Nicholas Halstead led the big black gelding out of the stall.  It was still dark in the early morning hours with a thin grey line to the east.  The horse snorted and nickered to the other horses already saddled and ready for the journey.

Tying the lead rope to the upper rail on the corral he brushed the horse down and threw the saddle blanket followed by the saddle, onto the black’s back.  Lacing the latigo through the cinch, he pulled the leather girth tight around the gelding’s chest. 

He paused to look over his work and chuckled to himself.  A year ago, he had never seen a horse in real life,  and here he was riding, saddling, and taking care of them like an expert.  It was amazing how adaptable humans could be.

Alexander Black walked out of the house and into his stall, pulling his horse and going about getting it ready for the journey.  He watched the other man’s hands and body as he moved – a natural at animal care.  He finished loading his horse and nodded appreciatively at Halstead, “You have all the appearances of a natural, Nicholas.  Even in my younger days could not have had such skills.  You sure you want to travel the stars for the rest of your life?”

Nicholas leaned on the pommel and stared off into the distance.  After a brief moment of silence, he spoke, “No, I am not certain. Had you asked that question a year ago… I would have said yes. Without hesitation.   I am comfortable in this world, but Aoife….” He glanced over at the cottage,  “Aoife’s place is with the stars, and I think my place is at her side.”

The elder cleric cinched up the saddle and gently checked his horse’s feet before returning his attention to the man, “Thinking is not the same as knowing.  I’ve liked and loved plenty of women in my lifetime – I never had one that I knew was the one I wanted to follow into the fire.”  He shrugged and scratched at the horse’s head, “It is your life to live. I do not presume to tell you how to live it.”

“I wouldn’t listen to you if you did,” Nicholas said with a grin. Shrugging, he sighed,  “I can’t stay here regardless.  I have a family. And while I don’t know the future of Aoife and I, I do know my son needs his father. No, I have to return.”

Black understood those feelings, “Home is where the ones you care for are – I often wonder what my last years will be like here.”  He glanced around, “I still have many more to go, but I contemplated it more and more.”

The cottage door opened, and light within poured out. Silhouetted and wrapped in her cloak Aoife stepped out, closing the door behind her. Approaching the two men, she handed them cups of tea, “So what were you two going on about?”

“Oh, just guy talk,” Nicholas said, accepting the tea, “Thanks.” Taking a sip and smiled contentedly.  “I do miss coffee,  but this is good tea.”

“I doubt there’s a coffee bean within a hundred light years from here,” Aoife said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I know.  Still doesn’t make me miss it any less.”

Black accepted the tea, “There have been rumors of this…coffee bean for many thousands of years.  I’ve searched the land for it, but nothing was ever found.  Lots of leaves for a drink, of course.”  He finished his and turned to the two, “I’ll gather the rest of the supplies from the barn.”  He walked off, leaving the two of them to talk.

Nicholas glanced over his shoulder and watched Black dissappear and returned his gaze into the distance.   Looking at Aoife he suddenly spoke, “What of us? I mean what of us if we get back?”

Aoife gave Nicholas an odd expression, “What about us?”

Nicholas sighed, “We have lived as a married couple for the last year.”

Aoife sipped her tea.  Tapping the cup with her index finger, she gave Nicholas a thoughtful look. “We did that to save face in a community where men and women were not to be living together,  and I, as a woman, could not survive alone. At least not without doing something that would put me on the edge of society.”

“I know, but… Aoife, I believe I have feelings for you….”

Aoife was shocked and tried to form words that she could not find.

Alexander ambled back after some time and strapped the remaining supplies to the horse, checking to ensure it held.  He glanced at the sky, “There could be rain this evening.  Wherever we get to, we should locate some strong shelter.  The storms of our land are not to be trifled with in any form.”

“Then we should plan accordingly,” Aoife said, thankful for the interruption. 

Alexander looked at each of them and felt he had missed something.  He had suspected in the short time he had come to know them that there were some…complicated matters between them.  He had learned long ago to keep such thoughts to himself lest he opens up a chasm from which he could not escape.  “Let us ride – the wind will be at our backs for a short time.”

They gathered the last supplies, and Black secured his home before mounting his horse.  They started slow and then picked up speed on the path as the day’s light began its trip onward.

