Finished this one yesterday, posting it now. Shorter than the last chapter, a little breathing room for the time being while giving us a reunion between old friends, in more ways than one. Also introducing 2 important side characters for what comes later, hope you end up liking them because they're not bad.
Without further ado, here is Chapter 36, and I hope you enjoy.
"But why do you have to leave now mama?" Gareth asked sadly with a pout as she hugged her mother, not noticed by many as a princess in her rags and coat while in the kitchen. The old maid and cook had managed to give them a moment. Morgan had been surprised that she had gotten the chance, but Artoria's guards had given her a few minutes to say goodbye to her 3 children in Camelot before she had to head to the ship where she and Lot would head back to Orkney… after that, well, she had a feeling what was coming would leave someone dead.
Deciding to ignore that eventuality one more time, Morgan wrapped her little buddle of joy in her arms on last time before kissing Gareth's forehead, "Things are happening now, little pup. Very… hard things." She sighed before ruffling Gareth's hair. "Promise me Gareth, be careful. Obey your teacher, stay true to yourself, and serve your king with honor. You are a good girl Gareth, and I want the best for you, but promise me that you will be safe, stand by your brothers, and do not be reckless. Do you understand?" As Gareth looked at her mother's pleading face and nodded, before sharing one last hug with her.
While Morgan held her daughter, she heard a thump from the other side of the wall in the kitchen where the exit was, as well as some muttering, and sighed, she knew who that was. Giving one last kiss to her daughter, she stood up and walked towards the exit, chuckling lightly as she turned her head to the right, and saw that Gawain, Gaheris, and Lancelot had been waiting right by the doors. She lowered her gaze and sighed at what she noticed, walking forward before taking her youngest son's bloody fist into her hands before quietly whispering, the wound carefully mending in response. "Don't hurt yourself needlessly out of anger my boy, that will not make things better." As Gaheris hung his head, Morgan hugged him, "Now, don't be like that. I may not see you for a while you know son."
"Do you have to go?" Gaheris asked, Gawain not speaking as he looked away while Lancelot observed them and their mother sadly. "It won't be safe for you there. He'll try to hurt you."
"It's out of our hands Gaheris. Mother admitted to her actions and was tried as such. The law gives King Lot the right to enact such a punishment." Morgan took note of how Gawain said that, clearly trying to distance himself from their father.
Gaheris glared at his brother, "Oh sure great, you want our mother burned to death?" He hissed quietly; Gawain taken aback.
"Well, what do you expect me to do, the King himself declared that-" Gawain was stopped when Morgan grabbed him by the ear and pulled him forward, using her other hand to also grab Gaheris by the ear as well to stop them from fighting.
"Both of you enough. It is bad enough that this has happened, the last thing I want is you 2 to bicker and fight with one another while I leave. Do you think that's what your sister needs?" She asked them, at which point neither said anything. "I thought not, both of you will need each other from here on, and take care of one another. Gawain you have to set a good example for your brother, and Gaheris, be sure not to cause your brother too much trouble, understood." When they both nodded, she embraced them both, "Good, I know you will both find your futures to be great ones." They both hugged her in turn, and she smiled, "Goodbye my sons."
She untangled herself as Lancelot came forward, wrapping a chain around her wrists and binding them together, "My apologies milady, but these are necessary precautions as per my liege's orders." He took care they were not too tight to not cause her pain, and she nodded in gratitude. He then hooked an arm through on of hers, "Well, I believe this is where I am to escort you to King Lot's men." The 2 of them walked at a comfortable pace, Gawain and Gaheris behind them. Lancelot did not try to force Morgan to go at a faster pace, allowing a more leisurely stroll.
"Take good care in training Gareth, Sir Lancelot. I have strong faith in you given what I have seen, and the praise you have received, but I had faith in the goodness of others before, and that faith has been shaken with some people, and shattered with others. I hope I am not wrong to trust you." Morgan asked as the 2 walked side by side.
"I will do my very best to ensure she becomes the greatest she can be, or I will die trying. Her life will be one I will guard with utmost importance, as my squire and student. You have my word." Lancelot replied as they walked through the halls, Morgan managed a smile despite what she was walking towards.
Before they reached the entrance of the castle and into the bailey, Morgan chirped, "Oh, and it would do well for you to also push Gawain to his limits at times. Gaheris will be training under him, but I cannot have my eldest so getting sloppy." Lancelot chuckled in response before agreeing with her, while Gawain scowled and looked away, Gaheris eyeing Gawain with a smirk. As the castle doors opened, Morgan took a deep breath and stepped out, the air cold, the ground freezing, and the sunlight reflected in the icy parts of the ground.
Of course, there were already people at the palace gate, saying their goodbyes. Guinevere looked at Guiomar with sadness, Sadoine standing beside her. Ever since the trial, Guiomar had not even bothered to speak to her. He was probably upset at being banished, he and Sadoine were supposed to the 'Twins of the Round,' and she had not been able to convince her husband Artoria to not go through with the banishment. Surely, he had to know that she had tried her best though, that she acknowledged he was trying to do a good deed to cover up Morgan Le Fay's whoring behavior. He was not to blame for the Queen of Orkney's infidelity, and she knew it.
