Excalibur's Seven - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

NO MAN'S LAND WAS far from what Kit expected it to be. He expected a thick forest of deadly beasts, or perhaps a desolate, empty desert of nothing. The last thing he expected was a temple in the center of a thick wood and crawling with their new army.
Cindy landed them on the ground, and Kit was the first to get off so he could help the others. The dragon truly was a beautiful creature, scales a mix of red and violet hues that reflected green in the sunlight.
Eurion was already fond of the creature. She placed her hand on the dragon's nose. "Thank you, Cindy," she said. The beast must've taken that as her cue to leave, because she turned and leapt from the ground with a heavy gust of wind that blew the hair from out of Kit's face and knocked him back a step.
He took a moment to examine the beauty of No Man's Land. It didn't seem to be populated by a civilization, but it wasn't empty and soulless. It had a purpose.
As if she read his mind, Giselle joined his side. "This is where different kingdoms go to sign treaties," she told him. "Courts and kingdoms and divisions don't apply here. It would be considered an automatic act of war if Atla sent her army to the Vernal Kingdom, so we're meeting them all here. The center of Faerie."
She stepped away without waiting for an response, making her way to the temple. She stood before the soldiers and whistled, catching their attention. They looked to her with respect and dignity, the treatment a noble leader like Giselle deserved.
"Soldiers," she called. Her voice carried despite her stature. "Thank you for being here. Our mission today, if we succeed, will protect the fate of our world as well as the world of Avalon, who is our longtime ally. Avalon is ruled by a wicked King, and we must take down him and his son, Prince Connor. You will answer to the six of us and no one else."
She let it grow silent for a moment, allowing her words to settle over the crowd.
"Your job is to weaken the castle's defenses and help Kristofer and Lionel get inside. This is a game of chess. Their most important piece is their King, but he is the weakest among them. If we can get through his army and past the Queen, Wylan will fall. The throne will then fall to Prince Connor, but his mind is simple. We need him alive so I can use him. Are we clear, soldiers?"
The soldiers called out her agreement. Giselle was so gentle and feminine, it was strange to see her commanding an entire army with such power.
"Then let's go win this war, soldiers!"
The crowds erupted with war cries.
Giselle turned to the group and pulled them into a circle. It was all settling in now, the fear of what was going to happen.
"This is just a battle," Giselle told them. "This will not win us the war, but we don't need to worry about that yet. We are good at battles. One step at a time."
She took Selene's hand, then Kit's next to her. The chain continued until they were all connected.
"This won't be easy," Selene told them. "Our group of six may not be six when we come out of this but... this is for the greater good. We are fighting against something bigger than we know, but this battle is essential to defeating this evil. Our goal is Excalibur."
"You are all more powerful than you know," Chalice chimed in. "Do not underestimate yourselves. I feel it in all of you. Use your strengths to your advantage."
It was quiet for several moments, until Eurion spoke up.
"I don't feel lonely anymore," she said. "Thank you for that. Even if this... is the last of me, I'm glad to know I ended with a family."
They were tearful now. Kit didn't want to cry, but he couldn't help it.
He wasn't good with words. He didn't know what to say, but he tried. "I can't think of anyone else I would rather walk into battle with. Don't die."
"Let's go kill some bitches," Selene finished.
They broke apart from their circle. Selene and Giselle spent a moment with each other, Chalice and Eurion joked, and Kit looked down at his son.
"You're something special, kid," he told Lionel. "Shard or not, you're more powerful than you know. Show me how brave you are today, okay?"
"I'm gonna be a knight like you," Lionel told him.
"I hope that's true. Go be a knight like me on the battlefield, okay?"
Giselle led the line, taking the six of them to the front of the crowd. There was a thick row of trees, disorienting in a way Kit couldn't explain, but he could feel the strong magic pulsing from them.
"Go into the trees," Giselle instructed. "This is one of the biggest portals in Faerie."
They drew their swords. This was it, this was the time. There was no turning back now.
Kit squeezed his eyes shut and stepped through the portal. He felt dizzy, but he kept walking until the ground shifted beneath his feet and a sudden cool breeze struck his face. He opened his eyes, and was faced with the sight of the castle.
"I don't see an army," Eurion observed.
"They're waiting for us there. As soon as we're in range of their arrows, we--"
He couldn't finish his a sentence, as something struck the ground before him, lodging into the damp soul. It was an arrow, but it didn't look like an arrow should.
"That's a Seelie weapon," Giselle hissed. "Soldiers!" she called. "Charge."
Atla's ice soldiers and Giselle's own men ran forward, creating a blockade around them. When one of them fell, he picked up a shield and held it up above himself and Lionel.
A loud cry sounded from the distance and Kit watched as soldiers flooded from the village. Some surrounded the castle, while others came charging. Their army was just as big, but Kit still felt a pit in his stomach.
