The Tale of the Cursed Kingdom: (Chapter 8)
Three weeks since your arrival at Merlin Academy, you seek out help from two class mates to help improve your swordfighting skills, then you are paired up with a certain pirate for a class project but not long after your first study session an incident in the library has you find to help with your studies
King Fergus stood in front of the class "Today, we're going tae try somethin' different. Using a regular item one of yae must attempt disarm your opponent who is welding a sword.
Watching as King Fergus paired students up, one grabbed the other item and attempted to disarm another item, watching as some students were successful and others were not.
King Fergus turned to the students, "our last pair... James Hook, you get the sword and Y/N you have tae try and disarm him with the regular item." James leaned over to morgie and whispered "good luck with that." Before he got up and walked into the boundary area.
You walked over to the table and saw a Chinese folding fan, a frying pan, rope and a "Magic" lamp, trying to imagine the best item to disarm James, you were still deciding when a voice spoke up.
"Hurry up firebird, we don't have all day." James called out. Rolling your eyes as your hand landed on the fan, you picked it up
"I'm coming" you called out as you stepped into the boundary "A fan? What are you going to do darling? Blow me away?"
Taking a breath as you ignored james and held the fan tighter, king fergus gave the signal to begin the duel. James lunged the practice sword at you, managed to dodge him.
With a flick of your wrist you opened the fan, you thought back to the scene in Mulan where she defeated Shan Yu. James lunged again and the practice sword went through the fan, you moved to the side then closed the fan, gripping it from both the top and bottom the pulled the fan, the sword slipped out of james grasp, the sword fling in the air before you caught the handle, the fan still on the sword.
James stood there in shock as King Fergus gave you a round of applause. "Well done Y/N." King Fergus boomed as James crossed his arms "Please you got lucky" he scoffed. King Fergus looked at james "No James, it was pure statergy amazing job." He turned back to the rest of the class "nae, i want ye to all pair up again with your partner. We will start off with sword fighting."
After the class you still were not happy with your swordfighting skills or lack of, so you walked up to Merida and Mulan who were talking.
the two girls stopped and turned back to you "I was wondering if I could ask you both to train me. I want to improve my sword fighting skills."
Merida smiled "Aye, about time! I was wonderin' how long you were going to let keep James bestin' ye. I must admit that wee trick with the fan was brilliant. Ye took the smirk right off his face."
Mulan smiled "you used your opponent's arrogance and momentum against them, it just shows that a smaller force can always defeat a larger one if it's smarter."
Merida nodded "meet us after school tomorrow, we'll make a warrior out of ye yet." Mulan bowed her head "we would be honoured."
You breathed a sigh of relief "Thank you both very much. This means so much."
Later that day came professor song's class."Okay class, i am going to assign you all into pairs for this next project, you'll all be assigned a legendary kingdom." Professor song announced before she grabbed her paper and began to read off the list of students, you crossed your fingers hoping to be paired with a friend or any else except members of Uliana's crew, you listened as the names were read off one by one
"Bridget you're with Malachi, Morgie, you're with Merida and lastly, James Hook, you'll be paired up with Y/N"
Before you could react a voice spoke up from the back of the class "Excuse me professor song." You rolled you eyes, James. Professor Song looked up, unamused "yes James."
James leaned back in his chair "I don't see why I have to be paired with Y/N for this assignment. shes been here for three weeks and knows nothing about our realm."
You scoffed and turned back to face James, he sat there with a smirk on his face, Morgie just sighed. "That's the point of the project sweetheart, you learn about the topic." Came your reply, some of the students snickered and professor song hid a smile behind her notes.
"Besides" you began "does knowing that before the kingdom of DunBroch was formed, the clans McGuffin, Macintosh and Dingwall all fought against clan DunBroch until Vikings, Romans and northern invaders threatened them and eventually the four clans teamed up and afterwards clans leaders and lords of the clans crowned Fergus and Eleanor king and Queen, count for anything, at all?"
James' smirk faded, as you turned back to the front of the class satisfied. Professor song smiled "I see you've been reading up on our history. Thats good." She looked at her list and wrote something down "since the two of you insist on debating, your assignment is on the legend of Vespertine."
Just before class ended, Professor Song reminded everyone that, the project were due in two weeks. As you gathered your things James came up to you "meet me in the library after school, firebird." His gaze lingered on you "don't let me down, darling" he smirked at you before he followed Morgie out the classroom
Once after school you immediately headed to the library, you wanted to get this project over and done with. Scarowing the bookshelves for all the books that mentioned Vespertine, they were all scattered on the table open to various pages when james walked in 15 minutes later. "You're late." You replied not looking up from your notes as you continued to write
He pulled up a chair and sat across from you, "i had to make a dramatic entrance, darling." he flicked his hair out of his face as he put his feet up on the table, just missing the books.
"I see you've been busy, firebird." He replied as he grabbed a book and moved it "why stress Darling, you have two weeks to do this project." You rolled you eyes "Listen james, I actually want to get a good grade, and I'm not doing all the work while you just sit there looking pretty."
Once you realised what you said you stopped writing and looked at the page. Hoping that he didn't realise what you just said.
James smirked as he moved his feet off the table and you heard the thud of his boots hitting ground before he leaned forward "so, you think I'm pretty" Looking up as your eyes met, your cheeks flushed "that...that's not what i meant" you stammered
James eyes twinkled as he grinned before he leaned back "if you didn't mean it, why did you call me pretty then, firebird."
