Knight of Avalon
Chapter-4
Kay, Morgan
For years, she'd had that same dream.
For years, she'd stood in the storm of despair, struggling to find her footing as she aimlessly wandered without a purpose or even a will to go on.
For years, she'd always seen that bright star in the middle of the storm, shining brightly and beckoning her to come see it.
That star had been her only reason to keep standing and walking in that storm. For she wanted to at least find out what that star was before she simply lay down and took a nap.
But this time…Things would be different.
She stood in a wide which stretched on for miles. It wasn't foggy like it usually was, but instead simply had a stormy sky.
The clouds were dark and cold, with not a single star in sight. Something like that…it scared her.
In the distance, Artoria could see a faint dark silhouette of a towering spire that seem to be like a void in reality. But it was extremely far away.
"Hello?" Artoria asked. "Is there anybody here?" She asked.
"Got you!" Another voice exclaimed as someone hit Artoria in the head with something made out of wood.
"OW!" Artoria exclaimed as she ran away and turned around with an angry glare.
"Okay, who are…huh?" Artoria spoke as she turned to face the culprit.
"Uh!" Artoria's jaw fell open as she stared at…herself.
Artoria shook her head and squinted her eyes.
That's definitely my face. Artoria thought as she looked at her other self, dressed in a white tunic and brown trousers holding a wooden sword with a mischievous grin. Her other self looked much younger and had much shorter hair that was in a ponytail.
"You better watch out! I'm going to whack you!" Her other self exclaimed laughing as she chased Artoria around,
"AHH! Get away from me!" Artoria shrieked, as her psychopathic doppelganger chased her through the fields, waving a wooden sword.
"Get over here!" The doppelganger yelled, before Artoria detected mana build in the air.
Suddenly, she heard a loud boom and immediately dived as her doppelganger flew past her.
"Woah!" Artoria exclaimed as her doppelganger tumbled through the field, rolling on the ground.
Oh, is she hurt? Artoria thought, but her doppelganger got up with a smile.
"I almost got you with my mana burst! I'm going to get you next time." The doppelganger spoke getting up.
Artoria stared at her doppelganger, who smiled as she walked up to her.
She then sighed and looked up at the stormy sky. "I hate this weather." She spoke grumbling.
"Why can't we ever get some warmth and light?"
Artoria looked at her and shrugged. "I…don't know. Could you…"
"I know, I know." Her doppelganger spoke.
"It all began when His Majesty Vortigern took the throne. But…can't he ask the sky to give some warmth, at least?"
"...Um, I don't think that's going to happen." Artoria spoke.
Her doppelganger pouted. "Don't call me stupid!"
"What…I didn't…"
Her doppelganger grabbed her hand. "Come on! We'll go to the woods and spar. Come with me…"
"...Big Brother!"
Huh? Artoria thought.
"Brother…?" She spoke in confusion, confused as she suddenly felt her heart grow heavy with…guilt and sorrow?
Artoria opened her eyes to her room.
"Good morning, my lazy master." Kay's voice drawled as she spotted him leaning by the doorway with a broom in his hand.
"How is your nose?" Kay asked as Artoria massaged it, remembering the sheer pain of smashing her face against the rock-hard surface of the bed when she went to sleep.
"It's fine…" Artoria spoke, before she was gripped by a sense of petty vindication.
"But nothing compared to the shock of seeing a knight like this." She spoke as Kay laughed.
"Really? That's the best insult you can throw? You need a lot more experience than that, master." Kay spoke.
"But right now…I have a present." Kay spoke, before bringing out something behind his back as Artoria's eyes widened in horror.
"NOOOO!" Artoria shrieked as Kay laughed again.
"I'm going to tell Mike to start advertising his inn. Could you imagine? 'Come to mike's inn, where the saviour of Britain herself serves you some beer.' We'll get customers by the thousands…including some of Morgan's soldiers.
Artoria gulped as Kay chuckled.
"Sorry, sorry. Just joking…but anyways, I'm here to groom you."
Artoria blinked before blushing. "G-Groom…?"
"Well, you're frankly stinking and filthy, master. If we get you scrubbed clean, the customers will find themselves in a better mood."
"B-But…"
"Don't worry about me, master. I had a little sister in my life, and most of the time I was the one washing her. I know what I'm doing."
Artoria suddenly perked up and looked at Kay.
Sister, huh? She thought before shrugging before the thought of Kay seeing her naked came back in full force.
Artoria shrunk a bit, but Kay did not let up. He marched over, picked her up and carried her over to the bathroom, ignoring Artoria's shrieks along the way.
Soon, Artoria found herself in a wooden tub, swimming in a pool of soap as Kay scrubbed her with a brush, having rolled up his trousers and having a cloth draped over his shoulder.
Despite some initial resistance, Artoria soon felt a lot more comfortable with Kay washing and scrubbing her.
