FateStay night: Across Time

10

A golden sword. Shirou dreamed once again about this sword. A shining, keen edge and a golden handle and cross guard, beautifully decorated. The gold and blue ornate handle and cross guard reflected the sunlight. The sword faded away and an open plain appeared. In the distance he saw the arena for a jousting tournament. He could hear the cheering and shouting from here.

Then he saw the sword, planted firmly in a stone.
I see. This must be the day when she pulled out the sword. And there he saw her, dressed as a boy, staring at the sword with determination. Arturia stretched out her arm to grab the sword.
"You should think this through." A voice said. She looked up. Merlin had appeared before her. "Because if you pulls out this sword, you shall no longer be human. You will be resented by all of humanity and die a miserable death."
A vision appeared of her dying alone on a hill. This would become her fate, the moment she pulls it out. But her eyes merely glowed more determined.
"No." She nodded firmly, even after having been shown the Fate that would await her.
"Are you really alright with this?" He asked calmly.
"Yes. Because … Many people were smiling. I don't believe this to be a mistake."
She took the sword with a firm grip. Merlin started to walk away.
"But remember, Arturia. A miracle comes at a price. In exchange you will lose the thing most important to you." Merlin left as Arturia pulled out the sword. The entire area became filled with a brilliant, golden light. In the distance, the cheering and shouting from the arena fell silent.
Shirou understood. Arturia only wanted to protect everyone. To keep the people safe. But if she wants to accomplish this, she must throw away the emotion of 'wanting to protect the people'.
One cannot protect the country, the people, as king if one has human emotions.
Therefore she decided to trow away her heart. To suppress her emotions completely.
She gave up her own happiness in order to safeguard the happiness of her people.
She accepted this. Her heart won't change, even if she is abandoned, feared or betrayed.
Arturia decided to protect, in exchange for her heart. This was something she kept strictly to herself. Nobody would know about such a sublime oath. She chose to fight. Even if solitary ruin awaited her at the end. She still decided to fight. No matter what.
Shirou opened his eyes. What was that dream? No, these were memories, he somehow knew. Her memories. It was also strange. The sword she carried during the trip had been different from the sword she pulled from the stone. Even Merlin had looked different.
Shirou looked around and found himself inside his room. How long has he been here? He looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky, so he reckoned at least half a day. Voices could be heard in the next room. Suddenly the door opened and a servant came in.
"My king, he's awake." The servant said as soon as he saw Shirou. Arturia entered followed by Guinevere, Merlin, Lancelot, Kay, Bedivere, Gawain, Mordred and even Agravain.
"Shirou, how do you feel?" Arturia asked. Shirou tried to sit upright, but Mordred held him down.
"Don't move, Shirou." He said rather harshly. "You haven't fully recovered yet. Shees, that was admirable, but so damn reckless."
"What happened?" Shirou finally managed to ask. "How is the girl?"
"Still worrying about the child, I see." Gawain smiled in admiration. "Don't worry she is save, thanks to you."
"When the building came down, you had thrown the child in my arms. The collapse forced me to retreat or I and the child would hast been burried with you." Mordred shook his head.
"Luckily Merlin arrived in the nick of time." Lancelot continued. "He used his magic to clear the flames and removed most of the obstacles, allowing us to dig you out of the rubble. But your wounds were severe. We thought you would die at any moment. Half your ribs were shattered and a piece of iron had ripped open your abdomen."
"Your healing ability is what saved you." Bedivere took over, but he sounded unnerved. "It was strange. It looked like as if you were... 'pulled' together by blades. Layer upon layer of blades." This revelation sounded unnerving indeed. "How do you feel?"
"As good as can be, I guess. My body feels numb, though. And my arms have this burning sensation."
"I have treated your wounds, but given how fast they healed there was not much to do." Merlin finished the explanation as he put down what seemed to be a traveling bag. "Afterwards we brought you here to recuperate. The numbness however is not caused by the injuries you had suffered." Shirou looked at him questioningly. "I'll explain later. For now you must rest." Merlin gave a hearty smile.
