[Back to Mordred]
The cold was disappointing.
The frigid wind didn't try to bite my face off when I approached the ledge.
As I stood at the familiar ledge near the peak of the Tomb, memories of that night surfaced in my mind.
The starry skies illuminated by the twin moons, the light snow falling on us, the delicious sandwiches, and the exquisite coffee.
Memories of her laugh, her eyes, her kiss.
My lips tingled, something I hadn't felt for some time.
This time, however, I am alone, and the chill of the wind has weakened.
Maybe it's the climate, or maybe my senses had numbed.
I took a deep breath and relaxed, swinging my legs over the vast drop just before me.
"An odd place to relax."
I almost jumped off the edge when the voice spoke behind me.
Turning back, I saw-
"Holy maiden…"
My voice trailed away as my eyes fell on the beautiful young woman standing behind me.
Her eyes were a pure, pale blue, glittering like a jewel made of the sky itself.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind, its auburn shade shifting into gold as it caught the sunlight.
Saintess Joan O Arc.
I let my gaze linger for a moment, taking in her appearance. There was no obvious flaw that stood out.
Her outfit was simple yet refined.
A cream-colored shirt beneath a white coat, accented with faint lace and gold embroidery, paired with white jeans and knee-high boots.
A grayish-white fur-lined coat rested over her shoulders, though I doubted the cold bothered her.
And I could feel her power. It was as if the surrounding ardor had stilled, waiting for her will to act.
Yet, something was calming about her power.
So this is the leader of the largest Incarnus faction in Asteris.
I still found it hard to believe she was only a year older than me.
Keeping my eyes on her, I slowly got to my feet. She was unaccompanied, though I seriously doubted she needed any protection.
She smiled, and my body immediately relaxed as a wave of calm swept over me.
"I've heard many things about you, Your Highness."
Her voice was soft yet clear, but what caught my attention was her accent.
It carried a smooth, flowing cadence, with each word blending flawlessly into the next.
It felt familiar.
An echo from my past life on Earth.
Similar to how the Roman spoke.
She continued to speak in that unique accent, cementing the fact that she was from another part of the world.
"It is an honor to meet you finally," she said with a polite nod.
I composed myself.
"It is my honor to meet you, Saintess," I said, nodding my head.
"Just call me Joan," she said with a grin. "People say your mind is shattered from your experience in the Abyss, but your actions and mannerisms aren't much different from mine."
I gave her a small smile. "I wear the appearance of a sane person, Saintess Joan. But inside, I am a broken soul."
"So I've heard," her smile faded, replaced by concern. "What happened to you was horrible. I am sorry."
I chuckled. "I've been hearing a lot of apologies these days. Morgan was the latest one on that list."
Joan gave me a wistful smile. "Morgan is a kind person. She's just awkward with people. A result of the huge expectations placed on her shoulders."
I frowned. "That doesn't give her the right to judge the value of others."
"True," she nodded, a hint of sheepishness in her voice. "That was rather foolish of her. But… not everyone is perfect."
Her gaze softened. "The guilt she carries is real, and she showed immense remorse during your funeral."
Tilting her head slightly, she added. "She considered herself unworthy to attend your funeral. In the end, the High Queen had to ask for my help."
"Speaking of which," I lowered my head slightly. "Thank you for coming to my funeral."
"Please don't lower your head, Your Highness," she quickly said. "I must be the one to do that."
The Saintess bowed.
"Thank you, Mordred Pendragon, for saving our goddess."
She took my hand, her grip warm and steady, her eyes shimmering with emotion.
"The Order and I are forever in your debt."
This sudden expression of gratitude took me aback.
"I thought you would be angry at me for making your goddess my familiar," I pointed out carefully.
Joan smiled faintly. "When I first learned about the contract you made with Phoebe, I was shocked. 'How could someone do this to our goddess?' was what I thought."
As I watched, her smile faded, and her eyes dimmed.
"But when Lady Uriel told me about what happened to Lady Phoebe…"
Her voice faltered.
"I…"
The wind carried the rest of her words away.
Closing her eyes, she steadied herself.
"Becoming Phoebe's master…" Her blue eyes met mine. "...was the right decision."
Joan walked past me and stood at the edge of the precipice, her gaze sweeping across the vast mountains before her.
Looking at her back, it struck me how small she seemed against the vastness surrounding her.
She's just nineteen.
And already carrying more than she should.
I stepped forward. "So what do you plan on doing?"
"Hm?" Joan turned around, a quizzical look on her face.
"Are you going to reveal Phoebe to the Order? Announce the return of your goddess?"
She smiled. "As much as I want to do that, I'm afraid it won't be easy."
