Chapter twenty two:
"Hmm, Camelot is so far away that he has to use portals?" Corvus asked Aife.
"Nay, master just has a flair for dramatics and enjoys making an entrance. Camelot is close to where we had met, it is under magical wards that make it indistinguishable from the surrounds. In this way, it is safe from it's enemies." Replied Aife.
"Enemies... Like Morgen le Fey or Mordred? Said Corvus Rigel.
The young woman shuddered at the mention of the name's. Fear emanated from her in waves and Corvus's eyes widened. He started to regret mentioning them. She turned to him and asked shakily. 'What does thou know of them? How?" Replied Aife.
Seeing her discomfort he was hesitant to speak. However, he eventually said. "Ah... uh... well. I am a being outside of your time. I guess, is the best explanation I can give for now. But from what I recall, Morgan le Fey is an immortal half- faerie half- human who is also the half- sister to King Arthur. To take away his kingdom and plunge it into chaos and then rule over the known world is her utmost desire. At one point, she magically disguised herself as Queen Guinevere, and well, had relations with King Arthur, giving birth to the bastard Mordred. Both of them are adept with magic and would stop at nothing to unsurp King Arthur's throne and rule the world. Is... that accurate?" He could see her state worsening as he spoke. So he had cautiously raised his question and looked upon her with concern.
She lowered her head, and in a small voice, whispered, ... yes." Then, Aife's mind went somewhere else, she was a young girl again. Bodies were strewn all around her in so many pieces, viscera and bone litter the once lush green fields of her village, smoke and ash in the air, blood flowing like river's. A woman's cackling laughter approaching her as a shadow approaches. The only thing standing between her and death was a valiant spear woman wielding her famed weapon Gae Bulg, Aife's elder sister. With a mighty cry the Gaelic maiden rushes into the darkness, flashes of light denoting each swing and thrust of her indomitable spear. Then... silence. The darkness dissipates and there is no more presence's around to save for herself. Young Aife weeps and cries for her sibling, searching, before eventually collapsing from hunger and exhaustion.
"...."
"...fe!"
"Aife!"
Broken from her waking nightmare, she realized she's now on her knees, being shook by the shoulders as an bronze gaze filled with worry sought a confirmation of her well being. Startled, she got up and dusted her robe off. She wore a stoic expression on her face as she turned to Corvus and spoke.
"My apologies... Now I'll show thee to thy quarters." Replied Aife. She almost flew from the room to escape from the inevitable questions, at least for now. Corvus, however, was not so insensitive as to bring it up again and filed it away as something he should ask Merlin about rather than her. He sighed, rose, and followed her out of the door. Once he caught up with her he walked with her in silence.
Seeing no desire to converse on her face, he sighed and instead took in his surroundings. The hall they were walking in was made of stone, with polished floors and metal brazier's at regular intervals, there were bricks in the left wall large enough for an archer to fit his bow and snipe at an approaching enemy, but still enough to make a retaliatory shot rather difficult. On the right wall were larger windows facing a rather large courtyard, within it was a small grove of topiary and flowers, each shaped like a different mythological creature, Unicorns, dragon's, a satyr, one was a nymph with it's leg's dipped within a water feature. In the small pond were several fully bloomed water lilies. Further in the center of the courtyard was a raised platform. Upon which he could see several figures doing what looked to be martial arts forms, every so often a flash of sparks or a magical circle became apparent.
After a few minutes of walking, Corvus refocused on his companion. He decided to try to break the awkwardness that has lasted since her previous collapse. He thought and drank his cup of coffee. With a start he seemed to have come to a decision and then tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him to then be faced with a flourish of his hand. A rainbow materialized above his palm which then swirled into the aurora borealis. It flashed many brilliant colors and then, with another flip of his fingers, a rose with petals of the same colors as the aurora materialized. The colors shifted around gradually and brilliantly. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he stuck in Aife's blonde ponytail.
Stunned, she looked at him with caution. He continued to look at her and seeing his insistence, she thanked him for the rose. After a few moments passed, she looked to the mysterious being at her side and raised an eyebrow in question. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, took a sip of his coffee, and then stated a prepared excuse. "I would like your help with an experiment. I don't know how long my constructions can last, so I would like you to keep it. Please let me know if it ever disappears." Said Corvus Rigel.
Aife then furrows her brow in thought. "Is he... trying to flirt with me? If so, it's a rather blunt attempt, and unnecessary... but.
I shall, if for no other reason than to study thy capabilities. Aife constructed a small portal and placed the rose in a vase on the other end of it. She looked upon it once more before she closed the portal and let's a small smile flit on her expression before returning to her professional demeanor. Significantly more composed now, if her aura was any indication, she began to walk once more.