Chapter 11: Sir Percival
*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*
Taira stood impatiently as she shivered in the cold air, the great wooden door of the iron works in front of herself and Sabre, "Percival…? Percival are you there?" she called loudly as she banged again on the door. Sabre was quiet, he looked around in apprehension as he waited for the door to open. As his gaze darted around, he pulled up the great hood on his cloak to conceal his face, almost in an act of self defence that whoever was on the other side of the door may have been hostile. He gave a sigh and looked back to Taira who was still banging furiously on the door, "helloooooo?"
From within the workshop came a sudden loud hiss of steam, making the two outside jump, followed by a male disgruntled voice, "alright… alright… I can 'ear ya!" it grumbled. There was the sound of a large bolt being drawn back as the door open with an old slow creak to reveal a soot covered man dressed in a smiths gear. He had a large apron tied around his waist and leather gauntlets strapped to his hands to stop him burning himself at his trade, "who goes there?" he grumbled again as he cast an uninterested look at the two. Taira blinked as she gazed up at the man, Sabre giving her a reassuring push forward, "P-Please…. My name is Taira, I come seeking Sir Percival! I-Is she around?" "Percival?" the man asked and scratched his chin, "not many come asking for her now… She's in the back room, in an altar chamber… Something bout a meeting I 'spose" Taira just gave an impatient nod, she wasn't bothered what the knight was dong, just that she needed to see her and soon! "I must see her!" her voice sounded urgent as she took a step forward, now face to face with the smith.
The smith looked at her blankly for a moment, before turning away and entering into the workshop itself. He remained calm and took the bellows again beginning to work them, as he did the flames in the fire raised higher and higher. From out side in the cold, Sabre and Taira would feel a comforting warm heat surge through them, almost inviting them in. The smith was quiet, keeping focused on the fires before eventually turning to them and speaking again, "I can't let anyone see Percival… You will have to show me a seal before I can allow you to enter" Taira's teeth chattered in the cold as she nodded, now just wanting to be in by the warm fires, "y-yes s-sir… o-of course!" she held out her hand, fingers outstretched, towards the smith. The smith just looked at her hand with a confused look and went back to his work. Withdrawing her hand, panic soon swept over Taira realising her ring was gone. She studied her hand for a moment before realising it had been handed to Sabre. She soon turned to him and dragged him forward, "my ring! Show him my ring!"
Sabre remained ever silent as he was brought forward and simply slid the ring of his finger from within his hood veil. Taira watched as he held it out in the palm of his hand, "the royal seal…" she spoke as the Smith studied the small ring with its distinct rose imprint upon it's design, "I am Princess Taira, I come here seeking the royal Knight, Sir Percival.." as she spoke there was now a new formality to her voice, giving her an air of authority. Sabre couldn't help but smirk to himself under hood, having never heard her speak in such away before. Her tone of voice completely contrasting with her appearance in the rags she was dressed in. It amused him somewhat. Having completed his study on the ring, the smith bowed his head towards Taira, "I understand Mi'lady" he raised his head slowly and gave a quick glance towards Sabre, "is this… beggar… with you?" Sabre's hidden musing soon faded as he heard these words and gave a quiet growl in response. "Please do no bad mouth him!" Taira was soon to react, "Sabre here, is my ally, he helped me come this far"
"Very well, Mi'lady. Through here" He stepped away from the fires and finally invited Taira and Sabre in out of the cold, before closing the door and drawing the bolt across again. He strided across the large room, and took a key from his pocket, unlocking a small wooden door in the back of the building. Hidden within, a dull grey stone stairwell led up towards a higher chamber within the building, "You'll find her up there" the smith nodded and returned back to his work. Taira looked to Sabre with a small nod and began to climb up the stairs, Sabre followed closely behind, his hooded guise still up as they came across another wooden door indicating the 'altar chamber' the smith had mentioned. Taira frowned and walked towards it, peering through the small iron window within the door.
