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Girl Power
Book 4
End Game
Katrina Kahler & John Zakour
Copyright © KC Global Enterprises Pty Ltd
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Dreaming
Chapter 2: Awakening
Chapter 3: Family
Chapter 4: Knights words
Chapter 5: Girl Talk
Chapter 6: Boat Guy
Chapter 7: Out to Sea
Chapter 8: Lady of the Island
Chapter 9: Dream State
Chapter 10: Birds and Lies
Chapter 11: Planning
Chapter 12: The Heist
Chapter 13: The Lady of the Island
Chapter 14: The Sword and the Earth
Chapter 15: Task Complete
Chapter 1: Dreaming
I felt myself drifting, drifting through space…well, not just space but also time. Very few people could tell the difference, but I could. After all, I was born nearly 2000 years ago in a different land. The same world, but the world and I have changed so much over the centuries. I was once a queen, and many said my destiny was to be a queen again.
When the mage known as Morgana yanked my knights and I out of the past, I was an adult queen. When I landed here in the now, somehow, for some reason, I maintained my memory. Sure, I was now thirteen, but I knew who I was and what came before me. Unlike the rest of my knights and the then love of my life, Arthur. To this day I still had no idea why my mind stayed with my memories complete. Did Morgana do that on purpose? Or was there some mistake in her spell? Such a powerful spell certainly couldn't have been easy to cast. I imagined a mistake would be likely. No, it had to be a mistake. With me keeping my memories and my powers, I had to be a threat to Morgana and the empire she had built in this modern world. She had become the queen of most media, beloved by millions. Only my knights and I knew what we believed were her true intentions.
Of course, Morgana wasn't my only problem. Morgana's mom Kristi was also a person of interest. To the world today Kristi seems to be your average, super-power, teen rock goddess, when, in effect, Kristi is actually more like an actual goddess with enough power to literally rock the world. Kristi insists she only uses her power for good and to bring happiness to the world. She's certainly amassed a fortune. I know from experience that she turns those who bug her into golden statues. The lady has a temper. I’m not sure how much I trust her.
I guess the other question is: why do either of these two powerful ladies keep me around? I believe they could each squish me like a bug if they so desired. Yet, here I am all human and very alive and well, floating through the cosmos. Okay, I felt pretty certain I wasn’t really floating across the universe. I had to be safe at home in my bed dreaming, but this felt so real. The shimmering stars streaking by me (or was I zooming by them?) were a wonder to behold.
“This is amazing!” I said out loud.
I heard my words.
If I had really been in space that would have been impossible.
A voice in my head called to me. “Gwen, you can control your path and your destiny….”
“Ah, okay,” I answered. “Not sure what you mean.”
“You are not at the universe’s mercy, Gwen, just floating where the winds of gravity push you. You can control your actions and therefore your fate and your destiny. I made a boy like Arthur great. Think of what I can do with you.”
“Cool!” I said out loud. Still floating on my back, just going with the flow as they say.
I concentrated on flipping over and turning around. My body flipped and turned over without me even feeling it. Reaching out with my left arm, my body headed left. Tilting towards the right my body glided right.
To tell the truth, I wasn't sure what I was doing. I just knew that I loved the feeling of freedom and wonder...as I glided through the universe.
“Very good, you have the mechanics of movement down!” the voice told me.
“Thanks,” I said.
I thought back to the days in Camelot when Arthur first used Excalibur in combat. He could even best Lancelot. It took him much effort, but he could do it. Other foes fell to the side much more easily. Arthur was not the most natural and gifted of fighters. Truth be told without his mighty sword and the strength of his Knights arms and Merlin's magic, Arthur would not have lasted a week as king. The sword not only gave him strength and skill, it also gave him confidence, and that confidence made him a better leader. A kinder leader, I’d like to think. He knew with Excalibur by his side there was nothing he couldn't handle. For a man that never truly wanted to be king, this sword was a great gift to him.
“Now shall we make it more interesting?” the voice asked.
“I doubt I have a choice,” I answered.
"Smart girl!" the voice said. "You are much wiser than Arthur. I really tried with him. I did, but neither the man he was nor the boy he is now could truly appreciate my gifts. You Gwen, you are different."
“I hope so,” I said.
Looking forward I saw streaks of red energy flying towards me. I dodged one by darting up. Dropping down I let another pass over my head. Turning to the right, another whizzed past me. Leaping upwards yet another passed harmlessly underneath me.
“That was fun!” I said.
“Don’t get arrogant, kid!” the voice said.
“Ah okay…” I said.
Looking off into the distance I spotted what had to be hundreds of red balls of pure energy streaking towards me. There were so many that they filled the sky.
“Oh my goodness!” I shouted. “No way I can dodge all this.”
“No. You must deflect them,” the voice told me.
“With what? My body?” I anxiously asked.
“No, of course not! Each of these would smash through your body leaving you a hollow floating shell.”
