned to his other guard who was holding the dazed Gwen to release her and follow him out. Gwen collapsed to the ground, still slightly unconscious from being thrown against the wall. She was feeling a little dizzy.

A rough hand touched her chin and lifted her head.

"Tut, tut," Lord Vandal mused. "Such a pretty face."

Gwen went up to strike him but Lord Vandal was too quick and caught her wrist.

"Such spirit though," he noted.

"Enough," croaked the voice of Madame Minerva. Lord Vandal backed away and before Gwen could do anything, ropes appeared out of nowhere and suspended Gwen in the air. At least that's what it felt like to Gwen. She didn't actually see any ropes but some type of force suddenly had her hanging midair by the arms.

Gwen in shock looked at Madame Minerva to see the woman was changing. Her wrinkled face was becoming much younger and her back less hunched to reveal a beautiful woman.

"Princess Guinevere, may I introduce Morgan Le Fay," Lord Vandal said in a fake polite tone.

Gwen gasped at that. She had heard stories about the sister of her betrothed. There were so many stories of her such as her lying with a demon to create a son or regularly sucking the life out of children to keep herself youthful. Even though Gwen hated to feel weak, she couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation towards the witch.

"You're probably wondering why I want you here," Morgan le Fay announced.

"Not really," Gwen said, finding the courage in her again. That seemed to insult the witch greatly.

"Insolent child," Morgan le Fay muttered angrily. "I can see why my brother wished to marry you. He always had a soft spot for idiotic women like you."

Now it was Gwen's turn to feel insulted.

"But without my brother's attraction to women like you, my plan wouldn't even exist."

"Plan?" Gwen questioned as she still struggled fruitlessly against the bonds.

"Yes, my plan. You're nothing but a small part of larger goals," the witch explained. "My brother thinks he is the rightful heir to the throne. It belongs to my bloodline, through my son Mordred. I've vowed I would take the throne back and give it to its rightful heir, not my usurping half-wit brother."

"I'm not exactly in love with your brother either but I don't see how this justifies doing what you're doing. Someone died because of you!"

"No inferior lives will get in the way of my goals," Morgan le Fay said coldly back. "I waited too long for this."

"I still don't understand what you want with her," Lord Vandal commented, watching from a distance.

"Hmhmhmhmhm!"

Morgan le Fay began to laugh through closed lips. It was quite disturbing to hear for Gwen.

"My brother is well protected by the wizard Merlin. To dispose of him, I need someone he trusts greatly to get close to him. I need someone to betray him and go for the kill when he least suspects it."

"If you think I'll kill for you, you got that wrong," Gwen snapped. "I will never let myself be a puppet to any man or woman."

"You don't have a choice," the witch said evilly. "I only need your body. Your mind and soul I can discard. Once I do that, I shall be able to take control of your body and..."

"I've heard enough. I kept my end of the deal," Lord Vandal demanded.

Morgan le Fay turned around. She was annoyed at Lord Vandal interjection.

"I want the medallion you promised me," Lord Vandal demanded.

Morgan le Fay gave a coy smile before reaching for something hanging around her neck.

"You mean this? The medallion said to be so powerful it gives even non-magical beings power?"

"Yes of course!" Lord Vandal demanded angrily.

Morgan le Fay raised her hand as a flash of green light shot out of it, hitting Lord Vandal square in the chest.

ZZZZAAAAAAPPPPPPP!

"AARGH!" Lord Vandal cried in pain and fell onto the ground.

Gwen gasped. Lord Vandal may have been evil but he didn't deserve to die like that.

"You didn't need to kill him!" Gwen shouted.

The witch turned to her coldly.

"Yes I did. He outlived his usefulness. I can't risk him living and telling everyone my plan. Besides I needed someone to take the fall. I will take over your body and I will make my way back to Camelot, posing as you. I will tell my brother and his fools that Lord Vandal had betrayed them all and kidnapped me but I managed to escape thanks to the sacrifice of the black knight, Sir Thomas, who will also be disposed of as well by then. My brother will then welcome me with open arms as his soon to be wife…"

POP!

