Chapter 7: New Acquaintances

Disclaimer: I don't own the Fate series or The Warlord Chronicles. They belong to their respective creators, Kinoko Nasu and Bernard Cornwell.

Derfel P.O.V.

Great… now I have to deal with this…

I am starting to resent this filthy thief even more now. Making me pursue him until here, and now, because of him, more annoyances appear.

"I asked you a question, so explain why you destroyed the walls of our house and ruined our meal!? And why are you hitting him!?" The girly boy asks with even more anger… And by his tone of voice, he is more irritated that I ruined his meal… to which I deadpan when noticing… and judging by the brown-haired boy's similar expression, he must have the same thoughts as me.

"Is not my fault. This rat stole me, and that house was the only way for me to get to him," I blame the thief, who is now recovering from my hits.

A part of me feels bad about putting the entire blame on a person, but then I remember that this asshole stole from me… he can rot for all I care.

Sniff.

Sniff.

Before I or the girly boy can continue our heated talk, the sound of the thief sniffing and crying is heard by us.

"H-He is lying! He was attempting to capture and enslave me! Please help me!" The thief cries and begs.

I would honestly, in most situations, be angry at his false declaration, but…

"Do you really expect to convince anyone with this lie!?" I ask with disbelief, wondering if he is that dumb.

Really, what kind of subtly is there to a slaver who is not even an adult pursuing a street rat in the Capital? I think not even five-year-olds could come up with such a lie… 

"Really…?" The brown-haired boy asks with distrust… it seems he shares my opinion.

But the girly boy…

"Ha! I knew you were up to no good! I would forgive you if you paid for a new lunch… but now, seeing you are a true villain, you will receive no mercy from me…!" He attempts to advance toward me, no doubt intending to fight… but he is stopped by his companion, who hits him in the head, making him clutch his head in pain. "Oh! Oh! It hurts…! Why would you do this, Kay!?" He asks with teary eyes.

Kay deadpans at him.

"You really lose every ounce of common sense when food is involved, Arthur…" he shakes his head in disappointment. "Because really? Falling for this guy's act with his fake tears…" he gives the thief, who is attempting to find a way out of this situation, a look… The thief immediately freezes when he sees that our attention is now on him.

The girly boy, Arthur, widens his eyes when hearing Kay's declaration. He seems to come to a realization and blushes from embarrassment.

Kay gives an approving nod when seeing that Arthur understands the situation.

"Now… I know our first meeting left much to be desired…" He appraises me and the thief… I notice his eyes wandering on the sword in my hips for much longer. "So, why don't we introduce ourselves to each other, hm?"

I tighten my grip on the pommel of my sword, and the thief seems frozen in place, staring at Kay and Arthur with a blank face, with his eyes still closed… creepy…

This tense silence remains for a few seconds until Arthur slaps Kay in the back with force, making the boy groan in pain and breathless.

"You are right, Kay! Sorry for my previous behavior!" He speaks to me. "I am Arthur! And this is my brother Kay. We are umm… warriors in training, yes, that's the right word!" He says with a cheerful tone.

"..."

He certainly doesn't know how to read the room… Or perhaps he is an idiot, judging by his quick change of moods… He is almost like a bubby child.

"Fuck…!" Kay curses after regaining his bearings due to Arthur's slap. "What did I tell you about hitting me like this!? And stop entering headfirst into everything! Seriously, do y-... Ouch!" His rant is interrupted by Arthur sending a kick on his ankle.

"Mother said an honorable person should not curse! And Ector is always complaining about your lazy attitude and your rebellious behavior! I'm just doing what any good sibling should do, helping you correct this attitude!" Arthur speaks with a nod.

Kay flinches and blushes in embarrassment when hearing this.

"You…!" A vein throbs in his forehead, and he angrily glares at Arthur.

Do my rants with Owain look as ridiculous as this? This must be what they call self-conscious…

I scoff when hearing their banter. The thief must have already learned his lesson, and I refuse to continue to watch this mockery… I leave, not caring about the two idiots or the rat…

Before I can go, Kay notices me leaving and ends his banter with Arthur, grabbing my arm.

