Tales of the Monk

by Optimus95

After fleeing the Paladin camp with young Percival, Lancelot has only mission left in his life; to take the small boy back to his Fey clan before his wounds kills him. Like everyone else Percival wants to know everything about his new found best friend to much of his annoyance

6. Chapter 6

Bright sunlight filtered into the small holding cell and I felt a heavy weight leaning against my side. Percival was sound sleep on me and I didn't want to disturb him just yet, The guards had been changing shift every couple of hours throughout the night to stay alert and make sure we didn't plan another escape

At some point in the morning they would take us out of here and prepare us for the execution. The paladins loved to make a show of any fey that would be killed in the most gruesome of ways.

They would force any town folk in the land they occupied to show their support at the execution for the church. Being at a few executions I could tell people felt uncomfortable just being there for the paladins or watching innocent fey die

The head guard arrived at our cell door and threw a couple of small stones at us to see if we were still alive. Hearing a thud sound emitting from us he smiled warmly before ordering the gates to be opened

Still sitting on the floor with Percival still asleep on me, the guard came closer to me and kicked the boy awake before crouching down to my height.

'Have you told the boy what will happen today Monk?'

'I thought to spare him the details of what is to come'

'He's a smart young boy and I'm sure he has figured it out by now'

'Let Percival go his head won't be worth anything to the church'

'On the contrary, any companion of the Monk is worth just as much' he stated. 'Our guest will be arriving shortly'

'Or maybe he has been slaughtered by the fey that escaped on his journey here'

'I've sent my best men out in the woods to haunt them down again, it shouldn't take long to round them up again'

'The fey have a good few hours head start on your men and they are not the most skilled of hunters'

'And that was your last noble act as the Weeping Monk' He replied irritatedly. 'If you have any last meal requests let any of my men know'

The guard got up from his knees and locked the gate doors behind him, Percival quickly swivelled his head to me and little eyes were begging for food

'I wouldn't order anything to be cooked'

'Why not Lance? if we're gonna be executed let's feed our bellies full first'

'The food they cook might look nice but they add poisons to the stuff they won't eat'

'Do you think the rest of the fey made it the shore by now' The boy asked

'The shoreline isn't far from here and they might have made it there hours ago'

'Maybe they have met with other tusks at the beach and are coming back for us'

'I very much doubt it Percival but they might have passed on a message to the Fey Queen that you're here'

'We can only hope right that someone is coming back for us'

I nodded my head and reached into my cloak, pulling out a piece of bread and ripped a little off for the boy. This would have to do for our breakfast for now

'With your knowledge of the Paladins, who is coming to watch us be executed'

'It won't be anyone higher up the ranks in the Paladins. It will be a messenger so he can deliver our heads back'

'But Carden is dead' He interjected

'If the Paladins haven't chosen a new leader by now then they must work under the Trinity Guards'

'What that small little man of theirs'

'Abbot Wicklow probably took control when Carden was killed, perfect opportunity to add more men to their ranks'

'If we die Lance then I want us both to go out together'

'I won't let that happen Percival, I'll continue to bargain for your life still my last breath'

'How cool would it be if the fey come to this village and stopped the execution led by the Fey Queen'

'She'd most likely do the Paladins a favour and chop off my head for them'

'Nimue would just be mad that I got myself into more trouble'

'I'll do you the favour and take the blame for everything that has happened' I replied cheekily. 'I just hope our sacrifice wasn't in vain'

'I hope so too'

Trumpets bellowed in the small town and the gates were wide open for an oncoming vehicle to enter through. The horse and carriage stopped in the middle of the square and Brother William went to open the door for them, the door opened wide and a man smartly dressed in the finest of black ropes and gold mask stepped out alone

'Good journey my brother?' William asked curiously

'It could have been better, Let's just hope my journey was worth the time getting here'

'There's been a slight mishap with the execution, the fey we have captured escaped last night

The Trinity Guard didn't respond and took in his words for a moment, an almighty backhand slapped across William's right cheek

'You dishonour us my brother'

'With the fey lost that we had captured we have more than made up for it for who we have caught in return' Brother William sympathise

'Show me'

Brother William escorted his new guest towards our holding cell in the middle of the town. The door was opened immediately as the two men entered the small space, Percival and I were still hunched on the cold floor

'Abbot Wicklow will be best pleased with your head as a prize, after all you killed half a dozen of his best men'

'He would do the same again if provoked' Percival interjected bravely

'That's enough of your lip boy. Children are best seen and not heard' The Trinity Guard spoke

Before I could stop the boy from doing anything stupid towards the two men, Percival kicked out hard at the Trinity guard's leg and made him kneel over slightly. He wasn't best pleased by being kicked from some devil child

'Let's get something to eat my brother, you must be famished on your journey to us'

'I'm starved from all this travelling, do you have any young and tender meat' The Trinity Guard proclaimed, looking over at Percival

'We have a fine selection of meats, cheeses and baked goods'

'We'll eat first and then we must get on with the execution, I have a busy schedule to keep'

'Of course'

The two men left our small confined space to fill their stomach in one of the houses the paladins occupied, it would be a mere hour or two before the ceremony began of our deaths, the written was on the wall for the two of us; maybe Percival would get his wish for the both of us to go out together….