A black ball had landed by Morgan le Fay. She was stunned by it and looked at it curiously. Gwen recognized it immediately and closed her eyes.

HISS!

The black ball exploded into a black cloud of smoke, blinding the witch.

"What is this?" she shouted angrily as the thick smoke blinded her. Gwen could make out a faint figure moving in the smoke towards the blind witch with a faint glowing light.

BAM!

"NIIIAAAAYY!"

BOOM!

There was a faint sound of metal hitting something and the witch shrieking followed by a blast. The smoke began to clear to reveal the witch, her hair now messed up and her eyes wild, looking around madly.

"Hehhehhehheh!"

A loud chuckle was heard and both Gwen and Morgan looked to the side in shock to find Lord Vandal was at his feet laughing. And to his side was Azrael with his glowing sword attached to his wrist.

"How did you survive that?" Morgan le Fay demanded.

"I'm no ordinary man, just like our friend upstairs. I'm something much more and a lot harder to kill than you would think."

Morgan le Fay's eyes narrowed.

"Then I won't make that mistake again," she said and shot an even larger blast at Lord Vandal and Azrael. Instead of making contact Lord Vandal lazily lifted his hand up and blocked the blast.

"You dropped something," Lord Vandal mused while revealing he was holding the medallion that moments ago hung on her neck. Morgan looked down and realized it was gone.

"That's not possible!"

"Oh yes it is," Lord Vandal boasted. "Azrael's sword here is very unique in it can fight through dark magic. Not even your own dark magical protections could have protected this from you."

"Pathetic mortal! Even with magic you think you can defeat me? The Mistress of Dark Magic? The medallion only gives you power in relation to your age. You would have to be at least two hundred years old to match mine!"

ZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPP!

And with that the witch shot a continuous blast of violet light towards Lord Vandal who just laughed and responded with his own band of yellow light. The two lights connected and began to explode in the center. Morgan le Fay showed surprise and tried to keep concentrating but it was obvious she was straining by the amount of power Lord Vandal was responding with. Lord Vandal meanwhile was laughing and not showing any signs of struggle.

ZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAPPPPPP!

SSSSSSSKKKKKK!

BOOOOM!

"NNNNOOOOOO!"

BAM!

After what felt like forever, the yellow light had slowly made its way to Morgan le Fay who kept struggling until it made contact with her, send her flying across the room and hitting the wall hard. She groaned and rolled her head to the side. Her eyes had a dazed look.

"I'm older than two hundred years," Lord Vandal responded and calmly walked to her near lifeless body. "I would love to kill you but that would be too boring so instead I got a nice punishment for you."

He produced a small box which was open and closed his eyes as he pointed his hand at the witch. The witch began to writhe in pain as her body began to toss and turn. Her eyes opened wide in terror like she knew what Lord Vandal was doing to her.

"NOOOOOO!" she shouted as she began to transform into nothing but a mist that quickly was sucked into the tiny box which then slammed shut.

Lord Vandal laughed and shook the lockbox.

"I hope it's nice and tight in there, Witch," Lord Vandal taunted as the doors opened and in rushed Bertrand and two of his men swords drawn.

"We heard shouting my lord and…what's he doing here?" Bertrand demanded upon seeing Azrael was there.

"That is not your concern," Lord Vandal assured as he handed one of the guards the box.

"Dump this in the river," Lord Vandal said to the guard.

"What?" the guard asked.

"Do what he says," Bertrand ordered. The guard saluted and exited the manor, carrying the box. Bertrand began to grin.

"I take it you got the medallion, my Lord?"

"Yes I did," Lord Vandal said gleefully and showed him the trinket. "The New Moon is tonight which will begin a new era for this island and the world. Tell the men to get everything ready."

"What about her?" Bertrand asked, indicating to Gwen who was still being hung up magically by the invisible ropes.

