chapter 17

The two basked in each others presence, but eventually they separated, albeit reluctantly. "So....You're mine and I'm yours.....deal?"

Vivian nodded and said. "About going to the Six Sub-Bells. I will go with you as they are currently residing in Avalon on the Reverse Side of the World."

When they appeared outside they found Lancelot and Artoria still sparring, their sweat accumulating. They were about even as of now, the only reason that Artoria has been able to keep up with Lancelot's swordsmanship was because of Excalibur and her superior physical strength..

The sword did promise victory after all.

Sirius looked on in awe as he witnessed Artoria was able to meet Lancelot with something other than Caliburn and fight him to a stand still.

"Damn! And I thought Caliburn was a strong sword!"

Next to him, Vivian giggled. "Caliburn was forged by Merlin. He may be strong but Excalibur was forged with the idea it would be used against the White Titan. Very big difference~" She said with a smile.

Sirius nodded. "I get that, but Lancey is the second best swordsman who, in all honesty, is possibly the best swordsman we have."

Vivian tilted her head, perplexed. "Then why is he ranked second if he is the best swordsman?"

Sirius grinned. "Because this piece of awesomeness exists!"

Vivian slapped him on his chest as she laughed but was interrupted by the shockwave of the clash between Arondight and Excalibur.

"One more clash Sir Lancelot, then we go get Sirius so that we can leave." Lancelot nodded and the two prepped their weapons.

Arondight glowed a soft blue along the blades edges and Excalibur spurred to life, its blade pouring forth golden light.

"Excalibur!"

"Arondight!"

Speaking their weapons true names, the two clashed their weapons together, causing the lake to violently churn. Excalibur's glowing light was sliced in half against Arondight's glowing edge. When all was said and done, the ground between the two was nothing but scorched earth.

"Whistle! Those are some badass weapons they got isn't it Vivian."

"It sure is." Vivian said with gritted teeth as she walked up to Lancelot and pulled on his ear hard. "What do you think you're doing messing up my yard? You couldn't have gone somewhere else?"

Lancelot apologized profusely to Vivian many many times.

Just as they were about to leave Vivian stopped them.

"Ah! Before you go Artoria Pendragon, I need to give you this!" Then a spiral lance materialized in her hand. "This is Rhongomyniad: The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World. Its true body is something that fastens the layers of the world. The authority of the tower is granted in the form of a lance given to you."

When Artoria held the lance she saw it. A golden tower that pierced through the world anchoring it in place.

"Thank you, Lady of the Lake." Artoria bowed.

"Now then make sure you keep my son in line. I wish you luck in controlling my darling in the future~" She said kissing Sirius on the lips goodbye.

The two knights gawked at the display of affection, but before they could question it they were displaced right back to the leyline. The two looked at Sirius.

"So.....you and the Lady of the Lake?"

"You and Mother....."

Sirius nodded. "Umu! Me and Vivian decided we no longer wish to be classified as siblings any longer and have instead traded it for a more intimate relationship."

Then he grinned at Lancelot mischievously. "That means I have ascended to being Father instead of Uncle~. That means you're my 'son'~"

Lancelot shivered at the reality of it all. They were interrupted by Merlin, who appeared with the flutter of petals. "I see you have obtained Excalibur Your Highness, but you need a sheath to house the legendary sword."

He took out a luxurious piece of equipment made of gold and decorated with blue enamel that seemed more like a treasure to show dignity and nobility like a crown or staff than a weapon. It radiated power, but a different kind, a kind of defense. As if once Artoria obtained this she would be protected by the sheath.

"This is Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia. It bequeaths limited immortality through constant regeneration, as well as preventing physical deterioration caused by aging. It was made along with Excalibur."

"Avalon....The same on the Reverse Side of the World?"

Merlin nodded. "That's what the sheath embodies, paradise."

Artoria held the sheath and sheathed Excalibur in it bringing forth a divine light announcing it's mystery to the world.

"Amazing...." Lancelot was taken aback and Merlin was simply happy that all of the plans he and Uther made were coming to fruition.

