Weeping Monk POV.
I was in a stream, naked, but not alone beside me was the same woman from the other dream. I was touching her face, and pulled her into a romantic and desperate kiss, which she responded very quickly and with the same intensity. My hand travels on her round breasts, with the milk that nourishes our little son. I lower my mouth on her neck and land a very pleasant mark, and she moans. I continue on my way, until I find her womanhood, I begin to play with her lower lips. She takes my hand away.
"Why did you take it off?" I ask, with a pout. She kisses me and tells me.
"Remember what the healer said? Without making love, until two full moons after birth, and the little one was born seven days ago!"
"I'd forgotten, but it's been so long since we did that. The last time was when we made him!" I say, serene.
I woke up scared, once again I have a dream about this woman, I realize she's a Fey woman. My face contorted into shame in realization. I move my hand toward moving back the hair falling unto my face.
I can't have dreams, with a representative of the devil. I ask his sanctity why he is sending these dreams, and especially why this woman. I have many questions. 'Who is she?', I feel that I know her, but I don't know from where. Perhaps she's the famous Witch, who killed many of my brothers or is she the one that the little boy speaks with such love and respect? I pray to the Lord to bring mercy to me, one of his most fervent devotees.
"My son, I have a task for you!" says Father Carden, entering my tent. "The Feys have infiltrated the woods, and you know that even the demons have to eat. We know that they eat from the Minotaur's farms, so as not to reveal themselves. So I want to let them starve to death. Burn them, whip them, until they panic like cattle at the slaughterhouse, that's your job! Go! As soon as possible," he finishes, and leaves my tent.
I prepare myself for this task: I take Goliath, my bow and arrows and a bucket of fat to facilitate the burning of the farm. I did what Father Carden asked of me and saw several Feys being consumed by the fires. I halt for a second hearing the anguish voices crying out for help. I heave a sigh and continue forward, my task was well done leaving no longer a need for me to be there.
Continuing on my path I find a place where I feel the presence of some Feys. Sure enough, I was able to identify some Feys occupied in tending their crops and close by there was a mill. I warn the paladins who were with me, and tell them to surround the perimeter of the mill. I feel that there are some Feys hunters, a little further away. I followed the smell and there were three men and a young man, two of the men were human, but one of them has the Fey smell, which masks his human smell. The fey had dark hair and I think he was the infamous Green Knight that runs gossips amongst the camp. I saw that they separated, 2 and 2. I come down from Goliath, I take my bow and shoot 2 arrows, one on the young man and the other on the human. I hit the young man, who died on the spot, but the second, the human dodged and was not hit, Anger coursed through my body as I was furious and decided to engage in close combat with him.
He had already drawn his sword, he tried to hit me to which I gracefully dodged and attacked him with my arms to try to draw his sword. I managed to push him and he fell to the ground, got up and tried to attack me, and again I knocked him down. That's too easy, he doesn't know the art of fighting, I'm ready to attack and kill him with my sword. He attacks me, I defend against his attack with my sword, he is caught off guard and I cut him in the chest, we fight a little more and when I am ready to kill him. To my bad luck, the knight Fey and the other human come to his rescue by pushing me and helping their companion to get up.
"I leave you for a minute, and you're almost dead. I don't know what Red Spear saw in you!" complained the Fey as they fled.
"That's my charm!" retorts the black-haired human.
"Come on, we have to help the others, I believe the monk has several friends around and we'll have to fight!" says the blond.
They ran and my brothers helped me up and we went to the mill, where the other paladins were finishing off the demons there.
I saw that one of those demons had been hit, I see that the others are inside the mill, but they were still alive, I will use this to bring those three who dared to overthrow me. I throw Fey's helmet on the ground, and I go down and walk towards Fey, dying, take out my knife and cut off his arrow that tried to attack me. I take the devil, and I lift him up.
"Hand over the three musketeers and all the others will survive! Come on, aren't you the saviors of this demon? How many will have to suffer for their crimes, I am a very patient man and I am willing to wait for you, but I will keep busy with this demon down here!" I finish my malice taunt and use the arrow on his body to bring attention to his wounded friend He cries out in pain and I push the arrow further "I will explain how it works, although I am sure you remember, Green Knight, to give you time to decide, I will cut this guy into little pieces, slowly!" I stick the knife, which I hold, into his stomach and he screams. I'm still playing with this convict, but I'm already losing my patience and screaming.
