Chapter 7: 7. The Order of the Round Table
(A/N: I'm so sorry for the late upload. I've just had a lot on my plate right now. I really appreciate your patience with me.
I'm going to be taking some liberties with the Harry Potter lore, and add some creatures. The only one i'm adding right now are Storm Giants from dnd. If you suddenly find some other creatures that obviously don't belong in Harry Potter, that's why. I'll let you all know when I do, so it won't be a total blindside.
I appreciate you all!)
Seeing the old man raise his branch, Scorpius was confused as to what he wanted to do.
"You know that's just a tree branch right? I have a legitimate sword, and with the runes I have-" Scorpius said as he pointed to the tree branch Filch Was holding. "That won't last long."
Filch just smiled as he looked at his young Lord.
"Try me." He said simply.
Scorpius huffed as he readied his sword, then lunged forward. He brought his sword down where filch was standing, only to have the older man step to one side, then shoulder check Scorpius.
He didn't fall to the ground, but he was definitely unbalanced. He back swung the sword wildly, but his momentum and being unbalanced caused his swing to miss by a hair.
Filch just stood there, not reacting as the sword passed by his nose. He only seemed to study Scorpius.
"Lord Arthur was certainly right. Sloppy and unskilled. But he was also right about how we can rid you of those things." Filch said, suddenly striking out with his branch, cracking it against Scorpius wrist.
Scorpius didn't feel a thing as the branch shattered against his skin due to Filch's strength and his own Dragon Rune. However, he was taken by surprise as he looked back up and saw Filch's fist approach his face.
Trying to react he leaned away, only for the older man to follow, landing the bow on Scorpius' jaw.
Scorpius' head snapped to the right, leaving him open to more attacks which Filch provided. Filch's left fist found Scorpius' ribs, while he cocked his right fist back and then drove it into Scorpius' chest, sending him to the ground.
Scorpius looked up at the man in a daze, seeing 3 or 4 of him. Soon they all merged into one being who's hand was stretched out.
"You have much to learn. But dont worry, ill teach you everything you need to know." He said as he pulled Scorpius to his feet.
"Let's rest for now, then we will leave for the ruins in the morning." He said as he led Scorpius to the hut, keeping him steady on his feet.
Scorpius soon recovered from his daze and soon, he sat up and looked at the old man. He began to rub his jaw, deep In thought.
He looked over and saw what he was looking for. Just below Filch's left eye he saw the Rune of Foresight. He hadn't seen it before, though he knew once Filch showed him his Rune of the Dragon, that he most likely had the three Runes.
"Will you tell me what it's like?" Scorpius asked pointing at the old man's face.
"The Rune of Foresight. What's it like?"
Filch smiled and nodded and he tended to the fire.
"It's like a thought. It just appears in my head, like I'm telling myself what you are about to do. Though it's different for each user. Some see short visions, while others like me, have thoughts." Filch explained.
"I wonder what mine's going to be like." Scorpius mused.
"We won't know till you get it. You'll more then likely get a mutated version of it, thanks to your King Rune." Filch responded, pointing to Scorpius' right hand.
"Mutated?" Scorpius asked.
"Mutated." Filch answered "Lord Arthur was the only one to have the Rune of the King, and his other Runes mutated into greater versions of themselves. The tomes of the temple tell how he was able to lift mountains, call forth storms, and other abilities because his Giants Rune mutated. It gave him some of the abilities of the Storm Giants."
Filch gazed into the fire, seeming to relieve some great moment in his life as a small smile touched his lips.
"Come, let us sleep. All will be explained in the morning." He said as he lay down next to the fire. Scorpius did as the older man said and lay down as well, falling asleep with many questions plaguing his mind.
The next morning the pair set off once more, traveling farther into the mainland. They soon began to see ruins and shattered remnants of castles and cities that lay forgotten.
Filch led them past these curious landmarks, soon arriving at a ruined church. The pair made their way into it, then down a flight of stairs that led them to a dead end.
