FateStay night: Across Time

9

The next three days went by quickly. Shirou trained with Mordred in the morning and practiced reinforcement in the afternoon. He talked with the other knights and told them more of his time and homeland. Mordred in particular was extremely interested, often asking loads of questions. Shirou was allowed to use the kitchen as he pleased, which he happily accepted. He was happy he could use the kitchen and even cooked a couple of times for the king and her knights as well. Working in the kitchen he also bonded with Everill, who was eager to learn more about cooking from Shirou. In return he offered Shirou the best ingredients one could find and telling him some funny anecdotes.

Shirou sat on a bench, sweaty and bruised. Mordred is a firm teacher who didn't shy away from hitting his student. Even so, Shirou thought Mordred as a pleasant person, but he should seriously cut back on his boasting. Really there should be a limit to everything.
"Good work, Shirou." Mordred handed Shirou some water, which he accepted gratefully. "You have improved some, but you have still a long way to go. Though I commend you for the strength in your strikes. They are focused and intense, but also very easy to predict."
"Thank you." Shirou swiped the sweat from his brow. "Say, Mordred. How come you aren't as tired as me? I mean, I know I have decent stamina, but you are still wearing that armor. Doesn't it tire you?"
Mordred drank from his mug through a reed. "Your stamina is indeed good, Shirou. But to answer your question, I have worn this armor for years. One merely becomes accustomed to it. Wear it long enough and you will hardly notice it anymore." Mordred looked at the sky and sighed. "Tell me, Shirou. Don't you have anymore lessons from Merlin in the afternoon anymore?"
"No, I don't." After his second lesson with Merlin, he hadn't even seen him anymore. "Why?"
"Well, you haven't been out of the castle, have you not?" Shirou nodded in confirmation. "Would you like to observe the village life? A change of pace, so to say."
That sounded interesting to Shirou. Observing how people lived in the sixth century.
"Sure. That would be nice."
"Alright then. I will see you after lunch. Meet me at the stables." Mordred smacked him on the back and gave a chuckle. "Later then." He stood up and walked away.
"Yes. Until later." Shirou stood up and went to his chambers to took a bath. Training this intensive with Mordred made it necessary. As Shirou left his chambers refreshed, he bumped into Arturia.
"Oh Shirou. I did not think I would run into you." Arturia normally wore armor, but today she wore a beautiful, noble-blue tunic embroiled with a red dragon on the chest. Shirou reckoned that she must has wrapped cloth around her chest in order to flatten it, or something like that.
"I have just taken a bath. It was really enjoyable." Shirou responded.
"Ah, I see. I have never enjoyed taking a bath. Mainly because of that reason." Shirou understood what she meant.
Shirou smiled, which prompted her to tilt her head in wonder. "Is there something that amuses you?"
"Ah, no nothing in particular, Arturia. I just felt like it." A thought appeared in his head. "Say, Arturia. Have you anything to do this afternoon?"
"Nothing, which is rather unusual. Why?" She asked curiously.
"Mordred invited me to visit the village with him, so I thought if maybe you could join us." He smiled at her hopefully as she went into thought. "You could encourage the people with your presence at the same time. Like give them a boost to their morale by gracing them with your presence and such." She looked at him questioningly.
"Hmmm, if you put it like that. May I suggest that we take the opportunity to do some falconry? I haven't done that in quite a while." She had made up her mind, even though she found Shirou's argument rather weak. "You should inform Mordred about this first though. I may be king, but it would still be rude to intrude uninvited."
"It would have been rude indeed. A king should lead by example after all" Shirou added. Arturia was pleasantly surprised by what Shirou said.
"True enough. A king should indeed." Arturia said proudly.
"He is often found at the stables, the garden or the training area." She said as she started to leave. "Now, if you will excuse me. I have something to discuss with Sir Kay concerning our finances." Shirou started to look for Mordred. On his search for Mordred, Shirou heard some loud voices in the distance. When he went to inspect what, he encountered Gawain and Bedivere whom were engaged in a rather heated discussion.
"How dare they! That is something that falls within their duties as nobles. How dare they to burden the king with such matters!?" Bedivere's voice was full of anger.
"I agree. This is happening more and more often. Do they really intend to push all the problems onto his highness?" Gawain sounded more collected, albeit still angry. "This is bad. If the king ..." Gawain suddenly fell silent when he noticed Shirou. "It is not a good habit to eavesdrop, Shirou."
"One doesn't need to eavesdrop when you are yelling so loudly. I could hear you all the way back there." Shirou remarked casually.