Before the men of her father's took him, she approached him once more, reaching for his shoulder, "My dear cousin, please do not be upset, I know it was not your fault." Yet again, he did not say anything, "Please, forgive me. I'll try harder to convince my lord, you'll be allowed back in Camelot soon enough, I promise I-"
"Spare me your sycophancy, Queen Guinevere." He told her coldly, his back towards her, leading her to stop, "Stop indulging in such meaningless platitudes. Besides, I am not the one you should be apologizing to."
Guinevere gawked before replying, "Q-Queen Morgan betrayed her vows to her lord and husband! She knew perfectly well the risks and consequences of her actions and did so anyway! I do not see why she should not be punished accordingly, such actions befitting that of a common whore are-"
"Are you quite done?!" Guiomar replied, turning to look at her with a glare, causing her to step back as the men grabbed him, "I am tired of hearing the same words from you that you clearly have no understanding of. Whatever her actions are, Morgan Le Fay is still twice the Queen you may ever be if you decide to remain this pathetic closeminded brat that you are right now!" Guinevere did not know what to say as he looked at her with disdain, "Thanks to you, a great person is going to suffer terribly now, I hope you're happy about this, foolish girl."
"Enough." King Leodegan said as he walked towards them from the carriage. "Arguing right now is pointless. What is done is done." He looked at Sadoine, "Watch over her, my nephew. She will need you." Sadoine nodded before he turned his gaze to Guinevere, "And as for you my daughter, endure well. From here on out, you are the Queen of this land." With that, he gave Guinevere one last embrace which his daughter reciprocated tightly.
Guiomar looked away, "She's going to need you brother, otherwise, she's likely to get more good people killed." He was kept from talking further by Leodegan shoving him into the carriage, Guinevere watching sadly as the carriage left the castle gate, looking down as she eventually could know longer even hear it any further. Sadoine placed a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned on him. She had only been trying to protect him, why could Guiomar not see that? Why was he so dead set on protecting Morgan Le Fay despite the woman outright admitting to having betrayed her husband, not to mention making threats with her powers during the trial?
Meanwhile not too far away just outside the gate was King Lot, saying goodbye to his own brothers. Both Angusel and Urien had worried expressions on their faces while Lot was facing away from them and looking at the towns outside the castle of his old ally in the distant, mind lost in thought. "It's my fault." Angusel noted, "I was the one who convinced you to stay for longer… this would not have happened if-"
"You do not control the actions of others Angusel. What anyone did was not yours to blame." Lot replied, his voice losing some of his old edge he usually maintained, and his brothers looked at him. Rather than cold and controlled… he sounded tired and worn. He partly was since his bloody coughs had not ended. In fact, at that very moment, Angusel and Urien grimaced as their eldest brother entered another hacking fit, drops of blood splattering on the ground. How had he even survived this long?
"Do you really know what you're marching towards?" Urien asked, "She's stronger than you, probably even stronger than you were in your prime. You really think she's just going to let you punish her?" He stared at the brother, wincing when Lot gave a pained laugh, as he wheezed at the question.
"That depends on whether the foolish woman allows me to do so or not, the choice would be in her own hands." Lot scoffed, "Although, I do question her sense given all that has happened. In the end though, the choice of who lives and dies is done by those with the power to make that choice, so we shall see."
Turning his head back, he noticed as his men took his now chained wife from the Knight of the Lake, 2 of his sons watching as she was taken through the bailey. As Morgan walked forward towards him, he noticed the way her head turned to look at the distraught Guinevere, the childish fool leaning on her not banished cousin for support. Wordlessly, he motioned his guards to direct her to the newly christened and ill prepared Queen of Camelot, Morgan surprised as she was brought before her old friend.
"Princess… no, Queen Guinevere." Morgan began cautiously, Guinevere turning her head to glare at her with disdain, "Honestly, this was never my intention. I did not mean to bring you and your cousin-"
"Quiet down whore! I do not need your sympathy!" Guinevere spat at her; Morgan taken aback by the attitude shift. She was so used to the naïve princess that seemed to look to her on advice at times, now that innocent naivete had made Morgan the object of her disgust and anger. "If you did not mean to get him involved, then you should have remembered to be faithful to your husband and not sleeping around as some harlot, especially with my cousin!" Morgan did her best to retain a controlled demeanor as Guinevere came at her with fury, "I looked up to you with respect! Wanted to model myself after you as a Queen. May God strike me dead before I ever take on your behavior! You filthy, betraying, disgusting-"
The sound a painful hack startled both women, especially when Guinevere felt the splatter of warm blood on her brother's shield as he pulled her back and brought it forward it response to the blood flying through the air. Her gaze turned to King Lot, who was now standing beside his wife with a bit of blood now leaking from his mouth, his right hand coated with blood. "I suppose I should thank you for rising to my defense child, but please, time is short, and I have to return to my land with her, so I will have to bring this tirade to an end." He then grabbed his wife's hand with his own bloody grip, Morgan squeamish by the feeling of the blood he had coughed up, "Come now, we have to get going," He declared as he pulled his wife to the carriage, his guards beside them.
