I stood up and looked around, everyone was backing away, both red cloaked and blue painted men, as if they had just witnessed a ghost. Suddenly there was aloud roar from the sky, and above a giant dragon trampled the trees tall enough to get in its way. The men would occasionally step backwards, but most could not even move away. I stood my ground as the dark dragon dropped down in front of me, crushing a few bodies that laid broken on the grass. It leaned its head in forward, the sun gleaming off of its black scales. The dragon seemed to scowl at me before leaning backwards on its haunches and transforming into a black cloaked figure. A few men let out gasps and a few tried to repress screams, but their overall conclusion was that there was a demon in their midst.
The figure pulled the hood of her cloak back, revealing pale skin with matching eyes and dark hair. "What have you done?" She asked, her tone cold as ice with a glare to match.
"I did nothing." I snarled. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"My name is Nimueh." She said, moving around me, surveying the area. "And I've come to collect the price." Her dark colored lips twisted at the corners. "Or have you forgotten the price for magic?"
"I hardly think causing the earth to push people would allow for such a visit." I said.
"Oh no, of course not," she said, tracing her finger across my back as she walked behind me. "I came for something much more serious."
"Fia! Get away from her!" I turned around to see Merlin rushing across the battle field on a poor gray horse, whom looked like death itself. When he got to us he launched off the horse and pushed me behind him. "What do you want, Nimueh?"
Nimueh's twisted smile vanished as Merlin scowled at her. "You know how magic works, dear Merlin. Now, tell me, where is your king?"
Merlin's eyebrows furrowed and he looked to me. "What did you do, sister?"
"I didn't..." I started, but looked around. "I don't know what I did, he just vanished."
"Vanished? What does that mean?" Merlin yelled. "What did you do?"
Nimueh brushed her hand up Merlin's arm. "Now, now, let us not be hasty."
Merlin grabbed Nimueh's arm, his knuckles turning white. "Don't you dare touch me, you viper."
Nimueh scowled once more, and yanked her arm free. "The price for one life is another, what is your plan of action, dear brother?" She spat coldly.
Merlin said nothing, but looked to me.
"If he was alive he would be here and he's not!" I yelled. "You have no proof!"
"Ah! Perhaps." She said. "But you messed with something far greater than you and a price must be paid. Thus we have two options. I can either kill you now, or send you to wherever it is you sent the body of our dead king, and you can bring him back here. What you have done is threatened the history of our people and it cannot be accepted." Nimwueh's lips began to twist upward. "Why don't I just do the latter, hm?" She threw her hands up and a bright yellow light branched out from them, and without a second to spare she blew on her hands and the light overwhelmed me.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The Battle
When the light began to peak through the trees we continued on our journey. Juniper kept a pretty fast pace, covering a lot of ground quickly. My heart began to beat faster as I wondered if I could make a difference, or if it would all be in vain. I felt panicked and frightful as the words of the dragon in my dream rushed to the forefront of my mind, "Your efforts are worthless, you cannot save what you wish to save, and surely you'll be left with only a grave. Every time an answer you seek, another falls and another grows week, but all will die... that is the rule of your magic eye." According to the letter Merlin had a vision of Aurelius' death. What if the dragon was not a dream, but a vision? My stomach twisted in knots and I thought I would become sick, but I had not consumed food in two days; nothing could come up.
I shook my head. I would not give into such thoughts. The future is not set in stone, it is merely a suggestion, and I reject its suggestion. I looked ahead with a resolve I would not let be crushed. Around midday we found ourselves out of the woods and crossing through a valley of rolling hills. The grass was a light green and blurs of white flowers appeared every now and then. The air seemed sweet, but not long after entering the fields the sound battle struck my ears. Juniper gradually slowed down as the anxiousness within me grew with each second.
"Don't slow down, Juniper! I know not how much time I may have."
Juniper threw herself into a full gallop until we came to the top of one of the bigger hills. Down below was a mass of blue painted men attacking my red cloaked ones. I jumped off of Juniper quickly and looked back to her.
