“I can’t change the Masters and I can’t undo what he did but know we are not all like them. What I offer is my own, not from the coffers of the Masters. We seek to protect and guard, and I have failed her in that capacity. My gold will not fix my failure it will only serve to help her put a life together. Take it or not, I can offer no more than that and my sincerest apologies for failing your family. Had I been here, I could have led my knights against the dragon. I was forced to be elsewhere, and your daughter suffered for it. I will take my leave and no longer insult you with my presence,” Captain Arthur told her. He dropped a bag of coins at her feet and walked away.
Several months later, Captain Arthur and Lady Guinevere approached the hut. He had not been here since he spoke to the girl's mother. He looked at his wife and said, “I think you are right. You should speak with her, not me.” He took a deep breath and knocked.
The young lady who was despoiled by Merlin answered the door and turned away. She was showing signs of being with child.
Her mother came to the door. “You again. What do you want this time? Do you come to offer another bag of gold coin?”
“Good woman, I only come to escort Lady Guinevere,” he replied.
Lady Guinevere spoke up. “May I speak with your daughter? It is of utmost importance.”
“What would a Lady of your station want with my daughter. My daughter is nothing but refuse, thanks to the actions of Merlin,” said the old woman who spit on the ground upon saying the name.
“I appreciate your position, but my words are not for you. They are for your daughter and your daughter alone. I have something I need to discuss with her. She is an adult and should make the choice to speak with me or not,” said Lady Guinevere.
“My daughter does not wish to speak with you,” said the old woman.
“Maybe so, but I would hear that from her, not from you,” replied Lady Guinevere.
The young lady walked up behind her mother. “I will speak with you. I have nothing left to lose. Words cannot hurt me and if you wished me harm, I would think our combined village could not stand against a Knight of Camelot.”
“Would you like to take a walk? It's a beautiful day,” said Lady Guinevere.
The woman looked at her mother and back and Lady Guinevere then at Captain Arthur.
“What is your name?” asked Lady Guinevere.
“I am known as Anna,” she replied.
“Well met, Anna. Your mother and the Captain can remain here,” replied Lady Guinevere.
The two women walked towards the forest behind the small cottage. The sun was high, but a cool breeze made the heat bearable. As they walked they spotted a young doe ahead of them. Lady Guinevere walked towards the doe and it raised its head, initially spooked then went back to grazing. She walked up to it and softly patted it on the back. The young woman stood some distance away.
“It's okay. You can touch it. Just keep your heart happy and your intentions benign and it will not balk,” Lady Guinevere told her.
The young woman hesitated but approached slowly. She got close and the deer raised its head from eating to look at her then went back to its grass. The young woman reached out and placed her hand on its back then smiled.
“Master Morgana says they can sense the true nature of a person. This was a test and I apologize I did not tell you beforehand, but I had to know your heart before I could tell you my reason for coming,” Lady Guinevere said.
“You have been wronged greatly. As my Captain said on his prior visit, we cannot right that wrong, but I can offer you some peace of mind and a chance to do some good with your life. I must have your word though that what I tell you will be kept secret. These words are not for others to hear. If you don't like what I have to say we will return to your home and you can forget I ever visited, you. Can you give me your word? You should know my magic is strong and by giving me your word, you will be bound to it.”
“I have no life. Merlin raped me. I tried to resist him, but he used his magic to restrain and silence me. He took everything from me. I had already lost my betrothed to the dragon and Merlin took my chastity, so no man will have me now and I carry Merlin's bastard child. I have nothing left to lose so speak and I swear to you I will not reveal what you have to say,” the woman told her.
Lady Guinevere smiled at her. “Much of what is wrong with this world is wrong because of the Masters. You know it. I know it. Everyone but the Masters knows it. That will soon change. You may have heard rumors of a war of wizards. Those rumors are true and soon that war will be at an end. Merlin will be dead and other the Masters gone, hopefully forever. Merlin and the other Masters are going to banish magic from the world and the Masters along with it.”
“This is difficult to believe. The Masters are supreme in their power. None can resist them,” said Anna.
“Difficult to believe but true. That is not why I am here. I wanted you to know that, so you would know that Merlin was soon to be relieved of his life. He knows it and it is by his actions he will die. He is a poor example of a man and the world will be better without him. Merlin's actions will banish magic and change the world. We hope that change will be for the better. To that end, a secret group is being recruited to be the guardians of humanity. The Masters think that group is to prepare for their return, and they will do that to some degree, but their real purpose is to guard humanity after the loss of magic. I want you to join that group,” Lady Guinevere told her.
“I have no skills to merit my worth as a defender. I have no talent with weapons. I have no knack for magic. I carry a bastard child who will never know its father. I don't even know how to read and write. What use could I be to you?” asked Anna.
“You will learn to use a sword. As far as reading and writing, we will teach you in many languages. And magic? No one will have access to magic. It will be gone. It will not be an easy life. It will require sacrifice and dedication, but you and your child will have a home and place with people who will not judge you. You will be part of the future. What comes after they seal away magic is unknown, and we need strong, brave people to help us forge that future. I cannot promise you wealth and power. I can only promise you a chance to be something more than you are now. You and your child will be welcomed, and your past will not matter to those of us in that secret group. We will be your family. Your child will be able to grow among people who will care not her origin, only the measure of her character,” Lady Guinevere told her.
