The Pearl of Avalon

“This keeps getting stranger and stranger,” I said as I got to my feet. I stepped down onto the first step, “I’m crazy to be at this.” Was I? I hesitated. I figured I was in danger of being eaten by dragons up here, so why not take the chance? If I’m gonna die, I might as well explore while I was at it! Me and my morbid thoughts.

I carefully descended the steps. I could see nothing at all in front of me. Only blackness. The light from outside was lighting the way partially, but grew darker and darker the further down I got. I studied the walls as I went. Searching for nothing, in particular, just anything that would catch my attention. A light switch would have been nice! Well, I didn’t see one of those, obviously, that would be too easy, but I did see some unlit torches. “I wonder....” I bent down and searched the steps for a rock. Found one! A nice white, marble-like one. I quickly scraped it against the blade of the sword. Got a spark. Perfect! I removed the torch from its wire holder and laid it on a step. “I hope this works,” I said aloud as I starting banging the rock against the sword directly above the torch.

It took several attempts, but I got it. It flared up nice and bright. I held it out in front of me and swooped it back and forth. There were several more torches along the wall. About every 5 or 6 steps it seemed. I continued to descend, lighting torches all the way down. After lighting the torch right at the bottom of the long, stone stairway, I noticed a protruding stone sticking out from under it. It looked like it had some scrapes on it. One again, curiosity struck. I really needed to get a handle on this bad habit. I pushed on the stone. “Ah, shit!” I moaned as I heard the entrance slide closed. I tried to grab the stone and pull it back out, but I could not get a grip on it. There seemed to be a tunnel ahead. And more torches along the walls. Which was good. Light was always good. I gave up trying to grip the stone and started walking.

The tunnel was long, so it was a good thing I liked walking. I lit every wall torch I came across. Every now and then, I would glance over my shoulder. Paranoid, of course. Luckily, there was nothing following me that I could see. The tunnel looked oddly beautiful. The glow of the torches on the old stone walls. It was like something you would see in a movie, walking through a castle in the middle ages.

I stopped at a dead end. No doorway. Great, I thought, as I studied the stone wall in front of me. Nothing. No engravings, no levers, nothing. I searched beneath the last torch I had lit. Nothing there. On the opposite wall, where there were no torches at all, I did notice a stone sticking out about 2 inches. I pushed on it. Never budged. Pushed harder. Still no movement. “Hmm, I wonder,” I said aloud as a thought crossed my mind. I took hold of the stone and pulled. That moved it! The dead end wall slid open.

I held the torch ahead of me as I stepped through. It was a large room. Definitely not a tunnel. I could hear the faint sound of trickling water. Staying close to the wall, I walked in. I found a torch and lit it. There were others too, that I lit. The room was getting brighter. The sound of trickling was coming from one corner of the room. It was a small spring, coming from the wall and being soaked up by the earth. A little puddle there, but nothing spectacular. Might be able to wash one foot in it.

In the very center of the room was another stone alter. This one, though, had a stone box on top of it. A long one. About 6 feet, I’m guessing. Slightly longer than the altar so it hung out over. It was a little wider too. I’d give the alter the dimensions of about 4 feet high, 5 feet long and maybe 2 to 3 feet wide. The box, as I mentioned before could pass for 6 feet. ( half a foot hanging over each end) About 2 feet high and about 6 inches wider than the altar (3 inches over each side.)

I doubted the torch I was holding in the puddle and then laid it down, along with the sword I was carrying, near the alter. Studying the stone box closer I noticed some fancy engravings. The box had a cover on it. Thick slab of stone. That too, had engravings. One really large one. Almost identical to the one on the sword. I say “almost” because the dragons on the sword were in a circle, like the engraving on the alter upstairs. This engraving depicted the dragons in the same stance, but inside a shield shape. A crest. The more I stared at the box the more it reminded me of a tomb.

I wanted to open it. Again with my curiosity. I shook my head and backed away, turning to face the spring. I felt like I was being pulled back to the tomb. Not literally, but my curiosity was so strong, that it was like a magnet inside me, pulling me back. “Oh! To hell with it!” I exclaimed as I turned and placed both hands on the lid, preparing to push.

