The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (15 page)

“Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.”

Lawrence rushed up the stairs and dropped his things off. Moments later he was at the back door of the house. He walked outside and noticed Nicholas and Benni preparing for combat. The two were locked in a stare down and the tension was palpable. They stood there for a moment without even so much as a twitch.

Suddenly, Nicholas charged straight at Benni, and brought his sword in contact with his son’s. Sparks erupted from both blades. The two were now fully engaged in combat, and as Lawrence watched he saw something that he longed for so greatly. Benni had a father to train with. Nicholas was a hefty, stout man. He had a solid build with a slight potbelly. His skin was tanned and his hands were rugged and strong from years of working as a stonemason.

Nicholas took a step back, freeing his sword from Benni’s. “Come on, son, you have to be faster than that!”

A moment later, Benni stepped in and slashed at his father. Nicholas parried his attack, causing more sparks to fly. Before Benni could respond, Nicholas pushed forward, ramming his shoulder into Benni’s chest, launching him backwards through the air. Benni hit the ground with a hard thud. Benni quickly positioned his prone body to face his father so that he could do battle on his back if need be.

Nicholas approached him, raising his sword to strike. “See there, son, you got too carried away with that wild swing. You should go for a shorter attack and clear yourself some more room between us. Big swings are meant to be taken by big swords. You should know better, son! But you didn’t, did you?” He swung and missed, and his sword stuck in the ground.

Benni moved his legs apart and then kicked off of Nicholas’ blade and rolled backwards. Benni immediately regained his composure and pressed forward, slapping the side of his sword hard against his father’s cheek. “Big swings leave you open, Father, you should have known that. But you didn’t, did you?” Benni got around behind Nicholas and proceeded to put him in a rear choke. Benni could feel his muscles stretch and expand to cover his father’s muscular neck.

Moments after Benni locked in the hold, a mischievous smile crossed Nicholas’ face. He stood up with Benni now latched onto his back, holding on with his arms and both legs as he struggled to maintain his submission maneuver. Nicholas turned and swung himself around so his back faced their tool shed. Benni soon realized that keeping this hold meant some serious pain. Nicholas backed toward the shed and rammed Benni into it.

“Arrrggggggh!” Benni shouted. Lawrence could only imagine the kind of pain he must have felt. Again and again Nicholas continued to bash and crush Benni against the sturdy wooden structure. But Benni’s submission hold, however, had had some adverse effects on Nicholas, who was beginning to stumble and gasp for air. With no weapon, Benni knew he would have to resort to hand to hand combat after dismounting his father, which he did as his father attempted to ram him into the shed one more time. He pushed off of the shed and front flipped over his father, who was still winded from the effects of the submission technique.

Benni planted his feet and waited for his father to turn around. As he did he let loose one punch that sent Nicholas into the shed. Lawrence couldn’t believe how strong Benni was for seventeen years old. It was as if Benni was made for brawling and survival fighting. His father, while no Knight, was a stonemason, and could hold his own in combat with even the strongest and most elite of warriors. Nicholas was stocky and his muscles were a testament to his overall strength and ability.

Nicholas recovered quickly, and now that air flowed to his lungs freely once more, he was again ready for more action. Benni approached to strike again, but this time Nicholas caught his punch mid-air and moved in close. He followed up by using the same maneuver that Benni had used on Lawrence earlier; only this time when he tried to put his hand on Benni’s face, Benni avoided it with ease and slipped out of his father’s takedown attempt.

“I didn’t think you would get free this time Benni. I am impressed!” Nicolas roared with a smile.

“It’ll take more than that to put me down, Father. What else have you got?”

Another proud smile came across his father’s face. He approached again, and this time he threw a punch of his own. Benni brought up his hands to block, and as their hands met, Benni felt a sharp stinging flow through his wrists and arms. Compared to Benni’s hands and arms, Nicholas’ were gargantuan. They were littered with calluses and cuts from his daily work. The man was well accustomed to pain, and the little bit of damage that Benni could do to him was nothing more than a drop in the bucket of Nicholas’ veritable well of bodily torture.