"Oh excuse me," Lord Vandal apologized and snapped his fingers. Gwen fell back to the ground with a groan.

Lord Vandal then went up to her and helped her up.

"Now that the witch is gone, you have no use for me unless…"

Gwen tried to break free from his grip.

"I do like a beautiful woman who likes to fight," Lord Vandal said and he pulled her in close and began to kiss her on the neck. Gwen responded by biting his ear.

"NAAAARGH!"

Lord Vandal grunted in pain and pulled away, looking at her angrily. She just grinned back at him.

"You'll pay for that," Lord Vandal muttered before turning to one of his men. "Take her to the seventh dungeon. There she will learn a woman's real place in society!"

Gwen just continued to stare daggers at him as two men took her away. Azrael just sat by watching with an impassive look. Lord Vandal was still clutching his ear in pain. The bleeding had stopped and it had begun to heal already.

"Come with me Azrael," Lord Vandal ordered. "We need to talk to our other guest."


The knight just sat there unable to move. The men had him tied up with so many ropes and chains he knew it would be impossible to escape. Also there were five men watching him with two at a time always having their weapons drawn. There was no good in trying to struggle and get himself killed. Lord Vandal was going to let him live anyways for the time being.

The door opened and in step Lord Vandal followed by a familiar person.

"You!" the knight shouted angrily at the sight of Azrael following Lord Vandal. One of the guards brought their sword closer to the knight's throat.

"That won't be necessary," Lord Vandal remarked. "Leave us."

"But my Lord, you said so yourself he is dangerous…"

"I got all the protection I need now," Lord Vandal interrupted, flashing a medallion he was wearing around his neck.

The guards all bowed and quickly exited the room, leaving the three men to themselves.

"Wait outside Azrael," Lord Vandal ordered. "Close the door on your way out."

Azrael nodded and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I must apologize for this," Lord Vandal explained. "I didn't intend for you to be completely uncomfortable."

"Just like I'm sure you didn't intend for Azrael to kill me," the knight shot back coldly.

Lord Vandal laughed and began to untie the chains and ropes that were holding the knight in place.

"I guess there is no need to pretend anymore. We both know who we really are."

"You're a nothing more than a savage," the knight insulted. He was still tightly bound to the chair he was on.

"Savage...I like the sound of that," Lord Vandal remarked. He stopped untying some of the restraints.

"Now then, I suppose I should start," Lord Vandal said as he took a seat. "You see I recognized you just like you did the moment our paths crossed again. I knew you would try to threaten my plans so I sent Azrael to kill you…"

"I didn't even know what your plan was!" the knight replied incredulously.

Lord Vandal sighed.

"It appears I overestimated you. But if you must know, the plan was I needed the princess to be brought here alive because I needed to get this," Lord Vandal said, showing the medallion on his neck.

"A piece of jewelry?"

"Not just any piece of jewelry. This is the Medallion of Morgan le Fay who is sadly no longer with us. This medallion gives the bearer immense magical power. For the princess it was a worthy trade."

"Where is she?" the knight demanded.

Lord Vandal laughed.

"Why do you take a sudden interest in her? Is it possible that the wandering lonely knight is in love with the princess?"

"What did you do with her?" the knight demanded.

Lord Vandal laughed some more before shaking his head.

"She's alive, for now. I made a deal to help capture and hand her over to the witch Morgan le Fay. You remember Madame Minerva?"

The knight just stared at him.

"That was the dear old sorceress disguising herself to make sure I did my part of the bargain. Because Sir Justin was magically protected from her by Merlin, she knew she couldn't capture the princess on her own so she enlisted my help. I made a deal with her. In exchange for this medallion, I would have my men capture the princess when Sir Justin began to escort her to safety. I was one of the few who knew about the secret mission and what route they would be taking. But then you came along and nearly ruined everything."

