To Thariron: Thank you for the review.

I should mention that this isn't a Bretonnian story. The Bretonnians are some of the main protagonists, but there are also other relevant characters that shall be added to the story. Also Nazarick will still be part of the story, especially when Chaos will get involved in this world.

As for excessive number of characters….I'm afraid that you wrote too late. I've already added more, terribly sorry.

That being said, thank you.

Xxxxxxx

In the Western region of the Tove Woodlands, more Bretonnians found themselves stranded in this strange world. But whilst four were knights, two didn't seem to be, especially one.

« Fear not, Lord Tristan! Fear not this strange land! I, Jules le Jongleur, know that this must be a weird turn of event for you, my Lord. But I know that this is nothing but another quest that my Lord shall succeed with no hinges! » a man in a colourful attire declared. His lord, Tristan, simply laughed.

« Me? Afraid? Ha! Surely, you jest, my jester! I do not fear what lay ahead of us! But, I do have to admit I'm surprised. What sort of sorcery could had stranded us? » He was cladded in blue armour, his helmet decorated with a dragon. He had a lance on his back, and carried a sword on one hand and a shield on the other.

« I would not be surprised it was the Lady herself. She has put me through many tests to prove my worth and save my wife. Perhaps she also seeks to judge you lot. » another knight pondered. He was cladded in white and red armour, his face bearing short moustaches and beard, and long and dark brown hair, free in the wind, as he wore no helmet. He carried a sword on one hand and a shield on the other.

« If that is the case, why is the jester here as well? I highly doubt he's here for a Quest. Not to mention the Arabyian other there. » another knight commented. He was cladded in black armour, his helmetless head showing a man with short hair. He carried a lance on his back, a sword on one hand and a shield on the other.

He was referring to another man, cladded in fish scale like armour, bearing a turban with a white feather on top. He carried a two handed scimitar and a shield on his back. He remained silent after the comment. But another knight stepped forward, clearly not happy. « Watch your mouth, Ser Roland. This "Arabyian" has accompanied me in countless quests. He's among the bravest men I've ever met, alongside the most loyal. » He was cladded in white and red armour, his helmet showing the face of a middle aged man with short moustaches. He carried a mourning star on one hand, and a shield on the other.

« I take no offense, Odo. My brethren have caused much destruction to your lands. I would mistrust you as well after what we've done. » the Arabyian then said. Tristan scoffed at the comment. « Ha! Do you even hear yourself? » he said disappointed.

Suddenly, however, he smirked. « You simply don't give yourself enough credits, my friend! No Bretonnian hasn't heard chansons about the brave Suliman le Saracen! The brave Arabyian who betrayed his cruel Sultan, and fought righteously side by side with the nobles followers of the Lady! » He then turned to the rest of the group.

« All of you have chansons in your name! Ser Leofric Carrard, in his eternal quest for his beloved, Ser Odo d'Outremer, the famed crusader always ready to challenge any champion of the deserts of Araby, and Ser Roland le Marechal, the protector of the Couronne frontier! The Lady most obviously has a quest for all of us, and we shall not disappoint her! » Tristan then proudly declared.

«And I, Jules le Jongleur, as his loyal jester, how could I refuse to come? The Lady herself must have seen my loyalty, and realized that wherever my master goes, I must follow! » Jules added.

« It would set weirdly for me. I'm loyal to my friend, but I'm afraid that I'm still a servant of Kshar. » Suliman noted.

« Many knights I know of do not come from Bretonnia, but from the lands of the Empire, my friend. Perhaps you do not worship the Lady, but she must still value your presence. » Odo pondered.

« And besides, she might value you the same as Jules! Minus, you know, the whole "jester" thing. » Tristan added.

« DEFINITELY minus the jester thing. I've heard stories of the Arabyian invasion of Estalia. It was anything but funny. » Roland added.

« None the less, the best thing for us is to find civilization. They may have some sort of trouble that might translate in a quest for the six of us. » Leofric said, before giving a good look at Jules. « The five of us. » he corrected himself.