The attack clearly threw Benni off balance and Nicholas took advantage. Like a snake he weaved his way toward Benni, and threw another punch at his son. Benni was lucky enough to stagger around this one and was able to throw a few punches into his father’s ribs.

“Grrah!” Nicholas roared as Benni’s punches sank deep into his sides.

Lawrence had been unable to move during this entire exchange. He was dumbfounded that anyone could ever train this intensely. In his entire life, Lawrence had never once trained like this, and it made him question whether he was cut out for it.

Benni and Nicholas took their stances again and Benni glanced over at Lawrence. “Father, I see that Lawrence is here. Shall we call it a draw for now?”

“I suppose,” Nicolas responded, “but next time you won’t be so lucky!”

The two approached each other and ended their duel with a handshake, but not before Nicholas pulled Benni in close. “Next time, don’t be so quick to let go of your submission, son. You almost had me there, you know.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Father. It’s not like you were actually going to kill me.”

“Benni, you must fight every battle as though your life depends on it, because some day, it may.”

“Yes, Father,” Benni replied humbly.

The two turned to face Lawrence. “So, Lawrence, my son tells me that you are here to train with him. Is that so?”

“Yes, Mr. Wakewood. Benni had noticed that my training was becoming lackluster, so he asked me to come live here with him to train. I’m hoping that doing something like the two of you just did will help me recover faster, and build my strength back to where it once was. Otherwise, I don’t know if I will be able to survive in the Knight Guard.”

“Stick it out with us, Lawrence, and I guarantee you that you will be just fine. I am going to warn you though; I won’t be going easy on you. You are going to do the exact same jobs and exercises that Benni does, and you will complete each task. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir, I will do whatever it takes.”

“Let’s head inside, I smell dinner,” Benni interrupted.

The three of them walked into the house and entered the dining room where Helen was filling plates with food. A fifth plate was set and Lawrence was officially part of the family. Suddenly, Lawrence heard a high pitched voice coming from upstairs.

“Who’s that?” Lawrence asked, looking around confused.

“That’s Fairen, my younger brother. He’s only six, so go easy on him, Lawrence.”

Just then Fairen burst into the room wearing Benni’s vest. “I’m Benni…Wa…Wake…Wakewood…I’m gonna defeat evil and save the princess!” he stuttered and stammered, just like any little boy imitating his big brother. Lawrence envied that about Benni; he had a little brother, something Lawrence wished dearly for. Fairen was a small boy with bright eyes and short blonde hair. He giggled with almost every step he took and he bubbled with energy.

As Fairen turned and noticed Lawrence, he quickly turned back to Benni and questioned, “B-b-b-b-Benni, who’s this?”

“This is Lawrence, a very close friend of mine. He is going to be staying here with us for a while.”

Fairen’s wide, blue eyes lit up like a freshly ignited candle wick and he smiled. “Yay! I get to have another big brother!”

Fairen’s words grabbed Lawrence’s attention immediately and he could feel a burst of pride swell up in his chest. He was happy at the thought of being someone’s big brother. He let out a slight smile as he extended a hand to Fairen who playfully obliged Lawrence’s gesture.

Just then Helen’s voice interrupted the fun. “Alright, Fairen, take off Benni’s vest. It’s time for dinner.”

“Yes, mama! I’m starving.”

The small boy pulled off the gigantic vest and laid it across a nearby bench. He climbed up onto his chair that was just a little bit taller than everyone else’s. The entire family began to eat the meal of tasty chicken legs.

“So, Father, tomorrow morning is our first day training with Lawrence. What’s going to be his first test?” Benni asked in between bites.

Nicholas looked at his son for a moment, smiling. “You will both be coming with me to the stone mill to move boulders and assist with other jobs.”

“Father, are you serious?” Benni looked shocked that his father would start them with such an arduous task.

“Yes, son. Eat up boys. You will need all of your strength tomorrow.” He looked over at Lawrence. “Eat all you want, young man, tomorrow you will need all the energy you can get.”

Lawrence reached for another helping. “Don’t worry about me, sir, I’ll make sure to eat my fill.”

