The Stain of Mordred part 18.

Mordred.

Mordred’s eyes snapped open, his sleep had been troubled by dreams of the Red and White dragons. He had been feeling uneasy for a few days, sensing that something was amiss. Something was moving out in the world, an echo of the Old Ways but it had remained hidden until last night. In his dream he’d felt a surge in earth power the likes that he’d not known in an age since Avalon had moved back into the mists.
Since that time Mordred had plotted from the shadows, slowing building his power and influence as he worked to weaken the earth power in small ways. He had used people to destroy the once sacred sites, used the new church of the Nazarene to wipe out the rituals of the Old Ways. Always he kept to the shadows bringing strife and discord down through the centuries. He could have lived a life of luxury, his wealth and influence was such he could bring down governments and start wars. As the twentieth century had advanced his reach became global as he guided humanity towards it’s own end.
Mordred didn’t care about wealth and power in the way other men of industry did and shunned the luxury to live in the ancient caverns below one of his properties as he had since his return to life by the Dark Gods. He surrounded himself with followers of the Old Ways, not the powers of the earth and nature, but the older ways of darkness. In return for the devotion of his followers he gave them powers, never enough so they could challenge him but enough for them to be bought by the lure of power and serve him without question. Some lived beyond their natural years but all eventually died in his service, some by his own hand.
His ultimate aim was to return darkness to the Earth, to bring down the disease of humankind and bring back the creatures of the dark. He had been chosen to do this, died and returned to ensure this task was completed, born of Avalon and reborn to a darkness far older.

He knew what his dream had been and knew the truth of it, someone, somehow had woken the Red Dragon. He had put the dragon to sleep over a thousand years ago when he had put his father into slumber, injured beyond even the healing arts of Avalon. The surge in Earth power would slow and in some places stop the poisoning of the land that he had been over-seeing for centuries. At first his work over the centuries had shown little return but it had really taken off as the humans had developed new ways to destroy themselves and the Earth. In their ignorance and search for more wealth and power they orchestrated their own end. Industrial and scientific advancements produced pollution on a scale he could never have dreamed would be possible.
Walking out of the small cavern where he slept a man stood waiting for him.
“Send for Gareth to meet me in my office in the house, I need to go to the lower chamber but I expect him waiting for me when I get there.” Mordred ordered and didn’t wait for an answer before he began to head down a tunnel heading for the lowest chambers in the cavern system.

As Mordred walked into the chamber torches around the walls flared to illuminate it, Mordred walked up to an ancient copper mirror, easily large enough to reflect his whole body. With a wave of his hand the surface began to shimmer and a dark cloaked figure appeared.
“Someone has woken the Red Dragon somehow, does your brother still slumber in his crypt?” Mordred asked.
“He slumbers still but even the dreams of the king can be real to those with the skill to see them.” replied a woman's voice.
“Speak plainly Mother, I don’t have time for your riddles or do I have to awaken the darkness that sleeps within the mirror with you to teach you obedience.” Mordred snapped.
“Someone was pulled into the dreams of the king, it was then that the Red Dragon awoke.” the woman’s voice answered in fear.
“Whoever it is, they can’t stop the return of the Dark Gods, the earth power is failing and the lay lines fade. We are approaching a tipping point and this slight set back will not stop the waves coming crashing down on the human fools.” Mordred said confident that soon his plans would be fulfilled.
“You can’t stop the Once and Future King returning with the power of Avalon at his command, your victory is not certain.” the woman's voice said with a hint of defiance.
“Morgan Le Fay still has some fight, even after all your years of imprisonment, let me remove that for you. Your brother will wake and return too late, they wait for the fall of man. By then the Dark Gods will be released and the hosts of Avalon will be destroyed as they enter this realm. The Avalon prophecy is wrong, I made sure of that on my last visit to Avalon. It was so easy to change an obscure prophecy that nobody paid attention to back then. Your brother must be woken up before the fall of man to have the slightest chance of stopping this, there will be no glorious return for my father.” Mordred said.
“What happened to you my child, to make you hate Avalon and your father so much?” the woman asked. “To hate humanity?”
“You all betrayed me, I warned you of the danger the queen posed with her priests but I was ignored. I stood in his court and watched as they turned their backs on the Old Ways, on Avalon. Your precious brother betrayed us and turned his back on me when I called out the queen and her lover Lancelot.” Mordred spat his anger raising. “I was sent from court and still the Lady refused to support my cause.”
“You acted to take a crown that wasn’t yours.” the woman replied. “You divided the knights and invited invaders into our lands.”
“The queen divided the knights and sent many off to their deaths on that damned stupid quest, all she had to do was look to her lover the poisoner.” Mordred hissed in anger.
“You had no proof that Lancelot was poisoning his king, they were like brothers. Our healers would have discovered any poison had it been used.” the woman insisted.
“They both loved the same woman and Lancelot wanted the crown. Do you think after betraying his king to bed his wife he wouldn’t poison him to take it all for himself. I acted to save the Old Ways, to rid Camelot of the treasonous queen, her lover and those pious priests. Your brother was a fool who was letting everything be destroyed and you still sided with him over me. Well I found an older power, one that would support me.” Mordred hissed.
“They don’t support you, they use you to escape their prison. This endless life and gifts they have given you is just to further their own ends.” the woman said sadly.
“Those ends are mine too, I will have revenge for the betrayal I suffered and I will have Avalon burn and mankind with it.” Mordred said and with a wave of his hand he dismissed the image of his mother.
Left alone in the cavern Mordred fell to his knees, his anger draining away as fast as it had risen.
“The Dark Gods may be using me but did Avalon not create me to be used as a tool for their own ends? I was made by your Merlin and then cast aside, it is fitting that someone else picked me up to use me.”

To be continued.