Chapter 37

Shirou was quick to note the shock that spread across the lead Spriggan's stone face as he readied himself should anything get out of hand.

The others around him were murmuring distinctively; the odd sound of snapping teeth and hissing creating a disturbing sort of cacophony that was causing weariness to show not over Arturia's face, but on her body. One who didn't know her well enough probably wouldn't have had been able to tell, but he was different. He could see the way her back got that much straighter, and her mouth that much thinner.

Having been raised as a boy in her childhood, Arturia knew that in their current situation, showing any sort of fear or panic would be detrimental. Therefore, the taut muscles over her face subconsciously slackened, producing an indifferent expression that Shirou knew all too well.

The face of the King with no emotion.

He had told her numerous times to get rid of that expression, and for the most part she had. However, it would seem that in tense situations like present, her body simply reacted on instinct. Yet he couldn't blame her for being nervous.

His eyes glimpsed at the surroundings once again. From wolf-like beasts to writhing serpents, there were simply too many Phantasmal Species and Halflings to avoid any kind of injury or death, and at most Efret could only save either himself or Arturia. After all, Efret wouldn't have enough time to enlarge and accommodate for two, and he was certain that if given the choice, Efret would rather save him.

He couldn't fault Efret though, as he himself could understand how priorities worked. It was just that his priority was Arturia.

It was her protecting him when he was weak. Now it was his turn to protect her.

His forehead wrinkled as he felt Efret tense from its perch on his shoulder.

The Lead Spriggan had composed itself.

"Broken?" The lead Spriggan muttered lowly, staring at its now empty hand in confusion.

Thereafter, it turned its head to stare directly at him, its eyes scrutinizing him up and down.

"Pass," the Lead Spriggan ended up deciding after a moment of time.

This decision was made based on two considerations. The fact that Efret, a pure Phantasmal Beast was subordinate to Shirou, and the fact that the orb itself shattered. The fact that the orb shattered either meant that something had gone wrong, or that the purity of Shirou's blood was too strong for the orb to discern. In which case, the lead Spriggan decided that there shouldn't be a problem with its judgment anyway.

That said, it called for a replacement orb, took one last glance at Shirou, and then went on its way. The sound of its gruff voice yelling pass and fail echoed out into the distance, and it was only when Arturia couldn't hear it anymore that she pressed herself closer to Shirou's side in a show of worry.

He gestured for her to relax a bit.

After passing the examination of the lead Spriggan, he and Arturia were probably clear of any danger for the time being. Instead, now was the time to try to understand the purpose of orchestrating such a large-scale gathering. Beasts of all sorts had gathered en-mass towards a distant location seemingly outside of human influence. Just from the numbers alone, it appeared as if an army was being gathered.

When the lead Spriggan completed its rounds and returned to the center of the gathering, it called for all those that passed to stand on one side while dismissing all those that had failed. From there, it led everyone towards another location near the base of a valley.

"We'll meet here in three days time, the Great One is currently busy conducting business and won't arrive till later," the lead Spriggan said. "Of course, you're free to simply stay in this area as well since there's plenty of food to hunt."

Hearing the lead Spriggan's words, several of the halflings and Phantasmal Species were dissatisfied. They were fine with waiting for three days since the duration was fairy short for those with the lifespan of several hundred years, but the matter of food irked them.

They were in a forest within a valley, the type of food nearby wasn't difficult to guess. It would be wild animals and any berries or fruit that they could find. However, this type of food was mediocre compared to the diet many of the halflings and Phantasmal Species had left behind after the call to gather.

This problem was more apparent to the were-folk and carnivorous halflings and Phantasmal Species.

"Is there a human village nearby?" One of them called.

Most carnivorous halflings and Phantasmal Species hated the raw taste of wild game. Instead, they much preferred the lean and tender meat of humans. It was a delicacy and also the reason why most of the legends that spoke of beasts and monsters, targeted the nature of beasts to hunt humans.

Arturia's teeth gritted but she forced herself to remain calm.

Yet how could she allow an attack on her countrymen?

