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

by Mason Jr. , Jared

  “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.”

  Benni couldn’t believe it, in just over a month Lawrence had made a full transformation from a weak trainee to a strong and able Knight Guard prospect. In his mind Benni knew that Lawrence was ready, and tonight he would reward him for all of his hard work.

  Later that day during training, Benni called a halt to their efforts and pulled Lawrence aside. “I wish to speak to you tonight, alone and in private, Lawrence. I want you to meet me at our secret area; you know the one, right?”

  “Yes I do, Benni. Is it something important?”

  “It is something that I just don’t feel comfortable discussing where other ears could be listening. Meet me there in the mid of night.”

  “Yes, Benni, I will be there.”

  Benni continued their conversation almost immediately. “Lawrence, I have to leave you here for now. I have business to attend to with Mayor Flint. I will see you later on.”

  “Right. I will see you later, Benni.”

  “Goodbye, my friend,” Benni said. He turned and began to walk away.

  Business to attend to?

  Lawrence wondered what business Benni could possibly have with Mayor Flint. After finishing his training, he headed back home in the late afternoon. Lawrence went up to his room in the Wakewood household and lay down for a nap. His training, coupled with the current situation with Benni, was exhausting and he needed to rest. His head hit his feather pillow; he loved how cool the outside felt the first time he laid down. He nuzzled the side of his face into the pillow and could feel little feather tips poking through the covering. They tickled his face continuously until he finally stopped his burrowing. Lawrence succumbed to a deep sleep where he dreamed constantly. Lawrence stood outside of Haile looking back at the city he was training to protect. Elsie was with him.

  He could feel her squeeze his hand. “Lawrence, what will you do?”

  “I will protect Haile, Elsie, no matter what.”

  “What if you fail, Lawrence?”

  “I won’t, Elsie.”

  Just then Elsie’s voice changed to a dark and low voice. “What if you are unable to protect me, Lawrence Sanctus?” she screamed. “What if you fail? What if you fail to protect the city you love so much?! What then? You will be remembered as nothing more than a failure, a mistake! Fail, Lawrence Sanctus! You will fail!” Her words reverberated throughout his mind. He violently shook out of the dream. He was covered in sweat and shaking profusely.

  What the hell was that all about? Lawrence thought to himself as he sat up and wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. His undershirt was completely soaked and Lawrence wondered what his dream could have meant. Lawrence noticed that the room was barely lit now save by a candle. Lawrence assumed Helen had brought it up earlier, and when he looked outside he was shocked at how late it was. The moon was already high in the sky and he could feel himself panic.

  Damn, I’m going to be late.

  Lawrence ran down the steps with the candle in his hand, and after leaving it on the table, he exited out the front door. The place that he and Benni were to meet wasn’t that far away, and as far as it being secret, in truth, it wasn’t. It was under a large bridge that passed over True Trout Creek, which led from Alacrecia all the way down to the Endless where it branched into numerous brooks that flowed through the forest. Lawrence raced through the familiar streets of Haile, and out the eastern exit that faced Alacrecia. Upon reaching Alacrecia, Lawrence was reminded that his mentor Sabre Grey lived here, and while he had no business with him tonight, Lawrence still hoped that in the future the two would be able to train together. He ran past Sabre’s home, and eventually came to where the creek went under the first bridge, not his destination.

  Lawrence continued down the road out of Alacrecia and eventually he could see the second bridge. It was a sturdy, oak bridge that crossed the creek at its widest point. He saw a shadowy figure standing underneath it, barely illuminated by the moonlight. It didn’t look like Benni. Lawrence slowly approached, and the figure turned to face him. He got closer and closer, but still its face remained hidden by the shadows from the bridge. Lawrence stepped closer, and finally, the pale moonlight illuminated the figure. Lawrence’s breath caught in his throat.

  Chapter 16:

  It has come to my attention that the trout living in True Trout Creek, which runs through Alacrecia and down to the Endless, glow mysteriously on dark nights. In my research I have found that it is the magical energy of the Everglen that has permeated these waters and eventually the very fish themselves, making them appear to glow in the dark. It must take a while for their bodies to build up this magical energy however, because the young do not glow right away.

  - Big Branic’s Big Book of Mysteries, Chapter 15

  “Elsie?” Lawrence couldn’t believe it, Elsie was here.

  “Lawrence! What are you doing here?” Elsie sounded like she was waiting for someone else.

  “I was supposed to meet Benni. We planned to rendezvous here in the mid of night to discuss something important. What about you, Elsie?”

  “Benni told me to meet him here too, Lawrence!”

  Benni must have been setting me up to see Elsie, which explains why he went to the castle earlier. What is this supposed to be, some kind of reward? What the hell am I supposed to do? What do I say?

  “Elsie!” Lawrence blurted out suddenly. His outburst caused her to take a step backwards. She tripped over a rock and began to fall. Lawrence darted toward her, catching her as she fell. A moment passed, and then another. Elsie just lay there in Lawrence’s arms, feeling secure and safe in his firm grasp.

  “Lawrence…” Elsie stuttered as she looked up into his eyes.

  “Elsie, are you alright?”

  “Yes…”

  They both stared at each other for a long time before Lawrence brought Elsie back to a full standing position. What Elsie did next shocked Lawrence; he was unable t
o move as she threw her arms around him. Elsie kept squeezing tighter and tighter, but it was affectionate, not aggressive. Elsie gripped him like she feared that he would somehow squirm free from her grasp.

  “Oh Lawrence!” Elsie cried out. “I was so scared, I was afraid you wouldn’t come back to me. I missed you so much.”

  Lawrence didn’t move or say a word, he just stood there. Then, he put his arms around her too. He closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly, he could have sworn that the sun had come out in the middle of the night. It wasn’t the sun, but rather hundreds of fireflies coming out of the grass all at once, surrounding them, illuminating their union.

  “Lawrence, look!” Elsie exclaimed. She rested her head against his chest. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Elsie…I…” Lawrence struggled to say anything as he was still tight in her grasp. Lawrence looked for something, anything to distract them. He wasn’t ready for this; he had no idea what he should do. He saw something moving in the creek. It was a trout, its body illuminated by the fireflies and the moonlight. “Elsie, look!” Lawrence exclaimed, attempting to break up the awkward silence between the two.

  Elsie turned her head to look and eventually loosened her grip on Lawrence. “Lawrence, I’ve heard that this river flows right into the Everglen, and that the magic energy from it permeates this river causing the fish to glow at night. It is said that when it gets just past the mid of night their bodies begin to illuminate. I used to come here with my father when I was younger and we would feed the fish. We would bring dried bread scraps and toss them in, and the trout would strike at the surface. It was such a beautiful sight.”

  The trout surfaced to feed on a water beetle, and upon returning to its watery recluse, a faint light began to emit from it. It started at the eyes and worked its way through the body of the fish; it was a greenish-blue that almost made the fish look ethereal. Suddenly, more and more of them began to gather around the original one. They had all begun to glow with a similar light, illuminating the entire stream around them.