"Hey! You know it's pretty rude to leave like this, right!? Even the 'thief' is being more educated than you!" He sharply says while pointing at the thief.

"Don't touch me!" I push him off me. "And I fail to see where this is my problem. If it is about the destroyed wall, you can as that bastard over there…" I point my chin at the thief. "I'm sure he can pay for the damages, judging by his skills," I give a mocking look to the street rat, who finally snaps out of his blank state to glare at me.

He can run and jump over buildings like a cat, so he must be a successful thief. Otherwise, I refuse to believe he doesn't possess a hidden wealth.

Kay gives me a dry look.

"Really…? You were chasing a thief and destroying the walls of the house we were… And now, you refuse to take any responsibility for this? Did I get it right?" he asks himself out loud.

"What do you want?" I ask with impatience.

I refuse to believe he is trying to prolong this situation because of a destroyed wooden wall. It's something any idiot can fix. For example, in winter, constructions made of wood always break themselves apart due to the harsh weather… So Kay must have some ulterior motive for wanting me to stay here.

"Meh! With an attitude like this, you are the one looking like a thug," Kay says with a sweatdrop. "Honestly speaking… Arthur and I are new in town… And you two are the first people our age that we encountered…the rest were just brats eating mud…" He whispers at the end with disgust. "So, I am giving you two the honor of aiding us in exploring the city!" He says with magnanimity.

The thief is quick to take on the offer, judging by his relieved face… perhaps he just wants a way out of this situation without losing his hand. I, on the other hand…

"No!" I deny it immediately.

I refuse to play friends with these two idiots and the thug.

Kay doesn't show any disappointment in my rejection. Instead, he gives me a malicious grin.

"It would be a shame if we screamed for help, saying that a mad boy broke the walls of our house, right?" He asks aloud with sarcasm.

I freeze when hearing this.

Kay and the thief look at me with grins… while Arthur looks uncomfortable, only refraining from speaking due to Kay raising a hand.

"You…!" I grind my teeth and give the older boy a hateful look. "Tch!" I grumble and agree with him.

Just the thought of the humiliation I would pass if this threat became truth… If my only other alternative is becoming a laughingstock, I can stomach being in their presence.

"Se? It wasn't that hard," Kay places a hand on my shoulder. "Now, Arthur already introduced ourselves, so…" He gestures towards me and the thief.

I grumble in irritation.

"My name is Derfel," I remove his hand from my shoulder.

"Dagonet." The thief pipes in.

"Great! Now that we know each other, we can explore the city… Ah! And Derfel?" Kay asks me.

"What?" I respond with annoyance.

"Since the one who has money is you…" He points at the bag in my waist. "You are going to be the one paying for Arthur's meal," he attempts to hold his laughter.

Before I can complain, I suddenly feel a chill on my spine… My instincts are warning of a beast even more fearsome than that berserker…

The source of this chill is Arthur, who is giving me a hungry look… As if I'm the only source of food in existence.

I give a tired groan.

Why must every single person I meet must be so excentric?

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I'm regretting returning alive from my encounter with that mad warrior.

We have been walking on the streets of the Capital for more than an hour. And if I can describe my three new companions in a single word, it would be eccentric.

The thief, Dagonet, didn't run at the most opportune moment like I expected he would. His eyes continue to be closed… if he didn't look at our faces, I would have thought him blind… Great, if that were true, can you imagine how humiliating it must be to be stolen by someone blind.

Kay, the older one of us, and the bastard who coerced me into this is someone smart and with a sharp tongue… I swear, if he didn't say he was training to be a warrior, I would believe he was some sort of slimy merchant who can convince you that the sky is pink…

And Arthur… I still can't believe that someone the same age as me can eat more than a couple adults. I did have to pay for 'compensation' due to ruining his meal. Safe to say… the feel coins I did have became even less.

'Hunger is the enemy,' he said.

