Camlann
July, 509 AD
"I feel like I've been benched," I grumbled, earning confused looks from Benjamin and Mordred. The three of us were crouching at the edge of a cliff, waiting for the emergence of Morgana's army in the death-trap gorge below us so that we could begin firing at them. "Y'know... Kicked outta the fight," I reworded.
"Our job is just as important as everyone else's," Benjamin affirmed.
"I guess," I responded with a puff.
Mordred placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Arthur will be fine, Astra. Your knights are the most loyal people on the planet. They will not let him be harmed."
"I know, but sometimes things just go wrong, bud," I pointed out and sighed shakily.
"Have faith," he responded.
"I do have faith," I promised.
My heart stopped beating for a moment as my eyes landed on a sea of faint torches in the distance, illuminating the otherwise fully dark atmosphere as they danced their way towards our own army.
Morgana is here.
I mentally prayed they were oblivious to the line-up of catapults and archers above, because we can't fight on two fronts at once.
My mind flashed towards 'Avengers: Endgame' ('cause why wouldn't it?) at the moment after the portals have opened and Steve stands in front of the most epic assemblage of superheroes ever while facing Thanos's army with a fierce gaze. Merlin may be Captain Emrys, but Arthur is, without a doubt, our very own Steve Rogers at the moment as he stands in front of the knights, ready to end the game (see what I did there?) once and for all.
The enemy army came to a stop some ten metres before ours and a moment of silence ensued, in which nothing but inhales and exhales could be heard across the tricky British landscape.
I held my breath.
"On me!" Arthur shouted, ending the dreadful silence and starting the even more dreadful battle.
The two armies charged at one another and we didn't waste any time before starting to fire arrows and catapult rocks at the enemies.
The clanging of weapons, along with indistinct war cries, were all that could be heard now as the knights and the enemies merged in the narrow battlefield below, the darkness of night making it impossible to distinguish, from where I stood, between friend and foe.
My eyes widened at that realisation and I yelled out, "Hold fire!" before turning to Benjamin. "Ben – we're gonna accidentally hit our guys from here. Let's take this show further back n' ensure we're only attacking the enemies."
"You are right," the Prince acknowledged and faced his men. "Roll the catapults back! Keep them away from our men!"
They promptly complied and I ran ahead with Mordred and some of the other archers, figuring that we could get a head-start while the rest moved the heavy machinery.
Obviously, it wasn't long before Morgana's army realised that we were above them and they began to throw knives and rocks upwards, trying to hit us. Their attempts were miserable (and slightly humorous), however, since the thirty-metre-tall wall made it very hard for anything to reach us. I shared an amused look with Mordred when one of the daggers that was flung our way fell back and hit a man in the eye.
The Hawkeye-style heroics continued as the good triple alliance advanced on the enemy, prompting us to move further back along the cliff to continue to avoid hitting the wrong people – though the faint strokes of sunlight that began to lighten the scene just a little made it a bit easier to fire with precision, and I grinned to myself as I watched my arrows bringing down Morgana's men.
I recoiled when a blast of blue light appeared in the centre of the field, and it cleared up to reveal my brother in his old man disguise, which made me smirk.
"Those guys are so screwed now!" I cheered.
"Who the hell is that?!" Benjamin asked.
"Don't worry, he's on our side," was all I revealed and I shared a knowing grin with Mordred.
Another blue blast appeared and Merlin teleported to a ledge on the other side of the cliff. I could tell that he was looking for the evil witches, so I paused the firing of arrows and glanced around in an attempt to aid him.
"Anyone got eyes on Morgana?!" I asked my companions.
"Do not you dare even think about it, Astra!" Benjamin said sternly, making me frown. "I promised Arthur that I would not let you out of my sight."
"I'm not gonna go after her! " I defended. "Just wanna see if we can hit 'er from here!"
"It is still too dark to make out much," Sir John responded.
I huffed and resigned to keep shooting arrows at the enemy army while I waited for any possible instructions from my brother, or any hints as to where Morgana – or Thanata, 'cause we should probably take her out, too – could be.
