The inside of Tintagel Castle was equally impressive as the outside. It hosted grand decor unlike anything either Brax or Xinyu had ever witnessed before. Detailed paintings covered the ceiling and told of the many battles Arthur engaged in his youth. Magic irradiating from the rose fairy quartz made these murals move, playing out as if they were alive.
One scene brought the first time Arthur clashed with Lancelot to life, the two young men swinging wooden training swords haphazardly at each other. Their movements were unrefined and sloppy as it was early in their knightly days, yet still, they were so clearly full of passion. In the end, Lancelot lost that fight to a mischievous trick pulled by Arthur. Everyone knows that Sir Lance's sole loss was to the great hero, but only a handful of people knew it was because Arthur had grabbed a handful of dirt and thrown it into Lancelot's eyes right before a swift swing to his side. This move wasn't very knightly, and most would consider it disgraceful for a legendary warrior, but Arthur never cared about pride or accolades. His mind was always somewhere else.
Another image showed the battle of Badon: a roaring fire that spread across the land and flooded the green plains with red lakes beneath islands of corpses and bone. It was an unforgettable tragedy and a seemingly unwinnable fight from which Arthur, with his strategic mind and ultimate bravery, was able to overcome against all odds. It is this battle that marked the turning point in the Great War of the West, and what led Arthur to unite the Westlands for the first time in recorded history.
Of course, the biggest and most vibrant illustration was the one that showed when Arthur had fought against the greatest evil the modern world had ever seen: the witch Tahila fifty years prior. When the gods' indifference fell upon humanity in their most dire hour, it was Arthur who rose up and prevented the world's end. In that scene, the ashen sorcerer flew above the hero king, his great sword Excalibur drawn upright, as they engaged in a fateful battle surrounded by the chosen one's glorious light and the evil scourge's darkness.
The history of the Westland union's creation was all there, engraved in vigorous illustrations, and underneath those colorful ceilings was a hall of enormous statues lined up in neat rows on each side. They were the men and women from Arthur's round table, as well as many other heroes from the past, all looking down on the tiny people walking through the Hall of Heroes, wondering who would stand amongst them next. They were polished sculptures of marbled gold, pristinely kept and glistening like shiny mirrors. Each statue had a plaque beneath it and included the names and stories of all the great warriors who had fought beside Arthur.
Lancelot. Gareth. Gawain. Bors. Kintaro. Beowulf. Kame. Shaka. Many great human heroes. Oddly enough, there was one statue of a faceless man with no name or history beneath it that read: "The Unknown Warrior." This intrigued Brax as he got closer to inspect it. The only thing inscribed on this plaque was:
"Though his name and origin were forgotten to time, his deeds shall not cease. Should great evil prevail against humanity and thrust it into darkness, he will rise again with a light to bring them back."
Brax stared at the statue of the man who had no name or story, yet was still a great hero. He was a man who had a place in history not through his good looks or the way he acted, but through his deeds alone. He was a man Brax envied, though he knew nothing about him. He wondered how someone's existence could be erased from history, yet their memory persisted eternally. He began to reach out towards the statue, grasping for something embedded deep within its shiny skin.
"This place is incredible!" Xinyu said, causing Brax to jump at her loudness as her voice echoed throughout the vast, silent halls. She kept spinning around, trying to see everything all at once. "And these heroes are inspiring! I wish to have statues built of me one day as well!"
"Why?" Brax asked. "It's kinda an ego trip, ain't it?"
"Maybe so," Xinyu said. "But when I imagine children looking up to me, full of hope and smiling, it makes me happy. Do you not agree?"
Brax looked at her, then back at the unknown warrior.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," Brax said quietly.
"We don't have time to mess around," Lily interrupted. "He is waiting for you with Cygnus."
"Who's he?" Brax asked.
"Why do you think we took the trouble of dressing up a couple of peasants and bringing them to the castle?" Lily replied, then sighed. "Did you not question this once? How nonchalant you fools are."
