Arthur: The legend and Myth Chapter 131 - Finale

131.

Arthur regained consciousness from his deep sleep at the tent. He turned to look at the surrounding and was surprised to see Lancelot and Belvedere there. He turned over and that alerted the two knights who came to his aid.

“I am fine. How is the army?” Arthur asked then. They told that most of the army had been disbanded and they have returned to their own lands. When he asked of Gaul, they told him that the later have retreated and with Mordred dead, they have asked for a truce.

“Mordred was returned to his knights and they have taken him back to Gaul.” Lancelot told Arthur. “It’s over and we only await your return to health.”

Arthur smiled then at the knights. He called for the return to Camelot but he will travel with Belvedere on a slower route. Lancelot protested on it but Arthur was insistent.

“Lancelot, you will return to Camelot and addressed the people there on my health. Take the army and protect the land. I need to travel …alone with Belvedere on another matter.”

With that command, Lancelot took to the task with reluctance while Arthur was taken on a wagon with Belvedere. They travel in silence for a few days with most times Arthur seated on the wagon watching the lands he had united under his banner. He knew his days were coming to an end, and had a task to do. He directed the knight towards the one last resting area.

“I need you to toss this into the lake. The lake will claim it.” Arthur told him. “It belonged to the lake.”

It was then Arthur fell into a state of unconscious. When he woke up, he saw Belvedere standing there by the lake. He called out to the knight.

“Did you tossed Excalibur into the lake?” The knight nodded.

“What did you see?” Arthur asked.

“Nothing to be told. The sword fell into the lake and disappeared.” Belvedere replied. Arthur was upset then and demanded the return of his sword.

“I tossed it, my King.” Belvedere replied but Arthur knew he lied.

“Be truthful Belvedere. I was told by the Lady in the Lake of the event that will transpire if Excalibur was returned. It was in my dream when I lay dying. You are the last knight to serve me and please do so with honesty.”

It was then Belvedere told the truth. He tossed his sword into the lake and kept Excalibur.

“Arthur, I did it because …”

“Because of greed. You may not want to King but you wanted to keep the sword for the next King. There will be a Kings for the land but none may wield Excalibur unless its granted by the Lady in the Lake. We cannot hold onto it when it’s not ours to do so.”

“Please do it. Lessen my burden in this life.” Arthur then slipped back into unconsciousness. The knight on hearing eh request of his King then retrieved Excalibur from the wagon. He tossed it into the lake with a heavy heart. It did not drop into the lake but hovered over the surface before a hand appeared over it. It was then lowered into the lake water and never to be seen. The knight was surprised but he was soon to be taken aback when he saw Arthur body floated past him as if it was carried but there was no hands holding the body. The body was then lowered into the lake and with that leaving the knight there stunned with a loss of words.

“Hail the King!” Belvedere found his voice then and fell to his knees.

It was the same call then by the returning knights to Camelot which was not there anymore but a bay by the sea. Lancelot was disbelieving to be told that Camelot had disappeared in a thunderous act then and all who was in it had perished if not escaped with little on their back.

“How fare the Queen?’ Lancelot asked but the replies varied from death to ignorance. So was the fate of Merlin. He rode back to his own castle to be told that Elaine was also missing. He dismissed the knights and disbanded the foot soldiers when he heard no words from Arthur then. He rode on for days looking for answers and found none until he came upon the friar at the small abbey by the forest.

“Seek not of them, Lancelot.” Friar Tuck told him. “Considered them dead if that will ease your pain.”

Lancelot was not sure of the words and continued his search for Guinevere. The friar had then looked at the departing knight before he stepped inside the abbey. He looked to the figure in the nunnery attire. He smiled for the Queen had died and in her place was a servant of God. He took to the rear and saw his old friend tying the saddle to the donkey.

“Merlin, I won’t stop you leaving but prayed tell me of the round table. You imprisoned the last of the fallen there with a false promise to wake them on the day of reckoning. It intrigued me why you then brought the table there. Those were good knights who sat there and yet none of them knew of its importance then. It would make an intriguing tale to be told one day to the people.”

Merlin stopped his packing and looked at the friar. He told the one tale that many will never know but shared by the few.

“The round table did house the fallen Angels but they were protected by the runes design which formed a spell over them. There was a part of the spell which it needed the goodness of Man to sustain the spell. It initially with the first seven and then twelve knights but over the period, the fallen Angels countered their influence on the knights. They became what they were not supposed to be. I did not foresee that for I was weaker then. I thought it was my age given that I am immortal but I was losing my edge. I even loved a lady which I have a son. I have even …forgive me, made many more errors in my judgement.”

“True but you made two good calls. One was to house it at Camelot where the other Angels once held dominant over the place. Two when you moved the round table to the cavern and called on Ninniane to assist you in the battle.”

“True, Friar. The last events made me realized that I was a fool to think I could control my masters then. I took the battle to release them in there and had them battled it out there. Ninniane with her power over the water took the offensive to destroy them there. Camelot had to be sacrificed and with Arthur death to end the reign. That allowed Excalibur to be returned to the nymphs and strengthen their power over the water.” Merlin smiled. “It’s a beautiful bay now.”

“Don’t you agree, Michael?”

“Don’t be hasty with your victory, minion. I am still the Angel and you the minion.” The friar cautioned the druid. “The war may be over but the day of reckoning will come. It will be then when the gates are opened once more and your masters will arise.”

“It may come that day but I have a new champion ready. He will rise then and fight for the …. Minions like me.” Merlin smiled. “We have seen how Angels are defeated once and its will happen again.”

“Brave words, minion. I will welcome any challenger when the day is here.” With that the friar took to enter back the abbey which was his sanctuary. Merlin then took to pull the rein of the donkey to move but the creature will not budge.

“Brave gesture, creature. Like your counterpart, your prevailing stubbornness to defy may be the true quality of why we may not win the war over your kind.” Merlin then dropped the reins and walked on ahead without his pack.

Epilogue

King Gawain soon died on the throne at Sarras while Sir Bors then elderly decided to return to his own land. He rode past Camelot to pay his last tributes to the once powerful King.

Sir Lancelot never returned to his castle and remained a wanderer of the land.

Sir Tristam who was then without a King, returned to his own land and be his own Lord there.

Sir Gaheris returned to his village and lived a solitary life without his brothers.

Arthur was said to return when the land called for a champion.

Merlin disappeared then although there were claims that he was seen at the Bay with Ninniane.

All of them were once legendary figures but more myths surround their existence that none of them were ever discovered to be real.

There was one which was to resurface and created a new legend then. It was these words that was said then.

“Hail to the son of Merlin and Morgan. Mordred will be our next champion.”