The Will of a Pendragon

The Holy Grail

    I think I missed it. It's like an addiction I didn't know I had. Something that my soul easily recognized. The ache of betrayal is something I'm more than familiar with but this one is special. This woman came into my life when I was a little girl. I was very impressionable in the beginning and she taught not to be. 

    My entire demeanor. The way I am. How I speak. How I dress. Everything can be traced back to her. She could have treated the way the others did. She could have turned the other way but she fought for me. She made me strong. She made me endure. Set expectations and I exceeded everything, for her. I've based my life on what she taught me and I've been making my decisions based on her teachings. 

Why am I so surprised?

    "Lady Pendragon?" I looked up at my professor. Everyone is looking at me. "Come outside with me," 

    There are tears in my eyes. There have been since he told me. I can't stop crying even when I least expect it, they come as easily as they did when I first arrived. It hurts. The bigger part of me loves this s**t. It's feeding the anger I thought I had left behind. It's reawakened something darker then before and I'm way too weak to fight right now. I don't want to fight it.

    "I'm sorry," I apologized to Professor Luther. "It's-"

    "Why don't you take the rest of the week off? We've already covered everything. This is just review for your final test," 

    "Sure," I didn't hesitate to say yes. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be at home. I don't know what I want right now but being around all of these people isn't it. 

    "Godspeed," she bowed before going back into the classroom. I followed, gathered my things, and headed out. Young is standing outside of the academy. He promised to be here when I go out. 

    "You've been here all morning?" I asked. "Did you go home?" 

    "I don't want to be too far from you right now," he admitted. "You ready?" 

    "Yeah," I nodded. 

    Andre crawled out from inside of his backpack. Since I've gotten a handle of my powers, he can turn himself into whatever size he wants. Tiny enough to fit in Young's backpack or mine is his go-to now so that we carry him when he's not carrying us. He stretched before becoming the massive monster that he really is. The two of us climbed on and he set off. 

    Being this high up usually makes me feel better almost instantly but it's not working right now. How do I cope with this? Alissa has been lying to me. She lied to me from the moment she first held me in her arms. How can someone do that? How was she able to look down at the tiny person they're holding in their arms and think of all the ways that they're going to put them through hell? 

    What happened to me back on Primal is not something that is winged. She had been planning everything from the very start. From before I had even been born. How can someone be so demented? I have to see her. I have to make sure that this is real. That this ache in my chest isn't for no reason. I want to know how this suffering is going to be used. I need to know that it's her and that I didn't lose the person I left behind or at the very least. I need to know that I did. That the Alissa I know is dead because dead is better than knowing that she never existed. 

    "Your eyes are red," Young called out to me. Andre landed near his house. Young had told me that his parents aren't home and won't be for a while. They're trying to make sure that Alissa is truly who they think she is. 

    "I'm upset," I admitted trying to calm down. "Durandal has been asleep for a while and now he's completely awake. I can feel him pushing against Excaliber," 

    "Li, I talked to your dad last night before going home. He knows what you are," 

    "I know," I sighed. "I think he's known longer than we have. I mean I did bring his dad and his grandfather back to life without using necromancy," 

    "Do you have anything to report back to me?" he asked changing the subject. 

    "Will is on the move. I don't understand how Alissa is calling the shots without us spotting her. I mean, wouldn't I feel it? I was always very intuned with the way Alissa approached me. She was kind of easy to read," 

    "Baby, she let you see what she wanted you to see. Your senses now and your senses at Primal are completely different. Even mine. We are getting stronger here on Crystallis. So is she. We're not the same anymore. Physically at least," 

    "There's something weird about William now. He's completely different. The way he treats people, how he gives orders. The Will we know was-" I can't find the right words. 

    "The Will we knew was a b***h," he smirked. I bumped him playfully. I guess bluntly, he's right. 

    "This Will is angry. I think he's hurting," 

    "Why don't we go talk to about this with your father. I think if we share intel we can come up with a plan. Something that puts both targets together. That way we're not all over the place?" 

    "Okay," I nodded. 

    We walked to court. The walk was long but it gave me time to gather my head and come up with something that won't get me scolded too bad. I doubt he doesn't know that I've been tracking Will. I'm the only one that can right now and I don't want to lose the lead. I need more information. I know where he is and what he's doing I just don't know why or what he's looking for.

    "You're supposed to be at the academy," my mom greeted us as we walked through the front gate. She's with Pandora. The two have gotten very close since our return. I love it. They deserve to make the best of their situation no matter how morbid it may have been at some point or continues to be. There's nothing they can do to change their situation and rolling with it is better.

    "Mrs. Luther let me go for the rest of the week," I shrugged. She came over to me instantly wrapping her arms around my shoulders. 

