CHAPTER 16.

Soft patters of rain brushed against the leaves of the forest. The rain quenched the soil from sandy hues to rich and moist soil. Baked from the previous summer, and now hydrated. Marcus sat outside, occupying himself by keeping a fire going.

 He continued to poke at the fire to keep it going, but it continued to drown in the rain. A disappointed sigh escaped his lips, he pulled up his hood and folded his arms inside his coat. A cold translucent breath left his lips, his eyes remained cold and soulful.

His mind couldn't comprehend that Gavin was gone. A part of him wished that it should have been him, instead of Gavin. A cloud of regret quenched his heart. He began to recall the moment he walked into the forest and traced Gavin and Axel's tracks.

 The way the forest reeked of death, was quite repulsive. He remembered the fear that made his heart ascend when he found Gavin sitting on the edge of a stone cliff, that had cascades of waterfalls. The rocks below were coated with a small layer of crimson from the previous attack of the Wendigo. It was difficult to determine what was at the bottom of the cliff after a fog concealed the forest below.

Marcus found Gavin sitting slightly beyond the edge, and deep in his thoughts. Both Gavin and Marcus were beyond thrilled to see each other, after all, Axel or Gavin might have been killed by the bandits or the nocturnal beings of the forest. But after Gavin shared the novel of details of what happened.

In such little time, Gavin was gone, and Marcus began to beat himself up for it. He believed that sending Maxwell to acquire that Gavin's life will be spared was a mistake. Even when Gavin devoted his loyalty to Axel, he promised himself that she would return. But he never anticipated that this would be easy.

"Good morning." Anna greeted Marcus. She sat across from him on the soaked log.

The corner of Marcus's lip raised, acknowledging her greeting. Anna easily picked up on Marcus's sour mood. Anna waved her hand and the puddle of water that swallowed the fire vanished.

His vision narrowed to a pinprick. He continued to fiddle with the overgrown piece of grass that was intertwined between his fingers.

Anna cast a skeptical glance, "Something on your mind?" she questioned, eager to know what was aggravating him.

Marcus raised his head and shrugged, "I just cannot comprehend that he's gone." Marcus admitted.

Anna's lips pursed tightly, unsure how she could reply to Marcus. He sought the smallest amount of comfort.

"What if he isn't dead?" Marcus added. His eyes didn't have that usual bright spark, instead, they remained smouldering and dark.

"Both Maxwell and Axel saw it with their own eyes. He may be gone now, but we cannot mourn ourselves for too long. We have to keep his legacy alive, by honouring him." Anna answered Marcus.

Marcus felt his chest tighten, his wounds were superficial but his guilt went bone-deep. His thoughts were rattling in his mind like a bird imprisoned in a cage. His heart began to stamper, and his throat tightened.

A soft, but shallow tear escaped the edge of his eye. Why couldn't he have just gotten along with Gavin, instead of stubbornly convincing himself that Gavin was trying to take Anna away from him?

The truth was Gavin was naturally friendly, valiant, and honourable. Something Marcus never considered achieving. He swiftly wiped the river of cascaded tears that slipped from his eyes, with the back of his hand. His emotions began to scurry like an unreadable frenzy even though he tried to mask it.

Anna's blood ran cold, her skin slowly began to turn pale. With the realization that she made the situation worse than it was. Never has she seen someone so upset, she could sense the regret and anger beginning to pile on his shoulders.

"Marcus, we will get back at Vortigern, I can assure you. This isn't the end of Gavin's visions, far from it." Anna attempted to comfort Marcus the best she could.

Marcus inhaled deeply and began to count to ten, "Did Gavin see his death? Was this why he chose to step up?" Marcus began.

"Not exactly," Anna muttered. Marcus's face wrinkled in confusion.

"Then please enlighten me by telling me," Marcus replied eagerly.

Anna ignored the rude tone in Marcus's voice by understanding how much Gavin's death affected him.

"It showed yours instead," Anna said with no emotion.

Marcus's brain shuttered for a moment. His body froze while his brain began to process what she just said. It turns out Gavin volunteered before Marcus could. He began to stroll down memory lane, recalling moments were Magnus, Gavin, Maxwell, Anna, and himself fled when havoc broke out when Axel drew the sword from stone.

