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[ Thackery is Volunteering: Violet ]

He could still hear him crying and begging and howling, and could still see his face when he closed his eyes. He'd been so afraid, so betrayed, and it was all Thackery's fault. He was no match for the Sidhe Queen, was not good enough to take his place after all, wasn't strong enough to hold onto him. As desperately as he'd tried, he wasn't able to cling to him, and hadn't even managed to get into the casket with him so he wouldn't have to be alone. All he could grasp was a little tuft of fur or fabric, and he wasn't even sure of that - as much as he wanted to believe he still held it in his hand, he couldn't find the strength to pry open his own fingers to check.

Someone must have carried him. He couldn't remember, but knew he hadn't made it here with his own two legs, because he simply refused to move. Even as Lancelot spoke, he lay motionless on the ground, his glazed eyes and their empty stare barely open enough to see the man.

It wasn't until the word 'sacrifice' that he raised his head, gaze sluggishly moving to see where he was waiting for them. He pushed himself off of the ground just long enough to make it to the edge of the circle, where he dropped onto his knees, arms hanging limp at his sides.

"'cause I already tried for...to make a sacrificing of myself. To take Great Prince Knight Mordred's place, an' he said I was perfect annat I was chosen and perfect but I...but..."

He couldn't look Lancelot in the eye. He couldn't look anyone in the eye, so he stared into the dirt and wished he were part of it.

"I couldn've. I tried. I tried so much. He's crying and sad and his mama was so mean, I tried, I tried. I was brave and I tried. She was too strong and stuff. And so it's my fault, and I've gotta. I've gotta, 'cause I wanna do it right. I wanna go in his place right and be brave and good. M'not strong as Queen Mama, but I gotta lots of hope. Hope enough to be goodnough when he picked me for his knight. I hope maybe sometime one day like with magic or really good Knight powers I'll see him again, but...and...I hope he knew if not how much, um..."

Had he ever even told him he loved him?!

He wasn't sure, and not being sure made him choke up again, and choking up meant he was done speaking for now. He just kept his head silently bowed, leaning so far forward that his forehead came to rest against the ground.

[ Kari is volunteering: Green ]

Screaming echoed down the corridors as every rushed to find an exit. In the Chaos, Sir Lancelot appeared to provide a means of escape. Following along while keeping an eye out for any creatures that may have followed them, Kari son came to a tiny glimmer of light that grew as she advanced. Upon breaking through what she could now identify as the exit, she grimaced at the light that assaulted her senses after having spent so long within the darkness. Blinking the tears from her eyes, she attempted to look around.

White horses. They were nearly blinding in purity under the sun, but they were definitely horses. Seeing others getting on them, Kari made her way over to one of them. She watched in mild awe as it knelt down for her. Perhaps this was something more than just a horse? The ones she'd come across before had never been this well trained. Shaking the train of thought from her head, she mounted the steed and once she was moderately seated, it took off. Away from the castle...

Kari's eyes widened despite still adjusting to the light at what had become of Camelot, their home. A sickening aura seems to radiate from what they once called a sanctuary. That was no longer the case. With tears in her eyes for a different reason than being blinded, Kari pulled her gaze away from the castle while her horse put more distance between her and the chaos.

As Kari began to regain her composure, she couldn't help but wonder where her mount was actually taking her. Just as she was considering trying to get it to stop, the creature braked and Kari was thrown into the air. Tucking in to protect herself and her sacred weapon, Kari rolled across the grass to finally get her feet under her once her momentum slowed. Looking around, she took in the clearing, the beautiful lake, and the horse now disappearing into the lake's mist.

"So it wasn't just a horse after all...", Kari murmured in curiosity. She wished that she had the luxury of finding more about the creature she'd ridden, but time was not on her side it seemed. Sir Lancelot was there... as where five mounds. Clenching Shinobu to her chest, she took in what she recognized as five graves... which meant five Great Knights were gone. Was Sir Morgan counted among them or was his betrayal not considered worth mourning? Her eyes were drawn away from the heaps of dirt at Sir Lancelot's voice.

Her heart and her eyes clenched. The Great King was dead. She'd had a feeling when she overheard Sir Lancelot's and Sir Mordred's conversation, but hearing it confirmed felt like a blow to her senses. Sir Merlin was also missing... and they were all that was left. As he continued to talk, he drew within the dirt before him with his sword. Replacements for the Great Knights were needed. The knights needed seven leaders to pave the way to peaceful days once more.

"I wish to volunteer to become a Great Knight, Sir Lancelot", Kari announced, coming to kneel down in front of Sir Lancelot while pulling her scarf over the injury on her shoulder in an effort to cover anything that could be seen as weakness. "I know any effort in my part would most likely pale in comparison to what Sir Gawain could accomplish", she continued, gripping her quarterstaff tightly, "but I wish to aid my fellow knights. To restore them. Too many died in senseless fights for power and wealth. I wish to put a stop to that, to guide our allies in returning ourselves as well as Camelot to at least a semblance of their former glory. While I know I've made mistakes, as have others, I am of the belief that those mistakes allow us to learn, to grow stronger and become more wise."

