Claiming Excalibur

by LH Nicole

  “It’s the story of the alignment!” Dagg said suddenly, startling the members of the Round Table.

  “What alignment?” Lacy asked, hands on hips. Her pale eyes flicked between Aliana and Dagg.

  “It’s an alignment of the planets, which Mordrid plans to use to gain enough power to take over the seven realms,” Arthur told her, his voice deep and troubled.

  Aliana thought back to when Merlin had explained all of this to her a few weeks ago. The first alignment was supposed to happen during the spring equinox. It would be the first in a two part alignment that only happened every fifteen hundred years. The first alignment would intensify the power of one specific magical point on earth. Anyone strong enough could harness that immense power and use it to conquer all the realms during the second alignment, which would cause the gates to all the realms to open.

  “So that box, or whatever, is the source he would have to use to contain all that magic, right?” she asked, and Dagg nodded.

  “What’s this?” Percy’s large shoulders and towering frame blocked a big portion of mural. His long fingers carefully brushed at a portion of the wall. Dagg flew to his side, his eyes glowing again and lighting the area with silver-lavender magic. The dust along that section of wall vanished, revealing strange lines and dashes. They were something like runes.

  “It’s writing, but I’m not sure of the language.” The Dragon hovered closer. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the language of the Olympians.”

  “What?” Aliana asked, reeling back. “Do you mean the language of those not-gods-crazy-powerful people that lived on Mount Olympus?”

  Owen choked on his laughter, and Leo and Percy grinned.

  Arthur went to Dagg’s side. “Is there anyone who can read this?” the king asked.

  The little creature nodded. “Merlin should know what it says.”

  Aliana stiffened. Great. Another one of Merlin’s many talents. Is there anything that Druid doesn’t know?

  “What about this?” Lacy asked, kneeling on the ground at the opposite corner.

  Magic tugged at Aliana’s skin, swirling in soft waves over her hand, like it was trying to get free and go to her blond friend. “Lacy don’t!” she cried too late.

  Lacy reached forward, her fingers touching a small bump in the wall. Pure light, the color of a bright full moon pulsed and surrounded Lacy. It seemed to have its own heartbeat, and it grew with every pumping thump.

  Percy rushed to his girlfriend with an expression of panic like Aliana had never seen on the sweet Southern boy. Strong arms circled her waist, and she was jerked back against a hard chest. Sparks flew down her arms, and Aliana knew it was Galahad who held her. He pivoted and curved his body around hers like a living shield. Another presence surrounded them, and as Aliana looked up, the last thing she saw was Arthur’s molten gold eyes filled with worry, surprise, and grit.

  The pounding in her head was the first thing Aliana remembered. She tried to open her aching eyes, but they were so heavy it was like trying to lift a dumbbell with her lashes. Heat rolled over her in thick, smothering waves that had sweat breaking out over her chilled skin. The freezing droplets snapped her out of the magic-induced fog. She tried to get up and look around, but she couldn’t move. Her arms were pinned to her side by hot bands, another one was strewn over her legs. Her head was tucked tightly against a hard chest.

  “Galahad?” she croaked, her throat so dry and raw she was sure her words were no more than a ghostly whisper. Another weight stirred at her back, but this wasn’t a threatening presence; she could feel it.

  With great effort, she turned her head and glanced over her shoulder at the red clad chest of Arthur. From the feel of it, both men were wrapped around her like protective blankets. Coughing, Aliana wet her damaged throat and called to them. “Galahad, Arthur, wake up.”

  Both men stirred, their grips tightening for a moment. Another moan came from the other side of Galahad, a soft, feminine moan. “Lacy!” Aliana yelled. Her outburst successfully shook the boys out of their daze. She pushed up to her knees as the guys unraveled themselves, searching frantically for her sister in the faint light of pre-dawn.

  “Lia, Percy?” she whimpered. Before Aliana could get to her unsteady feet, Percy stumbled and limped his way to Lacy’s side.

  “Lacy, darlin’ are ya okay?” His trembling hands stroked over his girlfriend, checking for injuries.

