Arthur" The legend and Myth Chapter 125

125.

Merlin lowered the volume that he was reading. Ever since his rescue, he had been looking for the edge that could defeat Morgan. He was perusing all the volumes that she read. It was then he realized how extensive she had read into the volumes including the ancient ones that he had placed away.

“No!” Merlin called out in pain. “You betrayed me from the start.”

With that Merlin called on the fire spell to quench his anger. The fire came from the combustion of the air around the volumes and the it engulfed the old volumes before it reduced everything to ashes yet there was no heat to be felt. He felt pain and satisfaction from it. Those volumes were his collection from the years of working with other experts. He may be an ancient but what he read from those volumes have relapse into the ancients part of this mind unreachable. That pained him very much but he was elated that none others will ever read those volumes.

“You could have placed them with me.” It was the voice of Ninniane who rose from a pool of water in the bucket. “Others of my own may have learned from it. We did share Excalibur with you.”

“Excalibur? Was it that which why you keep on popping up in my life lately?” Merlin asked while he searched for more volumes. “I thought you hated me at the last stage. Last you told me that you won’t help me.”

“Yes, I did but I also fell in love with you once before. So I am fickle. ” Ninniane replied. “I am not overly concerned on my emotional states. I loved you for you were well versed in the ancient texts. Why destroy them now? I also had accessed some of those volumes and you knew but you ignored it.”

“You were different…” Merlin was cut off by the nymph. “Our love was …”

“I could not bore you a son. Maybe I was different to you.” Ninniane laughed. “My sister failed too. So Morgan gave you a son but she took it away. You are left without one.”

“I would appreciate if you leave.” Merlin told her off.

“Like your Queen told you. Merlin when have you been so pathetic?” Ninniane laughed and then she reminded him. “You may need my help. When you are finished with the Camelot, do return to Excalibur. Don’t destroy it as you could not.”

“And do call and I may come….again.” Once Ninniane left the cavern, another appeared then. It was the Lioness Spirit.

“Merlin, we conferred and we have decided to come back.” The Lioness voiced out. “Your battle with the Dragons may not be that simple, and easy to overcome.”

Merlin laughed then.

“Are you coming to your senses now or the Dragons scared you.” Merlin looked at the Lioness who chose to ignore him.

“Don’t taunt us, minion. I came back to tell you that in the final battle, we will be there.” The Lioness cautioned Merlin. “Remember this we are the true custodian of Camelot but not the King. He is your concern but we will fight to protect Camelot.”

“So the lines are drawn then. You want Camelot, the nymph wants Excalibur so that leave me only Arthur. He is mortal and I am his only custodian.”

It was once said that Man’ failure was due to their arrogance. Optimus Prime Julius was no different then. He heard the call for the challenge from Arthur’s knight.

“Fight us in the personal battle.” It was a barbaric call of strength and above all, ego on them. The Prime donned his armour and was to pick up his gladius when the Centurion reported to him.

“Prime, the Procurator had ridden out to fight Arthur.” The Prime was upset then and rushed to intercept the Procurator but the other told him off.

“If I lose, we will withdraw.” Procurator Lucius command the other. “Rome can avenge my death another day but if I win, I will take over the Provincia Britannia once more.”

Optimus Prime Julius was to protest but he felt the war was wasted there. Rome needed its army for other fronts then the isle. He nodded to the Procurator then and withdrew to his tent. He called on his centurions and told them to prepare to leave.

“Prime, we are on a battlefield with the Procurator fighting Arthur. Why do we leave?” A Centurion questioned him.

“Centurion, the Procurator is a fool. He wants to fight with another who is skilled in battle. Have you not read of Arthur? He held the sword Excalibur and he is protected by the druid named Merlin. Both of it have given him invulnerability.”

“Then we are truly defeated.” The Centurion replied. “When have Rome succumbed to such vile fallacies and myths? We are the Legionnaires and we have conquered…”

“No empire last forever.” The Prime snapped at the Centurion. “Our loss of the Provincia and Gaul spoke of our last days of the Empire. We are best to regroup and fight again when we are stronger.”

