36.
Arthur sat upright on his saddle and marveled at the works done on his castle at Camelot. Since his appointment to replace Lord Pendragon he was busy handling the Anglo Saxon invasion. He had arranged the army at strategic locations at the border. During his stay at the castle, he did not get to see Lady Igraine or Pendragon who was in his personal chamber. He was only given the order to stop the invasion. He recalled his argument on the appointment.
“I will not be King.” Arthur snapped back. He then muttered to himself. “Not like this.”
Arthur had thought of his own lands but it was to be through his own battles. He was not keen to given by the other on the whimsy idea that he was the son of Pendragon.
“You may not have to be his successor as Pendragon is not dead. He is dying nevertheless. His lands and lords needed a leader. I see fit that you lead them through this times when we are once more threatened by the Anglo Saxons.” Lady Igraine looked at him. “You may be his stand-in King. Be the knight that you want to be. Help the helpless now.”
Lady Igraine drove in the point of Pendragon dying then well. Arthur was moved by her request and agreed.
“Once he has recovered or a new heir is announced.” Arthur replied to the Lady. The lady smiled and then the matter was resolved.
The invasion of the Anglo Saxon did not come and the lands were once safe with the leadership of Pendragon but the later was still in his beddings. Arthur took leave then to see his own Camelot and was impressed.
“You had done a good task, Merlin.” Camelot the Castle stood tall on the hill with the towers and walls.
“Thank you, my Lord.” Merlin smiled. He looked at the splendid castle that he had designed and built. The castle with the twin towers loomed over the cliff and its walls that lined the cliffs to the bottom of the hill towards the flat farmland. In the outer walls were the five smaller towers and its two gates; the main one was sturdy with the double layer of wood and reinforced with the metal rung for durability while the side gate on the slope for the escape to the bay. Merlin then led Arthur into his castle and came upon the main doorway to the inner castle. The doorway was guarded by two lion figurine as if it was in Rome with the many magnificent sculptures. The lions were unique in the shades where one was gleaming white and the other fierce red.
“The lions represent your wisdom which is pure and fair and the red is your strength with the ferocity that your foe will fear.” Merlin looked at the two gran statue with pride for it was done with his supervision but Arthur had ignored it and walked on. The tall and huge doors on the entrance towered over his height and span wide for five persons to step through in comfort. He saw the metal grille gate that was hung over the doorway and with its thick width it will present itself as a defensive tool in case of an attack there.
Once inside the castle, Arthur was greeted by the huge chamber adorned by the muslin fabric of two shades; the red and white. It was a grand display of shades that lent weight to the dull stone walls. He noticed the effort to make the place friendly with the shields of the friendly allies alongside with the armored chest pieces bearing the crests of the clans or Lords. Soon they appeared at the grand hall where the round table was its main piece of the settings.
“The table shall sit twelve of the finest knights with you as their leader.” The table was surrounded by the thirteen high back seats and above the table was the multi layered nine candle lights chandelier. On the ceiling was the painting of stars in the night sky. If one was to know their constellation, they would have recognized the layout of the stars resembled the sign of Leo.
To the side of the table were twenty five more seats on each side which was the sitting for the prime knights that will await their command from Arthur. On the walls were the drawn murals of the Kings and Lords in their epic battles. Each mural was adorned with the fine silk drapes that lent it pleasing shades. To the flooring at the wall were the line of tables with the servings of foods and drinks served by a retinue of servants.
“Fifty prime knights and twelve of your trusted ones with yourself, making the numbers to sixty three or if you add the two numeric here it become a niner.” Merlin explained the significance of the numbers as taught to him by the Egyptians. “Your number is nine as in the main stars of the lion sign on the skies.”
The constellation of Leo held nine stars.
“You left the Legion at the age of thirty nine which is three decades ago that comes to a full nine in the numbers.” Merlin looked to Arthur. “You are destined to be King.”
“Enough!” Arthur snapped out in anger. “I have heard enough of your tales.”
“My tales drove you here, and with that your destiny awaits you.” Merlin replied. He then asked Arthur to follow him. The later found himself compiling with the request without any hesitation. Arthur was led down the steps passing the damp walls and the smell of the sea to an underground cavern.
“Behold the lair of the dragon.” Merlin told him. The cavern was cleared of the dirt and unwanted debris while in there then was a lighted chamber with the line of shelves along the walls. On the shelves were the remains of bones that were then placed there with spacing in between. Merlin then took him to the tunnel that led out to the cliff walls.
“Here was the opening for the eagles to bring food to the young dragons then in their nesting. The dragons were bad parents that they leave their young’s to be fed by the eagles. They themselves when were young adults they took off for the skies and the faraway lands. It was a test of survivals for the young ones.” Merlin told his tale there. “The dragon were few and rare even then but it was not the breeding methods that dwindled their numbers but Man. The creatures once roamed freely on the lands, and they have few foes until Man learned to hunt with spears and arrows. It was then the dragons made their breeding grounds unreachable by Man. They have a pact with the eagles to feed their young one while they roamed the lands.”