  Aliana scanned the area for Owen and Leo and Dagg. Her Dragon was slowly making his way to her side. Owen and Leo leaned against each other as they pulled themselves to their unsteady legs.

  “Aliana?” Arthur questioned, gracefully getting to his feet as if the magic hadn’t affected him. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “What happened?” Galahad gripped her arms and helped her to her feet as he got to his. Stepping away from her two warriors, Aliana went to Lacy and wrapped her in a fierce hug. “Don’t ever do that again!”

  Lacy bobbed her head in agreement. “Touching strange magical things—not a good idea—got it.”

  “Did anybody get the tail number of the bugger that ran us over?” Owen asked as he and Leo joined the girls and the other knights in a tight circle.

  They still had their weapons, and the gem on Aliana’s hand was calm. Bright morning sunlight poured down on them in the large, blue-green valley they found themselves in. Nothing around them looked remotely threatening. A heavy, wet scent in the air made Aliana think they were close to an unseen lake.

  “Where could we be?” Leo asked.

  Dagg lifted himself into the air, circling above them, his eyes glowing purple. “We’re still on the Isle,” he assured them. “But we’re far from where we were.” He inhaled deeply and let out a breath. “Silzik is near!” He dropped into Aliana’s arms. Grateful that her guardian was unhurt, she hugged her Dragon before he crawled onto his perch across her shoulders.

  “Where is he?” Arthur asked, his eyes searching the area around them.

  Dagg pointed one sharp claw to their right. “The scent came from that direction, and I saw a cliff side in the same direction. We silver Dragons tend to live in caves and tunnels in the earth. I wager we’ll find Silzik living there.”

  “Did you say you saw a cliff?” Owen asked. “Aliana, can you recreate that magic map you made before we left the palace?”

  Closing her eyes, she recalled the map overlaid with her mother’s necklace and pushed the image into reality with her bubbly pink magic.

  “I see it,” Galahad said, pointing to the top right corner of the map. “There’s a bluff marked here. It lines up perfectly with the pearl.”

  “So we’ll find Dagg’s wise Dragon guru there, but where’s Excalibur?” Lacy asked, leaning against her boyfriend.

  “Perhaps the DragonLord can answer that question for us when we find him,” Arthur said, throwing a pack over his shoulder. “Let’s get moving.” They gathered their scattered things and trekked through the white, pink, and orange forest at a fast pace.

  Along the way, with Lacy’s hand firmly in his, Percy asked, “Does anyone have any idea how Lacy touching that mural got us transported here?”

  “All I know is that the magic was a traveling spell commonly referred to as shifting.” Dagg lifted from Aliana’s shoulders to hover in front of the couple, studying Lacy intently. “And it is a very rare person—human, Fae, or otherwise—who can use it.”

  Lacy gulped. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Merlin suspected you’d have a part to play in this,” Dagg said. “Perhaps this was it. Didn’t you tell Aliana you felt compelled to come here instead of staying with your brother?”

  Lacy looked down at the ground and pulled away from Percy for a moment, but the gentle giant didn’t let his girlfriend go far. Aliana motioned for Dagg to back off Lacy. She knew her friend and sister was still raw with worry about Wade and was also still adjusting to her newly-discovered magical background. She didn’t need the Dragon making her fe
el less normal.

  Dagg and everyone else let the topic drop, and they fell into other discussions. As Galahad and Dagg talked with Owen and Leo, Aliana went to Arthur’s side. “Thank you for protecting me during the shifting or whatever that was.”

  Arthur smiled. “It was instinct as much as anything else.”

  “Do we know what that place, the ruins, used to be?”

  He shook his head. “Did you get any pictures while we were there?” She nodded. “When we get back to Merlin, we should show him. He may know what that temple used to be and more about what that fresco means.”

  “We need to figure out the rest of the Excalibur poem first though.” Aliana pulled out her travel notebook and flipped it to the poem.