"I know the price of inaction, and I do not wish to repeat that mistake nor do I wish to see another ally fall. I want to become someone who is a pillar to her comrades. I may not be the strongest of body, but the heart and mind can move me to accomplish great feats... I can feel that. If the safety and restoration of my fellow knights requires a sacrifice..." Kari looked up, determination shining in her eyes, "Then I am willing to put everything on the line for them."

[ Uru is Offering: Black Knight ]
Journal

The sound of clamoring metal echoed off the corridor walls as the knights filed out behind the Great Knight, Sir Lancelot. He could hear the confusion, the panic of those in the rear, but he kept his head up and ahead as he made to the exit. Sir Lancelot pulled ahead of the group, disappearing into the woods. Rows - no, a drove of white stallions awaited them, kicking their hooves and shaking their heads impatiently. Narrowing, Uru lunged at one horse, his hands gliding over his neck as he swung himself over from the ground with great effort to land roughly on its back. "HAH!" he cried as he directed the horse as it took off into the woods. He kept his body low, his Legendary Wings of Phobos fluttering behind him as he road the steed. He could feel weight being lifted the further he moved from the castle. Looking down at the wisping, white mane, he glowered at the thought that crept into his mind.

His home was gone.

That thought hurt him so much and he felt that he couldn't figure out why. Was it a memory? Was it because losing a sense of home was attached to a memory that he had sacrificed to the magical box? Shaking his head, he heeled the horse with another urge. "HAH!"

----

Seeing other knights being bucked off their horses and others gently getting down, Uru pulled himself off, patting his mount briefly before it continued on into the lake. Magicks never surprised him anymore. There, the white knight stood there with a look of melancholy. Uru approached with intent to speak, but was silenced as if Sir Lancelot had anticipated it. He held a hand up, his tired eyes looking directly as his, the scar narrowing made him shut his trap. He motioned to the nearby mounds, the sight causing his heart to sink. The Great Knights: Sir Percival, Sir Gawain, Sir Mordred, Sir Morgan, Sir Galahad. They may not be under those, but it was the symbolism.

Uru's head jerked up, his brows shooting up as his eyes widened at the news. The Great King!? The Great King was found and he had passed from this life? But... How? The black knight furrowed his brows as he strode forward with the others who were to listen, to inquire, gazing to the circle that the white knight had drawn. Five of the Seven Great Knights were gone, one who knows where, and one left to guide those present.

Uru contemplated his words as the knights began to disperse from here. Some had chosen to go to the lake, others further into the forest. Uru went to a nearby tree to rest and think.

------

The black knight thought over Sir Lancelot's words. There were titles to be offered, but there were sacrifices to be made. The decision was to be made at sundown. Looking to the sky, the clouds swept overhead toward the east in vibrant oranges and pink hues as the sun lowered to the kiss the horizon. Uru withdrew a small parchment from the interior of his leather leg-guard.



Beside each point was his own handwriting, neat and inked in blue dye from the Isatis tinctoria plant. His eyes narrowed on each point.

A knight must follow their individual code. He tried his best to follow the code of the Black Order of Merlin, he was resourceful as one could be, he was no pedant, but he was wise and quick thinking. It was the order's code to be resourceful and intelligent, to assist those who sought power and those who sought greater meanings to their lives. Could he offer that? Could he have helped those become stronger? Could he offer people who needed greater meanings in their lives? He had hoped he could. He really did.

A knight must go on quests in order to further themselves. He scoffed as he mentally read the line to himself, the corner of his lip curling up to a smirk. Oh the memories of the quartermaster sending he and Cedric out to the summit of the mountains that surrounded Camelot to artifact caches of the Horsemen. Looking at himself, he recalled the memories attached to each piece. The Greater Gauntlet of Lobos, where he had overestimated the quest to be a challenge but more of a journey. The Greater Leggings of Corvus, he recalled meeting the wandering wizard for the first time who offered him food and retrieved Cedric after he had abandoned him. The Greater Tabard of Cwn Annwn where he caught dysentery the first time. The recovery for that was taxing, to say the least. The Greater Pauldrons of the Black Opal was a mess, it was dysentery after dysentery, he was certain that the quartermaster was going to cut his rations in half for; "wasting his resources for an endeavor to get ill". The quest for the Greater Mantle of the Larkspur was where he met the wizard for the last time. The quest for the Greater Helm of the Abal was his most dangerous, where he learned that shadows was not the only creatures out there that one should fear and be protected from. His hands traced down to the Legendary Wings of Phobos, the last of the quests offered by the quartermaster before the mess had happened. He quested endlessly and he became a better knight for it. He had learned a lot and learned to ration his resources.

