Aired - August 21, 2026
The camera returns to ringside.
The Eternal Flame Championship rests on a black pedestal beside the timekeeper.
At the commentary desk, however, there has been another change.
A third chair has been placed beside Julian Ward.
And once again tonight, Severin Crowne occupies it.
He calmly adjusts the headset.
Brick Brody looks toward him.
Brick Brody: “You again.”
Severin Crowne: “Your enthusiasm is touching.”
Julian Ward: “After what occurred during our opening contest, I suspect your presence here will create additional questions.”
Severin Crowne: “Questions are useful.”
Brick Brody: “Unless you answer them.”
Severin Crowne: “Answers become valuable only when provided at the appropriate moment.”
The arena darkens.
A royal horn sounds.
Red-and-gold light spreads across the entrance stage.
The crest of Nottingham appears.
Then fire burns beneath it.
Prince John emerges.
His expression changes the moment he sees Severin Crowne sitting at commentary.
The look is unmistakable.
Contempt.
Suspicion.
Anger.
Behind him comes the Eternal Flame Champion.
The Sheriff of Nottingham.
The championship rests around his waist.
Unlike Prince John, the champion does not immediately react to Severin Crowne.
He looks toward the ring.
Then toward the championship.
Then finally toward the commentary desk.
His eyes meet Severin Crowne’s.
Severin Crowne offers only a restrained nod.
The Sheriff of Nottingham gives no visible response.
Julian Ward: “One week ago, Allan A Dale pinned the Sheriff of Nottingham in a six-man tag team match.”
Brick Brody: “And tonight he gets the opportunity every challenger wants.”
Julian Ward: “But under circumstances considerably more demanding. Two out of three falls. No time limit.”
Severin Crowne: “Appropriate.”
Julian Ward: “Why?”
Severin Crowne: “One victory can be dismissed as circumstance.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Two victories create obligation.”
Prince John reaches ringside and turns toward the commentary desk.
Prince John: “I trust you intend merely to observe.”
Severin Crowne: “Observation is often more influential than participation.”
Prince John: “Stay away from my champion.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham glances toward him.
Only briefly.
Severin Crowne: “An interesting choice of possessive.”
Prince John glares.
Brick Brody: “This is already fun.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham enters.
He removes the Eternal Flame Championship and raises it.
The crowd responds with heavy boos.
Then the lighting shifts.
A lute chord rings through the coliseum.
Green light spreads across the entrance.
The crowd rises.
Allan A Dale steps through the curtain.
The lute is not with him tonight.
There is no song.
No exaggerated flourish.
But the familiar smile is still there.
The Battling Bard stops beneath the entrance arch and looks directly toward the championship.
Julian Ward: “Earlier tonight, Allan A Dale told Hana Nakamura that everyone remembers stories differently.”
Brick Brody: “But the referee's hand still hit the mat three times last week.”
Severin Crowne: “A charming philosophy.”
Julian Ward: “You sound unconvinced.”
Severin Crowne: “On the contrary. Narrative is power. People rarely act according to what happened.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “They act according to what they believe happened.”
Allan A Dale begins toward the ring.
Inside, the Sheriff of Nottingham watches him approach.
Prince John moves closer to the champion's corner.
He looks back toward Severin Crowne once more.
Prince John: “Some of us do not require lectures in power.”
Severin Crowne: “Then you should find this evening reassuring.”
The smile on Severin Crowne’s face is almost nonexistent.
Prince John turns away.
Allan A Dale enters.
At center ring stands Louie Linville.
Beside him is referee ‘Fast Count’ Frank.
The Eternal Flame Championship is carried into the ring.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is for the Eternal Flame Championship!”
The crowd roars.
Louie Linville: “This match will be contested under two-out-of-three-falls rules, with no time limit!”
Another roar.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, the challenger…”
He turns toward Allan A Dale.
Louie Linville: “The Battling Bard of Sherwood… Allan A Dale!”
Allan A Dale raises one hand.
Louie Linville turns.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent, accompanied by Prince John…”
The boos intensify.
Louie Linville: “He is the reigning Eternal Flame Champion… the Sheriff of Nottingham!”
The champion raises the title.
‘Fast Count’ Frank takes possession of it.
He holds it between both men.
Allan A Dale looks at the championship.
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks at Allan A Dale.
The belt is removed.
Louie Linville exits.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
The champion initially tries to keep distance.
Allan A Dale refuses to allow it.
He catches both arms.
Double Arm DDT.
The Sheriff of Nottingham attempts to escape but is driven into the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Immediate aggression from Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “Good. He pinned him last week. Make the champion remember it.”
Severin Crowne: “Memory is precisely the battlefield.”
Prince John turns toward commentary.
Prince John: “He remembers being ambushed after twenty minutes of six-man chaos.”
Severin Crowne: “Then tonight offers him a useful opportunity to improve the story.”
Minute 2
The Sheriff of Nottingham answers.
Springboard Dropkick.
The strike catches Allan A Dale cleanly.
But the challenger fires back with a Gutwrench Suplex.
Both men rise.
Julian Ward: “Springboard Dropkick from the champion. Gutwrench Suplex from Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “That is the pace I wanted.”
Severin Crowne: “Neither man wishes to concede authorship.”
Minute 3
Both competitors hesitate.
Break.
Reset.
Then attack simultaneously.
Russian Legsweep from the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Gutwrench Suplex from Allan A Dale.
Neither establishes control.
Julian Ward: “Another even exchange.”
Severin Crowne: “Which favors the challenger.”
Prince John: “Nonsense.”
Severin Crowne: “The champion possesses something to protect.”
He glances toward the title.
Severin Crowne: “Equality therefore represents deterioration.”
Minute 4
The Sheriff of Nottingham lifts.
Powerbomb.
Allan A Dale crashes down.
But the challenger recovers and catches the champion.
Scoop Powerslam.
The impact is heavy.
Brick Brody: “That Powerslam had weight behind it.”
Julian Ward: “And again Allan A Dale answers immediately.”
Severin Crowne: “Confidence grows quickly when prior evidence supports it.”
Prince John: “Confidence becomes arrogance very quickly.”
Severin Crowne: “You would know.”
Brick Brody turns away to hide a grin.
Minute 5
The champion changes the match.
He catches Allan A Dale.
Execution Order.
The Death Valley Driver drives the challenger down hard.
There is no answer.
Julian Ward: “Execution Order!”
Brick Brody: “That is the first clean control of the match.”
Severin Crowne: “A useful reminder from the champion.”
Prince John: “At least one person at this desk recognizes greatness.”
Severin Crowne: “I recognize competence.”
A beat.
Severin Crowne: “Greatness requires considerably more evidence.”
Minute 6
The pace slows.
Both men circle.
Allan A Dale suddenly fires.
Dropkick.
The Sheriff of Nottingham tries to defend but cannot.
Julian Ward: “Dropkick from Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “And the champion is having difficulty extending any advantage.”
Severin Crowne: “Because the challenger has no reason to fear him.”
Prince John: “He will.”
Severin Crowne: “Fear produced on schedule is rarely convincing.”
Minute 7
The champion sweeps Allan A Dale down with a Russian Legsweep.
The challenger rises and catches him.
Piledriver.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is driven down.
Julian Ward: “Piledriver from Allan A Dale!”
Brick Brody: “Champion got the first shot and still took the harder one.”
Severin Crowne: “Another unfavorable exchange.”
Prince John says nothing.
His glare toward Severin Crowne deepens.
Minute 8
The Sheriff of Nottingham and Allan A Dale exchange positions.
The challenger begins setting up Final Verse.
At ringside, Prince John reaches beneath his robe.
Something small and metallic appears in his hand.
He slides it toward the apron.
The Sheriff of Nottingham sees it.
Julian Ward: “What is Prince John doing?”
Brick Brody: “Helping.”
The champion takes the object while ‘Fast Count’ Frank is repositioning.
Allan A Dale tries to complete Final Verse.
The foreign object changes the exchange.
The challenger loses control.
Severin Crowne: “Interesting.”
Prince John: “Effective.”
Severin Crowne: “Perhaps.”
Prince John: “You disapprove?”
Severin Crowne: “No.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “I merely prefer assistance that does not create dependency.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks briefly toward commentary.
Minute 9
Prince John provides the object again.
This time Allan A Dale sees something coming.
Not enough.
The champion uses the concealed advantage.
Allan A Dale goes down.
The Sheriff of Nottingham covers.
‘Fast Count’ Frank drops.
One.
Two.
Allan A Dale kicks out.
The crowd roars.
Julian Ward: “Two!”
Prince John pounds the apron.
Prince John: “That was three!”
Brick Brody: “With Fast Count Frank?”
Severin Crowne: “If one requires assistance and accelerated officiating simultaneously, perhaps the leverage is less secure than advertised.”
Prince John: “You enjoy hearing yourself.”
Severin Crowne: “No. I enjoy accuracy.”
Minute 10
The Sheriff of Nottingham attacks with a Lariat.
It lands.
But Allan A Dale catches him during the continuation.
Final Verse.
The swinging attack drives the champion down.
Julian Ward: “Final Verse!”
The crowd rises.
Brick Brody: “That is what pinned him last week!”
Severin Crowne: “And now the memory returns.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham rolls away before a cover can develop.
Prince John looks suddenly less confident.
Minute 11
The champion regains control.
Powerbomb.
Allan A Dale is driven down.
The champion covers.
One.
Allan A Dale kicks out.
Julian Ward: “Only one.”
Brick Brody: “That cover got almost nothing.”
Severin Crowne: “Urgency.”
Julian Ward: “From the champion?”
Severin Crowne: “Yes.”
Prince John: “He is controlling the match.”
Severin Crowne: “Then he should not need you to explain it.”
Minute 12
Allan A Dale catches the champion.
Travelling Troubador.
The Swinging Neckbreaker lands cleanly.
Cover.
One.
Two.
The Sheriff of Nottingham kicks out.
Julian Ward: “Two-count for the challenger.”
Brick Brody: “That was closer.”
Severin Crowne: “And now both men understand the same thing.”
Julian Ward: “Which is?”
Severin Crowne: “Neither can rely upon one decisive moment.”
Minute 13
The Sheriff of Nottingham erupts forward.
Lariat.
Allan A Dale absorbs it without response.
Julian Ward: “Hard Lariat from the champion.”
Brick Brody: “That stopped the song.”
Severin Crowne: “Temporarily.”
Prince John: “You appear very invested in the challenger's survival.”
Severin Crowne: “On the contrary.”
He watches the champion.
Severin Crowne: “My interest has always been elsewhere.”
Minute 14
The champion goes airborne.
Springboard Dropkick.
Allan A Dale answers with a Double Arm DDT.
Both men go down.
Julian Ward: “Springboard Dropkick! Double Arm DDT!”
Brick Brody: “Fourteen minutes and nobody has a fall.”
Severin Crowne: “Which makes patience increasingly valuable.”
Minute 15
The Sheriff of Nottingham catches Allan A Dale.
Execution Order.
The Death Valley Driver lands.
But Allan A Dale catches him with a Knee Lift during the exchange.
The champion still covers.
One.
Allan A Dale kicks out.
Brick Brody: “Execution Order only got one!”
Prince John: “He is wearing him down.”
Severin Crowne: “Perhaps.”
Prince John: “You keep saying that.”
Severin Crowne: “Because certainty offered prematurely is usually insecurity wearing formal clothes.”
Prince John looks ready to come across the desk.
The Sheriff of Nottingham glances toward them again.
Minute 16
Allan A Dale regains control.
Travelling Troubador.
The champion cannot defend against it.
Cover.
One.
The Sheriff of Nottingham kicks out.
Julian Ward: “Only one for Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “Both men are burning energy on covers now.”
Severin Crowne: “And both are learning what will not finish the first fall.”
Minute 17
Allan A Dale drives the champion toward the ropes.
The Sheriff of Nottingham tries to remain inside.
He cannot.
He spills to the floor.
‘Fast Count’ Frank begins counting.