A third blue blast illuminated the field for a moment and I smiled when I saw a cloaked figure running away from it, moving in the opposite direction to the enemy army. "Can't run forever, b*tch," I whispered to myself before drawing another arrow and aiming it at her. I grunted when I barely missed her arm and I loaded another arrow.
"Incoming!" one of Benjamin's men suddenly cried out, making me turn my head to see what was going on.
My stomach dropped when I spotted a wave of enemy men racing towards us, swords in hands.
"Oh, sh*t!" I exclaimed, quickly turning around fully so that I could fire at them. The knights of Gawant were quick to follow suit as they spun the catapults around, aiming them at the seemingly endless stream of rogue Saxons who were charging towards us with no signs of stopping.
"Just how many men does she have?!" Benjamin asked in alarm.
"Clearly, way more than we anticipated!" I responded.
I went to get another arrow out of my quiver, only to freeze when I realised that it was empty – and that the carriage with spares was now in enemy territory.
"Crap! I'm out!"
"Get your swords!" Benjamin commanded. "We must push back, or they will push us to the edge!"
I huffed and threw my bow and quiver aside before drawing my sword, ready to fight to the death.
"Protect the queen!" the foreign Prince ordered, making me groan.
In a flash, I was surrounded by knights.
"No!" I protested and shoved my way past them to stand beside Benjamin instead.
"Astra – get back!" he demanded.
"I'm just another knight right now, Ben, and I intend to fight like it!" I shot back.
He growled, but wasn't allowed to say anything else because the enemies cut off the conversation.
My heart threatened to break out of my chest as I slashed at the first enemy that attacked me, my brain going into auto mode as muscle memory aided it in recalling the best bits of training that I've ever gotten – be it from Arthur, Gwaine, Sir Gareth... Everything came together in a perfect tapestry that has been years in the making to help me survive somehow. And, even if I don't, at least we're getting rid of some men that would otherwise be after my King.
I gulped when I glanced back to realise that my feet were getting dangerously close to the edge of the cliff as Gawant's forces continued to be slaughtered by the dozens, the numbers probably dropping to half in the maybe three minutes that have passed since the enemies reached us.
"We are not going to make it!" I heard Benjamin yell over all the chaos.
"Get out, Ben!" I responded. I hissed when a sword nicked my upper arm. I promptly stabbed my assailant and kicked him off the cliff. "You're Gawant's heir!"
"I will not leave you, Astra!"
"Damn it, Ben!"
I glanced around as I breathed heavily, my mind still half-focused on the fight.
We're fully surrounded.
Our numbers are almost down to nothing.
We're not gonna make it.
One more metre and I'll fall off the cliff to a certain death.
Well, I did say that I'm all right if I die as long as Arthur lives. So I mentally prayed that he would and I kept fighting for as long as possible as black continued to swarm yellow.
A sword nicked my leg and I stumbled backwards.
"No!" I heard Mordred cry as he tackled the man who was attacking me.
Sh*t. I'm very close to the edge.
I grunted when an enemy elbowed the side of my face and my soul got caught in my throat as I slipped off the edge.
I closed my eyes.
If only I'd had the guts to kill Morgana much early on... Oh, well. I guess that's life. 'Part of the journey is the end. What am I tripping for? Everything is going to work out exactly the way it's supposed to.'
Instead of having my back hit something excruciatingly hard, it collided with a cool fleshy surface that soon rose upwards. I instantly opened my eyes and sat up, my jaw dropping when I realised what – or rather, who! – had saved me.
"Phoenix – what the heck are you doin' here?!"
"You did not think I was going to stay back and be like Rapunzel, did you?" he responded, turning his head slightly to send me a wink.
I laughed in disbelief and quickly moved to straddle his back, resting my hands on either side of his spinal cord while my legs pressed firmly against his ribcage. He flapped his wings, the cool wind making me shiver for a moment, and he promptly flew back to where I left Mordred and Benjamin. He breathed fire all over the enemy army as we blazed over them, easily turning them into sorry piles of ash.
"Yeah, buddy!" I praised while excitedly rubbing his side.
The dragon landed before my two friends once the enemies were no more.
My heart turned upside down when I spotted Benjamin lying on the ground, with some blood oozing from his side. I leaped off Phoenix and ran to see what happened, Mordred joining me once he got over the apparent shock that the sight of the dragon caused. I instantly got dizzy when I saw how much blood the Prince was losing and I turned to the young knight, with whom I shared a wide-eyed look.
