Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Quest for the Holy Grail ❯ The Wizard's Cave ( Chapter 14 )

Damodin will be singing a final song in this chapter, once again penned by yours truly. I have been debating whether or not to just come out and say this is the last chapter of the Quest. Well, it is, but don't despair. More will come, which I will tell you about at the end of the story.

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Chapter 14: The Wizard's Cave

“You'll need some rope,” Baron de Franco said. “The cliffs along that part of the coast are too steep to climb. You'll also want to take a mallet and stakes so you can make anchor points for the rope, if necessary.”

Servants were laying out the specified items as the Baron spoke.

“You are most generous, my lord Baron,” Percival said. “We are grateful for your aid.”

“You may repay me by surviving and returning to tell me what you saw in the cave. I find this whole thing most fascinating.” He lowered his voice. “I hear there are countless treasures in the cave. Perhaps you could bring me something?”

“If we see anything appropriate, my lord, we will fetch it back for you.”

The Baron rubbed his hands together with a gleeful smile. “My men will show you the way to the cave. Farewell!”

The group departed with two of the Baron's men to serve as their guides. After two days, their guides left them on a windswept bluff overlooking the sea. A nearly sheer cliff dropped down to the water below, where the surf crashed against the rocks with a surging roar.

“The cave's down there somewhere,” one of the men said. “Good luck finding it.” They rode off.

“I'll go have a look,” Quatre said. “Why don't you make camp? It's too late to go rappelling down the cliff anyway.” He shimmered into his falcon form and swooped off.

The only trees to be had were thin scraggly things, bent over and bare from the constant wind. The knights ripped up as many of them as they could find to make a dismayingly meager pile of firewood. Wu-Fei lit it as they waited for Quatre to return. They did not have to wait long.

“I saw a cave at the base of the cliff about two hundred meters that way,” Quatre told them when he returned. He pointed along the cliff to their left.

“Could you get inside?” Trowa asked.

“No, the winds are a bitch. I nearly got smacked into the cliff trying to get close to it. We're going to have to go down the cliff face and the wind will not make it easy.”

“Great!” Duo muttered.

“Well, we'd better eat well and get to sleep,” Hagrimore said. “It sounds like we're going to need all our strength.”

In the morning, they hiked along the cliff to the spot Quatre had noted and looked over.

“There's not much to anchor the rope to,” Wu-Fei noted.

“There's a good sized boulder over here,” Olwin reported from a spot a dozen or so paces from the cliff edge.

The boulder seemed embedded fairly firmly into the ground. Not even Hagrimore and Heero together could shift it, so they tied one end of their rope to it and tossed the line over the cliff.

“I'll go first,” Trowa said. He looped the rope once around his waist and dropped over the side. Everyone watched as he rappelled gracefully down the cliff.

“He makes that look so easy,” Duo muttered.

“Look at the way his clothes are blowing, though,” Wu-Fei said. “The wind is pretty strong.”

“It might be a good idea to have some people stay at the top of the cliff. We may need help climbing back up,” Quatre said.

“I'll stay!” Olwin volunteered immediately. “I have to confess, I am not good with heights.”

Mendelere nodded. “In truth, I have trouble lifting my arms well above my head, since I had a bad fall in a jousting match two years ago. I should probably not attempt this.”

“As I am one of the strongest, I should probably stay as well,” Hagrimore said, “although I will regret not seeing treasures untold.” He winked at the others.

“It looks like Trowa's at the bottom,” Heero said.

Looking incredibly small, Trowa was waving at them from the bottom of the cliff. Heero gripped the rope and hopped over the side.

“May I go down too, Mama?” Roku asked.

“Yes, but you'd better change. You'll need hands.”

“Ok.” Roku shimmered into his human form.

Quatre stared at him. “You've gotten taller!”

“I have?” Roku looked down at himself.

“It's to be expected, I suppose,” Quatre said. “I guess you have been growing into your paws, lately.”

Roku grinned happily. He waited until Heero was at the bottom and then he went over the edge. Quatre held his breath as Roku slithered down the rope. He heaved a sigh of relief when Roku reached the bottom and then he started down, followed by Duo, Wu-Fei, Percival and Damodin.