"And what will musketeers do? I think I have to gut your friend!" Nothing. "So, should I take that silence as a yes?" and I see the door open, but only one comes out, the Green Knight. They must have thought of a plan, "Take him!" I say, for the paladins, but before they get close, an arrow comes and kills the Fey. The Green Knight goes back there.
The anger infects me, but I have an idea. Set the mill on fire with them inside. Got some buckets, full of sebum to burn faster. I'll shoot the first arrow and tell the paladins to shoot too. Soon it's all on fire. I smell fear inside. After a while, the three of them come out with their swords and start attacking the paladins. They are killing all the brothers, I run to them to try to help, but I smell a wonderful smell calling me, it reminds me of the Witch, she is here! I look at the mill and see that a demon magic makes the flames grow and the smoke comes down to near the earth. I hear the voice of the green knight.
"The boy was right, Nimue can do it!" cries the Green Knight.
"We're screwed, she'll kill us!" says the other one running.
The smoke blinds us.
"The witch came after us," a trembling voice of one of the brothers shouts.
"Silence" I hear a war cry, I cut who was coming, I'm in shock, I just killed one of my brothers. I see they're fighting each other, I get angry and follow that delicious smell, but there was nothing there, I scream in anger.
I can't believe the witch got us to fight each other. I managed to get the survivors out and we went back to camp, I told the priest what happened and he slapped me for my mistake.
I went back to my tent and slept.
NIMUE POV
We went as fast as we could. I told Squirrel not to say anything about what we talked to my father about until we were in a safe place. I'm worried about Dad, who had offered to let me, his grandson and my companions run away. Squirrel was guiding our horse, we did not talk during the escape, but when we arrived in a valley full of rocks, further ahead I saw a place full of army flags. Morgana, who was guiding our group, Pym was on my side, Guinevere and was doing the rearguard, Kaze stayed behind to do a reconnaissance as we managed to lose the army that followed us. I was curious because I didn't recognize where we were.
"Kaze should have been here by now!" says the little one in front of me.
"What is this place Morgana?" I ask.
"We are in a camp cursed by Cailleach, it's called the Blood of the Brothers." she answers.
"I don't like the vibe of this place," says Pym, trembling. I'm more and more intrigued as we walked around the camp.
"How was it cursed? What has she done?"
"Didn't you hear the mythological legend during your childhood?" she questioned with a smile.
"No! Ours were real." answers Pym, after hearing Morgana.
"Now I'm intrigued to know how different your mythologies are from ours," mentions the viking of the group.
"Cailleach invoked a mist involving the army of Rome, and the soldiers went mad with the mist, killing each other. That's why the brothers' blood name," she says.
"This is more like our attacks than our mythology," says Guinevere.
I abruptly heard the thundering stomps belonging to a horse, I swiftly turned my head to see it was Kaze.
"Thank God, you're safe! Did you see anything important?" I ask her.
"Merlin managed to hold them off for a while, he said you were handing over the sword and they frightened her and so she ran away. I found out it was the Queen Mother who orchestrated that Merlin would be followed. He fought with the one commanding the army, but the General ordered them to follow us. We have less than an hour to hide."
"The Celts dug tunnels in the cliffs to escape the Romans. Some of them lead to Grammaire, Arthur and I used to play in them," suggests Morgana.
"Morgana, do you want us to climb that mountain?" asks Kaze. "No, this place stinks of evil magic, in my village, Baxare would burn this place and cover it in salt, it's foolish for us to stay here!"
"It will be foolish for us to come back," says Morgana. "We are with two people who can fight, a healer, a Fey who has powers, but cannot control them, and a sword that scares me, a child and I, a human, who has no talent." she nonchalantly listed to make her point of the little choice we had.
"I'd rather die fighting soldiers than have to die fighting something evil that's imperceptible," argued Kaze.
I have to think about what's best for me, for my unborn child and my little one in front of me.
