Launcelot rides off into the sunset, ready for a new adventure! Which is to say, that first adventure he was on, which got disrupted by Lionel’s disappearance. Soon he’s back in the general vicinity of where he lost Lionel.  Malory forgot that he’s specified that it wasn’t a forest, because now he’s in a forest, though.  So Launcelot is in a forest, and he meets a random damosel.

“Ahoy, damosel!  Any strange adventures around?”

“Oh, don’t even ask me about strange adventures.  It’s strange adventures out the wazoo here, you know that?  I mean, assuming you want to do them.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to do a strange adventure?  I’m a knight!  It’s what I do!”

“Fine, fine, I’m not looking to pick a fight with you.  Tell me your name, and I’ll direct you to the biggest, victorious-est knight in the region.  I’m sure jousting him will be strange adventure enough for you.”

“You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to tell you I am the Man from Benwick! Sir Launcelot du Lake!”

(dramatic sting)

“Yeah, okay, whatever. There’s this knight who just beats everybody. His name is Sir Turquine, he’s in this castle over that-a-ways, and he’s got all these knights imprisoned in his basement. And some of those guys are from Camelot, so you know he’s badass.”

“How many knights?”

“Two raised to the sixth power, that’s how many.”

Launcelot lets out a low whistle. “Dang.”

“Yeah. But I’m sure you’ll trounce him. Anyway. If you survive, and don’t die, and don’t end up Prisoner Number Sixty-Five, promise me you’ll take a trip with me and beat up this one guy who’s hassling me and my friends.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

So Yuffie — that’s what I’m calling this particular damosel — Yuffie leads Launcelot over to Castle Turquine, and the shields hanging from the tree, and the big washbasin gong. Launcelot rings the gong!

No response.

Launcelot looks quizzically at Yuffie, who shrugs and shakes her head. “I dunno. Try it again?”

Launcelot tries it again!

No response.

Let’s skip ahead a half-hour. Eventually Launcelot gives up on ringing the gong, and mounts up, and starts riding around the outside of Castle Turquine, hooting and shouting.

No response, at least not right away. Another half-hour later, a knight finally appears!

It’s Sir Gaheris, one of Gawaine’s younger brothers!

He’s tied up!

Specifically, he’s tied to the back of a horse!

Specifically, it’s Turquine’s horse!

And Turquine is riding his horse! Malory bets you didn’t see that coming!

Anyway. Launcelot sees Turquine riding up, and tells Yuffie “check it out, number sixty-five there is my buddy, Sir… Sir Gawaine’s Brother. He probably has another name. I forget. Sir Aggravating? No, that’s a different guy. Sir Uwaine? No, that’s his cousin. I don’t remember his name. I admit that. But I’ll rescue him nonetheless! I’m guessing Lionel is another prisoner. So I’ll rescue them both. Really, I’ll just rescue everybody…”

Turquine gets into earshot at this point, so Launcelot shouts a challenge to him. “Hey, Sir Turquine! Hey! Over here! I’m from Camelot, and I’m here to joust you!”

“What?”

“I’m here to rescue that knight, and all the other knights you imprisoned! Let’s joust!”

“Fine, fine.” Turquine moves to attack Launcelot, but Launcelot raises an arm.

“No, no, no, hold on. Get the knight off your horse first, we don’t want him to get hurt.”

“Fair enough.”

“And while we’re at it, you should give your horse a few minutes of rest. It wouldn’t be fair for me to beat you, and you with an exhausted horse.”

“That’s right kindly of you,” growls Turquine. “Clearly when it comes to the flower of chivalry, you’re a pretty pretty blossom. But my motto is still Down with the Round Table!”

“Yeah, I’m definitely going to beat you. I’m pro-Round Table.”