It was incredibly noisy at the bottom of the cliff. The surf crashed on the rocks thunderously, drenching them with spray as they balanced somewhat precariously on the slippery, wet rocks.

“It's this way!” Quatre shouted and he led the way along the rocks to the left.

They worked their way around a slight bulge in the cliff face to where a deep fissure revealed the darkness of a cave. A ledge of rock led from where they stood up to the fissure, but no one proceeded forward, because seated on a rock that jutted up out of the crashing surf was a beautiful naked woman. Long silver hair flowed down over her shoulders but it did not hide her generous endowment of bosom.

Everyone stared.

“She was not there when I flew by yesterday,” Quatre stated.

“I say, madam,” Damodin called, “may I be of service to you?”

The woman favored them with a magnificent smile. “Would you not like to join me on my rock?” Her voice flowed like warm honey into their ears, with a delicate chiming of silver bells and the sweet whisper of birds singing.

“I would like nothing better!” Damodin cried and he started to walk toward her.

Roku grabbed his hand. “Don't do that, Sir Damodin! You'll fall in the water!”

Damodin started and looked down. “What?”

The woman held out her arms. “Come to me and I will soothe your brow with soft kisses!”

“How kind you are to offer!” Percival said and he started to step forward.

Roku jumped over and grabbed his arm. “No, Sir Percy!”

Then Trowa and Heero started to step forward.

Panicked, Roku stepped back and shouted “Homo obrigesco!”

All seven men instantly became stiff as trees.

The woman frowned. “What did you do?”

“I made them be still so you could not make them fall in the water.”

“Sweet boy,” the woman said with a delicate smile, “making men fall in the water and drown is what I do. It is my duty to keep them out of the Wizard's Cave.”

“I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you drown my Mama and Papas.”

“Your Mama?” A delicate frown stole across the woman's beautiful features. “But I see only men here.”

Roku pointed at Quatre. “He is my Mama.” At her puzzled look, he added, “It's a long story.”

The woman studied him. “You are very young to possess a wizard's powers.”

“I was born this way. Why won't you let anyone go in the cave?”

“It's what I do. I am a Siren.”

Roku sat down on a rock. “What will happen if someone goes in the cave?”

The woman frowned again. “Well, I suppose I will have to go guard another place.”

“How long have you guarded this place?”

“It's been a very long time.” She sighed wistfully.

“Wouldn't you like to go someplace else for a while?”

“It is not my place to choose.”

“Well,” Roku said. “I could go in the cave if I wanted to. If I went in, would you go away and not make my friends fall in the water and drown?”

The woman put a delicate finger against her lips. “I suppose I would have to.”

“In that case, why don't you go now? Does it really matter whether I go in the cave right away, since I can go in anytime?”

The woman thought this over for a moment. Then she smiled. “You are a very bright little boy,” she said and dove off the rock into the water. There was a brief flash of a mermaid's rainbow colored tail as she disappeared beneath the surf.

Roku sighed. “That was close.” He looked at his companions. “Homo recreare!”

“What the hell…?” Duo mumbled. “What just happened?”

“The lady on the rock was trying to make you all fall in the water and drown,” Roku said. “She said she was a Siren.”

“A Siren?!” Percival exclaimed. “How did we escape with our lives?!”

“I put you all to sleep and talked her into going away,” Roku replied.

Quatre hugged Roku tightly. “You're a good boy, Roku!” he said proudly. “I am very glad we brought you with us.”

“Me too.” He fixed his big blue eyes on Quatre. “I was very worried.”

“I'm sorry we frightened you, sweetheart,” Quatre said.

“Thanks, Roku,” Duo added. He tugged on Roku's long black braid.

Everyone echoed that thanks and the party continued along the ledge toward the cave.

It was very dark in the cave. Quatre began making little balls of light and letting them float up toward the ceiling to light the way as they made their way deeper into the shadows. The fissure narrowed steadily until they were forced to walk single file. Heero took the lead and Damodin brought up the rear. At length, the fissure opened up into a large cavern, whose size became apparent only after Quatre had created and released half a dozen light balls and sent them floating off in different directions.