One.
Two.
Three.
The champion pushes himself up.
Four.
Five.
Prince John motions desperately toward the ring.
Six.
Seven.
The Sheriff of Nottingham reaches the apron.
Eight.
He slides inside.
Julian Ward: “Back at eight.”
Brick Brody: “That was too close.”
Severin Crowne: “The challenger has now forced the champion to confront defeat in several different forms.”
Prince John: “And yet the champion remains.”
Severin Crowne: “For now.”
Minute 18
The Sheriff of Nottingham suddenly accelerates.
He drives Allan A Dale toward the ropes.
Then launches himself through them.
Suicide Dive.
The champion crashes into the challenger outside the ring.
Both hit the floor hard.
The Sheriff of Nottingham recovers first and gets Allan A Dale back inside.
Cover.
‘Fast Count’ Frank drops.
One.
Two.
Three.
The bell rings.
Julian Ward: “First fall to the champion!”
The crowd boos.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the first fall by pinfall… the Sheriff of Nottingham!”
Prince John raises both arms.
The champion sits against the ropes, breathing heavily.
Allan A Dale rolls toward the opposite corner.
Julian Ward: “Eighteen minutes to determine the first fall.”
Brick Brody: “And now the challenger has to win two straight.”
Severin Crowne: “Which creates clarity.”
Prince John: “It creates inevitability.”
Severin Crowne: “Those are different concepts.”
The bell sounds again.
The second fall begins.
Minute 19
Allan A Dale attacks immediately.
Gutwrench Suplex.
The champion attempts to defend but cannot.
Julian Ward: “No hesitation from Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “He cannot afford hesitation.”
Severin Crowne: “Correct. Losing the first fall has removed ambiguity.”
Minute 20
Allan A Dale keeps pressing.
Knee Lift.
The strike lands.
The Sheriff of Nottingham cannot respond.
Julian Ward: “Another clean attack from the challenger.”
Prince John: “He is desperate.”
Severin Crowne: “Desperation and purpose can resemble one another from a distance.”
Minute 21
Allan A Dale lands another Knee Lift.
At ringside, Prince John abruptly walks toward the announce desk.
Prince John: “You.”
Severin Crowne: “Yes?”
Prince John: “You have done enough tonight.”
Julian Ward: “Prince John is arguing with Severin Crowne.”
Prince John: “First Sir Agravaine. Then whatever poison you have been whispering into the Sheriff's ear.”
Severin Crowne: “I have whispered nothing.”
Prince John: “Stay away from the King’s Hand.”
Severin Crowne: “An institution confident in its leadership should not fear conversation.”
That stops Prince John for half a second.
Severin Crowne: “Unless, of course, the fear is not conversation.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Perhaps the fear is comparison.”
Inside the ring, the Sheriff of Nottingham looks toward them.
Prince John: “You think you can replace me?”
Severin Crowne: “I have made no such statement.”
The faintest smile.
Severin Crowne: “Interesting that you heard one.”
Prince John storms back toward ringside.
Brick Brody: “That went well.”
Minute 22
Inside the ring, both men collide.
Snap Brainbuster from the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Double Arm DDT from Allan A Dale.
Both attacks land.
Julian Ward: “Neither man giving ground.”
Severin Crowne: “And our champion remains distracted.”
Prince John: “By you.”
Severin Crowne: “No.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “By the possibility I represent.”
Minute 23
Another Snap Brainbuster from the champion.
Allan A Dale answers with a Dropkick.
The champion gets the harder impact.
Brick Brody: “The Sheriff is starting to string things together.”
Julian Ward: “But Allan A Dale continues answering.”
Severin Crowne: “Because the challenger understands the mathematics now.”
Minute 24
Allan A Dale catches the champion.
Gutwrench Suplex.
The Sheriff of Nottingham absorbs the full impact.
Julian Ward: “The challenger continues attacking the champion's core.”
Brick Brody: “Smart this deep.”
Severin Crowne: “Especially against someone increasingly required to carry more than a championship.”
Prince John: “What is that supposed to mean?”
Severin Crowne: “I suspect he knows.”
Minute 25
The champion answers sharply.
Springboard Dropkick.
Allan A Dale attempts to defend and cannot.
Julian Ward: “Springboard Dropkick from the champion.”
Brick Brody: “Still plenty left.”
Severin Crowne: “Of course.”
He looks toward the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Severin Crowne: “The question has never been whether he is capable.”
Minute 26
Snap Brainbuster.
The champion catches Allan A Dale cleanly.
The challenger cannot prevent it.
Julian Ward: “Another Snap Brainbuster.”
Brick Brody: “Now the champion is controlling the second fall.”
Severin Crowne: “Physically.”
Minute 27
The Sheriff of Nottingham executes a Russian Legsweep.
Allan A Dale answers with a Gutwrench Suplex.
Another exchange where neither man escapes without damage.
Julian Ward: “Back and forth again.”
Severin Crowne: “Forty minutes becomes possible when neither man accepts a small defeat in order to preserve something larger.”
Brick Brody: “You saying somebody should give up a fall?”
Severin Crowne: “I am saying strategy involves understanding which losses matter.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks toward him.
Minute 28
Lariat.
The champion catches Allan A Dale cleanly.
Allan A Dale tries to defend.
He cannot.
Julian Ward: “Hard Lariat from the champion.”
Brick Brody: “This second fall is tilting.”
Prince John: “As it should.”
Minute 29
Another Lariat.
This one lands without any meaningful response.
Allan A Dale drops.
Julian Ward: “Two consecutive Lariats.”
Brick Brody: “The bard is in trouble.”
Severin Crowne: “Yes.”
Prince John: “Finally, something sensible.”
Severin Crowne: “I was describing the challenger.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Not your position.”
Minute 30
The champion attempts to continue.
Allan A Dale suddenly catches him.
Final Verse.
The Sheriff of Nottingham attempts to brace.
Cannot.
The move lands.
The crowd rises.
Julian Ward: “Final Verse!”
Brick Brody: “Again!”
The champion rolls toward the ropes before a cover.
Severin Crowne: “Persistence can become leverage when the opponent begins anticipating the wrong ending.”
Minute 31
The Sheriff of Nottingham catches Allan A Dale.
Execution Order.
At nearly the same time, the challenger drives him down with a Piledriver during the struggle.
Both men are hurt.
Julian Ward: “Execution Order and a Piledriver!”
Brick Brody: “Both men landed hard.”
Severin Crowne: “And neither gained certainty.”
Minute 32
Allan A Dale fights upright first.
Scoop Powerslam.
The champion cannot defend.
The impact shakes the ring.
Julian Ward: “Scoop Powerslam!”
Brick Brody: “The challenger keeps surviving.”
Severin Crowne: “Survival is beginning to frustrate the champion.”
Prince John: “He is not frustrated.”
The camera catches the Sheriff of Nottingham glaring at the referee.
Severin Crowne: “Naturally.”
Minute 33
Russian Legsweep from the champion.
Dropkick from Allan A Dale.
Another mutual exchange.
Julian Ward: “Neither can separate.”
Brick Brody: “Thirty-three minutes.”
Severin Crowne: “Duration reveals structure.”
Julian Ward: “Meaning?”
Severin Crowne: “Under pressure, everyone eventually demonstrates what they believe they can rely upon.”
His eyes shift toward Prince John.
Minute 34
Allan A Dale fires another Knee Lift.
The champion absorbs it without response.
Julian Ward: “Clean Knee Lift from Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “Champion is slowing.”
Severin Crowne: “Exhaustion makes dependency more visible.”
Prince John: “Enough.”
Severin Crowne: “I agree.”
That somehow irritates Prince John more.
Minute 35
Allan A Dale reaches for a Double Arm DDT.
The champion reverses.
Execution Order.
The Death Valley Driver lands violently.
Julian Ward: “What a reversal!”
Brick Brody: “That may be it.”
Severin Crowne: “Excellent.”
The word is sincere.
The Sheriff of Nottingham hears it.
He looks toward commentary.
Severin Crowne gives him a single nod.
Minute 36
The champion follows.
German Suplex.
Allan A Dale absorbs it.
No answer.
Julian Ward: “The champion now controlling consecutive minutes.”
Brick Brody: “He can smell the finish.”
Severin Crowne: “Perhaps.”
Prince John: “There is that word again.”
Severin Crowne: “Certainty should be earned.”
Minute 37
Allan A Dale finds enough strength to reverse the momentum.
Gutwrench Suplex.
The champion absorbs it.
Julian Ward: “The challenger refuses to disappear.”
Brick Brody: “That is why this is still happening.”
Severin Crowne: “And why the champion has not yet secured stability.”
Minute 38
The Sheriff of Nottingham catches Allan A Dale again.
Execution Order.
Allan A Dale attempts Travelling Troubador during the exchange, but the champion's offense overwhelms it.
The champion covers.
One.
Two.
Allan A Dale kicks out.
The crowd roars.
Julian Ward: “Two!”
Brick Brody: “That was close.”
Prince John: “Slow count!”
Brick Brody: “You picked Fast Count Frank.”
Severin Crowne: “Dissatisfaction with favorable institutions is usually a symptom of entitlement.”
Prince John: “I am a prince.”
Severin Crowne: “Precisely.”
Minute 39
Allan A Dale catches the champion.
Double Arm DDT.
The Sheriff of Nottingham tries to defend and fails.
Julian Ward: “Double Arm DDT!”
Brick Brody: “The challenger still has life.”
Severin Crowne: “More than life.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Belief.”
Minute 40
The champion moves behind him.
Sleeper.
At the same time, Allan A Dale creates enough distance to fire a Dropkick before the hold becomes fully settled.
The Sheriff of Nottingham reattaches.
Sleeper locked in.
Julian Ward: “Sleeper!”
Allan A Dale reaches forward.
Brick Brody: “This is how the Sheriff beat Raigen for the championship.”
Julian Ward: “And Allan A Dale knows it.”
The challenger refuses to submit.
He twists.
Fights.
Finally breaks free.
Julian Ward: “He survives!”
Severin Crowne: “Important.”
Prince John: “For whom?”
Severin Crowne: “Both men.”
Minute 41
Allan A Dale catches the champion before he can reapply the hold.
Piledriver.
The Sheriff of Nottingham absorbs it completely.
Julian Ward: “Piledriver!”
Brick Brody: “Forty-one minutes!”
Allan A Dale cannot cover immediately.
Both men remain down.
Severin Crowne: “This is no longer a contest of superiority.”
Julian Ward: “Then what is it?”
Severin Crowne: “A negotiation over who is willing to pay the final cost.”
Minute 42
The champion explodes forward with a Lariat.
It lands.
But Allan A Dale catches him during the continuation.
Travelling Troubador.
The Swinging Neckbreaker drives the champion down.
Allan A Dale covers.
One.
Two.
Three.
The bell rings.
The building erupts.
Julian Ward: “He got him!”
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the second fall by pinfall… Allan A Dale!”
The crowd roars.
One fall apiece.
The Sheriff of Nottingham lies on the canvas.
Allan A Dale rolls away.
Both are exhausted.
Brick Brody: “Forty-two minutes and we are even!”
Julian Ward: “The first fall belonged to the champion. The second belongs to the challenger.”
Severin Crowne: “Now the match becomes honest.”
Prince John: “What?”
Severin Crowne: “One fall.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “No remaining protection.”
Prince John: “He still has me.”
Severin Crowne looks at him.
Then toward the exhausted champion.
Severin Crowne: “That is what remains to be determined.”
The third fall begins.
Minute 43
The Sheriff of Nottingham forces himself upright.
Execution Order.
He catches Allan A Dale immediately.
The challenger still drives a Knee Lift into him during the exchange.
Both collapse.
Julian Ward: “Execution Order! Knee Lift!”
Brick Brody: “They are running on fumes.”
Severin Crowne: “Fumes still burn.”
Minute 44
Neither man initially finds an opening.
They circle slowly.
Hands low.
Breathing heavy.