Small flames were lit in an almost semi-circle around the room, the only light in the room other then the sky light in the thatched roof. A golden glint could be seen from a sword hilt, the blade of the sword appeared to be stabbed firmly into the wooden planks of the floor. Someone was knelt inside…. The person turned their head quickly, hearing the creak of the door open. Their lurid yellow eyes glowing in the dark as they watched silently, cat ears flickering as they listened to who was entering.
"S-Sir Percival…." Taira asked quietly as she stepped into the room. The cat woman rose up from kneeling, leaving her blade firmly planted into the ground. As she stood, her old armour reflected the candles light with a silver glow, a satisfied smile on her face as she lifted her visor up to reveal a purple felined face, her yellow eyes still bright. "Ah princess… the mountains foretold of your arrival…" The girl walked towards the Percival and was quick to go to bended knee in front of her, her head bowed to show a great deal of respect for the retired knight. Keeping her head down, she spoke formerly with a matter of urgency in her voice, "Please Sir Percival.. Bad things have happened at Camelot! I need your help and your wisdom…"
Turning away from Taira, Percival extended a silver gauntlet and clasped it around the hilt of her sword, drawing the blade easily from it's lodgings within the wood. She studied the withdrawn blade for a moment, watching the moon reflect of the thin silver blade before turning her head back to Taira, "come children…" she spoke as she soon sheathed her blade, "you cannot expect my help without the telling of your story first… an more importantly, what you need me for?"
Sabre was quick to speak from within his hood, "Surely you have seen the apocalypse and the floods which have taken the land?" he questioned, "We believe a sorceress by the name of Merlina is the cause of it!"
"I have seen the events…" the knight nodded, not facing Sabre as she studied the candles flame closest too her and flicked her tail lazily from side to side, "I carry on life as normal to keep the people of the Black Cauldron calm," she paused briefly, " …but Merlina the cause of it?" she shook her head, almost laughing to herself. Taira looked to Sabre unsure of this response, Sabre likewise looked back within his hooded guise with the same confusion. "You knew?" he asked, "What about those hooded creatures? They're devouring anything they come across!"
"My land is protected from it all.. I protect them" came the response, Taira shook her head not understanding what was being said, "What do you mean? One knight can't protect- what? 500 people?" she asked confused, stepping forward. Percival said nothing, except gave a twitch of her ears as she listened.
"She's right! The whole forest at the foot of this very mountain is now nothing but a wilted scene of devastation!" Sabre shook his head as the image of his ruined homeland came to mind, and the events which had passed in the past couple of days. He gave a lost sigh, "just… Just by these demons…"
Percival turned to both of them suddenly, her armour clanking and her tail swishing with a hiss as she gave a defeated sigh, "You are both children!" her voice seemed to raise slightly as it strained, trying to get point across to the both of them, "You have to understand I will do what is needed to save my people! Sir Gawain, Sir Lancelot, even Sir Galahad and Sir Lamorak all gave up their homes. I don't wish to do the same!" Sabre was taken back by this sudden outburst and glanced to Taira before glaring back at Percival, "What? The other members of this 'once proud council' have already submitted?" He watched her waiting for an anwser.
She lifted her visor up, vivid yellow eyes slowly looking up to the ceiling as she watched through the gaps in the thatched roof. Her ears twisting and flickering eagerly as if searching for something. She scanned the skies for a moment before looking at the two in front of her, keeping her visor raised this time, "come…" her voice had quietened considerably, "we need somewhere safer to speak…" she pulled her visor down again over her eyes and walked forward, pushing past them both and heading for the door. The princess turned her head to face her companion, a look of confusion was painted all across her face. She shook her head briefly and silently followed after the once proud knight who had disappeared down the stair well.
Sabre walked by Taira's side as they headed down, he looked to her and whispered in disbelief at the actions the old knight had displayed, "Is this… REALLY… who you believe to be this land's salvation?
Taira looked a little doubtful but replied, "she has to have an anwser… I trust her…"