"Say, Kay?" She spoke as Kay looked down at her.
"Yes?"
"What was the name of the King that you served?" Artoria asked as Kay continued scrubbing.
"...Why such a question?" He asked.
"Well…curiosity." Artoria asked.
"...Arthur." Kay spoke, Artoria noting the displeased tone in his voice at the mention of 'Arthur'.
"Arthur Pendragon."
"Arthur, huh…and he's a man…OW!" Artoria screamed as she felt a sharp tug on her hair.
"Sorry, master…I got a little distracted." Kay apologized, although Artoria again noted the distaste in his voice.
Does he not…like the topic? Artoria thought.
"...You could say Arthur was an interesting personality. He was, of course, akin to the High King of Britain of my time."
"I see…so like Morgan's the High Queen on this Britain? Was he like…?"
"No. Arthur may have been accused of tyranny towards the later years of his reign, but he never, ever, put himself above his people. If he'd seen Morgan's policies over Britain, he would have been disgusted."
"Oh…" Artoria muttered. "So, he was a…good king?"
Kay looked away. "He was a…necessary king. A good king? Depends on who you ask."
"What do you think?"
"...I think he was a good king." Kay spoke, his expression softening.
"In my times, Britain was a dark, misty isle isolated from the rest of the world, a place of despair and hopelessness ever since the Roman Empire left it. Not only that, but it was also on the constant brink of getting taken over by invaders."
"From the other lands you mention existed?"
"Indeed. There were the Saxons who came from the continent in the east, there were the Picts who had ravaged the northern lands of us Britons for centuries, and there were Gaelic pirates who raided the coasts from Ireland. It was one of the few spots in the world that still had mystery from the Age of Gods, and Britain was set towards becoming a Dark Paradise completely isolated from the world of humans, one that would never ensure a human would set foot in it ever again."
"..."
"In such trying times, people needed a king who could save them from their fate. And Arthur was to be that saviour. He was a good king, but only because the circumstances of his time required a king like him to take up authority. If he had been a greedy tyrant or a megalomaniac placing himself above others, Britain would never be united. I highly doubt more stable lands needed saviour kings like him, and he would be considered bad in those."
"I trust that satisfies your question, Ar…master?" Kay asked.
"It does. Thanks, Kay." Artoria spoke.
Arthur, huh. He seems like a really great guy. I wonder what Faerie Britain would be like with Arthur as a High King. Artoria thought.
She then thought back to her dream. For some reason, Kay's description matched the scene in her dream, so she could assume the dream was set in Kay's Britain during his lifetime.
"Say…do you know of a 'Vortigern' by any chance?" Artoria asked.
"...Yes. He was Arthur's predecessor and his uncle, and one of the 'greedy tyrants' I spoke of. It was because of him that Britain was turning into an island of Darkness. Arthur defeated him when he was 25, thus ending Vortigern's rule, as was prophesied."
So this 'Arthur' was also under a prophecy, huh… Artoria thought. Arthur and Vortigern sort of reminded her of her own quest to defeat Morgan.
It would be weird if Morgan turned out to be my aunt or something, hehe… Artoria thought as Kay finishing drying her hair.
"Alright, master. It's time…and your only option is to run through a public space buck naked, so you better wear it." Kay spoke as Artoria, who was about to get up and run away from him, stopped.
"Ah! Ah…" Artoria slinked back into the bath tub before Kay handed her her clothes and walked out.
How does he know every move I'm about to make? Artoria thought with pout as she wore her maid uniform, thinking about King Arthur.
"Damn it…" Kay grumbled with a tired sigh as he left Artoria to change.
She saw my past. Kay thought.
There had been a reason he hadn't tried to reveal so much about himself to Artoria. He did not want this Artoria to start comparing herself to his sister. He knew very well doing so would mean trying to emulate her, and committing the same mistakes as her.
But I should have known I could hide it for only so long. Kay thought.
If Artoria found out the truth…
Kay shook his head.
She'll push herself even harder than her own mental health will permit her. He thought.
And so, days went by, as Kay and Artoria worked at Mike's inn. Kay had slowly taken over and was managing Mike's finances for him.
During those times, Kay didn't see Artoria bring up the topic of her other self, which he was fine with. Other than that, once they had the money, they could call on Puck, things were going rather well, until the day they were to call Puck.
That day, Kay was sitting and looking at some more of the inn's expenses in the morning hours before customers arrived when he heard someone knock on the door.
"Hm…somebody this early?" Kay spoke before shrugging and walking up to open the door…
…And stopped.
That…is a servant's spirit origin. Kay thought, detecting the familiar magical energy signature on the other side of the door.
Another servant here? Alright then. Kay thought before frowning.
He had no idea of the servant's intentions. And if they attacked, it would cause quite a commotion.