As Morgan looked back, she saw Gawain and Gaheris still looking to her, Artoria and Kay now standing beside them as well, both having just arrived. She gulped; this was it. Morgan did not know when the next time she would arrive at Camelot would be. She knew what she was going to do, even if it was something she had tried to ignore and possibly convince herself not to go through with for some time, but it no longer mattered. Whether or not she even wanted to do it, she would not let herself be punished by him, especially after what he did. There was no turning back now. As the carriage left, Morgan took one last look at the castle. Once again, she was now leaving the only place she had ever been able to truly call home, and back to the ambiguous once more. There was only one more person she needed to set free from that land.
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Oddly enough, there was no trouble for their ship as they traveled over the water once more. Morgan kept to herself in her place in the ship, food delivered to her with respect from the chef at morning and night. She had politely accepted it, even if she personally did not really care about anyone on the ship. It saddened her really, being a Queen and not caring about her own subjects, but then again, she had no bond with any of them. For a while now, to be honest, Morgan would admit that the soldiers and servants in the castle became nameless and faceless to her, only a few truly mattering to her.
Not that any of that distracted Morgan from her goals and wishes. In fact, now without her children, Artoria, or the spiritual warmth of Camelot, she found her dark thoughts much easier to access, no longer questioning what was coming. When she was without them, her pain and anger brought out the worst in her. She tried thinking of Agravain, and hoped he was alright. She needed to make sure he did go to Camelot. After that well… that depended on what would come her way.
Meanwhile, Lot stood at the front of the ship, gazing at the sea the ship was traversing through. The wind was sharp, cold, and bitter, a few of the men catching colds due to weather. Given Lot's hacking coughs, one would imagine he would try to be a little more cautious. In fact, one of his men on the ship came to him on one of the nights at sea and asked, "My liege, the skies are bitter and freezing, it is not the time to be staying out on the ship. It would be safer for you inside." The man asked with concern.
"I will go in soon enough." Lot told him, motioning with his arm for his subject to leave, "For now, leave me be." When the man left, Lot resumed his watch upon the sea, staring at the cascading water under the moonlight. The rise and fall of the waves were entrancing, the wind rapid, flakes of ice hitting his face. The moon's light shined brightly upon the water, its full glare piercing through the darkness, along with the many stars in the night sky. Lot recalled many times in his youth when he used to stare at the sky, pondering something… and he was doing so again.
"I used to say to myself how I would drive my enemies all to hell. Even though, I did not know if God even existed." He whispered quietly to himself, "One would call me foolish, given what I know exists, but I never believed in a benevolent God. So, I used to appoint myself as the one, alongside my brothers, Uther, and Vortigern, as the ones who would deliver judgement upon the vermin of this world, vermin like my father…" He stopped, "Of course, that was a lie really, like all things people use to give glory to their actions. In the end, the only reason we have the ability to call ourselves saviors is because we had the strength to succeed where others did not." Lot stared at the sea, "In the end, all is replaceable, justifiable, and acceptable for the right price. There is no inherent moral value in anything."
He continued his look at the sea, although one questioned if that was even what he was seeing in his mind. If so, what, or who, was it. "Whether or not hell exists, either way, I'll end up meeting those animals again. Fair enough, it would bring me joy tearing them all apart once more." Lot's eyes grew sad, "But if hell does not exist, then it may mean I may see you once again." He closed his eyes, visualizing a cliff, a brown-haired girl standing before him, "And that is not something you would deserve."
Chapter 36: Surprising Reunions
It was over, Lancelot knew as the wind died down, the sky was returning to a somewhat normal and peaceful shade. The dark beam of light piercing into the sky had faded, the falling object bathed in purple light which Lancelot had only barely managed to make out was no more, he had no idea if it had landed on the ground, and if so, where. The knights around him looked around wildly, some still staring up at the sky, wondering what else was to come. As each day had passed, the situation had only seemed to grow stranger and more nerve-wracking for many, as desperate as the strangeness that befell the British Isles, one with a murky end in sight. Was a new danger to come, a new force or wave of death to plight them all? The Knight of the Lake could hardly be sure.
As his brain swirled with so many conflicting worries and thoughts, he felt a soothing presence… a familiar presence, surround him. His body immediately recognized it and relaxed, allowing himself to sink into the warm embrace of a motherly hug. He recalled as a child of needing that embrace during nighttime when his fears took shape in his dreams and nearly overwhelmed him, or after a hard day's worth of training, where he would find a cozy place to rest when fatigue finally took him. As he had grown older, it became less of a problem, but that warmth was never any less welcoming or less wanted.
