Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 50• You're Weak

"You're weak!" Erix tells him. Orlando swung his sword at the man. His blade cut the skin on his cheek. The emperor covered his cheek with his hand. He looked at it to see blood smeared on the inside of his hand. "Did that hurt?" Orlando said. His tone was challenging. Erix laughed as he raised his head to look at the boy. Before he could react, the emperor swung his weapon at the young man again. He kicked him to the ground in his chambers. He stood above the boy. He raised his sword above his head. "Tell me if this hurts, boy," he said. Orlando kicked against his weapon, kicking the blade in the other direction before Erix could kill him. But the emperor laughed again as Orlando crawled up to stand again. "You didn't think I was going to kill you, right?" Erix asked. Orlando frowned at him. "Did you think I would kill you that easily after I've searched for you for years and tried to kill you but you somehow managed to survive?" Erix questioned. Orlando circled around him. "No, first, first you must suffer," Erix tells him. Orlando pulled up his sword again. "Not if I kill you first," he said. The emperor shook his head. "You're a child," he said, "You can't kill me. Even if you wanted to," he added. Orlando gripped the handle of his weapon even tighter. "You should be surprised by what a kid can do. Especially after everything you've done to them." Orlando said. He sounded very calm. Although, on the inside, he was spitting fire. He suddenly felt all of the anger he had suppressed for the past years just rush back. All that anger. And Erix knew it. He could see it in his eyes. That fire.

Erix let out another chuckle. "You're weak. Just like your parents," he said. Orlando felt even more frustrated. He could say a lot of things. And he could say anything about his parents and it wouldn't, necessarily, upset him. But saying that his parents are weak? "They weren't weak," Orlando stated. He pressed the tip of his blade right against his chest. "They fought to protect me. They went against the empire, against Adelio himself, to protect their family." he continued. Erix narrowed his eyes at him slightly. "They ran away from their destiny. They were afraid." the emperor said. "They are the bravest people who have ever lived!" Orlando yelled. "They turned their backs on the empire! On their family, my boy. They were scared." Erix tells him. "They loved me! They did it all for me!" Orlando yelled. He jumped up and swung his weapon at the Emperor. He cut into his shoulder and part of his arm. He didnt stop there. He continued to attack the man until the emperor dropped to his knees. "My family loves me! And you took them away from me!" he yelled. Out of nowhere the emperor reached out and grabbed the boy's leg. He sweeps him off his feet. "Don't you think that I had a family?" he questioned. Orlando looked at the man. "He killed them," Erix said. His voice was breaking. "He took my family when I was a little boy." He added. "So that's why you're doing this? To get your revenge?" Orlando questioned. Erix shook his head. "No." he answered simply, "I want them to fear me," he added. Orlando furrowed his eyebrows. "Fear you?" he asked. "All those people who left me for dead. No one wanted to help me after my parents were killed. No one. I was helpless. Alone." Erix explained, "I want them to feel what I felt. I want them to be scared." He said. Orlando shook his head. "Innocent people kids!" he started. "I was a kid! And no one cared back then why should I now, huh?!" he yelled. He raised his weapon once again and attacked the young man. "You think you've had it rough?!" Erix yelled.

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.