Erika sneezed after stepping out of the lake, and fell to the ground, exhausted from shoving the boat across.
"Poor thing," a brunette clothed in a green tunic, cap, and cape sighed, searching a sack until she pulled out a blanket, "here, can't let you go catching microscopic somethings, you know?"
"Weren't you the one about to shoot her?" Arthur teased, "Now you're treating her like one of your merry men!"
"Hey, in my defense, I didn't want some no good getting their hands on that blade," Robin retorted, "you know that anyone can pull out Excalibur when it's out of juice as long as their heart's tougher than most and completely into it! Plus some bit about Heirs or something."
"Yes, well, the Lady of the Lake replenished it by the time you came along." Arthur assured.
"In the stone was exactly where I would have expected to find it if the Lady of the Lake hadn't recharged it, sheesh!" Robin fumed, turning away from her previous archery target sheepishly, "Someone insisted we wait until after James scurries off and after the cave collapses before charging in! "
"It was the best plan we had, considering we had to repel him, more people would have made him want to take us out quickly, he had to be relaxed." Arthur pointed out.
"And I thought your best laid plan was about to fall apart thanks to this girl." Robin explained, then turned to Erika, surprised as she realized something, "You know, you've been awful quiet, you must be pretty patient Miss, uh-"
"She's mute." Arthur offered offhandedly.
"Miss Mu--wait, what?" Robin looked between the king and Inheritor and sighed, "For real? So, you probably want to go back to your brother-"
"Betrayed her," Arthur interrupted, "stabbed her, it was tragic."
"You seem pretty chill, considering that." a short mage replied, wearing blue robes speckled with stars, a matching hat sat upon his head, white hair creeping out from under it.
"Now, Merlin, you know him," a spear wielding knight reminded grimly, "his indifference is just a mask."
"Don't go giving all my secrets away, Lance, not in front of her, she has to woo the team if she ever wishes to understand the inner workings of our heart!" Arthur chided, "Now, onto important matters, since you can't say what your name is and so virtually don't have one, I'm naming you Nemo, because quidquid latine dictum, altum videtur, and in this instance, 'nobody' just sounds too much like I'm belittling you."
"Or we can do this my way." Robin handed Erika a book and a pen, "You can keep them, think of it as a welcoming gift or something, just scribble your name down and I'll read it aloud-"
"Nemo, see?" Arthur mumbled, as Erika penned her signature with her left hand, "Just like I said."
"Erika, just like you didn't say." Robin corrected, "But what about sign language? Not that I know it, but your brother-"
"He could understand my thoughts." Erika wrote, "My mind couldn't send words, but he had a rough idea of what I thought based on what I felt."
"So, you were planning to betray him?" Arthur shook his head, "Should have just stabbed him...or not close your eyes."
"I was distressed and confused, okay?! I wasn't going to hurt him, he was just afraid I would." Erika grasped stood up, and shoved the booklet against Arthur, nearly knocking him down before storming away, leaving the others to crowd Arthur to read what she'd written.
"Merlin," Arthur smiled at the short mage, "could you go talk to Erika, I doubt she'd hurt a kid."
"I'm not a kid." Merlin adjusted his glasses and sighed.
"Nice job, boss," Robin remarked sarcastically, flipping through notes in her journal without really focusing on them, "so this is how the Knights of the Round Table remained loyal and steadfast to you throughout the years, why such noble men joined their ranks...no offense, Lance, but most of you remind me much of Arty here."
"Oh, can it," Arthur growled, rolling his eyes, "you never cared much for me before we were properly introduced, thief."
"If you count getting caught trying to steal Excalibur and your mug of instant refill as a proper introduction." Robin snorted.
Erika stood atop the hill, watching the city where she thought she'd slain Arthur and let out a heavy sigh.
"I know it's complicated," Merlin wheezed, collapsing on the hill, "I know you can't believe it's your life, that you wish you'd wake up and we'd all be gone, but your destiny's as plain as the sword in your hand! Your brother will be back, and next time we won't be in Lake Avalon...next time he stabs you, it could all be over."
