“He is a farting cat,” Sebastian said.
“Good point,” I had to admit. But still, when it came to the ways of magic, Merlin was almost always right, even if he was a farting cat.
“Hey! Give me that back! It’s mine!” I heard a kid shout.
Turning, I saw Scott Pruit and Tony Jacobs taunting Paulie. They held his book bag over his head and were shouting. “Jump little boy, jump.”
I stormed over. I was pretty certain that Scott and Tony were just two normal dudes. They weren’t dark fairies or magic imps sent by Morgana to make life bad. Sadly, normally people can just be jerks sometimes.
“Okay guys, give Paulie back his bag. We like to make new kids feel welcome here at Camelot High.”
The two sneered at me. “You’re a new kid too!” Scott snarled.
“Yes, and you made me feel welcome!” I said calmly.
“Well that’s cause you’re normal,” Tony said. “Like us.”
“Tony, is anybody really normal?” I asked.
He looked down at the smaller, younger Paulie. “But this kid can’t even be 11!”
“I’m nine!” Paulie said.
“Not helping, Paulie.”
“Right,” Paulie said. He held out an open palm. “Please, good sirs, may I have my book bag back. It not only has my books but many belongings that I cherish.”
“This kid doesn’t even talk like a normal kid!” Scott huffed.
“Thanks,” Paulie said with a grin.
“Guys, please give Paulie back his book bag,” I repeated, giving them a polite smile but a glare that showed I meant business.
Mika, Sebastian, and Gail came to my side backing me up.
“I’d listen to Gwen if I were you guys,” Sebastian said.
Tony and Scott looked us over. Gail casually flexed her muscles and said. “Guys, I hate violence, but I hate bullying even more. And it’s going to be really bad for your image if you both get beaten up by a girl.”
Scott lowered the book bag and gave it Paulie. “Sorry, kid, just having some fun.”
“Your definition of fun differs from mine,” Paulie commented. “But I understand different people like and enjoy different things.” He held out a hand and took his book bag. He held out another hand to shake. “Apology accepted. I hope we can be friends!”
The two turned and walked away. “Not a chance…” they both muttered.
“How rude,” Paulie said. He turned to us. “Thank you for coming to my aid. I’m still not sure how to deal with ruffians. I am an expert at aikido, but Mom says fighting is a last resort.”
“Your mom is smart!” I said, patting him on the shoulder.
“Thank you, Gwen,” he smiled. He bent down. “It appears that in all the potential chaos, you dropped your pencil.”
I looked towards the floor. Man, I really should have noticed that.
Paulie picked up the pencil. He handed it to me. His eyes shot open. His face began to glow.
“My queen,” Paulie said with a bow.
“Oh my gosh, Paulie, you’re Percival!” I said.
“It appears I am,” he smiled. “What an unexpected but pleasant turn of events!”
Gail bent down and put Paulie in a bear hug. “Percy! How I’ve missed you!”
“Likewise, Galahad, I mean Gail.”
“What are we missing here?” Sebastian asked me.
“Percy or Paulie was one of the noblest of all knights. We may not have found Lancelot yet, but with Paulie, we have a chance to find the grail!” I smiled happily.
“Do you?” Ms. Vivian asked from behind me.
I turned to look at her. She and VP/Coach Locke walked towards me slowly.
“We saw you stand up for Paulie. That was a nice thing that you did,” Coach Locke said.
“It was the least I could do,” I replied. I looked at Ms. Vivian. “What did you mean when you said, ‘do you’?” I asked.
Ms. Vivian walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. She looked down at me and said. “Gwen, don’t you think it’s all a bit too convenient? Not only does Morgana sponsor Music and Arts but the new teacher’s son turns out to be Percival!”
I considered her words for a moment. “Of course, I had thought of that,” I said a bit defensively. “Still, the opportunity is too good. I can’t pass it up.” I said sternly.
“So, you think you’re ready for Morgana?” Ms. Vivian scoffed.
