Chapter 3

Three hours after the school day ended, the Volkswagen pulled to a stop outside of a large farmhouse building in the middle of nowhere. It looked decrepit and neglected, its thatched roof collapsing in on itself and the windows were either missing or smashed, but despite this, ten shiny cars of various values were parked outside. Xandria and her mum climbed out of the car ignoring the actual building, and instead walked around the side to the little outhouse that stood alone in an overgrown back garden. It was all that was left of the once flourishing Calibre estate and it always set a pang into the hearts of the Calibre women to see their heritage this way, but it was the only way to keep people from looking where they shouldn't.

The door to the outhouse squeaked as Mrs Calibre grasped the handle and tugged the door open so that the rusty hinges begrudgingly gave way. Clicking the torch that she had thoughtfully attached to her set of keys, Mrs Calibre led the way through the door and down a set of steep stairs, letting Xandria trail behind her but maintaining contact so that he daughter could see the way. The steps were dry and dusty the grit crunching under their footsteps but the walls were the opposite, they were slick under the touch and as Xandria pulled her hand away from the wall that she had used to steady herself, she saw that her hands were now covered in green slime.

At the bottom of the stairs, Mrs Calibre clicked off the torch so that for just a moment, she was as blind as her daughter normally was before the door in front of them started to emit a soft purple glow, slowly getting brighter and brighter. Reaching forwards she placed a palm against the cold steel door and the glow quickly shifted from purple to green. The door then swung open without the slightest creak revealing a brightly lit room beyond.

Once both Xandria and her mother were within the room which smelled like lavender and sage, the door swung shut behind them of its own accord. The two of them immediately started to disrobe glad of ceremony due to the sweltering heat of the room and the amount of steam that made the roof foggy. Two women, who were already within the room, came over whilst humming a soft melody that made the room hum with an unseen power, their arms laden with items. The first had a bowl full of scented lavender water and an array of sponges whilst the other woman held a stack of purple silks and had two largish boxes sitting on top.

Xandria and Mrs Calibre held their arms out from their bodies as the women cleansed them with the lavender water. Their blonde hair was dripping rivulets of water down their back whilst the larger of the two women grasped one of the boxes and lifted the lid to reveal golden brown sugar. Inch by inch their skin was scrubbed so that it was left tingling before both women were washed down once more with lavender water. It was a long process but it was the only way that they would be admitted into the sanctum.

After the third bowl of water had been emptied, the women braided their hair entwining lilacs and honeysuckles into the intricate weave. They were then robed in swathes of silk that clung to their bodies, the cool silk refreshing against their tingling skin. With a nod of assent the two women gathered up the supplies and retreated through one of the doors. Mrs Calibre grasped her daughter's hand and placed it on her shoulder before walking to the other end of the room where there was another door, this one wooden and streaked with ribbons of gold that glinted in the soft lighting.

"You ready?" Mrs Calibre questioned looking over her shoulder at her daughter who looked straight into her eyes and nodded. "Okay, do you want to do the honours or should I?" Her skin was already gleaming with the breath of natural magic the sanctum was imbued with and Xandria could see the excited gleam in his mother's eyes that showed that she wanted to do it.

"You can do it mum." Xandria replied with a smile and saw her mother's face transform so that she looked at least ten years younger than her 40 years of age. Mrs Calibre turned to face the door and raised her arms above her head, her eyes fluttering shut as she started to chant under her breath. Xandria's lips moved silently as she too chanted the words to gain entry into the sanctum.

There was a faint thump as the magical locks disengaged before the door swung open to reveal a domed room. There were intricate paintings on every available surface depicting the previous quests of the covenant but what drew the attention of the women were the several men and women standing around the edge of the room. All of the women were dressed in the same purple silk whilst the men wore deep blue tunics and trousers. The scent of lavender was almost overwhelming in here but it was comforting at the same time as the sanctum was like home to the covenant.

Mrs Calibre walked Xandria over to her rightful place in the circle, nodding in acknowledgement to the coven members as she passed before taking her own place in the circle. In the centre of the room was a large stone, a slot marring the top of the large stone from where the legendary sword had once been. The rock was sacred, the inanimate object hummed with an energy that was more powerful that anything the coven had encountered before, but that was probably due to the fact that it was created by Merlin.

The room descended into silence before a woman of roughly 60 years of age stepped forward. Her floral decorations were even more frivolous than the other women's but it made her look regal and with little differing one from the other amongst the covenant, the excessive amounts of flowers were the only things pointing her out as the leader.  She cleared her throat and then swept her gaze about the room examining each person before they came to rest upon Xandria.

"We have been called here today as per request of our youngest member, we know the importance of her quest so I beg you all to take heed of her words for they may dictate the future of the world we know." Her blue eyes swept over the gathered people before she smiled indulgently at Xandria who was listening attentively but was less receptive to the meaningful looks that were directed her way from the rest of the covenant. "Speak young Xandria."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Xandria stepped forwards and after taking a deep breath of air she opened her mouth to speak. "The location of the chosen has been verified. It may take a few days or possibly a few weeks to determine who the chosen is but that can't be helped. The main problem we face is being discovered before the chosen is identified." Xandria's lips pulled taut as she remembered her encounter with the emissary of evil earlier in the day. She could still feel her nerves tingling and her stomach rolling in revulsion. "The darkness is already present within the location and could be closer to finding the chosen than I am. My ascension is coming and we all know that once that happens they will be able to detect my magic, to have a chance at finding them and passing on the secrets of Excalibur I need to find a way to remain undiscovered."