Then Allan A Dale strikes.
Knee Lift.
The champion attempts to defend.
Fails.
Julian Ward: “Another Knee Lift.”
Brick Brody: “The challenger may be closer than he has ever been.”
At ringside, Prince John begins shouting instructions.
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks toward him.
His expression is no longer appreciative.
Minute 45
The champion closes from behind.
Sleeper.
Allan A Dale catches him during the setup and drives him down with a Scoop Powerslam.
But the Sheriff of Nottingham refuses to release the grip.
The Sleeper tightens.
Julian Ward: “Sleeper again!”
Brick Brody: “And the Powerslam could not break it!”
Allan A Dale fights.
His arms reach outward.
He refuses to submit.
Prince John: “Finish him!”
Severin Crowne says nothing.
The Sheriff of Nottingham pulls harder.
Still no surrender.
Eventually Allan A Dale creates enough movement to loosen the grip.
Both men collapse apart.
Julian Ward: “Allan A Dale survives again!”
The crowd is standing.
Minute 46
The Sheriff of Nottingham gets up first.
Barely.
Allan A Dale follows.
The champion moves behind him.
Sleeper.
Allan A Dale sees it coming.
He tries to turn.
Too late.
The arm wraps around the neck.
The second arm closes.
Julian Ward: “Sleeper locked in!”
Brick Brody: “Center of the ring!”
Allan A Dale reaches for the hands.
He cannot break them.
He shifts his weight.
Nothing.
The Sheriff of Nottingham pulls backward.
Prince John pounds the apron.
Prince John: “Submit!”
Severin Crowne remains completely still.
Allan A Dale tries to move toward the ropes.
His legs begin to fail.
Julian Ward: “Forty-six minutes. Two falls already decided. Allan A Dale has survived this hold twice tonight.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham tightens it again.
Allan A Dale’s hand rises.
He hesitates.
The crowd pleads with him.
He reaches once toward the ropes.
Too far.
The hand falls.
Then taps.
The bell rings.
Julian Ward: “He submitted!”
The coliseum erupts in boos and applause.
The Sheriff of Nottingham releases the hold and collapses onto his back.
Allan A Dale rolls away.
Both men lie motionless.
Louie Linville receives the official decision.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the winner of the third and deciding fall by submission…”
A pause.
Louie Linville: “And STILL Eternal Flame Champion… the Sheriff of Nottingham!”
The championship is handed through the ropes.
The champion sits up.
He takes it in both hands.
For several seconds, he simply looks at it.
Forty-six minutes.
Three falls.
The title still belongs to him.
Prince John climbs onto the apron.
He enters the ring.
His arms spread wide.
He approaches the Sheriff of Nottingham, already speaking loudly enough for nearby cameras to hear.
Prince John: “Exactly as I promised!”
The champion looks up at him.
Prince John: “My champion!”
The words hang there.
The Sheriff of Nottingham slowly rises.
Prince John reaches for the championship.
Perhaps intending to raise it.
Perhaps intending to present the champion to the crowd.
The Sheriff of Nottingham pulls the belt away.
Prince John stops.
The crowd begins reacting.
Julian Ward: “Interesting.”
Prince John: “Sheriff?”
The champion stares at him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Your champion?”
The arena grows louder.
Prince John: “You know precisely what I meant.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks down at the title.
Then toward the commentary desk.
Toward Severin Crowne.
Prince John sees it.
His face changes.
Prince John: “No.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham turns back toward him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Tonight I wrestled forty-six minutes.”
A pause.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “I won two falls.”
He lifts the championship.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “I retained this.”
Prince John: “With my assistance.”
That is the wrong answer.
The champion's expression hardens.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “There it is.”
Prince John: “There is what?”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “The invoice.”
At commentary, Severin Crowne quietly removes his headset.
Inside the ring, the Sheriff of Nottingham steps closer to Prince John.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Every victory becomes yours.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Every championship becomes evidence of your leadership.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Every favor becomes another chain.”
Prince John: “I made you.”
A low reaction rolls through the coliseum.
The Sheriff of Nottingham smiles.
There is no warmth in it.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “That is precisely the problem.”
Prince John: “You ungrateful—”
The champion steps forward.
Prince John stops speaking.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Careful.”
A pause.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “You are standing very close to a man who just survived forty-six minutes.”
Prince John takes half a step backward.
The crowd notices.
So does the champion.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “And I find myself considerably less interested in being told who owns what I have earned.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham steps past him.
Prince John: “Where are you going?”
The champion does not answer.
He leaves the ring.
At the commentary desk, Severin Crowne is already standing.
The two men face one another.
For several seconds, nothing happens.
Prince John leans through the ropes.
Prince John: “Do not you dare.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks back.
Prince John: “Sheriff!”
The champion turns fully toward him.
Prince John: “You belong to the King’s Hand!”
The Sheriff of Nottingham glances toward the Eternal Flame Championship.
Then toward Severin Crowne.
Then back toward Prince John.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “No.”
A beat.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “The King’s Hand benefited from me.”
The crowd reacts.
Prince John is speechless.
The Sheriff of Nottingham turns away.
Severin Crowne extends no hand.
Makes no grand gesture.
He simply begins walking toward the entrance ramp.
After one moment…
The Sheriff of Nottingham joins him.
They walk side by side.
Not leader and servant.
Not yet.
But undeniably together.
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff of Nottingham has just walked away from Prince John.”
Brick Brody: “And straight toward Severin Crowne.”
Inside the ring, Prince John stands alone.
His expression shifts between anger and disbelief.
Julian Ward: “Earlier tonight, Sir Agravaine told Mordred that the Broken Crown was finished and that Severin Crowne had offered him a better arrangement.”
The camera follows the two men on the ramp.
The Sheriff of Nottingham carries the Eternal Flame Championship over one shoulder.
Severin Crowne walks beside him.
Julian Ward: “Now the Eternal Flame Champion has rejected Prince John and appears to have made his own decision.”
Brick Brody: “Crowne has Sir Agravaine listening.”
A beat.
Brick Brody: “He handed Tin Man a card.”
Another.
Brick Brody: “And now he has the Eternal Flame Champion walking beside him.”
On the ramp, Severin Crowne finally stops.
He turns toward the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Severin Crowne: “Congratulations.”
The champion looks toward him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “For the championship?”
Severin Crowne: “No.”
A faint smile.
Severin Crowne: “For recognizing the difference between support and ownership.”
The champion considers that.
Then gives a small nod.
They continue walking.
Inside the ring, Prince John watches them disappear.
Julian Ward: “Forty-six minutes determined who would leave as Eternal Flame Champion.”
A pause.
Julian Ward: “But what happened after the bell may determine something considerably larger.”
The final image is not the championship.
It is Prince John.
Alone.
Watching another piece of his authority walk away.
RESULT: SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM DEFEATS ALLAN A DALE TWO FALLS TO ONE TO RETAIN THE ETERNAL FLAME CHAMPIONSHIP.
SHERIFF WINS THE FIRST FALL BY PINFALL AFTER A SUICIDE DIVE IN MINUTE 18. ALLAN A DALE WINS THE SECOND FALL BY PINFALL WITH THE TRAVELLING TROUBADOR IN MINUTE 42. SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM WINS THE THIRD FALL BY SUBMISSION WITH THE SLEEPER IN MINUTE 46. AFTER THE MATCH, SHERIFF REJECTS PRINCE JOHN AND LEAVES WITH SEVERIN CROWNE.
The broadcast cuts backstage.
The atmosphere surrounding the Mythic Champion's quarters is noticeably tense.
Blue-and-gold banners hang against the stone walls.
The crest of Camelot is mounted above a heavy wooden doorway.
Standing in front of it is Alexandra Jones, microphone in hand.
Tonight, she occupies a position normally held by Hana Nakamura.
Behind her stand three members of Camelot.
King Arthur is already dressed for competition.
The Mythic Crown Championship rests across his shoulder.
Beside him stands Lady Guinevere, composed after her victory over Morgana LeFaye earlier tonight.
A few steps behind them is Merlin, staff in hand, his expression characteristically difficult to read.
Alexandra Jones turns toward the camera.
Alexandra Jones: “Ladies and gentlemen, Hana Nakamura has left Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum tonight to be with her brother Raigen, who was taken to the hospital following the shocking attack by the Blood Oni Syndicate earlier this evening.”
Her expression remains serious.
Alexandra Jones: “We hope to receive an update on Raigen’s condition when one becomes available.”
She turns toward the Mythic Crown Champion.
Alexandra Jones: “For now, I am joined by King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, and Merlin ahead of tonight's main event.”
King Arthur looks toward her.
There is no warmth in his expression.
The irritation has clearly been building for some time.
Alexandra Jones: “King Arthur, last week you objected when Commissioner Elias Coldmere ordered you to face the Huntsman. When you argued that the Huntsman stood beneath the Mythic Crown Champion, the Commissioner responded by placing your championship on the line.”
The champion's jaw tightens.
Alexandra Jones: “Tonight, that match takes place.”
A pause.
Alexandra Jones: “How are you approaching the defense?”
King Arthur: “With considerably more dignity than was shown in creating it.”
Alexandra Jones slightly raises an eyebrow.
King Arthur: “I made my position clear last week.”
He shifts the Mythic Crown Championship higher onto his shoulder.
King Arthur: “The Huntsman has done nothing to warrant an audience with the sovereign of Camelot.”
Alexandra Jones: “He challenged your claim that the championship grants you sovereignty over the Mythic Division.”
King Arthur: “And that insolence was rewarded.”
His voice sharpens.
King Arthur: “That is precisely the problem.”
Lady Guinevere glances toward him.
King Arthur continues.
King Arthur: “A man walks from the forest, speaks disrespectfully to his king, calls him prey, and instead of being removed for his insolence…”
He raises the Mythic Crown Championship.
King Arthur: “…he is handed an opportunity at this.”
Alexandra Jones: “Commissioner Elias Coldmere might argue that you invited the championship stipulation when you said the Huntsman was beneath you.”
King Arthur: “The Commissioner may argue whatever administrative technicality pleases him.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “It does not make the Huntsman worthy.”
Merlin’s eyes shift toward King Arthur.
The champion notices nothing.
King Arthur: “He is a rogue.”
The word carries contempt.
King Arthur: “Nothing more.”
King Arthur: “Another lawless creature wandering around the borders of Camelot, convincing himself that rejection of authority somehow makes him heroic.”
His expression darkens.
King Arthur: “We have enough of those already.”
Alexandra Jones: “You are referring to the Merry Band.”
King Arthur: “Among others.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “Thieves.”
King Arthur: “Poachers.”
King Arthur: “Outlaws.”
King Arthur: “Men who steal from institutions they lack the discipline to build themselves and then demand applause for their rebellion.”
He looks directly into the camera.
King Arthur: “The Huntsman is no different.”
King Arthur: “He hides in forests.”
King Arthur: “He speaks in riddles.”
King Arthur: “He mistakes independence for importance.”
The champion's grip tightens around the championship.
King Arthur: “Tonight, he will discover that the Mythic Crown is not prey.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “And neither is its king.”
Alexandra Jones: “You have repeatedly described yourself not simply as Mythic Crown Champion, but as king within the larger structure of this division.”
King Arthur: “Because I am.”
The answer comes without hesitation.
Lady Guinevere’s expression changes slightly.
Alexandra Jones: “Commissioner Elias Coldmere challenged that interpretation last week.”
King Arthur: “Elias Coldmere administers wrestling matches.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “I govern Camelot.”
Alexandra Jones: “Including inside this building?”
King Arthur: “Wherever Camelot stands, its laws stand with it.”
That statement brings a more obvious reaction from Lady Guinevere.
She looks toward Merlin.
The wizard remains silent.
King Arthur turns slightly toward his wife.
His tone changes.
Not softer exactly.
More ceremonial.
King Arthur: “And since we speak of laws…”
He looks at Lady Guinevere with visible pride.
King Arthur: “…there is another matter requiring correction.”
