The Vanguard

by Jeffrey Ellis

  Anna thought back to her childhood and the pagan beliefs of her family that had persisted for many generations. They still practiced them in secret and held those beliefs in great regard. She no longer followed the ancient ways, but her mother did, and she would grant her mother the solace of perceived satisfaction. In the old ways, if a member of a family was besmirched, it was the duty of the family to make amends and clear the family name because that dishonor would follow the family line forever. Her mother didn't know Merlin would soon be dead and the oath would be empty.

  Deep down, she also knew the truth. She hated Merlin. She wanted him dead as much as her mother. The old ways would help her. She didn't have the power to do it but one day, one day maybe one of her lineage would.

  Anna slowly, with some difficulty due to the baby, bent down onto her knees on the floor of the hut and used her hands to clear a small area of the ground that made up the floor of the hut and started forming a series of symbols in the dirt.

  The main one was for Woden, the high god of the pagans. His blessing was needed for the oath to be made. She then made four more symbols around the first, one at each cardinal point. The next was for Balder to bind the oath through time. After that was Saxnot to bind their family to the oath. The third was Eostre so it could pass to the next generation and finally Hel to bind it beyond the death of any single member of her line.

  “I will swear that much,” Anna told her. “By the old ways, I swear to you that the stain on our family will be cleansed by my hand or should I fail, the hands of those that follow as our ancestors demand. Merlin shall die. I am Anna, daughter of Annice, and I swear this oath to be binding until the death of Merlin cleanses that stain from my bloodline.”

  She then clenched her hand and cut into the flesh of her palm with her own fingernails and lined the symbols with her blood. The blood soaked into the ground and the symbols glowed briefly for a moment then stopped. Her mother smiled at the approval of the old gods.

  Anna left and got back on the coach without another word. She knew the danger in making oaths from her time at Camelot. Magic was fickle, and the smallest things could latch onto the Weave and give reality to words, binding them. Annise was a bitter hag whom she owed nothing but at least Anna could fulfill her last request with the oath and give the woman some peace of mind. She was her mother and Anna felt she deserved that much.

  #

  Sebastian, Chelsea, Anna, William, and Morgana sat in the C&C. Morgana placed her hands on Anna's temples as the other four held hands with Anna and each other forming a small circle around Morgana. They were forming a circle of power Morgana was using to draw forth visions of the past. It was one thing to bring out someone's own memories, but she was searching through Anna's family line, following her chain of forebears back to the original Anna, the one who wrote the first journal. It was ancient history and took tremendous skill and energy, so they formed the circle to help her.

  A vision of the past Anna was playing out in their minds as if they were watching it unfold on a video presentation from one of the entertainment feeds. There was more though. They could feel her emotions, her strongest thoughts jumped at them as if over a loudspeaker, they could even feel her baby kicking and a very strong desire to pee. They watched the events play out until Morgana broke the spell as the coach left the village. Morgana removed her hands from Anna's head and the rest released their hands.

  “I think we found our answer. Your ancestors practiced very old, very dangerous magic. I thought the pagan ways dead by the time of the Seal, but it would seem I was mistaken. Anna, this is no small thing to break. I'll need to consult with Boudicca. She's not the strongest Master but she's by far the best expert we have on Anglo-Saxon paganism,” Morgana told her.

  “I don't need to break it. I may not be a Master, but I think the solution is relatively obvious. If Merlin dies this oath is fulfilled, correct?” asked Anna.

  “You need to be under control of your own actions. This oath, it can create powerful compulsions as you've already seen and the closer you feel your goal, the stronger those compulsions can become. We want you, YOU, to be with us in the fight. Not the will of an ancestor. You should be in this fight for the right reasons,” William said. “There are numerous references to the power of magical oaths throughout the history of magic and they rarely end well. We need to break this control.”

  William looked at Morgana. “What if we find a way to nullify it? What about the gods the pagans worshiped? Were there any spells of theirs that could break oaths?”

  “They weren't gods. Like most so-called gods, they were just Masters. In this case, I had some firsthand experience with them. They didn't give power to that spell because they were all dead before it was ever cast. The power in that oath came from the belief in it by Anna and Annice and more than likely empowered by the energy radiating out from Camelot while we cast the spells for the Seal,” Morgana told them.

  “How can you be sure they were dead? Maybe there were some of them left. Loki was one of their gods and known to revel in chaos. A spell that would haunt a family for who knows how long, compelling them to attack one of the most powerful Masters of the day would probably have given him a giggle,” William said.

  “Like I said, firsthand knowledge. For a short time in the iron age, I was briefly involved with one of those Masters, a man named Woden, until they started their cult and declared themselves gods. I changed names and locations periodically to make myself harder to track, going into isolation for decades or even centuries between but I always kept track of any Masters I encountered. I would have preferred to stay hidden, but many Masters can sense powerful magic and even suppressed, my magic is a beacon and occasionally, like with the pagans, we cross paths,” Morgana told them.