  “A mighty blade of earth and flame

  The lost relic of a sleeping king

  In a land of heroes long forgotten

  The blade returns from whence it came

  Waiting in cold darkness for him to claim

  If he proves cunning, true, and brave

  Let jeweled curves guide thy Destined quest

  Returning to whence your story began

  Guarded till dawn by teeth and claws

  Coiled in Dragon flame and earthen frame

  Hidden in many truths only he can see

  A king will rise high or fall low for all to see.”

  Arthur frowned. “There’s too much we don’t understand. We’re walking into this blind.” His words were calm and even but Aliana sensed how anxious he was.

  She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I know you’ll be able to reclaim Excalibur.”

  His gaze shot to hers. “You read me better than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  She grinned, pulling her hand from his and patting him on his shoulder. “And don’t forget it.”

  Arthur chuckled but then sobered. “I wish I shared your confidence in my abilities.” He glanced behind them. Aliana a followed his eyes to see all their friends absorbed in various conversations. “I can’t help feeling that I’ll fail in this task,” he admitted quietly. “So much has changed and I’m not the same man I was in Camelot. What if I’m not worthy of Excalibur anymore?”

  Aliana bit back her gasp of surprise. She’d known he was worried about finding his sword, but she hadn’t suspected such uncertainties about himself. He was one of the noblest, kindest, smartest, most loyal, brave, and charming people she’d ever met. It was shocking to realize he had the same kind of insecurities she’d felt since she’d accepted this destiny. Trying to imagine doing this without him made her heart hurt.

  “So many people could die if I’m not able to reclaim Excalibur and fulfill the queen’s prophecy,” he growled. “And none of us will be free to live our lives again.”

  “Stop it, Arthur! You may doubt yourself, but I have absolute faith in you. All of us believe in you completely. I don’t doubt you. I haven’t for one moment since we met.”

  A small, grateful smile pulled at the corner of his lips as his molten gold eyes filled with intense emotion. For one second she thought of the beach and their moonlit dance, how close she’d come to kissing him. Her cheeks heated and she dropped her eyes, hoping Arthur’s keen gaze hadn’t caught the wayward thought.

  His hand brushed lightly across her cheek as he tucked a piece of her chocolate-colored hair behind her ear. Her heart raced from his touch and her own scandalous thoughts. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He looked like he was about to say something when the sparks and comforting warmth of Galahad stole her full attention.

  Galahad squeezed her hand, his body all but pressing against her side. His blue eyes burned, be he was looking at Arthur, not her. A guilty flush rushed up her neck to her cheeks.

  “Everything all right?” Galahad asked bringing her hand to his mouth for a brief kiss.

  Aliana had to clear her throat to talk around the lump that had formed. “Yep. We were just talking about our concerns for finding Excalibur.”

  “Owen, Leo, and I were just talking about that as well,” Galahad said. “Leo,” he called, signaling for the Scot to join them. “Tell them what we were discussing.”

  Leo exchanged an almost giddy look with Owen. The genius pair must’ve come up with something good. “We all know the origin of Excalibur, but the question before us is which origin?”

  “What do you mean?” the king asked.

  “Best we can puzzle out,” Leo explained, “is that there are two possible origins the poem could refer to when it says ‘Returning to whence your story began.’ The first is its creation: ‘A mighty blade of earth and flame.’ We know that’s how Excalibur was created.”

  “I pointed out,” Dagg said, interrupting, “it’s a closely guarded secret that a Dragon forged the mystical sword.”

  “Dragon?” Aliana gripped Galahad’s hand. “Silzik?”

  Dagg shook his head. “It would take too long to explain, but I was reminded of the stories when I was in Tir Na Nog. Gold Dragons have the extremely rare ability to take human form, and the root of their power is steeped in the earth and fire elements.”

  “So y’all think it’s what, trapped in fire or something?” Lacy asked, frowning.

  “Perhaps,” Owen answered. “But there’s another possibility. Arthur’s story, his legend started after he claimed Excalibur by pulling it from the rock in the Gods Fall. We think Arthur will have to pull the sword from the stone again.”