Lady Guinevere: “Arthur…”
There is caution in her voice.
He ignores it.
King Arthur: “Earlier tonight, my queen demonstrated precisely what separates royalty from pretenders.”
Lady Guinevere: “My victory over Morgana LeFaye does not require—”
King Arthur raises one hand.
Not harshly.
But enough to stop her.
That alone creates an uncomfortable silence.
King Arthur: “There is one queen in Camelot.”
He looks directly toward the camera.
King Arthur: “One.”
Lady Guinevere’s expression tightens.
King Arthur: “Her name is Lady Guinevere.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “She is my wife.”
Another.
King Arthur: “She is the Queen of Camelot.”
His voice hardens.
King Arthur: “And while this company may indulge whatever titles it wishes in other kingdoms, other arenas, or other divisions…”
He shakes his head.
King Arthur: “…there will not be another woman entering Camelot and presenting herself as queen.”
Alexandra Jones realizes where this is going.
Alexandra Jones: “Are you referring to the Queen of the North Championship?”
King Arthur: “I am.”
Lady Guinevere: “Arthur, no.”
This time he looks at her.
Lady Guinevere: “That championship has nothing to do with the throne of Camelot.”
King Arthur: “It carries the word queen.”
Lady Guinevere: “It is an NPCW championship.”
King Arthur: “And this is Camelot.”
The tension rises.
King Arthur turns back toward Alexandra Jones.
King Arthur: “So I will make this exceedingly simple.”
Lady Guinevere looks genuinely alarmed now.
King Arthur: “While the holder of that championship is within Camelot, she will not be announced as Queen of the North.”
Alexandra Jones: “You are attempting to rename an NPCW championship?”
King Arthur: “Within my kingdom, yes.”
Merlin’s eyes close for a moment.
Almost imperceptibly.
King Arthur: “Until that championship is held by Lady Guinevere, its bearer shall simply be referred to here as the Women's Champion.”
Lady Guinevere: “Arthur!”
She steps toward him.
For the first time tonight, her composure visibly breaks.
Lady Guinevere: “Stop.”
The king turns toward her.
Lady Guinevere: “I did not ask for that.”
King Arthur: “You should not need to.”
Lady Guinevere: “I do not require you to diminish another champion to elevate me.”
King Arthur: “I am not diminishing you.”
Lady Guinevere: “That is not what I said.”
A long silence follows.
Even Alexandra Jones lowers the microphone slightly.
King Arthur appears genuinely confused by the objection.
Lady Guinevere: “If another woman has earned a championship, then she has earned the right to be called what that championship declares her to be.”
King Arthur: “You are the queen.”
Lady Guinevere: “Of Camelot.”
She emphasizes the distinction.
Lady Guinevere: “Not of every woman who enters it.”
Merlin watches King Arthur very closely now.
The champion remains unconvinced.
King Arthur: “Then perhaps this becomes simpler still.”
He turns toward the camera.
King Arthur: “I demand that Lady Guinevere receive an immediate opportunity at the Queen of the North Championship.”
Lady Guinevere: “You cannot be serious.”
King Arthur: “You defeated Morgana LeFaye tonight.”
Lady Guinevere: “That does not make me number one contender.”
King Arthur: “It makes you worthy.”
Lady Guinevere: “Those are not the same thing.”
Before King Arthur can answer—
A voice comes from outside frame.
Elias Coldmere: “Thank you.”
Everyone turns.
Commissioner Elias Coldmere walks into view.
He has no entourage.
No dramatic entrance.
Only the expression of a man who has heard enough.
Elias Coldmere: “That saves me from having to explain it.”
King Arthur’s face immediately hardens.
King Arthur: “This is a private interview.”
Elias Coldmere: “It stopped being private when you began rewriting company championships on television.”
Alexandra Jones steps slightly to one side.
Elias Coldmere comes to a stop opposite the Mythic Crown Champion.
Elias Coldmere: “Let me make something very clear before this becomes even more ridiculous.”
King Arthur: “Mind your tone.”
Elias Coldmere: “No.”
The answer is immediate.
Lady Guinevere looks between them.
Merlin remains motionless.
Elias Coldmere: “You are the King of Camelot.”
A pause.
Elias Coldmere: “You are also the Mythic Crown Champion.”
He points subtly toward the championship.
Elias Coldmere: “Those are both significant distinctions.”
Another pause.
Elias Coldmere: “Neither makes you President of NPCW.”
The crowd inside the arena can faintly be heard reacting through the walls.
King Arthur: “I have never claimed—”
Elias Coldmere: “You just attempted to rename another championship.”
Silence.
Elias Coldmere: “So yes.”
His expression remains calm.
Elias Coldmere: “You are being ridiculous.”
King Arthur takes one step toward him.
Lady Guinevere: “Arthur.”
The king stops.
Elias Coldmere does not move.
Elias Coldmere: “When you are inside Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum, you compete under NPCW rules.”
Elias Coldmere: “When an NPCW championship holder enters this building, that champion will be announced by the championship she holds.”
He makes the next words especially deliberate.
Elias Coldmere: “Including the Queen of the North Champion.”
King Arthur: “Not in my kingdom.”
Elias Coldmere: “In my division.”
That lands.
Elias Coldmere: “And while I have no interest in governing Camelot, I have every intention of governing the Mythic Division.”
A beat.
Elias Coldmere: “Which means you will respect NPCW's champions.”
Elias Coldmere turns toward Lady Guinevere.
Elias Coldmere: “And for what it is worth, Lady Guinevere, you wrestled an excellent match tonight.”
Lady Guinevere: “Thank you.”
Elias Coldmere: “But you will receive a Queen of the North Championship opportunity when you earn one.”
Lady Guinevere nods immediately.
Lady Guinevere: “As I should.”
She looks toward King Arthur.
That response clearly does not improve his mood.
King Arthur: “You continue undermining royal authority.”
Elias Coldmere: “No.”
A beat.
Elias Coldmere: “I continue defining where it ends.”
The room goes quiet.
King Arthur: “Take care, Commissioner.”
Elias Coldmere: “I am.”
He looks at the championship.
Elias Coldmere: “Constantly.”
Another uncomfortable silence.
Then Elias Coldmere’s expression changes slightly.
Elias Coldmere: “Although you did say something useful.”
King Arthur: “How gracious.”
Elias Coldmere: “You seem to have a very strong opinion about rogues.”
The king says nothing.
Elias Coldmere: “Thieves.”
Elias Coldmere: “Outlaws.”
A faint smile.
Elias Coldmere: “Men running around Camelot without sufficient respect for its king.”
King Arthur: “Your point?”
Elias Coldmere: “My point is that I believe in allowing philosophical disagreements to resolve themselves constructively.”
King Arthur: “You mean in the ring.”
Elias Coldmere: “You're learning.”
King Arthur does not appreciate that.
Elias Coldmere: “So next week…”
He looks directly toward the champion.
Elias Coldmere: “…the Champions of Camelot will meet the Merry Band.”
Lady Guinevere’s eyebrows rise.
King Arthur: “What?”
Elias Coldmere: “Eight-man tag team action.”
The distant crowd explodes as the announcement reaches the arena.
Elias Coldmere: “And since you place such importance on demonstrating the superiority of royal order over rogue behavior…”
A pause.
Elias Coldmere: “…I have decided to make it next week's main event.”
King Arthur: “You presume to conscript Camelot into some spectacle simply because you find my language objectionable?”
Elias Coldmere: “No.”
His expression becomes firmer.
Elias Coldmere: “I am booking contracted NPCW wrestlers in a wrestling match.”
A beat.
Elias Coldmere: “You keep making that sound more complicated than it is.”
Lady Guinevere glances down, briefly hiding what might almost be a smile.
King Arthur notices.
That only worsens his mood.
King Arthur: “This is becoming intolerable.”
Elias Coldmere: “Then I have unfortunate news.”
He checks his watch.
Elias Coldmere: “Your evening is not finished.”
The king looks at him.
Elias Coldmere: “We have been discussing queens.”
A pause.
Elias Coldmere: “Rogues.”
Another.
Elias Coldmere: “Jurisdiction.”
He gestures toward the corridor leading to the entrance area.
Elias Coldmere: “But we still have a main event.”
The distant audience begins growing louder.
They understand what is coming.
Elias Coldmere: “And I believe there is a hunter waiting for you.”
King Arthur’s expression turns cold.
Elias Coldmere: “So perhaps we postpone the constitutional crisis until after you defend the Mythic Crown Championship.”
King Arthur: “You take great pleasure in this.”
Elias Coldmere: “Not particularly.”
A faint smile appears.
Elias Coldmere: “I take pleasure in schedules.”
He steps aside.
The path toward the arena is clear.
Elias Coldmere: “You're due in the ring.”
King Arthur stares at him.
For several seconds, it appears possible that the champion may simply refuse.
Then Merlin finally speaks.
Merlin: “Arthur.”
Only his name.
Nothing more.
King Arthur looks toward him.
Merlin’s expression is calm.
But the meaning is unmistakable.
Go.
The champion looks toward Lady Guinevere.
She does not endorse what he said.
But she steps beside him.
Lady Guinevere: “Your championship.”
A pause.
Lady Guinevere: “Defend it.”
The words finally redirect him.
King Arthur looks down at the Mythic Crown Championship.
Then back toward Elias Coldmere.
King Arthur: “When this night is over, Commissioner, you and I will have another conversation about the boundaries you seem so eager to draw.”
Elias Coldmere: “My door is open.”
King Arthur: “It may not remain so.”
Elias Coldmere: “Then I suppose maintenance can replace it.”
King Arthur stares at him in disbelief.
Elias Coldmere: “Main event.”
The champion finally turns away.
He begins walking toward the arena.
Lady Guinevere follows.
Merlin remains behind for one moment.
He looks toward Elias Coldmere.
The two men exchange a silent glance.
Neither explains it.
Then Merlin follows his king.
The camera remains with Alexandra Jones and Elias Coldmere.
Alexandra Jones: “Commissioner, you have just announced the Champions of Camelot against the Merry Band in an eight-man tag team main event next week.”
Elias Coldmere: “I have.”
Alexandra Jones: “And you have rejected King Arthur’s demand concerning the Queen of the North Championship.”
Elias Coldmere: “There was nothing to reject.”
He looks toward the corridor where King Arthur disappeared.
Elias Coldmere: “Championships in NPCW are not renamed because another champion finds their terminology inconvenient.”
A pause.
Elias Coldmere: “And opportunities are earned.”
He begins to walk away.
Then stops.
Elias Coldmere: “Including the one King Arthur is about to defend.”
He exits.
Alexandra Jones turns toward the camera.
Behind her, the blue-and-gold banners of Camelot remain.
But the kingdom they represent appears considerably less settled than it did when the interview began.
Alexandra Jones: “Next week, the Champions of Camelot meet the Merry Band in eight-man tag team action.”
A beat.
Alexandra Jones: “But first, King Arthur must survive tonight.”
The distant sound of a primitive hunting horn rolls through the corridor.
Alexandra Jones: “The Mythic Crown Championship is next.”
The camera fades toward the arena.
The broadcast returns to a wide shot of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
The lights have fallen almost completely.
Only the Mythic Crown Championship remains illuminated.
It rests upon a black pedestal at ringside beneath a single beam of gold light.
The crowd is standing.
Eleven matches' worth of consequences seem to have narrowed into one final question.
Can the hunter take the crown?
A primitive horn sounds.
Low.
Distant.
Then again.
The entrance screen fills with a moonlit forest.
Bare branches twist through heavy mist.
Something moves between the trees.
Not quickly.
Not nervously.
Patiently.
The Huntsman steps through the curtain.
The reaction rolls through the coliseum.
He stops beneath the entrance arch.
No entourage.
No ceremony.
No gold.
His attention goes directly toward the ring.
Then, slowly, toward the championship resting beside it.
Julian Ward: “One week ago, the Huntsman walked into a Royal Decree and challenged the very idea that the Mythic Crown grants King Arthur sovereignty over this division.”
