“Michael, you should come to. You need to see just how strange things can get in our line of work. This is very important. Boudicca and this grove, in general, can sort of sense your intentions. They are zero threat to us and if anything, anything at all happens, you do not react. You do not pull your weapons. You do not in any way try to respond. Remain completely passive,” Chelsea told him.
“Yes, sir,” Michael replied.
“Don't call me sir. This isn't the military. I'm just Sebastian,” he replied.
Sebastian turned to the sergeant in charge of the police. “The same applies to everyone here. No one except my team steps on the henge. No one, under any circumstances takes any action towards anything they may see on the henge. That outer ring is a boundary line you are not to cross. Understood sergeant?”
“Yes, sir,” the sergeant replied.
“Did you not hear me just tell him not call me sir,” Sebastian said.
“I'll have someone cut a hole in that thorn wall for you,” the sergeant told him.
“Absolutely not. No damage of any kind. No hostile action of any kind. To her and the spirits of this place that might be considered an attack,” Chelsea said.
“How do you plan on getting over that wall?” the sergeant asked?
The walked up to the brambles and they parted. The four of them walked to the structure. They took a few minutes to walk around it and survey it. The blue stone formed a solid boundary from what they could tell through the overgrowth of vegetation.
“I'm not sure what to do at this point. There's no entry. Boudicca and Trish are sealed inside with no way to access them short of blowing a hole in it and that's not an option,” Sebastian said.
“I know. I just want to make sure they're okay. They're our friends and I'm worried,” Chelsea replied.
They heard a rumbling from the direction of the keystone. They walked towards it and a small oval hole had opened in the stone. It wasn't large, but they could crawl through it. The group went through without hesitation. They trusted Boudicca and knew she wouldn't hurt them.
Inside was more vegetation and it was much thicker than outside. They couldn't move much but with some effort managed to work their way to the middle, trying their best not to damage the plants.
The found Boudicca and what they assumed was Trish in the center. Trish was in a cocoon of sorts formed by a mix of the blue stone and vines, much like the outside of the structure. Through the tangle of plants, shiny parts could be seen that appeared to be the frame of a medical gurney. It looked like the plants grew over it. Boudicca sat cross-legged on a mound of earth and appeared to be tethered to the ground by plants. As they looked closer, they realized the plants were not holding her down but were part of her. They had either grown out of her into the ground or out of the ground and into her.
“Boudicca, are you okay?” asked Xavier working his way to his friend. “I was worried about the two of you.”
Boudicca did not look at him but remained facing the cocoon with her eyes closed. “I am fine, Xavier. Thank you for coming. I feared the ones outside would try to destroy this place. Do you plan to try to force me to leave?”
“We do not. As I see it you have more right to this place than anyone else and you're using it to save a life. At least I think that's what you're doing. That's far more important than tourism. We won't let them disturb you if we can stop it, but you have to tell us what is going on,” Sebastian said.
“You are correct. Her injuries are more than I could heal on my own, so I am healing her with Gaia's help. She will be made whole by the grace of the Mother,” Boudicca said.
“Do you know how long it will take?” asked Chelsea.
“It will take until she is healed,” Boudicca replied.
“Can we bring you anything? Do you need food?” asked Sebastian.
“The Mother will provide all we need,” said Boudicca. As she said that, a vine next to her budded and grew into several kinds of berries and fruits from one vine. Another one curled into a bowl shape and filled with nectar.
“Michael,” said Boudicca softly. “Thank you for everything you did to save her. Without your efforts, she would have died. We are honored by your decision to join us.”
Michael seemed happy with her words. “Thank you. I am honored by the opportunity and you are welcome, but no thanks are needed. I will always try to save lives overtaking them.”
“I'm going to leave you a comm. If you need anything at all, even if you just want some company, you call me,” said Chelsea.
“Thank you but this needs my full attention. I must return to my meditation now. She needs me,” Boudicca said. “Xavier, would you remain a moment?”
Sebastian took out a communicator and laid it on a piece of stone next to Boudicca and they left.
“Sure thing,” Xavier replied.
Sebastian, Chelsea, and Michael exited.
“What can I do for you?” asked Xavier.
“I wanted to speak with you about Italy. I want you to understand that was not the beginning of a relationship,” Boudicca replied.
“I never thought it was. I've known Trish for many years and that's not the first time for us. It was a little unusual with you being involved but not in a bad way. I consider her one of my oldest and dearest friends and care about her but not in the way you do. I came not out of obligation for a perceived relationship but out of my concern for two of my friends,” he told her.
“I am pleased to hear this and know that she cares as much about you. I would ask a favor of you,” Boudicca said.
“Anything I can do,” he said.
“We may be here some time. It could be weeks or even months. Nature is not always predictable. During that time, it would be welcome if you came as your duties allow you time to do so. She knows you are here and though she cannot communicate as much, she is pleased by this and it comforts her,” she told him.
“I will. Would you like me to stay a while now?” he asked.