"Shirou, there is something I wish to say to you." Arturia made a difficult face for a moment, but then softened. "But first, there is someone who wishes to thank you." She nodded to Kay. Kay walked to the door and opened it.
"Ma'am, you and the child can come in now." Kay stepped aside. The child and her mother entered. The child looked a bit pale, but otherwise healthy.
"Emiya Shirou. I am glad that ye are safe." The woman made a bow. "My name is Ailletha. And this my daughter Eda. You have my eternal gratitude for saving my daughter." Eda walked over to Shirou. However she clearly hadn't fully recovered as she stumbled. Arturia caught her before she fell over.
"You must take it easy, child. You have not yet fully recovered." She helped her walk over to Shirou.
"Thank ye, Emy'a Shi'ou, fo' saving me." She handed him a flower, smiling brightly. "I picked this for you."
Shirou smiled and patted her on the head, as he accepted the flower. "Thank you, Eda. But seeing that you are alright is more then enough for me." Eda blushed and looked at the ground timidly.
"Now, what I wanted to say to you, Shirou." Arturia looked at him firmly. "It was certainly a valiant deed, to brave the flames in order to save her. But as Mordred already said, it was far to reckless. You came this close to death yourself. I say, you should not have charged in so recklessly!"
"King Artha? Are you saying that Shi'ou shouldn't have saved me?" Eda asked confused.
"No, I am not saying that, dear child." Arturia's expression was apologetic. "I am just saying that... he did not think it through. If things had gone wrong, we would have had to lay two people to rest." She sighed. Some of the others present nodded in agreement. Suddenly Eda started coughing. Her mother quickly took her in her arms.
"The child still needs to rest." Merlin stood up. "I will provide some medicine to speed her recovery." He motioned the mother and her child to follow him.
"Please do, Merlin. Milady Ailletha, you may remain in the castle until Eda is fully healed." Arturia said in her usually calm manner. "Sir Bedivere, please escort them."
"It is my pleasure, my king." Bedivere bowed. "Please follow us. I will show you to your accommodations."
"Thank ye." She lifted up Eda and walked to the door, there she stopped and looked back to Shirou. "Emiya Shirou, words can not express my gratitude. I will talk to my husband. He will surely reward ye handsomely."
Shirou smiled. "No need miss Ailletha. I saved her because I wanted to. There was no other reason. Knowing that others are happy because I could help them, makes me happy." Ailletha was not sure how to respond.
"Now I see." Arturia said as she understood what Shirou meant. "I thought it was strange, but now I understand." She smiled for a moment. It was a warm, gentle smile. A beautiful smile brought forth by genuine happiness. Shirou saw the surprise on everybody faces.
"Ah, king Artha smiled." Eda said with a cheerful voice.
"Everybody, I believe Shirou needs his rest, as does Eda. Let us leave."
"You heard, the king. Let us bother him no longer." Gawain urged them.
Bedivere guided Ailletha and Eda to their quarters, followed by Merlin. Mordred bid Shirou good day and left together with Agravain. Gawain, Kay and Lancelot left with Guinevere.
"Now rest, Shirou. I will have Everill prepare a meal for you." Arturia left the room. Shirou laid himself down to sleep.
"Ma, king Artha smiled." Eda repeated happily.
Ailletha smiled back at her. "The king sure did."
"Indeed, the king smiled." Bedivere too was smiling brightly, after the initial surprise.
"Is that a rare thing, Sir Bedivere?" Ailletha asked in surprise. Bedivere looked at her with an elated expression.
"Milady Ailletha, are you aware of how much king Arthur has done for us?" He asked seriously.
Ailletha was surprised by the question. "Well, King Arthur is exalted as the most righteous and wisest king there is. He defeated the invaders and brought stability to the kingdom. The king brought peace and prosperity to the country."
"Indeed. And I take great pride in serving the king and therefor work hard to support him. I have worked hard for years to earn my place at the kings side." Bedivere sighed. "The king has done so much for us and therefore he should be reward more than anybody else." Ailletha listened attentively.
