39 The Lost Knights

"Lucan?" Lancelot exclaimed in shock, looking at the bloodied warrior in front of him, causing him to pause in his step.

"Who the fuck else?" Lucan exclaimed angrily, pointing his sword in Lancelot's direction. The dried blood on his angry face making him look menacing.

"I didn't know you would be here!" Lancelot exclaimed innocently, taking a step back towards his horse. Reaching behind him to grab his weapon that was now sheathed on the horse.

Lancelot's remaining men quickly unsheathed their swords and jumped from their horseback. The sudden peace from the earlier battle quickly turning back to tension. The Heavy Division stepped forwards in response, their weapons raised and ready for another confrontation. Octavian lifted his hammer high and grasped it tightly, the remains of previously vanquished enemies still on its head.

"Stop!" Lucan ordered loudly, causing the Red Ribbons who were preparing them selves to stop and look at him. "This is between me and him!"

Lancelot looked at his men and nodded his head in agreement, grabbing his sword from his horse and walking back towards Lucan. He held his head low with a sad look upon his face.

"Do we really have to do this?" Lancelot asked softly.

"We do." Lucan replied, charging forwards with his sword.

"Very well." Lancelot replied, charging to meet him.

Their swords clashed high and loudly, causing a ringing noise to echo in the emptying fort. Lancelot grunted as he stepped backwards, preparing to clash again. He gazed into Lucan's dark eyes, who stared back with a death stare.

Lucan swung his sword wide, aiming to cut into Lancelot's side. Lancelot quickly swung his blade to clash against the incoming strike, pushing it away. Lancelot punched towards Lucan's stomach with his armoured fist, but Lucan jumped backwards to avoid it.

Lancelot followed up with a further strike, which was parried by Lucan, causing another loud ring to echo as the metal clashed with each other.

"You've improved." Lancelot commented.

Lucan grunted before swinging forwards again, this time the blade coming very close to striking its foe. Lancelot reacted and ducked low below the swinging blade, aiming his body weight forwards to take Lucan to the floor. His body clashed into Lucan and they both fell to the floor heavily, their armour weighting them down.

Lancelot Punched towards Lucan's face, who quickly rolled to the side, causing the fist to hit the hard ground. Lucan swung his fist back and caught Lancelot in the ribs, making him wince in pain.

"You fucker!" Lancelot exclaimed, his calm, chivalrous demeanour disappearing.

Lucan swung again, hitting Lancelot once again in the ribs. A smile starting to appear on his manic face.

"Stop!" Mark ordered loudly.

Lucan, who was know on top of Lancelot, glared at Mark as he was preparing to strike again. He Looked down at Lancelot who was glaring back and shook his head in disappointment.

"I'll finish you off next time." Lucan exclaimed.

"Doubt it!" Lancelot replied.

Lucan stepped off Lancelot, collected his sword from the floor and stood to attention. Lancelot glared at him and stood up, rubbing the dust from the floor from his armour. He brushed his armoured fingers through his hair and looked disappointed that his entrance from his successful charge into battle had ended with this embarrassing feat.

"Firstly," Mark started. "Thank you for your help earlier, without you and your men, there is a good chance that we would have been defeated by Ned Lowe and his men."

"You are very welcome." Lancelot replied politely, holding his head low in respect.

"Secondly." Mark continued, "Why are you and Lucan, one of my finest men, deciding to fight?"

"Because he just can't let me live my own life." Lucan interrupted, angrily glaring at Lancelot.

"I'll come to you in a minute." Mark replied angrily, causing Lucan to look down at the floor in silence.

Lancelot smirked at Lucan and then looked back at Mark.

"He's my younger brother." Lancelot replied.

The crowd of Red Ribbons suddenly burst out in laughter. The horsemen soon followed suit, the earlier tension instantly disappearing in a second.

"Your younger brother was giving you a thrashing!" Vlad shouted from the crowd.

"Lord Lancelot was playing nice!" One of the horsemen yelled back in response, causing more laughter.

"Well that's a much simpler answer than I was expecting." Mark added honestly. "Red Ribbons disperse throughout the fort and find any of our men. If you find any surviving enemies, kill them. Belle, please organise a sortie to help bandage any wounds. Lancelot, please join me in the Headquarters."

Mark turned and headed towards the fort centre, where Sakura was with the few villagers that remained hidden away from the battle. Boudica was helped to follow him, Orion helping her towards the headquarters so that she could elevate her injured leg.

.................................….

