Chapter 41.
Arthur dragged me into the woods. He said that it would hide us well. We only stopped after running away for a few hours, knowing for sure that anyone hadn’t followed us. That nobody will see us here.
I felt drained. My tears stopped flowing, having no more to give. My eyes were red and all buffy. My lungs hurt after the run. I had a hard time catching my breath. My heart started to pump more rapidly especially because I was replaying the last events in my head. I couldn't help it. The images scrolled by themselves without me being able to do anything about it. And every time, I could hear this horrible sound. That crack that kept coming back, giving me chills all over my body. I began to shake, unable to control myself.
My knees gave in, and I fall down on the ground, still trembling. I sensed arms pulling me in an embrace. I felt a hand in my hair, stroking me gently as if to reassure me.
“I am here, Avalon. You are not alone,” I heard a voice whisper in my hear.
The arms tighten around me, as if to say that he will not let me go. And I was thankful for it. I took huge deep breath and started calming myself down. My shaking diminished. After a moment, I wasn’t trembling at all. I stepped back from Arthur's embrace to look at him. I looked into his eyes to tell him how grateful I was for his gesture.
“I am so sorry Avalon,” Arthur said. “I am so sorry we could not save him.”
“How will I tell my parents, my grandmother?”
“I can tell them, if you want”, he proposed.
“No, I have to tell them. But thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you,” I replied.
“I will always be here for you, for anything.”
My throat tightened at his words. I was so appreciative of him. I was glad that he was there with me, supporting me in this difficult time. That he was with me to face this phase.
“How can we do this without him?” I asked.
“We still have each other,” said Arthur. "We will find a way."
I nodded in agreement. I put my head on his chest and tightened my arms behind his back to return his hug. It felt good to be in his arms. I wanted to stay like this forever.
“Avalon,” said suddenly Arthur. “Your grandfather said something before…”
He stopped, but I understood what he meant. I knew he was only doing this to spare my feelings.
“Yes, you’re right,” I responded.
“He said something about Morgana, but he was interrupted. He must have found something about it during his research in Paris.”
“Do you think she survived? Merlin blasted her in Camlann, how could she had survived this?” I asked.
“I found a way to be here, on this area. She may did as well.”
“But she would be very old,” I replied.
“Not if she used magic. She was powerful, maybe still is,” warned the young man.
“How did she managed to do it then?”
“Maybe I can answer this for you,” said a familiar voice behind us.
Chapter 42.
I turned around and lifted my sword. I didn’t realize I took it until this moment. But it was fortunate because I needed it. Deeply.
I was actually shocked by what I see, by who was standing in front of me. He was supposed to be dead, killed during a battle that we escaped from a long time ago. And he didn’t look dead, not like the skeletons we faced just a few minutes earlier.
The young man with black hair came closer to us, slowly, his hands in front as if to soothe me. But I did not let my guard down. On the contrary, I looked at him intensely to try to determinate his next move. He was going to attack, of that, I was sure. He wouldn’t let us live. It would be against everything he stood for. So, I decided to go for it instead of waiting for him.
Mordred was surprised at first, but he had fast reflexes and he countered my attack. I didn't let it bother me and I repeated my gesture. Mordred blocked this strike as well, and then all the following ones.
I let my anger get the better of me so I could face him. I kept throwing blow after blow at him. He would get tired, wouldn't he? I let all my memories of that last battle against him come back. What I had felt when he plunged his sword into Arthur's abdomen, how it had devastated me at the time, how the fear that had taken me.
But the anger run out, and I felt drained. And weird. Mordred didn’t attack me once, he was just avoiding my blows. And Arthur, where was he? Why wasn't he fighting his enemy? I didn't understand anything anymore. And I was tired all of a sudden. Why had Mordred come to us if not to kill us and finish what he had started at the battle of Camlann?
“Avalon,” said Arthur when I lifted my sword once again. “Enough.”
“What? Why? Why aren’t you fighting him?” I replied turning my head in his direction.
But I shouldn’t have done that. It allowed Mordred to disarm me quite easily. Now I had no weapons to defend myself, except my magic.
“Mordred is not our enemy.”
“He tried to kill you, remember?”
“That was because I asked him,” Arthur explained calmly.
“What?” I hiccupped.
“If you could put away your flames, I could explain everything.”
My brows frowned. I hadn’t any flames on me. But that was not entirely true. In fact, without even realizing it, I conjured fire in my hands. Once I noticed it, I let them vanish.
“Good. Maybe you should sit down,” Arthur said.
“I prefer to stand.”
“Well, I will sit, because it is going to be long,” declared Mordred.