You put your pen down as you crossed your arms "Its an expression james, a figure of speech. You know, laugh and the world laughs with you. The world doesn't really laugh."
James chuckled "no it's because they're too busy confessing how they think I'm pretty." He looked around and made sure no one was around before coming closer "It's not your fault firebird." He whispered "the dark is a little more enticing."
You scoffed "you're so arrogant." As you leaned back, looking away from him.
James smiled, twirling the pen in his hand "it's all part of my charm." He winked at you before grabbing a book and opening it up "Anyway let's make a start, i don't exactly want a failing grade either."
James pulled out his book and pen the grabbed one of the books you had grabbed and began to take notes, occasionally fiddling with his hook. There was silence for a while before james spoke up "So, Firebird. I've been meaning to ask you. Do you have any pirates where you're from ?"
You thought for a moment before continuing "Yeah, we have pirates. They are quite common in movies, books and tv shows. Real pirates do still exist but they are quite different to the ones that were around in the 16th and 17th centuries. The ones around now mainly use high powered speed boats and modern weapons to commit piracy."
James stopped writing, he almost looked insulted "No, flags? No jolly Roger, no cutlass, where's the dramatic flare?" Not looking up as you continued "These days where I'm from, it's just for the money."
"Well i can do both." He twirled his hook as his gaze met yours "See Firebird, I'm clearly the most impressive Pirate captain that you've met."
A slight chuckle came from you as you glanced up at him "James, You're the only Pirate captain I've met."
James continued with his notes "Yes i suppose for your little world i would be very impressive."You flipped to the next page and begun reading as you hid a smirk.
"I think some people on earth would argue that Killian Jones is very impressive pirate."
James leaned back "Killian jones, what kind of name is that for a pirate?"
You hid a smile as you made notes from the page you were reading "he was a pirate on a TV show back home that i watched with my mum, it was called 'Once upon a Time' it's about a curse that brought storybook characters to the real world. Killian Jones, he was a fan favourite, devastating handsome."
James folded his arms "Well unlike this 'Killian Jones', I'm real darling" he twirled the pen in his hand as he went back down to the book.
You rolled out a map which you had on the table, trying to change the subject "Huh, that doesn't make sense"James looked up
You pointed to a section on a map which was mountainous "theres a trade route here but they're wasting time" you then looked a section of land next to the trade route. "If they put the route there" you pointed to the empty land "then travel between parts of the land would be cut by at least two days."
James looked at the empty land "nobody goes there Firebird. it's said that there are all sorts of monsters there." You studied the map more and saw a waterway of some kind that lead out to the ocean and also connected to other waterways in the realm.
"Well what about these waterways, this area is perfect for trade." James took the map and turned it and studied it "ships tend to stay away from that path, it's rumored to be filled with shipwrecks."
You looked at him "shipwrecks, there? How? The map doesn't show any reefs." James looked up at you he went quite for a moment as he closed the books "Sirens, or at least that what the rumours say."
Looking back at the book talking about the legend of Vespertine, it spoke about how the kingdom was extremely prosperous and had various trade routes.
The blank area on the map would be the perfect location that matches up with description given in the legend of Vespertine. Just then Hades walked in "James, i see you're still here with fire." He stopped and cleared his throat before he spoke again. "forgive me, Y/N."
James closed his book and the book he was working from then stood up. "Hades no need to worry, we were just finishing up for the day." James pushed is chair in and was about to walk away from the table before he turned back to you "Be a darling and put these books away...I'm exhausted from carrying the project."
James and hades left the library together laughing about something, you shook your head as you closed some of the books. "The nerve of that..." you trailed off as you got up and started to put the books back on the shelves. As you slid the last book on the shelf a small gold book fell of the top shelf and hit your shoulder before it landed on the floor with a thud.
There was a compulsion that you felt to pick the book up, crouching down you bushed the dust off the front cover and on the cover was a phoenix in flight.
Standing up you held the book in your hand, you turned to look at the spine of the book searching for a title but there was none. "What are you and what were you doing with books on Vespertine?" Before you could put the book back, a different book floated to you
"Read me, i can tell you about Vespertine." Then a second book "the kingdom of Vespertine"
Before you knew it dozens of books were flying around making noise, at hearing this the librarian ran over, she saw you now crouched on the floor "What did you do?!" She exclaimed
"I don't know it just started happening."
She called out.The books spun around you faster in a vortex causing a strong wind to pick up. "Come on Y/N think of a spell...Books freeze pretty please." You closed your eyes as the books spun bringing the dust into the vortex. You heard footsteps then a voice boom "Orderious restorus" suddenly the books froze then fell to the ground with a thud.
Looking up you saw Merlin, wand in hand. The magic still visible on the books. "I sense a very powerful disturbance."
You quickly got up and moved away. The librarian picked up a book "Y/N couldn't possibly have wanted all these books." Merlin shook his head as he turned to the librarian
"no the books chose Y/N." Looking at the scene before he quickly turned to you "dont say a word to this about anyone Y/N"
You nodded, quickly getting up and putting the gold book back on the shelf before grabbing your bag and walking out.
When you arrived at your dorm you quickly put your bag on the bed and sat down. The bag fell next to you and the gold book fell into your lap.
"How...I put you back on the shelf" the book shimmered as you held it in your hand.
Part of you was curious and wanted to open the book but another part of you didn't want to cause trouble so you put the book back in your bag and headed back to the library, you put the book on a trolley then quickly left.
When you came back to your dorm you looked at your bed and the gold book was laying on your pillow.