Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 32 ~

MEMORIES CAME AND WENT when Chalice woke up. They were clinging to what they knew, only to lose it moments later. It was more than they'd gotten since they came back, though, and Eurion kept looking at them with an intensity she rarely possessed. She was hopeful, and her hope was their anchor.

The small village gathered to watch the spectacle, surrounding the edge of the lake. Chalice, full up of a fresh Fells lunch and nerves, stared out at the still, green water with shaking hands. They believed everyone who said they could breathe underwater, but they had no memory of ever doing such a thing. Their fear was understandable.

Eurion came up beside them, fingertips brushing against their palm in invitation. Chalice opened their hand, taking the thief's in a tight grip, focusing only on the feeling of her skin and the faint pulse in her wrist.

"I'll be right here," Eurion assured them. "I won't let my eyes off of you, I promise. As long as I stand here, you'll be safe."

Her words brought them comfort, but their heart still raced. The Grail only showed itself to those who were pure. What if they weren't? What if death had tainted them, or perhaps working with the Seelie Queen did? What if they weren't pure before their death, and the Grail had no intentions of coming to them? If they didn't succeed, there would be no way to save the Fair Folk.

You were always meant for this, Sera had said. It didn't help much, only added to the pressure. The fate of an entire people, perhaps the fate of the world, rested on their shoulders now.

Their lithe fingers pulled away from Eurion's, and they tiptoed towards the lake. They let their cloak slip to the sand in a heap, their toes dipping into the cool water. Chalice walked until it reached their knees, and then it dropped abruptly into a deep abyss below them.

They were not doing this alone. The only one without any faith in Chalice was, well, Chalice. And so, with that thought, they took a breath and ducked beneath the water. When they opened their eyes, they could see fine, if only a bit hazy. They let the air drain from their lungs, and in a moment of pure blind trust, they inhaled.

It was a strange feeling, but not terrible. The thing that mattered, though, was that it was working. They could breathe fine. One hand shot up above the water, giving them a signal that they were okay. And then they swam deeper, until the light of the sun was dim and the water pressed against their body in a strangely comforting embrace.

The Grail. That's why Chalice was there, though it was too dark to see. If they focused, perhaps they could find it with the magic. They had little faith in such a thing, though, as the last time they thought they felt something, it was only Sera's magic.

Deeper. They had to go deeper. They kicked their limbs until the top of the lake was barely visible, darkness engulfing the druid entirely, and they thought they were on the verge of remembering something. A vague memory, a memory of a vision.

Deeper, the voice had said. And this time, they did go deeper. And deeper. Their limbs ached and the pressure was making them dizzy, but they obeyed and swam until their feet brushed the mud at the bottom. Slick weeds tickled their legs and old things sent falling into the lake knocked against them as they walked, following a whisper of a feeling.

A faint green glow grew from their palm, illuminating the area enough to lead them onward. There was nothing Grail-like yet. They were stuck.

"Fine, you win," Chalice whispered, stretching out their arms and closing their eyes. Then they thought of nothing, until their mind was open to whoever it was that gave them their vision. "I went as deep as I could. What is down here?"

Nothing came for a long time.

"Come on," they whispered. "I'm usually very patient, but I need you right now. Please."