This world was different from the others. It quickly became apparent that this was the legendary and mythic Camelot, kingdom of the Once and Future King, Arthur Pendragon and his chivalrous knights of the round table. Though it was more Future at this point, as he was apparently still the prince for now.


More concerningly however, was that magic in this world had been outlawed, its practitioners driven to the brink of extinction – even those peaceful followers of the Old Religion, such as the people of my life in this world, the druids. And they were only ever finding their situation growing worse as they refused to properly levy their abilities to help themselves.


I, however, had no such compunctions.


I tried to convince them that we should do something about it. Retaliation was against their teachings and beliefs, but they would surely perish if they refused to fight back. But they would not listen.


In the past worlds I had refused to involve myself in political intrigue. Politics and the courts of nobles disgusted me in ways few things could manage. But Uther Pendragon was cruel tyrant. In his quest to purge magic from his realm, he had burned the innocent, drowned children, and made rivers run red with the blood of sorcerers.


As time passed and I travelled the lands, seeing the sad state of things, my resentment for the king only grew deeper. When I saw soldiers kick down the hut of a poor old villager woman and drag her away for the great and terrible crime of brewing traditional herbal remedies to help the poor people of the village, I had had enough. I struck down the soldiers and resolved to deal with Uther myself.


And so I entered the heart of Camelot, striding invisibly and confidently into the great stone castle. I prepared a blade and began to search for the king’s chamber. After all, who could have the magic to interfere with a mage, here in the place that despised mages so.


So imagine my surprise when a young servant boy not only sensed my presence, but dispelled my invisibility with a spell of his own and demanded to know what I was doing. I was unable to think of anything particularly clever to say at the time and simply told him to move, as I needed to put a stop to the atrocities I had seen.


With that, he readied his power and cast it at me. I wasn't sure I’d ever faced a mage with as much raw power as this boy was throwing as me. My own power had been greatly bolstered since entering this world, but if I dueled him here I would draw the attention of everyone within a mile and I didn't particularly feel like fighting everyone in the castle who could get their hands on a sword.


So I made a tactical retreat, spinning on my heel and vanishing into thin air. Reappearing in a forest, I knew I needed a new plan of action. It didn't make sense. None of it did. Why was that servant boy such a powerful mage? Why was he defending Uther? Why, why, why?


But it didn't matter. Not now. Uther would fall and so would his son, if need be. But I hoped it wouldn't come to that. Arthur was the good king to end all good kings, right? Surely he would not allow such atrocities when he took the throne.


But wait. It couldn't be, could it? Prince Arthur, young in years. A mage of considerable power, protecting the Throne of Camelot. Holy shit. I had just crossed spells with Merlin, hadn't I?


Not going to lie, that actually made me feel kind of giddy.


But in any case, it changed nothing. Maybe he would guide Arthur, but clearly he was doing nothing to reign in Uther. The king needed to fall and I needed help to make it happen.


So I turned to the people. They were told that magic was evil, that its practitioners anathema. But what if they could see that wasn't always true?


I walked the land as I had before and i used my power to help people as I went. When bandits threatened the innocent, I struck them down with fire and will. When crops refused to grow, I called a rain and coaxed the earth. Those who lay sick and dying were raised to health and well-being beyond what they were before.


I was founded every step of my journey by Uther's soldiers, but I could tell that even they grew unsure when they saw the prosperity in my wake. And the people’s goodwill for the king soured as they saw their savior treated as such. And my path came closer and closer to the heart of Camelot. Soon even the villages bordering the capitol looked with scorn upon the king’s forces.


So when I sat upon a center square where they had burned alive dozens of others, wreathed in flames that turned aside their blade, what could he do? I had earned the love of the people and shown them how powerless he was.


And after seven days and seven nights of mocking the king with inaction, I stood and marched into the castle. When accosted by guards and soldiers, I commanded their swords turn to study in their grip and they obeyed. Merlin himself dared not confront me directly and could not muster enough power in the shadows to halt my approach.


I stood before the king on his throne and demanded he cast down his crown. He refused, of course, so I bound him in chains of unbreakable magic and bound him to a stone in the center of his city.


I then took of the king's crown and approached the prince. I asked him if he would treat his subjects fairly and earn their love as a righteous ruler. He looked as if he wanted to spit at me feet, but he looked out and saw how the people of his kingdom had rallied behind me and his heart softened. He said he would give magic a chance, so I gave him the crown, enchanted to the peak of my ability to protect and empower him.


And so did the reign of the Once and Future King commence, as did Camelot's golden age.