Chapter 127
Charles Flynn
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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We encounter the occasional pack of starving cannibals, who we of course put out of their misery, but for the most part, our journey is unhindered.
Sadly, that streak of good luck and smooth travel is broken when we run into an active conflict.
"Georgios, park the buggy. Galahad and I will go out to assess the situation."
"Understood."
We peer out at the two groups.
'First group's refugees,' I note. 'And they're led by a Hassan. That means that the knights who just cornered them…'
'Are probably the Lion King's men,' Galahad finishes for me. 'Holy shit.'
'What?'
'That's Sir Tristan.'
I look at the knights' redheaded commander more closely. 'He looks about as emo as I always pictured him being.'
'So, are we going to save them?' Galahad asks hopefully. 'I've always wanted to deck that mopey asshole.'
Hmm… They're still negotiating, although I can't really hear them from here, but we can't close the distance quickly enough to prevent casualties. Intervening might cause us problems, but they're the Lion King's men, and thus the enemy. Killing them is a goal in and of itself. So. How do we close the distance and incapacitate the enemy commander?
Vlad would be ideal for taking out Tristan, he's slow but he's also an absolute tank. Once he gets a hold of the enemy, the fight's as good as over. All I need is a way to move him across the intervening distance faster than Tristan can react! Unfortunately, I don't have anything like that on hand. I know my current team's capabilities like the back of my hand, and-
Hold on, when did I get the back of my hand tattooed?
…I'm a fucking idiot.
'Galahad, get in there and shield the refugees. Siegfried, Cu, and Billy, target the rank and file. Cursed Arm, reassure your fellow Hassan that we're friendlies. Vlad, by the power of my Command Seal, tackle Tristan!'
They deploy in a blur, lunging in to attack the enemy and defend the civilians in the blink of an eye. Vlad, for his part, quite literally teleports in order to pin Tristan to the ground.
Once Galahad's shield has been established, and half the knights terminated, I begin to make my way to the refugees' leader, who's staring at the slaughter of his pursuers with a mixture of relief and confusion.
"You are the Master of Chaldea?" The unknown Hassan asks, still staring at the one-sided slaughter of the knights previously poised to kill him.
"That is indeed my position, yes," I say, joining him in watching.
"Sir Tristan!" Vlad coos as he secures the bleeding, now one-armed knight in a bear hug, goring him with several of his armor's spikes. "You've been a very naughty boy!"
"You'll pay for this, you ignorant-"
"So now, you get the rod!" Vlad continues, grinning maniacally.
"Wait, what are you…" That's about when he stops talking and starts screaming in agony as Vlad drives an armored, spiked knee into the unlucky knight's crotch.
You know, it's weirdly cathartic, having an enemy killed like this. It's like you're transmuting your frustration and helplessness into their pain.
But enough introspection. I turn to the refugees' protector, mentally commanding Vlad to stop playing around and finish Tristan off. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr…."
"Hassan-i-Sabbah of the Intoxicating Smoke," the masked killer says, not even flinching as Vlad finishes off his opponent with a gristly squelch. "And it would seem that I am in your debt."
"May I ask your intended destination, and the circumstances of your departure?"
"Our village was destroyed. I led the survivors to seek refuge in the villages of my colleagues." He pauses. "You are welcome to join us."
"We'll have to abstain," I say, after giving the offer due consideration. "I planned on our team heading to the Holy City, to get the lay of the land and evaluate what we'll need in order to put down the Lion King."
"A bold strategy," Intoxicating Smoke says after a moment. "I would advise caution, however. The Lion King is served by some of the foremost Knights of the Round Table."
"And I count the greatest of all the Round Table's knights among my Servants," I say confidently, which makes Galahad grin.
"You have Lancelot with you?" Intoxicating Smoke asks eagerly. "The Lion King also counts a version of him among his knights! Perhaps your version may be able to match the Lion King's!"
"Err… no. I have Sir Galahad."
"Never heard of him."
I wince, as Galahad's previously sour look morphs into one of rage. "Well, rest assured, he's by far a better knight than Lancelot."
That seems to soothe Galahad's temper, and Intoxicating Smoke thankfully takes my word for it.
We part soon after, with Intoxicating Smoke telling us where to find the villages of the Hassans, so that we may be swiftly reunited.
---
"Yep, that's Camelot," Galahad says with a sigh as we finally come into view of the Holy City. "There's no doubt about it. The Lion King is King Arthur."
"Are you sure?" I ask. "Couldn't it just be Morgan La Fey, or some other sort of enemy of the Round Table disguising themselves as him?"
"Maybe. But probably not. I'm not sure why you're having so much trouble believing this." Galahad raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. "I actually served the man, and I'm still not as absolutely desperate to believe the best of him as you."
"It's… he was a paragon of chivalry and virtue, and someone I look up to. I don't want to believe that he's behind this."
"Huh." Galahad looks honestly perplexed. "Honestly, he wasn't as impressive in person as the stories always paint him."
"Really?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, he was virtuous and just, and brave, and all that, it's just that that was literally all there was to him," Galahad says with a shrug. "He was a good king, but that was always the sum totality of his character. I've quite literally met rocks that had more of a personality and a wider emotional range than I ever saw from Arthur."
"But, wasn't he supposed to be charismatic and commanding?" I ask, furrowing my brow.
"He was. He was an incredible king, but he was also an incredibly boring person."
"That's… kind of disappointing, actually."
"I thought the same thing when I first arrived at court."
"Huh." You know, I don't think I've ever heard all that much about Galahad's life from him before. Might as well hear some of it while he's in this good mood. "What was that like? Arriving at court, I mean?"
He grins. "Well, Master mine, let me tell you a tale..."
