Arthur II Book III Chapter 26

 

26.

 

“Mama, I am ready.” Mordred had grown into a young lad with a frame that was equal to his father. He approached Morgan who was hard at the spell to convert the toad into a huge lizard. The spell worked but the lizard was with its intentions. It was the dimension of a horse and charged at the witch. She retreated but Mordred saw his mother in danger had leaped into action. He was armed with the Elven sword which he held with both hands when he landed on the lizard’s back. He plunged the sword deep and hard into the lizard’s neck at the back and twisted the wrist to cut the lizard on the neck. The dark creature shrieked in pain with its neck half severed and the dark blood spurted out. It fell and reverted to the form of the toad.

“It’s dead, Mama.” Mordred stood there with half his body drenched in blood.

“Drop the sword and wash,” Morgan told him.

“Mama, I will protect you…”

“Do as you are told. I was fine I could have stopped the creature without killing it.” Morgan told the young lad. “Not everything needs to be killed to stop it. There are other methods.”

“Yes, Mama. I will get cleaned up.’ Mordred walked away while Morgan looked at her child.

“Mama is sorry. I did not mean to shout.” Morgan looked towards her son who stood there with his back to her.

“All I wanted to do was show you my courage. I have trained hard and harder still in the last years. I have bested the mentors in the bouts.” Mordred looked back to his mother.

“I heard and am impressed. Out there in the other realm, the foes are many and more invincible.”

“I have heard of those names; Lancelot, Percival, Galahad, and even Arthur. Not forgetting the Green Knight.” Mordred recited the names. “They will perish at my sword.

“Not the Green Knight, son. Not him. He is …. not to be harmed.”

“I can’t say whoever fights me will be spared but I will try.” Mordred turned and left. Morgan felt lonely then. It has been years with their exile, but the passage of time in the other realm may only be days or weeks. Her mind went to Jaseth; their time was short and their union brief but it served her purpose. She was unsure why she did it but her inner self told her it was right. He who was pure in the soul yet he holds the termination of many, could merge with her dark soul. He will be merged with her to have the champion she needed; her son.

“Mordred…”

Morgan sighed on her selfish thoughts but she has no one to confide with. She was also concerned about Morgause unheard of but from where she was, her power to find her sister was limited.

“There is little you can do.” Mordred God Mother appeared. “I have seen him developed into the man you wanted him to be, but if you hold onto your regrets it may be too late. He is a man with his own choice. If he chooses to be like his father, he …”

“Speak no more of his father or him. I will guide him from now. He was destined to defeat Arthur and retrieved Excalibur. With that, he will rule the realm. Not even Lancelot with Arondight can stop him.”

“I won’t say that, my dear. Arondight is the slayer of demonic beings and he …”

“I have said ceased your words. I will tackle Lancelot myself. Only Arondight could have killed my sister. I will use Arondight to kill Lancelot. So, swear my oath.” Morgan picked up the dead toad. “This will add to the potion containers to make the new poison.”

Poisonous is the mind when it is left to idle, and that was what Lancelot felt in him. He was back at the hut where he kept the horse that he used for the tournament and hid the Black armor in the case beneath the hay. He retrieved his horse and sword.

“Will that be all, Sir?” Lancelot looked to the Friar who was staying at the hut and took care of his identity. He had said there was a horse to share my abode when I had worse for the company before.

“Was I wrong to ride there as the ….”

“The Black Knight? I doubt so. You wanted to challenge Arthur but you can’t do it as Lancelot.”

“No, I rode there to…”

“And to impress a lover yet she was not there.”

“Yes, Friar. I need to return to the castle.” Lancelot changed the subject. He saw the short handle whip on the wall. It was his for his penance but of late; he had felt not the need of it till that day at the tournament. He had bested Arthur out of spite on the King for having his lover. He had arrived there to see Guinevere but she was not there, and then challenged by Arthur. He felt the rise of anger in him and jousted with the King. He was elated that he won but there was no garland of roses by the Queen.