"Is that a dragon?" Benjamin asked in a weak tone.
"Ben – what happened?!" I questioned while trying not to look too much at the blood.
"I am fine," the rapidly paling Prince declared, his voice almost a whisper. "It is just a flesh wound."
Mordred tore off a strip of his tunic and promptly pressed it against the wound.
"We need to get him to Gaius," I noted the obvious.
"Astra – there is something you need to know," Phoenix interjected in a grave tone as he moved to stand beside me. I stood up and gave him my undivided attention. He cowered slightly, his amber eyes glistening under the rising sun as he met my gaze. "Aithusa finally spoke... she said that... when she was being held captive... Morgana forced her to breathe fire upon a sword..."
My eyes widened as my stomach dropped – that's how Excalibur was created! "Oh, crap!"
"She did not want to... but she was going to starve to death..." the young dragon continued. "I think they mean to use it against Arthur..."
I didn't waste another second before turning to Mordred. "Buddy – get Ben to Gaius. I need to find Arthur n' make sure no one gets to him."
"Of course," the young knight responded with a nod.
"Hang in there, buddy," I told the injured Prince before sharing a nod with Phoenix and climbing back on him while I pulled my handgun out (which I'd tucked into a holster under the armour). "C'mon, Finn, we gotta save the King."
The dragon promptly took off once more and I held on while clutching my gun tightly, ready to use it against anyone who might dare to harm my King.
Lightning started falling from the sky, causing Phoenix to falter for a second when some of it almost struck us.
"Seems like Thor has joined the fight," I commented and chuckled to myself. I spotted my brother standing on a ledge and smiled a little. "Finn – go to Merls!"
Phoenix gently lowered himself onto the small space and Merlin shot us a small proud grin without fully removing his attention from the fight below.
More lightning took out more enemies.
"Have you seen Art?" I asked.
Merlin shook his head. "There are too many people. It's hard to make out faces."
"Ai says that Morgana has a sword like Excalibur," I informed him, feeling my heart-beat starting to accelerate even more at the reminder. "Keep goin' after her, Finn and I will find him."
"Be careful," he replied with a wary look.
We shared a nod and then I patted Phoenix's shoulder, letting him know that it was time to take off once more. He quickly complied and he sped up as we flew over the battlefield, his wings flapping against the wind to either side of me. My eyes darted around in search of my King.
Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but allow a small smile to curve my lips as the dragon rocketed through the skies, finding bliss in the feeling of intense adrenaline coupled with the cool air against my face and the majestic view of the sunrise.
Then I scolded myself, remembering that there are more important things to keep my eyes on.
The field was covered in deceased knights from all four armies, and very few people were still left standing.
My breathing grew slightly laboured and my heart crashed against my chest in an attempt to burst out.
What if we're no longer looking for a live person!?
I shook my head to try to get rid of that thought and drew a deep breath. If anyone has the skills and the will to survive this, Arthur is it.
"There!" Phoenix suddenly said before accelerating once more.
I held my breath as I glanced around.
My eyes finally landed on my King in the distance.
He seemed to be engaged in a serious fight with a cloaked figure and I felt my heart rise to my throat in another attempt to escape my body.
Phoenix let out a squeal and we were suddenly plummeting towards the ground. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He managed to shield me under one of his wings as we hit the ground, rolling for a few metres until the momentum dissipated.
"Finn!" I gasped while quickly untangling myself from his limb, ignoring the jabbing pain that spread through my ribcage as I stood up. My heart clenched when I noticed that his other wing had a scorched hole on it, about the size of a tennis ball, and I turned to look him in the eyes while breathing heavily – both from the dreadful sight, and from the insanity of the fall.
"I am fine," he stated. "It is not a lethal wound, I will heal."
"Are you sure?" I questioned.
"Remember the mission, Astra – get to Arthur!" he exclaimed. "I will be all right."
I drew a shaky breath and nodded, then I pressed a quick kiss to the side of his head before taking off sprinting with my gun miraculously still in my hand.
