Arthur II Book III Chapter 20

 

20.

 

Auric Augustus was ill then and the healers have no cure for the nobleman, had resorted to bloodletting to cleanse the body. However, he met the knight at the Hall.

“Whom am I addressing?” The frail voice of Auric Augustus was heard by Lancelot. The knight studied the hall that he was in. It was only with the bare seating and tables with much of the draperies that were worn out or missing. He had met the guards there which were few.

“Do accept my simple offerings?” Auric has offered the guest drinks and some food. It was not much but filling for a single person. “Please do feed. I am without an appetite.”

“My name is Lancelot of Joyous.” The knight introduced himself. “I am fine here.”

“What then can I offer you? I have read my daughter’s letters about her stay at your castle. She is well, I assumed?”

“Elaine is fine.” Lancelot bit his tongue. He was too friendly with the lady’s name and then went for the issue of why he was there.

“I would like to seek your approval to wed your daughter and offer …”

“Yes, you have it.” Auric cut in. “I am unwell, and welcome your offer.”

That sealed the wedding request and Lancelot hen moved to the health of the noble.

“I am unwell for some time now. I am afraid that I may not live on much longer. It’s good that Elaine has found her protector and lover. She will bear you good sons and gracious daughters.” Auric smiled.

“Tell me of your health, Auric. I will assist since we are not to be …. Family.” Lancelot wanted to know more. He could see the other ailments were more of sorcery and not of the infection on the body.

“It’s a short tale but I will tell. It all began…”

Auric was in his chamber reading the letters from the Senate. He found his Senate friends were decreasing with the members retired or left powerless. He heard that the other family, the Marcellus was also affected but the family have the protection of the Ninth Cohort. He had wished it but his bursar told him that his coins were short, and his land was not providing much. He had released servants and guards. And with his daughter to find a protector was at best, not to be found. He knew that his next move was to be allied with the Meleagant which was spared of the Senate influence. However, his offer of Elaine to wed the Young Meleagant was rejected.

“I am sorry, Auric. My son does not desire to wed your daughter. He is still young.” That was the lame excuse given to Auric.

Auric then vowed to remove the Meleagant but he did not see the attack coming from the Marcellus. He saw the serpent slithering on the flooring. It held the length of two feet and was dark in the shade on its scales. He grabbed the heavy volume to slam it on the serpent at its head. He then approached it and leaned to look at the dead reptile. It was then he felt the bite on the back of his neck. He grabbed the serpent there which had dropped from the ceiling and hurled it to the wall. He touched the spot where he was bitten. He felt the blood there and grabbed the dagger on the table. He was in a land where danger lurks everywhere but he had anticipated also the attack will be from the dark creatures. The question was how and when, and the occasional what.

Auric slashed with the dagger at the serpent coiled on the flooring from its fall at the wall. The serpent’s head severed was flung to the side. He walked towards it while the poison coursed through his body. He flipped it with the dagger and noticed it was dead.

Auric then staggered to the shelf where he kept the line of antidote. He swept the vials there and found what he needed. It will counter the poison or he will die painfully. He took the content of the vial in one long gulp. He made a mistake of the dark creatures. They attack in a trio.

The final serpent struck at the spine almost paralyzing him then.  He turned and saw the last serpent. He did not hesitate and stepped on its head and then reached down with his hands. He grabbed the tail of the serpent and pulled hard at it until it was severed.

“Two doses…. I am dead.” Auric smiled.

But he did not die. He was to live with the regular bloodletting.

And then will live to see his daughter’s wedding.

Or at least heard of it.

“I will protect you from now, Sir,” Lancelot told the elderly noble.

It may be a displaced optimism in the mind of the Queen for she felt the loss of Lady Igraine in the castle named Camelot. It was supposed to be secured yet it was penetrated by being’ unknown beings. She feared not for her life but anger at it. She was taken at an early age, unharmed but kept imprisoned, and then traded like a commodity. She found solace in the dead lady and then affection for a knight that will never be her’. She was more afraid because she was the Queen of a King she feels little affection like a whore who opened the legs for the coins.

“Yes, I am a whore.” Guinevere muttered. “A Kingly one too.”

Guinevere thought of Lancelot and then of Elaine. She sent a noble lady to quell her lust thinking that if Elaine could seduce Lancelot.

