R.I.P. Kentaro Miura, you were the greatest manga artist and story teller I have ever known. The fact that I live in a world where Berserk exists is more than can be asked for. That story helped me through my depression, and it's probably the greatest works of art I've had the pleasure of reading.
Thank you all for your patience when it came to this chapter. It'll have some more action in it than the last one, as well as some clues for the future. Without further ado, here is Chapter 31, and I hope you enjoy.
There were a plenty who arrived for both song, feast, sport, and ceremony, despite the snow that covered the ground. The most honored guest, to many, was the father of the bride to be, and despite being draped in an animal fur coat with a cloak as well, King Leodegan was still recognizable as ever as he strode forward among those that came with him from Cameliard with his head high and his crown atop it. With knights striding beside him, Leodegan made his way through to the castle where his old friend had once ruled, whose heir now ruled, soon to be his son-in-law. Guinevere rode by his side, her brown locks bristling in the cool air, her cheeks somewhat red from the snow, but a proud an illustrious smile brightened the area around her. With her cousins there to greet them, Guinevere enjoyed a warm hug from them both while Leodegan placed a hand on the shoulders of his nephews, who both bowed to him in turn. As 'King Arthur' himself, flanked by Sirs Kay and Bedivere, came to greet them, the crowd grew louder as the royals from all over Britain arrived as well.
His long blonde hair and silverish armor gleaming in the light of the sun, King Accolon and his knights arrived. The stout King Urien arrived on carriage; his gray/brown hair covered by his crown. King Angusel rode out with his 3 sons, Cadret, Cuoi, and Archemais, along with his guards by his side. Following steadily behind her husband, with their guards riding beside her. Morgan could not help herself but stair at the castle as they got closer and closer, anxiety and excitement filling her heart and stomach. Her sister's wedding was soon at hand, in the home of their family. It was what Morgan had once dreamed of for herself, and for a moment, a fleeting one but one nonetheless, she imagined her mother and father, waiting for her to arrive at the castle steps. The games and celebration were soon at hand.
…
…
"I really should thank you, Lady Morgan." Guinevere noted as the 2 ladies strolled through the halls of the castle, the feet of servants and knights being heard throughout the halls, some closer than others, "It is my first time actually visiting this castle, so I am rather unfamiliar, and a tad bit nervous. You are very generous to aid me in exploring it."
Morgan smiled back as she led the way, "No need. I remember this castle as if it were the skin on my body. A shame that 'Arthur' could not accompany us. I did not chance to before, but I feel that, even with the time 'he' spent here, my dear kin did not have as much time as I did to know its corridors." Remembering the times, she used to roam the castle as a child, she outstretched her arms to her left and right, and playfully spun around as she once did as a little girl, her gaze absorbing all she saw as she spun without a care in the world, before bringing herself back down to Earth and walking normally. "I used to roam around all the time as a little girl, sometimes out of curiosity, and other times because I would always look for my Father." She smiled somewhat somberly, "I loved him, but he was always so busy, I would constantly try to find ways to find him so he would stop leaving me. At times, it failed, but I did enjoy a happy victory here and there."
Guinevere chuckled, recalling how she used to be such a daddy's girl herself, "My Father told me much of Uther Pendragon, how he had a natural warmth and sincerity that made people follow him to battle, but I never met him myself." Indeed, her only knowledge of the deceased King Uther came from King Leodegan and the now deceased Lord Ector, the latter only due to the times when she and her Father would visit the man's estate, where both men would talk about older days and she would ride horses with Artoria and Kay. Even when they were younger, Artoria was preparing to be Uther's successor. And now that she thought about it, it was around then that she met the white-haired man who assisted in training her childhood friend, and he had asked her if she was willing to be Artoria's queen. She had naively said yes, and she wondered if that held any bearing on the here and now. "What exactly was he like, Lady Morgan?" She asked innocently.
Morgan's smile stopped as she pondered this question for a few moments. When Guinevere noticed, she asked, "Are you alright, Lady Morgan?"
Composing herself, Morgan hastily nodded, biting her lip for a second before she spoke, "He was a good man, and a good father… Kind, noble, and brave… but he was troubled by many things, especially before…"
'Before he had me sent to a nunnery when I was a little girl, essentially telling me straight to my face that I would never see him again and would probably never have the throne. All while my dear mother stood by and let it happen. Then, after years of hoping to go back home and see them again, along with the beginning of my training with Merlin, a messenger arrives and tells me I am to be married off to one of my Father's allies at his will. How happy I was, as I was going to be a Queen, and even better, I may have a chance to see him again! Only, he never arrived, let alone addressed me at all by letter. And the man he married me off to is a heartless brute who has never loved me or any of my children, who my Father never bothered to meet! What an amazing Father he was…'
"SILENCE!" Morgan found herself shouting, the marks on her body lighting up, Guinevere backing away, shocked silent by the sudden. Taking a few deep breaths, Morgan calmed herself down, "My apologies, Princess Guinevere, I did not mean to attack you… my mind just, goes into different places at times, and I forget where I am."
Guinevere nodded, "I'm sorry if I brought up anything unpleasant. I never meant to." She said as she nervously curled her chocolatey hair around a finger.
Morgan shook her head, "It is not your fault." She outstretched her arm towards her soon to be sister-in-law, "Come, let me continue showing you this castle." And so, they made their way through the halls, Guinevere taking in as much as she could while they walked, the atmosphere the colors of gold and brown gave a strange feeling of warmth, like she was in the center of a hearth. She could not put her finger on it.
They were cut short as they walked down the hall that would lead to the kitchen, where they were stopped by an old lady, whose hands seemed to be raw from cutting something, "There you are! I was wondering when you would get here!" She cursed quietly under her breath as she grabbed Morgan by the arm, "Come here!" She said, not bothering to give Morgan time to respond as she pulled Morgan down the hall, traversing, and switching through different halls and corridors until they found the rooms built for guests. Morgan was too astonished by the older woman's surprising strength and sheer audacity to properly respond, and Guinevere, not knowing whether to call for help, hurriedly followed.