I still don't know why I accepted this forced invitation… No, that's wrong. I think I know exactly why I did…

Hah! I must be pretty solitary to become the companion of a thief who stole me and a slimy guy who threatened me…

But…

I don't know why I feel in my guts that following them is not a mistake… Especially when looking at Arthur.

At first, I thought of him as someone dumb… perhaps even naive, simply following the whims of his slimy elder brother… In this short time I spent in his presence, I realized how incorrect I was.

Apart from his innocent personality… and apparent gluttony, he possesses an air around him. I wouldn't call it charisma since the other charismatic person I know, Owain, doesn't have this feeling about him. Charisma is, after all, the ability to inspire people to follow you and be willing to die for you… to inspire bravery from even the most cowardly. Where charisma inspires bravery and courage, the air around Arthur is one of peace and warmness…

It is almost as if when close to him and his personality, I can briefly forget my fears and mistakes, forget about the war and death… like a lake to someone dying of thirst.

It's bizarre and creepy in some way… almost like a drug. I wouldn't be surprised if Arthur secretly has wings or some animal parts somewhere. If we weren't in the Capital, I would immediately think of him as some sort of supernatural creature.

With his charisma, Arthur was the one to 'guide' us through the streets of Caer Cadarn.

The streets are crowded with movement and activity, which made me curse for my carelessness in getting mugged previously.

Despite the circumstances, the time I spent with them was good.

Right now we are in one of the highest buildings in the city. Overlooking the castle on the horizon and the buildings.

"The entire city looks like an anthill from up here," I comment while standing and looking at the view.

I must admit, Dagonet was right when he said this was the best point to observe the city.

"Indeed, you must have looked like an ant when running after me," Dagonet comments with a whistle while sitting at the edge of the ledger.

"No… I stomped you to the ground, so the ant was you," I retort with a smile.

Kay, who is lying down on the floor, lets out a tired groan.

"Are you two really going to this again?" he asks.

I respond with silence, Dagonet as well.

First impressions are the most important thing when meeting new people… and let's just say that Dagonet and I did have one of the worst possible. I believe that only killing a family member could beat our first meeting.

"The vision from here is so different from back home," Arthur says with wonder when looking at the city.

I blink in realization when hearing him say this.

"Where are you two from? I just remember you two saying that both were new in town," I question with curiosity.

Even though we spent a few hours walking together, we never did talk about ourselves personally.

Judging by their surprised expression, both have the same realization now.

"Well…" Arthur begins with embarrassment. "Me and Kay live in a small village west of the Capital… Our father had an important meeting to attend here… due to the King's death, so he decided to take us," he says the last part with sadness.

"Odd…" I speak with uncertainty. Or reasons are practically the same.

Wait… If I heard right, Ector is the name of their father… Could it be?

"Was your father a Champion for King Uther?" I ask with curiosity.

Kay and Arthur's eyes widen in surprise, and Dagonet seems to be paying apt attention.

"How did you…!" He begins to speak but then lets out a sigh. "Never mind, it doesn't matter… But yes, Ector is our old man. But he doesn't speak too much about his time actively serving King Uther," he explains.

Huh? What are the chances of me meeting these two?

Owain said that Ector was one of the oldest persons serving Uther… An old and clever bastard was his exact words… I guess I now know why he is not actively serving Dumnonia anymore, old age and children… that or he is a coward.

"Planning to follow your old man's footsteps?" I ask both of them with curiosity.

They are in a similar position to me… It's kind of refreshing.

"Yes…" Kay responds simply with a shrug.

But Arthur…

"I'm going to be the greatest warrior these Isles have ever seen… Only then, I am aiding the suffering people in Britain!" He exclaims with conviction.

Forget what I said previously about him… he is really naive.

Kay groans.

"I also have to keep him alive…" He says to me with despair

I give Arthur a mixed look after his declaration.

Is this how every adult sees me when I'm trying to be a warrior?

If so, then…

"Childish…" I say with a whisper, which seems both Kay and Arthur didn't hear.

"What about you, Dagonet?" Arthur asks with excitement to the thief.

