The air was cool as we assembled on the lacrosse field. We were all dressed in loose athletic wear that the wind caught and blew about us. If there was anyone who wanted to spy on us, they had ample opportunity. The moon was full and gleamed in a silver hue above us.
Twenty people gathered in a small area could easily spell disaster. We were sitting ducks if anyone had the notion to do any harm to us. I wasn't sure how any of us were going to be trained, but Max may have his way to get it done.
I glanced around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces. I had spent several months with many of these people, and the rest I barely knew. The only thing that had brought us together was a centuries' old prophecy and a strong dose of magic. If that hadn't bound us together, I don't think we would have considered being friends or even acquaintances.
I couldn't help the sigh that escaped me. It wasn't because of the time or what we were getting ready to do. I couldn't figure out what Nathan and Casey were planning. If we were talking about ancient times, I would know what they were after. They wanted Camelot then. Not the person, but the ancient city. If they had the city, they could rule the known world. Now it could be anything.
I could feel the pendant burning against my chest. That could only mean I was right on track. They weren't after me, not anymore. If the sward was giving me an affirmative, it meant they were after it. And if they were after it, that could only mean they were after one person.
Darren stood by the new guys Tyler and Chase. They were getting to know each other very well, but I hoped it didn't end here. There was no doubt in my mind that Darren was their end game now. I was still working on the why. What would they gain from taking him? He was only as powerful as those backing him.
I made mental notes of everything I would need to look into before school started. All the syllabi had been emailed to all the students late this afternoon. Senior year was going to be rough. I had to retake the SATs before December, then decide which college I wanted to attend. I didn't want to do all of that and save the world as well.
Max and Matt dumped armfuls of poles and wooden objects at their feet. I could only assume they were kendo sticks or bokken. They'd disappeared this afternoon after doing a long bout of inventory. When he said he'd figure things out, I wasn't exactly sure he'd go buy training equipment. I guess he couldn't find any suitable equipment now that the stables were gone.
Carlos brought up the rear and dumped several bows into the pile. He had to unhook quivers from his back before setting them gently against the pile. He smiled then fell into line by Bruce. The older boy clapped his shoulder fondly then turned back to Max.
The older Yeats started his spiel about being a highly trained soldier than someone who needed defending. He said the strongest person was only as good as the weakest. If we were going to have any chance at winning, we had to work as a team.
He stopped talking and looked at me. I blinked at him a few times before I realized what he wanted. I stepped out of the line and faced the people gathered. The pendant burned again so I slipped the chain over my head. Pressing it into my palm, I felt the magic course through my hand until it was heavy with a full length sword.
In the full moon, everything was different. I felt different. I could feel the magic more potently than I ever had. The blade gleamed dangerously in the silver glow from above. It caught the gems on the handle and cast the lightest shade of their beautiful colors.
When I looked up, I caught the eyes of those already bound by magic. There was the same glow around them that was on the sword. The only break in the line were the three I hadn't claimed yet. If Max was right and we were only as strong as our weakest link, then by not bonding them we were weak. They were our weakness.
The urge to Knight them was there and it was strong, but I had a sinking feeling I shouldn't do it right now. I couldn't figure it out. As I looked at the sword -at Excalibur- I knew my hunch was right. If I knighted them now, I wouldn't get to see their dynamic. They would be three people who were simply added to a group. I couldn't do that to them.
Despite its weight, when I flipped the pommel the sword spun over itself nimbly. Three, four, five times until it was once again my mother's necklace. I caught it and slipped it back over my neck. As soon as it was safely under my shirt, I saw the hue disappear from those assembled.
I shook off the remnants of the magic as Max stepped up again. He ruffled my hair then looked at everyone again.
"All right," he said. "Whatever just happened, ignore it. I'd like to see what our out of towners can do. Gentlemen, if you would kindly show up."
I stepped back into line and watched in fascination as the four adults took up my spot. Much like my pendant, they also had weapons that transformed. Tyler and Chase had swords and shields while Petey and Dylan sported long staves, or staffs. I couldn't feel any magic rolling off them so they were purely for physical attacks.
I could tell they were accustomed to fighting each other. They were all smiles as their sparring went on for several minutes. They were equally matched and no one could get the upperhand. There were several slurs tossed about, generally about each other's mothers and girlfriends.
Boys were really strange. They could insult each other all day long and still smile. Girls weren't like that usually. We tended to hold grudges and let them fester until we exploded. Then we fight and don't talk again. Girl world was just as strange, but these girls with us -with me- were basically ride or die.
The three men attacked Tyler as one. He hit the dirt and flipped once. Somehow he managed to gain his feet but it was over. Because they'd worked as a team, they'd taken out one of their own.
Max clapped their hands and they stopped. They were drenched in sweat despite being cool for a summer night, but they were otherwise happy.
