Knight of Avalon
Chapter-22
Kay, Artoria
Ruins of York, 2019 EoHQ:
"Avlani…" A soft voice echoed across ruins of what was once the city of York.
Once renowned for the sheer amount of records and knowledge held in its residents and libraries, shining as a beacon of light within the miserable history of the lake district. Now, the destruction of York and the massacre of the Mirror Clan had become the most recent addition to the list of tragedies that made the Lake District region.
The voice came from an incorporeal figure, a thin man in billowing robes that glowed silver. The man's neck was very long, and short snow-white hair that floated like it was in water. The man's body had six arms, two clasped together, two extended towards the sky and the last two idly moved about, making gestures of contemplation. The man had a small nose while his eyes sparkled, shaped more like the crystalline orbs of an insect rather than a human. Those crystal eyes changed colours from time to time, whether blue or red or yellow.
"Avlani ist komunni…" He spoke before his idle two arms started moving rapidly, shattering the ghost's body into crystal shards before those shards floated away, moving towards the Great Library
In front of the Great Library, another ghost floated, a woman this time. The woman's hair was golden with shining sapphire tips and her robes also gave off a golden glow, with eight arms moving around and deconstructing the texture into shards that glowed orange like fire and white like ice. The arms brought these shards in front of the woman who observed these shards.
"Fyr ok Iss, Heovenveld Havins…" The woman spoke before her crystal eyes flicked to her left.
A group of shards floated over, a bunch of them turning into arms which started arranging the rest of the shards into a body until the man from before floated beside the woman.
"Äinsela…Tið gefí." The man's voice turned from a soft whisper to a deep voice reverberating like the bells of Salisbury.
Ainsel smiled.
"Haha, ne spik þa Jarvi, Ingwið. Spik þa nyrjya orknö." Ainsel responded, her voice clear as water and bright like the sun.
The man frowned. "Very well. But is it necessary?"
"Do you think our little Avlani knows Jarvi?" Ainsel asked with a giggle.
Inglewood gave a grunt. "I think she should know all the languages of Britain, including Prydain."
"The sheer amount of levity behind that statement is too much for me."
"As is your sarcasm, Ainsel. Thank you for your kind observation."
Ainsel smiled softly. "After all these years…are you excited?"
"I'm more nervous than excited. A shame she'd be meeting us like this."
Inglewood then sighed. "We should never have let Aurora near the dreki. The lake district and Albion's corpse have been our property since Tæran agreed to let Frøya Försanai keep Rauðreki's corpse. I did tell you the possibility."
"We did what we could…unfortunately, my ability to foresee the future is much greater than my power to act upon that future. And you, you often get too focussed on protecting the Mirror clan that you create problems."
Inglewood looked down. "Hm. Now that she's coming here, we should start preparing."
"Indeed. 14000 years…the end is approaching. Call her."
Inglewood nodded before looking to the west.
"Gareth…" He spoke calmly, but his powerful voice could be heard across York.
Soon, a young fairy with short golden brown hair and large emerald eyes skipped over to Inglewood and Ainsel.
"Sir Inglewood! You called?" Gareth asked.
"Hello, Gareth…how are you, my dear?" Ainsel spoke patting Gareth's head.
Gareth grinned. "All fantastic, Lady Ainsel! Is it time for me to leave again?"
Inglewood nodded. "Yes. But this is especially important."
Gareth tilted her head. "What is it?"
"We will be having visitors soon. Make sure to guide them through. York can be quite…an unwelcoming place."
"Oh…I got it! Alright Sir Inglewood, but who will I be escorting?"
Inglewood's upper two arms began rapidly moving in the air, shards of the texture floating around them as a fire swirled between their palms. The flames twisted and convulsed, shrinking from their wild, formless shape into that of a small gold ring. Inglewood willed the ring to float over to Gareth and rest on her palm.
"This will help you."
"Uh…Sir Inglewood, couldn't you just tell me about them?"
"He could, but there is more to this ring than just finding our guests. You'll need this after that as well." Ainsel spoke with a wink.
"Ohhhhh…Is this going to be another adventure?"
"Hmph…Yes." Inglewood responded before patting Gareth's head. "Now go. Leave whenever you want. We'll await you."
"As you say, Sir Inglewood!" Gareth spoke with a salute as Inglewood rolled his eyes before smirking, as Gareth went skipping off into the direction of Forsanai's shrine.
"Times fly by. Six years since you created her."
Inglewood hummed. "And I feel terrible for the path I will be sending her down under."
"And there you go shouldering all that burden again. Even death has not eroded your possessiveness over your creations. She will have to face dangers to fulfill her purpose, and we can't fret too much on that."
"What a cruel statement. And here I thought people saw me as the cold one."
"Bah, you are cold. You're just not cruel."
"And you are? You?"
Ainsel crossed her arms. "You think I can't be ruthless?"
"Morgan would have our heads displayed from Gladstone terrace if you had been ruthless in the world of the living."
Ainsel nodded silently. "You are correct. Now let us begin. Avlani will need us for her journey…"
Inglewood looked towards the southern direction.
"...Just as Askr did all those years ago."
"How long till Sheffield, Kay?" Artoria whined as Kay slapped his sword's sheath against the door, making Artoria jump. The carriage rattled as they traveled through the countryside, avoiding major roads.