“I will never harbor the man who took my purity and deserted me for another.”

A pledge that she made but it will harder to keep it.

“I don’t care what they may say or think. I want to be with you.” Molly looked at Lamorak. They were in her chamber, naked on the bedding and exhausted after their act. Lamorak turned and got off the bedding. His body smelled of their body's scent and then it repulsed him. He walked to the washbasin and rinsed himself.

“How did I get to here?” Lamorak muttered.

“Get here? We just like each other and handle each other needs.” Molly pushed him aside and took the cloth to rinse herself.

“What is your issue?” Molly looked at him.

“I don’t know. I am confused.” Lamorak replied, “You were Galahad’s lady.”

“Does this belong to Galahad?” Molly grabbed Lamorak by the balls.

“No…”

“Then emptied it,” Molly told him. “Inside me.”

Inside Camelot, Arthur sat at the high back chair that was designated his. He was thinking hard about how his castle could be invaded without anyone knowing. Not even the druid.

“I have a return, Arthur.” It was Merlin.

“I think it’s the work of Morgause. She was seen in the land. She is….”

“Find her and kill her.” Arthur gave the command. “Do it for Camelot.”

“And one other matter,” Arthur spoke to Merlin. “I had Kay the Huge to find me a huge tree trunk to make me a table to sit the knights. It will seat at least twelve with me to make it thirteen.”

It was an order that only Kay could perform. He rode far to the one place that he knew held the huge tree. He found the tree there and it took him a week to fell the tree and more to cut the tabletop.

“A fitting gift for a King.”

That was what Morgan Le Fay held in her mind for her son. He had grown in what were years in the other realm and grew to be a young boy. Like most boys. He was always on the move and fighting. His fighting foes were the Goblins or the Ogre. Those were the brawns and when he battles the Dark Elves, he learned more skills in the use of swords and archery.

“I defeated Master Horbius today,” Mordred told his mother. He was followed by his God Mother, as usual, busy elsewhere.

“I had him defeated twice.” Mordred in a simple tunic and tight leggings dropped the sword that he was handed to use. “The Elf sword is light and easy to master.”

“Learn well and get better. When the time comes, you have to be ready or die.”

“Mother, you are too much into the darker outlook. I will win and win them all.”

“I do wish”.

That was Morgause thought when she ran out of places to run. She stood on the cliff with the lake beneath it from the sheer vertical drop. She was in her dark tight suit and looked hard at her pursuer.

“Morgause, your run is over.” Lay Vivianne confronted the lady. “We have terminated your witch, Lady Igraine, and maimed the dark creature.”

Morgause was pursued without rest for the day, and without Morgan to assist her, she was without many places to hide. She finally ended at the cliff with Vivianne facing her.

“I had felt the demise of the witch. She was almost ready but I guess that is not sufficient as in ready.” Morgause laughed. “So, you had maimed Set. No wonder it’s in recluse. I sympathize with it. Without its stinger, it's powerless and will subject to ridicule by the others.”

“Where is Morgan?” Vivianne asked.

“Bloody well keep out of my mind, Lady. Morgan is on her own there and when she returned she will vanquish all of you.” Morgause blocked the mind probe by Vivianne.

“As for me, without the two, I am weaker but before I am terminated, tell me did you use Arondight on Lady Igraine?” Morgause asked but the other will not reply.

“I am sad that young Lawnslot still listens to you. You were not there in his cold and scary nights, waking up in sweats and looking for comfort. It was my heartbeat that settled him down. It was my encouragement that gave him the confidence to step out of the chamber. It was …” Morgause stopped then.

“And you took him away. Just like I did with Merlin from you. It’s a fair game, bitch.” Morgause smiled and dropped backward off the cliff.

“No….,” Vivianne tried to call on the spell that will float or pull Morgause up but it was too late. The sound of the impact on the hard rocks was clear to her ears.

“You should not have to…” Vivianne clasped her hands at her heart. “I would only imprison you, or banished your power to do the spell.”

The screams of  Morgause was felt by Morgan in her hidden dimension. She shuddered at the cold wave that coursed her body. She knew that the moment she dreaded has arrived.

“Your death will not be in vain.”