When they entered one of the smaller rooms, Morgan gasped and ran to the side of the bed as she saw who was laying on it, "Gareth!" She cried out as she knelt by her daughter, who was currently suffering from a fever and breathing roughly, "What happened?!"
Gareth opened her eyes groggily, a dreamlike smile on her face, "No little rabbits… don't go there… that's where the giant bird is… come here… let's kill the big knight…" She muttered, her mind lost in whatever dream she was having, but it seemed to be enjoyable.
The old maid shrugged, "Little one decided it was a good idea to shirk work and decided to run in the snow. Lazy and wild I tell you." She muttered as she got closer, "That blonde knight, his squire, and their sooty friend come by a lot to check on her, as well as that other knight Lancelot. Honestly, more pains than aides they were, but they did well to bring food and water when I needed them to for her. King tried to use that scabbard of his, but it turns out it only works better on flesh wounds than sickness. Irony, I know." She looked at the little one before putting the large coat on the bed, "Little one has strange dreams. Last one was about riding on a lion through a land of cheese."
Guinevere was worried, "Well then, what are we to do?" She wondered if she should go get help, but the maid waved her off.
"What do you think I brought you here to do?" She said to Morgan, "Well, go on then, I've heard the stories. If you can fight Vortigern by the King's side, you can heal a sick child."
Morgan nodded, removing the wet rag on her child's forehead before quietly muttering something under her breath, the air and temperature swirling just around her, the hymn she was chanting unrecognizable to either the maid or Guinevere, "Vweltro mingte viyu moor, aryen ier viyu cendiluar moor. Ivyren nemyader falchyun moor, aldeth bantyo girehni moor. Vweltro mingte viyu moor…" Morgan sang softly as she kissed her daughter's forehead. A light shined on her daughter's forehead before it eventually reached around her entire head.
As it slowly faded after almost a minute of shining brightly, Gareth yawned lazily, stretching out her arms before sitting up. As she turned her head in surprise to her surroundings, she them beamed, "Mama!" She cheered as she hugged her mother, who embraced her in turn, "You came!" She mewled like a kitten when Morgan placed Gareth on her lap and ruffled her hair playfully, placing a soft kiss on her head.
Guinevere smiled while the maid grabbed what she had placed on the side of the bed, "Alright little whelp, stay still for a moment." She said coldly, prompting Gareth to cower.
…
"There, finished." The old maid stated proudly as she looked upon her work. Gareth was wearing a much thicker coat and thicker pants, somewhat draggy, but still good for the cold. She also had 2-3 cloths wrapped around her head to cover her ears as well. "Now do us all a good deed and don't run off in the cold as it is now. Especially without protection." The old maid sighed, "You remind me of another spoiled little upstart who used to roam the halls without a care in the world."
"Who was that?" Princess Guinevere asked, to which the maid laughed.
Deciding it was time for her to go, the old maid made her way out, "Ah, the feasts will not cook themselves. Hopefully, we have enough meat and wine for everyone." She then turned her head to look back at Morgan, "Oh, and one more thing." She gave the eldest Pendragon a smile, "I never had a chance to say it then, but I'll say it now. It's good to see you come back, Princess Morgan."
…
With Gareth now joining them, Morgan continued guiding the soon to be Queen of Camelot through the halls of the castle, occasionally bumping into servants and knights, including Sir Kay, who needed to see the Coin Master about certain funds. While Morgan and Guinevere chatted, Gareth entertained herself by heavily breathing out before reaching for her misty breath with one hand as the other was holding her mother's. Eventually, the trio made their way outside the castle through one of the doors on the side through the less used halls, the knights keeping guard on their way out. Making sure Gareth would be warm by carrying her atop her shoulder, Morgan led Guinevere as they carefully made their way atop the icy ground, the snow still possibly over a foot high despite best efforts. Treading carefully, they eventually came upon a rather interesting sight indeed.
The snow cleared up where several knights were gathered around, both familiar and unfamiliar, all of them watching the 2 knights-in-training spar with one another, A large tree with frozen icicles hanging over them all. One of them was Gaheris, who seemed to be trying to slide upon the frosted parts of the ground while seemingly using his spear to ground himself before moving in one direction at a high burst of speed, staying still for moments to make his enemies question where he was about to go to fake him out. A useful strategy, one would say, given that the youth would never have managed to defeat either his father or brothers in raw strength. His opponent seemed to be as big, if not bigger, than Gawain, with armor as dark as the night sky, and his face even darker than that. Wielding a longsword, the warrior would unleash upward slashes at Gaheris to force him back or try to playfully hit him with the blunt end of his sword.
Beaming with excitement, Gareth quickly jumped off her mother's back and raced through the snow. "Brother!" She shouted as she ran forward, Gawain and Lancelot turning their heads to see her. Gaheris heard as well… and unfortunately slipped on the ice in a moment's distraction. Landing on the ice with a thump, Gaheris groaned in pain and shut his eyes, his head feeling as though a knife had went through it… maybe that would have been less painful.
Morgan hurried over to his side, giving Gareth a scolding look, "My dear child, you should know better than to interject when your brothers are busy." Gareth looked down in shame as they went to help the black knight who helped Gaheris sit up. Whispering a quiet hymn as she placed a hand on the back of her son's head, Morgan's eyes glowed briefly before fading back to normal, the pain in Gaheris's head healing, "There, is that better my son?"
Gaheris looked at her before turning his gaze to Gareth and smiled, "Better now, and not the one." He adjusted the hood covering Gareth, "What are you doing out of bed little sister, even if our mother mended you, you should be careful."
