THE LEGEND OF KING ARTI

SUMMARY

Preface

Treading one’s own path

 Chapter I : A myth is born
On a night when the sky was studded with a million stars and the light shone from North to South and East to West so that one could be forgiven for thinking it was broad daylight, a child called Arti came into the world. His father and mother lived in a modest dwelling outside the towering castle of the powerful and wicked King Itzawlmyne. Evil held sway over his territory: he considered his subjects as just so many pawns to be manipulated at will to consolidate his power and be shackled forever into his service...

Chapter II : Enter - The Fool
After telling his parents of his decision, Arti smiled broadly at them and armed with his mandolin, set off for the castle to try and win the jester’s costume. He was more than a little surprised to notice that several other people had the same idea. Four other hopefuls were waiting outside the audition room and he seemed to be up against some very stiff competition: an acrobatic dwarf who did contortions, a wild rabbit tamer, a man with one leg and one arm and finally, perhaps the greatest threat of all, a man dressed as a young woman. Arti would have his work cut out to land his dream job, particularly if he wanted to put his plan into operation...

Chapter 3: Hope springs eternal
Night had fallen and the moon had taken on a strange, reddish hue, as if to reflect the evil fate that awaited Arti. Locked up in a dark, damp cell, the erstwhile royal jester kicked his heels in frustration, seeing his dreams of changing the kingdom fade into oblivion. Just when he had started to get some of his ideas across to King Itzawlmyne and his court, that damned Baksheesh had understood the message behind his words and sent him to his death. All the same, the young man was convinced that his cause was just even if he had to die for having expressed his opinions to the King and his courtiers, so he determined to put on a brazen air and go to his death with a smile on his face...

Chapter 4: Hope gives way to magic
As Arti rode through the wooded countryside, he heard the horses of King Itzawlmyne’s knights neighing a few hundred metres behind him. Arti’s escape plan had suffered a setback as his mount was far too slow and the King’s men were gaining on him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the rays of the sun to penetrate the thick foliage of trees and Arti had the distinct impression that his every gesture was being observed by an inexplicable force. The fugitive remembered the scary stories his parents had told him about the Enchanted Wood: magical, mysterious creatures that lived hidden among the trees and assailed travellers for food. Fear gripped the poor young fellow’s heart and he spurred his horse on to greater efforts...

Chapter 5: Training for the future
Arti was stunned by the old magician’s words. How could a peasants’ son possibly overthrow King Itzawlmyne, as he was now certainly the kingdom’s most wanted man? The King never let anyone off the hook, particularly if this person had escaped from a prison in the depths of the castle! Merlin understood the young man’s apprehension and shock and beamed at him. Now that their paths had crossed, it was time to accompany him in the fulfilment of his destiny, without however, precipitating events. It was of course obvious to Merlin that the young man was not warrior material. Knowledge would be his greatest and most powerful weapon. This wisdom would guide him to uphold peace since he hated any form of violence...

Chapter 6: An odd sensation
Arti sped swiftly along the path leading to Merlin’s hut, hardly noticing the time. The stillness of the forest was such to frighten the most intrepid of adventurers, but the young man never gave it a thought. The hunger pangs that had plagued him earlier had vanished as if by magic and no longer bothered him. As for his mind, it was working overtime. For one thing, he could not forget the charms of the Lady of the Lake. He began wondering whether he had fallen under her spell! Moreover, he was worried he would not be able to fulfil the quest for the spirit of the Holy Grade. His military experience was non-existent and he had no one under his orders...

Chapter 7: a heroic combat
The next morning, just as the sun was peeping over the horizon, Arti and Merlin set out to find Excalibur. It would be a long journey so the two of them spent their time in conversation. Consequently, the wizard had time to tell his courageous young friend that when he was young, many years ago he had fought alongside great knights to defend their lands from being invaded by barbarians from the North. Their savagery had disgusted Merlin to such an extent that he declined to participate in warfare from that point onwards...

Chapter 8: An ominous discovery
The two men, aching and exhausted, slowly made their way across the clearing towards the Enchanted Wood. Walking is, after all, healthy exercise… however, after having been locked in ferocious combat with a ravenous troll, Arti and Merlin would have preferred to have had two powerful steeds to carry them home...