Sirius, however, was not impressed. Sure he was taken aback by Excalibur and the Avalon was definitely nice but that place with the gate, it was different. He could feel it in his soul, that place would be very important to him in his search for magic, maybe it would be the key to rediscovering his memories.

But he was no longer as hooked on his memories as he was before. Sure they were his family and they loved him dearly, from what he assumed. But he had found love, he had found friends, he hoped that soon he would find a family...…

If discovering his memories made his personality change to something he didn't want he would be beside himself. He didn't even know what kind of person he was before, and he now had no intention finding out. He would gladly find his memories of his parents and sister but his personality?

Hell to the naw!

….Or is it all fake?

…

"We will move as soon as your able Lord Leodegrance, but we must move soon. Vortigern must have gotten news of our alliance and know we have come to dethrone him."

Merlin advised the two kings while Sirius stood behind Artoria thinking about alchemy, the gate, and Vivian, completely ignoring the meeting.

BAM!

The groups turned toward the commotion. "Your Highness's! I apologize for the commotion but we require a mage. Either Sir Sirius or Sir Merlin to help us with Iratus's tower!"

"What's wrong with the tower?" Sirius questioned, as he found a way out the meeting. "Don't worry I will handle it, you continue your meeting~" He said as he waved them off.

Artoria and Leodegrance nodded while Sirius took the soldier out. "So what's wrong with the tower?" Asking once again.

"During the excavation we found a sealed door in the bottom part of the tower, however it was sealed with strange magics...."

"Ahh, and you messed with the magics causing a failsafe to occur to protect anything inside, I see~" Sirius nodded.

"Er, yes Sir Sirius. We need help to open the door and to help the soldiers that got sealed in the walls-"

"Well lets go don't want to keep the others waiting." Grabbing the man by the collar and speeding towards Iratus's tower.

'What do you have in store for me now Iratus~'

Sirius just couldn't wait to plunder what was sealed in the tower.

…

"Sir this is the door we were talking about."

After freeing all of the sealed soldiers that survived the first onslaught of attacks, Sirius stood in front of a giant black gate with an engraving on it.

"Qliphoth..." This was big to Sirius, as he just found a similar gate that had this tree's counterpart.

'Qliphoth the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the polar opposites of the holy Sefirot that accompany Sephiroth.'

He turned to the soldiers. "Leave this place immediately and make sure those soldiers that were there when the failsafe occurred are rounded up. I need to ask them some questions."

"Yes sir!" The soldier ran off as fast as he could.

Sirius turned back to the door. "What are you hiding now Iratus?" He would do nothing without knowing what happened first, Iratus was no normal magus after all.

…

The tent housing all of the soldiers that had set off the door were rounded up. "What happened when you came upon the door?"

The soldiers turned their heads to one another before one stood up and answered Sirius. "Well sir I don't know how to explain.....it."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. Another soldier from his bed answered Sirius. "Well Sir Sirius when we started to try and pry open the door the engraving started....glowing, but not the kind of glow with magic but an eerie kind of glow."

"Yeah the engraving's lines gained an iridescent glow and each of the circles started to turn pitch black! It looked like something straight from hell!"

'That's cause it was.....'

Sirius then asked another question. "Did any of the writing start to glow or was that pitch black as well?"

"Well....they were blank when we looked at them again."

'Fuck! Are their aspects of them out and about now?!'

But stopped when he thought further. 'No. They're aren't. They were probably supposed to summon on Iratus power, now that it's gone they couldn't be summoned. Plus, there is no way The Heavenly Father would let those guys wander about on Earth.'

Being a knowledgeable mage, Sirius knew that there were certain demons associated with Qliphoth.

Then he turned back to the soldiers. "When you got a brief look into what those circles mentioned, it said the names of certain demons right?"

The soldiers shivered but nodded nonetheless. 'Phew! Thank God I don't have to deal with the Seven Sins or Lilith and the Devil.'

"Thanks that's all I needed! You stay here and recuperate from the experience you just had. I'll deal with the tower."

"Yes Sir Sirius!"