“We would be pleased by that,” Boudicca said.
“I will be right back. Let me tell them I won't be leaving with them,” Xavier said.
Xavier exited the cairn. “Go ahead without me. I'm going to stay a while and keep her company.”
“Sure thing. Call for a shuttle when you're ready to leave,” Sebastian told him, and Xavier returned inside. As he entered the cairn the hole closed behind him.
“Do you want to explain this to the bureaucrat or me?” said Chelsea.
“You're the boss. You explain it,” Chelsea said.
“Gee thanks,” he replied.
#
Alexander and Morgana walked away towards the castle as Merlin went to the tower. “I'm sorry Morgana. If I could have stopped him I would but you yourself said I wasn't ready. I know how much the dragons mean to you,” Alexander said.
“I know,” said Morgana choking back tears. “It's more than the dragon. He has become the thing we fight against. He may not kill and destroy like my son, but he still has gone beyond salvation. He forces villages to worship him and requires tribute from them for his help. He made the king bow before him in open court just to prove his superiority. He isn't there yet but if he's not stopped, he'll go the way so many have gone before and soon start demanding worship as a god.”
“I wish there were another alternative. I am forced to pay lip service to him until I am stronger. You have already taught me so much. Are you sure I cannot beat him? We could enlist the aid of Boudicca. She is savage but honorable,” Alexander said.
“She has known him longer than either of us and credits him with saving her holy site. We cannot be sure of her allegiance and to ask would risk revelation of our intentions,” Morgana replied.
“What of the Egyptians, Solomon or Socrates?” asked Alexander.
“Ra and Nefertiti are only concerned about saving Egypt. Socrates and Merlin spend much time together and have become fast friends. Solomon is possibly an option but his love for life woul
d make it hard to convince him to help us take one,” Morgana replied.
“Why don't you take the staff away?” asked Alexander. “If it gives him more power then take it and we can use it,” he said.
“If only it were that simple. The stave's power will have no effect on us nor would it have any on Merlin. When I made it, the enchantments were designed so that it could never harm someone of the lineage of the monarchs, but I did not foresee this occurrence. Merlin is descended to some degree from one of those lines as are you. My father was king before Baldric and as such my blood also protects me,” Morgana said.
“Did you know he raped a villager?” Alexander asked her.
“I did not but it would not be the first time. He grows worse by the day. His sense of superiority is going to be his undoing. It will not be long before he demands worship,” Morgana said. “I have seen this happen all too often throughout the ages.”
“I also believe the dragon was lured there by him. It is suspicious a dragon of that size that is not indigenous to this land would show up. Beyond that, I have obtained information from a captain who told me of a ship carrying a large cargo that arrived at the same time the dragon appeared. The cargo was unloaded on a sheltered dock and commissioned by Merlin,” he told Morgana.
“How do you know this?” Morgana asked.
“I have had people watching him from a distance for some time now,” Alexander replied. “I will kill him and for that, I will need more information, so I have employed spies. He considers himself so far above mortals he doesn't even notice them. For everything he has done to the innocents with his tributes, I will kill him,” Alexander told her.
“You have changed much. There was a time when we first met that innocents would not have concerned you,” Morgana said.
“It is your influence. Since you started teaching me you have opened my eyes to a different side of life. I only saw conquest as a mortal and as Merlin's apprentice only a lust for power. I see the world differently. You have incredible power along with knowledge and secrets older than recorded history, yet you don't abuse that power. At first, I saw that as a weakness but now I see it as strength. It is easy to give in to base nature but to restrain from that, to hold back, that takes more strength than my days of conquest ever did,” Alexander said.
Morgana smiled. “I am pleased to see you beginning to understand. I am happy I took a chance and judged your character correctly. Death is as much a part of the natural cycle as life and there are times when death is necessary. The key is knowing when those rare cases occur and should only be necessary to protect life.”
#
William got up from the bedside and met the man walking in. “Alexander, thank you for coming.”
As Alexander entered, William closed the door and stood against it.
“My pleasure. Once I received your message I was intrigued and had to come,” Alexander replied. “Is she able to talk?”
“She is. The internal damage is mostly healed. They already implanted the artificial lung and fitted her for the arm yesterday and will have it ready within a week,” William replied as he took Alexander into the room and to Anna.
“Hello, Anna. You look amazing. I can't believe you were nearly dead less than a week ago,” Alexander replied. “If you weren't involved I might have to invite you to a weekend on a private moon estate watching the sun rise over the Earth.”
“Aren't you the charmer but let's skip the pleasantries. I asked you to come here for another reason. I read Sebastian's updates. You want to kill Merlin,” Anna said, the anger in her voice apparent.
“If you plan on pleading for his life, I'm afraid you've wasted both our times,” Alexander replied.
“To the contrary. I want to help,” Anna told him. “I have my own personal reasons for wanting him dead. It's a matter of family honor.”
“Really? Now I am intrigued even more. What has Merlin done to you that would cause you to want to kill a man in cold blood?” Alexander asked.