Chapter 9 – a sombre revelation
The death rattle inside the mound of corpses began to wane in intensity before fading away altogether. The unknown individual trapped within was being stifled as well as dying from his wounds!
Abandoning Excalibur for a moment, Arti backed up Merlin’s efforts to his best of his ability so he could remove the lifeless bodies. Finally, they caught sight of the poor motionless creature covered with blood and dirt. His face was covered in so much mud that his features could not be distinguished...

Chapter 10: Dashed hopes
Arti felt revolted by this world which only seemed to exist in a state of chaos. Gloom stretched out its relentless arms of misery and despair snuffing out the slightest moment of happiness and liberty. King Itzawlmyne was a despicable blackguard, but Morgan the Sorceress showed herself to be an even viler and more pernicious creature...

Chapter 11: Manhunt!
When Arti finally caught sight of the cabin he noticed it was surrounded by about twenty armed men wearing armour decorated with a blazon in the form of two red serpents facing each other over a black flame. The young man recognised this emblem immediately as he had seen it on numerous occasions when wearing his jester’s costume: it belonged to Baksheesh...

Chapter 12: The Fugitives
The sun which had bathed the Enchanted Wood with its gentle warmth was slowing sinking below the horizon. Cold dark shadows lengthened around Merlin’s hut and gradually engulfed the landscape. Suddenly the sky turned as black as the wickedest man’s soul as the moon rose out of the darkness like a beacon guiding the steps of the few intrepid travellers who had ventured abroad...

Chapter 13: Honest blood flows
It had started raining by the time the violent clashing of weapons rang out with cries of rage and pain on the battlefield. Although there were many more knights than Krigings, the latter’s strength meant the battle was an uphill struggle all the way. At least three men were needed to take on just one of these creatures...

Chapter 14: unexpected reunions
It had stopped raining but a lingering grey mist covered the sky and stopped most of the sun’s rays from breaking through. In the aftermath of the battle, Arti, Oxface and the other knights were engaged in amassing the corpses of their fellow warriors, laying them out on an improvised bonfire prior to their cremation. In keeping with the custom in the county of Troyes, the dead were never to be buried so their souls would rise up to heaven to join the Gods...

Chapter 15: Confession
The expressions of surprise on all those present in the Council Chamber, except Merlin and Arti, rapidly disappeared. These two men, who had been in contact with Gabrielle for several weeks, were completely stunned by this confession. They were torn by conflicting emotions but in essence they did not understand why the young girl had lied to them right from the beginning...

Chapter 16: Mid-Autumn Night’s Dream
It had been a long night in the cave dwellers city. While the soldiers and people had been celebrating their victory with great rejoicing, Arti and his friends had held a long meeting presided by Lancelot of the Park in the Council Chamber. The young man, to whom long meetings were anathema, would have preferred to let his mind run in neutral and enjoy the party. He would also have liked to sing, dance and play the flute again … instead he had to listen to lengthy discussions. Whether the speeches were long or short it made no difference to the end result…

Chapter 17: Sense and Sensibility
Life had gone back to normal in the cave dwellers city. There was nothing left to show that a big celebration had taken place during the night … apart from a few people who having drunk rather too much, lay sleeping it off in various corners...

Chapter 18: Meetings
All the inhabitants of the cave dwellers city stopped what they were doing as soon as they heard the sound of the horn. Emerging from their houses, roads and even dark cellars, they ran to the entrance of the cave where the knights had already gathered. Two soldiers were helping an old man dismount from his horse...

Chapter 19: The grand departure
Preparations for the departure of Lancelot of the Park and his companions began at dawn. The horses had been harnessed in readiness during the night because the journey that would take them to the Kingdom of Goor would be long and fraught with perils. The soldiers resplendent in their uniforms had gathered round the entrance to the cave dwellers city and stood in an impressive blue and white line. The people stood waiting and singing ballads which extoled hope, courage and good fortune...

Chapter 20: On the road to union
For several days Lancelot of the Park and his men accompanied by Merlin and Arti wandered along lonely, rough roads where the horses risked stumbling at the slightest provocation and breaking their legs. From time to time amid the trees they caught sight of the sometimes still smoking ruins of villages and fields, whose eerie silence was only broken by cawing crows. Each time there was no recent trace of the Krigings’ presence and all the inhabitants had either been killed or deported to the territories of the south for reasons unexplained...