Aoife was silent as they rode.   She was careful not to make eye contact with Nicholas.   She still wasn’t sure how to respond to his declaration.   Did she feel the same way?  As Captain, she never had the luxury of even allowing herself to think in those terms; now, her world was being turned upside-down again.

Black pushed them on, driving them deeper and deeper into the hills and forests, his eyes searching the landscape.  The clouds began to grow as the light pushed higher and higher.  The air felt damp and clumsy, and Alexander grumbled, “The rain is coming.”  He consulted his map momentarily and smiled, “There is an old settlement just down the way – last time I was there, a few buildings remained.”

“I assume by your description that it has long ago been abandoned?” Nicholas asked.

Black gave a sad nod, “Nothing out here has seen life for a long time.  Our people abandoned the life out here long ago – too dangerous, they said.  Too afraid of the wonders that are around, I say.”

They moved quickly, and the horses were just being pulled into the haphazard barn when the rain broke with a thunderclap, dousing the world around them.

“Glad you knew of this place,” Aoife said, staring into the rain.  “That would have been a miserable ride, to be sure.”

The old cleric watched the rain aggressively stomp down from the sky above, “One of my reasons to come here was the rain…but the other reason is that there is an old library just a door or two down…a library which I have been working on moving to my home.  There is a book there – too heavy to move – that may tell us the site’s location we seek.”

“And no one else knows of it?” Aoife asked.

Black smiled, “If the clerics from the towns knew it existed, they would burn it to the ground.  They twist and turn the words of old into what they need it to be.”  He handed them heavy blankets from the shelf, “The overhangs should keep us dry.  Come along.”

Aoife sighed and nodded, “Commander watch the horses.  We’ll be back. Let’s get this over with.”

Alexander led her down the wrecked walkway as the rain sputtered and spattered through holes in the awnings until they reached the door, where he carefully inserted a worn iron key and slipped inside, followed by Aoife.  The room was dark, and he lit the candles, the musty and dusty smell clawing at their nostrils.

“No one has been in here for a while.  What is that smell?” Aoife asked rhetorically.

Black smiled, “It is an acquired odor, I admit.  Up here.”  He walked to the far end of the room, where a raised altar dominated the library’s back area.  A massive book with stone covers and pages of hardened wood sprawled across the marble stone.  He took in the sight, “It is the holiest scripture I have been able to find in my years of searching. I suspect this was a thriving city once, and this place was the center of many studies about our faith…but times change, and hearts grow distant from hope and truth.”

“That is the human condition, Mr. Black.  That same was true on Earth.  They call it progress.  I’m not so sure.”

He jostled the pages and slowly began to turn them, “You can see now why trying to bring this home would have ended in my early doom.”

“I thought you were exaggerating.   That’s a tome to last the ages.” Aoife circled the book resting on its table, studying it with a scientist’s curiosity,  but reluctant to touch it like it would shock her or something. 

He continued to work the pages until he found what he was looking for and let out a long breath, “I think I can count that as my daily body work in my journal.”  He chuckled and slipped his glasses on, “Now, let’s see here…”

“The device that brought us here… Well, you remember,” Aoife said cutting herself off.  She was repeating herself.   Black was no fool and smarter than most.  He didn’t need her telling him about it again.

He gave her a curious look but smiled warmly, “You are anxious to return home.”  He turned the pages, grimacing at the old weight, “I couldn’t help but notice something…was different between you and your…friend when I returned to the horses.”  He searched the words on the pages feeling as if he was getting closer to the truth.

She hesitated and then let out a long sigh.  Who else was she going to talk to about this?  “Nick… Commander Halstead wanted to open the door for a relationship.  As his captain, that would be inappropriate,  possibly even against regulations, with him being my XO and direct subordinate.”

Black did his best to understand the meanings of the different words she was speaking.  It took him a moment, but he arrived at the meaning, “There are plenty of stories in our history and mythology to suggest otherwise.”  He read through a page and flipped some more before realizing she didn’t understand his references, “My apologies my lady.  I forget this is not your native land.  There are stories of Lady Caitlyn and her guard who would gaze at each other, wanting each other…but they remained bound to their positions for so long…until one day, she could take it no more.  She knelt at his feet and proposed marriage.  It was a scandal, yet the nation’s people eventually accepted them.  Their love is taught in schools to this day as a model for us all to follow.  No matter the position or the pedestal – one should not deny the love that drives our hearts.”  He turned a page, “Ah, yes.  There it is.”