Brax and Xinyu were led to the royal throne room, and though Lily opened the doors, she did not enter with them. The king's abode was lit as brightly as the outdoors and had a natural feel to it. A light breeze hit their face,s and they were surprised to find they were outside, but also not. Xinyu looked up, astounded by the realistic skies painted on the ceiling, while Brax threaded his shoes across the soft grass floors to see if it was real, which it was. When they were finally able to understand they weren't actually in nature, their eyes were promptly averted towards the centerpiece of it all: a pond, a dock, and a magnolia tree with dancing pink petals all around it. Both Brax and Xinyu recognized it immediately as it was a replica of the Pond of Beginnings, the place they'd first encountered the witch.
Cygnus stood upright, not far from under the grand flower tree and its swirling petals,s while another figure lay on his back directly adjacent to the throne room's doors.
"So, you've finally arrived," Cygnus said, walking up to them. He brushed his hand along the top of Xinyu's head and placed his hand gently on Brax's shoulder. "I am glad to see you both doing well, my friends. Your lengthy recovery time had me worried."
"We were fine," Xinyu said. "You could have called for us at any time."
"You deserved a rest for your efforts," he replied.
"Hey. Who's the old guy lying in the grass over there?" Brax asked as he pointed to a figure resting not far under the pinkish wood magnolia.
"The king," Cygnus said as he looked back at the old man with a glinting gaze. "You did wish to meet with him, no?"
"That's him?!" Xinyu asked. She began to approach but was halted by Cygnus.
"Who else would be in the throne room?" Cygnus asked. "Granted, I do understand your confusion. After all, this is more of an oversized garden than a king's abode, and knowing Lily, I doubt she's told you anything. Always bound by that bloody code."
"Wait, shouldn't we bow?" Brax asked, frantically trying to bend his knees without ripping the fine threads. He was not used to moving in the stuffy attire of the rich. Waddling around, he almost fell forward, but was caught by Cygnus, who propped him back to his feet.
"That will not be necessary," the old king boomed, rising steadily to his feet. "Come closer and stand before me. All three of you."
Brax and Xinyu were a bit hesitant to walk up to the pond, but did so reluctantly. Cygnus aligned himself with them as well, though even he wasn't sure what the king was about to say.
The living legend, dressed in an unlegendary hemp tunic, dragged his feet through the blades of soft grass as he moved forward. The wooing winds of time blew alongside him as he marched with his front-facing eyes and steadfast posture. He stood before the three.
The king's old, yet massive, body towered over them, showing a glimpse of the monster that could slay armies decades ago, but no longer so easily. Now gray, scarred, and waning, this tired soul was humbly a shell of its former glory. And although he was not the man he used to be, unmistakably, within that cocoon of withering skin, there rested a beast that could burst out and fight should it need to protect its beloved people one last time. Thy old king's eyes, while a tad worn, held that eternal fire within them, for he was King Arthur, the Chosen One.
In a single motion, the elderly king dropped to his knee and tilted his head slightly down.
"Thank you," the king said.
"I- uh," Brax stumbled.
"Please don't do this," Cygnus said. He averted his gaze. "A king doesn't kneel before his subjects." Cygnus was not one who cared for honorifics or gestures, but this was different. Arthur was someone who had given him everything and was the man he respected most. He could not bear to see the old hero, his hero, bow down as he was. It didn't feel right to him.
"On behalf of the Westland kingdom, I thank you," Arthur said. "Though your deeds will go unknown to the vast majority, they will not be forgotten."
"It is no problem at all!" Xinyu said, beaming with her lovely smile. As the king raised his head, he smiled back. "Now, please stand. I do not like it when people bow before me. It makes me uncomfortable."
Standing before them with his towering figure, Arthur spoke.
"I have a special mission, or rather, a request for you, if you're willing to hear me out," Arthur said. "One which humanity's future may hinge upon."
"I assume this is about your ridiculous prophecies?" Xinyu asked.
