At least he had his trident back.
Another chime.Two left.His friends were nearly all free.Hopefully Bran wasn't still possessed like Galehaut.They'd said the others had been more weakly controlled, so surely he was free of it now.
Maleagant climbed out of the water, but it did him little good now as the water was over the columns by at least a foot and climbing faster than ever.
Thunder cracked and boomed.A storm?How…
Didn't matter.Amidst the flashing lightning, he threw his trident, cutting through all the shadows that came at him, running after them and once more dragging Maleagant down into the freezing dark.He held tightly, not letting go, dragged him all the way down.
Another chime.One more to go.
As he pinned Maleagant to the ground, somewhere in the middle of the great hall, the final chime sounded.Everyone was free.Hopefully they would make it to safety.
Lancelot held Maleagant down, dug his claws into his throat, determined to rip—
And then screamed as he was grabbed from behind and thrown up and up, slamming into the ceiling, bones breaking, head in agony, vision wavering.He fell into the water, agony ripping through him.
He forced himself to swim up despite the pain, all the shattered bones, the blood pouring from his head, more choking him as he coughed and spit.
Galehaut loomed over him as he broke the surface, standing on one of the columns, somewhat protected by shadows.They must be how he was able to go into the water to grab Lancelot, because if he went off the column then he was a dead man otherwise.
The water there was up to Galehaut's shoulders and rising fast.Ignoring his broken body and bleeding head, Lancelot stared at Galehaut in anguish."Get out of the water, you fucking fool."
Maleagant laughed smugly from where he hid behind Galehaut, safe from the water by perching on a bit of broken wall.That wouldn't save him for long.
Tears stung Lancelot's eyes, but he forced them away.He sent the water rushing at them, once more tearing apart shadows, slamming into both figures and knocking them into the water.Gale.Gale.Gale.I'm sorry.I've betrayed you in the worst possible way.I'm sorry.
This was it.If he didn't manage to kill Maleagant this time, it was over.His strength was fading fast.He was losing blood rapidly, and his body was broken inside and out.Last chance.
Ignoring the pain, literal and emotional, tearing him apart, Lancelot dove into the water and swam for all he was worth, knocking Galehaut over again, sending him to lie flat on his back in the water.
To drown, if Lancelot did not finish this quickly.
With Galehaut defeated, he once more attacked Maleagant, who struggled desperately, kicking and punching at his broken body, making Lancelot sick with pain, his vision darkening steadily.But he held fast, using his claws to shred apart Maleagant's clothes and remaining armor, destroy the last few feeble shadows trying to tear him away.Used his claws to cut Maleagant open wherever he could reach, ripping innards out and casting them aside.Blood and ichor filled the space around them, thick in the water, making him wretch further.His blood mingled with Maleagant's, fitting for this final nasty confrontation.
If they both died, so fucking be it.He'd already murdered the man he loved most for this fight; he didn't want to live.
Second by agonizing second, Maleagant's strength waned.Until at last he finally stopped moving.Lancelot tore out his throat, then kept going, until he was able to at last rip Maleagant's head from his body.Swimming to the surface with it, he threw it up as high as he could, watched as it sailed through the enormous broken window at the back of the great hall to be lost to the lake.
Diving back down, he sought out Galehaut, begging the water and all the creatures that started to appear to help him as he was fading fast.With their assistance, Lancelot managed to drag Galehaut to the surface, then swam and swam until he reached the doors of the great hall.
The water pushed them open, and went flooding out across the rest of the castle grounds.Lancelot and Galehaut landed in the yard, the water rushing over them until they were left in a shallow pool of it, colder than ever in the evening breeze.Lancelot dragged Galehaut's head into his lap, sobbing even as his vision started to fade once and for all, his broken body giving up now that he was holding still.
Galehaut wasn't breathing.
"Gale!Gale!Gale!"Lancelot screamed, pounding on his chest with his remaining good arm, even as he trembled and swayed."Gale, you can't!Come back, I'm sorry, I did not mean to betray you like this!Come back!"He screamed again, anguish consuming him as Galehaut remained unmoving."You can't leave me again!You can't!"
He bent sobbing over Galehaut's body, mind a mess, body in pain, his blood pooling around them.Something.He had to do something.He couldn'tthink."Gale!"
Then someone was grabbing him, talking to him, dragging him away.Lancelot fought them, tried to break free, because if he couldn't live with Galehaut, then he would die with him, whatever it took to at last return to his side."Gale!"
Something washed over him, hot and cold and agonizing, and he passed out still screaming Galehaut's name.
Camelot
He woke in the cold dark, surrounded by creatures of all shapes and sizes.Eels and snakes wrapped around him.Spiders in his hair, safe in their little bubbles.Sturgeon standing guard, catfish and piranha watching from the shadows.Betas and goldfish and more keeping him company and offering comfort.Crawfish at his feet, skittering over Arondight, still in the form of a katana, though as he reflexively sent it to inventory, he saw there was a skin available for the sword that would bestow its original appearance.
On the steps right in front of the throne, Kay was fast asleep, his head on a pile of kelp likely brought by the fish.
