Chapter 9

The room stayed completely still, no one daring to breathe as they watched Xenia mourn her child, her tears of grief pooling in the corner of her eyes before dripping onto Xandria’s smooth forehead. Her face was unlined and ageless as it was tilted backwards so that all of them could look upon her face in death. That is if they dared.

 Parents pulled their children tighter to them as they stared on with widened eyes, glad that it hadn’t been their child but at the same time feeling heartbreak for the grieving woman. All of their eyes dared not look at the limp girl within her arms, their eyes trained steadily on the mother and the woman trying to release her grip on the child. It was because of this that no one realised that the lids of Xandria’s had opened and her fingers twitched as they hung towards the floor.

A raspy cough came from the girl’s throat as she blinked and the irises transformed from the swirls of blue and violet to pure gold, the colour reflecting the light that shined on them through the windows overlooking the street but yet no one seemed to notice as her over the sobs. She opened her mouth to speak once more only for a raspy wheezing to issue from her mouth. Xenia grief-stricken body stilled as she held her breath before daring to glance down. She looked into the golden eyes as the face looking back at her smiled slightly. Xenia gasped before squeezing her tighter to her.

“Oh baby girl I was so worried.” She whispered pulling her into a death grip but quickly loosed her hold when a voice that was so unlike her daughter’s flowed from her lips.

“Be still child, and calm yourself. I am not your daughter.” The voice was rich and pure, the inflections within the soft timbre setting everyone present at ease whilst the hairs of the backs of their necks rose. Xandria’s hands moved up as she brushed hair from her mother’s face and stared into her eyes looking much like a parent trying to comfort a child. “Do not worry she is safe, but the task she tried to undertake is too much for one who has not ascended. I prevented her death and have taken possession to complete the ritual needed for she is too close to ascension and if I allowed her to continue she would be lost beyond even my doing and I care for her too deeply, like I do for all of my children.”

Xenia snivelled as she stared at the stranger within her daughter. “Who are you?” she questioned as her brows furrowed though if the easing of the tension around her mouth was anything to go by, she was obviously relieved by the turn in the events.

“I think you know daughter.” The dark locks swayed as Xandria pushed herself to her feet and she surveyed the people in the room with a motherly smile, as if she were looking down upon her children. “I am Excalibur.” She opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she were trying to wet her mouth. “It is most strange to be speaking through a vessel; the last time was more than two millennia ago.” She shook her head from side to side.

“Oh my, I never thought I would ever witness something like this.” Magpie murmured before bowing down before the vessel so that her forehead touched the carpet.

Excalibur smiled down at her loyal follower before bending and taking her hands so that she was back on her feet. “Daughter, never kneel before me, you have dedicated your service to me and the protection of the earth. If anyone should be lowering themselves it should be me.” She patted her hands before releasing them. She then turned to face the others. She caught the eye of several people including Colton and smiled at them whilst her arms outstretched. “Come my children, time is of the essence and if we are to survive we must make haste.”

Immediately all of the remaining seven who had not reached ascension stepped forwards even though some parents reached out to pull their children back, bewildered by what was occurring. Emily, Lila, Colton, and four others stepped forward so that they were standing before Excalibur waiting for instruction. She smiled at them again with the motherly look which made Colton shift slightly not too comfortable with the fact that someone else was speaking through Xandria.

“Could you all join hands so that you are in circle.” Excalibur held her hands out and waited for people to take a hold of them. Colton took one whilst the others looked tentative before Lila rolled her eyes at them and grasped the other hand. She was the youngest of the group but they were all being ridiculous so she chose to ignore them and did what they were afraid to do.

Lila was shocked when Zach one of the boys of the group took her dainty hand in his, her mouth dropping open because even after all the years of being in the same group together they had never spoken a word to one another let alone had physical contact with each other of any kind. He squeezed her hand and as she glanced up at him she noticed that he was staring down at her trying to be reassuring as his lips curled up slightly at the corners. She gave him a weak smile before turning back to Excalibur, waiting for her next instructions.

