6. Trial of the King

Scorpius was shocked at Arthur's declaration. He looked back down at the sword as he thought of what he should do.

If he took the sword he would be apart of this 'order' and become something more. If he didn't, then he would stay the same. A nobody. Sure he would have his runes, and he could definitely make a name for himself, but he wanted to be a part of something bigger. Something better.

Resolve filled his being as he stepped forward and gripped the sword. What felt like lightning filled his veins as he began to pull. Slowly but surely, the sword began to move up and out of the stone. With a final heave, the sword came loose, and with it the power of the sword envelope him as golden light filled the hall.

Soon the light died down as the hall became normal. Arthur was still standing near him, swords tip in the ground. The other knight began to beat their swords against the ground as one, creating an echoing thrum that rang through the hall.

Scorpius looked around him, seeing the knight's form a circle around him and Arthur. Suddenly the wind began to pick up, twisting and turning as a tornado erupted from the ground. Scorpius And Arthur stood in the eye of the tornado, as the knights stood outside, their capes and plumes whipping In the wind.

He looked at the man with confusion before Arthur spoke.

"You have drawn the sword. Now I must test to see if you are worthy of wielding it."

He suddenly took his sword in both hands and twisted it, holding the hilt near his chest as the tip pointed at the sky.

"Ready yourself." He said as he marched forward.

With no other warning, he raised his sword and brought it down on Scorpius.

Scorpius raised his sword to block the blow, but it was knocked aside by Arthur before the knight brought his sword back in a slash at Scorpius' neck.

Scorpius ducked under the slash, then back stepped another swing. He then rolled out of the way as Arthur brought his sword down on where he was standing.

Arthur said nothing as he continued to pursue the younger man. Scorpius decided to go on the offensive, taking the sword in both hands. He swung out wildly at Arthur, who batted the unrefined swing away with one hand. Seeing the younger man's decision, Arthur decided to play defense, wanting to see what his opponent had. Scorpius used his great strength to swing with everything he had at Arthur's torso.

The man responded by bringing his sword up at an angle, blocking Scorpius' strike. Using his strength against him, Arthur let Scorpius' blow slide up his blade, leaving Scorpius vulnerable. Arthur didn't let this opportunity go to waste as he drove his gauntleted fist that held Excalibur into his opponent's face.

Scorpius was knocked from his feet and flew back towards the knight's and the tornado surrounding them. He hit what seemed to be a transparent wall that encased them before he fell to the floor.

Pain erupted from his face and back as he got to one knee, looking up at Arthur. The man stood on the other side of their makeshift arena, waiting for Scorpius to get up and continue.

The young man wiped his face with the back of his left hand, coming away bloody. He could feel the familiar itching sensation of his Dragon Rune kicking in as he healed. He had felt that Arthur used a good amount of force in the punch, but he didn't think he was using everything. Compared to himself, that felt as if he used about 50-60 percent of his strength.

Arthur smiled, seeming to know what he was thinking and answered his unasked question.

"On a scale of one to ten, that was about a two or three."

Arthur approached once more, darting out with his sword to Scorpius' left side. But when Scorpius brought his sword up to block, he suddenly found it coming from his right side.

Deciding to turn this blunder into an opportunity, he let Arthur stab him in the shoulder while simultaneously stabbing out with his own sword. He aimed for Arthur's knee, which was suddenly right in front of his face. Arthur had seen what Scorpius was going to do, so he simply chose to move his leg right into Scorpius' face.

Scorpius' head snapped back from the force, colliding with the barrier behind him.

He suddenly felt a metal hand wrap around his neck as he was lifted into the air, only to be thrown across the arena.

"You are weak." Arthur said, slowly walking towards his opponent.

"But weakness can be forged into greatness through the fires of battle."

Another slash came towards Scorpius the moment he was back on his feet. This time he was actually able to parry the attack, but Arthur slid his blade up and over Scorpius' at the last moment. He then slapped the flat of his sword into Scorpius' back and sent him to the ground.