"I'll throw you out of this carriage if you decide to whine one more time…"
Artoria glared. "And I'll drag you along with me!"
Kay glared at her before ducking as a curse went over his head.
"Is it me or are we getting attacked a lot more by Mors these days?" Kay spoke as the Silent Knight nodded.
"Not just you. The Mors have been getting more and more aggressive in the last few days." Muramasa spoke as Kay threw a fire spear, taking out a bunch of Mors.
"Does that mean we won't stop?" Anice asked.
"Seems like it. I would rather push these horses through Watling Street and sleep peacefully in Sheffield than stop and spend the night preventing Mors from cursing us into oblivion."
"Now onto more lighter matters, what kind of weapon are you thinking, master?" Kay asked.
"Oh, uh…a sword?"
"Be more creative. The sword thing's getting old now."
"Wha…but you only taught me how to use a sword!"
"You're still young and inexperienced with a sword. You can pick up other martial skills too, master."
"What, like a bow?"
"I can imagine that. You're pretty good with those bolts of mana you shoot from your staff. You've got the potential to pick up a bow."
"So, you're saying I should choose a bow instead of a sword?"
"Why not both? Maybe Leo or Muramasa could fashion you something like that. Muramasa, you know how good this kid is?"
"...He's got a way to go to match me in forging swords, but other than that? He's way more versatile and the stuff he can make is genuinely freaky."
"Heh, I like the sound of that." Kay spoke.
They fell silent as the carriage continued along its path. Kay took the opportunity to simply soak in the green meadows that were rushing past him as the horses kept galloping.
Despite the headache of indulging in politics again, Kay was still very happy that he had got to deal with an alternate Artoria with no idea of her other self in a different Britain rather than a twisted, emotionless version of his little sister in the empty deserts of the Levant. He would be a lot grumpier if the only thing he did in the past few days was walk through deserts and organise resistance against the Lion King.
At the thought of that, Kay frowned. He never really asked Da Vinci how they resolved the singularity. As far as Kay remembered, aside from the Lion King there were the crusaders under Richard the Lionheart, the pharaoh Ozymandias and his army of Sphinxes as well as the Hashashin in the Judaean mountains. He wondered how Chaldea had gone about fixing this singularity.
Whatever the case, they fixed it. Kay thought. That meant that they had also freed Artoria from the madness that had consumed her. The thought of that brought a sense of gratitude in Kay towards the Chaldeans.
When I properly meet the members of Chaldea, I should remember to give them a heartfelt thanks. He thought.
By the time they reached Sheffield, it was night. Helga and Svin were there to receive them as Kay got off the carriage.
"Puck's still in Salisbury?"
"Yes. He's saying all's well, but considering the recent news…" Helga spoke with a sigh.
"What?"
"Somebody set fire to Salisbury Cathedral. While the Awel Souders were able to blow the flames away with their magic, the bell tower was severely damaged. Many of Salisbury's rebel cells claimed responsibility."
Kay blinked.
"So they weren't serving Aurora?"
"I mean, it's also possible they just saw the cathedral as a symbol of imperial power and torched it. According to reports, the rebels were shouting 'Ym-hí lwyva sá Chwffey! Llonye sá Mwrcain!' as they were arrested by Awel Souders."
"In the spirit of Geoffrey. Down with Morgan."
"You've been learning Salish?"
"Artoria's been teaching me a bit. I teach her swordplay, she teaches me Salish. Although this has only begun while we were going to Norwich."
"Hm, I've had a better time with Jarvi and Vox. But anyways, I don't think the motivations of the rebels had Aurora in mind."
"But even then, we should keep this in mind while dealing with her. If we cannot fully confirm her loyalties, then we should treat her as an enemy rather than a friend. Has Puck contacted her?"
"No, still laying low. Salisbury's resistance groups are severely disorganized, each trying to claim the legacy of Geoffrey's justice. As noble as their goals are, their methods are still a power grab."
"As are so many rebellions. You need noble goals and a hunger for power to create the soup of revolution. Can he give a time when he should be able to bring results?"
"He's found footing among the Cromwellites and also concocting exaggerated tales of our work so far to puff up Artoria's reputation."
Kay chuckled. "Oh really? What has he done for my dear pig?"
"Bribed some street bards to sing a ballad he wrote called 'Arani'."
"...Fire?" Kay spoke with a scoff.
"Makes for an interesting image, you know."
"What? What's this about me?" Artoria asked, walking up to them as Helga produced a piece of paper.
"Read."
Ysbad Tânin lyrg sá farin,
Nek banmalwchw Blwdcar-hí,
Ym Llwys-hí Sálishbwrí |
Sá nalla ty swn á dwgin,
Hyrntârían-hí nek dwrchw,
Yd caer Bwgyrthrach vanw |
Nek trythw awg cwth-hí nwnin,
Fyndw Tinas Gwynrach arvig,
Yd llwyvw awel rhyfvig |
Malachal á rhyfvig crysin,
Nin banw malch sá Salwi Byld,
Banwch dod, sá vanin Seffeld T
Llanw rág twng Ainsilin,
Tân valduil Tinas Mwrcainrach,
Nyfn nel, Hwg Wrwchnyrach ||
Artoria squinted as she read the Salish poem. "Wha…Hero of flame…huh?!"