« Then let us head forward, my friends! Let my chansons give you courage in this time of need! » Tristan declared, as the group set off.

Xxxxxxx

The group had been marching for a while in the large forest, with no sign of civilization. No roads, no villages, no signs, nothing. The knights were more than ready to face this issue, for they were in an alien land. What they weren't prepared for, was a certain knight in their rank.

Tristan had not stopped singing for three straight hours, his noble songs MEANING to improve morale, but right now, his companions were getting sick of them.

« By Kshar, shut up! How in the name of the creator god can you keep singing since we departed!? » Suliman yelled out frustrated.

« Never thought I would agree with an Arabyian. By the Lady, it's getting annoying! » Roland complained.

« Outrageous! These noble songs are meant to give you courage in this hour of need! And you dare refusing them!? » Jules exclaimed outraged.

« For the first five minutes! Now I just want to rip my ears off! » Odo said desperate.

« Not to mention that by singing like some sort of bard, you've probably attracted countless enemies on our position! » Leofric scolded the knight.

« So what? A proud knight of Bretonnia would face them all! » Tristan defended himself.

« Perhaps. But have you ever thought that maybe not all of our opponents fight honourably like us? Even the Empire has found ways to disgrace combat! What if someone laid an ambush on us!? » Leofric shot back angrily.

« Something tells me you had to deal with an ambush before. » Suliman noted, noticing the anger of his comrade. Leofric simply sighed.

« I have indeed. In my many travels, countless are the foes that attempted to end my life cowardly, hiding in bushes and firing their weapons out of sight. For all we know, this place hosts as many dangers as the jungles of Ind. » he said.

« Ah, but you were alone, my friend! But now, you are surrounded by some of Bretonnia's bravest and strongest knights! We'll face whatever threat dares to oppose us, whenever they're honourable warriors or cowardly bandits. » Tristan declared proudly.

But as he was about to sing again, Leofric halted the group. He had noticed something slithering in the tree tops. « Something the matter? » Roland asked. Before Louen could say anything, he quickly got his answer, as a giant snake attempted to strike at the group, its scales black and eyes red. Before it's jaws could latch on any of the Bretonnians, Leofric cut its head, the creature collapsing.

Then, more snakes emerged from the forest canopy, charging at the group. « By the Lady! What are these!? » Odo exclaimed, as he struck one of the creatures with his mourning star.

« Giant Snakes! I've got a bad feeling about this. » Leofric said, as he sliced another snake in half.

« Fear not, they will not pester us any longer! » Roland said, as he pulled out a Warhorn, made from the tusk of a large beast. Suddenly, whatever bravery the snakes had vanished, as they begun to flee for their lives, almost as they faced a massive predator.

With that, the battle seemed won. But Leofric didn't seem convinced. « Snakes don't usually hunt in packs. They must likely were controlled by something. Someone. » he deduced.

Just as he said that, more slithering sounds could be heard, this time from the ground. Then, from a nearby bush, more reptiles came out. Unlike the snakes before, these ones had the upper torso of a human. They were leaded by a larger individual, with the upper body of an old man. He had long unkempt hair and wore clothing that appeared to be made from the fur of some forest animal.

« This one is impressed by your strength, humans. Not many of your kind can claim to have forced the Giant Snakes of Tove Woodlands to flee from them. But alas, you invade this one territory. » the larger creature introduced himself.

« Who are you, vile Snakeman? » Leofric demanded, pointing his sword at the opponent.

« This one name is Ryraryus Spenia Ai Indarun, but you may call this one the Demon Snake of the West. » Ryraryus introduced himself.

« Outside of the chansons singing of your death, your name matters not for us! For we are knights of Bretonnia, and in the name of the Lady, we shall put you down, foul creature! » Tristan declared.

« This one admires your bravado, "Bretonnians." But you have no chance against this one, nor this one followers. Nagas! Kill them! » Ryraryus commanded, the Nagas charging in against the Bretonnians.

