Arthur

• Posted by: Oliver Hickey
• Created: January 29, 2015
• 0

Prologue

Merlin and Mordred stand high above the red wasteland. Merlin dressed in a deep green robe with a tall pointed hat and a short beard of pure white silk. Mordred stood tall and lean in the wind, like his father he had broad shoulders and a trail of long black hair, unlike his father. He wore a small black stubble across his face along with his deep blue eyes, just like Arthur’s, Mordred wore a long black robe with a dark blue long waistcoat which matched his eyes. Along with pieces of old golden and silver armour covering his chest, arms and legs. Knights and Warriors lay beside them, dead or dying, banners flew high in the strong breeze. The sky was red and dragons roars could be heard throughout the battlefield.

Merlin : You are finished Mordred, you cannot go on, leave this land, and never return, I shall not repeat myself.

Mordred : I shall not leave until I get satisfaction, my satisfaction being you, laying dead at my feet.

Merlin : Can you not see the damage you have caused, you have murdered hundreds if not thousands of innocent men, for nothing. You hold nothing to gain from continuing this endless blood lust for me.

Mordred : Oh but I do! You feel them don’t you, through the powers you and I both possess, you feel all of these dead and dying men, you feel their pain, their despair. It is here where I shall destroy you, Merlin!

Arthur stands vigil on the battlefield, His thick gold beard breezing in the harsh warm air, the knights of the roundtable stand around him talking of strategies and battle formations. Arthur is holding Excalibur in both hands and staring at it with deep emotion.

Ser Galahad is speaking of deploying forces with the rest of the knights atop the hill which over looked their army.

The Pendragon army consisted of 

50 Horsed Knights

80 Unhorsed Knights

1000 Spearmen

900 Archers

300 Vanguard Soldiers

400 Horsed Spearmen

The Saxon’s had Triple that.

Arthur and his knights wore deep red armour with gold engraved edges, they wore dark white steel swords at their sides, each with a squire which wore darkened iron chain mail, with a light brown bow and dark walnut arrows. Arthur and his two High Knights (Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad) wore Dark Gold Armour with red chain mail. The Knights swords were longer and thicker than the rest, they had a dark red dragon handle with bright red engravings on the spines of their swords. Excalibur was dark steel with strange markings working their way all along the sword until the middle into which it was bright silver, it was as if a tree of engravings was making its way up to the top. The king, his knights and all forces that flew under the Pendragon banner wore red and gold dragons on their chest’s.

Arthur : Sir Bedivere. Step forward.

A huge man stepped out from the large huddle of knights, he was over 8 foot tall and wore a plain chain mail vest with a bright red and gold waistcoat stepped forward, he was taller than Arthur. As he walked over to him his arms popped out from beside him, huge bulging muscles that, carried across his back two large axes and two smaller swords by his side. He bowed and bellowed out a greeting.

Sir Bedivere : My king!

Arthur : You are my strongest of my knights, and the fiercest in battle. I put forth the task to you, for leading the vanguard, in the assault on the Saxon host.

Excitement washed over Sir Bedivere as he pulled out an axe in joy.

Sir Bedivere : I shall not let the enemy near the second line my lord, they shall be begging for mercy after I am through.

Arthur : Good luck my friend. KNIGHTS!! Gather round!

The knights flocked to Arthur and circled him as he climbed the small hill which looked over upon his own army, and the Saxon forces that lay not to far off in the distance.

Arthur : My time has come, our time has come. All our lives we have lived in fear of these murderers, these barbarians, these butchers. They threaten to destroy all we hold dear. Our families and towns will burn if we don’t hold them here. We will rain down fire on our enemy before the end, like the dragons of old we shall endure and rain victorious!

The knights shouted in uproar and courage.

All Knights : Long Live King Arthur!

Arthur : Long Live the round table!

All Knights : Long Live the round table!

Arthur : Long Live Camelot!

The whole army arose with sound and cheer.

The whole army : Long, Live, Camelot!!

As the knights descended to the battle field Arthur remained for a few moments, he pulled out from underneath his sweaty golden armour a small ruby hung on a silver chain, the ruby was being eaten by a gold dragon, it was a keepsake from his father Uther. He looked up into the deep orange sky and looked back to all of his adventures and past battles.

An old man appeared behind him and slowly took his place at Arthur’s right side.

Merlin : He lives.

Arthur : Then it must be I, who will face him, what…how did he….

Merlin : He looked fierce. And corrupt. The Saxons made an alliance with him, as well as Morgana. They will have magic on their side when you engage them on the field of battle. I fear I will be of little use to you, Mordred has grown strong in his absence, he almost bested me.

Arthur : He chose to leave, it was his choice to turn to magic.

Merlin : Perhaps if I had said no when he asked…

Arthur : No! He would have found a way, he always has. He is a brilliant warrior and an even better magician. But, not better than you I hope.