The Centurion was to argue but the Prime sent him off to report on the personal battle.

“I will rest now.” The Prime then took to rest.

If rest was to be relaxing then Lancelot will not be swirling the mead in the goblet while seated in the tent. He was joined by Trstam who then told him that Arthur is riding out to face the Roman.

“Who is it? The Pirme himself or some other leaders?” Lancelot asked then.

“I heard he is challenging the Procurator.” Tristam grabbed another goblet and helped himself to a drink. He then sat down with Lancelot. He asked of the early days with Arthur.

“We were younger then and the body was willing to fight without the aches. Arthur was himself just past his prime then as a Centurion but he was still strong. He held then the sword from the Stone and was holding his own in the battles. We all were then; myself, Gawain, Percival and even the youngest Galahad. Since then, soon after the death of his son, Arthur had been seated on the throne than on the saddle. Even at the joust tournaments, we all fought for him then. I for one was never without a day without a fight with someone. It was in me to test my skills and strength.”

“I heard about the Black Knight.” Tristam cut in with low voice. “It was rumours then…”

“It’s true that the only one who defeated me was him. He was …my mentor. He taught me my basic skills and ….among many things. I was …. lost in my thoughts then and stayed away but I returned.” Lancelot stared at the younger knight. “If you knew of the Black Knight, then you….”

“Of your affair with the Queen? I heard of that but I am not here to judge you on moral grounds. I held no quarrel with that code nor …”

“So whom was it? Lamorak? Sir Kay or Sir Bors?” Lancelot snapped in but the younger knight denied it all.

“I have taken the vow of celibacy to work on my skills and strategies. I hold no love for another other than my knighthood.”

“Noble but you may have missed out on life offerings.” Lancelot laughed. It was then the servant came rushing in.

“Arthur won the fight.” The servant gasped out in between taking deep breaths. “He killed the bastard in a fair fight.”

Lancelot heaved in a sigh of relief then but when he saw the King shoulder carried in by the knights, his fear returned. The healers rushed to the King’s side.

“He will live. His wounds are not fatal.” The healers told the knights. So then Arthur lived to fight another day. Lancelot took to his mount and ride towards the Roman lines. He saw the Legionnaires collected their dead leader and hand carried him to the tent while he waited for the Prime.

“Did you come to mock us, Sir Lancelot?” Optimus Prime Julius confronted the knight. “I was once your Centurion but then I was not seen by you for my ranking.”

“You are mistaken, Centurion Julius. I saw you but your actions did not need me to correct hence I felt no need to see you. You are a good Centurion and from your current rank, you deserved it all.”

“Then to what purpose is our meet now?” The Prime questioned. Just before Lancelot could speak, the later continued on. “We will not fight you today for we are recalled back to Rome. The battle is over but not the war.”

Lancelot was then dismissed without giving him a chance to speak. Soon after he left the place, the Prime was asked by his centurions.

“We could win the battle if we attacked now.” The Centurion told him. “You can lead us.”

“An empty victory for if I win, the honour will go to the Procurator who is the assigned leader. His death may had spurred the victory and what of myself? Another posting to the rebelling Gaul lands perhaps or the acrid sands of Pharoah lands. Either is disliked by me. We return to Rome with more requests of reinforcements or at worst for me, an early retirement to the Seine River. I favoured the later more. Fighting the ones we once called brothers ails my heart …. And mind.”

“Prepare to send the Procurator back to Rome with the grandeur of a warrior, and have him escorted by two cohorts of Legionnaires to bring glory on his journey. Meanwhile, we take our slow march back like a defeated Legion.” The Prime turned to his centurions once more. “Defeat is at best better than death. With the former, we can still see our family and have them to mourn our passing. Tell that to the men lest there be misgivings of our return. A wrong whisper may result in death not by the Senate but myself.”