Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 101

101.

It was told by many of the Quest of the Grail but none was more splendid than the one that was told by the ones that were there that days. All the deserving thirteen knights including Arthur took their seat on the round table and the others not yet to ready took their seats before it. The hall was packed to the far walls yet none spoke a word then. Merlin who was there took to his feet but his voice was silenced when the food was served by the servants who were dressed in the flowing gown of white and their foreheads were covered with white head gears. They carried the plates of food and drinks that were laid around the table and the adjoining tables for the other knights but there was an area in the middle of the table where it was left bared.

Just then before the feast was to begin, thirteen plates were laid before the knights on the round table. Each plate was carved from wood and held the engravings of the Angels soaring around the edge like the birds in flight. Just then the assembled was attracted by the possession of the servants once more in rows of six and columns of two leading the way carrying a bigger wooden plate filled to the brim with wine. The huge plate was placed at the centre of the round table.

“Behold the icon of the Grail that brims with the wine that was served at the last supper. You may all take a drip of it with the bread served on the plates, and feel its sweetness to your tongue.” The voice was the Mother Supreme who had given shelter to Galahad. It was her nuns who served the food then. “This is the Grail for now to be seen and fed upon. The real Grail remains to be located by the deserving knight, and his quest to have it returned to its rightful place.”

With those words, the Mother Supreme looked towards Arthur.

“There is no holier quest than to return the Grail to its home. Even the Kings and Queens cannot hold it if they are undeserving.”

“Why then must I command the quest for the Grail if I am not to behold it?” Arthur asked.

“It’s yours to command as the privilege of the King of the lands where the Grail is currently located but it’s time to return has come. And the one that was invited to return it seats on your table as your knight. As such it will be the blessing of the King of the lands and its knights to bestow such a quest.”

“May I then get to see the Grail before it’s….” Arthur asked and the reply was given.

“Only if the Grail permits it.” The Mother Supreme voiced out. “I was given the message to only served the supper here tonight with my sisters. Everything you see here was in my message and to me when I performed the tasks before me. I have no need to hold the Grail for what is there may not be seen but felt inside as part of us.”

“Dip your bread in the wine offered in the plate. Rejoice in it and be…” Mother Supreme words were interrupted.

“If that is true, then one of us may be the downfall of Arthur, as Judas was to Jesus. He took the wine from the Grail then and betrayed them.” Lamorak stood up and raised his voice. “I stand here that should we dip our bread and one of us may turned his back upon us, we are doomed too.”

The words by Lamorak drew mutterings and misgivings among the assembled but the Mother Supreme explained her message.

“If your conviction inside you tells you that one may betray Arthur as Judas did on the last supper, then dip not your bread in the wine here.” Mother Supreme hit back at Lamorak. “Just before you soured the effort here, let me speak my mind on Judas. He had betrayed Jesus even before the supper meal. He took the silvers that were offered but out of the generous gesture of Jesus, he was still invited to the table. All of you are here on the invitation of the King but in every one there may be undeclared desires not spoken of. Dip your bread and showed your loyalty to the King or leave.”

There was further silence and then some knights took to leave the hall. There was more who left with the numbers growing. Arthur looked grimly at the ones that were there. His biggest fear was seen before his eyes then; knights that swarmed his castle and land had then shown their true loyalty. He looked to the Mother Supreme with anger.

“Your so named task has caused me almost half my knights.” Arthur glared at her. “You have …”

“Trimmed your knights to the numbers where you were before and their loyalty unquestioned.” The Mother Supreme then bowed to the King. She turned to leave. Arthur wanted to stop her but his voice could not be carried out. He looked at the other twelve knights.

“At least all of you remained here.” Arthur then looked at the knights. “Eat up. Drink up. And then we can send the ones standing then to join Galahad in the quest.”

The feast started then but Merlin was not there anymore. He had returned to the cavern beneath the castle. He raced to the volumes and extracted the one he wanted to read. He could not find it.

“The volume you wanted is with me.” The voice however belonged to Morgan Le Fay. “It’s interesting what the ancients knew of the Grail.”

Merlin looked at the one who was his apprentice and then his lover before she left him to be Queen. He drilled his emotions into one word for her.

“Bitch!”

“Touchy, my previous lover.” Morgan Le Fay held the volume in front of her. She then chanted the spell which flame engulfed the volume in her hand. Merlin reached out then with his own spell to quell the flame on it. It was a battle of spells until Morgan Le Fay tossed the volume to the far wall.

“You can have it.” Morgan Le Fay told Merlin. “While we were battling, I have absorbed the contents. When I first read it, I did not understand it but now I do.”

“How does it feel to be without all your power?” Morgan Le Fay smiled. “You are feeling helpless. I have foreseen it when you could not foresee the all the future events of the King you placed on the throne. You have been talking to the other spirits and they have denied you of the knowledge.”

“How did you know all this? I never …” Merlin was getting upset at the lady who was usurping his powers.

“I was not here. I do have a servant who had taken over my eyes and ears.” The pet cat of her leaped into the mistress hands. “Judas here have always been my pet.”

“Bitch!” Merlin released a deadly spell which translated into a fiery burst of flame at the cat but the Mistress deflected it. The druid glared at the previous apprentice of his.

“You learned more than I taught.” Merlin uttered out. “How can that be?”

“Master, I have not one but several before and after I left you. When you covered the volumes I unlocked with my other spells. I read the hidden volumes when you were busy. Or when you were asleep, I have also unlocked your mind. It was more fun than the sex you gave me.”

“How?” Merlin called in anger. “I have spells to protect my mind.”

“You are not listening, Master. I am Morgan Le Fay and nothing that I want can be blocked from me.” The lady snarled back “I know even of your past, minion.”

That last word came out of her as it was spat out in disgust.

“I have unlocked not your past but also the Fallen whom you served.” Morgan Le Fay smile went deeper and wider. “I have summoned the Beast and with I have laid my loyalty.”

“No!” Merlin called out in pain. “You can’t. The Beast will take you for its servant and your soul trapped inside its realm.”

“Is that so, minion?” The dark shaded cat leaped from its Mistress hands onto the cavern floor. “I have never known that I done such acts. Now that you mentioned it, I am intrigued.”

The cat then looked up at Merlin with its green emerald eyes and the creature then evolved into a huge form that resembled the human form but its head was that of the feline species.

“Minion, you knew me in many forms from Bast in ancient kingdom of the dry sands, Ailuros from the days of Zeus, Apedemk perhaps from ancient times of the pharaohs or shall I be named before there was the Sphinx.” The so named Beast spoke of its many forms before. “I missed you when I was named Cahokia by the natives of the western continent.”

“You were never my servant.” The Beast roared. “You were always the other one’s …..minion.”

It was then another roar was heard. It came from the far corner where the dead lions bones were kept. The Beast looked towards there and then back at Merlin.

“I will leave now with my servant. My time to battle will be soon but not this time.” With that the Beast left the cavern in a spoof of dust and smoke. Merlin then exhausted by the new revelation fell to his knees and his face was covered by his hands.

“What had I done? I have ….failed once more.”