Lawrence reached across the food covered table and helped himself to another plate of chicken, fruits, vegetables and a fresh glass of milk. Lawrence almost felt like he was back in the castle, the spread was reminiscent of a royal meal. Lawrence wondered if this family ate like this all the time, or if this was just a sort of welcoming party for him. Lawrence chuckled to himself as he continued to eat his inaugural dinner. He felt like the richest man in Veronicia, even if it was only for one night. Lawrence knew that his training ahead would be intense, and he was constantly reminded as he looked at Benni and Nicholas that pain was a serious reality. Tomorrow his training would begin, and he hoped that by the end of it all he would have a newfound reason to be a Knight of Haile.

The next morning came quickly, and while Lawrence expected to sleep until the sun had at least crested the horizon, the sudden
slap
of cold steel against the side of his face awoke him from his slumber. Lawrence sat up suddenly and immediately saw the culprit; it was Benni. He stood there with a single candle burning in his hands and a wide smile across his face.

“Shhh, don’t make a lot of noise, we don’t want to wake my mother. Let’s go, Lawrence; it is time to begin our training.”

Lawrence was struggling already as he couldn’t find his pants in the dark room. Benni was fully dressed and wide awake, and he harassed Lawrence who searched frantically for his clothes. His mind was still cloudy and he tried to force himself to wake up quickly. Finally, after half of the candle had already burned down, Lawrence was dressed and ready to begin.

As the two stepped out the front door of the house they were greeted by another familiar face; it was Nicholas. “Are you boys ready to go?” he asked, still showing a little bit of extra patience on Lawrence’s behalf.

“Yes, Father, we are ready,” Benni replied. He walked past Lawrence, giving him a little push to motivate him to move quicker.

They walked through the still dark streets of Haile and headed to their destination: the stone mill where Nicholas worked every day. Nicholas turned to the two young men as they neared the entrance. “I don’t care if they ask you to lift the largest stones in the yard; you two better do exactly what they tell you! Lawrence, I realize that this is your first day here with us, but if you ever want to become stronger, this is the only way to do it.” He turned to Benni and said, “Son, I don’t mind if you help him out once in a while, but don’t be too quick to pull young Lawrence out of the fire.”

Upon their arrival, the owner of the stone mill set all three of them to work moving stones, preparing mixtures and organizing the yard’s orders for the day. Lawrence started moving stones from one area to the next to help prepare for that day’s work, and as he picked up the first stone he could feel it almost immediately. His body began to betray him, aching and paining with every step he took. His body begged him to stop, but Lawrence knew he couldn’t. Within his first five minutes of work Lawrence had considered quitting at least a dozen times, and every time he did, one of two things came to his mind. The first was that of the shame that quitting would bring on him if he gave up so easily, while the second was one that brought with it a great confusion. Lawrence couldn’t figure out why, but every time he thought about quitting, Elsie’s face flashed in his mind. It was as if her very happiness hinged on his success, and if he ever wanted to return to the castle and see her for more than a fleeting moment, he needed to finish his jobs. Deep down Lawrence could feel a burst of adrenaline, and he labored to complete his tasks. He lifted and lugged the heavy stones for hours, their notorious
clunk
signifying that he was one step closer to surviving this ordeal. With just ten stones left, Lawrence could feel his muscles beginning to tense up, and it became hard for him to lift even the smaller stones.

“Lawrence, rest a moment. I’ll finish your pile,” Benni’s voice suddenly called out to him. He had already completed his section of the work, and now he was approaching Lawrence to help him finish his job.

Lawrence couldn’t do it; he couldn’t allow someone to complete his task for him. “No, Benni, let me finish this!” he replied through huge puffs of breath.

Benni could see a familiar fire burning in Lawrence’s eyes. “I won’t stop you then, Lawrence. Carry on.”

Lawrence only had ten stones left, and while each and every one of them tested his very limits, Lawrence eventually finished the job by himself. Lawrence fell to both knees and exclaimed to Benni, “You…do this…every…day…?”