Despite the pain in my torso, I reached a speed I never thought humanly possible as I dodged corpses and leaped over piles of rocks while ignoring the raspy feeling in my throat from the bits of dust that were entering my system as I crossed clouds of rattled dirt.
I reached Arthur just in time to watch him pull Excalibur out of the cloaked figure, who bursted out laughing in between cries of pain as it fell backwards. I instantly recognised the figure as Thanata and I gulped as I sped up.
My King stumbled backwards and fell onto his butt.
"Art!" I screamed as I ran towards him and dropped to my knees. I let my gun fall beside me and cupped his blanched face in my hands, running my eyes over it for a moment before my gaze dropped down, finding some blood pooling on his chest – very close to his heart. "No," I gasped as my body began to tremble with whimpers. "What happened?!"
He seemed slightly dazed as he grabbed one of my hands, then he groaned a little and started to lie down. "No, Art, you gotta stay awake, you hear me?!" I pleaded, trying my best to keep him upright as I tugged on his arm.
Thanata let out a screeching laugh once more and I turned my head towards her. "You are too late, Astraea," she claimed in between heavy pants. "Not even Emrys can save him now." I gritted my teeth and grabbed my gun again, flicking off the safety before aiming it at her head. Her expression dropped for a moment, then she cackled again while shaking her head. "Go ahead, Shadow. It will not make a difference. The Pendragon line has fallen."
I pulled the trigger without hesitation and, with a loud bang, the bullet hit her right between the eyes, causing her body to fall limp in an instant.
I shook off the loud ringing in my ears.
"Merls!" I called out to the air. "Merlin! I need you!"
I returned my gaze to Arthur, who seemed to be fighting hard to stay awake. "Art, stay with me, we're gonna fix this, all right?" I promised with tears cascading down my face as I held him. He dropped his face to the crook of my neck and took some shaky breaths. "You're gonna be fine, Artie, I promise, just hold on," I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut as I tightened my grip on him. "You can't leave me."
"I just need to rest," he whispered weakly.
"Merlin! Please!" I called out again.
I heard some shuffling and reached for my gun again, only to relax when I saw my artificially-aged brother walking my way with a weak-looking Phoenix in tow.
Arthur gasped and I kissed the side of his head in an attempt to reassure him.
"They got to him," I told Merlin in between sobs. "You gotta help him. Please."
"He's a... sorcerer," Arthur mumbled.
"I will," my brother assured me, ignoring my King's protests as he moved closer, and he tore off a piece of his tunic to wrap it around Arthur's torso. "That will slow down the bleeding. We have to get him out of here before I can do more. There are still some rogue Saxons lurking around."
"I can carry him," Phoenix stated.
"Finn, you're hurt," I argued through the big lump in my throat.
"My wing is, but my legs work just fine," he responded gently. "Please, allow me to help you."
Merlin and I shared a nod of agreement and we teamed up to lift Arthur onto Phoenix's back.
My heart stopped when my husband's eyes closed and I gasped in horror as I hurried to check his pulse.
"It's all right. He simply lost consciousness," Merlin tried to reassure me, but the fear in his eyes did the opposite. "Come on," he pressed and Phoenix began to walk as he led us elsewhere.
I finally allowed my brain to take note of the intense pain in my ribs, but I didn't say anything. What's a minor bruise in comparison with what seems to be a stab wound?
We managed to make it to a forest by the time day arrived fully and we laid Arthur down in a decently comfortable spot, with his head resting on my lap. Phoenix stayed to protect the two of us while my brother hastily changed back to his normal self and ran off to find Gaius; claiming that he should assess my King's injury before we try anything.
"I am sorry, Astra," the dragon said softly, causing my eyes to snap towards him. "If I had seen that arrow coming–"
"Hey," I cut him off while wiping some tears from my face with the sleeve of my hoodie. "Don't blame yourself. You were a hero today, Finn... Some things are just out of our control."
He nodded slowly before lowering his head to rest it on the ground as he lay down, extending his wings to either side. I cringed at the renewed sight of his injured limb, but said nothing as I let my eyes drop to Arthur's face again. I let out a shaky sigh and began to run my fingers through his hair while mentally praying for a miracle.