Morgan sighed, "I had assumed that with my supervision, Gareth could be trusted outside. Clearly, that was my mistake." She said teasingly, Gareth embarrassed as the black knight gave her a sympathetic look. Morgan turned his gaze to him, "And who might you be, friend knight of my son?"
The knight kneeled before her, sheathing his blade, "I am Morien, Son of King Aglovale. An honor to meet you, Fair Queen of Orkney."
"He saved my life not too long ago, him and Gaheris." Gawain stated as he approached them, giving a quick hug to Gareth. "I ended up captured after a battle, but fortunately, they struck the enemy under the cloak of knight to break me free. Ever since, they've been fast friends."
Morgan smiled, "Well, then you have both my gratitude as well as a debt I owe you, brave Morien. May victories guide your blade in your future." Giving him a bow, she then stated, "Now, I believe that there are still things I will need to show Princess Guinevere around the castle."
Someone walked from the crowd, unsheathing a blade in hand, "Come now, is there really so important to leave just yet?" Guiomar stated, "We have a crowd here, and entertainment is necessary." Looking back, he grinned, "Lancelot, why don't we give these fine ladies a show? My cousin and the king's sister have traveled far to arrive here." He pointed his blade at the purple haired knight, "Come now, we've not crossed blades in some time, let us see who wins this bout." He smirked before turning his gaze to his cousin and Morgan, "Or perhaps nerves have taken you like a feckless boy?" Lancelot frowned at that assumption while Sadoine looked away, wondering why his brother had to play the idiot so many times. Princess Guinevere was a tad embarrassed but was curious to witness this knight battle her cousin, she had not watched him train since older days, while Morgan smirked with amusement.
While the rest of the knights whispered amongst themselves, Gawain groaned, "And I believe this is our moment to leave." Taking Gareth's hand and beckoning Gaheris, "Come now, let us head inside where it is warm."
"But I want to watch!" Gaheris protested as she tried to break free of his grip, only to feel Gaheris's hand on her shoulder.
"And we don't want you to get sick again." Gaheris stared down her pout before grinning, "How about Morien and I tell you the story of how we saved brother?" Gareth gave it a moment's thought before nodding with a smile. Beckoning for Morien to come with them, the 3 children of Morgan waved goodbye to her as they went back to the castle.
Morgan waved back as she and Guinevere watched as the 2 knights held their swords out, ready to clash. Part of her wanted to go with them, but she left them in Camelot so they would grow, not to coddle them. It was not her place right now. She turned her gaze to the fight, both of their blades clashing against one another. Lancelot was the more controlled, his bladework efficient, strikes strong, quick, and precise without extending more than necessary. Guiomar was a bit wilder, seemingly not giving much care to his surroundings as he was focused on an opponent who challenged him so, yet still maintained a deceptive cunning despite that, tricking Lancelot with a blow to the head with the blunt end of the sword before stabbing down quickly, prompting the Knight of the Lake to jump back.
Smiling despite herself, Morgan noticed Guinevere cheer and her cousin smile their way while in the middle of the fight, so at ease with himself. It was foolishly odd, all things considered. Despite the elegant and refined demeanor Morgan presented, the truth was she could hardly remember the last time she had enjoyed watching knights battle for pure sport like this. Her time in the nunnery was hardly a place where such gay abandon took place, and most of the knights who would come were interested in claiming other sport… which they never received. Her husband was not a man who ever spent time or money for tournaments, or went for them, unless it was for Angusel or Urien. For their children, sparring was never anything less than a grueling test to see how far they needed to go, with no room for mirth. She had noticed the remaining influence of that when she had watched Gaheris's spar with Morien. Her eyes were tinged with a bit of sorrow. She should not be feeling selfish, the only reason she would return with Lot to Orkney was to find a way to bring Agravain here to Camelot, she could worry about herself then…
If only she could find there… if only… what was the point of bothering… Orkney was not her home…
Chapter 31: An Alliance Be Formed
Malphas had figured as much they were in for something once the giants were visible, even in the now night sky. Not simply because they were tall, but also because their first sighting of one was it riding some strange magical beast in battle with a Gryphon, allies not far behind it. An ear ripping squawk was all the Gryphon could manage as the giants tore at its wings and ripped out its throat, the giants and flying beasts eating it madly as they flew back. A well sound mind would have seen that and known to put as much distance between themselves and that as possible, but they were following the guidance of Lady Morgan, and so followed the retreating beasts.
"Are you certain we are nearing the Emperor?" Malphas whispered to Morgan, as they rode Ceren at the front of the whole group. "What if they simply come from the cracks in the sky?"
"If that were the truth, then I would have already known. Perhaps you cannot remember, but when I showed you the vision of my sister's battle with Tiberius, the corpses of those monsters had littered the ground." Morgan replied to which Malphas shrugged, "Observation and memory are important things, now turn your head forward, the path to success is ahead."
Farther they went through the night, traversing under the cloak of the forest to keep themselves from being spotted. Hooves pounded over dirt and branches; a good deal of the trees seemed to be dying. Perhaps there were roots of the Seyfert coiling beneath the ground right under them, Malphas did not give that much thought as they pressed onward.
As they neared the end of the woods, Sir Varyn narrowed his eyes, "I see a light up ahead!" Several of the rest of the group agreed and they followed at a careful pace, Lena wrapping her arms around Varyn as they rode behind Olved, Christan, and Malphas. As they reached the clearing, they all stopped with widened eyes a dropped jaw.
A settlement of possibly 30 tents, maybe more, covered the wide-open plains before them, torches lit along with campfires where soldiers were sitting by. Dozens, if not hundreds of legionnaires were either keeping guard, or were conversing to figures in cloaks. Dozens of the giants they had seen before were also there, having flattened the ground in some areas, either resting with their respective magical creature, or gazing around aimlessly.