It turns out that Gavin ventured beyond the supernatural and tested new freedoms.

"So, Gavin switched places? Why, why would he do it for me? If that was my fate, why didn't he allow it to happen?" Marcus began to question a series of questions. He couldn't comprehend why he sacrificed himself to keep Axel and himself alive. After everything they've been through, Marcus barely knew Gavin in the first place.

"He acknowledged that if you were the one to take the hit. It would drive Axel to the brink of leaving this world-"

"And when she wakes up, that's what might happen." Marcus interrupted Anna.

Marcus couldn't help but feel grateful that he was breathing and alive. But deep down it felt as if he didn't deserve it.

"That could be possible, but your someone who's been with her since the very begging, am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong." Marcus sighed deeply.

His gaze snapped from the fire and to the sky. Bright rays of sunshine in perfect spheres kissed his skin. The dark and smothering clouds began to pass the south.

A satisfied grin spread across his face, "You know, I was tempted to ask you to make it sunny."

A bubbly feeling rose from the bottom of Anna's stomach.

"Marcus I am a Mage, not a Witch."

Marcus looked at her cluelessly, "Wait, Mages and Witches are different?"

"No, they're the same. A Mage is just a preferred title. A Witch is more of a mortal name for my kind-"

"Then why did you say that you're not a Witch when the occupations are the same?" Marcus tested Anna.

Anna began to be troubled when coming up with an answer to turn things around. But for that, she knew he was right.

"Never mind." Anna gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"Why are you so adorable? You are killing me." Marcus smiled sweetly.

A warm wave of heat spread across Anna's cheeks. Her blush was the opening for the next spring to blossom, for it told an opening to her heart. She began to question whether she was beginning to become more fond of Marcus.

Marcus left Anna in her thoughts, before taking his leave he caught a glimpse of her smile.

"I'm going to go check on Axel, care to join?"

Anna stood up and grabbed Marcus's arm before he left, "Hold on, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What's the worst that could happen? To say the least, I'll knock first." Marcus laughed.

"No...that's not what I meant." Anna trailed off. Marcus twisted around to face Anna.

"Then why are you stopping me from seeing my best friend?"

Anna widened her eyes, "Magnus is going to kill me if I tell you..." Anna muttered under her breath, but purposely enough for Marcus to hear.

A frustrated sigh escaped his breath, Marcus waved his hands to his sides, dramatically.

"Come on, tell me. It's not like I'm leaving anytime sooner." 

Marcus wined. Anna leaned closer to Marcus's ear, after witnessing more of the village has woken up.

"I am warning you now, just so he doesn't take your head off," Anna whispered, giving zero clues to what this could be.

Marcus furrowed his brows, "That gives me nothing to go by. I've walked in so many times before that he didn't take my head off. But why are you telling me this now..."

"Wait... it's not what I think this is?" Marcus questioned. His eyebrows raised and a laughable smile spread across his face.

"Yeah..." Anna answered.

"I knew it! I am going to bug her merciless about this." Marcus childishly replies. 

Anna's eyes raised playfully, she devilishly began to appreciate that she wasn't in the situation Axel was about to be in.

"Bug her about what?" Magnus crossed his arms. It was like he was standing there for longer than they anticipated.

Magnus slowly twisted around, to be greeted by Magnus and Axel. A pit formed in Marcus's gut, and a sheepish smile clung to his face. In a way, he was extremely thrilled to see Axel was awake, along with her wearing something that wasn't ripped. He was surprised Excalibur hung from the side of her belt. But a part of him cursed that he ever spoke about them.

"Did you summon them?" Marcus questioned Anna.

"No, they just arrived," Anna answered truthfully.

A laugh of relief came from Marcus before he embraced his best friend. She rested her head against his chest. Axel squeezed him tightly, but gently. His heart began to pick up the pace. He avoided touching the scars on her back.

No words were exchanged, his actions spoke for him. Axel began to untangle herself from Marcus.

"It's great to see you awake." Marcus awkwardly broke the silence.

"I am grateful for the hospitality. And most grateful to Anna that brought me back." Axel changes their look with Anna.

