by GR Griffin
“Yeah, you’re not so bad.” Arthur muttered to Ábilgest softly, pushing the obscuring branches from their path.
“But don’t tell anyone I said that.” he quickly snapped.
A sudden disturbance in the profound collection of plants beside them bought Arthur to an abrupt halt. Shit. This was why wandering off was a bad idea- ambush. The sunlight had become scarcer the deeper they walked into the forest, the corner to their left almost drained completely of visibility. Pressing a finger to his lips, he gestured for Ábilgest to remain quiet. The moment he committed to the human signal, he felt a pang of amusement wash over him. What was he doing? Signaling to a bird? For reasons he could not fathom, the little bird on his shoulder became an immobile statue. The rustling continued in the bushes ahead, and Arthur nestled closer to the source of the noise. A peculiar collection of high-pitched whispery voices scraped past his ears. Cautiously he reached for the gun in his pocket, pointing it towards the darkness ahead.
Etching closer, Arthur swallowed-hard nervously. Ábilgest’s talons gripped his shoulder tightly in what he only assumed was apprehension. Unexpectedly the forest around them began to quiver, leaves rustling violently. The mysterious whispering grew louder and more frequent. Spinning around on his heel, Arthur aimlessly moved his gun around. Whatever it was, there were a lot of them. A chuckle from behind intensified Arthur’s senses, and he rapidly turned to face…Leon. Oh. So they had finished taking their samples. Lowering his gun slowly, Arthur narrowed his eyes skeptically. Something still wasn’t right here. Why was Leon so blasé about it?
“Put the gun down.” The curly haired man said lightly with an entertained smile. “They’re completely harmless.”
Burying the gun back into his leather belt, Arthur breathed a sigh. Well, this was an anticlimax. He half expected to be running away frantically from some kind of killer beast in the forest. The whispering sensation erupted again from all around, and Arthur turned to Leon curiously.
“What are they?” he asked, not believing the answer he received.
“Faeries.”
Snorting, Arthur grinned dubiously at his friend. Faeries. Ha! That was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard in his life. Faeries were common in forbidden childhood stories, particularly one called Peter Pan if he recalled correctly (Morgana had favoured that one). Their existence was make-belief, fiction. Everybody knew there was no such thing. Recovering from his laughter, Arthur was surprised to see Leon remaining unaffected, leaning towards the trees. The strange whispering occurred again, almost like tiny voices- no. Just because Leon said they were faeries did not mean his mind was allowed to employ imagination and start playing games. He rolled his eyes at Leon.
“I hate to break it to you Leon but there’s no such thing as F-“ gaping, Arthur let his words wither away into nothing.
Magic seeped through the clearing, tingling against his skin contagiously. The first illuminated creature, barely the size of Arthur’s hand, bashfully crept out from the shadows. Her skin was a pale blue and glimmered mesmerizingly, incomparable in beauty. It was as if thousands of miniscule diamonds were dotted across her dainty body. Delicate, translucent wings entrenched with a sparkle sprouted from her back. As she made her way forwards with interest, she left a silvery trail of glitter behind her in the air. The streaks of sunlight drizzling down into the clearing accentuated the effervescence. Twirling around in the air gracelessly, the faerie whispered enigmatically and bared its perfect teeth. The edges of her sapphire dress lifted in the breeze. From the forest around more faeries made their way into the clearing, dancing between the avid humans and circling them. There was an array of different coloured faeries. Some of them were a majestic gold, some were silver or crimson, emerald, magenta, yellow, purple…
Against the rays of the sun they created a beautiful rainbow of awe, the glitter in the air gleamed exquisitely around them. Arthur felt particularly drawn to the azure faerie that had been the first to approach them. Their tranquil whispers lingered in his ears, unknown warmth spread through his chest. Reaching out inquiringly, Arthur outstretched his palm. A dazzling white faerie with long frosty curls and dressed in an elegant gown landed on his skin. Her bare feet caused a prickly, but pleasant, sensation to dawdle in his hand. It gazed with its tiny eyes into his own and for reasons he did not understand it curtsied. Bowing his head a little to the creature, Arthur smiled delicately. Then it flapped its wings and floated gracefully around him. The dust from her wings landed in his palm. He studied it fervently, disappointment riming his eyes when it disintegrated.