"I had no idea what you were planning…"

"So you say. I sent Azrael after you to get rid of you. However after you survived the first encounter, the first time anyone has survived Azrael in fact, you began to pique my interest. Not only did you come again into my life but you seemed more than any other man. You were something superior than the average man, like me."

"I don't think of myself above anyone," the knight corrected.

"Anyways," Lord Vandal continued, ignoring the knight. "I decided to give Azrael one last chance to kill you. I even allowed him to have a little more freedom and not worry about killing anyone who got in his way anymore."

The knight's eyes flashed in anger. Lord Vandal took great delight in that.

"Yes I heard about the brat dying. What was his name?"

"His name was Bart and he was a better man than you."

"I'm not a man, I'm a visionary," Lord Vandal protested. "Now where was I? Well I guess you know the rest; Bertrand captured you and the princess and brought you here under my orders. Now just recently the witch tried to renege on our bargain but I took care of her. Not only did I get what I wanted but I got the princess as a consolation prize."

The knight when they were talking all this time was trying to free himself. If he could just get enough slack he could get his wrists free.

"What did you want the medallion for?" the knight asked in attempt to distract his captor.

Lord Vandal smiled and got up and turned around to look out the window. The sun was setting already.

"Long ago when the Romans first set foot on these lands with Julius Caesar leading the invasion, they were quashing the Celtic natives here. However one tribe refused to yield and managed to successfully repel the Romans. Caesar claimed a lack of resources and bad weather forced him to retreat from a victory that was in his grasp. But only a few who survived the initial invasion know the truth."

"Which is?" the knight asked, feigning curiosity. One of his wrists was feeling loose.

"That the tribe that repelled Caesar managed to succeed in doing so due to divine intervention."

"What?"

"The Celts worshiped a dark spirit called the Bodach. It was a very powerful giant demon that used to roam this island until it was banished into another dimension by the old mages in ancient times. However the mages kept a spell that would not only summon the demon but bond it to a human body so it could be controlled. The tribe had summoned the Bodach and bonded it to the body of a normal Celt. Caesar's small initial invasion force never stood a chance and was slaughtered."

"What's this go to do with the medallion though?" the knight asked after he managed to slip one hand free. Time to work on the other now. Thank God Lord Vandal was too busy talking still.

"You see, one soldier didn't retreat with Caesar but instead was curious by this powerful being. He then snuck into the village after the mages had dismissed the Bodach back to its dimensional prison. He slaughtered the unsuspecting villagers one by one at night until the elder mage was the only one left. The soldier tortured the old man until he told the soldier everything, including the spells to summon and bond the Bodach. The solider then killed the elder mage but realized he had made a mistake."

"What mistake?" the knight asked as he slid his second hand through quietly. Time to work on the bonds around his legs now.

"The soldier realized he was unable to perform the spells because he had no magical ability. Frustrated the soldier returned to Rome and then wrote a book on what he had learned among the Celts, including the spells. I intend to finish what that soldier tried to start. At the New Moon which is required for the summoning spell, I will use my newfound power given to me by this medallion and summon the Bodach. But I will not weaken it by bonding it to any living thing and instead let it run wild in its true form. I estimate within a week it will destroy a decent half of the population of this island, including Camelot. I will then rise over the rubble and take over what's left."

"You're insane," the knight responded as he managed to get the bonds off his feet.

"No, I'm a man with vision. This is only the beginning. Taking over this island nation will be the stepping stone for my plan to take over the world. And if you think I'm not aware you're trying to escape right now, you're quite wrong I'm afraid," Lord Vandal said and turned around just as the knight got his last limb free.

"Then why keep me alive all of a sudden?" the knight demanded.

"Because I decided that maybe I could offer you to join me. Never do I usually consider sharing power but for a man I consider to be my equal, I might make an exception. Think about it. Together we can bring order to this chaotic world and bring actual peace. King Arthur is no different than any other ruler. He comes in with promises of new ideas and hopes only to fail miserably because he doesn't possess the will to do what needs to be done."