Her fingers grasped against Caliburn's hilt, but a hand stopped her from drawing it.

Currently, every Phantasmal Species and Halfling in the area regarded Arturia with respect for her blood of Dragons. However, if she drew forth Caliburn from the sheath Merlin had provided, there was no telling what would occur when a Holy Sword suddenly appeared in her hands. It was too dangerous, and even if she wanted to intervene, this wasn't the time.

Reluctantly, Arturia slowly moved her grip away from her sword, lips pursing.

The lead Spriggan pondered on the question, but it wasn't long before it shook its head. "We're too far into the valley and away from human settlement. I can promise you all though that when the Great One returns we will raid a couple villages and towns to satisfy your desires. More likely, our first target will be a human town of Bristol, something to do with the Great One and dealing with any loose ends at a place called Ashton Manor," the lead Spriggan shrugged.

Arturia's breath quickened, and she shared a silent glance with him.

It was fortunate that they had chosen this particular location to start with. If they hadn't, they were certain that Bristol wouldn't have the means to repel such a force of Halflings and Phantasmal Species.

They had to stop this before everything got out of hand.

His eyes surveyed the total amount of Halflings and Phantasmal Species around him and he made a vague estimate of their numbers. There were around several thousands from the individuals he could see from the vicinity. Far too many for him to deal with by any conventional means. In fact, he could probably launch a large area of effect Noble Phantasm, but he couldn't carelessly do so.

Even if he were somehow able to defeat this number of enemies, what's to stop more from coming back if he didn't reobtain the piece of the slate in the enemy's hands?

He would have to bide his time and wait for an opportunity before doing anything.

"No humans?" Someone grumbled.

The lead Spriggan nodded, but none dared take their frustrations out on it for it was too strong.

"If there are no more questions, then dismissed," the lead Spriggan said before its body and limbs grew stiff.

It had entered a hibernative state where it would only rouse should anything catch its interest or endanger it. Most likely it would wake up after the allotted time frame.

The beasts in the area glanced at each other before slowly dispersing, many growling lowly in frustration and leaving only him and Arturia behind.

Yet neither of the two wished to spend the night in the area with so many Halflings and Phantasmal Species nearby.

When the area cleared, only the sounds of a low whistle stemming from the still Spriggan remained. Everything else was eerily calm despite the large number of individuals that had spread out into the forest.

"Efret," Shirou called out.

Efret nodded, understanding Shirou intentions as it enlarged and gestured for Shirou and Arturia to board on its back.

The two quickly did so, Arturia remaining silent as she glanced at the Spriggan.

It was only when the two were in the air that Arturia spoke.

"We have to stop them," she said with conviction. Her determination was apparent in her eyes and it was clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

He nodded wordlessly as her expression eased.

"We have to think of something. The number of enemies is just too much for us to handle on our own," her brows furrowed in thought.

"Well, considering their numbers and interactions with each other," he began slowly, making sure that Arturia's attention was on him. "We can conclude that they aren't exactly a united front. Each of them probably has their own motive, and as such, what does that mean?"

He was teaching her.

In the current medieval time, there was no such thing as war tactics and strategy planning in general education. It was something only taught loosely to the upper nobility and something earned by experience from veteran generals. Yet, it was a key component that he wanted Arturia to possess. After all, the main component of war in the medieval times was categorized into three fields: The state of equipment, the number and quality of personnel, and open confrontation. It was to the point where it was tradition in a war for two sides to directly clash in a show of power and dominance. Yet there was no strategy in that and too many deaths. Additionally, such a method of warfare almost made it impossible for an army of smaller number to overcome an army of a larger number. This was where tactics born from wisdom and experience were involved.

Of course, he wasn't a war general or strategist himself, but he did come from a time where famous historical battles were studied. Somethings that he may know as common sense may be revolutionary to the minds of those in an earlier time.

"Not a united front?" she mulled for an answer, face scrunching.

"Exactly. They're kind of like loose bundles of hay held together by a single thread."