"Get to the castle," Selene gritted. "I'll cover you."
The battlefield quickly became a mess of carnage and swords slashing. Chalice got to work weakening the ones in Kit's way, while Eurion snuck around and made great use of her blades. Selene carved a path through the men, and faery soldiers watched his sides. He hardly had to use his sword until they reached the walls.
"Lionel, do you still know that lullaby?" he asked.
Lionel nodded, and the world went quiet as the boy sang. Some of them fell, some didn't, but it was enough to get them up to the drawbridge.
This wouldn't be so easy, though. The drawbridge was packed with soldiers and men from the high walls shot arrows at a deadly rate. They wouldn't get through like this.
"Selene, the drain!" he cried out, and Selene tossed him a look. "The foundations will be weak there. We need something that can break it."
Selene fought off another group of soldiers before tossing Lionel a glance. "Get him to do what he did when we were about to get hanged," she suggested. "That could do it."
"Brilliant. Lionel, would you mind nearly getting killed for a minute?" Kit asked. It was sarcastic, but Lionel grinned.
"Sure!"
He supposed he didn't have too much time to think about whether it was a good idea. He pulled Lionel around to the other side of the castle, crouching under the shield.
The courtyard of the castle was uneven due to the terrain. Because of that, there had to be a drain for the rain so the water didn't flood the stone. There, the foundation was weak. One strong impact could send a whole wall down.
They found it, but it was just as heavily guarded as all the other sides.
"Are you ready?" Kit asked.
Lionel nodded, and just as he was about to run out, he turned back and wrapped his arms around Kit's waist.
This had better work.
The boy pulled away pushed himself through until he was close to the wall. Just as expected, at least a dozen guards ran for him. Kit raised his shield, because he couldn't dare to watch, but the moment he felt something knocking him back, he knew it worked.
He lowered his shield. Lionel was fine, and the wall was damaged.
More men flooded the area, and Lionel didn't move. The soldiers came at him, and before their comrades could stop them, they swung, and Lionel did it again. This time, there was a proper hole in the wall, and no soldiers on their side to guard it.
Kit raced forward, scooping Lionel up. "Good job, kid. Thank the Gods that worked."
The wall was starting to give, but he wedged their way through the hole, Selene following shortly after.
There were several more on the other side of the wall, but at least they were one step closer.
"Get them to go near the wall," Selene hissed.
Kit nodded, and an idea popped up in his head. He pulled Lionel for the wall, like he was planning to run out again, but guards rushed to block it. Perfect.
"You're surrounded!" one soldier cried.
Just then, the wall came crumbling to the ground, knocking several men over. Kit looked back with a smirk, then pulled out his sword.
Lionel sang, and together, the three of them got rid of enough men for the two to reach the keep. Men rushed to surround them, but Selene used herself as a shield.
"Go, I'll hold them off!" she shouted.
Kit obeyed, hauling open the large door. Naturally, he was met by more soldiers. He shoved some back with his shield, then used his sword to cut through the crowd. It only got bigger, but Kit didn't stop.
They were starting to overwhelm him. Selene would've had them on the ground by now, but he wasn't Selene. Lionel's lullaby only did so much, and soon it started getting stressful.
By some miracle, he managed to get through the foyer and up a few stairs, but more met him at the top.
"Lionel, do it again," he hissed.
"But you're here," he argued.
"Do it anyway! You're the most important," he said.
Lionel nodded, and then he let it happen.
No one went for it, though. They left Lionel alone and swung for Kit.
"They're not gonna hurt you," Kit realized. "Go. Get out of here. You know what to do."
Lionel nodded. Kit wished more than anything that he could hug him goodbye, but there was no time. He was barely hanging on.
The boy knocked out enough men to make his escape and disappear, and all Kit could hope was that he didn't just send his own son to his demise.
By the time he reached the top of the stairs, he had fresh cuts all over his face, but he didn't let that stop him. His arms were tired, but he kept going because he had to. He let adrenaline carry him until he found himself in a very familiar hallway.
He didn't know how much more he could carry on. He thought he might've dropped to the ground when a line of arrows knocked the first row over. And then again, and again, until half of them were down.
"Go out and take care of the others, I can handle him," said a jarringly familiar name. It made his knees weak and his head spin and his heart ache.
He turned around, and there he met Morgana's smug face.
Kit drew his sword, panting but ready to fight. Even though he knew he'd never win against Morgana, not at his best.
"You," he breathed. "You're a traitor."
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that supposed to shock me?" He held up his hands and dropped his bow. "Put your sword down, Kit, I'm here to help."
Kit held his sword higher. "I don't believe you."
"It's about bloody time, you idiot, but I'm serious this time."
And then he pulled out a sharp piece of metal, bright and powerful and unmistakably one of the very shards Kit needed.