Arthur's Return

Darkness...darkness surrounded Arthur as he slowly opened his eyes and stood. "Morgana?" he called out, "sister, where art thou?" The king received no answer. The smell of apples and ocean breezes filled his nostrils as he rose and strode to the gap in the stone walls. A pure blue sky shone as the sun blazed overhead. "Avalon..." he whispered, the corrupted name rolling off his lips as the true name echoed in his heart: Avallach. The Isle of Apples, where life knows no end.

"Where art thou, sister mine?" The king's voice rang out around the stone room. No, it was little more than a cell. None had been in his room for quite a while. The dust had piled high, and the overgrowth of nature had begun to conquer the stone walls. "Sister?"

"She hath not been here for some time, my liege." A familiar voice echoed, though its owner was nowhere in sight. "She hath been ensnared within an earthen gaol, much like Nimue did to thy servant."

"Thou art no servant, Myrddin." He rebuked his teacher. "Thou art my most trusted counselour and friend."

"Aye, but thy faith in me is misplaced. My hubris was the cause for thy fate." The mage spoke grimly. "Now, once again, I shall send you out from a castle by the sea, for your land yet has need of you. Three gifts I shall give to you, Arthur son of Uther: the gift of mind, to understand the peoples of the world and to be understood; the gift of heart, to let the fire of your core fill your limbs with might; and the gift of spirit so that you may discern the intentions hidden within men's hearts."

The deep magic filled the room like mist and seeped within Arthur's whole being. He felt the sparks of trembling magic fill his head as modern parlances and expressions became commonplace. His chest felt aflame as the burning sensation spread throughout his limbs and ran through his veins, giving a mystical strength to his body. Finally, the sensation of wind forced itself through his lungs and settled within his being. He felt connected to the world again, to the billions of souls who inhabited the gentle planet which he called home.

The king wept. The sorrow, grief, and pain that each and every human being had to bear overwhelmed him and filled him with compassion. More than that, though, he felt their fear. That which could not be explained was becoming increasingly familiar. The sense of wonder which should fill the hearts of children was replaced by terror at the unknown. Science was failing; the immutable laws of reality were bursting at the seams with the unexplainable forces of past mysticism. So, Arthur wept for them. He wept that he was needed by a world which should have long passed him by.

Why, Lord? Arthur asked heaven. Why must they suffer in such a way? He bowed his head before standing up, determined and strong. Yet, I feel your call. I will not let their suffering be in vain. The gap in the wall through which Arthur saw the sky rumbled and began to expand and transform into a doorway. There, upon a dais in the middle of the courtyard, was a familiar sight from his youth. A sword in a stone.

"Hello, old friend." Arthur whispered to the steel weapon. It was not the Excalibur given to him by Lady Vivian, for that was returned to her at the end of Arthur's life. This was, though, another Excalibur. It was a sword granted the mystic ability to cleave through stone and steel as if they were paper. It was a sword reinforced with Avalon's magic, making it one of the few weapons to withstand Arthur's might.

If the sword from the Lady of the Lake was Excalibur, then this sword needed a name of equal renown. "Caliburnus, that is the Latin name you both share, but I shall call you Excallibus, for I drew you from stone. For clarity, Callibus will be your proper name. A nickname, as the day's parlance would say." The king smiled wryly before striding to the armory to acquire a proper sheath.

Not for the first time, Arthur lamented his childish arrogance, which drew him to favor Excalibur's surety of victory over its life-preserving scabbard, but he would not change a thing. For it was that arrogance which eventually led to his reconciliation with Morgan. Although there was a wide selection of suitable homes for Callibus, ease of transportation was the king's first priority. So, he ignored the finely-made scabbards and decorative sheaths in favor of one of Merlin's devices. Perhaps it was Morgan's, but Arthur did not rightly know.

All the information needed was that it was a simple belt enchanted with a portal where Callibus could be stored. By the act of drawing his sword from the empty air around the rune-engraved stud, Callibus' hilt manifested in his grasp. "Truly, magic is incredible."

Warrior and king, those were his common titles and true ones, to be sure, but Arthur was still a child inside. He never lost his sense of wonder, which every Round Table knight and peer of his had long since cast away. Gawain and Lancelot alone seemed to understand this, but Gawain's was a wonder about the penitent knights like Galahad and Percival, while Lancelot was in wonder at Arthur himself. Ah, Lancelot. The Knight of the Lake idolized Arthur; he and Guinevere thought themselves so far below Arthur that their affair was less of adultery and more of blasphemy.

At the memory of two of his greatest knights, as well as his wife, the Red Dragon of prophecy bowed his head reverently before smiling fondly, choosing to focus on the love he shared with all of them. Fatherly love toward Gawain, brotherly love toward Lancelot, and a husband's love toward Guinevere. "I will remember you in all that I do, my friends." Arthur whispered.

After choosing his sheath, Arthur began selecting armor and all he would need for his journey. The armor he chose was enchanted with a mystic disguise that retained its defensive ability while providing ease of movement and blending in with the modern era. Merlin's gift of mind taught Arthur the words for each garment, so the scarlet hoodie paired well with his dark blue jeans. He thought they did, at least; the king was never much for fashion or color coordination.

After finishing his business on the Eternal Isle, Arthur walked to the dock, where a familiar sight greeted him. "Bedwyr! My friend, truly, it is good to see you."

The noble knight bowed deeply at the sight of his liege. "Not as good as it is to see you again, my king." Bedwyr smiled before accepting the embrace Arthur offered. A brief hug between good friends and brothers-in-arms. It conveyed the 1500 years of separation which both endured, from each other and from their fellow knights. "I have been given the honor of accompanying you on your journey. Mayhaps, some of our other brothers are waiting for us as well."

