"Ay, boy! Ay, BOY!"Phillip twitched, as his mental faculties began to work again.
"Hoy... Boy, you"re in luck. Your lord has decided to bail you out."
Phillip looked to where the voice was coming from, as his blurred vision filtered to a manageable level to understand his situation. He found himself in a small jail cell. He laid half on a bed bunk and half on the floor. It seemed that he was too heavy for the police to heft in a more respectable position, at least they tried...
The door swung open with a metallic squeal, as the Officer waved his hand for Phillip to come out.
Phillip made it to his feet, as he held his splitting head. He stumbled out of the cell, and into the narrow hallway, in the dimness of the jail quarters of the Police house.
Being led out of the jail quarters, he met with his fellow squire.
"I don"t know why Lord G.o.dalming bailed you out, but he should have left you to rot." A naseled high n.o.ble voice drifted over from a brat named Simon.
Simon was a short thin boy, 15 in age. He came from a n.o.ble"s home. The Drakes Family. Though he was conceived as a b.a.s.t.a.r.d with a maid of the family, his father claimed him and found he had talent in cultivation... This led to him becoming a squire of Lord G.o.dalming, just last year.
"Thanks, Simon," Phillip said sincerely, as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Don"t thank me, you stupid oaf. And you know you need to refer to me as Young n.o.ble Drake!" Simon pointed his finger in Phillip"s face.
"..." Phillip remained silent.
An older Officer walked up from the side office as he spoke to Simon.
"Young n.o.ble Simon, please inform Lord G.o.dalming I would love to have dinner with him and his upon his return."
Simon, with a large fake smile, replied, "Of course, Sargent Leoss. Lord G.o.dalming also wanted to ask when you came if you could bring your family"s prized upside-down pineapple cake."
The sergeant guffawed a few times before replying, "Not a problem."
Simon waved on Phillip, as they left.
*******
Lord G.o.dalming stood fully armored, as he directed his servants when Simon and Phillip approached.
Lord G.o.dalming was an impressive meter tall, though still slightly shorter than Phillip. His armor was a solid silver with gold inlay. At his side was his sword called dawnbright. A family heirloom pa.s.sed down.
With a sweep of his large gold cape, Lord G.o.dalming turned awaiting the approach of his squires with a frown on his face.
Simon was the first to greet. "Your lordship is always impressive in his full armor. It amazes me that your prestige increases even more than when your lordship wears his n.o.ble vestments." He a.s.s licked as hard as he could, as taught by his mother.
"As always you have a good eye, Simon!" Lord G.o.dalming beamed a smile, as who didn"t enjoy compliments. He then turned to Phillip, "Boy... You smear my name. Stealing from Central Eve, and then getting tossed into the street like trash. If it wasn"t for the urgency of my latest mission, I would have left you to ponder your situation within the District jail." He reprimanded.
As Phillip had become accustomed to such scolding, he could only meekly nod his head, as he knew it would be a waste of his efforts to explain himself. His lord was always right, even when he was wrong... A lesson he learned the hard way, least he lift his shirt and reveal the lashes that had now turned to scars.
"Alright, no more dwelling on the past. I"ve already taken care of the stolen funds from Central Eve, and paid the Authorities, so you will have no more problems, but your lost monies are your own fault. Let that be a lesson not to take money from others, and if you are going to do such things..." Lord G.o.dalming took a step forward so that only he and Phillip could hear, "Be smarter about it, and not get caught, lest my reputation sink again because of your stupidity."
Lord G.o.dalming walked away, as he shouted out his orders to those around him, "Alright folks! This isn"t an ice cream social! I want everything packed within the hour, and horses at the ready. We have ourselves a potential vampire outbreak, and I"m not going to answer the pope for a failing in my duty!"
After Lord G.o.dalming pointed his finger out what he wanted, Phillip found that he really was sprung simply so that he could do the heavy lifting and make the packing faster. Cases of Holy Water, Heavenly Relics, offerings to the Neighboring Kingdom, and Currency.
Phillip hefted, heaved, and carried for an hour nonstop to complete this matter, as many servants carried these items in the threes and fours, while he alone lifted them to load.
The wagons were set, and Lord G.o.dalming has already arranged his servants that would accompany him, including Simon.
Lord G.o.dalming approached Phillip, as he spoke, "This time I"ll be taking you along as well. There are simple bandits along the road. It will be a good time for you to test your metal against some simple foes. If none appear, that"s for the best, but I could always use a hand with the unloading. To that end, I have a set of armor for you to wear. It might be a bit tight but do the best you can."
"Of course, my lord, but... Do I have enough time for a shower...?" Phillip asked hesitantly. One of the perks of being a squire was to use the open bathhouse they had, though he only got to use it once a month, and only when no one was around.
"Boy! This is an opportunity and you wish to waste it with water?! No amount of water is going to clean you, so just get along! Suit up and be back as soon as you can! If you don"t make it back in the time allotted, then I will simply leave!
"...What about my home... I have to pay rent today... and..."
"...You got fifteen minutes and counting."
Phillip decided that it might be nice to leave this place for a while... As for his home... What did he really have that was his? He could always replace it. It wasn"t like he actually had the money to pay rent but was hoping maybe Lord G.o.dalming would be generous enough to help, but that was stupid to a.s.sume.
He quickly wiped himself down and found the armor as directed by a servant. The servant sneered at him, as they left.
Not caring for the reaction, Phillip was thrilled to actually put on a suit of armor for the first time in his life.
Though he noticed that the helmet was rusted, and the faceguard couldn"t be lifted... In addition, the helmet interlocked with the chest armor, making it where he couldn"t move his neck due to the rusted nature. The Armor was a size too small, at least the chain mail was easy to fit. When he was done, he felt like a sausage stuffed into a can. He stiffly walked to the side and lifted a sword. He could tell it was a dull practice sword that was used for the young men when they entered for the first time.
[I guess I"ll call you ole" rusty.] Phillip felt some joy for the first time in a long time with this and tied the sword to his side with a strip of old cloth as the sword didn"t have a sheath.
Now decked with a helmet, chest armor, gauntlets, he lacked leg plates, shin guards, and greaves... But he felt that he was for the first time. Strong.
He took long strides to load up on the wagons, just as Lord G.o.dalming called out to head off, not aware if Phillip was with them or not.
Phillip sat to the side in the near-empty caboose of the wagon train.
"Why the h.e.l.l did they put me back here with the pig!" Simon moaned as Phillip saw that he too was decked in armor. Though his shined like silver and was etched in many placed with his Families seal.
Phillip saw the many seals, and couldn"t help but think, [It"s not like people won"t know you"re from the Drake family, so why encrust it everywhere...] He furrowed his brows, but Simon couldn"t see his expression for Phillip"s helmet.
Phillip still feeling dizzy from his encounter, and fatigue washing over him, in its usual faction, he laid down on his back on the floor to take a nap, as Simon drew his armored plated feet back.
"Don"t get your stink on my armor! f.u.c.king listen to me when I talk to you pig! COMMONER! LISTEN"
Simon"s voice became distant until at last... The sweet sweet G.o.ddess of sleep came to take Phillip into her embrace, to what Phillip thought was only one of two places of peace... Sleep and Death.
The wagons left, and through the city, many commoners showed respect to the wagons that bared the crest of Lord G.o.dalming. Out of the front gates of the walled-in Capital City of the Kingdom of Chadia.
With dust trails left in their wake, as the wheels turned, so did the wheels of fate equally turn to bring about a change in the world...