The Pearl of Avalon

I stayed still for several minutes. I nodded to Arthur so that he knew I accepted his plea. I fought back some tears. It was true what he was saying to me. If he went first, then he could not fend off any dragons that swooped at me, and I would probably not be able to get past him on the narrow stairway to get to the cave, and we would both be eaten alive.

The thought of him sacrificing himself for me that way was unbelievable. I didn’t really want him too. I had to be honest. I didn’t voice it though because he would not listen, I knew that. I wanted him to live through this too!

I did some deep yoga breaths. I always found that calmed me. Arthur was looking at me with worry in his eyes. My eyes probably had the same look.

I clenched my dagger tightly in my right hand, nodded slightly to let him know I was ready to run, and swiftly gave him a kiss on the cheek. I just prayed that that was not the last time I kissed him. With one last deep breath, I took off running.

And, oh how I ran! I did stumble a few times but managed to catch myself. The stone stairway was old and crumbled in some areas. I took a swift second to look behind me, being careful to keep my balance. A slight relief came over me when I saw that Arthur had started running. He wasn’t going to be that far behind me, after all. That relief was quickly shattered when I heard the roar of a dragon. It was a thundering roar.

One of the large ones had taken to the sky. It’s full wingspan, body included, blocked out the evening sun. There was nothing I could think of to compare the wing span with!

It was watching us intently as it hovered. I tried to pick up the pace but my legs were burning. The steps were steep, and some had to be jumped over as they were too crumbled to get a good footing on.

The dragon let out a deep shriek and lunged forward. At me! I had no choice but to let myself fall backward. Arthur caught me as the dragons head crashed into the mountain. More of the steps crumbled away. He gave me a little push forward to help me get over the gap and drew his sword, “Keep running!” he shouted. I did what I was told. My burning leg muscles were scorching now, but I dared not slow down.

I couldn’t see the fight taking place behind me. I could, however, hear it. Smashing stone, roaring, and the occasional yell from Arthur. I couldn’t pick out what he was yelling though. A small dragon, the size that I’m used to seeing, crashed into the mountain ahead of me, blocking my way. I slipped back a few steps but didn’t fall. It shrieked at me and descended a couple steps. If it blew fire I was finished, but all it did was rear back with its long neck and belt it’s head at me.

I stepped back another bit, trying not to tumble down, and slashed at it with my dagger. I managed to draw some blood on its snout. It reared back again. I had no doubt I had made it angrier. Another young dragon, slightly smaller than this one decided to join. It landed behind me. I couldn’t go either way. And Arthur was not able to help. I could see by the way the large dragon was still attacking that particular area, that Arthur was still alive. Thank Heavens! I wished we could have been side by side. Not that we could have fended off the attack any better, but at least I could die knowing he was right beside me.

I silently scolded myself for thinking that way and slashed behind me at the smaller dragon. I only flung my arm back so I couldn’t really see what I was slashing at. It was hard ducking from the attack of the one in front of me, trying not to fall over the side of the mountain, and slash at the dragon behind me. I must have hit it, though, because I felt the resistance of the dagger. I heard a shriek, and there was blood on the blade as I swung it back around to get a jab in at the other one. I took a quick second to glance over my shoulder. It was shaking its head, holding onto its left eye with one of its claws. I had jabbed its eye! Great shot, Chloe! I thought, in praise to myself.

The injured youngster leaped off the steps to join the other dragons in the valley, who were all focusing on the stairway attack. At least they were just watching!

I had a clear view of Arthur and the large dragon now. He was swinging Excalibur around in circles and dodging headbutts. I had to turn my attention back to my attacker as it lunged towards me. This time though, it flapped its wings and hovered slightly. I managed to dive underneath and scramble upwards on the stairway. I took off running then. Up and across, up and across. The stone stairway did zigzag a lot. The dragon just kept hovering and plunging. A few more times I had to step backward, but I kept my balance. I leaned out a little and slashed at its wings. I made contact. The dragon let out a sharp wail as the dagger tore through the thin flesh. It ripped the way a butterfly wing would rip, only the dragon’s wing bled. I got sprayed with the blood as the dragon left.

It was a good thing those young ones fled after only slight injuries. But I think that’s just because there were plenty more to take over. And another one did. A large one, this time.

Whether or not my legs were burning, I made a mad dash upwards. It let a stream of fire flow in my direction and I had to dive forward. Forward being upwards.

If it wasn’t for my left arm my face would have smacked off the stone steps. I winced in pain but scrambled to my feet and kept running. I noticed the steps seemed to level off slightly just ahead. Please let that be the cave, I thought. And it was! I fell down when I made it to the ledge. So used to climbing upwards now, I still tried to even when I got to the ledge. Just as the dragon made a plunge for me I rolled into the cave. I went head over heals, hurting my neck in the process.

The dragon reared its head back. It was going to spit fire again, I knew it. But it stopped as a high pitch shriek sounded. The dragon hovered backward and looked down. Then lowered itself from my view. Oh shit! Arthur! I scrambled along the cave floor and back out to the ledge. Leaning over slightly I could see the body of a large dragon on the valley floor. A pool of blood forming around its head. Arthur had killed it! The dragon that had been after me now turned it’s full attention to Arthur.