Aoife sighed considering his words. She remained silent as Black thumbed through the pages

He traced the words with his fingers, “The place and instrument we seek are over the hill and in the next valley…at least it was there when this was first written.  ‘The Great Bridge’ is the name this document refers to it by…it seems there have been many names given to this thing.”  He turned back to her, “The real question is – are you a Lady Caitlyn…or will you stuff your feelings into the raging depths of your heart?”

“I… I…” She blushed, “This is more than a scandal. It means the uprooting of something I have worked so hard to build. Twenty years to be a Starship captain. It’s an identity that is tied to me now.  I do not know if the risk is worth the reward. And there is a very real possibility that I don’t lose my captaincy, but Nicholas is reassigned to another ship, and a relationship across light-years never works out.”

Black listened to her, his face remaining blank as she finished her rationalization.  “I do not claim to understand how the world works in your place and time…but I do have a claim on understanding love in all its forms.  There is a concept of risk in our practiced faith – the risk of war, the risk of love, the risk of….well, anything.”  He finished copying the notes from the heavy book, “I have our next step in this journey.  We’re close now.”  Alexander stepped down from the elevated platform and headed towards the door, “You must make your decision about your journey with him soon.  When you find your way back home…you may have run out of time.

“If it’s meant to be, time is irrelevant,” Aoife replied dryly not caring for the sermon much.  She sighed and gave the book one last look and followed Black outside.

The afternoon sun was rising as they traveled down the overgrown path. The hill had been tough, and even Black had found it challenging, giving him a focused scowl for most of the climb.  The jagged climb had given way to a halting descent as the horses scaled the uneven rocks and mud.  Overgrown trees steeled them from the blaze of the sun, but the air felt thicker as they traveled deeper into the valley.  Alexander felt his scowl deepen, “This air is old air…older than anyplace I’ve been to in my time.”  He sniffed at the air, “It feels as if life was born here…and died here.”

“I don’t know about all that,” Nicholas said, his eyes scanning their surroundings, searching for movement.  He was in full armor, and only his helm was removed. “Something about this place puts me on edge.”

Alexander pushed his horse forward, “Legends were told where Avalon began – the birthplace of Arthur, Merlin – a site that has always eluded the most practiced cleric.  The people in the cities have long abandoned the hunger to find the truth of it all…they became apathetic.”  They continued with Black leading, Nicholas behind him, and Aoife in the distant rear.  “You seem to favor her.”

“The Captain?” Nicholas asked. He snuck a glance back and shrugged. “Is it that obvious?”

Black nearly cackled but settled on a chortle, “I’ve not lived as long as I have not to see something exists in the clouds that separate you.  There is lightning and thunder.  Quiet as it may be…it is hard to ignore.”  They shifted through a clearing, and cragged ruins seemed to hold in the fog ahead.  “You are softer when you look at her.”

Nicholas clenched his jaw at that uncertain how to take it.  It sounded like an insult, but delivered as nothing more than an observation of an old man.

Suddenly the air grew warm, and a cold wind fluttered across the ground.  A figure appeared in the fog and stepped forward.

“What the hell?” Nicholas growled and drew his sword to charge the unknown figure.

Black jumped off his horse, “Hold, Sir Nicholas…this is…this is Igraine, the mother of Arthur.”  He knelt before the beautiful robed figure in a rare show of his aging Cleric credentials. “I am humbled in the presence of you, my lady.”

Igraine cocked her head to the side, “Sir Alexander Black.  You are known to me.”  She shifted her yes to the two Starfleet officers, “You are not…but your hearts align with him.”

Aoife raised an eyebrow at that and exchanged a look between them. Neither spoke, unsure what they were seeing. Surely they weren’t seeing a 1,700-year-old woman.

Black rose at the gesture of the mysterious figure and shook his head, “Your Highness…most revered Queen Igraine…how can you be here?”

