TALES OF THE PENDRAGONS	Tales of the Pendragons, featuring
#34
Early 1400s	Part One

#34 - "In the Beginning..."
Written and HTMLed by: Adrian J. Watts
Editor: Barry Reese

This is a timeslip tale; it diverged from the Pendragons Universe in the early-1400s, C.E.

London, England :: sometime in the early 1400s

Arthur Pendragon strode gracefully and purposefully into the cathedral of St. Hoelius. He was rapt with ecstasy. He had been waiting for this chance so very long... this chance to try to take the sword Excalibur from its stone prison. He had been called to do it by the master magician Merlin himself, and Merlin proclaimed that whoever was powerful enough to draw Excalibur from its earthen sheath would become king of England.

So Arthur continued his entrance into the cathedral, watching the cheering crowds around him, all waiting for their new king. As he walked he examined the stained glass images lining the entire periphery of the cathedral, the saints and heroes they depicted all seemingly watching his approach. He watched Merlin, the magician, smiling as he entered. And then, his eyes fell upon a familiar face in one of the portraits in the cathedral.

You don't say mine, and I won't say yours, brother, said a voice inside his head.

Arthur snarled. "What are you doing here, sister?" he asked aloud.

One of the priestesses, who was assisting Merlin, looked shocked. "Why, I am here to aid in the ceremony, young Arthur."

"Not you," Arthur growled. "My sister."

They can't see me, Arthur, said that same voice in his head. When they look at this painting, they only see your father, Uther.

Arthur looked shocked. His sister's illusory magic must have increased greatly since he last saw her, years earlier. She had tried to take over the realm then, even though she was only a teenager, but when she was defeated and a brave knight tried to end her threat forever, she simply vanished before the eyes of the amassed army. No trace of her could be found whatsoever.

You will not take the sword from the stone, Arthur, his sister's voice rang loud and clear in his head.

"No! I will take the sword from the stone!" Arthur yelled, and was promptly cheered on by the crowd, who mistook his cry for one of passion and determination rather than fear.

We'll see about that.. his sister remarked stoically.

With that final comment, Arthur felt what seemed like a strong hand gripping his throat. It squeezed, tighter and tighter, and the pain soon became as much as he could bear. Still, he was determined to get the sword. He reached toward its hilt, grasping it weakly, and he tried to pull it free - the sword moved slightly, but before he could withdraw it fully his neck snapped, bone piercing flesh. He immediately collapsed to the ground, and it did not take the scientific and magickal mastery of Merlin to realise that Arthur was dead.

Merlin looked startled.

But he was the one! he thought The High Priestess of Avalon decreed it!

He swallowed loudly. "Arthur Pendragon has been deemed unworthy by the sword," he announced. "Does anyone else have the courage to try to remove the enchanted blade?"

"I do," announced a voice from the back of the cathedral.

"Then show yourself, young sire," said Merlin.

The man known as Mordred Pendragon, Arthur's nephew, stepped out from the crowd, walking straight toward the altar on which the sword in the stone was placed. "I, Mordred, son of Morgan, do."

Merlin smiled. A Pendragon? he thought. Perhaps the priestess was mistaken as to which one it would be. But the son of Morgan le Fey... No. I cannot stop him. It is not up to me to decide who the enchantment favours. If Mordred is unworthy, the sword shall not move.

"Then Mordred, son of Morgan... remove Excalibur!"

Mordred began to reach for the sword. He knew his aunt, Morgan, was waiting somewhere in the cathedral, but he did not know exactly where. He also knew that it was her magic that had killed Arthur, not the enchantment of the sword. And he knew that she would use that same magic to make him king! He reached for the sword, and as his hands grasped around its hilt, he began to pull, harder and harder, until finally the stone shattered.

Yes! My most complex of spells has worked, my nephew! Morgan said to Mordred. The enchantment protecting Excalibur is broken!

