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  GIRL POWER

  Book 1

  Girl to the Rescue!

  John Zakour and Katrina Kahler

  Copyright © KC Global Enterprises Pty Ltd

  All rights reserved

  Good versus Evil...that kind of sums up my life and here is my story.

  Gwen x

  Chapter 1

  I sat at my computer typing away. My research had led me to few possibilities as to who my bravest knight, Lancelot could be. There were also two Arthurs in my new school. I hoped I could figure out which one of them might be my Arthur.

  As I typed, Merlin lay on my computer. He has been a cat for so long, I think he is now more cat than wizard.

  “You should close that window,” Merlin told me, pointing to my bedroom’s open window.

  “Why? I like the fresh air,” I said.

  Three big black crows flew into my room.

  “That’s why!” Merlin said. “Little calling cards from Morgana!”

  He grabbed the wooden staff I always kept by my side and waved it at the crows.

  Taking the staff from Merlin, I stood up and glared at the swooping birds. “Out!” I ordered.

  All three crows flew at me. One shouted, “Give it up girl!”

  “You could never defeat Morgana!” said another.

  “Just accept your place in this world and you will be happier!” screeched the third crow.

  I pulled the staff back. “You can tell your boss that I’m not backing down!”

  “Well then, we have to peck you some!” the lead crow said, giving me his evil eye.

  I swatted him down with my staff. The two others whipped themselves at me. I knocked each of them to the ground with a quick flick of the wooden rod. I stood over the black birds.

  “Do you want more?” I asked.

  The birds wobbled to their feet. “Nah, we’ll tell the boss lady you got our message!”

  They turned and flew out, making sure that on the way they pooped on my bed.

  “Bummer. I could have used some tasty crow!” Merlin whined.

  “Well, you could have helped with the fight!” I told him.

  He shrugged. “Did you see those big birds? They were huge, with razor sharp beaks and claws! Besides, I’m a thinker, not a fighter.”

  Yep, Merlin was now more ‘chicken’ cat than wizard.

  “So, what do you think then, cat?”

  “Maybe you should start trying to live a nice normal life. Let Morgana be the queen of all media.”

  I shook my head. “Nope, not going to happen!”

  Merlin grinned. “Good! Glad to see you still have some fight in you!” He closed his eyes. “The good news is, it looks like you’ve finally found the right town and school.”

  “Yeah, ah, why didn’t we come to the one called Camelot in the first place?” I asked the fat cat.

  He laughed. “I thought it was too easy...too obvious. Morgana would never make it that easy for us. I mean she may be beautiful but she is evil and tricky and stuff like that.”

  “Their sports teams are even called the Knights and Lady Knights,” I told him.

  Merlin laughed. “Redundant. Lady knights are still knights. Of course, back in the old days, there were no lady knights. Just ladies in waiting and ladies of royalty. You were about as close to a knight as they came. I guess that’s why you are where you are today.”

  “Still, it would have been nice if we came here first. I feel bad using my magic to make my adopted parents, Claude and Maude move all the time.”

  Merlin popped an eye open. “Still, they don’t remember anything and it’s for the greater good and all that jazz.”

  “I repeat…it still would have been nice if we came to a town named Camelot first!” I told Merlin.

  Merlin waved a paw at me. He farted. He laughed. “Nah, you often learn more from mistakes than you do with success. By going to other places first, also means you got to work on your fighting skills and your magic before arriving here. Both have improved, I might add.” He belched in my face.

  “Yuck, cat breath!” I said, waving the breath away. “You really need a mint or something.”

  Merlin rolled his eyes and then closed them. “Tomorrow will be a big day. New School. New friends. Plus, I am pretty sure you will find old friends who don’t remember they are old friends. It’s a good sign that Morgana’s birds attacked you.”

  “So, to get people from my past to remember, I have to touch them on the forehead with my…”

  “Right! Once the staff is charged,” Merlin told me.

  “Okay, first - that’s not going to be easy to do. I can’t just say – hey, let me touch you with my magic staff so I can see if I can restore your memory, and see if you are a legendary knight or king!” I told Merlin.

  “Never said it would be easy,” Merlin told me. “Most things worth doing aren’t!”

  “Second - how do I charge my staff?” I asked. “You’ve never said anything about that either…”

  Merlin opened one eye. “I haven’t told you that yet?”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “When you are sure you’re in the proper city and when there is a full moon and also a thunder storm, you need to take it out to the middle of the forest and get it struck by lightning!”

  “Is that all?” I asked sarcastically.

  Merlin bobbed his head slightly. “Yep. The good news is the conditions will be perfect on Saturday night at 8:45 pm.” He pointed to the window with his tail. “Oh, and close that window.”

  “Wondiw Clisa!” I ordered. The window magically closed. I smiled. Yeah, I had quite the quest in front of me still. But my mind, my might and my magic were all growing. I knew I could do this!