She smiled faintly, “We came here from another place…I was to return with them…but they needed me to stay…to protect what had been broken.”  She stared at the two Starfleet officers, “They are from my home…although I have spent enough time reading and listening to the universe to know some time has passed since I left…what you call it…Earth?”

“You know of it? Earth?” Aoife asked, her tone questioning. “Are you an alien? Uh… what are you? You cannot be alive after nearly two millennia.”

Igraine sighed, “It has been a long time.  No, my body died long ago…but Merlin found a way to protect this place.  My…I suppose you would call it ‘soul’ is tied to this place.  The Vulcans call it a…Katra, I believe.”  A thin smile passed across her lips, “My…soul has been listening to the stars across the universe for a long time.  I’ve learned so much just…resting here.”  She returned her gaze to the two Starfleet officers, “A Federation of people…drawn together to stand for righteous ideals…I often wondered what lay beyond the stars.”

Black asked, “How…how have I never found this place?  I have searched…for a lifetime!”

A sad nod was her answer as she walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders, “I have known you since you came to be here on Avalon…I have watched your searching, your seeking…and heard your pleas.  No, I’m here because Merlin foretold that The Bridge would be needed again.  I was only to allow this place to be seen when the right moment arrived.”  She looked back to Aoife and Nicholas, “The right moment has arrived.”

“The right moment? Are you implying we are somehow important to something?” Aoife demanded. “And of Merlin. A soul such as yourself?”

She shuffled over to a bench and sat down, “He was more than magical.  What we knew of power and magic and the unnatural…his abilities pushed beyond the limits of what we knew…or could imagine.  He was a master of creating something from nothing – we could never figure out how he did it.” She shook her head, remembering his demonstrations, “He was a fearful creature…a thread of madness was woven through him that could not be removed or cut.  The story of Merlin could never be fully told – he was so many things with so much power…I could never hope to escape this place on my own.”

“So, you are a prisoner?” Nicholas asked. 

The mother of Arthur chuckled, “If my son were here, he would agree with you…that I was held against my will.  Arthur would have killed Merlin…if he could.  I don’t think anyone could kill that man…or whatever he was.  As for your importance, young woman…yes.  I could not tell you what the importance means, but this is the only time I have felt compelled to reveal myself to others.”  She brushed at the dust and debris on the bench, “Merlin never died…I know there are myths and stories of his undoing…but I would know.  I would vanish from this place if it were so.  His life source is unknown to me…but it is an indomitable creation that beats within his chest.”  She pushed off the bench, “I suppose I should show you the place you’ve been searching for.”

Black was amazed.  Igraine was shifting his entire understanding of his faith, the practice, and the culture that had sprung up around it.  He looked to Aoife and Nicholas, “It is a most amazing thing.”

“The Federation has countered beings capable of wielding great power. Apollo, the Douwd, the Profits,  Gary Mitchell. Merlin must have been an alien of similar nature,” Nicholas commented. 

“But what I don’t understand is what it has to do with us. We aren’t from this world,” Aoife commented. 

Igraine glanced at Black, who stared at her before he concluded, “Because it was never intended for the people of Avalon.” He paced back and forth, his theory sprouting from his lips as he walked, “Somehow Merlin must have known…or planned…to get people like you here that he would build an escape door for you to find.  Merlin was known for being quite mercurial in his actions and plots.”

The mother of King Arthur shook her head in response, “That word doesn’t do him justice.  He was mean, bitter, and a menace.  As much as he did for my son and the kingdom…he was not a good man in the sense of our times.  He was very much not from our world or time.  If he were human, he would have met his end early in his career.  Merlin was always several steps ahead of his critics and enemies.  He was…very good at staying alive.”

Alexander lamented, “The texts certainly have forgotten his true nature.”  He glanced at Aoife and Nicholas, “We must get these two home, my lady.  They have a world…and a universe awaiting them.”

“Something tells me that’s easier said than done,” Aoife replied. “But we have families and friends who we miss.”

The look on Igraine’s face suggested Aoife wasn’t far from the truth.  Instead of answering, she said, “Come with me.  I will lead you to the bridge.”

Both Aoife and Nicholas slid off their horses and tied the leads to a nearby tree. Aoife adjusted her skirts and followed Igrain with Nicholas at her side. The trees closed in around them and the shadows closed in around them and scents of pine and decaying vegetation filled the air.