« Come, knights of Bretonnia! For the Lady! » Leofric commanded, as the warriors charged at the Nagas.

Leofric slashed one of the Nagas in half with his sword, before smashing the face of another with his shield. Whilst he faced off against yet another Naga, one of the beasts attempted to sneak behind the knight. Before it could strike, he met the cloves of Leofric steed, instantly crushing its skull. As another Naga charged in, the knight decapitated the beast in one swift move.

Odo, meanwhile, struck at the skulls of the enemy Nagas, claiming various scores of the snakemen. One attempted to use a tree to attack the knight from above, but met its demise as the knight turned around, striking the reptilian beast on the chest, dismembering it with the force of the impact. Shocked by the strength of the knight, the Naga hesitated long enough for Odo to charge in and shatter their skulls.

Whilst that happened, Suliman hacked the limbs of one of the Naga with his scimitar, before slashing its head off. More Nagas charged in, hissing loudly at the Arabyian. The man simply smirked at their threat, as he let out a powerful war cry, far more powerful than anything the snakemen could do. The Nagas were shocked by the shout, and found themselves paralyzed, unable to do anything but tremble, and await as the Arabyian slashed his way on the horde.

Roland meanwhile was not faring off any worse. Charging at the Nagas with his lance, he impaled a great many of them, before violently tossing them aside with a swift movement of his weapon. As more Nagas charged in, and without the element of speed on his side, Roland switched for his sword, hacking limbs and heads as he charged in.

But compared to Tristan, none seemed to fight harder. As a matter of fact, he seemed to battle like a possessed man. No Naga, no matter how much effort put in their attacks, could prevail against the burning, righteous fury of the knight. But it wasn't all; as he slashed and smashed his opponents with sword and shield, he also sung of great victories of the past, causing many Nagas to fear him even more.

As more and more Nagas felt to the blades of the knights, Tristan smirked. « Is that all, o great Demon Snake of the West? » the knight mocked Ryraryus. But as he did, he failed to find him on the battlefield. Suddenly, however, almost as the Naga came out of nowhere, the creature flung in against Tristan, who was plucked off his steed, as he wrestled the snakeman on the ground.

« No. This one just needed your attention elsewhere. » Ryraryus said with a cruel smirk.

« Coward! To attack me from the shadows! » Tristan cursed, before his head was slammed on the ground.

« Coward? Perhaps. But it doesn't matter. Winning, is what matters. And this one has won. » Ryraryus cockily declared. But as he prepared to unleash the finishing blow, Jules jumped on his head, causing the Naga to stumble around.

« Hey! Get down from this one head, you insufferable moron! » the Naga roared out, as he tried to get the jester off of his head.

« Perhaps "this one" will do when "this other one" will learn common manners! And how to speak! » Jules mocked the snakeman, before laughing out loud and giving the beast a nuggie. Annoyed, Ryraryus grabbed the jester, and slammed him on the ground. The Naga then proceeded to grab him by the collar for the finishing blow.

« Before I die, I have but one request. » Jules said in a melodramatic tone.

« Oh? And what would that be? » the Naga asked annoyed.

Jules smirked at the question. « Turn around. »

As the snakeman did so, Tristan slammed his shield on the face of the Naga, causing him to be sent flying for a couple of meters. « No one may DARE to harm my jester! » Tristan said furiously, as he charged at the opponent with his sword.

Ryaryus and Tristan clashed with one another, claws fighting against steel, as both sides attempted to gain the upper hand. The other Naga, seeing their leader in danger, charged forward to relieve Ryaryus. « Oh no, you don't! » Roland said, as he played his horn once more. Hearing the sound, the Naga begun to panic and fled in pure and utter terror.

« Cowards! Come back here and fight for this one! » Ryaryus cursed, before barely dodging yet another attack from Tristan. As the fight dragged on, the Bretonnian knight seemed to gain the upper hand. Realizing the power of the knight, Ryaryus dodged once more, his skin changing colour to match the environment around him, disappearing out of thin air.