“Those of you around the outside, I suggest you stand along the wall and hold onto your coattails, it is about to get windy here.” She glanced around the circle before landing on Simon who had joined people around the edge. “You.” He balked for a moment and pointed at himself. “yes you, quickly join the circle, you must be part of it because you will be part of the circle of Excalibur so quickly join the circle, it doesn’t matter where.” He ran through the room, nudging furniture out of the way as he did so. He broke the circle on the opposite side of Excalibur standing between Emily and a tall girl with dirty blonde hair called Daisy. She smiled at him, their eyes almost level with one another before they turned their gazes to face the circle.

“I want you all to close your eyes and let your mind empty of thoughts and instead think of something peaceful, a place of sanctuary and let your mind take you there.” Her voice rolled across each of them so that their bodies relaxed one by one and the tenseness that had invaded their bodies was slowly released though they never dropped their hands, it was like they were glued together and couldn’t pull apart from one another if they wanted to.

One by one they all complied after exchanging glances with one another and then they were all plummeted into darkness though it didn’t last long because Excalibur’s soothing voice lulled them to attention as they pictured the setting.

“Let yourself go, let go of your bodies and allow your minds to be free.” She urged which had a few people panicking as they did as she said and immediately lost any control over their body only to find themselves standing around a fire that was set at the edge of a large lake.

One by one the group appeared though gone were their modern day attire and instead, they were each wearing clothes that looked as if they would fit right in with a costume drama based on Arthur and his knights. The boys were all in chainmail and armour whilst the girls were dressed in floor length gowns though none of them looked as remarkable as Excalibur.

Colton gaped at Xandria’s body that was encased in a dress of buttery gold only it looked as if it had been spun out of the rays of sunset as it glinted across the lake before them. The fabric was so different to anything he had seen before because it was thick like wool to keep her warm because of the early evening chill that was moving in yet it flowed over her dainty body like it was a thin sheet of silk, the material hanging off the curves in all the right places so that she no longer looked like an awkward teen but instead a confidant, self-assured woman. He tried to remind himself that it was Xandria yet he could help but gape at how different she looked and how unlike her usual self she was.

“You don’t need to hold each other’s hands anymore; it’s just easier to mind link when there is skin on skin contact.” She smiled before throwing her hand out so that silvery grains of dust flew into the flames roaring in front of them. As soon at the dust hit the flames they shot up into the night sky as it burned in a mixture of blues and green instead of the intense red and orange of an ordinary fire. Excalibur looked around at the gaping children around her and let out a tinkling laugh that brought goofy smiles onto all of their faces before she swept her arm out and gestured to the space around them. “Welcome to Avalon children.”

“A-avalon?” Lila stuttered as she swept her gave over the luscious green landscape before dragging her gaze back to Excalibur. “I thought that was just make believe…you like…” She trailed off not quite knowing how to finish it.

“What like me?” Excalibur smiled indulgently at the girl who was now blushing crimson. “Do not fear the place; it will guide you to your ascension and your true calling. Though, do not go into the forbidden woods that run along the eastern border, it never does well to dwell there.” Her silky voice became hard and sent a few of the eager group reeling back a step in the sudden change in her personality.

“Why can’t we go into the forbidden woods?” Zach questioned as he looked towards the place that was forbidden but to him looked harmless, especially when a breeze riffled through he trees and several birds soared up into the sky.

“Because it’s forbidden, or is the word too complex for you to understand, child?” Excalibur looked honestly perplexed as she turned to face the boy, her eyebrows quirking upwards as she waited for his response. When she got none, she nodded.

Her hand swept out over the flames so that eight symbols formed within the flames. Simon gasped as his hand rubbed over his chest and Excalibur nodded with a slight smile. She waved her hand and the symbol which had been circling the others moved to the foreground. “Yes you are the protector.” It was the same symbol that marked his chest.