"True enough." Bedivere sighed heavily. His expression turned a bit too self-berating.
"So what was that about somebody pushing problems onto the king?" Shirou asked a little nervous. "Can I help with something?"
"You offer is appreciated, but I don't think there is anything you could do." Bedivere smiled sadly before turning to Gawain. "Sir Gawain, I suggest we discuss this matter further at a different time."
"Agreed." Gawain crossed his arms. "Mister Shirou. I would like you to keep what you heard to yourself. This is not something that should be discussed in public."
Shirou nodded in agreement. "But why would they do such a thing. I mean … She brought peace to the country didn't she. So why?" Shirou felt like he had to ask. Gawain and Bedivere frowned at his question, or was it because Shirou referred to the king as 'she' again?
"Normally we would not tell this to a stranger, but I feel that you are trustworthy." Bedivere's eyes pierced into Shirou's. Shirou nodded firmly. "Truth to be told, there are many people who are growing increasingly more dissatisfied with the king recently. Especially among the knights and the nobility. The dissatisfaction has grown more considerably, specifically after the incident with Mordred a couple of months ago."
Shirou listened attentively. What he heard made him angry which showed on his face. "But why? She did so much for the people."
Gawain nodded in agreement. "I understand how you feel. It angers me too. King Arthur is the perfect king and as his knight I wish for his highness to reach even greater heights. To that end I shall stand by his side forever." Gawain's expression turned to one of pure admiration, one could even say blind admiration . "If the king has one flaw, than it is ... No, never mind. I should not have said that."
Shirou stared at Gawain, unsure of what to say. Bedivere had listened to Gawain with a mixture of joy and sadness. "I can relate to Sir Gawain, for I too wish for … the king's wellbeing."
"Well, what would one expect from the king's most loyal knights. The perfect honor student and the head of the king's guard." A low voice sounded from behind them. Shirou turned to face the origin of the voice. There stood a knight and someone who seemed to be a nobleman. Gawain's and Bedivere's faces soured. The knight wore an armor similar to that of Bedivere, except that it was completely black. He was of middle age, with pitch black hair, a somewhat pale complexion. His sharp features and cold eyes gave him an enervating appearance. The nobleman was of at least ten years older and balding.
"Sir Agravain. My lord, Hairud." Gawain and Bedivere greeted with forced politeness. The nobleman returned the greeting.
"These two adore the king too much, so their view is rather one sided." Agravain looked at Gawain and Bedivere, as if scrutinizing them. "But to answer your question, boy. It is the king's own fault."
"How so?" Shirou asked.
"Well, because the king doesn't understand how others feel. He cannot understand the hearts of his people, that is why." Gawain looked at Agravain in controlled anger. Bedivere gritted his teeth and averted his eyes. As if he was acknowledging a bitter truth. "How can one rule over others, if one cannot understand their subjects hearts? The king does not understands the hearts of others, and as a king that is a fatal flaw." Shirou saw Hairud nodding his head firmly in agreement.
"Now that you mention it." Shirou had wondered about this for a while now. "I've noticed this for a while now, but I didn't thought much of it because I don't spend much time with her or know her that long for that matter. Is that also the reason why I never see much people talk to her?" Agravain and Hairud lifted their eyebrows.
"You've noticed that surprisingly fast." Hairud smirked. Gawain and Bedivere merely followed the conversation silently. "The truth is nobody speaks to the king unless spoken to, or if one has something urgent to say. Even at the round table, all fall silent when the king appears. One reason people avoid talking to his highness, is because he never shows emotions. The king has not showed emotion or acted on his emotions, not even once since he ascended the throne."
"Sir Agravain. Those nay sayers simply do not realize how blessed we are with him as king. No other could have ruled in such a magnificent and just manner." Gawain retorted. "And you lord Hairud. How dare you push your problems onto the king! Problems that are your responsibility." With Gawain's anger drawing in all the attention at the moment, nobody realized that Agravain seemed to agree.
"The king is responsible for all of the kingdom. Thus my problems are his problems." Lord Hairud argued with a sly smile.
This revelation boggled Shirou's mind. He recalls how the king never shows emotions, or at least not often. "I take it everybody is aware of the king's mistake?" He muttered.
"It is hard not to notice. Well, I hope this answered your question. Now if you would excuse us." Agravain and Hairud started to leave, when Hairud suddenly halted.
"Before we leave, I must say lad. You are very dense for you still keep referring to the king as a she. Everybody knows the king is a man. Not that I care, though." He grinned at Shirou. Shirou was staring at his feet in frustration of what he just heard.
