Empire of Neu Uburzis, Nordberg Priory Ruins, 18.8.2017, evening
Their hands, arms and feet had been covered in marks through the day. By now Orion had figured they where facing a rouge Group from the Trinity Order. During their lessons, really it was beatings where in between they where forced to first listen to Prayers and the Orders own commitments, while after falsely reciting them they got canned some more. Orion counted himself lucky, his additional historical curriculum as Emperor had given him enough information on the Order to avoid half of the beatings. Arthur on the other hand had defied they captors throughout the whole ordeal. Whenever he was reciting, he repeated the Oath of a famous TV Series. He had been part of it himself, as the Knights illegitimate Son, and apparently obsessed with Knighthood ever since. These people trampling on his Dreams seemingly had him fighting with teeth and claws against until they would break him completely.
"Keep them locked up until tomorrow, if they keep on defying we will make an example out of that oldest one." the oldest of their Captors had been saying, as they had locked the cellar again. The Group hurled together around a single candle.
"So they goal is to break us into following their ordeal?" Hans said, the youngest of the whole group, shivering sightly.
"By now they should have realized in what corner they had maneuvered themselves." Orion added, shaking his head slowly: "The whole country is probably already scouring for us. Just someone from inside the camp must have helped them."
Arthur was gripping to keep himself up, his face green and blue: "I agree, the Locating signal from the Dog tags alone can not have been enough. They had to be fast to even grab us, probably only one or two minutes before the military would have caught their intrusion."
"Does that matter though?" Bertram, only a couple months older than Orion asked: "We are stuck here, and who knows what they will do, if we don't get out."
Heinrich, second oldest to only Arthur in this group, glared up to both of them: "Can i ask you two something. I can tell somethings odd. You two have been talking about us being kidnapped being a huge deal. Or shall i say, Olaf in particular?"
Arthur and Orion exchanged glances, before shaking their heads: "Well. Feel graced by the presence of your Emperor." Arthur cynically replied, shaking his head slowly.
"I did not ask for this!" Orion barked, anger and sadness in his eyes: "Almost all of my Family is dead! I got put on a pedestal i didn't ask for and everyone and their mother is trying to force their will on me! Aside from Albrecht no one even cares what i think, want or feel!" Standing up and grabbing a stone, he threw it at the pile of rubble breathing heavily: "I am as much a puppet and forced into being someone i just not am at home than i am here!"
Hans jumped up and pounced on Orion, though he was in a bad Position, without much effort Orion kicked him off balance and send him onto his back. Bertram then joined and landed a punch in Orion's stomach, resulting in a punch to his own face. As he tumbled backwards Arthur stood up, backhanding Heinrich before he joined the fight, and walking over to Orion and slapping him across his face as well.
"Snap out of it!" he yelled, glaring angry at everyone around, before their guards crashed in, mercilessly beating Arthur down.
"Behave yourselves!" they barked: "Or tomorrow we will only deal with for of you, was that clear?"
It took a few minutes of glaring between them before Arthur sighed: "Sorry."
Orion shook his head: "Don't be. You are right. if we don't keep it together they will either break or kill us all."
"So." Bertram spoke again, with everyone else being silent: "What was your plan should we get out of here?" in a hushed voice, glaring at the entrance.
"I have a second GPS transmitter on me." Orion said, with everyone else getting big eyes: "It's sewed into the side of my boots. Just in case anyone would know about the ones in the dog tags."
Arthur leaned back , glaring at the distance for a while while sighing.
"I think we have one shot. but it's risky." Pointing to the collapsed wall behind them: "There's a way out behind. I don't think they realize i know the Priory's layout. It's been some years since i have been on TV."
"Thanks to me" Orion added, his shoulders hanging low. he didn't really have much time to talk with Arthur about feeling sorry, but when should he heave? So much had been happening.
"That's not the point, but we only have one chance." Arthur said: "If they notice us digging through the rubble it's probably to late. And one of us will pay for it. You heard them."
Orion shook his head: "Then that's not a plan at all."
Arthur padded him on the Shoulder: "Right now, maybe i am the only one thinking that way, but if the Country finds out you are Kidnapped it will be much more of a Problem."
Several minutes later, they started digging in the dead angle from the cellar door, at least two of them always staying in sight of the guards. Hans hissed suddenly, blood running from his hand as he had been gripping a rusty sword stuck in the dirt. Arthur went over and pulled it from the pile, a sad smile on his face while Bertram held Hans Mouth shut covering the wound with his own Shirt.
"That was the Prob for the film back then. They Villain used it to scare people as false Ghost Knight." Arthur said, turning to Orion.
"Would you do me a favor? i mean any of us could be dead tomorrow."
He took a deep Breath, getting down on his knee and held the rusty Prop sword out to Orion: "Would you mind making me a Knight?"
Orion was shaking in his Boots. Literally no Emperor had ever actually granted Knighthood. Ever since the Empire it was considered an overhauled ideal, a child's play at best, and the Faith of Outcasts like the Trinity Order at worst ever since they had stood against Konrad the third.
Starring to the teenager at his feet, Orion trembled, slowly nodding. The other three decided to keep digging instead, shaking their head.
"I pledge myself to defend the defenseless..." Arthur started to recite the same oath from his Favorite TV Knight again:
"to aid those in need, and to never back down from the call of Duty.
I call forth the blessing of Bravery, may the Divine Aspect lead my hand.
I pledge myself to Orion the First, Emperor of Neu Uburzis."
Orion sighed, raising the blade and laying it onto each of Arthur's shoulders, before answering:
"Rise, Sir Arthur Lindwurm. First Knight of the Realm."
A loud noise commenced, the other three had opened up a gap in the rubble behind them by pushing down a boulder, though the horror of the loud noise made all of them freeze in an instant. Arthur grabbed the sword from Orions hand pushing him towards the Rubble:
"GO!" he barked, as the other four started crawling through, Arthur pushed against the door. Keeping it shut for as long as he could. Orion glimpsed them slowly pushing it open as he finally made it through, grabbing Arthur in the process.
The others grabbed Orion and together made their way to the outside walls of the Priory, horrified as they heard Arthur's screams echoing behind. All of them ran, into the woods.
The third to be caught again was Hans, screaming and whimpering as the beating he received was audible even for the ones ahead.
Bertram was caught several minutes later, he had been pushing a different direction than Orion, into an open glade where he was easy to catch for his pursuers.
Orion and Heinrich reached a road, their guess was they had been running for at least twenty minutes at this point, hearing at least two pairs of boots still close behind them.
They heard a loud noise over them, a helicopter. Just as their Pursuers closed in on them, a Spotlight illuminated the Road, their kidnappers now the pursued, turned heels as the Helicopter touched down.
It took another ten Minutes for Police and Military to show up with ground vehicles, while Orion had been staying in the back of a Van, exhausted. Heinrich had fallen asleep as he had been given relaxation Medication against the shock, but Orion refused. He needed to know how the other three where doing. Only has he saw several police men with face pale as a ghost he decided to hop out of the van. They where parked in the center court of the Priory ruins.
Bertram and Hans where carried on Stretchers, medicated and sedated from their injuries. Several Kidnappers had been caught, others escaped into the dead of night, none dead.
Arthur was there as well. Hanging on a rope from a balcony. His eyes milky as the dead boy was being rocked by the winds. Orion picked up the sword he had been knighting Arthur with, laying bloodstained below the corpse, proving he was fighting until overwhelmed. Orion started screaming as he grabbed the sword, falling onto his knees. Not again, just not again. Again someone died. It was just wrong. The policemen quickly dragged Orion back, though unable to pry the sword from his hands.