Mordred raised Excalibur high above his head. "I am Mordred, King of England!" The crowd cheered. They had a new king. Little did they know how much happier they, and the entire world, would be if they didn't...

The astral plane :: Three weeks later

Morgan Le Fay waited. To position herself within the portrait and the grand English cathedral was child's play, so long as she remained within the most metaphysical of realms, the astral plane. But the spell had taken away a great deal of her magickal energy, and she had to wait a full three weeks before it had replenished itself enough for her to return to the physical realm and see how her nephew was doing as king.

Now, she had the power. She touched the fragile walls of the dimension and they collapsed before her like so many feathers - and once she stepped into the physical realm, she found that it had been changed greatly. She recognised her present location - Tintagel Head, off the north-western coast of Scotland - but the people, the aura of the place was greatly misaligned. What had once been a happy, cosy little village was now home to the greatest of evils, Mordred Pendragon. And this made Morgan... happy. She had caused this to come to pass by allowing her nephew to remove Excalibur from its stone casing in Arthur's place, and he had acted exactly the way she had hoped - he had instilled a great fear into the common people. Thus, when the time came, it would be a simple matter to capitalise on thet fear and take the position of monarch from him.

She further perused her surroundings, to determine where her nephew may have been residing. She found it quickly - a huge castle, not unlike the ones created by the eastern kingdoms of Persia and India loomed over the town, high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. And in that instant, Morgan realised how utterly foolish her nephew was. What would happen, now, if the Picts of the south attacked him? He would have no place to run except into the ocean. Was he really so confident that he believed he could beat anyone, even after hearing the claims that Donar, the Mighty God of Thunder, had been seen in Scandia recently aiding Percy, the Black Knight? Donar could level this castle with but a wave of his hammer, Mjolnir. She had to speak to her fool of a son!

She drifted along the road, completely invisible to the unknowing peasants that she passed. She continued, floating across the drawbridge, and into the main throne room of the castle where she saw Mordred, two knights, and a captured Pict standing in the center of the room.

"Pathetic Pict fool," sneered Mordred. "For your crimes against your king, you are to be executed. However, should you reveal your pathetic rebellion's hiding place, I may pardon you. Will you help me?"

The Pict spat in Mordred's face.

"GARGH!!" Mordred cried in frustration. "Your rebellion will be squashed, and your skull will be the first thing flung from our catapults when we do locate your band. Take him away, my knights, and end his life slowly."

Morgan sighed. That could not be her blood running through Mordred's veins. It simply could not. She revealed herself to the room, and with a simple wave of her hand, she set the Pict alight. Then, grabbing him by the neck, she screamed into his face.

"THIS IS THE FATE THAT WILL BEFALL ALL OF YOUR REBELS IF YOU DO NOT TELL US WHERE THEY ARE!" she roared.

He laughed. "No... that is the fate that will befall them if I do tell you where they are."

"True," said Morgan. "But they will only suffer it once. You, on the other hand..." She clapped her hands together and between them appeared a long scroll. She unfurled it and read it aloud. The Pict's injuries healed immediately, and then he began to burn again, this time from the inside. She handed the scroll to one of the guards.

"Read that scroll to the prisoner every seven minutes for the rest of his life," she commanded. "When he has died, bring him to me, so that I can resurrect him and you can begin again." The guards dragged the prisoner away by his feet, causing his head to bump and bounce along the paved walkways.

"Morgan," smiled Mordred. "To what do I owe this most welcome visit?"

"Why do you think, Mordred?" she said. "Look at how pathetically you dealt with that Pict. Are you that big a fool that you cannot even inspire fear in your enemies? If the Picts continue to thwart you, the peasants will develop hope. While they have hope, your power will never be total."

"I t-t-tried my best." he sobbed, and then began to cry.

"It seems I misjudged you, my son... and so, I will take the kingship from you. Now." Morgan raised her hand, and fired a bolt of pure mystic force at Mordred, enough to destroy any living creature. But Mordred still stood.