Merlin : Only just. I managed to escape, he will be with Morgana, she is the one causing this strange weather. Arthur, this battle will be your last. I have foreseen it. Mordred will kill you with Excalibur.

Arthur unsheathes his sword. He holds it high as it shines in the red sun. His army cheers from behind him and thrust their own swords and lances high into the evening air.

Arthur : If I were to give it to you now, would it change anything?

Merlin : No. I fear his hatred for you is matched only by his knowledge of sorcery, Morgana has taught him beyond my understandings of magic.  Arthur, do not do this. Will anything I say change your mind, will anything I can do sway your decision to lead this army.

Arthur sheathes Excalibur, and turns to look at him. Merlin is beaten and bruised, he is bleeding and has injures all over himself and his robe, his great white hair flowing in the breeze, his red stained beard brisling with the wetness of the blood. He puts his hand on his shoulder.

Arthur : Will my death bring peace to the land, will my sacrifice bring about the finale of this endless struggle.

Merlin sheds a single tear which makes its way down his face and repairs all damaged skin in its path.

Merlin : It will.

Arthur : Then I shall walk over to my horse, ride down to the front lines and ride out to meet the end of my journey, I have done much in my life, travelled on many quests, I have found the love of my life, I helped forge the round table, discovered more than any man could in fifty lifetimes. Its all thanks to you. I am forever in your debt, my oldest and wisest friend.

He slowly makes his way down the hill, as he is halfway to his horse he slowly turns around for one last look at his oldest friend and mentor.

Arthur : Farewell. 

He saddles his horse and rides down the hill, his knights fall in to the long line of horsed knights, they slowly make their way through the men of the Pendragon army. As they reach the vanguard Arthur and his knights take up position behind the long line of armoured spearmen which are preparing to charge.

Gibbons : And that was the last time the wizard saw his brightest and best student Arthur Pendragon again, some accounts tell of an island, deep within our country. This is where Arthur’s knights took him after the final battle at Camlan. It is said that the knights of The Round Table defended Arthur’s kingdom long after he descended down the river to the isle of Avalon. 

An old man wearing a brown suit walked slowly across the marbled halls off the museum. The museums hall the old man and the many visitors listening to his story was large and tall, inside their were many medieval tools and trinkets. Including Merlin’s many diaries in which the old man, Gibbons, was extremely knowledgeable about.

Gibbons : Well that is all for today. As were the final words of Arthur to Merlin, farewell.

The tourists slowly began to leave, some clapped and some shook Gibbons hand. He himself slowly made his way round the exhibits as per his daily routine. The day itself was late and dying. Gibbons made his way to back his office, his intern Jack was sat at his desk typing out emails.

Jack : Hello sir. Cup of tea? You must have had a busy day, especially with all of those welsh tourists.

Gibbons stopped at the big wooden door to his office and turned to answer Jack.

Gibbons :  They seemed very interested in Arthurian legends. Mind you, probably their nature to want to know more, about their history.

Gibbons slowly entered his office and flung down his old brown jacket, he wore a bright blue shirt with a light brown waistcoat now, slowly he hobbled over to his cluttered desk. The office itself was quite big, full of bookshelves, large leather sofas, bits of odd paper, carts of old artefacts that needed dating and the leftovers from his lunch. He yells out to Jack.

Gibbons : I will take that tea now young man, earl grey, no junk in it. And when you bring it in take all this clutter out with you.

He slowly sits down and reclines into his faded black leather swivel chair, he lets out a large and well earned sigh. Gibbons then sits up, scratches his nose and rummages through old papers and books.

He finds an old pendant with a date marking hanging off it. It was the size of Gibbons old bony palm, it was faded in the middle to a bright white colour, slowly as you got to the edges the colour’s begin to emerge, red, blue, green, purple and black on the every edge. It looked like a piece of cut glass if not for its shape and weight, it was as light as a feather and very thin in places and very thick in others. Gibbons took out his spyglass and examined it more carefully. It has small engravings in a language he hadn’t seen before.

Gibbons : This is new, must have been uncovered from that new expedition east of Cardiff. 

Jack enters the room, bringing in Gibbons tea, along with some news that would lighten gibbons spirit to the point of ecstasy.

Jack : Sir there has been a new site found the company wants to excavate.

Gibbons : Caerleon? Avalon?

Jack : Both. They want you to go and advise the young historian they have hired, I think her name was Molly Pen.

Gibbons : At once, you are coming with me boy, I will be needing a man to bring me tea of this exceptional standard.

He sips his tea with one hand whilst slipping the artefact into his other.

Gibbons : Go lad, hurry we must leave before the day ends, your driving.

Jack : All the way to North Wales?

Gibbons : All the way to North Wales. To the end of the earth if need’s be.

Jack grabs a few things and moves into the next room. 

Gibbons : perhaps we will finally learn were King Arthur lays.

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