"Mother." Lancelot said quietly as his mother's spirit gave him the same reassuring hug. It had the same kindness, that all was still alright, despite how things may have seemed on the outside. Taking a deep breath as the presence eventually faded, Lancelot opened his eyes with renewed resolve and focus. This was not the time or place for him to fall apart. Whacking one of his stupefied comrades, Lancelot shouted, "Alright, all shall remain calm! We still have people we must take to Camelot, so enough gawking at the ground, wind, and sky, and retain formation! If the King has not faltered, neither must we!" Slowly, the knights around him began to regain their sense, and Lancelot nodded, "Good, now unless the King says otherwise, we march forward!"
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Vivian sighed as she opened her eyes. Her son would accomplish his duty to his liege with honor, she had no doubt in him. However, that was not what was on her mind as of right now. Morgan's suicidal strike had been resolved, and not by her. Something, no someone had stopped her. Could that have been him, Morgan Le Fay's bastard child? Vivian had not gotten the best look at him when she had used her powers to gaze across the land and see what Morgan had been doing, the sheer raw energy and chaos pouring out of Morgan made such sight difficult, but Vivian had glimpsed the youth's injured form briefly when he had tackled him mother, and somehow, managed to stop her. She did not know how he had managed to do so, but she did know one thing about him.
"He has it too, does he not? The black primeval power of Britain." The cursed dark power native to the British Isles, wielded by the rulers of Britain. Or more specifically, wielded by those of the Pendragon royal lineage. It was the dark power that allowed them to reach their greatest potential for good, or for evil. Vortigern and Uther Pendragon had possessed it, Morgan Le Fay had inherited it from Uther, while Artoria had the potential, but had in fact been given an upgrade from Merlin to possess the power of the dragon as well, even though it was one the King of Knights had worked hard to suppress. "As strong and intense as his mother." She noted in utter horror, her mind racing at the possibility and implications it meant.
Merlin chuckled from within his prison, "Oh my dear student, do not be so foolish. The dark power that runs through his body is not as strong as Lady Morgan." He then smirked, "In fact, it is even greater than that." He did not even need to look at Vivian to sense the change that now went through her, the now chilling air, and the trembling of grass as well as that of his prison was proof enough. "Rather unnerving, isn't it."
"So, it was all a trap, this whole time." Vivian muttered, "She is not only using him, but she is trying to mold him into a weapon to defeat her sister now that Mordred has-" Her words ended as the field was field with Merlin's laughter, the white hair mage jovially laughing until he found himself lying on his back in hilarity. She glared at her old teacher, "And what, may I ask, is so humorous to you, Merlin?"
After a few moments, Merlin finally calmed down, his voice steadying, "It is just that, I am surprised that there are still those trying to make sense of that angle, when it is already so obviously not the case." He then sat up with his legs crossed, his staff on his legs, "If he were truly meant to be her weapon, why then would she leave him to be raised by others rather than raising him herself? It seems rather pointless to have even birthed and train Mordred, who was not created with such a power, rather than the one who could have more naturally fit the role in such a ruthless and ambitious scheme." He sighed in a rather disappointed manner, "Truthfully, I expected a more insightful and well-informed judgement from you, but perhaps I was mistaken."
The unsheathing of a sword could be heard as Pelleas walked towards the cage, ready to hack through and kill the wizard for insulting the Lady of the Lake. Only when the illustrious maiden places a hand on his shoulder did he stop before he could deliver a blow. Vivian looked at Merlin with cold eyes. "Is that so, my wise teacher? If it is, then I ask of thee, explain to me the true reality that I and others are clearly not capable of conceiving on our own. After all, there is little to nothing which escapes your vision."
Merlin laughed, "I thank thee for thy compliments, Vivian, yet sadly, quite a good deal does slip from me. Being able to relate and love and sensing the presence of the Foreign God among other things." He then plucked up some grass from the ground with a free hand and looked at it, "But it seems that you have confused malice and virulent ambition with desperation, self-loathing, and despair. There is jealousy and hatred in both the fiction and the truth, but how they have manifested is very different than how you believe they have."
Vivian looked at him with an unimpressed face, "I see, that is quite a thing to say, but pray tell, how have they manifested then, and for what reason?" She questioned why she was wasting her time like this, why she was not acting to intercept Morgan, or assist and inform the King of Knights. Perhaps she was too distracted with her anger towards her teacher, perhaps she thought they would be fine. Or perhaps it was because she herself wanted to be the one to know and determine the truth about Morgan Le Fay's motives, so she could be the one to deconstruct and shatter said motives of her archenemy and expose the witch to the entire world for her sins and actions. Would such an act be considered her victory over the witch?
Merlin closed his eyes, "Just like our past when I was your teacher, it is too easy for me to simply tell you the truth, that is something you must come to on your own. Instead, let me give you a question." He opened his eyes, "Do you love your son, the Knight of the Lake?"