A stab wound to the chest isn't necessarily lethal, right? The sword might have missed his organs entirely... or the damage might be repairable with magic... He'll be fine. He has to be. I refuse to live without him.
"Thanks for being here, Finny," I spoke again in a gentle tone, not daring to tear my gaze away from Arthur for fear that he'd stop breathing if I did. "You saved my life."
"Defying Uncle K was well worth it, then," the dragon stated with a faint chuckle that sounded slightly pained.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yes. It just hurts," he responded softly.
"I'm sure Merls can heal it, too," I pointed out.
"I believe so."
I sighed again and dropped my forehead to rest it against Arthur's. The feeling of his soft exhales hitting my face meant the entire world to me at the moment as I continued to gently comb through his hair.
He'll be okay... He'll be okay... He'll be okay...
"A-astra?" I suddenly heard his voice, which caused me to straighten up as my eyes widened.
"H-hey, handsome," I responded shakily, forcing a little smile before leaning down to kiss his forehead, not minding the dirt and sweat that covered his cooler-than-should-be skin. "How're ya' feelin'?"
He frowned a little and tried to sit up, instantly crying out in pain. My heart shattered into a billion pieces and a lump formed in my throat.
"Shh, lie back down," I ordered as I gently pressed on his shoulder to get him to put his head back on my lap.
He let out another groan, but complied and he squeezed his eyes shut. "My side," he muttered.
"You were stabbed," I informed him. "But you'll be all right. Merls went to get Pops."
Arthur nodded a little and he turned his head slightly towards my torso. I leaned down again to press a kiss to his temple and then I went back to running my fingers through his hair, which earned me a shaky sigh.
"A-astra... there was a sorcerer..." he said in a shaky whisper. "A-and a dragon."
I shared a quick worried glance with Phoenix – whom I don't think Arthur noticed yet. "Y-yeah... they were helping us," I confessed in a whisper.
My King's eyes flew open again. "What?!"
I kissed his forehead once more. "We'll explain everything, I swear," I told him softly. "For now, we have to get you better, so just hold on."
He gave me a sceptical look, but promptly closed his eyes again and I let out a shaky sigh.
About a half-hour of silence must've gone by before Gaius and Merlin finally showed up; and Arthur's eyes instantly opened at the sound of their footsteps.
"Oh, thank heaven," I breathed out while allowing myself a little smile.
Merlin quickly placed my folded Avengers blanket under Arthur's head, allowing him to remain comfortable while I moved away to give the physician some space to work. I grunted a bit when my brother helped me to stand up, one of my hands instantly going to my ribs; but I waved off the bunch of concerned looks that I got.
I stood leaning against Merlin while Gaius inspected Arthur and I gazed towards Phoenix, who watched intently while keeping himself in the smallest frame possible. Presumably to avoid alarming the King.
"Gwaine, Percival and Mordred have gone to confirm that Morgana is dead," my brother informed me in a whisper.
It's certainly relieving to hear that all three made it through the battle, and I probably would've smiled if Arthur wasn't looking so pained under Gaius's expert hands.
"W-what about Ben?" I asked.
Merlin sighed before answering, "He is holding on... Leon and Cynebald are taking him back to Camelot."
I nodded in understanding, feeling a huge wave of guilt. I should've made Benjamin leave the scene at the cliff...
Gaius announced that he's going to get something to clean the wound from his medicine bag – which was left on his mule a small distance away with the horses, since the forest is tricky to navigate.
Merlin moved away from me, making me stumble a little until I steadied myself against a tree and I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment while trying not to acknowledge the pain in my torso.
I watched as my brother kneeled down beside Arthur, his eyes teary as he grabbed one of his hands and placed it on his shoulder. "I am sorry," he whispered shakily. "I thought everything was under control... I thought that, with Mordred on our side, you would be all right..."
"It's not your fault, Merls," I interjected softly, though I remained hanging back to give them some space.
"What are you two talking about?" Arthur questioned with a frown.
Merlin shook his head as he continued, "I defeated the rogue Saxons... Morgana... "
"The person who defeated them was the sorcerer," my King stated.
My brother's body began to tremble and he let out a soft sob, which split my heart in two and I felt tears forming in my eyes again.
"It was me," he replied as he started to tremble harder.