“Her?” asked Anna.
“Aye. Her. Your child is a girl and a healthy one. She will be as strong as her mother in spirit and body,” Guinevere replied.
“Your words scare me and excite me. To learn the world as I know it will change and something unknown rise from it is frightening but to know I could, in some small part, help shape that future is exciting. I will join you,” said Anna.
“I am pleased to hear this. For now, you will come to Camelot with me under the guise of a handmaiden. I too am with child and though I do not show it, my armor will soon not fit, and I will be expected to have servants to tend me. This is only a ruse and to start your education in secret. Training you in combat will have to wait until your child is born,” Lady Guinevere told her.
“Camelot? But Merlin is there. If he recognizes me and realizes I carry his child...” said Anna sounding very worried.
“It will be no concern. He cares so little for mortals he will not notice you should you even chance to meet. The Masters spend their time preparing for the final day and rarely leave their tower. You will be unnoticed by him. Have you ever left your village?” asked Lady Guinevere.
“I have not,” replied Anna.
“Then today you will. We will return for Captain Arthur and you may bid your mother goodbye. Worry not about any possessions you have I will see to it you have all you and your child need and more. Do you have a horse?” Lady Guinevere asked her.
“I do not. Is Camelot a long walk?” asked Anna.
“It is. I
will have to arrange a mount for you.” Lady Guinevere closed her eyes and whistled.
A moment later a large red hart ran into the clearing and stood before them. “It's not a horse but it will carry you Camelot. He is strong and able,” she told her patting the stag on the head.
Anna gasped. “He is magnificent, but I do not know how to ride a horse much less this beast.”
“He will carry you gently and see to your safe journey. He has promised me this,” Lady Guinevere told her. “Let's return and say your goodbyes. We can be at Camelot by dark if we make a steady pace.”
“Lady Guinevere, I know not what to say. You have given me that which I had lost. You have returned my hope for myself and my child and our future. I will no longer be a peasant, I will be a... what will I be?” Anna asked her.
Lady Guinevere handed her a pouch. In it was a necklace bearing the symbol of Solomon's Knot. “Wear it with pride for today you are a Warden.”
The two women walked back to the village with the hart following them.
#
“What do you mean gone?” yelled Chelsea into the comm.
“I can't explain it. They're gone. They just disappeared,” said a man's voice over the comm.
“A piece of her spine was burned away by a laser and her intestines are held in by field sutures. She can't just walk away,” Chelsea said.
“The woman with her, Boudicca I think, is gone as well,” the man replied.
“Did anyone see anything? Who was the last person to see them?” Chelsea asked frantically.
“There was a nurse who checked on her and confirmed the medications had knocked her out and told Boudicca they would be transporting her to the surgical center very soon. Another nurse said she saw a tall blonde man with curly hair near the area a short time before they disappeared, but we have hundreds of people coming and going. That's not unusual,” the man replied.
“Thank you. Keep me informed of any new information,” Chelsea said.
“Will do, Vice Marshall. Sgt. Jones out,” said the man and the comm went dead.
Chelsea headed to their quarters and found Sebastian sitting in an easy chair with a cup of tea.
“I think Alexander kidnapped Boudicca and Trish,” said Chelsea.
“What? Why would he do that?” asked Sebastian.
“I don't know but they both went missing and a tall man with curly blond hair was the last one seen near them. He can teleport. Maybe he took them. He did have a thing with Boudicca. Maybe it was jealousy,” Chelsea told him.
“I don't buy it. He doesn't seem like it's something he would do. I spoke with him. He still seems as smug and pompous as ever, but I don't think he's a bad guy. I think he truly wants to help,” Sebastian replied. “He'll be here soon. Why don't we just ask him? In the meantime, we'll ask Bethany and Samantha to start running queries and facial recognition algorithms against news feeds looking for anything that might match either of them. Boudicca is very strong, and I don't think Alexander could take her without a fight. I'm going to remain calm for now until we get more information and you should do the same.”
“I'll stay calm for now but if he did something to her and he still comes to Camelot he better bring his entire supply of war machines to keep me from him,” Chelsea said fuming. “I'll go talk to Samantha. She should be in C&C. Bethany wasn't feeling well so she is taking it easy today.”
“She's due any time now. I'm sure that's at best uncomfortable. I wonder if there's anything we can do for her?” Sebastian asked her.
“I asked. She said she didn't need anything but rest. She's the size of a cow. I think that baby is going to be born the size of its father,” Chelsea told him trying to forget about her missing friends. “I told her to let either us know the second she needs anything. Bruce will do the same. I wish she would tell me if it's a boy or girl. I want to buy so many gifts, but I don't know what to buy.”
“They want it to be a surprise. Bruce said they don't even know. Only Doc Fox does. You know that,” Sebastian replied.
Chelsea feigned anger. “I know but it isn't fair. I want to go baby shopping.”
