Chapter 15

The room hummed with energy as Xandria paced around the inside of the circle just like Excalibur had done in Avalon. With each step her hair swayed side to side brushing across the nape of her neck. Her fingers twitched at her side as she resisted the urge to rub the back of her neck where the hair tickled her. Instead she kept her face calm and composed as she stepped around the furniture that was lying in her path. She had already walked into it a few times but after three rotations of the circle she knew when to anticipate it.

She kept going until she felt it, something urging her to stop. She was stood between two people and in an instant she reached out both or her hands and place one on each of their shoulders.

“I don’t like to place importance on people’s lives but you two are crucial to the survival of our group and ultimately the world as we knew it. One of you will be the holder of Excalibur and the other will be the guide. You two will depend upon each other as will everyone else.” Taking a step back Xandria gestured around at them all. “The main thing you have going for you are the bonds you have formed with each other, they offer you something that the other side doesn’t have…unity.”

Several of the group murmured and then one by one they started to take each other’s hands. Their faces set with looks of determination.  Xandria turned her attention back to the two before her.

“Lila, Colton, you are the core. Where one is offensive the other is defensive. Where one fights the other guides, the two made to complement each other. Lila your totem is emblematic of your role in what is to come. You are the guide, the watcher. When you have learnt how to use it properly you will be able to predict events, know when evil is near and other such things. That pocket watch as you have properly gathered is not an ordinary pocket watch.”

She placed her hand over Lila’s heart and watched as a dark blue glow started to shine though her top forming a strange symbol made up of dots.

“Your symbol is a constellation, a symbol of the watchers.” Xandria told her before focusing on Colton.

He glanced nervously between Lila and Xandria. He knew that in the next five minutes either he or Lila would be the wielder of some serious power. He knew what it felt like, amazing, exhilarating but also completely and utterly terrifying.

Xandria held out her hand to him. “Colton take my hand, it is time for you to meet your destiny.”

“It’s me?” He questioned just to make sure and the only response he got was a brief nod from her before she shook her hand as if to emphasise the fact that he should take it.

Looking side to side at his friends, they all nodded in encouragement so he dropped Lila’s hand and smiled gratefully when she patted him on the back and then nudged him forwards. He took Xandria’s outstretched hand and allowed her to pull him to the centre of the circle.

She smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. “Do you know I’m kind of glad that it was you and not Lila otherwise the bit that is going to come up soon would have been even more awkward than it already is.”

Colton frowned trying to think what it could possibly be but then he remembered what they had done to transfer the powers last time and in an instant a blush formed across his cheeks.

“Yep and if you thought that was awkward wait until you see what comes next.” Xandria grasped his hand and placed it directly over her heart but with her small frame and his large hands it looked like he was trying to cop a feel. He stuttered a few times but somehow managed to meet her gaze. She lifted her own hand and placed it over his heart. Then her other hand she placed folded down most of her fingers but used two to press against his temple. “Copy what I’ve done.”

He folded his own fingers and then placed them at her temple and looked down at her face waiting for her instructions.

“Close your eyes Colton, and let your thoughts go.” She whispered as she too closed her eyes and let her mind go blank.

Xandria rocked on the balls of her feet. She could feel Excalibur stirring already. The essence was a hundred times more potent than usual.

“Okay, I want you to repeat after me.”  She murmured her hands never leaving him. He nodded to say that he understood but obviously she couldn’t see him so a second later he gave a grunt to say that he understood. “I Colton Matthews do willingly enter into the covenant of the Excalibur.”

Colton took a few deep breaths before he started copying her words, his skin erupting in tingles and gooseflesh as each word passed his lips.

“I promise to forsake all evil and follow unto the light.” Colton repeated the words as his heart rate started to spike and his breathing picked up. “I do willingly accept the Excalibur. I promise to guard it, honour it and use it selflessly.”

Xandria smiled. “I Xandria Calibre as the current keeper of the Excalibur do acknowledge thee Colton Matthews as the chosen of legend. I willingly give thee all that is yours.” Xandria leant forwards and placed her lips on his forehead. “With these lips I bless thee, may it protect you from influences of the darkness.”  She then leant forwards so that she was a breath away from his lips. “And with these lips I bind thee into a contract that can only be broken by death. So with these three words I pass of what is sacred and by accepting you willingly bear the consequences of what follows. Protect, honour and trust.”

Colton’s breath hitched as he felt her warm breath fan across his face but instead of eagerly leaning forwards to meet her lips like he wanted to, he took a deep breath and then as he exhaled he said those three words. “Protect, honour, and trust.”

The change inside the bubble was instantaneous. It was like the sudden shift in atmosphere before lightning strikes. The pair in the centre of the circle drew everyone’s attention. Both of them were bathed in an ethereal glow, the two of them looking more than human in that moment, the energy flowing between them was as if they were just one being.

