Batman and King Arthur

Paladin of Gotham

by Matthew Snee

Chapter Twelve

They rode North into a great wilderness.

"Merlin is locked in a crystal cave, deep beneath the Earth," Appavain told Batman. "I know where it is. But you must be brave if you want to reach it. It is accessible through a cave I know of, guarded by a great serpent."

"A serpent?" Batman asked.

"A dragon," she said.

"Do those really exist?" the Dark Knight asked.

"They exist, in many forms," she told him. "You will see."

"Can I fight it?"

"Yes. As I said, you will see."

"How do you know this?"

Appavain took in a deep breath. "I was a child when my people taught me the mysteries. That is the way it was. They fed me the mushrooms that grow in fairy circles, and I became who I am. Many things I learned. Now, I alone carry the knowledge of my people."

"What happened to them?" Batman asked.

"Murdered. By brave knights and wicked laws. The law declared that all were to be Christian. Those who disputed this were killed. I pretended to love Christ, but the truth is I never forgot my people. Now I am all that is left of my tribe."

"Surely there are other druids and pagans that remain?" asked Batman.

"Yes. But they are not my tribe. My tribe is gone."

"I'm sorry," said Batman.

"Do not be sorry. It is the way of the world. One day my people will rise again. Our blood is mixed with the blood of the Christians, and one day we will be remembered by the twin serpents in the body's cells."

Batman realized she meant DNA. But how did she know of such things?

"There are spirits everywhere, and even if they are not seen or heard, they still speak. The trees, the rocks, the rivers: all have souls, and these souls remember. One day, someone will ask them to tell the story again, and the past that was lost will be remembered."

"But you are alone," said Batman.

"Yes, I am," she said.

At noon they reached a forest, and they got off their horses and made their way through the brush. Majestic stones stood among the trees. "This is an ancient secret," Appavain told Batman. "You will enter a perilous place."

"And the dragon is inside?"

"It is."

Finally they came to an especially large set of stones with a passage in between. It was the entrance to the cave.

"You could come with me," said Batman.

"You could stay here," she responded.

They were both silent. He took her in his arms and held her for a long time.

"We'll probably never see each other again," said Batman.

"No, we won't," she replied.

"What will you do?"

"I will marry and have children. I will live until I die."

"I'm going to miss you very much," said Batman.

"I will miss you too, Sir Bruce."

"Are you sure you won't come?"

"Are you sure you won't stay?"

They said nothing more about it. Batman let her go, and eyed the passageway, and then turned back to her.

"Goodbye, Appavain," he told her.

"Goodbye, gentle knight," she said.

Batman crept through the cave silently, lighting a torch he had brought with him to illuminate the darkness. Inside the cave was dark, with fungus lining the ceiling, floor and walls. There was a powerful smell his well-trained nose did not recognize, and a moisture covering everything.

There were also bats, hanging from the ceiling. They slept, wings trembling, occasionally letting out quiet shrieks.

He took it as a good sign.

Further he delved, and the air became more dank, and the fungus grew thicker. Soon though, he heard a noise that sounded like a terrible breathing of a great beast.

He held the torch in front of him, peering into the darkness. There was a horrible, furred shape in front of him, with giant wings and a frightening, mammalian face, and he realized - it was a very large bat, the size of a truck, sleeping inside the cave, blocking him from traveling further.

"Are you the dragon?" Batman whispered.

"No," said a female voice. "I am."

He turned and found a lithe blond woman in a green gown sitting next to the bat on the ground. Her hair was dressed with jewels and her arms were covered in bracelets. Her eyes were incredibly green and shining in the torch light. She seemed but a girl, but the Batman could feel a terror in his heart.

"Who are you?" the Dark Knight asked.

"I am Morgana," said the woman. "I've been waiting for you, Paladin of Gotham."

"You are Arthur's sister. And Mordred's mother."

"And they are both dead. I am alive. Obviously, I am the clever one."

"Then what do we have here?" asked Batman.

"We have a conversation," she said.

"Do we now?"

"Yes. You are a man out of time, Batman. A cheat. Merlin fouled up everything with you, and now my son is dead. We had plans."

"Your son was an evil man," said Batman.

"That is true. But he was useful to the world nonetheless."

"I don't understand."

"Nor will you, ever. Know at least that now I have new plans."

"I'll remember that," he said.

"I know you will."

"Do you bar my passage?"

"No..." she said. "I don't think I will. There is nothing to gain from it now. But know that I am a creature that does not die, and does not forget."

"What are you?"

"I am the first," she said. "The oldest. I am of the Fay. You should know Appavain was my student. I placed her for you in that tavern."

"Then?"

"Then nothing. Her love was real. But I knew if anything could attempt to keep you here, it would be her."

"Why would you want to keep me here? We would be enemies."

"That is for me to know," said Morgana.

"Fine," said Batman. "Keep your riddles."

"One last thing," she said. "Did Merlin not tell you that you could not change a thing that happened? Did he tell you why he sent you here?"

"He asked me to help," Batman said.

"I see. And do you feel you did help?"

"No."

"Perhaps that wasn't the point."

"Perhaps," said Batman. "May I pass now?"

"You may," said Morgana.

She stepped out of the way, revealing a new passage. "See you later, Batman," she said as he went along his way.

Finally he came to the crystal cave, which was much different: no longer dank and covered with mold, and instead of rock, he now walked through crystal that shone pink in the torch light. He came to a large hall that seemed inhabited - there were tables covered with wizardly tools and accessories, and fine couches and chairs to sit in. The was a large cauldron, and a bookcase filled with great tomes, and at the center of all of it:

Merlin.

He was old now, with a long white beard to his chest and a frail, ancient body. But Batman still recognized the youth who had come to his bat cave many nights ago.

"Hello, Batman," said Merlin.

"Hello, wizard."

"I see you have found me after all. I had my doubts, which is strange considering I know everything."

"If you know everything, how did you become trapped in this cave?"

"Because feelings are stronger than wisdom," Merlin replied.

Batman had heard the phrase before recently, but didn't remember when. "Am I here to rescue you, or are you here to rescue me?"

"Oh, I cannot be rescued," said Merlin. "I will be here until the beginning of time. But you, you can be rescued, and I will do the rescuing."

And with that Merlin gestured to his left, where stood the time machine.