Tristan looked shocked at the disappearance of his enemy, before letting out a yell of rage. « Coward! Get back here and fight with some semblance of honour! ».

« It's no use. The Naga have always been cowardly creatures. Hissing behind the cover of bushes. » Leofric told his companion.

« So you know these creatures? » Roland asked.

« Not quite. I've fought against snakemen before, in the Highlands of Kuresh. But these creatures are completely different. » Leofric explained. He then pointed at one of the many corpses. « I mean, just look at them. The ones I fought in Kuresh had snake heads and were far more massive. They also carried elegant weapons, as opposed to these savages. »

« There are legends in my homeland of half men-half spirits beings called the Djinn. Magical beings capable of controlling the elements themselves. But they are found in the deserts of Araby, not in forests. » Suliman noted.

« And never in my life I heard of a forest called Tove Woodlands. Is it by any chance a forest of the Far East? » Odo asked.

Leofric shook his head. « No. I've never encountered such a forest. Neither in the lands of Grand Cathay, nor in the Kingdoms of Ind. »

« We should had captured one of those fiends. Cowardly as they are, they would have talked easily. » Tristan ranted.

« We'll get our chance. Knowing these beasts, they'll be back. » Leofric said.

« Do not worry, my lord! You'll get your chance! And when you'll do, all will sing about Tristan, the Serpentslayer! » Jules comforted his master. Tristan simply smirked. There was no point crying about this misfortune.

« You're right. And besides, he might have escaped, but we were still victorious! This calls for a chanson to celebrate our victory! » Tristan boasted.

« NO! » Everyone, except for Jules, exclaimed exasperated.

Xxxxxxx

Not too far from where the battle just took place, the remaining Naga kept fleeing for their lives. That was, until Ryaryus grabbed one by the tail and smashed its head.

« Stop running, you cowards! You abandoned this one, your leader, to his destiny against those crazed humans! » the Naga roared out.

« But my lord…these ones had no chance against those humans! We couldn't help but run away! » one of the Naga attempted to justify himself.

« It must had been that infernal warhorn. When that human started playing it, this one could not help but feel despair! » another added.

« Silence! You are lucky that today this one feels generous! Had this one not been, you would had all been nothing but carrion for the giant beetles! » Ryaryus roared out once more.

He then turned towards the Bretonnians, who were marching away. « But it matters little. This one will get his revenge! This one will stalk these pitiful humans, day and night, never giving them respite. And when the time is right, this one will feast on their flesh and make fine leather off their skin! » he then declared, before turning to his minions.

But as he did so, he noticed some seemed to be dazing off. Before he could say anything, they collapsed on the ground, the back of their heads having dissolved completely. The other Nagas were surprised and shocked, and had no idea from where the attack came from.

Before any of them could say anything, from the bushes emerged more Nagas. But these ones were different: far more snake-like, adorned in golden armour and decorations, with elegant and advanced weapons. Then, came out their leader: a massive cobra like beast, with four arms, two holding large undulated daggers, and another holding a massive axe made of some sort of green crystal.

It dwarfed any of the other Naga, even Ryaryus himself. « Who are you!? » the Naga demanded. The new comer simply smirked, its forked tongue flicking in and out of his mouth.

« Damnation. » the creature hissed, before lunging forward.

Xxxxxxx

Meanwhile, in the Eastern region of the Tove Woodlands, four Bretonnian knights were also trying to assess the situation.

« So let me get this straight, Duke Tancred. » one of the knights said. He was cladded in black armour with no helmet, having instead a chainmail hood showing his face. He wielded a powerful axe on one hand and a shield on the other. « You were facing Ogres in your Dukedom alongside King Louen, won, but then suddenly a magical explosion sent you here? »

He was talking with a knight cladded in blue armour with a unicorn helmet. He had a lance on the back, a sword on one hand and a shield on the other, the latter with an image of the grail on top of it. He nodded at the knight question. « Indeed, Duke Theodoric. I have not the smallest clue as to what may had caused such event, but it appears to have affected all of Bretonnia, judging by your presence. » Tancred responded.

