The knights gathered outside of Avalon’s walls. Confidence oozed outwards from them as they don on their shiny helmets and readied their weapons. The sun sparkled across their uniformed rows of knights. Any adversary should fear their approach.
By now, the drakes are well within sight.
“Strange, they should be closer by now,” one of the knights noticed.
“Do you think they are just walking?”
“Nonsense! It’s because we prepared fast. Stop your chit-chat and quickly saddle up.”
“Yes sir!”
The knights jumped on their dragon horses and rode towards the drakes.
Initially, they could still talk to each other with a smile on their faces. After all, this would not be their first hunt. Most of the monster dens around Avalon were cleared out by them.
But just a few minutes later, they were close enough to make out the individual drakes.
“S.. Sir! It’s a monster horde!”
“Damn it! How can we face that?”
“They number above five hundred, sir! We should turn back and fight behind the city walls!”
“My lord, how are we going to fight against that…”
Knights rode into each other and started falling off their horses in their panic. The inexperienced riders tried to steer clear of their fallen friends, only to knock into others.
The speed their chargers are running meant that many were trampled, with the unlucky ones dying before they even met their enemies. The number of knights mobilised for this extermination are ten thousand, making the results of their collisions only worse.
The Knight Leader was furious. These fools are ruining his promotion!
Then, he saw the human silhouettes riding upon the drakes.
“You imbeciles! There’re people on top!”
They only now realised that this is not a monster horde, but the damage is already done.
The Knight Leader directed all his hate towards Tommy. Of course, who else he could blame? Himself?
The order of knights slowed down to a trot and approached the incoming drakes warily.
When the Knight Leader came face to face with Tommy, he removed his helmet and shouted, “Tommy Styrkur, what is the meaning of this?”
To address a foreign dignitary straight to his name is exceptionally impolite.
Looking at the infuriated man, Tommy frowned. He could see that there are knights injured and dead among but could not understand the question.
The Knight Leader saw his confusion and felt even more incensed, “You came without notice and caused panic among the people. Our knights perished in the hurry to meet with an illusion of a threat that you have created! What are you going to do about our losses?”
“Huh… So, you got frightened and wound yourselves, and are now asking me for reparation?”
“W… why not? If not for your mindless actions the knights would not have died!”
“I am here to complete my test. You gonna stop me?”
“No… But you should…”
Tommy cut him off impatiently, “Are you blaming me for your inability to train soldiers well?”
“I… I…”
“You are not in the position to ask me for reparations, Sir Knight.”
Saying so, Tommy rode on ahead without giving the Knight Leader a second glance.
Swearing under his breath, the Knight Leader angrily called his followers to return to the city.
Tommy and his soldiers followed behind slowly, not wanting to frighten the citizens of Avalon.
When he finally arrived at the city, the people already heard from the knights that it is not a drake horde attacking the city.
“Damn lunatics! Broke me arm ‘cause of them fools!”
“Apologise to Princess Luftie!”
“Get the hell out of our town! Kick them out!”
“Pay for my fruits!” the owner of an overturned cart roared.
His outcry resonated with a few other stall owners. People started pushing forward with trodden vegetables, cloth, and all kinds of things that could be found by the streetside.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Tommy ignored all the shouting but released the very same presence he used to deter the drakes.
The suffocating manifestation of a warrior’s fighting spirit forced the breath out of the peoples’ lungs. This oppressive feeling is enough to paralyse ten-meter-long drakes, much less the commoners of Avalon.
The drakes went straight to the castle without any more interference. It wasn’t the people’s lack of trying, but Tommy’s presence was so overpowering that even the guards that came to halt the group turned pale and silent.
The feeling he gave them was not one who is bloodthirsty but a raw desire for combat. For an unbarred, all-out, fight to the death.
Lesser warriors could feel their skins crawl, like a predator is eyeing on them, awaiting for the time to pounce.
Should someone accidentally provoked the beast, blood may flow on the streets this day.
Of course, this is only their feeling. Whether Tommy will actually draw his blade is another matter.
The group soon reached the Pendragon Castle. This is Tommy’s second visit, but a solemn air hung lingering thickly this time.
After handing the drakes to the stable boy, the soldiers awaited at the courtyard to be accounted for the test.
Tommy alone went to the waiting room to be summoned by the king.
At this time, in the audience hall, the Knight Leader knelt on a knee before King Lufter Pendragon.
He had yet to report but the king had not given him permission to rise. It is obvious that his embarrassment outside of the city walls had already been told to the king. The ten thousand knights mobilised are from the Order of Stewards. They are one of the three orders that take turn defending the Pendragon castle and Avalon.
Yet their performance outside the city walls was dismal. More than half of them were injured from colliding with each other, a few hundred were trampled and severely wounded and dozens had died.
