Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Knights of the Round Table ❯ Applying Old Skills ( Chapter 3 )

Just in case you didn't notice, I had to up the rating on this story to R.  It's sort of a pre-emptive strike.  I'm ahead by one chapter in this story and they are getting progressively worse.  I'm getting totally out of hand!  Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

Chapter 3: Applying Old Skills

The boys went back down to the great hall in the morning to see what might be had for breakfast.  There were a large number of knights passed out under the tables.  The sound of snoring was nearly as loud as dinner had been the night before.

"How do you suppose they all ended up so neatly under the tables?" Quatre wondered aloud. "The law of averages says that some of them at least should be passed out in the aisles."

"Oh, we roll 'em under there to get 'em out of the way when we're sweepin' up," said a plump, rosy cheeked matron, who happened to pass by at that moment.  "We'll roust 'em out in a bit so's we can clean under the tables.  You boys lookin' for a bite to eat?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well now, you see over there by the wall, we've got a buffet set out for them as can stomach food first thing.  It's a bit rough, mind, as most of the quality folk will be taking their breakfast on a tray." She made a face and rolled her eyes. "But it's good enough for decent folk anyhow.  You just help yourselves."

"Thank you."

They made their way to the buffet.  Duo rubbed his hands together with delight.

"Sounds to me like we aren't obligated to leave anything," he said gleefully.  "Where are those trenchers?"

They sat at a table that didn't smell like anyone had vomited on it or urinated under it.

As they ate, Quatre pointed to an old, wise-looking man with a flowing white beard and a pointed blue hat seated beside King Arthur, who appeared to be the only person who might qualify as "quality folk" who was awake.

"Do you suppose that might be the wizard Merlin?" he asked excitedly.  "I'd really like to meet him."

"Why don't you just go over there?" Trowa replied.  "He looks harmless enough."

"You think so?  Maybe I will."  Quatre stared at the old man and shoved the food around in his trencher thoughtfully.

Duo watched him. "You gonna eat that or play with it, Quatre?"

"Hmm?  Oh, you can have it."  He shoved the trencher toward Duo.  "I'm going to go talk to Merlin."

"Should be safe enough," Duo mumbled around a mouthful of food.  "He doesn't look like a pedophile, and if he is, you can probably outrun him."

"Shut up, Duo," Heero grumbled.

Quatre approached Merlin nervously.  The old man looked up at him with a kindly smile.

"Excuse me, sir, but are you the renowned wizard Merlin?"

"Yes, I am, young man! What may I do for you?"

"I am a stranger here and new to magic," Quatre began eagerly, "but I would really like to learn more about it."

Merlin beamed at him.  "A seeker of knowledge!  That's very good.  I am always pleased to set an inquisitive mind upon the path to wisdom."  He turned to Arthur.  "If you have no further need of me, Your Majesty, I should like to start this fine young man upon his journey at once."

"Of course, of course!"  Arthur waved a hand.  "I remember the joys of study.  Off you go."

Merlin climbed to his feet and beckoned to Quatre.  "Come, my young student.  There is no time to begin like the present."

Quatre grinned back at his four fellow pilots as he trailed Merlin out of the room.

The four stared after him with their mouths hanging open.

"I'll be damned!" Wu-Fei finally exclaimed.  "Just like that."

"Well, I have something to attend to as well," Trowa announced.  "If you'll excuse me."

He left and the remaining three stared after him with their mouths hanging open.

Then Heero stood up.  "I need exercise.  I'm going out to see what kind of training facilities they've got here."

He left and Duo grinned at Wu-Fei.

"Oh, good!  Now it's just the two of us.  Let's go back to bed."

"No way!  I'm still sore from last night.  You guys didn't have to take so many turns."

"Ok, ok!  You can be on top."

"Well, maybe just a quick one, then."

Duo clapped his hands gleefully.

Outside, Trowa found the acting troupe's camp in the courtyard.  Only Bernadette was awake.

"Good morning, Miss," Trowa greeted her.

