Myths and Gargoyles by Jamie Hawke (interesting books to read in english txt) 📕

“The sword in the stone…” I stared at the sword in my hands in amazement.

He nodded. “It was put in that stone for good reason. For when I drew it, the stone carried with it a very dark power. One that sent me down a dark path, and set up me and my knights to serve the former paladin turned sorcerer.”

“I’m sorry, your majesty—”

“Just Arthur, will do.”

“Arthur…” I was relieved when we stopped, not sure if I should sheathe the sword or keep it at the ready. “I’m sorry, but how, er why, I mean—”

“There’s too many questions, too many answers. Today we aren’t here to discuss the topic of my past, but to focus on your future. What I will say is that his paladin magic allowed him to have control over us dark beings, and his new magic grew out of that. The Merlin of reality was, and is, as dark as they come.”

“So you know, at least?” I glanced around, lowering my voice as if that would change anything. “That he’s escaped?”

Arthur nodded. “It’s funny, them bringing me back only to send me here again. I’ll tell you the rest of my story someday, but suffice it to know I found a way to escape Merlin’s captivity, rose up against him, and found my way again. So now I’m here, training the new protector.”

I stood tall and proud.

“But that brings us to you, Jack,” he added. “Why should we put our faith in you?”

What the hell kind of question was that? Having been through what we had, already having proved myself to Red and the others, I didn’t know where to start. Then I remembered what he’d said about himself. It wasn’t about my past.

“I’ve given up my life to do this, and I’m willing to see it through to the end. My end, if necessary. Whatever I’ve proven to this point, I know it’s just the start. I plan on training hard, being devoted to my Myths and the cause.”

“Good.” He stared, waiting. “And we test that right here, right now?”

“In what way?”

“I’m glad you asked,” he said, and then took a step back, then another, until he was on the lake. He was a spirit, or something like that, so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. But then, drawing a blue sword of light, he motioned me to follow saying, “Catch me, fight me. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

He took another step back, eyes taking on a ferocity of their own, before turning and running, darting across the water.

My first reaction was to open my mouth and stand there like an idiot. I couldn’t fucking run on water!

But he was going to train me now, apparently, and I was a Tempest… after all. So, I took a step, and my feet got wet.

Damn.

“We’re all losing faith here,” Arthur called from across the water, halfway to the middle of the lake now.

I glanced back and noticed a couple of heads duck out of the window of the little cottage. It kind of annoyed me that they were watching, but then again it gave me courage. Made me want to prove myself. Not that I was proving how badass I was, but proving my loyalty, that I would never give up.

So I took another step, water cold and up to my ankles with both feet now. No matter how much I wanted it to happen, it simply wasn’t.

“Maybe we find another protector,” Arthur said, pausing now to turn around and taunt me. I could barely make him out, only a dark silhouette against the sun’s reflection on the lake. “Think your team would like that?”

Taunting me wasn’t going to work. But something needed to.

I glanced down at the sword, considering it. The Lady of the Lake had given it to me, right? The legends all played with that concept, and here I was at a lake, Excalibur in my hands. Pulling up the blade, I watched the blue glow that seemed to shift within the metal, considering the magic that was within.

Slowly, I lowered the blade to touch the edge of the water, mentally asking for permission to go on, and then took a step up. The blue glow ran up my arm from the blade and filled my body, landing at my feet as the bottom of my shoe touched the surface, and I stood there, bringing my other foot up. With first one step, then another, I was walking on water.

“First lesson,” Arthur called out. “It’s not always about what you’re capable of, but learning to trust those around you, to think outside the box and try new things.”

“That sounds like two lessons,” I shouted, running now, feeling the excitement charge through my body like currents of electricity. Each step hit like I was running across a massive trampoline, the sword in my hand feeling light as a toy.

Arthur laughed and said, “That’s number three—always make sure you learn more than one lesson from an encounter.”

Instead of running away this time, he charged me.

When I stepped back, the water started to give way. Fear, apparently, didn’t jive with this part of my sword’s water power. Keeping that in mind I braced myself, stepping back onto the surface, and charged Arthur.

Water sprayed up around us as we clashed, his sword acting every bit as real as mine, in spite of the fact that it appeared to be made of light. His sword connected with Excalibur and both of us were thrown back, tumbling and gliding across the water in a way that made it feel fun to fall.

Then we were up again, charging forward, and I felt the thrill of the fight, the warm tingling of my Tempest tattoos coming to life. Arthur leaped into the air, snarling with his fangs extended, and came down with the sword high… Again, the blast hit and we were sent back.

Only, this time he’d been ready for it, and dove under the water to come