Oh, crap! I guess he's gonna confess his secret!
I suddenly felt frozen in place, unsure of whether I should try to comfort him, or allow him to get through this on his own.
"Do not be ridiculous, Merlin," Arthur responded with a little shake of his head.
My brother only continued to cry, and I started to cry as well, so I slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle the sounds.
"This is stupid," my King claimed. "Why would you say that?
"I'm a..." Merlin trailed off, seemingly unable to get the words out.
I finally decided to step up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance.
"I am a sorcerer," he finally revealed.
Arthur's eyes widened and I held my breath, not moving a millimetre.
"I have magic," Merlin continued in between sniffles. "And I use it for you, Arthur. Only for you."
Arthur's gaze darted between the two of us for a few moments – which felt like an eternity – and I dropped my head as my heart broke from the absolute confusion on his features. Perhaps this wasn't the best moment to bring this up... But I'm not gonna leave my brother hanging.
"Merlin, you are not a sorcerer!" my King argued. "I would know!"
Merlin continued to tremble as he glanced around for a moment, his eyes fixing on something. "Here," he whispered before his eyes glowed gold and a bunch of fallen leaves spiralled off the ground, momentarily forming the Pendragon crest in the air, before they fell again. My brother then glanced up at me with a wary look and I gently squeezed his shoulder again.
My King clenched his jaw as his wild gaze moved on to me. "Did you know?"
I simply gave a meek nod in response, letting some more tears fall.
His breathing seemed to grow laboured as he turned to Gaius – who returned at some point – and he demanded, "And you?"
The elderly man dropped his head in defeat.
"Leave me," Arthur growled. "All of you."
"Artie–"
"Leave me," he cut me off.
My heart shivered and I backed away slightly while clutching my brother's arm; my body suddenly trembling like an enraged volcano and exacerbating the pain in my ribs in the process.
"Let us give him some space," Gaius said softly while waving Merlin and I over to the side. Phoenix stood up very quietly, remaining out of Arthur's visual field as he followed us.
We moved some fifteen metres away and I hugged my brother tightly, allowing myself to cry a little while he did the same, holding me just as tightly. I just swallowed the pain in my torso.
How did everything go so wrong?! We were supposed to put Arthur to sleep, fight the war, and return to a very angry, but perfectly unharmed King! Now he's wide awake, badly injured, and angry for an entirely different reason!
"He is in shock, children," Gaius said softly. "Astra – I assure you that he will not love you any less for this."
I nodded while letting out a shaky breath and I reached up to wipe away my tears before asking, "What's the prognosis?"
He sighed before responding in a grievous tone, "He has a fragment of sword embedded in his chest."
Merlin and I shared a wide-eyed look.
"Then I'll use magic to draw it out," my brother stated.
"Your magic cannot move it," Phoenix commented in a soft tone.
"If it truly was forged in a dragon's breath, its fatal power will not be easily denied," Gaius added.
I tightened my grip on my brother as the little composure I had left threatened to evaporate and give way to more crying.
"The blade's point is travelling inexorably towards his heart," the physician continued before turning to Merlin with a sad expression. "Not even you could hope to thwart such magic. It would take a power as ancient as the dragons themselves."
A sob escaped me.
"No. There must be something that we can do, Gaius," my brother pressed in a panicked tone that only made me cry harder.
"Only the Sidhe possess such magic," the physician responded.
"Y-you mean the evil fairies that tried to get him as a sacrifice years ago?" I questioned, barely able to speak as my body trembled violently. Merlin tightened his hold on me.
Gaius nodded with a grave look. "In the midst of the Lake Of Avalon there is an ancient isle... That is the source of their power. You must take him there."
"N' you really think they'd help us?" I interrogated.
"They might."
"C-can't you pull it out with, like, tweezers?"
"I do not have the right equipment," Gaius responded gently, his eyes now tearing up as well. "He would bleed out in an instant."
I would've broken down completely in that moment had a genius thought – which carried with it the last glimmer of hope for... anything in this life – not crossed my mind.
"C-could Doctor House do it?" I asked in a strained whisper that fought its way through my constricted lungs.
Gaius frowned. "What?"
"M-modern medicine... Could that save him?"