To return defeated without facing an enemy is tremendous shame shared only by a few and far between in the annuals of history.
To witness such peerless failure, King Lufter Pendragon could scarcely believe his ears.
It is unsurprising that he did not let the Knight Leader rise. Besides, it will be good to let Tommy wait a little and put the lad in his place.
After a good half an hour knelt on the ground, the king finally let the armoured warrior stand up. By now, his limbs are stiff from staying in the same position, but he pushed himself up and requested permission to report.
The king impatiently waved his hand and only then did the Knight Leader presumed to speak, “Your majesty, this chaos in our city is all because of young Lord Styrkur’s recklessness. I dare ask of my liege to seek reparation from him… His drakes, for example…”
The king that was waiting for a good explanation did not expect the knight captain to bring up such a fabulous suggestion. Instantly, his attention was drawn to the potential of the matter.
“Indeed, we should ask for recompense. Our knights must not perish for nothing.”
The two continued to discuss the details, listing out the number of drakes in Tommy’s retinue and whether the soldiers he trained could be put to good use.
After an entire hour in the waiting room, Tommy was finally summoned to the audience hall.
When he stepped in with Snow by his side, everyone in the court was surprised. The one hour wait to put this lad in his place was enough time for the Snowdrifts to take countermeasures. With the excuse of delivering the promised weapons for the supplies, Snow quickly made her way into Avalon. Fortunately, just when Tommy was summoned, she managed to arrive.
The boy looked at her with a smile in his eyes. It is as though all at once the obstacles before him have all been cleared. If you ask him to fight a war, he is more than sufficient, but to waltz through the court of a king, Tommy is not as confident.
The two walked side by side into the audience hall. The king looked down upon them with a condescending smile.
The Knight Leader stood by the side with glee on his face.
Just as before, Tommy and Snow bowed but did not knee to Lufter. The king addressed the two and spoke to the housekeeper first.
“Show me your report on the drake extermination.”
The housekeeper quickly presented the notes he prepared, detailing the two weeks of training, the monster hunts, and all activities up to their return to Avalon.
At the same time, he introduced the success behind Tommy’s methods, on how the lad build up the synergy and confidence of the soldiers as well as the effectiveness of the Bagua formation.
The king was immediately focused on hearing the famous Saint Empire battle array.
“Bringing back the drakes, and now these soldiers trained in the way of the Bagua Formation. Neither must leave Avalon.”
“Your majesty,” the housekeeper interrupted the king who was lost in his fantasy of making good use of these new resources.
Lufter gave him a glare, but the latter did not seem to notice and continued, “This spectacular completion of our princess’ test should be rewarded, my king. May I suggest the release of the soldiers trained by Lord Tommy Styrkur and their families with stipends to the employment of the Snowdrifts?”
He paused a little, ignoring the fury on the face of his majesty, “Facing the danger of the drakes together, the men had developed quite a liking for the young lord, and I am certain he will appreciate our generosity and lead to the betterment of relationship between our countries.”
Lufter did not expect to suddenly be asked of this, especially in front of Tommy and Snow.
Frankly, the housekeeper noticed he had displeased the king, yet the pressing need to build a good relationship with the Snowdrifts forced him to make a wild attempt. If Lufter had looked through the report properly, he would notice the many emphasises made regarding Tommy’s potential and unmeasurable strength. This, in turn, screams of the power that the Snowdrifts held as a group.
Especially since his report started and ended with the housekeeper’s advice that the Snowdrifts must never be offended, even should they fail to build a partnership.
Unfortunately, the king did not so much of peruse over what was written. He squinted dangerously at the man, but with outsiders in the hall, he did not want to pursue the matter.
Ignoring the housekeeper, Lufter turned towards Tommy, “Lord Styrkur junior, as the bridge between the Snowdrifts and Logres, you have carelessly brought drakes to our city. I have been receiving complains from my people about you. Your vacuous actions led to many losses in the market and my knights this day.”
Tommy laughed.
“Your majesty, certainly is not asking me to pay for damages incurred by your subjects, are you?”
Unfazed by the question, Lufter only said, “Since you could tame drakes, we believe it is proper you hand us your taming methods or the winter drakes you brought back.”
The king wanted both the taming methods AND the drakes but dared not press too harshly. After all, the Snowdrifts cannot be seen as a simple guild, but an organisation that could rival Logres.
Tommy’s eyes turned sharp at the king’s request. The greed and audacity of this man is probing at his nerves.
Keeping his voice in control he said, “Your majesty, I cannot rightfully hand you the drakes. They are earned by the soldiers through contest. Honest men that brave death and triumphed. However, I can tell you method to tame the drakes.”
The king was drawn to his words.
A smile creeped onto Tommy’s face.
“I gave each drake a punch and then brought them back.”