“Wow, quite the pep talk there, voice,” I replied.
"Just stating the truth. I am all for the truth," the voice told me.
Looking at the balls of energy rippling towards me I asked. “So do I turn and run?”
“Those balls are pure energy. They will not tire,” the voice said. “But yes, you should turn and retreat until…”
“Until what?” I asked.
“You will see. And if not, then you will cease to exist.”
Turning around I rocketed myself back away from the approaching balls of energy. “Man you are quite the cheery voice!” I said sarcastically.
“I am a weapon. A weapon of war. A weapon of peace. I am cheery when the time is proper. Now is not that time!” the voice scolded.
“Wait, what do you mean you are a weapon?” I asked.
“Surely, you must have figured out whom I am,” the voice said.
“Nope, sorry,” I said. Truth be told, I had a pretty good idea. But I wanted to hear from the voice itself.
There dangling above me was the astral image of a long glistening sword. The hilt lined with diamonds and jewels.
“Wait is that what I think it is?” I asked.
"Yes, of course, it is," the voice said. "It's the astral representation of me."
“So, I am talking to Excalibur,” I said flying forward.
“You are talking to the soul of Excalibur,” was my answer.
"Okay, you need to expla
in that more," I said.
"Look, Gwen, this is the second part of your test to see if you may be worthy to wield me," the sword said.
“What if I don’t wish to wield you?” I said.
"Sorry, Gwen. That is never the wielder's choice. The choice is always to wield me or die!"
"Not much of a choice there," I said extending my hand towards the hilt. Wrapping my fingers around it I spun in the nick of time. The first fall ball would have hit me dead on but the sword and I deftly parried it away. Now, gripping the sword with both hands I flicked down, up, up, down, left, right. Truthfully, I lost track. I found myself reacting more than thinking. The result is that I had deflected hundreds of red balls of energy.
“Wow,” I gushed. “That felt amazing.”
“Yes, I’ve been told that humans do enjoy my power. And I enjoy having humans enjoy my power!” the sword said. “We feed off of each other.”
“Okay,” I said. “Did I pass?”
“Round two, yes,” the voice said.
“So there’s more?”
“You, Gwen, say the word ‘so’ an awful lot.”
“Not answering my question,” I noted.
“I believe your eyes and ears and nose will answer the question for you…”
My nostrils filled with the scent of badly burnt eggs mixed with rotten cheese. From science class, I recognized this awful smell to be sulfur. Looking up I saw a giant red dragon that looked like a snake with four legs and bat-like wings hovering over me. Smoke billowing from its nostrils.
“Let me guess, this is round three!” I said.
“You are so perceptive,” the voice said.
I took a second to feel the sword in my hand. It felt like a natural extension. I waved it effortlessly despite its weight. It made a swishing sound as it cut through the air. “This feels like a real sword,” I said.
“Young queen, it is a real sword. The most real of swords. I assure you.”
“I was born over 2000 years ago,” I noted.
The voice chuckled. “To me, that is a mere infant.” A slight pause. “As you are to the dragon above. It patiently waits.”
"I'm going no place," the dragon huffed. She bellowed smoke from her nostrils. "I literally have eternity." She looked down at me. "I wish you had a little more meat on your bones." A sigh. "Oh well, your mental energies are strong. I guess that will have to do!"
“Ah, gee, thanks, I guess…” I told the giant red serpent.
The voice spoke to me again. "I feel I must warn you both, this is a fight to the death. It will not end while one of you still breathes."
I took in those words. I was either on the astral plane, or dreaming, or both here. I felt pretty confident that I really would not kill this figment of my mind. Yet, I heard from somewhere (I think Merlin) that if I died on the astral plane I would die for real. Of course, I really didn’t want to take a chance.
I held the sword over my head again and shouted, “Let’s do this!”
The dragon raised is neck and its eyebrows. “Not an elegant battle cry,” she shrugged. “But it will do!”
Her wings started flapping and she flew down towards me.
“I could just kill you with fire, but where’s the sport in that?” she laughed.
I held my ground. Which was pretty hard to do since I was actually floating in the middle of what seemed to be space.
“Come at me at your risk!” I shouted.
The dragon suddenly stopped maybe 30 yards above me. “That is a good point,” she said. Pointing at my sword with her tail she noted, “You do wield the most powerful weapon in all of time.”
Obviously, this ancient dragon had never heard of bombs or missiles, but if she was scared of my weapon, that was good for me.
I waved the sword overhead with one hand and motioned for her to come at me with the other. “Come on,” I coaxed.
The dragon flapped its wings above me. I felt the air pressing on me. She shook her giant head. "Sorry, honey. I truly am. You seem like a nice person. You smell great. Your aura is very clean."
“Ah, thanks,” I said.
The dragon continued. "Also, I know you have been a friend of dragon kind. As far as two-legged beings go, you are a good one. You are noble and wise."
“Once again, thanks,” I said.