"Run back home, your life is innocent and should not be wasted in merciless killing."
Juniper gave me a light nudge and then took off back towards Camelot. I began to survey the battle, looking for the knight I would recognize, and that's when a flash of purple caught my eye. One of the knights had a purple shield instead of a red one. I began to make my way down the hill when I saw another Saxon coming up the side of Aurelius, his sword drown back.
"Ari!" I cried, in a full sprint now, using my magic to push anyone who came to close to me away so that I would not be slowed. But in the instant that I had yelled his name the sword was plunging into his side. "No!" I threw my hand forward, now close enough for my magic to touch the blue painted man with the blood stained sword, and pushed him backwards into the sword of another, and all others surrounding were thrown back, my magic spreading out several feet from me by the power of my anger.
I dropped down and removed the helmet to find Aurelius breathing harshly. "How?" He asked painfully.
"I stole a horse." I whispered. "I could not simply stand by if I had the chance to save you."
He tried to laugh, but it turned into a blood producing cough. The wound on his side was big, I could practically fit my hand in it. My eyes began to tear up as I looked back upon Aurelius with his dirty face and messed up hair.
"I don't want to lose you." I murmured, tears streaking down my face.
"Nor I you." He said, reaching a hand to my face. "I thought I would never get to tell you the truth."
"What truth?" I asked, holding his hand to my face.
"That, when I first met you, I loved you. That is truly why I was so cold to you before. It was not because I wished to protect Merlin, but because I thought I had fallen for someone who would try to persuade me to kill Merlin, and I though I just might." He smiled a little.
"Edgar told me a story of people who killed for love." I explained. "I stole a horse and caused someone to be impaled in these past two days. I think that means I love you a lot." I said.
"I quite like Edgar." He said softly before having another fit of coughing. "Take care, Fia."
And with that he was gone, and I pulled his body to me, crying. "I can save you!" I yelled. "A life for a life, I'll die so you can live!" I cried, trying to make my magic bring him to life. I tried with everything I had, but then he was gone, and stood, knowing full and well what it meant to kill for love.
I shook my head. I would not give into such thoughts. The future is not set in stone, it is merely a suggestion, and I reject its suggestion. I looked ahead with a resolve I would not let be crushed. Around midday we found ourselves out of the woods and crossing through a valley of rolling hills. The grass was a light green and blurs of white flowers appeared every now and then. The air seemed sweet, but not long after entering the fields the sound battle struck my ears. Juniper gradually slowed down as the anxiousness within me grew with each second.
"Don't slow down, Juniper! I know not how much time I may have."
Juniper threw herself into a full gallop until we came to the top of one of the bigger hills. Down below was a mass of blue painted men attacking my red cloaked ones. I jumped off of Juniper quickly and looked back to her.
"Run back home, your life is innocent and should not be wasted in merciless killing."
Juniper gave me a light nudge and then took off back towards Camelot. I began to survey the battle, looking for the knight I would recognize, and that's when a flash of purple caught my eye. One of the knights had a purple shield instead of a red one. I began to make my way down the hill when I saw another Saxon coming up the side of Aurelius, his sword drown back.
"Ari!" I cried, in a full sprint now, using my magic to push anyone who came to close to me away so that I would not be slowed. But in the instant that I had yelled his name the sword was plunging into his side. "No!" I threw my hand forward, now close enough for my magic to touch the blue painted man with the blood stained sword, and pushed him backwards into the sword of another, and all others surrounding were thrown back, my magic spreading out several feet from me by the power of my anger.
I dropped down and removed the helmet to find Aurelius breathing harshly. "How?" He asked painfully.
"I stole a horse." I whispered. "I could not simply stand by if I had the chance to save you."
He tried to laugh, but it turned into a blood producing cough. The wound on his side was big, I could practically fit my hand in it. My eyes began to tear up as I looked back upon Aurelius with his dirty face and messed up hair.
"I don't want to lose you." I murmured, tears streaking down my face.