Filch pulled out an item Scorpius couldn't see and inserted It into one of the bricks in the wall. With a click, he pushed on the wall, forcing dust into the air as the century old hidden door was open.
"Come young Lord." Filch said.
The two walked down the long corridor, then down a long twisting staircase.
"This was our base of operation for years. But the order was scattered when no one was able to get the Rune you now hold." filch explained as they walked.
The staircase seemed to be wrapped around some great object, or room, which was confirmed as holes in the right side of the wall began to show a great spacious room beyond. The staircase was wrapped around the outside wall of what seemed to be a cathedral buried underground.
Soon they came to the main floor at the back of the cathedral, letting Scorpius take in the grand design.
The walls were lined with large stone knights holding swords with their tips in the ground. Two lines of benches lined the walls with a walkway in their center, leading to a podium where someone could see and talk to the crowd. The cathedral's walls closed off behind the podium, leaving a gap in the middle that led back to a second large circular room.
Filch walked past the podium, motioning Scorpius to follow.
In the circular backroom twelve large stone statues depicting knights were carved into the wall, though one was destroyed, leaving its rubble on the ground.
A large stone table was set in the middle of the room. The table was divided into twelve sections, though like the statues, one of the twelve sections was scarred and had cracks running through it.
Filch walked to the head of the table, motioning for Scorpius to come to him.
Scorpius walked around the large table and stood with Filch.
"This young Master, is the order of the Round table." He said, leaving Scorpius side and taking his place to his right.
"You hold the first seat, while I hold the second." He said pointing at the sections of the table.
"My seat was passed down to me by my master, who gained it from his, all the way from the original owner of the Second seat. Sir Lancelot." Filch explained as he pulled his sword from the sack it was in.
He set the silver sword down on his section of the table with the tip pointing towards the center.
"Each seat has been passed down from their original owner, except for one." He said pointing to the section that was cracked.
"The knight of Treachery, Mordred. In the latter years of King Arthur's rule, Mordred became unsatisfied, and tried to usurp the throne that was never meant to be his. But Mordred knew he could never match King Arthur's might, so he had a fifth Rune made in secret that could level the fight."
-Flashback to King Arthur's final War-
Two armies looked at each other across a barren wasteland, waiting for the other to make the first move.
King Arthur sat upon his trusted war horse Llamrei.
"Arthur." An old man said as he brought his horse next to the king.
"We are ready." The old man said.
Arthur just nodded as he looked out across the two armies, looking for his target.
"I can't see him, Merlin. I think he's hiding in the back like a coward." He said to the older man.
"That doesn't surprise me, he was never one to fight you fairly." Merlin replied.
"It doesn't matter now. His army is here, and we will kill them all." Arthur said as he turned his horse around to face his troops.
"Will you be with me?" Arthur asked Merlin and his ten other knights around him.
"To the death, my child." Merlin responded as he looked at the man he had raised practically from birth. He loved Arthur like his son, which he was in every aspect other than blood.
"MY MEN!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"MY BROTHERS! TODAY WE FIGHT FOR OUR FAMILIES, OUR WIFES, OUR CHILDREN!" He turned his horse around as he drew Excalibur, and pointed it towards the enemy. His right bicep began to glow through his armor as clouds started to gather above his foes and lightning started to crackle, before striking the ground. The storm was in full swing thanks to Arthus mutated Giants Rune, leaving the enemy to be ravaged by lightning.
"THEY WISH TO ENSLAVE OUR CHILDREN! MAKE OUR WIVES THEIR WHORES! THEY WISH TO TAKE EVERYTHING WE HOLD DEAR FROM US! BUT I ASK YOU, WILL WE LET THEM?" He shouted.
The army roared back in defiance as muggles and wizards alike shouted their rage against their attackers.
Arthur's war horse reared up as he held his sword and shield in his right and left hand respectively.
"ONWARD! TO VICTORY!"
Arthur's horse was the first to take off at a gallop, leaving the rest of his army to follow behind him. Merlin and his round table knights were right behind him, following their Lord to the enemy army.
