Chapter 270: Dust Kicker
And Sir Gawaine went into the castle, and made him ready to lie there all night, and would have unarmed him. What will ye do, said Gaheris, will ye unarm you in this country? Ye may think ye have many enemies here.
They had not sooner said that word but there came four knights well armed, and assailed Sir Gawaine hard, and said unto him, Thou new-made knight, thou hast shamed thy knighthood, for a knight without mercy is dishonoured. Also thou hast slain a fair lady to thy great shame to the world’s end, and doubt thou not thou shalt have great need of mercy or thou depart from us.
And therewith one of them smote Sir Gawaine a great stroke that nigh he fell to the earth, and Gaheris smote him again sore, and so they were on the one side and on the other, that Sir Gawaine and Gaheris were in jeopardy of their lives; and one with a bow, an archer, smote Sir Gawaine through the arm that it grieved him wonderly sore.
And as they should have been slain, there came four fair ladies, and besought the knights of grace for Sir Gawaine; and goodly at request of the ladies they gave Sir Gawaine and Gaheris their lives, and made them to yield them as prisoners. Then Gawaine and Gaheris made great dole. Alas! said Sir Gawaine, mine arm grieveth me sore, I am like to be maimed; and so made his complaint piteously.
- Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte D’Arthur (1485, 1st Era)
Enide’s car came to a screeching stop; along with a cloud of burned rubber and a smell Erec swore he could detect, even buried in his steel frame. The moment it stopped moving, he leaped out from his seat. His axe hummed in his hands, silver flames flaring from his grip of the weapon.
He saw them, like stalwart shields in the wasteland. The backs of two Knights. Proper Knights. His brothers in arms, facing off alone against a massive wall of black bugs, bulkier than cars. They rushed as a tide of death, their howling chitters grating against his ears, and making him grind his teeth together to withstand them.
Yet, to Erec’s eyes, his friends blazed like beacons. Far more interesting than any bugs, they'd reached the Round Table. They were about to engage in a no-holds-barred fight against the wasteland itself.
Erec pushed past Sir Helvek and Sir Able, the latter of whom was shouting at him, trying to get him to stop.