  My Notes

  Have we done it, finally? Have we found the place where I can locate my knights and my King Arthur? I’m super nervous and super excited. I have a good feeling about this.

  Sure, I could have been mad with Merlin for not bringing me to a town called Camelot right after I met him. But I know Merlin always has a method to his madness. At least he used to.

  Do I have the strength to unite my knights? Yes, I believe I possess the strength.

  Chapter 2

  Arthur and I sat on a hill overlooking the marvelous castle that was the heart of our Camelot. We were at least one league away but we could still smell the scent of fresh bread wafting through the air from the bakeries. We could hear the happy clatter of the townspeople living their lives. The sun bathed the city in its warm light giving it a friendly glow.

  I smiled.

  “Arthur you’ve done it,” I gushed, rubbing him gently on his shoulder. “You’ve brought peace to the land.”

  Arthur nodded but he didn’t turn to look at me. “No, my love, we have done it. Your strength and the strength of my knights is what gave me the courage to fight.”

  My smile grew. “Yes, the knights fought boldly, especially Lancelot. It is wonderful that he honors you with his sword and with his affection.”

  Arthur looked me in the eyes. He had the most wondrous hazel eyes. Eyes that often spoke louder and clearer than any words. “Yes, without you and he, I would not be me.”

  I pointed to myself, unsure of his words. “What do you mean, my king?”
>
  “My queen, the combination of his strength of arm and your strength of heart and mind, are the secrets to my power.”

  I nudged him playfully. “Merlin’s magic helps too.”

  Arthur chuckled. “Yes, of course, his fire and brimstone strikes fear into the hearts of other magical beings, and his counsel is usually correct.” Arthur took my hand, “But Merlin…his glory and wisdom are so immense, sometimes I’m not sure if he is even a man,” he joked. “He is more like my mentor than my friend. Nothing wrong with that. A good leader needs teachers to learn from, just as he needs subjects to rule over. Those are just givens. They are part of my burden. A burden I bear. But, what makes the burden bearable are my loved ones, you and Lancelot.”

  I blushed. I would have been angry having to share Arthur’s love with any other man. But Lancelot was not like any other man. He was so strong, so bold and so honorable. He would readily, without thought, lay down his life for Arthur or me. Men like that were hard to find, even amongst the knights.

  “Yes, Lancelot is the second most amazing man I know,” I said.

  Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is he now?”

  I grinned. “Yes, but it’s not even a close second.”

  Truthfully though, in my heart, I knew it was a very close second. Lancelot had saved me on more than one occasion and I owed him my life. He had also given me encouragement. He was the one who had taught me I could be more than I ever thought I could be. But I knew Arthur needed to believe in himself. In the position of king, he was placed under tremendous responsibility. Responsibility he had undertaken from an early age. Sometimes his faith in himself could falter. My job was to reinforce that faith.

  “After all, you are the man who wields Excalibur!” I exclaimed.

  Arthur removed the great sword from its sheath. The diamonds in the handle sparkled in the light. The blade reflected the sun into my eyes. “I only wield it because the sword allows me to.”

  “Because it knows you are pure of heart and meant to be king,” I told Arthur.

  “I am so glad the sword has more faith in myself than I do,” he snickered. “Before I removed this sword from the stone, I was nothing but my brother, Kay’s page, and I must say, I wasn’t a very good page. Kay kicked me in the behind far more than he ever praised me. I pulled the sword out by accident. And then I became king.” He shook his head, “Not sure that was a wise way to choose a leader.”

  I motioned to the wonder that was Camelot. “Look what you’ve done. Camelot is a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. All because of you!”

  Arthur looked at me again. “No, all because of us.”

  He leaned towards me with a kiss.

  ***

  I popped awake in my bed. It wasn’t a dream, it was a memory from long ago.

  Merlin looked over at me. “Another memory dream?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?” I asked, rolling out of bed.

  “You talk and kiss in your sleep,” Merlin told me.

  “I do not!” I said, stretching.

  He put his paw on his cheek. “Oh Arthur,” he moaned, trying to imitate me. He made slobbery kissing sounds.

  “Oh gross, cat!” I said.

  “Agreed,” Merlin nodded. He farted. “On that note, you should prepare for your first day in your new school. I am confident we have finally found the school where a good portion of the knights has been transferred.”

  Merlin walked over to my computer. He typed something. The school’s webpage popped up on my monitor. He scrolled down to athletics. “This kid here, Art Pendleton. I’m sure he’s Arthur.” He pointed to the screen. “He’s captain of the fencing team. He’s got to be Arthur.”

  “You’d think that Morgana would make Arthur harder for me to find,” I said rolling deodorant under my arm and checking out my wardrobe for the first day of my new school.

  Merlin laughed. “Nah, that Morgana has always been too cocky. That will be her downfall.”

  “I hope you’re right!” I told him.

  “When have I ever been wrong?” Merlin asked.

  “Merlin, you’re a cat now! This is like the fifth school we’ve tried since I arrived in this time!” I pointed out.