"Ridiculous as they may be, their outcomes advance nonetheless," Arthur said. He got to his feet and peered back at the pond of beginnings. "An army angel will come, then a god, their essence corrupted to herald humanity's end. That is the prophecy looming over our heads. We've seen a single angel, and now it seems dark energy gathers in the Southlands, aye Cygnus?"
"Indeed," Cygnus concurred. "My team down there has already contacted me and sent everything they've been able to gather, which isn't much. Just splotches of anomalous magic more potent than Starlight River itself. And sightings of a god."
"A god? Impossible!" Brax exclaimed. "That just ain't possible. I don't believe it."
"Few other than those who delve into prophetic magic do," the king said. "But given the prophecy, it appears it's probable. At the very least, we are safe until an army of angels arrives. Kitsune's visions, though vague, do not lie and will predict the order of events with complete accuracy. An army of angels will not be easy to contend with, but they are, at the very least, able to be slain. As long as we act before a god truly descends to end us, we will still have a chance."
Brax's head aligned with the king, but his pupils peered to the side. He saw Xinyu's hands clench, then release. Her eyes were misty as if in a trance. He wondered why she remained silent, despite the stakes. If what she had told him was true, and a hundred angels had already attacked, then it's likely that they had even less time than they thought. He could only ponder fearfully on what her endgame was.
"If all this is true, what's your plan to fight back?" Brax asked. "Angels aside, what kinda plan could ya possible have if a god wants us all dead?"
"The gods…" Arthur muttered. "They're ancient entities that have been around since the beginning and exhibit virtually limitless magic energy. They've been absent in human affairs for centuries, yet their existence is present all around. It seems they're less like actual living beings and more like indifferent objects of nature."
"You seem to know a lot about the gods," Xinyu said.
"I only know what Kitsune, a deity of theirs, has relayed," Arthur said. "But I am not so arrogant as to think we can fight back with magic alone. The objective of every action we take now is to survive. Survive and hopefully, give humankind a future. All our answers lie in a single place."
"Just what are you tryin' to say?" Brax asked.
"We shall run across the sea to the place beyond the gods' reach… we must go to the Moonless Terra!" Arthur announced. "If the prophecies see an end for us here, then we will go to the place fate does not dictate."
"The only way to win is to never fight," Cygnus said, an increasing excitement rattling his eager bones. "The forbidden continent may very well be our salvation if the gods descend upon us. Truthfully, we may very well be marching off to our deaths in that mysterious place, yet an undefined end is still better than one set in stone."
"Kitsune has referred to it as the realm beyond the heavens," Arthur said. "It was a place of great interest to Cygnus's father, and many scholars prior. An untouchable mystery, waiting to be discovered, and now, it seems to gleam as our one and only hope."
"Then it is settled! We shall sail immediately!" Xinyu said eagerly.
"Mind yourself, maiden of the East. We are not yet equipped for such a journey," Arthur said, shaking his head. "Exciting as it is, no one's ever returned from that dark continent. If we go unprepared, we are doing nothing more than paddling to our deaths."
"It is fine, for I will lead the first ship to those lands and destroy anything that stands in our way," Xinyu said. "Prepare a thousand, no, a million vessels and carry each person over. One way or another, I will ensure that fate does not have the way it desires!"
"If we try such a rash act now, this kingdom will crumble," Arthur said. "Rebellion swells from within our land. Though many high-ups agree that's the place we must go, the disagreement lies in the method."
"I wish to save as many as possible from all lands," Arthur said. "But without the means, I am outmatched politically. That's simply because I'm staking everything on something that does not exist. Something that must be created by the hands of a single, unified nation."
"And just how do ya reckon' that'll happen?" Brax asked.
"That lies upon you three," Arthur said, chuckling as he spoke. "Head south and uncover the truth of the dark magic, for it may be the key to unlocking the door forward. Truthfully, I don't know what will happen once you arrive, but I'll leave it to Cygnus to find the right path forward. There are several powerful individuals we will need the help of down there as well."
"And what about us?" Brax asked.
