British Empire the fleet leaves the shores

THE NEXT DAY...

At dawn before the time the fleet leaves the shores, Grendel traveled to his home town, a Manor at the coastline of Romford.

Nothing has changed in Romford, it's regular absenceness of activities, sparsity of population were all maintained, Grendel wasn't surprised to see his hometown the way it was "some things never change"Grendel said as he treaded through the town, making his way to his father's house, nowhere in England are nostalgias felt more than the solemn coastlines of Romford, London, the inhabitants tends to live and die in their home land without ever being to another land, they feared they wouldn't be able to deal with feeling homesick.

Apart from tranquility, Romford has abundance of granaries, stables, and warehouses, Christianity added to it's development, with a gigantic monastery at the countryside, and a church at the center of the town, these all gave Romford the completeness of every regular town in Britian.

Knock! Knock!

Grendel hit his knuckles on the wooden doors of a cruck truss cottage, "who's there." a wobbly voice answered, like it came from a woman who had come of great age, a granny, hearing her voice sent smiles to Grendel's face, "mother" Grendel whispered, he yearned to see her face after a good long while, the bolts went clicking, and afterwards the door opened.

"Oh!, My son" she said softly, and fell into his arms, Grendel embrace her deeply, kissing her hair, as tears dripped out of his eyes,

"After so long mother." Grendel caught her face in his hands, looking straight into her grey eyes with a smile, Mrs Lucy Gardner smiled back at him,

"Come on in son." Lucy Gardner went ahead, Grendel tailed on her into living room.

"How is father doing?" Grendel asked, Lucy looked back at him, her lips staggered and tears beclouded her eyes, "Where is my father!" Grendel strained.

Lucy Gardner was unable to utter a word, she sobbed and fell against the wall, Grendel took the stairs up to the room, to see what was left of his father,

He drove the doors open widely, to find monsignor Edward Shackleton and Reverend sister Abby Wednesday sitting before his father Gregory Gardner laying on the bed, Shackleton held onto Mr Gardner's hands firmly, saying prayers to the Lord for his recovery,

When Grendel barged in, it caused an obstruct to shackleton's prayers, both his and Abby's attention were driven to Grendel.

"Is he dead?" Grendel asked,

"No son, he is just too tired" Shackleton said, assuring him his father wasn't dying.

Grendel took a stool at laying at the conner of the room, and sat before his father, he closed his hands over his,

"Father, can you hear me!"

Mr Gregory Gardner, drew his eye lids apart, he felt a familiar touch rubbing over his skin,

"Grendel, is that you." He uttered in a low tone, it took him a lot of energy to talk,

"Father." Grendel's said.

"They say my days are numbered, but I keep waking up." Said Mr Gardner, he laughed afterwards with a coarse voice, sounded like his vocals has been at rest for a good long while, getting a slight scent of nasty smells oozing out, grendel pulled his face away from him a little.

Grendel felt an affection, a type that was pitiful, "Oh God!" He exclaimed, and he thought -

"that death was better than the his father state.

All the while he was away travailing in the castle, mum was was slaving away at granaries, for a low wage, to take care of his father.

If he knew long ago his father's state had gone from bad to worse, he would have quit his job, and dedicate his whole life, to the man who, restlessly and ceaselessly travailed for his furtherance and well being, he would stay with him this last days of his life."

Grendel wept while having those thoughts, he kept believing, if he was present, he wouldn't have allowed his father's health to go down to worse, he thought maybe mother's work at the granary might have been taking her a lot of time, that caused her not take care of father very well, Abby Wednesday and Shackleton clinged closely to eachother, watching and weeping inwardly, sharing with Grendel, his emotional pain.

"Why are you crying my son?" Said, Mr Gregory Gardner, he placed his Pam on Grendel's left cheek,

"Look what your life has turned into." Grendel said,

Mr Gardner folded his eyes in pain, tears wetted her lower lid,

"Am no better than dead, the dead rest, why I rest painfully." Mr Gardner said.

"Stay alive for me father, I finally got to achieve my dreams, I was chosen to go find a city of gold, please stay alive till I get home, okay." Grendel said.

His father gave a slight nod.

"Get some rest now." Grendel said and stood from the stool, as he was about to leave, Shackleton said to him.

"The city of gold, aye?"

"What about it?" Grendel turned around.

"Be careful about that journey, the bishop was bribed by the Emperor to support that journey."

It got things more interesting for Grendel, but never did he have the thoughts of backing out from the journey, given the promises of protection Goren the great wizard had given him, and he had heard a little about the Emperor's evil plans.

"Why the mysterious advice, monsignor?" Said Grendel.

"Do not go to that journey, the Lord will not be with England on that journey." Shackleton pronounced.

Grendel stared at him for a while,

" We live a life of faith, not of sight.

Tell my mother I have left." He said, and strode out the house,

_____________________

Grendel rode back to Buckingham before evening, took a sack of potatoes and rode to the sea shores of Westminster a two hours journey, to join the fleet.

__________________

The English fleet left the shores, before king Charles....

NEXT : The Feudal Japanese Empire.