"Well, this is, quite the army." Olved noted, everyone nodding, "Perhaps we may want to back a bit before," He stopped when a giant spotted them and roared, alerting other giants as well as Roman soldiers to their location, "Before something like this happened." The horses jeered in terror as dark purple flames erupted all around them, entrapping them all in a magical ring of fire. The heat caused Malphas to sweat as the smell of burning grass filled his nose. Ceren was terrified, twitching and turning to see for some way out, but none were available.
Morgan was not afraid though, placing a hand on the side of the steed before calmly whispering, and Ceren calmed down. She then muttered something to Malphas, who nodded in return, bringing the 3 of them as close as they could to the flames. As the other members of their party rallied their horses and joined with them, strange shades became visible through the fire, allowing them all to see who was surrounding them. There were about a dozen Roman soldiers in battle armor, a spear and shield in hand, and helmet with a red mohawk over the top to the back. Along with them, there were 10 individuals wearing cloaks, their faces covered in a hood and a mask, their hands stretched out as they intensified the flames. "Mages." Lady Morgan whispered to Malphas.
The Roman Centurion made his way through the soldiers and mages, his face one of cold fury as he stared through the fire. "State thy names and reasons for trespassing on the Emperor's territory, and we shall decide whether to feed you to the beasts."
Morgan was undisturbed, "We have come to seek an alliance with Lucius Tiberius. We believe we may help each other achieve our mutual goals." She said evenly. The Centurion could not conceal his shock, the soldiers looking at each other in surprise that this small pack of fools knew who their Emperor was, let alone to come here to find him. Even a few of the mages raised their heads at this.
"You, you dare speak his name so… casually?!" The Centurion said in shock and anger. "What blasphemy is this?!" He roared.
"She speaks the truth." One of the mages, a female based on the voice, stated. "This interloper, she is magical in nature." The mage stared at Lady Morgan before tilting her cloaked gaze to Malphas, "She and that one… they are strange. The rest are simple and weak, no worth to be found among them." Her gaze turned the Centurion, "Should we send word to the Great One?"
The Centurion pondered this for a moment before turning his gaze to the soldier on his right, "Inform the Emperor of these interlopers, and ask him what shall be done with them." When the soldier left, the Centurion turned his gaze back to them. "You shall all remain here. Attempt to escape, and you'll not live long enough to meet his excellency." The growl of giants and the shrill cry of magical beasts filled their ears as the mages whispered a mantra quietly, no one could make out what they were saying. Large, winged creatures flew over the group, circling them from above as if to dive down upon their prey, their shades only visible in the flickering moonlight and twisting night sky, which seemed to now be flooded with an aurora, seemingly shifting in color, vanishing a reappearing.
They waited for several minutes as this continued, the flapping of wings and the eyes of both men and behemoths glaring at them through the violet flames. The waiting continued, some of the party glancing at each other, wondering what would happen. Lady Morgan remained calm, getting off Ceren and beckoning for the steed and Malphas to stay behind her, Olved, Christan, Varyn, and Lena taking a stand beside the 2. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the scent of the bizarre scent of the flames for several minutes before she heard feet striding towards them. Gasps of shock and surprise echoed from those surrounding them as she felt the searing heat die down in front of her. Opening her eyes, she saw an opening in the violet flames right in front of her, and single person walking forward before the flames closed once more, leaving them alone with single soul.
He had tan, brownish skin and violet eyes, with reddish hair like that on a roman helmet, though the man himself was without one. Wearing full armor, his cape and clothing was black and red, along with some gold, with his sword currently sheathed and at his side. Before his eyes, Morgan Le Fay bowed to him to him on both knees, facing down at the dirt. Tone almost worshipping, she stated, "Great Emperor of Rome, Lucius Tiberius. It is an honor to be in both thy presence, service, and aid."
Staring down at her with little to no emotion, Tiberius unsheathed his blade. Then, without saying a word, he cut off Morgan's head too quickly for anyone to react to, blood flying everywhere as the head of the beautiful witch rolled at his feet, her body lying on the ground leaking blood, slashed hair now sinking in the red.
…
Tiberius, coldly and mechanically, raised his sword to the moonlight… and found that as he turned his blade the blood on it appeared translucent before it otherwise vanished. Similarly, he moved his right foot to where the witch's head would lie yet found nothing there, his foot registering a dull presence, but no head. Just the grass beneath his sandals. Smirking, he lowered his sword and looked down to see there was no body lying before him, before looking back at Morgan, and chuckled, "An impressive illusion, almost fooled me. Truly, so very lifelike."
Morgan shrugged, "I was not sure how a man such as yourself should be greeted, and I did not wish to diminish myself to you." She stated in a calm tone, unafraid of this master of beasts, men, and mages. "I questioned whether meek praise would suffice for you, or if you desired something of greater value."
Tiberius chuckled, "And you see yourself as that greater value?" He walked to her quietly, studying her, "How interesting." He then turned to the side without a care, "Let us put that to the test." A streak of red lit the blade as he slashed at the crowd before them. Malphas did not even have a chance to react when a light green barrier erupted in front of him, blocking the attack as it sizzled the air. Tiberius smirked as he then ducked, a golden knife where his head had been once Morgan took advantage of the moment to try and stab him. Twisting his sword, he slashed at Morgan's exposed side. His blade touched nothing but the air as Morgan's form seemed to vanish into thin air.
Chuckling, Tiberius then brought his blade into a reverse grip, twisting to the side as he stabbed behind himself, until he was facing his opponent head on. The real Morgan had grabbed Florent with her free hand, the knife in her other. He was out of her stabbing range however, and she doubted she could successfully throw it at him. This was not his full strength; she would have been able to tell if he was going all out against her. Even so, most men would already be dead by that quick flurry, let alone a woman. The Emperor was impressed. "It appears you can do more than create illusions. Exactly how strong are you?" He questioned as he ripped the sword out of her grip, her hand now cut and bloody from holding it.
