CHAPTER 9.

The night fell desperate and broken. The sky was an onyx shade, no stars shone that night. The night embraced the Earth with a velvety embrace. Anna and Axel walked back to the square of the small village. People passed by gathering in the halls for another night of tales and songs of legends and myth.

"And that's the end of our tour," Anna spoke with a small yawn.

"Seems like a nice place-" Axel's sentence was cut short when a sound of struggle and hollering was made from the distance. Both Anna and Axel exchanged a look.

Axel took off, bolting towards the hollering that continued to get louder. She followed the dirt pathway to the end of the village. Concerned whether it was a slaughtering or someone was deeply in a perilous situation. Her limbs bounced, and her chest tightened. She hoped that she wasn't too late.

Her mind started to race, like a flat battery when she saw someone with a blade close to their throat. From the distance, it was difficult to make out who they were. There were two Vikings threatening two strangers from the distance. One was knocked onto the ground, stomach meeting the rough ground beneath them. Their head was arched back. A Viking stood over them, crouched down over him. The biking held a fist full of the man's hair and his other handheld blade to the man's throat. 

Both Axel and Anna dived towards a bush. Silently they peered through the cracks of the thick brush.

The second Viking held a torch in his right hand and a sword in his left hand. The second victim stood in front of the biking with his hands up in surrender. Axel stopped for a moment when she saw ebony locks on the first victim's face.

Her heart skipped a beat, she felt goosebumps scatter her skin. She knew who these two were.

"Look we're not here to cause trouble. We're looking for a girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She took a nasty fall and might have injured herself-." Gavin attempted to reason with Magnus.

Magnus stared coldly down at Gavin.

"I recall taking a woman into my care. Carried her out of the forbidden pool. But there wasn't enough time to bring her back from gathering the water out of her lungs." Magnus answered. 

Marcus started to thrash around, "Liar!" Marcus snarled.

"Am I now?" Magnus tested. Magnus's guard ripped Marcus's head back again. A yelp exited Marcus's throat. His eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"If þeir try eittsvat kill þau á einn sinni." Magnus shifted from English to his mother tongue. Applying if they try something then they would kill them at once.

Magnus gave a low chuckle, "Ya? You forgot also an argr ."

Anger seethed through Magnus's veins. His jaw locked, the insult infuriated him into a flare of unstoppable fury.

Magnus laughed when the Prince cracked finally. 

She watched as his knuckles turned pale. He tightened his grip around the handle of his blade.

Axel widened her eyes, she knew what Magnus was thinking or premeditated the expected, rash, actions that he would do.

"I'm not staying here any longer to watch," Axel announced jumping, quietly from the bushes.

"Magnus! Don't hurt them." Axel yelled, joining the Prince's side.

"I suspect that you were here longer than I noticed?" he asked. He didn't lower his blade nor his guard. Which meant he was serious and down to doing business after Marcus insulted him.

Why was Marcus so foolish to open his mouth? That was a mystery to her why he did the things he did.

"Axel! You're alive!" Gaven choked in happiness. His eyes lit up brightly and a charming smile formed from the corner of his lips.

"Please, put the blade down. No one has to die." Axel whispered.

Small, quick, thuds were made from behind Axel. Anna pointed her staff at Axel as a green aura emitted off of the gem on her staff.

"Axel don't even think of it" Anna warned Axel. Axel barely noticed Anna's intentions to strike Axel down with a pulse of magic. Anna took precautions after all she could see that Axel would fight for her friends.

Magnus was like a fuse, he gritted his teeth and slow breaths exited his nostrils. His jaw locked and he ignored her call.

Axel's hand ghosted over the Prince's wrist. She took the risk and gently her fingertips brushed over his hand. Finally managing to lower his blade. She had no power over the Prince, but at that moment she managed to stop the bomb from erupting within Magnus.

"Thank you." She muttered to Magnus.

"What's þinn kalla?" Magnus's guard questioned what the Prince's decision was.

"Stand down." Magnus calmly asked his guard. Magnus put away his sword, showing no more of a threat to Marcus and Gavin. The guard's weight was removed from Magnus's back. The guard stepped aside, obediently.

"Gotta admit you have guts, kid." Magnus complimented Marcus. Marcus steadily lifted his head to see the Prince, face to face. Blood mixed with saliva dripped from the corner of his lips. Axel covered her mouth how Marcus weakly looked at them .

She wondered if he was upset with her leaving him behind. The reality was he was upset about her leaving him. But deep down inside his heart, he forgave her, knowing she was alive. Marcus's vision fogged and he smiled.

Anna approached Axel's side and stopped her with her staff from passing any further. A sudden jolt of panic grew in Axel's chest. It felt as if something squeezed her throat. She needed to get him help.

