Free X-Calibur: The Trial by R. Jackson-Lawrence Page A

being too powerful for any one man to wield.
    “Bring me the Grail,” Mor-Dred replied. “If you do, I'll let you all leave.”
    “You're lying,” Merlin remarked.
    Yes , the fragment said, chuckling.
    “No lies,” Mor-Dred promised. “If you bring me the Grail, you get to leave.”
    “All four of us?” Arthur asked.
    “All four of you,” Mor-Dred assured him.
    “Don't listen to him,” Merlin continued. “This is all part of his game. This world, it's of his creation. There's no way he'd let us succeed.”
    “I give you my word,” Mor-Dred insisted. “Your quest will not be easy, but the trials you face will be nothing for the true Arthur and Merlin to overcome. Unless, of course, you have something you wish to confess. Do you, Arthur?”
    “When do we start?” Arthur said defiantly.
    “Excellent!” Mor-Dred replied. “Guards, escort them outside and remove their restraints. Return the other two to their cell.”
    “Wait,” Arthur protested. “I thought they were coming with us?”
    “Oh no,” Mor-Dred said mockingly. “Until you return with the Grail, they'll stay here with me. Don't you worry though, I'll be sure to keep them entertained.”
    Arthur turned as Gwen and Lance were dragged backwards from the throne room and into the antechamber. Gwen met his eyes for a moment, an unspoken promise between them before she was hidden from view by the rapidly closing doors.
    Meanwhile, the remaining guards manhandled Merlin and Arthur, dragging them from the throne room and out of the larger double doors. A wide corridor passed by in a blur before the guards removed their manacles and tossed them unceremoniously into the street.
     
    *****
     
    Triltan slipped on her armour, checking that it was secure before opening the Vanguard's gangway. She had her rifle held across her chest, her finger resting gently against the trigger. As she began her descent, she tucked the butt of the rifle into her shoulder, moving it slowly left and right just as her father had shown her. The landing pad was clear, just as it had looked from inside the ship, and she wasted no time advancing towards the doors to the birthing chambers.
    The doors had closed behind Arthur and the others, and Triltan had to cycle through the unlocking routine again. The mechanism behind the doors whirred and hissed, sounding excessively loud in the silence of the hive ship and seeming to take much longer than Triltan had expected.
    A final whir was followed by a loud hiss as the doors began to part, making Triltan snap around. The large room beyond was dark, a sharp contrast to the bright lights of the landing bay. She switched on the light below the barrel of her rifle and stepped forwards cautiously, sweeping the rifle left and right as she made sure to check the corners of the room. Just as everywhere else she had seen, the room was empty and there were no signs of damage or distress.
    Using her capsule, she called up the map of that region of the hive, the image appearing in the top-right corner of her vision. Her position was shown as a flashing red dot, along with a dotted line indicating the path to the birthing chamber. She turned the torch towards a smaller door and stepped onwards, almost falling as she spun around at the sound of the door closing behind her.
    The rest of the room was in total darkness as her torch only illuminated a narrow segment at a time. She had the sense of the walls closing in, of hidden horrors surrounding her, and she continued to turn in circles as her breathing quickened. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, fighting against the fear that held her, the insistence that the dark was dangerous and she was its next victim.
    By the time she got to seven and nothing happened, the voice in her mind began to quiet and her breathing became less erratic. By eight, her pulse was slowing and her shaking was easier. At nine she was able to hold her breath, and at ten she opened her eyes and focussed intently on the