The dragon shook her head. “But still, you are not me! And as humans like to say when it’s push comes to pull…”
“I think that’s when push comes to shove,” I corrected.
The dragon smiled. “Thank you! You are wise too.” She cleared her long throat. “When push comes to shove, you are still not me. I have to side with me.” She drew back her head and neck, inhaling. She exhaled waves of fire at me from her mouth and her nostrils.
Holding my sword up I somehow managed to deflect and bend the reign of fire around my body. I didn’t even feel the heat.
The first bombardment stopped.
I kept my sword high. I saw the dragon inhaling again.
Lowering my sword, I offered the dragon. “Concede now!”
The great dragon shook her head. “I cannot. This is to the death! Only one of us will leave here alive!” She thought about her words. “Only one of us will leave this place.” She dove towards me her mouth open, searing me with flames.
Whipping my sword up, I blocked the flames a split second before they would have incinerated me. Flicking the sword forward with my wrist I reflected the waves of heat back at the dragon’s face.
She screamed! I couldn’t be sure if it was a scream of frustration or agony or tinged with both. Fighting back the flames, she drew open her huge jaw and engulfed me. Thrusting my sword forward into the roof of her mouth I heard a terrible scream.
I woke up covered in sweat on my bed. There sitting by my side was Merlin.
“Welcome back, Gwen…” he said.
My notes: I truly had no idea what had just happened. It felt like a dream, but it also felt...oh so real. Could I really have destroyed that magnificent creature? No, of course not. Right?
I thought back to days in the original Camelot. Sitting by the pond with Arthur. He told me that he did not trust dragons. They were meant to be weapons and nothing else. They only knew how to kill and to conquer. I didn’t really believe him then. I still don’t believe him now. The dragons I have met have been noble creatures. I hope I did not end that dragon. But noble or not, she was ready to eat me. I had no choice. But it was only a dream. Correct?
Chapter 2: Awakening
"Wow, that was a weird dream," I told Merlin. "And you better not be leaving any hairballs on my bed!"
“One, I do NOT have hairballs!” Merlin insisted.
I squinted at him.
“Well, not that many hairballs,” Merlin semi-admitted. Raising a paw, he said, “But more importantly, that was not a dream. You were pulled into the astral plane. Your body was asleep and only your mind was completely there. You should know this stuff! You’ve been there before.”
“But I went on purpose in the past!” I said. “I wasn’t trying to do it just now.”
“Which doesn’t really matter,” Merlin said. “You were still there.”
“How did I get there?” I asked.
Merlin shrugged. “You were summoned.” Itching his behind he said, “Only a being of great power can do that though. Who was there with you?”
“I was the only person there,” I said.
Rolling his eyes Merlin said, “Not what I asked.”
Sitting up in bed, I said, “There was a dragon there and a voice.”
Tapping me on the head. "Okay, we are getting somewhere. Now, who did this voice belong to?"
“That’s the really weird part of this,” I replied.
Merlin exhaled in frustration. He had fish breath. “Please just tell me. I am losing sleep here, and when you are a cat, that is very important. You do NOT want to see a cat that has been deprived of sleep!”
“Right. I think, I believe...it was
the sword,” I told Merlin expecting him to be surprised or at least ask what sword.
Merlin's eyes dropped. "Excalibur, hey? I was wondering when that sword would truly reach out to you. Guess it makes sense it would do it privately on the astral plane." Merlin thought for a second or two. "Therefore, the dragon you met must have been the dragon of destiny: big red snake-like dragon with wings."
“Yes!” I said.
“What did you do there?” Merlin prompted.
“The sword called to me. Then I had to catch it. Then I used the sword to deflect some meteors…” I said slowly.
“And the dragon?” Merlin said anxiously.
“I fought it, with the sword.”
“YOU fought the dragon of destiny?” Merlin gasped. “With Excalibur?” he gasped again.
“Well with an astral projection of it, yes,” I replied.
Merlin nodded his head quickly. “Yes, yes. It makes sense, that sword even made Arthur the equal to Lancelot. And quite frankly when it comes to fighting...Arthur is a twit. I guess that means in your hands the sword could allow you to survive against the dragon of destiny.”
“Yes,” I said.
Merlin smiled. “The dragon is one of the fiercest beings in the history of history. For you to survive that encounter is amazing! How did you do it?”
“I used the sword to reflect his fire blasts around and past me,” I said.
Merlin pondered over my words. “But the dragon of destiny is an eternal creature. She would not have tired. What did you do to make her stop?”
I hesitated. “She engulfed me,” I said.
Merlin’s mouth dropped open. “Wait she clamped down on you! You survived being eaten?”
Shaking my head, I said, “She didn’t have a chance. I thrust the sword through her. I can still hear her scream.”
Merlin’s mouth dropped even farther open, drooping off the bed. “That would have killed her.”
“I guess. I woke up right after doing it,” I told Merlin.
End Game Page 1