"That is my wish. That the king who did so much for our country to achieve the happiness he deserves. But that wish has gone unanswered. For all the years I stood at his side, I have never seen the king smile or cry. That is until today."
Bedivere was overcome with joy. His king who had never smiled before, had finally smiled. And it was because of Emiya Shirou. This stranger had brought a smile to the king. In his heart, Bedivere understood that this stranger from a distant land could bring happiness to the king. And he, Bedivere, would ensure the young man's safety to that end. Merlin followed silently, with an unsure smile.
And Bedivere wasn't the only one who was pleased by it. "Did you witness that, sir Lancelot?" Guinevere asked, still in disbelief.
"Yes, milady Guinevere. This is the first time the king has smiled. As far as I know, that is." Lancelot too, was surprised by all this. "What are you thoughts on the matter, sir Gawain?" But Gawain was not sure as to what to say. He was frowning, as if to discern what just had happened.
"I have been his spouse for years, and not even I have ever seen him smile like that." Guinevere was not sure what to make of it. "Humhh? Sir Kay? Are you crying?"
Lancelot and Gawain turned to look at Kay. He was crying. There were no tears, but his eyes were watery and what's more, it was obviously he was crying from joy. Now they thought about it, he was king Arthur's foster brother.
"It has been almost ten years." Kay wiped the tears from his eyes. "Almost ten years. I knew him from since he was just a babe. We grew up as brothers and loved each other as such. But ever since he pulled the sword from the stone, he had henceforth never smiled again. I was starting to think, I would never see that smile again."
Kay smiled from ear to ear. "Milady, Sirs. If you will pardon me." Kay walked away, with a spring to his pace. She smiled. Arturia had finally smiled again.
Others however, were not sure what to make of it. "Hmmm, I believe this is the first time I saw the king smile. By now, I believed the king was incapable of showing emotions." Agravain was surprised, his brow frowning.
Mordred simply walked silently beside him. It was true. His father had shown emotions for the first time, ever since Mordred can remember. And for some reason, it made him feel frustrated.
"By the way, I have something interesting to tell you about Sir Lancelot and the queen." Mordred looked at Agravain's cold expression.
The next day Shirou woke up well rested, even though he still felt a little sore. He had recovered quite fast from a wound which should have meant near instant death. The fact that he healed fast was indeed something very handy, but it still was a bit unsettling.
He washed himself and put on the new tunic that was left behind. It was bright red embroidered with black dragon on the left chest. When he left the room, he immediately ran into Bedivere. He was sitting by the fire place, reading a book. He looked up when Shirou entered.
"Good morning, Emiya Shirou." Bedivere gave him a gentle smile. He looked like he was in a particulary good mood. "You must be hungry. Coincidently, It's just time for breakfast. Since you are awake in time, the king would like to invite you to breakfast."
Shirou suppressed a yawn. "I would be happy too." He stretched himself out. "Please lead the way, Bedivere-san." Bedivere happily escorted Shirou to the king. "Say, how is Eda doing?"
Bedivere looked at Shirou, his face still looking happy. "Still thinking of others wellbeing , I see. Haha. She is doing alright. Merlin says that she will be fully recovered before the day is over. She is currently eating with her mother. Her father is also here. He was worried sick when I saw him. He eased down when he realized that Eda was going to be alright." Shirou was happy to hear that.
When they arrived, the king and queen were already sitting at the table, along with Kay and Merlin.
"Ah, Shirou, sir Bedivere. Good that you are able to join us. Please have a seat." said Guinevere graciously. Bedivere and Shirou took place at the table. Soon the servants came, bringing the breakfast.
"Everybody enjoy the meal." Arturia's expression was as calm as ever. "How are you feeling, Shirou?"
"Much better, thank you. But I still feel numb." Shirou scooped up some of the vegetable soup. He had some difficulty holding his spoon due to the numbness.