"Protect him and this kingdom," the king said. "In this critical hour, he needs strong, trusted friends to protect him. I ask this not as a king, but as a humble beggar. I don't know a single thing about your pasts, yet I can see your hearts ever so clearly. Call me crazy like the rest, but I'm willing to throw wildcards to the wind and hope they return. So I ask, will you help us save this world?"
"South, North, or across the sea, it makes no difference to me," Xinyu said. "As long as my path is forward, I am content."
The king nodded.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but the situation is dire, and we must act without hesitation." Arthur lamented. "While you travel south, I shall head to the Northlands and try to reason with their king, as I fear that they are on the brink of invading our lands. When civil war inevitably erupts, they will surely act during that moment of weakness."
"Never thought I'd see a war in my lifetime," Brax said. He began to think about Christa and Nora. He had to visit them soon, no matter what.
"I have," Xinyu said. "I can never understand how people can send others to die for their beliefs just because they are the ones in power. Beliefs can always be swayed, but death is irreversible. Such is why I despise politics."
"Sadly, that's how history has always been," Cygnus said. "When all has been said and done, we are merely nothing more than the pawns of gods."
"That is why the gods should soon have their secret exposed," Xinyu said.
"A secret? Of the gods?" Cygnus asked. "Whatever could you mean?"
"You and everyone else will know soon," Xinyu said. "Of that, I will make sure."
"If you know something, it's best you tell us now," Cygnus said. "We need every bit of information we can scrounge up."
"Telling you will change nothing. This is something that must be shown," Xinyu said. "Come! Let us go South! I believe I have the solution I have long sought!"
Xinyu turned around and walked hurriedly out of the room, slamming open those thick bronze doors as her upright body marched forth, Brax following closely behind. Cygnus took a step to follow, but stopped when Arthur beckoned him for a moment more.
"Cygnus, my friend," Arthur said. "In this kingdom of enemies, you are one of the last ones I can rely on."
"It's blasphemous that it's come to this," Cygnus said. "Have the people forgotten what you've done? Who you are?
"Yes, yes. I'm the Chosen One and all that nonsense," Arthur said. "But you should know better than most that deeds and valor fade with time. I may be a hero to those of my era, but that era is past. The new generation doesn't need to look up to old relics like myself; they need new heroes to lead them into the future. A prospective hero such as yourself."
"Being hailed a hero," Cygnus said under his breath. "I have no interest in titles. It's just a meaningless accolade."
"It's true, folks these days throw around that word so loosely that it's lost its meaning," Arthur said. "But there is meaning to holding that title."
"What does it mean to you, then?" Cygnus asked.
"A hero is someone who fights selflessly for others. When you take up that mantle, you become a pillar from which others can stand," Arthur said. "They are not chosen, not born, but forged. It's such a simple way to describe it, yet it's impossible to understand by anyone who hasn't felt the feeling before."
"I don't follow," Cygnus said.
"In the final moments of the great war that swept over the Westlands decades prior, I fought Taliha to decide the fate of my people," Arthur said. "Do you know what I felt during the final showdown?"
"Courage? Fear? The rush of adrenaline?" Cygnus guessed. "Passion? Or all of the above?"
"Nay. That day, my body felt nothing other than pride in the privilege of defending those behind me," Arthur said, walking back to the tree as he stared at his withering expression in the pond. "I can still hear their shouts of encouragement echoing in my ears to this day, pushing me forward. Even in this old, crumbling body, I can still fight, if it's for them."
"I would expect nothing less from you," Cygnus said as he brushed a bit of hair from his eyes, smiling at his old friend.
"Pride in being a hero," Arthur said. "When you become one, you must take pride in that title. Only then can you become a symbol that people put their faith in."
"Preachy as always, yet I cannot help but hang onto every word," Cygnus said with a chuckle. "After all, you are my hero."
"And you, mine," Arthur said. "Let us pave the way for humanity, together."
When Cygnus looked at his old master and friend's body, it was enshrouded in that gentle and kind golden light it always held.
So bright and shining, and neverendingly brilliant.