Coach Locke stood between us. “Viv, I think you are being a bit too harsh with your tone.”
Vivian glared at Coach Locke. “Oh really? So you want to just hand the grail to Morgana?”
Before he could respond, I jumped between them. I locked eyes with Ms. Vivian and said, “Look, Ms. Vivian. I understand your concern. I do. I don’t trust Morgana any more than I would a hungry wolf looking at a wounded lamb. But you know what? Sometimes you have to take a chance. Sometimes you may have to take a step forward, even if you know you are heading into a possible trap. Because if you are aware of the possibility, you have a chance of springing the trap on the person trying to bait and lure you. That gives you the upper hand.”
Vivian’s eyes didn’t waver. I didn’t let mine move either. Finally, she relaxed. “I still think this could be a trap… or you could be playing into Morgana’s hands….”
“Acknowledged,” I told her. “But we have a chance to get the grail and I’m going to take that chance.” I pointed at her. “Do you have problems with that Ms. Vivian?” I meant that as a rhetorical question though and before she could even think about answering, I answered for her. “Because if you do, you can try to stop me. But last time you did that it didn’t work out too well for you!” I said.
Ms. Vivian stood tensely for a moment, then suddenly relaxed. “Fine, I can see you’re too stubborn to listen to reason.” Before turning away, she said, “I hope it works out for you.”
Coach Locke gave me a weak grin.
“Sorry if I gave her too much attitude,” I apologized. “I know that right now, she’s a teacher and I’m a kid, but that doesn’t mean I’m not right. The grail is now a possibility and I have to take a chance.”
Coach Locke nodded in agreement then turned and walked away.
Gail walked up to me. “Wow, I don’t believe you told her off like that. I know you’re a future Queen, but wow!”
“I would never have done that,” Art said.
“Seriously, if Bart or I said that, we’d be in detention for the rest of our lives,” Brett said. “I’m impressed!”
Bart shook his head in agreement.
“Man, that was the coolest thing I’ve seen,” Sebastian told me.
My Notes:
Life is sure weird. Just when you think the universe has given you a kick in the butt, it turns out that kick spins things around and you get the jolt you needed to move forward. Yeah, we didn’t have Lance yet, but finding Percy was an unexpected boost. As far as pureness goes, you don’t get much purer than Percy – i.e. Paulie. While Ms. Vivian might have put a little doubt in my mind, I couldn’t let that show. I still thought I was doing the right thing. The grail is now within reach. We have to grab for it.
Chapter 8
That night, while working on my biology homework, I chatted with Merlin and Fern. “So you guys know I found Percy, right? He’s a cute kid named Paulie.”
“Of course we know!” Merlin said. “There is very little that goes on that I don’t know about. You realize I have my mysterious ways!”
Fern flew over and landed on my shoulder. “Gail texted him. She was so excited.”
“As she should be,” I said.
“Gail said you also had words with Ms. Vivian?” Fern prompted.
“Yeah…” I murmured, looking at my biology and quickly changing the subject. “Man, frogs are cute!”
“And they can be quite tasty…” Fern added.
“Oh gross,” I replied.
“Well, they must be seasoned and cooked properly!”
“So, our maid
Marianne turned mage and history teacher was worried about you going after the grail,” Merlin interrupted. “And fried frogs’ legs can be very yummy.”
I nodded. “She thought I might be playing into Morgana’s hands.”
Merlin licked his lips, obviously thinking of fried frogs’ legs. He snapped back to the now. “Yes, you just might be playing right into Morgana’s hands.”
“But I still have to go for it!” I frowned.
Merlin nodded. “I understand, it’s worth the risk!”
“I can beat Morgana right?”
Merlin and Fern didn’t answer. They just exchanged glances.
“Beat may be too strong a word…” Fern commented.
“Once a tribe of mountain giants literally dropped a mountain on Morgana!” Merlin said. “All it did was make her mad that they soiled her favorite gown. She turned them all into ants.”