  Arthur nodded, a frown marring his calm façade. But Aliana saw the worry festering there. He looked to her and she smiled supportively. “Have you two come up with an explanation for the ‘guarded by teeth and claws’ bit’?” Aliana asked. Their origin idea felt sound to her, but a thought nagged at her, though she couldn’t quite grasp it.

  “It’s not a coincidence that Silzik is in this realm along with a Dragon-forged Excalibur,” Galahad said.

  “But as I’ve said, Dragons don’t ever stop guarding their treasure. So it may be that something has happened that affects Silzik somehow.” Dagg frowned before wrapping himself around Aliana’s neck again.

  “Wow, that Titania, sure knows how to muddy the water,” Lacy muttered, walking between Percy and Leo.

  “Then it’s going to fall to Arthur to figure out which origin is the true one,” Aliana guessed, remembering the lines about “proving cunning and true.”

  Arthur’s jaw clenched, his hand tightening on his sword belt. Aliana sighed. If Arthur didn’t start having confidence in in himself soon, he could be in danger. But how do you convince someone to believe in themselves?

  “How much farther do you think we need to go?” she asked.

  Dagg sniffed the air again. “Not much farther. Silzik’s scent is getting stronger.” They increased their pace, moving faster through the symmetrical woodland. “There,” Dagg said a little later. They’d come to a break in the thick forest caused by the towering reach of a bluff. “His trail leads left. But it won’t be easy to find the entrance. We silver Dragons can be very tricky when it comes to guarding our homes.”

  “Spread out and search for any sign of an opening,” Arthur ordered. “But don’t get out of eyesight of each other!”

  16

  I watched them move across the Isle, thanks to our new tracking marks. My heart nearly exploded when they disappeared for those few seconds. I was worried the marks had failed, but then they reappeared and were miles away. My continued banishment from the Isle burns at me. I should be there with Arthur and the others. But it’s good I was able to stay and help heal Wade, who is making good progress. The process would’ve been faster with Aliana here, loath as I am to admit it. I need Rothik to arrive quickly with my potion. He’s the only friend I trust with that.

  ~Merlin

  ALIANA AND GALAHAD STAYED CLOSE to Arthur as they felt along the rough stone wall for anything that might tell them where Silzik was hiding.

  “Over here!” Percy whisper-yelled moments later. The rest of the group rushed to the spot where
the hulking knight and Lacy stood.

  “Loitering at the entrance of someone’s home is very rude,” a reverberating voice said. The solid rock face shimmered and vanished in silver waves, revealing an arch as large as a football goal post.

  “Be on guard,” Arthur whispered. Aliana’s breath quickened with her heartbeat as she followed her warriors into the cave.

  “Greetings, King Arthur,” the voice growled from the cavern’s depths. “Young Daggerhorne, it has been many years since I’ve heard of you.”

  “Lord Silzik.” Dagg hovered in front of the group, his eyes glowing, helping to break up some of the darkness. “We’ve traveled a long way to find you. We require your help in grave matters.”

  The hidden Dragon chuckled, the sound like rocks cracking apart. “Talk about the perfect sinister bad guy voice. Tim Curry’s got nothing on this guy!”

  Aliana clasped her trembling hands together, her fingers brushing over the warm ruby.

  “I know why you’ve come.” It sounded like the voice was getting closer. Aliana’s eyes caught a large shadow shifting. She heard the faint hisses of the guys’ swords being flicked loose of their sheathes. “You have no need of your weapons…for now.”

  So not reassuring, she thought.

  “You say you know why we’ve come?” Arthur asked, stepping forward, his hand hovering at the hilt of his fire Elves’ sword. His shoulders straightened, and he seemed larger somehow. Aliana glanced at the rest of the guys. They also looked bigger, more dangerous.

  Galahad shifted to better shelter Aliana as the Dragon stepped into the muted light of the cave’s entrance. His white-silver marbled body was the length of a semi-truck. His long, curving neck rippled and arched, lowering his head to their height. He was freakazoid big, nothing like Aliana had expected, especially since Dagg was so small.