Excalibur Rising

Revelations

Chapter 6

A few hours later Xandria roused enough to actually sit up and make conversation. She had been lucid for a few moments in between but she could never get her eyes to open long enough to actually make sense of what they were saying to her before exhaustion pulled her under once again. She blearily pulled her eyes open but of course was faced with darkness. As she pulled her feet around to touch the floor she felt the chair dip beside her before she felt a hand caressing her head.

“Oh my little girl, I was so worried.” Xenia murmured to her daughter as she pulled her into a hug. “Some don’t make it through their first time and you haven’t even ascended yet, maybe that’s why your hair turned the way it has.” Her voice was crooning but full of wonder at the same time. Xandria face scrunched up in confusion.

“What happened to my hair?” She asked tentatively her hand reaching up to pat her hair only to find that it felt exactly the same to her, she thought for a second that it had fallen out to cause such wonder.

“Here baby girl,” She touched her daughter’s cheek softly. Xandria recoiled back when she realised what she saw, her head shaking from side to side as she gripped the cushions of the chairs  “I know, it certainly is different, who would have thought that in battling the darkness my baby girl would end up with hair as dark as night. It must be your mark to show that you’ve past your first solo rite, you don’t even want to know what mine is.” He mother laughed at the last part before pushing up from the sofa.

Not even a minute later there was the sound of footsteps in the hall and several people piled into the room. Xandria could hear them talking about her under their breaths but she chose to ignore it as she twirled the ends of her hair around her finger before letting go when she remembered what she had seem. Her beautiful white blonde hair was now black as charcoal except for a streak of blue at the front. Magpie, noting the girl’s nervousness, strolled across the room and took the seat that Xenia had vacated a moment before. She pulled her into a side hug before releasing her as the others took seats around the room, a lot of them shooting wary glances their way.

“Well done kiddo, you should be proud of yourself I don’t think I could have done that.” Magpie’s voice was soothing but Xandria still shifted uncomfortably, feeling awkward under the stares.

“Thanks, do you think I can change in a minute, I want to get out of this and into something more comfortable, I feel all tied up at the moment.” She tugged at the fabric covering her body several times before slouching back into the seat.

The only reply she got was a pat on the back so she contented herself with being uncomfortable until she could get home. The other’s in the room just stared at the three outsiders with wide eyed curiosity and something else that was beyond comprehension, all except Simon and Lila’s mother. Her eyes were trained on the three strangers who had somehow saved the life of her son with intent. As her fingers tapped the arm, her eyes suddenly widened and she looked back and forth between the three of us with rapid jerky movements.

“Excalibur.” She murmured shaking her head back and forth incredulously.

Startled Xenia’s mum moved forwards so that she was stood protectively before her daughter and magpie. She stared directly at Simon’s mother Hatty. “Amicus vel hostilis?” She questioned with ferocity, just daring Hatty to say the wrong answer. Xandria took a moment to translate the words, Latin wasn’t really her strong suit but after a moment she figured it out. Friend or enemy.