Ábilgest extended its wings, happily weaving in between the faeries. The sapphire faerie climbed elegantly onto its back, giggling as the bird weaved through the air playfully. The whispering of the faeries grew louder. It was soothing, tranquil. Their tiny voices somehow acted as a source of great contentment and peace. Shutting his eyes for a moment, Arthur smiled and breathed the fresh air into his lungs. The faeries were content and docile, showing no signs of hostility towards the new arrivals. However, as he opened is eyes slowly he established that their prying had begun to diminish. The faeries gradually weaved mystically through the air and back into the depths of the trees. The pale blue faerie leapt off Ábilgest’s back, igniting the surrounding area with a spectacle of sapphire glitter. She timidly spared one final look at the strangers before darting off into the rustling branches.
The rustling withered away alongside the whispers. And Arthur truly believed he had witnessed something special, something he was certain was probably a rare occurrence for the druids also. Faeries were sacrosanct creatures- that was no secret.
“Surprised?” Leon asked, his voice basked in joy, breaking the blonde from his trance. “This is a magical land. There will be hundreds, possibly thousands of new species and magical creatures we need to catalogue.”
It was only at this moment that Arthur noticed he had been so entranced by the faeries that he had failed to shut his mouth the whole time.
“Magical creatures.” Arthur repeated, wincing a little at the notion of what this encompassed.
It hadn’t really occurred to him until now. His mind instantly flew to Harry Potter and the basilisk. Hopefully they would never encounter such a creature here. Though the display of myth and legend becoming reality before him suggested that anything could be possible. They had encountered the good kind, surely there had to be less friendly beasts lurking in the depths of the forests.
The four of them, and Ábilgest, continued through the forest. They seemed to be oblivious to the caramelising sun, and the orange hue it now possessed lower in the sky. They were also blissfully unaware that they had unwanted company loitering above in the ancient trees. Though to say that the company was hostile or dangerous would be a matter of digression. The curious figure in the trees studied the four characters intently, leaning a little too far forward on the branch. As leaves fell from the branches above without the aid of a breeze, Arthur’s eyes darted up suspiciously. For a split second he could have sworn he had seen a person in the tree vanish in some impossible manner.
Reaching for the weapons in his belt, he studied the tree cautiously. Silence. Nothing. Beside him, Leon glanced down at the screen in his hands and sighed. Reluctantly, Arthur drew his eyes from the tree and towards the man quizzically.
“It’s getting late. We should teleport back.” Leon said gravely, eyeing the forest with a newfound caution.
Rolling his eyes, Arthur frowned. Part of him was beginning to enjoy the forest. The thought of returning to the bland base did not appeal to him.
“It’s not getting dark yet, we’ll be fine-“
“-Arthur the sun is setting in the sky! We’ve been too caught up in our exploring to notice. The forest is deceptive.” Lancelot supplied, pulling out his teleporting device.
“Arthur’s just upset he has to say goodbye to Ábilgest until tomorrow.” Gwaine said lightly, grinning over at the blonde, the loyal red bird was still perched on his
shoulder.
“We don’t have time to stand here and argue about it. We need to go back, the teleport device is still a prototype. It takes a few minutes to charge up.” Leon snapped with surprising authority, silencing the team.
Whilst Arthur pulled out his teleporting device, Ábilgest rapidly darted off his shoulder and sped into the distance, out of sight in seconds. Glancing at his vacant shoulder, Arthur huffed.
“Well thanks for saying goodb-“ he paused suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the three men in front of him. He swallowed-hard as he examined their pallid faces. Their eyes were wide, frozen in fear. Lancelot began to inch backwards at a slow pace; even Gwaine seemed a little panicked.
“-what?”
The three men found their words were incapable of sounding, instead they gaped and Lancelot raised a hesitant finger to gesture behind Arthur. It was then Arthur noticed the towering shadow looming above him, and an overwhelming sense of impending doom washed over him.
