Chapter Two: (The Past) History

*A Year Later...*

This was the first time I was being allowed near the border of the barrier. My father was going outside to get some materials for Avalon or something, and I was allowed to watch him leave. With him **watching me** of course. And not to mention the twenty other guards surrounding me.

“I don’t need all of these guards around me!” I cried.

“Right,” Father rolled his eyes, “So you can escape the second the barrier opens?”

“No!” I protested, “Not that, just- well…”

To be fair, I was incredibly curious about what was outside the barrier.

“Just one peek! No shadowmonster is going to attack me if I poke my head out!” I tried.

“You never know.” Father shrugged.

“Then why are *you* going out of the barrier? You never know, a shadowmonster may attack you.” I replied.

“Okay, don’t be a smart-aleck with me.” Father’s golden-gleaming eyes looked directly into my dark purple ones, “Also, is it not obvious I value *your* safety more than mine?”

“Yeah, it is. You’re **SO** overprotective of me.” I shook my head, “You can’t even give me a single peek outside of the barrier!”

Father ignored me. We reached the end of the barrier, and he touched it.

“Open, for your Avalonian king!”

He pricked his finger with a needle, and blood drops spurted out, though he didn’t even wince, and casually touched his bloody finger to the barrier. It immediately opened. And right when it opened, some crazy cobra shadowmonster swarmed past the guards and coiled around me, dragging me out of the barrier with it at an immense speed.

“AUGHGHH!” I screamed.

Father was in complete shock, though he recovered and ran after the shadow-snake, with me wrapped in it.

The snake looked at him, and then laughed in a dark voice, spraying a dark venom at him. Father blocked it with his sword, but his sword immediately disintegrated right when the droplets of venom collided with it. Father’s eyes bulged, and I tried to reach for the sword on my back that my father had armed me with “just in case anything happened.” I couldn’t reach it, but then something else immediately took over all my instincts and my lips spoke without me controlling them, “ᛈᛖᚱᛁᛊᚺ!”

The snake faded into light so bright, when I averted my eyes and it still was blinding. A second after, shadowy swirls were all that wall left of the snake, and a second after that, the shadowy swirls disintegrated into the air.

Father ran to me, and hugged me, squeezing me so tight I felt like I was suffocating.

“There there.” I decided to be the mature one and just patted him on the shoulder.

I noticed that thin rivers of tears were streaming out of his eyes and down his face. He released me, then cleared his throat.

“Just making sure I’m not crazy, you all saw that shadowmonster grab him and fade into white light?” He turned to the guards.

They all nodded, completely shocked.

“We need to discuss something with the council.” Father said, carrying me, placing me on his shoulder, and running back to the castle, “Urgently.”

The barrier snapped shut just as we left, but I was the only one who turned around to look at it. The guards followed father to the council room in the palace.

The other councillors were arguing with each other, and then turned to us.

“King Mordred, Did you see the bright light that illuminated all of Avalon?” Councillor Percival II asked my father urgently.

“Yes. And Cyrus here created it.” Father squeezed my leg, “I don’t know how, but I do know that I was *not* hallucinating.”

The four councillors sitting down turned to me.

Father nodded, “He possesses *magic*!”

Counselor Percival II’s jaw dropped, “Impossible!”

“Care to demonstrate?” My father took me off his shoulders and faced me.

“Well I don’t really know how I did it.” I changed the subject, “But wait, I thought magic only traveled through genetics. How do I have it?”

My fathers eyebrows scrunched together, “**What**? You didn’t know I adopted you? Are you joking?”

“YOU **ADOPTED** ME!” I cried, “AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME!?”

“Well, I wanted you to feel loved. I didn’t want to remind you every day that you weren’t my biological son! Because I just and only see you as my son!” my father raised his hands, “Also, I haven’t dated, I’ve never married, I wasn’t betrothed! You’ve never noticed that you’ve only had a father? How would I have given birth to you!?”

“What?” I asked, “You need a woman to make a baby?”

