End Game

by Katrina Kahler

  We turned to see Ms. Vivian walking towards the security people. She stopped and smiled at the men.

  “Is she here to help us?” Gail asked.

  “No idea,” I said.

  One security man stayed by the car while two others went out to meet our teacher. The men with the sword kept approaching only slower.

  “Miss this a private landing area,” one of the men walking towards Ms. Vivian demanded in a not so friendly voice.

  “Oh, don’t worry, Morgana and I go WAY back. WAY WAY back!” Ms. Vivian assured them.

  “Ma'am it's our job to worry,” one of the men told her.

  Vivian smiled at them. “No, no, your job is to relax.”

  The man yawned. “Ma’am this is a (yawn) very important (yawn) sword…(yawn)…” the guard said.

  Ms. Vivian walked past the two guards who had greeted her. The two men stood there smiling.

  “Do you think Ms. Vivian knows we are here?” Gail whispered to me.

  “No, I don’t believe she does,” I said.

  “Maybe we should let her know,” Lance suggested. “I don’t think she’d want us to see her like this.”

  “I’m not sure about that,” Sebastian said.

  Ms. Vivian strutted up to the man by the car. He reached into his pocket. “No need for violence,” Ms. Vivian said. “I'm just here as a friend.”

  The man smiled and relaxed.

  “Well she’s doing our work for us,” I said. “Follow her.”

  Ms. Vivian glided towards the men who guarded the sword. We followed in behind her.

  The men carrying the case that contained the sword stopped. They pulled out guns. “Stop right there ma’am!” they ordered.

  Vivian stopped and raised her arms slowly. “I’m just here for a peak.”

  “How did you even learn about this?” one of the men demanded.

  “Like I said, Morgana and I go way back. I’m sure she doesn’t mind me sneaking a peak of this amazing sword,” Vivian said.

  “Ma’am our order from Ms. Morgana is to take this sword directly to the museum.”

  “Just freeze in place!” Vivian ordered.

  The guards stopped moving.

  Vivian slid towards the guards.

  I coughed.

  “Lat ys ba saan!” I ordered.

  Ms. Vivian turned towards us. “Oh, hi kids. I’m glad I could help you with your cause. I knew you’d be here, so I figured I’d come and help you get past the guards,” she said nervously.

  “Ms. V, please don’t lie to us,” I said.

  “Okay, I admit I wanted to touch the sword. That’s all I wanted. Just to touch it. Feel its power. I believe I can gain power by simply touching it,” Ms. Vivian said.

  “We need to get rid of this sword,” I told her. “It’s a weapon of war. A weapon no longer needed in this world.”

  “I won’t argue with you Gwen,” Ms. Vivian replied. “Just let me touch the hilt.”

  I drew my staff.

  Lance lifted the fake Excalibur.

  Gail and Sebastian took fighting stances.

  “We don’t want to fight you,” I said.

  “And I don’t want to fight you four! But I want to touch that sword. Just adding a bit of its power to my power will allow me to do great things. I can help enlighten the world. I will make the world a better place with just a touch of extra power. Trust me, Gwen. Come on, we are a lot alike, two women who were leaders before our time. We took a backseat to our men, but not anymore. Now we lead.”

  “Yes, we lead by example...not by force,” I said.

  “Look, Gwen and company, I helped you guys. Your little invisibility was kind of nifty and all, but it wouldn’t have got past the guards. Don’t forget that I froze them.”

  “True they would have noticed a sword floating in the air,” Sebastian replied.

  “We could have distracted the guards,” I said firmly.

  “Yes, but I made your job easier, just let me have a little touch of the hilt!”

  I thought about what she said. She had helped us. I needed to trust her. I motioned to the sword. “Okay, Gail will open the box and remove the cover.”

  Gail looked at me, her eyes asking are you sure.

  I nodded.

  Gail walked over and carefully opened the box and removed the cover from the sword.

  Lance and Sebastian positioned themselves beside Vivian.

  We all saw the glistening sword handle.

  “Just a finger,” I told Ms. Vivian.

  Ms. Vivian held out her index finger, she smiled and leaned slowly into the sword. Her finger touched the hilt. The finger and hilt glowed red.