"I'd rather not lose any of you, you're all very important to me. Let's hide!" I asserted my decision to the group in a stern voice. I directed Squirrel to lead the horse, not knowing if the girls were following me.
"Mother, were you thinking about my little brother?" he whispers in my ear, smiles and I answer.
"Not just him, I was thinking of us."
"I know we'll make it and we'll find out who this little guy's father is," Squirrel's words comfort me at his optimism that I can't help but give him a little pat on the head in gratitude.
"You're gonna mess my hair," he groans out in a mild annoyance.
"How am I messing it up when it already is messy," I tease, removing my hand and looking straight ahead at the tunnels. We came to a halt as we just reached the entrance. I carefully get off to avoid putting pressure on my pregnant belly, then help Squirrel off the horse.
"Let's try that one!" I announce and I see they're all off the horses. Pym comes over and takes my hand, I smile at her thrilled that they indeed followed.
"We have no choice, we must send the horses and hope the soldiers will follow." says Morgana.
"I still don't trust that plan!" barked out Kaze in an obviously annoyed demeanor.
"We're going in because I have things to discuss and I don't know how you'll react to it," I say, entering the tunnel. I find torches and use them on the way. I had Percival hugging my waist. Pym was at my side, Guinevere in front, guiding Morgana and Kaze in the background. I realized there are many figures on the walls. I looked at Morgana and she told me what this picture meant.
"The Celts who defied Julius Caesar fought until they all died, man, woman and children. Cailleach offered help to the people." I remembered what she said before we entered.
"The Cailleach made the Romans fight and kill each other. Cailleach protected the innocent," I say.
"But he demanded a reward." Morgana continues.
"Reward?" I ask.
"Your children, that they might be consumed by Cailleach, the spider goddess." I quickly put my hand on my stomach and embrace my son.
"That is the price a helpless person must pay!" says Kaze, "They are at the mercy of demons."
"Not all demons know what they are," says Pym. "Maybe Cailleach didn't know that yet, when he met the Celts." We keep walking until we find a cliff.
I heard my father's voice the longer he holds that sword, the more his life will be in danger. Revenge has taken hold of me, it will do the same to you, because you are my daughter.
"Do you care about your nature? No need, the Devil's Tooth chose you for a reason!" says Kaze, seeing my face.
"What if it's for some other reason that he chose me, if it's by right from birth?" I say to her.
"What do you mean, Nim?" asks Pym.
"What if the previous owner carried the same blood that's in my veins?" I go on.
"Yes, your mother owned it," she responded.
"What if it was the other one, who had the other half of my blood?"
"Your father, Jonah?" inquiries Pym.
"Not Jonah, my real father."
"Grandpa Merlin!" exclaims Squirrel wanting to hurry the conversation.
"I found out that Merlin is my real father, and that the sword was his." I conclude.
"What? MERLIN IS YOUR FATHER? LIKE, THE MOST POWERFUL WIZARD IN THE WORLD DID THE HORIZONTAL TANGO WITH AUNT LEONORE AND YOU CAME ALONG! That explains why you're so strong with magic! Gawain will be pissed off at this, he hates Merlin for his treachery in taking King Uther's side and did nothing to protect us," screams Pym.
"Yes, but he's changed! He has promised he will help us," Squirrel adds on about the promise his grandfather made.
"Speaking of family. I just found out that the Hiddens are idiots, they take away my memory, after I found my soulmate and they made me have a son with him and that son is growing up much faster than usual," I share with the women who accompany me. I look at my sister, everything but the blood on the floor. I try not to laugh, I look at my other companions and they are in shock.
"PREGNANT". Morgana asks, with her mouth open.
"I hadn't noticed it, but it was right in front of my face, I had all the symptoms, but I thought it was the stress of all the latest events," I say, waking Pym. I gently tap her shoulders in order to wake her up.
When she wakes up, she jumps into my arms screaming, "I'm an Aunt!"
"You were blessed by the goddesses! Best wishes," says the warrior.
"But why did they take away your memory?" Morgana asks with a quizzical glance at my way before looking away lost in her own theories on how..
"My father said that I met him on the day of the attack and that the occult took away our memories because we have a destiny to follow." I say, still embraced with the two most important people who are present.
