Arthur Hood: the Heir of Robin and King

Chapter Thirteen

As the night drew on, and as everyone continued to sit around the table, Arthur and Little Johnny were told more of the Shadow and what evil they cast on the world. Bitty, Dolores, and the other gnomes told the boys that the Shadow, led by goblins, had forced them out of their homes to take for themselves. The elves told of their meadows being churned up and the giants told of their caves being buried by ogres and trolls. And Amzin told of his home, a mountain that was now occupied by a heinous dragon.

'I'm so sorry to hear that,' said Arthur as he looked around at all the saddened faces. It wasn't just him who was hurting.

'This Shadow will get what's coming to it,' growled Little Johnny. 'The Deputy and the Princess of the Fays will regret their mean ways.'

'And what happened to everyone,' came Arthur's great uncle as he combed his mustache, 'happened to Camelot itself.'

The thought of Camelot being real hadn't even crossed Arthur's mind and he was beyond awestruck once again. He pictured King Arthur sitting on his throne.

'What happened?' asked Little Johnny.

'Let's show them, shall we,' replied Mr Scarlett.

The elves bowed and rose to their feet. Then with a wave of their hands, the lights in the hall turned a dazzling bespeckled blue before parting from their source and flashing towards the table. There, they mingled and danced above the seats until Arthur saw a looming turret form from the luster. Then came another tower and another and another. Before long, the two boys were staring up at the likeness of the most majestic castle that beamed with magic. Unicorns, great stags and fauns pranced before it, and griffins, phoenixes, peacocks soared through its splendor.

'Whoa!' exclaimed Little Johnny.

'So–so–so that's Camelot?' asked Arthur.

'It is,' Mrs Scarlett replied. 'And a long time ago, it looked as wonderful as this. But it was lost. Lost to the Shadow.'

The elves waved their hands again and the castle turned dark. The turrets and towers crumbled, cracks shattered the walls, the creatures fled and flew away, and a violent storm grew above.

'Yikes,' gulped Little Johnny.

'Sadly, Camelot was not just lost to the Shadow. As time went on, the whereabouts, its location was lost too. And there is a possibility that the Shadow took your parents there, Arthur.'

Arthur slumped down in his chair as the castle disappeared and the hall's lights returned to their torches. 'So we won't be able to find them then?'

'We will,' came Arthur's great uncle. 'We will find them. We will find Camelot again.'

'But not only that,' Amzin said with passion, his voice as riotous as a giant's. 'We will take it back from the Shadow.'

Fists slammed the table with vigor.

'Hear, hear,' bellowed Arthur's great uncle.

'Yes,' cried Little Johnny, joining in enthusiastically with the fist slamming. 'Hear, hear.'

Once all the heartening had died down, Mr Scarlett turned to Arthur and said, 'Now, I'd like to show you something.'

'May I show him, Will?' Amzin burst out. 'It would be an honor to see the young prince in its presence.'

Mr Scarlett nodded. 'You may.'

The centaur looked at Arthur. 'Please, young prince, if you may follow me.'

'Can I come?' Little Johnny asked with a look of longing.

'Of course,' replied Amzin and Arthur in chorus.