The lid was heavy. Very heavy. I could not budge it. That might have been a good thing. Why was I trying to open the lid of a tomb anyway? Once again, I could hear my mother’s voice, “Curiosity killed the cat.” It was definitely a trait I inherited from my father. He was always the exploring type. Mom was cautious, and Dad was adventurous. How I missed them. A house fire was a terrible way to go.

I took a deep breath as I pushed that terrible memory from my mind. I pushed the lid. It stirred. I stepped a little further back, put one leg in the front of the other, took another deep breath, and pushed with every ounce of strength I could muster up. The lid moved about an inch. Yes! This wasn’t an impossible task after all! Another deep breath. Another push. Another inch. After a few more pushes, the lid started to tilt. I lifted as I pushed and it fell off. It broke apart on the ground. I really hope this is not an historical site, because I was definitely going to get in trouble!

“Holy Shit!” It was a tomb! I was gazing down at a skeleton. It had on a chain-mail shirt and coif. Over the chain-mail shirt there was a sleeveless surcoat, reddish in color. It had a faded, gold colored, dragon shield emblem embroidered on it. The same dragon shield as on the tomb cover. It was also wearing brown, leather-like pants and boots. It seemed to have a cape attached at the shoulders with gold chain. Then I noticed an empty scabbard attached to its waist by a leather belt. “You’re a medieval knight!” I said to the skeleton. “Holy shit! I can’t believe this! You’re a real, medieval knight! And I think I may have your sword.” I don’t know why I was talking to a dead knight, but I was. Who else would I talk to, right? “But, if you don’t mind,” not that he would, really, “I’m going to hang on to that sword.”

He must have been a knight of great importance. He just seemed to be. Why would anyone go through the trouble of this room and coffin? Knights died by the hundreds during the middle ages. Most were burned. Some were buried with their swords as markers. Some were even pushed out to sea on a raft with their sword clasped in their hand. This knight did have his hands folded over his mid section, but no sword was held. For some odd reason his sword was at the bottom of a pond.

The sound of the trickling water overcame me. My hunger pains were vicious. Maybe a drink of water will ease it a bit? Better than nothing, right? I went over by the spring, cupped my hands together and took a sip. It was cool, and very refreshing. I decided to splash some on my face. Very nice. I rubbed my eyes and turned my head left. There seemed to be a patch of a different shade to the wall. I knelt down and leaned closer. Cob webs. I brushed them aside to reveal a little hole. Inside was a cup. Like something you could make in pottery class. I blew the dust and webs from it as I pulled it out. Oversized wine glass. The base was round. It had a stem of about 2 inches long and a large cup.

I rinsed it out under the spring. It would be better than drinking with my hands. When I had the cup rinsed to my satisfaction I filled it up with the cool water. My knees were cramping up so I stood up and walked over to the alter. I leaned against the tomb and took a big gulp. “Ack!” The water tasted bitter. It burned! “I’m poisoned!” I gagged and dropped the cup in the tomb. I spit out whatever water remained in my mouth and ran to the spring. I just opened my mouth, leaned down and let the water fall directly in. The cool water eased the burning. “Shit,” I said getting back up, “that cup wasn’t clean after all.”

I went over and peered in the tomb, where I had dropped the cup. It was laying by the skeletons head. The water had spilled all over his face. “Ah, shit. Sorry, pal,” I said retrieving the cup. I placed the cup back in the hole in the wall, picked up the sword and decided to leave the room. It was stuffy, and being alone with an ancient dead man wasn’t my idea of a peaceful evening.

I figured, if I studied the walls hard enough near the steps, I might find a stone to push that would open up the entrance way. My stomach was telling me I needed to find food.