    "I told your dad not to let you go this morning. I swear the two of you are so- I'm going to stop," she sighed heavily. "Have you eaten? Either of you?" she looked between Young and me. We both shook our heads. "Where are you headed?" 

    "Dad's," informed her. 

    "I will send food up. You will eat it. Understand?" her eyes flashed brilliant red. 

    "Yes, my Queen," the two of us bowed. She motioned us to go inside. 

    "Why is it scary when she does it?" Young asked as we rushed up the stairs. 

    "Because you're not sexually attracted to her," we both laughed. 

    "I mean-" I smacked him before he finished that statement. 

    "I get enough from everyone else. Not you," 

    "Fine, I'll keep it to myself then,"

I smacked him again, with a little force this time. 

    "Don't let my father hear you say that. If looks killed, Cam would be dead ten times over already," we both laughed. I knocked on my dad's door. 

    "Come in, Lily. You don't have to knock when the door is ajar," 

    "You, my dear father, are an entitled brat. You wouldn't make it on Primal," 

    "He would. Underground MMA maybe," Young smirked. 

    "I will take that as a compliment," my dad chuckled. "What can I do for you two?" 

    "You have a glamour on the walls," I stated, pointing at them. His eyes shimmered blue before he motioned for Young to shut the door. 

    "You're not taking this well," he sighed. 

    "She's not," Young confirmed. "We're going to jumping right into s**t," 

    "Alright, but you're not going after her," my dad pointed at me.

    "She's not what I want but I think we can help each other out. Show me yours and I will show you mine," 

    "What is that supposed to mean?" he glared. 

    "We both know your twenty-one-year-old daughter sneaks away at night, during parties, and events to do things she's not supposed to be doing. Things that don't involve reasons for Grayson Gwaiin to get shot with a crossbow," 

My father smirked. 

    "Alright, yeah. I know you've been tracking the boy," he waved his hand in the air and the glamour began to disappear. "Starts here. This is their base of operations," 

    "This is where you first spotted Alissa?" I asked. He nodded. "How long ago?" 

    "Three months," I looked over at him a little disappointed. I have a lot more information gathered in my head than he does on his walls but he's not tracking William. He has his eyes on Mordred and Alissa.

    "Why is Aria in these?" I asked. 

    "It looks like she's very much alive," I stepped away from the pictures. "Why does that not surprise you?" 

    "When Will left. The night I came back from Primal. There was a surge of power. Kind of like the one I felt when I brought Alexander and Uther back. I thought it was me but this makes sense. Where is this?" I asked tapping on the pictures.

    "The Southern Crystals. Home of the Red Mages," Young answered. 

    I reflected a map of the Southern Crystals on the bare wall and added the areas where I had spotted William. None of the points are too far from Delikipos. Areas where not very many people go. Places that are similar to where we found Excaliber. I materialized the markings on the wall so that I wouldn't have to continue using my mana. 

    "He's digging in the crystals," I informed my dad. I don't know what he's looking for. I just know that he's looking for something he can't pinpoint," 

    "He's pinpointing it," my dad shook his head. "He just doesn't get to it on time," 

    "What?" Young asked him. 

    "The Holy Grail," he sighed. "It was the same when I went looking for it. I've seen it. Nearly touched it but it moves. Timing is everything when it comes to this thing," 

    "What do you think they want it for?" I asked.

    "The wish," Young answered. "One wish. Literally anything a person wants, it's theirs," 

    "Anything? No rules?" I asked. 

    "None," my dad nodded. 

    "What if we go after it?" I asked. The two of them looked over at me. 

    "Lily, I wasted decades going after this thing and I was never able to take it. No one has. He'll never get his hands on it and neither will she. Many have tried to fulfill their one true desire and have failed,"

    "Well, I don't have a desire. I just want to be an asshole and make sure that Will doesn't get his hands on it first," 

    "Well, then," he sighed getting up. He pulled a massive leather-bound book from the pile of books on his desk. He placed it in front of Young and me. "This is all of the information I have on it," 

    "Are you kidding?" Young asked. I laughed. 

    "Keep your book, dad. I have something better," I tapped my head. "I will also need for you to cover for us for the next eight days. By us I mean-" 

    "The Neo-Knights," he sighed. "Not only did you change the name but the now you're all doing your own thing," 

    "Knights of the Round Table is a mouthful, dad. You can't just put a massive golden round table in the middle of your command center and name your knights after it. It's not very creative," 

    "Says the girl who named her knights after the city in Batman Beyond," Young smirked. 

    "Which is one of the most iconic and creative cities in Primal history. Next to Atlantis," 

    "That's a real place," my dad added. 

    "Aaaand it's now number one," I smirked. 

    "What are you going to do with the Grail if and when you obtain it?" he asked. 

    "Well, there are twelve of us now. Whoever gets it first keeps it. If I am the one to catch it first then it's mine, but generally. It's up for grabs,"