Aoife was out of breath, and her face was flush. Clutching her side, she sucked in air, filling her burning lungs. Beside her, Nicholas, who had greater stamina than her,  looked infuriatingly fresh.

“What are you looking at,” Aoife growled through breaths. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all, Captain,” he said, amusement hanging just at the corners of his mouth.

Alexander Black walked at the side of Igraine as they wove through the ruins, his mind taking it all in.  They came to a massive stone door, and Igraine looked to the two who were catching up, “You must know…once they cross over the bridge, there are consequences.”

He asked, “What…do you mean?”

Igraine looked to the two with sadness, “Your entry into this place set in motion what will happen.  Your exit will complete the circle of destiny that you began to dry with your feet.”  She stepped forward and placed her hands gently on Aoife’s side, her eyes closing as ancient words whispered from her lips.  Black sensed the wind pick up briefly.  He watched as the relief became clear on the face of the captain.

“Thanks,” Aoife said.

Igraine stepped away, “Once you cross over the bridge…the ruins across Avalon will sink into the earthen…never to be seen again.  The known and unknown libraries outside the cities will burn in the fires of Merlin’s prophesy.  Everything that connects to my son and our people’s journey here…will be swept away until there is no more.”

Black turned to her, worried, “And you, my lady?”

She smiled warmly, “I will be allowed to pass over into the world that lies beyond.  I will embrace my son…and my family will be returned to me in the after.  Do not worry about me, Cleric Black.  I go to the place where I am intended to rest.”

Nicholas queried, “So the people of Avalon will lose their connection to their… religion?  Is that even the right word?”

“Why would our return have that effect?” Aoife demanded.”What makes us so special?”

Igraine looked to both of them, “The connection has long become twisted into something unrecognizable and unholy…the Grand Clerics of this day ignore the relics and sites of old.  They’ve built walls around them to keep the people in, like cattle.”  Her face fell towards sadness, “It is the way of things on Avalon.  The truth is pushed away and replaced by something that feels good.”  She shook her head, a singe of anger, saying, “They have created this abomination of a faith.  They’ve crafted their justice to hang above their heads.  As for what makes you special…perhaps it was always Merlin’s plan to do this… maybe he knew the people would lose their way.  It could also be a test…a test of faith.  If the people had spent their time as Cleric Black has in searching and documenting…the foundation of the faith wouldn’t have been lost.”

She placed her hand against the stone door, whispering the words she had not spoken for an eternity. Nothing happened.  The mother of Arthur frowned and then smiled as the door rumbling echoed across the yard.  Dust and debris filled the air as the massive stone entry thundered open. The hall’s darkness stared back at them, and Igraine took a long breath, “I am very glad that worked.”

They stepped through the tall door and followed the woman into a massive structure where light filtered through unseen portals in the ceiling, casting spotlights throughout the massive room.  As they reached the edge, the ornate and spanning bridge appeared out of the darkness below them.  It lay across a yawning canyon that fell into the deep, inky blackness below.  Igraine lifted her hands and shouted out more old commands.  A rumble began under their feet until a low thrumming sound.  Torches on walls exploded into fire, lighting the path from where they stood down several stone stairways.

“So this… this takes us home?” Aoife asked uncertainly.

Igraine confessed, “That part…I do not know.  Merlin wasn’t clear, as he was most of the time.  I was only instructed to give you a chance to choose the bridge.  He was clear about that – the power was in the choice.”

Black was in awe, “This…is the bridge!  It is an actual bridge!”

“I expected the term ‘bridge’ to be more of a metaphorical term,” Nicholas added.

Black led them down the stairs and waited anxiously on the threshold of the bridge.  He turned to the two, “I do not wish to tell you how to live…but both of you are destined for more than Avalon could ever offer.  You must continue on the path towards your home.”  He embraced them and stepped away, “You have given me hope for the worlds beyond our own…things are much bigger than I ever imagined.  Thank you.”

“The size of the universe is unimaginable. The vastness and wonders of space never ceases to amaze me,” Aoife said as she returned Black’s embrace. “Just know humans have grown beyond the petty greed and hate that we see here on Avalon. A world where most illnesses have been eliminated, and we work to better ourselves.”

Alexander chuckled, “It sounds like a dream.”