"Oh, good morning to you too, sir!" she replied cheerfully.  "Did you sleep well?"

"Quite well, thank you."

She sidled close to him and mashed her plump breasts against his arm.  "You know we're all very grateful for your kind offer, sir.  We scratch out a living as best we can, but these days…" she trailed off and looked up at him through her lashes.

"Call me Trowa."

"Get your tits off him, Bernie!"  Horace crawled out from under the troupe's ramshackle wagon.  "You had your chance at him!  I offered my services first."

"Get lost, Horace!  Why'd any man settle for having you swallow his sword when I've a nice warm scabbard to offer him?"

"And I don't?!"

Trowa flushed.  "Please!  I do not need any personal attention in return for my assistance.  I only want to help."

Tobias stumbled through the flap of the ratty tent where most of the troupe apparently slept.  "Children!  Enough of this nonsense.  You'll drive the gentleman away."  He staggered to a horse trough not too far away, collapsed to his knees and dunked his head into the water.  "Ahhh!!!"  He sat up, shaking his head and flinging water in all directions.  "There now!  I'm properly awake.  Let's see about a bit of food and then we are ready to learn!"

"He says his name is Trowa," Bernadette informed him.  She winked at Trowa.

"Trowa, is it?"  Tobias smiled broadly.  "Can you show a sample of what you mean for us to learn?"

"Of course."

From where he stood, Trowa took two quick steps and leaped into the air, flipped three times, twisted once and landed delicately on the edge of the horse trough.  The group stared at him with their mouths open.

"I think I'm in love," Horace whispered.

Trowa jumped off, twisting in midair and landing on his hands.  He bounded onto his feet and then did a complete back flip with a twist and landed facing the troupe.

Horace fell to his knees.  "I'm begging you!  Let me have you!  I'll ask for nothing else in this life again, with God as my witness!"

Trowa smiled slightly.  "Well, if you work hard, perhaps I will think of some suitable reward."

Horace leaped to his feet.  "I am yours to command!  Show me what to do!"

"And the rest of you?"

"I'm ready!"

"Me, too!"

The troupe crowded close, anxious for Trowa to show them his secrets.

Heero watched from across the courtyard with his usual stoic expression.

"Your friend is quite the acrobat," remarked a young knight-in-training.

"Yes, he is," Heero replied.  He looked the young trainee up and down.  "I'm looking for a place to get a little exercise."

"Well, you've found the right place, then," the youngster returned brightly.  "This is where we receive our training in arms, jousting, archery and the other knightly arts.  Are you in training to become a knight, sir?"

"I hadn't thought about it, but it might be interesting."

"Well, I should tell you, our instructor doesn't like to waste his time on weaklings.  You look a might slender, my friend."

"I'm stronger than I look."

The young trainee looked doubtful.  He held out the handle of his blunted practice sword toward Heero.  "Why don't you take a few swings with this at that dummy over there?"

Heero accepted the sword.  He swung it a few times to check the weight and balance, and then walked over to the dummy.  It was a stuffed man mounted on a post with a round wooden shield nailed to the front.  He regarded the dummy for just a moment, and then leaped into the air and swung the sword in a flat arc.  The wooden shield exploded into splinters and the hacked off upper torso of the dummy tumbled to the ground.

The trainee's mouth fell open.

"Seems a little light," Heero remarked. "Wouldn't it make more sense to practice with something a little heavier, to build up your strength?"

"We do."

"I see."

"Look, our instructor is just over there.  Why don't I introduce you?"

"I'd appreciate that."

A few weeks passed as the boys became accustomed to their new surroundings.  Trowa trained his tumblers, Heero trained with the knights, Duo and Wu-Fei took up gambling to finance a bad shopping habit, and Quatre learned magic.

"Novi inlustris apparere!" Quatre cried.  A ball of pure white flame appeared above his outstretched right hand, flickered briefly, and then vanished.

Merlin applauded.  "Well done, Quatre!  Well done!"  He pushed up from his chair and tottered over to pat Quatre on the back.  "I have never had a student who mastered the arcane arts so quickly."