"Once you can figure out how your friends work, you can coordinate an attack. You have to trust one another." He paused as his eyes swept over us. "I know we have a lot of pressure on us, but we have to be smart. We have to trust each other no matter what happens."
He paired us off, and my lucky partner was Ashley. She was a waif of a girl with red hair and brown eyes that held too much knowledge. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her, but I could tell she was fierce. Even though she smiled at me, I knew deep down she was just as ready as I was to have this over and done.
"How do we get fun trinkets to hide?" she asked.
I followed her gaze to the grown men and Matt. I hadn't realized they'd already had weapons. "I put in a good word. Hopefully they'll be done very soon."
"Hand to hand combat may be inevitable," Max said over everyone's chatter. "If you can figure out how to beat your opponent with hand to hand combat, you can always use your weapons. They are an extension of your body. But don't be stupid and assume you have them beat."
I was semi-prepared when Ashley launched herself at me. I barely had time to slide out of the way before she speared me to the ground. I grabbed her arm and slung her over my shoulder. She was stout for a small girl. She held onto my arm and tried to take me down with her. Instead, I wrapped my leg around her arm and wrenched hard on her shoulder. It wasn't enough to dislocate it, but it was enough to cause discomfort.
She tapped and we started again. We were equally matched, and it felt good to have someone my size to fight with. Beca and Bianca didn't want to hurt me, and the guys were worse. They refused to even land a punch or a kick, even a pulled one. I had a feeling we -Ashley and me- were going to be good friends once this was over.
I could hear everyone having a good time around me. They were laughing as they threw each other around. If we were actually using weapons it would be worse. The clanging of metal would outweigh the laughter, but we would still be having fun.
Matt and Max passed out the kendo sticks and bokken, and we practiced disarming each other. Ashley was good at it. I had a feeling her main weapon would be a sword, but I couldn't remember the lore about her previous Knight since I wasn't too sure which one she was. All of them were trained in various forms but they gravitate towards certain ones.
We worked well into the early morning hours, chattering and having fun. We all knew how important this was so we didn't take it lightly. We were tired by the time the midnight sun was halfway down in the western sky.
Aaliyah showed up as Max called for a stopping point. I wasn't sure what time it was, but we had worked hard all this time. I was covered in sweat and dirt as were we all, but we were happy to have worked out fully. Aaliyah made eye contact and smiled, and I realized she had completed my task.
"You could have told me Merlin shrank everything," I groused.
"Who do you think gave her the idea?" she asked. I shook my head. "I had other priorities at the time."
"Maddie?" I looked over at the person who called my name. It was one of the last people I had to Knight. "We'd feel so much better if we could officially join you."
Aaliyah patted my shoulder then went to pass out her new trinkets. I didn't bother asking how she knew who got what. She was just as good at keeping secrets as Drew.
Ashley, Madison, and Mitchell stood before me. Everyone else stood in a half-circle behind them sipping on water. This felt final, like we were in the last moments of a great war that for a long time didn't have an end in sight. It felt like we were finally able to finish something.
I stood witht the chain in my hand. The moon was now behind me so it must have been nearing three in the morning. This time it illuminated everyone's faces. They were tired, but there was a light that lived in their eyes that gave me hope. It was something I never imagined to feel again.
I once again gripped the pendant in my hand and felt the comforting weight seconds later. The three looked at it then slowly knelt before us all. My eyes slowly roved over the others, watching silver hue engulf them once more. They looked at ease for the first time in a while.
Ever since the forge had been burned, we all felt a sense of loss. We didn't know where we were going at the time. We had no weapons and weren't sure how to proceed. Our animals were displaced, as were our hearts.
Now as we stood under the first full moon since we'd been together, we felt a sense of complete accomplishment. We were finally able to hopefully see this through. So why did I feel like we were going to lose something very valuable?
With the moon in their eyes, the three recited all the same words the others had. I naturally accepted them, making sure to touch all six shoulders. It still felt weird to say I accepted them because it wasn't me who was doing it. It was the magic in the sword that bound us together.
When the blade lifted from Madison's left shoulder, there was a pulse of magic so strong it nearly drove everyone to their knees. The Round Table was complete. Those who were alive were finally united, and we actually stood a chance to make a difference where those before us couldn't. It was my sincerest wish.
When the sword was once again around my neck, Aaliyah passed out the rest of her goodies. She explained how they all worked and where to keep them so they didn't lose them. She also looked relieved to see everyone united finally.
Max ended the training, and we all trudged back to our respective accommodations. We were all tired, but it was a good kind of tired. I could feel the magic thrum through me as it tied the other three people to me, to us. It would take several hours to settle into my system.
Beca and I showered and slid into our beds. We didn't talk, but we didn't have to. We both knew what would happen when we woke up. There were two days left until school, and we needed to be prepared.
We smiled at each other and nestled into our pillows. Sleep came easily and happily. Our dreams were pleasant, at least mine were. But nightmares have a funny way of sneaking up at the worst moments.