His story holds me captivated as we make our way out amongst the crowd at Simbaland's gates.
Sadly, that streak of good luck and smooth travel is broken when we run into an active conflict.
"Georgios, park the buggy. Galahad and I will go out to assess the situation."
"Understood."
We peer out at the two groups.
'First group's refugees,' I note. 'And they're led by a Hassan. That means that the knights who just cornered them…'
'Are probably the Lion King's men,' Galahad finishes for me. 'Holy shit.'
'What?'
'That's Sir Tristan.'
I look at the knights' redheaded commander more closely. 'He looks about as emo as I always pictured him being.'
'So, are we going to save them?' Galahad asks hopefully. 'I've always wanted to deck that mopey asshole.'
Hmm… They're still negotiating, although I can't really hear them from here, but we can't close the distance quickly enough to prevent casualties. Intervening might cause us problems, but they're the Lion King's men, and thus the enemy. Killing them is a goal in and of itself. So. How do we close the distance and incapacitate the enemy commander?
Vlad would be ideal for taking out Tristan, he's slow but he's also an absolute tank. Once he gets a hold of the enemy, the fight's as good as over. All I need is a way to move him across the intervening distance faster than Tristan can react! Unfortunately, I don't have anything like that on hand. I know my current team's capabilities like the back of my hand, and-
Hold on, when did I get the back of my hand tattooed?
…I'm a fucking idiot.
'Galahad, get in there and shield the refugees. Siegfried, Cu, and Billy, target the rank and file. Cursed Arm, reassure your fellow Hassan that we're friendlies. Vlad, by the power of my Command Seal, tackle Tristan!'
They deploy in a blur, lunging in to attack the enemy and defend the civilians in the blink of an eye. Vlad, for his part, quite literally teleports in order to pin Tristan to the ground.
Once Galahad's shield has been established, and half the knights terminated, I begin to make my way to the refugees' leader, who's staring at the slaughter of his pursuers with a mixture of relief and confusion.
"You are the Master of Chaldea?" The unknown Hassan asks, still staring at the one-sided slaughter of the knights previously poised to kill him.
"That is indeed my position, yes," I say, joining him in watching.
"Sir Tristan!" Vlad coos as he secures the bleeding, now one-armed knight in a bear hug, goring him with several of his armor's spikes. "You've been a very naughty boy!"
"You'll pay for this, you ignorant-"
"So now, you get the rod!" Vlad continues, grinning maniacally.
"Wait, what are you…" That's about when he stops talking and starts screaming in agony as Vlad drives an armored, spiked knee into the unlucky knight's crotch.
You know, it's weirdly cathartic, having an enemy killed like this. It's like you're transmuting your frustration and helplessness into their pain.
But enough introspection. I turn to the refugees' protector, mentally commanding Vlad to stop playing around and finish Tristan off. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr…."
"Hassan-i-Sabbah of the Intoxicating Smoke," the masked killer says, not even flinching as Vlad finishes off his opponent with a gristly squelch. "And it would seem that I am in your debt."
"May I ask your intended destination, and the circumstances of your departure?"
"Our village was destroyed. I led the survivors to seek refuge in the villages of my colleagues." He pauses. "You are welcome to join us."
"We'll have to abstain," I say, after giving the offer due consideration. "I planned on our team heading to the Holy City, to get the lay of the land and evaluate what we'll need in order to put down the Lion King."
"A bold strategy," Intoxicating Smoke says after a moment. "I would advise caution, however. The Lion King is served by some of the foremost Knights of the Round Table."
"And I count the greatest of all the Round Table's knights among my Servants," I say confidently, which makes Galahad grin.
"You have Lancelot with you?" Intoxicating Smoke asks eagerly. "The Lion King also counts a version of him among his knights! Perhaps your version may be able to match the Lion King's!"
"Err… no. I have Sir Galahad."
"Never heard of him."
I wince, as Galahad's previously sour look morphs into one of rage. "Well, rest assured, he's by far a better knight than Lancelot."
That seems to soothe Galahad's temper, and Intoxicating Smoke thankfully takes my word for it.
We part soon after, with Intoxicating Smoke telling us where to find the villages of the Hassans, so that we may be swiftly reunited.
---
"Yep, that's Camelot," Galahad says with a sigh as we finally come into view of the Holy City. "There's no doubt about it. The Lion King is King Arthur."
"Are you sure?" I ask. "Couldn't it just be Morgan La Fey, or some other sort of enemy of the Round Table disguising themselves as him?"
"Maybe. But probably not. I'm not sure why you're having so much trouble believing this." Galahad raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. "I actually served the man, and I'm still not as absolutely desperate to believe the best of him as you."
"It's… he was a paragon of chivalry and virtue, and someone I look up to. I don't want to believe that he's behind this."
"Huh." Galahad looks honestly perplexed. "Honestly, he wasn't as impressive in person as the stories always paint him."
"Really?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, he was virtuous and just, and brave, and all that, it's just that that was literally all there was to him," Galahad says with a shrug. "He was a good king, but that was always the sum totality of his character. I've quite literally met rocks that had more of a personality and a wider emotional range than I ever saw from Arthur."
"But, wasn't he supposed to be charismatic and commanding?" I ask, furrowing my brow.
"He was. He was an incredible king, but he was also an incredibly boring person."
"That's… kind of disappointing, actually."
"I thought the same thing when I first arrived at court."
"Huh." You know, I don't think I've ever heard all that much about Galahad's life from him before. Might as well hear some of it while he's in this good mood. "What was that like? Arriving at court, I mean?"
He grins. "Well, Master mine, let me tell you a tale..."
His story holds me captivated as we make our way out amongst the crowd at Simbaland's gates.