"You have no skill, and are sloppy. But skill can be taught, and sloppiness can be beaten out of you."

Scorpius crawled to his feet and held his sword out, trying to keep Arthur at length. The man showed no emotion as he stepped forward and tried to knock Excalibur from Scorpius' hands, but he stood firm, meeting Arthur's swing with one of his own. Arthur's sword stopped when it met Scorpius', making the man raise an eyebrow at the younger man's attempt. Arthur was holding his sword with one hand, while Scorpius held his with both. Arthur started to apply more pressure, pushing Scorpius' sword downwards. Scorpius strained with all his might, not wanting to buckle under Arthur's godly might.

An idea suddenly came to him, one which he executed now.

He suddenly shifted his sword, letting Arthur's slide past leaving his stomach wide open. The moment the two swords stopped touching each other, Scorpius struck out with a slash. He was expecting to hit Arthur, but suddenly his sword was stopped by his opponents.

Arthur had seen what was happening, and brought his blade back downwards, letting his sword grind down Scorpius' till the two's cross guards met.

Arthur flicked his hand to the right, breaking the two's engagement, which left Scorpius open. Delivering a kick squarely to the young man's chest, he sent him to the floor with a thud.

"I see you are a fast learner as well. But it won't be enough. You need the other Rune to help you. Come back when you have all four Runes."

Arthur stepped back, away from Scorpius to his original position among The knight's that made the circle. As he stepped out into the tornado, a helmet materialized onto his head, covering his face from Scorpius. He then joined his knight's in beating their swords, and soon all faded to nothingness.

Scorpius found himself back in the Scriptorium, laying on the ground where Arthur had kicked him. He could feel his ribs pop back into place as he sat up, letting out a groan as he did.

The sword Excalibur had returned to its place in the stone. He got to his feet and grabbed the sword once more, but could do nothing to move the blade.

Dejected, Scorpius knew he would have to wait a month before trying the trial once more.

With nothing more to do, he left the Scriptorium and made his way to the pool. Arriving back at the boathouse, he walked the long staircase back to the castle.

Surprisingly, he saw Filch and Mrs. Norris waiting for him at the top of the steps. Scorpius could tell there was something different about the man. He stood taller, and didn't shake at all. He stood with his hands clasped at his waist, eyes focused on the ground.

Filch looked up at Scorpius, studying his ward before holding out a hand for Scorpius to shake.

Once again confused at his gesture like that last time, Scorpius took the hand without much thought.

This time however, Filch didn't let go and turned the back of Scorpius' hand up to his eye.

Filch saw the Rune of the King and froze.

His bottom lip started to tremble and he looked back up to meet Scorpius' eye. With tears starting to form, and with a trembling voice, Filch knelt and spoke.

"My Lord."

Scorpius was shocked at Filch's actions. He had no idea what was happening, and told Filch as much.

Filch looked up with a slight smile on his face and explained the situation.

"You have the Rune of the King. Which makes you Master of the Order of the Round table. An ancient order of squibs that works in the shadows to protect the magical and non-magical worlds from destruction."

"What do you mean? How do you know about the Rune of the King?"

Filch just nodded as he stood, this time he was as tall, maybe a little shorter than Scorpius' six foot stature.

"I know this must be incredibly confusing for you, but I will explain all in due time. What you must know for right now, young Master, is that I will help you every step of the way. That is my duty as the second seat." Filch said while placing his hands on Scorpius' shoulders.

"Come, we have much to talk about. First I will need to alert the headmaster that we are going to be leaving for a few days." He said.

After walking back into the castle, filch told Scorpius to pack some necessities and to meet him by the main doors. Filch soon came back with some supplies and a long narrow bag on his back, but refused to answer any questions as they walked from the main doors.

"All will be answered in time. I promise, young master." Was all he said.

Soon they made it to the train station, and after a long trip to the middle of nowhere, the train stopped in a station surrounded by nothing for miles.

"Come." Filch said, getting up from his seat. He opened the door to their cabin, then walked out. Scorpius could do nothing but shake his head as he followed the older man.