Vivian responded without any hesitation, "Of course I do, why would I not?" She glared at him, "He is my pride and joy, I watch and trained him as he went from a young boy to a masterful knight before he went on the quest that led him to the King he would serve faithfully to this very day. My son is one of Camelot's greatest knights, if not the greatest, and he has fully earned such a title and praise through his hard work, dedication, and integrity." She almost lost it when she almost heard him chuckle at that lost word. As though her lecherous master had any room to talk or look down upon others when he willingly slept with any woman he deemed attractive and worth his time, let alone ignoring and not caring for her many years of devotion.
Merlin looked at her, "Then I ask you, how far would you go for them, for those you loved?" He seemed to stare at her very soul as he asked, "If you, after years of passivity, powerlessness, and failure, had the power to change the destiny of those you loved from an ending they did not, at least in your eyes, deserve, what would you then do?" The look in her eyes gave him all the answers he needed before he went on, "But what if such a desirable change was never an outcome to be?"
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Of the hundreds of legionnaires Emperor Tiberius had brought with him to the British Isles, another 30 were now dead. That was only a small number in his otherwise still mighty forces, but every soldier counted, and Lucius Tiberius was not happy to lose any of them. Some mystics and half a dozen mages had also been killed, while the survivors had gathered the bodies of the fallen. Rosa was leading them to do a prayer for their souls as they traveled to Pluto's domain, as well as wishing for the Lord of the Underworld's favor in their continuing path. The wounded were currently resting and recovering, the giants and magical beasts were healing while the elephants were also being tended to. The campsite had been reduced to ribbons, but there were some people packing the stuff while they prepared for the journey ahead before nightfall finally arrived.
Lena gently placed a hand on Prince Malphas's burned face while the mage tended to the youth before she eventually touched her nose. The wound on her face had been mended and was now little more than a light scar, one would assume it had come from falling or being scratched by a cat during one's youth. She watched the mage continue his work undisturbed, trying not to panic as the blue ethereal aura that seemed to surround the wounded parts of her eldest prince's body were not healing it fast enough in her eyes. Lena wished she could call for Lady Morgan, but the witch was currently unconscious, laying only right next to Malphas as well. Despite being unconscious, the woman's face had the image of grief and disgust in every inch of her features.
"He will get better." The mage told her, as if having sensed his thoughts, "The youth is strong, stronger than expected." He then waved her away, "Now turn your attention away from him, my lord wishes to speak to you, keep him waiting no longer." It was not like Lena did not know that since he was right behind her.
Turning around, she saw Tiberius looking at the bodies of both Prince Malphas and Lady Morgan, "I hope you are not giving up on them." His gaze turned to her, and she did not know what was going on through his mind. Was she a ghost in his eyes, an illusion forged from his mind, or was she real? Lena could not know what he was thinking. Hell, if not for his name and red hair, Lena probably would not recognize him either.
They stopped by a few rocks in the field where Lena saw a blond-haired faerie lying down on the ground, covered in a cloak. The faerie's eyes were closed, but it seemed as though she were struggling against something, her face scrunched and intense, whimpering and growling came from her mouth, as though she were wrapped as a nightmare. "Do not mind her. Thing was trying to escape during the commotion after the witch was stopped. Rosa stopped her and cast a spell on her to make sure she did not break free. She will not harm you." He told her.
Lena looked at the trapped faerie, "So she is a prisoner." She gulped quietly when she saw him smirk, having some idea as to what the truth likely was. Her heart sank at the idea, not wanting to recall moments from her past during those chaotic times, back when a single mistake would mean her death.
Tiberius chuckled, "More as a pet really. Rosa likes keeping her around, makes nights more fun after a trying day I suppose." He looked at his sheathed blade for a moment, "Ironic really, she went on about how she served the true rulers of these lands, the King and Queen of the faeries, and how it was only thanks to their benevolence that we humans even had an inkling of pride and knowledge. That we should be grateful how the new world will be one in which they will shape the next generation as their new servants and warriors, weak as we would still be."
He then brought the sheathed blade close to the faerie's ear before unsheathing Florent, the sound of metal causing the faerie to panic and struggle even worse, recognizing that sound all too well. "How funny then that all her forces were killed before her eyes at the might of my own, now a pet to those she saw as beneath her. Quite a change really, a sign one could say." He then sheathed the sword and placed it by his side while trying to not seem threatening to her.
Lena looked at him, "The years really have changed you since your parents died. They've made you become something entirely different than when I last saw you when I was taken away."
He stared at her disapproving eyes and laughed sarcastically, "How melodramatic of you Lena, but you are right about something. I have indeed changed," He unsheathed the sword fully, Lena taking a step back as she could feel the power radiating from it, Florent crackled the air around it, the reddish aura like the hair of the man who wielded it. "I have become the man who will make Rome the glorious land my father envisioned, an Empire that will embody the entire continent of Europe, all encompassing and almighty. An Empire under the watchful eyes of Flora, and ruled by Lucius Tiberius, her champion of this noble age."
He spun the blade in his hand for a moment, before looking to Lena, "So how of you? What has fate brought you since all those years ago?"