Morgan looked at her hand and grinned, "Ventier, vier Fagnus." She whispered as the blood dripped on the ground, which then began to steam. Lucius Tiberius then heard a sizzling sound coming from his blade and looked to see the blood on the tip Florent dash upon the blade at an astonishing speed, the sword wavering as what felt like a foreign entity seizing control of the gift and trying to turn it against him. The blood formed vein like tendrils as it neared the handle of the blade. Tiberius grit his teeth. This sword had been a gift to him from his goddess, and it signified his right to rule over all of Europe. In turn, all of Europe was his to gift to the goddess, to spread her name and glory in repayment for his salvation. Did this witch deem her fit to sodomize such a gift? His purple eyes turned red, along with his sword, and the blood burned off, an almost screaming hiss filling the air as he then slashed at Lady Morgan, who erupted another barrier to protect herself.
As the blood on her hand still dripped on the ground, the steam grew greater. Olved pulled Malphas back as the party stayed near one corner of the ring of flame as the steam surrounded both witch and warlord, no one knowing what would come next. Morgan then shouted, "Fagnus, vier Ventier!" With that, dark magical tendrils made of Earth erupted from the ground around the Emperor, an aura akin to that of blood surrounding them as they struck at the warrior. Not missing a single beat however, Tiberius narrowly dodged one tendril just as he sliced down another with his blade. Ducking over one that came from overhead as he instinctively struck at 2 that had ensnared his feet, freeing himself for more movement. Tight nimble evasions allowed him to conserve his energy while avoiding attacks just well enough, saving more expedient bursts for when he needed to jump out of the way or slice the tendrils altogether. He continued this process, weaving his way through the tendrils with a snakelike dance while striking out at anything he could not avoid. It was an impressive display to say the least. With his sword glowing red once more, Tiberius plunged Florent into the ground, the dirt erupting about 10 meter around him as Morgan made a barrier in defense. The steam faded as the shrill cry of what sounded like a dying woman filled the air, before ending as well.
"Impressive reflexes, oh mighty Emperor." Morgan said as she opened her palm. Once bloody, but now clean and full. She grinned as her eyes turned misty green while she placed a hand forward that was now bathed in a purple aura, "Gloria Chaos!" The waves of energy struck and engulfed Tiberius, who stopped moving altogether, his sword lowering to his side as he wavered for a moment, his eyes now shut as he grits his teeth. A concentrated blast on a single target would obviously cause more harm to that one target compared to the mass wave she used back in Lahia. Still, she needed to know just how powerful the Roman Emperor truly was. Otherwise, the odds of a possible alliance bearing fruit may not be there at all.
As the creatures roared outside the ring of flame they were in, Morgan whispered and chanted under her breath, a dozen golden magical blades forming around and pointing at Lucius Tiberius. With his senses completed flipped around and savaged, there was little chance of him avoiding the attack. Only 2 people would have been able to counter this sort of assault, well, maybe 3, but perhaps she may have expected a bit too much from the Roman Emperor.
"Lady Morgan!" She turned her head to where Malphas called out, a look of fear and worry on his face, clearly unsettled by the way things were going in terms of negotiating with their possible ally. The rest of their group was similarly uneasy and rattled, Olved staring at the fight with an ominous and suspicious look. Lena looked with absolute horror as her gaze switched from the witch to the Roman Emperor. Giving the boy a reassuring nod, she winked their way, as to hint that she did not intend to kill the man. Her eyes glowing gold, Morgan raised a hand and readied the golden blade pointed in front of Lucius Tiberius and shot it at its target. One hit to the chest would kill him, so she would just stop the moment it got too close and…
CLANG!
The magical blade was sent flying and hit the dirt before it shattered and dispersed into fragments of light. Malphas and the rest of the party were left in shock, but no one more than Morgan herself, blinking a moment to see if her mind was not playing tricks on her. Otherwise, she would have to accept that Tiberius now had his sword gripped with 2 hands and holding it forward after having deflected the attack with a single swing. With his eyes still closed, he turned his head to the left and right, before speaking, "Anything else, I feel like there should be more."
Deciding to answer his plea, Morgan unleashed the rest of the magical blades all at once, each pointing at a different place and ready to impale him in some way or another. As if he could see like normal, Tiberius swung his blade at the nearest projectile, his blade glowing red as he tore through it with ease. Twisting, he sliced through the next 2 in the blink of an eye, bringing his blade back as he cut through the next one with a mad dash. Tearing through the remaining magical blades like mere parchment, he grinned at Morgan's way before charging at her, his sword raised, ready for an overhead strike.
Morgan's body glowed a bright blue aura as she dodged to the left, the ground exploding beside her as Tiberius went after her. A performance enhancement spell. Unlike Artoria, she had never trained to be a warrior, and while she was far from out of shape, quite the opposite in the eyes of anyone who gazed at her, physical combat had never been her bread and butter during engagements, except if she wanted to stab her enemies with her golden dagger. What she could do however, was amplify her senses and reflexes with magic, a little skill taught to her by Merlin, and she was his equal after all, if not his superior. If she had truly wanted to kill Tiberius, he would have known, just like she would have noticed if he were actively trying to kill her. All this had been nothing more than a mere test between the 2, a refusal to surrender the reason for escalation.
A jump backwards, a slide to the right, forming a barrier, or summoning magical blades to intercept and counter, Morgan fought with the Roman Emperor on even footing, her gaze able to peer through his moves as though they were going in slow motion. He in turn stopped all her counters and kept her on the defensive, not letting up even for a moment. Malphas struggled to keep up with them visually, especially with the glare surrounding them all, now turning from violet to blue. Honestly, the sight of how intense the battle was made him sweat… but that just could have been because of the heat… man that fire would likely burn him.
Unbeknownst to him or the rest of the group, something was changing with the fire, something that the mages that controlled it did not expect. They did not notice it at first, but as the fight progressed, a few noticed the temperature of the violet flames slowly rising. Initially, believed that it was simply one of the other mages increasing the intensity of the fire to intimidate the interlopers. However, one felt their hand twitch as they struggled to reign in the fire. More of the mages felt this as well, as if some of the force was pulling control of the fire away from them. They chanted louder, raising their hands to retake control, only to find that control tugged away from them to an even greater degree.