"Allow me," Anna reassured Axel that he would be alright. 

"Is she the Mage you spoke about? You said Axel was dead and here she stands in our presence." Gaven pointed out Marcus's lie. Catching him red-handed.

"I took you two for mercenaries in your wake or thieves," Magnus admitted coldly.

"She was dead, there wasn't a pulse when Magnus brought her out from the forbidden pool. I brought her back with most of the strength in my body." Anna answered Gavin's impatience.

Anna knelt down to Marcus and took his arm gently.

"Took a bunch of hits to the head I can see." She gently held Marcus's jaw, examining his temples and his split lip.

Marcus could barely focus on the Mage, his focus began to go in and out of focus, like a camera.

"Lie down on your back," Anna ordered Marcus. Anna helped Marcus shift onto his back. She held her staff over him. A vibrant green glow came from her staff as she closed her eyes to focus on the power crawling through her veins.

She chanted a few words that Axel couldn't understand. Axel waited until Anna finished her spell. Marcus coughed relentlessly, the green aura crawled over him like a blanket. Healing his inner and physical wounds.

"There we go. You may stand sweetheart." Anna commented. She jumped onto her feet and held out a hand. Marcus took it. His eyes locked on her eyes, he froze. He swallowed thickly and gave a Cheshire smile.

"And what do I owe this favour?" Marcus questioned. Axel rolled her eyes at his usual flirting tactics. She wondered if he was casting a spell over her with his charm. Anna's chest tightened, not many spoke kindly to Anna. No one tested the daughter of Merlin, convinced that she'll put a hex on them or worse like in the children's fairytales, she would turn them into a pumpkin.

She was titled a Mage, having a heart for Animals and fond of learning her Father's magic. She would study powerful spells that could prove to be useful in the future.

"Who are they to you?" Magnus asked. He crossed his arms, he craved to know why she stopped Magnus from killing Marcus and Gavin.

"Marcus, the raven-haired man is a childhood friend."

"And Gavin is a part of the company. I spared him and his gang. After all the Queen's orders to kill men that could possibly see the future." Axel added. 

Magnus halted in his tracks. He stared blankly at Gavin, his breaths shallow like he saw a ghost.

 "Forgive me. I never wished to talk down to a man that could hear the goddess Freya herself." Magnus spoke sincerely.

"There is no such thing-"

"Silence." Magnus hissed. 

Gavin bit his tongue knowing what happened last time.

"You will tell me what you saw in the halls of Valemire."

Valemire? That's what this place was named? Axel questioned in her mind finally put to ease that she now had a name to call this place. Perhaps Anna forgot to mention the place earlier.

***

The group of five strode down the noise and boisterous hall where most Vikings ate and drank until they were out. Axel couldn't help but feel eyes burning holes into her back and she knew most of the Vikings spoke about her in their language. Even if so, she knew they were no threat to her. After all, she accompanied the Prince, the daughter of Merlin, and her two friends.

Perfectly four chairs were next to the Prince's seat.

"Give me your arm," Magnus whispered, noticing more hungry gazes on Axel.

"What?" Axel questioned, ripping herself from her train of thought.

"Give me your arm," Magnus repeated. Axel made a sound of agreement and allowed him to intertwine his arm around hers. She knew this was out of rank, but she wasn't anything near the Prince's rank. She immediately caught on, knowing that this was a sign of claiming. Which sent a chill up her spine. She felt a heat burn in the bottom of her stomach.

She counted to ten, practicing masking her embarrassing emotions. She knew that Magnus was only saving her. Saving her from any ideas the Vikings in the village had at that moment.

And Magnus hated specific actions that men would pull on women. If someone told Magnus about certain actions, Magnus would execute them himself. Sending a message to his people that he doesn't tolerate those actions.

Each took a seat next to the Prince at the end of the hall. They raised a mug to the cheerful village who sang songs and told stories of the tales of slaying beasts from afar. Anna sat on the Prince's right side, next to Marcus. Axel and Gavin sat on the left. Their chairs scraped along the floorboards as they took a seat.

Axel stared blankly at the liquid in the cup that sat in front of her. She could tell it was some type of alcohol, it smelled sweet and almost alluring to drink. Magnus turned his head noticing how silent all of them were.

"No need to be worried, I did not poison your drink," Magnus assured Axel. She placed the drink down and shook her head.

"I appreciate it, but I'm not a drinker." Axel implied refusing the drink.

"Have it your way then." Magnus agreed, choosing not to protest against her decision.

"We should discuss important matters on Gavin's visions," Anna advised. 