I fumbled around until I found a rock loose enough to pull free. I stood up and hurled it at the dragon. It hit off the side of its face. I didn’t stun it or anything that helpful. But I did surprise it enough to give Arthur a chance to run. I fell back into the cave when the dragon looked my way. I stayed against the wall as I eased further in. The large ones can’t get in through there but a small one could. I hoped they didn’t try.

I waited. The sun was almost completely down now. “ Hurry up, Arthur. Make it to the cave,” I pleaded aloud. “Please be okay.” I wished over and over that I would wake up any minute. But I knew now that this was no dream. I accepted this reality. I feared it. What if Arthur doesn't make it? How can I continue? I can’t face Modred! And even if I did manage to elude him and find the pearl, how would I get it back to Nimue? I started, once again, to cry. I felt defeated. Still no sign of Arthur. I was alone, I just knew it. I let my back slide down against the cave wall until I was sitting.

A dragon roared and Arthur tumbled into the cave. I stood up and went to him, but he pushed me back. Just in time too! The dragon jammed its head through the cave entrance. Arthur stood in front of me, holding his sword out at full arm's length. I could see he was covered in blood. And it was his own blood. I saw on his left arm that the mail sleeve had been torn. Ripped right apart. Those dragon teeth were certainly sharp if they could pierce through heavy chain links! He kept poking at the dragon's head, but it was stubborn. It held up better to the attacks than the younger ones did.

Arthur stepped backward, pushing me along with him. The dragon pulled its head back slightly. It was getting ready to blow fire. Arthur plunged forward with the sword and jabbed the dragon in the left eye. It roared and pulled it’s head back out of the cave entrance. Arthur grabbed my arm then, “Come on!”

We ran further into the dark cave. A long tunnel. We found a set of steps by tumbling over them. They lead downward. And just in the nick of time too! A steady stream of fire flooded the tunnel above us. We lay in a jumbled heap at the bottom of the steps.

The heat from the flames was scorching. I felt Arthur’s movement, so I knew he was alright. I reached out in the darkness and, finding his chest, I fell into his arms. I just hoped that no small dragons were behind us.

Arthur got to his feet and helped me up, “Are you hurt bad, milady?”

“No,” I lied. My whole body felt broken. My muscles burned, my joints cracked, my inside felt like it had been through the spin cycle on the washing machine. “I’m fine.”

“I do not believe you,” he said, brushing his hand against my face.

I couldn’t see him very good. It was nearly pitch black. But, I could feel his gaze. Whether he could see me clearly or not, I knew his eyes were on me. “How are you?” I asked, avoiding the temptation to tell him the truth. I’ll need extensive x-ray’s when this is all over!

“Aside from my arm, I am well. Scratches will heal.”

“You always see the positive side of things. How do you do it?”

Arthur held me close, “I just keep nice thoughts in my mind,” he whispered. His voice was so calm and collected.

Nice thoughts. What was he thinking? I wondered. Maybe Camelot, the way it was before the battle with Modred. Maybe even how his life with Guinevere was, before the Lancelot incident. The only nice thought in my head was how comfortable I was in his arms. I wrapped my arms tightly around him. I couldn’t seem to get a tight enough hold. If I could have crawled under his skin I would have. I never wanted to let go.

An echoed roar broke the dark silence. Arthur let his arms fall from around me. He took my hand and we started walking. No words. Just walking. It was hard to walk at a quick pace. It was too dark. I kept my free hand, the one with the dagger, out in front of me. I knew he was holding Excalibur out too. If something unwanted jumped in front of us our blades would make the first contact.

An orange glow loomed up head. Light at the end of the tunnel. Not really sure if that’s a good thing at this point in time. I shuddered as a chill went up through my spine.

Our pathway was finally lit well enough by the glow that we could step a bit faster. Still cautiously, of course.

At the end of the tunnel was a large room, lit by wall torches. The room was a mess. Tables and chairs were overturned, broken glass and burnt objects covered the floor. I could pick out the black charring on the walls from a fire. What had happened here? There were a couple rotten wood archways. I watched as Arthur studied each one of them. “Which way do we go?” I asked.

Arthur just shook his head slightly, “I do not know.” He lowered his head and lightly kicked a piece of burnt wood aside, “I do hope that Merlin is alive.”

“Well, well, well. It has been too long, my dear uncle,” a menacing voice said from behind us. I turned swiftly to see a tall man standing in one of the archways.

He had long, stringy, black hair, and a short, black chin whisker with a mustache. I could have sworn he resembled Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, minus the pirate outfit, of course. He was dressed in mail, similar to Arthur’s, but his boots, leggings, and surcoat were black. He also had a dragon emblem, but instead of gold, his dragons were red.

Arthur’s face took on a look of rage. He squinted his eyes and slowly turned around, making sure he had a firm grip on Excalibur’s hilt. “Modred,” he said calmly.