Slowly, the fire began to take on a bluish hue as well as a violet one. The Centurion noticed this and questioned what was wrong, before the mages were blown back as the ring of fire exploded into a shining bluish hue, alarming the guards and the entire campsite as the titans and beasts roared in anger as the flames rose. Ceren and the other horses in the ring cried in terror at having no place to run away, Isaac and Varyn struggling to keep their horses in line. As Malphas stared at the fire before turning his head to the battle, he caught on to something. The aura around Lady Morgan was the same shade of blue as the fire surrounding them all. Tiberius also seemed to notice as he swung his blade with even greater speed, forcing Morgan to retreat into a barrier to defend herself. The strength of the blows was so intense that the ground rattled, Malphas was able to hear the thundering strikes so well he though his ears might pop. As Florent glowed a brilliant red, Tiberius stabbed at Morgan, who outstretched one hand forward to hold up the barrier, all while raising her other hand upwards.
The now blue flames skyrocketed upward before closing at the top, blocking out the night sky from view, the heat swelling up as even the Emperor took notice, breaking off the attack, watching for what the witch did next. Flames flowed upwards to the top point, which was forming into a ball of fire that grew larger and larger the more flames it absorbed, until the ring they had been surrounded with had all but vanished, all that was left was mere smoke and burnt grass. With the large ball of fire glowing like that of a blue sun, Morgan waved her hands and the flames dropped down at her, pooling at her hands as they began to spark with electricity, the fire condensing into that of a small orb. Lucius Tiberius brought his sword in front of himself, his eyes closed as his sword glowed blood red, a reddish aura surrounding his body. The air picked around the 2 opponents, the witch's long hair billowing in the wind as her eyes glowed electric blue, the crackling fire in her hands seeming about to burst. Tiberius's eyes were red as rose petals seemed to form and scatter in the winds, his blade about erupt at a moment's notice. The Roman Centurion saw this and ordered the soldiers and mages to fall back, there was no protecting their Emperor, this was something only he could do. It was why they followed him.
Olved and Christan did the same, beckoning the party to put as much distance between themselves and the battle, as necessary. As Olved yanked at Malphas's arm, he roared, "We need to pull back now young Prince! NOW! Before it is too late!" After a moment, Malphas turned his eyes away from the battle, pulling Ceren's reigns as they backed away from the clash. The air was heavy and intense, it layered itself as the 2 magical titans seemed to exert their own gravitational force with how heavy their energies were.
Morgan grinned, "Vieryon del Avalon, piert voum Pendragon." She whispered, opened her palms, and from the orb of flame and lightning erupted a draconic beast of flame with the lightning surrounding it like armor. Despite having no lungs or organs, the magical creation gave a mighty roar that caused the giants and magical beasts to fall back in terror, the heat and power of it scaring all around it senseless. All, except for the Emperor.
As the dragon came down upon him, he lightly muttered, "Gift of the Goddess. Roman Soul." He opened his eyes, glaring red as he raised his sword, shouting, "STRIKE OF THE LUCIAN! WILL OF ROME!" Bringing down his blade, Florent erupted in red light that struck at the dragon of fire head on, rose petals cascading around the beam before scattering to the wind, "ENVOY OF FLORA! TIBERIUS WRATH!" He shouted.
The 2 forces collided with one another, an explosion blooming where they met, sending trees breaking and careening back, the ground ripping apart. The roman camp was in chaos as they felt the intense power blow down several tents. Taking a cloak to cover her bare body, the sorceress took one last look back at her toy, twitching on the bed on fear, before leaving to examine the chaos. The giants and beasts screamed in horror, fleeing back. Malphas felt his skin go cold as he, Ceren, Olved, and the rest of their group was sent flying backwards like mere twigs. Hitting a fallen tree as he landed, sheer shock was the only thing that kept Malphas from losing his mind to pain as he black out…
…
…
"Do you see that?" Cynthia pointed off into the distance, flashing of red and blue light before the 3 warriors of the rulers of the faeries saw the plumes of a massive explosion, a powerful wind blowing their way as they had to steel themselves not to be taken away by it.
"More than hear." Dia responded, her axe and sword by her sides. "I doubt that was natural, by any chance." The other 2 shook their heads, "I thought as much. Should we find the source? Whether or not the witch has anything to do with it, best to not ignore it." The trio were certain that Morgan Le Fay had been at the village Lodur had been defending before they found it. Unfortunately, she and her party had covered their tracks well. None of the villagers could clearly remember, and there were no discernable tracks to be found. They had no idea where the curs were heading, so they searched around as much as they could, but to so far, no avail.
"We approach cautiously." Liario stated as the wind finally died down and they could fly normally. "We have no idea what that was. We shall trail it, watch it from a distance, but under no chance should we engage. If it is the witch, we will report back to Mertimo. If not, wait to find out what it is, then report it. Take no chances." His companions nodding, they flew in pursuit.
…
…
Grr… everything hurts… why is that… what has… why am I… was I not… that faerie… and… Olved and Lady Morgan… how do I know… oh… I see… why did I fall back to slumber, when I should be awake… Lady Morgan… her and… Lucius Tiberius… Have to rise, need to help… they have to help us… I will… my Father… I will… I… no… stop… let me wake…
…
"Ughh…" Malphas groaned as his brain swirled, struggling to get up, shaking his head to bat out the stars in his eyes, Ceren nudging him to rise. Resting his left hand on her side, Malphas looked around at his companions and wondered how none of the were dead. Sure, Isaac was muttering in disbelief and Varyn was helping keep Lena standing, but he was surprised to see none of them were more injured after going as far into the forest as they had been sent. Well, as far as Malphas could think of. It was hard to tell since the trees around them were dilapidated and had been broken.