"No. You all are simply to dense to recognize the truth." Shirou grumbled. For a moment they all stared at Shirou, forgetting the conversation they just had. Their faces expressed either exasperation or surprise at Shirou's apparent stubbornness and accusation. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to see Mordred."
Shirou walked a few paces and stopped, because he realized something. And even though he has no way to prove it, he felt in his heart that it was true. "I just realized something."
"And that would be ..." Agravain asked . Gawain, Bedivere, Agravain and Haruid looked at Shirou as he waited a moment.
"After hearing that, I realize how stupid is for the king to make such a mistake and not noticing it. And it pisses me of." Gawain frowned at those words. Bedivere closed his eyes in silent lament. Agravain and Haruid merely stared at him unblinking, then they started to leave when Shirou continued.
"But you know. You people, no not just you. But everybody in this kingdom, from the peasants to the nobility and the knights, piss me of of a thousand times more." Shirou raised his voice. Some servants came to investigate the commotion. Gawain, Bedivere, Agravain and Haruid stared at Shirou dumbfounded. They were completely baffled at Shirou's last outburst.
"I'm going to see Mordred. You guys go about your business." Shirou walked away, leaving the four men behind. What are they thinking? The people , the knights, the nobility… what was she thinking? Shirou started to run. Several servants were startled as he sped by. But Shirou didn't care, he needed to blow of some steam now. By the time he reached the training area, he had calmed down somewhat. Some of the soldiers stared at him as he arrived tired and panting.
After catching his breath, Shirou started to look for Mordred. He asked some of the soldiers. They said Mordred had gone to the armory, so Shirou asked for directions.
The armory consisted of several rooms. They were packed with various racks, sporting everything from armor and swords to halberds and longbows. Eventually he found Mordred. He was standing at the end of a narrow corridor in front of a steel, grate door. Shirou walked up to him, but Mordred didn't pay attention. He was staring through the grate door. Shirou looked over his shoulder.
Behind the grate door was another part of the armory. But the weapons in there were a lot more precious. This room was obviously reserved for special weapons and armor. Shirou saw a beautiful engraved spear, a brilliantly decorated dagger and various other precious items. But the one weapon that drew his attention the most was the one Mordred was staring at. It was a large two hander, but it seemed to be made of silver. No, one could say it was more dazzling than any silver. It was beautiful.
"Clarent." Mordred said suddenly.
"Clarent?" Shirou asked to which Mordred nodded.
"Caliburn's sister sword. The sword of peace." He continued. Shirou tried to recall. Caliburn was the sword from the stone. According to the legend it shattered when Arthur fought a duel that went against Chivalry.
"It is beautiful, but Mordred can I speak with you for a moment?" Mordred faced Shirou.
"Sure. Let us go outside. It's rather cramped in here." They went to the courtyard. "What is it you that want to discuss?"
"Well, I met Arturia a while ago and ..."
"Let me guess, you asked if he could join us?" Mordred sounded annoyed.
"I'm sorry. Anyway, she agreed to join us. She also suggested to do some falconry while we were at it." Mordred shook his head.
"Very well. But may I ask why you asked him to join us?" Mordred was definitely annoyed.
"Can I ask you something before I answer that?" Mordred sighed. Shirou took that as a yes. "Why didn't anyone ever tell her, … him?"
"Tell him what?" Mordred asked confused.
"Tell the king that suppressing her emotions is a mistake. That she should try to understand others more." Mordred fell silent for a moment.
"It is not our place to judge him. If that is his choice, than so be it." Mordred's voice was permeated by very dubious tone. Shirou couldn't tell if it was adoration or scorn. Maybe it was both. He started to belief that Mordred had mixed feelings about his father. "Tell his highness I give my consent."
"Thank you. Next time it will just be the two of us. I promise." Shirou shook Mordred's hand, which surprised him a little. Shirou went to inform the king. They met at the stables after dinner. Mordred and Shirou were waiting at stables when the king arrived.
Arturia was still wearing the dragon embroiled tunic. But this time she also donned a golden sword on her hip with a matching golden scabbard. Mordred made a bow when the king walked up to them.
"My king. I hope you will experience a pleasant time in our company." Mordred obviously tried hard to mask his displeasure, but to no avail.
"Raise your head, Mordred. It is I who must thank you for allowing me to join this outing. I know you are displeased by my intrusion." Mordred raised his head and looked Arturia in the eye. "There for, I invite you to join me to participate in falconry. If you wish."