"Astraea... are you suggesting taking him to the future?" he questioned in a cautious manner.
"N-no, I'm suggesting we leave him here to rot n' stop for tacos on the way back to Camelot," I snapped.
Gaius shook his head in disapproval before speaking again, "Astraea – this is a very dangerous idea..."
"No, it's not! Olly, Leo, me... heck, even Dallas! We've all time-travelled safely!" I argued. I'm not letting Arthur die! It's not happening! "Maybe it's a crazy idea – but crazy's kinda what we do, isn't it?!"
"Let us do it," Merlin stated with a decisive nod before the physician could argue further.
"But how?" Gaius asked. "Even if it could work, I fear that Arthur will not make the ride back to Camelot..."
I clenched my jaw as I tried to think of a way around that. Obviously, Gaius has a point – the juggling from riding at a fast pace would probably cause my King to bleed out before the halfway point; and we might not make it in time if we ride at a walk.
There is another option, however, crazy as it may be...
I turned to Merlin again. "Merls – can you heal Finn?"
"Of course," he answered, "but I am not sure that he is strong enough to carry all three of us."
I sighed in frustration. He's right. Phoenix is nowhere near Kilgharrah's size, yet – I doubt he can comfortably carry more than one fully-grown human. Especially when he'll likely remain weak from the injury.
Another idea shone in my mind and I turned to address the dragon, "Finn – how's K?"
"He is too weak to fly, I am afraid," he responded with a sad look.
"What about your sister? Could she help?" I pressed on.
"I believe she could be persuaded if she knows it will save the King," Phoenix answered.
I nodded in understanding as a plan formed in my mind and I took a deep breath before revealing it, "Okay. Pops – please find a way for Finn to safely carry Art for a few miles." Gaius nodded and I turned to my brother. "Merls – fix Finn, get Ai here, and get her on board."
"All right."
"And I'll get Dallas n' run ahead to make sure that everything's ready for when you guys get there. There's no time to lose," I finished.
"Are you sure about this, Astra?" Gaius inquired.
"It's our best shot, and I'm not gonna let Arthur die," I responded sharply. "Whatever it takes, right?"
"Go on, then," Merlin prompted me with another decisive nod and a small smile on his face. "We'll be right behind you."
I pointed a menacing finger at him. "Don't be late."
"Of course not."
I grinned and gave him a quick hug before rushing off towards Arthur. I dropped to my knees next to him and ignored the glare he gave me as I pressed a kiss to his lips. Then I spoke in a single breath, "Listen, I know you're pissed, and you have every right to be. Especially with what'll come next. Which means that ya' gotta stay alive long enough to yell at me, yeah?" I paused to breathe for a moment and scanned his features, finding that he remained stoic. "So... trust that I love you with all my soul, and that I'm doing all of this for you. You'll be okay, Art. I don't care what it costs, you'll be okay."
"Astraea – you are scaring me," he said in a raspy tone as a concerned look took over his handsome features.
"No, everything will be fine," I affirmed before kissing him again. "I will see you in a bit, all right?" He nodded. "I love you."
"I-I love you, too," he responded.
I let out a shaky sigh and gave him one more kiss before forcing a grin, springing to my feet, and taking off sprinting to where Gaius and Merlin left the horses.
I grinned at the sight of my mighty Thoroughbred.
"Dal!" I called to him. He instantly lifted his head off the grass and let out a nicker as he trotted up to me. "Hey, buddy," I greeted him and kissed his muzzle before hugging his neck for a moment. "Dal – I need you now more than ever," I said as I moved to tighten his girth and let down my stirrups. "Remember you and me against the world?" I asked. "Well, it's very literal now. We're defying physics, and logic, and prophecy, and history. Again. But that's apparently what we do best, isn't it?"
Obviously, I didn't get a response, but I still climbed on and steered him in the direction of the camp.
The site was mostly empty, which wasn't surprising considering that a significant chunk of the army is no longer alive, while those who remain were sent on additional quests or returned to Camelot. That doesn't matter, however, because Arthur and I's tent was still there. I jumped off Dallas and rushed inside, sighing in relief when I found that all my stuff was still there.
