Welcome to Camelot?

Disclaimer: Don't own.

All of the knights except for Sir Donovan -- Mordred, Launcelot, Galahad, Gawain, and Percival -- have been taken from various Arthurian myths. Sir Donovan belongs to GriffinFire. Please excuse the ugly scene breaks. FF.N keeps eating my formatting.

Chapter 2: Page, Squire, Knight

Yugi dug under his own cot. And just as predicted, there was another sword. When he picked it up, oddly enough, it felt right in his grip -- even though he'd never held a sword before in his life. The blade was shorter than Kaiba's, as well as slimmer, as if it had been made specifically for someone his size. He hefted it for good measure and nodded at Kaiba to continue.

"Supposedly we all received basic training in weaponry last year, as pages." Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know. They seem to think we've lived here all our lives."

Jounouchi pulled out a longsword similar to Kaiba's. He looked apprehensively around the room. The other boys, none of which they knew, were thankfully still asleep.

Kaiba opened the door again, looked cautiously into the next room, and stepped out. The other three followed.

The room to the left look like a hurricane had gone through it. More like three hurricanes, actually. Otogi was seated on another cot, nursing a black eye, and there was a blur of fists and feet in the center of the room. One of them was undoubtedly the dark side of Ryou Bakura, having obviously gained possession of their shared body.

Otogi glared at the newcomers. The dice earring was still there, dangling from his left ear, though it looked rather out of place with the strange clothes.

Abruptly the fight stopped. The combatants backed away from each other.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the white-haired boy squeaked. Ryou was back in control of his body. "He just...doesn't forget old grudges easily."

The other boy was none other than the holder of the Rod. "I can see that," Malik rasped, rubbing his neck. There were several large bruises beginning to form on his face and arms. He extended a hand. "Look! He bit me!"

Ryou looked extremely guilty.

The three suddenly noticed the others.

"We're all supposed to be in the lower hall for breakfast," Kaiba said, sounding more like his usual controlling self.

"Oh?" And how do you know?" croaked Malik.

"I happen to talk to people," the CEO huffed angrily.

"I'm not going anywhere until I find my normal clothes!" muttered Otogi. All of the tunics they were wearing were the same dark blue color, nearly black, and the high collars were somewhat stiff. Yugi was suddenly reminded of Kaiba's old blue trenchcoat. "But first of all...how'd we get here? And how're we supposed to get back?"

Kaiba shrugged. "There's supposed to be a sorcerer of sorts here. Called Merlyn. But he doesn't talk to people much."

The six boys stared gloomily at each other.

"We'd best just do as squires are expected to do here, for now," Kaiba said, not looking at all pleased. "Right now we're supposed to be in the lower dining hall, so that is where we're going."

xxxxx

Otogi stalled and spent about half an hour rearranging his hair, but they managed to drag him out and across the castle to the small, high-ceilinged room where they were served the Arthurian equivalent of breakfast. It was basically a thin, tasteless sort of porridge. Malik dubbed it "glop."

After they had gulped it down, they were hustled into a courtyard with the other squires and given blunt practice swords. They were paired up and told to review the basic positions and moves, then spar.

Ryou with Otogi, Kaiba with Jou, and Yugi with Malik. Jou growled at Kaiba, who said something under his breath that none of the others could hear. Jou heard it, though, and immediately leapt forward with his sword raised. Kaiba parried without blinking, then twisted his wrist quickly, jerking Jou's sword out of his hand. Jonouchi's sword landed in the dust of the courtyard. The two boys glared daggers at each other.

Suddenly, someone else intervened. "Never attack in anger." A red-haired man walked forward and picked up the practice sword. There was a kind twinkle in his blue eyes as he looked Jou up and down. He was wearing chainmail armor, and was carrying a helmet in the crook of his elbow. "Come with me."

Jou looked back at them nervously as he was led away.

It was then that they noticed the line of men in the shade of the courtyard's east wall. Stray bits of sunlight gleamed on shields and swords. They were knights.

A short while after, Yugi was called away by a tall young man with yellow hair and golden-red armor. Kaiba paired up with Malik, and they exchanged light blows back and forth, each trying to disarm the others. For some strange reason, the moves came naturally, as if they'd been memorized, practiced for years.

It went like that for a while, until a pair of knights, one young, one older, moved forward. They looked so much alike that they had to be father and son. The younger one smiled at Ryou and murmured something that the rest of them couldn't hear. Ryou nodded, and left with him. The older knight, his hair streaked with grey, watched Otogi for a while, then placed a hand on his shoulder.

Otogi visibly stiffened, then looked up at the knight. He studied him for a moment, emerald-green eyes narrowed, then barely inclined his head.

He headed off in the other direction, where their rooms were, and returned several minutes later with his sword and other equipment that they'd all found with their weapons.

And he left as well.

Kaiba and Malik were all alone in the middle of the courtyard. All the other probable squires had been chosen by a knight. They each concentrated on trying to hit the other.

There were two more knights watching them from a distance. Malik studied them out of the corner of his eye. One was extremely tall, with wild, blue-black hair. Two large garnets held his blue cloak over his shoulder. He carried a sword unsheathed, held lightly – a very familiar sword. There was a dragon on the crosshilt.

In fact, it looked just like one of the cards in his collection -- the Sword of Dark Destruction.

The other was somewhat shorter, swathed in a high-collared black cloak. His eyes were a pale grey, nearly hidden by a mass of sandy hair. He was leaning against the stone wall, exchanging idle words with the other knight, but his eyes strayed to the two boys in the middle of the courtyard.

Malik turned his head to one side to get a better look at the both of them. Seeing his chance, Kaiba lunged forward and deftly knocked his sword out of his hand.

Malik sighed and picked it up and turned back to Kaiba, then suddenly realized that Kaiba wasn't there. He'd been pulled to the side by the knight with the blue-black hair. They were deep in conversation. Soon enough they left him.

Malik stood by himself, in the middle of the courtyard, feeling extremely alone. He turned around and was about to go put his sword away when he found himself staring into the grey eyes of the other knight. He was only about four inches taller, but since they were nearly nose to nose, he had to tilt his head up to meet his gaze.

The knight nodded as a form of greeting. "You fight well."

Malik, not quite knowing what to do, said, "Thank you, sir." The added 'sir' felt automatic.

"So you are Malik Ishtar." The knight looked him up and down. "Merlyn was right. I sense a dark presence inside you, darker than any I have seen before."

Malik gulped. "Well...there is sort of...not really...but who are you?"

He smiled, somewhat grimly. "I am Mordred. And you are my squire."

xxxxx

NEXT CHAPTER: For all those Ryou-and-Bakura fans out there we have an entire chapter on what happens to the boy who holds the Ring, and his master, Sir Galahad.