Theodoric nodded. « I was out facing Ripperdactyls swept away from the Southlands by a hurricane before being stranded here. » He then turned to the other two knights. One was cladded in silver armour, with a gryphon on his helmet, a sword on one hand and a shield on the other; the other was cladded in green and blue armour, a lion decorating his helmet, and carried a sword on one hand and a shield on the other as well.

« What about you, Ser DuClaw and Ser Tristan? » he asked.

DuClaw was the first to speak. « I was out slaying foul trolls when I was also stranded here. »

« And I was near Mousillon after having heard rumours of undead there. Then I was also stranded here. » Tristan then said.

« What do you think this place is? Athel Loren? » Theodoric asked.

« Doesn't seem so. If it was, where are the Fay folks of the forest? » Tancred responded.

« Hiding, perhaps. Those cowards know nothing about chivalry. » DuClaw said disgusted.

« Their women are surprisingly good looking, when they do not attempt to slash your throat with one of their daggers. » Theodoric smirked cockily, gaining an annoyed look by the other knights.

« Always the womanizer, huh Ser Theodoric? » Tancred said disappointed.

Theodoric simply shrugged his shoulders. « Life should be more than simple combat. Just like this may be more than just Athel Loren. There are thousands of forests out there. For all we know we just ended up in some Imperial woodland after some Sigmarite decided to have some fun with the Winds of Magic. »

« The amount of power needed to strand us here must had been more than just some magician having fun. There must be something at play here. » Tristan noted.

« The question is…what is this power we're dealing with? » DuClaw asked concerned.

« Any chance that the followers of the raven may be the cause? » Tristan pondered.

« Unlikely. If they were, we would be stranded in the Realms of Chaos, or at the very least in the Chaos Wastes. This place doesn't seem like the realm of the Great Deceiver. » Theodoric noted.

« Staying here and pondering what may had caused this will do us no good. None of us have any sort of supplies, and while we could live off the land for a while, we need to find a settlement as soon as possible. » Tancred said.

« Easier said than done, my friend. With these damned woods, it's going to be impossible to know where we're going, unless some of us have a Pegasus to spare. » Theodoric responded.

« Perhaps. But it's still better than the alternative. » Tancred responded, as the knight set off.

Xxxxxxx

Like the other Bretonnians, the search for any sort of sign of civilization had been fruitless for the four knights. So far, the only thing they found was trees, trees, and more trees. The horses could had gone on for a long while still, but the knights had never been in such a large forest before.

« This is disheartening. Trees, trees with no end. I'd rather face off against a horde of trolls than keep walking in this damned forest. » DuClaw cursed.

« Have patience, my friend. The quest always looks the hardest when you lose all hope. » Tristan said, comforting his comrade.

« Still, we've been riding for a good while now. You would think we would had found some signs of civilization. » Theodoric noted.

« Worse still, have you seen the Beastmen in this forest? » Tancred asked.

« No? » Theodoric asked confused.

« Neither have I. We've been riding for Lady only knows how long and we had yet to find any signs of Beastmen presence. No forest I've ever ventured in lacked those abominations. » Tancred explained.

« A welcomed developed, but a weird one at that. Also…I am no magician, but this forest seems…pure….like it has never felt the corrupting touch of Chaos. » Tristan noted.

« And yet there are no damned elves. » DuClaw commented.

« Not even Athel Loren is free from the scourge of the Beastmen. When we're not clashing with the Fay folks or the hooved ones, the two constantly battle with one another. Think how many times we allied with the Wood Elves to face the Beastmen, those prideful knife-ears would had never wanted our help if they weren't such a nuisance. » Tancred said.

