The next morning, Arthur, Kay, and I mounted our horses and started our ride. Arion nuzzled me like she always did, while Arthur's and Kay's horses kept their distance, afraid of my spectral steed's aura.
-"I always envied your horse, Eno."-Kay petted his horse to calm it down.-"No need to worry about a stable, always responds to your call, every knight's dream."
-"Indeed, Arion is one of my oldest partners. Who knows where I would be if not for her presence?"-I smiled at Kay's comment.
-"Is there any story behind how you got her?"-Arthur asked as we rode.
-"You can say that. Spectral steeds are rare beings that only exist in lands outside, thus rarely appear in where I lived. Arion was given to me by Melina when we journeyed Lands Between seeking some ancient ruins. Since then, she was with me on every journey."
-"Such a valuable gift? Is Melina your past lover or something?"-Kay asked, more interested in this aspect of the story.
-"No."-I shook my head.-"She and I could be at most considered close companions, at least it's what I thought."-I thought back at our last interaction.
-"Oh?"-Kay seemed to notice my strange expression.-"I see there is more to this story."
-"Kay..."-Arthur shot him a dangerous glare.
-"Sigh."-I sighed to clear my wandering mind.-"Let's not dwell on this now, who knows if I'll even be able to return there one day."
-"This..."-Kay's smile turned awkward, not knowing what to say now.
-"You will."-Arthur assured me.
-"Thanks."
We rode until evening, when, after sunset, we camped near a clear lake. Kay prepared our camp, and Arthur gathered firewood, while I went to look for some game in the forest. With Stormhawk Ashes' assistance, I quickly hunted a sizable deer and brought it back. Kay helped me prepare it, and after roasting it for a while, we all ate near the fire, though more than half of the meat ended up in Arthur's stomach.
-"Your appetite never ceases to amaze me."-I mused after Arthur took another serving.
-"Hunger is the enemy."-Arthur spoke seriously.
-"I've heard that before."-I rolled my eyes.
-"On the subject, I'm surprised you know how to cook, Eno."-Kay started a conversation.-"You know, mages are kind of knobs. They would consider it beneath them."
-"This is one of the only things that remained from before I became a mage."-I looked into the bonfire in front of me.-"I only regret there is no chance to bake some sweets."
-"Sweets?"-Arthur reacted instantly.
-"In life, only three things are absolute. Death, taxes, and Sankta loving sweets."-I smiled.
-"Why not make them?"-Arthur pressed.
-"Sigh. There are no materials. Almost no fruits, barely any spice, not to mention chocolate or sugar. I can't make food appear out of thin air."-I shrugged my shoulders.
-"I will change that."-Arthur acted as if he had just made an oath that would decide his whole future.
-"Hey!"-Kay interrupted us.-"Common guys. Don't make me feel like a third wheel."
-"Third wheel? We are just friends, two normal men."-I looked at Kay, confused.
-"Right..."-He showed a strained smile while sending some strange glances at Arthur, who was avoiding his gaze.
-"But on the subject of cooking, some things you eat in your country are atrocious. What kind of evil possessed whoever invented them?"-I continued the conversation.-"Well, not that the French are much better in some aspect, but at least what they eat looks appealing."
-"Eh? Did you eat French food?"-Kay looked surprised.
-"Yes, during one meeting with some noble about my merchant guild."-I felt exhausted just remembering that meeting.
-"Ugh, my condolences."-Kay patted my back, understanding the pain.
Arthur watched us, wanted to say something, but food was more important, so he just continued eating.
We continued chatting about everything and nothing until late at night when Kay finally fell asleep. Arthur also decided to rest, while I kept the watch. Looking at the moon hanging above my head, I couldn't help but sigh. This was third, fourth if counting Land's Between two moons separately, and yet, I'm still looking for one that belonged to me.
Smiling to myself, I made a mental note to have a nice drink next time I'm moon viewing.
The next day, we arrived in the city. Even before entering, we could see how many people were attracted by the Sword in the Stone, as the queue to enter the town stretched a literal kilometer. Most of the people waiting were knights; they arrived here from all over Britain, some even from other countries. Some arrived from Rome, which stood as a hegemon on the continent, some from Greece that still remembered the time of heroes, and I even felt some vampires mixed in the crowd.