"You had been very brave, saving the girl from that inferno. Not to mention saving sir Gawain twice and shielding my husband." Guinevere spoke with admiration for Shirou's heroics. "I would say he has earned a sizable reward for his actions by now. Would you not agree, my king?"
Arturia nodded in agreement. "Indeed, milady Guinevere. I was thinking the same thing. Shirou, it is about time that you received a proper reward." She looked at Shirou intensely. Her eyes saying that she wouldn't allow him to turn it down. "Eda's father is determined to reward you for saving his daughter. You should know that he is the most talented and skilled bowyer in the land. He knows that you have considerable skill with archery and therefor he offers to craft you a masterpiece with all of his knowledge and skills. To that end I will grant him the finest materials to work with. Even Merlin has offered his help in it's creation."
Shirou gulped. That will be some bow. "That really isn't necessary." He said nervously. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the offer. But the truth is, I don't need a reward. Seeing that Eda is safe is good enough for me. Besides, once I return home I would not have any need for it. It would just be collecting dust."
"Shirou, you saved his daughter's life. And in return he offers you a masterpiece of the kind of which, he won't ever make another in his live. Refusing this gift would be rather rude." Merlin scolded Shirou. "And I say you have earned this gift. There is no reason for you to not accept it. Even if you would never use it." Shirou let the words sink in.
"Alright then. I accept." Shirou took a bit of bread and soaked it in the soup. "By the way, Merlin. What about my magic training?" Merlin drank some water, staring in the distance with a dreamy smile. "Merlin!"
"What? Ah, yes! Your training." Merlin took his bag and opened it. Shirou looked inside. It contained numerous books, ingredients and potions, along with other tools. Shirou thought it odd for all those things to be contained in such a small bag. "Space distortion spell." He explained when he saw Shirou staring. "Ah, here it is." He procured a familiar looking knife.
"Is that ..." Shirou started.
"... the knife you projected some days ago? Yes indeed." Merlin eyes gleamed from excitement. "I must say, your projection is very unusual ... and interesting."
"Excuse me, Merlin. But could you explain it to us as well?" Guinevere inquired as the other's too where interested in what Merlin had to say.
"Ah, of course milady Guinevere." Merlin cleared his voice. "You must know that there are three ways to use magical energy for transmutation, the manipulation of materials. Strengthening, which means improving the properties of an object. Like making a candle shine brighter for example. Then there is Alteration. Giving an object a property it did not had before. And lastly is Projection. Meaning creating objects from Prana."
Everybody listened attentively to Merlin. "While strengthening and alteration are commonly used, projection is not. This is because objects made from prana always disappear after a short while. It also less efficient. It is therefore only used to create an object that one only needs temporarily, but doesn't have on hand. Using it for anything else is considered folly." Merlin turned his attention to Shirou and held up the knife. "Our guest Shirou however is able to project items for an extended period of time. He projected this knife, albeit incomplete, days ago and it still remains." Merlin let his explanation sink in.
"During our fight with the bandits, he projected a sword." Kay remembered. "I must say that is pretty handy during sticky situations."
"Not surprising? That was the reason why you are feeling numb. Because you suddenly projected such a complete item you flooded circuits that have been dormant for a long time. You were lucky that you only projected a simple sword. Shees! You could have lost an arm." Merlin chided him. "Anyway ... Shirou, I am sorry that I did not explain it to you sooner. I was engrossed by my study of this knife. And also, I have been investigated the portal through which you have arrived." Merlin explained enthusiastically. Shirou's heart accelerated a little when Merlin mentioned the portal.
"Have you found it?" He asked excited, to which Merlin nodded.
"It is still closed however. We might have missed it opening a few times. However, I have replaced the barrier with my own and placed some familiars as sentries. I will know immediately if the portal opens." This eased Shirou a bit.
"The others are definitely worried sick by now." Shirou sighed at the thought. He has been here for more then a week now.
"Not necessarily. From what I have learned is that, when one returns to their own time, they will arrive not much later from when they first stepped through." Merlin reassured. This made Shirou's heart skip a beat.