"Nor I you." He said, reaching a hand to my face. "I thought I would never get to tell you the truth."
"What truth?" I asked, holding his hand to my face.
"That, when I first met you, I loved you. That is truly why I was so cold to you before. It was not because I wished to protect Merlin, but because I thought I had fallen for someone who would try to persuade me to kill Merlin, and I though I just might." He smiled a little.
"Edgar told me a story of people who killed for love." I explained. "I stole a horse and caused someone to be impaled in these past two days. I think that means I love you a lot." I said.
"I quite like Edgar." He said softly before having another fit of coughing. "Take care, Fia."
And with that he was gone, and I pulled his body to me, crying. "I can save you!" I yelled. "A life for a life, I'll die so you can live!" I cried, trying to make my magic bring him to life. I tried with everything I had, but then he was gone, and stood, knowing full and well what it meant to kill for love.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Juniper
I ran down the plaza and found a horse that a rider had just dismounted. I vaulted myself on top of the horse, not quite sure how exactly to ride one. The rider yelled at me, extremely upset at his horse being ambushed, but the horse quickly yanked the rope from his handler's hands and took off towards the woods. I clung to the saddle for dear life while trying to keep myself from slipping off the side.
Once in the woods the horse slowed down evenly until it came to a complete halt. My heart was racing and my fingers were white as Edgar's fur from gripping so tightly. The horse turned its head and stared at me, seeming highly confused. It nudged me with its brown nose, like a mare would to a foal to tell it to get up and walk. I slid off the horse and tried it again, placing one foot in the stirrup and swinging the other over the horse. I ended up backwards, but got it right after that attempt. As soon as I had hold of the reigns the horse bolted once again, practically causing me to fly off the its back.
Somehow the horse seemed to know where it was going, and I had no plan of action, so I let the horse do as it wished, hoping by some miracle it would take me to Aurelius. The woods seemed to never change, as if it was an eternal loop of trees and birds and rocks. Eventually the trees did grew closer together and the sunlight grew dimmer and lower, causing visibility to greatly decrease. I decided to stop for the night, seeing as, at least where we were within the woods, we could walk over a cliff and have no idea that it was coming.
I grabbed some stray logs and sticks while the horse began to nibble on the grass. With the sun going down it grew cooler, so I ignited the wood with fire and sat down on a fallen tree, warming my hands. I took the letter out from a pocket that was sewn into the inside of my cloak, an odd thing I had never heard of, but Camelot seemed full of oddities, myself included.
Reading over Aurelius' words again I felt certain I could not have acted in any other such way. I ran a finger over his signiture. Ari. He had told me no one had called him that since his mother, and surely to sign his name like that he knew I would read this, and in writing this letter to Merlin in turn he wrote it to me. Edgar had spoken of love before I rushed away, a feeling I had never understood. Is this what it was like to be in the stories Edgar would read to me? I knew not. I simply knew I could not sit by and know he was going to die without trying to save him.
The horse moved over and made a move as if to nibble on the letter I was holding before the fire to see better. I yanked it away and folded it back up.
"No, bad horse." I said, trying to shame it.
The horse shook its head and sniffed my hair oddly and then snorted.
"Thank you so much, I greatly enjoyed that." I said sarcastically, wiping the snot from my neck. "Now, I am certain you have a name, but I did not take the time to ask before I stole you." I stood up and rubbed the horse's neck. "I wonder what it might be." Then I noticed a round piece of leather hanging from the bridle. On that piece of leather was the name, "Juniper" inscribed upon it. Juniper was a kind of tree that had berries usually harvested for gin. I suppose it makes sense, considering I found the horse outside of the local tavern. "Well, Juniper, glad to have you along for the ride."
Juniper shook its head up and down and nuzzled its head against mine briefly before walking away to nibble on some leaves from a nearby bush. I hunkered down on the grass and leaned against the log, watching the fire dance across the wood until it died out, and with it I drifted into a fitted slumber.