  “Shortly after the Romans made their mark on old Britannia, the old gods started infighting and several killed each other. The ones that left came up against a young Master and... they didn't survive. He was powerful enough to stand against any of them but the remaining three would come after him together, so I gave him a staff to help him survive...” she said as her voice trailed off.

  The group was silent as they realized she meant Merlin.

  “I created this mess. I should have left them alone to fight amongst themselves and never gave him that damned staff. It belonged to Baldric not him and should have remained hidden until Baldric was ready for it. I let my heart cloud my judgment and this entire war is all my fault,” Morgana told them.

  “Never fault yourself for following your heart. One way or another, that's how everyone in this room, everyone in the Vanguard, ended up here. We can spend our entire lives second-guessing our actions and never be able to undo them. We have to accept our mistakes and learn from them, so we don't repeat them,” Chelsea said.

  “I know but I have more time and more mistakes than anyone else on Earth. I want you two to think about that. The more powerful you become, the longer you live, the bigger your mistakes and you’ve had a lot of power and a lot of lives,” she said to Sebastian and Chelsea.

  Morgana sighed. “I have more than twelve thousand years of mistakes, some of which are pretty big. You've gotten back a few memories and you remember good things right now. How many times in those lives did it end badly? How many times did you live in poverty, die of disease, were imprisoned even if wrongly...how many mistakes did you make? How many lives did those mistakes cost? You'll remember the bad and with as many lives as you've lived, as many times as you've drawn yourselves into the major events of the world, not all of those ended well and the good guys didn't always win. Sometimes in those conflicts, there were no good guys, just varying degrees of bad and the choice of the lesser of two evils has been far too prominent in history.”

  “It's something we considered and despite that, we still have to know. Whatever we find out, it's part of us and we need to know. We have to shape the stone,” Chelsea replied.

  “But I digress. We're here for Anna and not for histo
ry lessons or family affairs. Anna, we can't force you to try to undo the oath. It must be your choice. Of everyone here, everyone in the Vanguard and Wardens, the one who cares about you most is William and it sounded like he wants you free of its compulsion,” Morgana said.

  “I do,” William replied then looked at Anna and took her hand. “The woman I have known and loved for twenty years is not the woman who stormed out of the C&C today. Whatever this thing is doing to you is altering your judgment. My Anna would not want to throw away her career and alienate her friends because she might have to wait a little while for approval for a mission. She wouldn't have a problem with something being deemed a human affair and not under our jurisdiction. That woman I saw today was obsessed with revenge for an act that wasn't even committed against her. I want you back. It seems like the closer you feel you are to killing Merlin the stronger the obsession becomes. You're a field agent. You know the importance of patience and strategy and have seen too many times what happens to agents who rush in.”

  “For you, I'll do anything. You said you need to speak with Boudicca?” asked Anna to Morgana.

  “That's easier said than done,” Chelsea said then opened a comm channel. “Xavier, can you meet us in the C&C? We need a favor and it's not something we want to discuss over the comm.”

  “I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm on a shuttle to London but will turn around immediately. I just left so I should be there in ten minutes or less,” Xavier replied.

  “Sebastian, why are you so quiet?” asked Chelsea.

  The rest of them turned their attention to Sebastian who was distracted and had his hands on his abdomen.

  “Are you okay?” Chelsea asked.

  “I'm fine,” he replied still rubbing his belly.

  “You don't seem fine,” Chelsea replied.

  “Is that what's it like be pregnant?” he asked. “I could feel her child. I could feel the heartbeat racing. It was so fast. Was it because of the spell?” he asked.

  “That was normal for a developing child,” replied Morgana.

  “It was just so odd. I can't get it out of my head. I had a baby inside me,” he told them.

  “It is your connection to life and more evidence you have ascended. Masters have a connection to the Weave that transcends that of normal magic and that includes unborn life,” Morgana told him.

  “Why wasn't I affected like that?” asked Chelsea.

  “Because for you and me, it's a normal part of life and something our bodies are built to handle. We understand instinctively but not him. Men don't normally have the ability to feel what it's like to be pregnant. They don't understand how profound it can be,” Morgana replied.

  A few minutes later, Xavier walked into the C&C. “I got here as quick as I could. How can I help you?”

  “Xavier, we need you to talk to Boudicca. We need her help understanding an aspect of pagan magic, most importantly how to undo it,” Chelsea told him then spent a few minutes explaining what they learned.

  “I will see what she can tell me. Often when I visit them, she doesn't even talk. Sometimes I just hold her hand for a while because she's not always responsive. You haven't seen her lately. It's hard to tell where the plants end, and she begins. She did tell me recently that Trish is close to being fully healed and they might be done soon but couldn't elaborate on how long that is. I can’t even be certain she’s aware of the passage of time right now. I'll leave immediately if you need,” he replied.

  “We do. Anna needs us and there might something Boudicca can tell us to help her break the compulsions,” Sebastian told him.

  “In the meantime, I would suggest you stay here Anna. No field missions. No trips. Keep to Camelot and report to Bruce immediately if anything changes. He's in charge in our absence with you under the effects of this oath,” Sebastian told her.