“If you need me, I will be at the well. Cleaning your armor.” Friar Tate took leave of the knight. Lancelot touched the whip and sighed. He was in mixed feelings then. His grip tightened on the whip handle and then his head touched it.

“I am a sinner. I shall not have harbored such hatred.”

If it was a sin to take on hatred, then Elaine was committing it. She rode to the clearing looking at the Marcellus Villa. She saw the high walls and the guards there. They were protecting the killer of her father.

“You will pay, Antonio Marcellus. I will have your family killed.” Elaine hissed out.

“Lady Elaine, your request reached me.” Elaine turned to look at the knight on the horse. He was dressed in Green Armor.

“Sir Green Knight, your arrival was timely. I was asked by Lady Guinevere, your Queen to seek you. She needs your service to vanquish a witch.”

“And why was the Queen here to tell me?’

“Can the Queen leave the castle without an escort? She sent me instead. Her mother, Lady Igraine was killed by that witch and so was my father. You are her protector. And only you can defeat the witch.”

“I…” Jaseth was puzzled. He gave it a thought and figured Sir Haus of Bernlak may have given the oath. He decided to decline it. He was fixated on looking for his love. 

“I am not the only one. I was told that Lancelot could do what I may do. And maybe even Arthur. You could ask of him as he was your friend too.”

“But Lancelot will not for he feared Arthur. Arthur is still a Roman inside of him. He will protect the nobles.”

“I take the lives of evil demonic beings but to take on living life, that is not my task. Seek yourself the mercenaries.”

“I have proof that they are demonic beings.” Elaine defended her view.

“And how do you know of those evil deeds?”

“I was told ad shown by Merlin. He can’t act for he was to serve Arthur too. Only you may do so without the interference of Arthur.”

“The druid? I hardly think he will allow such beings to exist here. He may have taken the task himself if it was true. I need to consider it all. Have a good day, my lady.” Jaseth rode off leaving the lady alone.

Elaine felt bad inside of her and she will hold the plan to prove her accusations. She saw the rider left the villa. Her evidence will be there for her.

“I will get her for myself,” Elaine called out.

If it was to seek the evidence of desire, then Young Meleagant found himself drawn into the web of unrequited love. He paced the area of his chamber with his thoughts on Guinevere.

“Octavia, what madness is with you?” The Elderly Meleagant looked at his only son. “You have not been yourself of late. No, not of many seasons. I want you back. Cast yourself of the ailment.”

“I will not. I loved her.” Octavia hit back.

“She will never be loved by you. She is the one loved by Arthur.” The Elderly Meleagant looked to his son.

“No! Once she knows me, she will love me. As my mother did for you.”

“Your mother; rest her soul was …. in love with me. She would have challenged Rome and bring it to its knees if needed I do love her but there was a difference. We were in love. And there were no others to whom we need share that until you were born.”

“Spare me your past, Father. I lived for the present.” Octavia looked at his father.

“What is it that made her your….. obsession?” The Elderly father sighed. “I am in dire need of you to recover. You must for I am dying. I am old.”

The elderly man turned to leave. He stopped at the door. “Yours has not loved but an obsession. I need to do this for you. It’s for your soul. Forgive me, son.”

Three men in the dark frock walked in with Julia his lover. Each of them held a bag slung over their left shoulder.

“They can do the task to quell his obsession,” Julia told the elderly man. “I will be there to make sure it works.”

The Elderly Meleagant sighed and left the chamber with the door closed behind him. Soon, the screams of his son resonated in the villa. Exorcism can be painful to the ones that were not anchored in a pure soul.

Or to a tainted soul.

“Father!” The elderly Meleagant turned and saw his son wielding the sword with blood on it. He kicked out three monks’ heads and then the head of one known to the elderly man. Octavia’s tunic was splattered with blood.

“I will not be stopped. Not even by her.”