The knight paused. On instinct he wanted to reject the offer but he realized if he pretended to accept it, he might be able to stall Lord Vandal. Stall him long enough until maybe he can free Gwen and get that medallion off of Lord Vandal or at least come up with a plan.

"You're right," the knight said. "I've seen too many needless deaths around here. It's time to re-establish order."

Lord Vandal smiled.

"I knew you would see it my way. But first, a little test," Lord Vandal explained before pulling the sword from his scabbard and tossing it to the knight.

"Strike this through my heart right now."

"What?" the knight asked, totally perplexed by the strange request.

"Consider this as the only way to prove you are willing to join me. I need to know if you are willing to kill now."

"But this is insane…"

"Call it what you like but if you don't stab that through my heart soon, I will assume you were lying to me and have you killed. You need to make a choice right now."

The knight bit his lip. Lord Vandal was clever but also definitely insane to be willing to gamble his life away. Yet the knight knew Lord Vandal still had the upper hand. Despite his evil ways the knight could not kill him in cold blood like that. There was no honor in murder. The knight gave a defeated sigh. There was no way out. Even if he tried to knock Lord Vandal out instead, Azrael would burst in and try to fight him as well. He just stood there and dropped the sword, showing he was standing down.

"I'm not a murderer like you."

Lord Vandal sighed with disappointment.

"That's what I thought," he said and stepped forward. "And in case you are wondering why I wanted you to stab my heart, it's because I knew you wouldn't be able to harm me even if you wanted to."

And to demonstrate, Lord Vandal produced a small knife and proceeded to cut it along his face. Blood began to spill from the fresh wound but as soon as it appeared it began to fade away like it wasn't there to begin with. The knight just stood by in amazement.

"Now you know my secret; I can't die. Even before our paths first met I made contact with a mysterious object that came from the sky. It was emanating some powerful energy and before I knew it, my mind and body had transformed. Not only was I smarter and stronger than ever, but my body would heal form any injury, making me immortal. When we fell off that cliff when we first met, I thought there was a chance you were like me hence why I couldn't find your body. I always hoped we would meet again."

"I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm not like you. I still bleed when you cut me," the knight responded with a mixture of pride and defiance as he indicated to the injuries over his arms and face from his fight with Azrael.

"I know. But I must know, if you can be killed and get hurt, how did you survive then? How have you lived as long as I had?"

The knight for the first time felt like he had an advantage. Was that fear he sensed in Lord Vandal's voice? A sense of nervousness?

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the knight taunted.

Lord Vandal sighed angrily.

"I tried to be reasonable," he said and lifted his hand up.

"Ecck!"

The knight gasped as he felt an invisible vise grip close around his neck. He struggled and kicked his legs as he was lifted up in the air, his body slowly passing out from the lack of oxygen.

"It's such a shame. We could have been a great team. In the meantime, farewell," Lord Vandal said.

And with that he pushed his palm forward.

"AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The knight felt as if some giant force had punched him in the body and sent him flying out the window. He went flying straight out, far past the castle and the hills surrounding it. He was moving so fast horizontally he had traveled a long way from the castle before he finally began to descend into an arc. But by the end, the combination of the sudden rush of oxygen to his head and the force from being punched out a window and over a castle wall had caused him to passed out.

He wasn't awake when a small looking imp had appeared under him when he began to descend.

"I got you Batman! I got you Batman!" Batmite said and flew up under the knight pushing against him in an attempt to stop him. Unfortunately the knight had picked up so much momentum the little imp was only slowing down the descent of the unconscious knight.

"Uh-oh," Batmite remarked when he realized they were about to crash into the stable that was a good distance from Lord Vandal's castle. The same stable that the knight had awaken in this time period.

CRASH!

Luckily Batmite's efforts had managed to slow much of batman's fall so the impact was a lot less than what it could have been. Unfortunately for Batmite, he had hit the roof of the stable and the ground first which also slightly cushioned the unconscious knight's fall.