Christan and Olved came to check on him, the former examining Malphas's legs and arms to check for any broken bones. Olved grumbled and looked behind his student, "So witch, was that incident part of the negotiations?"
Malphas turned around to see Lady Morgan standing behind him, the mage lightly running her hand through Ceren's hair. He then checked the back of his right hand to see the symbol of the sheath glowing faintly. Well, that explained how she had gotten here as fast as she must have been able to. To heal them in time after the landing. Probably why he was still walking.
"It was partially a test, and in fairness, he struck first." Morgan replied, sighing, as though what had occurred was just a small spat rather than the intense battle it had been. "Fortunately for all of us, I believe conversations will run much more smoothly now. Let head back to him now while the opportunity remains," she said pleasantly.
Olved was about to say something before he saw Malphas saddle back onto Ceren before then extending a hand to Lady Morgan, who took it, "Are you serious about this, young prince?"
"Olved, we're here already, what is the point of stopping. There be any other way?" Malphas asked as Morgan got atop the steed, who was fortunately uninjured thanks to the lady's magic.
Christan chuckled, "He's as willful as our King. Once his mind is set to something, he will not quit."
"Actually, it's the Pendragon in him I'm afraid." Morgan responded as Ceren began trudging, "We're a stubborn lineage. We keep going no matter what, no matter what is in front of us. It's something that has brought us great victory!" She chanted as she beckoned for the rest of the group to follow. As their allies groaned and followed suit, she turned her head to Malphas and whispered into his ear, "It has also brought us a lot of pain and hardship, as there are many times where we did not stop, even when we should have known better than to keep going. Be wary of that, young Malphas." The bastard child nodded in response, before they eventually reached the clearing of the forest once again.
There was a large hole in the ground where the battle had been, plenty of dirt had been unearthed and uplifted. The Romans were fixing their campsite, the mages and mystics calling back the runaway giants and beasts in a strange language Malphas could not recognize, but it seemed to call them back as the giants cautiously approached the camp, the avian creatures circling overhead. Not too far away from them was Lucius Tiberius, standing uninjured, his left hand running over his blade as his right one gripped Florent's handle.
He seemed to hear them coming, and without turning around, he called out, "And here I was thinking you were running away!" The warrior laughed at the thought, "Almost thought of stabbing myself after thinking I had disgraced Florent by wielding it to face a coward. Rather happy that is not the case." He pointed the twin of Clarent towards them, "So, shall we end this dance?"
Morgan sighed, "I would rather no…" Her voice trailed off as she sensed foreign magic in the ground! Ceren whinnied in terror as the ground around them uprooted and formed a cage around them! "What is the meaning of this Tiberius?!"
The Roman Emperor sighed and looked behind him, a dear one having arrived, "Must you spoil some good fun, Rosa?" He asked as the lady had one hand outstretched awhile the other one gripped the cloak in front of her, covering her body, her feet bare as she came to his side.
"You and these interlopers have already spoiled my pleasure tonight, so do not judge me, my lord." She turned her head to face those trapped in her earthen cage. "So, how are they?" She asked him as the rest of the party arrived.
"The witch is the main power, possibly equal to mine, and perhaps greater than yours." He said casually, causing her to look at him in shock of that statement, "As for the others of these strangers in my land, they may make useful soldiers perhaps. Not sure on some of them yet, haven't had full chance to judge all their capabilities."
Rosa pondered this before removing the enchantment, the earth prison falling as Malphas calmed down his steed, Morgan staring at the warlord and sorceress with cold eyes. Rosa eyed her in turn, "So, you come here in search of allegiance. What makes you think it will be given?"
"Because if we do not ally with one another, then neither of us will be able to defeat our mutual foe and will crushed underfoot." Morgan replied.
"You mean King Arthur, do you not?" Lucius Tiberius questioned, Morgan looking at him in surprise. "You aren't the only magical creature we've encountered after our arrival here. Though I should say, you are stronger and wiser than that fool was. She and her men should have surrendered when they had the chance." He said with a hint of pride. "We know he's allied with the faeries, so if you want an alliance with us, I can think of no other opponent to warrant such a choice as the one you have made in finding me." Sheathing his sword, he then stated, "That's why you truly provoked my blade, was it not, you wished to test if we really had the means to stand a chance against the King of Knights, just as I was doing to you."
Morgan nodded, "You're as strong as the stories claim you to be, and your army is far from fragile, but some seem a little riskier than others." She motioned towards the giant beasts, and Tiberius laughed, "Would they not impede your progress?"
"Well, its thanks to them that we even managed to reach the British Isles, since King Arthur's actions have risen it to the sky. In battle, you'll be surprised to see what they can bring." He replied to Morgan's unimpressed face while Malphas was just confused, along with the other members of the party. The warlord eyed Rosa, "Are they being honest?"
"Yes, they are." Rosa noted, smiling, "Well, at least this did not go too far. It would be a waste to mar some of these handsome faces." She giggled quietly as she waved to the group slyly, a few waving back while Olved merely groaned as he noticed Malphas did not understand the subtext at all as Lady Morgan grabbed his hand and brought it back down.
'I must remember to keep the prince away from that vixen.' Olved shared a look with Christan, who nodded, before looking up to Lady Morgan, who nodded as well. He sighed and before speaking, "Well, if that is all well and done, does that mean we can end this pretentious bluster and begin to work together. The day has been long, as has been the night so far, and a good deal of rest is for the lot of us."
Rosa and Tiberius looked at one another, sharing glances, obviously sharing a silent communication. Tiberius shrugged, Rosa looked annoyed, he sighed and outstretched his arms, she giggled before looking at them all and smirking mischievously, then turned to look back at her love and licked her lips, prompting his to sigh. She then pointed to Morgan and stared at him questioningly, lighting a black fire in her hand, leading for him to shrug, causing her to pout. Kissing her gently on the cheek, Tiberius gave her a smile and she gave in, lighting out the fire and dropping her arms in defeat.