But I have no choice. I just have to hope the other servant is sane enough not to attract too much attention. Kay thought before bringing his right hand back and ignited it, a fiery sword forming on it.
The other servant had detected him as well, so both of them knew what to expect. Hopefully, this encounter will not be violent.
With that, Kay's left hand grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened it, before looking out.
The servant was clearly a young girl with brown hair in a ponytail and wearing a very flamboyant brown and blue outfit over a red skirt one would expect from well-to-do people from the high middle ages to wear. She wore a gauntlet on her left arm, which was clutching a staff and some sort of mechanical bird sat on top of her shoulder.
The girl stared at Kay with wide eyes, clearly shocked at the sight of him.
Kay, meanwhile, kept his grip on his flaming blade and scowled at her.
"...Who is your master?" He asked coldly as the girl kept staring at him.
"How did…how is this…I don't…" The girl mumbled, still apparently reeling from whatever shock she'd received.
The two stared at each other before the girl suddenly closed in. Kay immediately raised his fiery sword as the girl jumped back.
"Woah, woah, hey! I'm not here to fight!" She spoke, raising her arms in a placating gesture.
That's a relief. Although I shouldn't lower my guard until she confirms her intentions are genuine. Kay thought.
"...Come inside. But make a move, and I'll separate your head from your shoulders."
"Come on now, would you really do that to a little girl like me?" The girl asked sheepishly.
"Really?" Kay drawled. "You fancy yourself a sweet little girl instead of an annoying little ghost?"
"...Touché." The girl replied before she sat down at one of the tables.
"Alright, then…"
"Who are you?" Both of them asked at the same time before falling silent.
"...You first." Kay spoke.
The girl opened her mouth before sighing. "...You may call me Rider."
"Your. True Name."
The girl threw up her arms. "Fine, fine! I am the genius inventor Leonardo Da Vinci! Are you satisfied now?!" She spoke.
"Gosh, here I was expecting some nice old person to open the door, not some grouchy servant threatening to kill me."
Kay sighed. "Leonardo Da Vinci…aren't you supposed to be a homosexual man?"
"Complications that come with me being a servant~"
"Fair enough."
"Now you tell. I have been restraining myself for a really long time now!"
Kay shook his head. "...Sir Kay. Knight of the Round Table."
Da Vinci gasped. "The older brother of King Arthur and the first Round Table Knight? I didn't expect another one to pop up."
"Another?" Kay suddenly got interested as he marched towards Da Vinci.
"Are you saying there's another Round Table Knight here?" Kay asked, leaning closer.
"Indeed. Sir Tristan. He materialized in Cornwall on his own."
"On his own? Well, considering that Cornwall is his birthplace, I guess it sort of makes sense for that sleepy head to materialize there. But…again, what is with the surprise?!" Kay snapped.
"Is there something wrong with us Round Table Knights being summoned in our own homeland?"
"Well…in this case, yes."
Kay raised an eyebrow. "...Go on."
"At this point, I assume you have a good idea where you are?"
"An alternate version of Britain, one dominated by Fairies and ruled by an alternate Morgan, yes."
"Well, are you familiar with the concept of 'lostbelts'?"
Kay closed one eye. "Are they like singularities?"
"...Not exactly. But you are familiar with the singularities, I presume?"
"I was first summoned in one. The Holy Land, to be specific."
Da Vinci's eyes widened again. "Wait a minute…do you know the 'Lion King'?"
This time, Kay's eyes widened. "I…do. You've encountered them?"
"Well…for that, I'll have to explain some more."
"...So, essentially, you are a servant summoned by an organisation called Chaldea whose job is to correct any deviations in time from what you term 'Proper Human history' to ensure its survival. You first dealt with seven singularities, with myself having been originally summoned in the sixth one you faced, and now you deal with seven lostbelts, which are singularities but one that actually have their own histories?"
"That's the gist. We've taken down five of these lostbelts so far…"
"And coincidentally, I've been summoned in the sixth lostbelt." Kay finished for her. "And you're saying that under ordinary circumstances, servants from proper human history shouldn't be summoned here?"
"That's right. We believe it's the influence of this lostbelt interfering with the process, and that only servants with a deep connection to Britain or whose legends somehow persist even in this lostbelt can materialize."
"So how are you here?"
"Well, I'm not a proper servant, actually. More like a homunculus with Da Vinci's spirit origin, so it's possible for me."
"And Tristan materialized because he was born in Cornwall. Hm, that can make sense for my summoning as well."
"It does?"
"I was summoned in a village called Tintagel to the south, just near east of the Cornish peninsula. That spot just so happens to be the same village me and Artoria grew up in back in Proper Human History."
Da Vinci nodded.
"And also partially because of my master."
"What?! A master?"