"Do you take me for a fool, Morgan? As soon as you offered to help me remove the sword and become king of England, I knew that all you wanted was power for yourself and to take the kingdom from me. So I had Merlin enchant Excalibur, this time with an enchantment that you cannot break. Your magick cannot harm me! Hahaha!" he laughed.

Morgan looked shocked. "I'll find a way... I will!" She raised her hands and a black mist surrounded her. When it cleared, she was gone.

Regis Isle

On Regis Isle, sixteen kilometers from Tintagel Head, off the Cornwall coastline, is the laboratory of Merlin the Magician. It was lined with all manner of things to aid a man such as he - books and devices for use in chemistry, herbs, staves, and anything else that a magician and scientist would ever need. But nothing here could help him now. He had to find out why the High Priestess' enchantment was to make Mordred king. At first, he believed she had just gotten the name wrong. But now, after seeing Mordred's evil in dealing with the Picts, he wasn't so sure.

He stood on a nearby ledge, and raised his hands above his head. Moments later, he began a chant. "Xafewip nargosia olayisembiliga!" Clouds swirled around the island. Thunder raged. And suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the magician where he stood. Merlin was turned into the very stuff of air, allowing him to travel the great distance to Avalon.

Avalon

Morgan Le Fay watched from her secret hiding place as Derima, the High Priestess of Avalon, left her grand temple. The land of Avalon was, in all respects, beautiful. Huge green trees and coloured flowers were everywhere. A majestic lake, with a grand fountain in the center, gave lifegiving water to thousands of different species of animals. But Morgan was not there to admire the beauty. She was here to spy upon Derima.

Derima left the temple, and stepped into the lake, making her way straight across to the fountain. There, she stood atop the mighty monument and began to sing. It was a magnificent song, and it made the whole land seem to glow with a radiance never before seen by the evil sorceress, but Morgan did not care. Now thatDerima was exactly where Morgan wanted her, Morgan revealed herself.

"Ah, if it isn't the highly overrated priestess of Avalon," said Morgan, but Derima paid no attention to her. She simply kept singing. "Stupid wench." Morgan threw a bolt of pure mystical energy, drawing Derima's attention to her.

"Morgan!" cried the priestess. "I haven't seen you in years, since I helped the English drive you off! Why are you here?!"

"Only to kill you," said Morgan.

Morgan threw a fireball from each hand, setting the land alight. Derima immediately put the fires out with a simple gesture. but Morgan kept firing, again and again, until the land was a blazing inferno and Derima, for all her power, couldn't stop the whole blaze. She would have to stop Morgan directly.

"Please, Morgan! Stop!" she cried. "Do what you will to me, but leave this place alone! Avalon is of multiversal importance! You can't just - !"

Morgan sneered. "I'll destroy you both."

Morgan threw a mystic bolt at Derima, which the priestess was wholly unprepared for. When the blast hit her, Derima immediately perished, and her body dropped into the lake and sank like a stone. But at that very moment, Morgan saw a great gust of wind approaching the otherworldly realm, and her magical senses indicated it was Merlin.

She needed to hide herself. She jumped into the lake, and grabbed a piece of Derima's skin. That was all she needed to make herself appear to be the priestess. She cast the appropriate spell, with only a few muterrings and incantations, and anyone who could have seen her at that moment would have sworn that she and Derima were one and the same.

But to fool Merlin, Morgan would need to behave like Derima as well. With a mighty push of magickal energy, Morgan funneled the lake water into a tremendous water spout which she dropped over Avalon. The fires were doused and destroyed, Avalon was saved, and the lake was nearly emptied. Only enough water remained to hide Derima's body.

"Derima!" Merlin yelled as he returned to his natural state and landed. "What happened here!?"

"Morgan," Morgan replied. "She destroyed the place, and tried to kill me. But you scared her off."