He stared at her intently, and she shrugged, "I have come under the service of the King Guiomar and Queen Julia of Lahia. King Arthur betrayed their alliance, and his knight murdered my beloved King, so-"
"That was not what I was speaking of, and you know it." He got closer to her, and Lena tried not to move away in fear, "How did you escape, and what happened to the last of those treasonous bastards of Rome, the ones who escaped me and took you with them?" Lena gulped and looked away, "Please, tell me what happened? They were the only ones I never managed to kill."
Lena looked away for a moment before turning her eyes back to him, "The Centurion Pontifus, along with his followers and allies, were slain by Prince Leon of Lahia. He was the older brother of Queen Julia, who was back then still a princess. After defeating him, myself, and a few other servants were taken in to become servants of the Lahian crown, a few soldiers even joining the ranks of Lahia, while a few other escaped to parts unknown. Where they are right now, I am not sure. I have served the royal family ever since, and it was a better life that being that avaricious animal's slave, so I will not complain."
Lucius Tiberius closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before opening them and smiling, "Well, then I suppose I owe those stragglers a debt of gratitude for eliminating those vermin and saving you all those years ago." He sheathed his sword and took her hand non-threateningly, "I was too busy back then assembling my path to becoming Emperor to go after you, and after that, Rome could not be fixed in a day. By the time I had a chance to finally pursue where you might have been, I had received knowledge from one of that worm's loyalists that Pontifus had been slain and his forces taken, but I did not know where. To be honest, for the last few years, I had assumed your time had passed. Never did I know that you had survived."
She let herself smile a bit, "Before that ravenous coward took me and other and left Rome, I had heard news that you were on the rise to becoming Emperor, whispers from Pontifus and a few others. I would pray to Jupiter that it was true, and you were on your way to save me, while the rest of me thought that it was just a dream I had made up. Even now, I find it hard to believe that I am seeing you again, let alone that you have become the emperor."
Tiberius smiled in a way that lacked the haughty arrogance and narcissism of some of his earlier words, "My father and mother did not live long enough to see it, but I did not rise alone. Though he was never a schemer, father had plenty of supporters, plenty angry and tired of the corruption of the senate and the gluttonous waste amongst those who had killed him. The revolt was ready, all they needed was me. But I will admit, I was hesitant at first." His face grew somber, "After his death, and later my mother, I thought that I was meant to wait before Pluto claimed my soul as well. I did not think I could do it. But then it happened." He gripped the handle of Florent a little tighter, "It was the goddess that saved me, that helped me see clearly. Made me realize the destiny that laid before me, the Rome that I would create. I reached forward, took it with my own hands, and the rest has been history."
Lucius Tiberius sighed as he looked around, "The British Isles are all that remain out of my grasp to achieve my destiny. All of Europe is meant to be under the Empire, and I the one to lead it to greatness, this sword is proof, the goddess ordained me with this purpose. My enemies are the faeries, the cowardly ruler of Camelot who refuses to except the inevitable, and the so-called Foreign God. All will fall, and the Rome my father envisioned will be a reality."
Lena looked at him for a moment before touching something on her arm, "Maybe there is a bit of the old Lucius in there after all."
Tiberius looked at her curiously before his gaze turned to her arm, his eyes then widening, "You still have that?" He moved in to see her arm, noticing the worn-out red thread that was loosely tied around it. "Didn't I make that as a child?!"
Lena laughed as that old memory came back to her, "Indeed, I remember that day very well."
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"What are you doing Master?" Lena asked as the morning sun streamed through the house. Master Augustus had left for the court, while Lady Serviria was currently taking a bath. That had left Master Lucius and herself alone for the time being. She had recalled him whispering to his father earlier in the morning about something, but Lena had no idea what they had spoken of. There were still things she had to do around the house, responsibilities she and a few other servants had to bear since her mother had passed, though Lena had never let herself deal with the grief. Given she still had work to do, she questioned why Master Lucius had stopped her and brought him to her room.
Carefully, Lucius Tiberius looked around to see if anyone was watching, before motioning her to come to his bed. Upon sitting down with him, she noticed several threads all knotted and assorted in mismatched ways. These could not have been made by Lady Serviria, the woman was a master of threading and knitting with needles. Carefully, she picked them up, "What are these, Master?"
The young Lucius looked embarrassed, "I could never get them right. Oh well." He muttered before he grabbed one last thick strand of red thread. "Show me your arm, Lena. Pull up your sleeve." Upon doing so, Lucius wrapped and knotted the thread around the top of her arm, before making a flowery bow with the excess, "There finished!"
Lena looked at it for a moment, "What is it for Master?" She stared at him while Lucius looked at her with a shocked face. Had she done something wrong?
"Lena, it's your birthday remember?" She blinked for a moment before looking at the thread, then back at his earnest face. Today was her birthday?! Strange, she had never even given it a thought, had not done so in a while really, "Mother was going to knit you something herself, but I wanted to see what I could make. Nothing worked, so I just went with whatever I could do." He then looked around before whispering into her ear, "Father said he'd go to the merchant and grab some mangoes when he returns."