An hour had gone by and we were summoned by our two guards to follow them to the execution stand that was erected this morning. The whole town was gathered to this event with the Red Paladins standing behind the town folk

Being kicked from behind to the ground we were placed in position for everyone to see. Our heads firmly on the wooden stand so the executioner has a clean strike, The sword in the paladin's hand was cleaned and sharpened

I looked up from my position and saw Brother William give the order that they were ready to begin. The executioner wielded his sword and stood over us

Shifting my glance quickly over to Percival, he was breathing heavily and trying to access his sky folk powers, small plant veins appeared on his cheeks. The executioner raised his sword over my head and let momentum bring it down on my neck

By some unknown force to him the blade was struck mid air, a power unwilling to give up and slice my head off. The town folk were confused as well but some did notice the airmid marks on Percival cheeks

A loud squawk erupted throughout the small town and it was a familiar sound that I knew so well. A large shadow loomed below, scaring the town folk with it's large wings drawn out wide. The moonwig came shooting down and fluttered to a stop on the podium next to the executioner

Xeanhawk shrieked at the town folk to make them run in fear, she then flapped her wings and startled the executioner. With the sword struck mid air from Percival's telekinesis she received the weapon before slaying down the executioner to a quick death

I got up from my little podium and took the sword from Xeanhawk, casting my gaze over to the Trinity Guard and Brother William. A carriage rolled quickly back into the town to cause even more chaos, Fey that escaped last night exited the vehicle with weapons they had gathered to attack the Paladins, scared town folk ran in all directions to get away and back inside their homes

Percival and I broke the bonds that tied our hands together and went to join the fight. The boy went to the carriage to protect the fey children that remained inside. Naassaur and Klasood came running up to me to see if I was alright

'You came back for us, but why?' I questioned curiously

'You helped us escape a deadly fate last night and sacrificed yourself just so we could get away' Klasood exclaimed

'Plus we felt guilty for leaving you and the boy behind. Besides all fey are brothers and sisters' Naassaur reminded

'Maybe now isn't the best time to have this conversation with paladins all around us'

'Let's kill these bastards and then we can talk later'

'Hey Naassaur, Klasood thanks for saving our asses'

The two tusks smiled graciously before charging at some Red Paladins, knocking some over whilst a couple of brothers were impaled by their horns. Much to my surprise some of the town folk beared arms with anything they could find to chase the Paladins out of their town

'Go and get them Lance' Percival shouted across the square

Brother William and the Trinity Guard ran out of the town on foot as quickly as they could, I gave chase after them so I could make them pay for what they had done and said to the Fey. The two men barely made it down the road when I caught up to them, they had withdrew their swords ready for a conflict to come to a head

'Not another step Monk or I'll not hesitate to slay you' Brother William proclaimed

'If you feared me brother then you would have already killed me by now'

'You let us both leave and we'll let you and your friends escape unharmed'

'A Trinity Guard making a deal? I thought you were the last line of defence against scum like me, devils of this world roaming your land'

'Well we are but I know when to run and when to fight, this isn't that moment'

'You came for an execution and that is what you will get' I admitted, raising up the sword in my hands. 'I'm ready when you are'

Brother William took a couple of cautious steps back and let the experienced swordsman of the Trinity Guard go forward. Our blades of metal clashed against one other as each of our attacks were blocked, Brother William did try his best to get involved in the duel but was shunned to one side

During a much gruelling contest I managed to pull the sword away from his grasp and kicked the Trinity Guard back with an almighty thud. Tripping over the feet of the Paladin and landing on his back, Now was the time to make two of my enemies into one

With an almighty yell I stretched out my arms and swung the sword powerfully, my inner fey fire lighting up the sword as it cut clean the head off the Trinity Guard, The head rolling along the dirt road and stopped at the feet of the Paladin

'Please show me mercy brother'

'Did you ever show mercy to the Fey'

'Why do you suddenly care about the Fey? You've been hunting them out all your damn life. Are you and The Wolf Blood Witch in cahoots'

'I serve to no one and not even the Fey Queen'

'Then spare me and go after Abbot Wicklow and the Pope, they are the ones with the plans to wiping out all of the Fey'

'And you carried out their orders with your red robe brothers' I proclaimed. 'Now he was sent here to collect a message and you'll be sending one back to Wicklow'

'What do you want me to say to him?'