“During the days before the Seal, Merlin started down a path that destroyed numerous lives. One of my ancestors was one of those people whose life he altered irrevocably. As a price for saving a village, he could force himself onto one of their young women. She later bore a child of Merlin's. That woman was an ancestor of mine and since that happened, my family has remembered this and every generation our eldest female child has carried her name, so we never forget. He destroyed her life and while it ended up pushing her down a path that would irrevocably alter the future, it was still a vile act and just one example of his atrocities,” Anna told him.
“I know of the incident in which you speak. Arthur told me she became pregnant. You are her descendant?” Alexander asked her.
“I am,” Anna replied.
“Pardon my bluntness but without that rape, your family line would not exist. Should this not make you beholden to him?” Alexander asked her.
“While that is true, my family would not exist without that rape and brutalization of a young woman, that does not excuse the act, nor does it take away her pain and suffering. It does not absolve him of punishment for his crimes and that crime was committed against my ancestor and as her only living relative, it falls on me to punish that crime,” Anna told him.
“May I ask how you know this? I know because I was there or at least afterward when I learned of the incident. How do you know?” Alexander asked.
William brought a journal over and gave it Alexander.
“That is the Journal of High Lord Anna, second High Lord of the Wardens after the death of Arthur. A similar journal has been kept by every ancestor since documenting our family line. We have kept our family involvement in the Wardens a secret since family connections are frowned on, but we have always been here, since the first days. I have to do this,” she said.
“But killing him will not undo the damage and it is long past. How does your duty to protect humanity justify killing someone for an act almost two thousand years past? Understand that I must know your reasons. This is not something to be taken lightly. He is a deadly foe and had I the power I would have killed him before the Seal. I might have the power now and I might not. If, and this is strictly if, I allow you to be involved, I must know your reasons are valid,” Alexander told her.
“Because he is doing it again. He disappears for long periods of time, weeks and even months. I know where he goes and what he does. I only recently obtained this information. He has a cult worshiping him as a god. He takes from them without concern and if they question him then he makes them remember he is a powerful sorcerer. He must be stopped,” Anna said.
“That does change things. Stop him we will,” Alexander told her.
“There is more. This cult, many of them have some skill with magic and many have been recruited from various groups like GloCom or the police. They're armed, trained and using magic. This will be dangerous for the three of us,” Anna told him.
“You're right about the danger but there are at least four of us. Morgana will be involved, and I believe I can get the Vanguard on board. Sebastian and Chelsea are honorable and knowing the full story, I believe they will agree, especially with Morgana's involvement,” Alexander said.
“For now, rest and heal. Once they have the adapter socket in place for the artificial limb, I'll have my people in cybernetics provide you with the best available. I'll also have one of my medical groups start cloning you an arm if you would prefer a natural replacement. That takes a while, so you'll need a cybernetic limb until it's ready if that's your desire.”
“That's a lot of expense to go through for someone you barely know,” William said.
“Consider it an investment in my own future. I need my allies to be at their best and the hardware my company provides is the best available anywhere and that includes military and UniGov black ops, most of which MM has the contracts for anyway,” Alexander said.
“Thank you. I do not wish a natural arm again. I want to be reminded of my
mistake. I will accept your offer of a cybernetic limb. I'll repay you,” Anna said.
Alexander laughed. “My dear, if I charged you market value your grandchildren would still be paying off the debt, but I offered you a gift and there is no price. All I ask is if this comes to fruition, do your best to make sure we achieve our goal.”
“That's a given. I'll give my life if necessary to stop him,” Anna told Alexander.
“We both will but what if the others aren't on board?” asked William.
“I have had this discussion once before with Morgana and we hesitated until there was no time left. They will help, and I will not hesitate again and allow this man to play at godhood while people suffer,” Alexander told him.
“That doesn't sound like Alexander the Great,” said Anna.
“Alexander the Great died. He was poisoned by Merlin. The man that rose from his ashes is a better man than he was,” Alexander replied.
“You need time to heal and I need time to make plans. Can you provide me with the information you have on this cult, so I can start gathering information? I promise you I will not act without your direct involvement.”
“Done,” Anna said. “I'll send you everything I have.”
“Thank you. Until next time, rest well beautiful lady and William, watch your back. Mess this up and I'll swoop in and take her before you can blink,” Alexander said with a smile as he left.
“He certainly isn't shy,” Anna said laughing.
“Do you think we can trust him?” asked William.
“We have to. We can't do this on our own and he has power and resources and his own personal interest in doing so. I don't know if we can trust him long term but at least in this, I think we can,” Anna told him.
#
“Ra is awake!” yelled Xavier over the comm to Sebastian and Chelsea. “Nefertiti just got off the comm.”
“That's great news. Have them ready a shuttle. We'll leave immediately,” said Chelsea.
A few minutes later, Sebastian, Chelsea, and Xavier were in route to Canada.
The Vanguard Page 21