  “Bruce? So, you're leaving then?” Anna asked.

  “We are. As important as this is, there is little we can do to help. If we're needed then we're only a comm away and we'll be here in no time,” Sebastian said.

  “And if you need to talk, you can always contact me privately and I'll be there,” Chelsea told her.

  “Avalon awaits, and we still need to notify Neala of our intentions,” Sebastian said.

  He sent Bruce a request to meet them in the C&C.

  “If the rest of you don't mind, we need to speak with Bruce and prepare things for our departure.”

  The room cleared, and Bruce arrived. Sebastian opened a comm channel to the President's Liaison to the Vanguard.

  The face of Stephanie Yassim, the daughter of President Neala Yassim filled the screen. She looked very much like her older sister Dana who was killed in the moon incident. “Hi, Sebastian. Hey Chelsea. How can I help you?” said a chipper voice.

  “Hi, Steph,” said Chelsea.

  “We need to speak with your mom. Is she available?” Chelsea asked.

  “She's a bit on the busy side. Is it important?” the young woman asked. “She's meeting with General Morrison about the ALF cleanup.”

  “It is,” said Sebastian. “We need to inform her in a temporary change of command staff. It shouldn't take long.”

  “Okay, I'll see if she has a few minutes,” Stephanie said and left the screen.

  A few minutes later the screen changed and President Yassim and General Morrison were on it.

  “What's this about a command change?” asked the President.

  “I'll get right to it since you're in the middle of something. Chelsea and I are temporarily stepping down and taking a leave of absence. In our stead Field Marshall Bruce will be assuming command until Field Marshall Anna is ready to return to duty. Anna is still on medical leave for her injuries and not ready for active duty.”

  “Why?” asked Neala.

  “It's complicated but it boils down to we need to take some time off. It's not permanent and probably not even that long,” said Chelsea.

  “This is not a good time. The ALF might have lost at Tokyo but they're still out there and Mordred is still a major threat. We need you. There will be time to rest when it's over,” Neala told them. “We're all getting burnt out, but we have to keep pushing.”

  “Maybe or maybe not but we can't wait. Neala, you don't understand what it's been like. Since the Seal broke we have memories flooding back, powers randomly manifesting, it's getting to be too much. It's not burnout. It's coming to terms with who and what we are. If we don't do that now, it may be too late when this is over,” Sebastian told her.

  “General, what do you think?” asked Neala.

  “You're right, Neala. We won a victory but not a war. Since all this goddamned craziness started, these two have been at the center of every win we have, and we've come to rely on them. The Tormentor, Tokyo and not to mention all the small things they've done that have been crucial to our continued success. I read the reports. These two haven't stopped. If they have downtime, they're hunting these monsters, training, running the Vanguard and handling all the politics and diplomacy that comes with that and quite frankly a normal person would have cracked. If anyone deserves to take a vacation, it's these two. Do you know how many times they've been seriously injured and still on active duty? Do you want to know what I think? I think they should enjoy their time off,” General Morrison said. “I also think that despite martial law this is still a free world and we can't stop them. Instead of trying to talk them out of it, I think we should be thanking them for not doing it sooner.”

  “Field Marshall Bruce, I know you handle a lot of the command duties already but are you sure you're ready to take over full time?” she asked him.

  “I am. I consider these two to irreplaceable, but I'll hold the fort until they get back or Anna is healed up,” Bruce replied.

  “I pay close attention to your command structure and keep tabs on all the Marshalls. Anna has more tenure, but you have more command experience with the Vanguard. You've spent far more time running Camelot than she has. If she return
s to active duty before Sebastian and Chelsea return, you are to retain command. If she has a problem with that she can file a formal complaint. Field Marshall Bruce, effectively immediately I'm approving the temporary command change. You have my liaison’s ear and she has mine. If you three will excuse me, the General and I must return to mundane affairs and he's my go-to right now for keeping the chaos to a minimum,” she told them.

  “One last thing, Sebastian,” said the General. “How is Michael doing?”

  “He's adapting well. He's a fine man and you lost a damn good soldier. He'll excel. Of that I have no doubt,” Sebastian told him.

  “Good to hear. Take care you two and don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything at all,” General Morrison told them.

  After the screen went blank, Sebastian turned to Bruce. “I have one last request for you before we leave.”

  “What's that, mate?” Bruce asked him.

  “I want you to train Michael, not Alexander. He's got potential and talent and you're the kind of man who can bring that out in him. Push him hard enough to break him then push him some more,” Sebastian said. “Push him to the point of failure.”

  “You want me to purposely make him fail?” Bruce asked, sounding confused.

  “He won't fail. He'll bend but he won't break,” Chelsea told him.

  “You got it. Enjoy your trip you two and keep in touch. This is still your house. I'm just keeping it clean until you get home,” Bruce told them.

  “That it is Bruce. Camelot is our home and the Vanguard our family. I guess we should be going,” Sebastian told him.