"As I said, I was originally summoned by the Lion King in the Sixth Singularity before I was somehow pulled across time and space into this Lostbelt by the one who summoned me."
"Are they a fairy?"
"They are. But before I introduce you…" Kay grabbed Da Vinci by the collar, raising her up to look straight into her eyes.
"Keep your mouth shut when you meet her. If you get excited and babble out the wrong information, I'll scrub this entire inn clean using your body as a mop. Understand?"
"Y-Yes, sir." Da Vinci spoke before Kay plopped her down.
Kay then went up the stairs, to Artoria's room, and knocked on it.
"Master." He spoke, as the door opened to reveal Artoria with messy hair as if she'd just gotten up from bed.
Kay heard a soft gasp and looked back to see Da Vinci staring at Artoria.
Kay shot her a glare, silently reminding her of his previous threat as Da Vinci kept silent.
"What is it…Kay…?" Artoria spoke drowsily before yawning.
"We have a visitor." Kay spoke as Artoria's eyes widened.
"This EARLY in the morning?! I'm not even dressed yet!" Artoria whined.
"...A visitor, master. Not a customer." Kay spoke before gently leading Artoria down the stairs to a wide-eyed Da Vinci.
"May I introduce you to my master…"
"Artoria Caster…to meet you…zzzz…" Artoria spoke drowsily as Kay looked at Da Vinci.
Da Vinci simply stared at Kay in shock, who nodded.
"Master." He spoke snapping his fingers as Artoria woke up.
"Yeah, and…wait! Did you just call me master?! In front of someone else?!" Artoria yelled frantically as Kay shook his head.
"Master, she's like me." Kay spoke as Artoria looked at Da Vinci.
"...You're a servant like Kay?"
"That I am. Rider-class servant Leonardo Da Vinci, at your service, Ms. Pendragon!" Da Vinci spoke as Kay stopped.
"You idiot…" He hissed as Artoria stared at Da Vinci.
"Pendragon? My surname's Caster…" Artoria spoke as Da Vinci immediately realized her slip up.
"Oh, uh…"
"Why'd you think my surname was like that Arthur guy's?" Artoria spoke as Da Vinci looked at him with a curious glint in her eyes.
Artoria, shut up! Kay's mind screamed, but he could do nothing but keep silent, lest he himself started looking very suspicious.
"Oh, uh…you know Arthur Pendragon?" Da Vinci asked.
"Yeah, Kay says he's the king he served back in his life! He says he apparently saved his version of Britain."
Da Vinci looked at Kay, who violently shook his head.
"That he is."
"But why'd you call me 'Pendragon' as well…" Artoria spoke before blushing.
"Y-You don't think I'm like him, do you? I mean…I am a pretty weak and pathetic fairy…" She spoke stammering as Da Vinci tried to ignore Kay's eyes trying to burn a hole in her head.
"I-Ignore that, so…you're Kay's master?" Da Vinci asked as Artoria nodded.
"I summoned him…so I guess that does make me his master." Artoria spoke, scratching her head.
"I…okay, is a summoning spell common knowledge here?"
Kay looked at Artoria. "Is it, Master?"
Artoria shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't met anyone who's been able to do that. Maybe the High Queen does."
"High Queen?" Da Vinci asked.
"Ah, right. So…" Kay began before explaining the situation of Faerie Britain to Da Vinci.
Once he was done, Da Vinci was quiet.
"Yes, you did say this was an alternate Britain inhabited by fairies ruled over by Morgan, and that we're in this Britain's version of Salisbury." Da Vinci spoke. "And what is the queen like?"
"I mean…I personally don't know." Artoria spoke. "People say Queen Morgan is a very cold individual who rarely ever shows any forms of affection or empathy for others. And considering her policies…many believe Morgan doesn't care about fairies at all."
"...I see. That complicates things." Da Vinci muttered. "But if Morgan is as authoritarian as you make her out to be, there must be resistance, right?"
"...Well, there are some rebellious factions." Kay spoke. "There's the curiously named 'Round Table' army in the old fortress of Londinium, and a group of rebels led by the former Lord of Norwich Boggart in Sheffield. There are also rumors that Salisbury itself might be harboring another group of rebels, although Aurora has denied the existence of such."
"There's also the child of prophecy." Artoria spoke.
"The Child of Prophecy?" Da Vinci asked.
"The Child of Prophecy is said to be a Fairy destined to save Britain and bring the fairies salvation, as was said in a prophecy given by a fairy named Ainsel 16 years ago. Of course, many times such the story has been used to rally multiple factions against Morgan."
"So, like Merlin's prophecy about Arthur, in a way." Da Vinci spoke, nodding. "Well, I suppose this fairy is quite powerful, if they're supposed to be Britain's saviour…"
Both Kay and Da Vinci noticed Artoria's face turn into a tomato again. Kay shook his head with a sigh while Da Vinci gave her a confused look.
