almost 1500 years ago - the Battle of Camlann
"You have to go, my friend."
They stood on the field of battle, the two of them, side by side, while the fighting raged towards them once more. The other Guardians had already fallen, one by one - the traitor Mordred had revealed the secret of their vulnerability, the only way to kill one of their number, and by sheer numbers, one at a time, the others had been overwhelmed and their heads taken, before the horde was turned back. Now they were coming again.
The enemy's number had thinned, that was beyond doubt. The Guardians had been assigned to fight with the King's own regiment of guards, and it had been these five brave knights that had been targeted first. There was only one way to kill them, and until the traitor had revealed their secret, for a lifetime the enemy had been mystified at the apparent ability of these brave few to survive even a mortal wound or a fatal blow...but now the secret was out.
The demon looked along their line. Brave fighters, knights all, led now only by himself and Justin, the last of the remaining Guardians of Avalon. But they were few, and outnumbered. Still, only they remained to stand between the oncoming invaders and the King himself.
At their head he could see the traitor, advancing with his sword in hand and death in his eyes. Lupinius recognized that look - he had worn it for nearly six centuries before he came to the Isle himself, the look of one determined to kill - determination, bloodlust and rage. There would be no stopping him...
"Lupinius, did you not hear? You must go. Go to the King and tell him to flee this place - we cannot hold any longer."
The demon shook his head, the sleek shape of Angelis in his hand. "Even were I wont to leave your side, old friend, to deliver that news, the King would not go. He will not run from this - there will be no convincing him. He will make his stand, come triumph or tragedy - he knows no other way."
He saw Justin shake his head slowly as he watched the horde coming at them from across the field of battle, sighing softly. "Then you will stand at his side, old friend. You must go, either way - one Guardian must survive the day, to carry our legacy on until a place can be found to bring the Circle together once more."
He looked to the knight, shaking his own head. "Surely, you...would be better suited to such a task...I am..."
Justin nodded, smiling over at him, a weary look on his features. "...a demon. I know, Lupinius. But you are a demon with a purpose. I am but a man...I will meet my end here, for I shall grow weary of living on and on and on. But you...you are forever. You can...you must survive, and abide, until the time comes around again at last."
He looked over at Justin, his old friend and brother Guardian. The look on the knight's face was perfectly familiar - there would be no argument, and the demon was honor-bound to obey the knight's commands. He was still the bearer of the First, and the most senior of their number. He would have been even had the others not fallen. Finally, he relented, the sword Angelis dissipating from his grasp once again as he nodded and turned to go. "I will see you soon, my old friend."
The knight watched the demon go, a smile of resignation and determination on his features as he spoke softly to the retreating figure.
"No, my old friend...I am deeply regretful, but you shall not."
"You have to go, my friend."
They stood on the field of battle, the two of them, side by side, while the fighting raged towards them once more. The other Guardians had already fallen, one by one - the traitor Mordred had revealed the secret of their vulnerability, the only way to kill one of their number, and by sheer numbers, one at a time, the others had been overwhelmed and their heads taken, before the horde was turned back. Now they were coming again.
The enemy's number had thinned, that was beyond doubt. The Guardians had been assigned to fight with the King's own regiment of guards, and it had been these five brave knights that had been targeted first. There was only one way to kill them, and until the traitor had revealed their secret, for a lifetime the enemy had been mystified at the apparent ability of these brave few to survive even a mortal wound or a fatal blow...but now the secret was out.
The demon looked along their line. Brave fighters, knights all, led now only by himself and Justin, the last of the remaining Guardians of Avalon. But they were few, and outnumbered. Still, only they remained to stand between the oncoming invaders and the King himself.
At their head he could see the traitor, advancing with his sword in hand and death in his eyes. Lupinius recognized that look - he had worn it for nearly six centuries before he came to the Isle himself, the look of one determined to kill - determination, bloodlust and rage. There would be no stopping him...
"Lupinius, did you not hear? You must go. Go to the King and tell him to flee this place - we cannot hold any longer."
The demon shook his head, the sleek shape of Angelis in his hand. "Even were I wont to leave your side, old friend, to deliver that news, the King would not go. He will not run from this - there will be no convincing him. He will make his stand, come triumph or tragedy - he knows no other way."
He saw Justin shake his head slowly as he watched the horde coming at them from across the field of battle, sighing softly. "Then you will stand at his side, old friend. You must go, either way - one Guardian must survive the day, to carry our legacy on until a place can be found to bring the Circle together once more."
He looked to the knight, shaking his own head. "Surely, you...would be better suited to such a task...I am..."
Justin nodded, smiling over at him, a weary look on his features. "...a demon. I know, Lupinius. But you are a demon with a purpose. I am but a man...I will meet my end here, for I shall grow weary of living on and on and on. But you...you are forever. You can...you must survive, and abide, until the time comes around again at last."
He looked over at Justin, his old friend and brother Guardian. The look on the knight's face was perfectly familiar - there would be no argument, and the demon was honor-bound to obey the knight's commands. He was still the bearer of the First, and the most senior of their number. He would have been even had the others not fallen. Finally, he relented, the sword Angelis dissipating from his grasp once again as he nodded and turned to go. "I will see you soon, my old friend."
The knight watched the demon go, a smile of resignation and determination on his features as he spoke softly to the retreating figure.
"No, my old friend...I am deeply regretful, but you shall not."