The Rebirth of Sir Cearbhall Kingshield

It was just after Sir Cearbhall’s attempted ritual suicide that Sir Sodo Masuta, an old tiger and the greatest swordsman in the land, arrived at Berwich. The tiger’s original purpose was to guard the Shogun as she joined Martin, Takuma and Magden on their quest to obtain the cloak, the Shogun hoping to undo the past transgression of one of her ancestors. Upon hearing all about Sir Cearbhall and what had happened to him however, Sir Sodo took great pity on the old goat and instead chose to offer Sir Cearbhall his assistance.
 
Sir Sodo recognized what it was that was afflicting Sir Cearbhall’s mind, he was after all an aged veteran who had seen many battles and many soldiers trying to endure surviving them. Knowing how to best handle someone in Sir Cearbhall’s state, Sir Sodo approached him and offered him wise words of comfort and managed to convince the old goat to leave his depressed stupor and agree to join Sir Sodo at his dojo.
 
After a few days had passed and Sir Cearbhall had regained some of his strength, the pair readied for departure. Before that however, Sir Cearbhall said a sorrowful farewell to Takuma and Martin and even gave Foe Slayer to the fox believing himself no longer Sir Cearbhall and unworthy of wielding the blade. With tears almost piercing the back of his eyes, Sir Cearbhall waved his companions off and readied for his own journey with Sir Sodo.
 
The journey took the better part of a week and upon arrival, Sir Cearbhall beheld the sight of a quaint little village literally built on the doorstep of the dojo. The place had every basic necessity with a few small market stalls, a blacksmith and a small tea room. The first to greet Sir Sodo and Sir Cearbhall was one of the swordmaster’s students called Tawaka; a wolf of high standing and much skill. Tawaka had a very keen sense of honour and, having heard of Sir Cearbhall’s cowardice against the Simians, was quick to berate the old goat.
 
Tawaka seemed to have grievances with everyone as soon after he was seen arguing with a large black bear called Shang, another of Sir Sodo’s students. The old tiger turned to Sir Cearbhall and gave him his first task; to discover what the dispute was about. Shang was much more hospitable towards Sir Cearbhall but gave nothing away with regards to the task. Sir Cearbhall wandered around the village before heading into the tea room where it was made immediately apparent just how foreign he was. A young woman named Ting however seemed to take pity on Sir Cearbhall and sat next to him, lightly conversing about tea as she showed him how it was properly brewed and served.
 
Sir Cearbhall then set about Sir Sodo’s task and after questioning various people, it was Tawaka’s wife who aided him most in discovering what the dispute between Tawaka and Shang was about. Pleased with the result, Sir Sodo then stepped in and settled the matter between his two students.
 
Afterwards, Sir Cearbhall’s training began in earnest, training hard to condition his body and re-hone his sword skills. It was tough going at first, but Sir Cearbhall was always improving, slowly but surely. He improved his strength, became surer in saddle and even managed to begin to surpass his past skill with a blade.
 
Tawaka’s shadow continued to loom over Sir Cearbhall and once Sir Cearbhall was back to full strength, the bitter wolf challenged him to a duel of honour based on baseless injuries. Being the superior swordsman and driven by determination, Tawaka ended the duel in a single blow, humiliating Sir Cearbhall in front of the entire village.
 
Believing that his end had truly come this time and that there was no hope of rehabilitation, Sir Cearbhall set himself to plummet once more into a pit of despair when the young woman Ting approached him once more. With kind, soft and reassuring words, she comforted Sir Cearbhall, lifted his spirits and eased his concerns. It was as if she spoke the words of the gods.
 
Word came on that same day that the Simians previously defeated at Berwich had reorganized and were once again raiding across the coast. Sir Sodo readied all of the fighting men in Dojon and rode out to engage the enemy. Riding at speed, they made it to the fort in a mere three days and immediately set about tracking down the enemy.
 
The Simians had already managed to infiltrate the town and were seeking to throw open the gates to let more of their comrades in. But Sir Cearbhall, surviving an ambush, returned to form, dispatched the enemies and alerted Sir Sodo and the rest of the men as they hurried to the main gate. There Sir Cearbhall found himself once more face to face with his nemesis, The Survivor. As the men from both sides formed a circle around the two warriors, Sir Cearbhall engaged The Survivor in a duel.
 
This time, filled with determination and Sir Sodo’s wise words, Sir Cearbhall unleashed his fury on his enemy and overwhelmed the ape, sending him crashing to ground, raining blow after blow, shattering the Simians mask that had plagued the knights’ dreams for so long. Prolonging The Survivors suffering as long as he could, Sir Cearbhall ended the duel by decapitating his foe.
 
But the fight was not over as a large, hooded and cloaked figure emerged from the Simian ranks, seemingly unworldly, adorned in strange armour, wielding a blade that distorted the air around it. Sir Sodo stepped forth to confront this new enemy but only found his end. The figured grabbed Sir Sodo’s blade and snapped it in two before lifting the old master off his feet with one hand and snapping his neck.
 
Sir Cearbhall could only watch on in horror as Tawaka and Shang leapt forth at the figure, combining their attacks and deploying all of their skill. Alas it was to no avail as nothing seemed to hurt this enemy. Sir Cearbhall was brought back to his senses as he aided his allies, the three warriors fighting in perfect synchronization but again were unable to land a blow. Taking a knee, Sir Cearbhall prayed to the goddess Flori to grant him strength and was answered. This time when the figure was struck, Sir Cearbhall’s blade left a mark before the sword disintegrated. Acting unfazed, the dark figure chose to withdraw, vowing to destroy Sir Cearbhall should they meet again.
 
The following day, there was a solemn vigil held for Sir Sodo and the entire town came to say goodbye to their brave and noble champion. The townsfolk also presented Sir Cearbhall with a gift, a shield with the image of him fighting a Simian as Ram watches from above emblazed on it. Sir Cearbhall also took to the ramparts and marching to where the wall faced out over the ocean, he raised his banner high, catching the wind and displaying his sigil across to the Simian Empire, a warning that the Kingshield had returned and was ready to repel any future attacks.
 
Sir Sodo’s body was then returned to Dojon where his students held a proper funeral for their master. Seemingly at a loss and uncertain of his future once again, Sir Cearbhall was approached by Tawaka who offered to be his new master and continue his training. Sir Cearbhall accepted the offer and the two of them soon traveled back to the Akanowan capital as the day of the Shogun’s possible deposition drew near.
 
There in the throne room, with nary half a day to spare, the Shogun presented herself along with Prince Martin, his herald Takuma and their new, young companion Junpei. She announced the success of her quest as she presented the famous cloak but not all of the Lords of Akanowa were convinced. Tawaka and Sir Cearbhall however, stepped forth and gave their words of honour that they stood behind the Shogun. In the end, the Lady of the East kept her position and majority of support, the cloak had been recovered and her and her family’s honour restored. Sir Cearbhall rejoined the company with Takuma and Martin, the three of them set out to continue their quest and obtain the remaining relics.
 
This completed Sir Cearbhall’s proper return from exile as he exercised his demons and pledged himself in earnest to fulfilling his King’s last wish.
 
Sir Cearbhall Kingshield had been reborn.