The fairy's eyebrows scrunched up as her mouth fell open in surprise.
Kay started laughing loudly, as Anice, Muramasa stared at Puck's poem in confusion while the Silent Knight put a hand to their helmet in exasperation.
Artoria fidgeted as Kay just couldn't stop laughing.
Kay handed over the paper to Helga and walked off, continuously laughing as people on the street stared at him in confusion, while Svin followed him like a pet, tilting her head at Kay's jolly mood as she sometimes nudged the laughing knight.
"Did Puck really have to write this? Fiery Hero…Won Sheffield with nothing but a staff…Ugh! This poem is so cheesy it's making me embarrassed." Artoria spoke, cringing.
"It's necessary. If we are to shore up support, we need to give people the impression of a strong hero they can rally around. Only then do we have the chance to really pose a threat to Morgan."
"But still, me…Hero of flame?" Artoria spoke as she handed the paper to Helga and clutched her head in embarrassment.
Helga put a hand on Artoria's shoulder.
"Sorry, I know you don't really like unwanted attention. Puck got too excited, and gave you publicity without your consent. I'll make sure these kinds of personal things happen only when you agree to it. When Puck comes back, I'll help you prank him."
Artoria sighed before chuckling. "I'm going to set off a pipe bomb under his tunic. That'll teach that smiling rat a lesson. You better show me how to combine your runes with that, Helga!"
"No problem. Now let's go find your dear servant and make him apologize for laughing. I think Kay's also gotten a bit too comfortable with you, and we should give him a little reminder."
Artoria's eyes twinkled.
"Yes! I wanted that bumbling idiot covered in mud!"
Helga smiled. "...Ok. But don't get too excited."
Behind them, Muramasa looked at Anice.
"Her servant and this mage are both bad influences on her."
Kay's expression was unamused as he stood bound to a wooden pole, with a Nauthiz rune preventing him from escaping as his armor found itself covered in dirt while Artoria smirked at him smugly and Helga stood behind her with a smile.
"Is this for laughing at you, Miss Golden Hero?" Kay asked, before spluttering as a ball of mud splashed against his face.
"Of course. How can I be the Golden Hero if my faithful servant doesn't believe me?" Artoria asked, her face scrunching up in annoyance at the title 'Golden Hero' again.
"And your way of ensuring that is slinging mud balls at me? Truly a heroic act, if you ask me. Helga, I think I've learned my lesson. Could you get this rune off me?"
Helga scoffed. "Please, Kay. You are a dwarf in the body of a human. The only thing your dwarfish mind has learnt is that you need to pay your master back for this."
Kay gave her a smile. "Now, how did you know?"
"Anglesey. You stuffed my mouth with grass."
"You started it! I was a bloody goat for an hour thanks to your brilliant seiðr!"
"And you took revenge for that, even though I was trying to teach you not to take magic so lightly."
"I didn't need a lesson like that. Merlin turning my mouth into a duckbill has taught me plenty enough."
"Ok, ok, let's not bicker." Artoria spoke, as Kay and Helga stared at each other before laughing.
"Anyways, I think you've had your fun. Sorry for laughing master, It's often hard to reconcile a hero's image with what they actually are." Kay spoke before sighing.
Immediately his mind conjured up two images. One was of Artoria Pendragon on the lion throne of Camelot, passing judgment upon Lancelot and Guinevre without a hint of remorse. Another was of a little Artoria running around the green fields near their house, her blonde hair and bright smile a stark contrast to the dark stormy clouds above her.
"You're turning sad again, Kay…" His master spoke as Kay blinked.
"Ah…uh…"
"I've started picking up on your habits, Kay. You have this really long expression when you're remembering something sad." Artoria spoke before walking up to him.
"Are you alright?"
Kay stared at her. At that moment, Artoria Caster didn't seem like the disastrous doe-eyed goblin skipping about doing nonsense. She looked so serious, yet so concerned. Nothing like the emotionless aura of his sister that Kay had eventually accepted.
The knight shook his head before grinning.
"Of course I'm alright, it's just a knight remembering his problematic life, that's all. Don't mind me, hehe…"
Artoria stared at him before untying him.
"You know, you really do love making fun of your pain." She commented before shaking her head in exasperation.
"You really are sick in the head!"
Kay's smile faltered for a moment, before he chuckled.
"A mad servant needs an equally mad master."
"You're also incorrigible. Anyways, I'll see you at dinner tonight. I need to get changed back into my normal clothes." Artoria spoke before walking off.
"Hehe, looks like you can't really hide stuff from her anymore." Helga spoke.
"I shouldn't be able to. She definitely has the truth-seeing eyes of the fae, but she doesn't choose to use it. I appreciate that." Kay spoke before his expression turned into a frown.
"Now, onto Puck's…poem…"
"Kay, you were just laughing at it…"
"Initially. But now, I am really, really mad."
"Tell him the next time he pulls something like this again, I'll make him eat his sheet. I don't want any fuel to be put onto the fire."
"Kay, she can't avoid it anymore. And we can't get anywhere if we can't convince people that she is their chance to strike against Morgan"
"I know that. But I don't want this kind of nonsense to be thrown around without running it by me or Artoria first." Kay spoke.
