EXPEDITION: An Unmatched Fanfiction

Chapter Two: By Fortune And Fate

King Arthur rushed down to the port, with Merlin following slowly behind. Arthur could barely recall any of the land he had passed by, as it only appeared to him as a green and brown blur in his peripheral vision. He could not remember the last time he ran this fast, but if Merlin's prophecy was right (there was never a time it was wrong), this ship's bizarre appearance could be the precursor to the biggest threat England has ever faced.

The port consisted of two large wooden piers, with ropes, hooks, and other simple equipment to dock even the largest ships of the time. It was populated with workers, most of them utterly confused about the huge vessel they saw pop out of the ocean in an unworldly fashion. One of the workers eventually noticed Arthur sprinting towards the piers, and his demeanor instantly shifted.

"Oh, your royal highness!" he exclaimed and quickly bowed in reverence. The other workers within earshot also noticed Arthur's presence and appropriately bowed. "What occasion brings you here?"

"No time for formalities!" Arthur responded, then pointed at the ship coming closer. "Whoever resides on that ship is here to cause unspeakable troubles upon our land. We must prevent it from docking. What weapons have we here on this port?"

By then, a few other port workers had gathered nearby and were shooting each other apprehensive looks. "Pirates do not come to these shores often, so we do not have many weapons ready to use. Some daggers for throwing, possibly?"

"No, those are not powerful enough to penetrate at this distance. We would need the strength of God imbued in our arms for those to create any substantial damage." Arthur went silent for a few seconds to devise a plan. "You," he said, motioning to one of the port workers in front of him, "Run to the castle as fast as you can and gather the Knights of the Round Table. Tell them to prepare for battle. If you find a merchant or a traveler on a horse, relay the message to them. They can reach the city faster." He then removed the cloak from his back--laced with precious gems--and handed it to the worker. "Take this with you. They will know the message is urgent."

The worker obediently took the robe. "Yes, your majesty. It is my honor," he said, and resolutely ran away from the pier.

Another worker spoke up, "But, what will do about the ship until the Knights are alerted? That vessel is too close, surely the Knights will not be prepared in time."

"Do not question the tenacity of my loyal knights," King Arthur retorted. "As for this ship's arrival, I will handle whatever may come from it."

Arthur stepped forward, prompting the workers to separate and make a way for their king to walk through. He approached the closest pier with a growing sense of confidence and reached for the hilt of his sword. As the workers saw King Arthur do this, their eyes widened in anticipation, knowing they were about to lay their eyes upon one of the most powerful weapons in existence. Arthur slowly yet firmly grasped his fingers around the golden grip, which was inexplicably engraved with the phrase "Take me up." He deliberately pulled the blade from its scabbard attached at his waist. The two chimera statues molded into the sword's guard made themselves present to the onlookers, and it appeared like their mouths were spewing the blade out as if it were a steady stream of holy fire. The sword scraped against the scabbard as it left its holding place, creating a satisfying crescendo that ended in the reveal of the glorious Excalibur. Its blade gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and the flames from which it was forged could be seen dancing within the reflections its light created.

The port workers stared in pure awe of the mighty weapon, but they were not able to stand around and gawk at it for long. King Arthur bolted to the end of the pier, soon standing at the very edge. Following their ruler's lead, the rest of the workers scurried around for any weapons they could find: daggers, makeshift pikes, even some scrap wood.