Benni’s response was so immediate that Lawrence had to take a moment to process it in his exhausted state. “Yes, and that is why I have become so strong. Reinhardt even mentioned to me that I might be overdoing it. I told him that I didn’t care because I want to be on the same level as Razzius; I want to be an elite Knight.” He smiled at Lawrence. “Now let’s head to the courtyard where we will begin our training for the day.”

Lawrence couldn’t believe how much energy Benni had, and was still trying to process how he would manage any more physical exercise that day. His body was exhausted, he hadn’t eaten yet, and he thought he was going to collapse at any moment.

“Oh, by the way, that feeling you have right about now, Lawrence, that is your body’s way of telling you that you are getting stronger.”

How Benni had known what Lawrence was feeling at that exact moment was beyond him, but the thought of him getting stronger helped motivate Lawrence to get to his feet. The two friends began to walk toward the castle.

They walked through the marketplace that housed many of the local shops and stalls, and suddenly a warm, mouth-watering smell caught Lawrence’s attention. It was as if a fresh loaf of bread had just come out of the hearth and was placed right in front of him to taunt every ounce of his being. He could smell fresh sausages and hear their sizzling over smoldering fires, tempting him to run to the nearest vendor and ask for a bite.

Before Lawrence could even so much as beg, Benni said, “You didn’t think we were going to work all day and not eat, did you? Don’t be so foolish, Lawrence, come over here.” He pointed to a stall off to the side and the two approached the owner. Benni shook hands with an old man who stood at barely the height of the serving table. “Pip, it is good to see you this morning. Yet again I can start another day with your tasty breads and sausages. May I have two thick slices of bread and six of the breakfast sausages?”

“You sure can, my boy, here you are! I know you boys have been training hard, so this batch is on the house.” The man began slicing the bread and handed the prepared foods over to Benni. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Lawrence Sanctus, he’s a good friend of mine, and has recently joined me for morning training. You will most likely be seeing a lot of us these next couple of months.”

“Young Sanctus, remain with Benni, he will make you strong. He is one of the only trainees that I ever see at this hour. There is one other, but he has already come and gone. Now what was his name again?” The man thought to himself for a moment and then said, “Oh yes, Razzius, that was his name. He came about an hour ago. Charming lad really, he is always so polite, and to rise at such an early hour every day to train, what a dedicated lad he must be. You boys are certainly on the right path to becoming great Knights. I truly hope that one day you both will be amongst their ranks. Now here you are. The bread this morning is cracked twelve grain wheat, and these sausages are fresh from Dermot’s farm. I hope you enjoy them.”

Pip handed the food to Benni and Lawrence. They bowed to him and said in tandem, “Thank you very much, sir.”

“Thank you, boys,” Pip responded as they parted ways.

Benni and Lawrence continued toward the castle, eating and chewing while they chatted. Their conversation was light-hearted, and every word that Benni said was only meant to encourage Lawrence further in his training. The two quickly chomped down their breakfast as they approached the castle. They entered the courtyard, and began to practice sword slashes and blocking with their shields. After his morning breakfast, Lawrence felt rejuvenated. As he swung his sword, he could already feel a difference in his swing. The training was more fierce and demanding than he thought it would be, however, and it wasn’t long before his arms began to stray from what his mind asked. Even though Lawrence knew that the two were alone in the courtyard, he still felt as though he was being watched. Lawrence looked around, half expecting to see Razzius or some of the other Knights, but he saw no one. He returned to struggling with his arms and their stubborn ways. Lawrence wondered if Razzius’ training was anywhere near this demanding.

Benni shouted words of encouragement at Lawrence as they continued training. “Come on, Lawrence, a real Knight wouldn’t give up!”

The words bounced around in Lawrence’s mind as he wondered how much longer he would last. Then it happened. As Lawrence was practicing swings with Benni, he felt his arms go limp. His body was involuntarily giving up. His muscles could no longer respond to his demands, and Lawrence could slowly feel his hand beginning to open as if to drop his sword to say, “No more.” Lawrence didn’t want to accept it; he didn’t want to admit that his body was quitting. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He could feel himself about to collapse. Lawrence was going to fail; he was going to fall short of his goal. In his mind, if he couldn’t even last one day of training, Lawrence didn’t think he would ever be worthy to call himself a Knight of Haile.