A roar came from the enemy army As they too began to charge.
Arthur's beloved horse pushed all it could, giving every ounce to push forward, carrying its master to his enemy's slaughter. Its muscles rippled under its skin as the glorious beast ran as fast as it could, hot steam pouring from its nose.
As Arthur neared the front line of the troops, they lowered their spears to impale his horse.
Time seemed to slow as Arthur readied his sword in anticipation for the first great clash. All was calm for the man and the battlefield became silent for him as he focused on himself as he drew near to the front line.
All he could hear was his horse, and his own heartbeat which was calm.
Suddenly the spears shattered against his horse's armor as it drove deeply into the enemy line.
A deafening cacophony of noise returned as Arthur swung his sword down, cutting though soldiers and armor alike as his horse took him deeper into his enemies. Spells of deadly green flew at him, but he caught them with his shield or let them bounce off his armor, leaving them to be reflected back into the surrounding army killing whom they struck.
His sword never stopped swinging as he decapitated, or separated body parts from his victims.
Soon another great clash could be heard as the two armies finally met. Thousands of spells filled the air from both sides as enemy wizards engaged each other, while muggle warriors clashed with sword and shield. Soon it turned into a bloodbath as both sides slaughtered each other, wizards killing muggle warriors, and muggle warriors slaughtering wizards.
Arthur's ten other knights of the round table were with him, slaughtering as they went deeper into the army.
From a bird's eye view it looked like a wedge consisting of eleven knight's carved a path through their foes as they struck out with swords, and let their horses trample over their enemies.
Each of the eleven knight's slaughtered anyone in their way as they made their way to the back of the army where their traitorous brother waited for them.
Melin followed behind Arthur, sending out deadly spells with his wand to the surrounding areas, creating chaos as he went.
A mass leviosa spell lifted hundreds of soldiers into the air before Merlin slammed them back into the ground. Lashing out with severing charms, he cut through the enemy ranks just as well as Arthur in front of him.
Finally they carved a line through the army and emerged from the other side, revealing a second smaller army that was held back from the first.
Leading it were ten knights in pitch black armor. In front of them were two figures, one was a man seated on a chair, while the other, a woman, worked on his left hand.
"MORDRED!" Arthur shouted as his horse came to a stop. "YOU AND ME! NO ONE ELSE HAS TO DIE!" He shouted, jumping from his horse.
The man that was seated just laughed as he waved the woman away from him.
"Morgana?" Merlin asked as he brought his horse next to Arthus and dismounted.
Morgana just looked at him as she wiped the familiar ash of a Rune stone from her hands.
Mordred clenched and unclenched his left fist before he stood up from his chair and turned towards Arthur.
"Hello father." He spat, looking up at his hated foe.
"I have a better idea. You and your knights of the round, vs me and my knights of Treachery." Mordred said.
"And you are wrong Father. One of us will lay Dead at the end of this, but that will not stop my army from killing until they are defeated." He laughed. He then motioned his ten knight's forward before taking a step back to face his other army.
"I could never beat you father, this I know. But I have found something to tip the scales in my favor." He said as he held his left hand out towards his own army.
Green lightning shot from his fingertips as it lanced into his army, striking those In front, then moving to the ones behind before finally covering every soldier.
They screamed as they fell to the ground, begging for mercy. They writhed in agony as the lightning tore the flesh from their bones and sucked the life from them.
They couldn't believe this betrayal, but then again, they should have known whom they served. Feelings and thoughts of regret ran through their minds as they died one by one, before nothing was left but a wasteland of burned skeletal bodies.
Mordred turned back to Arthur with an eerie grin on his face, his eyes now glowing an eerie neon green.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE MORGANA!" Merlin screamed, seeing the spectacle. She just turned to him and smiled, not answering.
It was the most evil magic he had ever seen, and it scared him to death.
"Do you like it father?" Mordred asked.
"I call it the Rune of the Usurper. I can suck the life from others and strengthen myself with their souls!" He laughed, "And I will use it to kill you!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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