  Merlin nodded. “Okay, I might have been wrong once or six times. But I’m not wrong about this! I know Morgana.”

  “Ah, she turned you into a cat. You know that right?”

  Merlin smirked. “Of course I know that! I may be a cat but I am a very smart and very adorable cat!”

  “Still a cat,” I pointed out. Pulling out a pair of skinny jeans that were worn out just right and a pretty pink t-shirt, I motioned outside of the room with my head. “Go get your morning milk! I need to get dressed.”

  Merlin bounded off my desk and out of the room. That cat so loved his morning milk.

  I sat at the breakfast table across from my adopted parents, Maude and Claude. Yeah, I know how weird it is to marry someone whose name rhymes with yours. The even weirder thing was, Maude and Claude rhymed with each other in life, too. These two people seemed perfectly matched. Yes, they were both a bit odd but their oddities complimented each other.

  Claude put a plate with two pieces of sausage, a slice of wheat toast and an egg-over-easy in front of me. Meanwhile, Maude poured me a glass of orange juice.

  “Excited about your new school?” Maude asked.

  I tossed a piece of sausage into my mouth. “I guess. Is terrified the same thing as being excited?”

  Claude laughed. “Yep. It kind of is.” He took a sip of tea. “I have a good feeling about this school.”

  “Let’s hope,” I said, guzzling down my juice.

  “I bet this is finally the school where you will find some of your knights,” Maude told me.

  “I agree,” Claude said.

  “Yeah, I’m…” I paused. I looked at them. “Say what?”

  “The Knights of the Round Table,” Maude said.

  “Yeah, you’re going to need them, and you’ll definitely need Arthur, if you’re going to have any chance of defeating Morgana,” Claude said.

  “What? You believe me? You’re always telling me not to talk about nonsense!” I gasped.

  They both laughed. “Of course we believe you. Why do you think we move so much?” Maude said.

  “Because I use magic on you to make you move,” I said.

  They exchanged glances. They looked at me. “Honey, we always wanted to move so we could help you. We hear you and the cat talking. We’re not stupid. We know you’re special.” Claude told me. “After all, you have a talking cat who used to be a great wizard.”

  “But then how come when we were at the last town you told me not to talk nonsense with people?” I asked.

  “Well, to most people it is nonsense,” Maude said. “We don’t want folks thinking you’re cuckoo.”

  Claude nodded. “Yes, hard to get the job done if people think you’re wacky. Also, we knew those towns weren’t the ones you were searching for.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” I asked.

  Maude patted me on the shoulder. “Honey, we’re here to help. Up until now, we thought the best way to help was to let you discover your own way.”

  I looked at her and put my hand over her hand. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”

  Claude stood up and walked towards us. “So, do you have any candidates for Arthur or Lancelot?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Merlin has found a kid who looks like he could be Arthur. But, no sign of Lancelot yet.”

  Maude smiled. “Well, if I remember my history correctly, Lancelot tends to appear when the time is right.”

  I looked at her. “He always has. But right now, it’s me and a cat against the world’s most powerful mogul and superstar, who has awesome magical powers.”

  “You have power too,” Claude said.

  “True, Dad, but it’s nowhere near the level of Morgana’s.”

  “Give it time, honey,” Maude told me.

  �
�Speaking of time,” Merlin pointed to the clock with his tail. “I suggest you get a move on. You do not wish to be tardy on your first day at a new school.”

  I glanced at Maude and Claude. “That doesn’t weird you out?”

  Claude laughed. “Kid, I’m a sci-fi writer these days. I love this stuff.”

  “What about you, Mom? I doubt law school prepared you for a daughter who is actually Queen Guinevere in a 13-year-old’s body. And a cat that’s Merlin, the great wizard?”

  Maude grinned. “Honey, when you’ve been in as many courtrooms as I have...nothing surprises me anymore. Besides, I wasn’t always a lawyer.” She pointed to the door. “Now go! The cat is right. You don’t want to be late.”

  My Notes

  Okay, I can learn from this. I now know that things aren’t always as they appear to be. You don’t need magic to be deceptive and different. Life is funny. I thought Maude and Claude were nice simple folks. Nothing out of the ordinary. I love them for having the courage to adopt me when I was already grown into a kid, and not some cute baby. I guess I should have known it takes special people to open up their home and hearts to a total stranger. They made me their daughter, and they made me feel welcome.

  Chapter 3

  As my dad drove me to school in his old green Volvo, he couldn't stop talking. “I’m so excited for you Gwen. Finally, you’re going to get your knights back together.”

  I looked at him from the passenger’s seat. I had never seen such light in his eyes or heard such spark in his voice. “Thanks, but how do you know THIS is finally the right school? Merlin has been wrong before. A lot!”

  The world blurred in front of me. Suddenly, a tall beautiful woman with long dark hair, piercing eyes, and a creamy complexion replaced Dad in the driver's seat. Morgana!