A WEEK LATER

"Keep your guard up," Charlemagne said and his blade connected with Kytes. "Even during the heat of battle, you must remain aware of your own weaknesses."

"Yeah, but your a Warrior King. And i'm..." Kytes began.

Charlemagne's facial features soften as he looked at the somber look on the nine year olds face. "Your doing well. Your learning...and with mistakes you learn. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"He's quite right you know," Bedivere chuckled as he came into the clearing where they were sparring. "By making mistakes you know what to do next time and it wont' happen again."

"Thanks, but I just told him that," Charlemagne snapped, his faced lined with annoyance. "Why are you here, Knight of the Round?"

"The food is ready," Bedivere smiled lightly. He was hurt, yes that was true; but he understood that they weren't close and had no obligation to be friendly to one another. "Come get some food when your ready."

Bedivere left, feeling slightly sad as he did. He wanted to create bonds with everyone, even if it might end in pain. Sighing, he shook his head to rid himself of those though entering the glade they were in. He let out a pained smile at the obvious separation that was amongst the group.

Nero and Hikari were peacefully napping under the shade of a tree, the Roman Emperor having a arm around the small boys waist. Jeanne and Ceodroe were out gathering firewood for the night. Edmond and Charlotte were speaking with one another, apparently she didn't have a education and Edmond took up the job of being her teacher, refusing Bedivere and Paracelsus' offers. Boudicca and Fran were cooking the food over the fire, with their master with his master and her stepbrother. The Servants of both Marlene and Denzel were casually conversing with one another, either cleaning their weapons, bugging their brother(Jack) or writing in their book(Paracelsus). Charlemagne and Astolfo were with their master training and Francis was muttering something under her breath while she whittled at some wood, her master taking a nap next to her.

"This is not going to work if we have to fight," Bedivere mumbled darkly as he stalked over to his group, smiling at how both Gawain and Tristan's smiles were full, of warmth and happiness.

The rustling of trees alerted the others that either Jeanne was back or Charlamagne. When the Holy Roman Emperor burst through they went back to what they were doing, Astolfo soon followed, giving a piggyback ride to Kytes who was chuckling at some joke the pink haired male had cracked.

"We'll continue training tomorrow, we'll work on footwork and how to parry," Charlemagne groaned as he plopped down. "Your a fast learner though, which is a bonus."

"Thanks," Kytes said, he was embarrassed. This Emperor, an EMPEROR; was personally teaching him how to defend himself and complimented him. Shouldn't it have been his knight or Paladin? Astolfo must have been a good fighter, but Charlemagne chose to personally teach him.

"If I let Astolfo teach you, you'd be dead in five minutes flat. I mean, Astolfo was the weakest of the Paladins."

"WHAT," Kytes gasped, swevering his head to look at the anxious looking man. "Were you really, Astolfo?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I always was pretty bad a such things. But I make up with it, with my Noble Phantasms."

"Yeah, but he's a agile fellow, made him a nuisance on the battlefield for both our troops and the enemies alike," Charlemagne chuckled.

"Guilty," Astolfo cheered, he yelped when a twig was thrown at his head and looked looked around frantically. His eyes landed on the sleeping Roman with her master.

"Silence, lest you wake my master," she snapped, before falling back asleep.

"What's with her," Astolfo grumbled before falling back onto his back. "Ahh, this whole save the worlds thing is super strange, I mean...What connection do we have with them. No offense Kytes, but why were me and Charlemagne summoned, were not top ranked Heroic Spirits in terms of power."

"I have been wondering that too," Charlemagne spoke up, eyes closed in deep thought. "If I were perfectly honest...I feel as if this has a personal connection. But I have no evidence to support this theory."

"Well, Boudicca and Frankenstein have a personal connection to their world. The Queen being the sister to one of the main perpetrators in helping all the events happen and the Berserker being her Granddaughter," Astolfo shrugged. "Perhaps something like that is what called us."

"Maybe..."

LATER THAT NIGHT

"Sir Bedivere," Jeanne called to the knight.

"Ah-Just Bedivere," He smiled.

"My Apologies," Jeanne bowed her head slightly. "I am here to relieve you of watch."

"Normally I would be relieved, I feel anxious. The lack of any living thing within this forest has me on the end of my hairs," He sneered.

"Yes," Jeanne agreed with him. "This world is completely barren save for us. I had approached Paracelsus on the subject and he gave me a few ideas as to why. None of them I like."

"Care to share?"

"The most obvious is that this world was simply meant for whatever force is threatening our masters worlds, to gather power to commence it's attack."

"I believe all of us have that thought on our minds and nothing really shows us otherwise, aside from the town and castle."

"I said same sentiments to the caster and he pondered it for a moment. The less than savory answer he gave me, still unsettles me...," she groaned in despair.

"I believe it has something to do with the lack of people and animals we've seen thus far?"

"Yes, he believes that they might have been turned into those Wyverns and Dragon. As well as Homunculi. It's within some mages capabilities to do so, or so he told me. He never dared to do such a horrendous thing," Jeanne crossed her arms, shivering as she thought about what could have happened to those people.

"I have seen such first hand unfortunately," Bedivere confirmed with a silent huff of despair. "Any other ideas he gave you."

"Perhaps this is this connected to something bigger and deeper than any of us could ever hope to understand. That whatever is going to happen, will elude us until the very end," she whispered, Bedivere feeling as if the weight of the world crushing him.

"I hope that doesn't happened," he whispered, standing up. He made his way to walk back to the camp, stopping he turned to the Holy Maiden who looked out into the darkness with glazed eyes.

"There is a very slim chance that any of us Heroic Spirits will survive this ordeal," Jeanne spoke up.

"I know," Bedivere confirmed. "And I know what you will say, but it's not useless. Having friendships and camaraderie amongst us, it will strengthen us. Make us better and happier."

"I wasn't going to say anything pertaining to that," she chuckled. "At least you know. But...

...Don't promise something that you know you won't be able to keep. Children's hearts are known to be extremely fragile."

"I know. But I knight never refuses a request that is given to them by their liege."

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