Arthur's Sons (Book 1)

Lancelot (Part 2)

Arthur had finally had enough of his sons bugging him about the supposed nobleman Lancelot and decided to seek him out. Arthur and a few guards approach Lancelot who was in the lower town. Lancelot continues to sharpen swords completely focused and Arthur smirks. Arthur takes a nearby broom and tosses it at Lancelot who quick as an adder looks up and catches it.

" Not bad." Lancelot quickly gets to his feet and bows politely.

" Would you like me to sweep the guardhouse again, Sire?" Lancelot asks slightly confused.

" It certainly needs sweeping. But first," Arthur picks up another broom and removes the bristles, " I'd like you to kill me."

"Sire?" Lancelot was slightly startled by the Prince's request.

" Come on. Don't pretend you don't want to." Arthur goaded as he watched Lancelot remove the bristles from his broom.

" Hell, if I were you, I'd want to. Come on." Both men brace and watch each other, Arthur can already see he has excellent basic stance and grip. Lancelot suddenly surged forward in a simple attack which Arthur easily blocked, the two continued for several strikes before Arthur swung his broom in an arc that had Lancelot stumbling back.

" Come on, Lancelot, you're not beating a carpet." Arthur barked trying to coax a better performance from the man. Lancelot threw himself back into the fight with more confidence while Arthur expertly blocks his blows with one arm. So Arthur turned the tables and went on the offensive, Lancelot held up better than he expected until Arthur hip and shouldered him into a hay cart. As the broom came down to strike Lancelot his eyes widened, he quickly ducked out of the way showing off his cat-like reflexes, Arthur was impressed. The fight continued becoming faster and faster until Arthur finally managed a finishing strike to his gut.

" Congratulations, Lancelot. You just made basic training." Arthur threw the stick to a bewildered Lancelot and turned to see his two boys smiling smugly and he rolled his eyes. Suddenly the warning bell began tolling and Arthur's eyes shot to the sky, by the time he looked back he could see his sons sprinting hell for leather up to the main square. Arthur raced after them and came stumbling into the main square to see swarms of injured villagers, he scanned the crowd to find Gaius, Merlyn and his boys tending the injured and hurried to find his father. Lancelot looks around at the carnage and goes straight to Merlyn who is tending an injured woman.

"What happened to these people?"

" Their village was attacked by the winged monster." Gaius spoke up, Merlyn looked at him worried and Lancelot gave her a reassuring smile before helping with the wounded.

Upon the balcony, the King and Prince watched the injured pour in with varying degrees of anger and worry.

" I'd hunt this thing down if I could, but I cannot track a creature through the air." Arthur was frustrated by the creature, he would do anything to protect Camelot and his family.

" You don't have to track it. First Greenswood, then Willowdale. The creature's heading south, towards the mouth of the valley." Uther said a grim expression clouding his features.

"To Camelot." Arthur sighed.

" You must prepare your knights, Arthur." Uther commanded.

" Have faith, Father. We'll be ready." Arthur responded dutifully but wondered if steel and sinew could prevail against such a beast.

Later Arthur is instructing his knights on the tactic he is developing to fight the winged beast.

" The beast is heading for Camelot. It's fast and agile, but big enough to hit and hit hard. Starting today your training routines will concentrate on an attack strategy. We don't have much time. Dismissed." After they scatter Arthur turns to see Lancelot approaching and a fit of fierce jealousy for how close he is to Merlyn and his children flares in his chest setting his face in a frown.