"Who knows what's going to happen now? She'll soak in the title, it'll go to her head, and she'll start putting more pressure on herself. She might even throw herself into the jaws of calamity if it means she can…!"
"Kay. Turn around." Helga spoke as Kay stopped his worked up rant and sighed, his shoulders slumping as he looked at her.
Helga's eyes turned melancholic as she noticed Kay's scarred eye glowing, his expression worried as he looked down.
The mage gave an annoyed sigh as she walked up to put a hand on Kay's shoulder.
"All these years, and you still indulge in this behavior. How many times have I told you not to do this?"
"It's my master we're talking about…"
"Your master or your little sister?" Helga shot back as Kay fell silent.
"I know you are terrified of Artoria facing the calamity in Norwich. But that eye…it'll do nothing but make things worse for you."
"Her aura of providence, I can see it shaking violently, as if…as if there's a high chance she might die in the future. I can't…I made a promise, Helga…"
"The lust for knowledge is a risky emotion to be immersed in. There's nothing wrong in knowing something others usually do not know about, but any action done regarding that knowledge can end very badly…and an example of that is standing right in front of you."
Kay scowled at her. "I'm not going to sit back and do nothing."
Helga pursed her lips. "Kay…now that you know what you know, you have to be very, very careful about what you choose to do with that now."
"I know."
"That means you are not grasping the weight of what you have done!" Helga snapped at him.
"Do you realize that if you make one mistake, this will badly damage your relationship with your master? Artoria wants to fight the calamity, you don't want her to die."
"So we protect her, then…"
"And how do we 'protect' her? By fighting alongside her or by brushing her off to the side? This question will define the unity of our group in the times to come. Loki's tongue Kay, you saw her shaking like a leaf in embarrassment by Puck writing a poem about her. How do you think her self-esteem will react if she realizes that her faithful servant actually doubts her abilities?"
"Why are you getting so worked up? I'm telling you I'll handle it!"
Helga took off her hood to reveal the back of her neck, its skin pale, hideous and shriveled.
Kay fell silent.
"I've told you what I did. The mistakes I made. And I understood them when the burning cold of a draugr's blade sucked the life out of my neck."
"I know I can't even begin to feel as much fear and worry as you feel for Artoria. No one in this world can. But I still feel those emotions."
Helga shook her head.
"You've done something you shouldn't have. Now please don't take it lightly. Think. Please deeply consider what you want to do with this information before you act. Be hasty, and you'll break your heart, not just your master's."
Kay put the hood back on Helga's head.
"...Ok. I told you I'll handle it, and I mean it."
Helga's eyes were almost glowing as she stared at Kay for a few moments.
"This time, I can believe you. Now chain down your paranoia. You're more calm and composed than this."
Kay nodded silently as the two friends walked to Sheffield castle, just as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
"...It's been more than a 100 years since I stepped foot in Norwich." Boggart twirled his goblet of Calch wine as he sat with Kay, Artoria, Muramasa and Anice for dinner.
"Tell me, Artoria, is there really no spot in Norwich not darkened by the shadows darks of the clouds of smoke?"
"No, Lord Boggart. Norwich is…a very depressing place, not going to lie." Artoria spoke as Boggart looked down.
The Earl sighed. "I remember when Woodwose presented me with a Ixtis, giving me the duchy of Norwich after the death of Lord Kanning. I remember the enchanting sapphire blue of the imperial seal on it, hiding the dirty politics that worked behind my appointment."
"Let me guess, Woodwose wanted to get rid of his only contender to Wryneck's legacy?" Kay mused.
"That, and securing the Fang clan's influence over the vast coal deposits of Norwich as well as the smithing skills of the Earth clan. I was meant to be a useful nuisance to serve both Woodwose's and the Fang Clan's interests. In the end, I ended up dutifully governing Norwich for 500 years."
Boggart's mouth then curled into a snarl. "Until that Karkus stole everything from me!" He roared, slamming his fist against the table.
"Norwich harnessed the land of Britain to forge iron weapons against the Mors. Behind the might of the fang clan, lay the mind of the earth clan! But despite that, we chose to ensure our skies remained clean and beautiful, our waters livelier than the Morimaru and our people enjoying the meadows of Haernwit whenever they needed a breath of fresh air from their forges."
"But now…the skies are pitch black, the waters just as dead as the Morimaru, and Haernwit has become the cramped, dark enclave of factories we now know as Ironwood." Kay remarked.
"All because of that Karkus and his factory system. No longer are earth fairies able to take pride in what they make. They are stripped of their creativity and exploited to no end, pretending to do something while his automatons do all the real work. All this harmony between humans and earth fairies, created not by the magic they create in the forges but by the alienation they face in the factories."
Muramasa twisted in discomfort.
"Ugh, the thought of not being able to make a sword with my own hands…it feels so terrible."
Artoria stayed silent.
"One day, I will regain Norwich. When I do, I'll sentence that Karkus to a aquilax execution, and then I'll start repairing all the damage he has done to my city."
Artoria raised her eyebrows as she remembered Eisen back in Norwich.
What did he mean that Norwich is no longer Caer Went? Why are there no more smiths in Norwich aside from him? She thought.
"Artoria."
Artoria perked up.
"Yeah?"
Boggart closed one eye. "Before I saw this, you really have been addressing me in an informal manner."