« And yet this forest has none. I'd even say that this forest has barely anything at all. » Theodoric noted, noticing how they barely saw any form of life.

« Not exactly. » DuClaw said, as he pointed at the ground.

Tracks, large ones at that.

« By the Lady….what could had made those? » Theodoric asked.

« Not the Beastmen, that's for sure. No hooves, but normal fingers. They look surprisingly human too. » Tancred noted.

« Ogres, perhaps? If that's the case, we might still be in Quenelles. » Tristan noted.

Tancred simply shook his head. « I'm afraid we can't be this optimistic. The tracks themselves are too big, even for Ogres. »

« Giants? » Theodoric pondered.

« Most likely. But even then, look how many are there. There must had been at least five giants in that group. » Tancred noted.

« It's rare to see that many giants in one place. » DuClaw commented.

« More like impossible. Giants are extremely rare creatures. Almost got exterminated by Ogres, according to some records. » Tancred noted.

But as the group continued to ponder, they heard a loud crash. Startled by the sounds, they readied for battle, expecting an ambush.

Then, all of a sudden, a large tree begun to fall towards them. « Watch out! » Tancred yelled out, with the knights barely avoiding the falling object.

Shortly after, loud stomping sounds were heard from behind a large bush. Eight mighty creatures emerged. They were ugly beasts, possessing a long nose and long ears. They possessed a strong body and stood around 3 meters tall, bearing simple armour.

A ninth beast emerged behind the others, dwarfing its kin. It wore clothes that looked like skin from a tiger-like creature and had a beast's skull hanging on its shoulder.

It looked at the humans curiously, never having seen their kind before. « You! Humans! I've never seen armour like that! What are you? Adventurers? » he asked rudely.

« We are knights from the Kingdom of Bretonnia, foul beast! Choose your next move wisely. We've killed stronger beasts than you, greenskin. » Tancred responded, his blade pointed at the giants.

The creature gave him one good look, before bursting out laughing. « "Bretonnians", huh!? Ha! That's a coward's name! Not like mine, Guu, the Giant of the East! Your name is ugly! As if you could kill anything stronger than a fly! »

« And yet you are the one who laid a cowardly ambush on four "mere" humans. Such courage you show, "Giant of the East." But that is something to expect from unchivalrous savages like yourself. » Theodoric mocked Guu.

After hearing the insult, the giant glared at the knights, before unleashing his sword. « Bah! Hide your cowardice all you want, bug! We Trolls are the strongest in this forest! You humans are nothing! » Guu shot back.

« That is yet to be seen, foul creature. For so far you only use worlds as threats. We'll guarantee you, you will no longer terrorize the people of this forest! Knights of Bretonnia, let's show this abomination the power of chivalry! For the Lady! » Tancred yelled out, before charging at his foe alongside his comrades.

« Kill them all! let's see how these Bretonnians taste like, shall we?! » Guu cockily roared out, as the trolls charged at the Bretonnians.

One of the trolls attempted to strike at DuClaw, only for his arm to be slashed, but not cut, by the knight's blade. Stunned by the pain, he failed to notice the human piercing his stomach. As the Troll collapsed, one swift move of the knight blade was enough to slash the giant's throat, the latter drowning in his own blood. Another Troll attempted to strike at him, only for DuClaw to barely dodge and strike his blade in the Troll's throat.

Theodoric fought fiercely against two trolls, using the agility of his horse to dodge the attacks, causing them to clash against one another. As they felt on the ground, dazed and confused, Theodoric chopped part of their heads with his mighty battle-axe, almost like a lumberjack cutting down a tree.

Tristan fought just as well, using his blade to slash at the legs of his two trolls, causing them to fall on their knees. Tancred was the one who finished them off, cutting the base of the neck of the two giants.

But as they turned to face Guu, they found him smirking at them. Suddenly, one of the trolls that had been downed almost grabbed Theodoric, who barely dodged. All around them, the downed trolls got back on their feet, their injuries healed and ready for battle once more.