"Lighten up, not every moment of our lives needs to be serious. Certainly, I don't need anything more catastrophic than waking up somewhere entirely unfamiliar. Along with finding a note near your bedside that says; 'your friend is in good hands. I thought Gavin here, kidnapped Axel." Marcus explained feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

The sentence left the group in silence. Axel frowned and started to think of the decision she made and the consequences that followed. But she thought about the brighter side of things, she was grateful he was safe and it wasn't him ascending off the cliff.

She had to make things right. There was this tense grunge Marcus held back. She could tell this hurt him. He never left her in his absence when it came down to a task. At this point she couldn't take it anymore after that sentence he spoke about. It was like he was asking for her never to leave him, better yet abandoning him.

The mage opened her mouth to speak, but Axel beat her to it.

"I owe you an apology Marcus, I promise I won't leave you again." Axel apologized almost as if she was going to say it a thousand times until he forgave her.

"I needed to hear that, Axel. I appreciate it." Marcus mumbled.

"Look, man. I was a part of this just as much as she was. You weren't in the best condition to fight the roadside bandits. But we were ambushed by the Riders of the Badlands. Men who were from the Darklands somehow found their way back to this realm." Gavin addressed. Anna furrowed her brows and her forehead crinkled in confusion.

"You're saying someone released them from the Darklands?" Anna asked in a serious voice.

"And you encountered them?" Magnus interrogated Gavin, along with adding to Anna's sentence. Marcus followed the road Anna was going down with the topic.

"Axel and I encountered the Riders on the road, where the bandit's camp was. They weren't after the bandits, they were after us. And don't get me started with the Windigo we encountered." Gavin scowled in annoyance. He crossed his arms and slouched in his seat.

Anna stayed silent, confused about why they would attack two travellers that had zero noble status.

Nothing Gaven said made sense to the Mage. Windigos were known to the area, to encounter one was rare. Anna recalled killing one was: difficult. Most would go for its head, but not many went for its ice, cold, heart.

Axel was lucky to kill it, but she had no clue that what Magnus said earlier was true. 

She drowned and the magic Anna used almost didn't work. But it was a miracle she sat here in their presence.

The Riders were interdimensional beings that were only summoned by people who practiced black magic. Anna's father almost lost his life to send them back to the realm of the Darklands.
The Riders were malicious, thirsty, and craved the blood of royalty and the Dukes of the land.

But then it clicked, one of them was connected by blood to royalty.

"Gavin, are you a son to your clan's chief?" Anna questioned. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She felt the urge to get to the bottom of this.

"No, why?" Gavin asked.

"Axel by any chance would you be related to a noble?"

"Why do people keep assuming that I am a part of royalty? I have zero desire to rule the land or rule over anyone besides myself." Axel admitted. Annoyance trailed through her voice, like shattered glass.

"Who raised you?" Anna pushed Axel through a series of questions.

"Alaric, the Grandmaster of the Court of Fighters. He took over after my mother was-" Axel halted from finishing her sentence. Her fingernails began to dig into the arms of the chair. She felt her heart in her ears. 

It brought her back to a day she forged a lock on the memory, to never speak about it until she found internal happiness and healing. Running through those grim moments were like running through water. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice became muted when she choked on the bile that began to grow in her throat.

"Axel, we won't speak about it if you aren't ready-"

Axel shook her head. She took a deep breath and counted to ten, recalling frequent panic attacks she would have when she was younger.

She counted to ten, remembering Marcus's words of wisdom to count to ten.

 "It's my fault, I ran from my mother when she told me to stay hidden. The enemy marched through our doorway and I ran, taking my chances on the streets. I aided the King on the streets, abandoning my Mother because I was foolish. But because she's gone. I will honour her by aiding the wounded and protecting the innocent. I am surely not a saint, but I'll continue on my word." Axel disclosed the topic, finally choosing to force herself to drink.

She scrunched her face and spat the liquid across the room.

Her eyes squeezed shut and her nose scrunched, she shook her head as the group roared in laughter.

"You call this a drink?" Axel asked Magnus.

"Let me guess, you expected better? You'll get used to it. It's sweet, but I can confirm that it has a small bite to it." Magnus implied. 

Anna stayed in silence, listening to Gavin explain more about his visions. Where it all began, where he saw a mirror, and a sword that was woven in stone. He recalled it like painting a canvas, what colour was the sky, where the sword revealed itself to be.

Waves crashed amongst the rocks in his visions, a stone sat near a fisherman's dock. Beneath the chilling water. Where Uther made his final stand against the enemy. Gavin explained more about the prophecy of a man pulling the sword from the stone.

Anna couldn't believe that his dreams were from the deep, something that they had to investigate was true or not. From the description, the sword was in fact near the Seabass Bay, where the boats would come in with their shipments. It was right within Camelot.