"Are you sure about that, Merlin?" Kay inquired while stroking his goatee.
"I am. The magi from his age have recorded it in that red book. They believe it is a failsafe from the flow of time in order to keep everything in order. However, the time between the moment one has left and one returns will grow larger the longer one remains in the other era." Merlin's expression grew serious. "About one or two days per month. Shirou has been here for almost a fortnight, so he should return about half a day, a day later then when he left. So no need to worry, OK?" He gave an overly cheerful smile. Shirou hadn't interacted with Merlin much, but he was beginning to believe that Merlin was a lot more childish than he had heard.
"That is good to hear. I am sure that we will be able to send mister Shirou back to his own time before his friends and family get worried." Guinevere said calmly. "Do you feel reassured now, mister Shirou?" She folded her hands and smiled at him.
"Yeah, it sure is a relief. But I must say, I would miss you guys. It has been rather interesting meeting you all." Shirou grinned. "But now is not the time to say goodbye." Shirou finished his plate. "Thank you for the food. By the way, is Mordred here somewhere? I'll be staying for a while longer, so maybe I could continue my training with him."
"Sir Mordred has left the castle yesterday. He said he had to take care of some personal affairs." Arturia stated calmly. "Before he left, he bid you a speedy recovery. He also said that, should you wish to continue your training, you should ask someone else in the meantime."
"Bedivere, why don't you help him train?" Kay suddenly proposed. "I would like to do it myself. however the king has requested my assistance with the finances."
Bedivere smiled happily. "I would have offered myself regardless. What do you say, mister Shirou?"
"Thank you. I'm looking forward to train with you." Everybody had finished their breakfast and prepared to leave. "Say, Kay-san. Do you often help the king with the finances?" Shirou asked out of curiosity.
"Indeed, I do." Kay straightened his back. "I also advise him on other affairs as well, especially concerning management."
"This is true." Arturia confirmed with a satisfied look. "When it comes to handling the finances and management of the kingdom, there is none other I trust more then sir Kay. While I am considered unmatched with the sword, he is unmatched with words."
"Indeed, he is." Bedivere added with a grin. "There is even a rumor going on that he could even shock fire dragons to return where they came from with his oratory skills." Everybody chuckled.
"Please, sir Bedivere." Kay blushed slightly.
"While the rumor is exaggerated, he most certainly is a skilled at diplomacy and management. He is man who has a clear understanding of his own capabilities. I am most fortunate to have him at my side." Arturia stated proudly, which made Kay smile.
"Well, then I am off to my tower. Shirou, I will see thee after dinner, so doth not be late." Merlin grabbed his bag when Shirou noticed something.
"Say, Merlin." Merlin turned to Shirou. "What is it?"
Shirou pointed to the two pieces of white cloth inside his bag. "What were those pieces odd cloth for?" Merlin got a slight blush, like a child that was caught doing something naughty, but without regret. Kay glanced in the bag and sighed.
"He did it again?" Arturia clasped her hands together and sighed heaily. Guinevere shook her head in displeasure.
"He did it again." Kay confirmed. "Merlin! How many times do we have to tell you to stop stealing women's undergarments." He sounded like father berating his disobedient child.
"Those two girls were rather eager. One should always have time for love. There is nothing more important than that." Merlin grinned, not feeling ashamed or guilty in the slightest. They all shook their heads in exasperation.
Several moments later, Shirou and Bedivere were standing in the trainings hall. They had already taken up their training swords.
"So, mister Shirou. Let us see what sir Mordred has taught you up until now." Bedivere had become completely focused. There was only room for seriousness. Shirou took his stance and attacked. As expected, Bedivere was just as skilled as Mordred. He parried every strike Shirou made. He didn't counterattack, but merely defended as he was observing Shirou's technique.
"Alright, you may stop." Bedivere said after a while. "I must say, Shirou. You executed your strikes rather well, but I get the feeling that this way of fighting doesn't really suit you." Bedivere remarked. He passed around for a bit, pondering.