“Do you remember when I told you about my best friend?” asked Arthur.
I nodded, remembering what he told me when we were watching my photo album.
“Well, this best friend is Mordred. We have been best friend since the day we were born. His mother and mine were close, and we grew up together. Until he joined Morgana, on my command.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “He stuck a sword in you, and you nearly died.”
“If I really wanted Arthur dead, I would have put the sword right through his heart,” interrupted Mordred.
“Mordred, you are not helping,” replied Arthur. “To explain everything, Mordred always had suspicions about Morgana. He got close to her and found out what she was up to. That was how we survived when she revealed herself to us and attacked Camelot to take the throne. And since she trusted Mordred, I asked him to make everyone believe that he had switched sides, that Morgana had managed to get him back on her side. Fortunately, he agreed. And thanks to him, we got to know Morgana's plans in advance, not all of them so that Morgana would not suspect anything, but enough to survive her attacks. As for the battle of Camlann, Morgana was starting to get suspicious, so I asked Mordred to hurt me."
"I did not want to do it, I remind you,” said Mordred, still sitting on the ground.
"Yes, but for the sake of the mission, I managed to convince you."
"Unfortunately. I would never hurt Arthur, except when he asks me apparently,” said the young black-haired man, turning to me.
“And I never meant to kill you, but…”
“But you had too because that was the deal.”
Arthur nodded, tears in his eyes. It must have been difficult for him to have decided that, to have done that to his best friend.
"So, you were a mole?" I asked Mordred to change the subject.
"Yes."
"Did you know about Gwaine?"
"No, I knew that Morgana had a child that she had given up to the father, but I never knew its name. Maybe she didn't trust me as much as we thought."
"How can we be sure you won't double-cross us, too? And how did you find us?”
“You seemed to forget I also possess magic. I just did a locating spell. In fact, it is thanks to the magic I possess that I was able to convince Morgana that I was on her side. As for double-crossing you, I think what I am about to tell you will be convincing enough to erase that thought of your mind,” he declared, adding a touch of mystery.
Chapter 43.
“Well, we are listening,” I said after a while.
I had the impression that Mordred was leaving a time of silence on purpose. As if he was waiting for the right moment to make his revelation, as if he wanted to wait to add more suspense and mystery to his story.
“I do not know how you arrived here, in this period of time, but for us, it was only because of one object: the holy grail,” he finally started.
I was shocked by what he just said. Maybe because I thought the grail could only increase powers, not make people time travel.
“So, you time travelled?” I asked him.
“No, it was not like that. Someone retrieved the grail and gave it to Morgana.”
“It was Gwaine,” I interrupted.
“But the power contained in the cup was not what the legend said about it. It had much greater powers that I thought, and Morgana knew it very well. Before the battle in Camlann, we both drank in the cup. It was weird, I remember. And when Arthur killed me, I felt my body divide. One part of me died that day, but another part stayed alive, waiting for the right time to wake up. It was like I was in a trance, sleeping to regenerate my body. And I finally woke up five days ago,” he declared.
“What do you mean Mordred? What was contained in the cup?” asked Arthur.
“The grail has another name entirely, that is why we were misled. It is actually called the philosopher stone.”
“What? Like in Harry Potter?” I let out, shocked by this information.
“What is it?” questioned Mordred.
“Do not look at me, I do not know as well,” replied Arthur.
“Don’t worry about it. Wait, you said Morgana drunk it too, right?”
“Yes.”
“Which means she woke up too?”
“Yes, that what I was going to tell you. She is coming for you, stronger than ever.”
“Oh my god, I understand it now.”
“What?” said Arthur.
“’Beware of the enemies of the kingdom who attack in the darkness, for deceptive are the appearances’ it actually makes sense! The enemy has always been Morgana and we didn’t know she had survived. And the fifth line was about you Mordred, all along.”
“I do not understand what you just said. As I was saying, Morgana is coming and she is immortal now thanks to the grail,” said Mordred.
“So are you?” asked Arthur.
“Yes. But we still need to find a way to reverse it, to kill her once and for all.”
“Do not worry, my friend, we will find a way. I am glad that you are here,” Arthur told Mordred, holding him in his arms.
“You woke up five days ago?” I questioned the black-haired man.
“Yes, why?”
"The explosion at my house, it happened five days ago!" I explained. "When you woke up, it must have been so powerful that it set off a huge blast."
“Maybe, I do not remember much from that day. I just knew it was not the same period as before.”
“Well, my friend, I guess we have a lot to talk about then,” said Arthur, taking Mordred by the shoulder and leading him out of the woods in the direction of my house.
Chapter 44.