"It would be my pleasure." Mordred answered. He tried to sound grateful, but a hint of annoyance slipped in. "I have ordered the stable hands to fetch the horses. Oh, that reminds me. Shirou, do you know how to ride a horse?"
Shirou hadn't thought about that. "Unfortunately no. In fact, until I arrived here I have never even seen a horse before."
Mordred and Arturia looked at him with surprise. "That should not be a problem though. We have some excellent trained horses in our stables. I will have one of the stable hands fetch one." Mordred said.
"Excellent, sir Mordred. But that certainly was a surprise." Arturia commented. "You said that you have never seen a horse before. Are there no horses in your country? Do they use other animals as mounts?"
"We do have horses in my country, only none in my hometown." Shirou explained. "And besides don't forget that I am from the future. In my time the horse and cart have been replaced by a mechanical substitute." Mordred and Arturia were listening with interest. "I'll tell you another time, if you don't mind."
"Understood. You have piqued my interest, so I expect you to tell me in detail." said Arturia. After their horses were brought they left for the village. The horse Shirou was riding on was a bit older, but highly trained. Shirou had almost no trouble riding it.
Shirou, Mordred and Arturia rode out on horseback to the village, or rather town. He thought it to big to be a village. The villagers bowed as the king passed. Shirou looked around as the people went on with their everyday lives. Shirou saw the baker working hard on his bread, the smithy hammering away on hot iron and the weaver putting the final touches on a tunic. Children were running around without a care in the world. Some of them came to look at the king and Mordred, but more so to look at the stranger from a distant land.
"Well, Shirou. What do you think of the village life?" Mordred asked.
"It sure is lively. These people live simple lives, but they are contend with it. A simple but good life, but also a lot harsher in many ways then in my time." Shirou looked around inquisitively. The atmosphere in the village seems so busy, yet somehow relaxing. It brought a smile on his face.
"Indeed it is." Mordred said absentmindedly, as if he was in thought.
"But I must say, the cleanliness leaves much to be desired. Especially in regards of waste." Shirou commented. It was the only real issue he had. The village was quite nice, but god, the smell.
Arturia sighed. "It can not be helped. We don't have a real solution for this problem."
"In my time we have something called sewers. A network for tunnels and pipes used for disposing waste materials." Shirou told.
"That is quite a novelty you have in your time. But for us it isn't really plausible." Mordred commented rather smug.
"Well, it really is a quite old idea, though." Arturia and Mordred stared at him. "I know that the Romans used it centuries ago."
"I see. It once again proves how much of their knowledge has been lost." Arturia lamented. They spent some time exploring the village and its surroundings, until Bedivere and Kay arrived. Behind them rode a couple of squires who carried the equipment and the falcons with them.
"Good day, my king." Kay and Bedivere greeted the king in unison. "We hast brought the falcons at your request."
"Ah, good." Arturia faced Shirou and Mordred. "Shall we go off to hunt then?"
"Lead the way, your highness." Shirou was a bit excited. They rode about an hour through a dense forest to reach the chosen hunting ground. It was a large open plain. The afternoon sun shined gold across the long grasses. Once there they dismounted, the hunt began. Arturia let the first falcon loose. They gazed at the bird as it ascended into the sky.
"Would you like to try it?" Arturia asked Shirou.
"Can I? I mean, I would like to, but maybe Mordred would like to go first. After all, you invited him in compensation for intruding on his invitation." Shirou looked at Mordred, who met his gaze.
"Hmmm, true enough. What do you say, sir Mordred?" Arturia looked at Mordred.
"Perhaps, later. Since Shirou will be returning home at one point, he should use the opportunity to experience some falconry." Said Mordred. He tried to be nonchalant, but it was obvious that he was bored by it all.
"A sound argument." Bedivere chipped in, ignoring Mordred's tone. Arturia and Kay nodded in response.
"Very well. Squire, please hand Shirou the falcon." The squire walked over to Shirou.
"Here, mister Shirou. Please use this to protect your arm against the claws." The squire handed Shirou a leather glove that covered his entire lower arm. Shirou put it on. "Alright then. Please stick your arm out."
Shirou did as he was told. The squire held his arm close to Shirou's and nudged the falcon to move to Shirou's arm. The squire took some distance from Shirou.
"Now then, Shirou. When you want to release him, you just remove the cap from it's head and stretch out your arm in the air, like I did ." Arturia instructed. Shirou did as he was told. The falcon eyed Shirou for a moment before it took flight. Shirou thought the experience was kinda cool.