Mark was sat in the headquarters behind one of the tables, around him were sat the other leaders. Boudica was sat with her leg on another chair, the cut in her thigh bandaged tightly, her pale complexion even paler than usual. Orion was stood with her, taking his place as the new subcommander of the unit. Mark had placed a lot of trust in him since his valiant efforts during the earlier battle.

Little Tai was also not in a good way, he was propped up and breathing heavily, in major need of some rest. Bertrand was stood behind Little Tai, awaiting any instruction that came his way. To his side stood Lucan who seemed rather uncomfortable in being in the room, much preferring to be with the rest of the men in the clean-up operation outside.

Gan Ning was still covered in dried blood from his charge into the back of the retreating foe, a sad look upon his face. Eduardo was stood behind him, a bandaged arm where an arrow had penetrated it during the battle earlier.

Tsubotai was sat alone, his mind elsewhere from the fight. He had prepared a suicide charge and had come to terms with his imminent death, only to be rescued suddenly by the additional cavalry that joined.

Sakura sat by Mark's side, prepared to take notes from the emergency meeting. She looked the freshest from the people in the room, but Mark knew that inside she was probably the most frustrated, annoyed that she hadn't been allowed to get involved with the fight earlier. Sakura was not a babysitter, and as a trained assassin and spy would have been a valuable asset when the battle entered the fort.

To Mark's other side was sat the newly arrived Lancelot, his long blonde hair covered in dust from his fist fight with Lucan. Behind him was stood a tall battered warrior, with scars adorning his face.

Character Information

Name – Konrad

Position - Steward of the Lost Knights

Age - 36

Relationship Status - Positive

Level - 4

Additional Information - In a past life, Konrad was a member of the Teutonic Knights. He was a loyal and honourable member who died from dysentery at the age of 36. He had thought many battles for the Teutonic order, winning the support and love from his fellow brothers.

Skills – Stewardship, Expert Horseman, Battle Hardened, Mace Wielder.

Potential - 3 stars

More information upon level up.

Dian Wei stood behind Mark, in his now usual place. His loyal and calm demeanour instantly relaxing the stressed Mark.

"I have gathered you all here to discuss the battle, our recovery from this with the upcoming situation developing in Runestown and the arrival of Lancelot and his men." Mark started, looking at Sakura who started to scribble some notes.

"An interesting woman." Lancelot commented under his breath.

"What was that?" Sakura asked gently. Lancelot looked into her eyes and a shiver ran up his spine, the darkness behind her eyes instantly causing his soul to shake.

"Nothing!" Lancelot replied innocently.

"Let's start with yourself Lancelot." Mark added. "How did you get here and what are your intentions."

Mark felt that Lancelot's arrival must have had something to do with the Lucky Spinner, and he hoped that Lancelot's answers helped him better understand the tools he had available to him. He looked at the easy-going warrior, and then across the table to Lucan who was stood behind Little Tai. Lucan was already grinding his teeth in frustration and Mark wanted to understand this story better.

"We were recently released from our employment and as a band decided to seek a new challenge." Lancelot started. "We were heading through a forest, I don't remember where, and heard the clashing of weapons. When we reached a clearing in the forest and saw that your fort was under attack and the state of those that were attacking it, we knew you were the innocent side and would need some support."

"You were fired, again." Lucan commented, "And saw an opportunity for some gold and some grateful women."

"Something like that." Konrad added sternly from behind Lancelot, instant respect in his voice for Lucan.

"Yes, something like that!" Lancelot replied honestly. "Never would I have believed that my younger brother would have been here!"

"What do you call yourselves?" Mark asked.

"We are the Lost Knights" Lancelot replied, "We no longer have a home and are lost to the world, we walk it and take work here and there. Seeing my brother is here, and you kind of owe us a favour, are you in need of additional men?"

"We are." Mark replied, "However, if you join us, it's permanent. We have larger aims than having just this fort"

"You are not joining us." Lucan replied, "I left you for a reason."

"That may be so Lord Lucan." Konrad replied, "but it is our duty to protect yourself and Master Lancelot."

"We'll join you." Lancelot replied. "I've missed my brother."

"Fuck sake!" Lucan angrily retorted, before Bertrand slapped him around the back of the head.

"Silence!" Bertrand demanded, "You did not have permission to speak at this table."

"Very well." Mark replied. "The Lost Knights will join our Cavalry division, Tsubotai is the commander, you can be his second. Now we need to discuss our losses and next steps."