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.