"The current Order is… rather fragmented at the moment," she said with a soft sigh. "It's divided into several factions."
She looked at me, her expression patient, though there was a hint of fatigue beneath it.
"There are many within the Order who believe I am the new Incarnus of Lux, while another faction has begun spreading belief about a so-called holy guardian dragon."
Letting out a misty cloud, she sighed again. "It will be a hassle, but I want to make the Order worthy of Lady Phoebe's presence."
Joan smiled faintly. "One should clean the house before welcoming its master."
"That is…" Her gaze settled on me. "...if you allow it, Your Highness."
I understood what she meant.
"I am Phoebe's master," I said. "But the bond goes both ways. It was her choice as much as mine."
Closing my eyes, I took a slow breath. "If that is what Phoebe wants, I will allow it."
"That sounds like a good idea," a familiar, emotionless voice spoke behind me.
I almost lost my footing again.
Spinning around, I saw Phoebe and Uriel standing a few steps behind me, their physical forms somehow unaffected by the freezing conditions of the mountain.
Joan bowed her head as low as possible. "Goddess."
Phoebe tilted her head. "We discussed this, child."
"I'm not kneeling or prostrating," the Saintess pointed out.
"This isn't any better."
Uriel was trying hard not to laugh. It would be better if she didn't, unless she wants snowflakes blasted into her mouth by the wind.
I cleared my throat. "So. What are you doing here?"
Uriel stifled a laugh and spoke. "You must've noticed Phoebe looking in a particular direction throughout the day, right?"
I nodded. "I noticed."
"Something caught my attention," Phoebe said, pointing toward the north. "Something beyond the mountains."
"A heavily concealed energy signature," Uriel added. "It was so faint that even I had difficulty sensing it."
"I want to go there," Phoebe stated, her crystalline eyes fixed on me with a quiet, empty anticipation.
It felt like she had already decided, and I was simply being informed.
I shrugged. "Sure."
Uriel smiled. "Thank you, Mordred."
She gave me a wink. "We'll be back in a jiffy."
When I blinked again, the Incarni were gone, vanishing as abruptly as they had appeared.
"Typical Incarni behavior," Joan said as she stood beside me, a slight frown on her face. "I'm concerned Lady Uriel might teach our goddess some bad habits."
I gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that won't happen."
She returned my smile. "Let's go back. I believe it's time."
*******
"What?"
Vanis asked, narrowing her heterochromatic eyes as she noticed me staring intently at her.
"You don't have the accent," I said, studying her.
We were standing at the airfield, near the private jet that would take Morgan and me to Camelot.
Vanis frowned. "What accent?"
I gestured toward Joan, who was conversing with Kay.
She was leaving for Lyris, the largest nation on the continent of Edith, under the governance of the Order of Lux.
"The accent of the Saintess," I said.
"Ah," Vanis gave me an amused look. "I was born and raised in the Kingdom. I moved to Lyris when I was twelve for my training as a Paladin."
"But you still spent years in Lyris," I said, frowning slightly.
Vanis stared at me skeptically before sighing.
"There," she spoke in the Lyrisian accent. "You happy?"
"Hm." I narrowed my eyes. "Awkward. Not like the Saintess."
"That's because she lived her whole life there," Vanis smacked me on the arm, switching back to her usual accent. "So obviously her style of speaking is better than mine, you twat."
"Ow! You're harming a disabled person," I protested, feigning pain.
"Keep this up, and I will make you even more disabled," Vanis growled, kicking me in the shins.
Her gaze flicked briefly to my missing arm.
"Ask the goddess to fix your arm. No prosthetic, no matter how advanced, can replace the arm a warlock is born with," she said sternly.
I nodded. "I will, Vanis, as soon as I reach Camelot."
She gave me a suspicious look. "You're going to parade around with a missing arm, aren't you?"
I merely grinned, which made her frown deepen.
"Careful," Jack said lightly as he appeared behind her. "You keep pushing her like that, she might forget she likes you."
"You'll be getting some nasty lines on you if you don't keep that mouth shut," Vanis shot back, glancing over her shoulder.
Jack wisely held his tongue, offering a mischievous smirk.
Vanis turned to me, her eyes softening.
With a kind smile that was uncharacteristic of her, she reached up and ruffled my hair.
"You are broken by your experiences, Mordred. Despite that, you have become a fine young man."
"I'm proud of you."
I chuckled softly. "I owe a lot to you, Vanis. Don't die."
She laughed. "I will not. My goddess told me to live, and I fully intend to do so."
Smiling at the rare display of happiness by Vanis, I turned to Jack Raven, the man who took me into his unit all those years ago.