“So mote it be.” Xandria whispered as she leant forwards and pressed her lips to Colton’s.

She felt the energy within her body shift. The warmth that had filled her soul since birth was overwhelming as it strengthened tenfold, filling her entire body with the most vivid sensations before the energy flowed out of her body and into Colton’s through every point that they were touching one another, the heart, the temple and the lips.

Colton gasped against her lips but quickly was frozen by the new sensations, the new power filling his body. Last time he thought it had been exhilarating but this was on a whole new level. His veins felt like they were on fire but the burn was a good burn, the fire moving throughout his body filling every inch of him until he felt like he was going to burst. That’s when he heard her for the first time in his head, Excalibur. The beautiful melodic voice uttered soothing words into his mind keeping him calm when all he wanted to do was go weak at the knees and fall to the floor.

The air around them crackled and the crack of electricity jumping to the earth startled those around the pair but they still did not move from their embrace, too caught up in the ceremony to notice the world around them.

“Whoa,” Lila muttered as she watched the pair, entranced by the fire pulsating across their skin yet not a single inch of them is scorched.

 It was then that she saw the most radical transformation out of the whole thing so far. Colton’s hair grew longer each moment he was in the lip lock as did Xandria’s , but it was the way that his hair grew in streaks of black and gold whilst Xandria’s hair began to be interspersed with streaks of gold and flaming red. Across Colton’s skin symbols and words in many different languages emblazoned in fire engine red before they dissolved into his skin leaving it blemish free.

After what seemed like an eternity but was in actual fact only a minute, the glow began to recede and after a final crack of jumping electricity the bubble fell silent. Colton and Xandria kept their lips locked for a moment longer before she pulled back gasping for air as he hand fell away fro his temple but her hand remained over her heart. The two of them panted as they slowly peeled back their eyes and stared into each other’s eyes.

“Did you see it?” he asked with complete awe.

The only thing she could do was nod dumbly, a goofy grin on her face.

“Do you think it’s real?” He asked nod even aware of the fact that his hand was still covering his boobs.

“I don’t know but…” She trailed off as she stared into his eyes. “I really hope so.” She gave him a shy smile and then pulled her hand away from his chest, her fingertips dragging across his pecks a moment longer than necessary before she snatched her hand away and shook her head back and forth.

“So is that it?” He questioned as he too snatched his hands away, more quickly than Xandria did when he realised where his hand was still resting.

Xandria laughed. “Wasn’t that enough?”

“Yes, but it’s all new to me. I don’t know what to expect.” Colton looked down to the floor whilst one of his hands rubbed the back of his neck.

“don’t you feel it, in here.” Xandria tapped his chest right over his heart. “Don’t you feel the warmth, the feeling of safety and love?”

He placed his hand on top of her and closed his eyes for a moment trying to figure out what she meant. He nodded. “Yes, I can feel it. It’s muted at the moment but that’s probably because of everything else I’m feeling right now but I definitely feel it.”

“Excalibur will be in your heart forever. Although it’s no longer inside of me I can still feel the essence in my heart. It’s what gets me through the loss.” Xandria gave him a shaky smile and clapped her hands so that the bubble fell away.

Everyone started moving around and chatting about what they had just seen when Xandria stumbles back a few steps clutching her chest.

Lifting her head she meets her mother’s eyes slightly panicked. “Mum, it’s happening.”

Xenia let out a cuss and hurried over to her daughter. “Are you sure?”  she pressed a hand to her daughter’s forehead before taking her hand away from where it was clutching onto her chest and saw for herself. “crap” She stared at her daughter and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. “don’t worry, I’ll look after you and it will be over before you know it.”

Xandria stared at her mum with scepticism but when her mum glared at her she gave her a small smile.

“I’ll get everyone settled and then I’ll take you downstairs.” She brushed a lock of Xandria’s hair from her face. “It will be alright.”

Xenia moved off leaving her daughter standing there swaying. She knew she could have anything from a minute to an hour until the full force of the ascension hits; it’s different for each person.

She started to tremble and her teeth chattered. Her arms wrapped themselves around her body in an effort to keep herself warm but she knew it was no use. This was just how it was meant to be. Her head started buzzing so she shook her head several times trying to clear the cobwebs from her head but it only seemed to be getting louder and louder.

Swaying on her feet she felt herself loose balance but warm arms wrapped around her waist and she knew who it was without lifting her head. Colton scooped her up into his arms and murmured for her to relax and let him take care of her before her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into the coma.

Colton watched as her eyes moved frantically behind her closed lids but all he could do was sigh, no matter how much he wanted to help. Excalibur was whispering reassurances into his mind but he knew that deep down it would be okay anyways, he just hoped that she doesn’t have to suffer too much. He remembers the pain of his own ascension and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Sorry it's such a crappy chapter, as you know none of this story has been editied and I'm writing this whilst half asleep. But yeah let me know what you think. I appreciate all comments and votes that you guys give.