Eddy was standing in his group as they heard his uncle scream, "I need help! CODE BLACK!"
It was so loud that it nearly dropped some of the older women.
One started stuttering, "Bl-bl-black?!" and then she collapsed for real.
Another woman was causing the snow on the ground around her to turn yellow.
All of the Knights stood frozen for a moment, then they moved into the room.
"Formation 7!" Captain Howard shouted. They rotated and formed a tight shield dome around Thaddeus, the eight around him began to interlock their armor.
Eddy watched as the men locked into place. They had some sort of rope system to determine who is lead, then the two soldiers directly left and right grabbed his shirt and lifted.
Eddy dangled off the ground, but at least he didn't pee his pants.
They were moving quickly from room to room so gently that he could barely feel the acceleration. Then he heard something, "Uncle, I am so glad to see you!" He tried to look over the Knightly Bubble, but it was impossible.
Rodrick nodded, then he removed his helmet, "Lord Blackstone, I left the traitor alive."
Eddy heard a weird thud and realized that was his uncle carrying a man like a bag of groceries, then...suddenly not.
He heard a hollow voice, "Uncle, is..is that my brother?" She was trying to point but her arm simply refused to lift.
"Yes, Lady Blackstone. That is your younger brother, Thaddeus."
He felt awkward but Eddy asked, "Can I see her?"
Rodrick nodded and then the formation broke like a dam. They fell out into a column of bodies leading him towards her.
Eddy stepped forward when he noticed something wrong, "Why is she so thin?"
He could see the hollowness of her face, she was close to death.
He ran up to her and took her hand, "You are going to be okay!" Eddy turned and shouted, "Someone please, help!" Then he turned back to her for a moment. She was so weak.
One grabbed supplies and brought it forward, Eddy looked at it, "Do we know if it has been under your supervision, the WHOLE time?" The Knight shook his head.
Rodrick nodded then grabbed the ration, "It has been poisoned." He made a strange face when sniffing it, but Eddy would trust him.
Eddy realized, "We are still under attack." Then the men rushed around him as they heard steps coming from the front.
The footsteps weren't loud like metal, but they were numerous enough to cause a spike of fear within the Knights.
"WHO GOES THERE?" Rodrick shouted as he stepped forward.
The footsteps faltered for a moment before a voice of outrage erupted, "WHAT KIND OF MUTINY IS THIS? MEN, GET THEM!" Then the group of mercenaries approached and attempted to form a semi-circle around them.
Rodrick handed Miranda to Thaddeus, then he unsheathed his blade and readied his shield.
"If. You do not leave. I will slaughter you." He was stepping forward and had his guard down.
The men watching him took a step back as they pointed spears and rusted weaponry at him.
There must have been over two-hundred still filling into the large room.
A voice rang out, "HALT!" then the man walked forward and question, "Rodrick? Is that you?"
He nodded, "I thought you were with the Royal Guard? Why are you back here..." then it dawned on him, the little boy was obviously being protected as he tried to hold the thin Lady, "What has happened here?" The commander of the mercenaries stepped backwards after asking such a silly question.
Rodrick gained a new wrinkle on his forehead, "THE KNIGHTS OF LORD THADDEUS BLACKSTONE WERE TRANSPORTING HIM HERE, TO HIS RESIDENCE!" He had a echo rebounding after every word.
"THEN, A TRAITOR PLACED AN ORC IN THADDEUS' CARRIAGE!!!" He stepped slowly, "Now. I find myself before a "group of a soldiers" in dire need of killing."
The voice was staggering, "W-WAIT!" the commander was confused.
"Can this be proven? Is this child Lord Blackstone?" The man was inching back closer to Rodrick as he left his formation.
Rodrick grabbed a golden scroll, "This is a copy of the Royal Decree, but we are way past that."
The man gently and slowly grabbed the decree from his hands.
"Oh..." His face went pale, then he knelt on the ground.
"Men. Place your weapons down." He spoke softly, but everyone could feel the terror in his voice.
One by one, confused "soldiers" dropped their weapons onto the stone floor.
Rodrick sighed, "I was really looking forward to that..." then he turned dejectedly to the guards. The man on the ground began to shake at his words, 'Demon of the High Court'.
Eddy was confused as they began to wrap things up, literally. They were tying up all of the men and thousands of people were gathered outside of the keep's door.
Eddy had set his sister down on a clean rug and was mostly focused on her and Sofia. They seemed to hit it off, maybe it was a woman thing, but Eddy had to know if she had been...harmed. She was abused in so many ways, he just hoped it wasn't in the worst way.