“Ants can be tasty too!” Fern said.
“So I won’t drop a mountain on her,” I said.
“Probably not a good idea,” Merlin replied. “Morgana is a force that has been around as long as time itself, if not longer. All you can do is hope to contain her. Maybe banish her to another realm. But destroying her would be nearly impossible.”
“I don’t want to destroy her. I don’t want to destroy anything. I just want to stop her.”
“Now, that may be possible,” Merlin said.
A poof of smoke appeared in my room. “But even that will be hard!” Morgana’s striking figure appeared out of the smoke cloud. “Trust me, Gwen, you will learn it’s better to be with me than against me!”
Mom and Dad rushed into my room. They each held a baseball bat. “Morgana get out of our house!” Dad ordered.
“How did you guys know she was here?” I asked.
“All the plants in the house suddenly turned purple!” Mom shook her head in disgust.
“Merlin warned us that would be a sign Morgana was around!” Claude waved his bat threateningly in the air.
“I do so love purple!” Morgana gushed. She looked at Mom and Dad. “But you two should know this is not a conversation for normals.”
Dad lifted the bat higher. “We won’t be shooed away like we are simple…buzz.”
Dad and Mom both turned into little green flies. Morgana turned to me. “My, they are brave. But very annoying.”
“Morgana, turn them back!” I ordered.
Morgana sat down on my bed. “Gwen, honey, you are in no position to be giving me orders. I have never been one of your subjects.” She paused. “Now just listen to my pitch and I’ll be on my way.”
I turned towards Merlin and Fin.
Merlin shook his head. “Don’t look to me for support. She turned me into a cat.”
Fern flapped his wings and hovered over me. “If you want me to, I can try to scare her!”
“Believe me little tweety bird, I don’t scare easily…” Morgana said, fluffing one of my pillows.
Fern exhaled a stream of flames at Morgana. Morgana sat there basking in the heat. “Bird, is that all you’ve got.”
Fern flopped to the ground exhausted. “Yeppers…” he moaned.
Morgana stood up and started straightening the covers on my bed. “My mother would never have approved of the corners on this bed!” she told me.
“Morgana, what do you want?” I demanded.
Morgana beamed at me. “Just to assure you that I am not the big bad scary thing you think I am!”
“I saw you turn an entire squad of troops to stone!” I stared at her defiantly.
“Well, they were being noisy and threatening!” Morgana said. “And they’ve made great scarecrows for my crops. So, I actually turned them from things of war, into things of peace. I was able to feed my servants and people with those crops.” She looked at her nails. “Besides I’m more mellow now. Hence the reason you’re still in human form and I haven’t swatted down your adopted parents.”
“Plus, you must need Gwen for something,” Merlin added.
“Ah, need is too strong a word,” Morgana looked at Merlin. “But having her on my side rather than trying to stop me, would make my life easier. And I must admit, I like easy.”
I grabbed my staff. I swung at Morgana. She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Written on my mirror I saw the words…
You got guts kid. I like that. My deal still stands. You say I quit. And you get rich and get to be my intern!
Mom and Dad popped back into human form.
“What happened?” they asked, a dazed expression on each of their faces.
“Just be glad Morgana has mellowed,” Merlin told them. “And that she needs Gwen.”
“How?” Mom asked.
“I’m pretty sure she wants the grail but knows she can’t touch it,” Merlin said.
“Yeah, I get the same vibe,” Fern nodded.
“Does that mean you’re not going to try for the grail, honey?” Mom asked.
“On the contrary!” I said. “It means any doubt I had is gone. I’m going to get the grail.”
My Notes:
So weird. I should have more doubts now than ever. The fact that Morgana wants the grail makes me cautious, but now I really understand if she wants it, that means I can somehow use the grail to contain her. Do I have any idea how? Nope, but I can’t let that stop me. Sometimes, desperation makes for the best inspiration.