"But from what I hear, there's also cases of a False Child of Prophecy often trying to stoke rebellious sentiments. I think Sheffield's been pretty active because of another 'child of prophecy' being there."
"Now, about you. You say you are from Chaldea, an organisation that's supposed to protect the human order…"
"You didn't receive any information?" Da Vinci asked.
"I am a servant summoned by Artoria Caster, without any Holy Grail or a Counter Force to inform me as such. I am aware of human history as is my status as a heroic spirit, but this? No. Now continuing…how exactly do you protect Proper Human History?" Kay asked.
Da Vinci told him Chaldea protected Human History by 'correcting' deviations, which he could only assume meant eliminating them. And if this Britain is one of those deviations, then…
I'll be in a sticky situation, indeed. Kay thought.
On one hand, he was contracted to a fairy prophesied to be Britain's saviour. He didn't know if Artoria would let some outsiders destroy her home, and would probably fight Chaldea, forcing him to do so as well.
On the other hand, he was a spirit of Proper Human History. As long as Faerie Britain existed, Proper Human History would not be able to be restored. Kay didn't fancy himself as some sort of hero who would save the world, but he really did not want to help destroy the timeline he and Artoria grew up in.
This is confusing. And I can't see a way forward unless Artoria learns of Chaldea's purpose. Whatever happens after…I'll have to see another way. He thought.
Da Vinci glanced at Artoria, clearly thinking on similar lines.
"What? Why are you two staring at me?" Artoria asked.
"A discussion for later." Da Vinci spoke after some thought. "Now, let me tell you more about where I come from…" She spoke before telling Artoria about Chaldea.
"...And how do you protect the human order?" Artoria asked as Da Vinci fell silent.
Da Vinci stared at her before sighing. "Well, we correct the 'deviations' that threaten human history. That's what we do."
Artoria sighed. "..."
"But we have no fight with this lostbelt. We're just here to meet with Morgan. That's all." Da Vinci spoke as Artoria nodded.
"Nothing else?"
"No."
"...Well, I don't exactly know how you're supposed to get to Morgan. I mean, I'm not exactly someone with connec…"
"You're the child of prophecy, aren't you?" Da Vinci asked as Artoria's eyes widened.
"H-H-HUH?! WHAT?!" Artoria screamed in panic as she grabbed Da Vinci by the shoulders. "How do you know?! HOW?!"
"Stop shaking me and calm down!" Da Vinci snapped. "Your face turned into a red tomato when I described the child of prophecy in a praising manner, not to…" Da Vinci shut up again when she noticed Kay's left hand ignite.
"Well, I think your servant will murder me if I listed the second reason, so yeah. I think you are the child of the prophecy." She spoke.
"O-Oh…well, nice…" Artoria spoke with a soft smile, although her eyes were downcast.
"But if that is the case, what exactly is your plan?" Da Vinci asked.
"U-Uh…"
"Right now, nothing too big. We plan to meet with the head of the Wind Clan, Aurora, and seek any sort of guidance."
"But wouldn't she be opposed to Artoria, considering she serves Morgan?"
"I've heard that Salisbury is a hotbed of rebellious activity. And if Aurora's denying such accusations…that probably means they're true and that she's secretly aiding them."
"How can you be so sure?" Artoria asked.
"...Personal experience." Kay replied, remembering the case of King Hengist of Kent who was denying accusations that he was shoring up Saxon armies to expand his domain further west in Britain.
"...And if she tries to apprehend you?"
"...We'll escape. We have enlisted someone's help for that. After that, we'll head to any rebel centres out there."
"We'll see. First let's meet with Aurora." Kay spoke. "What about you? You say there are other people who came besides you."
"There's Tristan. Along with him, is also Chaldea's master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and her personal servant, Mash Kyrielight."
Kay's eyebrows furrowed. "That doesn't ring any bells."
"Mash is a demi-servant. She has a heroic spirit's power."
"Woah, you mean people can gain the power of servants? Does that mean I can also launch fire spears like Kay?" Artoria asked excitedly.
"Uh…no. That's very rare and most people don't survive."
Artoria pouted. "Aww, I was hoping for that…"
"I'm not. I am hurt that you think of me as worthless and are thinking of replacing me, master." Kay spoke up. "So cruel."
"I was not thinking that! Keep your tongue away from places it doesn't belong!" Artoria snapped as Kay gave her an evil smirk.
"But anyways, We were separated from each other in Cornwall."
Artoria looked at Da Vinci in alarm. "Cornwall?! Wait, did you go into some sort of forest?"
"I didn't. But I guess Ritsuka, Tristan and Mash did…Is that bad?"
"Oh no…they went into the nameless woods!" Artoria spoke in panic.
"The Nameless woods?"
