Kingdom of Heaven

Chapter Six

Note: I only write about Kingdom of Heaven for amusement purposes. The movie is under copyright of Twentieth Century Fox, Scott Free Productions, directed by Ridley Scott, written by William Monahan. Please note that the quotes are from the movie! Any plot changes are the decision of the author, please remember.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.

Summary: Balian is the only survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of some desert. There, he meets an unexpected man who will take him to the Holy City. In the Holy City, he finds an exotic world, and Sibylla. (Mwahahahahah.)

Chapter Six

Godfrey's P.O.V.

I knew my boy from the moment I saw him. There was no need to question anything. He looks so much like his mother. He has got my strength, I can tell. He has his mother's eyes that shimmer with vitality, at the same time they are serene, like white foam that collects by the beach. He has the rough hands of a blacksmith, yet I can sense tenderness underneath. It was like looking at an image of myself; this child that had grown into a man in just twenty short years.

Oh, how time flies. Twenty years seemed like a long stretch of time, yet here I am, reflecting on those wasted years. Once the years pass by, they contain no amount of time, only memories.

I regret all those wasted years. I wish I had been there for my son when he needed me. The last I had said to his mother was, "I will come back. I promise." I had even told her that I loved her. What use were those empty words now? Marie was dead. No chance to say goodbye. I had said goodbye to her for the first and last time, twenty years ago.

I am glad that the boy is safe. I worry about him more than I worry about myself. I am a fast healer, nothing hurts me much. I've been through worse pain. An arrow through my body to save Balian, his life is all that matters.

I hope with all of my heart that he makes a safe journey to the Holy City.

Balian's P.O.V

I slowly opened my eyes after what felt like blindness. I squinted at the bright desert sunlight. Where was I?

Slowly, I recalled what had happened. Everything started to make sense as I scrutinized the dead bodies around me. Lifeless, like a tangle of dry seaweed on the shore. Not one body moved, made a sound. Yet I was alive.

There had been a storm at sea. I had probably passed out from the exhaustion. It was a miracle I had survived.

I crawled on my knees, finding the canteen of water of a dead man. I took it from him, draining the water that was left inside. My throat was parched. There was also a black horse neighing quietly. We were the only survivors.

I went to go catch it. I needed to get out of here.

The horse bucked, no matter how gently I stroked its mane. He was strong and healthy, but he wouldn't last long in this desert heat.

It's just you and me, my friend.

He ran off, the rope slipping out of my fingers. Gone.

I crawled some more until I reached a stream of water. I drank it thirstily, soaking my face with it until I felt cool again. The scorching heat made me dizzy.

In the distance, a yell startled me. Two natives on horseback. It was an Arab and his proxy, perhaps. His words rolled out of his mouth like gibberish.

"He says that you are on his land," The proxy claimed. The Arab did not look happy at all. "He says that you have taken his horse."

I was exhausted, hungry, and in no mood for disputes. I grumbled, "The horse is mine. I pulled it out from the sea!"

I watched as the proxy translated this into their own language. It didn't appease our dispute. "He wants you to give up the horse now, or fight."

"No," was my immediate answer. I disliked violence of any sort, but I was beginning to feel like defending myself.

There was a silence. They seemed to be waiting for our duel. Carefully, hesitantly, I withdrew the shiny sword that my father had presented me.

Seeing the weapon, the Arab came forth. I struck at him until blood trickled down his body, and he was lying dead for the vultures to pick at. The proxy looked at me with wistful eyes. "Kill me. Just do it. Get it over with."

I couldn't. He wasn't the one who had wanted to steal my horse, after all.

"Take me to Jerusalem." We both mounted on our horses, and I let him lead the way to the Holy City.