Chapter 9
On Saturday morning, my knights and I headed to the docks via our bikes. Mom and Dad offered to drive us but after what Morgana did to them, I wanted them to rest. My knights told their parents we were going to hang out and enjoy the fresh air; which in a way we were. But we were also hoping to find a fisherman prince. The person who could lead us to the grail.
“Do you think we should be going for the grail without Lancelot?” Art asked me.
I nodded yes, and said. “Of course, while we want Lance for any battle with Morgana and her hench monsters, I do not believe we need him for the grail.” I pointed to Gail and Paulie. “After all, we already have two of the purest of pure by our side.”
My mind drifted back to a memory from long ago. Lance, Arthur, Merlin and I sat alone at the round table.
“Lancelot, are you sure you should not be spearheading the quest for the grail?” Arthur asked.
“You are our greatest warrior,” I added.
Lancelot smiled and bowed. “I do not deserve your faith in me, my King and Queen. While yes, my arm is strong and my sword sharp for the grail, we do not need strong and sharp. We need pure of heart and mind. When it comes to those traits, I do not believe any in the land can compare to Galahad and Percival.”
“I agree,” Merlin banged his giant staff on the ground. “Arthur, you must learn that you cannot solve all problems with the use of force. In fact, you can often create additional problems by using force, when kindness and cooperation are better suited for the situation.”
“You’re thinking about the past again. Aren’t you?” Art said, pulling me back to the now.
“Yes,” I answered.
“To the time when Merlin told me that force is not the key to getting the grail,” Art added.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Sounds like Merlin was pretty wise before he was a farting cat,” Sebastian said.
“He’s still wise, just he farts a bit more these days,” I said.
“Strangely, he still smells about the same,” Brett rolled his eyes.
Bart laughed. Even Gail giggled.
We reached the Camelot City docks. They were very large and spread out for a good couple of miles along the seaside. I guessed that once, a long time ago, the dock actually survived as a port for big cargo boats. These days, it’s more of a home for fishing boats and recreational boats. During the weekend, the place is buzzing with people. The smell of the sea combined with the scent of fish cooking in the nearby restaurants made my mouth water and my stomach growl.
The funny thing was, the original Ca
melot which was in a place now called England, sat upon an inland hill. We weren’t close to the sea or the ocean at all. I had to give Morgana credit. This location was much better.
“I don’t know why we didn’t build our old Camelot closer to the water,” I said to Art and Gail.
“Ah, dragons and sea monsters,” Gail said. “They made living by the seaside a real pain! There was no insurance back then to cover your home being eaten by a sea monster. So in those days, ocean side homes were much cheaper.”
“That makes sense,” Mika said.
“Should we split up?” Art asked, prompting us into action. “We can cover more ground that way. This place is really big.”
“No, we stay together,” I said firmly. “We’re stronger together, this isn’t a race. We just need to look for some sort of sign.”
Paulie pointed to a couple of birds that looked like doves, sitting on top of an old wooden building, down the street from us. “Those birds are the sign!” Paulie said.
Bart squinted towards the birds. “They’re seagulls or pigeons, no big deal when you’re in a port!”
“No, they’re doves!” Sebastian said. “The only ones here.”
Brett put his hands on his hips. “Dude, how do you know that?”
“I know my birds,” Sebastian replied, heading towards the building with the doves on top.
Paulie started after him.
The others turned to me. “I trust Paulie and Sebastian!” I said, heading after them. I motioned to the others to follow as well.
The two white doves sat on top of a red shingled roof of a small wooden building. A handwritten sign over the door read…
Fisherman Juan Prince: Fishing and Boating Tours
Underneath the title were scribbled the words…Cash only Amigos!
We walked in. We saw a man working on his fishing line. He wore a baggy hat filled with fishing hooks.
“Are you Juan Prince?”
“What gave me away? The sign on the door?” He pointed to his cap, “the cap?”
“Kind of both,” Gail said.
Juan smiled, revealing his teeth from behind a huge mustache. “So, how can I help you, good folks?”
Good versus Evil! Page 4
