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Mystic Giggling Belle
064dd5
My former pupil, do you remember the stories I would tell you? Particularly the one about Vortigern, the second king of Britain? If not let me refresh your memory, perhaps you have forgotten the lessons it taught.
https://youtu.be/gRuggMzH3Gw
"King Constant, a descendant of the Romans and the first Britains, was the first Christian king of the Isle that was to be known as England, and with his son Uther, his line was secure. But there were many who desired this position, including a Ruthless Warlord, Vortigern. He desired power more than anything, and he desired to rule over Britain. But with no allies but that of his own retinue, he needed soldiers. And so he sent word across the sea to the lands of the Angles and Saxons, and north beyond the Hadrians wall, built by the romans of so long ago, into the lands of the fierce Picts. One by one Vortigern invited them into his lands promising lands and conquest in return for being his army. And the came, from the beyond the wall, and from across the sea, the warlords came to fight for who would be king. And together, they raided and pillaged their way across Britain and eventually, they took it. Vortigern cut down King Constant who had long since lost his mind, and Uther fled across the sea. At last Vortigern had his crown.
But his rule wasn't to last. For too late he saw his mistake. The men he brought with him were savage, untamable men, and he quickly realized that no matter who he brought into his own retinue, he could not trust anyone as he had their arms and fighting strength, but he lacked the power to see into men's hearts, least of all his own. And so he did not trust anyone. To ensure the loyalty of his men, one child was to be taken from each of his generals and brought up as servant and a hostage. But this only sowed more discontent within his ranks.
More trouble began for Vortigern as the land he had chosen to build his castle upon would not hold. Every time that his builders and architects raised the tower, it would collapse and crumble to the ground. Angry, Vortigern asked a sooth-sayer why the his castle would not stand. Upon reading the stones, the sooth-sayer said that while he could not explain why it wouldn't stand, he did know who could. He told Vortigern that only a man with no mortal father would explain it him. For many months they searched, and one day in late autumn, on the eve of winter, they found him.
His name was Emrys, and although he was young, he was wise beyond his years. His village had run him out, claiming that he was the son of a demon. This was not the case, for he was born to a maiden who had no husband, claiming that the primal magic of the land had given her a child, her name was Ambrosia. Emrys, was quick and clever and when he focused he could see into the future, following threads of fate and seeing his future as well as the futures of others. However, his happiness was not to last, for when Ambrosia died tragically of fever, the village ran him out, afraid of his powers and afraid of him.
Alone, he wandered into the woods, and made his home there, and using his gift of magic, charmed the animals and faeiries of the land for company. And it was here that Vortigern's men found him.
Taking him to king Vortigern, the asked him why the castle would not stand. Emrys then searching his mind and following the strands of fate, saw into the future. And he saw why the castle would not stand. He told them that something waited, beneath the ground under where the castle was to stand. Vortigern, ordered his men to dig into the earth where the castle would stand, and after a week, they found them. Two large, silvery, eggs the size of a horse. Emrys told Vortigern that in order for the castle to be built, the eggs must break open. So Vortigern ordered his men to get a mallet and chisele and break them open. The first strikes only cracked the surface, the second, nearly broke the eggs, and with the third, they broke open.
And from the eggs, two dragons rose. One red and blood, the other white as snow. And seeing each other, they rose into the sky, and roared in fury. The two dragons did fierce battle, and fire rained from the sky from their battle. The men cowered from the Fire, and the fury of the battle, but Emrys only watched and smiled.
Eventually the red dragon bite deep into the white, and pierced its iron scales, and the white dragon fell out of the sky, dead. The red gave a roar of victory and flew off into the distance, and beyond the sea. Emrys, approaching the corpse of the white dragon pointed to it and looked at Vortigern.
'This is your fate my king.' He said, for Vortigern's own crest was that of a White Dragon. Vortigern grew angry, and ordered Emrys be imprisoned and to await execution. Emrys only smiled for he knew that it wasn't over. For just then a rider on horseback rode to Vortigern, and gave him his news.
Uther Pendragon, son of king Constant, had returned from exile and with an army. Many of whom were former generals of Vortigern and all whose children he had taken as prisoner. What's more the standard of their flags was that of a red dragon. Vortigern was angry, and he ordered his armies to gather for battle. Emrys watched the kings fury as was ordered away. But Emrys was too clever for the kings men and in the dead of night, vanished.
The dragon armies met in the cold winter, upon a frozen lake. But among the armies of Uther a robed figure walked, unseen by the men, except for Uther. The figure told Uther that he would help defeat Vortigern if he swore to end the years of blood that Vortigern had created, Uther agreed, and so the figure gave Uther a sword, a sword of incredible power, saying that it could only be wielded by a good man with a good cause. Upon taking the sword Uther was flushed with pride, he knew his victory was assured.
And indeed it was, for the two kings met upon the battlefield and with the strength of bears, did battle. But it was Uthers blade that pierced Vortigern's withered heart that gave into pride and suspicion and was incapable of love and trust . And so, a tyrant died, with no allies, and no friends, and with no mourners for him."
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