Magic and Monsters

Knights of the Round Table

Charles and Beatrice had split up to go on their separate ways once they had left the tranquility of the gardens.

Beatrice had to bring some guards with her to take care of Ursa, who was probably still joyfully obliterating her bedroom.

Charles followed the path they took, and was back in front of the doors to the throne room. He wondered what King Garret had in mind for him now, perhaps an assignment for a battalion of soldiers and a mission to save a local village by slaying a legendary fire dragon?

He took a deep breath and pushed heavily against the two giant golden doors. The oiled hinges swung open easier than he expected.

What Charles saw surprised him. The throne room was completely changed from earlier; the throne itself was gone, but instead there was a giant round table in the center of the room. The floors were made of dark, red wooden planks. It was as if the whole throne room had switched places with a dining room.

Charles took a cautious step in. The room seemed empty. The walls had buffet tables pushed up against it, with lit up candles and fruit bowls placed on them. He counted fourteen seats at the round table, each one with a separate animal engraved onto the back.

"Hello?" asked Charles in a slightly raised voice, as if he was afraid to break the silence.

"Well aren't you a newb." said a dismissive female voice to his side. Charles whipped his head around to see a woman camouflaged against the stone wall, dressed in grey and brown leather armour. She had her arms crossed and her black hair cut up to her chin.

"Hi, do you know where -" began Charles. He was interrupted.

"King Garret is? Good question. If he invited you, you must be the thirteenth which everyone is talking about." she muttered. "Well you any good?"

"What do you mean?" asked Charles.

The woman snorted. "You any good in bed?" She uncrossed her arms and looked Charles up and down.

"Uh! I..." stammered Charles.

"Spectra, stop messing with the poor soul." said a deep voice from up above them. Charles looked up to see a man standing on the ceiling, upside down with his black leather soles planted on the wooden beams. He was wearing a modern black three piece suit, complete with a tie and and black leather belt. He wore a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. His black hair seemed to defy gravity too, unless it was heavily gelled.

Confusion immediately ran through Charles' mind. Someone wearing clothing from his own home world? He wasn't alone!

"Charles Lancaster, your soul is white and pure as a dove. Do not allow it to be tainted by the corrupted." said the upside down man. His voice was smooth, deep and resonating, enough so that movie companies would fight for him to be a voice actor.

"Vollux, please keep your unwanted opinions to yourself." snapped the woman.

"I feel sorry for you, Spectra." resonated the voice from the ceiling.

"Say what?"

"You lived a harsh and lonely life, forced to steal, fight and even kill to survive."

"I would shut up if I were you." growled Spectra. She pulled a thin, silver knife out of her sleeve and flicked it across her fingers. It gleamed with unnatural brightness in the dim light.

"Your own step father tried to molester you when you were twelve, and you were forced to kill him. You've been living alone ever -"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" she yelled, before whipping her arm at Vollux. A flash of  silver was flew towards him.