14 Excalibur is here?!?!

(Sophie's POV)

I just couldn't believe it. Of all the weapons he had, I had to stumble across this one; the sword that the king of knights carried, forged in a dragon's breath and once kept guarded by the lady of the lake. Excalibur.

                    "Ma'am,are you alright?" I heard Melvid ask, yet I paid no attention. Gently I touched my cheek to find a single tear had escaped my eyes.

That was when the memories started to flood back.

 (flashback)

"My dearest companion. Is my search for the Grail so foolhardy that it is impossible to achieve, that maybe there is no such thing as the Holy Grail after all?" King Arthur pondered in a depressed tone.

"My lord, you have reached the point of no return in your search for the Grail, and as for its existence it is as real as the earth beneath your feet," I answered with a slight smile. "Now,we must make haste, I sense Morgana's presence drawing near.

"You're right as always my dear friend. We shall make haste and find the Grail before Morgana does," he said with renewed faith and a wonderful smile that I knew him well for, he then mounted his horse. "For Camelot."

 (flashback paused)

I ran my fingers lightly over the glass case and the memories came back once more.

(flashback continues)

"If you don't stop fidgeting Sophia, you just might fall off your horse." Chuckled King Arthur. I glanced at him with a look of withheld annoyance while riding alongside him out in the countryside, the horses trotting along the same path we had come across many times before. A glint of sunlight flashed from his sword at his hip, catching my eye briefly before looking back to him.

"Well if Guinevere hadn't picked out this god awful dress then I wouldn't be fidgeting."  I said as I squirmed around in my saddle tugging at the dress.

"Are you saying you don't like the dress that my queen has picked out for you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No offense,m'lord,but this dress is more fitting for someone of royalty than myself." I replied as I tried to get comfortable in a dress that I clearly did not like.

"You are my royal advisor,and therefore are considered of the noble ranks." He said with his usual charming smile, "Merlin was right to have recommended you for his replacement for my advisor. Though,I have no idea why he would want to leave."

(end flashback)

Snapping back to reality, I then turned to face Melvid, "Care to explain why Excalibur is here and not with the Lady of the Lake?"

"W-well you see, now that's a delicate matter and…" He began to stumble nervously over his words which meant something was up. I whipped out one of my guns and pointed at him.

"I'll ask again, why is Excalibur here?"

"I was entrusted with it by the Lady of the Lake herself," He said.

"Why couldn't she protect the sword herself?" I asked.

His eyes shone with a hint of sadness as he looked down, "She was driven away from her home because it has been tainted. Once she left the lake she was immediately sought after by a dark shadow."

[A dark shadow?] I thought to myself.

The gears began to turn in my head and it all began to fall into place, "What happened to her?"

"All I know is that when she got to my shop she was badly injured, her raven hair had turned snow white, and she had a look of pure fear in her eyes," He said with a nervous look of his own, like the dark shadow could come bursting in at any moment.

My eyes widened. That meant that she was…

"What was her last request?" I asked firmly. That's when Nicolai decided to butt in on the conversation.

"Sophie, now's not the time-"

"What did she tell you?!" I demanded from him now.

"She said to give Excalibur to the one who bears the mark of the heavens, that only they will have the power to contain the power that resides within the sword," He replied solemnly.

I slowly lowered my gun, his words beginning to sink in.

[So those were her dying words? To have Excalibur passed down to me?] I thought to myself as I gritted my teeth. [That demon is going to pay for what he did to Vivian.]

"Melvid," I said in a casual tone as I holster my gun, "Remove Excalibur from its case, I will be taking it."

The dwarf blinked a few times in surprise then shook his head furiously, making the copper and gold beads in his beard clink together.

"Absolutely not!" He shouted, "That sword is reserved for the one who bears the-"

I took off the glove on my right hand and showed him the rose mark that branded me what I am and always will be, a knight of the heavens. His eyes widened when he saw what had been concealed to him before falling to one knee and speaking in a humbled tone.

"M'lady, please accept my most sincere apology."

"Get up and stop with the whole m'lady crap, ok? It's Sophie, got it?" I said as I looked around nervously and saw Alex walking over here, prompting me to quickly put my glove back on.   

 (Alex's POV)

        [What's going on over there?] I thought to myself as I began to walk over to where Sophie and Melvid were.

                    "Hey Sophie, did you find a new weapon you like?"

        "As a matter of fact I did," She said as she turned to me and gave a little smirk.

        Suddenly Melvid came rushing to Sophie's side carrying a sword that looked very familiar. My eyes widened as I realized what exactly Melvid had in his hands.

        [No. Freaking. Way.] I thought.

                     "Yes, it is quite the beauty, isn't it?" said Nicolai as he walked up very casually next to me, "Such fine craftsmanship, don't you agree Mr. Walker?"

                        I was more or less in too much shock at the fact that I was looking at the legendary sword to even comprehend what fangface had said to me. I watched as Sophie strapped the sword to her back and let out a sigh.

            "Thank you Melvid for protecting Excalibur. You are relieved of your duty as its protector." She said with an unreadable look on her face.

            All of a sudden the ground began to shake violently and I struggled to keep my balance.

            "What the heck is going on?!" I exclaimed.

            "Is it an earthquake?" Asked Izzy with a slightly frightened tone.

            "No, it's something far worse than that." Sophie said as she whipped out her guns, "It's him…"

            The ground shook violently and I instantly knew who was behind it. I drew my guns and looked around for the source of the dark energy that was causing this. I sensed a dark and menacing presence coming closer and closer till…. BOOM! The cave wall to my right shattered, leaving a gaping hole and what appeared to be a dark swirling portal.

             "Well, well, what do we have here?" A dark chuckle came from the shadowy figure that stepped out of the portal, "If it isn't the famous Black Rose."

            The figure came closer and it became clear as to who it was.

"Balthazar," I said, not even trying to hide my disdain for him, "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to check out my new armory." He said as he gave the place a once over, "It's not perfect but it will have to do for now."

Balthazar is one of Lucifer's war generals. If he's here then that can only mean that the situation is worse than I thought! I pointed my guns at him, aiming at his head.

             "You've got ten seconds to go back through that portal before I put a bullet through your skull."

            He chuckled, "Do you really think you can threaten a general of the king of hell?"

            I suddenly found myself flying through the air across the room. I hit the rock wall hard, knocking the breath out of me. This was going to be a challenge.