Brick Brody: “Then he called the king prey.”
Julian Ward: “And when King Arthur insisted the Huntsman stood beneath him, Commissioner Elias Coldmere responded by placing the Mythic Crown Championship on the line.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur wanted a chance to prove the man was beneath him.”
A pause.
Brick Brody: “Now he has one.”
The Huntsman begins down the aisle.
Halfway to the ring, his eyes shift upward.
The camera follows.
Standing near the upper portion of the entrance ramp, partially removed from the path used by the wrestlers, is Severin Crowne.
He has no headset tonight.
No microphone.
No visible reason to be there other than observation.
His hands are folded behind his back.
His eyes remain on the ring.
Julian Ward: “And there is Severin Crowne.”
Brick Brody: “Of course there is.”
Julian Ward: “Earlier tonight, Sir Agravaine walked away from the Broken Crown after admitting that Severin Crowne had offered him what he called a better deal.”
Brick Brody: “Then the Sheriff of Nottingham told Prince John exactly what he thought of being treated like property and walked out beside Crowne.”
Julian Ward: “And now Severin Crowne has chosen to watch the Mythic Crown Championship match personally.”
Brick Brody: “The man keeps showing up wherever power is changing shape.”
The Huntsman glances toward Severin Crowne only once.
No acknowledgment passes between them.
The hunter continues toward the ring.
He climbs onto the apron.
Steps between the ropes.
And waits.
The forest image fades.
For several seconds, darkness returns.
Then a trumpet sounds.
One note.
Another.
A full ceremonial fanfare erupts through the building.
Blue-and-gold light floods the arena.
The crest of Camelot fills the entrance screen.
The reaction is enormous.
Cheering from some sections.
Boos from others.
But nearly everyone rises.
Merlin emerges first.
Staff in hand.
He pauses at the top of the aisle.
Then King Arthur steps through the curtain.
The Mythic Crown Championship rests around his waist.
His expression is severe.
The anger from his confrontation with Elias Coldmere has not disappeared.
If anything, it has been refined.
Contained.
His posture is rigid.
His chin raised.
He surveys the coliseum not as a wrestler approaching a championship defense.
But as a ruler arriving to answer insolence.
Julian Ward: “The Mythic Crown Champion enters tonight already furious.”
Brick Brody: “He has been furious since Elias Coldmere told him he could not rewrite another championship because he disliked the word ‘Queen.’”
Julian Ward: “And perhaps more importantly, Lady Guinevere herself rejected the idea that she should receive an immediate title opportunity simply because King Arthur demanded it.”
Brick Brody: “That bothered him.”
Julian Ward: “Then the Commissioner announced that next week, the Champions of Camelot will meet the Merry Band in an eight-man tag team main event.”
Brick Brody: “That bothered him more.”
The camera catches King Arthur noticing Severin Crowne on the upper ramp.
He slows.
Their eyes meet.
Severin Crowne does not bow.
Does not smile.
Does not move.
King Arthur stares at him for a moment.
Then continues.
Julian Ward: “And now the champion sees Severin Crowne.”
Brick Brody: “I wonder which one of them believes he owns the room.”
King Arthur and Merlin reach ringside.
The champion climbs the steps.
Before entering, he removes the Mythic Crown Championship.
He holds it high.
The crowd reacts again.
Inside the ring, the Huntsman does not look at the title.
He looks at the man holding it.
King Arthur enters.
Merlin remains at ringside.
The champion walks directly toward the center.
The Huntsman meets him there.
Neither speaks.
At center ring, Louie Linville steps between them.
Referee ‘Honest’ Abe takes possession of the championship.
He raises it above his head.
The Mythic Crown gleams beneath the overhead lights.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Dark Fable main event!”
The crowd erupts.
Louie Linville: “And it is for the Mythic Crown Championship!”
Another roar.
Louie Linville turns toward the challenger.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first…”
A pause.
Louie Linville: “The hunter who walks where kings cannot command… the Huntsman!”
The Huntsman remains completely still.
His eyes never leave King Arthur.
Louie Linville turns.
The fanfare begins faintly beneath the introduction.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Merlin…”
The reaction becomes louder.
Louie Linville: “He is the reigning Mythic Crown Champion…”
A pause.
Louie Linville: “The King of Camelot… King Arthur!”
King Arthur raises one hand.
Not to the crowd.
Toward the championship.
As though reminding everyone whom it belongs to.
Louie Linville exits.
‘Honest’ Abe hands the Mythic Crown Championship to ringside.
Merlin watches from the floor.
Above the ramp, Severin Crowne remains motionless.
‘Honest’ Abe looks toward both competitors.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Neither man rushes forward.
King Arthur circles.
The Huntsman mirrors him.
They engage.
Break.
Circle again.
Another attempt produces nothing.
Then both decide the waiting is over.
King Arthur drives the Huntsman down and follows with a Jumping Knee Drop.
The knee lands across the upper body.
The Huntsman absorbs it, gets back to his feet, and answers by lifting the champion.
Body Slam.
King Arthur crashes down.
Both men rise almost simultaneously.
Julian Ward: “Jumping Knee Drop from King Arthur, answered by the Body Slam from the Huntsman.”
Brick Brody: “Dead even.”
Julian Ward: “And perhaps exactly the opening King Arthur did not want.”
Brick Brody: “Because?”
Julian Ward: “Because the man he called beneath him just met him evenly in the opening minute.”
The camera briefly cuts toward Severin Crowne.
No reaction.
He simply watches.
Minute 2
The Huntsman takes control.
He catches King Arthur around the waist.
He lifts.
And holds.
The champion remains suspended for several seconds.
Delayed Gutwrench Suplex.
King Arthur is driven heavily into the canvas.
There is no answer.
Julian Ward: “Delayed Gutwrench Suplex by the Huntsman.”
Brick Brody: “And look at Arthur's face.”
The champion rolls toward one knee.
His expression has changed.
Not pain.
Offense.
Brick Brody: “That is a king who thinks gravity just violated protocol.”
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman has taken the first sustained advantage.”
At ringside, Merlin watches carefully.
Minute 3
King Arthur tries to brace against the next approach.
The Huntsman drives through him anyway.
Spinebuster.
The champion crashes down.
King Arthur attempted to defend but could not stop the impact.
Julian Ward: “Spinebuster from the Huntsman!”
The crowd rises.
Brick Brody: “Now this is interesting.”
Julian Ward: “For two consecutive minutes, the challenger has completely controlled the Mythic Crown Champion.”
The Huntsman stands over King Arthur.
He does not taunt.
He does not demand acknowledgment.
He simply waits for the champion to rise.
Brick Brody: “That may bother Arthur more than anything. The Huntsman is not treating him like royalty.”
Minute 4
King Arthur finally creates an opening.
He catches the Huntsman.
Flowing DDT.
The challenger is driven down.
But as King Arthur attempts to continue, the Huntsman rises through the attack and fires a Woodsman Uppercut.
The blow catches the champion under the jaw.
King Arthur staggers.
Julian Ward: “Flowing DDT from King Arthur! Woodsman Uppercut from the Huntsman!”
Brick Brody: “Now they are trading.”
King Arthur steadies himself against the ropes.
He looks toward the Huntsman.
Then toward Merlin.
Julian Ward: “The champion finally created offense, but once again the Huntsman refused to let the exchange belong entirely to him.”
The camera catches Severin Crowne leaning forward slightly.
Still watching.
Minute 5
The Huntsman advances.
At ringside, Merlin moves.
He raises one hand.
His eyes fix upon the challenger.
The Huntsman slows.
For one brief instant, his focus disappears.
His body becomes unnaturally still.
Julian Ward: “Merlin is attempting to mesmerize the Huntsman!”
Brick Brody: “Same trick he used on Morgana LeFaye.”
The influence does not completely stop the challenger.
The Huntsman fights through it and swings downward with an Axe Handle Smash.
The strike lands.
But the hesitation created by Merlin allows King Arthur to turn the exchange heavily in his favor.
The champion fires back.
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman still managed the Axe Handle Smash, but Merlin’s involvement changed that entire exchange.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur has been talking all night about kings and sovereignty.”
A pause.
Brick Brody: “Funny how sovereignty keeps needing a wizard.”
King Arthur hears the boos.
He does not care.
He steps toward the Huntsman.
Minute 6
The champion catches both arms.
Hooks them.
King's Decree.
The Pedigree drives the Huntsman face-first into the canvas.
The crowd reacts sharply.
Julian Ward: “King's Decree!”
King Arthur immediately turns the challenger over.
Cover.
‘Honest’ Abe drops.
One.
The Huntsman kicks out.
The crowd erupts.
King Arthur sits upright.
For several seconds, he simply stares at ‘Honest’ Abe.
Julian Ward: “Only one!”
Brick Brody: “Oh, he hated that.”
Julian Ward: “King's Decree barely produced a one-count.”
King Arthur turns slowly toward the Huntsman, who is already beginning to rise.
The champion's expression becomes darker.
On the upper ramp, Severin Crowne’s attention sharpens.
Minute 7
The pace slows dramatically.
Neither man commits.
King Arthur circles.
The Huntsman waits.
They engage.
Nothing.
Break again.
Another attempt.
Still no clear advantage.
At ringside, Merlin reaches inside his robe.
He removes a small crystal sphere.
The light catches across its surface.
Julian Ward: “Merlin has the crystal ball.”
Brick Brody: “Of course he does.”
King Arthur glances toward him.
For a moment, his attention turns away from his challenger.
Merlin appears to offer some form of guidance through the image within the crystal.
It costs the champion.
The Huntsman closes.
Body Slam.
King Arthur hits hard.
Julian Ward: “Body Slam from the Huntsman!”
Brick Brody: “There is your guidance. Watch the man trying to throw you.”
Julian Ward: “Whatever Merlin attempted to communicate, the distraction created an opening rather than preventing one.”
King Arthur sits up sharply.
He looks toward Merlin.
Then toward the Huntsman.
Frustration is growing.
Minute 8
The Huntsman attacks.
Woodsman Uppercut.
But King Arthur sees it.
He catches the arm.
Turns through.
The attack is reversed completely.
Flowing DDT.
The Huntsman is driven into the canvas.
He cannot answer.
Julian Ward: “Excellent reversal by King Arthur! The Woodsman Uppercut is countered into the Flowing DDT!”
Brick Brody: “That was all Arthur.”
Julian Ward: “Yes, it was.”
The champion rises.
He looks down at the challenger.
For the first time since the opening bell, the confidence returns fully to his face.
King Arthur looks briefly toward the upper ramp.
Toward Severin Crowne.
Then back toward his opponent.
Minute 9
The Huntsman begins to rise.
Merlin moves again.
He reaches into his robes.
A small handful of shimmering powder appears between his fingers.
He throws it.
A cloud of flash powder erupts near the Huntsman’s line of sight.
The challenger recoils.
The crowd boos heavily.
Julian Ward: “Flash powder from Merlin!”
Brick Brody: “And ‘Honest’ Abe did not see it!”
The Huntsman tries to regain his bearings.
He cannot mount any offense.
King Arthur immediately capitalizes.
He drives into the challenger and controls him against the ropes.
Julian Ward: “This is blatant involvement from Merlin.”
Brick Brody: “Legal until somebody catches him.”
Julian Ward: “That does not make it legal.”
Brick Brody: “It makes it useful.”
The camera moves to Severin Crowne.
His expression remains composed.
But he is watching Merlin now as much as the champion.
Minute 10
The Huntsman clears his vision.
King Arthur comes forward.
The challenger suddenly catches him.
Ace Crusher.
The champion is driven down.
The crowd explodes.
Julian Ward: “Ace Crusher!”
Brick Brody: “There is the hunter!”
King Arthur tried to protect himself.
He could not.
The Huntsman sits beside him for a moment, breathing heavily.
Julian Ward: “After everything Merlin did in the previous minute, the Huntsman still found a way back into this match.”