The aura that attracted most attention from me was sharp and deadly, but was somewhat similar to how those living in death felt. As I was looking around, my eyes met that person's, and I felt like the whole world dimmed. Those blood red eyes seemed to see through me, and strong curiosity appeared in them, but before anything else could happen, our gaze was interrupted by a passerby, and after I looked at that previous spot, that person was gone.
-"Eno? Something happened?"-Arthur seemed to notice when my breath hitched for a moment.
-"Just a strange feeling."-I answered.-"Let's go, it's almost our turn."
We waited a few more minutes, after which we were finally let inside. Despite the fact that all could attempt to draw the Sword in the Stone, the nobles still ordered the town to be guarded and made sure that they could profit from the event, so all had to pay a toll at the entrance. Inside the city, all the streets were lined with stalls and such. People traded at every stop, speaking in a mix of languages and dialects.
The closer one got to the Sword in the Stone, the more people there were. At the field where the Sword was, stands were constructed, filled to the brim with spectators. Looking at them from below, one could see all the emotions present in the people there. Anger and disappointment in those who failed, hope and expectations in those who were to try, resignation and envy in those who were afraid to step forward, relief and greed in those who waited for a new king.
Old and young, virtuous and evil. Everyone knew that this event would define the future of this world, a final nail to the current era. But such grand matters were but an afterthought for those in the crowd. No one cared about the meaning of this beautiful sword; all they saw was the glory it could bring, not the hardship that it hid.
-"For sword is just a sword, it's the knight's act that gives it fame."-I commented unconsciously.
-"Oh? Is that your view of this ceremony?"-Spoke person who was standing nearby.
I looked at the speaker and found a tall man in blue armor holding a bright red spear.
-"The ceremony is first and foremost a political move. While other meanings might be 'grander' in the end, it's to place the correct person on the throne."-I nodded at the spearman.
-"Hahaha, to think someone would make almost the same comment as my master."-The man laughed.-"Name, Cú Chulainn. Pleasure to meet ya."
-"Eno."-I introduced myself shortly.-"Despite the opinion of your master, you still came, so are you going to try?"
-"Of course."-He nodded.-"No matter what, it's still an honor to be gained, and it's not like I'll lose something for just trying. Aren't you the same?"
I looked at the sword that just ruined another young man's day and stayed silent for a moment.
-"I'll think about it."
-"You do you, man."-Cú Chulainn extended his hand to me.-"It was great to meet someone interesting here. Let's meet another day to see each other's skills."
-"Sure, why not? Good luck."-I shook his hand and watched as he approached the Sword.
I watched him go, but I didn't stick around for much longer as I needed to visit my guild. After a few minutes walk, I entered a building near the city gate. Inside, multiple merchants were negotiating some deals with employees and among themselves, while guards stood by the walls keeping everything in check. I looked around and, after seeing that all is as it should be, I went toward the reception desk.
After a short talk, I went upstairs to speak with the manager of this location, but when I entered the office room I saw that aside from the manager, three other people were present inside.
-"Boss?"-The Manager was surprised when I entered.
-"I'm here for the ledger, we can speak when you are don...."
-"Perfect!"-The man in the middle interrupted me.-"You are the boss here, correct? Then make this right and sign a partnership wit..."
-"Who is this?"-I returned the favor by asking the manager.
-"This is Lord Jason, captain of Argo and boss of trade fleet under the same name."
-"And..?"-I was to ask about the remaining people present, but they introduced themselves first.
-"Achilles, representative from the Troy federation."-A man with spiky, slightly green hair raised his hand in greeting.
-"Hippolyta, Queen of Amazons."-The woman nodded.
-"Greeting, I'm one of the leaders of this guild. I won't interrupt your meeting anymore. If you have any matters, please speak with the manager present."-I took the leger and was about to exit when Jason exploded behind me.
-"How dare you ignore me!"
I looked at him, eyebrow raised.
-"Do you know who I am?"
-"He just introduced you."-I nodded.
-"Ugh. No! I mean, don't you care about our business?"-His confidence seemed to take a hit.
-"I'm not a businessman, he is. His job that I pay for is to take care of such matters. Why should I meddle?"-I pointed at the manager.
-"Aren't you the boss?"-Jason asked.
-"I'm, and?"
-"Shouldn't you do such an important task?"
-"No. Leaving aside whether this task is even important, if I had to negotiate with every 'important' client, I would be busy nonstop, so I have people to do it for me."
