Joshua woke to the sound of a knock on the door. Morning light peeked through the curtains as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. Groggily, he rose and opened the door to find Tiffany standing there.
"There's no training today," she said. "Captain Percival has other matters to attend to."
Joshua nodded. "Thanks for letting me know." He shut the door and flopped back onto the bed, his legs dangling over the side. (What should I do today? ...I feel like getting some fresh air.)
He slipped into casual clothes, leaving his armor behind, and pulled up the hood of his coat to conceal his wolf ears. His tail tucked discreetly beneath his shirt as he headed out toward the human district.
Meanwhile, in the palace corridors, Merlin paced with growing frustration, eyes darting in every direction. She turned a corner and spotted Blanchette.
"Hi, Blanchette," she said, rushing over and hugging her.
"Morning, Merlin." Blanchette returned the hug with a smile.
Pulling away, Merlin's voice turned anxious. "Have you seen Lancelot?"
"No… I saw him last only yesterday."
Merlin's expression fell. Her worry deepened.
At the peak of the mountain, Lancelot collapsed to his knees, his breath ragged and sweat pouring down his face.
"I finally made it…" he muttered, before passing out completely.
From the shadows of the peak, an old man with light grey-red hair emerged, scooping up Lancelot's unconscious body. Without a word, he carried him into a modest wooden cabin nestled into the summit cliffs.
Joshua wandered the human district aimlessly. He sipped a warm cup of tea in a quiet corner of a coffee shop, savoring the calm. But his mind quickly drifted.
"This kingdom is far too boring," he mumbled under his breath, and tossed his cup. He turned down a familiar alleyway that led to the slums.
Lancelot stirred awake inside the cabin, blinking against the dim light. He quickly realized he was tied to a steel chair, thick chains looped around his arms and chest. In the shadows ahead, a hulking figure stood silent and still.
"Who the hell are you?" the figure growled. "Have you come to kill me, you half-noble bastard!?"
The man stepped into the light, an old warrior with fierce eyes and battle-worn skin.
"Grandpa… it's me. Lancelot," he said, staring at the man.
Alexander's expression shifted. "Grandson… you've grown." He moved forward and embraced him briefly before stepping back. "So why are you here? Did your father send you to finish me off?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Lancelot shook his head. "Why would he want you dead?"
Alexander's face darkened. "Because his mother was a peasant. I was king once, before William. But I fell in love with a peasant woman… she was kind, beautiful, had golden hair and the bluest eyes. We had Percival, but the people rejected him for being a half-noble. They made my younger brother's son king instead. Percival never forgave me or his mother."
Lancelot listened intently, stunned.
Alexander continued. "He married a pure noble to 'purify' the bloodline. Your mother. But you inherited none of her traits. That must burn him even more." He narrowed his eyes. "So again… why are you here?"
"I fell in love with a peasant witch. And I wasn't strong enough to protect her when it mattered most. I want to get stronger. Strong enough to stand up to him and to protect her in the future."
A wide grin cracked across Alexander's face. He laughed heartily.
Lancelot blinked. (Does he think I'm an idiot?)
Alexander clapped his shoulder. "That foolishness runs deep in our blood. But damn it, I respect it. Peasant women, they've got something noble women never will."
Lancelot smiled faintly.
"But I'll warn you," Alexander's tone shifted. "No one has ever completed my training. Most don't survive it."
Lancelot hesitated. "What about my father? Didn't you train him?"
"Percival trained himself," Alexander said. "He was a monster, even as a boy."
(He really is a great knight…) Lancelot thought, swallowing hard.
"From today forward, you are Alexander the Great's student," the old man declared. "The same man who slew a thousand in the Great War, human, werewolf, vampire, and witch alike."
Lancelot's eyes filled with resolve.
"Now then," Alexander said, rummaging through a drawer. "First lesson, get rid of that ridiculous hair."
"No! Not my beautiful blonde hair!" Lancelot cried, genuine horror filling his eyes.
Alexander held up a pair of scissors. "It creates blind spots. It gets in the way."
"I could've just tied it back!" Lancelot pleaded.
"Too late! I already started!" Alexander laughed maniacally as he began snipping.
Lancelot's screams echoed through the cabin as golden strands fell to the floor.
Joshua stepped into the slums, memories flooding him, familiar streets, echoes of laughter, and the scent of his childhood. He was lost in thought when a human girl crashed into him, trembling with fear.
"Let me go! They're going to kill me!" she cried, struggling in his grasp.
Joshua caught a glimpse of the Xeno brand on her neck, the same one Amy bore.
He let her go. She bolted down the alley.
Then two hulking werewolves rounded the corner, eyes glowing with predatory hunger. They stopped when they saw Joshua standing in their way.
"You letting our livestock get away, pipsqueak?" one growled.
"Move aside unless you wanna be eaten in her place," the other snarled.
Joshua raised his head, his hood slipping back.
His eyes blazed a terrifying green.
Steam poured from his mouth as he growled. Saliva dripped from razor-sharp teeth. His expression twisted into a monstrous grin.
"I'm going to kill you…" Joshua snarled, his voice guttural, inhuman.
"…and eat you."