Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 04: Conflict
That night, when Harry finally went to his bed completely exhausted, after finishing all the nightly chores, which included making dinner, cleaning the dishes, doing the laundry, and just for good measure, sweeping the floors of the entire house.
By the time he was done, it was nearly midnight.
As soon as his face hit the hard pillow, he fell asleep, and his mind ventured once more into the realm of his dreams.
Harry found himself staring at a large expanse of terrain. He recognized it as the green fields that surrounded the kingdom of Camelot.
In front of him was the full army of King Arthur, which included all of his soldiers, as well as his elite knights. The ones called by the common folk as The Knights of the Round Table.
In the past, Arthur and his Elite Knights had been inseparable, but over time, their friendship had begun to fracture.
Still, they all came together when it was time to defend the Kingdom. No matter how strained their relationship with the King had become, they all cared for Camelot and its people.
And the same could be said about Merlin himself, who stood next to them, ready to fight to his last breath, even though his friendship with the King was not what it used to be, either.
Although in the case of Merlin, another matter occupied his mind, and that was none other than Morgan le Fay.
Merlin didn't think that King Arthur knew about this, but his relationship with his half-sister had been more than just mentor and apprentice. They had actually become lovers for a while.
And even though several decades had passed since Morgan left Camelot on not very good terms, Merlin never forgot about her. He still loved her very much.
The sorcerer clenched his staff as emotions began to stir inside him, just thinking about what he may have to do in this upcoming fight.
Harry could feel these emotions like it was happening to him...the sadness, despair, and anger, all mixed together in a whirlwind of chaos.
He always saw everything from Merlin's perspective, but it wasn't until recently that he also began feeling what the sorcerer felt, and he came to understand the man on a much deeper level.
"They are here! Your Highness!"
"Enemy at the gates!"
Two men dressed in light armor came riding their horses at full speed while shouting as loudly as they could.
King Arthur's expression hardened instantly. "Ready the troops," he said in a commanding voice.
The Army Captains took off and began to organize all troops that were stationed in the green plains.
Less than an hour later, the enemy could be seen appearing over the horizon.
"By the Lord!"
"How many are there?" the men started to say as they observed the large mass of men approaching.
King Arthur glanced over at his men. He knew their numbers were much lower, but he was not worried.
The full army of Camelot was only around two thousand strong. This was lower than other kingdoms present on the island, but it was only because Camelot had no levy system.
No commoners were forced to take up arms and fight if they didn't want to. These men in the field were all hardened warriors who dedicated their lives to train their bodies and minds.
Arthur was confident that every single one of his men would be able to take on ten of those barbarians.
And then there were his elite knights. Even in their advanced age, every single one of the Round Table Knights could take on a hundred men by themselves.
Finally, Arthur glanced at Merlin, the most powerful sorcerer in the world.
"Nervous?" Merlin had noticed the King's stare and commented.
King Arthur scoffed. "I have done this a hundred times before. This will not be any different. The Kingdom of Camelot will not fall today."
"Of course not, Your Majesty," Merlin tried to make light of the situation, but he felt that something was off with the King today.
As Arthur said, he had been in battles such as this one over a hundred times and had always kept his composure as he led his men to victory.
However, looking at the King now, Merlin could tell that something was truly bothering him.
His sorcerer's eyes were able to discern the subtle trembling in Arthur's right hand as it rested on the pommel of Excalibur, and the hint of fear in his eyes.
"I am sure the Kingdom will survive the day," Merlin then tried to sound reassuring, thinking that Arthur must just be a bit nervous about having to face Mordred once more.
But his instincts were telling him there was something more…
Distinct figures could now be discerned among the massive enemy army.
"That has to be Mordred…" King Arthur's eyes narrowed when he saw him.
The man seemed to be clad in full-plate black armor, making it impossible to see his face, but this was not needed at all.
Mordred was a nine-foot giant of a man, and his body stood well above everyone else. He did not wield a sword like most knights, but instead preferred a colossal double-edged war axe, which enabled his brutal fighting style.
"Mordred is mine," Arthur informed his men. "I killed him once… I can do it again," he said as he pulled Excalibur from its scabbard.
The magical sword began to shine brightly as if it were responding to the King's words.
The men saw this and felt their morale rising. King Arthur had always led them to victory, and this time, it would not be any different.
As long as he wielded Excalibur, the King was invincible.
At least, this was what everyone in Camelot believed in.
Merlin saw the King and his elite knights charge into battle before doing the same… but his target was somewhere else.
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The war began…
Warriors from both sides charged and met in the middle of the field.
Mordred's army was composed mostly of various barbarian tribes that he managed to subdue and control.
The barbarians lacked high-quality weapons and armor that Camelot's warriors possessed, as well as their refined training.
However, they compensated for this lack with sheer numbers, surpassing their enemies by almost five to one.
King Arthur and his elite knights were at the center of the battle and soon found themselves facing Mordred and his own elite warriors.
Merlin, on the other hand, was constantly moving across the battlefield while riding his horse, using his magic to attack anyone who got too close.
He was looking for someone in particular, and he finally found her near the back of the army.
"Morgan…" Merlin muttered under his breath. She looked just as young as the last time he saw her.
'What kind of forbidden magic have you been delving into?' the sorcerer wondered.
Her eyes met his own, and a cruel grin appeared on her face.
"Merlin. Have you come all this way just to kill me?"
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