His deep silver eyes twinkled as he placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
"As Vanis said, you have become an amazing young man."
He sighed dramatically. "You will be missed, young prince."
A grin spread across his face. "Show the world what you've become, Mordred Pendragon."
Leaning closer, he added in a lower voice, "Next time we meet, I'll tell you everything about the expedition."
I nodded. "Deal."
Moving forward, I was immediately pulled into an embrace by Dorothy and Captain Sparks.
"Looks like Master Lorvar couldn't make it," I remarked to Dorothy.
She gave an apologetic smile, her dreamy eyes catching the light. "The old man hates saying goodbye. But he sends his best regards. And if you ever need help with your equipment..."
She winked. "We've got you. Doesn't matter if you're in Camelot and we're in the north."
After barely escaping another of her embraces, the rest followed.
Familiar faces, familiar voices, all blending into one long farewell.
Then, I reached Unit 21.
The Lunatics.
The unit that took me in, a weak thirteen-year-old, and forced me to grow beyond my limits.
The unit Iris and I built together.
"You two should ramp up the pranks," I told the Slader siblings. "Make things more interesting."
Anthony Slader smirked. "Oh, I assure you. We'll make you proud."
I was immediately crushed between Apollo and Krystal as they hugged me from both sides.
"Don't go," Krystal pleaded, her eyes gleaming with manic intensity. "We still have a lot of fighting to do!"
"Thank you," Apollo said, surprisingly calm. "For being there for us. Damien is at peace because of you."
Smiling, I hugged them back. "You two had better listen to Artemis. She's your captain."
Apollo frowned. "I thought that was optional."
"It isn't," I replied.
My gaze shifted to Ava and Carlo, standing closer to each other than usual.
"I suppose I'll see you guys on the mainland?" I asked.
Carlo shrugged. "Probably. If my family wants me back, I'll be hearing from them soon enough."
"And I'll return when something terrible has happened to the head of House Baskerville," Ava said flatly.
That earned an eyebrow raise from me. "You really hate your father, eh?"
She nodded before we broke into smiles.
"Shitty fathers," we said in unison.
With a small laugh, she stepped forward and hugged me.
"Say hi to Iris for me," she said softly, the golden flecks in her gray eyes catching the light of the winter sun.
"I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous when she hugged you," Carlo muttered as he pulled me into a hug.
I smirked. "You better not fumble with Ava, and you better not die, Devereux."
"Trust me, Pendragon," he returned the smirk. "I'll not die before handing you defeat on a silver platter."
Stepping away, I stopped in front of Artemis.
Her usual nonchalant smile greeted me. "This is a better goodbye than the last one."
I grinned. "Weren't you the one bawling like a child last time?"
She pouted, her composure cracking. "Apollo told you, didn't he? I'm going to end that idiotic twin."
Then, suddenly, she stepped forward and hugged me.
"To be honest…" her grip tightened, her voice trembling. "...I don't want you to leave us. To leave me."
She looked at me, forcing a fragile smile. "Perhaps this is my wretched fate."
"My parents."
"Damien."
"You and Iris."
"Everyone has left… or is leaving."
Her breath hitched. "I am scared, Mordred. I'm scared to lose Apollo too."
I watched her struggle to hold herself together.
I smiled. "Never thought I'd be hearing the word 'fate' from you, Artemis. I thought you never cared about things like that."
I reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Artemis," I said, "I'll get you and Apollo out of here. I'll give you a real home."
"That's a promise from the High Prince of the Kingdom."
She let out a soft laugh. "I'd rather it be from Mordred Pendragon… but High Prince has a nice ring to it."
Letting go, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
"Be safe, Captain."
Without another word, she turned around and rejoined the others.
I stood there for a moment before turning toward the private jet.
Kay, Saintess Joan, and Morgan were already waiting.
"It is goodbye for now, Mordred," Joan said as I approached, her blue eyes bright with a quiet warmth. "I have a feeling we will meet again."
"I'll be seeing you in Camelot, soon enough," Kay said, his face stern as always, but this time, I noticed a hint of pride and warmth behind his steely blue eyes.
I smiled. "See you soon, Uncle."
For a moment, I turned back.
My eyes fell upon the massive structure of the Shield.
It had awed me the first time I saw it.
It still did.
Memories rushed through my mind as a film played too fast to follow.
Horror.
Pain. Loss.
Madness. Nightmares.
Rare moments of happiness.
Love.
All of it leading here.
My lips twitched, but the smile never quite formed.
It was awkward.
It felt… fitting.
With a last wave to everyone, I turned to Morgan, who stood patiently, her gaze softer now.
"I'm ready, Morgan."
"Let's go."