Master Augustus was going to bring mangoes?! She had always loved the fruit and being that her mother had been his and Lady Serviria's friend as well as servant, they would get things for her as well. So, they had done all this for… Lena did not even notice she was shedding tears until Master Lucius told her, "Oi Lena, are you okay?! What is wrong, you're crying?"
She wiped her face, "It's nothing… Thank you Master." She said as she looked down.
Lucius sighed, "How many times do I have to say it, just call me Lucius! Okay Lena?"
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Tiberius smiled, "My, to think how little I was." He then gripped her hand. "Let me introduce you to my generals, and my men, a true introduction. It was my mistake to not recognize you before, you should have told me, I could have shown you everything much earlier." Pulling her up from where she sat, he was ready to get going, "Come now, may be a bit scattered, but there is much to be impressed about." As he began moving, he stopped after a bit, looking behind at her, "Lena, what's wrong?"
Lena was trying to free her hand, "I am grateful for your generosity, but that is not necessary. I should go and check on Prince Malphas and see if he is alright."
Lucius Tiberius just stared at her as if she had grown a 2nd head. "What does he matter. My healer already said he will be fine. Right now, he needs time to rest, so leave him be. There are more important things to show you."
Lena shook her head, "In case Morgan Le Fay wakes up soon, I want to be there and find out what caused her to act like that and endanger the lives of her friends and allies. I need to ascertain if she will be a threat to Prince Malphas's wellbeing as well as that of Queen Julia and Prince John, who are waiting for us in Cameliard."
Tiberius scoffed, "She will be under watch morning to night whether awake or asleep, I will not be taking any chances with her. And rest assured, if she does prove to be too much of an enemy, I will not hesitate to cut her down. Now come on."
Once again Lena struggled, "I am a servant of the Lahian Royal Family, I am to follow their wishes and commands, and aid however I may. Right now, that is the continued wellbeing or Prince Malphas. That is where I belong right now." She stopped, "Unless you wish to make me your own servant, Lucius. In which, I would be honor bound to obey you." Lucius stared at her for a moment before letting go. She gave him a small smile, "Thank you." Lena then went on her way to check on Malphas.
As she walked away from him, Tiberius's gaze followed her, he was slightly hurt. He understood that awkwardness would occur upon such a surprise meeting after so long, he was still adjusting right now. Still, she had recognized him before he her. So why was she less excited and happy, why did she look at him with fear and sorrow? Why was she making him feel like he was a villain in this? Tiberius pondered this as he sat done, ignoring the faerie struggling to regain consciousness right beside him.
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Well, the sky had cleared up of darkness, as though ominous night had tried to take rule over day before being denied by the light of day. Not that it had helped them in their search through the city, especially since nighttime had finally arrived. To their displeasure, they found around 2 dozen dead bodies of people who had clearly been victims of Chimeras or Gryphons, a few of them having even been children. Their faerie companions scoured the area from the air while watching out for any attacks from Chimeras or Gryphons, though they found nothing. Both Gaheris and Agravaine were at a loss and questioning why they were continuing, Segwarides helped to while Palomides still had to rest his leg to not injure it further, necessitating them to carry him at times.
Sir Bors was not a man to give up though, "There has to be someone here. They cannot have all been killed. There must be someone, anyone." Even Gaheris felt bad for him. Sure the 2 of them had started off on the wrong foot and had never gotten along since, but even he knew Bors's desire to help the supposed great saint as well as the people of Glasgow had been a genuine one. Besides, only a heartless devil would mock the deaths of the innocent. "We must check the church."
The group reconfigured and made their way to the church, and Gaheris admitted to being impressed. While there was a hole around the top, and the walls somewhat cracked and dirty, it was held together well, but it was also delicate. There were also large stains of blood on the side of it, Gaheris could see some from the top of the church to the bottom of the side. One would question how that happened, but he expected answers would come later. Akin to pottery made by a master, the design was well refined, but you knew you had to be careful. Gaheris expected a Chimera may have attacked it at some point, though he questioned for what? He wondered what had caused the creature to stop, or who.
Upon entering the church, it was as barren as the outside. Gaheris, Segwarides, and Palomides inspected the main praying room, while Bors and Agravaine went through the halls leading to other rooms to see what could be found. Stone and wood were assembled, likely as seats for those that would visit, and there was a wooden table at the center, rocks placed by the legs for support. The cross hung upon the wall, as well as more standing up around them. A few took notice that the seats were arranged in a manner that even made the pathway resemble a cross as well.
A lot in the church was dirty, they could see that no one seemed to have been there for a while. Gaheris also noticed flecks of blood on the ground, but from what though. A rat scurried across a rock, and he sighed, "Well, it seems none are here. I suppose we could use this place to sleep for the night." He looked to see Bors and Agravaine return from there searches, "Have either of you found anything?" While Bors was quiet, Agravaine shook his head, and the younger brother sighed, "Then I suppose we've lost all trace of anyone in Glasgow."
