Excalibur

NIvian spoke to the younger of the two strangers who stood on the shore of Lake Avalon, "Who are you? What do you want?".

"I am Arthur, King of the Britons," replied the younger man, "and I am here to seek Excalibur."

Arthur? Much like Arcturis. And the man did have the haircut the prophecy mentioned.

Still Nivian didn't feel like giving something away for nothing.

"What will you give me in return?" she asked.

"I've got your ear ring," Arthur pulled it out of his pocket, "I found it in a fish."

"My pearl ear ring," Nivian reached for her empty pierced right ear lobe, "I've been searching for it for days and nights. I'm sure it was Samuel who nipped it from my ear. I'll kill him should I get my hands on him..." she stopped, "Oh, I suppose someone already did that if the ear ring was found in him."

"Arthur ate this Samuel you refer to," Merlin spoke up in a nonchalant fashion.

"He was very delicious too, I might add," Arthur smiled.

"May I have the ear ring?" Nivian asked.

Arthur threw her the ear ring.

Nivian caught it in her hand and put it on her right ear lobe.

The pearl glistened in the moonlight.

Nivian's white dress glistened in the moonlight along with the pearl.

Nivian herself seemed to glisten translucently in the moonlight.

Merlin as he gazed on Nivian wished for two things at that moment- he wished that he was a far younger man- and he wished that he knew how to swim.

Nivian dove down to the bottom of Lake Avalon.

And removed the sword Excalibur from its sandy resting place.

Arthur jumped as Nivian rose up out of the lake like a bursting fountain.

She threw Arthur the sword,

"Excalibur, Arthur King of the Britons," she said, "Use it wisely. And on the day of your death, it must be returned to this lake."

She then dove back down into the lake.

"I must once again catch up on my beauty sleep," she said.

Although she didn't really need it.

"I haven't had this feeling in years," Merlin turned so that Arthur wouldn't see him.

"What feeling is that, Merlin, my friend?" Arthur asked.

"Never mind," Merlin strode on ahead with great vigour.

Arthur held Excalibur in his hands.

Excalibur.

The Sword of Saint Michael.

Excalibur.

The Sword of Invincibility.

Arthur and Excalibur together.

Together at last.

At this lake.

At this place.

At this time.

Right here. Right now.

Arthur and Excalibur.

It would be the start of a long and beautiful friendship.