It was one line of the Code of Conduct that he focused on. Not the A knight must pledge obedience or A knight should remember their place or, even, A knight must destroy the darkness. They must show no pity towards the darkness .

Pushing to his feet, he looked to the knights that surrounded Sir Lancelot. He strode forward with purpose, his hands tightening around the parchment as it crumbled within his hands. Uru kneeled before the Great White Knight, his arm across his chest, the other on the pommel of the Sacred Weapon; Remittuntur the Sword of Justice.

"Sir Lancelot, I had pledged myself to serve the Great King, may he rest in Avalon, and the Great Knights, may they find peace. I had sworn to uphold the knight's code and protect the kingdom from darkness." He spoke with a sense of determination, confidence. All the knight-apprentices had pledged themselves just the same, they all took the same oath as they kneeled before the box, relinquishing their memories of their past lives to start anew. "Of the Code, we must pledge our obedience, we have failed. We swore to protect and fight against the darkness, we have failed. We swore to protect those in need, we have failed. We have failed to uphold our individual codes of our Orders. We have fled in the face of evil. The former Great Knights had fallen and the Great King is dead!" He could feel his voice grow louder, more anger as he listed off the failures of the knights - of himself. But just as loud and just as angry, he was just as determined. "There is one code that I will not fail, Sir Lancelot. "A knight must sacrifice themselves for their king at all costs ". If it is the last thing I can offer to our home, our kingdom, our people. I offer myself. I volunteer as a knight of the Black Order."

[ Milo is Volunteering - Blue ]

He would have been one of the first to volunteer, her had even silently watched Noemi do just the same when they had arrived in the clearing and the almost sanctuary. And all he did was follow her to the small cabin, perhaps his concern for the red head had outweighed his duty.

Noemi had suggested going to the lake to calm her thoughts, giving Milo the chance to slip away and back to the clearing where Ser Lancelot stood within his circle. The blue knight approached, determination in his eyes and his lips upcurled as they usually were. There wasn't much debate about this issue within his mind, it wasn't something he wrestled with - sure, sacrificing himself would mean he could no longer be with Noemi, but as long as she was safe, he knew he could be at peace. There was little he remembered about his past, just her and his mother. And a promise.

"Sir Lancelot," Milo nodded in greeting and then bent the knee, "I feel as I have not done as I should have to prove myself for this honor," he had failed in protecting Percival and the others, "but perhaps offering myself is how I accomplish it." His voice did not falter, nor his smile, "I do not remember much of my past, but I know in my heart I have always wanted to be a knight and to protect all that I love. Please allow me to fulfill my own selfish desires by sacrificing myself for the others."

Would it be enough, he wondered. He could only hope.

Milo pressed his closed fist to his heart, bowed his head and then made his leave back to the lake where Noemi and Shu awaited him.

[Volunteer to be the Black Great Knight, proof HERE]

More Great Knights fell, this time Galahad and Mordred. She'd got the whole picture, the sad truth that Sir Galahad was corrupted well before he put them in prison. Who was the first one? Who spread the curse? She was clueless and she hated to be that naive. Morgana, the supposed evil Sidhe Queen helped them escape but revealed to them the secrets Camelot was hiding. The Grail, seeing how it affected the others, it must be a powerful artifact like the Gate or the Mirror if not inferior than them. Someone was planning something behind, it needed the sacrifice of the Great Knights, might be for their powers.

Anyway, the fallen of Camelot was predicted, ever since the rumor of the spread of the curse. She just hope it didn't come so quick and it could remain their sanctuary for longer...just a little bit longer. Riding on the intelligent white horse, she took a glance at the castle. It still looked majestic but she knew it didn't, after all that. Then, the horse ran at full speed and the silhouette of the castle faded. The castle couldn't be called a home but she still spent some times there.

The horse brought her through miles, far from the castle and far from her home. It finally stopped in the clearing of a forest, a beautiful unpolluted forest that seemed to be habit of fairies. She saw the mounds of earth and she immediately knew what they meant. After the deep breathe came the shocking news, the King is dead, Lancelot said. What's followed was even more familiar - sacrifice.

The first time, Shu didn't remember she sacrificed her precious memories, they were erased. The second time, they were asked to be sacrificed to stop the plague from corrupting Camelot by Galahad. The third time, sacrifice of seven must be made to seal the corruption from reaching the rest of the world. It seemed that, ironically their lives could never be part with it. Sacrifice, she tasted the meaning of it on her tongue again and again.