"Now we wait for the falcons to catch some prey." Arturia explained as the squires took out some mugs and filled them with wine. Soon everybody, except Mordred and Shirou, were having a sip of wine. "Are you not having any wine, Shirou?"
"No, thank you. I told you before that I'm not good with alcohol." Shirou reminded them. "How about you, Mordred?"
"Not today. Thanks for the offer." Mordred replied disinterested.
An hour past before one of the falcons suddenly dived to the ground. "Looks, like one has caught prey." Kay remarked as the bird dived to the ground, And indeed it had. The falcon had caught a small rabbit. Not much meat, but it would sure prove to be tasty.
They continued the hunt for several hours, during this time Arturia decided to take a little stroll while the others continued with the hunt. She walked across the plains to the top of a small hill. There she stopped and gazed upon the landscape, seemingly enjoying the suns rays as the evening approached. What was she doing over there? Shirou saw her doing something.
He used strengthening on his eyes so he could see her better. Apparently she was eating something from a small pouch. Upon closer inspection, he saw it were pieces of fruit or something. After eating a small handful she put them back under her tunic.
"So, Shirou." Shirou turned his attention to Kay. "How is your training with Merlin going?" Kay was rather curious about what Merlin was teaching Shirou.
Shirou sighed. He hadn't spoken with Merlin after he showed him his projection. "Not sure. After my second lesson, I haven't seen him even once. He told me to just continue practicing strengthening."
"Odd." Kay mumbled. Bedivere conceded with Kay's assessment. "But Merlin would not do something like that if he did not have a good reason for it."
"If you say so. I would appreciate it if he could explain it to me first." Shirou shook his head in annoyance.
"You better get used to it." Mordred said, waving his hand. "What I have learned from my mother is that the key to dealing with a Magus is to give up." Bedivere, Kay and Shirou looked at Mordred incredulous.
"How are things going with the hunt?" Arturia rejoined the group and the conversation stopped. The hunt continued for another hour or two. In total they caught three rabbits, a rather poor haul.
"Did you enjoy the hunt, Shirou?" The king asked as they rode through the forest on their way back.
"It was pretty exciting handling the bird, but the waiting was a bit tedious. Luckily, there was some good company present." Shirou smiled. All in all it had been a fun experience. "I was thinking of rabbit stew tonight. What do you guys think?"
"Please do." Arturia promptly replied.
"Looks like the king has decided. Rabbit stew it is then." Kay commented grinning. Everybody had noticed that these past few days the king got very eager when it came to Shirou's cooking.
Suddenly Arturia stopped as her instincts were warning her of danger lying ahead. "Everybody, be on your guard. I sense danger ahead." She drew her sword and the others followed suit. Their faces were tensed as they now too sensed the danger.
"Attack!" A voice yelled. A moment later, bandits appeared all around them. A group of roughly forty men suddenly sprang from the bushes. Shirou could hear Kay swear.
"Drive them back!" Arturia yelled. Shirou could see one of the squires fall after been stabbed by a spear. The king and her knights drew their swords and faced the enemy. The fact that they were on horseback was an advantage.
"What are bandits doing this close to Camelot!?" Bedivere shouted. His face showing only disbelief, although it did not dull his mind as he executed a lightning fast riposte on the first bandit. The bandit was dead before he hit the ground. Shirou could barely follow Bedivere's strike.
"That is what I would like to know!" Mordred yelled enraged as he cleaved two opponents in half with a single swing of his two-hander. The fact that they were wearing armor made it even more impressive. Shirou gasped at the sight. Unlike the others who's fighting style was elegant, Mordred's way of fighting was simply savage. His strikes could barely be called technique, but they were powerful and very accurate. It was nothing like what Mordred had thought him before. It was a brutal way of fighting meant only for killing.
Suddenly one of the bandits jabbed a spear at him, which caused the horse to rear up. Shirou fell on the ground and immediately got surrounded by three bandits. Each and everyone of them were armed to the teeth. Shirou was cornered and unarmed.
One of them started to charge him, his sword trusting forward to impale him. The other two approaching him from the sides in a pincer attack. He was going to die. No! He still hadn't achieved his goal of becoming a hero of justice. Dying here would be meaningless. He recalled his last conversation with Kiritsugu.
When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a hero of justice.
What do you mean, dreamed? Did you give up?
Yes, unfortunately. Being a Hero is a limited-time thing. When you grow older, it becomes difficult to call yourself one. I wish I hadn't taken so long in realizing that.
I see. Then it can't be helped.
Yes, I can't.
Yeah. Since you can't, I'll become one for you.