"Uh…" Artoria's eyes darted in nervousness. "I…uh…"
"Bah, you're looking like a twig that'll snap at the lightest of a summer breeze. Grow a spine, girl!"
"Gah!"
Boggart laughed as Kay and Muramasa smirked.
"Someone's in trouble~" Muramasa spoke as Artoria smiled sheepishly.
"Forgive me, milord. I, uh, got carried away."
"Well, you are a village pig, so I'll ignore this. But do start learning courtesy. Other figures of power won't take you seriously if you don't give off a graceful appearance."
"See? Pig is a natural term for you, master." Kay spoke, taking a bit out of his food.
Artoria gave him the evil eye before Boggart cleared his throat.
"Moving on, you are heading to York, no?"
"Yes?"
"That place may now be a ghost town, but Ainsel and her consort Inglewood have cultivated millenia of knowledge extending back to the fae era. I need you to do me a favour."
"What do you need of me?"
"I need records of Caer Went. What happened to it in the 41st century before the High Queen's reign."
"...I thought Morgan took most of the books from the library of York. I wouldn't even be surprised if she burnt any that were about the Fae Era." Kay spoke.
"Inglewood once boasted to me for hours that the Mirror clan guards its books like a goblin guards its stolen gold. In his words 'Even our beloved Queen won't be able to empty out the grand library'."
"How did you know this?" Artoria asked.
"Inglewood was my drinking companion back in the Mors War. Put him in a pub in Salisbury and shove some Honey Gin down his throat, and he'll be warbling like a lïnto bird early in the morning." Boggart spoke with a reminiscent smile.
"Ah, I miss that pretentious fool.."
Artoria gave Boggart a slightly disturbed look before nodding.
"Alright then. We'll go see if there's anything left."
"Excellent. Now eat up. You still look like a twig, girl."
"Thanks…for the concern." Artoria spoke strained as Boggart turned to Kay.
"Sir Kay, I am in need of your financial acumen."
"Hm? Too much Eorlgild spent on smuggling weapons?"
Boggart laughed. "Mors, how do you always guess these things?"
"Experience. Now if you please…"
The next day, their group left Sheffield, continuing their journey to York.
Artoria lounged back as Anice and Muramasa chatted with each other. Kay and the Silent Knight were on their usual spots as the coachmen of the carriage.
"Muramasa, you said you work for Chaldea's enemy, right?" Artoria asked as Muramasa nodded.
"Yep."
"Who is this enemy, exactly?" Artoria asked. She had grown so used to the blacksmiths quips by her side that she'd forgotten he'd actually been Chaldea's enemy.
Although he'd made it quite clear that did not make him her enemy, Artoria didn't know if that was supposed to reassure her.
Who was Muramasa's boss? She was curious about that.
"...I can't tell you much, but they're called the Alien God. Descended upon our world to 'fix' humanity by replacing it with a timeline where humans are better off and rule over them as their supreme deity."
Artoria scrunched her eyebrows. "She wants to…replace humanity? As in Proper Human History?"
And with alternate timelines…huh?! Artoria thought as the implication erupted in her mind.
"You mean…this Alien God created Faerie Britain?" Artoria asked.
"Not…exactly. More like they grew a fantasy tree that created the lostbelts on their own."
"Fantasy trees…you mean something like the World Tree?" Artoria asked.
"Hm. Although, I can see you guys are missing one."
"Yeah…Morgan burnt it down 2000 years ago. It marked the beginning of her reign."
Muramasa sighed. "And that makes you guys weird even for lostbelt standards. You're living in a lostbelt of a lostbelt."
Artoria's eyebrows rose. "That sounds crazy…so we're like the odd one out. And this Alien God…they sent you to kill Morgan?"
"The British Lostbelt was never even supposed to be there. Your lostbelt was a last minute decision made by the Alien God, so its making was very chaotic and sloppy. Morgan took this lostbelt's weak foundations and turned it into her personal world. It's a challenge to the Alien God, and they sent me to tie up loose ends."
Artoria grinned. "So, this powerful being from beyond the stars is scared of Morgan? Gee thanks, that helps my nerves..."
Muramasa deadpanned at her. "You really love finding ways to drag your self-esteem through the mud, don't you?"
"Haha, what can I say? I'm a pathetic fairy."
"And a smarty pants. But anyways, I'm just here because I'm bound to serve the Alien God. I can't go against their directive, but Heuder saved me and he's interested in travelling with you guys, so I'm just here."
"Aw, are you saying you only tolerate us because of the man inside you?"
"Technically you all are not with Chaldea. With the exception of Da Vinci, there's only one thing tying you all together, and it's sitting in front of me."
"Kay's loyal to me, Helga's his old friend, Mr. Silent Knight just sticks with her, Da Vinci's approached me to represent Chaldea, Boggart has pledged his support with Anice and Habetrot by his side and Leo's part of Chaldea too."
"And Puck?"
Artoria frowned. "Now that I think about it…I still don't fully understand why he's sticking with us. We'd hired him to break into Salisbury Cathedral, and he'd helped us get away from the guards. But after that, I don't see any reason for him to stay."
"That man is too, too suspicious."
"I know. But…I don't know. I want to know his true intentions, but he's the only being who has been able to block out my eyes. It's just too hard to really probe into his mind."
"You could keep an eye on him?"
