Savior of Avalon

Chapter Ten

Once I stepped through the portal, my world was changed forever. Until this point, Camelot had been like the tales of Christ or the tales of Julius Caesar, they were things you were told had happened and things you were told had existed, but things that were so long ago and so far away, it seemed almost to magical to be real.

The world before me was like a fairytale. It was like something straight out of the bedtime stories Mom read to me when I was a child. The trees were barren, covered in snow and everywhere you looked was covered with it and it was even still falling around us gently. Even the snowflakes themselves weren't like anything I'd ever seen before.

Like Merlin had once said, there was a certain magic about Camelot. My own magic felt...stronger here. Not to mention it felt more like coming home than coming to a strange land I'd never been to.

"Merlin!" A feminine voice cried out.

I looked over in surprise and saw a streak of red hair flinging itself into Merlin's arms, burying her face in his chest.

"Nimue," he greeted her, his face becoming a little softer than it had been. He wrapped his arms around her gently, comfortingly.

Feeling a tad intrusive, I looked away right in time to see a man flanked by four other men. This man had slightly thinning dark hair and eyes of electric blue. He had broad shoulders and kind eyes set in a stern face.

"Thom," he greeted the man who had been like a father to me, slapping him on the shoulder. "Here you are."

"Here I am," Thom said, grinning. "It's good to see you again old friend."

"Same to you." He looked over at the giant viking standing in front of me. "Aengus," he greeted him.

"Arthur, how have ye been since Morgana snatched yer kingdom away from ye?" Aengus wondered, tilting his head to the side. From anyone else, the question would have seemed rude, but from Aengus it was clear that he meant no harm by it, it was a question he really wanted an answer to.

"Things could be better," King Arthur admitted, sighing. "We've been patient, of course. We couldn't really do anything without your lady and mistress."

Merlin looked over Nimue's head at King Arthur, looking inquisitive.

"You know about that?"

Arthur nodded. "Everyone knows about it. Morgana's been in a rage since she found out. She's been looking for as many stray warriors as she can find to kill them before they end up on Sibyl's side. Speaking of Sibyl," King Arthur murmured, looking around, "Where is she? I know a knight would never leave his Lord or Ladies side."

"Aye, yer right about that, Arthur," Aengus said, stepping off to the side and putting me in full view of everyone there.

Now that Aengus had moved, I could see Arthur's knights in full view. Two of his knights were around his age, but were just as fit as he was. Another was around Thom's age, maybe a year or two older. The last knight was a boy around my age who bore a very striking resemblance to Arthur. He stood proudly on Arthur's left, eyeing me with a wide eyed curiosity.

"Sibyl?" Arthur wondered, studying me.

"Uhm, actually it's Lucinda. But you can call me Luce or Lucy. Everyone does."

Words could not explain how weird this conversation was. Words couldn't explain how weird this entire moment was. I mean, it's not like I didn't know we would be coming to Camelot, but now that we were here, I seemed to be unable to find words.

"She's so young," said King Arthur, seeming stunned. He looked over at Merlin. "Is she capable?"

"Very," Merlin murmured, pulling away from Nimue as he studied me intensely. "She was able to control the weather."

Arthur's eyes widened as he turned to study me again. Kneeling on one knee, he looked up at me seriously. His knights followed suit and before I knew it I had King Arthur and four of his knights kneeling before me like I was some kind of goddess.

"Lucinda, we require your help. We have waited seventeen years for you to return to Camelot to save us. We know that Morgana has your mother and we will help you retrieve her and we will take Camelot back. Too much blood has been shed by my half sister's command. Will you help us?"

He was looking at me so pleadingly and his knights were looking at me as if they'd just struck the Holy Grail. I knew this was going to be a long ass journey, but I was willing to do whatever it took to get my mother back and if it meant saving more lives in the process, so be it.

"Okay," I said. "Let's kick Morgana's ass!"

King Arthur looked at me with wide eyes and it was so silent I was afraid I said something wrong until Aengus, Thom and Arthur all laughed together. I looked between the three of them, pouting a little.

"What?"

"Sir Thom, you didn't tell me she was such a jester," King Arthur wheezed out, standing.

"I didn't get the chance," Thom chuckled.

"Gentleman," Arthur murmured, turning to his knights. "Would you bring Lucinda's gift?"

My eyes widened. I've always loved gifts and surprises—albeit pleasant ones—since I was a child. I was incredibly excited as King Arthur placed the gift in my hand. Studying it, I realized it was an egg. A very big egg. It was almost too heavy to hold in my hand.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, studying it while trying to understand why he'd given me a giant egg. Did he want me to make an omelet?

"It's an egg that feeds from your magic," Merlin murmured, sounding impressed.

"Is that dangerous?" I squeaked.

He rolled his eyes at me, giving me a deadpan look. "No, Sibyl. It's perfectly safe. If you focus your magic hard enough, it will turn into a creature of your choice. A creature who will serve you and you only."