"Trace on." Shirou activated his circuits. Streams of energy like lightning whirled around him and started to condense in his hand. In a bright flash a sword formed in his hand. The bandits jumped back in surprise. His arms trembled and felt like his arms were on fire.
"He is the Magus. This the one we need. Capture him!" One of them shouted. They recovered from the shock and resumed their attack. The first attack came fast, but Shirou managed to block it, as he did with the second and the third. However the sword shattered at the fourth attack. But Shirou didn't give up. He promptly recreated the sword and this time he attacked. The burning sensation started to spread across his body.
He hadn't been training for long, but it was certainly paying off. But the pain in his body made fighting more difficult. It is fortunate that compared to Mordred, these guys were plain slow. He even managed to injure one of them on the arm. His success was short-lived however as suddenly one of the bandits rushed in with his shield and bashed Shirou to the ground. The bandit brought down his sword, not with the blade but with the pommel, aiming to knock him out. But it was repelled as Arturia suddenly appeared.
"Foul wretches. I will have you taste my blade!" She shouted. "Shirou, fall back to the others." The bandits charged her, but she deftly parried and dodged their attacks, all the while delivering devastating attacks of herself. The bandits died within a heartbeat. Then Arturia launched herself between four bandits and literally smashed them aside with a mighty blow, belying her small physique. Arturia didn't notice the heavily armored bandit sneaking up from behind the trees.
The bandit waited for her to get closer. He attacked with his large cleaver-like sword when she got close enough. Arturia had sensed the man approach and had already turned to face him, but suddenly Shirou stood between her and the bandit. Shirou shielded her and the cleaver cut him along the chest. He fell to the ground.
Shirou's sudden intervention had surprised the bandit, causing his attack to mis his mark. It took a moment for the bandit to grasp what just had happened. Long enough for Arturia to attack. The bandit needed all his strength to block the attack. His cleaver was shattered and he was thrown backwards. He made a skilled back-flip and regained his footing.
"Cowards. I will have you executed for this." Arturia glared at the bandit. The bandit looked around, seeing that all all except of two his men were were defeated.
"Retreat!" He shouted and he ran into the forest with his comrades. He was in luck however, as Arturia and the knights were devoting their attention to their wounded.
Kay and the other squire were tending to the wounded squire. Arturia was sitting at Shirou's side as Bedivere tended to his wound. He had removed his tunic and was currently cleaning his wound.
"He is brave, I have to admit that. But reckless. I am amazed that he is still alive" Bedivere sighed in relieve as he saw that Shirou was recovering. He marveled at how fast the wound was healing. Gawain had told them how fast Shirou had recovered from the wound he received, while shielding him. But this was much faster then in Gawain's recollection from that event.
"He must not have been aware that as long as I carry Avalon, I cannot be killed." She said worried. "Seeing that he has a way to heal himself makes me feel at ease."
"There are no more bandits in the area." Mordred had returned. After the attack he went to scout the area to make sure of it. "How is he doing?"
"Surprisingly well. His wounds are healing incredibly fast." Bedivere said with disbelief. "Gawain told us that he healed fast, but this is amazing." They looked as Shirou's wound slowly closed. At this rate he would recover within the hour.
"Amazing. He is healing incredibly fast indeed." Mordred whistled.
Kay walked up to them. He looked relieved. "The squire's wounds are not life threatening, but we should get him to a surgeon as fast as possible. How is Shirou doing?"
"He is recovering fast, thanks to his healing ability." The moment the king said that, they heard Shirou moan as he had regained consciousness. "Shirou! It is good that you have awoken. How do you feel?"
"I've felt better." He groaned. "Looks like you're unharmed. That's good." He said with a smile when he saw Arturia.
"Really. That was reckless of you." Kay sighed with a smiling, yet worried face. "Regardless, you have my gratitude for protecting the king. Even though it was unnecessary."
"That man was about to strike her from behind and she wasn't wearing armor." Shirou complained. He tried to sit up, but Arturia stopped him.
"Listen, Shirou. It is true that I did not wear any armor, but as long as I carry Avalon I can not be injured." Shirou looked at her in surprise. "Now rest. Your wounds will be healed shortly. Then we will ride back to Camelot."
Shirou did as he was told and true enough, he was completely healed within less then an hour. They soon resumed their way to Camelot. Bedivere, Kay, and Mordred were ridding at the back with the squires, while Arturia and Shirou were ridding a small distance to the front.
"He sure is brave." Kay affirmed. "He would surely be a fine knight, would you not agree?"
"Perhaps. But I am a bit concerned over how easily he risked his life." Bedivere pondered. "He may not have been aware of Avalon, but still ..."