Quatre smiled broadly.  "Thank you, Master Merlin.  I am enjoying this very much."

The pair were in Merlin's cluttered tower room, jammed full with stacks of books, scrolls, jars of powders and liquids in a vast array of colors, and all kinds of odd mechanical instruments, many with lenses for focusing light or magnifying images.  An owl sat on a stand near the open window, watching them with enormous golden eyes.

"But why did it vanish so quickly?"

"Why indeed?  The act of creation trespasses on the power of God, of course, so it takes a pure spirit to give the creation prolonged life."  Merlin paused.  "Or a compact with the Devil, but that is never a good choice."

"I'll remember that."

"Transformation, on the other hand, lasts much longer, because you are not creating an object, but just changing its shape.  Still, the transformation will ultimately fail if it comes in contact with cold iron or the wizard who cast the spell dies.  Or also if the wizard casts the spell out of anger.  In the latter case, the spell may last for only a few hours or a few days."

Merlin shuffled through the scrolls piled high on a table, knocking several to the floor in the process.  Finally, he pulled one out and unrolled it.  "Here we are!  This is always fun.  Self-transformation.  These spells last only as long as the wizard wills it.  Come and look!"

Quatre stepped forward and read the scroll.  "It seems straightforward enough."

"Good!  Visual what creature you would like to be and say the words."

"All right."  Quatre stepped back into the center of the room and closed his eyes for a moment, to get a clear picture in his mind.  "Imperiti ipse transformare tigris!"  Bright blue light shimmered around Quatre and his form dissolved into a six-month old white tiger cub.

"Mmmrrr?" said the Quatre-cub.

Merlin laughed.  "Sometimes our hidden thoughts interfere, but well done nonetheless."

Blue light shimmered around the cub and Quatre reappeared.  "I was visualizing a full-grown tiger," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Well, you are still young yourself, perhaps that influenced the transformation."  Merlin waggled a finger.  "Sometimes the magic likes to have fun with us."  Merlin shuffled back to his seat and sat down with a tired sigh.  "Well, I think that is enough for today."

"Thank you, Master." Quatre bowed and headed downstairs.

He found the others in their suite.  Heero and Wu-Fei were doing Tai Chi, Trowa was reading a book and Duo was brushing his hair.

"Hey guys!" Quatre shouted, "I want to show you something."  He stopped in the middle of the room, held his arms up in a dramatic pose, and intoned the words of the self-transformation spell in the deepest voice he could muster.  He dissolved into a white tiger cub again.

"How cute!" Trowa exclaimed.  He immediately jumped up from his seat and swept the cub up in one arm, tickling its belly with his free hand.  The cub swatted at him with its big, padded paws.

"Mmrrowr!" the Quatre-cub growled.

"You're a little sweetie, aren't you, kitty?" Trowa murmured.  He nuzzled the top of the cub's head.

The other three just stared.

"He has some serious issues with wild animals," Duo declared.

Heero and Wu-Fei nodded.

The Quatre-cub began to purr.

"Uh, how long is he going to stay like that?" Wu-Fei wondered.

"Hopefully just until Trowa's petting gets serious," said Duo.  To Trowa, he added, "Maybe you two should get a room.  I'm kinky, but bestiality is out of my league."

The Quatre-cub stuck its tongue out at Duo and hissed.  Trowa, however, just smiled.  "You just don't understand how relaxing it is to pet a kitten.  We'll see you later."  He carried the Quatre-cub to his room, still stroking its furry belly.

"Ok, that was weird," announced Duo.

"But you did notice he turned himself into a tiger cub," Heero said flatly. "I don't recall that being one of Quatre's skills."

"It's definitely new," agreed Wu-Fei.

Duo started to re-braid his hair, but Heero stopped him.

"Do you have to put it up right now?"

Duo grinned.  "I can wait."

"Good."  Heero took his hand and pulled him to his feet.  "Coming, Fei?"

"It would be my pleasure."

"Actually, I was planning for it to be mine."