"Perhaps your destiny is the Sword?" Kaze asks.
"So I'm afraid the Sword will change me, just as it has. He tells me that the sword brings bloodlust, I think this is happening, every time I see the paladins, the sword attracts a will to avenge me, to destroy them, for the simple anger they are making at my people. Now that I have someone else to think about, I don't feel that I should, because I feel that she is trying to change me," I answer.
"You're stronger than him, he won't change you," says Kaze.
"What do you know about me, Kaze? I saw my father's past, while he had the sword, he was bloodthirsty, after my mother took the sword, he didn't want it anymore, because she just wanted death," I say. "If you like her, take it, I don't want her anymore." And I give it up.
"That is the sword of your people," she lightly pleaded with her argument toward me. All while refusing it.
"It is an honor to use it," she adds, as if that would encourage me.
"This honor is acquired with blood, I don't want it for my family." Starting to get angry, Kaze doesn't understand that I'm thinking of my unborn son.
"Stop complaining. Wield the sword and lead," Kaze's patient began to run thin as she spat out with anger laced in every word.
"Lead? I'm carrying a child I have no idea how I got it, I have to take care of this other child, who I love more than my life, I have a father who is considered a traitor by our people and I have a soulmate who doesn't know where he is, and you want me to lead our people? With more killing, there is no more hope for us, because the place of this crap is in the end down I can!' I scream, throwing the sword on the ground.
"What have you done?" yells Kaze fuming .
"I don't know, I felt a strong impulse and I did it. Why did I do that?" I say, crying.
"Well, we can't leave the sword," says Guinevere, approaching, and holding my shoulder, seeming a small gesture of comfort.
"I'll take it." Morgana says.
"We must stay together," says Pym, looking at Morgana.
"Go back the same way, I'll find you in that alcove."
"Take someone with you." I say, going towards her.
"No, you need everyone with you, there's a little joy in your belly," she says, caressing my stomach, which I noted how my baby bump began to be more notable. I think my father was right when he said that this pregnancy was fast. "Everything's gonna be fine." And she starts coming down the stairs.
"Mother, breathe, think of Galahad," reassures my little Percival, caressing my stomach.
"Galahad?" I ask.
"Yes, my little brother." he says, with a smile.
"What if it's a girl?" Pym asks.
"I know it's a boy!" says the little one.
"Sorry Kaze, I feel in a few days, my life has changed a lot." I say, as we go to the alcove.
"I don't know what you're feeling, but we have to think about our people," she says, the leadership.
"You're right," I say.
"Pussycat, you don't have to worry, we're here for whatever comes." says Guinevere.
"Thank you, Guinevere." We hope. I leaned on my son and took a nap.
I was facing the man of my dreams, we were hugging naked, after a night of love, he was giving me affection.
"I think your father hates me," he blurts out, feeling a bit down at his thought.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because he always gets in our way, we get a break now, because you asked him to look at the children, I don't know how he loves Galahad so much and hates me so much, the little one is a small version of me," he says, with a lip.
"He likes the little one because he's not his daughter's soulmate and he's doing things that fathers don't like their daughters to do," I say, climbing up on his lap ready for a second round, kissing him.
The sweet pillow talk within my dream comes to an end as I groggily wake up to see my son whispering to my belly.
"Galahad, you'll have the best family possible, we have several uncles and aunts. We have Uncle Dof, who is a Viking, Aunt Guinevere, who is a Viking captain, and Uncle Arthur, who is human, but funny. We have Aunts Morgana and Celia, they helped Mum against the paladins and we also have the uncles and aunts of our tribe, Aunt Pym, who is a healer, Aunts Layla and Kaze, who are part of the fey guard and our Uncle Gawain, who is our greatest warrior, he saved me when I was in the forest. We also have Grandpa Merlin, who is the greatest wizard there is, we don't know who his father is, but I know he will love us very much, and the last person who is the most important, is Mommy, she will move the earth and the air, if something happens to us," he says, and I think the little one liked his loving words, who gave his first kick to my stomach.
"Percival! I think your little brother liked your words, as do I," I gently said with tears in my eyes at such sweet notion.