"They're the most dangerous part of Britain! The Nameless woods formed in the aftermath of the Year without Hope, from the corpses of all those fairies who lost their name and purpose. It's capable of erasing your memories if you aren't careful!"
Da Vinci's eyes widened.
"Wait, does it affect servants?"
"I…don't know that. But if you were in Cornwall, you must have landed as the Misty beach, which is an extension of the nameless woods. It makes people lose their way and sends them to Nameless Woods."
"And everyone is affected by this?"
"I can't say for sure, but so far, no one has ever come back. The Cornish woodlands are considered a big taboo by the rest of Britain, and only the worst of criminals go there to escape Morgan's wrath."
"Then…Ritsuka and the others must have lost their memories by now." Kay spoke shaking his head.
"Shit. That makes matters worse then."
"Is there no way to resist the effects of the Nameless woods?"
"I don't know that."
"Then we'll have to do this later." Kay spoke.
"What?! We're going to leave them?" Artoria asked.
"I know, it's not good. But if we have no way to get inside without getting our minds wiped, then leave it. We right now have no one to help us out, so it's better that we first find our footing and then go look for Ritsuka. Besides, there must be settlements, right?"
"There are settlements. I think Cornwall once had a city in the Fae Era which was destroyed by a Great Calamity at the beginning of Morgan's reign. It should be populated with fairies who have their minds wiped."
"Then we shouldn't be too concerned. I don't know about Mash, but I trust Ritsuka's safety around Tristan. He's a strong warrior."
"In that case…we'll have to delay Cornwall for now." Da Vinci spoke with a frown.
"But anyways, let's focus on the present. You want to meet with Aurora?"
"That we do. And before that, let's call our man…" Kay spoke before whispering 'lies' onto the snake tattoo on his hand.
Puck then suddenly popped out of the air and landed beside Da Vinci on a chair.
"What the-?!" Da Vinci yelled as Puck grinned.
"Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen! I have been called! Now cough up the money!" Puck spoke before noticing Da Vinci.
"Woah! A pretty girl!" He spoke as Da Vinci stared at him.
"This is Puck…Puck, Da Vinci." Kay spoke.
"Pleased to meet you!"
"...This is the person?"
Kay nodded.
"So, the money?" Puck asked as Kay handed him a pouch. Puck pressed a finger as some letters flashed over the pouch.
"200 morpounds. You keep your word, Sir Kay." Puck spoke. "Alright then, What do you want me to do?"
Kay and Artoria looked at Da Vinci.
Da Vinci shrugged. "Well, I guess I'm in as well."
"Child of Prophecy…" Morgan muttered as the Seelie Parliament dispersed for the day.
Woodwose had reported no signs of the Child of Prophecy in the Cornish woodlands, which made fairies think they had run into the woods and lost their memories.
But of course. If they really were the child of Prophecy, then that wouldn't happen. Morgan thought.
The Avalon Le Fae are the only beings in Faerie Britain who are not affected by the influence of the Nameless Woods, she herself had seen that when she'd gone there.
If they truly have lost their memories, then they are not a true Avalon le Fae. Morgan thought.
But a creeping part of her, the part that was Aesc…it was concerned. Ainsel had made the prophecy…and it was concerning that the site where the latest Child of Prophecy was found was Tintagel.
Where Ector lives. Morgan thought. Her other self perhaps wouldn't have cared, but she was internally concerned about her old friend.
With how violent fang clan fairies are, Ector would have been slaughtered. Morgan thought.
But while she was secretly concerned about Ector's safety, she also had another concern about the Child of Prophecy.
A child of Prophecy appearing where Ector lived…No doubt Ector must have met them. And considering that Ector is well aware about the Avalon Le Fae, he would definitely know.
What if this Child of Prophecy was genuine? She thought. Not that she should be concerned, since the Avalon Le Fae's goal is not to save the fairies from her rule, a fanciful notion propagated by rebels, but a part of her stung.
Morgan slightly shook her head as a fully armored human knight walked in, wearing a black cape with the symbol of a longship with her spear at its mast emblazoned in sky blue on it.
"Your Majesty?" Barghest asked in front of her as Morgan shook her head.
Right, I was listening to Barghest's request about fortifying Manchester against possible tensions in the north. Morgan thought. She knew her so-called 'faithful advisors' were all backstabbing scum, especially Cnoc Na Riabh.
Morgan had no doubt that Mab's hatred of Aesc had carried over to her successor, and Cnoc Na Riabh would challenge her for the throne in the future.
But she let it happen. She needed them to rebel, so that she could make an example of them and no one dares put up another revolt for at least 500 years.
But for the time being, she had to do something. So, fortifying Manchester was a good option.
"Your majesty?" Barghest asked again.
"Apologies. As for your question, that is something you must bring up with the Seelie Parliament. Have you talked to Woodwose about it?"