"That is something to consider. I am happy that he was able to defend himself. Those bandits wast surprisingly skilled, but Shirou managed to defend himself to some extent." Mordred sounded happy, but there was also some annoyance mixed in his voice for some reason. "Did you see how he projected that sword. That was a mighty interesting show of projection magic."
"That is called 'projecting'?" Bedivere asked, lifting his eyebrows in surprise at Mordred's words.
"Ay. It is a rather unusual skill, but not many Magi use it. It is usually used when a Magus is in temporary need for an object that is not at hand, since a projected object always disappears after a while." Mordred explained.
"I would call being able to create a sword from thin air, rather useful in battle, I say." Bedivere remarked. "You are rather knowledgeable about the subject."
"Well, if you consider who raised me..." Bedivere and Kay stared at Mordred with an expression of understanding as they recalled who had raised Mordred.
"What are your thoughts about the matter, sir Kay?" Bedivere asked. Kay was frowning, and went into deep thought for a while.
"What my thoughts are?" He sighed deeply. "I am not sure. Please excuse me." Kay rode ahead towards Shirou and the king. Bedivere looked at Mordred in wonder. Mordred lifted his shoulders, equally clueless.
"King Arthur, Shirou." Kay rode beside Shirou.
"Ah, sir Kay. Is there something you need?" Arturia asked.
"I wanted to talk to Shirou for a bit if you don't mind." Shirou and Arturia looked at each other for a moment.
"Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?" Shirou looked Kay in the eyes.
"Well, first of all. I wanted to thank you again for protecting the king. Not as a knight, but as her brother. Thank you for protecting my sister." Kay bowed to Shirou, which made him blush.
"Ehhh, you're welcome." Shirou averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed.
"Sir Kay, I don't mind you thanking him, but must I remind you not to refer to me like that out in the open. I am still the king." Arturia looked back, in order to check if the others hadn't heard. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
"I know dear sister. Please forgive me." Kay smiled brightly. "It is only proper for a knight to thank the man who protected his little sister. Would you not agree, my king?" Arturia sighed in silent consent, albeit a little annoyed. "But I must say, Shirou, you were rather quick to throw yourself in front of her. I would even go as far to say as plain reckless." Kay showed clear concern for Shirou's wellbeing.
"My father always said that a real man shouldn't allow girls to get hurt. I don't need a reason to save a girl." Shirou replied slightly embarrassed, but resolute. This made Kay laugh.
"Well said." Kay laughed. "But as her brother I will tell thee that you don't need to worry about her."
"I thank you, Sir Kay. Let me give you some advice, Shirou. You should worry about protecting others after you hast learned to fight yourself." Arturia's expression turned stubborn. "Don't get me wrong Shirou. I am grateful, but I must confess that your action was bothersome. I have told you before, my gender is a trivial matter. Don't treat me, a warrior, as a woman."
Shirou looked away with a stubborn expression. "No I won't. I won't deny that you are a strong fighter, but you're still a girl. So don't get worked up about it. Besides, my dad thought me that girls shouldn't be fighting. And I agree with that. If necessary, I will do the fighting for you." This surprised both Arturia and Kay.
"You are being conceited, Shirou. You could barely defend your self from those bandits. How are you expecting to defend me like that. Are you trying to insult me?" Arturia glared at him in disbelief and frustration. Shirou returned the glare.
Kay was looking from Shirou to Arturia and back again. He looked like a big brother whose younger siblings were arguing over who was right. They didn't speak for the rest of the trip. It was almost dark when they arrived at Camelot. However ...
"What is happening in the village?" Bedivere suddenly said. Smoke was rising from the village and the orange glow of fire shone bright in the twilight.
"Looks like a fire has broken out in the village. Let us hurry." Arturia drove her horse into a sprint towards the village with the others hot on her heels. Shirou used strengthening on his eyes again. A large building was on fire. He could make out several villagers, soldiers and even some knights trying to put out the fire. It appeared that Lancelot and Gawain were directing the fire fighting effort.
"It's the large building in the center of the village. Lancelot and Gawain are leading the fire fighters." Shirou notified the king.
"That must be the inn." Mordred said. They arrived at the village a little later. It seems the fire hadn't been going for that long, but it had almost consumed the place completely. "First an ambush, now a fire. It is a busy day indeed.?"
"My king." Lancelot greeted the king on arrival.
"Has the inn been evacuated completely?" She urgently asked Lancelot.