  “Ah the power, I feel the power!” Ms. Vivian yelled. Bolts of energy shot from her side throwing Sebastian and Lance to the ground.

  Ms. Vivian opened up her hand.

  “Mr. Lucka eppaer!!” I shouted.

  Coach Locke materialized in front of us.

  He saw Vivian reaching for the blade. He dove forward and grabbed her hand. “My love, no!” he told her.

  Ms. Vivian’s hand wavered and shook. “I just want to grab it for a moment. Full the full rush of its power! Power to change the world.” Ms. Vivian tried forcing her hand down. She made some leeway, but Mr. Locke was strong, after all, he was Robin Hood.

  Lance and Sebastian rose to their feet. “We can aid you, sir!”

  Mr. Locke shook his head, “I don’t need help. This woman is the love of my life, she knows I am right.”

  “But the power this sword wields!” Ms. Vivian said.

  Gail came forward. “It’s power you don’t need Ms. Vivian. You are already strong. You don’t need the aid of a sword. A silly sword.”

  Vivian hissed at her. “It’s not a silly sword! It’s a great sword!”

  Gail put her hand on top of Mr. Locke’s. She helped him guide Ms. Vivian’s arm down.

  “No sword is great,” Gail insisted.

  “Agreed,” I said.

  “Come on honey, walk away from the sword,” Mr. Locke said softly.

  “But…I feel it’s power… It’s calling to me. My power combined with its power. We can rule the world!”

  "Yeah, not going to let that happen," I said moving up. I positioned my staff between Ms. Vivian and the sword.

  Mr. Locke held out a hand. “That won’t be needed, Gwen. Vivian will walk away on her own.”

  Vivian glared at me. She looked at the sword. She looked back at Mr. Locke.

  “If you love me. If you truly love me you will leave that sword where it stands,” Mr. Locke said.

  Vivian sighed. "The sword may bring me power, but you bring me happiness." She threw her arms around Mr. Locke. "Now let's get out of here before I change my mind." Ms. Vivian looked at me. "You have two minutes before the guards unfreeze. Use your time wisely."

  Ms. Vivian snapped her fingers. They were gone.

  “Well that was helpful,” Lance said.

  “Agreed,” I said.

  Walking over to the sword with the fake sword. I motioned to Gail to uncover the real sword. Gail slowly withdrew the cover. There in all its glory sat Excalibur. Comparing Excalibur to the fake sword the two did look a lot alike. Yes, Excalibur had a hum to it that the other sword didn’t.

  Reaching down, I pulled Excalibur from its place of rest. It felt lighter in my hand than the fake sword. The humming grew faster.

  “Do you guys hear that humming?” I asked.

  “I can’t,” Sebastian said.

  “I hear something faint,” Lance said.

  “I hear a kind of tingling,” Gail said.

  I heard the sword talking to me in my head, “They aren’t pure enough to hear me,” it told me. “But you, Gwen. You have always been destined to control me. When Arthur held me, you always wanted to reach for me. You wanted to snap it from his grasp. You knew even then that you would be a finer leader than him. But you were also wise enough to accept the world wouldn’t be ready for you, but now the wo
rld is. Now you can unite the world in peace!”

  “Did any of you hear that?” I asked.

  “Nope,” Sebastian said.

  “I hear a buzz,” Lance said.

  “I still hear a tingling,” Gail said.

  “Man, I’m getting a complex,” Sebastian said.

  I placed the phony sword down. Gail covered it.

  Sebastian looked at his watch. "We gotta get out of her fast before those guards unfreeze."

  “Yes, Gwen let’s move,” Gail said.

  “It’s fine to leave with me,” the sword said. “You know you want to.”

  “I’m taking you back to Nimue,” I told the sword, my voice shaking.

  "Silly Gwen. You know you are not being true to your heart," the sword said in my head. "You know you want to keep me. With me, you can strike down Morgana. She never deserved me that's why I wouldn't let her claim me. She was greedy. She had so much yet she wanted more. But you. You will use me for good."

  “You’re a sword, how can you be used for good?” I asked the sword.

  “Do you think it’s a bad sign she is talking to the sword,” Sebastian asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Gail said.