I thought for a long time before nodding to myself and closing my eyes. Like Merlin had taught me, I focused my energy. Before long I could feel my body grow warm and suddenly the ground underneath me was gone.

I heard a gasp or two, but by now I was focusing on creating life. It was very odd, but using my magic to create a being was almost like giving birth. There was a heaviness to it, a weight and yet there was a happiness also.

Opening my eyes, I watched as the egg floated an inch above them. Idly, I realized my magic was much more powerful here than it was back home. Tendrils of gold swarming from around me and into the egg.

Within seconds, the egg grew until it was bigger than me. I focused steadily on the creature that I wanted, seeing it in my head until the egg cracked.

Letting my magic go, I was suddenly falling back to the ground. Aengus held out his hands to catch me, but there was no need. My creature swept underneath me and caught me, bringing me down softly.

Climbing from its back, I looked into its face. She was beautiful. She was a majestic looking horse with a shiny golden coat and blue eyes that were too intelligent for an animal. There was a single horn coming from her forehead and on her back were a pair of wings, but they were retracted at the moment. From this moment on, I knew I had found a friend for life.

"Just like the prophecy," one of the knights whispered in awe.

Thom placed one hand on the beautiful creature, patting her gently.

"Unicorns or Pengai haven't existed on Camelot for many years," he told me gently. "Mainly because it takes a substantial amount of magic to make one of them, let alone a cross breed. Even Merlin couldn't do this and he's a badass." Thom smiled at me proudly. "But, they're loyal creatures. What will you name her?"

I stroked her soft golden mane as I thought about that. She was more beautiful than I could ever hope to be.

"Aurea," I finally said. "It's Latin for golden."

Aurea neighed in agreement, her eyes seemed to be smiling at me.

"Does she agree?" Arthur wondered, coming to stand beside me, studying Aurea in awe.

"I think she does."

"We should get back to Avalon, your Majesty," said one of the knights, his gaze still on Aurea. "No doubt Morgana's men will be coming these woods soon. We should get back to Avalon's border, where Morgana can't touch us."

"Good idea, Gwain," Arthur said, turning to us. "I've bought extra horses. Avalon's an hour away. We should be able to make it before Morgana even knows we're here."

Aurea, seeming to understand what was going on, bent her body to the ground so I could climb onto her back.

Once Thom was on a horse and Merlin was on a horse with Nimue hugging his back tightly, Aengus, Arthur and his men saddled up, too and we were off to Avalon.

☪ ☪ ☪ ☪ ☪ ☪ ☪ ☪

"Here, Queen Morgana," called a man dressed in shiny armor, a dark green cape hanging proudly from his shoulders. He was on one knee, studying the ground. Well, studying the hoof prints to be more specific.

"There were eight horses," he said as Morgana came to a stop in front of him. "There's another hoofprint, but it's of a Unicorn, your Majesty."

Morgana sucked in a sharp breath, yanking the hood from her head. Her beautiful face was twisted in anger. Her honey blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she eyed the hoofprints herself, her dark green eyes—eyes the color of her knight's cape—closed.

"Your majest—"

She held up a hand to cut him off, giving herself over to her senses. Ah, yes, she could feel it. Magic. A warm, golden magic. She had a feeling when she'd seen the burst of gold from her castle that Sibyl had returned to Camelot, but now she knew for sure.

Her eyes opened and she met the eyes of her knight.

"Where do you suppose they've gone?" Her soft voice held contempt.

"They've headed east, m'lady," the knight informed her.

"Running off to Avalon," she muttered under her breath.

Coming closer to her so none of the other knights could hear, the man said, "Your Majesty, the prophecy said that Sibyl would ride on a golden steed of Unicorn and Pengai blood. Now, after seventeen years, there was a great burst of magic that the people of Camelot felt and now there are Unicorn hooves."

"Perhaps we missed a Unicorn or two," Morgana shrugged, waving the man off.

"I would be glad if that were it, your Majesty, but look," he gestured before them, "the place where Sibyl's magic touched has destroyed yours."

Morgana looked like the man had instructed her to. It was true, in this part of the forest, all the snow had melted and there were flowers blooming and the leaves on the trees were a radiant green. Even the sun seemed to be thawing.

"Her magic may be strong, my dear Barrington, but she is in Camelot now. Merlin hasn't taught her everything about magic, therefore she does not have complete control over it. Magic without control can be a great burden. Besides, I have her mother. Sibyl will come to me very soon. And when she does, she will die. So will her mother and Arthur and Merlin and all of Arthur's knights. Then, there will be no hope for the people of Camelot and they will accept me as their queen." She pulled the reins of her horse and turned away from the knight. "Let's go back to the castle for now, Barrington. They're probably halfway to Avalon by now."

Barrington mounted his horse, but spared one last look behind him at where summer bloomed. It was such an beautiful contrast compared to the winter Morgana had bought.

Sibyl would bring peace and summer to the land very soon.