Pendragon

Chapter 2: The peace the heroes fought for

Birds chirped excitedly through the sky, passing houses, both big and small.

They flew past streets and markets before passing a great castle, the heart of the kingdom.

The castle rose above the city like a giant watching over its people. White stone walls stretched across the horizon, interrupted only by towering spires that pierced the clouds themselves. Golden banners fluttered from every battlement, dancing in the wind like flames. Even from miles away, the structure seemed impossibly large, dwarfing the houses and streets clustered beneath it.

It wasn't merely a building. It was a statement.

A declaration that the kingdom of Avalon had stood for centuries and intended to stand for centuries more.

At the castle gates stood two people decked in impressive armour, two knights standing tall and regal. Well, at least one of them was.

“Hey, could you at least try to look like you're taking this seriously?” The knight on the right looked at his partner in slight annoyance.

His partner on the left had a large, goofy smile on his face. What annoyed him more was that although the smile was supposed to make the idiot look stupid, he still looked as dashing as ever.

“Nope,” his partner replied without cracking his wide smile. His bright blue eyes gleamed in the morning sun, further complementing his chiseled face and flowing blond hair tied into a neat ponytail. “It's time for family dinner.”

“You nobles and your traditions.” His partner frowned.

The handsome man laughed. His partner, Abe, had always been like this.

“Well, I'm off,” he said suddenly and started walking away.

“Wha—Justin! You expect me to finish our guard shift by myself? There's a reason why they keep TWO knights!” Abe watched his partner leave with a bounce in his steps.

“Oh, please. The most exciting thing that'll happen on guard duty is if old lady Harmony tries to hit on you. You got this.” Justin waved him off and disappeared into the crowd of people.

“That jackass!” Abe shouted after him.

Justin moved through the crowd of people as quickly as he could. He was always excited to go back home. But today was different. This was the first time he'd be going home after moving out. He'd be going back as his own man.

As he walked by, the eyes of countless maidens lingered on him. Some admired him from afar, while others openly stared, unable to hide their fascination. He hardly noticed anymore. Being the center of attention was nothing new. Standing a head taller than most and possessing remarkably handsome features, he had spent much of his life attracting curious gazes.

He walked past the town square and briefly paused to look at the great monument at the center.

At the center of the square was a giant earthen statue of a dashing young man with his right hand raised and his middle finger flashing.

Justin's eyes shifted to the writing below its pedestal. Reading it aloud, he read:

“Merlin Kamelon, the greatest mage of them all.”

Justin gave a small smile at this. He always passed the statue on his way. He thought it was inspiring how the statue showed Merlin's rebellion by saying ‘f*ck off’ to their enemies and oppressors.

He didn't waste too much time, though, as he kept moving forward.

He passed the city square and walked through the market district. It was packed as usual.

Justin smiled at this. This was why he refused to ride a carriage even though his family had many. He preferred walking amongst the people, watching the peace that the heroes of old fought so hard for happen right before his eyes.

The area outside the market, where it was less busy, seemed even busier than the main market itself. Children were jumping and running around just to get a glimpse. Shouts and cheers, boos and murmurs—different sounds erupted from the commotion. And Justin knew why.

It was the most popular tourist attraction in the whole of Avalon. Warriors and mages alike from all parts of the continent came here to test if they'd be the worthy one.

The one to pull the legendary sword out of the stone.

The one to claim Excalibur.

Legends say that after the great battle, over three hundred years ago, nobody could remove the sword of Arthur Pendragon from the ground. They had to dig the earth around the sword out to move it.

Children cheered as more and more men tried to lift the sword and failed. No one could even make it budge.

“Everyone thinks that they'll be the one,” someone said beside Justin, jolting him back to reality. He had apparently been standing and watching people try to pull the sword. “But they always meet their inevitable disappointment.”

He turned and smiled at the young lady who spoke to him. “I still have hope. Maybe a hero will come and raise the sword eventually.”

The girl eyed him up and down.

“Maybe I'm looking at the strong and sexy hero right now,” she said seductively and pushed herself onto him.

He laughed awkwardly and pushed her aside gently before walking away in hurried steps.

He stole one last glance at the sword before leaving the area. Its golden hilt, adorned with different gems and ornaments. Its beautiful silver blade that refused to be dulled by age. And the words engraved on the front of the stone.

“Only he who is worthy and pure of heart may lift the sword and inherit the might of King Arthur,” he read to himself. “I wonder who that would be.”

Justin eventually reached his family home. The mansion dominated the skyline of the noble district. Its towering white walls, sapphire rooftops, and marble pillars gave it the appearance of a palace rather than a family home. Vast gardens surrounded the estate, while fountains, statues, and carefully maintained pathways filled every corner of the grounds. It was the sort of place that made visitors instinctively straighten their backs and choose their words carefully. The Perde family lived there, after all.

Justin casually strolled through the gates, and the moment he entered the estate, he was greeted by a flood of servants. They quickly took his armour and weapons away, brought him a fresh, neat dinner outfit, and even had a maid redo his ponytail.

This would have seemed like a dream for another person, but to Justin, it was uncomfortable. He never cared much for having others do his personal stuff for him.

While he was murmuring about how he didn't like this, a servant reached for his trousers to take them off and replace them.

“Hey!” His deep voice rang out in an embarrassed tone, causing the maid and everybody else to stop. “Thank you all, but I've got it from here.”

They all nodded and left him. He breathed a sigh of relief. After changing his pants himself, he strolled to the main residence.

He reached the main stairwell and couldn't hold back his smile. He loved spending time with his family.

“You know, if you had taken the carriages I keep sending you, you would have arrived hours ago,” a mature male voice travelled effortlessly from the top of the stairwell.

“You know I don't like all those fancy things.” Justin waved away the remark. “Besides, our house isn't that far away. Walking isn't that bad.”

Justin always used this as an excuse. He was always too embarrassed to tell anybody the real reason he loved walking around the kingdom.

He reached the top of the flight of stairs and stood before an older man. Even though his features and height had aged, the striking resemblance and the blonde shoulder-length ponytail were a dead giveaway.

“Greetings, Father.” Justin brought his hand out for a handshake.

His father looked at his hand for a few seconds before drawing his son in for a hug.

“You might be a man now, but you're still my little boy,” he laughed.

After the hug, his father looked at him from head to toe with pride.

“My son, becoming his own man,” he said more to himself than to Justin.

“Come on in. Everybody is inside waiting.”

Justin gestured for his father to lead the way, and as they walked in, he took one last look at his house with a proud smile.

His home, his family.

House Perde