"Oh," remarked Merlin as he began to help Morgan put out of the lake - but Morgan was clever. They moment Merlin touched her hand, Morgan released a current of dark magic, which struck the aged wizard and sent him reeling. Another blast knocked him to the ground, and Morgan stood over him, ready to end his life.

However, Merlin was prepared for such an assault. He pulled a dagger out from within one of his robes, and slashed Morgan across the face. The sorceress staggered, and Merlin was able to rise again.

"Arghhh!" Morgan screeched, but by the time she was able to rejoin the fight, Merlin was out of range of her mystical abilities.

Thank you for revealing yourself, Morgan. he said, inside her head. It is always good to know who one's enemy is. And rest assured, you will most definitely fall.

Merlin once again summoned a storm and with a crackle of lightning he was gone. Morgan traced Merlin back to his laboratory. She was desperate. She needed a way to defeat the mage. She waited until he left, no doubt to reveal what he had learned to Mordred, and then she sneaked in. She looked through his spellbooks and found a spell which allowed a magician to cross the barriers between realities and call forth the energy of their counterparts in other universes.

She cast the spell, and was drawn from reality to reality, each time defeating her other self and absorbing their magical energy. She eventually returned to her own timeline, more powerful than she ever could have hoped to be.

Mordred's Castle

Yet another Pict soldier had been brought before the monarch, this time flanked by six guards.

"Let's try this again. Tell me where you pathetic rebels are hiding, and I shall spare your worthless life," Mordred offered. "Don't, and you shall die. Understand?"

The Pict nodded. "I understand, but I won't tell you where my men are hiding, evil swine!"

Mordred sighed and raised Excalibur high above his head. "I warned you, fool! Now prepare to meet the maker!" Mordred swung Excalibur down toward the Pict, intending to deliver a killing strike, but the blade was stopped long before it could make contact with the rebel. Mordred turned, and saw next to him a knight garbed wholly in black and yellow armour, wielding an ebony blade which he used to hold Excalibur back.

"None shall die this day," the Black Knight said. "Not while Sir Percy is here."

"What?" cried Mordred. "You dare?!"

"I dare," said Sir Percy. "King Mordred, you invite me here to discuss a peaceful alliance with my kingdom, Scandia, and what do I see? You killing someone. This is not a good way to open negotiations."

Mordred turned red with anger. "This rebel was caught stealing from the castle livery. The laws of this land are hardly hidden. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, and he openly admits to being a Pict. I - "

"I know what he did, Mordred. My kingdom is fully aware of what your 'Picts' have been doing. The fact remains, however, that if you wish to have peace between our kingdoms you will not kill anyone while I am here."

"Your kingdom knows what the Picts have been conspiring to do?" asked Mordred.

"Yes," said Percy. "These things do not escape my liege's notice."

Mordred was shocked. Could the kingdom of Scandia have been working to support the Picts? He did not have long to think about it, as Merlin entered in a hurry.

"Sire," Merlin said to Mordred. "Perhaps I should show Sir Percy to his chambers."

"Yes, Merlin. Perhaps you should," Mordred muttered. Merlin took Percy by the arm and led him from the chamber, but not quickly enough for the death rattle of the captured Pict to escape Percy's attention.

"Let go of me," Percy said. "Your master has gone too far."

"I agree," Merlin replied. "And I need your help to stop him. Please, just do as I instruct you, and perhaps this situation can be remedied with no more bloodshed."

Percy frowned. "Why should I trust you?"

"I cannot make you trust me," Merlin replied. "But I am sure you do not wish for the curse of your ebony blade to come into full effect."

"You know of the curse?"

"I do."

"Very well then, master Merlin. Instruct away."

Morgan Le Fey stormed into the castle, eldritch energy pouring from her eyes in torrents. She was powerful beyond most mortals' ability to imagine, and she was determined to take the kingdom, the world, for herself. She incinerated guards with simple gestures - she was so powerful that she did not need to complete the complex spells that she usually performed; instead, she could simply will that something be done. She forced her way into her son's chambers.

