𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕿𝖜𝖔
𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: From trolls to dragons to foreign princesses, Astraea Aphelion grows stronger as she
continues to navigate medieval Britain using her wit and heart, standing unshaken beside Merlin and Arthur as they face every threa...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
📍 The Perilous Lands
⏳May, 506 AD
"You are here at last..."
Who the hell is Emrys?
Merlin and I shared a stunned look. He took a step towards the cobweb-infested throne, but I caught his arm and stopped him, shaking my head a little as my lungs cowered. I've seen horror movies! This is how the demons draw you in to possess you! He placed a hand on mine, giving it a gentle pat. Then he kept walking. I sighed tensely and followed him, refusing to let go of his arm.
We rounded the chair to find a man sitting on it. An old, pale, skinny, and incredibly wrinkly man. He was covered in cobwebs, just like the rest of the room. His eyes were sunken in and dull. He wore a crown and held a trident. This is the Fisher King!
The man turned to look at us and I gulped... Then I relaxed a bit. He seems harmless enough...
"So, you are still alive," Merlin pointed out the obvious, grinning a little.
The Fisher King grinned a little, too. "For now," he replied.
My friend and I exchanged a confused glance.
"You brought company," the man noted, still addressing my friend while he gave me a glance.
"Hi, I'm Astra," I said, offering a lopsided smile.
The Fisher King seemed to be about to reply when the sound of crumbling rocks on the other side of the stone block cut him off. Good to know that Arthur and Gwaine are trying to get us...
Merlin went to speak, "That would be–"
"Your friends Courage and Strength, I know," the King interrupted. "Without their help, you would not be here."
"What is it you want?" Merlin inquired.
The King exhaled sadly. "I want an end to my suffering."
My heart churned as Merlin and I shared a sad look. "You want to die," he deduced.
The King nodded. "I have been waiting all these years for the arrival of a new time: the time of the Once and Future King."
Isn't there a novel called that?
"I have heard these words before," Merlin stated.
"And you will hear them again," the King responded. "For that time is dawning, and my time finally can come to an end. This is why you were brought here. For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours."
Merlin and I shared another confused look.
"Arthur thinks the prize is the trident," the King continued and he let said object fall from his left hand. A clanging sound echoed the room as the trident fell, making me flinch. "But the real prize is something far greater." He glanced down at his right hand, which held a glass vial with a bluish liquid contained within a wooden structure. "Water from the Lake of Avalon. I have kept it safe all these years, waiting for the right person to claim it... And that is you. You are the one chosen."