Brick Brody: “And Arthur is one bad moment away from spending tomorrow explaining how the man beneath him took his crown.”
The champion begins to rise.
Slowly.
The Huntsman comes with him.
Minute 11
King Arthur suddenly attacks the legs.
He sweeps the Huntsman down.
The champion steps through.
Hooks the legs.
Indian Deathlock.
The Huntsman immediately tries to turn out.
He cannot.
Julian Ward: “Indian Deathlock!”
King Arthur leans backward.
The pressure increases.
The Huntsman reaches toward the ropes.
Too far.
Brick Brody: “He is trapped in the middle.”
The challenger tries to shift his hips.
Nothing.
King Arthur cinches the hold deeper.
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman has nowhere to go!”
Merlin watches from ringside.
No further involvement.
None is required.
The Huntsman reaches once more.
His hand hovers.
Then taps.
The bell rings.
The reaction crashes through the arena.
Some cheers.
Heavy boos.
But the result is unquestionable.
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman submits!”
King Arthur releases the Indian Deathlock.
He rises immediately.
The exhaustion is there.
But triumph overwhelms it.
Louie Linville steps into the ring as ‘Honest’ Abe retrieves the Mythic Crown Championship.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner by submission…”
A pause.
Louie Linville: “And STILL Mythic Crown Champion… King Arthur!”
The championship is handed to the king.
He takes it.
Raises it.
The fanfare begins.
But King Arthur is not finished.
He gestures toward Louie Linville.
The ring announcer hesitates.
Then hands him the microphone.
The music stops.
The Huntsman has reached one knee near the ropes.
King Arthur stands at center ring with the Mythic Crown Championship across his shoulder.
He looks toward the defeated challenger.
King Arthur: “You came here speaking of prey.”
The crowd reacts.
The Huntsman looks up.
King Arthur: “You questioned my authority.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “You mocked my crown.”
Another.
King Arthur: “And you declared that every creature eventually runs.”
The Huntsman rises.
He is exhausted.
But he looks directly at the champion.
King Arthur: “Yet when the hunt ended…”
He raises the Mythic Crown Championship.
King Arthur: “…you surrendered.”
Boos rise.
King Arthur steps closer.
King Arthur: “So now you will do what you refused to do last week.”
The Huntsman’s expression hardens.
King Arthur: “Kneel.”
The crowd reacts loudly.
Julian Ward: “Oh, come now.”
Brick Brody: “He won the match.”
Julian Ward: “Winning does not give him ownership of the man.”
Inside the ring, King Arthur waits.
King Arthur: “Kneel before your king.”
The Huntsman stares at him.
Seconds pass.
The building becomes restless.
At ringside, Merlin watches.
There is no celebration in his expression.
On the upper ramp, Severin Crowne watches as well.
The Huntsman looks down.
Then slowly…
He lowers himself onto one knee.
The reaction is enormous.
King Arthur smiles.
The first genuine smile he has shown all night.
He steps directly in front of the kneeling Huntsman.
King Arthur: “And acknowledge me.”
The Huntsman raises his head.
He looks directly into King Arthur’s eyes.
For several seconds, there is no answer.
Then—
Huntsman: “Your Majesty.”
The arena erupts.
King Arthur raises the Mythic Crown Championship high above his head.
The fanfare blasts through the building.
He stands triumphantly over the kneeling Huntsman.
Champion.
King.
Vindicated, at least in his own mind.
Julian Ward: “King Arthur has successfully defended the Mythic Crown Championship.”
Brick Brody: “And he got the acknowledgment he wanted.”
Julian Ward: “After demanding it from a defeated opponent.”
Brick Brody: “Nobody said kings were humble.”
The camera pulls away from the ring.
Toward the entrance.
Toward Severin Crowne.
He is no longer watching the Huntsman.
His eyes are fixed entirely upon King Arthur.
The faint composure remains.
But the approval does not.
Severin Crowne frowns.
Then slowly shakes his head.
No.
Inside the ring, King Arthur does not see him.
He remains standing above the Huntsman, championship raised.
Julian Ward: “Interesting.”
Brick Brody: “What?”
Julian Ward: “Look at Severin Crowne.”
The camera holds on him.
One final shake of the head.
Then Severin Crowne turns away from the ring.
Julian Ward: “Whatever Severin Crowne has been evaluating tonight, the champion's actions do not appear to have impressed him.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe he thinks Arthur just made a mistake.”
The camera returns to the ring.
King Arthur stands beneath blue-and-gold light.
The Huntsman remains on one knee before him.
Merlin watches from the floor.
The Mythic Crown Championship gleams above them.
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman came to Camelot promising a hunt.”
A pause.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, the king survived.”
Another.
Julian Ward: “But increasingly, the question surrounding King Arthur is not whether he can defend the Mythic Crown.”
The camera tightens on the champion's triumphant expression.
Julian Ward: “It is what carrying it is turning him into.”
RESULT: KING ARTHUR DEFEATS THE HUNTSMAN BY SUBMISSION WITH THE INDIAN DEATHLOCK IN MINUTE 11 TO RETAIN THE MYTHIC CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP.
AFTER THE MATCH, KING ARTHUR ORDERS THE HUNTSMAN TO KNEEL AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS KING. THE HUNTSMAN COMPLIES AND ADDRESSES HIM AS “YOUR MAJESTY,” WHILE SEVERIN CROWNE WATCHES FROM THE UPPER RAMP WITH VISIBLE DISAPPROVAL.
The broadcast returns to a sweeping shot of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
The ring has begun to clear.
The blue-and-gold lighting from the main event still hangs over the building, but the atmosphere is considerably less triumphant than King Arthur might prefer.
At ringside, Julian Ward and Brick Brody remain at the commentary desk.
Behind them, the great screen displays the Dark Fable crest.
Julian Ward: “What began tonight with the promise of a new destination has ended with this division looking considerably different than it did when we arrived.”
Brick Brody: “And September already has a name.”
The screen changes.
Cracked stone.
Burning red light.
AGE OF RUIN
SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Julian Ward: “Commissioner Elias Coldmere announced that the next NPCW Supercard will belong to the Mythic Division. On September 27th, NPCW presents Age of Ruin, and the matches for that event will begin to be announced next week.”
The image changes.
Robin Hood stands inside the ring while Sir Agravaine remains outside during ‘Honest’ Abe’s ten-count.
At ringside, Severin Crowne gives one deliberate shake of his head.
Julian Ward: “Our opening contest produced far more than a victory for Robin Hood. Sir Agravaine accepted a count-out after looking to Severin Crowne.”
The replay changes to the backstage confrontation.
Sir Agravaine facing Mordred.
Julian Ward: “Later, Sir Agravaine confirmed what that moment represented. He declared the Broken Crown finished and revealed that Severin Crowne had offered him what he considers a better arrangement.”
Brick Brody: “One knight walked away, Myrrden is still missing, Morgana LeFaye lost tonight, and Mordred lost last week.”
A beat.
Brick Brody: “I said it earlier. The Broken Crown is faltering.”
The screen changes again.
Prince John confronting Mordred.
Julian Ward: “And Prince John, believing he and Mordred now share a problem in Severin Crowne, attempted to establish common cause.”
Brick Brody: “That went badly.”
Julian Ward: “But Prince John left us with another question when he challenged Mordred’s assumption that King Richard will eventually return.”
Brick Brody: “A lot of people are going to want to know what that meant.”
The screen suddenly goes black.
A demonic wolf howl echoes through the arena.
The crowd immediately reacts.
Images flash rapidly.
Raigen pinning Will Scarlett.
The first masked attacker.
The second.
Lord Kurogami appearing with the third.
Takuma Ryujin exposing Kaen.
John Henry exposing Enrai.
Then the final mask comes off.
Taro Okami.
Julian Ward: “And perhaps nothing tonight was more shocking than what happened after Raigen defeated Will Scarlett.”
The replay freezes on Raigen’s stunned expression.
Julian Ward: “For weeks, suspicion surrounded the identity of the masked attacker stalking Raigen.”
A pause.
Julian Ward: “Last week, Raigen publicly declared that he trusted Taro Okami.”
The footage resumes.
The fireball explodes into Raigen’s face.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, that trust was answered with fire.”
Brick Brody: “Kaen. Enrai. Taro Okami. The whole thing was Lord Kurogami.”
Julian Ward: “Raigen was transported to the hospital, and his sister Hana Nakamura left the arena to be with him. We hope to learn more about his condition as soon as possible.”
The image changes.
Lady Guinevere pins Morgana LeFaye after Merlin’s mesmerism.
Then Lady Guinevere appears backstage, visibly uncomfortable while King Arthur declares her the only woman entitled to be called Queen within Camelot.
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere defeated Morgana LeFaye, although Merlin’s involvement proved decisive.”
Brick Brody: “Then her husband somehow made her victory about every other queen in NPCW.”
Julian Ward: “King Arthur attempted to decree that the Queen of the North Champion could not be referred to by her proper championship while inside Camelot, and demanded an immediate title opportunity for Lady Guinevere.”
The footage shows Elias Coldmere stepping into the interview.
Julian Ward: “Commissioner Elias Coldmere rejected both demands.”
Brick Brody: “And Guinevere agreed with him.”
Julian Ward: “Something the king appeared to appreciate considerably less.”
The screen changes to the tag team match.
Snow White delivers Witch’s Justice to Athena.
Julian Ward: “The Fairest Hunters also rebounded from last week's defeat, with Snow White pinning Athena after twenty-five minutes to give Gretel and Snow White a significant victory over the War Council.”
Then the Eternal Flame Championship appears.
Allan A Dale pins the Sheriff of Nottingham for the second fall.
The Sheriff traps the Battling Bard in the Sleeper.
Allan A Dale submits.
Julian Ward: “Allan A Dale proved last week's pinfall was no accident, taking the Eternal Flame Champion through forty-six minutes and three falls.”
Brick Brody: “But he could not do it twice.”
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff of Nottingham survived, defeating Allan A Dale two falls to one to retain the Eternal Flame Championship.”
The replay continues beyond the bell.
Prince John declares him “my champion.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham pulls the championship away.
Then walks beside Severin Crowne.
Julian Ward: “But Prince John lost something tonight nonetheless.”
Brick Brody: “His champion.”
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff of Nottingham rejected Prince John’s claim of ownership and left the arena alongside Severin Crowne.”
The screen briefly shows Severin Crowne.
Sir Agravaine.
The Sheriff of Nottingham.
The black card previously handed to Tin Man.
Julian Ward: “Whatever Severin Crowne is constructing, its shape is beginning to emerge.”
Brick Brody: “But he still has not told anybody what it is.”
Julian Ward: “I suspect that is intentional.”
Finally, the Mythic Crown Championship appears.
The Huntsman submits in the Indian Deathlock.
Then kneels before King Arthur.
Huntsman: “Your Majesty.”
The image freezes on King Arthur standing triumphantly above him.
Julian Ward: “And in tonight's main event, King Arthur successfully defended the Mythic Crown Championship against the Huntsman.”
Brick Brody: “The king said the hunter was beneath him.”
Julian Ward: “And after defeating him, King Arthur demanded something beyond victory. He ordered the Huntsman to kneel and acknowledge him as king.”
The image changes one final time.
At the top of the ramp, Severin Crowne watches.
He frowns.
He shakes his head.
Julian Ward: “Even Severin Crowne, who spent much of tonight studying the shifting centers of power within this division, appeared disturbed by what he witnessed.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe not disturbed.”
A pause.
Brick Brody: “Maybe disappointed.”
Julian Ward: “Whatever his judgment was, the Mythic Crown remains with King Arthur.”
The screen transitions.
NEXT WEEK ON DARK FABLE
Julian Ward: “And next week, the road to Age of Ruin officially begins, with the first matches for the September 27th Supercard scheduled to be announced.”
A portrait of Yurei Rinn appears opposite Dorothy.
Julian Ward: “In singles competition, Yurei Rinn meets one-half of the North Star Tag Team Champions, Dorothy.”