Without waiting for a response, Xandria stepped back into her original position as was expected and waited for the discussion to begin. Personally she would have preferred the elder ot give her the solution but everyone had to be given the opportunity to speak when the outcome was as important as it this. The whole world depended on her and thus her concealment was utmost importance because she was to the chosen what Merlin was to Arthur, only this time she was inexperienced and was rushing to find the chosen before the final hour.

The domed room was silent for a moment, the only sounds coming from the echoing of their tensed shuffles before all hell broke loose and they all started calling out their suggestions. Some were completely absurd and would help nothing but it was the words of a man who was only a few years older than Xandria that stilled the entire room. Even Xandria was shocked at the man's suggestion.

"We should let her use one of the amulets." His voice was strong and confident as he swept his gaze over the room but, it was when he received a nod from the elder as she silently agreed with him, that the room erupted into a cacophony of sound. Most were protesting at the fact that they wanted to use one of the covenant's most precious possessions but some were actually agreeing with them. Xandria was stuck in the middle, she was shocked at the thought that someone wanted to use such a precious object but then again if evil succeeded in thwarting the chosen, the amulets would be worthless anyway, that or they could pose a threat to the world if they landed within the wrong hands.

"The amulets would be a wise choice, thank you Jack." The man nodded his head at the elder as she stepped forwards and placed her hands upon the sacred rock. "The decision is made." Her voice radiated power and all of those who had had protests on their lips, ducked their heads and took a step backwards immediately swallowing their words as their backs pressed against the cool stone of the walls. She then began to chant, the words indecipherable to the rest of the covenant but held them enraptured nonetheless as the stone beneath her hands started to glow. A gasp rippled throughout the room as out of the empty slot in the stone rose a large amulet on a length of shiny silver chain. The room trembled slightly as one after the other another six rose up and rotated through the air, held up by some unseen force that brushed against the skin of every person in the room, making every part of them that it touched tingle as if being caressed by an unseen person.

The elder shot out her wrinkled hand and grasped the smallest of the metal medallions tightly before opening her eyes and mumbling the final words of the incantation. The other six medallions sank back into the stone, disappearing like they were merely holograms whilst the one held in the elders hand remained corporeal. It swung as if brushed by an invisible breeze and everyone gazed at the thing that had been spoken of and revered since the covenant began. The cool metal of the amulet had come from the actual Excalibur sword which had been melted down after the demise of Arthur and Merlin and the purple jewel at the centre of the round coin shaped pendant was an enchanted amethyst stone, enchanted by Xandria's descendent himself, Merlin. Now the seven medallions held a piece of the original sword and they were all said to possess different magical properties based upon the stone that was inlaid in the metal.

"Come forth child." The elder beckoned Xandria to her. With the aid of some of the covenant members who were used to her ability, she was able to make it there without falling flat on her face because they touched her arms as she passed so that she could use their sight to see her path.  Once before the coven leader, the arms dropped away and Xandria immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head waiting for her to continue. "This medallion is sacred and more powerful than even I know. It will keep you hidden from those who would do you harm should they discover you true identity but be warned young Calibre. The medallion possesses many properties and if you are not careful it could cause harm. By giving you this medallion, we are entrusting you to use it responsibly, to make judgements carefully and with wisdom that is beyond your years yet we all know you possess and lastly to honour the covenant by protecting the medallion and all of it symbolises." She slid the chain over Xandria's head so that the cool metal of the medallion rested on the exposed skin above the top of the silk that was covering her breasts.

Xandria lifted her head and was startled when the elder took in a sudden breath. She opened her mouth to question what was wrong but in the next breath she felt a hand on her shoulder. "It seems you won't have to wear those glasses anymore." The elder replied chirpily with a grin on her face and there reflected in the woman's vision, Xandria could see herself though her eyes weren't green like the elder's or mismatched like her natural eyes, it was as if the medallion had transformed her eyes so that the two had blended together to create the strange blue eyes that had veins of purple running through the irises. They were beautiful but so strange.

"I promise to look after it madam elder." Xandria finally spoke after several attempts to bring moisture back into her mouth. She lowered her head respectfully to the elder of the covenant before retreating to her original place in the circle.

For the next hour they discussed anything else that had to be brought before the covenant before action could be taken. It was quite strange the way that it worked but it was part of the reason why the covenant had been so successful and had been undetected over the many centuries. It was then time to leave, after a customary drink of Calibre wine and toasts to good health, they all left thought the wooden door. It was odd for Xandria to change back into modern clothing after wearing the attire of the covenant, she always thought modern clothing was too restricting and in the stifling heat of the underground room, it always made her uncomfortable to have to tug of the thick layers of clothing that were required for British weather.

As the coven members left out of the other door they each patter Xandria on the shoulder and wished her luck in her quest which she took with a polite nod. On the inside she was more nervous than ever. Not only did she have the fate of the world resting on her shoulders, but she also had to look after a priceless artefact. Nothing says pressure like banishment hanging over your head, because that was what she would get if she failed. Banishment, death or eternal glory, to Xandria though, none of the options seemed that pleasant. What ever happened to the simple life? She thought bitterly as her mum led her up the stairs and out into the chill night.

"Come on love, let's go home." Her mum wrapped an arm around her neck and Xandria allowed her mother to pull her along, feeling grateful for the distraction from her thoughts.

"If only reality could be banished as easily." Xandria muttered morosely as they climbed into the car and headed back to the little town that was now her home, back to the home of the chosen. No, she decided as the engine rumbled to life, life could never be that easy. The world seemed to agree with her because a moment later the heavens opened and heavy raindrops dropped down onto the windscreen of the car.

Sorry, it's not the best written chapter. I will try and get around to editing before the next chapter is up. anyways please comment and let me know what you think, even if it's to say it's rubbish lol