The cave was full of stuff, ranging from items of pure gold to piles of broken furniture. Everything was jumbled about haphazardly, with bright golden statuettes resting on rickety old tables with only three legs.

“Do you suppose the Grail is in here?” Damodin asked. He looked around at the collection of junk and precious treasures with dismay.

“Anything could be in here,” Heero said flatly.

“We better start looking around,” Trowa advised. “Let's split up.”

“Remember you have to climb a cliff later, Duo,” Quatre said dryly. “Try to keep the gold you pick up to a minimum.”

“Who, me?”

“And don't go giving it all to Roku, either!”

“Damn!” Duo pulled out his knife. “Say, Knife! Is there anything of real value in this cave?”

The Book of All Spells lies here.

“Oh, yeah? Where is it?”

Beneath the golden eagle.

Duo looked around. “You mean that thing?” He pointed at a two meter tall pillar that had a bird with flaring wings mounted on top.

Yes.

“Cool. Quatre, my knife says there's something called the Book of All Spells under that bird statue over there. Now can I give Roku just one or two little golden things to carry for me?”

Quatre glared at him, but he went over to the indicated statue to look. He found a slender book about the size of his hand with a cover that might have been made from dragon skin. H opened it, but the pages inside were blank.

“There are no spells in here.”

Ask the book how to do something and the spell will appear.

“The knife says you have to ask it how to do something and then a spell will appear.”

“Really? That's interesting.” Quatre thought for a moment. “I want to know how to get back to our own time.” He opened the book again. Delicate writing appeared on the first page. He invoked another light ball so he could read more easily. “I'll be damned!”

“What is it?” Trowa walked over to Quatre's side.

“I think this will actually work!”

“You mean you can make a spell to take us home?”

“Yes!” Quatre looked at the others with excitement. “I think I can get us back to our own time!”

The five pilots stared at each other for a moment and then the other four descended on Quatre in a massive group hug. Even Heero.

Then Trowa disengaged himself. “But we need to search the cave for the Grail first.”

“And we can't leave without saying goodbye to Hagrimore,” Duo added.

“Right.”

“Duo, can't your knife find the Grail?” Heero asked.

“I don't think so. Remember, it can't find anything more magical then itself. But I'll ask.” Duo looked at the knife. “What about it? Do you know where the Grail is?”

The Grail is everywhere.

“What the hell does that mean?”

It is an object of such power, its aura emanates from everywhere.

“Oh, I get it. Sorry guys, the knife can't help.” Duo stuck the knife back in its sheath. “The Grail has too much power, so the knife can't pinpoint it.”

“Great,” Heero grumbled. “I guess we search then.”

Everyone searched the cave very diligently, but although many items of great value were found, nothing like the Holy Grail presented itself to them.

Percival sighed resignedly. “My friends,” he said, “I think we have come to the end of our road. There are no more clues, so I think this is the place we were meant to find. But alas, the Grail is not to be found. Perhaps, as I have said all along, it is the search and not the destination which matters.”

“Perhaps,” said Damodin, “it was the Book of All Spells we were meant to find, so our dear friends could find their way home again. Is that not a good thing, too?”

Percival perked up at once. “You are quite right, Sir Damodin!” he exclaimed. “This find is certainly of more value to our companions, and therefore is of value to us all. Let us return to the others and acquaint them with this exciting news.”

Damodin picked up a small golden statuette. “Shall we take this as a guest gift to Baron de Franco?”

“Why not?” said Percival. Then he grinned. “But I think there is no need to mention that the Siren has moved on. There is no reason for the Wizard's Cave to lose its reputation and be denuded of its many treasures.”

“I think that is something we can keep between us,” Damodin agreed.

So they left the cave and made their way back up the cliff, with Hagrimore, Mendelere and Olwin lending their strength to haul the others up one at a time.

Hagrimore received the news about the Book of All Spells with a tear in his eye. “Alas, my good friends,” he cried, “I shall miss you all as I would miss my own sons. You've become as dear to me as they are, in truth.”

Percival nodded in agreement. “Had I any sons, I would wish them to be men such as you,” he said gravely.

Quatre made a choking sound, but he managed not to look pointedly at Duo.