“What have they been teaching you in biology and science?” My father cried, then thought about that for a second, “Actually, you’re six. It makes sense that they wouldn’t have taught you how babies are made.”

“WHAT?” I asked, “Wait… How are babies made?”

“Well, when a male and a female-” Counselor Agravain started.

“AGRAVAIN, NO!” a counselor shouted.

“HE’S TO YOUNG!” yelled another one.

And Father just silenced him with a glare.

“DadDyyYY how are babies madeeee!” I tugged his cape.

“NO!” he shouted, “I’ll tell you when you’re twelve!”

I groaned, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good to push him on this. But getting just one guilt trip in wouldn’t do any harm.

“Aw… fine. It’s because I’m adopted, isn’t it.” I said, sorrowfully.

I bit my cheeks as hard as I could, trying to keep a straight face.

Father just rolled his eyes and said, “And you wonder why I never told you why you were adopted.”

“SO IT WAS ON PURPOSE! AHA!” I exclaimed.

“What- no!” Father objected, “I’m just making a point!”

“I was just messing with you!!” I laughed.

“Okay, um…” Percival II bit his lip, “So, back to the point. It’s kind of an important detail that could affect Avalon’s whole destiny.”

“Yeah. Well a shadowmonster tried to take Cyrus right when the barrier opened, but he said something, and then it exploded.” my father cleared his throat, “He obviously possesses magic- Merlin’s type of magic… that incantation and rune variation.”

The counselors nodded.

“If he could casually explode a shadowmonster like that with no training, we need to have him develop his magic. He could save all of Avalon someday, and restore the nation to the mighty land it once was.” Father patted me on the head, “But no one else in half a century has been spotted with magic besides Morgana, who definitely won’t teach him. And she doesn’t even have rune magic. But, there’s one option…”

We all knew very well what he was going to say. And it was incredibly dangerous.

“Maybe the Ethian ruins may have some ancient books or scrolls that have still been preserved. Even though it’s called the Ethian *ruins*, it could have some really good lessons.”

“No way!” Counselor Vivian shouted, “We are not sending, what, ten soldiers on a day trip to what Ethia is now, ***just in case*** there’s a clue there, when there are shadowmonsters that could kill them outside of the barrier, and the population of Avalon is already incredibly low!”

“But you also have to take into consideration that a few *possible*, and only possible, not definite sacrifices could help him learn magic, and we won’t have to live in fear of these shadowmonsters anymore! He could just destroy them!” Counselor Agravain interjected.

“We don’t even have proof that he has magic-” Counselor Vivian started.

“WE HAVE TWENTY-ONE WITNESSES INCLUDING THE KING!” Percival II shouted, apparently agreeing with Agravain and Father, “HOW IS THAT **NOT** proof?”

“They could’ve been hallucinating because of the shock of the situation. Maybe it was just a coincidence. The kid already said that he didn’t know how to do it again. Maybe it was just some kind of blessing from Freya.” Vivan snarled.

“20 trained guards along with the king saw this, and you’re dismissing it as a blessing from Freya?” Counselor Agravain asked, “Get a grip, Vivian.”

Vivian’s face turned completely red, “Am I the only one with common sense? I get what you’re saying, but it is not worth the risk! How will we receive the knowledge if the knights are all dead too, *huh*?”

“Order in the court!” I shouted.

Every counselor turned to me, some chuckling, some rolling their eyes, and some curious.

“Why don’t *I*  just go to the Ruins of Ethia- er- Ethian Ruins and learn from there?” I suggested, “It will be better to be in the natural spirit of the place-”

“I’m sorry Cy, but **no**.” my father glared at me, “You’re even more important now that you have powerful magic, now! We cannot risk losing you! **I** cannot risk losing you!”

“But you can risk losing Avalonian soldiers, just so they could *possibly* find a hint to teach your child magic?” Counselor Vivian questioned.

“So, we’ll have to decide this with a vote then, I see?” Father sighed, “All in favor of *not* going to the Ethian Ruins?”

Only Counselor Vivian raised her hand.