Chapter 9
Turning around, Arthur clamped a hand to his mouth to avoid the imminent blasphemy about to fall from his mouth in a loud shriek. Less than a metre away from him was a bloody gigantic cat. Not the kind of pleasant household cats but the kind certified as wild and vicious.It had jet-black fur, with circular patterns printed across it like a leopard. Each of its four paws was equipped with sharp claws, far too long and deadly for any cat in Arthur’s opinion. Spouting from its back were a pair of strident wings, currently nestled into its side. Its face was the epitome of terrifying, the open mouth revealing two rows of jagged teeth. A pair of gigantic fangs hung at the front, clearly for the purpose of pinning down prey or inflicting a fatal blow. Not to mention those huge yellow eyes with slits for pupils, or how they seemed to be locked on Arthur.
“So…Leon.” Arthur hissed as quietly as he could, not daring to avert his attention from the beast in front of him. For all he knew it could pounce any second and attack. “What’s the plan…?”
Abruptly the cat growled ferociously, its wings flapped by its side rapidly. It prowled forwards, eyes locked on the blonde. Startled, Arthur slid his hands gradually towards his belt.
“Don’t move!” Leon uttered in a hushed voice before Arthur could leap backwards suddenly at the intrusion of his personal space.
Gritting his teeth, Arthur felt a nervous laugh building in his chest. Personally, he’d quite like to do anything but stand still. Staring down a creature bigger than him, most likely able to rip him to shreds in seconds with its fangs and claws and serrated teeth, was not his idea of fun. Too dazed to feel fear, he blinked slowly. Part of him hoped his mind had simply made up this creature.
“…What the fuck should I do then?!” his voice slipped through his teeth, anger and irritation laced in the tone.
“It seems to be a territorial threat display. Hold your ground.”
Funnily enough, the words ‘it seems to be’ were not consoling and merely filled Arthur with apprehension. Nonetheless, Leon’s expertise was probably going to be the only thing that would keep him alive. If this creature wanted intimidation built on the foundations of a massive bluff, then yes, Arthur Pendragon could do that. Because pretending his oozing pride was a genuine trait of his personality seemed to have done him well the past few years. Inhaling a deep breath he broadened his gait, shoulders pushed out. Head held high, he leant forwards towards the cat bravely. It tilted its head to the side quizzically, and then it roared menacingly. The stench of blood and sheer force of the roar pushed him backwards slightly. With newfound confidence, Arthur rushed forwards with a cry. To his surprise the cat took a few steps back, walking from side to side in aggravation.
“Arthur it’s working keep going!”
Lunging a step forwards, Arthur drew the knife from his belt and flashed it around, eyes fierce. The cat released a weary growl, wings retreating back to its side. With one final glance at Arthur it grimly made its way into the undergrowth. Grinning Arthur slung the knife nonchalantly back into his belt, strolling over to the three men with a mischievous glint in his eye. Lancelot breathed a sigh of relief; Gwaine smirked at the victory.
“Did you just see that?!” he exclaimed, allowing the bottled up anxiety out in the manner of an disbelieving laugh. “I just scared away a giant…cat…thingy!” The smiles and laughter didn’t last for much longer. By now the sun had begun to slip towards the horizon, darkening the forest and impairing their vision. Leon urgently pulled out his teleporting device, aware that if they tried to walk anywhere now it would be too dangerous.
“We need to get out of here, and fast. The forest isn’t safe.” He said pointedly.
Pressing the green button on his device obediently, Gwaine shot his companions a toothy smile.
“Well, that wasn’t too shabby for a first venture outside was it?”
“Not at all.” Lancelot agreed with reverence, mimicking Gwaine’s actions and pressing his own device. Arthur followed.
“Back to Camelot we go.” Leon said with a reminiscent gleam in his eyes.
“Wait til Morgana hears about Ábilgest.”
Arthur rolled his eyes at the statement, not willing to admit his shoulder felt profoundly empty without the stupid bird perched upon it. He assumed it had flown off in fright due to the strange cat thingy, or back to wherever its nest was.
“I wonder if we’d be able to persuade security to let him stay-?”
“He was cute, wasn’t he dollophead?”