Erika gave him a bitter scowl before turning away again, staring blankly at the city, squinting against a strong gale before sneezing.
"Ha...you know, you looked pretty cool, standing there, hair in the wind." Merlin commented nervously, "But you kind of ruined it with that sneeze...that's how we all are, we're pretty much legends, but we're not perfect...just like those two seconds before you sneezed...we...we all...hmm...oh! We all sneeze sometimes!"
Erika turned to the wizard and quirked an eyebrow, waiting for the kid to continue.
"You've killed legends before, some of the vampires you killed were our friends, we cared deeply for one another." Merlin sighed and dared himself to sit next to her, "You killed them because you thought they were all monsters, is that also eating at you?"
Erika nodded slowly and shook in the breeze. Just as Merlin found himself struggling for what he could say next, he heard Robin call out to him from behind.
"Hey, Merlin," Robin called out, racing up the hill ahead of the other two corporeal members of the party, the ghost staying next to Arthur, "you keeping her out on purpose? Let's go find an inn, before she catches something. Also, you dropped this."
Erika scowled at Robin after wrapping around her shoulders the blanket the archer cast over her face. Robin smiled cheekily and waved for Erika to follow.
Erika stood by the heater, which was conveniently located in the corner, away from the door, with a shelf of trinkets that acted as much as a display as a windbreaker, for which she was thankful, as Lance had to hold the door open a while before Arthur passed through it.
"Oh, to the once and future king," Robin cheered sarcastically, "if ever he passes through yon door-portal, or at least his faithful knight Sir Lancelot to not tarry on yon threshold, and stand either without with His Majesty, or within where it's warm, but not, I repeat: But not to let the warm air within mingle with the chill without."
The room broke into a wild cheer and Erika stepped out from behind the shelf to find the few patrons and the innkeeper clapping for Robin's speech, but Arthur held his hand up to wave, "Thank you all, your king has arrived, King Arthur, present!"
Erika smirked as everyone turned from Arthur, continuing to cheer for Robin, "Thank you all, you're too kind! Just me slamming my good buddy Arty, give him a hand people!"
Arthur smiled until the crowd fell silent and he cleared his throat, "Anyways, me and my companions would seek lodging here, with you fine people, that would be me, my wife, our child, my right hand man here, and that girl snickering at my misfortune."
"So, your Merlin, eh, kid?" the innkeeper inquired, a warm smile crossing his face as he offered a basket that was too high for Merlin to see, and contained candy.
"I'm not a child, sir, but an ancient wizard--oh, is that a minty--eh, I-" Merlin blushed and crossed his arms, cursing his weakness under his breath.
"It's okay, sport, you earned it!" Arthur laughed.
"Take your mom and dad's, too," the old man winked, "Just don't eat them all in one setting, Merlin."
"M-many thanks, my good s-oh!" Merlin started to bow, but was so distracted, he swiftly smacked his forehead into desk, "Y-you're Majesty, I believe it would be a solid investment to procure more of these." Merlin groaned, taking the sweets, which already took his mind of the pain.
"And which one are you?" the innkeeper's wife--the acting chef of the establishment--inquired of the archer.
"Robin Hood, milady," Robin pointed her thumb back at Arthur, "that kid adopted him, don't listen to what he fancies as a family, we're not married, nor were we ever or will ever be." she handed the innkeeper some money from Arthur's wallet before returning it.
"Yes, quite a thief, as the legends all say." Arthur sighed, resentful of that one detail history got right about his companion, "But don't worry, me and Lancelot here are the only ones who need to worry about theft...she especially loves to pick on me."
"Didn't catch that last part, Arty?" Robin turned to the king and smiled when he shook his head, "Great, two rooms, one for Arthur, his knight, and the wizard, and one for me and, uh, Death here. W-what, Death wouldn't get her job done if everyone ran from her all the time!"
"I guess it makes sense." the elderly man shrugged, "I certainly wouldn't suspect her of anything."
"Exactly!" Robin agreed.