"You've seen his illusions. Puck claimed to me that everyone in Faerie Britain can do something like that the first time we met, but I don't need eyes to know that's a lie. His illusions are monstrously good, and I don't think anyone less than Morgan herself can match him."
Muramasa sighed. "Damn it. I hate this so much. I'm a blacksmith, by the grace of the kami! I don't usually engage with this kind of stuff."
"Really? You look…dashing…" Artoria spoke as her eyes went up and down Muramasa's body.
"Silence your thoughts, you little brat! I'm mentally old enough to be your grandpa. This body belongs to whichever poor boy happened to be similar enough to have his body be my vessel."
"Grandpa? I like the sound of that!"
"Good, so you can respect your elders then!"
Artoria smiled at that, although with a little discomfort, remembering the older fairies of her village.
Muramasa tilted his head.
"...You don't like that, do you?"
Artoria pursed her lips. "My…village. The elder fairies have always treated me as a nuisance there. They saw me as a way to vent out whatever frustrations they had towards Morgan's policies because of my status as the child of the prophecy."
She smiled sadly. "The people of this land, they don't like Morgan and her tax so much that they would happily pile upon any opportunity to tear her down. I didn't even realise that's why they pushed me until I was old enough."
Why am I telling him this? A part of Artoria's mind asked. She didn't open up like this to anyone but Kay, but that's just because he'd witnessed first hand how horrible the fairies of Tintagel were.
Others…Artoria really did not want to show too much weakness and cast doubt on herself, now that she had asserted herself as the Child of Prophecy. She couldn't understand why her mouth just…opened.
Because the real you is just a lonely child. A strange thought came to her mind.
Artoria fell into a trance.
"What was that…?" She whispered.
"You alright, squirt? You've zoned out."
"O-Oh, sorry. I'm just worried."
Muramasa sighed. "It's easier to give birth than to think about it, you know?"
Artoria shuddered. "Yuck, why would I give birth?!"
"Oh for…it's a saying, you stupid girl! What I mean to say is not too get too worried about it!" Muramasa snapped at her.
"Well, why didn't you say that?! Why use some stupid proverb about it?!"
"It's easier to visualise!"
"How? How is it easier than just telling me the mors thing!"
"Is that an argument I'm hearing?" Kay's smug voice came from the outside.
"Shut up, Kay! Focus on the road!"
Outside, Kay simply shrugged.
"Well, I guess this is one of those days." He spoke as he fell silent.
Muramasa dragged his hand across his face. "Oi, Kay! Stop the carriage and give me the reins! Tame this little yokai before she drives me insane!"
"Do you even know how to do that?" Kay drawled.
"I've seen enough samurai to get a bit of an idea."
"As someone who's ridden a horse and driven a chariot, I can tell you those are two different things from each other."
"Bah, you're useless!" Muramasa scoffed.
"Artoria, let's all calm down here…" Anice spoke up.
"I am calm. He's just being stupid." Artoria spoke with a huff.
"And you're arguing for no reason." Muramasa shot back.
And so, Artoria's journey would become a cycle of friendly chats turning into arguments with Muramasa, the blacksmith's stubbornness being a bad mixture to her childish desire to fight him for the sake of it. Anice, meanwhile, would be the mediator, giggling at some of Artoria's antics while talking to the two to break the arguments.
Eventually, Artoria simply leaned against the carriage door, watching the light green fields slowly turn darker and the land to become more hilly rather than plain. More and more hills became common rather than meadows, and nestled at their foot were warm and cozy villages with smoke stacks coming out. The houses were alight with lughesen lamps that shown against the dark blue evening sky.
Artoria's gut twisted. Those villages were truly alluring, tempting her to just stop, go there and maybe rest.
But her mind could only think of Tintagel, both before and after its destruction. She couldn't really find comfort anywhere but with her own group, because at least most of them she could trust.
What will those village fairies think of me? Will they welcome me like the 'hero' I've been branded as, or just a toy with a fancy title? Her mind conjured.
"How long till we reach York, Kay?"
"Unfortunately, nightfall. We may actually have to stop for the night…woah!" The carriage suddenly screeched to a halt as Artoria hit her head against the wooden door frame.
"Ow! Why'd you stop?" She spoke, massaging her head.
"What…?" Kay spoke in shock as Artoria poked her head out in curiosity.
There stood a fairy of short stature, with emerald eyes and brown hair like honey bread. She stood in a simple white tunic and brown pants, only having sjaellvan arm guards and legguards. In her hands was a gigantic lance bigger than her. She also spotted a shining golden ring in her hand, saturated in mana.
"Who is…?" Artoria spoke as she got off the carriage.
"Hello?" She called out to the fairy whose eyes widened, her ring pulsating as she ran towards Artoria.
Artoria's eyes widened as she unsheathed her sword from underneath her cloak and brought out her staff. Kay also jumped off the carriage and brought out his blade.
"Stop…" He spoke, although Artoria could see the surprise of recognition in his eyes. Kay's voice, usually steely cold, was now soft.
"Sir knight, please! I do not mean ill!"
Kay silently stared at her before lowering his blade.
"Kay?" Artoria asked in confusion.
"It's alright, master. She means what she has said." Kay spoke as the fairy looked at him.
"Thank you, Sir Knight!"