'Please tell me it wasn't...' He leaned forward, "Sis?" They stopped their conversation, "Are you okay?" He had genuine concern, as he had a butt-munching sister back on Earth.
She nodded, "I am very hungry, but I think I will recover." She smiled meekly and closed her eyes, taking the silence and let this moment leave the forefront of her mind momentarily.
He glanced at Sofia with an extremely concerned expression and she shook her head no.
'No torture..or worse, thank God.' He nearly dropped to his knees, he lollygagged by walking, if he had been a few minutes late, he didn't know what he would do. He knew he barely knew her, but it was so...instinctual for him as a brother.
He looked down the hall at the men being bound, they had looks of terror, horror, and some were blank from shock.
'This has been a shit show.' He placed his hand on his sister's and felt the lack of warmth coming from her body.
"Sofia, get her blankets and make sure Rodrick checks the food before she eats or drinks." He squeezed and then let go, he had something important to do.
He began walking over to the group of bound men, "Milord! Please do not approach the traitors."
Nameless Knight-24 was very protective, apparently.
He nodded, "I will sit here then."
Eddy placed his butt on the cold stone floor as the spare Knights gathered around to guard him.
"Why?" He asked to the group.
None of the men really looked at him very seriously.
"Hello? I am asking you guys a question." He spoke once more, only getting a few glances before one spoke, "Please, milord, have mercy!" Then the man dropped to the ground and tried to beg, but the ropes were keeping him from moving his arms too far from the wall.
He sighed, "Knight, what is the standard method of removal of traitors?"
The one that spoke previously, nameless-25 or -27? spoke, "Milord, it is very likely that these men will be put to death."
The bound men just sat there.
They already knew.
The Thaddeus asked, "Do you believe that the 200 or so odd men could have defeated you?"
The Knights took some offense to that, "Milord, Knight Rodrick would have been more than enough to deal with them, even if they had a thousand men."
Eddy nodded, 'Superman could slaughter a lot of normal people, that is for sure.'
As the men laid in their sorrows, Eddy wondered 'Just what the hell went wrong here, the old women were misinformed, then the fucking Lord slaughtered his whole keep?'
The Orc and the poisoned supplies meant the traitors had strategy and leadership, how could something be this deep, yet so fucking messy?
Then a Golden document appeared in the Sky, "WARNING, TO ALL LORDS, CIVIL WAR IS UPON US!!!" Then it disappeared in a shower of golden light.
Then another Silver document appeared and floated down into the keep under the eyes of all.
It gently flew and landed in the hands of the sitting child.
The silver lettering burned brightly as it transmitted into his skull, "Hello, Thaddeus. My apologies, my plan has worked a little too well. I am sure you are well as this connection is strong. That is good. I need you to defend the Fortress, it was lost months ago to a rogue member of the Royal Family and I sent Rodrick to recapture it with you as the new head. Armies have been gathering for some time, and you need to catch up. Please. Be safe. And always lead with your head and heart. ~High King Erickson Jeru"
"Oh no." Eddy mumbled as the letter burned into a floating liquid that was shining brightly, "WHAT IS HAPPENING?" He felt his skin burn from molten metal as it slithered its way into the skin of his hand.
A knight mumbled, "It is a mark of allegiance!"
Eddy stood up to find Rodrick or Sofia, but they found him first.
"My boy, you have made the correct decision." Rodrick was smiling but Eddy shook his head, "What "decision"?" He was clearly in pain and it happened nearly instantly, the boy carried very little doubt in his heart, a noble virtue.
Rodrick looked puzzled by his statement but Sofia had seen enough of his "What are you even talking about" face and asked, "Did you choose a side in the civil war?"
Eddy shook his head no and she followed up by explaining, "Being unprompted means that you are seen by the System an absolute Ally. Very few people will have a mark like that." Rodrick and Sofia were smiling.
He shrugged, "So it is just rare? What is the big deal?" then he ran his fingers along the tracing of silver.
The silver gleam was kind of nice, but it was a little flashy. It just looked like a crown made of flowing silver liquid doing circles on the back of his right hand.
Rodrick looked at Thaddeus and winked, "It does more than that, boy."
He raised Eddy's hand and shouted, "FOR THE HIGH KING!" Then a burst of silver light rushed out of the mark, filling the room and washing over the soldiers present before it exploded from the keep and rolled over the whole of Blackstone in a tsunami of light.
He smiled and then yelled, "WE PREPARE FOR WAR!"