"I…have. Then I shall raise the matter of Manchester's autonomy at the parliament." She spoke.
But before she could get up, a human slave knight walked in. This knight was fully armored like the others, but the armor was white compared to the grey steel of the other knights and wore a Sutton helmet with a mask over their face, which was missing slits for the eyes to see through. They were draped in a black cape emblazoned with a longship with a spear as its mast in blue.
Immediately, the other slave knights and ashen guards snapped to attention and Barghest grew tense as the Slave Knight walked up and kneeled beside her.
This was the Captain of the Slave Knights, the only human who was able to match Barghest in battle. Ever since then, Barghest had always been wary of him whenever he showed up. He was known being capable of moving at superhuman speeds even by the standards of the slave knights and grew infamous for stalling Barghest for a long time as well as defeating multiple Ashen guards.
"I request your permission to speak, your majesty."
"Permission granted. Did you find anything?"
The Captain shook his head. "No. I found the house. There are no signs of the occupant."
Morgan nodded with a cold expression.
Inwardly, however, she felt deeply saddened by her friend and former comrade's demise.
So, Ector's gone. Morgan thought, trying not to let her internal sorrow seep into her facial expressions.
Of course these fairies would not care about all that he has done for Britain. Of course they would slaughter him without any sort of care.
Morgan then closed her eyes.
Forgive me, Ector. I could not save you. Morgan thought before she opened her eyes.
"Thank you for your time. Now, my next assignment to you is to go to Sheffield and negotiate with Boggart."
"Peace?"
"Peace. Convince him what he is doing is a fool's endeavor. Tell him he does not want a war with Camelot. If he refuses…then Barghest."
Barghest nodded. "I shall get to mobilizing the forces, Your Majesty." She spoke before the both of them got up.
Barghest stared at the Captain, who did not meet her eyes, before he walked away.
Barghest followed him as well.
Morgan then sat back on her throne and let out a tired sigh.
If Ector's gone, then what about the others, I wonder? Morgan thought.
Totorot…
"I'll see you…whenever we meet again, Aesc. Goodbye."
Wryneck…
"Your majesty, Lord Wryneck has fallen in battle against the Mors King."
Grímr…
"Aesc, stop chasing that dream of yours before it destroys whatever you have left in your heart."
"Bad memories?" A voice spoke as Morgan noticed The Worker standing off to the side.
She had met The Worker a long time ago, although she had never found out his true identity. They'd started working together when he informed her of a massive threat that was set to descend upon the world in the coming future.
He had been the one to come with the proposition of expanding her domain over the bleached Earth to create a land of the Fairies.
Morgan had accepted since even though she did not feel comfortable working with him, his insights in magic and his understanding of the world was phenomenal, even by her standards.
The Worker moved in front of an Ashen guard and moved his hand.
"You could say that." Morgan spoke.
"Well, that's fine. Everybody has bad memories. Even I have something like that, such as the time my advisor decided to help my enemies pull wool over my eyes."
"Really? I thought you gods were supposed to be all-powerful?"
The Worker laughed. "Really? That's funny. Honestly, this entire concept of omnipotence only applies to a group of humans called Christians, Jews and Muslims. Their one single god is supposed to be all-powerful. Not the rest of us, though."
"What is it?"
"Oh, I just need to tell you something. Now, I think you hear about a little tale about a…child of prophecy, y'know?"
Morgan nodded.
"Well…they're the real deal." The Worker spoke as Morgan was silent before sighing.
"I was afraid of that. Them popping up in the same village Ector lived in had cultivated suspicions."
"Yep, the second Avalon Le Fae's taken her first steps."
"Then they wouldn't be affected by the Nameless Woods."
"Yeah, that's right. Then…"
"Salisbury." Morgan spoke. "It's the closest city, and Aurora would be less inclined to hand them over to me." She spoke.
"Now are you going to speak anything useful?"
The Worker put a finger to his chin. "I am, actually." He spoke leaning in, whispering something in Morgan's ear.
Morgan's eyes widened. "...Are you sure?"
"I 100% am. They're all lost and confused, ripe for picking."
"Huh, that sounds…hm." She muttered. "This is indeed useful information."
"Glad I could help. Anyways, I need to keep on with my work, so I'll cut the conversation here. Bye."
Morgan nodded as The Worker disappeared from her vision.
"Meredick." Morgan called out to her secretary who looked up.
"Yes?"
"Inform the search parties in the Cornish Woodlands to look for these people." Morgan spoke before projecting the image onto the mind of Meredick.
"...As you wish." He spoke.
Hm, this could certainly help with the Child of Prophecy problem. Morgan thought.
But however…
"When Horned God's awakening nears, you will lose all control over this island, Aesc."
I wish you told me more about this future threat, Grímr. Morgan thought.