Once in the woods the horse slowed down evenly until it came to a complete halt. My heart was racing and my fingers were white as Edgar's fur from gripping so tightly. The horse turned its head and stared at me, seeming highly confused. It nudged me with its brown nose, like a mare would to a foal to tell it to get up and walk. I slid off the horse and tried it again, placing one foot in the stirrup and swinging the other over the horse. I ended up backwards, but got it right after that attempt. As soon as I had hold of the reigns the horse bolted once again, practically causing me to fly off the its back.
Somehow the horse seemed to know where it was going, and I had no plan of action, so I let the horse do as it wished, hoping by some miracle it would take me to Aurelius. The woods seemed to never change, as if it was an eternal loop of trees and birds and rocks. Eventually the trees did grew closer together and the sunlight grew dimmer and lower, causing visibility to greatly decrease. I decided to stop for the night, seeing as, at least where we were within the woods, we could walk over a cliff and have no idea that it was coming.
I grabbed some stray logs and sticks while the horse began to nibble on the grass. With the sun going down it grew cooler, so I ignited the wood with fire and sat down on a fallen tree, warming my hands. I took the letter out from a pocket that was sewn into the inside of my cloak, an odd thing I had never heard of, but Camelot seemed full of oddities, myself included.
Reading over Aurelius' words again I felt certain I could not have acted in any other such way. I ran a finger over his signiture. Ari. He had told me no one had called him that since his mother, and surely to sign his name like that he knew I would read this, and in writing this letter to Merlin in turn he wrote it to me. Edgar had spoken of love before I rushed away, a feeling I had never understood. Is this what it was like to be in the stories Edgar would read to me? I knew not. I simply knew I could not sit by and know he was going to die without trying to save him.
The horse moved over and made a move as if to nibble on the letter I was holding before the fire to see better. I yanked it away and folded it back up.
"No, bad horse." I said, trying to shame it.
The horse shook its head and sniffed my hair oddly and then snorted.
"Thank you so much, I greatly enjoyed that." I said sarcastically, wiping the snot from my neck. "Now, I am certain you have a name, but I did not take the time to ask before I stole you." I stood up and rubbed the horse's neck. "I wonder what it might be." Then I noticed a round piece of leather hanging from the bridle. On that piece of leather was the name, "Juniper" inscribed upon it. Juniper was a kind of tree that had berries usually harvested for gin. I suppose it makes sense, considering I found the horse outside of the local tavern. "Well, Juniper, glad to have you along for the ride."
Juniper shook its head up and down and nuzzled its head against mine briefly before walking away to nibble on some leaves from a nearby bush. I hunkered down on the grass and leaned against the log, watching the fire dance across the wood until it died out, and with it I drifted into a fitted slumber.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Letter
I rushed through the door into Merlin's main study, still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Merlin stood up, looking startled and eyes almost completely taken over by dark circles. My heart beat quick and each breathe seemed to be shorter then the first as an angered feeling took place in my soul.
"Why?" I cried, "Why didn't you wake me?"
Merlin stepped forward as if to give some kind of explanation but no words came from him. I noticed the open letter sitting on the table in front of him and rushed forward to take it up. Merlin made no notion to take it from me as I began to read.
My Dear Friend Merlin,
I'm writing this letter as a kind of goodbye that cannot be spoken in the presence of others. I want you to know that I do not hold you responsible for my death, you merely had a vision which cannot be helped. I know now that it is necessary if my brother is to become king and father the chosen heir of my beloved Camelot. I have accepted my fate, and parish I shall. It is of no consequence to finally be rid of all this pain a king must uphold in sending his people to war; I have fought far too long.
Our friendship is very dear to me, Merlin. So, as a friend, I am going to ask you to do something very hard. There is no doubt you know how dear your sister has grown to me. I could not bear it so see her one more time, Merlin. I would lose all sense of logic and polite behavior that a king must uphold before a battle, surely. Thus, I beg of you Merlin, keep her from me this coming morning. Spare my tormented heart, it has all ready chosen to fight 'till death for her.