“All in favor of Cyrus going to the Ethian ruins, **accompanied** by guards and knights, to learn magic?” Father asked.

One counselor raised their hand. I raised my hand too.

“Cyrus, you’re not a part of the council. You can’t vote!” Father remarked.

“Well if it’s about me, I think I should be able to!” I noted.

“That’s just like saying that a criminal should be able to decide if he wants to go to prison or not.” Father shot back.

“No it isn’t!” I replied.

I realized that’s what it must’ve been like to him, though.

“And all in favor of trained knights to go and search the Ethian ruins for any hints of magic?” Father asked.

He, along with Percival and Agravain raised their hands.

“It’s decided then,” he said, “Ten knights shall depart at dawn to the Ethian ruins. And that is that. Besides our decision, let’s have a normal day, with no other sudden changes but that, please?”

Every counselor nodded but Vivian who just gave Father the angriest glare she could manage. She then sniffed angrily and left the room.

Father turned to my guards, “Can you escort Cyrus to History class?”

They all nodded, saluted, and took me to the library in the historical chambers.

\*\*\*

The day went by normally after that, but I purposely went to sleep early so I could wake up at dawn. Yes, I was planning to sneak on an Avalonian chariot and tail the knights going to the Ethian Ruins. It was honestly the best idea. And maybe I could just mind wipe my father after I go and possibly learn how to mind wipe.

I got a good night's sleep, and woke up one hour earlier than I thought I would. Even better though. I got ready, and snuck to the horse stable, getting my horse, and then a chariot. We hid for thirty minutes, but then the first knights showed up. And then more. And a few more. And then my father. I gulped, hoping he wouldn’t see us. He looked around for a few minutes, then opened the forcefield so that the knights could leave. He shouted goodbye as they departed and then just stood there. And that’s when I realized- he was expecting me!

This did not go as planned. Why hadn’t I thought about my dad! He waited there for 30 freaking minutes. Then left, completely spoiling my plan. I had an idea where the Ethian ruins were, but a very small one, as we only went over its location **once** in geography class, and all my geography teacher really described were some of the hills and mountains, not the direct pathway. I almost wanted to cry!

Once my father left, I took my horse back to his den, and fed him a **lot** of food since he didn’t make a sound while we were hiding. He was very happy with the treats.

Right as I walked into the castle, I bumped into my dad.

“ACK!” I yelled.

“Why weren’t you in your bed?” he asked, “The guards couldn’t find you in the palace either.”

“Oh.” I gulped, “I just wanted to go to the garden!”

“Well Miss Cornelia was in the garden and she didn’t see you!” Father raised an eyebrow.

“Right…” I looked up at the ceiling, “Um…”

“Cyrus, I’m sorry, but it’s obvious that you tried to go and sneak out with the other knights.” my father said.

My jaw dropped, and then I groaned, wishing my father didn’t know me so well.

“I’ll let this one slide, but if you ever try to escape again-” my father warned.

“I kNOW! I KNoW!” I shouted.

“Good.” my father said, “Though I know you won’t really learn from this…”

I opened my mouth to say something, but then snapped it shut. I decided it was best to not anger Father, especially since he let me go on this one so easily. So I left it like that and ran to class.

\*\*\*

A Month Later…

Half of the group of knights who’d journeyed to Ethia came back, and with two incredibly thick magical books. We started magic class almost right after their return. Father called me a ‘natural.’

I wouldn’t really agree. I made a fungus sprout on my face while trying to grow a flower. We spent a day frantically trying to get it off. It was not too fun.

Anyhoo, I got the hang of magic in a few weeks. I learned a few spells like how to make ice shards grow and how to summon light. Magic soon became a hobby. I tried to practice as much as I could, and already used it to cheat on my geography class quiz (I can make ink vanish, so I did that to all of the questions I didn’t know).

I also get more fascinated by Ethian history by the day.

Even though I am now able to defend myself, my dad only sees it as ‘more of a risk’, and thinks more people or things may be out there to get me now that I have magic.