Just as Lawrence’s hand was about to open, he felt someone else’s calloused hand grab his. In their intense practice neither Benni nor Lawrence had seen the cloaked figure approach them from behind. The towering, hooded figure stood there, keeping Lawrence from collapsing.

“Lawrence, true strength comes from a true purpose,” the figure said in a deep, low voice.

Those were the only words that the cloaked figure spoke. Lawrence and Benni stood there in shock, unsure of what to do. Lawrence could feel his energy coming back to him, enough so that he could stand on his own again. Once Lawrence regained his balance, the cloaked man began to walk away from the two trainees.

Benni finally regained his own composure. “Who the hell was that, Lawrence?” he asked.

“I…I don’t know, Benni.”

The figure had gone just as quickly as it had arrived. The rest of the day passed as normal with Lawrence and Benni continuing their training. But, Lawrence couldn’t shake the memory of what had happened earlier that day. The words that the being spoke echoed in his mind,
Lawrence, true strength comes from a true purpose.

Lawrence muddled the thought around in his head for a while, wondering as to its true meaning. He continued to train with a renewed vigor, working toward his ultimate goal of becoming a Knight. The rest of the day passed rather quickly, but neither Lawrence nor Benni were truly able to focus on their training.

“Lawrence, let’s call it a day,” Benni said, eventually. Lawrence readily agreed, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

The two returned home. That night Lawrence dreamt of many things, things like the masked figure, and sword slashes, and something else. For some reason Lawrence found himself dreaming of Elsie. Lawrence could feel an enveloping warmth shoot through his body as he slept. It was almost as though Lawrence found solace in his thoughts of her; it seemed like when he thought of her nothing could stop him. He could feel her arms wrap around him in an embrace, and even though her constant nagging annoyed him at first, it was something that Lawrence now craved. He wanted to be with her. He needed to complete his training so he could return to the castle and see her once again.
I’m afraid you won’t come back.
Her words echoed throughout his dream and Lawrence was reminded that he had true feelings for Elsie.

True strength…

True…

True purpose…

The words continued to echo in his dream, and Lawrence was about to realize something very important.

Smack!

The side of Benni’s sword slapped against Lawrence’s cheek, pulling him from his dream and waking him from his revelation. The next day of training was just like the previous, as well as the ones that would follow. With each passing day, Lawrence could feel his body slowly changing. Muscles that once pained him now helped to bear the heavy burden that his training placed on him. Moments when he would consider giving up now served as fuel for his continuous drive to become stronger. Lawrence could feel it in every task he did, from lifting rocks to dueling with Benni. He felt himself steadily becoming stronger. His swings packed more power than those previous, and his moves were crisper than ever before. Where he once struggled to block Benni’s attacks, now he successfully parried them, even knocking Benni off balance at times. Lawrence became relentless in his training, and with each passing day, he could feel his odds of success improving. Days melted into weeks, and before Lawrence realized it, those weeks had turned into a month.

One night Lawrence slept heavy, but this time he awoke before Benni. Lawrence opened his eyes; the room was shrouded in darkness from the night that still lingered over Haile. Lawrence heard a loud noise.

Gggggaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

Benni was snoring. Lawrence wondered to himself how Benni would react to his awaking first. Lawrence sat up and rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to a more alert state. He stood up, reached for the wall to steady himself, and grabbed his longsword that leaned against his bedside. Since he had started living with Benni, Lawrence had dreamed of this day. He yearned for the day that he would be able to give Benni a taste of his own medicine, and this was that opportunity.

Thwack!

The cold steel of Lawrence’s longsword slapped against Benni’s cheek, jerking him from his peaceful slumber. “What the hell?!” he screamed. He struggled to a sitting position, babbling and bumbling like a buffoon.

“Shhh, Benni, we wouldn’t want to wake your mother, would we? Now get suited up, it’s time for training.”