She watched as people volunteered for glory, for fancy reasons to protect the world and the people and even belittling themselves. Shu, the petite black knight didn't have a beautiful reason like that. She recalled once she questioned the criteria to be a Great Knight, after seeing the tragedy of the first three Knights to fall. She still didn't get an answer up to that moment,

The black knight stepped forward, knelt sincerely but head raised to meet with Lancelot's. "I volunteer to be one of the seven sacrifices. It's always my wish to fight against the Darkness, even I had no memories about it." She began, "I swear to my sacred weapon, I might not be the best but my efforts had been recognized, that's why I have them. To me, sacrifice means taking the least for the greater good. I'm alone, I don't have a family and I don't have a lover." She gestured an open arm to the rest of other knights. "Look Sir, look at them carefully. They were warriors, they fought with monsters and shadows with determination and belief. They were the fighters. And me? I couldn't solo a high rank monster by myself, thus I craved power in your hands. They should stay and let the smaller go, it would be the best, the world still need them. Trust me Sir, I would be the best choice of yours."

"Honestly, I don't deserve the title of Great Knight, I didn't experience the true despair the shadowlings and horsemen brought, I was too young for that. I simply wish til the end of this weak body, I could do something to stop the darkness." Shu stated, her words consists of nothing fake. "I always look for greater power, I fought with monsters to strengthen myself, I know I'm not ordinal Great Knight material. Yet, if it meant the world can be peaceful for a little longer, I will become the seal itself." Her words was selfish but genuine, power was what she didn't stop desiring. "Please bestow me greater power, as the seal against the Darkness, not letting the Darkness to take over this beautiful world. I love this forest, I love the Lake and I love this world, my reason is as simple as that."

"I don't sacrifice for others, I sacrifice for myself, I follow what my heart tells me to do." She ended it with such a line, the deepest truth she thought of."

[ Mmur is volunteering: Violet ]

The changes Mmur had undergone during his time as a knight weren't immediately obvious—not when he whooped and raised his hands into the air, slapping at the branches above as his spirit-touched steed sped toward the lake; not when he splashed through the pristine water as soon as he dismounted, rendering his hard-earned leggings a droopy, multicolored muddle; not when an inappropriately broad grin graced his lips as he dropped to his knee in the fog at Lancelot's feet.

"My name is Mmur, Great Knight, and I pledge to keep what remains of our kingdom safe, no matter what needs to be done. Under my watch, we will always be free." For a moment he thought he should say more, but his accomplishments were visible for all to see, and his intent clear in his heart.

He was as he always had been on the surface. Few could see the line he walked in his mind, the uncertainty that had been planted there after the sidhe mirror's vision. He understood the joy the shadows gleaned from killing, how the chaos sustained them. He respected and feared their ruthlessness. He had entertained thoughts that they were right, that the world would be better without order and humanity to bog it down. But in the end, he had decided he was not as they were, and he would never stop fighting to prove it.

Mmur remained on his knees after he had spoken, his attention drifting away from the solemn ceremony to the blades of grass that had pushed their way between his toes. When all of this was over, he was going to have to make himself a flower crown.

Unlike some of his fellow knights, TK exited the corridor at a calm, steady running pace rather than a frantic sprint. He let his gaze settle on the herd of horses gathered outside and hesitated to ride one of them, but patience did not seem to be their forte because suddenly the tall knight was now on one of these horses without a saddle. He leaned forward to wrap his spindly arms around its neck, but it wasn’t quite like riding an actual horse. It felt more like riding a collection of mist and fog that took the shape of a horse, which made for an interesting sensation that he tried his best to imprint into his mind for future reference. He doubted he would ever need the memory again, but he liked to explore his past memories and experiences sometimes.

He craned his neck behind to look at Camelot, surrounded in swirling darkness and corruption. There was nothing in TK’s heart for the kingdom. He only silently noted its grim condition before facing forward once more and continuing to take in the view as it began to transition into forest. The horse seemed to melt into the mist and TK gracefully slid off before it disappeared completely.

Walking forward, he directed his gaze toward the mounds near Lancelot and pressed his lips together, but made no sound at the revelation. It was only a matter of time, he supposed, but as Lancelot called for volunteers, tributes, TK supposed, he stood patiently as he waited for others to throw themselves forward. He had no intention of sacrificing his life for the sake of others, and if someone else was fine with doing it he would gladly let them take the spotlight.

There was no need to grab power in exchange for his own life, especially temporary power. As others began to leave, so did he.

The Great King is dead, he said. Na'ima frowned at mention of Merlin being missing, the Great Knight she had sworn oath to. Strange, where had he gone off? She crossed her arms and remained silent when a call for volunteers was made; the opportunity was great, a rise to power that would undoubtedly benefit her greatly..but she did not want spotlight on herself nor did she believe herself to be a 'leader' of any kind as a Great Knight should be. However..

She looked up at Wrath, giving him a gentle nudge to get his attention and then jerking her head in Lancelot's direction. Na'ima said nothing, she hoped her message was clear.