"Are you a squire?" Kay asked as the fairy blushed. Artoria stared at Kay in surprise. Her usually antisocial servant who initially treated every new person with suspicion, was actually speaking gently and politely with this fairy.
"N-No sir knight. Not really."
"Hm. Very well, what's your name? What are you doing here?"
"...I am Gareth. As for what I am doing here…" Gareth raised her hand where the golden ring sat, the words 'Urð ná errek nauði, Þat es ina varði' inscribed on it in the Jarvi script.
"...I am here to help you all enter the city of York."
A/N: This is the second version of this A/N. All because I forgot to save the first one in the doc manager (I remember clutching my head with my hands at midnight when I realised I had undone all my work, yay, me!). Anyways, in the gap between this chapter and the previous one I started consuming fantasy material. First it was watching GOT and reading the ASOIF books, then it was LOTR and the Hobbit. Not going to lie, Martin's more politically aligned storyline fit my tastes a lot better than the more moral and adventurous story Tolkien wrote for LOTR (Plus, I don't like Tolkien's style of prose. It eventually disconnected me from most of the story's emotions and the pages became walls of text rather than images for me). So, yeah, now I have found out that I only like Tolkien's works for the worldbuilding and not so much for the story. But hey, what he did do was convince me to actually make up my own languages for Faerie Britain. The day after I read Return of the King, I just decided to go 'Ooh, let me try to do some random curved strokes, because my brain is still interested in Elvish' and I ended up creating Salish, the language of the wind clan. Days go by, and I start designing Salish's grammar, syntax, morphology and a whole lot of things whenever I'm in the middle of a boring class. Finally, I end up with roughly 30 pages of notes describing my language. As you can see, I've developed Salish enough to start writing poetry with it. Maybe that was because I am currently studying poetry in my literature class, so I just decided to compose a poem talking about all the events of part-1. I'm not going to translate the poem now, because it will sound weird in the english translation due to the different syntax and grammar. Aside from Salish, I've also thought of the languages for other clans. Norfolk for the Earth Clan, Vox for the Fang Clan, Glivic for the Wing Clan, Jarvi for the Mirror Clan, Orknö for the Rain Clan and Arú for the King Clan. I've so far completed Vox's script and have a rough idea for its phonology, and I have a rough idea for the scripts of Jarvi, Norfolk and Orknö. Arú I'll work on later. But anyways, if you guys really want the Salish poem to be translated, I'll later on edit it in within this chapter instead of later.
Beyond that, my philosophy class somehow helped me break through a conundrum I had regarding Beryl's reality marble. I just couldn't figure out how do I weave in the obvious reference to Little Red Riding Hood into its abilities, but today I did. So nice. Aside from that, I may or may not have used Marxism to write Boggart's rant on Spriggan's policies (Even though I heavily disagree with Socialism and it's academic followers' tendency to reduce complex issues under a certain lens that creates holes in their logic) because for some reason, Marx's imagining of a capitalist future sounds a whole lot like Wall-E, where humans just laze around while their machines do everything for them. I can definitely imagine Marx watching Wall-E and going 'Yes, that is what I am talking about! This is what capitalism will do to us!' So yeah, I decided to use him like that.
Then, I'll be also writing a lot more about the mirror clan. I have a fascination with playing with the themes of fate and destiny in my stories, and any damn fantasy place that has seers in it will always have my utmost interest. Henceforth, I also created an OC - Inglewood, Ainsel's consort. I initially wrote him as Ainsel's henchman, but then Galadriel popped up into my mind for some reason and I decided to make Inglewood something like the Celeborn to Ainsel's Galadriel. And yes, I'm also changing Gareth's backstory a bit.
Finally, Artoria and Kay have thoughts. I've finally cemented the kind of struggles I wish to write for the both of them (Thank goodness for that), plus I decided we've had too little Artoria and Muramasa interactions so just that little segment in the end. And as much as i despise Tolkien's prose, the one good thing it did was make me conscious about my own prose writing and understanding 'the flow of writing' you could say. I decided vivid imagery with a hint of vagueness suits me, so I've been experimenting with my style through these traveling and location sequences.
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Translation:
(Jarvi) Avlani ist komunni: Avlani (Artoria) is coming
(Jarvi)Fyr ok iss, heovenveld havins: Will remain untranslated for now.
(Jarvi) Äinsela...tið gefi: Ainsel, it is time.
(Jarvi) Haha, ne spik þa Jarvi, Ingwið. Spik þa nyrja orknö: Haha, don't speak in Jarvi, Inglewood. Speak in New Orknö (English).
(Jarvi) Urð ná errek nauði, Þat es ina varði: Fate is not a chain. It is a journey.
(Vox) Karkus: Dung Rat
The Salish poem will be translated here if you guys really want it.
Foot Notes:
Geoffrey's justice: In the aftermath of the execution of Geoffrey of Salisbury in 1134 EoHQ, several movements emerged in Salisbury against Morgan's authoratarian rule and would engage in politically disruptive and even terrorist activities over 366 years, featuring even the mysterious assassination of Lord Kanning of the Earth Clan. After Kanning's death, Morgan issued the Wit (An imperial declaration) of 1600 EoHQ that 'officially' allowed more power to the dukes of faerie britain and set up a 'jurisdiction list' concerning issues. With the founding of the Cromwellites and their relatively moderate stance, the period of Geoffrey's justice came to an end with the Wit of 1600. However, the emphasis on 'officially' must be noted here. Morgan is not one to easily give up power.
