Part 4: The Grail
He thought he was dead. Everything was too loud, too bright. He couldn't concentrate on anything. The world was spinning. Nothing made sense. He tried to stand, but immediately collapsed onto the sand. His eyes shut.
When he awoke, it was night. His head was clearer. He positioned himself, and sat up. After a few minutes he opened his eyes, afraid of what he would see.
He was in an ancient land. It was foreign to him. Oslavado crawled over to a stream that was flowing into the ocean. He dunked his head into the water and drank until he was no longer thirsty.
When some of his strength returned, Oslavado stood up and went looking for food. While looking up and down the beach for food, he tried to loosen the knots that bound his hands. Unfortunately, they still held. Then, he saw a tree with some unfamiliar fruit growing from its branches. He picked the fruit and ate it. It tasted pleasant, so he continued to eat until he was full.
By this time, the sun was high in the sky. Oslavado started to weep. He was stranded. There was no way now that he was going to be able to save his mother. The Captain was right, he was a murderer...he deserved to die!
Oslavado went walking. He followed the stream that he first drank from. He wouldn't allow himself to drink from it again. He didn't deserve that.
On the verge of death, he spotted an opening that lead to a small cave. His curiosity got the best of him, he went exploring. The opening was the entrance to the den of a dragon. There were piles of treasure and bones that were guarded by the sleeping beast. Right by the dragon's head, was a cup.
The cup gave off its own light. Oslavado knew that this had to be the Holy Grail. He carefully reached down, grabbed the cup, and ran like the wind. He had such a renewed sense of energy and relief. He had found it! He ran and ran until he found a nearby village.
Oslavado asked the help of an older woman who gladly untied his bound hands. She gave him food and a place to sleep. She did not speak more than a few words, and she did not ask questions. Oslavado was glad for her silence.
When he was fully recovered, he made arrangements for going back to his old village to save his mother. He was scheduled to leave the next morning on horse back. It was a three-day journey. That would put him back in his town with two days to spare!
That night, when everyone was sleeping, the dragon awoke to find that its cup was gone. The dragon angrily flew up into the air and set fire to everything in its path, including the village where Oslavado was staying. The townspeople were distraught with fear. They had no idea why the dragon was so angry with them.
Oslavado was just leaving when he got stopped by some soldiers who were investigating the wrath of the dragon. They searched his bags, and found the cup. It was still glowing. The soldiers took the cup and dragged Oslavado to their King.
When Oslavado arrived, the King was giving a speech. Oslavado recognized him as the infamous Beowulf, although he looked as though he had lost the determination everyone had said was always visible in his eyes.
The High-Priest took the cup and told Beowulf of its importance. The King barely looked at it. He ordered Oslavado to show him where he found it. Without saying a word, Oslavado led the King and a group of soldiers to the dragon's lair. Beowulf began to talk to his men. Oslavado faded into the background. As soon as he thought that no one would notice he was gone, he snuck back to the village.
Once there, he saw the townspeople gathered around the High-Priest praying for their King's safety. The cup was no where in sight. Oslavado searched high and low. Finally, he found it in what appeared to be the High-Priest's hut. He put it into a bag, and located his horse. Like the wind that capsized his boat so long ago, the road until his village was in sight.