  “It’s a sign that the sword is trying to sway her,” Lance told them. “Gwen you don’t need that sword to lead,” Lance told me.

  "Of course, you don't need me, Gwen. You are a strong, powerful woman. A woman who can change the world. Yes, you can do it without me. But Gwen just imagines how much easier it would be with me. With me in your hands, you cannot be harmed. Nothing can stop you. I made Arthur great. I can make you greater. You can have the world."

  Man, this sword had a pull to it. Not a physical pull and it seemed to weigh almost nothing, but it had a strong mental pull. It felt like it could cut into my soul. Like it could grant me my every wish. My life would be easier with this sword.

  “Gwen, don’t let it get to you,” Sebastian said.

  “You are strong, Gwen!” Gail said. “Far stronger than Arthur!”

  “Gwen, I know war and I know battle. I know you know them too. You realize that you can do everything you need to do without this sword.”

  "They are jealous that I choose you and not them," the sword said to me. "You don't need them, Gwen. You have me. When you have me you need nobody else. I am the best friend you can ever have. I am the be all and end all. You can me Gwen we will make the world a better place."

  “Gwen call Nimue,” Gail coaxed.

  “Gwen, we don’t have a lot of time here,” Sebastian said. “Grab the sword from her.”

  "No, she must do this herself," Lance said. "If we are to have any chance of a peaceful victory we need Gwen to see the way."

  I looked at the sword. I saw my reflection in its shiny blade.

  “Just say the words, Gwen, just say, I claim this sword for my own!” the sword coaxed.

  I held the sword up high. I smiled. I shouted. “I claim nothing! Nimue bring us to you!”

  “Gwen no no no!” the sword cried in my brain. “She is my keeper. She is my holder. She does not understand me. She does not deserve me. Only you deserve me. You and me Gwen. It’s us against the world. But we will make the world better. You can bet your life on it.”

  Grasping the sword with both my hands I simply smiled. No use arguing with a weapon of war. A weapon that had but one purpose. I had my purpose too.

  My notes: OMG that sword had a grip on my mind and my soul. For a moment there I wanted nothing more than to claim that sword as my own. With this sword, I knew I could defeat Morgana, Kristi and any other foe the world would throw at me. The sword was right I felt it's sheer power. The power when in the right hands to rip worlds apart. But that is not what I wanted. That's not how I wanted to lead. I didn't wish to force my will upon the people. I wanted to help forge bonds and trust. You can't do those things with a sword. You have to accomplish those tasks with communication and carrying. Sure, you have to be ready to fight sometimes. You have to defend those who can't defend themselves. Sometimes you have to stand up against the forces of evil and stare them down. You have to say, I will not take this.

  But no, I did not need a sword to do anything about that. Yes, maybe at one time this sword was needed to unite the world. The sword made Arthur great. But times had changed. Now I needed to unite the world through example. This sword had to be destroyed.

  Chapter 13: The Lady of the Island

  My knights and I touched down on the island. Nimue actually stood up from the lounge chair by the pond.

  Quickly racing over to Nimue I said, “We have the sword.”

  “Gwen you don’t want to give me up,” the sword called in my mind. “You and me Gwen we can make the world better. We can make the world the way it should be.”

  I blocked the sword’s call from my conscious.

  Reaching towards Nimue with the sword, she drew away from me.

  "No, I can't touch that," Nimue told me. "Not physically. Let me set up a shield and a magical carrier." Nimue smiled at me. "It's amazing you are holding it now and resisting its call."

  “It’s not easy,” I sighed.

  My knights ran up beside me. “We are here for you Gwen,” Lance said.

  “I WANT THAT SWORD!” we all heard shouted and sung at the same time.

  Turning we saw Kristi stomping towards us. She glowed with energy. Oh, she was also like 20 feet tall.

  "Knights erm!" I chanted.

  A sword appeared in Lance’s hand. A slight shot appeared in Sebastian’s hand. A mace appeared in Gail’s hand.

  Gail raised the mace over her head charging at Kristi and shouting, “For my queen.”

  Lance fell back to defend me.

  Sebastian took aim with his slight shot.