Nicholas extended a hand to Black,  “You saved our lives. You didn’t know us, yet you took us in, and helped us.  That is a debt I can never repay.”

Black shook his hand, returning the strong grip, “You didn’t kill me when I surprised you, so I think we can call it even.” He smiled quietly as he watched them begin the crossing.

Nicholas and Aoife crossed the bridge cautiously,  the heels of their shoes making soft clicks upon the stone surface.  A cold wind blew across the bridge from within the depths, rustling her skirts.  

A swirling mist of grey obscured the end of the bridge. Aoife gripped Nicholas’ gauntleted hand. There was a menace to the mist that she didn’t understand. 

“Do we do this?”

Nicholas stared ahead, his eyes fixated on the formless wall. “Do we have a choice?”

“There’s always a choice,” Aoife replied. 

“We don’t belong here. My son and daughter are grown,  but I am still their father. What we could have had here was always a fantasy.”

“Nicholas… it wasn’t a fantasy. I… love you too.”

He looked down at his captain and squeezed her hand, “Then let’s return home.”

Aoife took a deep breath,  closed her eyes, and stepped into the mist.

Aoife didn’t know what she expected to see on the other side of the mist, but this wasn’t it. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light as she took in her surroundings.

They were in a massive stone room. The vaulted ceilings were made of intricately carved sandstone. The walls were constructed of thick granite blocks covered in a blanket of moss. This left their surroundings with a feeling of long abandonment that came with the stale air of decay.

Her gaze fell upon a circular table standing in the center in the eerie stillness. The oak chairs with their tall backs and no armrests surrounding the table were in various states of disarray. Some were pushed aside while others lay overturned as if a tumultuous event had taken place. Thick vines snaked their way over and around the table, their tendrils exploring every surface. The surface of the table was covered in a thick layer of dust untouched for ages.

The only light streamed through a pair of empty windows high up on the far wall. Once majestic,  the remnants of a stained glass still held broken shards of red, blue, and yellow in their empty frames.

Aoife felt a shiver run down her spine as she stood there, consumed by the haunting atmosphere of the room. She could almost sense the ghosts of the past still walking these stone floors. Wherever she was, she wasn’t home, not yet anyway.

“Unbelievable.”  Alexander Black stared at his body, the world around him, and then across the room at Nicholas and Aoife. “The moment you vanished…I blinked…and now I’m here.”  He took in the view and gasped, “This…is impossible!”  He hesitantly moved towards the table, and walked around the scene at a distance.  “This is…this is the Table of Justice and Knowledge!  Here, King Arthur sat with his knights and made plans to save Avalon from the darkness ages ago.”  He examined the rest of the room, “This shouldn’t exist.  King Arthur’s castle was destroyed in The Great Phenenoma.”

“As in Camelot?” Aoife asked. “Wouldn’t it be on Earth anyway?”

The Grand Cleric shook his head, “This is beyond me.  I’ve only heard rumors of this place…there’s very little textual evidence in the scriptures or discussions to suggest this place was ever real.”  He kept shaking his head, “Everything we knew was wrong.”

Aoife looked around and approached the round table and ran her finger over the surface.  The wood was cracked and warped with age. “We’re talking centuries,  and a lot of it disseminated by Clerics with their own selfish interests.  I’m not surprised there’s inconsistencies.  This is the ultimate game of telephone.”

A booming voice shook the room, and the floor shuddered.  “What a small mind you have, Grand Cleric.”  Out of the darkness, a tall figure stalked, dressed in a richly woven robe, a slim twisted stick in one hand and a thick tome in the other.  Bearded, his face was that of a middle-aged man, his eyes bright blue as he looked at each of them.  “What heroes she has sent me.”  He chuckled, “You are to be the champions that saves Avalon at last.” 

Black spat at the floor, “Merlin.”  He was angry.  

Merlin shrugged, “It is one of my many names, Grand Cleric.”  He turned his attention, “Now…Aoife and Nicolas…it is nice to see someone from Starfleet now and again.”  A menacing smile crossed his lips.

“You know us?” Nicholas asked as Aoife moved alongside him. 

Aoife muttered, “He’s a Q.”

Alexander was confused, “What is a ‘Q’?”