Chapter 21: Strength in Unity
It had been dark for quite a while in the Kingdom of Goor but the various negotiations showed no sign of ending. Locked away for several hours in one of the few undamaged rooms in the old fortress, everyone had started explaining their own situation and community’s demands so things between the various protagonists had rapidly degenerated into vast and sometimes angry exchanges of opinion...

Chapter 22: On the road of destiny
Despite the fact that the sun shone brightly in a beautiful, clear blue sky, it was still bitterly cold in and around the ruins of the ancient fortress. In the nearby forest only the hooting of owls broke the deep nocturnal silence. Throughout the night, despite the friendly atmosphere that reigned between the warriors in the various communities, the fear of being attacked by a garrison of Krigings lurking in the dense forest remained uppermost in their minds...

Chapter 23: Wolves penetrate the forbidding sheepfold
Arti and Merlin entered the cave first. Oxface and the other ten knights remained a little way behind. The blackness of the cave made them wary and impeded progress. It was so dark that Arti could not even see his feet. A blind person would not have minded of course, but for the sighted the shadows were a huge problem: as good as blind under these circumstances, they guided each other but still risked getting lost or falling into a deep abyss. Fortunately a magician was with them! Casting a few spells, Merlin conjured up a huge sphere of light in his left hand...

Chapter 24: The birth of a new dawn
Arti and his companions suddenly found themselves in a dimly-lit corridor which appeared more frightening than a dragon’s den, when they heard Morgan’s sepulchral voice. Fear gripped their stomachs as they were terrified of their ultimate encounter with the sorceress. They made their way slowly but stealthily to the room she was in. The fact they were here had to come as a total surprise...

Chapter 25: A storm brews
The sun’s rays once blocked out by a glowering sky now gently warmed the sea which had turned from a threatening black to a shimmering blue. Instead of constantly buffeting by huge waves and terrifying storms, the sea now looked as calm as a millpond. Arti and his companions surveyed the scene with utter amazement when, thanks to a boat they happened to have found on the island of Avalon, they returned safely to the mainland...

Chapter 26: An unbreakable alliance
The bitterly cold winter had given way to driving rain so the land and cottages in the county of Troyes were all awash. Water had also seeped into the minds of these courageous men, flooding their hearts with sadness. The Christian Tower had been swathed in grey mist since Arti and his companions had returned from their long journey and discovered Gabrielle’s abduction by the wicked Movégalant...

Chapter 27: a retaliation attack
Loud voices could be heard coming from all directions amid the clash of armour, weapons and horses which had taken up their positions around the Christian tower. Over several kilometres of the surrounding area cohorts of soldiers of mixed ages and social backgrounds had rallied at the request of a person who had promised to replace long-held cultural, political, religious and social dissensions by peace and solidarity...

Chapter 28: The march to freedom
A strange, unfamiliar mist issued from the Enchanted Wood and settled over King Itzawlmyne’s army in a matter of minutes. For the previous few days the soldiers had been taking advantage of the spring sunshine to prepare their equipment for the invasion of the county of Troyes. Then this mist infiltrated every corner of the vast rolling countryside far from the royal fortress which was occupied by the soldiers, and spread an icy mantel which caused many of them to shiver...

Chapter 29: Revenge is sweet
Arti and his men had hardly any time to celebrate their peaceful victory over King Itzawlmyne’s army. No one had lost sight of the fact that their quest was far from over. Selling the bearskin before killing the bear would be tantamount to disaster, particularly since the ferocious beast in question was the wicked, cruel King Itzawlmyne himself...

Chapter 30: The quest for the Holy Grade
Agonising minutes dragged on as Arti more determined than ever waited, bracing himself for his fight against King Itzawlmyne. He knew several thousand eyes full of hope and admiration were riveted on him. All the men who had come with him withdrew several hundred metres from the castle to give the young man and the wicked Sovereign enough space to fight their duel in comfort...

Remerciements

Merci,
pour leur présence, leurs conseils et leurs encouragements,

à Luciano B., Christiane Bosman, Salvatore Cavallo, Jacqueline Corbisier, Alain Dekairelle, Lieven De Ridder, J-L. Duhaut, Ines Fidelman, Frasanne, Emile-Henri Genon, Salvatore Guttadauria, Nadine Lambert-Druet, Nadine Lebrun, Hicham Loulida, Remia, Renato, Gerardo Rosa, Francesca Pellegrini, Frédéric Van Lieff et Francis Wuillot.