"How so?" Bedivere's statement had surprised him. He hadn't been practicing that long, so how could Bedivere possibly know that?
"I am not sure myself. I would say that you don't have the talent for this style of fighting and I think Mordred would have noticed this as well." Bedivere sank deeper into thought. "However, I am sure that we will find a way to resolve this. In the mean time we will continue as we are now. Now, have at thee."
Shirou took a defensive stance as Mordred had taught him. Bedivere came at him fast, but Shirou reckoned he was holding back. His strikes were fast and precise. Shirou did his utmost to defend himself and tried to counterattack. Bedivere didn't hit as hard as Mordred did, but he still let Shirou feel it when he made a mistake. Which, of course, happened the entire time. In between, Bedivere instructed Shirou on how he could improve and what he did wrong.
By the time they finished several hours had passed. Shirou's body was hurting all over from the blows he had received. Bedivere handed him a mug with water, which he quickly drank.
"Tell me, mister Shirou. How does my method of training compare to sir Mordred's?" Bedivere inquired.
"Hmmm. He usually gives a demonstration first, then he lets me try. During which he corrects any mistakes I make. After which we spar. I will say that Mordred is more physical in his approach during sparring. He hits me a lot harder than you did, and even throws in a shoulder charge or two and such." Shirou's body ached a bit as he recalled his sessions with Mordred. "In the end, I would say he is a good teacher in his own way."
Bedivere nodded as to affirm it. "I see. Judging from what you just told me, I would say that Mordred's training is more directed at giving thee an early combat experience. Most of the others would do that, after their students hast progressed further."
Shirou did had that impression when sparring with Mordred. Then he recalled the fight with bandits the other day. "But you know, during that ambush the other day … The way Mordred fought back then. It was completely different from what he had thought me."
Bedivere frowned at the memory. "I know what you mean. I have seen him fight that way in battle. I was quite shocked when I saw him fight like that. He used to fight much more elegantly. A truly savage way of fighting, but undeniably effective." Bedivere sounded displeased. "A knight should not fight in such a way." He murmured.
"It was...brutal." Shirou admitted. "But what amazed me more though, was the strength which Arturia and Mordred displayed." Shirou's tone changed to admiration. "How can they posses such strength, with such a small frame?"
Bedivere's face turned serious. "Are you aware that the king carries the Element of the Dragon?" Shirou tried to remember. The legend did mentioned something like that. He nodded in confirmation. "Because of that the King possesses a tremendous amount of Prana. He can use this Prana to reinforce his body and increase his strength. And when you consider that Mordred is the King's son, it is possible that he inherited this trait from him."
"That explains a lot." Shirou shrugged his shoulders. No wonder she can use such strength.
Bedivere looked outside and noticed that the sun was almost at its zenith. "Oh my. It is noon already." Bedivere remarked. "You should go and grab something to eat, if you wish to be in time for Merlin's training." Shirou nodded.
"I'll do that. Thank you for your time, Sir Bedivere." Bedivere nodded with a smile. Shirou's stomach growled.
After dinner, Shirou went to Merlin's tower. It has to be said that the food here had improved quite well during the time Shirou has been here. He knocked on the door on arrival.
"Enter." Merlin responded and Shirou entered. Merlin was busy working on some potions.
"Please sit down. I will be with you momentarily." He pointed to the table by which they practiced strengthening the last time. Several objects were lying on the table. Shirou walked up to the table and sat down on a stool.
Shirou was curious about what Merlin was making. "What are you making over there?"
Merlin looked to Shirou. "Some magic potions. There art some for increasing ones physical abilities, some to breath underwater and this one here is a powerful sleeping potion." He pointed to several crystal flasks with purple, green and yellow liquid respectively. Then he dropped some clear liquid into the yellow liquid, which promptly became clear as well. "And finished." Merlin grinned satisfied and put the flasks, all but three, one of each, on a shelve. The other three went into his bag.