« Curses! They heal even better than our trolls! » Theodoric exclaimed, as he barely dodged yet another attack.

Tancred realized that for all the strength the Bretonnians had, they could not keep this going. They needed to finish the battle now. As he watched the cocky Guu smirking at the battle, he made a decision.

« Beasts like these easily scatter if their leader is killed. » he thought, as he charged at Guu. With his spear unleashed, he rode against the massive opponent, a mighty battle cry let out as he did. The Giant of the East, realizing what was going on, unleashed his weapon and attempted to crush his enemy. However, the mighty Bretonnian blocked the attack with his shield and, with inhuman strength, he parried the attack.

The Troll stunned, the brave Bretonnian struck his spear on the troll's chest, causing him to fall. However, it was far from over, and the knight knew that the next time, the troll wasn't going to let himself be hit that easily.

So, as Guu got back on his feet, Tancred got off his steed, his sword unleashed. « Guu! Giant of the East! I, Tancred II, Duke of Quenelles, Earl of Cuileux and Victor of La Maisontaal challenge you to single combat! » he proudly challenged the troll. Guu looked at the Bretonnian confused. « You? A mere human!? Ha! You'll never be able to defeat me! » the troll mocked the opponent.

« All worlds in the wind, foul beasts! So far the only thing I've seen from the Giant of the East is a coward that hides behind others to achieve victory. The fact that you refuse to fight me one on one just confirms it! » Tancred provoked the giant, who glared at the human.

« It will be a fight to the death. If you win, you may eat me. If I win, your minions are to not attack us again! Whoever wins my companions get to walk away. Now, will you accept, you coward, or will you just try to kill me with false threats!? » Tancred challenged Guu.

A short silence followed. « You was a coward before, and you're an even bigger coward now. Sure, let's do this. It might be fun to crush a metal box like you! » Guu mocked Tancred.

« That is yet to be seen. » Tancred replied, charging at the troll. The brave knight dodged one of the attacks of the giant, before striking at his leg, causing Guu to cry out in pain. The latter then proceeded to punch the knight, who barely dodged with a roll. As the troll tried to grab the Bretonnian, Tancred slashed his hand with his sword, cutting a finger off.

Ignoring the pain, Guu attempted to hit the knight with his sword, but Tancred simply ducked and charged once again, slashing at the legs once more. His strategy was to attempt to cause the troll to fall, so that he could decapitate him with his mighty blade. However, as he attempted to cut the legs once more, he was nearly squashed by Guu, who attempted to stomp on him.

After gaining some distance, he charged again, but once again Guu attempted to hit him with his blade. But as Tancred dodged the attack, he saw an opportunity. The blade having hit the ground, he ran on top of Guu's weapon to slash his head and finish the fight. But the Troll, not necessarily the smartest creature on this planet, but not braindead, saw it coming, and punched the Bretonnian.

This time, Tancred could not dodge; the force of the impact was powerful enough to launch him against a nearby tree, almost shattering the latter's trunk. Tancred gasped in pain as he felt on the ground, coughing blood because of the impact. Yet still, the knight got back on his feet, although shakingly so.

Guu chuckled cockily at what seemed to be for him an assured victory. « A coward and a weakling. Ha! Is this the best a Bretonnian can do? Honestly, I'm disappointed. »

With pain stained breaths, Tancred took a stand. « I…I give my body, heart and soul, to the Lady whom I seek. » the knight said weakly, but still defiant. « No plea for help shall find me wanting. No obstacle will stand before me. No evil will taint the lands bequeathed unto me. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of Liege and Lady. »

He then took out a small flask, and begun to drink it. And the once shaking knight was no more. He was instead replaced by a shining warrior, any semblance of fatigue gone. « That which is sacrament, I shall preserve….. That which is sublime, I will protect… That which threatens, I will destroy, for my holy wrath will know no bounds! » he then yelled out, as he charged once more against the Troll.