"Mordred!" she cried. "I am taking this kingdom now."

Mordred laughed and did not even turn to face his mother. "Have you forgotten the enchantment now placed upon Excalibur, dear Morgan? No matter how powerful you are, you cannot harm me."

"Unless I destroy Merlin first," she gestured again, and Merlin appeared beside Mordred. "Killing him will end the enchantment and leave you open to my attack."

"Do you expect me to believe you?" Mordred asked.

"Yes," Merlin said solemnly, "for she speaks the truth. I did not trust you, and bound the spell to my blood. When I die, so shall the enchantment."

"Then it is time for us to fight, Merlin!" Morgan cried.

"As I always intended, witch!" Merlin went straight into action, bombarding Morgan with a barrage of simple hexes and enchantments - light bursts, foul odours and minor probability dysfunctions surrounded the sorceress, all intended merely to dazzle and confuse her. When he saw her stagger, he lunged and unleashed a powerful blast of pure magical energy which knocked her back.

Sir Percy had come looking for Merlin, and as he entered the chamber he saw Mordred trying to attack Merlin from behind as the magician attacked Morgan. "For Scandia!" he cried as he charged at Mordred and knocked him away from the warring mages.

"Scandia will be crushed for that, dog!" Mordred snarled. He swung Excalibur at Percy, but the foreign knight blocked the attack with his ebony blade.

"Not before you and your mother have long been feeding the maggots!" Percy retorted. The battle continued in much the same way for many minutes, until Morgan struck at Percy directly. She negated the gravity around him and sent him high into the sky; she then made him super-dense and dropped him through the caste's bluestone paved floor and into the bedrock on which the castle was built.

Merlin was alone. He conjured another mighty blast that he hurled at Morgan, but she was ready for it. She deflected it, sending it away from her but in all directions. The castle collapsed completely under the onslaught, and only the enchanted Excalibur saved Mordred from doom. Merlin now had a chance - with Morgan distracted, he cast another, far more complex spell. He knew what Morgan had done to become so powerful; in fact, he had hoped she would do it, for now he could literally tear her apart. His magic separated all of Morgan's various identities and sent them randomly across the multiverse, leaving the core Morgan almost powerless and gravely injured. Lacerations covered her from head to toe, and blood seeped from even the slightest wounds.

"You - !" Morgan cried. She raised her hands and spirited herself away as she had so many times before, and when she was gone Merlin allowed himself to finally succumb to the exhaustion that followed such vigorous spellcasting.

"This is only the beginning, isn't it...?" he wondered aloud, before once more transforming himself into nothing but air.

Epilogue :: Avalon

Morgan appeared in the heart of Avalon, only meters from where she had killed Derima hours earlier. She dragged herself out of the dried lake and into the Temple of Avalon. She had a thought while battling Merlin - Derima had claimed that Avalon was of 'multiversal significance', and if Morgan Le Fey knew one thing, it was the multiverse.

She was now far too weak to fight Mordred herself, but the magickal nature of Avalon gave her another option. She did not need to fight on her own. She could summon forth champions to beat Mordred for her. The Picts were strong, but they could always be stronger.

Though her lungs hurt with every breath and she had bled almost enough to refill the mighty lake that covered much of the area around the temple, she attempted one last spell. She didn't know precisely how it would work. She relied on her magickal instincts, and they seemed to work. Before her, semi-transparent, appeared all the worlds of the multiverse, each displaying their own greatest warriors. She reached out with her magic and drew forth their essences, transplanting them into the hearts of men all across the realm.

I will be Queen, she thought as she finally collapsed, even if it takes the multiverse's greatest heroes to win me the role!

NEXT: The heroes arrive as Morgan once again tries to take the throne - who will be victorious?

Feel free to send comments, questions or concerns to bella1@netspace.net.au

May 4, 2005