"I would not speak too soon Gaheris, look at this." Palomides noted as he pointed at the ground from where he sat. "Footprints, and not our own. Some we ended up covering, others are less clear than others, but these point away from the church. There was someone here recently." He pointed to the ground by a few rocks, "Seems like something was also burned here, there ash littering the ground."
Gaheris went to where Palomides had pointed and knelt by the spot, before turning his head to the others, "Can anyone tell where these may stop? Any clue where they go to?"
Segwarides and Agravaine gazed around a bit before their eyes stopped at the table, "Odd place to leave this." Agravaine noted.
Before they could do anything, one of their faerie companions flew in from the hole in the ceiling, Gaheris recognizing her as Lucrecia, "Hey, you all have to get of here and follow us! We found some people!" Shocked the 5 ran out of the church and followed Lucrecia through the seemingly abandoned city, the faerie flying ahead of them but close enough so that they could hear her speak. "According to Vendru, it was 2 youths, we assume early men, and they came out of the woods. One was carrying a sack on his back; the other was dragging the carcasses of dead deer along with some squirrels using rope." That much food was not something one would usually make for 2 people, that meant there had to have been more. Gaheris decided to focus on that question later as they followed Lucrecia.
Eventually, they slowed down as they heard 2 people bickering with each other, one was youthful and annoyed, like that of a young teenager. The other one sounded older, but that was not what took them aback. All the Knights of the Round could pin down that voice, a voice equal amounts of positivity, idealism, and sheer unmitigated stupidity. Really, there were times when the man could not put his sword away without accidentally hitting something, usually himself. Still, they could not help but smile upon hearing it. They had been worried he may have been dead.
Running into the clearing, Bors called out, "Percival, it's us!" As Gaheris and the rest followed, they saw a young man with long blonde hair carrying the carcasses of dead animals with some rope. By his side was a youth wearing a cloak, a sack over his back as Lucrecia had said. "We came to help!"
Without warning, Percival gripped the ropes tightly and heaved, the animals body flying as he swung them over to his comrades, letting go of the rope as he did so. All 5 of them dodged out of the way while Palomides complained to Agravaine about hitting his bad leg into a rock. As the bodies of the animals hit the ground, Percival's gray eyes blinked before he looked at them all with a dumbfounded expression, "Why did you all move?"
Gaheris looked at Percival, "Why did you throw those at us?"
Percival scratched the back of his head, "You said you were here to help, so I thought you wanted me to give you the meat." A few of them sighed, Percival had not changed a bit.
Lucrecia hovered above them, peering at Percival with curiosity, "So you know this man from Camelot?"
Sir Bors nodded, "He a fellow member of the Round Table along with the rest of us." He then placed a hand on Percival's shoulder, "It is good to see that fate has not snuffed you out, good one."
Percival smiled, "I told you I'd be okay. Everything's gone fine overall."
Segwarides shook his head, "Wait, what are you talking about, last we knew Percival was traveling with Galahad. Now he is here by himself and apparently you knew about this Sir Bors. What is going on, where is everyone else in Glasgow, why is Percival here and how did he get here?" He then turned his head to the cloaked youth, "And what would your name be, young one?"
The youth removed his hood, revealing his face to the group, "My name is Kentigern." He said shyly, "I am the son of Thamates." He stared at the rest of the knights before stopping at 2 with some shy caution, "Is something the matter?" He asked to their surprised faces of Agravaine and Gaheris, or in better words, shocked.
Those who did not know him back then, the resemblance probably would not catch your eye at 1st, but if you did, you would find it uncanny. Save for the brown hair, this early teenager was the spitting image of their older brother. The same well athletic build despite his young age, same face. He looked exactly like Gawain had in their childhood, right down to the nose.
Dun Dun Dun...
Oh Gawain, have you been cheating on your wife?! Find out next time in however many chapters it takes to learn the truth, next on A Possible Lostbelt 6 - Birth of a New Planet!
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In all seriousness, been meaning to add Percival to the story as well. If you want to know what his character is, he's like a heroic version of TFS Nappa before he died and then came back to life and went into Hollywood. As for who would be Vegeta in this situation, probably Galahad, with Bors or Agravaine substituting in for him whenever Galahad's not around.
The dude is dumber than a sack of bricks and can literally be captured if you told him that he needed to stand in the middle of a circle of bunnies so as to not be cursed. If anyone's familiar with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, that scene where Bedivere discusses how to actually find a witch to a bunch of villagers, that is precisely the way Percival thinks, and that's on a good day.
How did he become a member of the Round Table. Well, as stupid as he is, he is an excellent fighter, a genuinely nice guy, and at times his idiotic plans end up working sometimes, and once he gets an actual moment of brilliance, you're screwed. That last part kind of works like how Jason does in FGO, where he becomes really useful in a pinch.
Thank you all for reading this chapter, the next one will come out whenever I can get it out, probably next week. Until then, this has been the Venomous Blade and I'll see you all later.
:)