"We can only hope, Bedwyr." Arthur's smile grew.

He patted his faithful companion's shoulder before stepping aboard the modern boat waiting for them. "It is strange, Bedwyr, that a millennium-and-a-half has passed since we walked the green earth, and yet boats still use sails to traverse the seas."

"No, sire. The people of today were accustomed to the power and convenience of refined oil, drawn from the depths of the earth, to fuel their vessels and lives. However, the return of Ether has caused modern technology to become faulty and unreliable. Therefore, we must travel by enchanted sail."

"Ah, magic. How wonderful it is, right Bedwyr?" Arthur marveled at the sailboat, enjoying the feeling of the impossibly soft seats as well as the many gauges and needles seeming to spiral madly on the dashboard before him.

"Yes, milord." Bedwyr nodded. "I am perfectly capable of steering this ship with one arm, so why don't you enjoy the feeling of the sea foam on your face, sir? If I need your assistance, I shall call for you."

"Thank you, Sir Bedwyr." Arthur's smile grew even more, the childlike wonder expanding as he rushed outside and loosely gripped the railing of the boat cutting through the blue waters and spraying foam across his face and splashing across the greater sea they traveled through. "Amazing." He whispered, in awe of everything he saw and continued to see.

The sea quickly became dirty and seemed unhealthy as soon as the boat exited the mist of Avalon, but even that was slowly clearing. Mermaids and kelpies were gallivanting through the sea, restoring and purifying their home. The Ether in the air was invigorating to Arthur's senses as he breathed in the newly reborn natural world. Mountains of steel and metal aberrations rose up in the distance, but he could see them slowly being absorbed by moss and stone. Nature was again overcoming humanity.

"'Tis an impressive sight, is it not, my liege?" Bedwyr asked as the boat slowed down and approached a harbor. "This is a modern port. The Battle of Camlann was fought not far from here. I believe you know where we are."

Arthur nodded. "Very well. I assume that Cornwall was too far from Avalon, but it is fitting that I left Britannia and returned to Britain in Glastonbury."

Bedwyr nodded, a partial smile filling the one-armed knight's face. "My king, would you like to visit the parish? Before we begin looking for Lady Morgan, of course."

Arthur made to answer, but sounds of strife filled his ears. "That will have to wait, my friend. Battle awaits us!"

The Ether in the air turned sharp and bitter as monstrous forms began to pull themselves out of the ground. "Help!" A fleeing woman screamed. Brave men and women rushed to her aid while uniformed officers tried to incapacitate the monster with truncheons, but were failing to inflict even the slightest bit of harm.

When the boat got close enough to shore, Arthur leapt out, striding ten feet at once before landing on the dock. He broke into a sprint and tackled the demon to the ground, wrestling it to a standstill. "Go! Flee!" The king grunted before headbutting the earthen creature.

The officers took a few steps back in shock before they were grabbed by other monsters forming from the buildings around Glastonbury. "Aaarrtthhuurrr..." One monster hissed. "Artorius Rex, the chief dragon."

He drew Callibus and let the Ether race through his veins. Merlin's gift of body fueled him, causing Callibus to glow with a sacred, white light. "Go away, foul creatures. Trouble my land no more."

One of the smaller creatures rushed upon him, but Arthur cut it down in a fluid slash. It hissed as it turned to dust and earth. "I will not ask again."

The demons tossed the officers aside and charged at him. Uther's son took Callibus in both hands and gave a powerful swing, which clove through both demons as light blazed from the sword's edge.

Arthur looked at the sword and followed the direction of the Ether's flames until he found it. The fairy circle. A ring of stones and mushrooms which glowed with magic and bound the ritual to Glastonbury. Floating in the center of the circle was a page written in a language Arthur could not read, but that did not matter. He drove Callibus through the page, wicked flames leaping out at him, but he cared not. His holy sword's light was sufficient for such weak embers.

The page began to smolder and crumple as Callibus continued to blaze. When the paper began dissolving, Arthur twisted the sword, removing any chance of the infernal manuscript being restored. "Oh, sister, I wish you were here. Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated."

"Um, who are you, sir?" One of the officers saved by the king walked up, her hat cradled in her arms. "How did you defeat those-those..." she shivered.

"Monsters like that were commonplace in my home." Arthur responded, sheathing Callibus and walking downhill to pat her on the shoulder. "There is no shame in being frightened. When I first saw one of them, I could not take a step."

The woman's icy eyes melted as she teared up and offered him a smile. "Who are you, sir? You look like you're my age, but you seem so much older."

"Aye. I am. Both, I should say. If you need a name, I am Arthur." The king offered a slight bow, making her step back in shock.

"Arthur? Like King Arthur?"

Arthur's brow rose at the question.

"M-My family has been waiting for you, my king, for many years." She stammered as she awkwardly bowed. "My name is Kay. All the eldest children in my family have always been given that name."

Arthur smiled broadly as he embraced Kay in his arms. "Then that makes you family, a distant niece of mine. Come, let us rejoin your fellow officers and find Bedwyr. He and I will explain everything we know. May we expect the same courtesy from you?"

"O-Of course, my king." Kay nodded fervently.

Arthur frowned. "No. I am your uncle first, your king second. Please, call me Uncle. Or Arthur, if that suits your preferences better."

Kay nodded before looking away. "Alright, Uncle..." She seemed embarrassed by that for some reason. Perhaps she hadn't expected Arthur to be so warm toward her. But she was family, and family came first to Arthur, especially after he saw the consequences of rejecting family.

"Then let us be off, niece. Adventure awaits!" Arthur laughed, looking at the everdistant horizon expectantly. He found himself filled with wonder about what the future held.