"We are not sure. We believe that most of the occupants managed to evacuate. If anybody is still in there, they are surely dead by now. We have been giving it our all, but it seems the inn is lost. " Lancelot reported. The king looked at the inn. She could only agree with Lancelot's assessment. Shirou was watching from a distance, when he saw a woman desperately trying to reach the inn, but she was held back by two men. Shirou went over to investigate.
"Please, let me through!" She yelled as she desperately struggled to get passed the two men holding her back.
"What is wrong over here?" He asked.
"Please, you must help me! My daughter is still in there! We were staying at the inn. I ran out as soon as the fire broke out, but I lost my daughter along the way. I am afraid that she is still is inside!"
"Do you have an idea where she might be?"
"Our room was on the second floor, the second door on the right. But I don't know ..." Tears rolled over her eyes and started to struggle even harder.
"It's too late! Anybody still in there is long dead." One of the men said harshly.
"I'll tell the king." Shirou tried to reassure her. "Maybe he can do something." Shirou ran over to the king. "Arturia, there is still somebody in there. A little girl is trapped inside."
"It is too late. The fire has progressed too far." Lancelot said. His face was calm, but sad as he clearly had accepted the girl's fate. "There is nothing more we can do. Going in there now would be risking lives needlessly."
Shirou gritted his teeth. Arturia laid her hand on his shoulder. "Shirou. I hate to admit it, but Lancelot is right. It is too late now." Shirou looked at her. Her face was as expressionless as always. Shirou turned and walked away.
There had to be something he could do. His eyes fell upon a large sheet of cloth at a weavers shop. There lay. An idea formed in his head. He grabbed the sheet and soaked it in a nearby water barrel. He covered himself in it and dashed toward the open door of the inn.
Lancelot, the king and Bedivere were busy delegating the fire fighting effort, so they didn't notice, until Shirou ran past them toward the inn.
"Somebody stop him." Lancelot ordered as he himself ran after Shirou. But Shirou had already made it inside. Lancelot followed him with lightning speed. However, he was forced to break off his pursuit when suddenly part of the ceiling collapsed and blocked the exit. Shirou was on his own now.
The smoke stung his eyes and made it hard to breath. He had a hard time navigating. At this rate he was going to die here without achieving anything when suddenly an idea formed in his head. He placed his hand on the floor.
"Trace on." The hammer striked in his mind. When Shirou fixed appliances he used magecraft to analyze the inner structure of the malfunctioning object. So he thought it would be possible to analyze the layout of the inn in the same way. Shirou bit away the heat and focused. In his mind, the image of the building's layout formed. It worked. Now knowing were he had to go, Shirou dashed towards the second floor.
The heat was unbearable, but Shirou pushed through. Luck was with him though, as the second floor wasn't yet completely consumed by the flames. There he saw her. The girl had passed out from the heat. Time was running out. He covered the girl in the wet sheet and made his way back to the ground floor. He was almost at the door when he noticed it was blocked. This is bad. He needs to get out and fast.
"How foolish. What is he thinking?" Lancelot exclaimed in disbelief. "I am terribly sorry for not being able to stop him. I will accept any punishment you deems necessary." Lancelot apologized to the king.
"We will talk about this later, sir Lancelot. Let us first find a way to save him." Arturia was worried. She admired his courage, even though it was foolish.
"My king, the door to the store room is still free. Allow me to go after him." Gawain proposed.
"Are you certain, sir Gawain? I understand that you want to repay him for saving you, but this is reckless. Allow me to go with you." Mordred offered. "The two of us would stand a better chance of getting him out."
Gawain looked at Mordred with surprise, but he soon nodded in approval. Suddenly a soldier called out. "My king, there he is." He pointed at the entrance. There was Shirou carrying a child in his arms.
"Clear the door way, by any means necessary." The king commanded. Lancelot, Gawain, Bedivere and Mordred ran towards the entrance. But more debris fell, blocking the entrance further.
"Out of the way." Mordred kicked off and literally flew towards the entrance. "Stand back, Shirou!" Mordred shouted. Shirou had only a split second to react and create some distance between him and the entrance, as Mordred flew towards the entrance and with a mighty swing from his sword smashed the debris aside. Shirou watched the incredible display of strength in awe. "Do not keep standing there dumbfounded, get over here!"
Mordred's shout brought Shirou back to reality. He ran towards Mordred at the entrance when suddenly the ceiling came down. There was no time, Shirou threw the girl to Mordred. "Catch her!" Mordred caught the girl just in time. But the ceiling collapsed on top of Shirou. The last thing Shirou saw was Mordred retreating with the girl as the building started to collapse.