Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 3• The Escape from Andillar

The sound of the metal armory of the guards sounded loud as they ran through the streets. Little brown eyes peeked through the window. "Orlando, get away from the window!" Orlando's mother tells him. His father quickly grabbed the little boy, pulling him away from the window. The young boy pouted at his parents. "Why can't I look at the soldiers?" He asked them. Orlando's mother sighed and turned to her son. "Sweetheart, we've talked about this." His mother reminded him. "But I wanna see them fight." Orlando whines. Orlando's mother looked at her husband. He shrugged at her. The woman rolls her eyes at him. She turned her attention back to Orlando. She stepped closer to the young boy. "You stay away from the windows." She tells him again. Orlando nodded in response. His mother turned back to the dirty clothes in front of her. Orlando's father sat by his desk again. He dipped his quill in the small bottle of ink. Orlando played with the hem of his white tunic. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the front door. Orlando and his parents looked up. His father got up. Orlando rushed over to his mother, hiding behind her legs. But, he couldn't help but peek when his father opened the door. In front of them, were three royal guards. "Gentlemen, is something wrong?" Orlando's father questioned. One of the guards cleared their throats. "Something has been stolen from the castle." He informs, "We wanted to ask you and your wife a few questions." He added. Orlando's father let out a chuckle. "Well, if you told me what you're looking for, I might be able to help you." He answers. "We need you to come with us, sir." The guard tells him. "I'm sorry, gentlemen. I cannot drop everything and leave." Orlando's father tells them. "Sir, we're not going to ask you again." The guard said sternly. "I'm sorry, but you haven't given me a valid reason to leave my family." Orlando's father tells them. Suddenly, the guards grabbed him by his arms, dragging him out of the house. The first guard then stepped into the house. He walked up to Orlando's mother. "Ma'am you have to come with us." He tells her. Before she could answer, she was dragged out of her house, leaving Orlando by himself.

Orlando shot awake from the floor. The memory of his parents being dragged away from him was horrible. But it was the last good memory he had of them. He let out a deep sigh. He runs his hand through his brown hair. He then rested his head on the hard, cold, wooden floor again. He closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep. But the images of his parent's faces kept popping up in his mind. The following morning, Orlando descended from the watchtower once again. He had dark circles under his eyes, showing that he didn't get a lot of sleep last night. He thought today would be like any other day. He would get out of the tower, helped people to the fountain, got them food and other supplies, and wait for night to fall. But this day would be very different. No one else was here. Not even little Elliot. Orlando looked around the streets, peeking through some windows or creaks in the doors. He then heard some voices call out. But not to him. Orlando decided to follow the sounds. He saw a large crowd of people gathered together. And upon a platform stood Erix. Orlando took a few steps back. He found a large brown wool material on top of some crates. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulders. He turned it into a cloak, pulling the hood over his head. He kept his head low, not risking anyone recognizing him. He stepped into the crowd. "People of Andillar! I have summoned you here for a reason." Erix called out. He had the attention of everyone there. This wasn't the crowd he used to lecture. These people weren't as loyal to him as the wealthy on the other side of the empire. "I have summoned you here because I need your help," Erix tells them. "Why would you need our help?" Someone called out to Erix. The emperor turned to where the sound came from. "Because you have something I want." Erix tells them, "Or someone." He added. "And what is it that we have that you're interested in, your royal highness?" Another person questioned. "Royal highness my ass!" Someone else added. "You have to help me find someone. You all know him as Orlando." Erix tells them. "What do you want with him?" Another person asked. "He is important to me. I need him. And I need you, people, to give him to me." He tells them.

"And what's in it for us?" Someone next to Orlando called out to the emperor. Erix put up a smile. "There is a reward for the person that brings him to me. Alive." He started, "The reward is seven hundred gold coins!" He added. A lot of gasps sounded. "I trust you to find him, and bring him to me." Erix continued. The emperor then disappeared into the crowd. Orlando pulled his hood off his head, revealing his familiar mob of brown hair. The two men next to him looked at him. "Boy, what are you doing here?" One of them asked him. Orlando quickly recognized him. It was Elliot's father. Meanwhile, Antonio limped towards them. Orlando noticed the man walking up to them and helped them. "It's not safe here, my boy," Antonio tells him. Orlando looked around. "I know." He replied. More people started to notice Orlando standing right behind them. "He's here!" Someone called out. Orlando noticed Erix's head popping up. Their eyes met shortly. "You have to leave. You have to leave now!" Elliot's father spoke up. Orlando noticed Erix and his guards starting to get closer to him. More people started to call out to the emperor. They all pointed at the young man. What people would do for money. "I can't leave you all behind," Orlando tells Antonio. "Boy, if you don't want to end up like your mother and father, you'll leave!" The old man tells him. Orlando slowly started to back away. "Go!" Antonio tells him. "We'll hold them up." Elliot's father assures him. Orlando turned around and ran away as fast as he could. "Get him!" People called out. The young man ran through the small streets. He used a shortcut to get to the stables that were close to the small village where he lived. The stable boy glanced up as Orlando arrived. "Orlando?" He questioned, "What are you doing?" He asked. "No time to explain!" Orlando tells him. Suddenly, the royal guards started to appear. "Stop that man!" They yelled. Orlando jumped on top of a horse with a saddle. He started to make his way out of the stables on top of his horse. He rode through the small streets, sometimes having to jump over people. After riding for a few minutes, he arrived at the big gate. It was closed, as always. He jumped off his horse. He walked up to the gate and pulled on the chain to lift the barricade for the gate. As soon as it was lifted, Orlando turned to the doors. With all the power he had in his body, he pushed open one of the doors. Guards started to appear again. Orlando quickly climbed onto his horse again, riding out of the stone prison. The sun caused him to narrow his eyes. When he got used to the bright light, he opened his eyes. The lands around him were dried out. The dirt had turned a light shade of brown, almost yellow. Only small bits of grass and plants were growing here and there. This was not what Orlando expected of the outside world. This wasn't like the stories at all.