I hurried to get my notebook and pen from my duffel bag and I hastened to scribble a letter for Leo so that he could come and get us and have an ambulance ready to go. I altered my handwriting to hopefully trick him into believing that the note is from someone else and that I am the one in trouble. He might not be willing to alter history, if he knows it's Arthur. I folded the paper, tucked it into the pocket of my leggings next to my phone, and then I sprinted back outside and climbed back on my horse. He eagerly took off in a blaze in the direction of Camelot.
Cliché as it may sound – love and hope are powerful fuels and my tank was filled to the brim with both. Not even the literal end of the world could have attempted to stop me as I tangled my hands in my horse's mane and lifted my butt off the saddle as I let him stretch all out with strides that almost produced thunder every time his hooves collided with the ground.
This isn't just a silly race down a hill, or a sillier race around the perimeter of Gawant, or an even sillier race that my uncle arranged. This is the race of our lives. We're running against time, and fate, and reason. All of them unstoppable forces, and yet, I remain adamant that a crazy girl from Dallas and a purchase from a sketchy auction in New Braunfels can beat all of them.
We've always been the underdogs, still here we stand. Undefeated. Unbroken. Our hearts beating as one.
Dallas and I flew across the kingdom without faltering for a second and, soon enough, I could see the big beech tree in the distance, which marks the resting place of the miniature time-machine.
"Final stretch, boy, come on!" I encouraged my horse, and he delivered another burst of speed that had me thinking, for a moment, that he might be something supernatural.
I slid off his back without bothering to wait for a full stop and I hurried to dig the shovel out of the ground, then I dug out the machine and hastened to enter the data onto the small tablet before shoving the letter inside and clicking on the button that makes it travel in time.
I let myself fall to my knees as I panted heavily from the effort and I bit down on my bottom lip so that I wouldn't let out any pained noises from the renewed alert of the throbbing pain in my ribcage.
Dallas nudged my shoulder with his nose and I reached up to pet him gently while mentally praying that my stunt would work.
Some ten minutes must've passed before I saw the dragons emerging from the sky. A mesmerising white pair that flew directly towards me. I allowed a smile to form on my lips once more as I watched them glide between the clouds.
Phoenix and Aithusa shared a nod and they began their gentle descent, circling the field for a few moments as they gradually lowered themselves to the ground.
Merlin was quick to jump off the female dragon and I shot her a grateful grin while rushing to help my brother get Arthur off Phoenix – to whom he'd been meticulously tied with ropes. My King was unconscious again, and his skin was deadly pale. Yet, he breathed, and that was enough for me to hold onto hope.
We gently set him down on the ground, using my Avengers blanket to help us move him without so much struggle, and then I sat down beside him, cradling his head on my lap while keeping one hand on the side of his neck, aware of his pulse.
"C'mon, Leo," I begged in a whisper, my eyes fixing on the spot beneath the tree where the mini time-machine had been. "You have to get here now."
I could feel my King's skin getting cooler under my trembling hands, and my heart was racing at an inexplicable speed, but I didn't allow myself to cry. Not yet. Not when there's still a glimpse of hope.
Arthur's pulse started to weaken and my breathing grew laboured.
"C'mon, c'mon," I continued pleading with God, or the universe, or whoever might hear us.
I momentarily met Merlin's sorrowful gaze as the seconds ticked by at an agonising pace.
I pressed a kiss to my King's forehead. "Stay with me, Artie. You're not allowed to leave me."
A bright light covered the ground for a second before it faded to reveal a frightened-looking Leo standing atop the transporting platform.
"Leo! Thank heaven!" I exclaimed.
Merlin and I quickly lifted Arthur again, carrying him onto the machine.
"Astraea! What the hell!? I thought you were the one dying!" my former classmate protested.
"Oops, someone must've tricked you," I responded before turning to address Merlin. "Merls – I need you, Gwaine, Gwen n' Pops to act as regents 'til we're back. I'll send updates asap."
My brother nodded in understanding and we shared a quick hug before he stepped off the platform.
I turned to Leo. "Hurry! Let's go!"
"Astra, I'm not sure–"
I cut him off by pointing my gun at his leg. "Do it, or I'll do it myself."
Leo's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly nodded and scrambled to activate the machine again as Arthur's pulse continued to fade.