-Twenty-Two-
Savior True
"What do you mean?" Morgana repeated as the woman behind the counter of the Crystal Caves held out the familiar gem. "How did you know we'd be coming for this?"
"Because that is the purpose I was given," the woman told them. "It's the purpose I was born with."
"Were you…are you from Camelot?" Byron asked, speaking quietly though there was no one there to overhear him.
The woman laughed softly. "No dear, but my ancestors were. This crystal has been passed down through the generations. Then I received a sign three years ago when I was gazing at the stars. I was to move to this town called Ealdor and start up my own shop. That I should live to finally give the stone to its rightful owner is an honor." She pressed it into Morgana's hand.
"But it isn't mine," Morgana said. "It's for a friend."
"She cannot find what she is seeking until you free magic," the woman told Morgana. "You'll need this crystal."
"I think you have me confused with someone else," Morgana told the woman. "I don't know how to free the magic."
"I was told of a prophecy," the woman continued as if Morgana hadn't spoken. She cleared her throat and began to recite:
"In the dying days of Albion
When magic's nearly gone
Reborn a child of Avalon
To bring a brighter dawn…"
"That's Ryll," Morgana interjected. "A child of Avalon. Not me."
"Let me finish!" the woman scolded, and Morgana fell silent.
"And with her comes a savior true
Once foe of Arthur born anew
With power to make the future new
A hero her people will look to."
The woman finished with her prophecy and Morgana exchanged a glance with Byron. "It doesn't really say me though," she pointed out. "I'm not a hero."
"But you were once a foe of Arthur Pendragon, were you not Morgana?"
"How do you know my name?"
"I know many things child. I know who you are and you." She turned to Byron. "You've done well in keeping Amaryllis safe. Your memories were kept from you so that you could watch her from a safe distance. She wasn't ready to know who she was yet. She needed to take that journey for herself."
"How do you know so much?" Byron asked. Morgana could hear the suspicion in his tone. "Are you behind all of this?"
The woman laughed again. "No, not me. This is part of something much bigger than me. I am only a pawn to be moved where I need to go. We are all parts to this but you have not yet met the one who has put together this future for you."
"But you know who it is?" Morgana asked.
"I do not, but I do know where you can find them." The woman leaned closer conspiratorially. "You've heard of the place my store takes its name from."
"Yes," Morgana said. "The legendary Crystal Caves."
"Their power is diminished. This is not a world of magic but without it this world cannot hope to survive. People like us will have no place left. Already we hide ourselves for fear of persecution. Perhaps we won't be burnt at the stake but no one outside our small circle understands what we are or what we can do."
Her words left Morgana feeling fearful of the world she'd woken up in. She'd never thought about the idea of not having a place in it. Would it be just the same as living in Camelot under Uther's rule? Hiding who she was for fear of anyone finding out? "Then where do we fit in? Even if we save magic where will we use it?"
"There will always be a place for us in this world as long as magic remains," the woman told her. "How do you think Ealdor and White Castle came about?"
"Magic?"
"Magic is still all around us even as it weakens. But people don't see what they don't know to look for."
"What must I do then?" Morgana asked.
"Find the Crystal Caves. There you will find all the answers you seek."
"I don't suppose you could just tell us the answers," Morgana said ruefully.
The woman smiled. "I don't hold the answers. I'm just here to guide you."
"Does the one who holds the answers live there?" Byron asked.
"In a way," the woman replied. "It's something you must find out for yourself."
"What do you know of the warlock Merlin?" Byron asked the woman. Morgana glanced at him, but he was looking at the woman, jaw set. Perhaps the woman would know if he was involved or not.
"I know of the legends. That is all."
"Then you don't know if he's behind all of this?" Byron pushed on. "He was the only one of us who didn't die. He was alive all these years."
"I know he is not the one behind all of this. The magic of the Second Coming runs deeper and is much older than even Merlin."
Byron didn't look convinced, but he nodded after a moment, accepting the woman's words. "How do we find the caves?"
"They are hidden a few hundred miles west of where Camelot used to lie. If you use a locator spell on that crystal you hold in your hand, it will guide you. The crystal came from the caves after all."
"Thank you for your help," Morgana told her, clutching the crystal in her hand. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"Just one thing. There is a man you can trust. I fear he is ensnared by the enemy, but you can set him free. He will know how to help you."
"Lancelot," Morgana murmured. Byron's eyes darted to her, and she knew he must be remembering the time she summoned the knight as a wraith. Byron had been her ally for a short time then until he'd thought her methods too radical and changed to Arthur's side.
"Good luck, Morgana," the woman said. "May your story have a different ending this time."
Back on the street outside, Morgana took a moment to breathe in the cool air. The day was overcast and humid as if a storm was rolling in. Byron gave Morgana a moment before speaking again. "So Lancelot is in this life."
"I've met him. He saved me from Uther."
"I never met him," Byron said. "Not the real him."
"He forgave me for what I did to him," Morgana said softly. "I'm not sure I could have forgiven someone who did such a terrible thing."
"From what I heard, Lancelot was the most noble of the knights. Can you find him?"
"I can get a message to him." Morgana straightened her shoulders. "He's working with my father right now against his will. I need to speak with Uther. It's something I need to do alone."