Merlin cackled, “That is a loaded question; you should be warned.”  He held up both arms and closed his eyes.  The room suddenly shifted into what it might have looked like in the days of old.  Candles were lit, and the dust and debris swept away.  Fires lit in the twin fireplaces on each end of the large room, and food appeared on the table along with three ornate and different swords.

“Why are we here? Why are you here?” Aoife demanded.

Merlin rolled his eyes, “I am merely here to present you with a choice.  Avalon will fall under siege of great darkness from this galaxy.  They are known as The Horseman of Alakis…and there are three of them.”  He explained that they were mythic beasts in this galaxy that consumed planets like the Borg or Dominion.  “The thing about this place is…well, there is no Starfleet to stop them.  They’ve taken many a world by fire, slaughtering those that didn’t surrender.  Surrender still brought death, to be clear.  You can go home…and I’ll send you on your way.  Or…you can stand and fight…save the people of Avalon from this evil.”

Black asked, “The Merlin I studied had great power…my friends seem to think you have power.  Why can’t you stand against them?”

Merlin grimaced and took a long breath, “Because…they are my children.  I made a mistake…I spent time with their people…and I fell in love.  Big mistake, I know.  And yet…she was tender, lovely, and kind…her triplets, however… killed her and swore out a warrant on my head.  I’ve been trying to escape them…and now they’ve figured out where I did some of my greatest work…so they’re coming here to lay waste to it.”

“I want nothing to do with family drama,” Nicholas said, an edge to his voice.

“I am powerless against them.  It is a frustrating situation.  I wish I could snap them away.  Whatever blood came from her people and combined with mine…has made them resistant to my power.  Those swords, however…they carry the power to end them.”

Aoife frowned.  She didn’t understand.  “What will a sword do against an interstellar threat? I don’t have a ship, and there are only three of us. What good will we do?”

Merlin gestured to the swords, “They are crafted from a unique mineral found here in Avalon and on my children’s planet.  Their supply is heavily guarded and impossible to access.  The supply here…easily accessible.  Before Arthur returned home, he had swords made for him and his men from the same source.  If the Horseman ever got to Earth, they there would be a way to slay them.”  He continued, “Once the blade is touched, it is bound to the owner…it imbues with otherworldly strength, cunning, and power…that is what defeats them.  As for family drama – ignoring this will lead to the destruction of this planet, its people…and eventually you should they figure out how to find your home.”

Aoife signed. There were so many unanswered questions.  She still couldn’t grasp how a sword, even a “magical” one.  “How does this battle play out? Who specifically is this threat?”

Merlin groaned, “The Horseman of Alakis.”  He waited in the silence and sighed after letting the quiet remain for five minutes, “There’s only three of them.  The mineral is the only thing that can cut them.  They are unaware of the mineral supply here, which is to our benefit.”  Silence filled the space again and he explained, “They are a warrior society – they consume the worlds to feed their bodies and their families back home.  It is an honor to consume a world and send it home to be fed on by their people.  So they’re not going to stop.  They’ve survived on the supply of systems, but they are having to move farther away to find places to consume.  You, humans, used to call it ‘the law of supply and demand’.  And this planet is next on their supply list.”

Black asked, “So…we challenge them to a fight?”

The sage magician nodded, “You must each challenge one of them.  They cannot turn down a fight – neglecting your duties of war is a mortal sin.  They must stand equal to their opponent…so they will be your size and stature.  No powers can be used…it is a simple battle of swords versus swords.  No one has ever challenged them and one…but no one has had these swords.”

“And if they bring an army?” Nicholas demanded.  

Merlin laughed out loud but slowed to chuckle as he caught the confusion on the man’s face. An odd look passed across his face, “They don’t have an army.  They don’t need one.  The three of them are the army.  The swords will carry your day, and they will taste the bitterness of a bloodied defeat.”  He looked to the three of them, “You have a choice.  One which you will need to make soon.”

Black grumbled, “Not much of one when you think about it.”

Aoife sighed,  picked up a sword,  “Now what?”

Merlin glanced at an archaic watch – “They’ll be here tomorrow morning.”  He turned to the three of them, “Rest and ready yourselves.  I’ll work on dinner.”

Aoife sighed,  “Very well, let’s do this.”