A Bum, A Lady, and A Sword (Slash II)

Zayn is totally screwed.

Zayn knows she's bad at any and all directions--she so knows that, but can you blame her? She was so excited--it's been forever since she's been outside and she let the little kid in her definitely lead her in a direction she didn't know existed--and so far from meat--sorry Chase.

Zayn sighs, slowly jogging to a hill, peaking around her to spot any sounds of life--any sounds of animals roaming around--honestly anything she can bring back to her friends so she feels less useless.

Zayn doesn't find much--anything at all, really--but soon she freezes, her body as still as a statue as she hears the sound of a droplet--like water?

Zayn breathes in, closing her eyes and concentrating on the world around her. She hears the wind glide past her ears, she hears cicadas chirp and grasshoppers twitch and birds cry and finally, finally she focuses on the soft sound of a water flow, more continuously with the movements of a trail of water droplets.

Zayn grins, sliding down the grassy hill and following the soft sounds of water hit a echoed room until finally, finally Zayn stills to a stop, staring at the humongous cave lying ahead of her, it's mouth long and wide like a drape, beckoning her to discover whatever treasures are inside.

Zayn pauses in her steps, takes a deep breath, and follows the sound of water. It turns out that the inner cave is damp--water from above causing small, soaked rivers to touch Zayn's metal boots. It seems like the cave was once a frozen envy, eventually melting away to cater to the changing temperatures of Avia. 

Zayn slowly walks through the cave, dodging bats and small critters scattering and running past her, more afraid of her crushing them with her metal feet and bare hands then them running around wild--either way—-Zayn is more of a walking cation sign then they are, so Zayn resides to carefully stepping on the stoned ground, afraid that her strength may lead her to break through.

Eventually, while feeling through the darkness, comes a soft light from within the tunnel. Zayn freezes, stunned at the bright light, before Zayn follows the light at the end of the tunnel, eventually leading to where it leads her now, the yellow light fading to a cool tone as she walks to another part of the cave, the sounds of water droplets even heavier and more of a echo in the part of the cave she's in.

Zayn stops, looking around her, eyeing her drenched surroundings, until she hears a soft noise, kind of like a ding, then another noise, like a soft breath.

Zayn turns her head, following the strange noises, letting her feet guide her to the sounds until she finally stops, perplexed and confused, climbing up a hill of rocks and stones until she sees a glowing stick plunged in the ground.

Zayn frowns, puffing her cheeks and eyeing the glowing stick—oh—no, sword— stuck to the ground in disgust.

"How ugly." She said, immediately flinching back when said light blooms even brighter in front of her face, causing her to shield her eyes.

Zayn squints through the bright lights, looking down to the pile of stone the stick is ledged in, eyeing the warned and tired words carved within the stone.

"O' Great One," Zayn squints, reading the small print as best as she can, "pull the sword and call it's name, for thou it is now yours?"

Zayn freezes, eyeing the glowing sword with a raised brow. "I do like free stuff... " Zayn said, contemplating on whether to take the stick or not. "And a free glowing sword seems okay enough compared to free meat for Chase, I guess."

Zayn swallows, reaching her hand to the glowing sword, feeling the pressure and presence of the sword without even touching it; Zayn pulls her hand back, surprised at the strength that seems to not fear her own. In response to the strange pressure and bright light, Zayn gulps, reaches again for the sword, and places her hand on the sword's handle, closing her eyes and licking her dry lips before finally, finally she decides to grab the sword's handle and pull.

Which leads the ground to rumble, the sword to burn brighter than before, becoming such a marvelous, powerful beam that it erupts the roof above Zayn, breaking the roof and blasting the sky with a golden beam of light, before everything goes silent and black.

…

When Zayn wakes up, her helmet is covered in dirt and dust, and there's a weight in her hand and wrapped around her thin wrist.

Zayn blinks, sitting up, cracking her neck and looking at her blackened steel boots. Great, she exploded a whole cave and her newly polished boots are totally ruined, nice.

Zayn huffs, raising her hands to realize that in her right hand, she's holding a long spear, much longer than her 175 centimeters in height; the spear is bronze, covered in golden tattoos and burned with golden accents that swirl and stain the chain attached to the spear and wrapped around her wrist like a band of snakes.

Yet Zayn, confused and annoyed at the odd chain around her, drops the long spear in her hand and tugs on the chain--hard--causing a loud groan to rumble near her ears.

Zayn, even more confused and now scared, feels sweat surround her temples, slowly reaches for the chain and pulls, again hearing another groan.

"Would it kill you to be gentle?!" A voice snaps, causing Zayn to look at the chain around her wrist like it's a ghost, "I just woke up. If you want me awake--sure--but I would appreciate a little less man-handling!"

Zayn looks around her, concerned that she can't seem to pinpoint the voice.

"You were just looking at me," the voice said, causing Zayn to look back at her wrist, eyeing her hand like it's a evil, villainess demon, "that's more where my tush is, thanks, but over there is where I really am!"

Zayn eyes the forgotten spear, its golden decorations causing bright shadows on her bronze helmet. 

"Right! You kind of said it before," the voice chirps, a soft laugh behind their words, "but humans call me Excalibur! And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with, brand new master?"

Zayn opens her mouth, points to the spear, and screams.