The boy grunted in pain, pulling himself along the cold snow and ice to get to the lake's surface, his wounds turning the snow a deep red.
"Lady of the Lake I need you!" He called out, the desperation in his voice causing it to waver and quieten. Suddenly, the sound of boots crunching on snow echoed from behind him, and he knew his attacker was close.
Who this attacker was, he had no idea. But he knew for sure they were behind the attacks in the woods. They had to be. All of his friends' quests had been going wrong, and it was because of this man...this Snake.
"Lady of the Lake!" The boy on the shore called out again, his attacker still creeping up behind him. And suddenly, the waters began to churn, and a nymph slowly rose from the surface.
"Lady of the Lake! Please shelter me!" The boy shouted, but the Lady just looked at him, and smiled. Actually, she looked past him and smiled. She smiled at the man who'd nearly killed him.
"Please!" The boy yelled again. "You are Good's great defender, are you not? Well I'm a knight to King Tedros, the true king of Camelot. Please, open your waters!"
Again, the lady did nothing but smile, and the boy began to drift in and out of consciousness. The last thing he remembered was his attacker looming over him, and snatching the blood-drenched badge he had been wearing.
_____________________
"Chaddick?" a voice rang out, filling the boy's ears as his heavy eyelids fluttered open. "Chaddick?"
As his vision focused, he could clearly see the person leaning over him. "Sophie?" he said in surprise, and looked behind her to see Agatha, Hort, and two boys and a girl he had never seen before at the edge of the lake, calling out to the Lady, just like he had done not so long ago. Actually, how long had passed? He wondered. The sky which had seemed so vibrant the evening before was now a murky grey and the sun was nothing but a dim golden orb in the sky. "Where's Tedros?" Chaddick asked, trying to get to his feet but he buckled under his own weight as he realised he had no strength left.
Sophie watched, her face etched with anxiousness. "He's at Camelot."
"Still trying to pull Excalibur?" Chaddick asked, his mind pushing forward memories of the failed coronation.
Sophie nodded. Chaddick sensed her uneasiness. "What's wrong?"
"The Storian...it's telling our story again." she said in almost a whisper.
"Again? I thought it was done since you killed Rafal?" Chaddick said.
"Yes, well that's not the only thing. It painted you dead." she said, her voice cold with confusion and worry.
Chaddick froze. "Well that's not freaky at all."
"It wasn't completely wrong." Sophie said, her eyes fluttering to the wound on Chaddick's bare chest that his attacker had inflicted.
"Well it wasn't right either, was it. I'll be fine." Chaddick reassured and focused his attention back to the figures on the shore, growing increasingly agitated as the waters remained peacefully still. "They're wasting their time. The Lady's turned evil."
"What do you mean?"
"I asked for her help. But she chose that boy. That Snake."
"Who? Who's been here?"
"I don't know. He wore a mask. I'm sure he was the one responsible for the attacks in the woods. He's powerful, Sophie. More powerful than we've ever seen. And I think going after the Lady of the Lake is just the start of his plan. He's after something more."
Sophie's face changed in recognition. But at that moment, the waters of the Lake began to churn.