No one seemed particularly disappointed that they did not find the Holy Grail, even Percival. They discussed their many adventures along the way and reminisced about the many strange things they had seen. They also recalled notable experiences from their days in King Arthur's court.

“I still think my favorite part was when Quatre turned Jean-Pierre Galvoisin de Croix Vert into a bunny and Roku chased him,” Duo said.

“That was pretty funny,” Wu-Fei agreed.

“I rather liked it when Heero knocked him on his ass during the joust,” Quatre chuckled.

Heero smiled faintly.

“Remember what a pretty woman Quatre made?” Trowa said with a dreamy smile.

“You would rather be with a woman?” Quatre asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Trowa took Quatre's hand. “I'd rather be with you, man or woman.”

Quatre blushed.

Damodin cleared his throat. “In that regard, I have written a ballad to commemorate your visit. It would please me to sing it for you.”

“Yes, please, we'd love to hear it!”

Damodin sat up straight, lifted his chin and began to sing:

Anon, one day came five young men among the Knights of Camelot.

Though strange they were of word and dress, we saw their minds and hearts were pure.

So fair of face and form they were, by many men their love was sought.

But loved they best among themselves, so knightly love held no allure.

Among these men was one whose strength was more than match for any man.

Heero by name, and aptly too, for valor did he have to spare.

Though slight, he stood above the rest and countless fell beneath his hand.

By sacred oath and solemn vow, he was a knight beyond compare.

A second man among this group possessed in him a happy charm.

Called Duo by his friends so true, he had a knack for cards and dice.

And food and drink he loved so well that few could match him without harm.

But always first his choice would be to passion's heat his friends entice.

A gentle man was yet a third who in this group did play his part.

Trowa was he, whose skill and grace did entertain us and amaze.

Many there were who loved him well, but only one who held his heart.

His dearest friend and only love whose blue-eyed beauty held his gaze.

The fourth young man, sweet Trowa's love, displayed a flair for magic's gift.

Quatre, lovely as the moon, became a wizard like no other.

He cast his spells as quick as thought; no knight was safe when he was miffed.

And though his fierceness made men quake, he was yet a loving mother.

Though listed last, he might be first; this final man was strong and true.

Wu-Fei, a master of the sword, made swordplay graceful as a dance.

Let any number face him, yet they'd all lie dead ere he was through.

But knowledge had he also and this was his greatest gift, perchance.

But let me not forget one more, who joined these others afterward.

Young Roku, loving Quatre's son, brought into life by magic wild.

A little boy with nature sweet, he walks as man or beast or bird.

A wizard's power he holds within, but you'll not find a sweeter child.

And thus are they who shaped our lives and gave to us a deep felt joy.

But now we face them one last time on what must be our final day.

And burn into our hearts and minds the faces of each man and boy.

And hold them in our memory as time at last takes them away.

“That's beautiful, Damodin. Thank you,” Quatre said.

The others all nodded in quiet agreement.

After a moment, Quatre took the spell book from his pocket and held it in his hand. “I think it's time to go.”

“Indeed,” Percival agreed. “We shall truly miss you, my friends. Safe journey.”

“Safe journey,” Hagrimore said as well, echoed by Mendelere and Olwin.

The five young pilots and Roku stood in a close group.

“Show me the way home,” Quatre said and opened the spell book. He read the words that appeared there in a resonant voice.

“Ow!” said Duo. He rubbed his head where something had banged it and looked up. “Holy shit!”

“I'll be damned!” Wu-Fei exclaimed.

“It actually worked,” Heero remarked.

“Well done, Quatre,” said Trowa.

The close confines of the shuttle cockpit had them all hunched over.

“Where is this place, Mama?” Roku asked. He was looking out a porthole.

Quatre looked out the nearest porthole. “It looks like a moon.”

“HA!” Duo shouted triumphantly. “I told you I hit the giant moon!”

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And thus ends the adventure of Gundam Wing and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Look for their story to continue in the next installment: The Magicians of Gundam Wing, coming soon to a fanfic site near you, because I know you are desperate to find out what happens when our magic-wielding, fire-breathing Gundam pilots meet up with their old friends from the colonies. Ja-ne!