He pulled Arturia in close after Efret picked up speed and the cold night wind intensified. His arms naturally wrapped around her, securing themselves around her waist. She didn't seem to notice however, even as her body relaxed into his own, too busy pondering on the current issue.

"A single thread," she muttered before her eyes suddenly brightened. "Then doesn't that mean that we just have to cut that piece of thread?" She asked hopefully.

He smiled at her, and it was only then that she became aware of how intimately he was holding her, his hands resting on her stomach, and his back encompassing her own. Her self awareness rose up dramatically as she immediately realized that she was being coddled. Indignant as she was, it wasn't such a bad feeling.

"You're only half right," he said, leaning his head forward and resting it atop Arturia's. "Even if you get rid of the thread holding the hay together, you still have another problem on your hands. How do you dispose of those loose pieces of hay?"

"Hmmm," her mouth closed as she hummed in thought. Yet this time, she failed to come up with an answer. "I don't know." She ended up saying reluctantly, frowning at her inability.

"It's good that you know when to admit that you're at a loss as there are some things you may not be able to handle by yourself," he spoke strongly, trying to convey the weight of his intentions. "At that time, its better for you to forego your reservations about a King's disposition and ask for help. To show others your concerns and frustrations because it's only human for you to do so. In this case, you have me to rely on."

A moment passed, and it was then that he spoke again after noticing the reddening of Arturia's ears.

"To dispose of the loose pieces of hay, only fire or wind may aid you," he said.

"?" She looked up at him in confusion.

"In Merlin's words, a power so great you incinerate all, or a charm so influencing that they are swayed into a trap of your own making. In which case, I have the means to accomplish both, but not the means to contain them within a single area. That Arturia, is our current problem, and we have three days to solve it."

His words finished, it was then that Efret slowly began its descent back onto the ground.

The distance they had travelled was several hundred meters, and was substantially far away from any of the halfling or Phantasmal Species they had encountered. In short, it should be safe enough for them to spend the night without interruption or danger.

Knowing this, the tension that had surrounded Arturia gradually dissipated as she made her way off of Efret's back.

Their current location was another patch of clearing as it was difficult for Efret to land a in large area of forest without meeting obstruction. The sound of crickets and insects sounded in the night, the occasional hoot from an owl echoing within the deep foliage as the nocturnal predators began their activities.

Efret soon shrunk down into a manageable size and then perched itself back onto Shirou's shoulder. Meanwhile, Arturia was already getting ready to make camp, her exhaustion evident. To begin with, before Arkus, the werejaguar stumbled upon them, the two had already been ready to call it a night after their meal.

It had been a long day of flying, and the two were fatigued. At this point, Arturia couldn't be blamed for wanting to sleep, but he chose to remain vigilant, and it was because of this that he noticed an oddity.

A silhouette in the nearby trees.

"Show yourself!" He called out, his sudden shout drawing Arturia's attention.

She had just been in the middle of unwrapping her sleeping mat but was forced to stop mid action.

"A boy?" She called out in confusion when the silhouette from the trees entered the light of the moon.

He was tall and slender, but the muscle tone on his body was evident despite the woven layers of grey cloth he had around him. His hair was cropped short and purplish, and there was a luster around him that gave him a noble sort of air despite the plainness of his clothing. From appearances, his age was similar to Arturia's and his own.

"Sorry for spying," the boy said. "It's just, no; never mind. What are the two of you doing here, and is that a bird?"

The boy was curious about a lot of things. To begin with, living in this remote kind of area, surely, he hadn't come across any other humans before. Thus, leading to his constant flurry of questions.

"Well, our current circumstances have forced us to remain here for a couple of days. And as for Efret, I suppose you can call it a type of bird, but just don't call it a bird up to its face. It had enough being called a bird by a certain lady it hates," Shirou said, shrugging his shoulders. "Why are you here?" He asked back.

The boy closed his mouth and thought for a moment before answering calmly.

"I live here," the boy said curtly, "Just passed these woods in that direction."

"You live in these woods?" Arturia asked in surprise.

From what she could remember from the geography atop Efret's back, there were no signs of human settlement anywhere around, just a dense shrubbery and foliage.