The graphic changes.
The Dread Knights face the Scalekeepers.
Brick Brody: “And if the Broken Crown really is coming apart, the Dread Knights had better prove there is still something worth fearing when they meet the Scalekeepers.”
Next graphic.
John Henry opposite Heracles.
Julian Ward: “After coming to Raigen’s aid tonight, John Henry returns to competition against a challenge of mythic proportions.”
Brick Brody: “John Henry against Heracles.”
He gives an approving nod.
Brick Brody: “That sounds like two men trying to find out which legend hits harder.”
The screen changes.
Severin Crowne opposite Lion.
Julian Ward: “And after spending tonight influencing events from outside the ring, Severin Crowne returns to competition.”
Brick Brody: “Against Lion.”
Julian Ward: “A man who has spent weeks studying everyone else will once again be required to place himself under examination.”
Next.
The Monsters of Myth appear opposite Lark of Sherwood and Maid Marion.
Julian Ward: “Tag team action will see the Monsters of Myth face Lark of Sherwood and Maid Marion.”
Brick Brody: “Sherwood is going hunting for monsters.”
Then the screen darkens.
A trumpet sounds.
The crest of Camelot appears on one side.
A green arrow splits the image from the opposite side.
Four figures emerge beneath the blue-and-gold crest.
King Arthur.
Sir Lancelot.
Sir Galahad.
Sir Gawain.
Across from them:
Robin Hood.
Friar Tuck.
Little John.
Allan A Dale.
The crowd erupts.
Julian Ward: “And Commissioner Elias Coldmere made this one personally earlier tonight.”
A large title appears beneath the teams.
EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MAIN EVENT
Julian Ward: “The Champions of Camelot — Mythic Crown Champion King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and Sir Gawain…”
A beat.
Julian Ward: “…against the Merry Band — Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Little John, and Allan A Dale.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur spent tonight complaining about rogues.”
Julian Ward: “Next week, Commissioner Elias Coldmere gives him four of them.”
Brick Brody: “And unlike the Huntsman, I do not expect the Merry Band to kneel.”
The graphic remains on the screen.
Kings against outlaws.
Blue and gold against Sherwood green.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, alliances broke.”
The image flashes to Sir Agravaine leaving Mordred.
Julian Ward: “Trust was betrayed.”
Taro Okami’s mask falls to the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Authority was challenged.”
Elias Coldmere stands opposite King Arthur.
Julian Ward: “A champion abandoned one prince…”
The Sheriff of Nottingham walks beside Severin Crowne.
Julian Ward: “…while another demanded that a defeated man kneel before him.”
King Arthur raises the Mythic Crown over the Huntsman.
Julian Ward: “And somewhere beyond all of it…”
The screen cracks apart.
Red light burns through.
AGE OF RUIN
SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Julian Ward: “…the Age of Ruin waits.”
A final pause.
Brick Brody: “After tonight?”
He looks toward the camera.
Brick Brody: “It might already be here.”
The Dark Fable crest appears.
Julian Ward: “For Brick Brody, Louie Linville, Alexandra Jones, and everyone here at NPCW, I am Julian Ward.”
The arena slowly fades into darkness.
Julian Ward: “Good night from Camelot.”
The Dark Fable logo remains for several seconds.
Then the broadcast fades to black.
POST-CREDIT SCENE 1 — INQUIRING MINDS
The credits have already begun to roll.
Then the screen flickers back to life.
No music.
No commentary.
No crowd.
Only the quiet backstage corridors of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum long after most of the audience has gone home.
The camera finds the Merry Band’s dressing room.
The door is open.
Inside, the room has mostly been cleared.
Empty benches.
Discarded athletic tape.
A few towels.
The remnants of an evening already being packed away.
Robin Hood stands alone near one of the lockers.
He has changed out of his ring gear and is fastening the final buckle on a travel bag.
The others have already departed.
Friar Tuck.
Little John.
Allan A Dale.
The room feels unusually still without them.
Robin Hood lifts the bag onto his shoulder.
He takes one last look around.
Then footsteps echo from somewhere beyond the doorway.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Robin Hood stops.
His hand moves instinctively toward the edge of his coat.
The footsteps grow closer.
A shadow crosses the doorway.
Robin Hood turns.
Mordred stands there.
No knights.
No Morgana LeFaye.
No Sir Agravaine.
No Broken Crown behind him.
Just Mordred.
Alone.
For several seconds, neither man speaks.
Robin Hood lowers the bag from his shoulder.
Not completely.
Just enough that he can move quickly if necessary.
Robin Hood: “Bit late for an ambush.”
Mordred: “If I had come for combat, you would not have heard me approaching.”
Robin Hood gives him a skeptical look.
Robin Hood: “Comforting.”
Mordred: “I am not here to fight.”
Robin Hood: “That makes one of us uncertain.”
Mordred remains in the doorway.
He makes no attempt to enter.
Mordred: “I require information.”
That gets a small laugh from Robin Hood.
Robin Hood: “And you came to an outlaw?”
Mordred: “Outlaws usually know what kings prefer hidden.”
A beat.
Robin Hood: “Fair answer.”
He sets the travel bag down.
But he remains standing.
Robin Hood: “What do you want?”
Mordred glances briefly down the empty corridor before looking back toward him.
Mordred: “Strange things are happening in this division.”
Robin Hood: “You noticed.”
Mordred: “Arthur is changing.”
The humor disappears from Robin Hood’s expression.
Mordred: “Severin Crowne is assembling something without giving it a name.”
A pause.
Mordred: “And Prince John carries himself with the confidence of a man who believes consequence can no longer reach him.”
Robin Hood: “You have had quite the evening.”
Mordred: “You disagree?”
Robin Hood: “Not entirely.”
Mordred studies him.
Robin Hood: “Though if we're discussing Arthur…”
He folds his arms.
Robin Hood: “I assumed that was you.”
Mordred’s brow tightens.
Mordred: “Me.”
Robin Hood: “You.”
A beat.
Robin Hood: “You and that creepy wizard of yours.”
Mordred: “Myrrden.”
Robin Hood: “That's the one.”
Mordred: “You believed we did something to Arthur?”
Robin Hood: “Wouldn't exactly be the strangest plan the Broken Crown has ever attempted.”
Mordred: “We did nothing.”
Robin Hood: “Of course.”
Mordred: “I am serious.”
That makes Robin Hood look at him more carefully.
Mordred: “Myrrden is missing.”
Silence.
Robin Hood’s posture changes.
Not dramatically.
But the answer clearly was not what he expected.
Robin Hood: “Missing?”
Mordred: “No message.”
Mordred: “No explanation.”
Mordred: “No trace.”
A beat.
Mordred: “And before you suggest otherwise, this is not one of his games.”
Robin Hood: “How long?”
Mordred: “Long enough.”
Robin Hood considers that.
Robin Hood: “And you still think whatever is happening to Arthur has nothing to do with him?”
Mordred: “I think I know considerably less tonight than I did several weeks ago.”
It is an unusually candid admission.
Robin Hood notices.
Robin Hood: “That must be painful.”
Mordred: “Do not become comfortable.”
Robin Hood: “There he is.”
A faint tension passes between them.
Then Mordred’s expression settles again.
Mordred: “I did not come here about Arthur.”
Robin Hood: “Then who?”
A pause.
Mordred: “Richard.”
That gets Robin Hood’s full attention.
Robin Hood: “What about him?”
Mordred: “Have you heard from him?”
Robin Hood does not answer immediately.
Mordred: “Recently.”
Robin Hood: “No.”
The answer is simple.
Robin Hood: “Not for months.”
Mordred: “Months.”
Robin Hood: “Last I heard, he was somewhere in the outer realms.”
Mordred: “Doing what?”
Robin Hood: “Dealing with some sort of crisis.”
He shrugs slightly.
Robin Hood: “The details were vague.”
Mordred: “Conveniently.”
Robin Hood: “That's Richard.”
A small smile.
Robin Hood: “He tends to send word after the dragon is dead rather than before he leaves to kill it.”
Mordred does not smile.
Robin Hood notices.
Robin Hood: “Why are you asking?”
Mordred hesitates.
Only briefly.
Mordred: “I spoke with Prince John tonight.”
Robin Hood: “My condolences.”
Mordred: “He approached me because he believes we share a problem in Severin Crowne.”
Robin Hood: “And I assume you told him what he could do with the suggestion.”
Mordred: “More or less.”
Robin Hood: “Good.”
Mordred: “But during the conversation, I mentioned Richard.”
A beat.
Mordred: “I told John that when his king returned, his present confidence would disappear.”
Robin Hood’s face becomes still.
Mordred: “He smiled.”
Robin Hood: “That is hardly unusual.”
Mordred: “Then he said…”
A pause.
Mordred: “‘You assume Richard will return.’”
The room becomes quiet again.
Robin Hood looks away.
For the first time since Mordred arrived, there is no sarcasm ready.
He considers the words.
Mordred: “You understand why that interested me.”
Robin Hood: “Interested.”
Mordred: “Concerned, if you prefer.”
Robin Hood looks back toward him.
Robin Hood: “I don't.”
Mordred: “You should.”
Robin Hood: “Richard can handle himself.”
Mordred: “That is not an answer.”
Robin Hood: “It's the only one I've got.”
He picks up the travel bag.
Then stops.
Robin Hood: “I've seen Richard walk into situations that would make most kings send armies.”
A faint smile.
Robin Hood: “Usually he comes back complaining the army would have slowed him down.”
Mordred: “And if this time is different?”
Robin Hood’s smile fades.
Robin Hood: “Then we'll deal with it when there's something to deal with.”
Mordred: “You place remarkable faith in him.”
Robin Hood: “He earned it.”
That lands.
Mordred nods slowly.
Mordred: “On that point, we agree.”
Robin Hood looks surprised.
Robin Hood: “You respect Richard?”
Mordred: “Do not mistake respect for obedience.”
Robin Hood: “Wouldn't dream of it.”
Mordred: “Richard and I disagree on many things.”
A pause.
Mordred: “But he does not hide behind his crown.”
The statement carries more weight than either man acknowledges.
Especially tonight.
Mordred: “When he makes a decision, it belongs to him.”
Another pause.
Mordred: “When he enters battle, he enters it himself.”
Robin Hood studies him.
There is something very deliberate in the comparison.
Robin Hood: “Unlike Arthur.”
Mordred does not answer.
He does not need to.
Robin Hood: “Careful, Mordred.”
Mordred: “About what?”
Robin Hood: “You keep talking like that and someone may accuse you of developing principles.”
Mordred: “Do not spread rumors.”
A brief smile passes across Robin Hood’s face.
Then it disappears.
Mordred: “If you hear from Richard…”
Robin Hood: “You'll be the first person I call?”
Mordred: “Do not be absurd.”
Robin Hood: “There he is again.”
Mordred: “If you learn that he is in danger…”
His tone becomes serious.
Mordred: “…or that he requires assistance…”
A pause.
Mordred: “…tell me.”
Robin Hood looks genuinely surprised now.
Robin Hood: “You'd help him?”
Mordred: “I said we disagree.”
He steps backward into the corridor.
Mordred: “I did not say I wished him dead.”
Another beat.
Mordred: “And if Prince John knows something about Richard’s absence…”
His eyes darken.
Mordred: “…I would prefer to discover it before John decides the information has become useful.”
Robin Hood nods slowly.
Robin Hood: “Fair.”
Mordred turns to leave.
Robin Hood: “Mordred.”
He stops.
Robin Hood: “If I hear something…”
A pause.
Robin Hood: “…I'll let you know.”
Mordred looks back.
Mordred: “Good.”
He starts walking.
Robin Hood: “Still doesn't mean I trust you.”
Mordred keeps going.
Mordred: “Trust is becoming rather unfashionable around here.”
That stops Robin Hood for a moment.
The implication of Taro Okami.
Sir Agravaine.
The Sheriff of Nottingham.
The fractures spreading through the division.