"Owwww," Batmite grunted in pain as he tried to pry himself out between the unconscious body and the pile of wood and hay. The black horse nearby gave an annoyed neigh before continuing to eat its dinner.


Lord Vandal sighed as he saw his enemy disappear in the distance. There was no way he could survive the fall this time. Too bad, he actually was almost starting to like his rival. Almost being the key word.

The door busted open and in entered Azrael.

"I heard shouting my Lord!" Azrael stated before noticing Sir Thomas was gone.

"Where is he?"

Lord Vandal sighed.

"He rejected my offer to turn away from his evil ways so I blasted him out the window."

"What?" Azrael asked in shock. "You used magic to get rid of him? You didn't give him a chance to defend himself? My Lord, where's the honor in that?"

"I'm sorry you were saying?" Lord Vandal asked, staring down at Azrael angrily.

Azrael bowed his head.

"I'm sorry my Lord."

"Head to the main hall. I will meet you there in a bit. I have a potential bride to speak to now."


Gwen was hanging by chains in the dungeon. Her feet barely touched the ground which allowed her to take a lot of stress off her arms. She had been hanging for what felt like hours when she heard someone come down. The guard entered with a seedy grin before being followed by his master.

"I hope you had some time to reconsider my offer," Lord Vandal spoke as he looked at her with a patronizing look of pity.

"What offer?" she responded. "To be your mistress? No thanks."

Lord Vandal chuckled.

"I feel like you deserve more than that. I was thinking of making you my queen."

"Queen?" Gwen asked in bewilderment. "Last time I checked, my betrothed was the king."

Lord Vandal laughed.

"That was the old order. A new one is coming though. By next week, these lands will be under my rule."

"You'll be stopped."

Lord Vandal laughed.

"No one can stop me my dear. Not even your beloved Sir Thomas who I have just killed."

Gwen's eyes widened in surprise. Her eyes began to involuntarily water.

"You lie!"

"I speak the truth," Lord Vandal said, taking great delight in seeing she was in pain by the news. "Oh I'm sorry, is this love I detect?"

"He was my friend," Gwen corrected. "And a far better man than you would ever be!"

Lord Vandal sighed and pivoted on his feet. He began to walk towards the stairs that led out of the dungeon.

"I was hoping you would change your mind after being locked in here for a while. I guess I will have to do something more convincing. Feel free to shout when you're willing to reconsider my proposal. Hopefully someone will hear you scream."

And with that he had reached the top of the stairs and exited the dungeon with the seedy guard. The door quickly slammed shut, locking her in the darkness again. She wasn't afraid though. Lord Vandal was trying to scare her but she knew it was an empty threat.

Swoosh!

A faint sound was heard which caused Gwen to look around. It sounded like something was moving down there. She closed her eyes to try to calm herself. There was nothing to worry about. The sound was probably just rats.

Swoosh!

Gwen heard the sound of rushing water which caused her to open her eyes. She could suddenly feel cold water brush against her feet as she looked down. She looked back up and just now noticed the stairs that led to the door out of the dungeon went way above her head.

A sudden realization of horror had hit her. Lord Vandal was flooding the dungeon to drown her! And he was doing it purposely slow to torture her.


Sir Justin followed Merlin as he led him along the river.

"Hmm, where did I put it…ah! Here it is!"

Merlin lifted a rock and tapped it with his finger. Upon his touch the rock turned somewhat transparent revealing a cloud of smoke inside.

"Take a look," the wizard said, handing Sir Justin the rock.

Sir Justin looked at it. He first saw nothing but upon further inspection saw a flash of images. Lord Vandal wearing a strange medallion while laughing evilly. Sir Thomas lying lifeless in the remains of a stable. Gwen struggling as water slowly began to engulf her…

Sir Justin looked back up at the wizard in shock.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"This is the present. Your friends are in trouble. This is the future if no one saves them and stops Lord Vandal."