I ran out through the tunnel. There was lots of light, thanks to the torches, so I didn’t trip over any rocks. When I got to the base of the stairway, I combed the wall with a fine tooth comb, so to speak. I walked up a couple steps, and searched the walls there. Another couple steps. Another search. I was almost up to the top, with my head nearly touching, when I finally saw a stone, sticking out those couple inches. Pushing didn’t work, so I pulled. The exit opened. I scrambled up those last few steps into the fresh air.

It was evening. Already? Wow. Maybe I had been in the pond longer than I thought? Surely I hadn’t been down here in the tunnel that long. The sun was casting a reddish glow on everything. I walked past the alter and stepped out of the ruins.

There was no sign of any dragon. That was a relief. I made up my mind to head back down to the shore I had started on. Maybe I could find some branches that I could make a raft with? No. How was I supposed to do that if I didn’t have any rope? Where ever here was, I was stuck here.

I pulled the band from my ponytail and let my auburn hair fall around my shoulders. It desperately needed to be washed! “Might as well walk,” I said aloud. “Maybe I’ll walk far enough and find civilization. Might even come out near a road or something. Unless it’s an island. Then I’m screwed.” Now, I was talking to myself again. Well, at least while I was talking to myself I didn’t feel so alone.

I stopped halfway down. No, I’m going back to the pond, I thought. Might have a slim chance of seeing something edible. Maybe I’ll try the seaweed!

I walked until I saw the ruins up ahead, then turned left. I remembered this was the way to the pond. At least it seemed to be. The last time, I was being chased by a dragon, so, the direction may have been a little off. A twig snapped. Its a good thing all the branches were dead! I had no trouble hearing if something was behind me!

I pulled the sword up across my chest and picked up the pace. I was being followed. I quickened my pace. My follower’s pace quickened as well. I started to run. How long before my follower reached me?

I ran all the way to the pond, and then to the stone circle. I skidded to a stop when I saw a dragon lying in the center of it. “Oh no, there’s two?” I caught my breath and turned, coming face to face with the skeleton knight.

I screamed. I don’t recall how loud I’d screamed but I’m pretty sure it was the loudest ever. The dragon woke up and roared. I screamed again, darted sideways, and took off.

Both the dragon and the skeleton were following me this time. The dragon ran a little faster.

I tripped over a fallen tree, falling face first. I turned over on my back just as the dragon landed near me. I swung the sword, and it backed away. Not for long, though. It reared back and darted at me again, and, again I swung the sword, this time nicking it in the face. It took flight long enough for me to regain my footing. I didn’t see the skeleton. Not sure then, if that was a good or bad thing.

I ran back to the mini Stonehenge and leaned against one of the larger stones. The dragon swooped down at me, but I managed to move in time. It crashed its head against the stone. It was dazed. This was a good opportunity! I lifted my heavy weapon and plunged it down towards the dragons head. I wasn’t fast enough. The dragon rolled out of the way and the sword went straight into the stone. “Shit!” this sword was sharp! I could only imagine what damage it could do if I had actually hit the dragon!

I tried to tug it back out, but it was embedded solid. Stuck. “Oh shit!” I yelled again. My only weapon was stuck in a stone! I figured then, I was done for.

The dragon roared and took to the sky. I turned from the stone and saw the skeleton. He was close. He reached out his hand towards me. The dragon roared again and I ducked under the bony arm and jumped behind another stone. Gasping, I peeked out over my not so good hiding place. The skeleton was taking hold of the sword. Without any effort he pulled it free. Now that was a very strong bag of bones!

I never had much time to stare in awe of this because the dragon decided to take another dive. I squinted as it landed about 10 feet away from me. Right then and there I decided I’d stay put. I can’t keep running. I had no weapon now, plus I now had two enemies to get away from! I was tired, hurt, and hungry.

I was beginning to accept my fate when I saw the skeleton knight jump in between myself and the dragon, holding the sword high. The dragon blew a stream of fire, but the knight deflected it back using the blade. That was quite remarkable, I admitted to myself. The dragon shrieked and made a dart. The knight lifted the sword high with both hands and let it fall. It came down across the dragon's neck with a sickening crack. The dragon's body fell to the ground, and I screamed as its head rolled towards me.