Here is the next chapter.
Only two more chapters after this.
Enjoy!
Loyalty and an arrow through the heart
A chill ran up Eris's spine even though she was standing quite close to the fire. The fire seemed to dance over the wood it was burning. It was beautiful against the darkness. Eris was entranced. The fire looked so inviting. If she stuck her hand in would it burn her, envelope her like the wood the old Captain had placed there?
That might be nice though, to leave this world behind. This war had gone on for too long. So long that it was hard to believe it would be all over tomorrow. All day, sorcerers had been running around the camp collecting items and other things that they thought would be necessary for the coming battle.
Eris, however, had merely wandered the whole day. It was very amusing to watch the others scurrying around. Only a few hours ago had she stopped Roderick from falling into a pile of spears. He had been in such a hurry that he had tripped over one of the ropes holding a tent down.
Roderick was one of the youngest of the group. He was a clumsy boy and always managed to get himself into trouble. But he was very loyal. He reminded Eris of someone she had once met in the woods while she was going for one of her walks that had no destination.
Eris had been lost in thought that day so she didn't notice when she walked right into someone's camp. Two horses were tied to a tree and someone was trying to start a fire. He stopped immediately when he saw the stranger walk into the camp. He was tall, gangly looking, and he had dark raven hair.
Another man walked into the camp when he heard his friend stop talking, which was a rarity so he knew something was wrong. Seeing Eris he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Eris scoffed. She was sure that if she had been a man he would have drawn his sword.
This one was more muscular then the first one. He was blonde and held his head in a way that meant he had high status.
"What do you want?" He asked. Eris didn't answer. There was something familiar about this blonde one. He looked slightly annoyed now.
"Answer me." His voice was a little more forceful this time.
"Why?" Eris asked absentmindedly trying to place the young man. He looked confused now, as if no one had ever answered him like that. He was at a loss for words. This made Eris smile slightly.
"You are a noble I take it." Eris spoke before him.
"You are correct." He answered. The raven-haired one next to him was looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Not just a noble though." She concluded. Yes, there was something special about him.
"What is your name?" He asked, trying to get more information about this sudden stranger.
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Eris offered.
"You first." He was not backing down this time.
"Alright." She shrugged in defeat. "It's Eris."
"Arthur." He answered simply.
Eris' eyes widened. He was her sworn enemy, the prince of Camelot. His father was the one who had caused so much suffering. Now his son was right there, only a few feet away. She could kill him right now. Her shock turned into a scornful look.
"I see." Was all she said.
Eris slipped one of her concealed daggers into the palm of her hand and was about to lunge when she looked again to the raven haired one. He didn't look weak anymore. He emanated power. There was something about him. Wise and dangerous. Eris would have been stupid to continue her attack on the prince. So she backed away.
The biggest contributing factor to her decision was his foot. It was the smallest of details. The prince didn't even notice, but Eris did. The man's foot was positioned so it was placed in front of his masters. It was a sign of protection. If she had attacked she was sure he would have stepped in front of the prince, blocking her.
Such loyalty, and from a servant too. He had to be hiding something. No normal person would be confident enough to make that move. No, he wasn't normal that was for sure.
"I will spare you this time Pendragon." Eris slipped her dagger back into its hiding place.
"What quarrel have I with you? Why would you attack me?" He just had to know.
"Must you really ask?" The answer was really very simple.
"You're a sorceress." Arthur concluded.
"Witch." Eris corrected.
"Was it family?" He asked. "Is that why you seek revenge?"
"No." Eris had never known her parents and no one would tell her about them.
"Then why?" He pleaded for an answer. "What did we do to you?"
"It's not always family or a higher power that we are loyal to." She explained. "If you really must know I am not avenging anyone or seeking revenge for something you did to me."
"You feel protective." The raven-haired man finally spoke.
"Merlin." Arthur said to try and silence his friend before he said something that just might get them killed.
"So that's your name." Eris smiled. "Merlin. Who knows I could just do this for the fun of it. Maybe I like spilling people's blood. After all it must be the magic that corrupted me." This last comment was directed at the prince.
"Your not a killer." Merlin tried to talk her down from changing her mind and killing the prince.
"How do you know?" She almost yelled. Arthur stepped back at this sudden change of emotion but Merlin didn't even flinch. His eyes seemed to pierce her, seeing everything.
"You just don't seem like that kind of person." No one had ever said that before. Most people she met immediately assumed that she was a killer. No one had ever looked past her hard exterior. Not since… not since Gaia.
That was the first time Eris had questioned if she was on the wrong side of this war. Maybe Gaia had been right after all. But Eris was stubborn, maybe too stubborn.
The three of them stood there in silence for a moment. It was Eris who broke the silence.
"Arrow through the heart." She spoke as if she were in a trance.
"What?" Arthur noticed her eyes were glazed over, not focusing on anything in particular.
It happened so fast that Arthur wasn't really sure that it had happened. There was a swishing sound as an arrow cut through the air, aimed straight for the prince's heart. But it never met its mark. Before it even got half way Eris' hand shot up and grabbed the arrow. Her movement was so smooth and fast that if they didn't know better they would have sworn she had been holding the arrow the entire time.
Eris shook her head, knocking herself from her trance.
"That was a warning Pendragon." She said, snapping the arrow easily in half. "Leave now or the next time I might not stop it."
Then she walked away, just like that, disappearing into the trees. She didn't look back.
Roderick reminded her of Merlin. Usually he would be glued to Eris' side but he and a few others had been off doing another job for Morgana. She wanted a certain magical stone so, of course, she came to them in order to find it. A small group had been sent out. Eris volunteered Roderick for the job. She wanted him to grow and learn to take care of himself. But it seemed all that time hadn't cured his clumsiness.
Now they all sat by the fire. Roderick was rapped up in a blanket next to Eris. His head hung forward and he made small snoring sounds. Eris didn't want him going with them tomorrow but she knew that nothing she said would change his mind.
Eris had a sinking feeling about what would happen the next day. There was something kind of final about it. It would be the first time she and Gaia would meet on the battlefield in years. But this one was different. Both Gaia and Eris had walked away from the last ones. One of them wasn't coming back. Not this time.
The next day was going to change everything. Everything they had worked for was somehow all leading up to this moment. Loyalties would be tested and the true villain would be revealed.
A secret is hanging in the air. Do you know what it is?
The final battle is about to begin.
Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!
Will Eris win the final fight or will it be Gaia? Who is the real villain?
Sorry this one was a little short. Its not my best chapter.
I am going to set up a poll on my profile to see which story I should write next. The summary for each one is on my profile.