"Now we may begin your training." He walked to Shirou with some spring in his step. "Let me tell thee, that I wast surprised when I learned that you projected a sword, the other day." Merlin clasped his hands together. "Would you care to demonstrate that again for me?"
Shirou felt nervous before Merlin's excitement. "Fine, I'll try it." He began to focus and activated his circuit. "Trace on." The image of a sword appeared inside his head. His circuit traced across his right hand as it began to glow and …. The magical energy flowed out of him and formed into a sword.
When he was finished, he looked at the sword weighed it in his hand. It felt just as a real sword. He began to smile as it got through to him.
"Impressive. However ..." Merlin took a sword from the table, then he began to chant a spell. "Rise and fight." The sword began to float in the air. "Shirou, please take a fighting stance."
Shirou saw were Merlin was going and quickly took his stance. Merlin waved his hand and the sword swung at him. It hit the projected sword with great power. Shirou reckoned that this power would equal to that of a knight, like Bedivere or Mordred, who used all his power. A shock went through his arms for a moment and the projected sword was shattered. Merlin landed the sword back on the table as Shirou's sword dissipated into thin air. A mischievous smile played around Merlin's lips.
"Projection requires having an accurate image and understanding of the object in your head. If not, then the projected will be flawed and shatter just like that." Merlin lectured. Shirou understood what he meant. If one wants to project an object, one must first try to imagine it as it is in reality and have a clear understanding of it. The better the Magus' imagination and understanding of the object, the better the projection.
"So, I take it we will practicing like this for a while then?" Shirou inquired.
"Yes, partially. Most of your practice will consist of repeating projection. Besides that I will try and find a way help improve your ability to commit the properties and appearance of objects to your memory." Merlin was frowning as he began to sink into thought. "But for now we will keep practicing the projection."
And thus they practiced projection for the rest of the day. Most objects ended up hollow, but some of them were projected rather well. As expected, swords in particular were the most complete. Before he left, Merlin had instructed him to practice his projection whenever possible.
Todays lesson was a long one and all that projection has made him tired. So he decided to eat in the in the mess hall. The hall was almost empty, except for a few soldiers. He got a simple, but delicious stew for supper and was enjoying it gratefully.
Meanwhile in the ruined fortress. It had taken him less time than expected to arrive. Mordred rode through the gate and jumped of immediately when the horse stopped. A soldier hurried over and took over the reigns. Mordred started towards the barracks when three men came to greet him.
"Ah, Sir Mordred. I hope you had a pleasant trip." The Commander said calmly. "To what do we owe this surprise visit? Nothing troublesome, I hope?"
"Good to see you too, Commander. And you as well Giraud,... Beves." They could hear the suppressed anger in Mordred's voice. "To answer your question, Commander, I am here because some blinking idiot decided to ambush the king, in an attempt to kidnap Emiya Shirou. Forcing me to kill several of our men." The Commander's face darkened indicating that he knew who did it.
"Commander, Where is Dunstan?" Mordred's tone made it clear that he would accept no excuses.
"This way, sir Mordred." The Commander led the way. "So, Dunstan attacked you and the king? That explains why returned with only two of his men and a shattered cleaver. When he said that he went to stage an ambush, I reckoned it would be another weapons transport, so I paid no heed. But to attack the king! What brought him to do that?"
"Eh, excuse me Commander, but who is this Dunstan?" Beves had gotten curious, since he did not know many of the other groups who were part of the growing rebellion.
The Commander lifted an eyebrow as looked at Beves. "I am amazed that you don't know of him as he is the most infamous bandit in the kingdom. He is the most dangerous and heartless man you would ever encounter, I can swear to that." The Commander had brushed with Dunstan and his band a couple of times in the past, each time ended with a slaughter.
"Dunstan is the leader of the largest band of outlaws in the country and he is, as the Commander just had said, brutal. He only cares about himself and has an extreme penchant for destruction. And it is said that he had even murdered his own sister." Giraud continued. "I recall how I have once witnessed how he massacred an entire village. And during the Saksen invasions he fought on the side of the invaders. He is also extremely smart as he has evaded capture for more than ten years and is capable of concocting effective strategies." All this made Beves feel afraid. They had such a dangerous man working with them?