Guu simply smirked at what seemed like a suicidal charge induced by pain euphoria. But as he struck his opponent, the knight blocked the mighty blow with his shield. « What!? » the troll yelled out shocked. Then, with one swift movement of his shield, Tancred swung his arm forward, causing Guu to lose the grip of his blade.

The knight then ran on the troll's body, before leaping to the air. « FOR THE LADY! » Tancred roared, as he descended on the troll, blade meeting the giant's neck, slicing from one side of its gargantuan body to the next, decapitating the creature, the knight landing with his fist on the ground. A couple of seconds later, the giant collapsed, and Tancred got back on his feet.

« Your leader…. is defeated. Now…. will you uphold his oath? » the knight said out of breath, but still determined. The other trolls looked at the scene terrified, and without thinking twice, they fled for their lives. Once the trolls were out of sight, Tancred collapsed on the ground, having exhausted all energies. « Tancred! » Theodoric yelled out worried, as he hurried to his side.

The other knights also arrived to assist in any way possible. They looked shocked at Tancred, wondering how he had managed to gain such strength. The knight simply showed them the flask. « The Blessed Draught. Holy water taken from the pool where the Lady of the Lake granted me the vision of the Grail. » he explained.

« You almost died back then, you know? » Theodoric commented.

« Is it not a duty of a knight of Bretonnia to face any opponent, no matter how dangerous? To protect the land, even at the cost of death? » Tancred responded.

« It is. » Tristan said, before looking at Guu's corpse. « I know it might not be appropriate given the situation, but can I just address the mammoth in the room? »

The other knights turned toward him confused. « He called himself and his kin a "troll". Trolls aren't that intelligent. They're supposed to be simple minded brutes unable to even speak. Even the Greenskins are more developed than those savages. » Tristan explained.

« Indeed. Not to mention, they never reach this size. Sure, they get big, but this monster was bigger than a giant! » DuClaw added.

« Perhaps it's a new variant. A new twisted creation of the Chaos gods. » Tristan dreaded.

« It doesn't matter now. Nothing about them matters now. For now, the only thing we can do is rest. Ser Tancred took a considerable beating. Nothing broken, hopefully, but still, a terrible beating. And with other monstrosities laying around, we cannot afford to depart exhausted. » Theodoric said.

As much as Tancred wanted to disagree, he realized that he could barely stand after the battle. Perhaps it was best to just rest for now. And if things got extremely bad….perhaps this "troll" could turn out to be useful.

Xxxxxxx

Far from the place of battle between Guu and Tancred, the remaining trolls rested, trying to figure out what to do, now that their leader was dead.

« I can't believe it! Humans! None of them could even match a single of us, let alone mighty Guu! » one troll despaired.

« He might had been a tyrant, but without him, the other monsters of the forest will take this chance to take over our territories! » another troll said, showing just how serious the situation was.

The rustling of bushes snapped the trolls from their thoughts, as they prepared for combat.

« Who's there!? » one of the trolls demanded to know.

« Could it be….the other monsters are already here!? » another troll said extremely worried. Much to their surprise, the source of the noise wasn't a monster.

To be honest, it was monsters. Just not the same that they expected. They seemed to be trolls, but extremely mutated. They bore sharp claws, large tusks and massive maws. Unlike the more muscular followers of Guu, these ones had large bellies and carried no armour.

They were leaded by a far larger individual, with a crown embedded on one of his tusks and a cape on his back.

Before one of the creatures could roar, the leader raised a hand, and the beast remained silent. The leader then smirked. « Why, greetings, gentlemen. Or should I perhaps say "Gentletrolls", to be more specific, Hehehe…. » the creature spoke with a crooked smile, it's elegant worlds not matching the guttural sound of its voice.

At the confusion of the trolls, the creature smirked again. « I could not help but hear rumours that you fellows need a new leader…hehehehe… »

Xxxxxxx

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review so I can learn your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions, so stay tuned.

See you on the next chapter!