𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 || 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘰 𝘔𝘦

WAVES CRASHED AGAINST THE HULL OF THE OLD AND BEAT UP BRIG. Sail's flapping, turning desperately with the helm that spun out of control. Grey clouds plaguing the skies, the white flashes of lighting, dancing across the sky like a jig. It's thunder bombing with it as it arrived only a few seconds after. A nightmare was the closest Arthur could correlate it with as he scrambled across the deck.

Pant's slipping past his lips in a foreign chant with his hands grasping the wooden wheel. The blister's pierced his calloused hands, turning them into a bloodied mess before the storm had even settled in. This blistering wind would surely kill him before he ever reached his destination. That said destination stood miles away. An island, light beaming from it and shooting upwards towards the sky. A place of salvation, hope, and knowledge that he sought out.

Water splashed up from the ocean, swamping the deck and blinding the king. "Bloody bastard!" A hand raised to his face, wiping desperately to clear his vision. He was so close. He could make it, he just had to hold on for only a few more.

"You promised me!" The voice of his wife, Guinevere yelled. Attracting his attention for what only seemed a moment. But at that moment, he had been able to see the beauty of her once more. Her body draped in a beautiful silk green dress that hugged her body elegantly with ease. Natural curly black locks shone with a fresh layer of water that stuck to her forehead and dress.

Only, at that moment, he saw the same pain as he once did when he left. It flashed in her eyes, the tears that brimmed in his eyes. Leaving the man wondering it was just the ocean water hitting her features. Or the genuine anger, frustration, and hurt that was reminding him of what he lost all those weeks ago.

"Why did you leave?" Guinevere shouted. "You had everything you ever wanted."

"You left me!" Arthur yelled. "You left me when I needed you the most. When I had nothing, I had you and you just left me!"

"But you had me!" She cried. "What is it that you wanted more? Did I not have the ability to make you happy anymore?"

"I'm so close, Guinevere!" He told her. "I'm nearly there, I almost have what I need. Please, my love! Just let me do this!"

The current's had the boat knocked off course, pushing it with the wave that hit the side of the Brig. Slipping the man's grip around the helm and sweeping his balance out from under him. Back meeting the hard soaked deck, head erupting in pain as he got back to his feet and grabbed one of the knobs from the helm. Yelling out as he forcefully turned the wheel, pushing it back onto the course. Almost there.

"You've lost your mind, Arthur!" That voice. That damn voice haunted the King in his nightmares. Coming to him in the depths of his mind and purging him of any normalcy that he may have once had. A woman of true fighting instinct, a woman of care and love. The woman that he had grown a connection to and would sell the entire world and everything in it to have. Even if that meant dying to be with her.

"Don't you start, Thena," he barked. "Not you too. Not when I am this close to doing some good with myself and helping my people!"

Thena scoffed. "What good will you be doing when you're dead?" She questioned. "There will be no King Arthur left when this is all over. The man I know wasn't a coward!"

"I am no coward!" Arthur told her. "I am doing this for my people. This knowledge will set us to the future."

"What knowledge?" Thena spat. "It doesn't matter when everyone you care about is gone! It won't matter as you'll be dead before you even make it!"

A humourless laugh escaped Arthur with his hands gripping the hull. "God damn the both of you!" He spat. "You both left me! I needed you then but I don't need you now. I can handle this!"

"No, you can't!" She told him. "You are meant to build things up. Bring people together to build a better world. All you've done is leave your people without a king and it will stay that way if you go on any further."

"Leave me be!" Arthur's voice cracked but still stood strong for the woman. One thing she would give him is the fact that despite the emotions driving him, he could still hold strong. "I'm almost there!"

"Change your course, Arthur!" Thena pleaded. "Change it before it's too late!"

The tirade of the wind and relentless sea shook him down to his core. Barely having time to prepare for the wave that was coming toward him and his ship. Looking down on him like some little spec of dirt that meant nothing to this world. And its descent down on him came just as fast.

"Duncan!"

Duncan shot up from his spot on his bed. Eyes wide with his hands trembling with the handful of sheets fisted in his grasp. Breath's laboured as his body flinched when a warm touch graced his shoulder.

"Hey, it's me," Flora assured. "It's just me, Duncan. Breathe."

Following his friend's orders, the man took a deep breath in. Trying to shake the nightmares from his mind and appearing from his fluttering eyelids. That damn nightmare. It's been on a loop for weeks to months now and he couldn't get it out of his head. No amount of scotch could cure that haunting memory or vision. At this point, Duncan was unsure of what it truly was.

"You need to get up," she told him. "We have to get to work. I don't want you being the reason we're late."