A/N: Chapter-4's here. Kay and Artoria meet Da Vinci, and basically, Chaldea gets more and more drawn in in this chapter. Also, there was a Morgan-focussed scene here and this will be the first of many, since I want to explore Morgan's character in depth.
Oh right, plus Artoria gets her first dream of Artoria Pendragon. It'll be some time before Artoria connects the dots about King Arthur, and even more time about Kay's relation with Artoria Pendragon, so I'm saving these parts for later.
But other than that nothing much I can say, I guess.
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Foot Notes:
Nameless Woods and the Year without Hope: In the immediate aftermath of the Great Calamity that ended the Fae Era, the sky had been severely distorted by the deaths of the fairies and had become cold and grey. At this time, many fairies lost joy and pleasure and lost their name and purpose. The area most affected was Cornwall, which had been hit by a sickness during the Great Calamity. As a result, all the survivors died of the sheer hopesless they suffered and their corpses became what is known as the Nameless woods. The fairies' desire to forget themselves eventually manifested as a domain capable of erasing the minds of any fairies who came here. It is said the domain is so powerful is because Cornwall was located near the corpse of a sea monster that swam from Ireland (Which possibly might have been known as the Curruid in Proper human history), and had drunk its mana to create the domain, the sea monster's dying breath having also created the misty beach. It is one of the most dangerous
Ashen Guard: The Ashen guard are essentially lesser faerie knights than the Tam Lin. These knights are usually recruited from the most powerful of fang clan fairies to serve Morgan. They serve as the core of the troops of Camelot, and are quite strong, although perhaps not as strong as the Slave Knights or the Tam Lin. The Ashen guard had been formed in 2 EoHQ right after Morgan became High Queen of Britain.
Symbol of Morgan: Morgan's symbol is inspired by the emblem of the Rain Clan in Orkney, which features a longship as a reference to the close connections between the Rain Clan Fairies and the Primordial Ocean surrounding Britain. However, instead of an Ash tree as the mast, as is shown in the Emblem of Lostbelt Orkney, Morgan instead has her spear. People do not know, but this might indicate Morgan still having some attachment to her time as the Princess of Orkney.
Response to Reviews:
Seeking the miraculous dream: I'll be keeping the part of 'Who taught Castoria summoning?' a secret for now. And yes, Castoria will be dreaming, as shown in this chapter.
Kaleidoscope's beauty: Yeah. That's how I intend for Oberon's and Kay's relationship in this story.
Love-to-peace: Considering how OP Kay is in Welsh iterations of Arthurian legend, I don't think Kay needs much of a power boost. He can definitely beat Sith, give Barghest a run for her money, although Lancelot will be a bit too much for him if he doesn't plan how to beat her.
NotSpecialDude: I've got LOTS planned for this story. Heck, this might even extend into an alternative rewrite of LB7 as well.
The Story: They might sound overconfident because right now you guys don't know much about them. The reason for their overconfidence will be partially clarified near the end.
Kleave Guy: Yep. It won't be fun now if I wrote predictable storylines, would it?
surya25addanki: It will be...different. let's leave it at that.
Hatred and Love: It really does suck Kay's perspective of Artoria's reign would be so interesting if explored in depth. His little monologue in Garden of Avalon already seems so interesting by itself.
Pride of the Quincy: A secret, for now.
Blue Glass Spear: I sort of prefer it. It gets confusing, I'll clarify it later.
Star Blades: I know about Tam Lin's legend. It's why I actually like the english localisation of Faerie knight so much. I think I read the legend only a couple of weeks before LB6 came out on NA. Although I doubt using Tam Lin as a title indicates lack of understanding.
The mistake regarding the Jötnar can be sort of forgiven considering not many people know that Jötnar are more like creatures of chaos who come in all shapes and sizes rather than simply Frost Giants.
And Anubis...well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Anubis initially was worshipped as a God of the Dead, and got demoted to Burial rights during the time of the Middle Kingdom with Osiris taking over along with his status as the ruler of the Duat.
TalonScythe: Those were my exact thoughts when this idea first came to my mind. Part of this fic was inspired by a one-shot on spacebattles which talked about Kay's thoughts before he went to fight the Lion King in the sixth singularity as well as his appearance in Camelot Zero.
And world building...I just love history, and I can't help but fill in the gaps whenever I see them. Worldbuilding's my favourite aspect of any story, and my historical knowledge really helps providing any new details to the world of a story.
LB6 might have the most vast history among the lostbelts, but there's a lot of stuff that can still be expounded upon. Plus, my worldbuilding's sort of inspired by Tolkien's style in Lord of the Rings, where he academically narrates certain details and events in Middle Earth's history. those academic narrations have influenced the foot notes section of the chapters, where I explain the details I've added.
Zoukuyuujinchou: Oh, hi. Great to see you again. Hope you enjoy this story.