Excalibur Rising

The matter of life and death.

Chapter 20

The sun was high in the sky and the church yard was teeming with mourners for the memorial service to those who were lost in the battle. The human authorities had deemed it an accident, the result of a gas explosion because of the huge crater in the middle of the field. There was no gas line under that field but they didn’t know that. A grand total of three hundred and thirty six people died that day; Magpie, Colton and Xandria were just three of those who were lost.

Xenia stood in the middle of the pews along with other grieving families. None of the humans knew what their loved ones were doing on the field but with the amount of swords and weaponry present, the authorities had again assumed that the reason for the weapons was some sort of convention. Xenia never stopped marvelling at the human ability to explain everything away. She hated that they could do that when people should be bowing down with gratitude at the sacrifice her friends made, what her daughter made.

Bringing a hand up, Xenia swiped a hand across her cheeks to remove the tears that had dripped from her eyes. A hand curled around her waist and pulled her into an embrace while her free hand was taken up by the person standing beside her. She wasn’t the only grieving parent after all, and Colton’s mother and father had taken his death just as hard.

The one good thing that had come out of their deaths was the last of the darkness had been eradicated, for now at least. Lila had informed them that there was still some in Avalon and there was a very real chance that it could come back but only if people on this side become receptive to its magic. Xenia prayed that day would never come.

The priest ended the service and the patrons stood holding candles slowly followed behind him out of the church in a sombre procession. Xenia and Caliban walked out together, her burying her head in the man’s shoulder for comfort. He was the only thing keeping her from giving in completely and allowing herself to be overcome by grief.

When the procession headed towards a memorial that had been erected in the middle of the small graveyard, Xenia and the others, who had been present at the battle, broke off from the main group while trying to look casual as they headed in the opposite direction. A few spared them pitying glances assuming that the grief was too much. They were right, in the sense that they had their own memorial service to go to, one that the mundane humans wouldn’t understand.

Around fifty of us congregated at the crater that was the only remainder of that day. Police tape lined the edged but mourners had woven flowers and ribbons around it with little memorandums written on little pieces of laminated card. It was a beautiful sight and set several people into tears. Xenia walked up to the tape and held onto it lightly, afraid to touch the flowers almost as her eyes took in the devastation around her. Already grass and daisies were sprouting up through the earth, the soil strangely fertile so that there was promise of a lush blooming of flowers in a couple of weeks. Many marvelled over it saying that it was a message from God and such.

Lila stepped forward with a tear stained face, her totem in hand as she glanced out across the gaping hole. She let out a sob before shaking her head back and forth.  Gripping her strange totem once more she dipped her head and pressed a kiss to it, willing it to work before she threw it out across the crater.

Everyone stood patiently as the metal glinted in the light as it arched through the sky before coming to a complete and utter halt in mid-air. The weird watch totem started to glow, the light becoming unbearable to look at so that everyone turned their heads away and shielded themselves with the light. That’s when they heard it.

Deep male laughter and a sweet tinkling laugh blended harmoniously together, the sound of complete joy resounding across the field. Xenia closed her eyes and basked in the sounds of happiness before turning her head towards her daughter’s laugh. She had never heard something so happy pass her lips but she revelled in the peace that it brought her to know that there was joy for her baby in the afterlife.

It was the strangest thing to see. There in mid-air, hanging above the crater, was a circle in the sky, the edges blurred as if looking through a tunnel. Running through a field, Xandria’s hair flew out behind her as she glanced over her shoulder on the rapidly advancing red head. She gasped when she noted how close he was and tried to add a little more speed but all too soon found her in his arms.

She snorted a laugh as he tickled her before reluctantly placing her on her feet when she smacked him over the head with her hand.

“Idiot,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes before turning her head towards the approaching woman who was tall and voluptuous and had a radiant smile upon her lips.

“Come on kids, Merlin is waiting.” The voice was like liquid honey but was tinged with sarcasm as the beauty rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips the entire time.

The two teens exchanged glances before shrugging and following after her, not even a minute later more laughter was issuing towards the families who were watching with wide eyes. Not long after the circle began to fade, like the battery was running out. The image flickered and disappeared.

If the group hadn’t been so focused of the two gallivanting through the field they might have noticed something amiss. The black eyes watching them watch the teens. They might have seen the cold calculating smile upon the possessed lips of Morgana before she turned and was engulfed in shadows, her parting words lingering in the air like a deathly promise.

“This is just the beginning.”

Okay that's it, done finished. This will probably be revised and added to at some point but I have so many projects at the moment that it might take a while. I hope you enjoyed reading the book and I just wanted to say a big thank you for sticking with me until the end. I really appreciate ALL of your support :D:D so yeah THANKYOU