“Dollophead?” Lancelot asked, raising his eyebrows at the peculiar insult.
“Yeah, did you not hear about John Smi-“
“-That’s enough Gwaine!” Arthur snapped petulantly, furrowing his brow together in frustration, unable to fully conceal the twitch of his lips.
For a split second the world was quiet, peaceful. There was a gentle humming, emanating from the teleporting devices that were loading up to transport them back to the base. The sound of the birds had faded away, replaced by silence. Arthur used the next few moments to reflect on the outing today. The atmosphere of tranquility and peace quickly faded. Seemingly from out of nowhere a shadow hung over Arthur. Leon shouted out in warning, but it was too late. Glancing up, Arthur’s eyes widened at the sight. The winged cat was hovering about him, about to strike. Diving to the ground desperately, he scrambled up onto his feet. The cat landed with a skid, claws scraping against the ground. Swallowing-hard, Arthur studied his teleport device; it was still loading. There was no time to just stand still. This creature had made it clear through its ambush it wanted nothing more than to skewer Arthur on its fangs.
It happened so fast. The next few minutes tumbled into a matter of seconds. The cat jumped towards him, and Arthur crouched down to avoid being caught. It roared formidably, stirring the wildlife around. Gwaine attempted to reach for Arthur but Lancelot clutched onto him urgently. Any movement would stop the teleporting device from working. The creature made another violent lurch forwards, narrowly missing Arthur’s side. At that moment, glancing up Arthur met his companion’s eyes and noticed the strange hue around them. Gwaine called out his name in vain. Within seconds they vanished from sight. Panic soared through Arthur’s veins. Shit shit shit! The teleporting devices had kicked in! He was well and truly done for. Casting a glance back at where they had once stood, Arthur attempted to calm his shaking body as reality set back in.
He broke into a frantic run, the beating wings of the cat hovered above him. It swooped down, landing in front of him. Spinning around on his heel, Arthur dived towards the bushes headfirst. He didn’t stop to wince at the way the trees slashed his skin. Bounding frenziedly to his feet, he sprinted through the trees. The bush behind him crackled under the pressure of the beast plunging through it forcefully. Clumsily he lost his footing, the cat leapt closer towards him. Shit. Arthur get up, get up! Adrenaline urged his body on. Crawling under the large branch beside him, he scarcely missed the jaws of the beast. Sliding out the other side, he shielded his face with his palms when gre
eted by the cat’s haunting face. The cat growled hungrily, pounding the wood with a paw. Arthur tucked himself back under the branch and scuttled out the other side silently. He wasted no time getting back onto his aching feet. By the time he had plummeted into a run, his heart racing, the creature spotted him and jumped effortlessly over the branch to chase him.
The orange sun in the sky above was emitting less and less light, beginning to obscure the forest. Averting his eyes up to the forest ceiling, he gasped. Somehow, he had to get up into the canopy layer of the forest, or he was going to die. It seemed fate was favouring his death, for the winged cat was on his trail, gaining speed fast. Refusing to let his tired legs give way, Arthur ploughed forwards determinedly. After what felt like hours of exasperating running, though in reality it was roughly a minute, the forest spat him out onto a rocky terrain. The sound of gushing water overpowered his throbbing ears. Fumbling forwards, Arthur maintained his unsteady balance. The rock below his feet was inches away from the edge that cascaded down into a pool of treacherous water. Ahead of him a giant waterfall – a little smaller than the one in Retraix- was spread across the near horizon. Spinning around, he watched the winged beast escape the forest, landing on the rock. Slowly it stalked towards him, pushing him closer to the edge of the cliff. He eyed the beast cautiously, breathing heavy. Without hesitation or mercy it ran towards him. Arthur looked back at the vast drop behind him; the expanse of jagged rocks and perilous waves churned a fatal mixture.
One thing he knew for sure as his life flashed before his eyes:
He didn’t stand a fucking chance.
♦☼♦
“What the hell?!” Gwaine yelled, pushing himself ferociously from Lancelot’s firm grasp. Lunging for his teleporting system, he glared at the two men beside him. Leon sighed, holding a hand to his own mouth in shock.