Dismantle The Sun

Chapter 18

The ship landed swiftly, guided through the darkness and massive network of security satellites to be landed safely down by Morgana's gentle hand. They landed in a hidden corner of the Darkling Woods, an ancient forest that surrounded the citadel of Tintagel: Camelot's capital city and the seat of power for the entire universe. The white walls loomed over the landing site, tucked away though it was. Dark trees twisted themselves up like puzzles, covering the ship and hiding it as they disembarked. It was dark. The ground was a spongy softness of vines and grass and delicate moss that felt alien to the men used to padding about on the hardwood floors of the uncarpeted space ships.

The door schooched open and Lancelot and Elyan made their cautious way down the gangplank and onto the the grass beneath. They glanced up at where the crew stood, gathered around the doorway to see them off.

"We'll beep you when we've checked it's all clear." Lance said, his intense eyes burning brightly and tone more reassuring than his feelings felt. Arthur smiled gently at the loyalty of his weapons expert and navigator.

"HE MEANS ME" Morganas voice crackled in a sultry whisper through Lance's electronic bracer - as she had posessed the ships computer she was able to port herself to connected devices - and even still perform magic. Or so they hoped. They were relying on her to keep them hidden from prying eyes.

"Be careful." he captain replied, it was half order and half hope and it was met with curt nods as the two men left the safety of the crew and of Josephine.

As they appraoched the high white walls which gleaned like the teeth of a errant giant, the air seemed as if it grew colder, and their casual chat dropped off into the kind of silence perfect for sneaking: total. Except for the the softs sounds of their feet on the ground they made no noise.

Elyan inched ahead, Lancelot keeping eyes out of the rear as the pair of them creeped, more silent than church mice, through the dangy labyrinthine coridors that wove their secret way under the citadel, a network of snakes, yet to be fully blocked by the paranoid regent despite his numerous enemies. Morgana, inhabiting their wrist comms devices, quietly guiding them through the dimness, even her scathing tone softened in acknowledgement of the hardy risk the two were taking.

They moved, balletic and shadow-like until, suddenly, they heard the faint sounds of pebbles skittering along the ground around the corner. Both men froze, staring at each other they barely dared breath as a pair of quiet footprints approached. In tandem, they drew their guns, and a dark figure stepped out from around the bend in the passage turning away from them.

"Freeze," Elyan snarled, menace enrooted deeply in his usually kind voice like an ancient tree on a rocky outcrop. The figure froze, raising its hands up in surrender, moving subtly closer to the man before they suddenly pounced, using his outstretched arms to throw him over their shoulder, disarming him and holding a knife to his throat. Lancelot charged his blaster unable to take a shot as his crewmate was so vulneravbe.

"I don't think you're in any position to be giving orders" the figure whispered. From where Lancelot watched, he could see Elyan break into an amazed smile and a snort of amazed laughter. Lancelot was confuse.

"Gwen?!" Elyan exclaimed, recognising the black clad figure's voice.

"Oh my god! Elyan!" came the excited squeal of the figure as she let her prisoner go, only for him to pull her into a tight hug. As they broke apart Gwen smacked the weapons expert on the arm, hard.

"Ow. What was that for?" Elyan hissed, remembering where they were.

"That was for scaring me! And pulling a gun on me!" she replied quietly, although her words were harsh and scolding her tone was the exact opposite- a trill of delight, her face lit up with a corresponding beautiful smil.

"Gwenifer..." Lancelot whispered, as though her name was a revered prayer, His eyes flicked sadly between her and Elyan.

"Lancelot?" Gwen asked, if possible her smile grew even more wide and radiant, illuminating the darkness of the tunnel in which they stood.

"How..?" the handsome navigator asked glancing between the two of them.

"What are you doing here? You disappear for years and then suddenly here you are, under Tintagel!" Eylan whispered, Lancelot's unfinished question hung in the air unanswered, he swallowed his angst and pride in an attempt to tamp down the bud of jealousy that was trying to take root and blossom in his well sculptured chest.

"Oh, it's a long story. Are you here with Arthur? Take me back to your space ship- I'll explain on the way." She said in repy, beginning to stride back the way the two men had come.

"Lance and I need to check that there's a way through into the castle" Elyan said, gesturing to the passage behind where she stood, his face serious. Gwen cocked her head, her smile indulgent.

"Where do you think I've just come from?" she asked, her tone implying that Elyan might be stupid.

"OH I LIKE HER" crackled Morgana's voice through Elyan's wrist piece.

"El! Do you have a girlfriend stowed away on the ship?" she asked, teasing mischeif at home on her face. "Or have you finally just started letting girls into your pirate club?" she finished. This was met by peals of Morgana's delighted laughter through the comms device. Elyan blushed.

"Do you mind?! We're trying to sneak here!" he hissed. Gwen looked at him unimpressedly and expectant until he sighed and rolled his and gestured to his wrist theatrically, "Gwen, this is the Fata Morgana" he explained. Her eyes widened in delight.

"The Fata Morgana! You have the Fata Morgana in your wrist comms! I knew you were knocking about with the lost king, but wow... you're some social circles." she smiled.

"The lost king? You knew?! How did you know?! Why am I always the last to know?" Elyan responded in exasptation. Morgana chuckled. Lancelot cleared his throat awkward and in a second Gwen's attention switched from the munitions man to him. A light blush peppering her cheeks.

"We'll take you back to the ship, let me show you the way, it would be an honour to escort you" Lancelot interrupted, his voice was a fascimile of nobility as he turned on his heel and began to walk back to the Josophine. Gwen and Elyan followed in his wake, nattering away to each other familiarly as they caught up with him.

"You know each other, then?!" Lance asked finally, jealous flirting with his voice like a jilted lover.

"Oh, we go way back" Elyan responded, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Oh, good. That's good. It's good that you're getting to catch up then." Lance smiled, dejectedly. Gwen shoved Elyan in irritation.

"He's my brother! My no good big brother!" she clarified quickly.

"Oh! Um, Elyan's never mentioned having a sister. But that's good." Lancelot stopped and turned, smiling at Gwenifer, they gazed into each other's eyes. Eylan looked between them.

"Oh god. You're that Gwen? Gwen of the mysterious kiss? Hang on, I thought she was Gwen Smith? You changed your name, did you get married? Oh did you marry James?" Elyan asked, his eyes still gleaming with the mischief of an elder brother.

"Splergh! Of course I didn't marry James! Anyway what is this the 21st century, I don't have get married to change my name, I might not even want to get married," Gwen replied, taking her big brother's bait and then noticing Lancelot's dejected eyes and the glinter of misery that cross his handsome features, of which there were many.

"Not that there's anything wrong with marriage.." She continued, eyes on Lance, "I might still get married, but I'm not. married, I mean and not to James he's a very nice man but we're not married, I just chose the name Smith to blend in, because there are lots of Smiths- you know like Shipsmiths, and Lasersmiths and Gunsmiths and, um, just regular Smiths, like me and James. Who I'm not married to." She blurbled. Lance felt his heart and face warming as a besotted smile snuck its way on there, as delicate as a thief in the night.

"That's uh....good." Lancelot blushed dumbly at his uniquivocality. But, looking at Gwen's reciprocal blush, he was feeling very much like everything was good. Despite the iminatnt danger they were all in, his heart felt lighter as they trudged back to the ship.