Tiberius laughed in triumph as he turned to look at them, "Very well my newest companions, I welcome you to Rome and grant you all as established citizens of the empire! Your previous positions as foreigners on my soils is no longer a problem and has been forgiven! May we secure glory of Rome and spread our tribute to Flora to all the world!" He beckoned for them to follow him as he went back to the campsite, Rosa walking by his side, "Come now and help around with fixing the camp. We will decide where you all may sleep after that. At morning, we will discuss our plans moving forward and see how many of you will make a decent soldier, and who I'll be feeding to my pets as a light meal tomorrow!" He shouted as Rosa waved to them coyly, departing back to their main tent.
She whispered lightly into his ear, "I believe that girl has become rather fond of you." When he looked at her curiously, she sighed, "No, not the witch, the brown-haired girl. Her eyes were chained to you the entire time." She smirked and winked, "I wouldn't say she's too bad looking." She smiled as he shrugged. Honestly, he had more important things to do than fuck. One would find that shocking, since women was one of the many rewards that came with a successful campaign, or just for any good fortune. Tiberius supposed the victory itself was its own reward for him, better than any physical pleasure.
The party did not know what made them angrier, the sheer ego of an invader who acted like they were the guilty party, or the fact that they could not bring that ego crashing to the ground because they needed the warlord and his forces. Though honestly, they were too tired to care, they really needed to rest. Hopefully, morning would be better than this uneasy night.
…
…
Dawn had finally arrived, and the children were still asleep. Drena had no plans on waking them just yet, having already had one of the younger ladies to have breakfast ready when they wake up. Hope, it would be done before the children were up. Her efforts, however, were focused on one particular child. She entered the room where he lay, still unconscious. Kneeling by the bed, she laced her fingers into those of the sleeping Ruthius, silently praying to God that he would awake.
That witchcraft the strange knight had placed on the gaping hole made through Ruthius, faerie dust, he had called it, it had stopped the bleeding and enable the hole to fill somewhat, though Lena questioned if that had been because there be no more blood in his body. He had given her a whole pouch of it, instructing her to put it on the wound daily, before leaving along with King Arthur and the rest of the knights save for the massive knight and few dozen left to 'safeguard' the village. As if they were not the ones responsible for his condition in the 1st place. Even worse, as Prince Malphas of Lahia had whispered to her, King Arthur had attempted to kill the prince before having one of his knights kill his father, King Guiomar himself, the very man her child had served. The hypocrisy boiled her blood. She had barely been able to keep herself from losing her sanity as she had been left with no other choice but to stare at the very hole through Ruthius to administer the magic dust, feeling sicker by the day as she thought of that tyrant and his men dashing through the land with no justice delivered to them.
It was not until Lady Morgan and a small party with her had arrived that Ruthius was finally given the help he so desperately needed. Drena had cried in relief as the hole in Ruthius's body was healed, bone, skin, and organs regenerating until all that was left was a rather bad scar upon his body. Of course, it was not perfect. Lady Morgan had explained that She needed to direct energy from other parts of his body to heal as much as she could, and it did show. He was not skin and bones, but the once burly, large, and muscular knight Ruthius had grown into now had much thinner muscles, not very strong as she recalled a child poking his arms out of curiosity a few days ago. It had taken him just over 25 years since that knight had brought him to Lahia for him to reach that physical shape. She recalled a few years ago, during a previous return, the entire village had burst in cheer and applause that a boy from their small world had become such a valued and powerful knight of the kingdom. If Ruthius ever woke up, Drena shook at how it would upset him to lose so much hard work. That is, if he woke up. As the days continued, Drena wondered if he would. She still gave him water to drink, carefully ensuring he swallowed it well, but it was not enough, and his breathing was still incredibly strained. What if it just was not enough.
Her mind was brought out of her paranoia when she faintly heard a familiar screeching sound, her eyes widening. She prayed it was just her imagination, but she heard more of them, growing louder, and… wingbeats!
"They're back!" She whispered in horror, jolting upwards as she heard one of the other lady's shriek in terror. Hurrying through the inn before leaving out through the entrance, Drena was filled with horror as she saw a dozen Gryphons circle above the village. She heard the cries of several knights and townspeople quickly retreating into their homes or wherever they could run into, a few taking whatever they could use as weapons for one last stand. Where would the creatures attack 1st? Would the knights be able to keep them safe at all?! The last attack had almost crippled the whole town!
Fear turned to confusion as she saw them all gracefully land at the northern entrance of the village, none making any attack on the people outside. Were they planning and thinking of their options? Drena had little idea, and what happened next left her even more confused. As some knights went to approach them, the leader of the flock of beasts lowered their head as a form of respect and service, and the innkeeper could swear there was someone riding atop of it! Ignoring the cries of a few people on the streets to run away, Drena found herself running forward for answers. Making her way through the knight gathered at the front, her eyes widened with shock as she saw many people sitting atop the dual creatures with nothing more than a little apprehension. The monsters themselves were nothing like the ravenous carnivores they were before, instead gazing upon her and everyone with a thoughtful curiosity and a surprising gentleness.
"Oh, it's you!" Her eyes turned away from the beasts to the knight approaching her, Sir Galehaut by his side. It was the one who had given her the magical dust. He looked at her with a bit of hopeful yet resolute expression, somehow reminding her of Ruthius himself. "Galehaut's informed me of what transpired since we left before. Much has happened since then, much more still to come." Sir Walbert shook his head, "But if things work, I believe that knight will be awake and truly whole again."
That's Chapter 31. Sorry, that it took so long. Hopefully, next chapter will come out sooner.
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Sorry, just hard to take in... hope his family's okay. Hopefully, he went down playing Idolmaster like a boss before that heart failure...