Robin Hood watches Mordred disappear around the corner.
The corridor falls silent again.
He looks down at his travel bag.
Then toward the empty doorway.
Finally, he takes out his phone.
He stares at the screen for several seconds.
No message is sent.
Not yet.
The camera moves closer.
Robin Hood murmurs quietly to himself.
Robin Hood: “Where are you, Richard?”
The screen cuts to black.
The screen remains black for several seconds.
Then the image returns.
No Dark Fable graphics.
No music.
No commentary.
Only silence.
The camera finds the private dressing room reserved for the Mythic Crown Champion.
The room is almost completely dark.
One lamp burns beside an ornate mirror.
Blue-and-gold banners hang along the stone walls, but the ceremonial grandeur seen earlier in the evening has been stripped away.
No Lady Guinevere.
No Merlin.
No Sir Lancelot.
No Sir Galahad.
No Sir Gawain.
No attendants.
No court.
Only King Arthur.
The Mythic Crown Championship rests on the table beside him.
For once, it is not around his waist.
Not across his shoulder.
Not held above another man's head.
It simply sits there.
King Arthur stands before the mirror.
Still dressed in portions of his ring gear, he stares at his reflection.
The adrenaline of the main event has faded.
The cheers and boos are gone.
The voice of the crowd cannot reach him here.
And without them, something feels different.
His eyes move slowly across the face staring back.
The jaw.
The eyes.
The small cut near his brow from the match.
The man is familiar.
Obviously familiar.
And yet…
Something is wrong.
King Arthur leans slightly closer.
He studies himself.
For one strange moment, the man in the mirror does not look entirely like the man he remembers.
Not physically.
The face is his.
But something behind it feels absent.
A warmth.
A certainty.
Something he cannot name.
His brow furrows.
He straightens.
Looks again.
Nothing.
Still himself.
Yet the unease remains.
King Arthur: “Ridiculous.”
He turns away.
Then immediately looks back.
The reflection follows.
Perfectly.
Of course it does.
King Arthur places both hands on the edge of the table.
His eyes narrow.
King Arthur: “Nothing is wrong.”
The words sound more like an instruction than an observation.
A pause.
King Arthur: “I have not changed.”
He stares at his own reflection.
King Arthur: “They have.”
His voice becomes firmer.
King Arthur: “Mordred questions me.”
King Arthur: “Elias Coldmere challenges me.”
King Arthur: “The Huntsman mocks me.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “Even Guinevere…”
He stops.
That one is harder to finish.
His expression shifts.
The earlier scene returns to him.
Lady Guinevere telling him she did not need another champion diminished for her sake.
Telling him she should earn an opportunity.
Telling him his authority had limits.
King Arthur shakes his head.
No.
The problem is not him.
He reaches for the Mythic Crown Championship.
His fingers rest against the center plate.
The gold catches the light from the mirror.
For a moment, the reflection seems brighter than the room itself.
Then—
Severin Crowne: “Your Majesty.”
King Arthur turns immediately.
The voice came from behind him.
A voice he did not expect to hear.
Severin Crowne stands in the doorway.
Dark suit.
Hands loosely folded behind his back.
Perfectly composed.
As though entering the private quarters of an angry king after midnight is simply another scheduled appointment.
Severin Crowne: “Good match tonight.”
King Arthur studies him.
There is no alarm in his expression.
Only annoyance.
King Arthur: “Your expression was not one of pleasure after the match.”
Severin Crowne enters only far enough to clear the doorway.
He does not presume to move closer.
Severin Crowne: “No.”
A small pause.
Severin Crowne: “It was not.”
King Arthur: “Then perhaps your congratulations are unnecessary.”
Severin Crowne: “On the contrary.”
He glances toward the Mythic Crown Championship.
Severin Crowne: “You defended the title successfully.”
A beat.
Severin Crowne: “The result deserves acknowledgment.”
His eyes return to King Arthur.
Severin Crowne: “The aftermath deserves examination.”
King Arthur’s expression hardens.
King Arthur: “Choose your words carefully.”
Severin Crowne: “I always do.”
That answer carries no defiance.
Which somehow makes it feel more dangerous.
Severin Crowne: “The Huntsman is capable.”
King Arthur: “He submitted.”
Severin Crowne: “Yes.”
King Arthur: “Then his capability has been established beneath mine.”
Severin Crowne: “In tonight's contest.”
King Arthur turns fully toward him.
Severin Crowne: “Which is why I believe he may have value beyond tonight.”
King Arthur: “Value.”
Severin Crowne: “To the court.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “A man such as the Huntsman possesses qualities that cannot simply be appointed.”
Severin Crowne: “Independence.”
Severin Crowne: “Credibility.”
Severin Crowne: “A reputation for surviving beyond the boundaries of institutions.”
He gives the faintest tilt of his head.
Severin Crowne: “Those qualities can become useful when properly aligned.”
King Arthur: “He defied me.”
Severin Crowne: “And then acknowledged you.”
King Arthur: “Exactly.”
Severin Crowne: “After you ordered him to kneel.”
Silence.
Severin Crowne does not criticize the act directly.
He does not need to.
King Arthur: “You object.”
Severin Crowne: “I question the return on the investment.”
That earns a sharp look.
Severin Crowne: “A public humiliation creates compliance very efficiently.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Allegiance is more complicated.”
King Arthur: “The Huntsman called me prey.”
Severin Crowne: “And you defeated him.”
King Arthur: “He questioned my authority.”
Severin Crowne: “And he acknowledged it.”
King Arthur: “Before everyone.”
Severin Crowne: “Yes.”
Another pause.
Severin Crowne: “Which means the message was already delivered before you required him to remain on his knee.”
The room grows quiet.
King Arthur: “You presume much.”
Severin Crowne: “Only what our arrangement permits.”
That changes the atmosphere immediately.
King Arthur looks toward the doorway.
Then toward the camera in the far corner.
Then back toward Severin Crowne.
His voice lowers.
King Arthur: “Our arrangement is not a subject for public discussion.”
Severin Crowne: “Agreed.”
King Arthur: “Then remember that.”
Severin Crowne: “I remember every agreement I enter.”
A beat.
Severin Crowne: “And every obligation attached to it.”
King Arthur studies him.
King Arthur: “You made me an offer.”
Severin Crowne: “I did.”
King Arthur: “I accepted.”
Severin Crowne: “You did.”
King Arthur: “Then fulfill it.”
Severin Crowne: “That is precisely why I am here.”
He takes one measured step closer.
Severin Crowne: “You asked me to help create stability around your reign.”
Severin Crowne: “To identify useful people.”
Severin Crowne: “To bring structure where loyalty had become unreliable.”
King Arthur’s eyes narrow slightly.
The words sound uncomfortably relevant after tonight.
Severin Crowne: “I am doing so.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “But I need you not to create additional roadblocks while I build.”
King Arthur: “Roadblocks.”
Severin Crowne: “Men who might serve effectively are considerably more difficult to recruit after their pride has been publicly destroyed.”
King Arthur: “You mean the Huntsman.”
Severin Crowne: “Among others.”
There it is.
One objective revealed.
Another concealed.
King Arthur: “Others like Robin Hood?”
The first hint of amusement enters Severin Crowne’s eyes.
Not his smile.
Only his eyes.
Severin Crowne: “You consider Robin Hood a concern.”
King Arthur: “I consider any man who defies my authority a concern.”
Severin Crowne: “Including Robin Hood.”
King Arthur: “Especially men like Robin Hood.”
He steps toward Severin Crowne.
King Arthur: “Outlaws become dangerous when people mistake popularity for legitimacy.”
Severin Crowne: “Agreed.”
That answer comes more easily than King Arthur expected.
Severin Crowne: “But popularity is still leverage.”
King Arthur: “You would have me tolerate him?”
Severin Crowne: “I would have you understand him.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Destroying every person who questions authority is rarely the most efficient use of authority.”
King Arthur: “You speak as though kingship were accounting.”
Severin Crowne: “No.”
A faint smile.
Severin Crowne: “Accounting is simpler.”
King Arthur does not smile.
Severin Crowne: “A kingdom is an institution.”
Severin Crowne: “Institutions survive through leverage.”
Severin Crowne: “Obligation.”
Severin Crowne: “Appointments.”
Severin Crowne: “Succession.”
His voice remains calm.
Severin Crowne: “And the careful understanding that not every powerful person needs to love the crown.”
A beat.
Severin Crowne: “Some merely need to benefit from its stability.”
King Arthur: “And you believe you can provide that stability.”
Severin Crowne: “I believe I can help you construct it.”
King Arthur: “Careful, Severin.”
The king closes the remaining distance between them.
King Arthur: “You are beginning to speak as though the structure exists because of you.”
Severin Crowne does not retreat.
King Arthur: “I am king.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “I do as I please.”
Silence.
Severin Crowne lowers his head slightly.
Not quite a bow.
Respect without submission.
Severin Crowne: “Of course, Your Majesty.”
A pause.
Then he looks up.
Severin Crowne: “But all great kings eventually understand one inconvenient truth.”
King Arthur’s eyes harden.
Severin Crowne: “Their strength is enhanced by the court surrounding them.”
A beat.
Severin Crowne: “A throne surrounded only by obedience becomes fragile.”
Another.
Severin Crowne: “A throne surrounded by capable people bound through purpose, leverage, and mutual obligation…”
His gaze shifts briefly toward the Mythic Crown Championship.
Severin Crowne: “…becomes difficult to remove.”
The room is silent.
King Arthur studies him.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Whatever irritation was there slowly becomes thought.
Severin Crowne waits.
He does not fill the silence.
He understands that this is the point of the conversation.
Finally—
King Arthur: “Then build it.”
Severin Crowne’s expression does not change.
King Arthur: “Build the court you offered me.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “Bring me men capable of strengthening Camelot.”
Severin Crowne: “And women.”
The correction is gentle.
King Arthur studies him.
King Arthur: “Bring me those worthy of standing beneath the crown.”
Severin Crowne: “Those worthy of standing around it.”
Another slight correction.
This one produces a much colder look.
Severin Crowne: “The distinction will matter.”
King Arthur: “You are testing my patience.”
Severin Crowne: “No, Your Majesty.”
A slight bow of the head.
Severin Crowne: “I am protecting the value of our agreement.”
A long pause.
Then King Arthur gestures toward the door.
King Arthur: “Go.”
Severin Crowne waits.
King Arthur: “Build the court.”
The champion's expression becomes regal again.
Certain.
Commanding.
King Arthur: “As you offered.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “You are dismissed.”
Severin Crowne gives a deeper bow this time.
Still controlled.
Still not quite the submission King Arthur demanded from the Huntsman.
Severin Crowne: “As you wish, Your Majesty.”
He turns.
Walks toward the door.
Then stops at the threshold.
Without looking back—
Severin Crowne: “For what it is worth…”
King Arthur looks toward him.
Severin Crowne: “The strongest courts are rarely built from people who begin as friends.”
A pause.
Severin Crowne: “Friendship is emotional.”
The faintest smile.
Severin Crowne: “Obligation is durable.”
He leaves.
The door closes.
Silence returns.
King Arthur stands alone again.
The room feels larger now.
Emptier.
He looks toward the Mythic Crown Championship.
Then toward the mirror.
Slowly, he walks back to it.
The reflection is waiting.
The same face.
The same eyes.
The same king.
King Arthur stares.
Something is still missing.
He cannot identify it.
He places the Mythic Crown Championship over his shoulder.
The familiar weight settles against him.
His posture straightens.
The uncertainty fades.
Or perhaps it is merely buried.
King Arthur: “I have not changed.”
The reflection says nothing.
King Arthur: “They have.”
He continues staring.
The camera slowly moves behind him.
Closer to the mirror.
Until the frame contains both King Arthur and his reflection.
For the briefest instant, the light catches across the face in the glass strangely.
The reflection seems colder.
Hollower.
Then the lamp flickers.
The image is normal again.
King Arthur does not notice.
The screen cuts to black.
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