The boy nodded his head.

"I've been living here for as long as I can remember," the boy admitted.

Shirou's brow raised. If the boy's words were true, how was it possible for the boy to be so fluent in speech and manner? It simply didn't make sense. From a common perspective, if one was raised in a forest as a child due to unexpected circumstances, the child would almost certainly become feral without human guidance.

He didn't bring up the topic however despite his confusion. Not only was it rude to do so, but the boy in front of him seemed vaguely familiar somehow.

Seeing the conversation had gone silent, Arturia continued rolling out her sleeping mat which was simply a thin roll made of straw. She was tired and seeing that the boy who had just come out of the forest wasn't of any harm, she wanted to set up for bed.

It was unexpected then when the boy gestured for her to stop.

The boy shook his head.

"You shouldn't sleep here, or anywhere in this current area for that matter," the boy said seriously, eyes narrowing at the distant trees in wariness. "A pack of wolves marked this territory as their own and they've been much more active as of late. If you sleep anywhere near here, you'll be sure to get attacked sometime in the night."

"Oh," Arturia said in surprise, rolling back up her straw mat and then glancing at Shirou for his opinion.

Wolves weren't really that much of a big deal to handle. Merlin had taught her simple spells that could ward them away in the night, and perhaps even more comforting was Shirou's presence himself. She felt unbelievably safe with him around.

Shirou stared at the boy and noticed that there was something that the boy wasn't saying.

"It's more than just the wolves, isn't it?" He inquired.

The boy's back stiffened for a moment before relaxing.

"I didn't want to scare you, but I've once noticed several monsters walking past. Some small, some big, auntie just warned me to stay away from them," the boy explained.

Shirou grimaced. Despite how far Efret had flown, there were still signs of Phantasmal Species and Halflings in the area. It was more than likely that should the boy not have had warned them, as soon as they had started a fire, any phantasmal species or halfling in the area would have had been alerted of their location.

"Then do you know of a place to stay the night?" He asked.

"Depends on how long you plan on staying. Auntie isn't really one for guests," the boy said.

"Three days."

"…"

The boy seemed to be debating in his mind. He was clever for an individual that lived in the woods, but ultimately, he came to a decision.

"Three days should be fine."

Saying that, the boy gestured for them to follow before running off into the foliage.

They followed soon after, catching up to the boy in large strides.

"Where are we going?" Arturia asked.

"The lake," the boy replied in a gentle manner. The sound of his voice pleasant to the ears. "It's safe there, lots of fruit and fish to eat."

"A lake?" Arturia mulled the answer in her mind. However, she couldn't come up with a reason for how a lake would be any safer then where they were camping previously. She made her way around the foliage, careful of any winding roots that she may stumble on in the darkness of the night.

Different from Arturia, the answer the boy had provided seemed to have jolted something in Shirou's mind. Yet he remained quiet. He couldn't allow himself to jump to conclusions.

His eyes surveyed the passing trees and his body reacted to the feel of some foreign energy sweeping over him. This lake the boy was talking about wasn't normal. From the corner of his gaze, he spotted the shadows of the wolves that he had noticed trailing them abruptly halt as if they had run into an invisible wall.

A bounded field, or was it something on a greater level?

He didn't have much time to ponder because as soon as the lake came within view a voice seemed to echo out from the trees.

"Lancelot du Lac," the voice called, soft and mellow. A sound reminiscent of a faint breeze.

"Auntie," Lancelot greeted politely. "I bring guests. They looked like they needed help and they only wish to stay for three days."

In the silence that the voice took before responding, a bewildered expression came over Arturia's face. Her experiences with magic had always been limited to Merlin's teachings. It was why she had been so captivated at the concept of the magic swords he had given and shown her in her childhood. The fact that a voice was speaking from out of nowhere was still new to her though.

"Lonely child, there's no need to mask your intentions behind reasons that sound pretty. It's my fault that you've been alone for all this time, so do as I have taught and answer truthfully. Uphold the honour of a child of the lake."