"Trust me, she's killed many men, older than I've been in Avalon, in just a few short seconds, it's only by the wit of my teeth," Arthur pointed at Robin when she muttered about how he got it wrong, "that I haven't been impaled by Excalibur...look how she stares at me, even now. Alas, but to die by my once and future blade!"
"Okay, Arty, you're getting too real, here." Robin gave him a weak shove and started off, "And we're heading out early tomorrow, so get ready."
"So," Robin winced as turned to Erika, who started writing at the desk, "sorry about giving you a character so close to home, I just couldn't think of anything at the time...leave it to Arthur to try to sell your character, though, huh? Man must've trained under Shakespeare himself."
Erika held up the paper she'd been writing on, and the archer hesitantly read it, "Tell me about the ones I've killed."
"It'll be a long knight...why don't you tell me what you intend to do now?"
"I don't know, fight James I guess. Are you a vampire, too?"
"No, Arthur's the only one here who's a vampire...but oddly enough, we wouldn't all be here if he wasn't." Robin frowned thoughtfully until Erika slid her another message.
"What about you?"
"What about me? I'm a legend with a bow, they say I fired an arrow when my health was ailing to choose where they'd put me to rest, but apparently I didn't have time for a dirt nap...ha, seriously, I even stole the Holy Grail from Blondie!" Robin chuckled heartily, "Stole it from Merlin, actually, and boy was a surprised when a child demanded to know why I was there!"
"I wasn't expecting Merlin to be a kid."
"Oh, those are side effects from the potion he made for Arthur, he tried it to make sure it worked, guess it worked a little too well." Robin shrugged, "Arthur was healing up in Avalon before it was done, the gates to the place closed with Arthur's consciousness, so we were stuck with it...so he let me keep the Grail...and yes, I returned it, I thought it was just a really fancy, expensive mug, and Arthur was a hero of mine, growing up...so I was kind of disappointed."
"Avalon's not near Salia...why was Arthur there when I saw him?"
"Because, that's where you were...you killed a lot of the Knights of the Round Table in your time, you mutilated our dream...and you're the only one who can give us a chance to bring it back from the brink of death." Robin stared at table and sighed, "I didn't like it either, but we scoured the world for someone who possessed the ability to stop our foe, a demon lord who stormed Camelot and nearly killed Arthur."
"How can I help?"
"Excalibur is the ultimate weapon as far as legends care, but there's another blade far more capable of giving humans trouble, that edge bearing the same demon's name, Ragnarok, it's basically a weapon built to take out the Lady of the Lake, and it was pretty effective against people, but legends say there's an even better sword, one made out of resplendent, solid gold justice, and it's...yet to have a name...I call it the Origin Blade, sounds so epic to me."
"Where is it hidden?"
"Ha, ha, well, it's hidden in the only place where a sword forged out of light wouldn't be stolen, Avalon...unfortunately the Lady of the Lake could only open the portal once every three or four thousand years, that's three or two more thousands of years, so the plan is to find the portal hidden in Camelot, but that place is the Lost City ever since Rag burned it down, so to find it, we'll need a compass." Robin slid the paper out from under Erika's pencil as she started to write down another question, "Tomorrow you can barrage me with more questions, right now I'm tired...sheesh, don't tell me you've picked up the habits of vampires, hunting them so long."
Erika sat defiantly at the desk before the silence bored her to sleep.
Robin was buying breakfast for the group, when the group met up downstairs, Lance took the drink tray off the counter while Robin kept the bag in one and held the bagel in her mouth to free up her other hand.
"Looks like it's time for us to continue on our quest." Arthur acknowledged the innkeeper and his wife before following Robin's lead, the archer holding her cap as a sudden gust of air almost knocked it off her head, "And the weather hat predicts a seventy percent chance that it'll rain."
Robin turned to glare at the king and Arthur was glad she cared more for not dropping the bagel than yelling at him right now.
"I do believe trouble's brewing," Lance remarked, "and not the atmospheric kind."