Anna bowed, "Of course, I am forever in your service Lady Pendragon." Anna says formally. It almost surprised her how formal a Mage could be. But in a way she expected that came from the daughter of Merlin.

"So, what do you have for us, Anna?" Magnus switched the topic to more important matters.

Anna's eyes flickered over to the sword that hung from Axel's belt, "She hasn't learned how to use the sword.

"After what Vortigern has done, we cannot let this go. And an army marches from the North, we need to be prepared. The Blackguards have been watching this realm closely, reported by the Riders of the badlands." Anna implied briefly.

Axel slowly began to travel briefly back to the moments of Gavin's death. How much she wailed and screamed. And all the Queen did was smile and condescend to her.

Her nose scrunched, "I'm going to kill her." Axel says with an emotionless tone. The tone threw the company off guard, and things began to deafen. Magnus found that to be quite the contradiction to their little argument yesterday. But maybe, just maybe she's finally feeling eager to end Vortigern.

"I've been waiting a long time for someone to pull that sword, to see if it was real or not..." Marcus commented.

"So, you think you can take down Vortigern?" Magnus questioned Axel, giving her some confidence, even when she showed none.

 "Certainly not alone," Axel answered.

"Let me run you through a procedure that I think will unfold. Firstly, Axel. You're going to need to learn to master Excalibur's power and control it without corruption. But again Vortigern still has an army marching from the North. You will be fighting two wars."

"Two wars," Anna repeats.

"But how will we bring down the army?" Marcus inquired.

"That is the difficult part because I don't have a qualified answer for that. Axel to control the sword, you need to trust your precision." Anna explained. Axel's icy eyes travelled to the sword on her beltline.

"So, let me guess. You're going to send me into the bushes to face the wendigo, again?" Axel joked.

"A bit worse than that," Anna stated.

A disappointed sigh escaped her throat, "I knew you were going to say that."

"She's not in any condition to do worse, Anna." Marcus pleaded. Anna remained calm and collected.

"This won't involve her physical form, but her mind."

Axel nodded, for Anna to continue.

"Your mind is the dark lands of this realm. Everyone has a realm, but different. Unfortunately, yours is more complicated."

"How?" Axel questioned curiously.

"At the beginning when I brought you back to life. I began to see your dreams, of a mirror, and a woman imprisoned by the mirror. She called for you, teased you, to stick your neck out and find her. We first need to know what this is. After it showed you the sword. If you can travel through the depths of your mind, searching for the mirror. Maybe we can find answers on how to secure Londinium and Camelot for their safety against the army." Anna didn't see a reason why they shouldn't put the plan into action.

At that moment Axel refused to follow the Mage's plan.

"Hold it right there. The last time I saw that mirror, it did bribe me. Well, it was more of a threat. If I don't release her from the mirror, she will supposedly make our world burn to the ground. But the problem is: releasing her. How do I know she's trustworthy?" Axel interrogated Anna, tossing out the question for everyone to think about.

In seconds it took everyone to realize that this was something that didn't have an answer.

"Axel, you are the only one that will know," Anna said with a frustrated voice. Anna believed that debating with Axel was like talking to a child in some way. Anna discarded that thought, she had to put Axel on the right path.

"Okay, what should I do? How do I travel to this realm?" Axel questioned with a cooperative voice.

"I will cast the spell, but I am warning you now. If you die in that realm, you're not coming back."

"You're not sending her there to see her split side of her," Magnus warned Anna. His hand reached for Axel's, unnoticeably.

"You're not leading this operation, Magnus. I am." Anna said firmly.

"I am Jarl of this hierarchy, this isn't up to you." Magnus snapped, protectively standing his ground for Axel.

"Magnus... If this is something that could stop the war in some way, then I have to know." Axel implied, in a whisper that was so low it was almost impossible for him to hear.

Even when Magnus caught on to how things might unfold, he knew exactly where this was going. And he couldn't help but feel the blame was on him for encouraging her.
But in the end, he refused to lose her. He knew a part of Axel wasn't afraid, nor fearless by standing by his side, as his girl.

Axel acknowledged what she had to do.

A disappointed sigh escaped her lips, "Alright, where do we begin?"