-"..."-Jason was stunned.
-"Ahahahahahah!"-Achilles exploded with laughter.-"To think somebody would silence you like that. Coming here was worth it."
Hippolyta also smirked, having no good feeling for Jason.
-"Just you wait, I will sho..."-When Jason recovered, he was about to start threatening, but I interrupted him, again.
-"Spare me your useless words. While your trade fleet is not bad, we don't need you to make business, and you can't influence our profit margins, so either talk business or leave."-After I finished speaking, I nodded to others in the room and left.
I spent the next hour checking for discrepancies in the ledger, after which I went to our warehouse, where new cartages were waiting. I checked the quality and began my second task, enchanting. Taking off the glove from my crystalline hand, I touched the mew carriage and slowly crystallized parts of the wood to form a magical array, strengthening the frame and adding additional security for the cargo.
I repeated that for every new carriage, after which I returned the ledger to the manager and left to meet up with Arthur and Kay. I arrived at the place we agreed, but as I was first here, I watched people trying to draw the Sword in the Stone. I came at the perfect moment to see how Jason failed in his attempt. Hippolyta and Achilles also tried and failed, but compared to Jason's tantrum, they accepted it gracefully.
While I was watching people come and go, Arthur came to my side and sat next to me. We continued to watch people without saying anything, simply enjoying our silent presence. We sat for half an hour, and as we were about to worry about Kay, a child ran to our side and told us a message from Kay that a matter had been delayed, and we shouldn't wait for him; he would meet us in the inn later.
Hearing that, Arthur and I decided to finally go for the Sword. When two of us approached, I felt someone casting a powerful illusion around, isolating us from the outside. We stopped before the Sword and looked at the handle in arm's reach.
-"It's finally the time."-Merlin's voice appeared near us.-"Are you sure, Arthur?"
Arthur was silent, but his eyes showed that he had made a decision, but as he was about to reach for the sword, my hand stretched faster.
-"Now I understand what it was that you have been preparing all this time. I should have thought about it."-I shook my head.
-"Sorry for keeping it from you."-Arthur said, lowering his head.
-"I don't mind."-I smiled.-"I just want to remind you about something."
He looked up, his eyes puzzled.
-"I see that you came here ready to sacrifice yourself for what that sword represents. Let me guess your reason is 'because only I can do it', am I right?"-My eyes looked into his eyes.-"You saw what was the result of someone believing that his duty was absolute, and now you are still walking toward the same tragedy."
-"No, I'm...."
-"Let me finish."-I continued.-"I know that you won't repeat the same mistake, but sadly, history rarely depends on one person's choices. So I want to show you something so that you won't be trapped by everything."
As I finished speaking, my hand on the sword clenched. The illusion covering me was disrupted and disappeared. My halo and wings gleamed in the eaving sun as my crystaline arm slowly raised the Sword from the stone. Arthur held his breath as the sword left the stone, now fully in my hands.
-"Remember, even if you take this sword, you don't need to take everything that comes with it on yourself alone. I know that you made your choice, and I respect that, but no matter what, let others help you."-I grabbed the sword in the middle and held it to Arthur, trying to give it to him.
Only then did Arthur let out his breath, but before he took the sword, he looked at me and spoke.
-"Does this also include you?"
-"I will do what's in my power to help you."
-"Then before everything else, I want one thing from you."
This time, it was my turn to look puzzled.
-"I want you to be my knight."-Arthur spoke his wish directly.
-"I already paid my homage to Princess, so..."
-"I know and understand, but your Princess has sent you away, so for now you are without a liege. I ask you to be my knight until your Princess recalls you to service."
Arthur's words silenced me for a moment. After thinking about it for a while, I asked again.
-"Are you sure?"
-"Never been more."
-"Then, I agree."-I nodded and once again passed the sword to him.
Arthur took the sword in his hands, and instantly a storm of magic power enveloped him. As the wind slowly calmed down, Arthur's voice sounded.
-"Please take care of me, Eno."
I was about to speak, but my words couldn't come out the moment I saw Arthur. The Sword in the Stone also dispelled his illusion, revealing his true image. The golden hair swaying in the wind and her perfect face that showed the most beautiful smile I had ever seen in my life. She hugged the sword in front of her, her eyes not showing despair as she sacrificed, but happiness after hearing my promise.
That smile, I will protect it.