'Nothing'

I gripped Brother William's jaw tightly and janked his mouth wide open, putting the sword back into my belt I retrieved a small dagger and sliced off his tongue. Brother William screamed in pain that I never heard man blood yell like this before in my entire life

'You have anything to say to me now? Didn't think so' I spoke calmly, not showing any emotion to him about what I had done. 'Tell Wicklow more of his men will die if he targets anymore of the Fey, I Lancelot of the Fey will be waiting for him to make his next move'

I let go of Brother William's jaw and thrusted the skull into his hands, fellow paladin brothers were chased out of the town by the fey and town folk, Brother William was dragged along by his comrades as I made my way back into the town to find Percival

All the fey that managed to escaped were waiting by the carriage for my arrival so we could leave together, Xeanhawk opened the door to the carriage and all of the children inside came rushing out, their little arms wrapping around my legs tightly and their pure souls giving me all of their love

After a moment or two the fey children let go all but one sky folk boy, shaking his short cut blonde hair he smiled up at me

'I have something for you' I proclaimed

'What is it?' He asked curiously, trying to see what was behind my back

I couldn't hide the gold mask any longer from him and revealed what I had tucked away, showing him the face mask he happily took it from my hands and studied it, trying to see if the gold was real at all

'How did you get your hands on this Lance'

'I killed the Trinity Guard'

'And where is that Paladin that escaped with him? Is he dead as well'

'William is on his way back to the church to deliver a personal message I gave him'

'Can we use the mask on scarecrows as practise, thinking were coming up against real Trinity Guards'

'I don't see why not Percival, after all is it your gift and you can choose to do with it what you please'

Naassaur and Klasood gathered up the rest of the fey folk and brought them back to the carriage, all eyes looked up towards me for guidance on what we should all do next

'What should our next move be Lancelot' Klasood asked

'We should wait till the dawn of the next morning to leave this town, paladins will still be on the roads if we leave now'

'I don't mind flying above the carriage to keep a lookout for any trouble on the roads' Xeanhawk suggested

'You would be an easy target for the Paladins to shot out of the sky'

'My brother is right Xaenhawk, we should all stick together on the ground' Naassaur agreed

'What do you think ash man' she proposed

'Save your energy and ride with us in the cart. After all the moonwigs are very good storytellers'

All the children's eyes around us lit up and the ride to the shore would be more enjoyable with stories told. Xeanhawk shot me a hateful sideward glance and she would get her revenge on me later for bringing up the idea

'I'm sure you have a story or two to tell yourself along the way Lancelot'

'Only if you go first, my tales won't match up to any moonwig tho' I proclaimed. 'We should set up camp here for the night and ride out at first light'

The town folk were kind enough to take us in for the night in their homes, offering us food and a warm bed to kip in before our next journey. Percival insisted that he stayed by my side all night and shared my bed

After the long day it had been, the little boy wasn't the littlest bit tired, he wanted to talk all night long after the stars had passed. Leaning on my left side of my body I tried to coax him to sleep by pushing him down but like a spring he bounced straight back up again

'It's time for bed Percy' I urged

'But I'm not tired yet' he protested, trying to shake me awake

'Well I am and we can talk all day tomorrow on our journey to the shore'

'You would be after killing as many paladins as you did, that was awesome when you cut off the tongue of that paladin and told him to deliver a message'

'Don't go copying what I did if someone ever annoys you Percival, I was simply making a statement'

'I have a few questions about your actions that need answering' Percival questioned

'Can't it wait till morning?'

'No it can not. I want to know what title you'll be going with from now on' He proclaimed. 'The Weeping Monk or Lancelot of the Fey'

I knew I wanted to break my ties from the Red Paladin and start anew in this world, I couldn't keep holding onto the old title given in their cult. The fey would be uncomfortable calling me that after many of their kind I slayed .

'Lancelot of the Fey' I admitted

'It's taken a while but you finally get which side is the right one to fight for. The Fey could do with someone like you in our ranks to train the rest of us on how to survive'

'We have to wait and see if your Fey Queen will welcome me in with the rest of the refugees first'

'You've been an outsider all of your life and Nimue knows what that feels like, she won't cast anyone aside no matter what they have done'

'That is comforting to know Percival but I need to hear it from the Fey Queen herself'

'I'll put in a good word for you before she decides your fate' he smiled sleepily. 'Night Lancelot of the Fey'

Chuckling under my breath at how easily my new title rolled off the tongue of the boy, he settled down for the night and curled up against my side. Percival will never leave my side no matter how difficult things will get in the future, forever hoping our stories are intertwined till the end instead of parting ways when I get him back to the Fey Queen….