Cromwellites: The Cromwellites were established in 1584 EoHQ in the waning days of Geoffrey's justice by Oliver Cromwell. While Morgan's Hrothgar amendment to the Code of Lugh had simmered down the activiites of other groups, the Cromwellites persisted through political protest and petition. This is because while most of the other rebels advocated for greater autonomy to the duchies of Faerie Britain, the Cromwellites targeted the imperial administration itself. They wanted more power to the House of Paupers as well as human membership to be created. Of course, the Cromwellites were then seen as insane humans by several ranch owners across the Thames basin and were thus outlawed by Morgan. Eventually, in 1805 EoHQ, the forced conscription of humans by Morgan without any consultation to the House of Lords sparked outrage and the Cromwellites drew back to the early principles of the Geoffreyian movements and became violent.
It is speculated that the Cromwellites had a hand in the poisoning of lord Lwgawdys (Foul Weather) of Cornwall, weakening him before his duel against Tam Lin Gawain and his subsequent death. Due to his succession being taken up by a high-ranking member of his seelie court, Lady Áranduil (Aurora), it is suspected that the cromwellites worked with Aurora to ensure her accession to the ducal position in exchange for her secretly funding their expansion into other cities in Britain. Thus, Morgan has been using the Cromwellites as part of her investigation to find any violation of the Code of Lugh that would allow her to dismiss Aurora and replace her with a puppet, strengthening Morgan's control over the wind clan.
Calch Wine: Made from Salisbury's vineyards. For many human slaves working in Salisbury's farmland, a day of hard work is sweet when it ends with a delicious meal of honeybread and Calch Wine in the pub. However, Calch Wine is also enjoyed by upper-class member of Fae British society. It should be noted that their Calch wine exclusively comes from Salisbury's ancient Aran Orchard, making it a much more superior quality to regular Calch Wine.
Salish Poetry: Salish poetry is usually written as a way for anyone to project their fame and deeds in society. It is usually utilised by upper class members of the wind clan to showcase their competence and assert their power and dominance over rivals or subordinates. The Salish poem does not impose a limit on the number of stanzas, but it does have certain rules within those stanzas. Each stanza in a Salish poem should have 18 lines, consisting of 6 triplets with the overall rhyme scheme 'ABBACCADDAEEAFFAGG'. Each line contains 8 syllables, arranged in a metre something like an iambic tetrameter (Four feet, each feet consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one). Once again, there are no limit to stanzas. For a person, the more stanzas there are in a poem dedicated to them, the more respect they will garner in from other arisotcrats.
Ixtis: The fang clan's culture places a great importance upon hierarchy and respecting those above oneself within that. From this culture, the system of the Ixtis emerged as a part of Woodwose's long-term reformation processes of the fang clan. The Ixtis is a written document where the Fang clan leader gives an order to any subordinate. The Ixtis is therefore seen as a sacred pact between the leader and their subordinate, breaking which would result in execution. The Ixtis replaced the Klaxis system, which became unreliable due to its oral nature. However, Klaxii still exist among lower positions, and for human slaves, anything their master says should be taken as a Klaxis. One of the most important Ixtii ever given was to a human slave architect named Matthias Sheldon, for the reconstruction of the University of Oxford after the Mors War. Sheldon's reconstruction of the university earned his generation a good reputation with Woodwose, with one of Sheldon's later generations, William Sheldon, designing the Sheldonian assembly.
Boggart's appointment: After Lord Kanning's assassination, The earth clan fell into a disarray due to a lack of a successor to his position. As a result, Morgan made a secret pact with Woodwose to ensure the Earth clan would fully align itself with strengthening the armies of Camelot and Oxford. She made the Hrothgar amendment to the Code of Lugh in 1501 EoHQ, which allowed for members of other clans to become the leader of a clan. Woodwose who was eager to get rid of his only rival to Wryneck, Boggart, gave him the duchy of Norwich. Boggart would eventually take over and rule Norwich, although him knowing the secrets behind his appointment eventually made him go about and ensure Norwich's continued autonomy in Faerie Britain without allowing any deep penetration from the dark tendrils of Camelot.
Factory system: Spriggan's factory system was introduced right after his appointment in 1900 EoHQ. The factory system shifted the mode of production from Norwich's forges to massive buildings with all kinds of automatons known as 'factories'. The lush green hill of Haernwit and its trees made of iron was converted into an industrial colony. While the factory system allowed for more labour and ramped up production to create a massive supply of weapons to the armies of Britain, it was seen as exploitative, fairies seeing it as degarding them to the level of human slaves and often the case they had to make things they didn't even think were necessary. However, it is also to be noted that the factory system contributed to the egalitarian nature of Norwich and also planted the seeds for a new period of technological development in Faerie Britain.
Sjaellvan: A special type of silvery metal said to be form from Albion's blood. As such, the mirror clan made its weapons and items from it. Its higher durability compared to iron and its high mana density made for powerful weapons. However, Sjaellvan has become to rare to be mass produced, plus the merchants of Norwich are unable to access the despoits in the lake district due to severe Mors corruption.
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