  Meanwhile, I tried to ignore the sword calling inside my head, "Come on Gwen. Your knights are good but they don't stand a snowball's chance against the Dark One…"

  “You don’t know that,” I insisted to the sword.

  Gail reached Kristi’s foot, slamming her mace down on top of Kristi’s golden high heel shoe. “I will stop you!”

  Kristi stopped for a moment. She glared down at Gail. Shaking her head, “okay, you little twit, that not only hurt a bit, but you marred my heels!” Kristi popped her giant food out the heel Gail smacked.

  Kristi wiggled her toes under Gail’s nose.

  Gail went stiff like a board. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She fell to the ground.

  Sebastian drew back his slingshot and fired a bolt at Kristi.

  Kristi caught the bolt in her giant hand. “Ha!” she taunted. “Like you think a little rock would hurt me? You read to many fairy tales boy!”

  The bolt exploded in Kristi's hand. "Ouch!" Kristi screamed leaping off the ground. She opened her now smoking hand and started blowing on it. Kristi examined her nails. "You ruined my gold nail polish!" she shouted.

  Sebastian drew back the slingshot. "You hurt Gail! I take them personally!" he said releasing the slingshot.

  Another bolt shot towards Kristi’s head. Kristi inhaled and then exhaled blowing the bolt back at Sebastian. Sebastian dove to the side. The bolt barely missed him.

  Sebastian spun over on to his back, loading the slingshot he pulled back and fired another bolt at Kristi.

  The bolt hit Kristi in the shoulder exploding on contact.

  “Ouch! You brat!” Kristi shouted. “You got my outfit dirty!”

  "How are you coming with that spell I?" I asked Nimue.

  “These things take time,” Nimue insisted. “Do not rush me.”

  Of course, the sword kept calling to me. “Come on Gwen. You know you want me. Everybody wants me, but few are worthy. But guess what Gwen? You are. You can claim me!”

  I continued to block out the sword while concentrating on Kristi versus Sebastian. Sebastian kept putting up a good fight. Keeping on the move and pestering Kristi with his slingshot. But I had a feeling that his luck wouldn’t last long.

&n
bsp; Kristi now realizing being huge made her an easier target for Sebastian shrank back down to normal size.

  “I don’t have to be HUGE to crush you with my power,” she shouted zeroing in on him.

  Sebastian showed amazing coordination, loading and firing his slingshot almost in one smooth motion. He bombarded Kristi will slingshot bolts. But none of them mattered as Kristi had a golden magical shield around her. All of Sebastian's shots ricocheted harmlessly off the shield.

  "Foolish boy! Those silly slingshot shots can't hurt me now!" Kristi boasted. "Truthfully, the only reason why I haven't turned you into a chickpea yet is I appreciate your effort. Plus, you do like my music right?"

  Sebastian drew back his slingshot. “Actually, I prefer Katy Perry!!” he said.

  “WHAT!” Kristi yelled! “That does it!” She thrust a finger at Sebastian. He turned into a giant pumpkin. “You don’t even deserve to be gold!” she taunted.

  Kristi turned her attention to Lance and me.

  “Now for the young lovers!” she smirked.

  “I hold in Gwen in great regard!” Lance said. “But I do not feel I am worthy to be considered her lover. Plus, we are only teens in this world!”

  Kristi crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “How about BF and GF?” she asked.

  “I would be honored if Gwen found me worthy,” Lance said.

  “Oh, you are,” I said. “But lots concentrate on the emergency in front of us first,” I said.

  “He’s not worthy of you!” the sword screamed in my head. “He is not deserving of you! You are special. He is better than most ordinary humans, but he is not worthy to hold me or you!”

  “Nimue how you coming with that sword containing field?” I asked.

  Nimue sat legs crossed hovering up us, eyes closed. “I am concentrating… This cannot be rushed!”

  Just great. Nimue couldn't be hurried, but at the same time, I didn't think Kristi could be delayed or slowed much longer. Not to mention that the sword's call to me seemed to be growing in strength.

  Lance stood in front of me. Pointing his sword at Kristi he told her, “I will not let you win! I will protect Gwen until my last breath!”

  Kristi pointed at him. “It’s a good thing then that gold statues don’t need to breathe!”