"Mom, he said hi to me. Aunt Pym, my little brother kicked!" the little one shouts in joy. My sister comes running and puts her hand on my belly, and knowing that her aunt is here, he kicks.
"Morgana should be here by now." Kaze yells "Morgana!"
"Easy Kaze, she must be coming, she wouldn't leave us here." says Pym.
"You know none of the Feys will like you to be Merlin's daughter, after the betrayal he's done. I would keep it a secret, the Feys come to you as hope," she explains a concern she has had on her mind.
"That hope is already lost," I say.
"I believe in you!" she says, sincerely.
"I may be his daughter, but I'm my mother's daughter, and I think she knew he'd changed," I say.
"He promised to help us, and Grandpa looked real. He wanted to be a part of our life," says my little one.
"I gave him a vote of confidence and I believe he'll keep it." I say, in my father's defense.
"I feel that you have a destiny of leadership, I have advised many leaders of my tribe and others, and I know those who have no doubt, just pretend to lead," says Kaze sitting next to me.
"But I am not a king." I say.
They were not, my people are not led by kings, they are led by queens, and I feel that you can be one, being the daughter of Merlin and the priestess of the people of heaven," she says.
"Do these queens make mistakes?" I ask.
"Not like throwing the mightiest sword down a hill," she says, with a sly smile.
"Will you teach me?" I ask, looking at all the women, I have two wrestlers, one who leads a band of men and the other who has led several other leaders and my family.
"We'll see." says Kaze.
"Sure, kitten, we'll make you a warrior queen," says the Viking Warrior.
"Nim, always together," says my sister.
We heard screams and all stood up. My immediate instinct was to hug my son.
"Morgana?" asks Pym.
"You stay here, Guinevere, protect Nimue. It's an ambush from Cailleach, she awaits us, I will find Morgana, and the sword." she instructs quickly and she leaves.
We stayed there, Guinevere stood around the room like a tiger. Pym and my son, talking about the little one in my womb, and out of nowhere the torch goes out. I go and pick up some stones and try to create fire, but I have a vision that my brother and my friends are in danger.
"Gawain is in danger, and your idiot soulmate and Arthur are with him. Let's go to them!" I say and we went after the idiots, created a plan that Squirrel would go and ask the idiots to create a distraction and I would use the sword, using the story Morgana told us.
"Go and warn your foolish uncles they should have waited and not get into trouble, now I have to save their lives," I say to the little one.
"And tell Dof he's grounded!" says Pym.
"Enjoy it, and tell Arthur he's grounded too." And he's gone.
When I saw the three of them come out and start killing the paladins. I put our plan into practice. Kaze, Pym and Guinevere ran out and picked up the idiots and we left, found my little warrior and went to the shelter.
"They came back!" the people spoke.
"Gawain, what did I say about not fooling around?" I say to him, slapping him.
"We went to look at the farms, we didn't know we'd find the paladins."
"I had a vision of you being killed, how do you think I looked?" I say, in tears, embracing him.
"I have nothing to offer our people, and they're losing hope. I feel that you are the only thing we have," he says.
I already know what I have to do, I hear the murmuring that I had saved the workers and that I was the savior. I took a deep breath and I talked.
"Like you, the paladins took everything from me. My mother, friends, my house, everything, everything but that!" I say, taking away the sword. "That is the sword of our people, forged by fire Fey, when the world was new. Kings fought wars to possess it, and the church tried to destroy it, for in its forge it possesses the power of all our ancestors." I hear the people crying out the power of their ancestors "And this is our courage, our light in this dark immensity, our hope in all this despair. I will be their shield and I promise by the Occult, that I will be their sword and I swear that from that day on, Feys will live free!" I look at my family and I see them, all full of pride, three people missing, my parents and my soulmate. "Some call it The Sword of the First Kings but I cry like the sword of the First Queen."
"Queen Fey!" shouts my brother and the rest of my people follow his lead.
'My daughter, your destiny is to be our queen, long live the queen.'I hear my father's voice and respond in my mind
'Thanks, Dad.'
And I feel myself being held in small arms. It was my little Percival. May it be a new and beautiful life.