'A witch, really?' asked Arthur. He had taken Azmin's prophecy from Little Johnny and was now reading it himself.

The centaur nodded. 'And you two may keep the parchment. It may come in handy in the future.'

'I wonder what kind of spells she knows,' said Little Johnny. 'Hopefully some real powerful ones so we can defeat the Shadow.'

Arthur could picture the young witch, this Merlynna, casting the most brilliant magic. He could imagine fire tornadoes, tsunamis, lightning and much more. 'I can't wait to meet her if we indeed do.'

'Well, now that you have seen what I have foretold,' said Amzin, 'I'll take you boys back downstairs.'

'Can we look at King Arthur's crown and Pridwen again?' asked Little Johnny.

'Of course you may.'

Arthur curled up the prophecy and carefully stuffed it inside his backpack. The three then left, taking the stairs all the way back down through the tower and back to the chamber.

And this time, Arthur plucked up the courage and got closer to the crown and shield, the two objects seemingly radiating even more power and magic than before.

'Can we touch them?' Little Johnny asked as he followed at Arthur's side.

The centaur bowed in reply and Little Johnny glared at Arthur.

'Go on,' he said. 'You first. They will be yours.'

'Okay,' Arthur came back. He then breathed deeply and reached out. And as his hands drew nearer to the crown, he felt a spark which grew into a wave of pulsating energy.

With a rush, he cupped King Arthur's headdress and a jolt flooded through his arms and into the rest of his body.

'I'm feeling something strange here,' Arthur said before all of a sudden, the crown started to vibrate. Now frightened, he then shouted, 'What's going on?'

'I don't know,' Amzin came back with a look of absolute alarm. 'This has never happened before.'

'Put it down, Arthur,' screamed Little Johnny, and when Arthur did, Mr Scarlett, Miss Eustace and his great uncle came rushing into the room.

'What's all the commotion?' Mr Scarlett asked.

'I don't know,' Arthur yelled back as the crown continued to shake. 'All I did was touch it.'

Suddenly, the beams filtering through the stained-glass windows began to curve until a vortex raged between everyone.

'What's happening?' the boys yelled in unison before an image formed before them.

It was a castle.

'Camelot,' Arthur breathed.

It looked as it did in the hall, it dark and crumbling, but this time, it appeared so real.

'Could it be?' stammered Miss Eustace, gazing in awe.

'I think so,' Mr Scarlett.

'What is it?' Arthur yelled.

'The crown has shown you the way, Arthur, to its throne,' said his great uncle. 'It's a portal. A portal to Camelot. It's not lost anymore.'

'How?'

'As I told you before Arthur,' said Miss Eustace, 'a child's imagination can unlock many things.'

'So my parents could be just a step away?' asked Arthur. An urge to leap through the portal burned inside him.

Clearly realizing the boy's desire, Amzin burst out, 'Don't do it, young prince. Unprepared, it will not end well.'

'But I have to. This could be my only chance.' Arthur then felt a hand land on his shoulder. It was Little Johnny.

'He's right,' the young Merry Knight said before another voice pierced into the chamber with an ear-splitting shriek.

'They've found us,' it said.

Arthur turned and saw a petrified Bitty and Dolores.

'The Shadow has found the Isle of Avalon,' cried Bitty.

Gasps filled the chamber.

'How's that possible, Will?' asked Miss Eustace.

'I can only think it's Arthur's piece of the Sword in the Stone,' replied Mr Scarlett. 'The Princess of the Fays must somehow be using hers to find it.'

'What do we do?' bellowed Little Johnny.

'We must defend ourselves,' boomed Arthur's great uncle.

'And we will,' Mr Scarlett replied. 'Amzin, you'll take the boys to the top of the tower. They'll be safer there. 'Amzin? Amzin?'

The centaur wasn't listening. His attention was on something else. And he was riddled with even more fear than before.

'What is it, Amzin?' Mr Scarlett yelled.

Amzin just pointed.

Everyone turned back to the portal and saw a terrible sight. Faces. The faces of evil. The faces of fanged fairies, of raging Sheriff's Men, of hideous goblins, of monstrous minotaurs and many other wicked creatures.

'The Shadow is about to come through,' cried Miss Eustace.

In a flash, Mr Scarlett bounded over to King Arthur's crown and Pridwen, grabbed them both and brought them to Arthur and Little Johnny. 'Take these and go to the top of the tower while we try to fight them off.'

'We can fight too,' Arthur cried.

'Yes,' Little Johnny burst out, flashing his staff, 'let me get a piece of them.'

'Your courage is very honorable, you two,' replied Mr Scarlett, 'but your survival is the only thing we can hope for now. Please, take the crown and shield and go.'

'But–but–but–' started Arthur.

'Do it for your parents,' howled Arthur's great uncle as the horrible faces on the other side of the portal were only moments away from appearing.

With a huff, Arthur grabbed Pridwen from Mr Scarlett and handed it to Little Johnny. He then grabbed the crown. 'Let's go.'

The boys bolted out of the chamber and began climbing the tower's stairs once more. As they quickened their pace, the sound of a commencing fight and the battled voices of Bitty, Dolores, Miss Eustace, Arthur's great uncle, Mr Scarlett and Amzin shuddered up.

The top of the tower couldn't come any faster. And once inside the room, the two began to barricade themselves in. Desks, chairs and many other objects were thrown against the entrance until it was completely hidden.

'Now what?' yelled Little Johnny.

But before Arthur could answer, he heard the sound of flapping wings, pounding boots and the clamor of other beasts bounding after them.

Did that mean the fight had already been lost?

'Get back,' Arthur yelled and the two cowered to the other side of the room, where they just listened to the coming threat getting louder.

The boys gulped with every shudder of the tower before the barricade exploded with a crash, sending them, the crown and the shield to the floor. And once everything cleared, Arthur craned his head and saw him. The Deputy.

'You have nowhere to run now, Arthur Hood,' the man barked as fairies hovered behind him and terrifying monsters growled behind. Then unsheathing his sword, he said, 'You are coming with us.'

Little Johnny popped back up to his feet and began spinning his staff. 'You'll have to get through me first.'

Arthur clawed himself up too and was quick to retrieve the crown and shield. And it was then that the crown started to vibrate like it did down in the chamber.

Suddenly, the rolls of parchment and debris scattered everywhere lifted into the air and started to race around, quickly shrouding the Deputy.

'It's happening again,' yelled Arthur.

Faster and faster the torrent went until another image burst forth. Thankfully, it wasn't Camelot this time, but a village with a cobbled street deserted of any menace.

'Where do you think that is?' Little Johnny yelled.

'I don't know,' Arthur shouted back.

'Your efforts are futile. Give up and perhaps you will see your parents again.'

Arthur snapped his gaze back towards the door and saw the Deputy had slashed his way through the flying wreckage.

'Don't listen to him,' Little Johnny howled as he jabbed his staff in the direction of the approaching man.

Beyond anything, Arthur wanted to see his mom and dad again, but his new friend was right. The situation was definitely now more important than just his parents.

After making sure his backpack was still on, Robin Hood's feathers, his piece of the Sword in the Stone and Amzin's prophecy tucked away inside, Arthur gripped the crown and shield tighter.

'We need to go,' he then bellowed at Little Johnny. 'We need to jump through the portal.'

Little Johnny lowered his staff, as the Deputy lunged towards them, and nodded. The two then turned to the image of the cobbled street and jumped.