2 The Knighting

As he awoke he felt a rush of deja vu but as his eyesight returned to him he searched the room. It was a brick room with a wood fire burning nothing like his house. He could feel that he was in a different world. As he struggled to get up a greying man rushed to his side. "Please sir, rest. You took quite the beating." He couldn't believe that someone had called him sir.

"Who are you? What have you done with Hiro? and why did you call me sir?"

"Well sir I am the court physician. By Hiro I assume you are talking about the boy who attacked two guards to see you. He is well and has gone to talk to your mother. And as for your last question, is that not the title given to knights." replied the physician. Dumbfounded Badurad lay back in the bed feeling the comfort and quickly he was asleep.

The rest was short lived as Badurad awoke to frantic patting on his shoulder. As he looked towards his shoulder his look of irritation turned to a look of slight joy as he spotted Hiro, his mother and his baby sister. Hiro was gleaming with pride wearing a uniform. It was a blue tunic with armour plating on the: chest, elbow and knees. There was also a blue cloak with 'Pro Ad Regem' stitched on the back. As His strength returned he stood up hugging his mother. She said "Badurad they gave us a house made of stone. It's huge, you should see it!"

"These kinds of perks will continue to be awarded as you rank up in the military." he looked past his mother to see the Archbishop. His presence felt like a boulder on your shoulders. Badurad's Mother shook at the sight. "You gave quite the impression at the arena so I've been looking forward to meeting you. Now take these.`He was handed the same uniform as Hiro." And be in the church first thing tomorrow for your knighting."

The Next day he was marched down to the Church by two large men each armed with a sword bigger than him. As he stepped into the castle he was dazzled by the gold; it was like the sun had been spread throughout the hall. The hall itself was bigger than the whole street he had grown up on. as he stumbled clumsily through the hall wincing with every step he approached the Archbishop the same pressure pressed down on him it was like he was being screamed at to run away by every instinct he had. This man was truly terrifying.

As he knelt down on the red velvet carpet he felt the fabric beneath him embrace his wounded body, it was perhaps the softest thing he had ever felt. The Archbishop unsheathe a golden sword with a scarlet scabbard and a ruby hilt. The blade had three words engraved in it 'lux apud Deum.' The sword was raised to fall just above his head. "With the power invested in me by the church of the one true light and god I now bestow upon you the privilege of being a protector and Guardian of this land appointed by the supreme God that falls above all." Chanted the Archbishop and roughly twenty priests. The chant filled up the hall echoing all around them

When it was finished he stood up and shook the hand of the Archbishop to thank him when suddenly the doors flung open and a man walked in. " How dare you occupy the church when I was intending to use it!" shouted a man a little older than Badurad. The sun's light was still flooding throughout the hall and he could only make out a silhouette. "yes my lord we were just finishing a knighting ceremony. the hall is all yours." replied one of the men who had escorted Badurad to the church. " very well" shouted the man and then Badurad's eyes adjusted to the light and the man looked familiar. " It's you! you're the filthy piece of trash that was in my way on my street, Don't tell me you're a knight now" the man was now approaching him scowling at him. "Well let me tell you something you filthy commoner. I am a noble of the highest order. I am related to the king. I am one of the most powerful people in this country. and for you a little piece of trash that I kicked down the road to even pretend to be anything more than that is disgusting!" The man was right in front of him with Badurad kneeling before him. The man raised his boot and proceeded to kick him over and over shouting filthy over and over beating him until he passed out and then beating him some more. Everyone left, leaving him lying there in a pool of his own blood. Again. It was clear to him that even though he had fought to earn a position of nobility for his family nothing had changed he was still no more powerful than ever.