Does anyone still remember this fic? Here you are, a nice dose of Fou for 2023!
PS. I swear to god that the title isn't what it seems...
Chapter 2 Stand on Me!
"Fifty thousand and one..."
The night found us in the middle of a half-paved road made of nothing but mud and horse tracks.
"Fou!"
My companion was on the soles of my feet. Yes, not under it. That would be a crime against cuteness.
You see, I was doing handstands as I suggested earlier. And what better way to do perfect handstands than to make sure your legs are vertical against the ground and unwavering whilst midair?
Yes, by making sure my dear Fou is comfortable on my feet. Thus, this transportation service of mine was born.
I now carry a great responsibility on my feet. It's not just my training efficiency that's at risk, but also the satisfaction level of my passenger.
That being said...why the hell I'm training in a foreign land? And why the heck don't I feel any anxiety? Was this a common occurrence for me before I lost my memories? Is this...muscle memory?
Hmm...food for thought.
"Fou! Kyuu fou!"
"Nh? Oh, right! Is that a small village about a kilometer away?"
"Fou!"
"All-righty! Then let's up the speed! Buckle up, little fella! Here we go!"
I started pumping my arms and went full-throttle. At least, that was my intention. My muscles had other plans.
Unable to lift my arms any longer, I slipped, face down into the ground. My mouth got filled with dirt.
Fou jumped off my feet and nudged my cheek with his paw. His deadpan look told me all I needed to know.
"Phew. Eh. Yeah, I'll walk for now. My body is kinda refusing to obey my commands."
"...Fou."
Fou shrugged and skirted up onto my shoulder. I shrugged back. Hey, no pain, no gain.
Just as she used to say...who?
My head throbbed. I quickly put it aside. I needn't have another painful journey down memory lane right now.
I started walking while whistling a cheerful tune.
...
...
Before long, we were on the outskirts of the town. Or is it just a large village?
I scratched my head in thought. There were no patrolling guards, but the gates were shut. Yeah, they had nice fences and a sturdy oak gate for a medieval-looking village. It was guarded to some extent, that's for sure.
Did this level of security mean there were thieves or beasts? A threat to the villagers? Hmm...wait. Medieval?
I squinted at the village from the gaps between the fences. There was no sign of electricity.
Could this be some remote village in the rural areas of some developing country?
I spent another few minutes spying on the village but did not see anything that rang my alarm bells. There were no weapons from what I can see, nor were there any booby traps.
"Fou fou!", Fou declared. I nodded.
"Yeah, I think we can try approaching it. See if they are aggressive to strangers or not."
Saying this, I stood up and walked forwards with my eyes on the village gates. There was only one bored man guarding the gates; his relaxed attitude suggested that this area was not ravaged by any brutal conflict.
"Hello there!", I called out in a loud and jovial voice. The man yelped, jumped up into the air, and then fell on his ass, only to struggle back to his feet with a flustered look on his reddened face.
Several voices could be heard from beyond the gate, probably roused from their sleep by the commotion I'd caused. Oops.
"W-who goes there at this late hour!?", he called back.
"A traveler! With a small beast as my companion! Are you willing to open the gates and let me stay for the night?"
"Let the young lad in!", a gravelly voice called from inside the gate. "He ain't no bandit!"
The guard glanced at me one last time before he shrugged and pushed the gates open by a meter, allowing space for one man to pass through.
I thanked the guard and quickly slipped inside.
The houses were exactly what I glimpsed from the outside. Small huts made of stone and some wood lined the roads and created a small circle that lead to what I assume was the village square. I even saw a small well at the center, suggesting that they at least had a steady water supply.
By now, almost half of the villagers were awake as they curiously stared down at me from their windows, seemingly interested in their late-night visitor.
My eyes stopped on a young girl that was several years older than I was now. She stood out among the other children, for she had luminous gold hair and emerald green eyes that seemed to sparkle in the torchlight.
Strangely enough, she was dressed in a boy's clothing, though it did nothing to dampen her natural beauty.
She seemed to notice that I was staring at her and gave me a shy wave. I smiled brightly and waved back. At least one of them was welcoming.
"Oi, young lad. Where ya from?", the same gravelly voice asked me.
I turned to find a tall blacksmith-like man. He was bald with a grey beard, and looked like he was fifty, but had bulging muscles and a big belly, with a large black hammer held in his right hand like some toy.
To sum it up, he looked like a dwarf on steroids.
"A dwarf, aye? Is that an insult, young fella?", the old man growled.
"Oh shit. I said it out loud didn't I?", I said with a wince. "I'm so sorry. I meant that you look strong enough to put dwarves to shame."
The old man snorted and rolled his eyes.
"At least ye have a silver tongue. The name's Wayland the Smith. A traveling smith."
"Nice to meet you."
Wayland's eyes rested on my shoulder as Fou stared straight back at the burly man.
The impromptu staring contest lasted for about several minutes before Wayland finally huffed and turned away, pointing at the blond girl who waved at me.
"Hector and his sons Kay and Arthur live there. Should 'ave a few empty rooms. Ask'em nicely and they might let you stay."
"Thank you...err...Wayland."
The smith left without another word, so I shrugged and walked over to the house where he pointed at. To be fair, it was a nice house. It was larger than most of the huts and had a barn on the outskirts of the village.
A middle-aged man armed with a simple iron sword stood beside the door by the time I arrived at its doorstep. While his posture was relaxed, his right hand stayed on the pommel of his sword as his eyes swept me up and down, analyzing me. I guessed he was Hector.
By now, I'm seriously doubting that I was still in the 21st century. Even people from poor developing countries would not arm themselves with a sword among all things. Besides, all things suggested that I was near Britain.
The accent, the plant life, the village itself...it was as if I had traveled back in time.
"You are traveling all alone, boy?", he asked softly.
I blinked. Shaking my head to organize my thoughts, I shot him my signature smile.
"No sir! I have Fou with me!"
"Fou!", Fou confirmed.
"..."
Somehow, my answer seemed to make Hector more concerned than anything.
I looked down at myself. Dirty clothes, check. No possessions, check. Young age, check. Suspicious arrival time, check and double-check.
...I do look like some poor orphan that was chased away from home, don't I?
I quickly patted at my clothes in an attempt to look more presentable. It only served to make the fabric more stained by dirty handprints.
...I really shouldn't have done the handstands.
Hector rubbed his temples as if warding off a migraine. With a large sigh, he motioned for me to come inside.
I stared, shocked that he was so willing to accept me, a suspicious kid from nowhere, under his roof. Hector raised an eyebrow at my slack-jawed expression.
"What are you waiting for? Must I extend a formal invitation and bring you bread and salt?"
I quickly snapped out of my shock at his words and shook my head.
"No! I mean, thank you for your generosity!"
A pleasant giggle reached my ears as the cross-dressed girl from earlier stepped out from behind her father and met my eyes.
"Hello, what is your name?", she asked.
I opened my mouth to answer, only to realize that I had none. Suddenly, a vibrant flash of blue crossed my mind. Licking my dry lips, I answered.
"Azure. My name is Azure."
She smiled warmly.
"Nice to meet you, Azure. My name is Arthur."
Aaaaaand, rap. Proto Merlin and Lancertoria...must get'em both! Jokes aside, this really has some OneShota vibes...
Anyways, please consider reviewing or just review anyway if you like! It helps the story!
X-kalibuuuur, over and out.