Once back home, we made ourselves comfortable in the living room. My parents were not there, they were still working at this time. It was good in a way, because I didn't want them to be involved in this. I didn't want anything to happen to them because of me, not like with my grandfather. A wave of sadness swept over me. I fought to keep my tears from falling. I needed a diversion. Luckily, my two companions were there to make conversation. Arthur was explaining to Mordred how he got here, how he had time-traveled with me.
“Wow, that is impressive,” Mordred said. “You must be very powerful to possess this ability.”
“That is what Merlin said,” I replied.
“How did you know that Merlin had powers?” asked Mordred.
“Because in the legend, Merlin is the most powerful wizard, and he helps Arthur build a better world,” I replied.
“Wait, there is a legend about us? What did it say about me?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Kind of,” I said. “They say you are Arthur’s doom, like Morgana is for Merlin.”
“Oh…” was all Mordred reply.
“But legends are not always right. I mean, for Gwaine, it wasn’t true, and for you as well.”
“Okay and what else does it say? Maybe it can help us? Does it talk about the philosopher's stone?”
“One question at a time, Mordred,” intervened Arthur.
“It’s okay,” I told them. “Actually, I don’t know much. The legend stops when Arthur is sent to the isle of Avalon because of his injury of the Camlann’s battle. We only have the book of the Beowulf to help us now. As for the philosopher’s stone, all I know is that it can make a person live forever.”
“Okay, we need to make some research then,” said Mordred.
“Yes, it is not like we have not done any,” replied Arthur sarcastically.
“Yes, but now, you have me.”
“And you think you better than us?”
“Of course. Should I remind you that I am smarter than you Arthur.”
“No, you are not,” said the interested.
“Oh, I can assure you I am.”
It was weird to see them like that, to see them being friends, laughing together, having fun. But I liked it better than the alternative. And it made me smile and laugh with them. I was happy that Arthur had found his best friend again. It shouldn’t have been easy to be separated all those years, not being able to see one another, to pretend to hate each other. However now, they were finally together, on the same side. I just hoped it would be enough to vanquish Morgana.
Chapter 45.
"Hey, I think I found something," Mordred said, pointing to a line in the book where he was doing his research.
Arthur and I rushed to see what he had found. It said that the philosopher’s stone can not only give immortality but can also heal wounds and turn metals into gold. That the only power enough to counter the stone is a magical weapon, stronger enough to resist anything.
“So, there is a way to counter its effects,” declared Arthur, after finishing reading.
“Yes, and I also found this. Listen: ‘according to the traditions or the myths, the grail has the shape of a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous powers: providing eternal youth, or sustenance in infinite abundance, often in the custody of the Fisher King.’,” added the black-haired young man.
“Who is the Fisher King?” I asked.
"He is the person that guards the Grail. It is written that he is "the last of a long line in charge of the guard of the Grail". He is so called because when he was injured in the leg, he could only fish in the river near his castle and wait to be healed by someone asking him the right question. Many have tried, but only the chosen one can succeed. It is said that Percival succeeded, with the help of Sire Galahad and Sire Bohort."
“But Perceval didn’t retrieve the Grail”, I responded.
“I know, Gwaine did.”
“And in some myths, the Grail hold the blood of Jesus,” I declared.
“It didn’t taste like blood, thankfully. More like water I think.”
“Maybe we should focus about the weapon that can help us,” said Arthur. “Can such a magical weapon exist?”
“I will look,” Mordred replied.
We joined him for the research. I was doing it with my computer whereas my two companions, who didn’t know how the internet worked, looked into books. We went to retrieve some in the library, and luckily, we found some in English. I guess it has its perks to live in a big city. After hours of research, I finally found something. It was a little bit weird but after everything that happened to us, I guessed it wasn’t as delusional as I first thought.
“Guys, listen to that. I type ‘The most powerful magical weapon ever’, and I found that in the game Dragon Ball, the most powerful weapon in the universe is the Z Sword. It is a nod to Excalibur, the sword of the rock.”
“Wait, it would mean that Excalibur is the weapon powerful enough to counter the Holy Grail or Philosopher Stone effect,” said Arthur.
“It is a little farfetched, but it could actually work,” I responded.
“Actually yes. It makes sense,” added Mordred. “Isn’t Excalibur forged with magic?”
“Yes, Merlin’s magic,” I said.
“And he is the most powerful wizard. It made sense that he created the most powerful sword ever.”
“And that it can help us defeat Morgana,” added Arthur. “It is like Merlin always knew.”
“Perhaps he did,” was all I could say, thinking about Merlin and his prophecy. “Perhaps he did.”
Photo Credits : Amélie Marmonier
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