"Indeed. He is also a capable fighter, who's skill could match that of a knight. I would prefer to see him dead though." Mordred grumbled. "It was my mother who brought him to our cause, but those who know of him can all agree that he would betray us at any moment and for any reason he chooses."
They arrived at the forge. The smith was working on a large cleaver-like sword while a tall, heavily armored man watched. He turned around as he felt the group approach. Beves couldn't help but feel intimidated. No, terrified was more appropriate.
"Sir Mordred. I take it you are here regarding the ambush I staged the other day." His voice was deep and calm. Mordred walked up to him.
"Remove your helmet, Dunstan." Mordred's voice was dangerously low. Dunstan stood up. He was more than six foot tall, towering above Mordred, but Mordred was not intimidated in the least. Beves was surprised when Dunstan removed his helmet as he had imagined him with a hard face and scared all over, but such was not the case. Dunstan had fair features, and large square chin. His hair was pitch black and hang onto his shoulders. It were his eyes that drew the most attention. When Beves looked in to those pale, ice-blue eyes, he could only feel dread. Cruel, heartless, without a shred of compassion.
"Glad that you are aware. Now explain!" Mordred said impatiently. "I thought you were smarter than that. Why did you do that?" Dunstan remained calm
"Because milady Morgan le Fay had commanded it." Dunstan said with indifference. "I was against it, but when it comes to the king, milady Morgan can be quite obstinate." Mordred growled.
"Mother did? I should have known." He said with agitation. "I take it she is in her workshop?"
"By last account, she was." The Commander replied. Mordred stormed off, leaving the Commander, Giraud, Beves and Dustan behind. The Commander turned to Dunstan. "So you were supposed to kidnap the stranger. Emiya Shirou, was it?" Dunstan merely nodded. "Any idea as to why Milady gave the order to abduct him?"
Dunstan looked the 'Commander' in the eye. His gaze was as calm as it was cold. One found more warmth in the eyes of a dead man. Dunstan piercing gaze had made many a man back down from fear alone. Luckily the Commander was hardened enough to resist it. "Milady Morgan believes that the king has taken a liking to this stranger and as you are aware … "
"She loves to destroy the things the king cares about whenever an opportunity presents itself." The Commander finished the sentence as he shook his head.
"And then there is this fact about him knowing about this Holy Grail." Dunstan continued. Beves, Giraud and the Commander looked at each other with intrigue. They had heard rumors about the boy knowing something about the location of the Holy Grail. And about a supposed war in order to obtain it.
Soldiers jumped aside as Mordred stormed towards Morgan's workshop situated in the basement. By the time Mordred had reached his mother's workshop, he felt merely exasperated. Morgan was an intelligent and powerful Magus, but when it came to his father, she could be rather reckless at times.
"Mother!" Morgan turned around when Mordred stormed in. "Care to explain yourself?"
Morgan regarded Mordred with mild surprise. "I think you know well enough why I did it. Your father has taken a liking to him and besides that … The information about the Holy Grail you had gained from him is inadequate. Therefor I ordered for him to be brought here, so I could retrieve the knowledge myself."
"That is unnecessary. He answers all my questions because he does not see any harm in doing so. Furthermore, I am certain that he did not knew that much to begin with." Mordred knew very well of the methods his mother would employ and he would not wish such fate onto anyone.
Morgan eyes widened and a broad smile appeared on her face. "Ha, you have taken a liking to him as well, have you not?"
"I like his stubbornness. And he is also brave enough to risk his life for others, a quality that is extremely rare amongst magi. But that is besides the issue. You have caused us unnecessarily trouble." Mordred complained loudly. Morgan merely made a pouting face. "I know it is of no use telling you this, but try and refrain from such actions." Mordred turned around and left, knowing that his mother would not heed his words.