Lancelot swallowed, before slowly bowing his head. "Then auntie, please let them stay,"

The leaves rustled in the surroundings, as if in acknowledgment of Lancelot's words.

"You've always been an obedient child. Very well, you may guide them towards the edge of the lake."

"Thank you, auntie," Lancelot bowed his head once again, not noticing the shock that flashed across Shirou's face.

Lancelot du Lac, the First Knight of the Round. A future Knight in Arturia's service. To see Lancelot here of all places left Shirou slightly baffled. Be that as it may, he was quick to compose himself as he saw Lancelot lead them towards a small part of the lake covered with smooth sand. It felt even softer when Arturia touched it.

"You can sleep safely here," Lancelot said before realizing something. "It's nice to meet you both, but I must excuse myself for now. Auntie still has a few words to say to me."

Saying that, Lancelot bowed in courtesy and then left in a different direction, leaving them alone.

The soft ebbing of the lake's water echoed into their ears, having a calming sort of effect. The scenery was idyllic and pleasing to the eyes: Numerous water lilies drifting on a still lake, and the light of the stars shining from up above.

"It's actually kind of nice here," Arturia admitted in a trance, staring at the image of the moon reflected on the surface of the water. "It's like a different world."

"Yeah," he agreed as he tried to recall as much as he could about Lancelot. However, Arturia's memories didn't stem towards Lancelot's childhood, making him draw a blank.

He shook his head to get rid of any unnecessary thoughts and instead moved to help Arturia set up camp which was a quick affair. They had packed lightly after all, and soon the both of them were lying atop their straw mats getting ready for bed.

"Hey Shirou," Arturia called, rolling onto her side to face him. Her eyes were downcast and her lips pursed together.

"Hmm?" He hummed.

"I've been thinking this for a long time, and even now I still think of it after the events of that night. I-I pulled the sword from the stone. I have a duty as a King, but can a King be happy too?"

There was a tinge of doubt and disbelief in her tone. For all of her life, she had always believed that to be King was to forsake herself. Even Merlin had warned her that she would no longer be human once she drew forth the Sword from the stone.

"To be happy? Isn't the answer obvious?" Shirou sat up from his mat of straw and placed all his attention on Arturia.

He could understand where Arturia was coming from as the link he had with Saber had in turn allowed him to experience those memories too. The memories of a woman who thought herself undeserving to partake in the joys of life. He couldn't accept it.

The fact that Arturia was asking him about this was tantamount to the effects that his words had had on her on that night.

This was an opportunity. In a way, she was finally beginning to open up to him.

"You have every right to be happy. Just because you devote yourself to others doesn't mean that your own joys and sorrows must be sacrificed, and if you dare say otherwise, I'll be the first to raise a hand against you."

He gently nudged Arturia in the head as they had been lying close enough to touch each other.

Arturia grinned lightly in response yet didn't seem fully convinced. "A gentleman you are, but-"

"No buts," he shushed her mouth with a finger. "You're forgetting that in the future you're thinking about, you're not alone. I will be with you, so rest easy, alright?" He snorted. "You were far easier to handle as a glutton of a child."

She felt warm from his words. She wouldn't be alone, and perhaps that was enough. To simply have a back to lean on from someone who understood her. All her doubts and insecurities slowly faded away as a final decision made itself in her mind. Even if it wasn't the right one, she knew that she was too far gone to back out now.

Her eyes closed, and when they opened again, it was to stare fondly at the boy whose words had finally reached her.

"Shirou," she called, eyes drooping as the call of sleep grew stronger. "Let's build a Kingdom. One more prosperous than any other and where even the commoners can laugh happily in the hard times."

He laughed. "Isn't that what we were already doing?"

"Ah, is that so?"

Her breathing grew even, the soft sound of her breath leaving her lips and signalling that she had fallen into slumber.

"Sleep well Arturia," he spoke, gaze then turning to his side and towards the individual now sitting at the edge of the lake.

A woman of stunning beauty and wreathed in a flowing white dress that reached past her ankles, a sword tucked within her hands.

Perhaps one of the most important individuals during Arturia's reign.

The Lady of the Lake.