The fire swirled and three more symbols came forth so that all four were in a line. “There are four outer points and four inner points to the Excalibur. These are the symbols of the outer ring, the protectors if you like. Simon you are a prime example of a protector. Before, you could will weapons into existence with just a thought, now you will find your armoury is much more…full and much more powerful. It is your duty to protect the chosen but also the other disciples. You are the most loyal but the most vulnerable. Ensure that there is someone to watch your back for though you will be watching everyone else’s you need someone to look out for you too.” The words had more meaning to them than just words and as such several of the group turned their gazes to him and gave reassuring smiles.  He nodded and turned his gave back to Excalibur.

“The inner ring is the less offensive. The chosen is part of that ring; they have the ability to cause great damage and great harm but also great good. The person who becomes the chosen must have great inner strength to be able to wield my power but also defeat the Morganians. There is no accuracy to this as each turn there have been different abilities that have cropped up but when this is all over you will know your calling.” She waved her hand and the 8 symbols started rotating around each other like they were a little planets , all of them orbiting the one symbol at the centre of their little solar system, the chosen.

“Is that?” Lila asked only to be cut off by a nod from Excalibur, her dark locks swaying as her gold irises scanned the horizon that was slowly transforming.

“It is time. The spirits are ready to begin.” Excalibur murmured as pink and blue lights started through the sky that was now purple instead of black like a normal night sky. Thrusting her hands outwards, the fire roared in response and sparks of blue dashing up into the sky to meet the spirits. Slowly lines drew outwards from the fire until there were 8 lines, one for each of them, each line a different colour. “Quickly stand at the end of one of the lines, Simon because we know your mark you must stand on this one, the black line, the colour of the black knight, the chosen’s right hand man. Now remember, wherever the spirits take you or show you, you must keep away from the forbidden woods, if you enter you may be lost forever and know this, the chosen needs you all to return to be able to complete the quest.”

Excalibur watched as every one of the startled teens rushed to find their place. Simon reached out and grasped his sister’s hand as she passed and gave her a smile as he gestured to the bright pink line next to him. “I think that one is meant for you.” Lila smiled at him and skipped to the small circle of pink at the end of the line that was just big enough for her feet. She glanced around and noticed the same for everyone else and she was startled to see that where everyone stood at the end of a coloured line and that the colour seemed to match them, well except for Simon, she had never thought of her brother as the colour black but now as he stood there strong, tall and proud, his eyes meeting each of the others to assure them that everything was alright she knew that Excalibur couldn’t have picked a better colour for him.

Excalibur watched as they all took their places, the coloured lines flaring brighter as the rightful person stood in their place. With a nod, she walked inside the circle taking great care not to step on any of the lines as she passed before each of them and placed a peck on their foreheads starting with Simon and Lila, then on to Zach, Emily, James, Daisy, Jasmine and then finally Colton. Excalibur lingered in front of Colton, her hand brushing a lock of his bright orange hair from his face as he stood on the bright orange line. Her lips quirked at the tricks of the spirits before her golden irises lifted to meet his eyes.

“She cares for you. Take good care of my daughter, she needs to know what true love and friendship is like and I know that you can show her both. Be well young Prince.” Excalibur leant forwards and pressed her lips to his forehead and turning on her heel. “No matter what happens, do not leave the circle until the spirits release you and allow you to move. Be well my children, Xandria will see you on the other side.” Then with amusement in her eyes, she let out a great tinkling laugh as she danced on the spot for a moment  before rushing forwards faster than any human could run and jumped into the bright blue flames.

“Xandria!” Colton shouted out as his hand reached towards the fire but found that his feet were stuck in place so he couldn’t run after Xandria, though as he gazed at the fire he noticed she wasn’t there, yet as his hand rubbed his chest that was starting to burn; he knew he would see her again. He glanced around and noticed the others rubbing their chests too. “It begins,” he whispered a moment before the heat of the flames engulfed him and he fell backwards onto the strangely soft sand.

Sorry it took me so long. Hopefully another post by wednesday. Thank you for all your votes and for helping me get to round 2 of the gatekeeper contest.