Sebastian laughed as she left the room.
A moment later, Chelsea was in the C&C. Samantha was sitting at terminal typing.
“How long will it take you to get the search up and running?” Chelsea asked.
“It's already finished. That stuff is child's play,” Samantha told her.
“How did we ever get along without you? We have some people good with computers but you're phenomenal,” Chelsea told her.
“You do what you do, and I do what I do. You and your people handle the field. I give you the tools and information you need,” Samantha told her.
“Don't you ever get bored? You qualified for the field. All you would have to do is say the word and you could resume combat training,” Chelsea told her.
“Why would I want to do that? I like what I do. I'm an engineer, not a hunter. It's my passion like being a warrior is yours,” Samantha told her.
“Why come to Camelot then? R&D isn't our specialty. I offered you the post because you seemed bored at Munich but if you really like that, then this is the wrong place,” Chelsea told her.
“I disagree. Many of the best discoveries were born of necessity. The only way to know what's needed is to be where it's needed. Take the cold iron in your sword. I managed to crack that formula in two years. We had a research team on it for three decades before I was put on the team. I had begged them to let me take a crack at the formula, but they didn't think it could be done. When I finally managed to cut through the bureaucracy and get access to the research it was a challenge. I was given a thank you for cleaning up some of the formulas the original engineers created. Utter bullshit. I had to rewrite their work completely and the credit goes to others. When you asked me about coming here my first thought was hell no. You have nearly no facilities. You have no research labs. You don't even have a proper machine shop but what you have is freedom to do what needs to be done. Most of my work can be done with computer models and if I did need access to a real lab you and the others here have the resources and pull to make it happen fast,” Samantha said sounding almost relieved.
“Maybe so but it's not safe like Munich. We've been attacked directly here and lost good Wardens in the process. Are you ready for that? If you don't want to be in the field you made the wrong choice because you're right in the middle of it,” Chelsea told her.
“I know. That means I might get to make a difference. When Xavier got out of the Academy, he was assigned to Munich R&D for a while before he decided to go into field work for the excitement. He was assigned to me as a lab assistant to get him up to speed on our protocols. Occasionally we had dinner together and one night we were talking about the fey in the cells and the Tormentor came up. I told him this theory I had about laser energy after reading some of the old journals from the first Cataclysm and the stories of the fights against it. What happens years later? I get a call from the idiot Coordinator running Munich that Xavier is in route with a team and needs access to the weapons testing facilities because he has a theory about lasers and the Tormentor. Xavier. I don't think he stole my idea intentionally. He probably doesn't even remember the conversation as drunk as we were, but it was my idea and he got credit for it. I'm not going to let that happen again. I will do everything I can to make sure my brothers and sisters have the best tools and weapons to do their job, but never again will I stand by while someone else takes credit for my work. It's always been that way. People see a pretty face and assume I'm some mindless bimbo who fucked my way up the ladder. Here I feel like I can get a fair shot. I don't want glory and fame. I just want people to acknowledge my work for what it is, MY work,” Samantha told her.
“I had no idea. I honestly can't say I understand why it's that way for the non-field agents. It shouldn't be. It's not the same in the field. What we do is visible, at least within our ranks. Everyone sees it, and everyone knows it. There's
no way to take credit for someone's kill. I will guarantee you that you won't be overlooked here. Everyone here is treated as an equal. If you sit at our table then you're one of us. I can't pretend to understand the science behind what you do but know one thing. Before you were offered this position, I read your dossier and in the brief time we had to speak, you made an impression. Xavier is the real reason why you're here, though. When we were flying back to New York, he kept talking about how brilliant you were and how you were wasting away in Munich. When we started having the initial talks about the Vanguard, before we got final approval, he recommended you,” Chelsea told her.
“Base Marshall Samantha, this is Lt. Mavis. Are you there?” said a voice on the C&C comm.
“Sam here. What's going on Bobby?” Samantha asked him.
“We have an unscheduled arrival. It's an odd one,” Bobby told her.
“What do you mean odd?” asked Samantha.
“It's just one man. He didn't come by shuttle, though. He just, sort of, appeared. Says he's Julius Macedon of Macedon Machines,” Bobby told her.
“Why is Julius here and what do you mean he just appeared?” asked Samantha.
“I mean he just appeared out of nowhere near those big gold statues of the bosses,” Bobby told her. “Says he has a meeting with the Lord Marshall.”
“One moment, I'll confirm. Keep him busy until then,” Samantha told him.
“Any idea what he's talking about before I dispatch a detainment squad?” Samantha asked Chelsea.
“That's not Julius or rather he is but isn't. It's Master Alexander. He's been calling himself Julius and keeping a low profile. Give him an escort but more of an honor guard and have them bring him here,” Chelsea said.
“Sebastian, Alexander is here. He's on his way to C&C,” she said over her private channel.
“Bobby, have some of our elites bring him to C&C. Treat him as a respected guest, not a trespasser. Oh, and don't be late for lunch,” Samantha said.
“Bobby? Not Lt. Mavis? Sam? Lunch? You have to tell me what that's all about,” asked Chelsea.
The Vanguard Page 18