"What makes you think he won't just lock you up?" Byron asked, following Morgana as she walked up the steps to Ryll's flat.
"He won't lock me up. Not if he wants a second chance as my father," Morgana said, unlocking the door and leading Byron in. "Will you look after Owl?" The cat had run up, rubbing all over Morgana's legs.
"Sure, but I'm coming when you go to the caves," he insisted.
"Fine. In the mean time you should call Ryll and see if she or Merlin know anything more."
Byron looked faraway as Morgana spoke. "I haven't spoken to Ryll since she got her memories back," he said softly. "Since I died…"
"Then she'll be glad to hear your voice," Morgana told him.
"If she's forgiven me for dying on her." He forced a smile.
"She's not one to hold a grudge." She turned to leave the flat, but Byron stopped her.
"You could at least let me drive you to White Castle. If you don't mind riding on a motorcycle. I'll let you speak to Uther by yourself."
"Fine, but I'm staying with my sister in the city. I'll call you if I find out anything new." She put Byron's number into her phone and locked the door behind them. Byron's bike was behind the White Dragon Pub. Morgana hadn't ridden on a motorcycle before and she eyed it warily.
"I'm a good driver," Byron assured her, handing her a helmet. Morgana strapped it on and climbed onto the bike behind Byron. "Hold on tight." She wrapped her arms around him, feeling stiff and uncomfortable. As the bike started up and picked up speed, she forgot her discomfort and held on tighter. Thunder rolled in the distance, and she hoped they would outrun the storm. The wind was whipping her hair back and stinging her cheeks, but in that moment she felt so free. She hadn't realized how oppressive her past was until it was over and she was on the path to a new life. Now looking back, all she wanted to do was move forward.
The drive was over too quickly, but she readied herself for the task at hand. "I'll keep you updated," she told Byron. "Thanks for the ride."
"Be careful," he warned her. "Don't underestimate him."
"I know." Morgana gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile before turning to face White Castle. In the daylight the castle was intimidating and cold. There were no tourists to be seen. She walked up to the front door as the sound of Byron's motorcycle faded into the distance. She didn't know if she should knock or just enter. Her fist hovered over the door but in the end she tried the knob and pushed it open. The front hall was as austere and formidable as the outside of the building, but she didn't let herself feel intimidated.
"Hello?" she called out. Her voice echoed in the emptiness but there was no answer. She looked around trying to remember where Uther's office had been but she had no way of knowing. Before she had the chance to make up her mind on which direction to go, footsteps echoed above her. She stood at the base of the main stairs as the footsteps neared. Finally a figure appeared, coming to stand at the top. Uther. He gazed down at her in surprise.
"You came back," he finally said, his face breaking into a smile. She wasn't sure what response she had expected from him. Perhaps anger. The joy on his face surprised her.
"We need to talk," she said.
Uther's smile fell slightly, but he said, "Of course. Please, come to my office. We can speak in private."
Morgana didn't see anyone else, but she didn't feel like standing in the front hall for this conversation so she nodded and climbed the stairs. Uther led her to the very end of the second story hall and opened a set of double doors, motioning for her to enter. Morgana forced herself to walk in and sit in the chair in front of Uther's desk. She noticed that he didn't close the doors as if to prove she wasn't a prisoner here. He sat down across from her and folded his hands.
"I'm so sorry again for the way I brought you here the night before," he told Morgana. "It wasn't right of me."
"It wasn't but I understand that you meant well," Morgana said. She could see the relief in Uther's eyes and pressed on. "I don't want this life to be like the last," she told him. "You're my father and even if, in the past, we didn't see eye-to-eye that doesn't mean we can't try to start over in this life. We might not see eye-to-eye in this life either, but if we're honest with each other then it's a start."
"I want to have a relationship with my daughter," Uther told her. "I was wrong to keep your true parentage from you before. Now I have no title to offer you. Just an apology and a promise to try to do better."
"Right now that's enough," Morgana said. "But there's something else I'm hoping to discuss. It's come to my attention that you mean to destroy magic." Her words hung in the air, and she could see Uther wrestling with what to tell her.
"I see you spoke to Lancelot," was all he said.
"Don't blame him," she said. "He was only trying to help me."
"By taking you away from me?"
"I came back, didn't I? You think destroying magic will save me but have you ever considered that I don't need saving? That there's nothing wrong with me in the first place?" She could tell this wasn't the conversation Uther wanted to have, but she didn't care. This needed to be addressed.
"Life would be less complicated without magic. You've seen this world. It doesn't accept magic any more than I did. You're in danger out there. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I can take care of myself. I hid my magic for long enough. Besides, there are places where we can live without fear." She remembered what the woman from the Crystal Caves had told her. There were places where she would be safe. Places made from magic like Ealdor and White Castle. Perhaps everyone here had once lived in Camelot.
"Maybe you don't see a way for it to work, but that's because you don't understand what it is to have magic. If you really want to change, if you really want a second chance with me, you need to fully accept that magic is a part of me. If you destroy it then you destroy a part of me. Is that what you want?"
"Of course not. I would never want to destroy you, Morgana," Uther told her. "I just want my family back together."
"Then perhaps this future will work out after all," she told him. "Arthur is awake."