"Oh, yes, I know I'm in trouble," Arthur agreed, just before taking off with the swiftness his vampire abilities gave him, "but I'm off to the hunting grounds, I'll meet you all at our predesignated camp in another six hours, the legendary Robin Hood doesn't hold grudges for very long, right?"
Robin turned around and handed the sack of breakfast to Merlin, fell to one knee, and drew back an arrow, and released, striking the trunk of a tree in time for Arthur to trip over it and fall on his face, she then let the bow fall back onto her shoulder, pulled the bagel from her mouth, and took a bite, watching Arthur stand up and dust off. Erika, surprised, set down Excalibur and and scribbled down a question for the archer.
"What was that, you ask?" Robin chuckled, "That, my friend, was friendly fire."
"Why?" Erika inquired, as Lance and Merlin commented on her shot.
"Because, I made a promise once." Robin replied, a nostalgic sigh following.
"What was the promise?"
"That's for another day." Robin decided, taking another bite out of her bagel, "Now Lance, hand the new kid her breakfast. You do like bagels, I hope. Portable, flexible, delicious, they can be sweet or savory, the perfect vehicle for any topping, and they only take me ten seconds to wolf down."
"Here you are." Merlin offered Erika the bag, holding it at an incline so she could see the differently topped bagels.
"Pink ones are strawberry," Robin informed, beginning the list, "I also got a few cinnamon ones, they're brown, and then there's two with a bright red spicy jam, just in case you turned out to like them."
Erika decided on spicy topped bagel and decided she did like them.
Soon the group came to the agreed upon campsite, and found Arthur lounging in a hammock, "Yeah, yeah, you're fast and never had need of a horse." Merlin fumed, "Why don't you help us set up camp?"
"Oh, after the fall I took earlier," Arthur sighed, smirking at the archer, who wore a grin of her own as her bow slipped off her shoulder and into her hand, "well, let's just say it made me want to set up camps...I've been longing for the tarp and whatnot that composes such a beautifully structured-"
Suddenly an arrow struck somewhere above his head, and the archer nodded approvingly, "That's the perfect backbone of our temporary residency."
"Right on my hammock." Arthur muttered.
"Your brother did teach you to cook, right?" Merlin inquired, "It's not too hard, just don't burn anything, I see that Arthur fulfilled my shopping list while he was out." Merlin indicated a basket near a bush, "Robin, you'll need to watch out for bears, Lance-"
"Ensure her survival." Lance nodded and readied his weapon.
"I was going to say don't get killed guarding her, but I guess I should ask that of Robin." Merlin groaned.
"I'll try not to hit him in the head." Robin promised.
"How comforting." Merlin turned to Erika and sighed, "You go, too, we need some fruit alongside that meat, and while we have a stock of food, we tend to keep our supplies full...just in case Robin goes midnight snacking."
From the distance, they heard Robin shout, "I heard that, half pint!"
"I thought she was out of earshot!" Arthur laughed, "She did say she can hear as far as she can shoot...must not have been boasting."
Erika started off when Merlin called her back, "There should be some berries growing on the cliff behind our camp."
She returned long after Robin had returned and set her gains over the fire Merlin supplied, meanwhile the wizard sat by a toolkit filled with various beads and threads. He noticed her staring and explained, "This bracelet I'm working on will allow you to tap into my endless wellspring of magic, that sword's got a lot of tricks, but they're either costly or or hard to use, so I'll give you a canal to my power, and teach you some simple spells."
"And in case you were wondering about me," Arthur grinned from his hammock, "I'm resting."
"Pretty sure she can see that," Robin deadpanned, "but your input is valued, Captain Obvious." 715Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbu2LBRUilW
Erika smirked despite the recent turn of events, and thought she felt a brief chuckle ripple through her throat. A thought came to her as she turned her gaze to the clear blue sky, that perhaps things wouldn't be so bad.715Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVxtx887gY
"Looks so calm, huh?" Merlin remarked, staring at the sky when she turned to him, "Hard to believe there's another storm on it's way, isn't it?"715Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8rhQeYgtW
A/Ns: I'll leave it here, since it's getting kind of long.715Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzD4VAlTepX