Your Friend,
Ari
I dropped the letter and ran to Merlin's bookshelf and pulled down one of the leather bound books of Arthurian legend that Edgar had brought with him from his cottage. I flipped through the pages as fast as I could with my hands shaking from a tremor I could not get rid of. Within the first few pages was a family tree that gave a very brief description of people before Arthur, and sure enough it spoke of Aurelius' dying in a battle.
I stood there shaking and Edgar came to take the book from me gently as my fingers let it droop towards the floor.
"Sister..." Merlin whispered.
I shook my head and ran to my room, grabbing my red cloak. I tied it well and made my was as quickly as I could to the door.
Merlin grabbed my arm, his grip as strong as an eagle's. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked, trying to repress his feelings from becoming a scream of anger towards me.
"Changing the future." I said, trying to get out of Merlin's grasp. "I have magic, I can save him!" I cried, "I owe him that much." I whispered.
Merlin's face looked hard at me, just as he had the night of the dragon. Edgar tugged on Merlin's pant leg, looking up at him knowingly, shaking his head slowly.
"You must let her go, son." Edgar said softly.
"And why should I do that? Haven't I lost enough people in my life?" He cried, yet lessening his grip nonetheless.
"Yes, but love is a completely different matter, Merlin." Edgar replied.
I yanked my arm from Merlin's hand, and without a second glance found my way out of the castle, clutching Aurelius' letter in my hand.
"Why?" I cried, "Why didn't you wake me?"
Merlin stepped forward as if to give some kind of explanation but no words came from him. I noticed the open letter sitting on the table in front of him and rushed forward to take it up. Merlin made no notion to take it from me as I began to read.
My Dear Friend Merlin,
I'm writing this letter as a kind of goodbye that cannot be spoken in the presence of others. I want you to know that I do not hold you responsible for my death, you merely had a vision which cannot be helped. I know now that it is necessary if my brother is to become king and father the chosen heir of my beloved Camelot. I have accepted my fate, and parish I shall. It is of no consequence to finally be rid of all this pain a king must uphold in sending his people to war; I have fought far too long.
Our friendship is very dear to me, Merlin. So, as a friend, I am going to ask you to do something very hard. There is no doubt you know how dear your sister has grown to me. I could not bear it so see her one more time, Merlin. I would lose all sense of logic and polite behavior that a king must uphold before a battle, surely. Thus, I beg of you Merlin, keep her from me this coming morning. Spare my tormented heart, it has all ready chosen to fight 'till death for her.
Your Friend,
Ari
I dropped the letter and ran to Merlin's bookshelf and pulled down one of the leather bound books of Arthurian legend that Edgar had brought with him from his cottage. I flipped through the pages as fast as I could with my hands shaking from a tremor I could not get rid of. Within the first few pages was a family tree that gave a very brief description of people before Arthur, and sure enough it spoke of Aurelius' dying in a battle.
I stood there shaking and Edgar came to take the book from me gently as my fingers let it droop towards the floor.
"Sister..." Merlin whispered.
I shook my head and ran to my room, grabbing my red cloak. I tied it well and made my was as quickly as I could to the door.
Merlin grabbed my arm, his grip as strong as an eagle's. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked, trying to repress his feelings from becoming a scream of anger towards me.
"Changing the future." I said, trying to get out of Merlin's grasp. "I have magic, I can save him!" I cried, "I owe him that much." I whispered.
Merlin's face looked hard at me, just as he had the night of the dragon. Edgar tugged on Merlin's pant leg, looking up at him knowingly, shaking his head slowly.
"You must let her go, son." Edgar said softly.
"And why should I do that? Haven't I lost enough people in my life?" He cried, yet lessening his grip nonetheless.
"Yes, but love is a completely different matter, Merlin." Edgar replied.
I yanked my arm from Merlin's hand, and without a second glance found my way out of the castle, clutching Aurelius' letter in my hand.
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