The rock was now showing images of death and destruction. Sir Justin watched in horror as he saw many images of fires and people screaming. Women and children slaughtered by soldiers without honor. And the last image was of Camelot. His beloved home burning…

"No," Sir Justin whispered and dropped the rock.

"Now you understand why you are needed. Your kingdom is in trouble. Your friends are in trouble as well."

"Do something, please!" Sir Justin begged.

"Don't worry, I will. I'm sending you to help save them."

"What?" Sir Justin asked in surprise.

"You're the only one who can save us now Sir Justin. You're friends need your help."

Sir Justin looked at himself. His once clean armor was dirty and a mess. His sword was missing as well. He looked more like a beggar than a knight.

"You made a mistake, you should send someone else. You can do it yourself."

"I'm too old to stop this evil. And now that Lord Vandal is more powerful than I could ever be, my magic would be worthless. Only knights of honor and courage can stop him. Besides I never make a mistake. You're the right man for the job."

"No I'm not! I not only failed my first mission, I abandoned it and my friends like a coward! And now my squire's dead because of me! I'm a disgrace to the Round Table! I'm nothing more than a fool trying to live a childhood dream!"

"But that's what makes you different Sir Justin. You actually do believe in chivalry more than any other knight. You are the most human and compassionate of them all. It is why I convinced King Arthur to let you join his Round Table."

"What?" Sir Justin asked in surprise.

"A hero is not just measured by his successes, but by his heart. I don't know many knights would have taken the death of a friend as hard as you. To me that shows you have this," Merlin said while pointing at the area where Sir Justin's heart was. "And all you need in battle is heart. Not strength or fancy weapons, just pure heart."

Sir Justin was confused by what the wizard was saying. Maybe the rumors that the old man was crazy were true.

"I don't think I can though. I don't have faith in myself."

"It's okay to doubt. It's what makes us human and makes us fight harder. The only faith you need is something bigger than yourself. You can do this Sir Justin. You're meant to do this."

Sir Justin sighed.

"You need to aid your friends in stopping Lord Vandal. Otherwise by tonight it will be too late. Thousands of lives will be murdered and it will be the beginning of the end."

"But what can I do?" Sir Justin demanded. "Lord Vandal's castle is far away from here. Even on horseback I won't be able to get there on time. I've wandered for a week in the other direction."

"Don't worry, I can fix that," Merlin said and snapped his fingers.

"NNNEEEE-YAAAAHHH!"

A violent neighing was heard and Sir Justin turned around.

Bart's irascible pony was being engulfed in purple flames. The pony began to jerk and buck around before a blinding light surrounded it. When the light faded away, in the place of the fat pony was a mighty white steed with wings protruding out of it like Pegasus.

"My God!" Sir Justin said in amazement.

"And let me fix this," Merlin snapped and before Sir Justin knew it, his armor was clean and pristine again.

"You'll need this as well," he began and handed Sir Justin a large sword that somehow felt really light.

Sir Justin looked at Merlin unsure. All of this seemed to be happening so fast.

"I'm still not sure what to do."

"Do what you were always meant to be. The white knight that comes riding in to save the day."

Sir Justin looked around unsure before realizing he didn't know the exact way to Lord Vandal's castle.

"Which way is it?" he asked turning around to find no one there except the wind blowing in the trees. Sir Justin looked around the area. There was no sign of Merlin at all. The old man had vanished.

A neighing got his attention again. He turned around to look at the white horse. Slowly he walked up to it nervously. The horse let him approach and began to nuzzle him as he got close. It felt warm and inviting. Sir Justin leaned in and whispered into the horse's ear.

"To Lord Vandal's castle," he instructed, not caring if it sounded silly that he was talking to a horse. And before he knew it, he managed to mount the white horse which gave a loud neigh before taken off in the air with such speed, Sir Justin almost slid off before finding his balance. The horse soared high into the sky with the slowly setting sun to their left.


Up next the climax of the Medieval chapter. Sir Justin tries to save his friends, Batman and Azrael fight for one last time, and Batmite's holding out for a hero.