The pair watched the train leave the station, leaving them stranded in the desolate area.

"What now?" Scorpius asked the older man. "Patience, lord. Patience. It's not much farther." Filch answered. The two walked for a while before finding a run down hut that looked like something out of a horror story. Filch walked straight into the hut without any warning, leaving Scorpius outside alone.

"This is a load of shit." Scorpius cursed as he too walked into the shack.

The hut was exactly what he imagined it to be. Nothing but wooden beams strapped together to make a shady dwelling.

The hut looked as if it had sunken into the dirt, making it look as if it had no ground other than the soil. There was a large tree that had fallen onto the roof, destroying a good section of the ceiling.

Filch was crouched over a small fire pit in the center of the floor, trying to start it.

"Alright, look old man. I've gone along with your whims this whole time with no answers. I think it's about time you start speaking before I leave." Scorpius voiced, having been fed up with the older man's actions up to this point.

Filch sat on a log he had found in one of the corners of the hut, having finished getting the fire started.

"Very well Lord." He said, motioning for Scorpius to take a seat on another log.

"A very long time ago, Merlin was given a young man to look after by High King Uther. Uther had disguises himself as queen Igrains husband, so he could spend a night with her. He was found out, and soon after Arthur was born." The older man said.

"Anyway, Arthur went on to be one of Merlin's best students. However, he couldn't use magic. He was a squib. Over time, Merlin came to love Arthur as his own son, and so he created the power of Runes." He continued, pointing to his left eye so Scorpius could see the Rune of Foresight, while also lowering his shirt so Scorpius could see the Rune of the Dragon branded on his chest.

Scorpius looked at it in shock, realizing certain things started to make sense.

"So you're like me then?"

"Yes. But I only have three runes, while you have four. Your Rune of the King is unique because only you have it."

"Did you know about the Scriptorium under the black lake?" Scorpius asked.

"I did." Filch answered. "Then why didn't you take the Rune of the King for yourself?"

"Because, that is not my role. I am the second seat, not the first."

"You mentioned that before. What do you mean second seat?"

Filch just smiled, as he looked up from the fire. "That is something that will be explained when we get to our destination, young master. All you need to know is how to use the sword for now. I assume you have it? May I see it?" Filch asked.

Scorpius looked at him sheepishly, lowering his eyes to look at the fire.

"I didn't pass the trial…"

Filch's mind blanked for a moment. He looked at Scorpius' hand, then back to his face, then back to his hand, then back to his face.

"The bloody hell do you mean you failed the trial? You have the Rune don't you?" He asked exasperatedly.

"I branded myself, then grabbed the sword. I was taken to a great hall where I fought King Arthur…" Scorpius replied.

Filch just slapped his forehead, while looking at Scorpius.

"That doesn't make sense. If Arthur thought you unworthy, he would have killed you. Once the Rune is branded on someone, no one else alive may have it." Filch Looked down at the fire, seeming to contemplate on something before he looked back up at Scorpius and continued to speak.

"The fact that you stand here alive means Arthur saw something in you. He must have seen potential in you which made him stay his hand…"

Scorpius chose to tell him everything that had happened during the trial. About Arthur's words about the next Rune, and trying again in one month. Filch nodded as he listened, taking everything in.

"I understand now. I know what must happen. Come young master, it seems I'm meant to be much more than your right hand. I will be your teacher, and mentor while you learn the ways of the Order." Filch said as he stood up. He walked over to his long bag he had brought with them, and pulled a silver sword from it.

He looked over to Scorpius as he handed the sword to him, and told him to wait for a bit. After a couple minutes Scorpius heard him calling from outside of the hut. When he walked Out the doorway he was greeted by Filch, who was holding a tree branch about the length of a sword.

"I will teach you how to use your Runes properly, and I will also teach you to use a sword so you may be more prepared for Arthur's trial." He said.

"Will I be able to beat Arthur next time?" Scorpius asked hopefully. Filch barked a laugh as he looked at his pupil.

"You're funny young master. Very funny. Now, let us begin."