“The dragons are real?” Artthur asked. He then picked up what may resemble a skull of a creature. “It’s not as I expected.”
“Yes, the dragon skull you held differed from the ones you may have been told of. The dragons are more of the lions in shape although they hold the wings on their back.” Merlin smiled. “The ancient tales spoke of them with the flames from their jaw. Its partially true for the lions then did hold a loud roar and it scared off its foes as if they were bathed in the flames of the fire when it’s the flames of the lion roar.”
“The wings were theirs for flight but it was a short one for they tend to leap more than they could fly.”
Arthur was fixated on the skull he held. Hi eyes focused on it and then he felt as if he was seeing through their eyes. He was no longer the figure that he held but he was that of the lion with the red mane and the shade of it all his body. He saw the great lands below him as the creature once roamed it. He saw the creatures of the forests then hiding when they are in his path. He then saw the most fearsome sight that a Man may see. It was a dark creature; black in shade and it was four legged with the fierce green eyes but it was a hound in the shape. “Gwyllgi…” Arthur muttered out but his vision went on. He saw himself approaching the other creature. Both of them stared and then the later turned to leave. Arthur found himself staring at the dark creature leaving but just then without a warning, the dark creature turned and charged at Arthur. He saw himself lifted by the wings on his back and then his front paws clawed at the dark creature. The dark creature backed off in pain and then snarled at Arthur. It feigned a few charges at Arthur before it slowly slunk away. Arthur then felt the pain on his back and his vision faded away. He reached for his back and touched the gash there. Merlin rushed forth to hold him then.
“Arthur, you fell and cut your back on the stone.” Merlin told him. “What happened? And you called out a name.”
“Black…” Merlin told him. “Are you well?”
Arthur shook his head and then told the other of the vision he had. He told Merlin of the dark creature that he was told of when young.
“Gwyiigi?” Merlin repeated the name. “It can’t be. The creature is a myth. Like the Cerberus who guards the Underworld. But the shade of dark like black may speak of other things. Anything that is dark signifies bad tidings and if the gash on your back is to be reckoned with I believed someone in dark shades may strike at you from the rear. Like a traitor among your knights. Or maybe the Black Knight.”
“The Black Knight?” Arthur had then sat up and asked the druid. “Who is the Black Knight?”
“He is Hengist as you had met in the chamber with Pendragon.” Merlin reminded him. “He is not an ally of ours. He is Anglo Saxon but you have one to contend with. I was told by the scouts that Lancelot was seen with him.”
Lancelot had been missing since the last battle. It was then a scout rode up.
“King Arthur”, Arthur shuddered at the calling of his name. “We have a situation up north. There is one knight there named the Early One plaguing our forces. The knight had struck in a few places and each time our knights appeared, they varnished when in pursuit.”
Across the land further north, Hengist removed his chest armor with his teeth clenched. It was not that he was hurt there but the limbs on his body were crying out for comfort due to his age. He was past the age of fighting but the reputation of the Black Knight was his to preserve. He held no successor to that. More to that the people then needed a figurehead to feel secured in their homes. He was Anglo Saxon by birth but his loyalty then lay by his lands given to him by Pendragon. It was a hard earned victory of sorts and one that he regretted ever allowing to happen.
“We need to get a foothold here.” Horsa sat there while his brother Hengist ranted on how they much they needed land to build their castle. “We cannot grab it for Pendragon will have us routed from it with his army.”
Horsa sighed then as he knew that Hengist meant well. They have been raiding the lands for years then since they learned to ride with their father but the raids yielded results that needed more raids later on. Pendragon have been winning the battles even though they had sided with the Pict,
“It’s barbaric how the Pict fought their battles. Their battle cries are eerie but their roars are no longer feared by the settlers. Pendragon have taught them to build fences and armed them with spears.” Hengist grumbled on. “I say we call for a truce and then fight back when we are ready.”
The brothers have lost a part of their army in the last battle with Pendragon with them then hiding in the forest. Hengist impatient with his brother’s reply then had voiced out more discontent.
“We can’t fight Pendragon when our own clans are not with us. I will suggest then we withdraw back to our lands.”
“No, we cannot.” Horsa played to the tune of his brother voiced out his refusal. “We came so far and lost so many of our friends to retreat without a true victory.”
“Then if a battle cannot be fought on the plains, should we fight them on other grounds?” Hengit suggested. “I am for a deceit. Perhaps a lure to entrap them.”
It was how Pendragon soon lost most of his kins’ in a banquet of blood and flesh.
Back then to Hengist when he took the seat to ease the pain on his body. His aide stepped up and reported to him on Lancelot.
“Lancelot was seen. He was intercepted by Tristam.”
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