"As if you would ever let Jack see you anything besides his dream girl," The man quipped. "You wouldn't risk it even if you were in labour- Ow!" The man rubbed his shoulder, the sudden punch taking him off guard.

"Shut up you old log and get up," Flora spat in amusement. "I'm not going to wait all day for you."

The woman had risen from her spot on the side of his bed and exited his bedroom. Leaving the man to slip out from his sheets rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. Ran a calloused hand down his face in an attempt to wipe away the exhaustion. Damn well knowing that only a fresh cup of coffee would truly do the trick.

But the man got up and got changed into a simple pair of denim jeans and a white t-shirt. The lukewarm weather reminded him of the tiresome day he would have in the greenhouse today. Surely to suffer from heatstroke if nothing else.

Strolling out of his bedroom, he barely had time to get ahold of his shared household when Flora called out by the door, "Hurry up, man. We don't got all day."

"Remind me why I decided to move in with you?" He asked.

"Oh, because I'm just irresistible and you love me despite all of my flaws." She smirked.

"I think the nightly drinking is getting to you- Okay, will you knock it off!" The man grabbed the small blonde's wrist in time, stopping her assault.

"I don't know, will you stop being a dick?"

"Let's just get going," Duncan laughed. "I want to get this day over and done with."

Duncan still remembers the day he met Flora. He'd been at a bar, sharing a drink with his best mate, Dane when a group of drunk men came stumbling in. Causing an absolute shit show and ruined the night for most people who just wanted to have fun and relax in a capacity. Duncan being the guy that he was, spoke up, mainly because sometimes he couldn't stop the stuff that escaped his lips.

But before any fight could occur, Flora had stepped in and punched one of the drunk men in the balls. Saving the day and as well as probably saving Duncan from any charges he might've gotten from the men that he would've beaten senseless. That had been the moment that they became friends, and they had been stuck to the hip ever since. Went to college together and then moved to Australia for a break from the vengeful weather of Machester. Wanting a whole new change of life.

The downside was that Duncan didn't get to see his parents as much. Two of the most important people in his life whom he would wipe the world clean for. But they called once and a while, to check in and see if he was dead or not. And every time they did call, it turned into an hour-long conversation with his mother. Always having sought her wisdom and her wise words.

"Was the nightmare the same?" Flora's voice asked, shaking the man from his emotionless gaze on the road ahead.

"Yeah," he replied, "hasn't changed for months now. Can't understand why though."

"I can't believe you are having dreams of King Arthur," Flora chuckled. "As well as Athena?"

"Thena." He glanced at her. "Her name is Thena."

"Yeah, yeah." she waved off dismissively. "Same thing. Still doesn't make sense as to why. It's still on that ship when it happens?"

"Yup," Duncan sighed. "Funny how it only started happening when we moved here."

Flora shrugged. "Who knows," she said. "Maybe something's calling to you. You always did say your family's lineage spanned thousands of years back."

"Well, everyone's family does," he told her. "Mine just seemed to have a monumental role back in the day."

The girl's face scrunched up. "Oh, please don't say that."

"Say what?"

"Back in the day," Flora imitated. "You're starting to sound like my old man who can't live in the present and realize that he's a bit too old."

Duncan could only smile in amusement as the rest of the car ride to work was quiet. Music exiting the speakers of the baking vehicle. He considered closing his eyes for a few minutes, getting as much rest as he could. But the moment he closed his eyes, he was only met with an image of Thena. Leaving him wide awake, knee bouncing as he did his best to push the woman from his mind.

And when they arrived at work, Duncan could only sigh in relief. Knowing that hauling around bags of dirt, and building the brand new greenhouse would occupy his mind for the time being. Completely rent-free from the nightmare having occurred only less than 30 minutes ago.

But upon emerging from the vehicle, his eyes drifted from across the street. Nothing in particular calling to him or grabbing his attention. Well, at least until he saw Thena. Standing in all her glory with her golden hair glowing under the warm sun. A rather different set of clothes he was used to someone wearing but didn't take away anything from her. Utter beauty and fearlessness that he remembers seeing in his dreams.

Her lips were parted, eyes slightly widened as she tried to speak. Duncan could see it with her adam's apple bobbing as she inhaled sharply

"Duncan!" The man snapped his head in the direction of Flora, who stood by the door expectingly. Her lips formed a smile as she raised a brow. "You coming?"

Taking another glance towards Thena, his brows knitted together when finding no sign of her. Nibbling on his bottom lip and exhaling deeply. "Yeah," he muttered. "I'm coming."

It's all in your head, man. She isn't real, was what Duncan had to continue to tell himself. It was just your mind playing tricks on you. But deep down, Flora may have not known it, nor does he, but something was calling to him. And there was a part of him that was keen on figuring out what that thing was.