Autumn Storms

Preface

 I remember the night he came to me. It was midnight, and I was standing on the balcony of the house. I saw him running up the walkway and I heard him run up the stairs. When he threw open my door, I was ready. My cloak was on and I had one boot buttoned up already.

"Have they found her?" I asked.

"One of my men saw her go into the forest near the back of the estate. But we can't go now, the entire north face is ablaze. To go in there now would be suicide."

"For anyone else it would be," I replied, "But fire doesn't like me. We'll be safe."

I could see the fire from a mile away, the angry glow of the flames. As we approached, the heat hit us like a horse-drawn carriage at full tilt. But still we went in. I knew we couldn't split up, because Arthur would die in an instant. We didn't have a lot of time before the forest collapsed, and even my natural resistance to fire wouldn't help us if a tree came crashing down on our heads.

"Are you sure she's still in here?" I asked him.

"I have men posted everywhere. She couldn't have gotten out without one of the seeing her and raising the alarm."

"Are we talking about the same person? Because I seem to remember her as being able to turn invisible, shape-shift, and alter memories."

"Just look for her!"

It was me who finally spotted her. She was face-down, with tongues of flame creeping towards her at an astonishing rate.

"Grab her," he shouted, "And then let's get out of here!"

I picked Morgana up and slung her limp form over my shoulder. Arthur knew this forest by heart and made his way through the trees, but I was held back by the weight of the sorceress I carried. So I was alone when she awoke.

Her eyes fluttered a few times and she twitched in my arms. A soft groan escaped her lips. By the time she was conscious again, Arthur had his revolver to her temple. She struggled, but was in no condition to escape. Her gown was torn and her feet were bare. Cuts and bruises covered what of her skin we could see. One arm hung at an awkward angle, and she cried out in pain when she tried to move it. Before she could say anything, he hit her in the head with the butt of the gun and she slumped once more to the ground.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked him. "She could have been useful. She knows things we don't."

"She's dangerous," he replied, "and anything she'd have told us would be a lie."

"So? You could have killed her, Arthur, and then what would have happened? Merlin's dead, and she's the only one alive who knows what happened to the sword. If we find it, we can destroy it, and reset the balance."

He turned to me. "You want to destroy Excalibur?"

Even in the dark, I could see the confusion in his face. "It's the only way. We have to."

His hand curled into a fist. "No it isn't, Viviane. Think of what we can do with my sword. We can get rid of her, and we can stop Guinevere. We could even bring back Lancelot from the prison camps."

I narrowed my eyes. "Your sword?" 

"You gave it to me, didn't you?"

"Yes, and it was the worst mistake I ever made."

It was the first time I admitted it to him. I will never forget his reaction until the day I die. He became all quiet, and his voice dripped of poison. 

"So you don't trust me."

I took a deep breathe. "Of course I don't. You're not fit to wield that sword, let alone rule a kingdom. I created that sword for a King, a person who could make a better world. All I see in front of me is a whining, greedy boy."

He was silent for a moment. "Is that how it's going to be?"

I said nothing. 

"Then, by the power invoked in me as the fate of King bestowed, I summon to my side the weapon of the skies, the sword of mercy. Become, as I became. From stone to stone, boulder to boulder, mountain to mountain. Excalibur!"

The air in front of us shimmered, and a sword fell to the ground. I lunged for it, but Arthur got there first and held it to my throat. 

"I wouldn't move if I were you."

It struck me suddenly—Arthur and I were now enemies. As I stumbled back a few steps, Arthur raised Excalibur above Morgana's body. 

"No!" The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Arthur faltered for a moment, and something flicked in his gaze. Instead of delivering the final blow, he stooped down and made a deep cut in her forearm. A trickle of blood seeped out, steadily growing until a river of red flowed from her wrist. Arthur stared at the blade of the sword and the vivid crimson marring its flawless silver gleam before plunging it into the ground and turning away. 

"So," I said, looking at the back of his head. "I'm guessing this is it for us."

He almost turned back, but instead replied without looking at me. "I guess so." 

I watched him go before stooping down next to the woman next to my feet. I checked her pulse and just as I held my hand under her nose to see if she was breathing, she twitched. Her eyes flew open, her blue irises unfocused. I grabbed the pistol abandoned on the ground and shoved it to her neck. 

Finally, her vision cleared. She locked eyes with me, and a shadow crossed her face. 

"Who- who are you? "