Another odd thing… both Kay and Arthur treat Dagonet like someone of our age instead of a thief… it's strange.

The thief looks at the ground with a complex expression…is this shame?

"I-I always lived on the streets like this… My father was a traveling merchant, and my mother…" he reluctantly pauses. "My mother worked on the streets… She was the one to take care of me since I had never seen my father… She died when I was four, I think? Due to a disease… Since then, I have been living like this," he finishes with sadness.

Now I feel a bit bad about beating him… And this also explains his reluctance to be with us…

"Don't be ashamed of yourself more… Despite your past, you can aspire to be much more!" Arthur gives Dagonet an encouraging smile.

Ugh…! Here comes Arthur's supernatural aura, and… Wait, is Dagonet crying?

Looking closely, I notice that he is indeed crying… It is almost like a child crying when meeting his mother after a long time… it's bizarre seeing this scene.

Looking at Kay, I can see a little smile on his face when looking at the scene… I'm the only one who finds this odd?

"Y-Yes!" Dagonet wipes the tears from his face. "I now know what I want to do!" He says with certainty. "If you would have me… I would like to aid you in your dream to help the people!"

Arthur puts a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"With your conviction, this dream is not just mine… but yours, as well," he happily says.

I envy the conviction of these two… Would such an attitude remain after the first battle they face?

Sigh.

I guess I'm envious of the fact they are still green… I guess Owain was right when he said that the battlefield changes someone… I feel like I aged a decade in these last weeks.

"And you, Derfel?" Arthur asks me, diverting the attention of everyone to me.

I cross my arms and look at the castle on the horizon.

"I'm already a warrior," I speak… with pride? "My home is on Durocobrivis, on the borders with Lloegyr. The Champion Owain is… he raised me. I already took place in the shield walls…" I clench my fists when remembering the experience.

It seems Kay and Dagonet took notice of my mood, judging by their serious faces, but Arthur…

"But you are so young…" Arthur says with a tilt of the head. "What can you tell us about it then? Any advice? " he innocently asks.

Biting my lips, I sigh.

"An advice…" I begin with a faraway look. "Be prepared to abandon all your dreams when fighting… The battlefield will do everything to crush every notion you have." I speak with finality and begin to leave.

This short period with them was…

"Wait! Why are you leaving!?" Arthur asks.

Kay is putting a hand on his shoulder, and Dagonet is giving me a look of boredom.

I give Arthur and Kay a small smile.

"I believe the deal we made was that I would accompany the both of you and pay for Arthur's meal. The glutton ended most of my money, and I followed you both here…" I speak and watch as Arthur's face reddens in embarrassment. "If it's of any consolation, I enjoyed this time together, even you, thief… I hope we see each other again," I leave.

I guess Owain was right regarding exploring the capital… 

This time with them… It truly made me feel like a child.

Friends, huh? Part of me now regrets ignoring such a thing… But realizing my mistakes and correcting them is something I'm already used to.

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[Kay future appearance]

[Arthur future appearance]

[Dagonet future appearance]

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AN: Small chapter, but this one was the most fun I had in writing. The next one might be the biggest yet… if I don't separate in two.

Another thing, I wrote the POVs in the first person and others in the Third, that's going to continue, but the ones in the First Person are going to be reserved for the 'Named Characters" (AKA: Characters I plan to construct a more deep personality).

One of the things I am afraid of when writing this is bloating with characters… So the characters with the most focus are the 'Important' ones (Great Man Theory STONKS)... So, 80% of the POVs are going to be focused on the knights of the Round Table…

Also, give me suggestions for Knights to add. Here is the list of the ones I already have a backstory in mind (Some from FATE and others from the Arthurian Cycle):

Kay

Lancelot

Bors

Galahad

Galeheut

Balin and Balan

Tristan

Palamedes

Dagonet

Gawain, Agravain, Gareth, and Gaheris

Sagramor

Lamorak and Percival

Derfel

Mordred

Note that I'm not going to explore all of them as deeply… For example, Galeheut is going to be a supporting character for the development of Lancelot.